Eat Happy

The “Nelson County Muffins”

2011-07-20T14:08:00.002-05:00

Written by the folks that ran the Kitchen of Krishna “in a little house in a small town in Virginia”, this book came into my hands at the Chicago Lit Fest in Printer's Row a few years ago. I couldn't resist, as it is full of character and was written by hand instead of using typefaces.

While I don’t exactly know where Nelson County is (somewhere in Virginia, most likely) I've grown attached to its muffin recipe. See the photo above for a helpful note in the recipe introduction, regarding the best approach to making them. Ahem.

These are not the biggest, sugariest, most impressive variety of muffin—rather, they are (at least somewhat) nutritious, humble, and can be grabbed in the morning while running out the door. The best part, I think, is that the recipe is extremely versatile and forgiving.

Note: While the original in the photo notes that it makes two dozen, it has yielded one dozen regular (not giant or mini) muffins for me.

2 cups flour (whole wheat is best, but white or a mix of both is ok...)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or melted butter
1/2 cup sweetener (honey, brown sugar, raw sugar...)
Liquid (water, some kind of milk, fruit juice...)
Goodies!*

Mix the first six ingredients together, and add liquid to make muffin-batter-like consistency. Grease muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (or until done).

*As for the goodies, almost anything is possible. Keep in mind that the more goodies added in, the heavier they get. I don't measure these ingredients, but throw in a handful or so of whatever is around. The following combinations have worked well for me:

Chocolate chips, flaked coconut, walnut pieces
Shredded carrot, slivered almonds, dash of cinnamon
Raisins, substitute 1/4 cup quick oats for 1/4 of the flour
Berries (if frozen, thaw and drain first)

Szechuan Green Beans

2011-07-06T20:31:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare (and of course, eat) green beans. We first met at Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago, and Szechuan Spice in Minneapolis has most recently filled that Chinatown void. I think they are traditionally deep fried; this version (adapted from here) calls for stir-frying them until they are brown and shriveled. They don't need to be solid brown or completely wrinkled up, just "browned" and "shriveled". You'll hopefully see what I mean if you try this dish... which you should!

1 to 1-1/2 lb fresh green beans

3 T oil (peanut oil works best, but others would be ok)

Sauce (combine the following in a small bowl)
I suggest you adapt this to your taste and heat preferences. Ingredients with a * next to them can be adjusted according to your needs.

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped*

1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated (or finely chopped)*

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

1 T Sriracha or Asian chili sauce*

Pinch of dried red pepper flakes*

3 T soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Wash and trim the beans. Heat oil over medium heat in a wok (or large pan), add beans and stir-fry until they brown and shrivel. Using a splatter screen may be helpful. This can take a little while, from 5 to 15 minutes, so be patient. Sometimes adding a pinch or two of salt to them helps speed things up. As they brown (which most likely won't be all at the same time) remove from the pan and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

After all beans have been cooked, you'll want about a tablespoon of oil left in the wok/pan—pour away or add more as needed. Add sauce to the wok/pan and stir-fry a few seconds. Add beans, mix together, and serve over rice.

Spring Radish Quick Pickle

2011-06-18T16:29:00.001-05:00

Lately, I've been thinking about pickles, fermentations, and other ways of preserving foods. In addition to a stack of library books on the subject, there's a ginger beer bug (culture) growing on the shelf, plans are in place to try making kimchi, and my growing curiosity on brewing mead. With some time off from classes over the summer, I'm almost living in the kitchen—trying things out, reading cookbooks, enjoying time in my little laboratory.

This morning we went to the St. Paul Farmer's Market in Lowertown and one of the things that made it back to our kitchen was spring radishes. Whenever I see them, I think of my grandparents slicing them and to add to salads; I don't know why this sticks in my mind, other than they must have eaten a lot of them. I enjoy them sliced with a sprinkle of sea salt, or chopped and mixed with butter to spread on crackers.

Given my recent obsession with all things pickled, however, I wanted to trying something a little different. Following this recipe exactly, I'm hooked; there's a sweetness to these, like candy, and they're addictive. I like where this is going, next time I might try a sea salt brine for a slightly more fermented version.

Pita Bread... and flying saucers

2011-01-10T14:39:00.000-06:00

Homemade pitas are, to put it plainly, fun to make. Yes, there is yeast involved and yes, there is some hands-on time needed—but the reward is watching them puff up in the oven so that they look like flying saucers. This makes me think of X-Files and old sci-fi movies. Now, how many foods can accomplish that?

I used this recipe, and made just one change in using 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat. The eight resulting pitas were so delicious, it’s worth the effort. We ate these with falafel, but of course they are also excellent for scooping hummus or loading up with other sandwich fixings.

The most amazing part (besides puffing up like flying saucers) was that the pocket sort of makes itself. There is no special technique to make a “pita pocket”—it just happens. Incredible.

Baked Falafel

2011-01-03T07:35:00.000-06:00

Ah, falafel... for some reason, the cafes I have tried in the past year either serve it with a) dill pickle slices or b) sweet corn kernels tucked inside the pita. Needless to say, I’m confused by both and sort of don’t quite know what’s going on.

And so I’ve reacted by making falafel—baked falafel, that is. I had no desire to deep fry anything in our current kitchen, and baking seemed like a good option. Served with homemade pitas (stay tuned for that post... lots of fun to make) and tzatziki sauce they were a delight. Small confession: I truly thought I had purchased a couple lemons for this venture during yesterday’s grocery shopping excursion. The lemons did not make it home with us. Perhaps I was hallucinating when I imagined buying them. So I’m pretending there was lemon juice in the food where it ought to be.

Some things I noticed:
• The recipe I used was to produce 20 falafel, but I think I must have made them too big because I only got 10. But they looked like those J and I used to devour at Sultan’s Market back in Chicago so I’m moving forward with thinking falafel must live in a variety of sizes.

• The falafel brown only where they touch the baking sheet. I didn’t flatten them enough, so browning on the first side was sort of mediocre. They were well squashed when it came time to bake the second side.

• They don’t have quite as much flavor as traditionally fried falafel, but they make a perfectly acceptable healthy variation.

I modified the recipe ever so slightly, here it is.

1-1/2 c cooked chickpeas
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 tsp lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (adjust to your liking)
2 T flour
1 tsp baking powder
sea salt & pepper to season

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whirl everything in a food processor so that it’s blended but still a little chunky (or mash the chickpeas with a fork, and finely chop everything else). Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes on each side, until browned. Serve with falafel-friendly things such as pitas, hummus, tzatziki sauce, hot sauce, Jerusalem salad, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Whole Wheat Brownies

2010-12-31T10:27:00.009-06:00

It was around ten o’clock one evening no so long ago, when I decided to make brownies and the only flour to be found in the pantry was whole wheat. Whole wheat brownies? A little heavier than usual, but delicious! Dutch process cocoa powder has a more intense flavor than natural cocoa powder, and I think that made a difference. The photo above depicts only the last brownie because we ate the rest so quickly.

3/4 c butter
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c cocoa powder (Dutch process if you have it)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 c. sugar (raw, brown, or white... take your pick)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

Cream the first seven ingredients together, then stir in whole wheat flour. Spread in a greased 8-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Considering the Garden

2010-02-07T11:37:00.000-06:00

Today of all days I started thinking about this year's garden. I am realizing two new things this time around. The Twin Cities have a shorter growing season than Chicago. Our deck gets minimal sunlight.

I've played around with the idea of putting a Roma tomato plant in a container near our front steps, which face south. Other ideas include lining the east side of the building with herbs and other veggies that can do without full sunlight. Our backyard is HUGE but all shade (great for parties and hanging out, not great for growing).

Also, this year I will learn to preserve food. Like canning. Here is a slideshow of inspiration.

Fried Egg Sandwich with Salsa

2010-02-05T09:26:00.001-06:00

It was a bright (and really cold) morning when J suggested we go for a walk before breakfast. As we walked around our neighborhood like penguins trying to not fall down on icy sidewalks, the decision was made to visit the bakery/coffee shop a couple blocks away. We arrived back home with a huge loaf of 100% whole wheat bread and I was compelled to weigh it: 34.5 ounces. Maybe that's more standard than I realize, but wow.

Breakfast is not something I usually cook. But on a morning when I'm putting off research as long as possible, it happens. Lately we've been hooked on fried eggs with salsa between two slices of lightly toasted bread. Timing and process are important in making this, because I think it's best eaten hot.

For each sandwich:
• Have two slices of bread ready.
• Put one slice of bread in the toaster, and simultaneously heat fat in a skillet for egg frying. The fat can be olive oil, butter, bacon grease, anything you'd like.
• Crack egg into the fat once it's hot.
• Toast will probably pop up now. Butter one side if you'd like (I do) and place on a plate.
• Put second slice of bread in the toaster.
• Check egg, and cook to your liking. I don't do runny eggs and often attack the yolk to make sure it is completely cooked through.
• Place egg on buttered toast, top with a little salsa.
• Second piece of toast should pop up at this point. Butter, place on top, and eat.

Make this your own by adding cheese, vegetables, last night's leftovers... the list goes on and on...

Tortillas Rodriguez

2010-02-02T09:20:00.002-06:00

I realize this video has been around for a few years. But here's the big deal: I did it. I really did it. I made Robert Rodriguez's tortillas from his Sin City 10-Minute Cooking School video. They are superb. And totally worth the time. I will never buy packaged tortillas again!

He suggests using butter or lard, but I didn't have any of the latter. J and I both thought butter tasted great, even though we didn't really have a comparison because we've never had tortillas made with actual lard (except maybe at La Pasadita back in Chicago… they probably use lard… and they are very good...)

I wrote the ingredients down while watching the video, stopping every few seconds to capture what he's saying. I'll leave the 'how to' part up to him (because he's the master), so please take a look at his technique.

Total side note, one of my favorite food quotes ever is from this video: Not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to ____________. You fill in the rest.

Robert Rodriguez's Tortillas from Sin City 10-Minute Cooking School
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fat (like lard... butter...)
3/4 cup water (more or less)

Mr. Rodriguez, will you please please write a cookbook? Or just start a food blog?

Roast Chicken in a Cast Iron Skillet

2010-01-30T20:15:00.001-06:00

Hey I'm back! Quite a bit has happened since I last posted. I'm in my second semester of grad school, and J is in his first. Life has changed since leaving Chicago and, uh, earning a salary. However, the Twin Cities are fantastic and here we are getting through our first arctic winter. I'll be doing my best to post frequently though be warned, meals in our house tend to have the following characteristics: healthy, fast, familiar, and cheap. So let's see what happens.

I really wanted to make roast chicken this week. I find that odd because normally I can't stand eating or seeing it. It's the first whole (raw) chicken I've purchased in awhile, and I bought it at Super Target. For real. It was weird to do this, as that's where I go to buy things contact lense solution and toilet paper. Alas, this box store wonder carries a chicken that is vegetarian fed, cage/hormone free, from a Minnesota family farm, and cost less than a rotisserie chicken meeting the same criteria at Whole Foods. Sold.

While I hung out in the kitchen listening to Talking Heads, this 3.5 pound bird roasted at 400 degrees in a cast iron skillet, atop a bed of potatoes and garlic, drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt and cracked pepper. It took close to an hour and fifteen minutes, until juices ran clear. I'd give you a recipe, but this is about as detailed as I can get.

Eat it with the potatoes and savor those juices!

Bright New City

2009-08-19T21:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a pic of the mighty Mississippi running through our new home: the Twin Cities. Technically Minneapolis, but we're only two blocks from the St. Paul city limits. I apologize for the lack of posts but, well, moving does that. There are new dishes I'm wanting to try out, farmer's markets to shop, and many restaurants to visit! Stay tuned, a new post is near....

Video Link: Cooking with a Hippie Chickpeas

2009-05-19T19:25:00.007-05:00

Three things about this video crack me up:
1. This dude really does use a shaker full of LOVE as a seasoning.
2. There's a rain stick involved.
3. I watched this twice and actually wrote down the recipe.

In the brilliant words of Jacques Pepin... happy cooking!

Tuna and Potato Salad with Green Peas and Egg

2009-05-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

This has become my favorite meal to assemble--it can hardly be called cooking, because it's so easy to throw together. I rarely plate meals (when I'm hungry...I'm just hungry....) but this is just weirdly kind of fun to put together. The recipe below serves two.

2-3 potatoes, baked (or nuked)
1 can tuna packed in olive oil (or other really good quality tuna)
olive oil for drizzling (optional)
1/2 c frozen green peas, thawed and ready to serve
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
sea salt & pepper

On each plate, layer in this order: baked potato (flattened slightly so that it acts as a base), chunks of tuna, a drizzle of olive oil as you like, a sprinkling of peas, and four wedges of egg. Season with a little sea salt and pepper.

Tastes best eaten outside...and followed with a chunk of dark chocolate for dessert!

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Calzones

2009-04-29T19:06:00.004-05:00

There is something so comforting about a calzone, hot little pocket of savory wonderfulness! I picked up a couple Japanese eggplants over the weekend at Mitsua, and made this in an effort to use them while still fresh. Pleased with how they turned out, I will definitely make them again---and am excited about endless variations! I think a cheese of some sort is a must, it sort of binds everything together. But then again, I bet a curry filling would work too...

2-3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 1/4" slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 oz goat cheese
2 slices chopped bacon or pancetta
1 recipe fantastic pizza dough (or buy it ready-to-go)

After you've mixed up the dough, and while it's in the 20-minute rest phase:

Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and grill until lightly browned. Note: when I made this, it was rainy and nasty outside and therefore using the "real" grill was beyond hope. I used a non-stick grill pan on the stovetop instead. Worked great.

Brown the bacon/pancetta (add a little olive oil if you need to), then add onion and garlic. Cook until softened.

Combine the bacon/onion/garlic mixture, eggplant, and goat cheese in a bowl. Mix so that the goat cheese is thoroughly distributed.

Divide dough into 8 pieces (cut the ball of dough in half... then in half again... then in half again... etc etc). Roll into circles about 6" in diameter. Place a couple tablespoons of the filling on each (evenly distribute the filling among the eight dough circles).

Fold each dough circle in half over the filling, so that it becomes a half-moon shape. Then, with your fingers, roll the bottom edge of the circle over the top edge to seal--or just press edges together. The idea is to seal it up like a big pocket, however you want to achieve it is up to you.

To bake, I usually use a pizza stone but a regular baking sheet is fine. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

2009-03-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

I roasted a few pints of cherry tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. It took about 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and they're fantastic tossed with pasta, more olive oil, and some goat cheese or parmesan.

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

2009-03-23T21:10:00.002-05:00

All day long I kept thinking about carrots. And soup. Since we’re currently working with a no-cow’s-milk scenario in our home, this warming dinner hit the spot. It surprised me, too—it smelled wonderful while it was simmering, even before I added the seasonings.

As with many things I've written about, there are endless variations. We ate this topped with some goat’s milk feta; yogurt or sour cream would work great as well. The seasonings could also be adjusted, by trying a little ginger or chopped cilantro. Serve this with naan and/or rice (side note: we realized tonight that the naan purchased at a traditional Indian/Pakistani grocery contains milk and butter... this will be more difficult than we thought).

3 T olive oil
2 onions, grated or finely chopped
3 good sized carrots, grated or finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1-1/2 c red lentils
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
7 c vegetable stock (or 1 msg-free veggie bouillion cube and 7 c water)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pot; add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Add the stock, lentils and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid half on the pot for about 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cumin and coriander, then salt and pepper to taste. Cook another five minutes, then serve.

Darren’s Sauerkraut

2009-02-17T20:11:00.004-06:00

Our friend Darren F. passed along this sauerkraut recipe of his mother’s, as well as the idea to make soup with it. I made a batch to quickly discover that this makes a TON of kraut! What to do with it? The soup was super easy to make (and very good), and then the rest was used in a classic sauerkraut/sausage dish (easily vegetarian-friendly or for carnivores).

Darren’s Sauerkraut
1/2 stick of butter
3-4 boullon cubes (get the MGS-free variety if you can)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp cumin
1 to 2 tsp caraway seed (more or less, to taste)
salt & pepper, if you think it needs it (totally to taste)

Saute the above for about 20 minutes, or until the onions turn golden.

Next, combine the onion mixture with the following in a slow cooker:
(2) 32 oz cans/jars Polish Sauerkraut (rinsed well under cold water)
2-4 carrots, shredded
1-2 potatoes, shredded
1/2 fresh cabbage, sliced or 1/2 bag of ready-to-go shredded cabbage

Cook on high for 3-5 hours, it will make its own juice as it cooks.
When it is done cooking (keep tasting it, it's done whenever you like it) mix it up well so that the juices get evenly distributed. At this point, the sauerkraut is done and ready to use as you'd like!

Sauerkraut Soup
Bring some veggie or beef stock to a simmer and mix in sauerkraut--the more you add, the thicker the soup. Heat through, and serve. I really liked this poured over a little brown rice, with a splash of soy sauce (I know... the soy sauce thing seems weird, but I swear it's heavenly).

Sauerkraut & Sausages (pictured above)
In a slow cooker, combine whatever sauerkraut you have left (which is probably a lot) with 12 oz of sliced kielbasa sausages. You could use a vegetarian kielbasa, or the traditional pork kind. Cook on low for 3-5 hours*, to heat through and allow flavors to blend. The cooking could also be achieved in a 13x9 pan in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes*, or whenever it seems ready.

*The cook times are appropriate for pre-cooked sausage. If you are using a raw sausage, check for doneness and cook longer as necessary.

Salsa for Cold Weather

2009-02-16T18:46:00.004-06:00

Tomatoes of sunshine quality are difficult to find in a midwest winter; while my heart will always belong to pico de gallo, this is a great salsa to make in the dark depths of cold weather. It's fast and can be used on its own (with chips, tacos, etc) or used in a dish requiring ready-made salsa from a jar.

1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 7 oz can diced chiles or 1 or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed

2 T chopped onion (white, yellow, or green--any variety will work)

1 T olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (optional, but highly suggested)

1 handful cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Combine and it's ready to go!

Goodness Greens!

2009-02-08T18:50:00.005-06:00

In our Fresh Picks deliveries, I was often faced with a few pounds of collard greens or kale. I really had no idea what to do with it, and all I could imagine was cooking them into a globby mess. How on earth could greens be cooked and still taste good?

Fortunately, I found this recipe and it's now one of our favorite things to eat along with brown rice. The greens retain their texture and the sweet/spicy seasoning is wonderful.

Collard Greens (adapted from Simply Recipes---also great for Kale)

2 lb collard greens of kale, washed well and chopped

2 T onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed

2 T olive oil

2 T sesame oil (optional--tastes great with or without)

chili pepper flakes (I like this on the spicy side, and use about 1 T)*

salt (1-2 tsp)*

sugar (1-2 tsp)*

cracked pepper

*The last three ingredients can be varied according to your taste. You'll find the right balance the more you make this dish.

In a big pot with a lid, heat the olive oil and saute onion and garlic for about a minute. Mix in the greens and remaining ingredients. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir, and serve.

Winter Soup with Meatballs

2009-02-01T18:45:00.005-06:00

My mom, awesome as she is, recently gave us TONS of frozen homemade meatballs. This soup was made with the last of them (sniff, sniff) but it's a recipe I will most likely turn to again when confronted with a freezer of meatballs waiting to be devoured. The lentils and pasta added to this are already cooked (a great way to use up leftovers); if you add them uncooked, you'll need to add more stock/water.

12 meatballs (pre-cooked/frozen is easier; if you use raw, brown a little before adding to soup)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 carrot, sliced or chopped

olive oil

1-2 T flour

1-1/2 cups cooked lentils

2 c stock or water, or a combination

1 bay leaf

salt/pepper or soy sauce (for seasoning)

about 1-2 cups of pasta, cooked

This soup works well either on the stovetop (A) or slow cooker (B):

(A) In a soup pot, cook onion/garlic/carrot in oil for a few minutes. Add the flour, stir to coat and cook another minute. Add lentils, meatballs, and bay leaf, plus enough stock/water to cover. Let this simmer until heated through (if you used raw meatballs, cook until they're properly cooked through). Add pasta 15 minutes before serving, then season with salt & pepper.

(B) In a skillet, cook onion/garlic/carrot in oil for a few minutes. Add the flour, stir to coat and cook another minute. Transfer onion mixture to the slow cooker, add lentils, meatballs, bay leaf, plus enough stock/water to cover. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Add pasta 15 minutes before serving, then season with salt & pepper.

Fish with Pasta in a Mushroom-Lemon Sauce

2009-01-20T19:35:00.004-06:00

Here's the scene: We're in the middle of Mitsuwa Marketplace, and I'm wandering through the seafood section because I could walk around aimlessly for hours. I notice, happily, that the pollock looks pretty good and is really inexpensive. I buy a pound of it. I have never cooked pollock before. It's kind of like cod, right? And, from a little online research, it seems to be a sustainable fish (for now, anyway).

I'm guessing there are plenty of Japanese recipes using this fish, but I was craving something a little different--it needed to be warming and bright at the same time. And thus, came this dish. The ingredients are nothing special, I basically used what was available at the time, and I think there are probably quite a few ways to reinterpret this meal.

1 lb pollock fish filets (or other white fish)
flour for dusting
12 oz (or so) dried pasta (it doesn't really matter what shape--use what you have)
2 T olive or canola oil
2 T butter
2 c. mushrooms, sliced or diced
Juice of 2 lemons (please don't use the bottled stuff)
salt & pepper
2-3 T chopped parsley or cilantro

The key to this dish is timing. The fish cooks really fast. Basically, once the water is boiling and you are ready to add pasta, that is the time to begin the rest of the cooking. This gives you approximately 10-12 minutes, depending on pasta's directions on the package.

So, boil water and add pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, pat the fish filets dry to remove excess water, and dust with flour. In a frying pan (I used the trusty cast iron skillet), heat up the oil and butter. When hot, add the fish. It will only take a minute or two on each side to cook through. When it's done (flakes with a fork) remove and set aside.

If your pan seems on the dry side, add a little more oil or butter. Keeping the heat on medium-high, add the mushrooms and saute until the start to shrink up a little. To this add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. NOTE: If you don't like things on the tart side, go easy on the lemon juice. Add the chopped herbs. Stir.

By now the pasta should be done. Drain, and plate this meal quickly--it will cool off fast: pasta, fish, and top with the sauce.

TIP: I've found that about half way through the cooking time on the pasta, it works well to add a frozen vegetable such as french-cut green beans. They heat up in roughly five minutes, and they are easy to drain with the rest of the pasta. Sneaky, huh?

Pumpkin Bisque with Toppings

2008-11-23T15:34:00.002-06:00

I made pumpkin bisque last night, and happily cheated by using canned pumpkin instead of roasting the little guy in the pic above. It's an extremely simple soup (basically two ingredients) and the topping below make it killer delicious. The concept of taking building a soup like this is from one of my favorite food writers, M.F.K. Fisher, writing about borscht.

1 15-oz can pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling)

3-4 cups chicken or veggie stock

pinch of curry powder

salt & pepper to season

In a pot, whisk together the pumpkin, stock, and curry powder, adding the stock a little at a time so that the soup doesn't get too thin. Simmer 10-15 minutes, until heated through. Season well with salt & pepper.

You could also add cream at the end if you wanted too, but once you add the stuff below you won't miss it.

Toppings:

Toasted walnuts

Homemade croutons, made with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh sage

Goat cheese

Sautéed onions

Black Bean Soup

2008-11-11T18:29:00.004-06:00

When I was a student, there was a dive of a bar where I'd sometimes go for lunch with friends. They weren't known for their food, but it was cheap and filling---both essential for the student budget. Usually, it tasted pretty good too. The only particular dish I can remember from there is black bean soup. It was thick, tasty, and served so that when you dug your spoon into the bowl you'd find fluffy white rice at the bottom. Add some Tabasco sauce and it was oh-so-good.

That pub is gone now, but when I make this I always think of finding the rice at the bottom of the bowl. I use ham in this recipe, but have used bacon with success as well. If you are vegetarian, I strongly suggest using a vegetarian ham or bacon (or liquid smoke) to give it a good smokey flavor. Tabasco is essential!

This can be made in a slow cooker, or on the stove. For best results, use black beans you've cooked at home; I'm no stranger to using canned, but I think it really does make a difference.

2 T oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

4 c black beans (cooked or canned)

4 c chicken or veggie stock

1 T chili powder

2-3 tsp taco seasoning

juice of 1 lime

salt & pepper

1/2 to 3/4 c cooked ham, bacon, etc., cubed

cooked white rice for serving

Cook the onion and garlic in oil (if making on the stove, do this in a big soup pot; if using a slow cooker, cook in a pan and then transfer to cooker). Add beans, stock, seasoning, and ham. Bring to a boil and simmer 15-20 minutes (if using slow cooker, let it go 6-8 hours, and longer won't hurt).

At this point you can do one of three things:

(1) leave as is (beans whole)

(2) purée half the soup, to thicken (this is what I usually do)

(3) purée all the soup, it'll be very thick & creamy

Add lime juice before serving, and adjust seasonings. Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with toppings such as avocado, shredded cheese, chopped green onion and/or Tabasco.

Pan-fried Farfalle Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese

2008-11-09T16:28:00.005-06:00

Photo from www.thekitchn.com

We've finally entered the realm of cold weather, watching small bits of snow whirl around us as we bike around the city. This makes me realize a couple things: (A) I need better gloves for biking in cold weather and (B) it's time to get the oven going. My kitchen is now in full swing with warming comfort food.

I found this recipe (and the above image) on AT's The Kitchn, and have found a new earthly delight. It, um, rivals mashed potatoes as "feel good" food. I changed up just a couple things, so here is my version of the recipe.

1 medium butternut squash, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 cut fresh sage leaves

1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta

3/4-1 c. chopped walnuts, toasted

goat cheese to serve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, half of the sage, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet and roast approx. 45 minutes.

Near the end of the roasting time, cook pasta according to package directions. When the squash mixture is done, toss it with the cooked pasta and remaining sage. Pan-fry in olive oil until slightly browned and crisp. I originally did this in two batches in my cast iron skillet, but am thinking I could do it all at once in the wok if needed.

To serve, top with toasted walnuts and bits of goat cheese.

Apple Butter

2008-10-26T12:27:00.004-05:00

For my parents this turned out to be a great year for apples, Red Delicious, and we brought plenty of them back with us to Chicago. They've never used pesticides on the fruit, which is fantastic, so we were ready to gobble them up. However, I knew we'd never get through a huge bag of them and I didn't feel like making a dessert. The solution was to make apple butter, my first time ever!

It's so easy that there is hardly a recipe for it. You could do this on the stove, but I prefer the slow cooker as it is completely hands off.

Apples, peeled, cored and sliced (or chopped)---you'll need enough to fill your crockpot to the point that the lid almost doesn't fit.
2 tsp cinnamon
Other spices (ginger, cloves, nutmeg)--totally optional, I didn't use them because I wanted a very mild butter

Contrary to some beliefs, apple butter doesn't have any butter in it.

Combine the ingredients above in a slow cooker, and let it run 10-15 hours or so. I started mine at 6pm one day and turned it off around 9am the next morning.

At this point you can puree the mixture, or store it is as with tiny chunks of apple (I didn't mind the chunks). I have yet to learn how to heat process anything in jars, so I simply filled 3 jars of apple butter and stored them in the fridge.

This is great on just about anything, like toast...!

Musings on a Rainy Night Salad

2008-09-13T14:13:00.003-05:00

At times when my family gets together, we've played a what-if game titled "If you were stuck on a desert island for the rest of your life, what is the one food item you'd want to have with you?" (I guess we were short of other fun things to do that day.....)

My immediate answer was always potatoes, mashed with plenty of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. French fries would also do if fat wasn't an issue. My dad, however, would promptly reply "a fresh green salad." I could never quite figure that out---if I was stuck on an island, I'd want something comforting. Like potatoes, obviously.

At any rate, I think my dad was on to something. When I was living in California, a friend of mine would mention the word "salad" as if she was dying and the only medicinal compound that would extend her life included greens and dressing. She apparently knew something too.

Well, folks, I just had my favorite fresh green salad (so far). It is (un)cleverly called Rainy Night Salad.

Vegetables
I purchased arugula salad mix in bulk, and balanced the bitterness with some grated carrot. Sliced some cucumbers.

Croutons
I had half a leftover baguette, and cut it into small cubes. Tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of Italian seasoning. I "toasted" them à la Julia and Jacques, by lightly frying/tossing in a pan (or wok), but you could probably bake them, instead, until crisp. I tend to like mine a little on the soft side, so that they can be pierced with a fork easily when eating.

Dressing
A simple vinaigrette.
Combine the following in a small jar:
6 T olive oil, 2 T apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, pinch of salt, and a twist of freshly ground pepper. Either put a lid on the jar and shake to combine, or whisk together. This will keep for about a week in the fridge.

The dressing soaks into the baguette croutons...and now I'm craving salad, too.

Dough for Two Pizzas

2008-09-06T11:51:00.004-05:00

When the weather turns cold and it makes more sense to turn on the oven, we make homemade pizza at least once a week. I'd throw a few dough ingredients into Ye Olde Bread Machine and then take it from there.

Sad fact: the old bread machine is dying. Yes, it's true. The temperature isn't as regulated as it used to be, things aren't rising as they should. After all, it is almost ten years old.

I had to find another dough solution. There were two very important criteria: (1) ready to use in less than half an hour and (2) makes more than one crust.

Here's what worked, I found the recipe here; the beauty of this recipe is that you can prebake the crusts and freeze!

4 cups flour (white or whole-wheat)
1 T honey
3 tsp yeast
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 c oil (olive or canola work best)
1-1/3 c warm water (slightly warmer than room temperature)

Combine the dry ingredients, then add oil and water. Knead this mixture for about 3-4 minutes. The dough will be soft and smooth. Let this rest in a bowl for about 20 minutes or so. It will rise slightly.

At this point, divide the dough in half and follow either (A) or (B) below. Mini-pizza crusts are possible, too!

(A) If you are using the dough right away, go ahead and roll out....add toppings...and bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. I like to roll the dough in some cornmeal for texture, and it helps to keep the dough from sticking to the stone or pan.

(B) If you would like to freeze the dough, roll out and pre-bake about 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely, then package (plastic wrap, then aluminum foil; ziploc bags would work for smaller crusts) and freeze until ready to use.

Mujadarrah

2008-08-24T14:43:00.004-05:00

We have a long standing joke at our place: "when funds get low in the bank, it's all right—we'll just eat rice and lentils!"

The comical part of this is that we've never made good on that threat to ourselves. We usually end up eating pasta instead.

Rewind to an evening eating out at Sultan's Market on North Avenue (just west of Damen). We ordered our usual falafel pitas, spicy and complete with Jerusalem salad and hummus. On this night of nights, however, we branched out and got (gasp!) a side dish: rice and lentils. It was delicious.

So I finally made this at home, and am kicking myself for not attempting this alchemy sooner.

You'll need:
2 cups cooked lentils, the brown or green kind. I usually cook an entire pound and freeze in 2-cup portions.

2 cups of dry white long grain rice, cooked according to package directions,
adding 1 vegetarian or no-MSG bouillon cube (I used beef flavored) and 1 tsp cumin.

2-3 sweet onions, sliced into rings and cooked in a skillet until brown and carmelized in plenty of olive oil. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper. This part might take 20+ minutes.

good, thick Greek yogurt.

When all of the above are ready to eat, assemble this way:
Mix together the rice and lentils. Stir in half the fried onions. Spoon into bowls, and top with remaining fried onions and yogurt.

Yes, it really is that easy.

Some variations: bulgar can be used instead of rice, and sour cream instead of yogurt. You could also add garlic, curry powder, or whatever else feels right.

Potluck!

2008-08-18T19:21:00.005-05:00

Last night we met up with our downstairs neighbors for an outdoor potluck! We got the grill going and enjoyed corn on the cob, sweet potatoes and portabellas. R. made a salad of greens, pears, and a homemade vinaigrette that was perfectly complemented by some raw sheep's milk blue cheese...and, an amazing chocolate cake topped with raspberries (which, by the way, was vegan and lovely). All in all, it was a good night.

I will admit, though, that cooking corn on the cob on our little grill was tough; it took forever!! Next time I might boil it first, then finish on the grill...

Tofu and Ground Pork in a Black Bean Sauce

2008-08-17T16:44:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, my friend A. took us to a family friend's restaurant in Chinatown. We've been living a few blocks from it for years, but never found ourselves inside. Perhaps it was the weather beaten exterior, or lack of signage displaying the restaurant's name. Most likely it's because we don't know any Chinese and were totally intimidated. It's called Gourmet Food, and as we found out it's the neighborhood's best kept secret. The food we had was cheap, filling, like nothing you'd get in a typical Chinese-American restaurant...and it was GOOD.

I have not tried to recreate the dish I ate there (after all, it's within walking distance and the frugal foodie's best friend—why bother?) but it did get me thinking about giving Chinese food another shot in my kitchen.

I loosely followed a recipe for Ma-Po Tofu, but seeing as there were so many substitutes it really became something else entirely. It may not be pretty, but was certainly satisfying!

1 block tofu
1/2 lb ground pork
3 T Chinese black bean sauce (with garlic)
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine
1 tsp grated ginger
2 T finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp raw sugar (or brown)
1/4 c stock (veggie or chicken will do)
salt & pepper
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T hot water
oil

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a work, add ginger and onion. Cook for 30 seconds.

To this, add ground pork, black bean sauce, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Cook 1-2 minutes.

Add tofu and stock, simmer 15 minutes on low heat. After this time, add the dissolved cornstarch and heat a minute or two. It will thicken. Season with salt & pepper and serve with white rice.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes & Onions

2008-07-28T19:37:00.003-05:00

Last night we took advantage of the cool weather and grilled out--burgers, coleslaw, and this yummy sweet potato side dish. More on the burgers later, I didn't get a very good photo.
The potatoes are super easy, and would translate well to a campfire. The directions are very loose, and open to interpretation!

2 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced in roughly 1" cubes
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt & pepper
aluminum foil

Toss potatoes and onion with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Using a sheet of aluminum foil, form a packet and seal tightly on the edges (you might need to make two or three packets, I've found they cook faster when in smaller groups). Poke a few holes in the top of the packet(s) with a fork. Grill for about 20-30 minutes on medium-high, they're finished when the potatoes are pierced easily with a fork.

French Lentil Soup with Tortellini and Roasted Red Pepper Purée

2008-06-30T20:52:00.006-05:00

Wow, the name of this dish is just way too long. It's difficult to know what to call it. Perhaps I'll just name it Stanley to make it easier on everyone.

It was time to start emptying the freezer and digging through the pantry. I found this to be a great soup to make with little odds and ends, and there are loads of variations. I was a little worried about serving soup in June (makes me think of cold weather) but it's nice and cool outside tonight; somehow this just worked.

1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 T olive oil or butter
1/2 c roasted red pepper purée (frozen leftovers from another dish)
1 T tomato paste (frozen remainder of a can I had to open for something else)
2-3 T pesto (frozen from the last time I made pesto)
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
2 c cooked French lentils (I cook a bunch at once, then freeze 2-cup portions in ziploc bags)
1 10-oz package tortellini (used the cheese variety from Trader Joe’s)
salt & pepper to taste
fresh basil, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese for serving

In the bottom of a large-ish soup pot, heat the olive oil or butter and cook onion until tender. Add the red pepper purée and tomato paste, then add stock and lentils. While this is simmering, cook the tortellini in a separate pot according to package directions (if you cook them in the soup itself, they'll absorb too much water).

When the tortellini are finished cooking, drain well then add to the main soup pot. Simmer just a couple minutes to acquaint the tortellini with the rest of its new family. Season with salt and pepper, stir in some fresh basil, and serve with a mound of Parmesan cheese on top.

Weekend Garden Blogging 2

2008-06-30T20:44:00.004-05:00

Okay, okay--it's Monday (certainly not the weekend) but here's the weekend garden update anyway. Things are still blossoming! The roma is turning out to be super sturdy, and there are hardly any suckers (a bummer, since I really like pinching those off). The kung pao peppers are in blossom, and the eggplant is finally showing more growth:

Weekend Garden Blogging 1

2008-06-22T14:49:00.007-05:00

Our deck is alive with greenery, a good mix of edibles and ornamentals. I took a few photos this morning (with the intention of an update each weekend) of what's growing.

While John is in charge of the ornamentals, my preference is to grow things that I eat. I blame most of this on coming from a long family history of agriculture! I did a mix of growing from seed, and purchasing transplants. Here's a list of what's cropping up:

roma tomatoes (seed)
kung pao peppers (seed)
jalapeño peppers (transplant)
miniature eggplants (seed)
Japanese cucumbers (transplant)
strawberries (transplant)
green onions (seed)
cilantro (transplant)
basil (transplant)
bee balm (transplant)

Here are a few photos, too! So far, the plants that have really taken off are the tomatoes and cucumbers. The kung pao peppers aren't far behind...

Simple Yogurt Waffles

2008-06-22T12:11:00.003-05:00

We received a waffle iron for our wedding, and what a treat! (Um, yeah, I guess that's where I've been hiding out the past few months...getting married!)

Waffles have become a regular Sunday morning treat for us. Before we made our first batch, I began rummaging through the cookbook library looking for interesting waffle recipes with crazy names like blueberry-flax-chocolate-banana-oat-whatever waffles.

This waffle is, thankfully, nothing like that. It will not glue itself to your waffle iron because you've added cheese or something. In the spirit of simple cooking, the fun is in the toppings. I've pictured it above the way we like to eat them--just 100% pure maple syrup and some fruit. And, most definitely, a good slather of butter. (Side note: the link above will connect you to a great article about Iowa maple syrup. There is indeed Midwestern competition for this sweet delight!)

I use vanilla yogurt instead of milk, only because there always seems to be yogurt in the fridge but never the latter. Changing the flavor of yogurt would be an easy way to adapt the recipe to your own taste.

1 c. water
1 c. yogurt (I've used whole and low fat, with equally good results)
2 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium/large bowl, combine the water, yogurt, and eggs. In a smaller bowl, mix together the remaining (dry) ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir to combine. Bake in a waffle iron (according to the directions that came with the appliance).

Top with butter, maple syrup, fruit, chocolate chips, anything!

Bread Pudding

2008-02-24T15:15:00.002-06:00

Leftover bread. A conundrum. The freezer is already stocked with fresh bread crumbs, and the pantry well supplied with dry ones. I could have made croutons, but a good old-fashioned dessert was calling my name instead. Bread pudding....and I've never eaten it before. The procedure sounded somewhat familiar to me, though bread pudding just wasn't part of the repertoire I grew up with.

I used some leftover bread I had made last week (a yummy multi-grain based on a traditional Icelandic recipe) that worked better than I had thought; most of the recipes I'd read utilized leftover sourdough, baguettes, or other white bread.

Here's the dish:
4 c cubed multi-grain bread (crusts are ok)
1-1/2 c milk (I used 2%)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c raw sugar
1/2 c raisins (if they're really dry, soak them in water a few minutes to plump them up)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Pecan topping:
3 T butter, slightly softened
1/4 c raw sugar
4 T flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c chopped pecans

Place cubed bread in a baking dish. Mix milk, eggs, sugar, raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon together and pour over. Toss the mixture a little to make sure all the bread is covered. This should sit for about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, you can make the topping: just combine the ingreadients together until you have a crumble concoction.

Sprinkle the topping on the bread mixture, and place into a 350 degree oven. Bake 30-40 minutes, until browned and done.

While I'm happy with the way this dish turned out, my next experiment will be to make a fine sauce to spoon over!

Popcorn in a Paper Bag

2008-02-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

What goes best with a big screen tv? Popcorn! I blame the dark winter months and our new high def television for the amounts of popcorn we're suddenly consuming. Is popcorn nutritious? Yes--high in fiber, it's an all natural whole grain food.

Ever since I'd heard about popcorn lung brought on by microwaveable packets, I wanted to figure out away to make it at home--without investing in an air popper. My mom and grandma both had air poppers... and I remember them being difficult to clean.

Enter the glorious paper bag method. Here's how I did it, yielding enough corn for two of us:

1/2 c popcorn kernels
2 T butter (if you want more, go for it)
dash of salt
1 small lunchbag sized paper bag (our grocery store uses small-ish paper bags when they pack breakables like wine or olive oil that we've purchased; they work perfectly for this, and can be used a few times!)
other seasonings (cheese, chili powder, whatever)
1 microwave

1. Melt the butter. Set aside.
2. Put popcorn kernels in small bag, and fold the top over so that the bag is sealed up.
3. Place this bag in the microwave, flap down.
4. Put the microwave on 4 minutes and do NOT leave the room. You'll need to keep an eye on this so it doesn't burn. Depending on your appliance, the corn will probably start to pop about a minute and a half into the process.
5. IMPORTANT: once the popping slows down to a single pop every three seconds, you're done. No, don't try to get that last kernel popped. It's DONE. Just take it out.
6. Put it all into a big bowl, dump in the butter/salt/seasonings and use or hands or a big spoon to get it all coated.

Be ready to make more--it doens't last very long!

Pizza with Crimini Mushrooms and Black Olives

2008-01-27T19:17:00.000-06:00

Oh, January....when will you end? I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen these days. Must be the heat of the oven... an easy way to stay warm & toasty!

Whenever crimini mushrooms are part of my Fresh Picks delivery, I make this pizza. The crust is up to you; I like to make mine in a bread machine and sprinkle with cornmeal before popping the whole thing in the oven.

Here is the sauce recipe I use; it makes enough for two pizzas, and I usually store any extra in the freezer.

1 6-oz can tomato paste
6 oz warm water
3 T Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
2 T honey
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust for heat)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust for heat)

Mix everything together and let sit about 20 minutes before you need to use it.

To assemble the pizza, slather the sauce on the crust. Add a bunch of chopped crimini mushrooms and a can of drained sliced black olives. Top with part skim mozzarella cheese. Bake this for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned. Eat while watching a good action movie.

Sunday Morning Pancakes from Grandma's Cookbook

2007-12-23T11:49:00.000-06:00

Drizzled with real maple syrup and loads of butter... pancakes are lovely on a cold December morning.

In 1978, my grandpa gave my grandma Betty Crocker's Cookbook; it's full of grandma's notes and a few food smudges. All proof of years of use. Hidden within the pages are also clippings and other papers, usually full of kitchen tips.

It just so happened this morning, when I went to open the book, the page that fell open was the pancake page! And what fluttered out was a newspaper clipping from 1986, describing the many uses for vinegar. What the connection might be, I can only guess. Fortunately, vinegar is not an ingredient for the pancakes.

1 egg, beaten
1 c flour
1 c milk (I used 2%)
2 T butter, melted
1 T sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blend until there are no lumps, let rest about five minutes. Drop by the 1/4 c onto a hot griddle, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Bigger pancakes will take longer.

Fresh Cranberry Scones

2007-12-19T21:11:00.001-06:00

Ah, I was lucky one day. It doesn't happen very often that I acquire totally free food. Fortunately, an associate of the company I work for send a box of fresh cranberries to the office. Only three of us wanted anything to do with them; I left happily that day with 2 pounds of the pretty little things from Wisconsin, which supposedly makes them "local" for those of us in Chicago.

I promptly threw them into the freezer and rabidly tried to find cranberry recipes. It was in this frenzy that I stumbled upon this delight. It's quite good, and 2 pounds of cranberries will make almost four batches.

1-1/2 c fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped up in a food processor
1/2 c brown sugar
zest of 1 orange (make sure it's organic unless you want to eat pesticide)
2-1/4 c all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 T. cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c milk (2% works perfectly)

Heat the oven up to 350°F. Toss the cranberries with sugar and orange zest in a big bowl, then set aside. In a food processor (or regular bowl), mix up the flour, baking powder, salt, and cut in the butter. Add to the cranberry group, and mix well. Add milk and egg to this, and form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface. Cut into rounds/wedges, or drop by the spoonful, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Yields about a dozen scones.

What?! Leftover Risotto?

2007-11-27T19:20:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's true. I made risotto for dinner one day and the stars must have aligned just so, as there were plenty of leftovers. This has never happened to me before. Typically there is nothing left of this marvelous Italian comfort food.

The big question: What does one do with leftover risotto?

I researched the query and arancini ("little oranges"--but they aren't orange, nor is that an ingredient) would be a definite possibility. Little balls (hence, the term "oranges") of risotto which are deep fried. Another one was risotto al salto, which are just pancakes made of risotto and a little egg (something like potato pancakes, apparently).

Arancini was my answer, which accompanied bowls of steaming soup. If I had found some mozzarella in my fridge, I would have put little pieces into the center of each. I didn't deep fry them; just a little olive oil in my cast iron skillet did the trick. They had flat sides because of this... I guess that made them rustic. He he.

leftover risotto
1-2 eggs, slightly beaten---put this into a bowl
1-2 c dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)---put this into a shallow dish
olive oil for frying

Shape the leftover (cold) risotto into balls about 2" in diameter. Dip each into egg, then the bread crumbs. Shallow fry until browned and crispy on each side. Drain well (pat with a paper towel to catch any extra oil) and serve.

Comfort Food: Beef Stroganoff

2007-11-15T19:46:00.001-06:00

The night I made this, it was cold and damp outside... enter more comfort food!

My cooking ways have given way to heartier meat dishes this season; the beef I purchased for this was a single pound of hormone-free extra lean stew meat (perfect for high pressure cooking, so that it gets tender). It was easy to fill in the gaps with a bunch of cremini mushrooms, straight from an Illinois farm. Next time, though, I'd like to double the recipe.

This dish was prepared in a pressure-cooker; though I haven't tried it, I'm sure it would also work on the stove top or a cozy baking dish.

1 lb beef stew meat
3 T olive oil
2 T flour
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 c broth (I used a veg bouillion cube)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 c sour cream
sea salt & pepper
egg noodles, cooked for serving
paprika for garnish (optional)

In the bottom of the pressure cooker, brown the meat in the oil. Add onions, cook about a minute. Add flour, and coat beef and onions. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the sour cream. Seal the lid and start building pressure inside the cooker. Once the pressure has built up, let it cook for about 20 minutes. After the pressure has been released, stir in the sour cream and season. Serve with the cooked egg noodles, and sprinkle with a little paprika.

Toona Noodle

2007-11-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

It's November already! I've certainly noticed the days getting shorter. While my daily schedule hasn't changed, the fact that it is dark when I leave work forces the mental challenge of preparing dinner without feeling like the entire evening is a crapshoot.

Enter my two very bestest kitchen buddies: the slow cooker and the pressure cooker. I find it ironic that these routes to a meal are of two extremes, very very very slow and super rocket fast.

Colder weather has also brought comfort food cravings upon us, which is the main reason I've been making tuna noodle casserole in my slow cooker. There is almost 30 seconds worth of prep time! Wow! I've only made this so far on weekends with the setting on High; if you do the Low setting, be sure to give it a stir about a 1/2 hour before eating, just in case it isn't thick enough. I like mine so that it can stand on end with a spoon.

I have one very important note about the recipe below. Typically, I don't purchase "cream of xxx" soup because of the high msg content. The soups I use below are made by Health Valley, no msg, and are of the ready-to-use variety (in other words, they are not condensed). If you choose to use a condensed "cream of xxx" soup, add 1 cup of milk to the recipe.

Slow Cooker Tuna Noodle

2-1/2 c elbow macaroni
1 14.5oz can cream of celery soup (not condensed)
1 14.5oz can cream of mushroom soup (not condensed)
2 6oz cans tuna (low salt if available)
1/2 c bread crumbs, browned in a little butter so they are crisp (croutons would be ok, too)
1 c frozen green peas

Combine the macaroni, soups, and tuna in a greased slow cooker (it may stick badly if it isn't greased). Cover and cook on High for 2-3 hours, or Low 7-9. I have found in my slow cooker that it cooks rather quickly, so be prepared.

Stir in the frozen green peas (they'll thaw quickly), sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

Beet Latkes

2007-10-21T19:48:00.000-05:00

Our most recent CSA delivery included, oh yes, more beets. I swear, we have had the most varied diet this past summer by being exposed more veg like this. It helps that they are such a beautiful color! These latkes are best when eaten right away...don't let them get too cold.

4 c coarsely peeled & shredded beets (food processor works great)
1/4 c flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cracked black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
oil to fry

Press water out of the beets (note: if you do this with your hands, wear gloves!--I used a spatula and a colander) and set aside. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper. Mix in beets and eggs.

Fry in 1/4 c amount, spread to about 3-4 inches round and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve with sour cream and more cracked pepper.

Lentil, Potato, and Green Pea Curry

2007-10-10T18:57:00.000-05:00

I remember hearing the word "curry" for the first time in fourth grade, and tried to guess just how it could taste. In northeast Iowa during the 80's, there really wasn't a lot of Indian food around. Not surprisingly, I have never actually tasted curry as I had imagined--I would no doubt need to taste test numerous authentic versions before finding something as deliciously close!

In the meantime, this recipe has become a staple at our home. It's not exactly the same as going to a restaurant, but it is quick to make. The trick is to cook a bunch of lentils at one time and freeze them; they are easy to thaw out and make the dish much faster to put together. My other recommendation is to buy some really good Indian curry paste. It's worth the price if you plan to cook dishes like this often, as a jar can really go a long way.

You could easily substitute chicken or beef (fish? not sure) for the lentils; just brown/cook and add when you would normally add the lentils. For the peas, you could mix them in with the rice (as shown) or with the curry itself. They'll cook quickly either way.

2-1/2 c cooked brown or red lentils
1 onion, diced
1-2 T oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
2-4 T Indian curry paste (depending on how hot you want this to be)
1 T Indian curry powder
1 tsp sugar
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 c frozen green peas

Begin by getting the rice going; basmati is fantastic with this dish, but short grain or regular white rice would be okay too.

Secondly, put the diced potato into a microwave safe bowl, and add a little water. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes until cooked about 90% of the way. This will save you time later on the stovetop.

Now, to begin the curry. Carmelize the onions in the oil. When browned, add the curry paste and curry powder. Cook about 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the lentils and potatoes, simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add frozen peas and turn off the heat after about a minute.

Serve with the rice.

Corn Muffins

2007-09-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

These were a great addition to last night's southern comfort meal: bbq tofu, Korean-inspired collard greens, and baked potatoes. The original recipe called for cornmeal--all I had was quick cooking polenta--and it worked well. Either could be used.

Corn Muffins
1 c flour
1 c cornmeal or quick polenta (not instant)
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c veg oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients; in a separate small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix until just combined. Pour into a muffin pan (12-count) and bake 15 minutes.

Saucy

2007-09-16T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, which was not a bad thing. Somehow, cooking usually centers my mind and the week ahead feels much easier to deal with. The added bonus is that most of this week's dinners are prepped and that means less time after work making food. I've read up on the once-a-month-cooking concept, but have not jumped on the bandwagon entirely; it seems to me that this method of cooking would be a bit limiting to me. I've got cookbooks on my nightstand and bookmarked foodie sites for constant inspiration—I'd change my mind far too often. So, I thought I'd start with once-a-week-cooking (kind of).

This barbecue sauce is from the book I Like You by Amy Sedaris. The original recipe must have made a barrel of sauce; my smaller version gives me almost 20 oz or so. Its name is Vulgar Barbecue Sauce....her reasoning was, it's so good it's vulgar. Who could mess with an amazing name like that? I plan to use this later on in the week with fried tofu, collard greens (from our CSA--never had them before!) and maybe some cornbread.

1/4 c butter (half a stick)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small poblano pepper, finely chopped (or regular green pepper)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp tobasco sauce
1 tsp chili powder (more if you like)
1 c apple cider vinegar
16 oz ketchup (not catsup...he he)
3/4 c brown sugar (white would work ok if you're out)
2 T worcestershire sauce
sea salt & pepper

Melt butter in a medium size saucepan, and saute onion, garlic, and poblano/green pepper. When the onion starts to look translucent, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to blend. Simmer this for 45 minutes, stirring every so often (otherwise, it will stick to the pan). Bottle in a jar or other container and keep in the fridge.

Ten Nectarines

2007-09-09T17:45:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of nectarines, more so than possibly any other fruit. Nonetheless, when our last CSA delivery included ten of them I knew I wouldn't be able to eat all of them before they went bad (and I knew John wouldn't... he has an aversion to stone fruits). Fortunately, I found some fantastic instructions on how to freeze them for later use on ice cream, pound cake, etc.

The process itself was a breeze; no cooking or making sugar syrups. Biggest lesson learned? Nectarines are very delicate, and bruise easily. Once you've got a bruised part, it turns a dark color and gets mushy. I used fresh grapefruit juice for the fruit acid part (it was all I had on hand that would work) and cane sugar. I'll be reporting back when it's snowy outside and I'm still enjoying some nectarines.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2007-09-05T19:30:00.001-05:00

When I asked John, what should I write about spaghetti and meatballs?... The response I received was “They're SO good..." And, simply put, that is the best way to describe this classic dish. I usually purchase a jar of marinara sauce, but this time I happened to have a bunch of fresh tomatoes. What to do? Make sauce, of course.

Slow-cooker Marinara Sauce
6 fresh tomatoes (peeled, seeded, chopped)
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 T tomato paste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
sea salt & pepper (to taste)

Cook onion & red bell pepper in olive oil until softened. Put this, the tomatoes, and rest of ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You may need to add a little more water to this, depending on how juicy the tomatoes are; the mixture could dry out. After the full cooking time, puree the mixture (if you don't like chunks) in a food processor and keep warm. You could also add other veg to this, like zucchini or carrots.

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 c fresh bread crumbs
1 T dried parsley
2 T parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
sea salt & pepper

Mix and form into 1-1/2" balls. Brown in a skillet. Mix with marinara sauce in a saucepan and heat thoroughly until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over spaghetti!

Bright Shiny New Toy

2007-09-02T11:50:00.001-05:00

“Fear not the pressure cooker!” These very words wandered through my mind as I made my first, uh, pressure-cooked food item. Given to me as a birthday gift (thanks mom and dad!) this item really did feel like a new toy. Nothing to be afraid of--no one should ever have to run from a kitchen tool (except dull kitchen knives, they're certainly scary).

Our first playtime session together was cooking dried black beans, done in (total time) about 45 minutes. I was so worried the pressure would cause the cooker to explode in my face or blow up our building. However, all turned out just fine. They were the best black beans we'd ever tasted, surely surpassing the canned variety (not to mention at a fraction of the cost). The instructions I used were in the manual that came with the cooker, and it worked perfectly.

My second adventure was with chicken stock, and I swear this is the best way to make it. I've been converted.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock
bones & bits from 1 rotissiere chicken (no skin or icky fatty parts. yuck.)
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 small onion, sliced into quarters (leaving the skin on gives the stock a nice golden color)
a few peppercorns
1 bay leaf
enough water to cover the ingredients
(you could also add 1 tsp salt, but I prefer to add that later on when I'm making soup)

Put all ingredients in the pressure cooker, secure the lid, and put on the little topper. Once the little topper (or whatever it's called) on the pressure cooker starts to wobble, set a timer for 15 minutes. After this time period, remove the pot from heat, and follow your cooker's instructions for decreasing the pressure inside the pot. I run mine under cold sink water.

You'll need to strain this well, as you don't want weird chicken parts ending up in your stock (at least, I don't). Traditionally, cooks use a few layers of cheesecloth over a colander and strain it into a big pot or bowl. I, however, never have cheesecloth on hand and have found that the large fine mesh strainer I use to wash rice works perfectly. Let this strain for about 10 minutes or so, to ensure that all the liquids have drained. Discard the chunky parts.

Let the stock cool down. Once cool, I usually pour it into a container or two (measure it out so that you know how much is in each one), chill in the fridge and then stick them into the freezer. The stock could also be stored in the fridge for a day or two; my problem with this is that I'll forget it is there.

I haven't tried other versions of this yet, but I would think that this process could also produce a tasty vegetable stock or beef stock.

As Iowan as Apple Pie

2007-09-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, count 'em: twelve apple pies! Yesterday at my parent's house was a flurry of apple peeling (Dad's job this year), slicing, pie crust making, and no doubt nibbling. The apples, of unknown variety, were plucked fresh from their orchard just in front of the house. No pesticides or anything; seriously all-natural. I missed out on all this baking (sniff-sniff, damn the six hour drive!), but thanks to Rae there are photos to share!

I don't have my mom's recipe for apple pie written down anywhere, but it is very intuitive and I think I can go on memory. Growing up, Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa would be doing this almost every summer with apples from various local orchards in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Basically, you need to start with a pie crust (purchased or homemade) and some peeled & sliced apples. Toss the apples with a mixure of sugar & cinnamon (and, if I remember correctly, a little cornstarch thrown in?). Place into the bottom pie crust and top with bits of butter. At this point, you could either use a top crust (and make pretty designs with a sharp knife or fork for ventilation) or, as shown in the pictures above, use a crumb topping. Bake until golden brown. One of the best by-products of all this is leftover pie crust, topped with sugar and cinnamon, and baked until done....delicious.

Mom usually stores these in the freezer so that we can enjoy apple pie in the dead of winter. Who wouldn't love that?

A Beet Affair

2007-08-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

I entered the world of savory tarts with this little gem, carrying in hand a bundle of perfect organic beets (again, from my Fresh Picks delivery). What does one do with beets? It was an adventurous journey, consisting of multiple steps and then misreading the actual baking time—we ended up eating far later than usual. I tend to steer away from intense recipes like this, but all in all it was a good time. John took a peek and (hopefully?) wondered if we were having cherry cheesecake for dinner. “Aw gee, newcomer to this foreign land,” I responded, “it's Beet Tart!”

It was surprisingly tasty, and we both went back for seconds. There was even enough for lunches the next day...and we licked the plates clean (nasty habit, I know). Beet tart, anyone?

Salmon Burgers, Harumi-Style

2007-08-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, my...has it really been so long since my last post? So much has happened in our little corner of the food world. For starters, we received our second Fresh Picks delivery last Saturday filled to the brim with goodies (and from which peach cobbler and rosemary potatoes emerged). I think it has actually changed, for the better, the way we are eating. And, I might add, it is much easier to plan menus around a central group of organic produce and round it out with proteins and starches.

This recipe is adapted from Harumi Kurihara's book and is supposed to also have ground pork in it (I found my copy of this book second-hand; it's apparently a former NYC public library resident). The addition of pork sounds delicious... it is only because of my lack of desire to battle traffic that it was omitted at the time.

12 oz fresh salmon
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 T butter
1 small potato, peeled & chopped
4 oz ground pork
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper
veg oil

Dressing:
3 T soy sauce
1 tsp chili sauce (or Asian style chile paste--I just used the Louisiana hot sauce I had in the fridge)
1 T lemon juice
sugar to taste
finely chopped cilantro
(other suggested toppings are mayonnaise & freshly cracked black pepper, or pesto)

Remove bones and skin from salmon (or, better yet, buy it that way). Chop finely until it is almost ground.

Microwave potato until cooked, then mash and cool. Do not add milk or butter or anything like that. Meanwhile, saute onion in the butter until softened, but still somewhat crisp. Cool.

Mix salmon, pork, onion, potato, beaten egg, and season with salt and pepper. Fry in veg oil in batches (makes about 10-12 burgers). About 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how large you made them.

While the burgers are frying, mix together the dressing ingredients. To serve, spoon dressing over the burgers .

Kimchi-Tofu Soup

2007-07-24T20:09:00.000-05:00

I've been interested in Korean dishes the past few days; this soup is made primarily of kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage...spicy!) and tofu. It's really easy to make, and there are a variety of different kinds of kimchi in grocery stores. Some are spicy, some garlicky, and others very mild. Serve this over rice and it's a meal in itself.

5-6 cups chicken stock (homemade!)
1/4 c soy sauce
1-1/2 c kimchi, coarsely chopped
1 c mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 c scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger root, finely grated
8 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes (soft tofu will fall apart)

Bring stock and soy sauce in a soup pot and bring to an easy boil. Add kimchi, tofu, mushrooms, scallions, and ginger. Simmer for about 20 minutes (a little longer won't hurt). Serves 4.

Garlicky Shrimp

2007-07-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

A simple, easy way to cook shrimp--and very versatile. This is great with crusty bread and a salad.

1 lb shrimp (leave tails on it you'd like)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
some red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lemon
chopped parsley or cilantro
1-2 T olive oil
1 T butter

Begin by heating olive oil and butter together in a large pan (I use a wok), add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until slightly browned. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Finish be squeezing lemon juice over everything and adding parsley/cilantro. Toss and serve.

Korean Vegetable Pancakes

2007-07-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday morning was spent at our local farmer's market in Printer's Row. We bought way more than anticipated, and my bike basket had almost reached maximum load. In a quick decision to use some of the fresh veggies (and give in to our cravings for Korean) I decided to try this out. The dipping sauce is essential...I think these have become a household staple!

Korean Vegetable Pancakes
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 carrot, cut into thin strips
1 zucchini, cut into thin short stripes
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 T sesame oil
2 eggs
1 c flour
3/4 c water
canola oil

Wash & prep the veggies. Mix together flour, eggs, and water. Heat the sesame oil in a pan and lightly stir fry the veggies until tender. Set veggies aside in a separate bowl to cool.

In the same pan (clean off if there are veggie chunks) heat up a few tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. Place small mounds of veggies in the pan and then pour a small amount of batter over them. Cook on one side until browned, then flip. I found that the pancakes fell apart slightly with this flipping action, but settled together nicely once cooked on both sides.

Keep warm and serve.

Dipping Sauce
1/2 c rice vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 T sugar
1 T grated ginger root
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix together and let stand for while you prepare the pancakes.

The Road to Portobella Burgers

2007-07-15T14:16:00.000-05:00

Before I type any other words, I must say this: I just finished reading I Like You by Amy Sedaris and it is freaking hilarious. And simply put, awesome. It is probably the best food/cooking/entertaining book I have read in a long, long time. Ms. Sedaris, please start a magazine, too!! Then I may finally subscribe to one.

Okay, now on to the reason for the oddball photo above (I say oddball only because it doesn't do this dish any justice). The other night, portobella mushroom burgers just sounded good. The trick is to marinate it before cooking. As for the toppings--sadly, the only burger-appropriate toppings I could locate in our fridge were goat cheese (yum!) and red onion (passable). Use whatever you like.

4 portobella mushrooms
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp Italian season (I tend to skimp on this--too much can be overpowering)
1 clove garlic, pressed
sea salt & pepper, to taste
goat cheese or other cheese
buns

Clean the mushrooms up, and place smooth-side down on a shallow plate or baking dish. Mix the vinegar, oil, and seasonings and pour over the shrooms. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes, turning over twice to evenly distribute the liquid.

Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high. If grilling, be sure to brush grate with oil; if broiling, line a pan with foil because this can get messy. Grill/broil on each side for about 5-8 minutes. Brush with more marinade if needed.

For the last few minutes of grilling, add cheese. Serve on buns with more toppings!

A Buckhorn Birthday

2007-07-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

It was my birthday this past Saturday--yes, that lucky 07-07-07. That, along with lets-go-camping-together plans a year in the making, brought us to Buckhorn State Park on the Wisconsin River for camping with Brent & Michelle. It was hot. And humid. We were snacks for the local mosquito population, and hauled everything to our campsite with a cart. Climate conditions and bugs aside, though, it was a fantastic weekend.

Michelle made these great little campfire pizzas with an eclectic mix of ingredients (some from the garden, some from a local Polish grocery...the only one in the area). We were licking our fingers afterward and wanting more; I think someone said, “Hey, that's pretty ballsy! Putting that on pizza!"... thus, the little dish was given its name.

Michelle’s Ballsy Pizza
(feeds 4 as an appetizer)
2 Garlic pitas
chopped tomato
chopped mustard greens
chopped mushroom
a veggie bouillion cube
4 big slices Provolone cheese
some butter

Lightly spread some butter on one side of each pita. Then, crumble about 2/3 of the bouillion cube and sprinkle on the pitas. Add chopped veggies, and top each with 2 slices of cheese. Cook on a grate over a campfire, or on a grill until the cheese is nicely melted. Cut each in half and serve to hungry campers.

Michelle was so sweet and made me a birthday dessert as well! They were little shortcakes with raspberries and a liquer on them. The creamy stuff was some sort of Swedish pudding/creme filling. They were served with little bits of filled chocolate. Yummmm......

Ichiban Eggplant Pizza

2007-07-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

What does one do with an ichiban eggplant? I asked myself this very question as I harvested our very first little eggplant. It was almost a sad harvest, as the eggplant had looked so cozy nestled in among the plant's leaves. All's well that ends well, though—this pizza was a delicious solution to the conundrum.

1 japanese eggplant, sliced into 1/8" rounds
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 small head broccoli, cut into slivers
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4-5 oz goat cheese
2 T pressed garlic
1 T red pepper flakes
olive oil

1 pizza crust

First, toss the eggplant and red pepper with olive oil, salt & pepper. Broil for about 3 minutes, turn pieces over, and broil another 3 minutes (more or less--you want them to be just slightly undercooked). Set aside.

Meanwhile, carmelize the onions in a little olive oil (sprinkle with salt & pepper); when they are browned, add the broccoli and cook for just a few minutes. Do not overcook the broccoli! Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat about 2 T of olive oil in the pan, and cook garlic & red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees.

Now is the fun part, getting your hands into it! Smear the pizza crust with some olive oil. Then, layer on the eggplant, red bell pepper, broccoli, and onion. Dot with pieces of goat cheese. For the final step, sprinkle the garlic mixture over everything.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or when the crust becomes a nice golden brown.

Simplicity of a Scone

2007-07-01T20:40:00.001-05:00

The other night I suddenly had a burst of energy and decided to make scones! There are so many variations on this, add currants and orange rind...or a touch of maple syrup. I have often mixed together everything except the buttermilk, store in the fridge overnight, and finish it all up in the morning. Minimal effort for a breakfast of fresh scones and hot coffee!

Preheat over to 400 degrees (F)

2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 c chocolate chips (or any number of other things!)
2/3 c buttermilk (I've used 2% regular milk too, and it works fine)
1 egg + 1 T milk (mix for egg glaze)
powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Cut in butter until the mixutre resembles cornmeal. Add chocolate chips, then buttermilk. Be careful not to overmix!

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. I usually form a flattened circle with the dough, about 8" or 9" in diameter, and score into six wedges. Brush with egg glaze. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

When out of the over, dust with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, and broil for a couple minutes to melt (I think this step is probably optional...they're just as good if the sugar topping isn't melted). Careful, sugar burns easily!

Enjoy with a hot cuppa really strong coffee.

How to Cook a Tart (by Nina Killham)

2007-07-01T17:28:00.001-05:00

It's been a tough week, and maybe it's the call of the sunshine outside but I haven't been very inspired by food lately. Just in time, however, a package was delivered to my door via an indie bookseller in Michigan: How to Cook a Tart by Nina Killham. It's light-hearted, funny, dark, contains way too many references to food...and I found it to be perfect. All I can say is, it is a great summer read and highly recommended.

The Teriyaki Experiment

2007-06-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite addictions is watching cooking shows on public television. For a couple of reasons (well, principle & price) we don't have cable, so I'm not privy to Food Network programming. However, whether it be Scandinavian Cooking, Oregon foodies or French fast food, I'm perfectly at home in front of Channel 11 on a lazy Saturday.

It was one of those easy Saturdays that I happened to watch America's Test Kitchen, and they were cooking from-scratch Chicken Teriyaki. It looked delicious. If I could smell and taste through a television (a la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) I'm sure it would have been a heavenly experience indeed.

Now, I don't mind eating chicken but having to handle it raw throws my nerves into a spastic fit. I simply can't stand it; it once mingled with the scent of raw onions on a wooden cutting board and ever since that frozen moment in time I don't cook raw chicken at home (unless absolutely necessary; there's nothing shameful about a rotisserie bird). It was with this revulsion in mind that I chose to make from-scratch teriyaki with tofu. Why couldn't it work? Cook some rice, fry up the tofu, and top with the sauce. The results were fantastic!

Rice, Japanese-style
2 c short grain rice (rinsed under cool water & drained)
2-1/2 c cold water
Combine in a 2-quart saucepan (that has a tight-fitting lid) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to almost nothing, top it with the lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. After the timer goes off, turn the heat off and let sit another 10 minutes.
Note: Begin cooking the rice before the other stuff, as it takes at least 25 minutes.

Fried Tofu
1 block of tofu, frozen for 24 hours, thawed in the fridge, and then pressed (makes for better texture)
canola oil
Slice the tofu, and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt. Heat oil in a heavy pan, and add tofu. Cook about 3-5 minutes until browned & crisp, then flip and do the same on the other side.

Teriyaki Sauce
In a saucepan combine:
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
2 T mirin
1/2 tsp corn starch
In a small saucepot over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic. Stir to dissolve the sugar. In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in mirin, and add to the pot. Boil for about 3-4 minutes, until reduced and thickened to a glaze-style sauce.

Serve the tofu over rice, and drizzle with teriyaki sauce.

Moroccan Stew

2007-06-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

We've decided to try a few new vegetarian entrées, after a disastrous night of hot dogs and potato salad. Sure, the pups were kosher but still processed with plenty of...stuff. Whatever that is.

This Moroccan-ish stew was surprisingly good. I think any vegetables could be used; some of my measurements are very approximate...use what you have and whatever you can get your hands on! Perfect food after a day at the farmer's market.

Moroccan Stew
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 28-oz can stewed tomatoes with juice (or whole peeled tomatoes, run briefly through a blender)
1 red pepper
1 small zucchini
1 handful chopped cauliflower (more or less)
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 c seedless raisins
1 15-oz can chickpeas (or 1-1/2 c cooked)
sea salt & pepper

1 c couscous
1-1/2 c water

Begin by heating the olive oil in a pot and add the cumin, chili pepper, red pepper flakes, and ground coriander. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes, simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Add the rest of the vegetables, raisins, and chickpeas. You might want to add about 1/2 c water if the mixture seems too dry (keep in mind, as the veggies cook down, they'll release water and the mix will become more "stew-like"). Top and simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the stew is simmering, get the couscous going. Package directions may differ; I buy mine in bulk and use this method. Bring water to a boil, add a dash of sea salt. Stir in the couscous, top with a tight fitting lid, and turn off the heat. Let this sit at least five minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Check the stew for doneness (veggies tender) and season to taste. Serve the stew over couscous.

Asian-Inspired Chicken Salad

2007-06-17T19:49:00.000-05:00

In the past, I have had terrible luck making any sort of Asian-inspired salad or noodle dish. The sauce, typically peanuty, usually ends up being too sweet, too salty, or too....nasty. Fortunately, I found this recipe online and have fallen head over heels for the dressing. I've made a few changes, which are reflected below. I'm also envisioning it over noodles with fried tofu or steamed veggies.

Dressing
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used chunky)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper puree (optional--I finely chopped 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad
2 11oz bags salad greens
1/4 pound snow peas, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

In a medium size jar (with lid), combine vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, chipotle pepper puree, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and canola oil. Shake well to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl, and toss with dressing.

The salad greens I bought came with little packets of fried wonton strips. Why let them go to waste? They were a delicious addition to the salad—crispy chow mein noodles would work, too. John tried the salad in a wrap and found himself licking the dressing off his fingers once finished!

Summertime Foods (Part 2): Iced Tea

2007-06-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

Sunny days and cool drinks are a natural combination. I admit, I'm a bit afraid of making sun tea as I've heard many horror stores about bacteria. Ew. Not one to give up easily, I quickly hunted down and tweaked an iced tea recipe that can be safely made indoors. I used loose tea, since that's what I had on hand (a delicious black tea with dried lemon--on sale!--from Tea Source in St. Paul). Note: I prefer iced tea really strong, and slightly sweetened...so feel free to adjust this recipe to your own liking. A combination of green & peppermint teas works well, too.

4 tea bags, or 3 tablespoons loose-leaf tea in a muslin bag or filter (your choice of tea)
2 cups fresh cold water
1/4 cup sugar
Additional fresh cold water
lemon slices & ice cubes (optional)

Place tea bags and sugar in pitcher or jug. Bring the two cups of water to a rapid boil, and pour into the pitcher. Let this steep for 20-30 minutes (the first time I made this, I think I forgot about it and it steeped for about an hour... whoops). This makes the “concentrate”, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remove the tea bags, and add enough fresh cold water to make about 2 quarts. Cover & refrigerate before serving. Serve with lemon slices and ice cubes. This makes about 8 servings of iced tea.

Summertime Foods (Part 1): Black Beans

2007-06-13T19:44:00.000-05:00

Each day this week, the temperature has increased a few degrees and I'm scrambling to collect recipes that require little to no actual heat. I'm not into the raw food lifestyle, so mostly I am paying attention to dishes that can be grilled or salads hearty enough to be a main dish.

We eat a lot of black beans. In fact, I rarely buy any other variety. Once I have a pressure cooker, I'll be cooking them myself but in the meantime they must be purchased in cans. An absurd thing I noticed one day was the addition of high fructose corn syrup or other additives in canned beans. Why?? Fortunately, the store we shop at has its own organic brand (only a few cents higher in cost), which has only the addition of sea salt and water. Perfect.

An amazing black bean salad recipe can be found at Simply Recipes; we had this a few nights ago (made without any changes to the original recipe) and there were no leftovers to spare. It is delicious, and with the exception of the beans, mostly raw. I served this with grilled sweet potatoes and it was sooooo great on a warm evening.

I'm very excited about my recipe below, but it makes sense on a hot day only if the patties are grilled. I've tried a few burger recipes in the past, and usually they are tasteless with a weird texture. These are fresh tasting and hit the spot:

Black Bean Patties
1 15-oz can black beans (drained & rinsed, mash with a fork)
about 1/2 c shredded carrot
1/4 c red onion, finely chopped
small handful of chopped cilantro
3/4 c frozen corn (rinse under cool water to defrost slightly)
1 egg
fresh bread crumbs, as needed (around 1-1/2 c)
few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce (suit to your taste buds)
sea salt & black pepper for seasoning

Combine all ingredients, adding bread crumbs as needed. Season to taste. Form into patties, should make 5-6 depending on the size. If it's hot out: grill 2-3 minutes (or as long as necessary) until nicely browned. If it's cool enough to make them indoors, fry in a skillet with a few tablespoons of veg oil for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve like a regular burger!

Potatoes Yayoi & The Furry Bandits

2007-06-10T18:26:00.000-05:00

Before a pack of raccoons pillaged our campsite at 3 a.m. and stole the butter, ice, and a granola bar still in its wrapper, we were cooking with a campfire in Giant City State Park. It took a few hours to get the campfire going (somehow, we got it started without lighter fluid) and enjoyed delicious grilled apple/chicken sausages and these lovely potato packets. I call them Potatoes Yayoi, in honor of my friend who first taught me how to make them. She told me that this was how it was done in Japan when cooking over an open flame, and it is the ultimate easy campfire food. They literally melt in your mouth.

Potatoes Yayoi
1 campfire
1-2 sweet potatoes per person, plus enough foil to wrap each into a little packet
butter

Cut a slit into each sweet potato, and wrap tightly in foil. I tend to do this burrito-style. If I remember correctly, Yayoi said to add butter before grilling, but I have found that it works fine without doing this. Place the packets in the hot embers of the campfire, and forget about them for 1/2-1 hour. Use tongs to remove them (obviously, they’ll be hot) and if they seem squishy in the packet, they are done. Open carefully, and place a big dollop of butter into each one. Be generous with the butter—camping is no time to start dieting. Yum.

The next morning, after discovered the bandits had made off with a few items, we set off to our favorite downstate cafe, Long Branch Cafe (100 E. Jackson St, Carbondale, Illinois—sorry, no web site). This place is vibrant and puts most other casual organic vegetarian places to shame; the coffee rocks and the ambience makes me want to live next door. I enjoyed an omelet with tomato, spinach, and herbed cream cheese (complete with biscuit) and John had a soysage & egg buttermilk biscuit with vegetarian gravy. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.

Salmon Croquettes

2007-06-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

As a kid, I remember nibbling on canned salmon and crackers with my mom at the kitchen table. It was (and still is) a delicious tidbit to eat! The thing with salmon is that there are so many different preparations: canned, smoked, grilled, poached, steamed... the list could go on and on. Sadly, it can be difficult to find good-quality fresh seafood in Illinois, so we are left to improvise with everything else (so is life in the Midwest, -sigh-). This is one of the ways I like to eat canned salmon—the herbs and lemon are essential. I usually keep an airtight container of fresh bread crumbs in the freezer, and then discovered Panko crumbs at the Chinese grocery store down the street. They are sooooo much better, but in all honesty either one will work fine.

It's become a tradition in our household that whenever canned fish is opened, the cats get a sampling in their tiny dishes. I swear they are purring as they eat it.

1 15-oz can salmon (bones removed)
2 eggs
small handful chopped cilantro (parsley works, too)
juice from 1 lemon
sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped (white part only)
Panko or fresh bread crumbs
oil for frying

Mix the first six ingredients, adding enough of the bread crumbs to be able to form patties (about seven of them). Fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until done.

Kabobs in the Dark

2007-06-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

My parents visited this weekend, and with all my “oh my goodness we just got a gas grill” enthusiasm we did kabobs. Beef, chicken, and salmon... why stop with just one?! Among bottles of Corona and a red wine from Spain we devoured those tasty little morsels plus some fresh berries. The unfortunate part was that it got dark before we finished the cooking!

I didn’t really follow any recipes, but here are some guidelines to follow with any kabobs. I marinated the beef, chicken, and salmon as follows:

Beef
• soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped green onion

Chicken
• honey, dijon mustard, dash of soy sauce, black pepper

Salmon
• fresh lemon juice, cracked pepper

We skewered them with red onions and mushrooms, I think next time I'd add in red bell pepper and tiny potatoes. There are so many other marinades to try too... my vegetarian tendencies go out the window with stuff like this!

Rocks. Chick'n. Quorn....

2007-05-27T19:21:00.001-05:00

This weekend, we were supposed to be in southern Illinois. We were supposed to be camping in the rugged Trail of Tears State Forest, at the southern end of the Ozarks. We were supposed to be eating eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet over a camp stove. We were supposed to go without a shower for three days and smell like nature. However:

The forecast was for rain...and lots of it. As far as I know, it is STILL raining as I write this Sunday evening. As you might have guessed, we ended up staying in Chicago.

Not that it was so bad....but yesterday we tried to console ourselves. We could have been hiking through beautiful terrain and drinking late night wine in the forest. Instead, we found ourselves measuring concrete once again with our hiking shoes as we passed Starbucks. Ugh. And we made up a ridiculous song about rocks, chick'n, and quorn. Every verse was the same....

A bright little shiny part of our weekend (literally) is our new tabletop gas grill. This means that grilling on our super windy deck is now possible! Our beloved charcoal grill just wasn't going to cut it anymore for a time-efficient evening meal. Tonight it is perfectly cool outside and we are both happily remembering that we have tomorrow off. We're grilling quesadillas and inhaling guacamole.

Black Bean Quesadillas
1 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 bell pepper (red or orange), chopped finely
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1-2 c shredded cheese (we used pepper jack)
5-6 12" flour tortillas
vegetable oil (for grilling)
Combine ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Season with salt & pepper.
To make quesadillas, brush one size of tortilla with vegetable oil. Turn over, and spread a layer of filling on one half. Fold in half, and place on a hot grill. Grill 1-2 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining tortillas. We usually cut each of these into 3 wedges for easier eating.

Guacamole
2 avocados
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lime
1 T chopped red onion
1 tsp sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 Roma tomato, chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
Mix all ingredients together, and keep the avocado pits in the guacamole to maintain that beautiful green color. Chill (if you can wait) and serve.

After tonight's meal, we came to the conclusion that this may just be the first of many hot weather staples.

Green Weekend (and a graduation)

2007-05-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

We spent last weekend in my nativeland for Rae's college graduation (B.A. Biology from Luther College; soon she'll be off to post graduate study learning to make body parts... er, prosthetics!). It was fantastic to hang out with my family for a few days, and even with the high energy that is always part of a graduation weekend we enjoyed quite a bit of the area's tranquility (something we can't get in Chicago). Above is a picture of John holding a little piece of Iowa.

Brent, Michelle, John and I went for a little walk before the graduation ceremony to Twin Springs: cool, serene, and beautiful.

This is Mom's new vegetable garden, it's fantastic! It's in an area on the acreage that gets plenty of sunlight, and in no time it will be bursting with veggies. Fortunately, the pups Lucy and Ollie haven't made their mark here....

Cucumber seedlings, freshly sprung from the garden. They are so sweet, and so tiny. Isn't it crazy to think about how food begins?

I counted about five of these big guys over the weekend, they're huge. And loud, I might add.

A cozy nest was spotted in one of the evergreens lining the acreage my parents live on. Tiny morning doves are taking a nap.

These two, a little older, were a riot. In peeking in at them, they froze as if stillness would hide them from our curious eyes. I wonder what they are thinking.

Sweet Potato Fries

2007-05-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Oh, yeahhh....sweet potato fries. Sometimes there is just nothing better. Even if you don't like sweet potatoes, they're worth trying. A co-worker of mine suggests adding dried dillweed, but I think they are just fine on their own.

1-2 large sweet potatoes (or yams, if that's what is available)
olive oil (or butter)
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the sweet potato into strips or wedges; be sure to make them as uniform as possible for even cooking.

Spread on a baking sheet or 9” x 13” pan, and drizzle with olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons; if using butter, dot the potatoes with bits of butter). Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and toss to make sure everything gets coated. Place in the oven.

They'll probably take 45-60 minutes to bake properly...seriously, though, this is one dish that I can easily forget about as long as the timer is on. I like them crispy, but take them out whenever they are easily pierced with a fork and done to your liking.

Leftovers rating: High. Delicious anytime.

(Almost) Faux Paella

2007-05-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, this really isn't paella at all. There isn't even seafood in it (though there could be...maybe I'll use some shrimp next time). It's “almost” in that there is rice, a little meat, some peas, and some seasoning... and, well, that's about it. It was almost 90° today, and I came home from work looking for a quick and easy food fix. This is great on its own for a light meal, or combine with salad or another side dish.

1 box Spanish rice mix (I used Near East brand)
1/2-1 c cubed ham
1 c frozen peas

Cook Spanish rice according to the package directions, and add ham near the beginning of the process. Once the rice is cooked, stir in frozen peas and cover for a few minutes until they thaw. Fluff the rice with a fork and eat!

Leftovers rating: High. Why not?

Meet Simon on Mother’s Day

2007-05-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother’s Day! I called my mom earlier today, and she woke up to a happy surprise: my dad built a vegetable garden for her and brought her breakfast in bed. Awww...so sweet! I'm planning to get a few pics of the garden when I visit next week. She's been digging in the dirt all morning now (one of her favorite pastimes) and has a few tomato plants and some pole beans firmly in the ground.

On a non-gardening note (but related to eating) this is Simon the Squirrel. In some strange way, he has become part of our lives and munches happily on nuts whenever possible (we have to ration the nuts, as I worry he'll become too dependent on us). Simon talks to us with his body language, and it is absolutely hilarious (everything seems to translate to “I want a nut”). Fortunately, he gets along just fine with our other deck inhabitants...crows are nesting on the east side, sparrows to the west, and we keep seeing a male cardinal that must be living in the vicinity as well. Oddly, Simon likes to dig near the romaine lettuce plants but won't actually uproot them. Sign of affection? Neuroses?

Tomato Blossoms

2007-05-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

The three tomato plants are all blossoming, and a couple of pea-sized fruits are budding out. I'm experimenting with the Topsy Turvy tomato planter my mom gave me a couple years ago; the plant is upside down and it is supposed to be a way to grow the veg (fruit?) without stakes. So far, so good, though at the time the seedling itself was almost too big to insert properly into the contraption...note to self, don't squish tomato plant to the point roots break. Lesson learned.

Roasted Vegetable Wraps with Goat Cheese

2007-05-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Happy May Day! We decided to celebrate the occasion with roasted vegetable goodness (I'm sensing a theme this week with wrapped items, too....) and came upon a substantial log of Vermont goat cheese at the grocery store. The wraps themselves only require about 4 ounces (or less) of the cheese, so now I'm on the hunt for ideas to make use of the rest of it! This recipe is really just “a little of this, and a little of that” and it can be easily modified.

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
2 medium sized portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 small bunch asparagus
6 wraps
3-4 oz goat cheese
juice of 1 lemon (optional)
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet or 9x13 pan, and roast for about 30 minutes (the exact time will depend on your oven as well as how thick/thin the vegetables are).

When finished, drain in a colander to remove the excess moisture (otherwise, the wraps will be a little soggy). Put some of the vegetables on a wrap, squeeze a touch of lemon juice over them (optional), and add a little black pepper. Slice a little goat cheese over the top. Fold the wrap burrito-style and cut in half for easier eating.

Leftovers Rating: Medium/Low. The vegetables lose some of their flair, but it's fine for lunch the next day.

Mother Earth Gardens

2007-04-30T21:38:00.001-05:00

We spent last weekend in the lovely Twin Cities visiting Brent & Michelle. It didn't take us long to fall in love with their neighborhood, and they took us to a few places we are still dreaming about.

The first adventure was to Mother Earth Gardens, where Michelle also happens to work. I have never been to a more serene and carefree garden shop. They made it easy to want to grow-your-own; we walked away with scented purchases of German and Roman Chamomile, Thyme, Lavender and Cilantro.

Turkish Delight & Momos

2007-04-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

Brent & Michelle also took us to one of their favorite food haunts: Black Sea Restaurant in St. Paul. The husband-and-wife team running the place were so sweet, I had trouble getting upset when told that the Turkish coffee wasn't available late night (who knew?); fortunately, they had baklava and this great box of Turkish Delight for us to take back to Chicago. Yum!

Yet another restaurant we visited was Everest on Grand, where we failed to remember the camera but will never forget the momos. Ah, the momos. I think we actually became sufficiently addicted to them in the short time we were there. I vow to learn how to make those fabulous little dumplings...

Black Bean Tacos with Pico de Gallo

2007-04-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

This is a great dish to make when you feel like something simple, fresh, and healthy...and don't want salad. I highly recommend using corn tortillas, as it doesn't quite taste as good with the flour variety.

Pico de Gallo
1 large or 3 roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
juice from 1-2 limes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped (optional)
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Mix everything together and season to taste with the salt & pepper. Set aside for the flavors to blend while you make the rest of the meal.

Black Bean Tacos
1 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained, rinsed & mashed
2 T oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 package corn tortillas (about 10-12)
shredded cheese
guacamole

Begin by heating the oil in a heavy skillet, and saute the onion and garlic until nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add the black beans (both mashed & whole), then add about 1/4 c water (use as much water as necessary to achieve just the right consistency).
Simmer on low until well heated through.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas one by one in another skillet (I like to use a cast iron skillet for this). You could use a little oil in the pan to do this, but it works fine without. Basically, just heat the tortillas until they are pliable and easy to fold (without cracking).

To serve, layer the beans, pico de gallo, and a little shredded cheese and/or guacomole... then happily devour.

Leftovers rating: Medium. The beans will heat up all right, the pico de gallo will last about a day in the fridge and still taste fresh. Additional corn tortillas should be heated up again when eating the leftovers.

Chewy Granola Bars

2007-04-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

Snacks are good. They're even better when you can pack a bunch of lovely things into one little square (or rectangle) and enjoy all at once. The granola bar recipes I've tried in the past have all been too dry, crumbly, or tasteless. These are, I think, close to perfection.

2 c oats (old-fashioned or quick)
1 c unbleached flour
1/2 c sugar (raw or brown)
1/2 c raisins (any dried fruit)
1/2 c chocolate chips (or carob chips)
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts (pecans or almonds would work, too)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract (optional; I never seem to have this on hand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and grease.

In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, raisins, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and walnuts. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly blend oil, honey, egg, and vanilla; pour into the flour mixture, and mix by hand until the liquid is evenly distributed. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Cool completely in pan before turning out onto a cutting board and cutting into bars. Keep in an airtight container.

Note: Adapted from this recipe.

Hummus Pizza

2007-04-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

This is a completely non-traditional pizza with endless variations. I started making this on the weekends so that there was enough to time to make the pizza crust in the old bread machine; once that's done, the rest is easy.

1 pizza crust (if you have a bread machine or enjoy making this from scratch, the time spent is worth it)
1 batch hummus (see recipe below) or about 1 -1/2 c store bought
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 small heads broccoli, cut into small florets
2 c shredded colby jack cheese (any cheese would work--use what you like!)

Hummus
2 cloves garlic
1 15-oz can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
2 T tahini
1/4 c water
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
Whirl for a few seconds in a food processor until blended well.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet or pizza stone, spread hummus on it (easiest with a rubber spatula). Sprinkle freshly cracked black pepper over it, to taste. Arrange vegetables over the hummus, and top with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly...then slice and serve.

Leftovers rating: Medium/High. Just like any other pizza.

Spring Green

2007-04-18T18:39:00.000-05:00

By the calendar, spring is already here. But this week...it actually is starting to feel like it, too.

Fortunately, our rented apartment has a deck facing southeast, and while I'd like to build raised beds for everything or big planters....I question exactly how much weight the structure will hold. For now, I have five gallon pots with broccoli and romaine lettuce (photo on the left). They've faired well in the freezing cold we've been having, and I've noticed that with this week's sunshine they've perked up even more.

The only things I seem to be able to grow properly from seed are tomatoes. The seedlings here (on the right) are sprouting in our loft's skylight, and are the Mexico Midget variety from Seed Savers (located in my nativeland of northeastern Iowa).

I made a simple soup tonight--sort of an “everything but the kitchen sink” variety. Lots of veggies (carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage), a little ham, some tiny soup pasta, and homemade chicken broth. Served with buttermilk biscuits...we ate it all. Spring, here we come!

Creamy Carrot Rice...risotto?

2007-04-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

I originally saw this prepared on television, started dreaming about it, and then hunted down the recipe (see note below). You could probably just call this risotto, but that might be blasphemy considering the addition of carrot juice (therefore, “creamy carrot rice”). It’s so yummy...but then, I love carrots so this is perfect comfort food. It goes well with steamed green beans or roasted asparagus. The recipe below serves four, but can be easily doubled.

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup carrot juice (as natural as possible, with no sugar added)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup rice (original recipe calls for long grain, but arborio would work too)
1/4 dry white wine (optional)
1/3 cup finey grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for serving, optional)

Combine chicken broth, carrot juice, and 2 cups water in a 2-quart saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium; add rice, and cook, stirring until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, if using; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup hot broth mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until most liquid is absorbed.

Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and rice is tender but still a little firm to the bite, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes, and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan.

Leftovers rating: Medium. Not quite the same, but definitely edible. Add more Parmesan.
Note: Recipe from Everyday Food: Issue 10, March 2004, page 114

Taco Seasoning Mix

2007-04-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

For every packet of seasoning mix I see in a store, I begin the search for an alternative; the packets are usually loaded with salt (yuck) and msg (double yuck). This is a fabulous blend that can be suited to your own taste buds...and gives you piece of mind knowing exactly what's in your taco.

I've used this with both meatless crumbles and ground beef with equally good results. 2 tablespoons of this mix equals one 1.25-oz packet from the store. This recipe makes about 12 tablespoons.

1/4 c dried minced onion
2 T chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tsp oregano
1 T sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
2 T cornstarch
1 T dried minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin

Mix and blend thoroughly, store in a glass jar for up to six months in the pantry.

To use:
Brown 1 lb. lean ground meat (or meatless crumbles) in large skillet over medium heat; drain grease if necessary. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes enough filling for 8 to 10 tacos.

Leftovers rating: High. Tacos are good any day of the week.
Note: Adapted from this recipe.

Pad Thai

2007-04-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

I was researching various Pad Thai recipes, and finally came up with a hybrid that is fantastic and practically fool-proof. The taste is fresher and lighter than what you'd normally get for carry-out.

7-8 oz Thai rice noodles (half a package)
3-4 T fish sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1-2 tsp dried chile pepper (suit your taste)
2 T veg oil
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed/minced/pressed
1 egg
1/2 pound shrimp, chicken, or pork (or combination)
1/4 c cubed tofu (press first to remove water)
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving (optional, but highly recommended)
2 tablespoons peanuts (optional)
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)

Soak rice noodles in a large bowl with warm/hot water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and dried chile pepper in a little bowl. Combine onion & garlic in a little bowl.

When rice noodles have softened (but not too soft) drain well in a colander. At this point, I also usually cut them in half or so to make the next step easier.

Heat oil in wok, add tofu, green onion, and garlic. Stir fry until tofu is slightly browned. Add drained noodles. Stir fry until coated with mixture, this may be sticky. Stir constantly to avoid everything sticking to the wok. Add fish sauce mixture, stirring to coat everything.

Make a little hole in the middle of the mixture, crack egg into it. Let set slightly, then stir into noodles. Add shrimp/chicken/pork if using. Stir fry until cooked.

Serve with lime, peanuts, and/or bean sprouts. These are all optional, but really add great flavor & texture if used. Perfect with hot sauce and rice.

Leftovers rating: Low. Seriously, the results are not good.

BBQ Chicken & Coleslaw Wraps...with a dash of Doctor Who

2007-04-14T20:07:00.000-05:00

The inaugural post for Eat Happy! I made this to accompany an evening of Doctor Who (Season 2), and it hit the spot. We've tried it with both sandwich buns and wraps, and the wraps get our vote.

1 rotisserie chicken
1 12-oz bottle barbecue sauce
1 10-oz bag classic coleslaw mix
(I usually shred 1/2 head of cabbage + 1 carrot in my food processor instead)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
1-1/2 tsp sugar
freshly cracked black pepper
6 wraps

Remove chicken from bones and shred; save the bones for stock! In a large saucepan, combine with barbecue sauce and heat thoroughly.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, cider vinegar, salt, sugar and black pepper in a small bowl. Toss with shredded cabbage.

Place a little of the chicken and the coleslaw on a wrap, and fold over burrito-style. Repeat this with the rest of the wraps.

Great with baked potatoes (organic if we can get them)!

Leftovers rating: High. Refrigerate chicken mixture separate from coleslaw. Fold into a wrap just before eating.