Warm Grape & Toasted Pita Salad

Completely addictive.  From Herbivoracious.

3 cups red seedless grapes, halved
3 thick pitas, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
6 oz ricotta salata, cubed or crumbled 
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TB toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and sumac to taste
Olive oil

Heat a 4 TB olive oil with red pepper flakes in a deep skillet.  Add pita squares and toast until light brown and crispy around the edges.  Move to a bowl.  Heat grapes in the same skillet, without adding more oil, until heated through and beginning to sizzle and lighten, about a minute or two.  Add grapes, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl.  Toss, taste, and adjust quantities of lemon juice, herbs and spices, and olive oil.  Serve immediately (or, if not possible, serve chilled). 

Paprika-Lime Butter for Corn

Mixed this up last night (for barbecue #2 of summer 2012), thinking of a Denver restaurant that serves grilled corn with a slice of lime, queso fresco, paprika salt, and butter.  It was yummy on the corn and I saw people spooning it over their shrimp skewers, as well.

Juice of 3 limes
1 TB paprika
1 tsp salt
1 TB finely grated parmesan
3 TB melted butter

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa

These little guys were my favorite vegetarian burger-replacement in many a barbecue.  (Thanks to K for sending me the recipe.)

Group One:
1.5 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped garlic
olive oil

Group Two:
1 cup cooked red or black quinoa
1 cup  bread crumbs
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 TB ea. chopped ilantro & basil
1 egg, lightly beaten

Group Three:
Chopped blackberries, cilantro, very fine slices of red onion and serrano pepper, lime juice, and salt.  

Cook your sweet potato and onion cubes in oil with salt for about 10-15 minutes in a large covered skillet - long enough to really soften those potatoes.  Then add the garlic and cook another minute or so.  Also cook your quinoa.

In a large bowl, mix the potato mixture (Group One) with the quinoa and other Group Two ingredients.  Mash together a little, pat into little cakes, and grill (or brown in a skillet).  Top with a salsa made of Group Three.  Next time, I may use them as veggie burger substitutes and serve with a bun and some condiments, but this salsa is great.

These quantities made about 8 cakes.

Caramelized Pear Ice Cream

Creamy dreamy very yummy ice cream from The Perfect Scoop.  I am informed that I should not even offer people chocolate sauce for this stuff, because it just detracts from the pear-ness (a little cinnamon and maybe a phyllo confection of some kind might be a better bet).  Here's what you do:

Peel and dice three ripe pears.  The smaller the dice, the easier the later steps.

Cover the bottom of a heavy nonreactive saucepan or skillet or what-have-you with 3/4 cup + 2 TB sugar.  Turn on medium high heat, and let the sugar melt and caramelize (you may want to stir gently when the edges start to melt to get the rest of it going). 

Once it is a deep amber color, add the pears.  The sugar will then seize up into pesky hard bits.  Do your best to get them to melt again by stirring and pressing into the pot with a heatproof spatula.  I find this is easier if you wait long enough (until that sugar really is amber and bubbly) to add the pears. (Properly caramelized sugar makes the flavor what it is, anyway).

Cook the pears in the sugar until soft, maybe 10 mins.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/2 cup heavy cream.  When that is mixed in, add another 1.5 cups cream, 1/8 tsp salt, and a few drops of lemon juice.  Allow to cool.  Liquify in a blender, then pass through a strainer to remove any pesky pear (or hard sugar) bits.  Chill overnight and blend according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Amazing as it is, I might turn this into a custard next time.  Or add a ribbon of actual caramel.  If so, I will update this post accordingly.

By the way, if you want to make some pretty awesome ice cream without any machine at all, check this out.

Avocado-Grapefruit Salad

It's been awhile since I posted a straight-up salad.  I have to remind myself sometimes to blog things that I'd make again, even if they are not revolutionary New Recipes Nobody Has Ever Thought of Before.  So, Phoenix people, I realize you probably have all eaten this or something like it 1.5 million times, but allow me to marvel over it from (still-chilly) Colorado...

3 red grapefruits
3 avocados
Head of butter lettuce
2 handfuls pistachios
Feta
Olive oil, salt, soy sauce, white balsamic

Cube the avocados, tear the lettuce leaves, and remove the flesh of the grapefruits keeping it as intact as possible.  (If you don't mind pith you could leave some of that in, but I hate the stuff and try to remove it thoroughly.)  Reserve the grapefruit juice separately from the flesh, as you may not want to pour ALL of it on your salad.  Crush the pistachios a little. 

Toss the avos, lettuce, grapefruit flesh, feta, and nuts in a liberal quantity of grapefruit juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt to taste, and tiny splashes of white balsamic and soy sauce.

Salmon With Peach Sauce

One of the ways that I am changing my life since graduating from college is taking advantage of the time that I have to cook more often and to eat healthier.  Along those lines, I recently decided I was going to cook some salmon, in the interest of becoming more of a contributor to this blog than various versions of chicken and rice.

Learning to purchase and cook salmon was an amusing experience that involved me accidentally calling big sister S (the vegetarian one) to ask her advice on purchasing salmon and googling how to remove fish scales (which landed me on the helpful page "Frequently Asked Salmon Questions". You really can find anything on the internet.)

The learning, however, was so worth it.  I had some leftover peach preserves from a friend's wedding in January (for favors, they canned their own peach preserves.  How adorable is that?) and yet another friend brilliantly suggested putting them on salmon.  I remembered that Robin Miller of Food Network (one of my favorite cookbooks is her Quick Fix Meals) often uses preserves and the like in cooking. I decided to utilize those preserves, and the result was delicious.  Here's what I did:

look Ma, I'm eating my greens

Purchased small wild Alaska salmon fillet from butcher at Safeway.  Preheated oven to 350 degrees.  Descaled it using this method found via internet searching.  Set in a piece of foil, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.  Wrapped in foil, placed on baking sheet.  Mixed a 2-1 ratio of peach preserves and soy sauce, respectively, in a bowl, until well blended.  After about 15 minutes of cooking, added preserves mixture to salmon. Cooked another 10-15 minutes until flaky, but not too dry.

I imagine this would be delicious with any type of fruit preserves.

There, one step closer to shedding the title of finicky little sister. ;)

Summer Dessert: Grilled Fruit & Ice Cream

My favorite variation:  Grilled peach slices served over vanilla ice cream with cinnamon and honey.  This was the ending to many bbqs last summer, and this summer I can make the ice cream myself, too! 

Also delicious:  Grilled strawberries or cherries over vanilla ice cream with reduced balsamic vinegar.  Grilled pineapple over chocolate ice cream with a little chocolate syrup. 

Warm Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas & Chard

Quinoa is a popular food here at Today I Cooked (and let's face it, across the food blogosphere). We like it with lentils, toasted and maple-y for breakfast, fried into quinoa corn cakes, as a flour for cake,  in tamales, served with roasted veggies and avocado, and lots of other ways, too. My sisters and I could subsist on cheese and carbs if left unchecked, so quinoa is a good high-protein option for us.

This is what you get when my camera is broken

I make variations of this salad regularly, because it is easy and delicious.

1.5 cups uncooked quinoa

2 tomatoes

2 lemons

1 large bunch chard

1 bunch green onions

2 shallots

1 15 oz. can chickpeas

2 tablespoons pesto

4 tablespoons hummus

Fresh Basil

Sea Salt

Start your quinoa cooking either in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. It cooks much more quickly than rice, so pay attention! Open and rinse chickpeas and add to a large serving bowl. De-stem and tear chard. Slice green onions and shallots. Chop tomatoes. Add all of it to a bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix pesto, hummus, and the juice of two lemons. Stir into beans/tomatoes/greens mixture. Once quinoa is done, add to bowl. Season with sea salt and thinly sliced fresh basil. 

Considerations for food ethics and allergies: Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, soy free.

If you are like us and still have chard to use (see below), try this. Alternately, check out how my good friend Heather is dealing with this chard-knock life. 

Community gardening in the desert Southwest

Strawberry-Black Bean Tacos

After eating some of the best tacos I've ever had for brunch on a sunny Phoenix morning last weekend, I couldn't stop thinking of soft corn tortillas with savory black beans, and we wound up with the following dinner:

Corn tortillas (homemade if possible), with a dollop of black beans (try these, or, for a simple version, Amy's vegetarian black refried beans are good), topped with feta and a salsa of diced strawberries and avocados, tossed in plenty of lime juice and a little salt and honey.  I also threw some shredded basil on top.  Tasty!

Tangy, Garlicky Greens

The first and second weeks of May were a bit of a doozy for these sisters. The story goes something like this.

April 30th: Kate successfully defends her dissertation proposal but is also rejected from a major grant.
May 1: The first half of the family arrives from Alaska for an epic, and very hectic week of celebrating because Annalise is a rockstar college graduate!!!
May 2: The second half of the family comes in from Wyoming and A graduates!!! Sarah is busy in Denver doing some very serious lawyering and is very missed.
May 3: A series of parties/ceremonies ensue.
May 4: K's car breaks down. A's roommates are moving out and others are moving in. Lots of chaos.
May 5: More partying for A. K and mother try to buy all decorations for K's upcoming August nuptials and seriously fail.
May 6: A's sweet, beautiful childhood dog is hit by a car back in Wyoming and she doesn't make it. Everyone is so sad. Kindness from strangers who give the doggie a proper burial overwhelms us all.
May 8: K becomes very ill. She pushes through and goes with A and Mom to try on the-wedding-dress-that-is-sort-of-ugly-and-needs-much-fixing-oh-no.
May 9: K ends up in urgent care with strep and a stomach virus, because that's how she rolls.
May 10: The rest of the week is a wash of anti-nausea meds, gatorade, and too many episodes of Private Practice.
May 11: S's very serious lawyering ends for the week in a nerve-wracking way. She flies to Phoenix anyway, because....
May 12: The recovered K has an epic bridal shower and bachelorette party. A is in another wedding this day, but somehow she still makes it out to K's parties. All sisters also engage in various care activities for a sick grandmother. (Who is now doing better, thankfully.)
May 13: Country music dancing at a cowboy bar is going on still in the wee hours of the morning. Later, S flies back to Denver.
May 14: Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

The one day not listed above? May 7th? On that day I cooked these greens, which we harvested from P's community garden plot. They were amazing, and provided a good dose of nourishment in the midst of some serious insanity.

Tangy, Garlicky Greens

Chard or kale, several large bundles
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 medium or two small lemon(s)
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter
Nutmeg
Sea salt

Put 3 tablespoons of butter into a large soup pot and melt on simmer or low. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, and let cook, still on low, for 30-45 minutes. The butter/garlic combo will become incredibly fragrant.

Meanwhile, wash and de-stem your chard and tear into large strips. Add to the pot with a tablespoon of water. Put the lid on the pot and let greens wilt for 5 minutes, stirring with butter/garlic. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on their size and strength and your preferences) to the greek yogurt. Stir over greens and add nutmeg and sea salt to taste. Serve warm and wilted, but not all the way cooked down. We ate it with this amazing soup and these delicious cocktails.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Vegetarian but not vegan. Gluten-free. Do not make if you have a dairy or casein allergy, but do remember that nutmeg and lemon are a good flavor pairing for greens even without the butter and the yogurt. Into slow food? I've grown chard in the extreme (and very different) climates of Arizona and Wyoming with great ease.

Simple Chicken and Tomatoes

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats near the beginning of the year, and it has rapidly become my staple, go-to recipe when I want a meal without too much fuss.  With tomato season approaching, I thought I'd post it, if anything to give our mother another use for all the fresh tomatoes she'll be growing soon.

Because I've made this so often, I am able to make variations on it easily and quickly, some of which I have maintained and will include in this recipe.  The main variation is to reduce the portion size, this is the amount I typically make for just myself, and often save half for later.  I also replaced butter with olive oil, but it's delicious both ways.

1 chicken breast

A handful of cherry tomatoes, (or 2 normal-size tomatoes in halves)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. Oregano

1 Tbs. Paprika

1 Tbs. garlic

1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine

Flour

Salt and Pepper

While preparing the chicken and tomatoes, also prepare 1 cup rice.

Mix together olive oil (or butter) with oregano, paprika, and garlic, or other spices if desired.  Heat a frying pan with 1/4 of the olive oil mixture.  Slice chicken into strips, dredge each piece in flour, add salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in frying pan, add more of olive oil mixture.  Cook until finished, about 8 minutes total.  Remove chicken from pan, set aside and cover to keep warm.  Add remaining olive oil mixture to pan and heat.  Add tomatoes, cook until they begin to char and burst.  Squeeze tomatoes for extra juice, add chicken broth.  Remove once broth is warmed and pour tomatoes and sauce over chicken and rice.  Serve immediately.

Grapefruit Gin and Tonic

Last night I went to sister K's for dinner, as our mother is still in town to celebrate my college graduation.  We ate yummy tomato soup and a delicious chard recipe I'm certain she will post later (if this meat-and-potatoes-gal can call it delicious, it must be posted).

To complement this just-right meal, my soon-to-be brother-in-law P made us some cocktails, and said I was welcome to share here:

Squeeze the extra juiciness out of an overripe grapefruit.  Add a shot of Bombay Sapphire. Add tonic.  Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a leaf of basil harvested from your very own community garden plot.

Cheers.

Rogan Josh Cauliflower

Inspired by today's Chipotle Honey-Roasted Cauliflower at Lunchimal.  Nice over jasmine rice.

Cut 1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower (the purple and orange kinds are sure pretty) into florets.  Toss in a large bowl with:

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup raisins
2 TB melted ghee
4 TB rogan josh spice mix (paprika, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom and a few other things...).
Salt 

Move onto a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 45 minutes.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Compliments to Deb, whom we all try not to rip off TOO often around here.  Lovely rich savory veggie flavor in this soup; can't wait to make it with fresh tomatoes.

Brush 1 eggplant (peeled & halved), 3 large meaty tomatoes (halved), 6 cloves garlic (peeled), and one medium onion (halved) with oil and bake on broiler pan at 400 for 45 minutes, until eggplant is thoroughly soft and brown.  (Check garlic periodically so it doesn't burn, it may need removing sooner.)

Heat 4 cups of your preferred soup stock.  When the veggies are done, plop them in wholesale along with 2 tsp each of thyme and cumin.  (You might peel the tomatoes at this point if you're up for it.)  Simmer for 45 minutes or until onion is soft, then blend with immersion blender or in batches, and top with a crumbly white cheese (my choice: ricotta salata).  

Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Hollandaise

.... I guess that's self explanatory, eh?  Wild rice, topped with thin tender steamed asparagus spears, topped with a poached egg, topped with hollandaise and, if you like, sriracha.

Mashed Avocado Sandwiches

Mash two avocados (for two sandwiches) and mix in some reduced balsamic vinegar and salt.  Slice 2 thick pieces (each) of crusty white bread.  Top one slice with mashed avo and roasted tomatoes (from deli or homemade).  Top the other slice with thin slices of nutty white cheese (eg Piave).  Toast well.  Add some bitter leafy lettuce and fresh dill, top avo slice with cheese slice, and gobble.

Gin for Wimps (aka Lemon Honey Fizz!)

So, I don't think anyone will be upset if I let slip that we are not known for holding our liquor in this family.  (One of the best voicemails I ever got was from a certain sister who shall go unnamed, smashed to the point of helpless laughter on... a single margarita.)

Anyhoo, the reason I am telling you all this:  Our mom (whose birthday is today!  <3 ) made her way down to Denver to visit me for Easter weekend, and she came bearing a drink recipe.  The ingredients were lovely, but I could tell at a glance that I was gonna be adjusting the ratios.  So here are two versions:  The recipe she brought, for normal folk, and the one we made, for people who are related to us, former nuns who have recently gone civilian, and so forth.

Normal People:

4 oz gin (about 1/2 cup)
1.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon
1 oz honey sauce

(To make honey sauce:  Bring equal parts honey & water to a simmer, stir till honey is dissolved.)

Mix over ice in cocktail mixer; strain; serve.

Nuns Etc.:

4 oz gin
3 oz freshly squeezed lemon
3 oz honey sauce

Mix over ice in cocktail mixer; strain; fill glass to brim with fizzy water just to make SURE you don't taste that gin.  ;-)

Mezze Quinoa Salad with Lentils

Last week was really rough. I messed up an important talk, had something rather sad happen in the context of my dissertation, barely slept, and let it all send me into a deeply anxious tailspin. None of this was aided by the fact that besides that delicious thai soup I really didn't eat anything besides rice cakes, lemon cake, chocolate, popcorn, pineapple, and coffee. Fail.

After recovering over the weekend with help from my sweet P, who made me fresh carrot juice and took me out for a lovely birthday dinner on Saturday, I'm hoping this week can go better. And I'll be well-armed with a delicious mezze quinoa salad with lentils to help with that whole nutrition thing.

This is basically my version of tabbouleh (gluten-free), beefed up with lentils. So tasty, so healthy.

Ingredients

1.5 cups dried quinoa

1/2 to 1 cup cooked lentils

1 shallot

1 bunch green onions

3 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, de-seeded

1 container grape or baby heirloom tomatoes

3 lemons

Parsley

Cilantro

Cumin

Red Pepper flakes

Salt

Black Pepper

To Make

Cook quinoa and lentils. I actually used pre-cooked lentils that I bought on sale at Safeway. Yes that is embarrassing, but it's also the truth. I cook quinoa with equal parts water over medium-high, with a glug of olive oil added in. You are supposed to soak and rinse it beforehand, but I never do and I have never tasted anything off. Up to you!

Meanwhile, thinly slice your shallots and add them to a big bowl. Squeeze the juice of all 3 lemons over the shallots and add a generous pinch of salt and another pinch of pepper. Let marinade. Chop your garlic, add to bowl. Clean and slice your jalapeno, add to bowl. Thinly slice your green onions, add to...ok you get it. Finish up with the tomatoes, the parsley, and the cilantro. Mix all together with quinoa and lentils, and add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve with feta crumbled on top. I scooped it up with some delicious gluten-free crackers.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: This is gluten-free, vegetarian, and unless you serve it with feta, vegan.

Thai(ish) Indian(ish) Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms

After attending three academic conferences spread out over 9 days in London, I came home in need of serious nutrition. Having eaten some amazing Thai and Indian food while away, I had a combination of chickpeas, coriander, coconut milk, and ginger on my mind. These are all incorporated here along with my new favorite broth combination of coconut milk and fire-roasted tomatoes.

As a bit of an aside, P and I have basically turned into functional vegetarians. We prepare meat at home only about once a month, I would say, but do eat it while out. For some reason today I really wanted some chicken, but you could easily omit the meat and add more veggies for a nice vegan soup.

Ingredients

Glug of olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion

5 cloves garlic

1 large bell pepper (I chose a mild yellow here)

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cans fire-roasted tomatoes (BPA and all. I wish I could find fire-roasted tomatoes in a glass jar)

2 cans chickpeas (much better to use dried, but I was all out)

1/2 can coconut milk (some places you can get this in a box now...avoid the BPA if you can)

1-2 chicken breasts, pre-cooked (optional, replace with more beans if you are veg)

4 large handfuls baby portabella mushrooms

1 lemon

Salt

Red pepper flakes

Black Pepper

Ginger

Coriander

Curry

To make

Pour a glug of olive oil into a large pot and turn the burner on to medium. Chop 1 large onion and 5 cloves garlic and add to your olive oil. Next, chop 1 large yellow pepper. Add this to the onion and garlic mixture. Season it all very liberally with salt, pepper, ginger, coriander, curry, and red pepper flakes. Now, add 3 or so cups of broth and let simmer while you chop 4 large handfuls of baby portabellas or another meaty mushroom into medium-sized pieces.

After adding mushrooms, stir in your fire-roasted tomatoes and chickpeas. Shred your chicken (I recommend cooking beforehand). Finally, pour 1/2 can coconut milk into the broth. Add more ginger, curry, coriander, salt and pepper to taste (I had to add a lot more!). Finally, squeeze the juice of one large lemon into the soup and stir. Let simmer for 30 minutes, then enjoy.

Considerations for food allergies & ethics: If you omit the chicken, this soup could be vegan. It is dairy free and gluten free, so long as you use a gluten free broth. Pacific brand is my brand of choice for broth.

White Pepper Ice Cream

(Actually multicolored pepper ice cream, but Chris, the requestor of this ice cream, based his request on the song of the above name, so....)

How's this for an awesome / so-awesome-I-feel-guilty birthday present:  Ice-cream maker! And accompanying recipe books! 

This was my first shot and it is yummmmmmmy.  Since the actual peppercorns are strained out after infusing the custard for awhile, they just leave behind a bright, kickin' peppery essence.  I'm thinking we'll eat this with strawberries and a little balsamic.

100% taken from The Perfect Scoop ice cream cookbook.  Actually, NPR already put it on the interwebs, so I'll just leave ya with the link:  Pepper Ice Cream.  If you've got the tools, give it a shot!  If not come over and I'll make you some.

Vegetarian Sushi-sans-Nori

How's that for a confusing name?  It's late, and I can do no better.  Basically, I used Heidi's method for making sticky rice balls, but made them with plain sushi rice, filled them with delicious things, and ate them like sushi.  Super yummy dinner, will be super yummy lunch tomorrow!

And before I lay out the basic method here, a complete digression:  Vegetarians, if you are ever in Austin, TX: in the name of all that is green and leafy go here and let them serve you veggie sushi of their choice.  One of the best meals I've ever had.  Mouth unicorns!

So anyway, rice balls / noriless veggiesushis / excuse to play with your food:

1.  Make 2 cups sushi rice in rice cooker (this will be enough for 2 for dinner with maybe 1 lunch portion left over). 

2. Dice up some combination of the following, or, you know, other things:  Eggplant, red pepper, asparagus, tofu,  grape tomatoes, portobellos, avocado, mango, cucumber, chives.  Other fruits could also be delicious.
(I diced up some of all of these and had way, way, way too much filler for my rice, so unless you're going to make a triple batch for a party, be decisive.  I highly recommend the tomatoes and mango and avo along w/1 or 2 meatier things, though.)  You want proper 1/2 inch dice, no bigger or assembly will be a pain. 

3.  Toss the above, except avo/mango/cuke, in a mixture of sesame oil (or sesame chili oil if you have it), chopped garlic from a jar, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, or whatever else floats your vaguely Asian flavor boat.

4.  Spread your marinated cubes evenly over a broiler pan. Turn on your broiler, and place your broiler pan such that one end is under the flame, which if your oven is like mine will reach about 1/4 of the pan at a time.  Broil that segment of the pan for 5 minutes, then scoot down to the next 1/4 and repeat (this is properly done w/oven door open as I only recently learned...).

5.  When rice is done, mix in rice vinegar to taste (about 2 TB) and let it cool some.  Then, make an assembly line with filling ingredients (broiled veggies and avo, mango et al) and the rice, and maybe some sesame seeds to roll the riceballs in if you like. 

6.  Here is the key thing:  Do Not endeavor to make rice balls in your hands, OK? Get a piece of plastic wrap, put it in your palm, and plop a tablespoon or two of rice on there.  Place a few yummy bits of things (tomato + asparagus + mango.... avo + eggplant + cuke... you get the picture) on top of the rice, then gather the saran wrap around it into a little packet, squeeze into a ball, unwrap, plop on plate, repeat.  (For pictures, see link to Heidi's recipe above.)

7.  Serve like sushi with soy sauce/wasabi/ginger.  Gobble gobble.

PS: I also made this, the cabbage equivalent of a latke, but it was kind of meh. Would be better served with plain yogurt and a side of fresh fruit for brunch, or something. 

Cabbage Soup & Soda Bread

Belated St. Pat's at our house tonight.  I did the easy part (the soup), Chris made the bread in a cast-iron skillet and put on some Susan McKeown, and all we lacked was a Guinness. 

Soda bread:  Chris made this recipe.  It had a great crust and texture and the fragrance filled the whole house.  I wish we'd've melted the cheddar slices on top before eating, but it was plenty tasty with the soup and sliced apple and non-melted Irish cheddar.  Can't wait for another slice for breakfast.

Soup:  I started with this recipe of Heidi's, but ended up doing the following slight variation. Simple, light broth with tender strips of cabbage. 

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 a cabbage, cored and cut in 1/2 inch ribbons
1 cup white beans  (don't know what kind I grabbed from freezer, it's all good)
Veggie bullion or broth
Salt, fresh dill, white balsamic vinegar
Olive oil & grated parmesan

Soften the onion & garlic in olive oil over medium low heat. Add salt and 4 cups broth, bring to a boil, add cabbage and beans, simmer until cabbage texture is just right. Add dill and a splash of vinegar, adjust salt. Serve topped with parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Guest Post: Just Right Tomato Soup

Today we have a guest post from a good friend who is also a talented photographer. I recently relayed this recipe by Heidi Swanson to Mica and his wife. Taking advantage of the last of the cool weather here in the desert Southwest, he made it and was kind enough to tell us about it here.

Tomato soup: an easy recipe with big flavor
By Mica Thomas Mulloy

It has only been in the last five or six years that I have started to tolerate tomatoes.Before that, tomatoes and I were not really on speaking terms. I tried time and time again, but I just couldn’t do it. They always had that, well, tomato taste. Yuck.

Now I’m a little bit better. I can appreciate a good caprese salad, diced tomatoes in a taco, or thinly sliced tomatoes on a big sub sandwich or a good burger (thinly sliced is the key. Too thick and I still pull them right off). Of course I have always enjoyed salsa too, but that doesn’t count as tomatoes, right? But as far back as I can remember, even though I would turn up my nose at any form of raw tomato, tomato was my favorite variety of soup.

Go figure. It has always just had a warm, homey feeling to it. Pair it with grilled cheese sandwiches and you have perfect meal on a cold winter night. If I had to name my “comfort foods” tomato soup would certainly make the short list.

I need to clarify here that I am not a cook. Despite a short-lived phase when I was little of wanting to be Jack Tripper from “Three’s Company,” my culinary skills have never surpassed basic at best. I make a mean quesadilla, somehow figured out a decent chicken parmesan and serviceable meatballs, and I can grill pretty good street tacos.

That’s about it.

Still, occasionally I get an itch to try to cook something delicious, and will sometimes surprise myself by not ruining a meal.

When one of the primary authors of this blog gave my wife her recipe for tomato soup, my appreciation for the creamy red brew took over and I felt the urge to really make a mess in the kitchen.So I did, and it turned out great.

This definitely is not your standard condensed-tomato-soup-from-a-can recipe. I may not be the biggest soup connoisseur, but even as an amateur I can safely say this one has a ton of flavor without being overbearing. And it has kick. Not so much spice that the timid-tongued won’t want to eat it, but just enough to really make the taste memorable.

It’s not a thin broth with giant chunks you can never quite dig up from the bottom of the bowl, and it’s also not so thick you could eat it with a fork. Like Goldilocks found with the three bears’ porridge, it’s just right.

Secret ingredient: generic store-brand spices

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 yellow onions chopped
• 2 28 oz. cans of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 6 cups of water
• Cumin
• Red chili flakes
• Curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Here’s how to do it. Or at least how I did it:
Chop the onions. I ended up using one really big onion rather than two regular onions. Did it make a difference? No idea. Chop what you want. As a side note, if you’re like I used to be and chop onions as you would anything else and then wonder why the pieces are all different sizes, oddly shaped and nothing like what you see in cooking shows, watch this quick video for some tips.

Drizzle some olive oil in a large pot and when hot add the onions. Once sufficiently softened, stir in the fire roasted tomatoes, coconut milk and water. Next add the spices. I used a tablespoon of each.

I used kosher salt, and later added in about a teaspoon of season salt. I wanted to make sure I covered up any strong “tomato” taste (Yuck, remember?).

Once hot, use an immersion blender to make the big chunks less chunk-like and the whole concoction a little creamier.

The mixture comes together on low heat

Cover and cook on low for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the brew brewing. I’m sure you could keep it simmering longer, but we were hungry and it looked done.

Chopped fresh flat Italian parsley from my herb garden. It was a really nice addition as a finish for the soup. Pull the leaves from the stems, bunch together, chop, bunch together again and turn 90 degrees, chop again. Repeat.

Ladle into bowls and serve. I added a little fresh parsley from my herb garden. I think it was a nice, subtle final touch. We warmed some Filone Asiago Cheese bread from the bakery aisle to go with the soup. So much for the gluten-free meal, I know, but if you can tolerate it, it was a great balance to the kick, and great for dunking into the soup. How civilized.

Finished product, ready to serve

What I learned:
First, this wasn’t tough or that time consuming as far as soup from scratch goes. Stuff went in a pot, good soup came out. Second, a little curry powder goes a long way. If you like it and know what you’re getting into, go with a tablespoon. If you aren’t sure, cut it back a bit. I will probably try less coconut milk next time. It is a necessary ingredient, but I kept getting a hint of little too much coconut. Or maybe coconut with a little too much curry. That said, keep in mind I don’t really know what I’m talking about. If I did, I would probably be able to balance out what I was tasting with the other spices. Alas, I’ll just add less of both next time.Lastly, this recipe made a lot of soup. Plenty for leftovers the next day plus some in the freezer. I made this for two, so it could easily feed four to six people. If you have a small party and don’t want leftovers, you could reduce the ingredients.

In the end:
I don’t love tomatoes. Never have, and even though I like them now more than ever, don’t imagine I ever will. They’re too tomato-ey. I think people who can just bite into a whole tomato and enjoy it are weird.
But I do love tomato soup, and this is easily one of the best tomato soups I’ve ever had. Like I said, it has a lot of flavor and just enough kick. For comparison purposes, it certainly leaves the Campbell’s red and white can in the dust. But you can compare it with that familiar feeling of warmth, comfort, and home. And this soup has it all.

Mica Mulloy is a high school teacher and photographer in Phoenix, Ariz. Check out more photos and less recipes on his website at www.micamulloy.com.

Lemon Greek Yogurt Pasta with Chicken, Squash and Zucchini

Here in Phoenix, the orange blossoms are in bloom and citrus is plentiful.  This makes my brain spin with creative citrus ideas, whether there happens to be citrus in my kitchen or not.  A few nights ago, one of my good friends was coming over for a meeting, and I wanted to cook dinner for him.  Believe it or not, this meal came out of the last random things I had left in my cupboards that are desperate for me to grocery shop.

My head thought, can you make a sauce with greek yogurt?  Could that include citrus flavors? What if I used the squash and zucchini Jessica got me for my birthday?  Could that all go together well?

And so, I googled.  My research confirmed that my instincts were correct, and these flavors could in fact work together. Here are the results:

I sliced one zucchini and one squash and sauteed them in a frying pan with some Meyer lemon olive oil, and basil.  I sauteed them until they were slightly see-through. I cut two chicken breasts into bite size pieces and also sauteed them in a frying pan with lemon olive oil and a little lemon juice, seasoned with basil, lemon pepper, and some garlic.  I boiled a box of whole wheat linguine and set it aside.  In a bowl, I mixed together 1/2 cup of greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, and some lemon peel.  I first added the zucchini and squash, then the chicken, and then the pasta, tossing it all together well.

Sadly, I did not have any actual lemons on hand at the moment.  I hope to make this recipe again when I do.  For readers who do have lemons on hand, I would recommend thinning the greek yogurt with the juice of one or two lemons, and as well as adding zest to either the chicken or the sauce.  If you do not have lemon olive oil, you could make your own by simply mixing olive oil with lemon juice.  Also, if any readers had cherry tomatoes on hand, I suspect those would be a lovely addition, and one could throw those in with the zucchini and squash partway through sauteing.

Happy citrus season! Enjoy.

Fava Puree with Parsley and Dried Cherries

Last time we were in Brooklyn, I loaded up both of our carryons with things I miss from the peerless Sahadi's, like cardamom tea and harissa paste and pistachio oil.  (Actually, the pistachio oil was a problem as it was over the size limit for said carryons.  Luckily, we were in NY to visit a baby with a very smart mama, who filled two of his bottles---under the volume limit---with my precious oil and sent me on my way.)

I also got a nice big container of dried, shelled fava beans.  They may not be as tender as the farmer's-market-fresh batch that went into this soup, but the nutty flavor and velvet texture when pureed are all there.  I love the flavor of this puree and was tempted to eat it with a spoon (or on little toasts, perhaps?).  Instead, it went over some store-bought "wild mushroom agnolotti" with ribbons of barely-steamed asparagus.

2 cups dried, shelled favas
juice of 1 lemon (maybe 2 if yours are small and/or store bought - mine was the last of my Arizona trove)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 package finely chopped dried cherries
One bunch fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup grated nutty white cheese
splash of white balsamic vinegar
Salt

Quick-soak the favas beans (cover in water, about 2-3 inches above beans, bring to boil, boil for one minute, turn off heat, let sit for one hour). 

While they soak, make a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt.  Taste and adjust to your liking; measurements approximate.  You can always add more of any of these things to the puree once it's made.   (Chop the parsley and cherries and grate the cheese, too.)

When favas are ready, mash them with vinaigrette using a potato masher, to whatever consistency you like (I think chunky is nice), mix the other ingredients in and mash a bit more, adjust flavors, and serve - hot or cold depending how you use it.

West African Peanut Stew

This recipe needs some tweaking, but I'm posting it so I will remember to do so (or maybe someone else will, and will tell me how to make it better?  hint hint!).  It has the potential to be super tasty.  Folks on allrecipes loved it, so maybe I am just an outlier and/or didn't follow the recipe well enough? 

The recipe linked above is as follows:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, very finely diced
• 2 large bell peppers, (any color) finely chopped
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter  [I used chunky and didn't add roasted peanuts]
• chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
2. Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
3. When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter and return to a simmer, and serve. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.

I made the following additions, but they weren't enough to counterbalance the overwhelming peanut butter flavor:

- Added finely chopped carrots to Step One
- Added a splash of soy sauce
- Added 1/2 a can tomato paste
- Used more garlic and a LOT more red pepper flakes.

I think for next time, I will try less peanut butter (probably the most important modification), more rice, perhaps even more tomato paste/tomatoes and soy sauce and red pepper flakes... what else would y'all suggest?  What could this be served with other than bread?

**Update:  See the comments for a much-better-sounding version via Kate!***

Food from Vietnam

.... is delicious and I wish I could eat it every day.

 

This is a good visual of the approximate quantity of fruits I ate.

 

This is a terrible picture of some banh (Hue-area specialty small dishes) - they were tiny dishes with a sticky glutinous rice base, topped with little pinches of what seemed to be seafood and egg, finely chopped and fried crispy?  Or something.  It was tasty even for a this-week-only seafood eater.

OK, the interwebs say it is banh beo, "Silver-dollar disks of rice flour. Topped with mung bean powder, ground shrimp, and oil-moistened green onions. Served with nuoc cham."  Thanks Banh Guide:  http://dina-n-brian.com/Alice/Banhguide.htm

 

Fried corn with shallots and tomato (and some nice fresh springrolls in background).

 

So. Many. Kinds. Of. Delicious. Leafy. Greens.  Usually served with garlic and inadequate English words to cover all of them.  Oh, and tiny crabs, but I certainly didn't eat any of those.

 

Fruit:  Not only delicious but decorative.  I miss the fruit.  Denver is not so fruitastic.

 

Some meat thing Chris ate that he said was tasty but I didn't pay attention to what it was b/c it's meat.  Pretty, no? 

 

Now THIS was a taco of earthly delights.  Crispy rice-flour taco filled with fresh veggies and shrimpies and herbs (and pork if you like), with a peanut-based sauce to pour in.  Single most delicious Thing of the trip.  It is called banh khoai and I will not die without eating it again.

 

One of many hotpots. So wonderful in pouring rain.  With fruit for dessert.

Pasta al Limon

I'm sure everyone and their dog made this recipe when it came out in the NYT (I know my mom and I did - she was visiting me in my Brooklyn apt during law school and came bearing amazing lemons from a colleague's New Mexico relative's tree).  But just in case you're the person who didn't, it really is amazing and worth doing (unlike the accompanying tart recipe, or so I hear).

I think using fresh pasta really helps, and I served it with bok choy and kale, cooked over high heat in oil and maple syrup in a closed pan, which made them kinda caramelize and get toothsome and brown.

Also, if you mistakenly use a reactive saucepan for the  wine-reducing stage and your reduced white wine tastes crazy bitter... and you don't have a NONreactive pan around... might I suggest a mug and the microwave.  You're welcome. 

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Filling:
1 roasted butternut
1 can corn
2 small onions, caramelized with LOTS of chopped garlic
Cumin & cinnamon*

Sauce: Canned green enchilada (tomatillo) sauce with juice of 2 lemons and one package cherry tomatoes added

Cheese: A salty white.

1 package (14) 8-inch flour tortillas.

Fill each tortilla with cheese & filling, nest together into 2 glass baking pans, cover with sauce, and bake at 35 for 25 minutes.

*One wise in the ways of the squashilada tells me"a little coriander doesn't hurt, either."  

Green Chili Souffle

Kate and I raided our mom's large bag of cleaned, individually wrapped, frozen Hatch green chilis (<-- yes, she is that organized and foresightful) to make this great-smelling breakfast on Christmas morning.  In the process, we also cleaned out (/raided) her recipe and cookbook drawer.  Kate nabbed a southwestern cookbook that suggested dumplings made of tamale dough - brilliant, and just happens to be gluten free.  I got some high altitude bread books that might help me with my serial baking failures in the Mile High City.   Happy Holidays!

8 eggs (we used 6, I'd go to 8 or even 10 for more eggy layers)

Block of good cheddar, grated

6-8 green chilis, cleaned

Salt & pepper


Separate eggs.  Beat whites until stiff.  Whisk yolks till smooth and season with S&P; fold into whites as gently as possible. 


Layer egg mixture, chilis, and cheese in a greased 9x13 baking dish, ending w/a layer of eggs so cheese doesn't get crispy.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, being careful not to overbake.  Serve with avos, salsa, olives, plain yogurt, etc. 

DIY Gingerbread Latté Syrup

After our success with the homemade pumpkin spice latté syrup, my roommates and I in accordance with the change in season moved on to a search for the perfect gingerbread latté syrup.  The batch I made at my apartment left something to be wanting however, as it took several spoonfuls to create the desired taste.    I'm now visiting our Dad's Alaska home for Christmas, where an espresso machine also resides.  I decided that gingerbread lattés will be most necessary for the Santa frenzy that will occur on Christmas Day morning, so in the midst of making this and this pie, I decided to google some more recipes and experiment.  Really, making these syrups is just about finding the right spices to add to a basic simple syrup, and I think what made the difference for the gingerbread syrup was the addition of molasses. Here is what I came up with, with which I am quite pleased.

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup molasses
3 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons cinnamon,
Nutmeg and ground cloves to taste

Combine water, sugar, molasses and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat.  I continually played with the spices, and you may want to add more than I have here- I would recommend going heavy on the spices.   Simmer them together until it thickens into what looks like a syrup.  Pour into a mason jar to keep.

For latté making, use 1 shot espresso or 2 ounces hot coffee, 2 tablespoons syrup to 2/3 cups steamed milk. Add syrup to taste, if desired.  Top with homemade whipped cream and nutmeg, and bid 4 dollar lattés adieu.

Holiday Cookies

…. lots…. and… lots of holiday cookies (GF readers, avert your eyes! Except from the peanut butter kiss cookies!).  

We had a proper holiday party with lots of hot drinks and santa hats and cheeses and gals in red dresses, and I went a bit overboard with the cookies.  It just didn’t seem right to have lemon cookies without peppermint cookies, or crinkles without peanut butter kisses (which are really just the amazing go-to peanut butter cookies Kate makes all the time).  Or not to have gingerbread, even after making all of the above plus Deb’s to-die-for toffee cookies.  Making too many cookies seems like an unlikely source of regret, anyway.

A few words about the above.  To make perfect striped candycane cookies:  after twisting together your little rolled-out pieces of red and white dough, roll the resulting twist until it's one smooth piece.  I recommend making the batter in 2 batches and adding the red food coloring to the wet ingredients of one batch, rather than trying to color half the completed dough, which involves overhandling it and dying your hands.  I tried rolling some of the cookies in crushed candycanes both before and after baking, but thought it just made them less pretty. Finally, I like almond extract to complement the peppermint even better than vanilla.

I wasn’t satisfied w/the crinkle recipe I used.  I wish I had put some cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne in the dough, and I think they needed to be more soft & fudgey and less chewy.  I overbaked the peanut butter kiss cookies a bit and wish I had rolled the balls of dough in sugar before baking, but people still <3ed them. 

The lemon cookies and, of course, Deb’s toffee cookies are perfection, and the high-altitude gingerbread recipe linked above is fantastic.  I used pureed ginger in a tube, and used a liiiiitle more than the recipe called for, as well as more cloves than indicated.  Good blackstrap molasses definitely helped.  Finally, I was good (for once) about not overbaking – 9 minutes did it for me – and suspect that made all the difference.  The quantities in the recipe are in weight, so if you need them in volume, it’s 1c sugar and 4c flour.  

Oh, and for the toffee cookies - don't worry if you don't have a double boiler / bain marie - melting the butter and then adding the chocolate over low heat while stirring furiously does just fine.  

Oh, and this pumpkin chocolate bread is freaking fantastic, with cloves added to the spices and about twice as many chocolate chips as called for.  (And no walnuts, to me, that would ruin the texture). 

Happy holidays!!

Simple White Bean Soup

Easy, peasy, one-two-threesy.  

4 cups dried white beans (I used limas)

1 large white onion

1 head garlic

1 cup milk

8 cups (?) water

2 tsp bullion (optional)

2 sprigs sage leaves & twice as many basil leaves, fresh or dried

salt & pepper

Soak your beans overnight.  Then put beans, roughly chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, sage, basil, and water in your soup pot.  (8 cups’ water is an approximation – I think I started w/about that much, but had to add more when it boiled down.  You just want to generously cover the beans.)  Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 2 hours. 

Once the beans are soft, blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender (then return to the pot).  After blending, add milk, bullion if desired, and salt & pepper to taste. 

Served with shredded parmesan and homemade garlic croutons.

Basil Baked Eggs

Three things of note this morning. First, it is not yet 8:00am and I have already baked a gingerbread cake, made maple-whipped cream, and made myself a delightful breakfast of eggs, baked with loads of basil, chopped tomatoes, and torn spinach. Second, I have hated eggs for my whole life, a hatred that was intensified when I had to eat chemical-laced rubbery cold hospital eggs not once, not twice, not even thrice, but four times when I was very ill seven (seven?!!) years ago. (This was part of the months of trying to figure out what was wrong with me before I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue.)

P's scrambled eggs have overcome my bad hospital-egg memories, and now? I love eggs. For me, the key is that they have to be piping hot and have tons of herby, cheesy flavor.

Third, I should be writing my dissertation pre-proposal. So, without further delay:

Basil Baked Eggs

serves one

2 mini-ramekins (or 1 serving size equivalent baking dish/ramekin)
2 large eggs
1 tsp butter
2 T milk
1/2 tomato, chopped
handful spinach, torn or thinly chopped
Fresh basil (or the tube squeezy basil if you are somewhere with a growing season shorter than 100 days)
Grated gruyere or sharp white cheddar cheese
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

Preheat oven to 325. Divide the butter and milk and place in the bottom of the mini-ramekins. Add torn basil or basil from the squeezy tube (or pesto!). Place in oven. Break 2 eggs and mix well with fork. Add a generous amount of salt, pepper, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and torn spinach, and more basil.

After a few minutes, pull the ramekins out. Pour the eggs into them. Place back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add a dusting of grated cheese and turn your oven to a low broil. Broil for another 5-10 minutes (depending on your oven). Check that the eggs are firm enough for your taste, pull out, and enjoy! Good with toast or, for brunch or lunch, with salad.

Saturday Breakfast Mug Cake

I can't believe I'm about to post the second of two microwave cake recipes. This is embarrassing. If you are offended, feel free to ignore me and my bad taste. Until you are desperate for a gluten free baked good one night and don't want to turn on your oven. Or until it is Saturday morning. You know, whichever comes first.

So this is basically the mug cake recipe from earlier this week, which I found here (just used different gluten free flours than they recommended, but in the same proportions). This morning, I wanted something sweet but a little healthier. So here is a semi-healthified breakfast version, which is a little lower in sugar and fat, higher in nutritional content, and higher in protein:

2 tablespoons quinoa flour (very high in protein)
2 tablespoons gluten free oat flour
1 pinch xanthan gum (I think you could leave this out)
2 tablespoons extra-dark cocoa
4 tablespoons sugar (You could probably get away with 3 for breakfast)
1 egg
3 tablespoons skim milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon olive oil (you could try to replace all of the oil w/pumpkin puree, it could work just fine)
A splash of vanilla (would you want to measure extra things on a Saturday morning?)
2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips (it's Saturday!)
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, gluten free oats, or berries as desired

Serves 2 or 3.

Mix all together, microwave in a huge mug for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Rather than making actual frosting, I topped this with a spread of equal parts pumpkin and peanut butter, with honey to taste. So there you have it: A wee bit healthier, but definitely not the equivalent of scrambled eggs with spinach.

I promise to stop bringing you weird microwave recipes now. Blame the end of the semester.

Up later this week: Kate and Annalise do maple buttermilk pie and cheddar apple pie. No relying on Whole Food's amazing but seriously overpriced gluten free pie crusts this year, either.

Can't wait that long? Check out last year's spiced molasses pie, which I will be making again for Christmas, and my family's favorite maple cream custard tart.

Peanut Butter Frosted Chocolate Cake for Two

I'm not much of a food snob, but even to me microwave mug cake has never sounded appealing. But, tonight I really wanted to make P a quick sweet treat, so I decided to give it a go.

Adapting this recipe just slightly (g free all purpose and sweet white rice flour) turned out to be the best idea I've had all weekend. Two very hefty servings of fudgey cake, frosted with a play on our family's famous pb frosting, all ready in about 5 minutes. Yum!

Easy Peanut Butter Frosting
Wait for it...
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Mix 1 part pb with 3 parts confectioners sugar. Add splashes of milk until you get the consistency you want. Depending on your sweet tooth, you may want more sugar.

Fancy times at my place tonight.