These muffins turn out very moist and not too sweet. They're also a cinch to make - mixing up the batter takes about 2 minutes. And they contain so many things that are good for you! Just go make some right now.
(the following is adapted from this recipe.)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
To make
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2, In large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
3. In a med bowl, beat the egg with a fork, then stir in yogurt and olive oil.
4. Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and gradually pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, being careful not to overstir. Gently fold in blueberries.
5. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, until tops are starting to brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Slow cooker Golumpki (aka cabbage rolls)
I got a head of cabbage in my organic veg delivery last week, so decided to try making my favorite Polish food: golumpki. Also known as cabbage rolls - but 'golumpki' is just so fun to say.
This is a very basic cabbage roll recipe; when I make this in the future (and I will make these again, because they are so delicious), I'll get a little more creative with the spices and sauce. Makes about 12 rolls/4 servings. I ran out of big cabbage leaves before I did meat, so I froze the remaining and will use it to make stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
1 large head of cabbage
For the filling
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup cooked white rice
1 medium onion and 1 green pepper, diced and sauteed in a little olive oil until soft
2 eggs
~ 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
~ 3 tablespoons minced garlic (more or less, according to taste)
~ 1/2 tsp salt
~ 1/2 tsp pepper
For the sauce
2 cans chopped tomatoes (with juice)
3 or 4 bay leaves
To make
1) Prepare the cabbage leaves. This is the semi-complicated part.
Fill a large pot about 1/2 way with water, bring to a boil. In the meantime, remove the stem of the cabbage with a sharp knife and discard.
Place the head of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and cover, allow it to cook for about 10 minutes. After this time, you should in theory be able to remove each whole leaf with tongs. This didn't quite work for me, so what I ended up doing was pouring out the hot water, filling the pot back up with cold water, and gingerly removing each leaf from the head as it sat in this cool water bath.
Lay the leaves down one at a time on a cutting board and remove the main rib (the hard part) using a sharp knife. Keep the leaf otherwise intact, though.
Set the cabbage leaves aside.
2) Make the stuffing. Place all of the ingredients for the meat stuffing into a large bowl. Mix well, using your hands. This process is gooey and satisfying.
3) Stuff those cabbages! Lay a cabbage leaf out flat, take a handful of the meat mixture and place it on the leaf near the end that was once attached to the cabbage stem.
Fold the leaf up on each side, and then starting at the cut end roll it up. Repeat with remaining leaves until you have used up all of the meat mixture.
4) Add tomatoes and cook 'em. Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in the crockpot. Pour chopped tomatoes over the rolls. Add bay leaves, cover and cook on low 8 hours.
This is a very basic cabbage roll recipe; when I make this in the future (and I will make these again, because they are so delicious), I'll get a little more creative with the spices and sauce. Makes about 12 rolls/4 servings. I ran out of big cabbage leaves before I did meat, so I froze the remaining and will use it to make stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
1 large head of cabbage
For the filling
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup cooked white rice
1 medium onion and 1 green pepper, diced and sauteed in a little olive oil until soft
2 eggs
~ 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
~ 3 tablespoons minced garlic (more or less, according to taste)
~ 1/2 tsp salt
~ 1/2 tsp pepper
For the sauce
2 cans chopped tomatoes (with juice)
3 or 4 bay leaves
To make
1) Prepare the cabbage leaves. This is the semi-complicated part.
Fill a large pot about 1/2 way with water, bring to a boil. In the meantime, remove the stem of the cabbage with a sharp knife and discard.
Place the head of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and cover, allow it to cook for about 10 minutes. After this time, you should in theory be able to remove each whole leaf with tongs. This didn't quite work for me, so what I ended up doing was pouring out the hot water, filling the pot back up with cold water, and gingerly removing each leaf from the head as it sat in this cool water bath.
Lay the leaves down one at a time on a cutting board and remove the main rib (the hard part) using a sharp knife. Keep the leaf otherwise intact, though.
Set the cabbage leaves aside.
2) Make the stuffing. Place all of the ingredients for the meat stuffing into a large bowl. Mix well, using your hands. This process is gooey and satisfying.
3) Stuff those cabbages! Lay a cabbage leaf out flat, take a handful of the meat mixture and place it on the leaf near the end that was once attached to the cabbage stem.
Fold the leaf up on each side, and then starting at the cut end roll it up. Repeat with remaining leaves until you have used up all of the meat mixture.
4) Add tomatoes and cook 'em. Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in the crockpot. Pour chopped tomatoes over the rolls. Add bay leaves, cover and cook on low 8 hours.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
in response to the call for aubergine recipes
(read from bottom of these)
the call:
(oops, on my phone typed eisthwise for widthwise)
considering this recipe again, i think we also sprinkled chopped parsley with the salt and oil.
the call:
(oops, on my phone typed eisthwise for widthwise)
considering this recipe again, i think we also sprinkled chopped parsley with the salt and oil.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Classy Grilled Cheese
In theory, grilled cheese sounds pretty great: it's melted cheese on bread, what could be simpler and more delicious? In practice, sadly, what you often wind up with is American "cheese" (or that abomination of my youth, Velveeta) on white toast coated with margarine. It doesn't have to be that way, people! Swap in better ingredients and you've got yourself a grown-up, almost *gourmet* snack. You can even add sliced tomatoes or herbs like oregano if you want. Classy!
Re: cheese. The tomato basil cheddar is the star of the show, but cheddar doesn't melt super well. So, for structural reasons I also include a softer mild cheese: it helps the sandwich hold together better when you flip it, and improves the mouthfeel, I think.
Ingredients
2 slices firm, hearty whole wheat bread
tomato, basil, & garlic cheddar
Havarti (or other mild cheese that melts well, such as Monterey Jack or Colby)
olive oil (I used the lighter kind meant for sauteeing, though you could also try extra virgin for stronger flavor)
To make
1. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Build sandwich. Add cheese in 3 layers, with the cheddar inside of two thin layers of the Havarti or other cheese.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the outer side of each slice of bread, then use knife or fingers to distribute over surface.
4. Place sandwich on hot pan and cook for a couple minutes, pressing down on it once or twice with a metal spatula. Turn sandwich over, continue to cook until cheese is nice and melty.
Re: cheese. The tomato basil cheddar is the star of the show, but cheddar doesn't melt super well. So, for structural reasons I also include a softer mild cheese: it helps the sandwich hold together better when you flip it, and improves the mouthfeel, I think.
Ingredients
2 slices firm, hearty whole wheat bread
tomato, basil, & garlic cheddar
Havarti (or other mild cheese that melts well, such as Monterey Jack or Colby)
olive oil (I used the lighter kind meant for sauteeing, though you could also try extra virgin for stronger flavor)
To make
1. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Build sandwich. Add cheese in 3 layers, with the cheddar inside of two thin layers of the Havarti or other cheese.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the outer side of each slice of bread, then use knife or fingers to distribute over surface.
4. Place sandwich on hot pan and cook for a couple minutes, pressing down on it once or twice with a metal spatula. Turn sandwich over, continue to cook until cheese is nice and melty.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Mark Bittman's Pasta with Slow-Cooked Portobello Mushrooms
I made this portobello and tomato sauce with fusilli yesterday. It's super easy (you can mostly leave the mushrooms alone for 45 minutes, just move them around the pan occasionally), and smells great while cooking. The mushrooms felt very substantial, so I didn't miss meat in my dinner, but if I have some ground beef lying around the next time I decide to make this, I might try adding it.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Egyptian Edamame Stew
This dish is described as "a riff on the Egyptian classic ful medames, a highly seasoned fave bean mash" in the planner/recipe-book where I found it. It's easy to make, and light but filling; I ate it first with quinoa for dinner, and later enjoyed the leftovers with some whole wheat pita bread.
Ingredients
About 3 cups shelled edamame (meaning, beans are out of the shell)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped mint
3 tablespoons lemon juice
(optional: original recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, which I did not add, but you may want to try)
To make
1. Cook the edamame according to package directions: bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in the beans, for about 5 minutes if the edamame has been thawed, longer if they are still frozen.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften (~3 minutes)
3. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until onions start to brown (~another 3 minutes)
4. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander (and cayenne pepper, if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant (~30 seconds)
5. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced (~5 minutes)
6. Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through (~2 minutes)
7. Remove from heat and stir in mint and lemon juice.
Ingredients
About 3 cups shelled edamame (meaning, beans are out of the shell)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped mint
3 tablespoons lemon juice
(optional: original recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, which I did not add, but you may want to try)
To make
1. Cook the edamame according to package directions: bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in the beans, for about 5 minutes if the edamame has been thawed, longer if they are still frozen.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften (~3 minutes)
3. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until onions start to brown (~another 3 minutes)
4. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander (and cayenne pepper, if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant (~30 seconds)
5. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced (~5 minutes)
6. Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through (~2 minutes)
7. Remove from heat and stir in mint and lemon juice.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
My first contribution: Thai prawn salad
My first add here: a healthy, tasty quick ’n’ easy summer dish which just uses the classic Thai flavours: lemongrass, limes and coriander.
For the prawns:
Raw peeled prawns (about 200g per person)
Red birds-eye chillies (to taste)
Spring onions (about 2 per person)
Lemongrass
Garlic (lots!)
Fresh coriander (lots and lots)
8+ Fresh limes
For the salad:
Green salad
Cucumber
Red pepper
Use fresh ingredients please; otherwise it ends up just tasting bland.
Prepare the salad first in a big bowl. I like to keep it fairly simple: just green salad with cucumber for a fresh lift and red pepper to add a sweetness to contrast with the spicy prawns. Lots of rocquet(/rocket for the American readers who can’t spell this, or racquet or cheque for that matter) is good for a nice peppery bite, particularly if you get organic which actually has flavour, as opposed to the bleached and bland supermarket stuff. If you want to make it look authentic, peel the cucumber. (This is fairly standard in SE Asia, where cucumber skins are thicker and somewhat bitter.) I also put some of the spring onions in raw or some finely-chopped red onions. Sometimes I add cherry tomatoes if I have any, but they’re not really necessary. Don’t dress the salad: the spiced-up lime juice from the prawns does this for you.
Next juice the limes so you have it ready. You need lots and lots of juice, so at least 8 limes. Go for pale green limes: these are the juiciest. By the time limes reach dark green they’ve shrivelled up a bit inside.
Now for the prawns. You must, must, must use uncooked prawns. Cooking with precooked prawns is an abomination: they end up flavourless and lose all their succulence. Start by frying on a medium heat the spring onions, lemon grass (slice it up small or — and this is the only place I will permit you to use non-fresh ingredients — use lemongrass purée) and the chillies. How many chillies you add is up to you: but I like this dish very spicy. Again, if you want to be authentic just chop up the chillies, seeds and all; but the seeds are slightly bitter (and the strip which attaches the seeds to the chilli is also, by the way, the hottest part of a chilli) so you may want to de-seed them first. Don’t add the garlic at this point: garlic burns and turns bitter very quickly if you’re frying and you should always add it later.
Once the onion has softened, turn the heat up high, and add the prawns and the crushed garlic. Prawns should be cooked very hot very fast to keep them as succulent as possible: by the time they’ve all turned pink they’re probably done.
Throw in the fresh coriander — and you need lots and lots of this; probably a whole bunch. It rapidly reduces down in size like spinach; when it has done so pour the lime juice over, let it sizzle away for a few seconds and then whop the whole lot on top of the salad. Mmmmm… quick, easy, and tasty-tasty.
For the prawns:
Raw peeled prawns (about 200g per person)
Red birds-eye chillies (to taste)
Spring onions (about 2 per person)
Lemongrass
Garlic (lots!)
Fresh coriander (lots and lots)
8+ Fresh limes
For the salad:
Green salad
Cucumber
Red pepper
Use fresh ingredients please; otherwise it ends up just tasting bland.
Prepare the salad first in a big bowl. I like to keep it fairly simple: just green salad with cucumber for a fresh lift and red pepper to add a sweetness to contrast with the spicy prawns. Lots of rocquet(/rocket for the American readers who can’t spell this, or racquet or cheque for that matter) is good for a nice peppery bite, particularly if you get organic which actually has flavour, as opposed to the bleached and bland supermarket stuff. If you want to make it look authentic, peel the cucumber. (This is fairly standard in SE Asia, where cucumber skins are thicker and somewhat bitter.) I also put some of the spring onions in raw or some finely-chopped red onions. Sometimes I add cherry tomatoes if I have any, but they’re not really necessary. Don’t dress the salad: the spiced-up lime juice from the prawns does this for you.
Next juice the limes so you have it ready. You need lots and lots of juice, so at least 8 limes. Go for pale green limes: these are the juiciest. By the time limes reach dark green they’ve shrivelled up a bit inside.
Now for the prawns. You must, must, must use uncooked prawns. Cooking with precooked prawns is an abomination: they end up flavourless and lose all their succulence. Start by frying on a medium heat the spring onions, lemon grass (slice it up small or — and this is the only place I will permit you to use non-fresh ingredients — use lemongrass purée) and the chillies. How many chillies you add is up to you: but I like this dish very spicy. Again, if you want to be authentic just chop up the chillies, seeds and all; but the seeds are slightly bitter (and the strip which attaches the seeds to the chilli is also, by the way, the hottest part of a chilli) so you may want to de-seed them first. Don’t add the garlic at this point: garlic burns and turns bitter very quickly if you’re frying and you should always add it later.
Once the onion has softened, turn the heat up high, and add the prawns and the crushed garlic. Prawns should be cooked very hot very fast to keep them as succulent as possible: by the time they’ve all turned pink they’re probably done.
Throw in the fresh coriander — and you need lots and lots of this; probably a whole bunch. It rapidly reduces down in size like spinach; when it has done so pour the lime juice over, let it sizzle away for a few seconds and then whop the whole lot on top of the salad. Mmmmm… quick, easy, and tasty-tasty.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Simple Carbonara
I know I promised to put my Sicilian anchovy pasta recipe up, but I just made some carbonara so I'll do that instead. There are so many carbonara recipes out there, but I'll put the version of mine that I like, which uses single instead of double cream since I don't like things too rich. I enjoy using flat pastas like tagliatelle for creamy sauces, since you get a larger surface area coated with sauce. You can also use pasta all'uovo which includes eggs for a richer texture. Feel free to add more cream or use more eggs if you want a richer sauce. Sometimes I use mushrooms or peas or whatever veg I have. You will need:
Simple Carbonara (serves 2; takes 15-20 minutes)
15-20g of butter
extra virgin olive oil
50g (or 4 rashers) of unsmoked bacon (or pancetta if you feel posh)
150-200g pasta
2 large egg yolks
10 tablespoons of single cream
25g fresh parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh, coarse black pepper
2-3 springs of flat leaf parsley
pinch of salt
Optional:
4-5 large button mushrooms
1/3 cup of peas
To be most efficient:
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat.
2. Chop up bacon, flat-leaf parsley and veggies.
3. Add butter and bacon to pan, give it a stir. Turn up heat.
4. Prepare your cream sauce: mix cream, egg yolks and cheese in a bowl.
5. When bacon is nice and crispy, add veggies. Pasta should be ready soon.
6. Add pinch of salt to bacon and flat-leaf parsley.
7. Drain pasta, add to pan. Mix well.
8. Take pan off heat, add cream sauce. Toss well, the heat of the pasta and bacon will cook the sauce. Serve immediately to prevent curdling.
Simple Carbonara (serves 2; takes 15-20 minutes)
15-20g of butter
extra virgin olive oil
50g (or 4 rashers) of unsmoked bacon (or pancetta if you feel posh)
150-200g pasta
2 large egg yolks
10 tablespoons of single cream
25g fresh parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh, coarse black pepper
2-3 springs of flat leaf parsley
pinch of salt
Optional:
4-5 large button mushrooms
1/3 cup of peas
To be most efficient:
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat.
2. Chop up bacon, flat-leaf parsley and veggies.
3. Add butter and bacon to pan, give it a stir. Turn up heat.
4. Prepare your cream sauce: mix cream, egg yolks and cheese in a bowl.
5. When bacon is nice and crispy, add veggies. Pasta should be ready soon.
6. Add pinch of salt to bacon and flat-leaf parsley.
7. Drain pasta, add to pan. Mix well.
8. Take pan off heat, add cream sauce. Toss well, the heat of the pasta and bacon will cook the sauce. Serve immediately to prevent curdling.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Cranberry & chocolate quinoa muffins
I typically eschew muffins at breakfast, because let's face it, most muffins are basically cake, and cake is not a great way to start your day (well, nutritionally speaking). These hearty fiber- and protein-rich muffins, however, will take you through till lunch. The quinoa makes them chewy and dense, like bran muffins but tastier.
The recipe below is very slightly adapted from the one here from Martha Stewart Everyday Food (check out the site for a video of Martha and one of her minions making the muffins); I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and also added chunks of dark chocolate.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 small bar (40g) of dark chocolate
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To Make
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cranberries and 2 cups cooked quinoa.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined.
6. Crumble chocolate bar into small chunks, stir into batter.
7. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
8. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The recipe below is very slightly adapted from the one here from Martha Stewart Everyday Food (check out the site for a video of Martha and one of her minions making the muffins); I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and also added chunks of dark chocolate.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 small bar (40g) of dark chocolate
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To Make
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cranberries and 2 cups cooked quinoa.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined.
6. Crumble chocolate bar into small chunks, stir into batter.
7. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
8. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Fish tacos with corn salsa and jalapeno tartar sauce
It was really hot in Philadelphia today so I was looking for a dinner that didn't require a lot of heat in the kitchen. I first had fish tacos in Mexico back in college and I remember really liking them because they were light and full of flavor.
This was quick, cheap and pretty healthy meal for four people:
Ingredients:
12 small corn tortillas
18 frozen fish sticks
1 cup mayo
9 jalapeno slices (mine were in a jar)
2 dill pickles
about 1 cup frozen corn
about 1 cup medium salsa
2 cups farm-fresh spinach
parsley
lemon juice
salt
Tabasco sauce (a splash or two)
To make the corn salsa, simply mix the corn and the salsa (you could make your own salsa, but I had a jar in the fridge already). Easy.
To make the jalapeno tartar sauce chop the pickles and jalapeno into small relish-sized bits and mix into the mayo. I added parsley, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt to taste. Note: in the end this was about twice as much tartar sauce as we ended up using.
Cook the fish sticks according to the box and heat the tortillas as you like (I do them in a skillet 2 at a time, you could also use the oven check the directions). I chopped the fishsticks in big chunks so they would sit in the tortillas better.
Then the tacos are a snap to assemble: a little tartar, a little salsa, some fish and some spinach. It was light, spicy (but not too spicy!) and delicious and I didn't have to spend a bunch of time in a hot kitchen! The only thing I would do differently next time is to put some fresh limes slices out for splashing on the tacos. There were always limes on the table in Mexico and it goes great with jalapeno and fish.
This was quick, cheap and pretty healthy meal for four people:
Ingredients:
12 small corn tortillas
18 frozen fish sticks
1 cup mayo
9 jalapeno slices (mine were in a jar)
2 dill pickles
about 1 cup frozen corn
about 1 cup medium salsa
2 cups farm-fresh spinach
parsley
lemon juice
salt
Tabasco sauce (a splash or two)
To make the corn salsa, simply mix the corn and the salsa (you could make your own salsa, but I had a jar in the fridge already). Easy.
To make the jalapeno tartar sauce chop the pickles and jalapeno into small relish-sized bits and mix into the mayo. I added parsley, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt to taste. Note: in the end this was about twice as much tartar sauce as we ended up using.
Cook the fish sticks according to the box and heat the tortillas as you like (I do them in a skillet 2 at a time, you could also use the oven check the directions). I chopped the fishsticks in big chunks so they would sit in the tortillas better.
Then the tacos are a snap to assemble: a little tartar, a little salsa, some fish and some spinach. It was light, spicy (but not too spicy!) and delicious and I didn't have to spend a bunch of time in a hot kitchen! The only thing I would do differently next time is to put some fresh limes slices out for splashing on the tacos. There were always limes on the table in Mexico and it goes great with jalapeno and fish.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Mark Bittman's Curried Cauliflower Flatbread
All this talk about cauliflower made me crave it. Then I saw this recipe in the nytimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/dining/221mrex.html for Curried Cauliflower Flatbread by Mark Bittman. I love Bittman's recipes because they are simple and always include veggies and flavors that I don't eat very often. Like this one: curried cauliflower? in bread? with coconut milk? It sounded kind of weird, but it was delicious!
The only thing I did wrong was use my stainless steel skillet (my non-stick skillet is not oven safe); I greased it up good, but the bread did not part from the pan easily. In retrospect I should have used one of my non-stick round cake pans.
Bittman called it an appetizer, but we had it for dinner. I served it with a salad of fresh spinach (chopped), shitake mushrooms (sliced) and tomatoes (diced) with a light orange juice and dijon dressing. (1/4 cup OJ, a little less olive oil, squirt of dijon mustard, splash of white balsamic, salt and pepper).
It was a perfect dinner: light, novel and full of healthy veggies.
The only thing I did wrong was use my stainless steel skillet (my non-stick skillet is not oven safe); I greased it up good, but the bread did not part from the pan easily. In retrospect I should have used one of my non-stick round cake pans.
Bittman called it an appetizer, but we had it for dinner. I served it with a salad of fresh spinach (chopped), shitake mushrooms (sliced) and tomatoes (diced) with a light orange juice and dijon dressing. (1/4 cup OJ, a little less olive oil, squirt of dijon mustard, splash of white balsamic, salt and pepper).
It was a perfect dinner: light, novel and full of healthy veggies.
Vegetarian Chili with Chocolate
A hearty, tasty vegetarian dinner! The basic idea: make chili, stir in chocolate at the end. If you have your own favorite chili recipe (and if you do, I'd like to hear about it!), you could try making it and then adding the chocolate for some extra depth.
This particular chili is not at all hot, so if you're one of those masochistic types who likes your food to hurt you, you might want to add some hot peppers or Tabasco or something.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
half an onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, cut into ~1-inch pieces (I used a red pepper because that's what I had, you could use green)
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 oz dark chocolate (72% cocoa)
To Make
1. Use a large saucepan. Heat the oil over medium heat, then cook the garlic, onion and green pepper until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, broth, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
4. Break up chocolate into small pieces, then stir into chili until melted.
Enjoy with crusty bread!
This particular chili is not at all hot, so if you're one of those masochistic types who likes your food to hurt you, you might want to add some hot peppers or Tabasco or something.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
half an onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, cut into ~1-inch pieces (I used a red pepper because that's what I had, you could use green)
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 oz dark chocolate (72% cocoa)
To Make
1. Use a large saucepan. Heat the oil over medium heat, then cook the garlic, onion and green pepper until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, broth, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
4. Break up chocolate into small pieces, then stir into chili until melted.
Enjoy with crusty bread!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sauteed Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Basil
Cauliflower is not a vegetable that I eat very often. Not because I have anything against it; it's just not the first produce that comes to mind when I'm deciding what to make with dinner (maybe because it's not green or orange). But I was browsing around a nearby organic/specialty grocery here the other day and saw some inspiring heads of cauliflower (hm, I bet that's a phrase you've never encountered before), so I took one home and cooked it up with some garlic, basil, and tomatoes. The sauteed cauliflower had a nice chewy nutty thing going on, and was filling enough to serve as a light dinner all by itself. Well, with some cheesecake for dessert :)
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
olive oil
a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
dried basil (because that's what I had, though I'd like to try this again with fresh basil)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
To Make
1. Prepare cauliflower florets: Remove leaves from head, remove stem as much as possible. Cut off individual florets, then cut those in half or even quarters to make uniformly-sized pieces of a little over 1 inch square (for quick and even cooking)
2. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, until oil shimmers.
3. Add florets, and cook till they start to brown (about 7 minutes).
4. Clear a little space in the center of the pan, and add a bit more oil and the garlic. Cook the garlic for about a minute, then mix the garlic/oil into the cauliflower.
5. Add tomatoes and several shakes of basil, to taste. Can add a little salt and pepper too, though I didn't. Simmer for a few minutes, until cauliflower is chewy, not mushy.
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
olive oil
a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
dried basil (because that's what I had, though I'd like to try this again with fresh basil)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
To Make
1. Prepare cauliflower florets: Remove leaves from head, remove stem as much as possible. Cut off individual florets, then cut those in half or even quarters to make uniformly-sized pieces of a little over 1 inch square (for quick and even cooking)
2. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, until oil shimmers.
3. Add florets, and cook till they start to brown (about 7 minutes).
4. Clear a little space in the center of the pan, and add a bit more oil and the garlic. Cook the garlic for about a minute, then mix the garlic/oil into the cauliflower.
5. Add tomatoes and several shakes of basil, to taste. Can add a little salt and pepper too, though I didn't. Simmer for a few minutes, until cauliflower is chewy, not mushy.
Slow-cooked Leg of Lamb with Prunes
I'm back to the blog after an international-move-induced hiatus (many thanks to Dr. Darkness and Audrey for posting recipes in the meantime!). Of course, a Crockpot was one of the first things I acquired after moving into my new flat this month. An inaugural batch of slow-cooked porkchops came out underwhelming (totally fine, just not blogworthy really), but this leg of lamb recipe (adapted from one at old standby A Year of Crockpotting) really worked. I used lamb purchased at a local foods "fayre" in town.
Ingredients
4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups prunes
~3/4 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)
1 cinnamon stick
To Make
1. Place lamb in crockpot (note: I have a 6.5 liter cooker, though original recipe called for a 4-5 quart cooker, so if you have a smaller one it should still fit).
2. Mix salt, pepper, and rosemary together, rub all sides of lamb with mixture.
3. Sprinkle chopped garlic on and around lamb.
4. Add prunes around lamb.
5. Pour in wine, about 1/4 cup water (the water I added because I was afraid the lamb would dry out, being not as submerged in a larger cooker, but it's probably not necessary). Toss in a cinnamon stick.
6. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Warning: your home will smell almost oppressively amazing for about 7 hours while this thing cooks. But the result is a moist, delicious leg of lamb. I served it with quinoa and roasted carrots.
Ingredients
4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups prunes
~3/4 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)
1 cinnamon stick
To Make
1. Place lamb in crockpot (note: I have a 6.5 liter cooker, though original recipe called for a 4-5 quart cooker, so if you have a smaller one it should still fit).
2. Mix salt, pepper, and rosemary together, rub all sides of lamb with mixture.
3. Sprinkle chopped garlic on and around lamb.
4. Add prunes around lamb.
5. Pour in wine, about 1/4 cup water (the water I added because I was afraid the lamb would dry out, being not as submerged in a larger cooker, but it's probably not necessary). Toss in a cinnamon stick.
6. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Warning: your home will smell almost oppressively amazing for about 7 hours while this thing cooks. But the result is a moist, delicious leg of lamb. I served it with quinoa and roasted carrots.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Amazing French-style Cheesecake
I have a dessert cookbook by "Sophie" from France that I have never used before. Thomas and I have been hungering for cheesecake and I have never made it from scratch so I checked out Sophie's recipe.
I made it and I have to say it is the most amazing cheesecake-dessert I have ever had. This recipe is definitely on the sweet side and the crust plays just as big a role as the cheese filling.
Here is my rough translation from French, including the substitutions I made:
Crust
-----
1 1/3 cup Nilla wafers, crushed into crumbs. (or similar cookie)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup rough sugar (I use the "natural unbleached "sugar)
Filling
-------
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
4 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar (I used the natural sugar, prob could have used white granulated sugar)
1 tsp flour
Zest and juice of one lemon (I didn't have a real lemon so I used a little lemon juice)
Sophie called for a 26cm pan, which I think is one of those shallow round pans that the French use for apple pies and such. They don't have slanty sides. I used a 9" round cake pan.
Preheat oven to 300F
Start with the crust: Smash the cookies if not already smashed. Soften the butter for the crust. In a bowl, mix the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Grease the pan. Put the crust mixture in the bottom and mash it down with a glass so that it is flat and covers the whole bottom. Put it in the fridge while it waits for the filling.
Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add flour, zest, lemon juice, and cream cheese. Mix (I used the mixer).
Get the pan from the fridge and pour the filling in. Bake for 50 minutes.
Cool completely before eating.
Et voila! A sweet but elegant-tasting dessert. The crust is divine and the cheese part is light and delicious. It was really hard to stop at one piece.
I made it and I have to say it is the most amazing cheesecake-dessert I have ever had. This recipe is definitely on the sweet side and the crust plays just as big a role as the cheese filling.
Here is my rough translation from French, including the substitutions I made:
Crust
-----
1 1/3 cup Nilla wafers, crushed into crumbs. (or similar cookie)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup rough sugar (I use the "natural unbleached "sugar)
Filling
-------
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
4 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar (I used the natural sugar, prob could have used white granulated sugar)
1 tsp flour
Zest and juice of one lemon (I didn't have a real lemon so I used a little lemon juice)
Sophie called for a 26cm pan, which I think is one of those shallow round pans that the French use for apple pies and such. They don't have slanty sides. I used a 9" round cake pan.
Preheat oven to 300F
Start with the crust: Smash the cookies if not already smashed. Soften the butter for the crust. In a bowl, mix the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Grease the pan. Put the crust mixture in the bottom and mash it down with a glass so that it is flat and covers the whole bottom. Put it in the fridge while it waits for the filling.
Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add flour, zest, lemon juice, and cream cheese. Mix (I used the mixer).
Get the pan from the fridge and pour the filling in. Bake for 50 minutes.
Cool completely before eating.
Et voila! A sweet but elegant-tasting dessert. The crust is divine and the cheese part is light and delicious. It was really hard to stop at one piece.
Monday, March 16, 2009
crockpot chicken in creamy tomato-mushroom sauce
This is a variation on the theme: chicken thighs in cream of whatever with vegetables.
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 small can crushed tomatoes (or diced, depending on what you like)
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
3 potatoes, chopped
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
8-ish skinless (and boneless? up to you) chicken thighs
Throw everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5.
Variations: Add corn, peas, carrots, kale, zucchini, fresh basil from your garden, whatever!
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 small can crushed tomatoes (or diced, depending on what you like)
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
3 potatoes, chopped
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
8-ish skinless (and boneless? up to you) chicken thighs
Throw everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5.
Variations: Add corn, peas, carrots, kale, zucchini, fresh basil from your garden, whatever!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Buying local from the Philly Winter Harvest
I am reading the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and it has inspired me to make the leap to buying more local food. Thomas and I have been buying some organic produce and dairy and shopping at the Clark Park farmers market for years now, but we still buy 90% of our food at the local supermarket.
I've tasted fresh milk and eggs from our cousin Leah's farm and there really is nothing like it at the grocery store, and if it tastes better, is produced locally and doesn't cost much more, then why not switch, right? So we got a membership with the Philadelphia Winter Harvest, which delivers fresh produce, meats, dairy, pickled things, etc. through April. This is a buyers club, which is different from a farm share (CSA) in that you get to choose exactly what you want each month. So we are getting a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread a week, organic onions and potatoes, greens, yogurt, cheese and a little meat every now and then for about $100/month.
Since the winter harvest only runs through April we are going to have to decide if we want to sign up for a CSA for the summer and accept whatever veggies and whatnot the farm produces every week or if we want to continue with a buyers club, where we can have more control over what we get. We are thinking that the CSA would force us to learn some new recipes and try out some new vegetables (what do you to with kale?), which will be really fun. Rest assured if we find some new recipes we will share them here on Jen's blog!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
bacon, cabbage, and potato soup
I made this a few days ago, and it rocked my world.
about 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 leek, chopped
1 onion, chopped
about 4 red potatoes, chopped
4 cups of green cabbage, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
bay leaf
heat olive oil on medium. sautee bacon until slightly crispy. add onions and leek. cook another 5 minutes. add potato and cook another 5 minutes. add stock, cabbage, potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer another 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. salt and pepper to taste.
about 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 leek, chopped
1 onion, chopped
about 4 red potatoes, chopped
4 cups of green cabbage, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
bay leaf
heat olive oil on medium. sautee bacon until slightly crispy. add onions and leek. cook another 5 minutes. add potato and cook another 5 minutes. add stock, cabbage, potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer another 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. salt and pepper to taste.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Salmon Fillet with Citrus and Thyme
Another citrusy-thymey dinner (so that I could use up more of this fresh thyme I have from previous dinner). This is also adapted from a Real Simple recipe, and makes enough for 2.
Ingredients
~1 lb salmon fillet
1 tablespoon olive oil
~ 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
~ 1/2 orange, thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and peper
To make
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place salmon on foil-lined backing sheet (or in a dish), and season with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter orange, lemon, and thyme on and around the salmon.
4. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, about 20-25 minutes.
I served this with some sauteed swiss chard and baked sweet potatoes - tasty and nutritious!
Ingredients
~1 lb salmon fillet
1 tablespoon olive oil
~ 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
~ 1/2 orange, thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and peper
To make
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place salmon on foil-lined backing sheet (or in a dish), and season with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter orange, lemon, and thyme on and around the salmon.
4. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, about 20-25 minutes.
I served this with some sauteed swiss chard and baked sweet potatoes - tasty and nutritious!
Slow cooker Orange Chicken with Butternut Squash and Potatoes
This is adapted from an old Real Simple recipe. Requires some veggie prep (especially with the butternut squash), but is otherwise not very labor-intensive, and smells lovely as it cooks. Makes ~4 servings
Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, cut into quarters and layers separated
~ 1 lb small red potatoes
1 small butternut squash*, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 orange, cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 sprigs fresh thyme
To make
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Put everything into the slow cooker. I put the potatoes and squash in first, then the onion, then the chicken, then the broth (poured over chicken), then scattered the garlic, oranges, and thyme over the chicken.
*My 4 qt slow cooker would not fit all the squash with everything else, so a handful of pieces got put away for another day
3. Cook on high for ~ 4 hours (this probably takes less time, I was just busy and so let it cook longer. Check the chicken after say 3 hours for doneness)
Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, cut into quarters and layers separated
~ 1 lb small red potatoes
1 small butternut squash*, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 orange, cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 sprigs fresh thyme
To make
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Put everything into the slow cooker. I put the potatoes and squash in first, then the onion, then the chicken, then the broth (poured over chicken), then scattered the garlic, oranges, and thyme over the chicken.
*My 4 qt slow cooker would not fit all the squash with everything else, so a handful of pieces got put away for another day
3. Cook on high for ~ 4 hours (this probably takes less time, I was just busy and so let it cook longer. Check the chicken after say 3 hours for doneness)
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