I first tried out this recipe when I was living in a co-op here in Berkeley (in my first semester of grad school). We always had lots of whole grains and beans on hand, and were also always trying to come up with recipes that were suitable for the vegetarian/vegan members of the co-op. This one, probably adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook (?) was so good I had to write it down. :)
The finished result isn't the most beautiful-looking thing in the world, but it is really satisfying and has a rich flavor, even though it's pretty darn healthy. To wit: I made it tonight and my husband asked me how much parmesan cheese I'd put into it! I think he was fooled by the creaminess of the dish; the lentils kinda fall apart while cooking and make it seem like there must be cream or cheese or dairy of some kind in there. The bulgur maintains enough of its grain to give it a nice texture. Cooking the "pilaf" in chicken (or veggie) broth also gives it extra body. The zucchini contributes a mild flavor, and some nice green color.
This dish goes really well with fish or lemon-pepper chicken (due to the lemon in it), but it has enough protein from the lentils to be eaten as a vegetarian main dish.
The recipe (and nutrition info!):
-----
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. bulgur
1 c. lentils
1 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. (several grinds) fresh black pepper
juice of 1 lemon (~1 Tbsp.)
-----
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large zucchini (or 1 each medium zucchini and yellow summer squash)
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of one lemon (~1 tsp.)
~1 Tbsp each parsley and cilantro
Combine all ingredients in first group (except lemon juice) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook ~35 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed, creating your "pilaf". Stir in lemon juice. NB: there's really no way to retrieve the bay leaf from the pilaf, so look out for it when serving!
While the pilaf is cooking, chop up garlic and zucchini. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ingredients in second group (except parsley and cilantro) to the skillet with a pinch of kosher salt and saute 5 minutes. Stir sauteed zucchini into the cooked pilaf. Serve topped with parsley and cilantro.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Full nutrition info HERE (at NutritionData.com).
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Pink lentil and bulgur pilaf with zucchini
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Taco Soup
I love eating a nice hot bowl of soup or chili when it's cold outside but I'd never made it myself before.
I found this recipe for Taco Soup on The Food Network's web site.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef (I used about 1.5 lbs ground turkey instead and it worked out well)
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles (I used Ro*Tel)
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish
To make the soup:
-Brown the meat and onions in a large skillet. Ground beef will yield it's own oils and fats for cooking but if you are using turkey as I did, you'll want to add some oil to the pan.
-drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. I don't have a slow cooker so I cooked mine in a big stockpot on the stove.
-Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.
-To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
This makes what I would best describe as a Mexican chili. It's got the thickness of a chili and the meat and beans made me feel like I was eating chili, especially since I topped it with my favorite chili toppings: cheddar and sour cream. The choice of beans, corn, and spices give it a taco-like taste though. The corn chips on the bottom of the bowl were the best part of the soup. It added a great flavor to the soup. It was delicious.
This makes a HUGE amount of soup. I wouldn't necessarily recommend making less though because most of the ingredients are a whole can. Unless you are making another recipe soon using all the same ingredients, it's not worth it to waste the food. It does freeze well though. I ended up freezing quite a bit of it and eating it over the next few weeks.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Emeril's eggplant and sweet sausage bake
About a month ago I resolved to clean out my freezer a bit. I have a tendency to buy meats when they are on sale, stick them in my freezer, and then forget about them. I found both sweet and hot italian sausage in my freezer and decided to try out some new recipes with them.
I did a quick search on foodnetwork.com (which, by the way, I am completely addicted to. I think I check it 4 times a day just to search for new and interesting recipes to try) and found this recipe for Eggplant and Sweet Sausage bake. I don't usually like to make casseroles but I do love eggplant, so I figured I'd give it a try.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casing
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
To make the casserole:
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
-Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
-Add the sausage and cook until brown.
-Add the eggplant, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly soft.
-Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly wilted.
-Add the thyme, oregano, and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
-Add the chicken stock and parsley and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring.
-Remove from the heat and add the bread crumbs and cheese. Mix well.
-Spoon into a casserole dish and bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
I'm always trying to make recipes a little more healthful so I used less oil than it called for. Since I was using pork sausage, I got a fair amount of fat from that. Eggplant sucks up oil though, so I did have to add some oil. I only added as much as was needed though.
This turned out to be a very tasty casserole but it was a bit too spicy for my taste. I like things a little spicy, but this was too much for me. My spicy-food-loving boyfriend was crazy about it though. I think next time I'll either use hot sausage or only use 1/4 tsp cayenne.
It's not the prettist dish (as you can see from the photos) but it was rather yummy. I'll definitely be making it again in the future.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Dark greens with chickpeas and couscous
I adapted this recipe from (yet again) something in the most recent issue of Real Simple. It's healthy, tasty, and best of all, takes maybe 10 minutes to make and only uses two dishes (one pan and a bowl). Sign me up!
Start out by making the couscous. This could hardly be easier - measure 1 c. of couscous into a glass bowl, boil 2 c. of water and then pour it over the couscous (that will make 4-6 servings worth). This needs to sit for about 10 minutes, so while it's cooking, you can make the actual dish.
Finely chop two cloves of garlic. Prepare your greens: two bunches of swiss chard, or collards, or kale, or whatever dark green you want. I had bought a bag of mixed "southern greens" from Trader Joe's, which was enormous. You can vary the amount of greens you put in, but go with more than you think - these cook down a LOT, so make sure you have enough that you have to cook it in two batches. :) Finally, drain a 15oz can of chickpeas.
Heat up 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Once the oil is hot, add your garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Once the garlic starts to brown, quickly add the chickpeas and as much of the greens as will fit in the pan, and stir it around a bit. You don't want to burn the garlic, so it's key to have the rest of the ingredients at hand The greens will cook faster if you cover the pan, but it's not absolutely necessary. Add 1/2 c. raisins (these really make the dish) and the rest of the greens. Once all the greens have cooked down, stir in 1/2 c. chopped almonds (the RS recipe calls for pine nuts, but I'm a grad student and pine nuts tend to be expensive. So, I use almonds. Sunflower seeds would be another good substitution.) And of course, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
By now, the couscous should have absorbed all the water and formed itself into a more or less solid brick. Use a fork to scrape it out all nice and fluffy like, and serve with the greens. If you don't want to do couscous, quinoa or even brown rice would work equally well.
Slightly off topic: I made the brownies from Kris's last post this weekend - using dark chocolate rather than milk - and they are positively sinful. Mmm.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Spaghetti with Clams
Ingredients:
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The Usefulness of Rachael Ray, and other Snowbound Thoughts
Okay, so I'm moving this weekend and I just got hit by Denver's "Blizzard of 2006." This creates two (culinary) problems: All my dishes are packed and all my food is at it's bare minimum, and I can't go out and buy anything as all the supermarkets have been closed down.
Last night we had a little less than a half chicken breast and some assorted foods, and we wanted to make some warm soup to get through the night. We really didn't have enough broth, but we have a fridge full of wine from a going-away party earlier in the week, so I thought I could make a tasty liquid. As I'm cooking I realize that I have a can of crushed tomatoes, and I realized that I'm saved. Yes, saved.
While watching her show makes me want to die, Rachael Ray usually has some recipes that can be easily changed to fit your situation so that you, too, can have a tasty meal with some pantry staples (and really, we're down to just the pantry duct tape at this point!).
So, one of our favorite Rachael Ray recipes is her *sigh* Italian Sub Stoup. We had recently altered the recipe to make an Italian sausage stoup for an appetizer party, so I decided to save the day and make a delicious concoction that I probably wouldn't have thought of without her.
I took the 3/4 of a box of broth, juice-box sized box of stock, some leftover wine, and the crushed tomatoes to create a hearty base. I then added some cooked chicken, two carrots, garlic, half an onion, and bit of green pepper to create a "stoup." We added the last of our croutons and parmesan cheese and had a delightful and healthy meal (when our alternative was about 1000 crackers). It's not so much Rachael Ray's exact recipes, but really her methods that will come in handy in a pinch.
But please, do yourself a favor and DON'T watch her talk show.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Turkey pot pie
I know it's a little late to be talking about Thanksgiving leftovers, but maybe some of you still have as much turkey meat in your freezer as we do! In my humble opinion, there are few better uses for pre-cooked poultry than this pot pie. My husband and I often make this with chicken when we've roasted a whole bird and have a lot of leftover meat.
The recipe is based on this one from Good Eats (yes, we are Alton Brown junkies) but we do it rather differently than AB. The two things that make this pot pie superior are: 1) the curry in the sauce - the flavor is not obvious but it really gives it that special something; and 2) the small number of pots and pans required to make the dish.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 c. diced onion
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped carrots (can substitute frozen peas for some of this, if you like, or just add up to 1/2 c.)
1 large potato, peeled and diced smallish
1 1/2 c. turkey/chicken broth or stock (which you will, of course, have made from your turkey carcass)
1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 c. cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 package Grands biscuit dough (you can make your own dough, of course, but I'm lazy).
Directions:
Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a large saute pan over low heat. Sweat the onion and celery for about 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the other veggies (make sure you cut them fairly small so they'll cook quickly), turn the heat up to medium, and cook another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the broth and milk together in a small saucepan (you could also do this right in a measuring cup in the microwave, on low-medium heat).
Back to the veggie pan: Scrape the veggies to the edges as best as you can and add the remaining butter. Whisk the flour and curry powder with the melted butter and let that cook for a couple minutes (this makes a sort of roux to thicken the sauce, and eliminates the flour-y taste). Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the salt, pepper, and cooked chicken, and stir thoroughly.
Place the Grands biscuits on top (one package contains six, which makes a perfect daisy in our 12" pan) and pop the whole thing into a 400°F oven (if your pan is not oven safe, you can of course transfer the filling to a casserole dish, top with the biscuits, and bake in that instead). Bake about 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling up between them. Yum!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tyler Florence Meatballs
Last week I was watching Food Network, and Tyler Florence was helping a 12-year-old kid make spaghetti and meatballs for his mom. Since Tyler put MOZZARELLA into the center of them, I was sold. So, my fiancé and I mad meatballs together for the first time. When I looked up the recipe, I realized that there were two similar ones, so I combined them to suit my needs. One was for Food 911 and the other for Tyler's Ultimate. Food 911 and Tyler's Ultimate. I mostly worked off of the Food 911, but altered quantities so that we could eat the leftovers within a week.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Tyler ALWAYS uses more oil than I do
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves We used dried, since we don't have a parsley plant. We wish we had used oregano too, though, as it's our new favorite dried herb
1 cup milk
4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed, cut into cubes, about 2 cups We used a baguette, which ended up being too small after removing the crust--use something with more middle than crust!
2 pounds ground beef We used half this amount
2 pounds ground pork Ditto!
1 egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 10 (1-inch) cubes
2 cups heated Sugo Sauce, recipe follows we used really simple tomato sauce based off the other recipe and my previous recipe for tomato sauce
1 pound dried spaghetti
8 fresh basil leaves
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat; cook the onions, garlic, and parsley until softened, about 10 minutes Took less than 10 minutes for us. Scrape out onto a plate and allow the mixture to cool; set the pan aside. Pour the milk over the bread into a medium bowl and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl and add the egg and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture We also broke up the bread, I suggest doing that--it's what he did on the show, too. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Don't overmix or the meatballs will be tough. Divide this mixture into 10 pieces and form them into patties. Place a mozzarella cube onto each patty and bring up the sides around the cheese to form a ball completely enclosing the cube. We had some cheese leakage, but that's okay with me!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on half the Sugo Sauce and mix well. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti and garnish with the basil leaves. Serve immediately along with the extra sauce and Parmesan.
Two meatballs each were PLENTY for us--and these are smaller than the original recipe! We split three meatballs the next day in meatball subs (yum!) and we still have two left over. The only change I would make is a little more herbs in the meat mixture itself, probably at least some oregano.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Sweet potato pizza with gorgonzola and onion
In the past two years that we've lived together, my husband and I have made pizza pretty much every Friday night (with a few exceptions). Most of the time we just have plain cheese, though we have been known to go Hawaiian (frozen pineapple chunks and prosciutto/bacon/ham) on occasion. Red onion and roasted red pepper is another favorite combination. But tonight I went a little crazy - sweet potato, onion and gorgonzola cheese. Mmmm.
Preheat the oven to 500°F (or as close as you can get it). Slice two medium sweet potatoes into 1/4" thick slices, toss with olive oil and salt, and 'roast' on a cookie sheet about 10 minutes, as the oven is preheating.
Stretch out your dough - homemade or premade will do - on a cookie sheet, or if you have a pizza peel, use that instead. Spread out the half-baked sweet potato, half an onion (red is preferable but either works) cut into rings, and about 1/4 c. of crumbled gorgonzola. Bake about 15 minutes in the lower rack of the oven, until the dough has browned. Let cool a couple minutes before slicing and enjoy.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Fall Classic: pork loin, baked apples and acorn squash
I love fall food, squashes and apples especially. This week, we picked up a couple nice looking Niman Ranch pork loin chops, and prepared them simply with some acorn squash and baked apples on the side.
Sweet acorn squash: Slice a medium acorn squash in half, through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Using a fork, poke the flesh liberally - this allows the flavoring to sink into the flesh while it's baking.
Place ~1 tsp. butter in the hollow, sprinkle in about 1-3 tsp. brown sugar (depending on the size of your squash), two pinches of cinnamon and, if you have them, a pinch each of allspice and nutmeg (preferable fresh grated). Bake 30-50 minutes at 400°F, until the flesh is very soft. I think it makes a nice presentation to serve just like this, but you can also scoop the flesh out and mash it up before serving. Adjust the sugar/spices at this point if desired.
Pork 'chops': Rub your pork chops with olive oil, kosher salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. We had some fresh sage on hand, so we chopped that finely and rubbed that on as well.
Heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a small oven-proof pan. Sear chops 5 minutes on each side and transfer to oven. Cook another 10-15 minutes at 400°F until meat is at 150°F - but be careful, it's super easy to overcook pork (as I did this time, boo) and nobody likes a tough chop. Remove from oven to a clean cutting board, cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Baked apples: Core and slice (no need to peel) two medium-firm apples like Gala, Cortland, or the more tart Granny Smith.* Place the slices in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, similar to the squash, and wrap the aluminum foil up into a cup shape. Add 1 tsp. butter, if desired, and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. *I sometimes add a handful of raisins (golden or Thompson) or cranberries to the mix for an extra visual and taste dimension, but didn't do that this time.
There's a lot of stuff going in the oven for this meal, so it takes a little thought to organize. I find it's easiest to prepare the squash and put that in the bottom rack of the oven first. Prepare the apples and set them aside. Start the pork, get that in the bottom rack of the oven too, and then put the apples in the top rack after five minutes or so. You can turn the oven down to 350° after removing the pork, that will finish off the squash and the apples by the time the pork has rested.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Vaguely Mexican Casserole
My husband was feeling creative in the kitchen last night (that sounds a little dirty, doesn't it?) and suggested this funky casserole/one-dish meal. Apparently, it's based on something that was served for lunch last week in the high school he teaches at. Here's what went into it:
2/3 c. rice
1 1/3 c. water
1 can red kidney beans
4-5 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper (green, yellow or orange would work too), diced small
1 large can corn
pinch chili powder
2 chicken thighs worth of cooked, shredded chicken meat
a healthy tsp+ garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
2-3 heavy pinches salt
a couple grinds of black pepper (1/2 tsp.)
shredded cheddar/jack cheese
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and turn heat to low, cook covered until most of the water has been absorbed (about 5 minutes). Turn the heat up to medium, add kidney beans, tomatoes, and spices to taste - since we were kind of making this one up on the fly, I'm not sure exactly how much of what spices went into the pan - a lot of salt and garlic powder, for sure. Cook together on medium heat until the tomatoes start to fall apart and the pepper gets softer.
Add the cooked shredded chicken (we had cooked two chicken thighs the night before, but you could use cooked breast meat instead - I think you can purchase this in the grocery store now), bell pepper and corn, mix together and cook over medium heat until the chicken has warmed through and everything looks about done. If you prefer your bell pepper a little softer, add it earlier, with the tomatoes.
Test the spicing one last time and add anything that seems to be missing. Spoon onto plates top with some shredded cheese, and enjoy! This made about 4 dinner-sized servings.
---- Apologies for the messiness of this recipe, but we definitely were making it up as we went along. All in all it turned out really well - so much so, in fact, that we ate the leftovers for dinner the NEXT NIGHT, which is unusual and definitely a stamp of approval. It was surprisingly creamy, I'm guessing because the beans and rice broke down a bit, and the corn and bell pepper added some interesting texture. Plus, by my calculations, this dish is INCREDIBLY healthy: lots of fiber, decent amount of protein (between the beans and the chicken), and low fat (just the cheese, pretty much). And so colorful, too!
I'd be curious to see how other people like it...
Saturday, August 26, 2006
A quick and easy Chinese dinner
My boyfriend and I cook a lot of Chinese dishes since he lived there until he was 10. This meal is very easy to make and takes very little time at all. A normal Chinese meal may have 5 or 6 different dishes, but since its just the two of us we usually make 2 or 3. Tonight we made steamed Tilapia, stir-fried bok choy, and egg & tomato.
Steamed Tilapia
You will need:
-One fresh Tilapia, about 1 lb (We get ours from a Chinese seafood store where they kill and clean the fish for you. Its best to get a fresh fish and to leave everything but the insides intact. Don't filet the fish.)
-Salt
-Chopped ginger (about 1 tbsp)
-Chopped scallions (2-3)
-Chinese Cooking Wine (about 2 tbsp. This can be found in a Chinese supermarket.)
First, cut a 2-3 slits in the meat on either side of the fish. Then rub salt onto both sides. Put some of the ginger and scallions inside of the fish and leave some on top. Then, pour the cooking wine over it.
You will need some sort of steaming apparatus. We use a large stock pot with a metal vegetable steamer in the bottom and some water. We put the fish in a glass pyrex bowl (with all of the ginger, scallions, and cooking wine) and then put the bowl on top of the vegetable steamer. It works fine.
Let the water in the pot boil and then put the fish into the steamer. Steam for 8 minutes. Then, turn the heat off and let it sit for 2 minutes.
To eat the fish, use chopsticks or a spoon to pick the meat off the bone. Be careful when eating it since all the bones are still intact.
Stir-fried Bok Choy
Bok Choy is a common Chinese vegetable and should be very easy to find in a Chinese market. Its one of my favorite vegetables. The specific kind that I like is called Shanghai Bok Choy.
You will need:
-Bok Choy (about 3 bunches)
-Vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of your wok)
-Salt
-MSG (just a pinch. MSG can be found in any asian grocery store. It brings out the flavor in any dish)
To prepare the bok choy, remove each stem from the bunch. They will break off easily from the bottom. Wash well. Cut off the leaf portions from the stem portions and keep them seperate. Chop each stem into pieces of similar size. With stir-frying, its important that things are the same size so that they will cook evenly. Also chop the leaf potions.
Add some oil to the bottom of your wok and let it heat. Add the stem portions to the wok and fry them up until they are slightly tender (about 2 mins). Add some salt. You can decide how tender you like it, I like mine with a little bit of a crunch. Then, add the leaves. The leaves will quickly cook down. Add a pinch of MSG. Mix and serve.
Egg & Tomato
This is one of the simplest Chinese dishes.
You will need:
-2 large eggs
-Chinese cooking wine (about 1 tsp)
-Salt
-Chopped tomatoes (2 large or 3 medium)
-Vegetable Oil
-Sugar (1 tsp)
-MSG
Chop the tomatoes and put to the side. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and add cooking wine and some salt. Add some oil to your wok and let it heat up. Add the eggs to the bowl and quickly cook them. Remove the eggs from the wok and put to the side.
Next, add some more oil to your wok. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt to the wok and let them cook until they become tender. Add the eggs back to the wok and mix together, breaking the eggs up into smaller pieces. Finally, add a pinch of MSG.
Serve the dishes with some cooked white rice. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Thai night
One of my favorite 'go-to' recipes is this Yellow Chicken Curry. We decided to take it a step further and have Thai iced tea with dinner... and then tried our hand at Mango with Sticky Rice for dessert.
The curry is a pretty straightforward stir-fry like recipe... the ingredients list is pretty long, but it is not complicated to make. Most of the ingredients can be found at a regular grocery store, but if you have a hard time finding fish sauce or curry paste, look for an asian grocery in your area.
1 medium onion
1 large carrot
1 green and 1 red bell pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1 zucchini
[you can add/substitute almost any vegetable, but the bell peppers and onions are essential]
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp. yellow curry paste [NOT curry powder!]
1 x 13.5oz can of coconut milk
3/4 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 medium chicken breasts, sliced thinly
pineapple, to taste
handful Thai basil (optional)
Slice the vegetables into large-ish chunks. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot (we use a 5.5 qt Le Creuset) over medium heat. Sautee the onion, peppers and carrots about 3 minutes, until onions are almost translucent. Add the finely grated fresh ginger [we freeze our knobs of ginger, which helps them keep longer and also makes them easier to peel and grate] and yellow curry paste; stir and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce and sugar, stir together. Add the chicken to the pot and cover with liquid. Cook 5-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened a bit. Serve over rice or another grain of your choice.
As for the Thai Iced Tea, you can purchase it like any other flavored loose-leaf tea. Brew strong, pour over ice, and add plenty of sugar and cream. If you can't find the tea, you can try to make your own with black tea and spices.
Sticky rice is prepared a little bit differently than the normal rice. Soak 1 c. of short grain rice in about 1 1/2 c. of water for one hour. Drain onto a clean tea towel set in a colander. Steam the rice 20 minutes. While the rice is steaming, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 c. coconut milk and a pinch of salt; heat together (in 15 second intervals in the microwave) until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Remove the rice to a bowl - it will be pretty dry - and pour about 3/4 c. of the coconut milk mixture over the rice. Allow the liquid to soak in (about 5 minutes). Spoon onto the serving plate (makes about 3-4 servings) and top with the remaining coconut milk. Serve with mango on the side. The rice texture is a little hard, so if you prefer your rice softer, you might make a little more coconut milk/sugar and a larger volume soak in.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze
This weekend I had the best pork dinner I've ever made. Got the recipe from epicurious.com for pork tenderloin with maple glaze. It was sweet, tangy, with a hint of herb. So good! It's one of the few recipes I've ever made where I actually used all the ingredients listed :-P
2 12- to 14-ounce pork tenderloins We split an 18oz in half
2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon butter
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar This may have been a teensy bit excessive
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Rub pork tenderloins all over with crumbled dried sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet we used our one Calphalon! pan from FMIL over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling. Add pork tenderloins and cook until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, um, I don't know how my thermometer was supposed to be there with the pan covered? turning occasionally, about 10 minutes longer. Mine was more than 10 minutes, and I didn't have as much meat as they suggest--of course, I didn't keep it covered, either Transfer pork to platter; cover to keep warm.
Whisk 5 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Set aside. I did this step while waiting for the pork to cook Add remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return pork and any accumulated juices to skillet; add maple syrup mixture and turn pork in glaze just until coated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer pork to cutting board. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup into glaze. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.I then brought it to a boil while my fiance was cutting the meat, in order to reduce it a touch
Arrange pork slices on plates. Spoon glaze over pork and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
October 2000
So, yes, this was delicious. We served a simple salad (with sage in the dressing), corn (with sage-pepper butter), and a big Sourdough roll from our local Whole Foods. Absolutely delicious, and the leftover sandwich I made the next day with the butter on the roll and the left over glaze drizzled on top was to die for!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Superfast "Cuban" dinner
It's been too hot to do much cooking lately, but this is one dish we have all the time that doesn't take too much effort or slaving over a hot stove. No, it's not fancy, but it is tasty and filling.
The components are pretty simple - one can of Trader Joe's Cuban Style Black Beans (you could use any type of black beans, or, if you want to work a little harder, make your own), rice, and pan-fried bananas with a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
Start with the rice. Bring 1/2 c. rice and 1 c. water to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer 10-30 minutes (depending on the type of rice) until the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy. While the rice is cooking, heat up the beans, either in a saucepan or, even easier, in the microwave.
To make the bananas, melt about 1 Tbsp. butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Slice up two bananas, first cut in half, then cut each half lengthwise. [I find it easiest to keep the bananas whole if you leave the peel on, then remove it after the bananas have been sliced.] Fry the bananas in the butter, about 3-5 minutes each side, until golden brown spots appear and the banana is a little soft. Be careful when flipping the bananas as they will be a bit mushy - use a firm spatula (not tongs!) and just tip the banana slice upside down.
Transfer the bananas to your serving plate and sprinkle with [These bananas would also be great for dessert, with vanilla ice cream or something similar] Serve the beans over the rice (or mixed with the rice) with the bananas on the side.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Lasagna Florentine
Sometimes, the best recipes come right off the box. This one is no exeption.
My husband and I eat a lot of turkey burgers, so in a pinch, I grab the pre-measured 1lb ground turkey package. I saw the recipe on the back cover card and I decided to make it. The first time, I made it with commercial style lasagna noodles. The second time, I made it with fresh pasta. What a difference that fresh pasta makes!
Lasagna Florentine
9 uncooked long lasagna noodles - I use twelve, because I like to have the noodles on the bottom of the dish, as well
1 lb Lean Ground Turkey - I'm sure this recipe would work just as well for beef
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz) - or, your own. I usually use jarred for this if I don't have any leftover sauce. I also use two jars, because I like to be extra saucy!
1 container ricotta cheese (15 oz) - Part-skim doesn't dry as easily as FF
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and well drained - I use fresh spinach (about 2 cups) and give it a rough chop.
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - More or less to your taste- you taste these more in the leftovers!
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the noodles according to package directions (or, if you're using the fresh pasta, until al dente). Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the turkey and garlic over medium heat until the turkey is no longer pink (use a little canola oil to get this going). Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, egg, spinach, pepper flakes and nutmeg; mix well. (I've omitted the mozz the last two times I've made this, simply because it comes out cheesy enough!)
Spread about 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce mixture in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish (This is where I add the couple of extra noodles to the bottom of the dish- THEN, I put in some of the sauce/meat mixture). Layer 1/3 of the noodles (3 noodles) over the sauce, top with another 1 cup sauce and 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles and sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return lasagna to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.
Before serving:
Plated, with some fresh italian bread:
This stuff is terrific left over and microwaved. It feeds my family of two for almost a week!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Rack of lamb
Some time ago, I promised my boyfriend that I would cook him a rack of lamb. Monday night was D-Day. Rack of lamb doesn't come cheap (at least $13/lb), so I was really hoping to succeed in my maiden voyage of cooking this adorable little creature. Happily, it all turned out just fine. In a small skillet heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking, add the red pepper flakes, and cook them, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the garlic and cook it, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the scallion and the rosemary and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 seconds. Stir in the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste and remove skillet from the heat. Heat an ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until it is hot. Season the rack of lamb. Brown the lamb turning it, for 5 minutes, or until the sides and the ends are browned evenly. Pour off any fat from the skillet, arrange the lamb, fat and meat side up. In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise and mustard until thoroughly combined. Brush or spread the mayonnaise and mustard mixture over the fat and meat side of the lamb. Pat the crumb mixture evenly over the mustard. Roast the lamb in the middle of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a meat or an instant read thermometer registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a carving board, let it stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Carefully cut the rack, between the rib bones, into individual or double chops taking care not to loosen the bread crumb mixture from the meat.
Since it was marked as "easy" and from a trusted source, I went with Gourmet magazine's recipe for Rack of Lamb with a Rosemary Scallion Crust:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion including the green part
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled*
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs*
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/4-pound trimmed and frenched single rack of lamb (7 or 8 ribs)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard*
Modifications:
* I used about 1.5 TBS of fresh rosemary
* I used store-bought bread crumbs, and they worked just fine
* I switched the ratio of mayo/mustard, since my preference leans toward a stronger Dijon flavor
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- my grocery store sells lamb racks in cute little 4-chop packages, so I bought and prepared two. Though this recipe calls for 7-8 ribs to serve 2 people, I found that 2 ribs each were plenty.
- Trim off most of the fat - almost more than you think you should. I made the mistake of leaving too much fat on the racks, so the crust wasn't right on the meat, and therefore the majority of the crust ended up being removed with the fat. Lamb's not very lean, so there is no real need to leave that much fat on for flavor.
- Cooking time ended up being about 20 minutes for medium-rare, as these were on the thicker side. Letting the meat rest is essential!
Though I was disappointed with the superfluous fat on the chops (I am my worst critic), I have learned to cook rack of lamb. The meal was really quite lovely overall, and the meat was very tender and tasty.
Served with boiled red potatoes, simply seasoned with S&P, butter, and rosemary; and a red leaf salad with gorgonzola, dried cranberries, and pistachios. A glass of cabernet complemented the lamb beautifully.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Summer squash and zucchini with ziti
When I was growing up, I was a much pickier eater than I am now (sometimes I wish I had kept a little of that pickiness, it would make weight maintenance a lot simpler). One dish I vividly remember turning my nose up at was one my parents made with excess summer garden bounty - tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. Now that my taste has matured, I enjoy this quite a bit, and it always makes me feel that summer has gotten into full swing.
We found a deal on overripe tomatoes at the produce market the other day (a little excess summer bounty without the garden) so this seemed like the perfect thing to have for dinner. We usually make this recipe by eye, so here are some general guidelines:
4-5 small zucchini and any type summer squash (or two large)
4 c. (4-6) tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 c. tomato sauce (optional)
pinch salt
freshly ground pepper
bay leaf
Slice the zucchini and summer squash into 1/8 - 1/4" thick medallions. Chop the tomatoes roughly and combine in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and the bay leaf and saute until squash starts to soften, about 5-10 minutes. At this point, add the pepper and tomato sauce to your preference and cook down another 5-10 minutes or so.
One thing I really like about this dish is that it is particularly versatile - it works equally well as a side dish or main meal, over pasta or as straight up veggies... you could probably even throw some chicken in there if you wanted to. The important thing to note is that the amount of sauce you will want to add will probably depend on how you're serving it, as well as your own tastes. I like to have a little extra sauce if I'm going to have it over pasta, but as a standalone dish I might omit it entirely. A final ratio of about 1/2 tomato to 1/2 squash or thereabouts is perfect for me.
Fish out the bay leaf, then serve over pasta with a generous grate of Parmesan cheese over the top.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Beyond a Plain Burrito
I am back from my post-qualifying exam, and thinking about food again! What better way to celebrate than making yummy burritos??
Now, my boyfriend is a simple man, and likes meat and cheese and salsa on his. But it pays to be slightly more creative! So here's my basic recipe, and then lots of yummy yummy add ins!
Ground beef (however much you need--easily adaptable to a large group). Now, you can use what you like, but I cannot recommned using 85% lean or less enough. If the meat is too lean, it gets dry. We usually use ground beef from a local butcher that comes to our farmer's market. If you have this option, I strongly recommend it!
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Put the beef in and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (not cloves--they may burn and taste nasty). Saute meat until done (no longer pink).
Once the meat is done, wrap burrito tortillas (I use Mission falls soft taco size, but use what you like) in a damp paper towel and microwave according to package directions. This will warm and soften them.
After you do this, take cheese, salsa, and sour cream out. Now I like mild cheese, and I have a microplane grater, so I just grate the cheese directly onto the meat in the burrito. But pre-grating is good too.
Place meat on tortilla. Top with cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Wrap as desired (I'm a disastrous mess at this part). YUM!
Now for add-ins:
after sauteeing meat, try sauteeing some squash or zucchini and adding it. For a vegetarian meal, saute the squash with some corn or carrots. Add cauliflower or broccoli. These make excellent burritos! Just pick a veggie that is still a little crunchy after cooking, and you're good to go! I usually go for whatever I can find at the market on Thursdays. Oh, and if you roast corn according to the previous entry, just scrape that off the cob and voila! the perfect add in!
Heat some refried beans and use those with the meat for a protein filled meal.
Cook some chicken any way you like--shred it into pieces (use a fork to hold it down, and scrape another fork over it to pull pieces off). This also works with turkey and pork.
Just remember, a quick and easy and delicious burrito isn't too much work!! Think outside the wrap and make your own delicious variations!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Moroccan Chicken Dinner
Slightly above average dinner tonight. I wanted to try out one of the chicken rub recipes from an old Real Simple magazine - we've been doing a lot of cooking with cumin/curry powder lately! Decided to get a little fancy with the green beans and add some almonds to them, and of course no dinner would be complete without a little starch, so quinoa (pronounced keen-WAH) it is. You can never go wrong with quinoa.
Moroccan rubbed chicken:
[based on this recipe] Combine 1 Tbsp. cumin, 2 tsp. curry powder, 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger (powdered ok) 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 2 tsp. EVOO in a small bowl. Smear the rub over chicken breasts (this is enough rub for 1-1.5lbs. chicken, or 4 breasts), bake at 375°F for about 30-40 minutes, until a thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads 160°F.
Almond green beans:
About 15 minutes before the chicken should be done, heat up a small amount of EVOO [you can probably tell from the picture that I used way too much... the beans were so shiny!] in a saute pan over low-medium heat. Chop up a handful of almonds and toast them in the oil until just fragrant. Add green beans (I think we had about 1/2 lb.), 1 clove chopped garlic and a little water to steam them/keep the nuts from scorching. Cook covered on low heat about 10 minutes or until beans are at a desired doneness. I like mine on the firm side.
Quinoa:
Combine 1/2 c. quinoa, a pinch of salt and 1 c. water (or vegetable/chicken broth, if you're into that sort of thing) in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Compared to other whole grains, it's SO simple and quick, not to mention unusually full of protein and fiber.
