checkered napkins

With the Best of Intentions

2007-10-03T10:59:00.000-04:00

. . . so of course I meant to post while I was out visiting, but you know how those things work. So many people to see, so many things to do! I had a delightful little break from my normal life (the hausfrau life, if you will), and got to visit with people I love dearly.

I began my trip visiting the town we just moved from, and got to see the friends we most recently took for granted. Fun to eat all the various foods for which that town is famous, especially my very favorite lentil wraps at the local lesbian-anarchist diner.

From there, off to Indiana to visit with the BFF Forever (har), where I taught her that PIZZA DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE MARINARA SAUCE. We enjoyed a very civilized leek-and-goat cheese "tart" and the banter that we somehow slip into every time we get together.

I then settled in for a long visit to my hometown and my parents, which was lovely and relaxing. Visited with friends, enjoyed the most amazing appetizer with Robu (Steak, gorgonzola, red onion, and tomato crostini). Delicious. My folks drove me back to SmallMountainTown, and we had a perfect long weekend together--hiking, food, drinks, a bit of shopping . . . very low-key, which is what we like.

We did take a day trip to the historically preserved miner's village where some of my ancestors emigrated to from Ireland and worked. It was haunting to walk those streets, imagining a thick coat of coal dust covering everything, and contemplating the nearly unthinkable poverty in which they lived. Really a day to remember.

After such a long stretch of traveling and company, I barely mustered the strength to cook dinner last night (especially after doing four loads of laundry). I have a ton of pasta recipes on here, but I strongly believe that a handful of infinitely variable pasta recipes can get anyone through the busiest (and budget-limited) of times.

My Mother-In-Law sent me a recipe for pasta with dried plums and pecans a while ago and I'd had it in the back of my mind. I substituted walnuts for the pecans (though pecans would have been lovely) and added sauteed kale for nutrition's sake and for its very complimentary bitterness.

Pasta with Dried Plums, Kale, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola
1 lb. whole-wheat pasta (short is good)
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. kale, torn into bite-sized pieces, washed
1/2 cup dried plums (prunes), chopped
4 T. walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 to 2/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, scooping out some of the pasta cooking water just before draining. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add kale, cover and steam, tossing occasionally until bright green and partially wilted. Season with salt and pepper, saute without lid to evaporate most of the excess liquid. Add the other ingredients and toss well, using pasta cooking water to moisten if necessary.

Stuffed

2007-09-11T18:18:00.000-04:00

It's amazing to me that no matter if I am working or staying at home, I find a way to fill my days. Since our move, I have been one of the unemployed. Gladly. In fact, it's been a nice vacation (once our stuff was unpacked, anyway). Because I worked these past few years while Our Hero was in school, he's urging me to take it easy and relax a while. For the past month, I've happily obliged.

Perhaps my most highly anticipated "vacation" excitement is a trip I'll be embarking upon this Friday. We'll drive up to our OldHome and stay with dear friends for the weekend. Monday, Our Hero becomes DR. Our Hero, which is such a happy happy occasion (once the committee is through with him). Tuesday I'm off to visit my BFF Forever, and then spending time in HomeTown with my parents.

I know being far from family and friends is a fact of modern life, but I find that fact combined with the reality of full-time jobs' vacation allowances (even the good companies!) makes it difficult to see your family when your family isn't in the area. So with that in mind, I am taking full advantage of this job-free time and hanging out with some of the people I love most.

I fully intend to cook and post as I travel. Drea will be getting some food, and I think I'm up to the challenge to cook salt-free for my Pops. But for now, I'm enjoying chatting about the day with Our Hero over a simple meal made with market-fresh ingredients.

This high-protein recipe comes from Simplicity from a Monastery Kitchen by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, kindly via M. Thanks, M!

Stuffed Red Peppers Basque Style
3 good-size red peppers
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 hard-boiled eggs, crumbled
One 8-oz. can light tuna fish, drained and crumbled
6 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh bread crumbs, to taste (I used 1 slice whole-wheat bread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peppers lengthwise in halves (including the stems). Scoop out the seeds and ribs. Put pepper halves into a greased ovenproof dish.

Pour the oil into a skillet, Add the onion and garlic and saute briefly over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. Combine the onion-garlic mixtures in a bowl with all of the remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs. Mix well.

Stuff each pepper half with the mixture. Cover each top with bread crumbs, and bake uncovered for about 25 minutes.

Happy to Be Back!

2007-09-11T17:37:00.000-04:00

Thank you for your well wishes, your demands (ahem, Drea), and your patience! Here I am! First, a short digest of what's been going on.

A move (we all felt this way):

Beautiful new surroundings (Our Hero and I have climbed that mountain several times now!):

Aaaaand, a high-speed chase ended in our front yard. No better way to meet the neighbors, I say. You can't see it in this (very poor quality) picture, but the truck hit THREE trees in our yard, like a pinball. Amazing. It was all complete with the guy attempting to escape. Very surreal.

Indeed, things are well. Our Hero has started his work nurturing the minds of the young, and I have been puttering, filing, labeling, budgeting, alternately panicking and relaxing, reading, hiking, swimming, and . . . cooking of course!

I'm excited to get the blog rolling here again as we ease into harvest season. Farmers' Markets here are plentiful, and this weekend I spied the first squash of the season! My father made the mistake of calling me and asking what to do with a squash, and I'm afraid I went on and on and on and on, exciting myself as I shared about pasta sauces, soups, pizzas . . . I'm doing it again. Better quit while I'm ahead.

In any event, I will be posting regularly again, and can smell my next post finishing up in the oven as I write. Stay tuned, I'm getting in touch with my roots by making Basque-style stuffed peppers.

. . . Coming Soon!

2007-08-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

After a bit of internet-access frustration and the all-around craziness of finding your way around a new town and settling into a new place, we have a date for internet service: August 30th! Barring any unforseen problems, I will be returning to the fold then! Miss you all . . . xxxooo

Thanks for your well-wishes!

2007-08-04T12:30:00.000-04:00

We have arrived safely here in MyTown, Part Two. The house still resembles a disaster area, and my internet access is spotty at best.

Thank you for all your happy thoughts, keep sending 'em our way! Be back to posting (hopefully) in a few weeks!

Movin' on up

2007-07-12T17:37:00.000-04:00

I am busy wrapping things up at work, and then we must begin the ardous tasks involved in preparing to move to another state. We move in two-and-a-half weeks, and the stress has already begun.

If I have the time and resources, I will try to post, but it may be a little sparse until August. Be gentle! Come back and check soon!

Hummousesque

2007-07-05T20:02:00.000-04:00

I had a freezer bag full of chipotle chiles in adobo leftover from another recipe; I had two cans of chickpeas and a languishing lime. From these meager beginnings, I made perhaps one of the most addictive snacks ever to find its way out of my Cuisinart. This isn't really a hummous, more of a chickpea spread that doubles easily as a dip.

I have a sick love for both chickpeas and spice, which could be easily construed as an addiction, and this stuff really feeds my need.

Of late, I've been struggling with a herniated disc in my lower back, and have recently made a decision to try cutting sugar from my diet, which is an inflammatory and may be making my pain worse. As much as I am not a sweet-craver (I prefer salty on about a four-to-one ratio), having yummy snacks like this around make it a little easier to pass on a bit of frozen yogurt or honey-drizzled banana. I don't know how this whole no-sugar thing will work out, but if I keep getting to eat this stuff, I think I'll be able to cope.

Chipotle-Chickpea Spread
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2-4 canned chipotle peppers (depending on your preferred level of spice)
1 T. adobo sauce
Juice from 1/2 lime
Salt
3 T. olive oil
Low-fat yogurt, as needed

Combine chickpeas, chipotle, adobo, lime juice, and olive oil in a food processor. Process until pureed. Season with salt to taste, add yogurt or olive oil as needed to reach desired consistency. Allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

In the 'Zone

2007-07-02T20:27:00.000-04:00

Our Hero loves pizza. Deeply. So deeply I often wonder if I should be jealous. No matter how recently he's ordered a slice or three for a meal, he's ready for more. A friend of his with whom he traveled talks of great detours in walking trips in order to procure a droopy wedge of the stuff.

Our Hero's favorite pizzas are pretty standard stuff, generally from the pizzaria around the corner (any corner): floppy crust, the barest schmear of marinara, greasy cheese, sausage and/or pepperoni. That's it. Oh, and the bigger, the better.

And here's where we part ways . . . Though I can enjoy a neighborhood slice, my favorite pizzas are usually homemade and healthier: white with lots of veggies and a bit of flavorful cheese.

(Note that one of my past recipes is called "Our Hero's Favorite Pizza" - let me qualify that as Our Hero's Favorite Homemade Pizza.)

. . . so it was with love in my heart that I decided to make "supreme" calzone for dinner. I had a couple of fresh italian chicken sausages, 1/2 a red bell pepper, and mushrooms in my fridge - all pleading to be used - calzone was calling. This was my first official try at a calzone (though there was one "rustic Greek calzone" accidental pizza fold-over my brother may remember), and it was as easy as I expected. I have been toying with a new pizza dough recipe, adapted from Mark Bittman's version. I have also (gasp) been taking to making it in the Cuisinart. I refuse to apologize. It's so fast!

Calzone Supreme

Dough:
1 pkg. rapid-rise yeast
2 t. salt
3 cups white whole-wheat flour
2 T. olive oil
1-1 1/4 cup water

In a food processor: Combine yeast, salt, and flour in the bowl of the processor. Turn the machine on. Slowly pour in the oil and 1 cup of the water. Allow to mix a bit, adding additional water little by little if needed until the dough forms a ball. Process for 30 more seconds. Remove from machine and shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

By hand: Combine yeast, salt, and flour in a bowl. Stir in oil and enough water for dough to form a ball. Knead for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

Filling:
1 cup thick marinara or pizza sauce
2 links fresh italian hot chicken sausage, removed from casing
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
10 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup part-skim mozzerella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium-high. Add sausage, breaking up into small pieces until fully cooked. Place in a bowl and set aside. Add mushrooms to any accumulated fat from the sausage (it should be a modest amount), stir, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes, until juices begin to release. Add peppers, remove cover and cook until all juices have evaporated, 5 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper. It's important to cook away the moisture so that the calzone do not get soggy. When veggies have cooked, remove to a plate.

Divide the risen dough into four equal pieces. Flatten and stretch each piece into a circle 7-8 inches in diameter. You may need to let the dough rest a bit between stretches.

Spread 2-3 T. marinara on 1/2 of each dough circle, leaving 3/4-inch border. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the sausage and a good 1/4-cup of the veggies. Sprinkle with 2-3 T. of cheese You want the calzone full, but still able to close. Wet the edge with a bit of water and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the two sides together with your fingers, and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut three steam vents in the top of the turnover.

Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes, until golden. Let cool a bit before serving.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2007-06-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

It almost seems silly to post a recipe for fried green tomatoes - they are so simple to make, anyone could probably come up with a reasonable version toying around in the kitchen for a short while. I will, however, post this recipe as a nudge to those who have not yet attempted this delicious snack (and perfect weekend lunch). Additionally, here in MyTown, green tomatoes seem more plentiful than locally-grown red ones (though I did manage to find some beauties) at our farmer's markets, so it's a practical recipe as well.

I have fond memories of my own fried green tomato discovery.

In college, I lived downstairs from a friend who, each Sunday, cooked up a mess of Soul Food. W would make chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and potatoes as a matter of course each week. I was lucky enough to hang around and peek at the food all day long, before eating at dinnertime.

Having picked up a bunch of green tomatoes at the farmers' market, I decided to try my hand at the Southern treat. I brought the tomatoes up to W's apartment, and she passed along her recipe. Usually, W fried her tomatoes in bacon fat, and though mine are a little lighter, they make me smile and think of her.

Fried Green Tomatoes
2 medium green tomatoes, sliced (about 1/2-inch slices)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup medium-to-fine grind cornmeal
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Cooking spray or olive oil

Mix cornmeal and seasonings to taste in a large shallow bowl or plate. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Dip each tomato slice in beaten egg on both sides. Dredge in cornmeal mixture, and place in skillet. Flip tomatoes when cornmeal is slightly browned and crisped.

A plateful of these beauties makes a perfect lunch, with a handful of seasonal fruit and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Mix Up Your Cucumber Salad

2007-06-26T19:55:00.000-04:00

Well, we're back from our housing search in SmallMountainTown, and boy is it a small town! I consider myself a city girl to the core, and it seems I'm in for a big change on August 1st. Even so, we will be only 70 miles outside HUGECity, which offers lots of amenities and lovely friend J!

Our housing search was a great success . . . we ended up taking an apartment in a turn-of-the-century Victorian mansion which is still in the process of renovation. The landlords are highly recommended by Our Hero's new colleagues, so we have every reason to believe things will turn out well. One of our landlords is a professional in the dining/hospitality field, and I've seen (and loved) his kitchen, so I am hoping and praying the kitchen will be wonderful. I think people who love to cook would have a hard time building a crappy kitchen. I'll provide pictures when available. The good news: the stove will be gas. Amen.

We've had a bit of a sticky heatwave these past few days in MyTown, and standing over a hot stove sounded absolutely hellish. Instead, I whipped up this cucumber salad from Eating Well, which served me well as a light, hot-weather supper. It's a nice change from my standard (and delicious) yogurt-cuke-red onion-dill combo. The beans and feta give this some protein. Our Hero preferred it as a side dish with a fat roast beef sandwich. Either way you use it, light meal or side, it is fresh-tasting and delicious.

Cucumber-Black-Eyed-Pea Salad
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 T. olive oil
Pinch dried or t. chopped fresh oregano
Black pepper
4 cups peeled, diced cucumber
14-oz. can black-eyed peas
1 cup diced sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta (sheep's milk is best)
6-8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Whisk together first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add other ingredients and toss well. Taste for seasoning. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Oh yes, a personal note for a friend enduring a language pledge this summer (thank you google translator?):
انا نفتقدكم ، اندريا! لا استطيع الانتظار لاتحدث اليكم في عطلة نهاية هذا الاسبوع ، انه يرغب شخصيا.

Spring Onion Pizza

2007-06-20T19:50:00.000-04:00

At our local farmer's market in Mytown, offerings are getting good. I couldn't resist the fat-bulbed sweet spring onions that beckoned to me from the farmstands. I picked up some beautiful local asparagus as well. I thought about a way to showcase both of these flavors and decided a pizza was the best way to go. I wanted this pizza to scream freshness and spring-y goodness, so selected a nice hunk of fresh porcini mushroom, prosciutto di parma, goat cheese, and basil. I served it with a locally-grown romaine salad.

For pizza crust instructions, see my favorite recipe here.

Additionally, dear readers, things are starting to get nutso with our impending relocation to SmallMountainTown. I beg forgiveness for the sparseness of my posts: look forward to a bit of leisure time come August!

Spring Onion Pizza
1 recipe pizza dough (preferably whole-wheat)
Olive oil
3/4 cup spring onions, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup chopped fresh porcini mushroom (any variety would work)
3 thin slices prosciutto di parma, sliced crosswise into strips
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Generous handful fresh basil chiffonade

Prepare pizza dough according to recipe. Preheat oven and pan to 500 degrees. I recommend a pizza stone, but a baking sheet will work too. Heat a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute 3 minutes or so. Add asparagus and saute until tender. Stir in spring onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

Stretch or roll dough into a large round (or rectangle, if using baking sheets). Top pizza round with the sparsest sprinkling of olive oil, the veggies, prosciutto, and goat cheese. Remove hot stone or pan from the oven, sprinkle with cornmeal, and use a peel to transfer the pizza onto the pan/stone. Alternatively, build the pizza directly on the hot pan/stone. Put pizza in oven and lower heat to 450 degrees. Bake until crust is crispy and golden on the edges, 15 minutes or so. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

My, What Big Mussels You Have

2007-06-13T15:40:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, after our friend and gourmand R cooked us the most incredible littleneck clams we'd ever eaten, I decided that I'd have to recreate his recipe myself. This is the most wonderful way to eat mussels and clams alike, in my humble opinion.

Even better, it's criminally easy.

I made a few changes to the recipe as R prepared it, substituting mussles for the clams (the grocery had just sold out), and substituting farmer's-market-fresh swiss chard for R's escarole. I served it with fresh bread to soak up every glorious drop of the broth and some simply sauteed (and local) asparagus spears, dressed in lemon.

The flavor combinations here are exquisite: briny seafood; onion, garlic, and bell pepper; chorizo sausage; bitter greens; and beer. I don't know what else to say other than MAKE THIS IMMEDIATELY. Invite your friends over and argue and laugh over steaming bowls of this stuff.

Special thanks to (as Our Hero puts it) my "BFF forever," for brightening my month with her visit and providing excellent kitchen help to boot. Of course, thanks to R as well (without whom, none of this would have been possible).

The Best Damn Mussels You've Ever Had
1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded (discard any with broken shells and any that do not close when shells are gently tapped)
Tiniest t. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 large sweet onion, halved again through its pole and cut into crescent-slices
1 sweet bell pepper (any color but green), cut into long 1/2-inch strips and then halved crosswise
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
3 links chorizo sausage, quartered lengthwise and chopped
3-4 cups cooking greens, washed and roughly chopped
12 oz. (one bottle) good beer (R and I used Anchor Steam Ale)
Black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven with a cover over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute until just beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper. Add chorizo and stir, 2-3 minutes. Pour in beer and bring to a boil. Season to taste with black pepper. Add greens and cover until just wilted. Stir and then add mussels. Cover and steam until mussels open, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Blueberry Muffins

2007-06-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

Our Hero loves blueberry muffins. Actually, he loves anything blueberry. This being said, as blueberries appeared in earnest at the grocery store this Saturday, I couldn't resist buying him some of his favorite fruit.

In the same way that Our Hero loves blueberries, I love making muffins. They are so simple and last for days and can even be frozen and defrosted for a delicious weekday breakfast. There must be a million ways to make blueberry muffins. I've tried lots of ways (adapted from low-fat cookbooks to those of fancy celebrity chefs), and this particular recipe is my new favorite. I have very particular considerations about the kinds of muffins I favor:

1. 100% whole wheat without being heavy
2. Not overly sweet
3. Not packed with fat
4. Not soggy
5. Not rubbery

These muffins, adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything do the trick, perfectly. These muffins have a biscuit-like texture, with only the slightest hint of sweetness. The lemon zest gives them a subtle fragrance. Very important in the success of this recipe is the use of white whole-wheat flour. Traditional whole-wheat flour will be too heavy. Next time, I may replace the milk with buttermilk, for kicks.

100% Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 t. fresh lemon zest
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen will work too)

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Mix together dry ingredients and lemon zest. In another small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Make a well in the dry and add the wet. Stir until just combined. The batter should be thick but still wet. Add a little more milk if it seems too dry. Stir in blueberries, and divide among muffin cups. Serve warm with butter and/or raw unfiltered honey.

Pearl Barley Risotto

2007-06-06T21:58:00.000-04:00

I've wanted to make risotto with pearl barley ever since I read about the technique. I can't quite remember where I stumbled onto this suggestion, maybe Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook? In any event, it had been on my short list of must-try dishes.

Since I've largely abandoned refined grains (aside from the occasional slice of pizza or wedge of yummy cake), I've missed risotto. Yes, I've made it more than a few times with short-grain brown rice, but the reason I haven't put it together more often is one in the same as the thing that kills me about whole-grain risotto. It takes SO frickin' long! With arborio rice, you're stirring, tops, 25 minutes. With short-grain brown rice or pearl barley, you're stuck by the stove for (perhaps over) 60 minutes!

The recipe I used from Eating Well lied and said it would only take me 35-45 minutes. HA! Thanks to another epiphany/kitchen hint from Mark Bittman, I knew constant stirring is not necessary for risotto. He recommends the heat at a rather high temperature and not to leave the risotto unstirred more than a minute. In this manner, I was able to take lots of mini-breaks from stirring. Thank you, Mr. Bittman.

Though it took more than an hour to reach al dente (mis en place plus one hour cooking time), it was a success, taste-wise. The mushrooms, red wine, and arugula gave this a very rich and woodsy flavor. I would recommend this recipe, but make sure to do it on a night with lots of time to spend in the kitchen. Even better, make it with a friend and chat away while you take turns stirring.

Pearl Barley Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Arugula
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups mixed wild mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1/2 cup red wine
6 cups baby arugula
1 T. butter
1/3 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
2 t. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat stock and water to a simmer on the stovetop.

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until they begin to give up their liquid, about 5 minutes. Stir in pearl barley and stir constantly, 1 minute, to coat with oil. Add wine and stir until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring very frequently until liquid has mostly been absorbed. Be sure that you stir often enough that the risotto will not scorch on the bottom of the pan. Keep heat at medium to medium-high. Cook barley until al dente (you may not use all the liquid, but I did). Stir in arugula until wilted. Add butter, cheese, and vinegar. Season to taste.

Pretty Things

2007-06-04T16:15:00.000-04:00

Following Orangette's inimitable, exquisite, and beautifully-photographed lead, I put together her composed salad for last night's rainy and humid dinner hour. My photo is not as pretty, but does show that we put together a reasonable facsimile.

Yes, you heard me right, it did rain and I did enjoy reading my book on the back porch. Thankyouverymuch.

Back to dinner - it was so tasty and simple, the flavors so bright and summery, Our Hero and I cleaned our plates (and he had a Hero-sized serving). We had little juice-glasses of a nice semi-dry white wine as accompaniment, and spooned a bit of the wine over the melon, which was lovely.

I entreat you all to throw your own together and celebrate the season of juicy melons and herby greens!

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2007-06-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

Ah, nothing like a lazy Sunday morning . . . Today, I slept until 8:30! Those of you who know me know this is highly unusual, as I am generally up by 7:00am on the weekends. It was relaxing and luxurious, and I allowed myself to enjoy it. Yay me!

The weather's been calling for "spotty showers," and since I've returned from a long walk around the park and the neighborhood, I am secretly wishing for an afternoon shower/thunderstorm so that I can sit on our covered back porch and read my book. Don't tell anyone, I have friends who would never forgive me.

Whole-Grain Pancakes with Yogurt
From Everyday Food
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour or traditional whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup corn meal (medium to fine grind)
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 T. flax meal (ground flaxseed--optional)
2 t. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2/3 cup yogurt
1/3 cup milk
2 T. canola oil
1 large egg
Canola oil for griddle
Toppings of choice (fruit, preserves, yogurt, syrup, butter)

Mix the dry ingredients together using a whisk. Whisk up the wet ingredients in a bigger bowl, add dry to wet, don't overmix (small lumps are ok). This batter is a bit thicker than other pancake batters. Heat a skillet to medium heat, spread canola oil on surface with paper towel. Use about 3 T. batter for each pancake, spreading with the back of the spoon. Wait until bubbles form in the center to turn, 1-3 minutes per side.

Our Hero likes his with real maple syrup, I like mine with just a touch of butter.

Leftovers Extraordinaire

2007-05-31T21:43:00.000-04:00

The leftover odds and ends in my refrigerator near the end of the week are dear to me. These are tools for improvisation! This week, I had some chorizo sausages and escarole left over from a meal dear R cooked for us (more on that later). By adding some spice and pantry-staples, we had a spicy, satisfying one-dish meal.

And I love the colors. So pretty! I think that the flavors did balance nicely, though I might use kale instead of escarole next time around.

I find I often turn leftovers into pasta dishes - dear reader, how do you use up the remains of your crisper drawers?

I am approximating on many of the amounts in this recipe. Taste, taste and adjust as necessary.

Spicy Sausage-Rice Bowl
(makes 4-6 servings)
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, juice drained and reserved
About 1 cup water or chicken broth (I used *gasp* boullion)
Olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4-1/2 t. crushed red pepper
2 links chorizo sausage, cut into quarters lengthwise, then chopped
1 cup red wine (actually any dry wine or good beer you've got lying around would work)
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3-4 cups escarole or other bitter green, roughly chopped

Heat about 1 t. olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add rice to the pan and stir constantly until well-coated and shiny, about 1 minute. Pour tomato juice into a measuring cup and add broth or water to equal about 2 1/4 cups. Add to rice in saucepan, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook until done, 45-60 minutes.

Heat 1 T. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper to taste. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add chorizo chunks and saute 3-4 minutes. Add wine to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands, and beans. Simmer until saucy and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-20 minutes. Add escarole, cover and cook until wilted, a couple minutes.

Smothered

2007-05-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been a while. I've been attempting to be more spontaneous and less fascist about my evening plans. We're moving in (ohmydearlord) about eight weeks, and I want to spend as much time as possible with our terrific friends here. Being more spontaneous means dinner isn't as formally plotted out, which means often it's not so much fun to post. (I mean, a spinach salad with strawberries, pine nuts, Israeli feta, and balsamic dressing is delicous, but I pretty much just gave you the recipe in this sentence.)

You'll have to be patient with me over these next couple of months, with the crush of relocation fast approaching and a battery of "I want to do this before we leave MyTown" activity. Trust me, I am sure the computer and I will be attached at the hip come our move. YOU will be my social life. Sigh.

Still, I am very excited for lots of reasons about our move, though the closer it gets the more anxiety I feel about finding a place to live, deciding on activities to fill my time . . . But I am sure it will all work out. And I will (at least for the first couple of months) have more time to play in the kitchen! Very much looking forward to that.

In the meantime, we are enjoying my tabletop tinkering as often as possible. I found this recipe in Eating Well magazine. It was delicious, satisfying, and good enough to make again soon! I want to shout it from the rooftops: Our Hero likes tempeh!! For those of you who have yet to try this soyish delight, tempeh is a fermented soybean loaf that sometimes includes grains. It is chewy and hearty and very high in protein.

Smothered Tempeh Sandwiches
1 8-oz. block of tempeh, cut in half longways into two thin slices, then halved again (you will have four thin sandwich-sized slices)
10 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup red wine
4-8 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted (you could make this openfaced or "traditional")
4 thinnish slices provolone cheese
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Saute the mushrooms, onion, salt, and pepper in olive oil (just enough) over medium-high heat until golden (about 10 minutes). Stir in wine and reduce heat to medium. Add tempeh slices to the pan, spooning the wine-y mushroom mixture on top of each piece. Simmer until the wine has evaporated, 5-15 minutes. (You can fix a salad and cut up some fruit while you're waiting.) Remove from heat. Scoop mushrooms and onions equally onto each tempeh slice. Top with provolone slices, cover pan, and wait about a minute and a half until cheese has melted. Remove each "smothered" tempeh slice and place on toast to enjoy.

Exhausted Evening at Home

2007-05-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

After a looong day at work yesterday, I schlepped over to the gym to complete my battery of physical-therapist-recommended exercises. Sweet friend LS called, wanting to know if I was in the mood for a walk in the park, an offer which I unhesitatingly accepted. The weather was gorgeous, and I headed straight to LS' house after the gym.

LS brought her three adorable daughters, and I pushed little C in her stroller. One lap around the park and a stop at the playground, plus the walk there and back, and I was knackered.

And can I just mention just one thing? I am amazed daily by the love, energy, humor, and patience of all the mothers in my life. (You too, Ma!)

I dragged my arse home to a hungry Hero, and flipped through my mental rolodex of super-easy recipes. Picking pasta was a no-brainer. Then I recalled a simple "base" recipe from Sally Schneider's The Improvisational Cook for pasta with anchovy, garlic, and red pepper. I tossed in some fresh parsley and toasty walnuts to make this an approximation of a meal. Of course, this pasta would serve just as well as a side dish, but we ate our simple dinner happily with some juicy wedges of watermelon.

A word about anchovies: have no fear! If you "don't like" anchovies because they look/smell funny or you had them on pizza once and didn't like them, please, give them another chance! I'd be willing to bet that most people wouldn't be able to identify the flavor in these noodles as fish-based at all! I buy the small jars of oil-packed anchovy fillets in the italian foods section. this way, I can reclose the jar and use the rest later.

Spaghetti with Anchovy and Garlic
1 lb. whole-wheat spaghetti
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
7-8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, patted dry
Coarse salt
Black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Handful toasted walnuts

Set a pot to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Grate garlic with a microplane or rasp grater onto cutting board. Sprinkle with coarse salt and mash into a paste with a knife. Add anchovy fillets and cut these into the garlic mixture with a knife. It should form a thick paste. Add anchovy-garlic mixture to a mortar (you could use a bowl and the back of a spoon) and mix in a generous grinding of black pepper. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil, a little bit at a time, working in with the pestle.

Drain pasta. In hot pan, add oil mixture and cook over medium about 30 seconds with crushed red pepper to taste (I was generous). Turn off the heat, and add pasta back to the pot. Toss until well-coated. Serve sprinkled with parsley and a scattering of walnuts.

Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal

2007-05-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

This low-effort recipe is from April's Cooking Light. Basically, all you have to do is cut up the veggies, toss it all together, and wait 35-40 minutes while an increasingly intoxicating aroma wafts from your oven.

Our Hero is a big fan of meat-and-potatoes dinners, and I indulge him every once in a while. I found the instructions provided with the recipe rather confusing, so I will give directions detailing what I did to make this dinner. This recipe is particularly well-suited to up- and down-sizing to suit the number of people you need to feed. I imagine it would make a fragrant sit-down dinner for one. Add a green salad and you're set . . . Our Hero and I both had plentiful lunch leftovers.

Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal
6 (6-oz) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (or, if your partner begs you to leave his on, 3 skin-on, 3 skinned)
Olive oil
Dried or fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cut into eighths if larger, quarters if smaller
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into eighths.
30 niçoise olives

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment, spray with cooking spray. Line another baking sheet or baking dish big enough to fit all the chicken thighs with foil or parchment. Place cut vegetables onto the rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with about 3/4 t. dried thyme, salt, and pepper and toss.

Arrange chicken thighs on other baking sheet or dish. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Scatter olives throughout.

Place both trays in hot oven and roast 35-40 minutes, until chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Spicy Chickpea Curry

2007-05-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

Recently, friend R shared with me the magic of mole. He described that to make a mole, he mashed up various ingredients to pastes, then browned those pastes over heat to deepen the flavors. This process immediately made me think of an Indian curry recipe I make every once in a while from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes. I make the spicy curry sauce and simmer any variety of veggies and meats in it. In this case, cooked chickpeas and onion. The recipe does take a bit of time to cook, but I think it's absolutely worth it. Additionally, though this recipe makes a lot, this is one of those dishes which tastes even better as leftovers, so it's good to have it kicking around the fridge for a while.

You can use 3 cans of drained chickpeas for this recipe or cook your own from dried, which offer superior texture and flavor. To cook your own, soak chickpeas for at least 8 hours with water 2 inches above beans. Cook until creamy, about 30 minutes at a low boil/simmer with 1/4 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. salt.

Classic Spicy Curry Sauce
3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
4-6 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger
1-3 fresh green chile peppers (like serrano or jalapeno), stemmed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
3 T. neutral oil, like peanut or canola
1 T. ground coriander
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried fenugreek
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. turmeric
1 t. salt, or to taste
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
4 cups water
1/4 t. garam masala
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

In a food processor, puree garlic, ginger, chiles, and onion to make a paste. Put in a bowl and set aside. Separately, puree the tomato.

Heat the oil in a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion mixutre, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until browned, 8-10 minutes (small beads of oil will appear on the top and sides).

Add the tomato, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices evaporate and drops of oil appear on the top and sides, 8-10 minutes.

Add the spices (except for the garam masala and cilantro) and the salt. Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes. Mix the yogurt in a little bit at a time, stirring constantly to keep it from curdling.

Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until sauce is reduced to desired consistency 15-30 minutes. Chickpeas and sliced onion can be added when there's about 10 minutes left of cooking. Serve garnished with garam masala and cilantro.

I am a European Peasant

2007-05-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Um, obviously not really. It's just what I imagined as I cooked up this dinner. This is basic, country food at its best. Last Sunday I bought a whole mess of mushrooms to make quesadillas during the week, however I forgot to buy tortillas. Oops. Wanting to capitalize as much as possible on what was already in my refrigerator, I picked up a loaf of "French-Italian" bread at the Italian bakery a couple of blocks from my gym and decided to serve sauteed mushrooms on cheese toasts.

I cut up the mushrooms I'd bought, about two pounds' worth of shiitake, baby bella, and portobella, tossing them in a hot skillet with garlic and olive oil until their juices released and then mostly evaporated. I debated between using rosemary and thyme, choosing the latter for its less strident flavor, and added salt and freshly ground pepper for good measure.

After a taste, I knew something was missing. I dug in the pantry, brushing past balsamic (the old standby) to my rarely-used bottle of sherry vinegar. This did the trick, though of course any vinegar would work.

This is a nice casual supper with the addition of sliced fruit and a green salad, but would also work as an appetizer.

Wild Mushroom Toasts
1 loaf Italian or French bread (long and thin is best)
Extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
About 2 lbs. mixed wild mushrooms
3/4 t. dried thyme, crushed between fingers
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 T. sherry vinegar
1 cup grated fontina cheese

Cut bread into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top rounds with grated fontina. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms to the pan, cook until they release their liquid, then let liquid mostly evaporate. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in sherry vinegar to taste.

Meanwhile, toast bread rounds in the oven until crisp and cheese has melted, 8-10 minutes. Serve cheese rounds with a bowl of mushrooms and spoon.

Angry Pasta

2007-05-16T20:04:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, it doesn't look so angry in the picture. This is a classic Italian pasta dish, penne arrabiata, "angry" because of its spicy, assertive flavors.

This is a busy-day dinner; while the ingredients simmer away there's plenty of time to pop in a load of laundry, pack tomorrow's gym bag, and make up a grocery list.

Penne Arrabiata
1 lb. whole-wheat penne or other short pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 28-oz. can whole peeled italian-style (plum) tomatoes in juice
Pecorino romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat 3 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes. Garlic should brown well, but not blacken at all. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands, and their juice. Simmer 10-15 minutes, until saucy. Toss with pasta, and sprinkle with pecorino cheese. (Use pecorino if you can, its assertive saltiness will hold up well to the spicy sauce.

The Understood's Saturday Dinner

2007-05-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

My lovely, amazing, and wonderful parents came for a visit this weekend! I was inordinately excited and really, really, REALLY had a great time. My beloved Pops is on a no-salt, extremely low-sodium diet, so it presents an interesting challenge for meal plans. I think we all did quite well this weekend. Our Hero, though he was awfully busy working on his dissertation most of the time, was sure to join us for meals. Ahem.

I'm including this recipe on the site because of the crazy-easy perfection to which it cooks salmon fillet. I discovered this technique somewhere (perhaps Everyday Food?), and have been using it for several years. On the side, we tossed together whole-wheat pasta, dill, grape tomatoes, red onion, toasted pine nuts, and a bit of Parmiggiano.

Salmon Broiled with Zucchini, Lemon, and Dill
1 lb. salmon fillet
4-5 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices on the diagonal
1 lemon, cut into eight wedges
4-6 thin lemon round slices from a second lemon
Handful fresh dill
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt (if desired) and black pepper

Preheat broiler. Cut the salmon fillet into 4-6 pieces, as desired. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil. Toss zucchini and lemon wedges with olive oil to lightly coat. Nestle salmon in with zucchini. Scatter with dill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each salmon piece with a slice of lemon. Broil 10 minutes, until fish is desired level of done. I find this cooks salmon to the most perfect melt-in-your-mouth consistency. Squeeze the juicy broiled lemon wedges over your fish.

Not Your Typical Tuna Salad

2007-05-13T08:05:00.000-04:00

This tuna salad was nice this week when I felt I barely had the energy to pull together dinner. I found it in the "Superfast" section of last month's Cooking Light and it certainly was. I just served it up with some toast and sweet potato fries. Yum!

I apologize for the lack of posts the last several days - the Understood parents came up to MyTown for a visit, so blogging was not priority #1. More soon!

Italian-Style Tuna Salad
From Cooking Light
2 6-oz cans solid white tuna
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 medium fennel bulb, chopped
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 T. capers, drained
Black pepper

Mix all the ingredients to taste and serve! Made a great work lunch the next day.

My Thai

2007-05-09T11:55:00.000-04:00

I've had an open jar of green curry paste knocking about in my refrigerator for a while, so I was motivated to use it this week. This is basically a veggie stir-fry without the fry (for the most part), served over whole-wheat fettucine. Rice noodles would have been more authentic, but I had to get in my whole grains.

Anyone could throw this together with whatever was begging to be used up in their crisper bins. Cabbage would have been lovely. As this was an improvisation, I'll point out where I could have improved:

Sauce was too thin! I added a whole can of chicken broth so I could be sure the veggies would have enough simmering liquid. Next time, I'll scale back on the broth (alterations made in this recipe). Also, might not hurt to stir in a bit of corn starch to thicken it up. "Lite" coconut milk does not have the body of the full-fat variety.

In spite of this, the flavor was nice, spicy and a bit creamy, with crisp peas and juicy peppers and onions. Maybe I've got warm-weather fever, but this seems like a great summer night dinner!

Green Curry Thai Stir-Fry
1 T. vegetable oil
1 block firm tofu, patted dry and cubed
1 lb. whole-wheat fettucine
2-3 T. Thai green curry paste
1/2 can "lite" coconut milk
1/2 can chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, halved
1/2-1 cup sugar snap peas
Generous handful cilantro, chopped
Fish sauce or soy sauce, for serving (optional)

Cook fettucine according to package instructions. Try to time it so the pasta is finished at approximately the same time as the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu, stirring, until golden (7-10 minutes or so). Remove tofu to a plate, set aside. Add curry paste to skillet, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until veggies are tender (5-7 minutes). Stir in peas, cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over pasta, sprinkled with fish sauce (preferred) or soy sauce (for you vegetarians), if desired.

Much Nicer in Nice

2007-05-08T11:50:00.000-04:00

This is my first crack at the Niçoise take on pizza, pissaladière. It's basically an onion tart, which can be topped with a variety of items. Traditionally, these include anchovies, little wine-y Niçoise olives, and tomato. The French never include cheese on these tarts (so says Mark Bittman), but I could not resist and scattered on a very restrained handful of chèvre. (You can take the American out of the cheese, but you can't take the cheese out of an American's pizza.)

I prepared my customary pizza dough in the food processor and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator all day, taking it out several hours before I intended to bake it. Bittman's tip about letting the dough rest every few minutes was an epiphany to me, and resulted in both uniform thickness and shape. Cooking the onions does take a good deal of time, so be sure to leave 60-90 minutes to get this done. It's a perfect weekend dinner, and authentic pissaladière is often served at room temperature, so this would be a lovely appetizer for a summer cocktail gathering, with all the work done ahead of time.

Pissaladière
With a few changes, from Mark Bittman's How to Make Everything
1 recipe whole-wheat pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs. onions, chopped
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (one could use dried)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 oz. anchovies, packed in oil
2-3 plum tomatoes, sliced
20-30 tiny Niçoise olives, pitted
Palmful fresh goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Heat 2 T. olive oil over low heat. Add onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until onions have given up liquid and begin to turn golden (one to two hours). Do NOT brown onions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

20-30 minutes before onions are finished, grease a rimmed baking sheet 1 T. olive oil. Stretch pizza dough to fit into sheet, at about a 1/4-inch thickness all the way around. The best way to do this is to stretch and press it a little at a time, then leaving it to rest for a few minutes and so on. It should cover the entire pan, into the corners.

Meanwhile, when the onions are done, remove the lid and turn up the heat a bit to cook off most of the accumulated liquid. Fish out bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Spread onion mixture evenly onto prepared dough. Top with anchovies, tomato, olives, and cheese (if desired). Put into oven and lower heat to 350 degrees. Cook until crust is golden and toppings begin to brown, 30-45 minutes.

Quick Bread

2007-05-06T18:10:00.000-04:00

Just before we moved, on a trip to a discount-book warehouse, I picked this up for a mere $6! Though I find Bittman's Wednesday features often less interesting than many of the others, I do find his recipes simple (duh), well-balanced, and perfect for the home cook. (As I blog this, the perfume of Bittman's pissaladiere - authenticity violated with goat cheese - fills my nostrils and, happily, my house.)

The book is fun to read and really does have a ton of uncomplicated and tempting recipes, many with great potential for improvisation.

In my humble opinion, nothing smells like home more than baking bread. I capitalized on both my new cookbook and our newly-unpacked kitchen to whip up some tasty bread and fill the house with homemade bread's warm scent. (So many nice smells today!)

This bread is aromatic, not very sweet, and perfect for breakfast spread with jam, yogurt cheese, or peanut butter.

Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread
From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Butter or oil to grease the pan
1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease your loaf pan. Mix together the dry ingredients. Separately, mix together the wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry, and mix only until just combined. Spoon/pour into the loaf pan and bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour. Cool on a rack 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Fiesta!

2007-05-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

So, the cake seemed a hit, though I wasn't as excited with it as others purported to be. I think people were being honest, not just nice, so let's call it a success.

R, something of an expert in Mexican Cuisine, made an absolutely exquisite molé, served with chicken and shown on duffpower's stovetop, left. The recipe, he has promised, is forthcoming when I manage to guess the ingredients of the sauce. I'll keep you posted.

R also prepared a trio of delicious salsas, chipotle-marinated flank steak tacos, and lovely little stuffed zucchini-halves (both on view below with the chef extraordinaire). duffpower's enchanting margaritas made everyone super-friendly, and the evening was a bit hit!

Topping off a fantastic weekend, Mytown's home team had a wonderful win, Our Hero and I finished unpacking and situating, and I got to spend a good deal of time in the kitchen! The weather was lovely to boot.

Happy Spring!

Sneak Peek

2007-05-05T15:49:00.000-04:00

Here's the finished "Mexican Chocolate" cake . . . recipe found on epicurious.

Didn't rise as much as I would have liked (maybe add more baking soda next time?), and it sunk a bit in the middle. Looking like a brownie-texture. Hopefully, the cinnamon (I doubled the amount), the cayenne (I added a healthy pinch), and the cinnamon-sugar topping (rather than a super-sweet glaze) will make it fun and adult-ish. We'll see . . .

The fiesta's chef is making chicken molé this evening, a "sampling" of salsas, and our host is preparing a bevvy of margaritas! Aiyaiyai!

Busy Week

2007-05-05T14:03:00.000-04:00

This week, I've been whipping up quick meals and old standbys, things that are easy to throw together. It can't get much easier than this well-balanced meal, which I spiced up with a bit of braised fennel, recipe to follow. I purchased some fresh chicken sausages from an Italian market a few blocks away, and whipped up some polenta very similar to the grits recipe here, substituting olive oil for the butter and parm for the cheddar.

Presently, I have a "Mexican Chocolate Cake" baking in the oven for a fiesta this evening. Recipe forthcoming.

Braised Fennel
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bulb fennel, cut into thin strips
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup white wine, water, or stock
Pinch dried thyme

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and fennel and cook about 5 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and pepper, and add liquid to the pan. Cover, lower heat, and simmer 5-10 minutes - until tender. Stir in thyme and serve.

Settling In

2007-05-01T18:38:00.000-04:00

Well, both Our Hero and I have healed up nicely from our bout(s) with the flu, and we survived the move to our new flat with the help of lots of our great MyTown friends, whom we will miss terribly. We are loving our new place, though I realize a little more acutely each day how crappy a nice apartment makes our furniture look. (Really crappy.) Still, we are making the best of it and enjoying the change.

As you can see on the left, the view from our bedroom window reveals that a bit of green is just beginning to peek from tangles of branches, and I couldn't be more excited. Just before I took this picture, I noticed a fat little chickadee perched in the branches, nest-building material clamped in his beak. At the old apartment, he would have been a pigeon. On the roof of the house next door. Probably defecating.

The new kitchen is clean and lovely, and though I've begun cooking (very simple) meals in it, I hope to be mainly unpacked and settled by this weekend. I've got a turkey defrosting in the oven that I must cook (thanks for the encouragement, JoMo, in the form of "suck it up and baste that bitch"). I'm hoping that involved Sunday dinner will break in the new digs. As you all can probably imagine, we are very busy unpacking, working, and doing all the things we normally do. I promise I will post some recipes soon; currently, I'm making a lot of old standbys that are easy and quick. Stay tuned for more soon!

Flu and Move

2007-04-24T20:23:00.000-04:00

April indeed seems the cruellest month; after our bout with the flu over Easter weekend, the Understood-Hero household was again hit by some kind of evil bug beginning last week. VERY early last Tuesday morning (1am), Our Hero became violently ill. Thursday evening, just as he was beginning to feel better, I got the bug. I'm still getting over it now. It means business.

Complicating matters is the fact that we are moving to a new apartment in MyTown on Saturday. I have doubts that I'll have time to post until May. Please come back then! Stay healthy!

Comfort

2007-04-16T18:30:00.000-04:00

Like everyone else, I was horrified and shaken by the news coming out of Virginia Tech today. I had spent the morning complaining to various people (basically, anyone who would listen) about the seemingly interminable cold, gray, and rainy weather we've been having. It's hackneyed, I suppose, but even listening to the news on a "slow day" really puts these gripes in context.

It felt good to come home and go on "autopilot" with busywork for a bit - chopping, stirring. Still, I listened all the while to NPR's coverage of today's tragedy, becoming more and more sick over the chilling events.

I feel almost irreverent posting a recipe on a day like today, when such horrific events occupy all our minds and make us feel guilty for our mundane complaints - make us feel lucky or anxious or scared - make us stop and ask, for the trillionth time: why must these things happen in our world?

Still, one of the wonderful things about a homecooked meal is the ability to comfort, like mom's backrub or clean sheets. For that reason, I'll post the recipe that brought a little bit of warmth to our apartment this evening.

Cooking Light's Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Chops
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. chili powder
3/4 t. garlic powder
3/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. allspice
1/8-1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4 (6-0z) bone-in center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed

Combine all spices in a small bowl. Rub onto pork chops. Heat a grill pan over medium-high. Cook chops 2-3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 8 more minutes, or until done, turning occasionally.

Cheddar Grits
Adapted from Cooking Light
2 cups skim milk
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup polenta meal, coarse-grind
1 cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese (I like Cabot's 50% Light)
1 T. unsalted butter
Salt and ground pepper

Bring milk and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally with whisk. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, butter, and salt and pepper. Add more milk or water if needed to reach desired consistency.

I served this meal with roasted cauliflower.

Something New

2007-04-15T19:05:00.000-04:00

Speaking of old favorites (as I've been writing about oft-repeated meals in the Understood-Hero household), I had the pleasure today to prepare a dinner that I am sure will become a regular feature on our supper table. This was particularly enjoyable, as I am recovering from a banana-bread catastrophe (the dreaded sticking in the pan). The bread still tasted delicious, but wasn't in any shape to be shared with friends as planned.

It was a nice weekend, all in all. Time to catch up with a number of our great Mytown friends, and I'm treasuring the ease of our visits all the more now that I know come August we'll be moving. Even though we are moving to SmallMountainTown in 3 1/2 months, we still must move from our current apartment. Our new landlord was nice enough to agree to rent to us for three months, for a slightly higher fee. It's really nice of him. Still, we move in two weeks only to move 12 weeks later. So it goes, as a wise man once said.

The meal I made tonight was after a bit of an indulgent weekend - lots of edible "treats." This very healthy meal was a welcome, light change. The textures are lovely. The fish recipe's from Everyday Food, but I've changed a few things . . . The cucumber salad recipe is my own.

Sole with Bulgur Pilaf
1 cup whole bulgur wheat
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground pepper
6-8 fillets skinless sole (or flounder)
Lemon wedges, to serve

Combine bulgur with 1 1/2 cups hot water. Soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 1 hour. Add a bit of salt, if you like. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine soaked bulgur, 1/2 cup additional water, red onion, and garlic in a large baking dish. Sprinkle butter over the mixture (see picture). Season with salt and pepper.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper, roll up and place on top of bulgur. Season again with salt and pepper. Bake until bulgur is tender and fish is opaque, about 25-30 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Basic Cucumber Salad
1 kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Handful fresh dill, chopped
Dash ground cumin
1 T. white wine or rice vinegar
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup yogurt cheese (strained yogurt) or light sour cream (regular yogurt could be used, but results will be wetter and less a creamy texture)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate and let flavors meld for at least 30 minutes (if not one hour) before serving.

Go-to Recipes, Part II (plus a bonus recipe!)

2007-04-14T09:17:00.000-04:00

Here’s another of our favorite dinners, out of the first adult cookbook I ever owned (the title is very 1999): 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes. This is a snap to put together, and good enough to make as an appetizer for company. (Actually, I think I recall having one of my favorite blondes over for dinner with this dish as the main course. Hi, duffpower!) Add a salad and some fresh fruit, and dinner is served. Whenever Our Hero finds out we’re having this for dinner, it’s sure to elicit an “Oh Boy!”

The fava spread is delicious on a sandwich or as a veggie dip, possibly with some lowfat yogurt stirred in to make a more dip-like consistency. This is great in the summer when light suppers that barely heat up the kitchen are ideal. I’m guiltily using these awful off-season plum tomatoes (still much better than other off-season fresh varieties). When incorporated as a part of a much bigger whole, it ends up working out quite well.

Fava Bean Bruschetta
One bakery loaf crusty whole-grain bread
Cooking spray or olive oil
1 clove garlic, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/4-1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2-1 cup part-skim shredded mozzerella

2 T. grated parmigiano

Fava Spread:

One can fava beans, rinsed and drained
Generous handful parsley, cilantro, or basil (or a combo thereof - I've used all with success)
1-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 T. lemon juice

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut bread in half lengthwise, spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil, then rub with cut sides of the garlic clove. Toast bread in hot oven until crusty, about 8 minutes. Make fava spread by combining all ingredints in a food processor or mashing by hand. Divide fava mixture evenly between toasted bread halves, spreading into an even layer. Top with tomatoes, onion, cheeses, and olives. Bake another 10-15 minutes, until melty and delicious.

Good friend and good cook J sent me this recipe in response to my last post, and I thought it sounded tasty enough to share - enjoy!

Hi [Wellunderstood},
Since you are on the topic of easy regular dishes, here is a super easy soup that you can make for these last remaining days of damp cold winter weather that we can't seem to shake. This is one of those recipes for when you're feeling lazy or where you'll have all the ingredients around even if you are out of everything. It is quite delicious for how simple the ingredients are. (Although it could be easily jazzed up.) Don't feel obligated to make this - just keep it up your sleeve! I was looking for a soup recipe to make and realized I had neglected this one all winter when it used to be a cold-weather staple.

Creamy Dilled Potato Soup
1 diced onion
1 T butter
1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1.5 cups milk

Saute onion in butter (or oil) until golden. Add 2 cups water, potatoes, salt, dill weed, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender. Puree, return to saucepan, add milk and heat until hot.
*Forgot to mention - go ahead and double this to get a worthwhile amount!
Enjoy!!!!

J

Thanks, J . . . Keep the recipes coming!

Go-to Recipes

2007-04-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

This month’s Cooking Light did a feature on the recipes people make again and again – go-to recipes on weeknights that are not fussy and please everyone. I’m always so tempted to try new recipes I find or dream up, so the ones that become “regulars” are really something special (and usually super-busy-weeknight-easy). I’ve already shared one of my favorites – Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce. From talking to friends, it seems I've made some fans of this recipe through the blog. I make this quite often, and I always have the ingredients on hand. Spinach Brown Rice Bowl (last night’s dinner) is fast becoming a favorite.

I’d like to share a couple more of my “standards” with you, dear blog readers. You folks know how I feel about pasta. It’s near and dear to my heart and helps me put together rather composed dinners even on the most time-constrained evenings. I have to say, I have become a connoisseur of whole-wheat pasta, and have found the very best—hands-down—it’s called Bionaturae and it cooks up perfectly every time. It’s not gritty, it doesn’t get soggy, and it cooks in as much time as conventional pasta. Sure, it’s a bit more expensive than a box of refined-flour pasta, but when I cook pasta, I almost never cook meat—the pasta’s the star! It best be tasty and nutritious!

I found this pasta recipe a couple of late winters ago in Mark Bittman’s New York Times “Minimalist” column, and it makes regular appearances on our dinner table. The column attempted to satisfy winter-weary readers’ spring harvest cravings before the harvest could comply, focusing mainly on using frozen veggies. It’s one of those on-hand ingredient recipes that make it exponentially easier than pie to have a composed, healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes. I’ve made it with fresh peas instead of frozen, pecorino instead of parmigiano, added lemon zest, mint, dill, basil . . . it’s all great, but it’s just as good as written.

Our Hero loves it.

Penne with Ricotta and Peas
1 lb. whole-wheat penne pasta
8 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 ½ cups frozen green peas (not baby peas)

Put a large pot of water to boil. Salt water well, and cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. When pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook, stir and scoop out about a cup of the cooking liquid. Whisk enough liquid into ricotta mixture to make a sauce consistency. When pasta is about a minute away from being done, toss in the frozen peas. Drain pasta and peas, then toss with ricotta mixture. Serve up with more parm, if desired.

Birthday Dinner, Part II (Belated Posting) and NEWS!

2007-04-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

Here is the long-awaited picture (excuse the laundry baskets) of Our Hero's second birthday dinner: pizza, wings, red wine . . . what more could a birthday guy want?

It seems I am on the mend from the awful flu or "flugh" that began to surface Friday evening. Our Hero and I went out to celebrate his BIG NEWS, and ate a tasty dinner. We came home and opened a sweet (but not too sweet) buttery bottle of asti (*POP* = celebration), and lived it up! Well, except for that nagging stomachache . . . I couldn't sleep at all that night, and lay on the living room floor all day Saturday (okay, on a futon matress) begging for relief of some kind. This being a "food blog," I will refrain from conveying any further detail about the episode. I vaguely remember sending Our Hero a text (while he was working at school) that said "Gd hlp me." Worst part: I had to miss a fun party with friends Saturday night and Easter dinner with the cutest little girls EVER on Sunday. Boo. By Sunday evening, Our Hero had joined me on the floor. We were sick.

The flu might have put a temporary damper on Our Hero's big news, but we are getting back to excitement here in the Understood-Hero household. Just this morning, Our Hero accepted a tenure-track job at SmallMountainTown U! And though we will be very sad to leave our friends that have become very much like family here in Mytown, we are looking forward to our next chapter.

Great news about SmallMountainTown? Farmers markets galore! CSAs? Yesplease! Raw dairy? Youbetcha! Humane and range-fed meat? Mmmmhmm. Can't wait to share the bounty with y'all.

Happily, we have several months to say goodbye to Mytown and to our loved ones here. We'll be making the big move the first of August.

As I said earlier, we haven't been eating much of anything of late, but I promise to update with some recipes asap.

Flu

2007-04-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts; Our Hero got big news last week which will be official shortly, and then I promptly fell ill with an awful case of the stomach flu. I'm still very much under the weather, and unfortunately, Our Hero has joined me here. We're not eating much more than crackers and ginger ale. Don't go away! I'll be updating as soon as we're up to it.

Birthday Dinner, Part I

2007-04-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

I realized that I had recently mentioned to a few friends how seldom it is that we eat meat. Honestly, we usually only have meat once a week. Additionally, we sometimes have one meal with fish as the main course. I use a combination of dairy, nuts, legumes, soy, and whole grains for protein. Of course immediately after I say how seldom we eat meat, I am posting and posting meat-centric meals.

In any event, my physical therapist is really trying to build muscle around my injury, so the animal-protein-heavy diet (though mostly low-fat, organic meat) of the past week has probably done my body “good.” Our Hero’s birthday is April 2nd, which fell on a Monday this year (thanks to friends and family for the birthday wishes and great gifts!), so I took Sunday night as an opportunity for the proper homemade birthday dinner by request. For Birthday Dinner, Part I (Part II would follow on the actual day-of), Our Hero requested steak with my own interpretation of chimichurri, an Argentinian sauce for roasted meat. It’s wonderful on all sorts of grilled meats and fish, vegetables, and stirred into yogurt or sour cream as a veggie dip.

The amounts aren’t exact; I taste as I go along to make sure things are as they should be. This time, I used my Cuisinart to combine all the ingredients, but in the past I’ve chopped the herbs very finely and used a microplane for the garlic and lemon zest.

Chimichurri Sauce
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon (if using a food processor, zest can be removed in long strips, if combining by hand, use a microplane)
2-3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup cilantro
Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all in a food processor until well-blended. Ta-da!

I let the sauce sit on the steak for about 30 minutes before broiling. I served it with steamed asparagus and cauliflower puree, which is also very simple. I scattered some fresh chimichurri around the plate before serving.

Cauliflower Puree
1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup milk (I used skim, but anything would work)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/3 cup parmigiano

Cut the cauliflower into chunky florets. Place in a medium saucepan with water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until cauliflower is very tender. Remove cauliflower from water and let cool. Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or by hand (this will be more difficult) puree or mash until desired texture is reached.

Bahn mi? No, bahn you!

2007-03-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

Ahhh the humble sandwich . . . a simple supper, a perfect and portable lunch . . . from the a fancy goat cheese-roasted veggie panini to the humble PB&J, sandwiches can be divine. Here's a great one adapted from Food and Wine magazine. It's an approximation of Vietnamese street sandwich bahn mi, which is often eaten for breakfast. It's spicy, easy, and tasty. I look forward to more of these come summertime.

Bahn Mi
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. light mayo
3 T. yogurt cheese, yogurt, or sour cream (I used lowfat homemade yogurt cheese)
1 large shallot, minced
2 carrots, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup pickled cocktail onions and 1/4 cup pickling liquid
1 10-oz. baguette (I used whole-wheat), split lengthwise and toasted
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for spreading
1 kirby cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
Cilantro sprigs

In a bowl, toss chicken with 1 T. soy sauce. Cover and refrigerate one hour. In another bowl, mix remaining soy sauce, mayo, yogurt cheese, and shallot. In yet another bowl, mix the carrots with the pickled onions and their liquid; refrigerate one hour.

Heat a grill pan or broiler. Grill chicken over high heat until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Spread mayo mixture on cut sides of baguette, then spread with sriracha. Layer carrots, onions, and cucumber with the chicken. Lay cilantro sprigs over top and close sandwich.

Table for One

2007-03-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

One of my most favorite food items is the fat little sea scallop. Sweet and mild, but still flavorful and delicious - perfect just as they are - scallops are a treat in our house. Scallops are also pretty expensive . . . Or they can be expensive. I picked up a bit less than a third of a pound for lil' ol' me and paid just over three dollars!

But the rub . . . the rub is that the little-over three-dollar pricetag increases greatly when Our Hero's appetite is factored into the equation. Maybe one day scallops can be a more frequent meal, for now it's an affordable treat for me when Our Hero's out of town. Like yesterday night.

All alone in the apartment, I drowned my sorrows (okay, not really) in a plate of scallops, a phone call to A, a glass of wine, and classic Robert Redford. (Sidenote: If only senators actually looked like him . . . I can imagine what it'd do to C-SPAN's ratings.)

A was saying she wasn't sure how to cook scallops, so I'll offer a brief guide. They are quite simple. Make sure you pat them dry with paper towels before cooking them. This ensures you'll get a nice brown sear. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add scallops. They only need to cook about 2-3 minutes per side. It's important not to overcook them - scallops lose their delicate charm when they're chewy. And that's it. Done.

In this case, I set the cooked scallops to the side and added about a third of a chopped red onion to the pan. I then deglazed the pan with a bit of water, which released all of the crusty bits in the bottom of my pan (you'll get more crusty bits if you forsake nonstick, but either will work fine). I sauteed the onion for a short while, added about a cup or so of broccoli cut into small florets. I let that cook a few minutes, and added a handful of halved grape tomatoes. Once these softened, I removed the pan from the heat and squeezed a half of a lemon onto the veggies. I topped the mixture with a couple of tablespoons of crumbled feta. I must say, I enjoyed it immensely.

Jawohl, I am German!

2007-03-26T21:30:00.000-04:00

My heritage is both Irish and German, but my Irish parent is a bit more - how shall I say - out about it (love you, Dad!). I love cabbage, colcannon, lamb stew, corned beef, boiled dinners, whiskey cake, whiskey (minus the cake) . . . This meal got me in touch with the other half of my family tree.

After Our Hero had a party for his Department at school, there was a two-pound bag of sauerkraut left in my fridge. I couldn't very well throw it away! I hate wasting food. I found a recipe for sausages with sauerkraut in Gourmet, and tailored it a bit to meet my health preferences, reducing the butter by two-thirds and using chicken sausages in place of those fattier varieties called for in the recipe. The result: a very simple, pleasant meal ideal for these times when we're waiting impatiently for a bounty of spring produce. It's not quite here yet - an exercise in patience.

Sausages with Sauerkraut
1 lb. cooked chicken sausages
1 T. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 lb. sauerkraut, rinsed well and drained
1/2 t. caraway seed
Freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 cups apple cider

Prick sausages with the tip of a sharp knife. Melt butter in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Brown sausages briefly, remove from pan, and set aside. Add onion to skillet. Saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add caraway, pepper and bayleaf, cook 1 minute. Add sauerkraut and cider. Nestle sausages in mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Quite a Spread

2007-03-26T19:12:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I went to JoMo's for snackies and wine. Her sister EMo joined us, as did new friend A2 (I have to distinguish from A somehow, perhaps I will come up with something better as I write). We share a love for all things edible, and really, I must say, outdid ourselves. JoMo's contribution (along with the vino) was an amazing bruschetta creation which I unfortunately did not capture on film. It was beautiful italian bread topped with pesto, roasted mushrooms and peppers, and cheese.

A2 brought impressive shrimp rolls stuffed with all kinds of good things and dipped in a spicy soy sauce. She also brought some delicious chicken-cucumber-mint skewers with dill dipping sauce. I love to dip. I was in heaven.

My contribution was the oft-requested Fig-Rosemary Spread (seen with both A2's finger and the very seasonal candy-cane spreader) and a bit of tapenade (see Tannenbaum at left), along with some crusty bread.

I love all things olive, and tapenade is definitely included. It was very easy to make. I used Alice Waters' recipe but made a significant change by adding parsley.

Tapenade
1 cup nicoise olives
1/3 cup loosely packed parsley
Fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Splash of extra-virgin olive oil

Blitz all in a food processor or blender. Enjoy.

We called in Our Hero (or the Leftover Eliminator) to perform clean-up. He did good work.

Wish You Could Smell This Picture

2007-03-22T18:20:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, I'd heard it all . . . Chez Panisse this and Alice Waters that . . . New American cuisine . . . Yaddayaddayadda.

Not that I doubted her expertise or the monumental changes she and her cohorts brought to our neighborhood grocery stores - I just had a hard time believing her recipes were all that.

Well, I tip my hat (or do I eat it?).

While visiting A in PrettyLittleTown, I picked up Chez Panisse Vegetables at the most drool-inducing gourmet kitchen supply store your sweet eyes have ever seen. A then had to endure me reading recipe titles aloud to her while we were both supposed to be concentrating on Very Important Things (namely, TV so trashy you can only watch it with your best friend). I read the book cover to cover before I arrived home, and it is taking every fibre of self-control in my being to stop myself from ordering Chez Panisse Fruit from amazon.com. (Must. Control. Self. Hands! Clicking! Mouse! NO! Breathe. Breathe.)

But seriously, folks, this recipe is delicious. The flavors and textures are perfect, and the lovely toasty walnuts and smooth ricotta salata bring it all together. When I mentioned to Our Hero that I was making pasta with cauliflower, he made a face. After he tasted it and was headed back for a second heaping bowl, he admitted he was upset because he liked it so much. I suppose liking cauliflower pasta could ruin a guy's image.

The pictures do not capture the beautiful interplays of browns, golds, and yellows in this dish. It's not monochromatic at all, but full of very subtle, delicate contrasts. Lovely.

Alice Waters' Whole-Wheat Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Ricotta Salata
2 heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. whole wheat pasta (something shorter would work best, like penne)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
White wine vinegar
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (you can do this in the oven or on the stovetop)
4 oz. ricotta salata or feta cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Saute the cauliflower in a healthy amount of olive oil in a large, shallow pan. When it starts to soften, season with salt and pepper, then add the sliced onion and red pepper flakes. Cauliflower and onion will brown. Saute over medium to high heat until veggies are tender and golden-brown. The cauliflower should still be slightly crunchy and not taste steamed. Add garlic and remove from heat. Stir, and do not let garlic brown (add water if necessary). Add a bit of vinegar and the lemon juice and the toasted walnuts. Taste and correct seasoning (add more salt, pepper, vinegar, etc.). When pasta is done, toss with the cauliflower mixture. Serve with crumbled ricotta salata.

Sssspicy

2007-03-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

I have loved Indian food since the first time I tasted it. I was a vegetarian at the time, and maybe 17. I loved the flavors, the heat, the spices I'd never tried before! From day one, I was a convert. Our Hero and my first date included Indian food. In college, I went at least two times a month (and probably closer to once a week) with my buddies (hi J!). Several of them had spent time in Nepal and so we sometimes ate with our hands, as Nepali tradition dictated. (Caveat: the curry smell will outlast many, many handwashings.) At our Rehearsal Dinner for our wedding, Our Hero's family went all out with a beautiful and delicious Indian buffet (thanks, M!).

Suffice it to say, we're fans.

J got me the most wonderful book as a wedding gift: Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes. I use it often and though my creations don't exactly mimic restaurants' dishes (due, I think to my not using pounds of ghee), they are delicious and the flavors are unmistakeably Indian.

Last night I made saag, or a spinach curry. This recipe is quite simple, and a nice way to ease into Indian cooking (I'm still easing!). I add plenty of cayenne to Batra's recipe to suit our taste for spicy, but do what pleases you best. Although I do have access to paneer cheese, an Indian cheese often simmered in curries (and a kind of cheese I can actually make!), I made this with tofu. One could simmer chicken, chickpeas, or a variety of other things in the sauce for dinner.

Spicy Pureed Spinach Greens
5 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger
3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1-2 green chile peppers, stemmed
2 (1-lb.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 T. melted ghee or a mixture of butter and vegetable oil
1 t. cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. ground coriander
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. ground paprika
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 T. unsalted butter, cream, or plain yogurt

In a food processor or blender, process ginger, garlic, and chiles until minced. Add spinach and puree.

Heat the ghee or oil in a wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle. Quickly add onion and cook, stirring, until golden. Mix in the coriander, garam masala, and paprika (and cayenne, if you like!) then add the tomato sauce and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the spinach puree and cook until it comes to a boil, about 2 minutes (you may need to add a little water). Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes. Mix in butter or cream. Serve over brown rice or with fresh naan, if you're lucky.

Backlog

2007-03-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

After seeing our new apartment again today, all I can think of is where I will put all my kitchen stuff? The apartment we're moving to is eons nicer in a much better neighborhood, but doesn't have as much kitchen storage. I'm thinking of ways to remedy this - hang pans on the walls? Shelving? The great thing about this place is that the kitchen is completely open to the dining area, so I may just take over the entire space, to maximize storage needs. It's so light and bright! (Wheels turning.)

Big news is that this place will have a dishwasher, which will lighten the burden on Our Hero significantly.

I made this for dinner early last week, I think. I have several other pictures waiting around to be posted, but this recipe is the most memorable, so makes the cut! I encourage you to make these - they are very simple, healthy, and freezeable for later use. The pesto is especially tasty and would be great with other kinds of meats and fish. The recipe's from Cooking Light.

Wasabi Salmon Burgers with Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
1/2 cup soft tofu (about 4 oz.)
1 (7-oz.) can red sockeye salmon, drained, skin discarded (bones will mash right into the burgers)
1 (6-oz.) can skinless, boneless pink salmon in water, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh chive
2 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. wasabi paste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1/2 cup panko
1 t. canola oil or cooking spray
Whole-wheat buns, lettuce leaves, and red onion slices to serve
1/2 cup edamame-cilantro pesto (recipe follows)

Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Put in a large bowl with salmon; mash. Add next four ingredients (through egg white); mix well. Divide and shape into 4 1/2-inch patties. Dredge in panko.

Heat oil or cooking spray in skillet or on griddle over medium-high. Cook 3 minutes per side. Assemble with desired toppings, including a couple tablespoons of pesto. Enjoy!

Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 cup frozen blanched shelled edamame, cooked
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 t. canola oil
1 t. green curry paste
1 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 clove garlic, peeled.

Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Back and Refreshed

2007-03-19T14:11:00.000-04:00

Back from a needed visit with A and little F in PrettyLittleTown, USA. Thank goodness for them both. And thank goodness for tapas.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the backlog of recipes to be posted, but I'm trying not to let it get me down! Things were quite busy in the week preceding my trip. Work, errands, a myriad of doctor's appointments (the old injury), and Our Hero's monopolization of the computer (for good reason) kept me from updating.

But here I am! I head back to work tomorrow, so spent much of today at various doctor's appointments, seeing our new apartment (which will have a dishwasher!), and stopping by the grocery and post office. I am resisting the impulse to check my email, which is likely full of work-related queries.

While in PrettyLittleTown, A and I cooked dinner in her well-equipped kitchen. A's request was for a pork recipe, as she's as new to the "other" white meat as I. We made an extraordinarily flavorful recipe from Eating Well (to which I now subscribe, having just cancelled my subscription to Everyday Food), pairing tender pork medallions with rich port, sweet figs, fresh thyme, and onions. I continue to be surprised with the flavor and texture of pork tenderloin, an incredibly lean cut of meat. Maybe that's why I can't stop posting pork recipes! A and I had a very civilised dinner of pork; double-baked sweet potatoes; and green salad with pears, pecans, and roquefort. Additionally, we enjoyed some criminally stinky muenster throughout the visit. She is my sweetie. Grab your best friend and enjoy this dinner with lots of leftovers!

Pork Medallions with Fig and Port Wine Sauce
16 small dried black Mission figs, stemmed
1 cup tawny (not ruby) port
2 t. plus 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or stock
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt

Ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb., trimmed and sliced into 1-inch rounds.

1/4 cup flour (we used oat flour, as it was around)

Place figs in a small microwavable bowl and cover with port. Cover the bowl and microwave on High for 3 minutes. (We approximated this on the stovetop.) Heat 2 t. oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 4-6 minutes. Add broth, thyme, bay leaf and the fig-port mixture. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking to remove excess.

Heat remaining T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add medallions and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes per side. Add the reserved fig-port sauce; bring to a simmer and cook until the pork is done, but still a little pink in the center, about 2 minutes. The sauce should be syrupy. If not, remove the medallions with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep warm. Boil the sauce until syrupy. Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Serve.

Stay Tuned

2007-03-14T07:19:00.000-04:00

Our Hero has been monopolizing the computer, but I do have recipes to post! Don't go away! I'll get them up in the next day or two.

xxxooo
wu

Exhale

2007-03-07T18:42:00.000-05:00

It hasn't been the best of times for me, these past couple of weeks. Things have been highly stressful at work, due to a situation mostly out of my control. I have been operating in and out of sanity for a while, coping with an injury that just isn't healing. Suffice it to say that though things could be worse, they didn't really feel like they've been getting better.

And no, this post isn't going to end with a miraculous cure for my malady or my troubles at work, but Our Hero got some great news today, and after a few days of moping, I seem to be (hopefully) on an upswing. I had plans to cook dinner on Monday and Tuesday night, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. We ended up with delicious (albeit impromptu) California club sandwiches on Monday (turkey, uncured bacon, and avocado) and take-out (an awfully rare occurance in the Hero-Understood household) last night. It was a good excuse for sushi.

But tonight, after a reasonable day's work and a good workout at the gym, I was ready to get my skillet dirty. This recipe is so delicious and healthy. I highly recommend using butter as indicated; it gives the meal needed richness and flavor. I roasted the garlic and shallots a few days earlier, which made this recipe quite easy to prepare for a weeknight. This is also from this month's Cooking Light.

Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
1 whole garlic head
6 medium shallots, quartered
2 T. butter (always unsalted), divided
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 1/4 t. chopped fresh thyme, divided (I used dried with great success)
3/4 t. salt, divided
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 1/4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cups baby spinach or arugula

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (don't peel or separate cloves). Wrap garlic head and each shallot in foil separately. Bake for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp.

Place 1 T. butter in a bowl, microwave until melted (about 15-30 seconds). Brush butter over pork and sprinkle with some of the thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Slide into oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (slightly pink). Remove pork from pan, tent with foil, and let sit 10 minutes.

While pork is cooking, melt remaining butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Stir in potato; saute 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt, and pepper; saute 2 minutes. Stir in broth and wine; bring to a boil, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (6-10 minutes). Stir in greens and thyme; cook until greens are lightly wilted. Slice pork crosswise. Serve pork over potato mixture.

Kitchen Sunday

2007-03-04T18:34:00.000-05:00

In like a lion is right . . . after venturing out into the whipping wind and cold twice today, once to go to the gym and again to hit the drugstore for a few essentials, I knew today would be lovely for puttering around the kitchen while the snow flew.

I accomplished a lot: I roasted some garlic and shallots for a dish later this week (see left), baked some Irish brown bread for breakfasts, roasted and pureed a squash (for later use) that was about to go south, started a recipe for preserved lemons, and fixed a tagine dinner. Whew. It sounds like a lot, but it was a relaxing, wonderful Sunday.

I also made refrigerator pickles. I got the idea from this post on Everybody Likes Sandwiches (an exciting new discovery), and took it from there. I'm not a bread-and-butter pickle person, so I made mine the sour, salty dill variety.

I highly recommend these, as they offer both crunchy goodness and same-day gratification. The picture shows the pickle jars sandwiching my soon-to-be preserved lemons. I'll offer the recipe after I can gauge the success of the results. The summery colors and flavors are a welcome diversion from the endless gray days.

Refrigerator Pickles
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2-3 T. kosher salt
1 T. dried dill (or a bunch fresh)
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 t. black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pickling vegetables (I used the traditional cucumbers, but possibilities are endless)

Heat vinegar and water in a medium saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add salt and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add dill, pepper, and peppercorns to liquid. Pour liquid into two jars already filled with sliced vegetables and one clove crushed garlic each. Add vinegar as needed to top off jars (I had plenty of liquid). Let cool to room temperature; refrigerate. Apparently, these should last about a month. I doubt they'll be around that long.

On the Cheap

2007-03-04T08:05:00.000-05:00

In Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma, he notes that Americans spend a great deal less of their income (approximately 10%) on food than other nations around the world. It's (one part of) Pollan's argument that in order to eat better as a nation, we must commit to putting more value on what we put into our bodies and spending more money to do so. I think this makes a lot of sense, but does present a serious problem for all those people in the US who have trouble affording even "cheap" food. They may have trouble paying rent, so a shift in even 2% of income to the food budget would be impossible. I find it particularly confounding that whole grains, of which all of the grain-based foods in my kitchen are made (except for Our Hero's pumpernickel sandwich bread), are more expensive than grains that have been processed and stripped of their nutritional value. Makes no sense to me.

In any event, this dish is quite affordable and virtuous, a protein-and-fiber-packed vegetarian meal. Cucumber-cream dresses it up a bit. The original Cooking Light recipe (I told you this month's issue was good) called for baby spinach in the cream, which made no sense to me. I added flavorful cilantro, which was quite refreshing and tasty. And doesn't it look pretty?

Dal with Cucumber Cream
Cucumber Cream:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
Dash of salt

Dal:
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. cumin seed
1 t. yellow mustard seeds
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
Equal amount minced ginger
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 t. turmeric
3 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or homemade stock
1 1/4 cups dried lentils
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped tomato (plum would work, I used diced canned)
1/4 t. salt
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Prepare dal. Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds, cook 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper, and turmeric. Cook one minute, stirring. Stir in broth, lentils, and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until very tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer 20 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in tomato, salt, and juice. Serve with hot cooked brown rice and cucumber cream.

Prepare cucumber cream while dal simmers. Blitz all ingredients for cream in food processor. Cover and chill until time to serve.

Seasonal Pizza

2007-03-03T14:12:00.000-05:00

Pizza is one of my favorite dinners to make. Dough recipes are easily divided in half and frozen for a busier day and topping options are only limited by your imagination. When Our Hero heard what was in this pizza, he wasn't so excited (OH: "Why can't we have pepperoni?" WU: "Because you ate almost an entire large pepperoni pizza from Leonardi's two days ago."), but when he tasted this one, it was declared a hit. There were no leftovers, a sure thumbs-up.

The toppings for this are certainly untraditional, but I urge you, TRY IT! It is the best pizza I've had since the mushroom-proscuitto version I made (and re-made) a few months back. The original Cooking Light recipe called for a 10-oz. Boboli-style premade crust. You could do that, or you could do what I did and make whole-wheat pizza dough of your own. I've made a couple of changes to the recipe.

Winter Greens, Pecorino, and Anchovy Pizza
Olive oil or cooking spray
1 sliced red onion
3 T. golden raisins
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, minced
6 cups torn or chopped white swiss chard or other winter cooking green (a bit over 8 oz.)
1/4 t. salt
1 t. crushed red pepper
Pizza crust option of your choice
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees if making a premade-crust version. Follow the directions here if making your own crust. Cook red onion slowly over low-ish heat until onion begins to turn golden in places, 10-20 minutes. turn up heat to medium and add raisins, garlic, red pepper, and anchovies. Cook a minute or two, stirring. Add greens, toss, and cover. Cook until wilted. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates. Stir in salt. Cool slightly. Top your chosen crust first with the mozzerella, then the greens mixture, and then the pecorino. Bake according to your chosen crust method, 12 minutes or so.

Yes, Cans

2007-03-03T13:46:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I often use canned tomatoes and beans, and (occasionally) broth . . . On some of the more (ahem) upscale foodie blogs, canned ingredients are shunned. Let's shun those snobs! Canned tomatoes are a great wintertime staple. I'd just as soon eat my hat as one of those pinky-white fleshed winter "beefsteaks". Of course cherry and grape tomatoes are good winter substitutes as well.

In addition to being generally healthy (watch the sodium content) and tasty, cans are convenient as can be. Cooking Light has a great issue this month, featuring meals that can be quickly thrown together on a really busy weeknight. Perfect! Aside from the aforementioned canned goods, these "quick" recipes also call for bottled minced garlic and ginger or prechopped vegetables to shave minutes off projected cook-times.

I don't use these items. I don't see how it's worth it to spend the extra money to have my deliciously mindless end-of-a-long-day prep work done for me. While I do have my lovely new Cuisinart, I generally don't use it for tasks as quickly run though as chopping an onion. More often than not after a long workday I find it comforting and stress-relieving to prep the ingredients for our dinner. This recipe is great for busy days, and makes plenty (leftovers!). It's from this month's Cooking Light with only a couple of changes.

Sausage and Spinach Soup
10 oz. hot Italian chicken sausage
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup water
1 15-oz. can small white beans (Goya brand) - cannellini would work too
1 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth (or homemade stock, if you have it around)
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Pecorino romano cheese, grated

Remove casings from sausage. Cook with a little oil or cooking spray (I use oil) in a large dutch oven or saucepan until browned. Break up sausage with spatula or spoon. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in water, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for 3 minutes (I simmered mine for about 15) or until slightly thick. Remove from heat, stir in spinach and basil. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Trying Out the Tagine

2007-03-01T18:51:00.000-05:00

Our Hero was skeptical about the value of my new tagine, lovingly chosen by dear, dear A.

"You don't need any more kitchen stuff," he says. "This is a Hippie Pot. It is shaped like something hippies would live in." (Sidenote: How is a yert shaped, anyway?)

All Hippie Pot comments ceased once he tasted the lovely tagine of lamb and chickpeas I threw together in this beautiful dish. In the past I used dutch ovens to do tagine cooking, imagining there wouldn't be much difference between that and an authentic vessel. Our Hero even noticed a difference in the tenderness and juiciness of the meat. And the dish is so gosh darn pretty at the table. Still, if a tagine isn't on your list of must-haves, I've made them often in skillets and dutch ovens with great success.

I couldn't find an exact recipe for a tagine that suited my fancy, so I took elements from several and fashioned one to taste. These are not fussy dishes, and can be altered at will. I can't remember exactly how much of each item I included, but I think this is a good approximation.

Tagine of Lamb with Chickpeas
Olive oil
1 1/2 lb. lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of fat, cut into stewing chunks
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Equal amount (approximate) fresh ginger, minced
Salt
1 cup orange juice
Water
1 (I think it was 6-oz.) package dried apricots
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4-1/3 cup sliced almonds
Good handful each of cilantro and parsley, chopped

Heat enough oil to barely cover the bottom of pan (after swirling around a bit). Brown lamb on all sides. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add spices, ginger, and garlic. Cook a minute or two to release flavors. Season with salt. Add orange juice and water to almost cover lamb. Bring to a boil (if you're using a tagine, you'll do this on low-to-medium heat), cover, lower the heat, and simmer very, very gently; 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure there is enough liquid, adding water if necessary. Uncover dish, stir in apricots and chickpeas. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until dish reaches desired consistency (mine took another 15). Taste for seasonings, sprinkle with herbs and almonds, and serve with hot whole-wheat couscous. Sooooo good.

Note to Dad: This recipe could easily be made salt-free, as there are so many flavorful, wonderful ingredients that are given plenty of time to commingle and create something even better.

No-Oil Pesto

2007-02-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

When I saw this recipe in this cookbook, from which I've been cooking a lot lately, I figured I had to give it a whirl. Literally. Our Hero pleased me boundlessly this Christmas by giving me a 14-cup stainless-steel Cuisinart food processor. And I have fallen deeply in love.

I was intrigued by this pesto recipe, especially because it did not call for the requisite extra-virgin olive oil. Instead, ingredients are blitzed in the food processor with low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta (I chose the former for its superior protein content). It was embarassingly easy to throw together. Its lovely pale green color and bright flavor helped to simultaneously cheer me and remind me that winter is not, in fact, interminable. I tossed together a quick green salad with orange segments (for color and sweetness), and it made a nice busy-evening meal. I served it with whole-wheat fettucine.

Garlic Parsley Pesto with Pasta
1 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta
5 T. Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup very hot water
1/2 cup loosely-packed flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil
2-3 large cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot cooked whole-wheat pasta

Combine all ingredients (except pasta) in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water a bit at a time to get the right saucy consistency. Toss with hot pasta quickly, as cheeses will melt. Could be used over veggies, chicken, rice, etc.

Incidentally, as Our Hero plugs away at his dissertation, I am widowed often on weekend evenings. This, from Orangette, made a perfect winter salad dinner. Our Hero enjoyed it as a snack when he returned home from school at 9:30pm. I used pecorino romano instead of the Parmigiano.

If You Can't Beet 'Em

2007-02-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

Beets and I, we are just getting acquainted. Our first meeting (outside of a can or a pickle at family reunions) was a bit bumpy. As a rule, I try a new-to-me food at least once a month.

Let me just get this out in the open, and excuse my French: beets are a bitch. I roasted them (possibly not long enough, but they were reasonably tender), and getting the blankety-blank (better Ma?) skins off took me more than twice the time it took me to prepare the rest of my meal. I read tips: "rub the skins off with paper towels." I swear I used half a roll. Dear me, it was rough. From all the hot pink schmears all over my kitchen and hands, it appeared that I had murdered a My Little Pony. Or maybe Barbie. Does Barbie's blood run pink? Out, out, damned spot!

However, when all was said and done, the dinner rounded out well: broiled salmon with a spinach salad with feta, toasted walnuts, sweet onion, and roasted beets topped with a dijon vinaigrette. It was easy to assemble, once I had attended to the beets, and it looked so gosh darn pretty on the plate. Maybe you'll have better luck with the beets.

Roasted Beets
4-8 small beets (figure 2-3 per person)
Olive oil or cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets, stalks trimmed to one inch, on foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with a little olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Roast, turning halfway through 45 minutes-1 hour, until very tender. Let cool until you can work with them. Rub skins off with layers of paper towels. Gloves might help make this easier. Quarter.

I just put some baby spinach in serving bowls, topped with the beets, some toasted walnuts, half-moons of sweet onion, and a little feta. I drizzled a homemade honey-dijon on top (dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar). While I assembled the salad I broiled salmon for about 7-8 minutes. Ready to eat!

A Matter of Taste

2007-02-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that Our Hero doesn’t like broccoli. Chewing meditatively on my tofu-broccoli, I thought: “This stir-fry has a peanut sauce. Our hero loves peanut sauce. And it’s truly delicious how the tops of the broccoli florets soak up the creamy heat of the sauce. Maybe Our Hero would like broccoli this way!” So I undertook a little experiment and made another batch (a much larger batch) of the stir-fry on Monday night. And Our Hero went back for more. Just goes to show the power of peanut sauce.

But really, the whole issue got me thinking – what is this literal matter of personal taste? Certainly some culinary dislikes come from unshakeable childhood associations, but others aren’t as simple to pin down.

I’ve said Our Hero is a real sport when it comes to trying new foods, and he’s an absolute pleasure for whom to cook. I do remember a couple of misses: West African tomato-peanut sauce (I loved it, he found the tomato-peanut combination strange), gazpacho, and pasta with fresh figs and chili peppers (made it for my brother and his girlfriend – the rest of us enjoyed every bite). Did not go over big. All the same, there are things I’ve cooked that left leftovers I did not relish eating. I can’t think of them specifically, but I’m sure I’ve not recreated them since.

And as I’ve said, I’ve little to no tolerance for the picky eater, but some understanding that we may all have our little idiosyncrasies. My dad hates peanut flavor outside of a sandwich (this includes both sauces and cookies, so he is an equal-opportunity—sweet and savory—peanut eschewer). Other than that, he’ll eat practically anything. I have another friend who swears up and down she doesn’t like rice. Weird? Maybe. But from her varied diet and adventurous appetite one could hardly call her picky. And hell, I’ve got my own list of things I do not like to eat, but will if prepared for me by others:

Green Beans. I know, I know, “Wellunderstood! Fresh green beans are delicious, lightly steamed, tossed with a bit of flavored oil and toasted almonds.” Blah blah blah. This is one childhood association I just can’t shake, though I’ve tried and tried. I think this is a texture thing. I remember choking down those awful, squeaky, leathery one-inch-long green beans that came in the bags of frozen mixed vegetables (sorry ma and pa). They were awful.

Green Bell Peppers. Okay, this one is totally founded. I think they are indigestible. The flavor is immature, undeveloped. They are not ripe yet, people! They should be eaten when a ripe, sweet red or yellow or orange or purple. Not green.

Shrimp. Give me a scallop any day. I don’t have a violent negative reaction to shrimp. When cooked well, it can be tolerable, occasionally tasty. Still, there’s just something about shrimp that puts me off.

So you see, we all have these things. Dear reader, what are your things? What is the embarrassing food secret you hold close to your chest? Mushrooms? Sushi? Share.

My Tagine's Smarter Than Your Honor Student

2007-02-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

Lookie! Look at the perfect, creamy yellow glaze! Look at the gracefully curving neck!

I came home today, after a super crappy couple of days (work-related), wanting comfort food, a big glass of wine, and a quiet evening. Waiting for me in the arms of a genial UPS man was BIG BROWN BOX. Inside the box? This gorgeous creature! All thanks to my fellow tagine-fan and bestest friend a gal could have, A. THANK YOU A, I LOVE LOVE LOVE every last inch of my new tagine!

Thursday nights I traditionally make up the grocery list for the next week, and this one's sure to include several tagine recipes! Perhaps a chicken dish, a lamb dish? The possibilities are endless!

And yes, I'm aware I've used lots of exclamation points in this post! Well, I am very excited! So there!

Dinner for One

2007-02-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

Our Hero went out of town this weekend to visit his brother, so I did what I always to when he is out of town - I buy lots of broccoli.

Don't get me wrong, Our Hero is not a picky eater. I hate picky eaters. Our hero loves spicy food. In fact, he loves almost all food; even tofu, properly prepared. However, one thing he doesn't fancy is broccoli. He'll tolerate it on occasion, but doesn't enjoy it like I do.

So this Saturday night was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a simple stir-fry, a semi-trashy movie, and a cup of tea.

After much-needed theraputic phone conversations with two of my favorite women - my mom and A - I got some brown rice simmering and chopped up a broccoli crown and half a block of tofu.

A couple years back, I used a bottle of store-bought stir-fry sauce. After following some basic recipes, though, I discovered that homemade stir-fry sauces taste much better and are easily made in less time than it takes for the rice to cook. This recipe makes enough for one, with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. The sauce recipe isn't scientific - just add what you like, tasting as you go. In fact, same goes for all stir-fries.

Tofu-Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

1 broccoli crown
1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
Canola oil
2-3 T. natural peanut butter
2 t.-1 T. fish sauce (or soy sauce, if you prefer)
2 t.-1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. fresh ginger, grated on a microplane or minced
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane or minced

Hot water
2 T. chili-garlic sauce
Brown rice, for serving

To make sauce, combine peanut butter, fish sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Add hot water a little at a time and whisk until smooth. Add enough water to make a saucelike consistency. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add tofu and cook until golden. Add broccoli, saute until crisp-tender. Remove from heat, add sauce, and toss until coated. Serve with brown rice .

A Few of My Favorite Things

2007-02-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

. . . those favorite things being figs and blue cheese. When I came across the recipe for pork tenderloin stuffed with sweet figs and tangy, creamy blue cheese in this month's Cooking Light, I couldn't resist but to give it a whirl. It seemed a perfect choice for a low-key Valentine dinner, paired with orange-chili mashed sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach, and a glass of Sauvingnon Blanc.

I've stuffed chicken breasts in the past, but never a whole pork tenderloin. It was not at all difficult, and I shouldn't have been intimidated by it at all (I was a little anxious about how it would turn out).

Fig and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray or olive oil
1 T. apple or apricot jelly, melted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the pork in half lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open the halves, laying pork flat. Place pork between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle figs and blue cheese over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around outside edges. Roll up the pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long side. Secure with twine every two inches. Sprinkle roll with salt and pepper, and place on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray or olive oil.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush jelly over pork. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Discard twine; cut pork into 12 (1-inch thick) slices.

B.A.D. Strikes Again

2007-02-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

This Christmas I got to spend a lovely, lovely day (and a night) with my buddy B.A.D. We shopped and ate and snarked our way through the too-short 24 hours. She is a lovely and crazy stylish and is one of the only people who tells me the unvarnished truth about whether or not this shirt makes my stomach look weird. (Our Hero can also be trusted for honesty, but his knowledge of what is stylish is more than questionable. A will also give it to me straight.) Anyway, I miss her lots. And she is in BigCity. And I am in MyTown. Sigh. Why are you all so far from me?

So anyway, B.A.D. got me this great cookbook for Christmas, since she works on farm policy issues and knows, like, everything there is to know about stuff like organic farming and CSAs and where to get goat's milk soap and whatnot. Recently I made this from the cookbook, which turned out deliciously. Maybe it's the weather (which was an impossible -1 degree when I left the house this morning), but hunching over a warm bowl of something thick and creamy keeps sounding just right to me.

This recipe has the utilitarian name "Spinach-Feta-Brown Rice Bowl." Aaaaand that's just what it is. I used short-grain brown rice, which gives this a creamier, more risotto-like texture (but without all the stirring). I also highly recommend trading your chalky "traditional" feta cheese for tangy, creamy Israeli feta, especially when it's a feature in a dish, like in this one.

Spinach-Feta-Brown Rice Bowl
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 cup short-grain brown rice

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch spinach or other fresh greens, finely chopped

Salt and pepper
1 large handful or bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
2-4 oz. Israeli or other sheep's milk feta cheese, crumbled

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring, until all grains are coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/8 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook 45-50 minutes, until tender.

About 25 minutes into the rice cooking time, heat the other tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large skillet. Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in dill and remove from heat. Add rice mixture to spinach mixture, stir in feta until combined. Serve and enjoy!

COLLEGE!

2007-02-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

We have a friend who, telling us a story of a bachelor party dominated by men in their mid-thirties, described how one particularly intoxicated partygoer shouted "COLLEGE!" at irregular intervals throughout their debauched evening. "COLLEGE!" apparently equalled "PARTY!" or, perhaps more likely, binge drinking. But better to say "COLLEGE!" because on top of it all, it's funny.

Far less reminiscent of Animal House is this soup, which takes ME back to college days. My buddy B.A.D. used to make this, her Mom's recipe, and invite a few of us over to relax and have dinner together, like grown-ups. Yes, there are elements of college life here: it's cheap, it is made from beans (as countless numbers of my college-years dinners were), and it makes enough to have several meals worth. But the whole is so much more than its parts, and who (I ask you, who?) doesn't need a good black-bean soup recipe?

I've tried other recipes, with success, but I like this one because of its restraint. It is not doused in handfuls of spices, just a generous amount of dried thyme. It surprises me how lovely the thyme is in this dish, as I'd certainly be tempted to go an oregano-cumin route. This way is much more interesting. The only change I've made is to add a half of a minced habanero pepper to the mix, though this could easily be omitted.

B.A.D.'s Badass Black Bean Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 habanero pepper (be careful handling this! VERY, VERY HOT!), minced
1 T. dried thyme
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken stock or 2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
Sour cream or yogurt, for serving
Tabasco sauce, for serving

Saute chopped onion and pepper in olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and pepper and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add thyme, rubbing between fingers before adding to the pot. Add tomatoes, beans, and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Puree soup, either with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Serve with desired toppings.

Pasta + Shrooms = Good

2007-02-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

I love pasta as a meal, and make it almost once a week. It's simple and has the ability to fill up Our Hero, which is no easy feat. I've seen him put away three quarters of a pound of pasta in one sitting. Pasta's great for improvisation and to use up whatever's laying around in the veggie bin or cupboard. And the nice thing is, for all it's quick-and-easiness, it makes lovely grown-up dinners.

This particular dish is very nice: a creamy, earthy sauce with nutty whole-wheat pasta and bright fresh parsley. The vermouth adds complexity and makes this feel like a special dish.

Gobbetti with Wild Mushrooms

1 lb. chunky whole-wheat pasta (gobbietti works well)
2 T. butter
12 oz. wild mushrooms (a blend or all one kind)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 T. minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry vermouth
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook and drain pasta. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, and garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover pan. Cook 3 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add vermouth and cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss together pasta, mushroom mixture, cheese, and parsley. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

A Bright Winter Meal

2007-02-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

Chicken thighs are so terribly underrated. The meat is tender and juicy, and can be stewed for long periods of time without getting dry and chalky. It seems to have more chicken-y flavor. Thighs are used to great success in this Cooking Light recipe, a tagine of chicken and the bright flavors of lemon, ginger, garlic, olives, and cilantro. Even though the dish has to simmer for an hour, if you've got the time, the recipe's great for a weeknight. I made this on Monday.

Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives

2 T. fresh lemon juice
12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. ground turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne
2 t. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 2)
1 t. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup pitted green olives, halved
2 t. grated lemon rind
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Whole-wheat couscous, for serving

Combine juice and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in a refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Mix flour and spices. Dredge chicken thighs in flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches, cook 3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove from pan and repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Add onion, ginger, and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to pan. Add broth, olives, rind, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Discard the cinnamon stick; stir in cilantro. Serve over hot couscous.

Fast and Furious

2007-02-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe I wasn't furious; mostly just frazzled. This week was rough. Working at odd hours, still getting accustomed to Our Hero's new semester schedule, getting sick . . . ugh. Luckily the latter lasted only 24 hours.

Even so, it was not a great week for me. Whilst I work full-time, I thrive on routine. Many things upset that comforting routine for me of late. One thing that helped bring me back on-kilter (I don't think that's a word, but it should be.) was this lovely, simple dinner from the "Superfast" section of January's Cooking Light.

Cannellini-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
4 4-inch portobello caps
Cooking spray
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup bottled (or defrosted homemade) pasta sauce
1 16-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat broiler. Remove gills from undersides of mushrooms with a spoon; discard gills. Place caps, smooth side up, on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes, turn caps over and broil 2 more minutes. Combine ricotta, salt, garlic, and rosemary, stirring well. Spread 2 T. cheese mixture in each cap. Spoon 2-3 T. pasta sauce over cheese mixture in each serving. Divide beans among caps, sprinkle each serving with 2 T. mozzarella. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Welcome to 1988

2007-02-04T08:15:00.000-05:00

The snow blows, today's high temperature is EIGHT DEGREES: it is hatefully, terribly cold. We spent yesterday helping friends paint the entryway in their new house. Our Hero is basically a pro painter, so he was able to kindly and politely point out to me any errors I might be making. Let's just say I made a few and got to listen to a running play-by-play, a la HGTV of "ARE YOU WATCHING ME ROLL THIS WALL? THE TRICK IS TO MAINTAIN A WET EDGE." He even came up with a closing line for his painting DIY television program: "MY NAME IS Our Hero, KEEP ON ROLLIN'."

In all truth, Our Hero was generally pleasant to work with, and generously doled out (ahem) useful tips. He did a beautiful job, and ah heyulped!

Anyway, we got groceries on the way home, and by the time we were heading there, conditions were white-out. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, bless your hearts. This means all is bright snow-white. You cannot see the stoplights. You cannot see the cars in front of you. Terrible. Eventually, we made our way home and settled down for what the weather dictated would be an evening in.

And what is better for evil weather like this than comfort food with a tinge of nostalgia? I decided on the classic combo: tomato soup, grilled cheese (made on homemade bread), and a green salad. This soup is quite easy to make, you can have all the ingredients on hand, and freezes beautifully, which is nice for an impromptu dinner or a warm lunch break.

Tomato Soup
(Better than a can)
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
1 medium-large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup white whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
1/2 t. dried thyme (or a sprig fresh thyme)
3 cups chicken stock or 2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 28-0z. cans tomatoes in juice

Heat butter and oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or pot. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, cook until translucent. Stir in tomato paste and flour, cooking one minute. Add thyme, rolling it between your fingers first to release the flavor. Add stock or broth and tomatoes and juice, breaking tomatoes up with your hands as you add them. Bring up to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Blend in the pot with an immersion blender to desired consistency, or blend in batches in a blender.

Eat, flashing back to lunchtime with mom. And for the love of god, STAY INDOORS!

Michael Pollan is Simply Brilliant

2007-01-30T11:36:00.000-05:00

I'm in the process of finishing Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is so interesting and makes me nightly wish that I lived next door to the bounty of nature rather than across the street from a bounty of fraternity brothers. He lays it all out concisely in this past weekend's New York Times Magazine with his article "Unhappy Meals" (requires login). For anyone who's yet to experience him and both his common-sense and scientific wisdom, I highly recommend the article as an introduction.

Low-Effort Supper

2007-01-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

Our Hero and I had plans to go out last night with friends. I find I rarely plan meals for nights like these, and I end up with a PB&J or egg sandwich or worse: bar food. (Which I often regret for both dietary and digestive reasons.)

I've made this recipe several times, but not as often as I should. It seems the very definition of "supper": easy, filling, uses ingredients simple to have on hand, and could easily be adjusted to feed fewer or more people. The eggs are cooked in a spicy tomato sauce (leftover sauce can be tossed with pasta for a quick next-day lunch) and scooped up with baked tortilla chips or crusty bread. I would not be ashamed to serve this to guests. I found the original recipe (which I've changed a little) in Everyday Food years ago.

Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
2 t. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 T. chopped chipotles in adobo (I use two whole chilis, but i like it HOT!)
2 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4-8 large eggs (depending on your appetite, but 2 per serving works well)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Tortilla chips, pita, or crusty bread for serving

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and chipotles in oil briefly, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes with your hands or a spoon; simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low. One at a time, crack eggs into a mug or bowl, then slide onto sauce in skillet. Cover; cook very gently (you may have to turn down heat) until whites are opaque and yolks are how you like 'em (best if they are a bit soft), 6-9 minutes. Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with feta. Dig in!

Monochromatic Meal

2007-01-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of brightly-colored food, and in terms of visual appeal, I suppose this dish is a bit lacking. It makes up for that in flavor and texture. In my neverending quest to conquer foods with which I am uncomfortable or unfamiliar, I took on the pork loin chop. If you recall, I am still able to count the number of times I've cooked pork on one hand.

In search of a healthy, flavorful pork option, I ran across a recipe I'd clipped from a Cooking Light Idon'tknowhowlongago. Chicken breasts could easily be substituted for the pork. I think the pears sauteed in butter are by far the best part of this dish. I served it on a bed of braised savoy cabbage flavored with a little white wine vinegar.

Peppered Pork and Pears
1 t. olive oil
4 (4-0z) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (pound to about 1/2 inch thick)
2 t. coarsely ground mixed peppercorns or black pepper
1/2 t. salt, divided
1 t. butter
1 cup thinly sliced leek (about 1-2 large, white part only)
2 firm Bartlett or Bosc pears, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick slices
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 t. rubbed sage

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with pepper and 1/4 t. salt. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan; cover and keep warm.

Add butter and leek to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 2 minutes, stirring gently. Add broth, wine, sage, and remaining salt; bring to a boil. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, a couple minutes. Spoon sauce over pork.

Hot and Spicy

2007-01-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

This morning was the coldest yet here in MyTown, with temperatures down to 8 degrees. Sigh.

I had a pretty slow, pleasant day today. I completed some longstanding projects around the house, listening to NPR and Tom Waits; I baked some more of the walnut raisin biscotti (by request from Our Hero); I baked another loaf of the no-knead miracle bread, this one higher than the last; and I made a warm, comforting dinner.

I'd sent this recipe out in the past to friends and family because it was so delicious the first time I made it. I think LD was over for dinner that night, if I'm not mistaken (Hi, L!). Take my advice and give this a whirl. It is healthy (I've made a few changes from the original Cooking Light recipe), spicy and creamy-delicious. Perfect for these cold winter blahs!

Oh, and if you're not so into the spice (or your stomach isn't), I suppose you could omit the chipotle peppers, and it would still be oniony peppery macaroni goodness. I wouldn't leave out the adobo if you do, though. The smoky flavor really makes this dish!

Oh yeah, Our Hero went back for thirds . . .

Chipotle Mac & Cheese
2 chipotle chiles, chopped
1 t. adobo sauce
1 T. butter
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 clove finely chopped garlic
2 T. flour
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
4 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni noodles (about 2 cups uncooked)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar (I love Cabot's 50% Light)
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
Bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Cook chiles, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add tomatoes and their juice. Cook until thickened. Toss in adobo, pasta, cheeses, milk, and egg. Stir well. Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes. This could feed a crowd.

Crazy Easy

2007-01-21T14:50:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, my lovely Mum and Pop got me a beautiful two-burner cast-iron grill pan. What better way to inaugerate it than burgers spicy enough to get some sweat breaking on Our Hero's forehead? Of course these burgers could be broiled or pan-fried, too.

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Homemade Tabasco Ketchup

(I clipped the ketchup recipe from somewhere, no source on the scrap of paper . . . )
Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 lb. ground turkey

2 T. Worstershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Cayenne pepper

Lowfat jalapeno-jack cheese (or pepper-jack)

4 whole-wheat buns

2 T. tomato paste

1 T. yogurt

1 t. tabasco sauce

1/2 t. white vinegar

1/8 t. salt

Heat grill over medium-high heat. Rub lightly with vegetable oil. Grill bell peppers about 15-20 minutes. Combine tomato paste and last four ingredients in a bowl; set aside. Combine turkey, Worstershire sauce, and salt and peppers (black and cayenne) to taste. Form into 4 patties. Grill patties 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Grill buns and spread with ketchup. Place each patty on a bun; top with peppers. Serve with a veggie.

Icy Weather Warm-Up

2007-01-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

We are used to snow here in Mytown, but the past few days' icy glaze and rain has been a bit chilling and depressing. Though this picture isn't the best (I'm still experimenting with my limited lighting and equipment), take my word for it that the Winter Squash-Leek Risotto pictured here was delicious. With several cups of squash puree added during the last 10 minutes of cooking, the texture is a bit different than what I'm used to, but it is a wonderful one-dish meal. I could have served a green salad too, but the temptation to just curl up around a hot bowl of this when it was ready was too much to resist. The recipe's from a great cookbook I got from darling KD for Christmas, From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Fresh Seasonal Produce." As usual, I made some alterations.

Winter Squash, Leek, and Saffron Risotto
6-7 cups chicken stock
1/2 t. saffron threads, pulverized (use turmeric in a pinch, if you must)
3 T. olive oil
1/2-1 cup finely chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only (make sure you wash well to remove all grit)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (I used short-grain brown rice - be prepared to extend the cooking/stirring time by 15-25 minutes)
2/3 cup dry white wine (I used vermouth)
2-3 cups cooked pureed winter squash (I used acorn, frozen would work)
3/4-1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
salt and pepper

Bring stock and saffron to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat olive oil in large, heavy saucepan. Add leeks; cook over medium-low until softened, several minutes. Raise heat to medium-high and stir in rice. Keep stirring 1-2 minutes, then add wine. Stir and cook until nearly all the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add two ladlefulshot stock (enough to barely cover the rice); stir frequently until most is absorbed. Continue to add stock a ladleful at a time and stir very frequently until nearly absorbed. Risotto is done when rice is barely tender and mixture is creamy; this should take 25-35 minutes (longer with brown rice). Adjust heat if rice is absorbing liquid too quickly. Stir in squash during last 10 minutes. Fold in most of the grated cheese, season with salt and pepper. Serve with a little cheese sprinkled on top. This dish makes plenty. About 6 servings.
(Four servings if Our Hero is eating.)

The Ubiquitous No-Knead Bread Post

2007-01-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, everyone has tried this recipe, everyone loves it. Count me in! The illustration is my 2nd attempt at the lovely golden loaf. Both attempts were delicious and entirely whole-wheat. Thanks to MC for bringing this to my attention!

You can find the recipe anywhere online (all food blogs seemed to have re-posted it), but it is basically 3 cups flour, 1/4 t. yeast, 1 1/4 t. salt, and 1 5/8 cups water. Because I was going for a 100% whole-what loaf, I messed around with these numbers a bit, and on my second attempt added a new ingredient. My first loaf I made with (believe it or not) whole-wheat pastry flour, because I had it around the house. Turned out nicely, not as much lift as I would have liked, but tasty all the same, with lovely desirable air-pockets. Second loaf I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, and added 1 1/2 t. vital wheat gluten per cup of flour. I also doubled the yeast, as whole wheat flour is a bit heavier than AP. Because Our Hero and I are crazy cheap, we keep our home at a chilly 60 degrees. To help with the rise (which the recipe recommends 12-18 hours at 70 degrees), I kept the dough in the bathroom (thanks to a recommendation from BA) with the door closed. This kept it slightly warmer than 60 degrees, when Our Hero remembered to keep the door closed (ahem). Even with these less-than-scientific conditions, it worked out great. I let it rise for 20-24 hours instead, which is actually more convenient, if you think about it.

The recipe states to bake in a 6-8 quart covered dish. Mine worked fine in a 5-quart cast-iron dutch oven. Even if you're not a bread baker, this is too easy not to try! BA has recommended tossing herbs into the dough, which sounds delicious. Because I've been having mine toasted as breakfast bread (with PB), I've thus far omitted the savory herbs. I plan to make another loaf soon, so I'll keep you all posted!

The best part about homemade whole-wheat bread for breakfast? No high fructose corn syrup, which is in so many whole-wheat products, including my beloved Thomas' 100% Whole-Wheat English Muffins. Sniffle.

I'm back! Hope you're still around!

2007-01-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

I think it probably goes without saying that things have been busy. Never fear! I haven't stopped cooking! I had a huge backlog of posts, the recipes kept piling up and it soon got overwhelming. Instead of playing catch-up, a clean start.

This weekend, I tinkered a bit with Everyday Food's "Whole-Wheat Raisin Biscotti." I made two batches, changing the recipe a bit to suit my desires, and have changed the instructions a bit to make them more user-friendly.

This was my first crack at biscotti, and once I knew what to expect it turned out very simple. This recipe is for dear MF, with love and kisses.

Whole-Wheat Walnut-Raisin Biscotti

Vegetable oil, for baking sheet

1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur is great)

1/3 cup sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 cup walnut halves

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 T. applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in walnuts and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, and applesauce. Add wet to dry ingredients, mix just until all is moistened. Dough will be crumbly and will not hold together.

Put a large piece of plastic wrap on the kitchen counter. Empty dough onto plastic wrap. Pulling sides of plastic wrap around the dough, and pressing with your hands, shape dough into a loaf about 1 inch thick, 2 1/2 inches wide, and about 7 inches long. Put on the baking sheet. Bake until risen and firm, 20-30 minutes. Cool completely on sheet (30-40 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Put the loaf on a cutting board. Cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until dried and slightly golden, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to one month.

a spot of tea

2006-11-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

even though these scones did not turn out entirely as expected (they did not rise very much), i still found myself looking forward to a nibble or two. perhaps i didn't handle them quickly enough (being low-fat, they must be touched as little as possible to retain their light texture), maybe the whole-wheat flour was a bit too bulky to be light and fluffy, or maybe i was expecting the steroidal hulks of scones i see at coffee shops and such. these are tender little biscuits; not too sweet. and as reputed, they are perfect with tea.

Simple Scones
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. grated citrus zest (i used oranges, anything would be delightful)
2 T. butter, kept cold until use
1 T. vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Stir in the zest. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and add it to the flour. Blend it with your fingertips until it forms tiny balls in the flour.

Stir in the oil and buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. Put the dough on a floured surface. Quickly knead into a ball. Flatten into a 1/2 inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 12 pieces, place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.

sunday night chili

2006-11-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

sunday nights i generally make a large pot of something. this means that monday dinner is set with some left over to freeze or eat tuesday for lunch. our hero enjoyed this healthy chili recipe for days in a bowl, over spaghetti noodles, and as a nacho topping. it also freezes wonderfully. i've made this a few times since i clipped it from a Cooking Light last fall. i like that the seasonings mainly flavor the sausage, so when you go to assemble it all it's not too difficult. keep in mind; if you decide to make this, make the sausage the night before to get the maximum amount of flavor.

Mexican Black Bean Sausage Chili
Sausage:
1 1/2 T. paprika
2 T. minced garlic
3 T. dry red wine
2 T. sherry vinegar
1 T. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. black pepper
Dash kosher salt
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey (not breast)
Chili:
2 T. olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. minced garlic
2 t. dried oregano
3 canned chipotles in adobo, minced
4 (14.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cups water
1 (28-0z.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Low-fat sour cream (optional)

Combine sausage ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage mixture; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, cumin, garlic, oregano, and chiles; cook until onion is tender. Place 1 1/2 cups black beans and 1 cup broth in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Add pureed beans, remaining beans, remaining 2 cups broth, water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in juice and cilantro. Garnish with sour cream and more cilantro, if desired.

quick and easy

2006-11-09T08:13:00.000-05:00

i clipped this recipe from some magazine, not sure which one - perhaps a fitness magazine? in any case, it's quite filling and is low in calories (one was more than plenty for me). i made some sweet potato fries with a horseradish-yogurt dip and set out some grapes on the side. no-cook recipes are my bread-and-butter in the summertime, since our apartment gets so hot that even boiling water is intolerable. i'm glad i saved this recipe - it proved tasty even when winds blow cold.

Thai Beef Rolls

1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. dark sesame oil
1 T. fresh grated ginger
1 T. grated garlic (microplaned or minced)
2 t. fish sauce
3/4 t. sugar
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
2 cups torn boston lettuce
12 oz. thinly sliced deli roast beef
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk. Brush tortillas with 2 t. juice mixture. Arrange 1/2 cup lettuce on eah tortilla; top with 3 oz. beef. Combine carrots and mint; arrange 3 T. carrot mixture over each serving. Drizzle each serving with 1 T. remaining juice mixture; roll up.

more than a feeling

2006-11-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

i am going to disturb the sanctity of this food blog to say something:

oh what a beautiful morning,
oh what a beautiful day,
i've got a beautiful feeling,
rummy is in his last days!

no victory is perfect, but damn it feels good! i'm just going to kick back and enjoy this extra spring in my step for a while. finally, a raise in minimum wage in sight! hallelujah!

The New American Plate Cookbook

2006-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

last christmas, i put this cookbook on my amazon.com wish list, and (lucky me!) my mom and dad made my wish come true . . . the American Institute for Cancer Research compiled the recipes for this healthy cookbook with the philosophy that americans should increase the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that they consume, while reducing the amount of meat.

following research showing the cancer-fighting benefits of fancy-sounding scientific terms like phytochemicals and lignans, the recipes are bright and colorful, combining reds, greens, yellows, and oranges in a way that is both visually pleasing and tasty. i've made lots of recipes from this book, from delicious little steamed packets of whitefish seasoned with orange and topped with spinach, tomato, and kalamata olives; mini falafel patties; southwestern red pepper dip; a variety of muffins and breads; and lots more. recipes are not difficult and are explained clearly and concisely. i also like the introductions, which detail why these particular ingredients are cancer-fighters. nutrition information is included with each recipe.

the food in this book is healthy, but doesn't taste or look boring. recipes are fun to make and generally quite beautiful. i don't know if i like the term "foodie," but i consider food and cooking a healthy and exciting hobby. this book fits my lifestyle perfectly. (drea - perhaps a christmas gift for barb?)

best meal in months

2006-11-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

my parents had planned to come for a visit this weekend, but decided to forgo the possibly treacherous drive due to forecasted snow squalls, which i totally understood. a while back, my brother and his friend totalled a car driving through that mess on their way here for a visit. however, i was a bit blue. i missed them! i wanted to see them! a welcome distraction, then, this:

thanks to a generous benefactress (thank you, benefactress!), our hero and i enjoyed a wonderful "splurge" of a meal last night. i made some fresh sea scallops in a wonderful sauce served over baby arugula with a side of roasted cauliflower. we enjoyed this with a lovely bottle of rosé and a freshly baked whole-wheat baguette. who needs dessert with a dinner like that? it was an excellent way to spend a saturday night.

Greek-Style Scallops
From The New American Plate Cookbook

4 t. olive oil, divided
1 lb. sea scallops
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 oz. - i used oyster, which are wonderfully mild)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
1 t. chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup feta cheese (i used the delectable israeli feta, made from sheep's milk)
2 T. pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup white wine (optional)

In a skillet, heat 2 t. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes, until opaque throughout and tender in the center. Put in a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, add remaining 2 t. of olive oil. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, parsely, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. (here's where i added white wine.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the scallops with their liquid and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Top with the feta cheese and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

cooking light's clam chowder

2006-11-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

i enjoy a good chowder when it's cold and windy, so i whipped this one up last weekend. i would definitely recommend making it ahead of time, letting it cool in your fridge, and then reheating - the flavors develop nicely that way.

i had brought leftover chowder to work for lunch this week, which made me very excited. unfortunately, as i was taking the tupperware from my office to our mini-fridge, i dropped the container. the tupperware actually broke (who knew this was possible?), and i was left to cry over spilt chowder. luckily, i come in to the office earlier than everyone else, so there was no audience for this performance. consider all tears shed a testament to how delicious this healthy chowder is!

Plum Island Sound Clam Chowder
From Cooking Light

4 (6 1/2-oz.) cans chopped clams
2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
5 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (i used uncured bacon)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 t. butter
2 cups cubed red potato
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 1/4 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 T. dry sherry (i used sherry vinegar because i had it lying around)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Drain clams in a colander over a bowl, reserving juice. Add bottled juice to reserved juice to equal 3 1/2 cups. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving only 2 t. of bacon fat in pan (remove the rest). Return bacon to the pan, increse heat to medium-high. Add onion, celery, and butter; saute 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf), bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in clams, evaporated milk, 1% milk, and sherry. Cook 5 minutes or until heated, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

our hero's favorite pizza

2006-11-05T08:12:00.000-05:00

so i've mentioned that i make pizza on a regular basis. it's easy, fun to come up with new topping combinations, and always pleases our hero (spouse of wellunderstood). Cooking Light strikes again! i made this pizza for "movie night" last weekend, and our hero raved.

i used my own crust recipe, adapted from Terry Blonder Golson's 1,000 Low-Fat Recipes.

100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110-120 degrees)
1 t. honey
3 t. olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Combine yeast, water, and honey. Let sit until foamy (i love watching this part). Stir in the oil, salt, and whole wheat flour. Add the pastry flour a little at a time until a dough ball forms. Knead on a floured surface, adding flour little by little if necessary, until smooth and springy. (i test this by pinching the dough and seeing how much it springs back. it will be less springy than if you used white flour.) Put in a lightly oiled bowl (flip to coat the dough), and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place as long as you want, but at least 30 minutes. (in my drafty kitchen, i pre-heat the oven and let the dough rise on top of the stove.)

now's the time when i would slide my pizza stone in the oven to pre-heat. if you don't have a pizza stone, don't fret! a pre-heated baking sheet will work just fine!

Cooking Light's Wild Mushroom Pizza
1 t. butter
1 t. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. wild mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 cup shredded cheese (they recommend Monterey Jack, i used Cabot's 50% Light Pepper Jack)
2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into short strips
Coarse cornmeal

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high. Add 1 t. olive oil. Add mushrooms; saute 10 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; stir.

Take dough from oiled bowl; stretch or roll it to fit your pan. Remove preheated pan from oven; sprinkle well with coarse cornmeal. Put dough on baking pan (or stone), slide into lower oven rack. Bake 8 minutes. Remove.

Spread mushroom mixture evenly over crust. Top with cheese. Sprinkle prosciutto over pizza. Bake on middle rack an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese melts.

hellooooo out there?

2006-11-03T08:04:00.000-05:00

i'm feeling a bit lonely . . . are you enjoying the recipes? have you attempted any yourself or do you have one to share? does something look delicious or totally disgusting? please, leave me some comments - let's start some discussion!

MAKE THIS SOUP NOW!

2006-10-28T12:26:00.000-04:00

a buddy of mine gave me this recipe several years ago when we were on a recipe listserv, and i've made it about once a year since then. i don't know why i don't make it more often; it really is remarkable.

i don't think j reads this blog, but i'll post his recipe here as it was given to me, with his comments. thanks, j.

My first soup post is of the best soup I have ever, ever had. It came from the New Vegetarian Epicure and everyone who has had it loves it. I made it two weeks in a row and almost ate a whole pot of it myself in about 6 hours because it was so delicious. Please do yourself a favor and make it as soon as possible!!!! A few things: definitely use butter for the sautéing rather than olive oil - it needs the extra richness. Part of what makes this soup so much fun to make, as well as eat, is using wine. I feel very special and French when I cook with wine. I used a pinot grigio, which worked very well, but I'm sure you can use whatever is at hand. Bon appetit!

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
1 lb. butternut squash
1 large yam
2 cups veg. broth
1.5 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 med onions, sliced
3 lg. pears
1/3 cup dry white wine
cup half and half (I used skim milk) (wellunderstood used whole milk)
white pepper to taste (don't use black pepper!)
optional: cilantro or chopped chives

Peel, seed, and dice the squash. Peel and dice the yam. Put them in the pot with vegetable broth, water, cinnamon stick and salt and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. Melt the butter and gently cook the onions in it, stirring occasionally until it begins to caramelize. Peel, core, and thinly slice the pears and add them to the onions. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add wine, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Puree. Add cream and pepper and salt if needed. Heat to a simmer but don’t boil.

cooking ahead

2006-10-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

something i absolutely cherish is my freezer - and not just because we were without it for a bit. there's little more satisfying on a particularly stressful evening than defrosting a meal you prepared yourself and sitting down to a home-cooked meal with little-to-no effort.

my friends (especially you, duffpower) may remember when the freezer obsession began last year. okay. it got out of control. this year will be different, i promise. soups are always wonderful to freeze, and frozen homemade burritos were a big hit for lunches last year. prepared pasta sauces (butternut squash, pestos, roasted tomato) are also oft-frozen items. the wonderful magazine Everyday Food (the most beautiful food photography i've seen) always has a "Freeze It" recipe, and last month's issue had several. the recipe i chose was wonderful, though i think i'd substitute panko for the saltine cracker crumbs next time.

Everyday Food's Lemon-Horseradish Fish Cakes
3 T. olive oil
2 lbs. tilapia fillets
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup light (or better, reduced-fat) mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 T. bottled white horseradish (i just used the wasabi i had)
1 1/2 cups coarse saltine cracker crumbs (crushed in a plastic bag with a rolling pin)
tartar sauce, for serving (optional - i made my own low-fat version)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet lined with foil with 1/2 t. oil. Place fillets on sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely; pat dry with paper towels. With a fork, flake fish into small pieces.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, mayo, parsley, lemon juice, and horseradish. Fold in fish and 1/2 cup cracker crumbs; season with salt and pepper. Place remaining 1 cup crumbs on a plate. Form 16 cakes using about 1/4 cup fish mixture for each. Gently dredge each cake in crumbs, pressing to help adhere. (To freeze - i froze half - place uncooked cakes on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Wrap each in plastic and put in freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in fridge before cooking.)

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 T. oil. Place 8 cakes in skillet; cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes per side.

i served these with sauteed greens and our favorite baked sweet potato "fries". to make these, just preheat oven to 425 degrees, cut 2-3 sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch steak fries. brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast 45-60 minutes, turning occasionally until crispy all over.

let there be light!

2006-10-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

when our power returned, the first thing i wanted to do was eat a meal that i cooked myself, not including peanut butter and jelly. we invited some friends over for dinner and our hero's hometown team's football game. both of the friends were alumni of said hometown school, so it was quite lively.

i love cooking with mushrooms, and had wanted to try this tempting recipe from Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook for quite a while. the recipe made a lot of food, and the leftovers were even better the next day.

Baked Penne with Wild Mushroom Ragu and Ricotta Salata
From A New Way to Cook

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dried wild mushrooms, preferably porcini or morel
2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (any kinds you like)
1 1/2 t. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 t. dried thyme
1 28-oz can italian-style peeled tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t. olive oil or unsalted butter
1 lb. tubular pasta (like penne)
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
5 oz. ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced or shaved

To make the ragu, pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and tomatoes in a bowl, cover, and soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.

Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off any tough stems and discard. Cut larger shrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Leave smaller mushrooms whole.

In a medium saucepan, combine oil, onions, and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt, about 5 minutes. Uncover and saute until they are just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.

Remove dried mushrooms and tomatoes from soaking liquid (reserve liquid) and rinse under cool water. Coarsely chop.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid into the saucepan with the onions, leaving behind any grit. Add the wine and thyme and boil 1 minute. Add the fresh shrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, chopped dried shrooms and tomato, sugar, and salt. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until shrooms are tender and ragu is thick, about 15 minutes. Pepper generously.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole with the oil and set aside. Cook pasta until slightly underdone (it will cook in the oven). Drain the pasta and plunge it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Add ragu to the pasta and toss until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and pepper to taste and toss again. Pour half the mixture into the casserole. Arrange the ricotta salata shavings over the top, cover with the remaining pasta, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake the pasta until heated through and the top is lightly brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

the recipe says this can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen up to 2 months. it really has a wonderful, earthy flavor and could easily feed a hungry crowd.

comfort food

2006-10-22T13:19:00.000-04:00

our power didn’t conk out until last sunday morning, so we had just enough time last weekend to believe we were through the woods, buy a fridge full of groceries, and have powerless friends over for dinner saturday night. i thought comfort food would fit the bill considering the snowy, dark, cold circumstances, so i tried cooking a roast. this was my second-ever experiment with pork. you may remember the first time. the food was a huge hit, and even i had to admit it was delicious. i served the roast with a side of sautéed swiss chard with garlic.

a friend with no power had come over to work on a presentation for school (and plug in his laptop), and he walked into the kitchen as i was preparing dinner. i was listening to the classic melancholy sinatra album “in the wee small hours of the morning”, tears STREAMING down my cheeks from the shallots. A bit of an awkward moment until he made the connection between the shallots and my teary eyes . . .

CL’s Pork Roast with White Beans and Cranberries

1 lb. dried navy beans (about 2 cups)
1 5-lb. pork shoulder blade roast, trimmed of fat
1 ½ t. kosher salt, divided
¼ t. ground black pepper
2 t. minced fresh sage, divided (I used dried)
1 ½ cups sliced shallots (about 8 medium)
5 cups water
3 fresh sage sprigs (dried)
½ cups dried cranberries

Sort and wash beans, place in a large dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper. Rub surface of roast with dried sage. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Lightly coat bottom of pan with cooking spray or oil. Add roast to pan, cooking for 15 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add shallots to pan, saute 3 minutes or until tender. Return rast to pan. Add salt, beans, water, and sage to pan, bring to a simmer. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Add dried cranberries to pan; bake an additional 30 minutes or until roast is tender. Remove roast from pan, shred pork with 2 forks.

Serve roast with bean mixture.

the leftover shredded pork, mixed in with the leftover beans and a little water made a great next-day stew!

cooking light's roasted chicken with dried plums and shallots

2006-10-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

2 t. olive oil
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (2 lbs.)
¾ t. salt, divided
½ t. black pepper, divided
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 large shallots, peeled and halved (8 oz.)
2 thyme sprigs (I used dried
1 large fennel bulb, cut into 8 wedges
16 pitted dried plums (prunes)
¾ cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth, divided (I used – gasp! – bouillon)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 t. chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle oil in a small roasting pan or the bottom of a broiler pan. Place pan in oven 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle chicken with ¼ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in pan. Arrange garlic, shallots, thyme sprigs, and fennel around chicken. Season veggies with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Turn chicken over and stir vegetables. Add plums. Bake 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and vegetables from pan. Discard skin. Loosely cover chicken and veggies to keep warm.

Place pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup broth and wine, stirring to loosen browned bits. Combine flour and ¼ cup broth, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan, stir until well-blended. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick. Stir in chopped thyme, remaining ¼ t. salt, and remaining pepper. Serve sauce with chicken and veggies.

i served this with whole-wheat couscous and cl’s brussels sprouts with garlic and honey. (which i tried to sell to our hero as mini-cabbages, but he saw right through me. he ended up surprising himself and liking them!)

CL’s Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Honey

1 T. butter
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, quartered and trimmed
¼ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T. honey

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper. Sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add 3 T. of water, cover and cook 3 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender. Drizzle with honey, toss well to coat.

a big bite of winter

2006-10-22T12:49:00.000-04:00

here in mytown, there was a freak snowstorm that paralyzed the city and knocked out power, initially, to almost 400,000 “customers”. our hero and i included. soooo needless to say, without refrigeration, without a place to store leftovers, without light or heat, it was a dark, cold, icky week. six days into our outage, power was restored. for some of our neighbors it took nine or ten! i’m happy to be back in the light, and ecstatic to be able to really cook again. i’m a little behind in posting recipes, but because not much was made this past week, i should be able to catch up.

a big bite of fall

2006-10-08T18:05:00.000-04:00

aaaand continuing with our theme, a delightful, very moist quickbread with great fall flavors . . .

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread with Flaxseed
From the New American Plate Cookbook

Canola oil or spray for pan
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice (i used cider)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with canola oil or spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, applesauce, juice, and spices. Stir in the cranberries. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove bread from pan and continue cooling on rack.

cl's fontina, olive, and tomato pizza

2006-10-08T17:42:00.000-04:00

okay, so usually i'm pretty loyal to my whole-wheat pizza dough recipe. and usually i don't follow recipes to top my pizzas. however, i made an exception for this tempting treat right out of last month's Cooking Light. the dough was nice, even if there was a bit too much of it for just one pizza. the toppings were delish as well. to anyone who's scared of making your own dough or anything that you must "let rise," get over it. this is easy to do and much healthier than carry-out. i ask, who doesn't love pizza??

Cooking Light's Fontina, Olive, and Tomato Pizza with Basil Whole-Wheat Crust

Dough:
1 T. honey
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (i used whole-wheat pastry flour)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 T. stone-ground yellow cornmeal

Toppings:
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded fontina
3 T. chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 T. chopped pine nuts, coarsely chopped

To make dough, combine honey and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes to proof. Add 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour), whole wheat flour, salt, and pepper to yeast mixture, stir until a soft dough forms.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Turn dough onto a floured surface, and knead until soft and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, a little at a time, to keep dough from sticking to hands (it will feel slightly sticky). Knead in fresh basil until incorporated. Place dough in large oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in size (i just sit it on the preheating stove and it usually does the trick).
Roll or stretch dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place on rimless baking sheet or preheated pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal.

Position one oven rack in the middle of the oven, another at the bottom. Slide pizza crust onto bottom rack. Bake 8 minutes.

Arrange tomato slices between two paper towels; let stand 5 minutes.

Sprinkle fontina over crust, leaving a small border. Arrange tomato slices and olives over fontina; sprinkle with mozzarella and top with pine nuts. Bake on middle rack an additional 8 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese melts.

new favorite muffins

2006-10-08T17:27:00.000-04:00

i don't like my muffins, breads, or desserts too sweet. in fact, as i become more confident in this whole baking process, i'll probably start cutting sugar in the recipes i've already posted here. i made these muffins last weekend, and i must say they are my favorites of the "quick bread-muffin fall", as they are not too sweet and stuffed with goodies. with just about the same number of calories as a granola bar, they make a great morning snack.

oh, and i invested in some paper liners for my muffin tins. they really cutdown on the headache of getting all the little guys out unscathed.

Banana-Orange Bran Muffins with Pecans
From the New American Plate Cookbook

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 large egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups bran flake cereal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1/2 cup diced dried cherries or dried apricots (you could really use anything you like here)
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the bananas, o.j. concentrate, egg, and canola oil. Stir in the bran flakes, and let stand for about 15 minutes to soften the cereal. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the cereal mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the dried fruit and nuts. Divide batter among cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and continue to cool on the rack.

best snack ever

2006-10-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

after a hectic schedule and a 48-hour bug, i didn't have much time to post lately. fear not! i'll provide a few recipes to hang onto . . .

a favorite recipe of mine, sent to me by mc (thanks!) shared with friends (ahem, duffpower), and now on to you all . . . i've made this as a side dish, as an appetizer, and as movie-watching "junk" food! even if you think you don't like cauliflower, give it a spin. the high heat carmelizes the sugars in the florets and makes them nutty and tasty.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower
1-2 T. olive oil (depending on the size of the head)
Coarse salt
Red pepper flakes (i'll say optional, but you're crazy to omit these)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Brush or toss cauliflower on sheet with olive oil to lightly coat. Season generously with salt and red pepper flakes. Roast for one hour, stirring florets every 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Leftovers are good tossed with a peanut sauce over couscous for lunch or pureed into a "mash" side dish.

cooking light's beef carnitas

2006-09-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

wow. i rarely cook red meat. usually we eat one poultry meal a week, one fish, and the rest vegetarian (eggs, cheese, beans, etc.). maybe it's the shift in the weather or my healing muscle tissue (i've been suffering from a running injury for the past several months, have finally found a doctor that is diagnosing and treating it correctly, and am on the mend!), but i've been eating lots of meat-based protein in the past few days!

in addition, the lovely t has a big day on tuesday, defending his topical (pre-dissertation), so i wanted to make it a good week for him. meat seems to do the trick. i made the carnitas on sunday night, and threw it into tortillas for tacos tonight. i would have loved to serve them with a salad, but i'm still freaked out by greens. instead, i served them with fruit.

Cooking Light's Beef Carnitas
Cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (i used extra-lean)
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 t. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. crushed red pepper (i used much more)
1 large unpeeled orange wedge

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add beef (a bit at a time, so as not to crowd the pan); saute 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Stir in broth, sugar, salt, and pepper. Nestle orange section into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove and discard orange. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes, or until liquid almost evaporates (much longer than 8 minutes for me), stirring frequently.

Cooking Light's Beef Carnitas Tacos
2 cups chopped plum tomato
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
8 6-inch corn tortillas
2 cups Beef Carnitas
1 lime, cut into wedges

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl; toss well. Warm tortillas. Spoon 1/4 cup beef onto each tortilla; top with 3 T. avocado mixture. Fold in half; serve with lime wedges.

irish brown bread

2006-09-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

my mother's irish soda bread is legendary. not wanting to compete with her, i went a different route this weekend. i adapted a recipe from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider (thanks, ODP!) to be 100% whole grain, and even added some flax meal for omega-3s. you could easily use oat bran or wheat germ in place of the flax meal.

the bread was flavorful, tender, and delicious - a bit crumbly, but perfect for breakfast with a bit of blackberry jam. next time i would make the slashes on the tops of the loaves much deeper for more even rising.

Irish Brown Bread
(from A New Way to Cook)
About 2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour, if you must)
1/3 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/3 cup flax meal (or oat bran, or wheat germ)
2 t. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
about 1/2 t. canola oil to grease baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 1/4 cups of the whole wheat flour, the pastry flour, rolled oats, flax meal, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and paking soda. With a fork, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk and the melted butter. Add more buttermilk, little by little, just until a soft but not too wet dough forms. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too wet, knead in up to 4 t. more whole wheat flour, 1 t. at a time.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place 4 inches apart on an oiled baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Using a sharp knive, make 2 crisscrossing slashes on top of each loaf.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool.

first day of fall

2006-09-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

sorry for the lack of recent posts; i was out of town from this past monday through thursday for work. unfortunately, no food of note on the trip out of town. having very little non-work time to explore denver, more meals than i’d like to admit were provided by the hotel where i stayed. hence, the food was boring, criminally overpriced, and the “healthful” alternatives included a yawn-inducing salad bar and $9 fruit plate with a container of yoplait strawberry yogurt. ech.

thursday night, after a buddy picked me up from the airport, was spent at a rehearsal dinner for two dear friends’ wedding. friday, of course, was the wedding itself. it was a whirlwind week, and last night i was thrilled to prepare and eat my own cooking for the first time since monday lunch (leftover black beans and rice).

though it’s still comfortably warm here in mytown, fall is certainly in the air and in the market. to celebrate the first day of autumn, i decided to cook a quintessential early fall meal. i didn’t grow up eating pork. in fact, believe it or not, i can probably count the numbers of times i’ve eaten pork chops, roasts, or loins on one hand. after many encouraging remarks from fellow “foodies” regarding the beauty of the pork tenderloin, i decided to take a chance on it (for t’s sake). i prepared a lovely dinner of pork tenderloin with roasted apples and onions (thanks Everyday Food) and mashed sweet potatoes (my own recipe). i must admit it was tasty.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples and Onions
(From Everyday Food)

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. maple syrup
3 medium red apples, halved, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
1 large red onion, halved and sliced into ½ inch-thick pieces
1 T. olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins (12 oz. each)

Place one oven rack in the top third of oven, and another rack in bottom third. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make glaze: in a small saucepan, bring vinegar and maple syrup to a boil over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has reduced to ¼ cup, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer 1 T. to a small bowl for drizzling and set aside. Reserve the rest of the glaze in saucepan.

On a large rimmed baking sheet (or roasting pan) toss apples and onion and oil. Season with salt and pepper; arrange in a single layer, and roast until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and toss.

Meanwhile, line another rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place pork on foil. Season generously with salt and pepper; brush with glaze from saucepan. Return apples and onions to oven, on bottom rack. Place pork on top rack; roast 10 minutes. Remove pork from oven; brush with remaining glaze in saucepan. Roast until pork registers 150 degrees internal temperature, and apples and onions are tender, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Slice ¼ inch thick; drizzle with reserved T. glaze. Serve with apples and onion.

Wellunderstood's Best Sweet Potato Mash
(you can make this ahead and reheat – it’s actually better)

3 large sweet potatoes
½ cup lowfat buttermilk
2 T. light sour cream
1 T. butter or trans-fat free margarine
Salt and pepper
3 T. chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake one hour and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and discard. Combine potato flesh, buttermilk, sour cream, margarine, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mash together with a fork or puree with an immersion blender if desired. Stir in chives.

granola morning

2006-09-16T10:11:00.000-04:00

didn't feel like i had the time for muffins this morning (and as i am leaving town for work on monday i won't be around to eat them), so i whipped up some maple-pecan granola, courtesy of Cooking Light.

Maple-Pecan Granola
2 cups oats (i used scottish because they are what i like for breakfast)
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T. canola oil
1/8 t. salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients on a large jellyroll pan lined in foil. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Makes 4 cups, serving size 1/4 cup. Keeps for a week. For those of you freaked out by granola, this has 129 calories per serving and 5.2 grams of fat. Not too shabby for a bit of crunch over yogurt. I will probably stir in some craisins and chopped dried apricots.

munchies

2006-09-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

for those of you who know me, you know i've been a busy bee this past week, leaving me little enough time to cook, let alone post. tonight is the "bachlorette" party for a good friend getting married next weekend. we're beginning the evening with cocktails and potluck snacks at her sister's apartment.

i have an unabashed love for dips and spreads of all kinds, so naturally i pulled out a couple of favorite recipes as my contribution to the evening's nosh.

Southwestern Red Pepper Dip
(adapted from The New American Plate Cookbook)
1 3-oz. package of sun-dried tomato halves (not in oil)
2 12-oz. jars roasted red peppers
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
cayenne pepper to taste
1 T. lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallion
4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Soak tomatoes in a bowl of very hot water to cover about 5 minutes. Blitz first eight ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add cream cheese and puree. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let sit for 6-24 hours for flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature. (I like it with baked tortilla chips).

Fig-Rosemary Spread
10 oz. log of soft goat cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh rosemary
2 t. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped black mission figs
Black pepper

Combine goat cheese, milk, rosemary, and vinegar in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add figs and stir to combine. Season with black pepper to taste. Best served with toasted baguette slices.

pantry pasta

2006-09-12T07:58:00.000-04:00

i hadn’t planned on making dinner last night. i thought we’d grab something that was around, maybe pb&j or a salad for me, mac and cheese or a frozen pizza for our hero. but when i got home from the gym, i really felt like cooking. i’d bought a beautiful lacy savoy cabbage at the farmer’s market this weekend with no official plans to use it, so i made a quick pasta sauce from low-fat yogurt and lemon, adding some pecorino romano (which compliments the cabbage beautifully). threw in some shelled edamame for protein and voila! t liked it enough to eat approximately ¾ of the batch for dinner. seriously. in his defense, he’d just returned from a merciless racquetball match. this was easy to whip up and tasty. I’m a sucker for pasta dishes and a sucker for cabbage, so i’m really looking forward to leftovers for lunch.

Whole-Wheat Penne with Cabbage and Edamame
1 lb. bag good whole-wheat penne pasta (I use Bionaturae religiously)
½ T. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ head savoy cabbage, cut into half again and sliced very thinly
Handful of fresh basil, sliced thinly (mint would also be delicious)
¾ cup low-fat plain yogurt
Zest and juice of one lemon
¼ cup pecorino romano cheese (plus more for serving)
1-1½ cups shelled frozen edamame or frozen green peas

Put a kettle to the boil on the stove. Spoon yogurt into a small bowl, and use a whisk to combine with lemon zest, juice, and cheese. Set aside. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. When melted, add cabbage and cover until reduced a bit in bulk (and until it becomes manageable to flip it about in the pan). Add salt and pepper to taste. When cabbage is tender, remove from heat and stir in yogurt sauce and basil. Cover. Cook pasta and edamame or peas in the boiling water according to package directions. If you use edamame, you might want to cook it first, then the pasta, as it takes a bit of time to shell the beans. If you use peas, just throw them in during the last few minutes of the pasta’s cooking time.

Drain, toss together, and serve with a sprinkling of cheese.