Melbo's Toast

Pumpkin Lasagne

2011-06-20T20:24:00.005-04:00

I got a new job and will most likely have significantly less time to cook. Much like the rest of 2011 was with grad classes. I actually do get to cook but it's the blogging that is a little more time consuming.

Pumpkin Lasagne

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash puree (mine had been previously frozen,but not canned because it doesn't have enough moisture)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small can tomato paste
splash of white wine (optional)
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped into ribbons

1 package fresh lasagne pasta sheets
1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

1 quart low fat milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
dash of nutmeg

In the following recipe I salted and peppered most layers of the recipe individually to taste. Add as much or as little as you personally like but taste as you go. Sausage and cheese can be very salty and varies by brand.

In a large skillet heat approximately one to two tsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Remove casings and add sausage to skillet. Break down with wooden spoon. Add crushed red pepper and fennel seed. Cook through.
Add pumpkin or squash puree and cinnamon. Heat through and add tomato paste to sauce. Add a splash of white wine and cook approximately 10 minutes until every is combined.
Add swiss chard to the sauce and stir/heat until completely combined and chard is wilted.
Add approximately 1/2 cup of low-fat milk to the sausage sauce. Mix to combine and keep heat low while you make the bechamel sauce.
In a medium saucepan melt butter.
Add flour whisking or stirring to combine to make a roux. Make sure to fully cook the flour.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg.
In 9x13 casserole dish coat the bottom with a few drops of olive oil.
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer in order pasta sheets (cutting to fit) sauce, bechamel, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired for serving.

Fish Sticks with Sauteed Swiss Chard

2011-06-07T19:30:00.004-04:00

I never had fish sticks growing up on as a child. The closest thing was fried flounder or catfish filets. I really didn't eat a lot of fish growing up. I was in college when I started eating salmon etc. This is a more high maintenance version of the fish sticks you get in the box, at least I'm assuming. I'm still pretty sure I have had any that I can remember at least. It probably wouldn't have been so time consuming if I didn't cut the tilapia smaller than your average fish stick. These are baked not fried and crisped up nicely in the oven.

Fish Sticks (adapted from eatingwell.com)

canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup corn flake cereal
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 pound tilapia filets, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Set a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray.
Place breadcrumbs, cereal flakes, lemon pepper, garlic powder, paprika and salt in a food processor process until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow dish.
Place flour in a second shallow dish and egg whites in a third shallow dish.
Coat each strip of fish in the flour, then the egg and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
Place on wire rack.
Coat both sides of the breaded fish with cooking spray.
Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups torn or sliced swiss chard
3 tbsp dried currants
2 tbsp pine nuts
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch dried rosemary
1 clove garlic

Heat olive oil in a skillet.
Add currants and pine nuts and saute until pine nuts begin to turn golden brown.
Add garlic and saute about 1 minute.
Add swiss chard and rosemary and saute until wilted.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Fettucine Bolognese

2011-05-30T11:41:00.004-04:00

I have made this three or four times and it is fantastic! You wouldn't know that this is Cooking Light recipe if I didn't tell you. The only problem you are going to have is stopping at the recommended amount because it is so good.

Fettucine Bolognese (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 lb. meatloaf mix (ground pork, beef, and veal)
1 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree
1 cup whole milk
2 (9-ounce) packages fresh fettuccine, cooked and drained according to package
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and vegetables get a little color. Stir to avoid sticking.
Add meat to pan and cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.
Add wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, and tomato puree; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Stir in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.
Discard bay leaf.
Add pasta, and toss to coat.
Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Turkish Tomato Salad

2011-05-09T20:27:00.005-04:00

It's a miracle, after several grueling months of translation class, I'm finally making my way back into the blogosphere. It's been quite a whirlwind. I've also been trying my hand at getting my garden together and now J is working at the factory again, so that means that I have more time than I had previously to write about the various foodstuffs being prepared in my kitchen.

Since we left off I have decided that I am slowly going to switch over to a more organic diet. I have switched my milk and I am buying some of my produce organic. As you know I am part of the Spiral Path CSA and unfortunately this year we are going to be pushed back a week with harvest because of the inclement weather. I am currently researching a CSA for non-certified organic meats.

Turkish Tomato Salad (adapted fromMyra Kornfled's The Healthy Hedonist)

3 tbsp pomegranate jelly, mixed with 2 tbsp water and melted in the microwave
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

I marinated the salmon in a garlic marinade and broiled it. The whole meal was delicious.

Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Chops and Cheddar Grit Cakes with Roasted Peppers

2011-01-25T20:54:00.006-05:00

I am not from the South. I was raised in MD but few people will consider it "the South". Therefore I didn't grow up eating grits. I really never had grits until today in fact. I was able to plan ahead and dinner came together in a snap. I would have made my peppers in advance too and then the the whole thing would have taken 10 minutes or so but we were very busy, so it took us a little longer.

Today I really stuck to the recipe. Measuring, not eyeballing and portion control. I guess being back on Weight Watchers it is important to do this. I still haven't really gotten into most of the WW recipes but Cooking Light rarely lets me down. My question? Is the nutritional infomation accurate in their recipes? If you know the answer feel free to post.

Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Chops (serves 2) (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 (6-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
Cooking spray

Combine first 9 ingredients; rub over both sides of pork.
Heat a non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add pork; cook for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 8 minutes or until done, turning occasionally.
Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes.

The pork was really good, although it was a little burnt (but I like it that way). Luckily it was just the heat being too high, inside it was cooked perfectly. I thought the grit cakes made a lovely side dish. I made the grits on Sunday night and I plan to take the rest of the leftovers for lunch this week.

Cheddar Grit Cakes with Roasted Peppers (4 servings) (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking (instant) grits (although if My Cousin Vinny has taught me anything it's that "No self respecting Southerner uses instant grits")
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
3 medium red bell peppers (can use a variety, yellow/orange but not green), roasted, peeled and cut into strips
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt

To prepare grits, bring the milk and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Stir in grits and jalapeño. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thick.
Stir in the cheese; cook until cheese melts. Spread grits into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or until set. I had to wait from Sunday night until Tuesday and they were fine.
Combine roasted red peppers, oil, vinegar, coriander, and salt; toss well.
Cut grits into 4 squares. Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add triangles; cook until lightly browned.
Serve pepper mixture over grit cakes.

I thought these were delicious! However J thought they were bland, but he didn't put the peppers on his and I think it really needs them.

Miso Glazed Cod with Stir-fried Bok choy and Onions

2011-01-18T12:03:00.003-05:00

I have been gone a long time. I don't know what happened but I just didn't feel like blogging. I didn't want to write. I don't necessarily think I'll be doing a lot of blogging in the next few months because I have decided to take one of my grad classes during the Spring semester.

In addition to classes, my family has restarted the Biggest Loser contest and I have recommitted to Weight Watchers. This particular recipe was last night's dinner and as always no matter what I think of her personally Martha Stewart's recipes rarely disappoint. I have never worked with miso before and it was not what I expected when bought it. Although called white miso it is really the color of brown sugar and the consistency was larger grains than I had imagined. On that note it was really easy to work with. Unfortunately J informed me that could I please not put sauces on the fish he eats (this was more of a glaze than a sauce). I had also never made cod before but having eaten it the night before at Bricco, I had a decent idea of what it should be for not overcooked.

Miso Glazed Cod with Stir-fried Bok choy and Onions (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Serves 2

12 oz skinless cod

1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1/4 cup white miso paste
1/4 cup sugar

Cooking spray

1/2 sweet onion, cut into chunks
3 heads baby bok choy, sliced thickly
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp peanut oil (or canola oil)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil

In a small saucepan, combine mirin, miso, and sugar. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
Heat broiler, with rack 6 inches from heat. Spray a baking dish with oil.
Place fish in dish, and brush liberally with miso mixture. Reserve 1/2 the mixture for the bok choy.
Broil until fillets are browned on top and opaque in the center, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile heat peanut oil in a wok on high heat. Add onion and stir fry 2 minutes.
Add bok choy and stir fry another 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and miso and cook until half the liquid has evaporated.
Add seeds and oil and serve bok choy with cod.

Volt: Table 21

2010-12-30T09:59:00.027-05:00

This year for Christmas my parents to us to Volt in Frederick, MD to eat at Table 21. Volt has several options for dining at Volt. The Main Dining Room is an a la carte style, while the Chef's Dining Room is a six course tasting menu. Table 21 is a dining experience of a 21 course tasting menu. Chef Bryan Voltaggio was a contestant on Top Chef (although I have never watched the show) and we got to meet him and eat in the kitchen. Here we are with Chef Bryan:
I tried to take photos of each course but I forgot a couple of times and had to get a shot of the chefs working in the kitchen making a larger version for the Chef's dining room instead. I know this was a once in a lifetime experience but since we went in the winter I would be curious to try a summer menu.

The cocktail: spiced cider busnel calvados, pear, coriander
"chips and dip" proscuitto greek yogurt, chive balsamic
celeriac macaroon foie gras
maine lobster "pot on fire"
hamachi tartare cilantro, jasmine rice, soy, yuzu bubbles, avocado
nantucket bay scallop pinenut, chili oil, shiitake mushroom
chestnut ravioli maitake mushroom, butternut squash, sage
sturgeon cauliflower, verjus, chickpea, beluga lentils, cilantro
arctic char flavors of everything bagel, lemon pudding, chive, cedar smoke
rockfish ruby beet risotto, leek fricassee, honey cap mushrooms
sweetbreads confit fennel, hazelnuts, black trumpet mushrooms, sorrel
"winter garden" beets and carrots cooked in dirt, radish, coffee soil, cherry glen farm chevre
foie gras brown turkey figs, purslane, vanilla brioche
clam chowder mock root vegetables, apple wood smoked bacon, yukon gold potatoes
red wattle pork belly cannellini beans, mostarda
(this was not not on the original menu but my dad mentioned something about venison and the chef whipped up some)
venison coffee soil, root vegetables
point reyes blue cheese apple, balsamic
coconut, lavender, vanilla
gala apple walnut cake, dulce de leche, bourbon
textures of chocolate raw organic cocoa
macaroons, cookies, candy
menu from the evening, chocolate chip cookie

Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

2010-10-23T16:55:00.002-04:00

Sweet Potato and Apple Hash (adapted from Cooking Light)

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup water
1/2 lb. turkey breakfast sausage links, casings removed
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp real maple syrup
1 tbsp water
pinch of black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, diced

Place sweet potatoes and 1/3 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 15 minutes. Uncover, drain and set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until it starts to become translucent.
Add sausage and salt and stir to crumble until sausage is done.
Add apple and saute until it starts to become soft.
Add sweet potatoes, water, syrup, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Cook until liquid absorbs.
Serve as a side dish or a one dish meal.

Potato and Leek Flatbread

2010-10-13T22:08:00.005-04:00

Oh how I love interesting pizza!

Potato and Leek Flatbread (adapted from Real Simple)

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
2 leeks, cut into thin strips
2 waxy potatoes, (red or gold) sliced thinly
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese

Heat oven to 450° F. Stretch the dough into a ¼-inch-thick circle or rectangle.
Layer the potatoes, leeks thyme and cheese onto the dough in that order.
Sprinkle with the Gruyère. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake until the crust is golden and potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into pieces.

Kaftah Burgers

2010-10-12T21:29:00.004-04:00

This recipe uses the roasted pepper relish from the previous post as a topping for the burger along with some feta cheese and red onion. J used a bun but I used a pocketless pita for the bread instead. This burger tasted DELICIOUS. The meat was very flavorful and I would definitely use this recipe for normal kefta kebabs. The only thing I would consider is using less cilantro or chopping it more finely in the future. I used a recipe from Cooking Light as a jumping off point.

Kaftah Burgers (adapted from Cooking Light)

13 oz meatloaf mix (mixture of beef, veal and pork)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1 egg
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into patties.
Heat nonstick skillet and cook burgers until they reach the desired level of doneness.
Serve topped with feta cheese, onions and roasted pepper relish.

Roasted Pepper Relish

2010-10-11T20:11:00.006-04:00

I decided to make this particular recipe as a topping for a burger we ate last week. It was very delicious. I had most of these peppers leftover from the CSA box. Since most of these are actually those little yummy orange peppers, I didn't quite have the 4 bell peppers the recipe called for but it was pretty much the equilvalent. J is still sick of peppers, so he didn't really want any of this.

After I tasted this I thought that red onion and feta cheese would complement this very well. I added a little for the leftovers the next day. This was very easy and tasty and low in points. I recommend chopping the peppers really small and adding these ingredients and topping some crostini with the relish for a nice light appetizer.

I took advantage of the grocery store olive bar to get my kalamata olives. I don't usually like olive but along with more other things I am warming up to them lately. As a child I love those black olives out of a can. How many little kids stuck those on their fingers and ate them off one by one? Other strange foods I ate as a child include grapefruit (no sugar) and cottage cheese (no fruit).

Roasted Pepper Relish (adapted from Cooking Light)

4 bell peppers (assorted colors) or equivalent (I used some bell and some mini sweet)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Roast peppers in the oven: cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes.
Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover. Let stand 15 minutes.
Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch pieces.
Combine bell peppers and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well.

Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto

2010-10-10T10:51:00.003-04:00

I am trying to count my points better in this last week in addition to using up produce we receive in the weekly CSA box. I think this was the last of the zucchini (just in time for my favorite season, Autumn). I knew J wouldn't be entirely impressed with this meal so I made him some baked bluefish for his dinner. This was my first attempt at making barley. I thought it had a lot of nice flavor and an interesting texture. For once I didn't even change the recipe. Low in points as well. :)

Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto (adapted from Health magazine)

3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup lightly pearled barley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon butter
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add zucchini and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Add barley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.
Stir in 1/2 cup broth and salt. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes).
Add shrimp; cook 4 minutes. Stir in cheese, butter, and pepper.

Yummy Orange Peppers (with Chorizo)

2010-10-06T20:42:00.004-04:00

For many weeks now, in our CSA box, we have been getting something called "Yummy Orange Peppers". J is extremely sick of peppers, especially considering that he doesn't like peppers. I have used the mostly in stir-frys but this time I was able to use the size to my advantage. I found a recipe for mini peppers on Martha Stewart's website. I modified it a little based on availability of ingredients. Basically you hollow out as many peppers as you are making. Stuff each one with a slice of dried Spanish chorizo. I used the large slices from the deli because the grocery store did not have the stick chorizo. Broil the peppers for 4-6 minutes until the skin is slightly charred.

I used these as a garnish for a salad which I dressed with a little white wine vinegar and olive oil. So easy and tasty, you can even make them as an appetizer.

Bourbon Slush

2010-10-03T14:01:00.003-04:00

This recipe comes from one of the ladies in my parents' neighborhood. We had a very tight knit neighborhood growing up. Everyone watched out for everyone else. The kids all played together in the cul-de-sacs. The neighborhood kids were like my cousins. Anyway the recipe for bourbon slush really has nothing to do with how great where I grew up was. I made this for the Labor Day Party. It was delicious (but for adults only).

Bourbon Slush

2 cups boiling water
5 tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
1 12 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups bourbon (I use Makers Mark)
6 cups water

Steep tea bags in boiling water. Remove after 5 minutes.
Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add lemonade and orange juice and stir until melted.
Add bourbon and water and stir.
Freeze at least 2 days. I use shallow Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers.
To serve, scoop 1-1 1/2 scoops into small glasses. Poor ginger ale (or Sprite) over the slush, can be eaten with a spoon if necessary.

Chicken Fried Rice: Biggest Loser Recipe Makeover #4

2010-09-29T17:16:00.006-04:00

Somehow I lucked into making this because I had forgotten to thaw the pork for this dinner. I also happened to get the white rice from the Chinese restaurant because we had gotten some chicken with broccoli for dinner the other night. This is my first attempt at making fried rice and of course, we all know how much I love to use my wok. I was surprised at how close this was to the original, even though J though it was a little bland.

Chicken Fried Rice (adapted from Weight Watchers)
3 oz. chicken breast diced
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, divided
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 small onion, diced (I used red because it was on hand)
4 scallions, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups cooked white rice, cold

Combine the chicken, half of the oyster sauce, the ginger, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chopped scallions for garnish. Add the remaining scallions, onion and the carrot to the chicken in the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, stirring quickly and constantly with a wooden spoon until the egg begins to set, about 2 minutes.
Stir the rice, soy sauce, the remaining oyster sauce, and the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil into the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the reserved 2 tablespoons scallions. Serves 3-4.

Feel free to add a little additional soy sauce while it is cooking if you prefer it a little darker.

Quinoa Pilaf

2010-09-27T21:43:00.004-04:00

I have definitely been MIA the past few weeks. I haven't felt like posting the first few weeks of school. We are doing another Biggest Loser competition and I have been trying to exercise more often. J has been hounding me to eat less chicken breast and pork tenderloin (even though these are the items that have been on sale). This week I left him at the seafood counter while I searched for something in another aisle so that he would make a decision and pick out some fish. He decided on haddock, which I had never cooked before. I put it in a pan with a little oil, salt and pepper. It honestly wasn't too bad. As a side I had found this recipe for quinoa on the Weight Watchers website. This particular recipe I cut in half, more or less. This was my second foray into the world of cooking quinoa. The first time I was making it for my grad school dinners. Sadly, I burned it up. I was a little gun shy remembering the awful taste of the quinoa salad I had made in July, that it took me until the now to try it again.

Quinoa Pilaf (adapted from Weight Watchers)
1 tsp canola oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 tbsp raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 canned chicken broth
2 tbsp salted dry roasted pistachios, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add shallot and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is transparent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add quinoa; toast for 1 minute.
Stir in raisins, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Pour in broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until quinoa bursts its skin, is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Remove cover and fluff quinoa mixture with a fork.
Just before serving, sprinkle with pistachios and cilantro.

The Return to American Flatbread

2010-09-14T20:22:00.012-04:00

One of my favorite places to eat is American Flatbread. I've said before that my family makes a point to go there once during the week of our vacation. I personally love trying the specials each year. The mystery of what is it going to be this year makes the anticipation of going so great. If I had any experience

This is a picture from their website.

This year my uncle, who had never been before came with us, which meant that we got to try some new things on the menu that we normally pass up. Here is a photo of the Specials menu:
We got to try the special salad and this year we also had the Evolution salad:
This is the salad. Take a close look at the bowl and tongs. We went to the wood market and got these for early Christmas presents. The bowl I got is the perfect size for 2 to 3 people for salad.
We also had some of the pizzas. The Med Bread and the Cheese and Herb, as well as the sausage with mushrooms, pepperoni and one of each of the specials.I thought this would have been the best of the pizzas. This is the special with beets and potatoes. I thought the best part was the rosemary honey but the pizza wasn't quite as wonderful as I had hoped. I think the beets would have been preferable in slices rather than chunks.
This is a picture of the other special, the bolognese. I thought it was very tasty but it needed a tiny bit of salt or parm. cheese.
This is the sausage and mushroom, which is probably my favorite regular menu pizza.
This is the pepperoni and peppers from the regular menu. My uncle who made the new banner picked this and we were glad he did because it really was quite delicious. If you can get the chance to eat at American Flatbread I highly recommend it.

Trattoria Delia (Burlington, VT)

2010-09-09T16:19:00.006-04:00

The annual Vermont trip this year was quite a good time. I got back about a month ago but with school starting I've been super busy. This year we decided to eat out more than usual. One night we drive up to Burlington. I really like the city, you can see Lake Champlain and it just has a really nice atmosphere. Sometimes when I'm in Vermont in the summer, I wish that I had gone to college in Vermont. Then I remember that most of the school year is winter weather and I realize that I made the right choice.

But I digress...

This year we went to one of the most well known restaurants in Burlington, Trattoria Delia, on St. Paul St. just around the corner from Church St. which is closed to traffic (pedestrians ONLY). We were a little early for our reservation, so we took a look around. A former military fellow was walking by and advised on several menu items, touting the Veal Saltimbocca. The strange thing was that he was loitering around the door when we finished several hours later as well.

As usual, I don't have the best pictures of the meal and sadly, I probably don't remember everything that we had. Pretty much everything that we had was delicious. I was extremely please with my meal.

To start we had Calamari Fritti, Lumache alla Sambuca (Sauteed snails with herbs, butter and olive oil, flamed with Sambuca, then served over wood-grilled country bread. ), Batu D'anatra (House made duck confit with agrodolce yellow and red peppers sauteed with Vermont honey, aged balsamic vinegar and garlic), and something with proscuitto, but I don't remember what. I haven't had snails in a long time and they were great! I think my least favorite was the duck confit.

For dinner I don't quite remember everyone's meal but: my grandmother had the pasta parm (Rigatoni baked in a clay pot with our tomato basil sauce, a veal meatball and sweet sausage, topped with fried eggplant and our homemade mozzarella), we also got to try Gnocchi al Tartufato (handmade potato gnocchi in a truffled sauce with sausage, sweet Vermont cream and Grana Padano cheese) which was probably my favorite out of everything. I had the Taglioloni al Mare e Monte (wide ribbons of fresh egg pasta with pan-seared Atlantic sea scallops, imported porcini mushrooms, white wine and Vermont cream), which was delicious and I would get again. Somebody got the Veal Saltimbocca, very nice as well. I think my uncle got the rabbit special. All I have left for pics is a super blurry photo of the veal (worse than the scallop photo), so I'm not going to bother posting it. At the end of the meal we tasted a few desserts. The only thing that I would say was lacking in the evening was the service. Our server had a little bit of an attitude.

Baked Pea Dumplings

2010-08-24T10:54:00.006-04:00

I will be making this again (partially because of the problems that I had). As I've said, I took lots of snacks on vacation that I had made ahead of time. I had frozen these nicely in one layer on a cookie sheet and put them in a bag but then they started to thaw and stick together. I think they would have turned out very nicely had I been able to keep them in one layer. I also didn't realize we had parchment paper up at the lake and so once cooked they also stuck a little to the pan. The flavor was great and I must agree with Heidi Swanson that the lemon was the key to a nice bright taste.

Baked Pea Dumplings (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

2 cups frozen peas
2/3 cup light ricotta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
zest of one large lemon
1/2 package of wonton wrappers

Cook peas in boiling water for one minute. Drain well.
With a food processor (or hand blender) blend the peas, ricotta cheese, olive oil, and salt into a puree.
Return the mixture to a big bowl and stir in the shallots, Parmesan, and lemon zest.
Fill the dumplings following the instructions on the wrapper packaging. Drop a very scant teaspoon of filling onto each wrapper, rub the perimeter of each wrapper with a wet finger seal, fold and set aside.
At this point you can either freeze or bake off the dumplings. Freeze overnight on a cookie sheet and store in a freezer bag.
Place dumplings on greased or parchment papered cookie sheet. Bake frozen dumplings for 20 min at 425 degrees or until golden. Check after 15 minutes. Makes just under 3 dozen dumplings.

Walnut Pesto

2010-08-24T10:31:00.005-04:00

I made several different appetizers for my family before I went on vacation and this particular one my dad especially liked. I would be sure to make sure it comes to room temperature before serving this one. It really works better went you plate the crostini yourself because it really doesn't work as a dip. I used a couple ciabatta rolls sliced and toasted. There is so much flavor in the pesto that it is unnecessary to oil and garlic the rolls. I made the mistake of using too large of a garlic clove so I would recommend maybe even roasting the garlic before using it.

Walnut Pesto (adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Gottino)

1 cup shelled walnuts, toasted in a frying pan and cooled
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 sprigs of thyme, cleaned
Salt
Small splash of sherry
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes

In food processor, coarsely grind walnuts, cheese, garlic, thyme, salt, vinegar, oil and tomatoes. Serve on crostini.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

2010-08-24T09:58:00.005-04:00

This year for vacation I decided to make a bunch of healthier dips for snacking on. This was the probably the least well received. I don't know if people didn't like the eggplant or the consistency. Unfortunately, it went mostly uneaten so I had to get rid of it. I thought it was ok but not my favorite eggplant dip. Usually I have better luck with the Martha Stewart recipes, so I'm not sure what happened this time. Maybe I'll stick to some of the meal recipes for a while.

Vacation was really great this year. Never have we had such nice weather (in the 70s everyday!). We went in the water almost everyday (I think the kids went in everyday). We went shopping in town. I got some lovely souvenirs and presents for other people. I even played my first round of golf. I wrote some scavenger hunts for my cousins.

Anyway while the other adults were having their gin and tonics, I put out some of this snacks.

Roasted Eggplant Dip (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 large eggplant
4 garlic cloves (skin on)
4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Paprika, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place eggplant and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with 2 tablespoons oil.
Roast until garlic is soft and golden, 20 minutes. Remove garlic and set aside.
Continue to roast eggplant until soft and deflated, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes.
Slice eggplant open and scrape flesh into the bowl of a food mill and run it through the mill.
Peel garlic and mash and add to bowl, along with lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix until smooth. (To store, refrigerate, up to 1 week.)
Serve drizzled with more oil and a sprinkle of paprika if desired.

New Header

2010-08-21T22:42:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my connections with MYAH Films I was able to get this lovely new header. Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Or go check out their website.

Spiced Pork Medallions with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

2010-08-09T22:52:00.007-04:00

I'm back to cooking for at least a few days before I go to Vermont and I plan to bring a bunch of food with me. I have been trying to use up some frozen pork loin and so we will be eating pork for the next 3 days. Tonight I took out 6 oz. of pork from the freezer and cut them into medallions...

Spiced Pork Medallions and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
(adapted from Cooking Light)

6 oz. pork tenderloin, cut into medallions
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine
1/2 tsp flour
2 tbsp skim milk

1 cup fingerling potatoes, cut into wedges
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
salt and pepper to taste
2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp olive oil

Dry the pork with a paper towel and rub in the next 5 ingredients.
Toss the potatoes, onions and garlic with thyme, olive oil and seasonings.
Bake potato mixture at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
Heat the additional olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Add the spice rubbed pork to the pan and sear on each side until done.
Remove pork from pan and keep warm. There should be a little bit of dripping in the bottom of the pan.
De-glaze pan with wine.
Add flour and whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and add milk and whisk gravy to avoid separation.
Serve pork topped with gravy with the potatoes on the side.

Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad

2010-08-06T12:13:00.005-04:00

I know I have written before about not really liking cantaloupe. This week we got one in the CSA. So I was trying to come up with something I could do with it. This is full of all kinds of fresh food from local gardens. I actually ended up eating this more like salsa instead of salad. I cut everything nice and small so it was really easy. So good! I don't really have anything else to say about it honestly.

Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad (makes 1-2 cups)
1 cup diced cantaloupe
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 scallion sliced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 inch cube of ricotta salata, crumbled

Mix all ingredients together. Be sure to coat all pieces in oil and vinegar.

Beet Chips

2010-08-06T11:53:00.002-04:00

Slowly I've been trying to try beets in more and more types of foods. I've mostly been eating beet salad but love root vegetable chips. So when I saw this recipe I had to try it. While these weren't my favorite, they did crisp up nicely.

I used the recipe from Naturally Ella. I didn't check mine after 25 like she said and it was too long for my chips. I don't own a mandoline so I used the peeler to make my chips. I also learned that they are best eaten the same day. Enjoy!

Chicken Cutlet and Summer Salad

2010-08-03T22:08:00.008-04:00

I know, I know! Where have I been, right? This was my third summer at grad school. I go for 5 weeks and I live there. I have to eat dining hall unhealthy food and I miss my kitchen terribly. This year I had planned to try and cook on the weekend and bring my food for the week. I tried the first two weeks and it went ok, but then the workload started to take it's toll and I ended up not cooking. Last night was my first night back in the kitchen and it really felt great! I especially missed blogging and a whole month off was too much. Last night I just used up some old ground turkey and summer squash in a little pasta dish. Tonight I thought I'd really get back into it!

This recipe was adapted off the site thekitchn.com. I really want to thank all the blogs I read honestly because my Google reader was a familiar friend when I decided I needed a break. Even though I ate a TON of salad in the dining hall (one of the only things that didn't seem frozen, uberpreserved etc.), I felt compelled to make this.
What is this? A post the other week on CH was a guess the kitchen gadget. I don't normally like a lot of gadgets but I normally really like this one. I have a lot of trouble cutting the kernels off an ear of corn and this really helps. Today I somehow cut myself but honestly this isn't typical. Like Alton Brown and his aversion to unitaskers, I'm a big proponent of multitaskers in the kitchen.

Chicken Cutlet and Summer Salad (adapted from thekitchn)

6 oz. chicken breast cutlets (thin)
2 heaping tbsp all purpose flour
3 heaping tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 egg beaten with a tad of water
canola oil, for frying

1 small head butter lettuce
2 cups fingerling potatoes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, slice in half
1 very small onion (ping pong ball sized), chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off cob
2 oz. ricotta salata, crumbled

1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Bring a small pot of water to boil.
Add the fingerling potatoes to the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until one can be sliced in half easily. About a min before potatoes are done, add corn.
Remove the potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and put on ice to cool. Remove, pat dry, and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
Toss potatoes, corn, lettuce, onion and tomatoes together and set aside.
Dredge chicken in flour, egg and breadcrumbs in that order. Heat oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Fry chicken on each side and set aside.
Mix vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey and olive oil together using a whisk until emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste.
Toss dressing, ricotta salata and lettuce mixture together. Top with chicken cutlet.

Scallops with Summer Corn Hash

2010-06-22T10:19:00.005-04:00

For Father's Day we were going to make scallops wrapped in bacon as a appetizer. We ended up at the Mexican Cafe and Aldo's and didn't do any cooking at all. So I ended up with lots of ingredients at my house that I hadn't planned on having. After looking at a few thing on the Internet, I came up with this recipe. This was my first time making the large sea scallops and I cut them in half to ensure more even cooking. This was also my first time using beet greens. They are related to swiss chard and cook similarly. My mom had some beets in the fridge and the greens were crisp and beautiful. I absconded with them (just the greens, she kept the beets) and a bunch of other goodies from the weekend.

Scallops with Summer Corn Hash

3 strips of bacon
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
4 ears of white corn, kernels removed
greens from 2 beets, stems chopped and leaves chiffonade
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
scallops (I used 9 cut in half)
salt and pepper to taste (season throughout process)
a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce (I used chipotle flavored)-optional

Cook the bacon in a large skillet. Set aside bacon and heat 1 tbsp of bacon grease. Add potatoes to bacon grease and cook.
Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and beet greens stems. Cook until potatoes are almost done.
Add beet leaves and wine and cook down until greens are wilted and wine has evaporated.
Add Tabasco and corn and cook until potatoes and corn are done. Crumble bacon and add back to hash.
Meanwhile heat butter in another skillet.
Season scallops with salt and pepper.
Sear scallops in butter, turning once.
Serve scallops with hash.

I found that the potatoes were a little bland unless I seasoned liberally with salt. FYI whenever I say salt in my blog. I am always referring to kosher salt. I don't use table salt unless I am baking and even then I don't always remember. All in all it was a really fun meal to plan and cook. As you can see the last few recipes haven't been adapted, they have been all my own. I'm sure that if I made this again I would change a few things. I think I would put the onion and garlic in with the potatoes because they didn't have enough flavor. I would also use salt and pepper more liberally and more often. The beet greens were very good. I have another two sets that I plan using on pizza later this week.

Pita Pizzas

2010-06-22T10:02:00.003-04:00

This isn't a recipe but a great idea for a small lunch or late night snack. The best part is that it's ready faster than the convenience foods you get in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can use any toppings you want (although for things you don't normally eat raw, you may want to pre-cook them, like meats).

All you need:

whole wheat pita-pockets
sauce or olive olive
cheese of your choice
toppings
cookie sheet
parchment paper or aluminum foil
oven with broiler setting

Put you covering on you pan. Heat your broiler to high. Top pitas with sauce toppings and cheese. Thin layers are best. Broil pizza for 3-5 minutes. Watch them so they don't burn. The crust will get nice and crispy.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

2010-06-18T16:28:00.004-04:00

This was a spur of the moment type of recipe. I had zucchini and squash leftover from the CSA and I wanted to make myself a snack. It made a lot more than I thought it would and the fritters are rather heavy. I would say two is plenty for a snack. This made approx. 15 or so fritters. The fritters with less flour were a little lighter but they were difficult to roll in the breadcrumbs. Since I ate all these myself it will be awhile before I can try to make them again and perfect the recipe.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow summer squash
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2-3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, or enough to coat fritters
salt, pepper, garlic powder and minced onion to taste
oil for frying (I used peanut because it was all I had in the house)

Grate the zucchini and yellow squash.
Add egg and feta to squashes and mix. Add seasonings.
Add flour gradually, stop when mixture begins to hold together more easily.
In a dish, pour breadcrumbs. Scoop out fritter batter and roll in breadcrumbs. Set aside to fry.
Heat oil to 325-250 degrees in a high sided pan. You need approximately 1/2 an inch for frying.
Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles

2010-06-16T20:50:00.006-04:00

My freezer still has a lot of meats in it from BOGO grocery store sales. Here is some more of the pork that we bought. The sugar snap peas are from the CSA this week. I don't have much to say about this. It was good. I would make it again. I guess I'm a little sleepy. I did substitute pork for beef. Maybe it would have had more flavor with beef. Who knows!?

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles
(adapted from Gourmet)

1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
9 ounces Asian egg noodles
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
10 oz. pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 pint sugar snap peas

In a bowl dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce and stir in broth and zest.
In a kettle of boiling water cook noodles until tender and drain well, follow packing directions.
While noodles are cooking, in a wok heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking
Stir-fry garlic, gingerroot, onion, and peas until onion begins to be translucent.
Stir-fry pork, patted dry and seasoned with salt and white pepper, until browned.
Stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer mixture until thickened. In a large bowl toss pork mixture with noodles.

Chipotle Style Burritos

2010-06-16T13:18:00.007-04:00

I have an obsession with Chipotle. The closest ones are over 30 minutes away however. Honestly, it's probably a good thing, because it means that I can't eat there easily and it isn't the healthiest. I decided to try and recreate them at home. I wasn't able to attempt the beans and I didn't want to do fajita burrito, because we never order that. These burritos contain the following: cilantro lime rice, chipotle adobo chicken, medium corn salsa, mild tomato salsa. I set out some cheese and substituted fat-free Greek yogurt for sour cream. Be sure to microwave the tortillas for a few moments before you try to fill and wrap or they will split. Was it exactly like what you get at Chipotle? Not quite. Was it a good substitute? Oh hell yeah!

Cilantro Lime Rice (2-3 burritos)

2/3 cup basmati (texmati) rice
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp vegetable oil
Juice of half a lime

Heat oil. Add rice and salt and stir to coat with oil.
Add lime juice and water and bring to boil.
Turn down heat and simmer on low until water is evaporated.
Add cilantro and fluff to serve.

Chipotle Adobo Chicken

1 oz. dried chipotle peppers, rehydrated
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
1/4 red onion, sliced
Boneless skinless chicken breast

Place first eight ingredients in a mini-prep food processor and pulse until a paste forms.
Marinate chicken in pepper paste and onions for at least one hour (up to overnight).
Broil or grill chicken.
Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Medium Corn Salsa

1 10 oz. bag frozen corn (steamed)
1/2 jalapeno, grilled or roasted
1 poblano pepper, grilled or roasted (skin removed)
1/3 red onion, grilled or roasted
Juice of half a lime
salt and pepper
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Chop peppers and onion.
Mix corn, peppers, onion, lime juice, and cilantro together.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Mild Tomato Salsa

2 tomatoes, diced
1/3 red onion, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
salt

Combine all ingredients.
Season to taste

Red Chard Risotto

2010-06-14T16:58:00.007-04:00

This year I am sharing a share in a CSA with my friend, the German teacher. She and I split each of the the medium share boxes we get each Tuesday. Last Tuesday we got our first batch of red chard. I have never eaten (that I can remember) chard and I know I have never cooked with it. It's really a gorgeous color combination. I decided that i wanted to try to make a risotto, that way if I didn't like it, it would be well hidden. I think I like the chard but the recipe for risotto I chose was a little bland. TGT (the German teacher) told me that she and her husband decided to make a recipe with proscuitto, garlic, and cream. MMMMM it sounds good doesn't it? I have some bacon in the fridge, so maybe if we get more tomorrow, I'll have to include some bacon in next week's chard recipe. J doesn't like risotto but I grilled some sirloin to go with it in case he hated it. He agreed it was bland but ate what I put on his plate.

Red Chard Risotto (adapted from Bon Appétit)

4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 bunch coarsely chopped red Swiss chard leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add rice and chard and stir until chard begins to wilt, about 5 minutes.
Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cups broth at a time. Stirring until each 1/2 cup is absorbed.
Simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring frequently.
Mix in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with additional cheese.

Mexican Cheese Dip

2010-06-14T09:54:00.003-04:00

Please excuse the grease in this picture, after I first baked this it was quite attractive. Then at the party I tried to microwave it to warm it back up and it separated a little so I had to mix it up and take the picture quick.

This is another recipe I copied down from when I moved out of my parents house. This particular recipe we had never actually tried but had always intrigued me. It came from a notebook of recipes my aunt had given my mother. It was filled with her favorite recipes. This was one of the recipes. Again, I wasn't going for health. This was a "soak up the booze" recipe so the party wouldn't get out of hand with a bunch of people drinking on empty stomachs. I was under the impression that there wouldn't be a lot of food there if I didn't bring some. There did happen to be cake, cupcakes, and a taco layer dip, so it wasn't as if they would have starved. It was another big hit. There was a little leftover because as it cools it doesn't do so well. I should have reheated it again. Don't worry about the separating; it's fine once you stir it up.

Mexican Cheese Dip (adapted from my aunt's recipe)
1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese
1/2 lb. swiss cheese
8 oz. Hellman's or Best Foods mayo
1 small can chopped green chilis

Grate cheese.
Mix mayo with cheese and chilis.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Pizza Dip

2010-06-12T12:15:00.007-04:00

I know this is very out of character as a recipe for me. Something totally indulgent, unhealthy, with little to no nutritional value, but I was going to a party. This party was going to be full of non-adventurous eaters and perhaps vegetable haters (GASP!). So I went into the archives of recipes I had gotten from my parents when I moved out and found this gem.

Probably when I was in middle school this was one of the standard party fare recipes. My parents would make it for their Christmas party; we would bring it to our annual crab feast etc. I think it has to have been ten years since I last tasted this dip though. I have been craving it and I thought, what better way to get chance to taste it again than bring it to someone else's party. So I did.

One girl told me that she liked it especially because "You could put olive on a shoe and I'd eat it", or something similar (it was was late and I can't remember exactly). Another told me it tasted just like her mom's lasagna. Several people asked who made it. It was actually really nice to have people say nice things about my food. Maybe I'll bring it to next year's luncheon at school. Normally I run out of time and throw something together with the healthy food that's in my house and nobody eats is. (I made lovely white bean dip and people wouldn't even try it) I personally like my cooking for the most part so it's always a real blow to my ego. Don't worry though, I won't let last night's comments go to my head.

Normally we used to eat this on garlic melba rounds, but since I didn't think people would know what they were I went with Garlic Parmesan Triscuit Thin Crisps (honestly I forget the exact product). I usually don't like triscuits but these were pretty good. You definitely need a sturdy cracker or a spoon to put the dip onto the cracker (or bread slice, veggie dipper etc.).

Pizza Dip
1 block cream cheese
2 cups tomato sauce
(Italian Seasoning) - add a few tsp to sauce if bland, optional
1 bunch scallions chopped
1 small can sliced olives
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

Spread cream cheese on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.
Layer each subsequent ingredient in order.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

White Bolognese Rigatoni

2010-06-09T18:34:00.008-04:00

This was delicious. That's really all I have to say about this meal. It was delicious. I halved the meat but kept the same number of veggies plus extra mushrooms to make it healthier. I also used light cream instead of heavy cream. I think it would be interesting to add a little tomato paste to this for more of a normal bolognese.

White Bolognese Rigatoni (Adapted from Heidi da Empoli)

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1stalk celery, finely chopped

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 links hot Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings

1/2 lb. ground beef (90%)

3/4 cup Italian white wine

1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 1 cup simmering water

8 oz. white mushrooms, finely chopped

1/3 cup light cream

1/2 lb.rigatoni

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

1. Add a few tbsp oil to a large, deep sauté pan to lightly coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, mushroom, and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.

2. Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top; pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water to loosen it if needed. Top with cheese.

(Lighter) General's Tso's Chicken

2010-06-09T15:39:00.008-04:00

I have found that I have lost all craving to eat in the Chinese restaurants in our town. I haven't decided if this is a reflection on the restaurants themselves or on my particular taste in Chinese food. For the most part the restaurants in our town have a buffet for one. And while I love variety as much as the next person, I always feel like a hog at a Chinese buffet, even if I only eat one small plate. It may have to do with the many years the boys I worked with would get Chinese buffet at lunch and prepare all morning by making sure there was enough room in their bowels for as many plates as they could eat (I believe the going number was four plates). J has also introduced me to the fact that you need to go to a buffet at a certain time of day to get the freshest food. Since it's the peak hours that have the freshest food, you end up watching all these sad people gorging themselves, which is less than appetizing. One place once had a trail of ants climbing up the wall. Another place (supposedly) once had maggots in the fried rice after it had been delivered. Actually, thinking about it now, I can't think of a single place in town that has sit down Chinese (as opposed to buffet).

Anyway, what all this means is that I have been making more of our Chinese inspired dishes at home. This particular recipe is actually supposed to be a lighter version of the original. There is no deep frying and I have added a bigger veggie to meat ratio than originally called for. I must say as much as I'm not a huge fan of her personality, Martha Stewart's recipes seem to be pretty awesome in execution.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice (prepared according to packaging)
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 lb. sugar snap peas
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated and peeled
2 1/2 tbsp light-brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 large egg white
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil

In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add peas, carrots, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together egg white, remaining cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.
In a wok, heat oil over medium-high. Lift the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to wok. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add carrot-pea mixture to wok. Stir-fry until peas and carrots are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Oleana (Cambridge, MA)

2010-05-29T19:02:00.007-04:00

If you lurk on message boards you may have heard of Oleana. A Middle Eastern restaurant in Cambridge, MA. Reservations are pretty much required to sit inside but the patio is first come first served. Not being able to get a reservation because I hesitated in making plans due to some indecision issues, I thought it best that we get to the restaurant early. It opens at 5:30 and we arrived around 5:10. We were able to get one of the first few tables on the patio. It isn't very big and there was a pretty good line out front by the time the restaurant opened.

J and I wanted to have room for dessert (even though we really don't have much of a sweet tooth) because the reputation of the pastry chef was excellent. We decided to have a few small plates and split and entree. As usual I don't have pictures of everything. I don't like to disturb and be obnoxious during dinner.

We began with Warm Buttered Hummus with Basturma & Tomato and Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers. The hummus was topped with butter then wrapped in the beef and topped with fresh tomato puree. It was good but the whipped feta with peppers was even better. Each table receives a bucket of breads and pitas at the beginning of the meal as well.

Our next small plates were the Sultan’s Delight: Tamarind Glazed Beef & Smokey Eggplant Purée with Pinenuts and the Spinach Falafel with Tahini, Yogurt, Beets & Cress. The beef was delicious. Tender and sweet, moist and succulent. The eggplant was ok but not my favorite. The falafel was the best I've ever had and J thought it was fantastic as well. The tahini was very tasty but the beets and cress (which seemed more like arugula to me) weren't what J was hoping for. I welcomed them as unique additions. I did manage to get some pictures after we'd eaten a bit of them so they probably aren't as beautiful as they were. They were quite gorgeous when they came out. There was a large basil leaf on top of the beef. For our entree we split Lamb with Turkish Spices, Pide & Everything Green with Garlic & Yogurt. The "everything green" seemed to be some deliciously sauteed broccoli rabe. The lamb was a ground lamb kebab (kefta style). Way more moist than what we usually eat at our favorite Lebanese restaurant.

We each opted to get a different dessert J had a special of chocolate baklava. I didn't really like the bitterness of the chocolate nib sauce. My dessert was to DIE for though. One of the best desserts I've ever eaten: Salted Butter Ice Cream & Petite Caramel Soufflé with Pineapple & Cashew Crisp. I'm not sure what was better the ice cream or the souffle. It was best when each bite contained a little of each of the dessert. We had beautiful weather for sitting on the patio and I would go back if I had a chance.

Boston's North End

2010-05-29T10:40:00.010-04:00

My ethnic background is primarily Italian, if you didn't already know. My parents lived in New Haven in or near (I forget which) the Italian section when they were first married. New Haven Apizza is pizza in my mind.

I grew up outside Baltimore. I've been to Little Italy in Baltimore frequently for meals, cookies, feasts (festivals). The best cannoli ever (if you are into cannoli, which I am not) are from Vaccaro's Italian Bakery and their gelato is to die for.

When I found out that Boston has it's own Little Italy known as the North End. I knew we would have to spend some time there. In addition to two dinners, gelato and pastry we also found the North End to be full of specialty grocery and pasta stores. Sadly, traveling by air meant we could not buy meats, cheeses, fresh pasta, and anything liquid to take home with us. We did buy some Brioschi for heartburn and some friselles (black pepper/fennel seed).
Our first dinner we went to Carmen Trattoria. My parents had recommended it. It is extremely small. I had no idea how small but I'm glad we got a reservation. We actually showed up early and they seated us early. There are only 9 tables and a bar for 2. The whole place probably only seats 25 (by my count). With our glasses of red wine we set out to peruse the menu. J decided to be unconventional since it was his vacation and order pasta for both his first course and his main course. I was only a little less bizarre ordering a flatbread and a risotto. The menu on the website is not completely accurate so I took a photo of it as well.If you can see the menu, I had the grilled flatbread with caramelized leeks, Valle D'Aosta Fontina, Golden potatoes, pancetta, toasted pine nuts, and drizzled with truffle oil. The only complaint was that the crust could have been a little crispier. The flavor was fantastic though. The flavor of J's Homemade Gorgonzola Short Rib Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter and Hazelnuts was even better. I think it had a little balsamic vinegar or reduction drizzled through the brown butter sauce. It was so tasty I was using little bits of the bread to sop it up (on my fork of course). The ravioli could have been a little softer but again the flavor made up for any short-comings in texture. We ate them so quickly I wasn't able to get any pictures. I have so of the main dishes but as I don't like to use the flash when dining in nicer restaurants the quality isn't fantastic. J had the Baked Penne with Tiny Apulian Style Meatballs, Fresh Mozzarella, and Roasted Tomato Sauce. It came baked in a parchment paper cocoon. J really liked it. I would have been disappointed if I had ordered it myself. J commented that he really doesn't enjoy Italian food as much as he used to though.I ordered a lovely Spring Risotto with Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Fava Beans, Proscuitto, Fresh Mint and Parmesan finished with Mint oil. The scallops were perfectly done. I've never had fava beans and so they were harder than I had imagined. I also feel that the mint and mint oil may have been basil oil (which is fine with me because I prefer it).
The most interesting part of the meal might have been the goings on at the next table. I don't mean to poke fun at another person's ignorance but I thought it was rather an amusing turn of events. A woman and her daughter were visiting, looking at colleges. The mother was a vegetarian. She orders bolognese sauce (over crespelle filled with mushrooms). She tries to decide whether or not it is meat. Then proceeds not to eat it. My problem with the whole thing is: if you are a vegetarian (or have any dietary considerations that the kitchen should know about), and you don't know what a specific ingredient is or contains, wouldn't you ask the server? In every restaurant I have ever been to, the servers have been very gracious about dietary needs and will try and get something else for someone if what they have ordered is not able to be eaten by that person for that reason. The woman did tell the server at the end of the meal. I think it just made the server feel worse. (Although bolognese sauce by definition, at least as I understand it, contains meat.)

They do not serve coffee or dessert because clearly there is no room for after dinner lingerers. So we decided to embark in search of some at Mike's Pastry.

At Mike's we ordered a tiramisu (not as good as the one from NYC), some cookies and a raspberry gelato. It blew the gelato J had gotten at the little place at the entrance to the North End out of the water.

Our last night we got some pizza at the famous Pizzeria Regina (the original location). J was on the phone doing business but the pizza was decent and I felt like I was in an old movie with the pizza girls and their Boston accents (some of the first we'd heard all weekend). They had lots of specialty pizzas but we got a plain sausage.

Burrito Friday

2010-05-29T09:56:00.008-04:00

I've been away a while. First it was getting ready to go to Boston. Then I was in Boston. Then I got sick right after Boston. But basically, I'm back and ready to blog. Blog about Boston. We went to a variety of restaurants and hopefully I can remember enough about each place to write about them, even though it's been a week.
When we first got to Boston we headed to our hotel in Beacon Hill. Across the street was Anna's Taqueria. I had read that the burritos there were some of the best in Boston and being the burrito lover that I am we decided to check it out.

Having read a little about what to get, I opted not to get my usual chicken but try the much lauded carnitas. Juicy and tender meat from heaven. I also read that the chili verde was similar meat but much spicier. I told this to J and he decided to give it a try. Coming from the man who covers his Asian noodles in sriracha and asks for spicy at the Thai and Indian restaurants, this is TOO SPICY. He actually couldn't finish his burrito. Here it is:
This first visit we each got a super burrito which comes with rice, beans , cheese, choice of meat, and toppings. I thought it was really good! We actually went back on night because they are open to 11 pm at the MGH location and I got a regular burrito, which is much smaller and does not contain rice and while still pretty good, I think I preferred the super. I also tried the horchata which is pretty good as well. They have lots of Jarritos soda flavors as well. Plus all the employees speak Spanish. J looks a little overheated from the spice so we try and find him a second burrito.This time we had to walk a little farther (Boston is a walking city you know), but we ended up at Viva Burrito around the corner.
He was a little too hungry so I didn't get a picture. This time he went for the chicken. It was pretty good. I still think as CHICKEN burritos go, I prefer Chipotle (gasp! I know it's a chain). Maybe those big chains put something in their food to make you want to eat their food? Anyway Viva Burrito was a little bit of a wait. They don't walk you down the line and make it in front of you. They have more options and combinations and not everyone who works there is Hispanic. Better or worse? I can't judge that from two different types of burritos! For the price and if you want quick Mexican they are both pretty tasty. Is a one "not to miss" in Boston? Probably not; because really, is Boston supposed to be known for burritos?

Hot Melon Salad

2010-05-18T18:42:00.005-04:00

Hot Melon Salad, it sounds almost dirty...

For many years my dad used to make me try cantaloupe at Sunday morning breakfasts. Similar to when he made me try broccoli at dinner (although I actually like broccoli now). I still don't like cantaloupe but technically I think this salad is supposed to be a mix of both cantaloupe and honeydew melons. I made this last Labor Day but we had a really difficult time because we didn't have proper equipment. This really is best made using a wok. Last time I had a nonstick skillet and I used a combination of honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon and it heated up too slowly and ended up being very mushy.

Having done some research, ie: trying each type of melon when it was on a fruit try at work, I have decided honeydew melon is the only one of the three main melons that I actually like. So here is the very monochromatic, yet oh so tasty hot melon salad.

Hot Melon Salad (adapted from Alton Brown)

1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
16 ounces small-diced honeydew melon, approximately 2 cups
1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon pine nuts

Heat a wok over high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the onion, and saute for 3 to5 minutes, moving the pan continually.
Add the melon and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the melon starts to take on color.
Add the basil, salt, and pepper and continue to cook for another minute.
Pour mixture onto a serving platter, sprinkle with the cheese, vinegar and pine nuts, and serve immediately.

I served this with seared chicken, roasted green beans, and a white bean and rosemary mash. The green beans and chicken were good but the white beans left something to be desired.

Grilled Shrimp and Chopped Vegetable Salad

2010-05-10T21:40:00.004-04:00

Sadly, the weather and timing of this dinner didn't agree with the plan of grilling but we were able to salvage the food and create something tasty anyway. Ideally, you would grill everything. I attempted to roast the vegetables and used the grill pan for the shrimp.

Now that it's been days since I cooked this, I forget the majority of what I cooked. Basically roast some bell peppers (I like red and yellow better than green but whatever) with red onion, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt. Toss with salad greens and grilled shrimp. Before I grilled the shrimp, I tossed them with a tad of olive oil and cajun seasoning. Enjoy!

Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

2010-05-06T18:16:00.009-04:00

Ever since I read about this simple tomato sauce one of the blogs, maybe it was smitten kitchen,
I have been hankering after this sauce. Besides my family's Sunday sauce, I haven't been able to enjoy any of the tomato sauces, I've been making in the last few years. This all changed tonight. Sadly it is probably a little too fattening to be be something I'll make often but it's just delicious. Only three ingredients! I'm not going to gush because it seems to that this particular sauce has been blogged to death from what I understand but if you haven't seen it or tried it, you must!

Enough exclamation points for now. Let me talk about the gnocchi. I've made prepackaged gnocchi before, which is very hard. Heavy and sits like a rock in the stomach. I've made gnocchi from instant potatoes which have turned out quite well in the past. After talking with my (Italian) grandmother, it turns out that she almost always used instant potatoes to make her gnocchi.

The following recipe for gnocchi is 2 ingredients and very, very soft and light. From what I have read, that's the goal for gnocchi. The best gnocchi I have ever eaten however, were on special at Aldo's in Baltimore's Little Italy. If you can't travel there to eat them, or perhaps if they aren't on special the day that you, you can make this recipe instead.

Gnocchi
1 russet potato
1/2 cup flour, plus a little for rolling out the dough

Peel the potato and cut it into large chunks.
Boil the chunks of potato in water for 20 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and put potatoes through a food mill (or ricer).
Cool potatoes a little and add flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing the dough together. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
Roll the dough into approximately 1/2" wide ropes.
Cut eat rope into 1" long pieces and roll each piece over the back of fork tines to create ridges for the sauce.
Bring a pot of water to boil and lower gnocchi in using a slotted spoon. Be careful not to break up the gnocchi.
Gnocchi are finished when they rise to the top.
Top with sauce and cheese.

Next time I think I would add a little salt to the dough. No need for egg however.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
(Adapted from smitten kitchen's adaptation of Marcela Hazan’s recipe from Essentials of Italian Cooking)

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt, to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in pot over medium heat.
Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes.
Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and serve over pasta.

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables

2010-05-04T22:37:00.008-04:00

After last night's dud of a meal, I did not have high hopes for tonight's dinner. The sad thing, for those of you who know about them, is that I passed up free hot-chee dogs for this. There is a restaurant called the Hamilton that is similar to a diner, where I live. They aren't on the menu but a hot-chee dog (or burger or omelet) consists of American cheese, mustard, chopped onions and "sauce" which is like a Greek chili on a hot dog. At the school carnival today they were 75% off for students and free for teachers. I resisted in order to be able to eat my dinner. Luckily, dinner was delicious. I really liked this pork marinade. We cooked this dinner using both the grill and the oven. I haven't quite gotten as far as grilling vegetables. So I roasted the squash, zucchini, and onions. The grape tomatoes, J grilled on skewers. The pork was also grilled on skewers. I desperately need to buy some metal skewers because no matter how long I soak the wooden ones, they still tend to burn up. This dinner was just delicious. I'm definitely going to save the marinade recipe. I even forgot the cilantro that was supposed to go on the tomatoes but I didn't miss it at all.

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables (adapted from Ladyberd's Kitchen)

Juice of one orange (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (plus a little more or a spray for the vegetables)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic (approx. 4 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. Hot smoked paprika (I used the Hungarian variety because it was all I could find)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
~1 lb. pork loin (here I used pork tenderloin), trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 yellow squash, thickly sliced
1/2 zucchini, thickly sliced
1 red onion, quarteredCombine all of the marinade ingredients in bowl.

Add the pork and toss to coat thoroughly.
Cover and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (mine marinated for approx. 3 hours).
Just before cooking, preheat grill on high.
Thread pork and tomatoes onto separate skewers. Discard excess marinade.
Grill on high direct heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let rest 2-3 minutes before removing from skewers.
Before the pork and tomatoes go on the grill, line a baking sheet with foil (for less clean up) and broil the remaining vegetables (zucchini, squash, and onion) in the oven on high until they reach desired doneness (approx. 10 min). Everything should be ready at about the same time.

Thai Chicken Slaw

2010-05-04T21:43:00.004-04:00

This was not very well received. I thought it was ok but J said he felt like he was eating weeds. I had so much left over that I decided to change the leftover dressing recipe. I put the changes in parentheses for you to see. On the positive side: This was a super easy, as well as nice and cool for a muggy summer evening. It was pretty good with the dressing additions though.

Thai Chicken Slaw (adapted from Wives with Knives)

1 head napa cabbage, shredded
7 oz. chicken breast, cooked and shredded (raw weight)
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 mint leaves, chopped
6-8 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, lightly chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
(2 tbsp peanut butter)
(1 tbsp hoisin sauce)

Combine the shallots, jalapeno, honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce (and peanut butter and hoisin) and whisk thoroughly.
Combine the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Kurdish Carrot Fritters

2010-04-30T18:15:00.008-04:00

I have been wanting to make these from the second I saw them. I adore cooked carrots. Hate them raw, love them cooked. I know I'm super weird. I also love labneh which is the accompaniment to these carrot fritters. The awesome thing about them (for most people who keep a stocked fridge and pantry, unlike me who buys for the week and plans each meal down to the side dish) is that you can make them from normal things around the house. They were super easy and could have been made using the food processor instead of a grater to save time (just be careful not to over process.

Kurdish Carrot Fritters (adapted from Food Bridge)

5 medium sized carrots (about 2 cups), finely grated

1 yellow onion, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 salt or to taste

1/8 tsp Ras el hanout

Canola oil for frying

Labneh for serving

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
Create round flat fritters from the mixture, about 1 tbsp per fritter.
Heat oil in a pan, enough so that it comes half way up the fritters.
Fry fritters until golden brown, on both sides.
Remove on to paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serve with labneh or yogurt.

MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Bulgur Risotto with Corn and Shrimp

2010-04-30T16:49:00.006-04:00

Bulgur Risotto with Corn and Shrimp (adapted from SELF)
2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 oz fresh or frozen (thawed) raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 limes (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Cook garlic, stirring, for 30 seconds; add bulgur and salt; stir 1 minute more.
Gradually stir in 2 cups boiling water, 1/2 cup at a time (waiting until bulgur absorbs it to add more), until bulgur is slightly soupy, 8 to 10 minutes. (You might not use all the water.)
Add shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until it turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add corn, bell pepper, juice from 1 lime and red pepper flakes; stir, adding water to keep mixture creamy. Cook until corn and pepper are cooked through.
Add cilantro; serve with lime wedges and goat cheese.

The goat cheese is not from the original recipe and isn't in the photo but it was so good on the risotto that I highly recommend it. I was a little skeptical before I made this but it really was very tasty. It had a very Mexican flavor to it. I don't think J was a big fan unfortunately.

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Salad

2010-04-28T19:55:00.007-04:00

This recipe reminds me of some of the food from the Vietnamese restaurant we went to in Philadelphia. I am in search of an edible fish sauce for home use. If anyone has any recommendations I'm highly interested. The one I can find at my grocery store is Taste of Thai and I really dislike it. I add a tiny bit when it is called for but I would really like to be able to cook Asian food that I enjoy out at home with a good fish sauce.

Not to bad mouth my grocery store, but I'm also really fed up with the sporadic nature of stocking the shelves that they have. It seems that every week there are one or two ingredients, that every single other time that I go to the store, they are in stock, but the one week that I decide to use them for a recipe they're not on the shelf. This week it was bean sprouts. I bought a can instead but they smelled so bad even after rinsing and drying etc. that I couldn't use them for dinner.

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Salad (adapted from Seasaltwithfood)

10 oz. pork loin, sliced thinly
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp peanut oil
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cucumber, julienned
rice vermicelli, cooked
red leaf lettuce, shredded
½ cup peanuts
1/2 red pepper, julienned
mint leaves, chiffonade
basil, chiffonade

Marinade the pork for about 3 hours in the next nine ingredients (through salt).
Preheat the broiler or grill to high heat.
Grill the pork slices until the meat is done and the edges are nicely charred on both sides. Remove the meat from the grill and cut into smaller slices, if desired. Serve immediately with the rest of the salad ingredients.

To make the marinade easier to make, use a mini prep food processor to mince and combine.
I make a sweet sauce for J to add to his. I microwaved: 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp chunky peanut butter, 1 tsp wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp hoisin sauce. Then I whisked them together.

Mezze for dinner (recipes for Kibbe and Labneh)

2010-04-27T20:26:00.012-04:00

I really enjoy Lebanese food (and Middle Eastern in general). Last year for my birthday we went to The Cedar Restaurant in Camp Hill and the four of us shared ten mezze for dinner. Since the first few times we went to the restaurant, J really seemed to enjoy this type of food. Since then I have been trying to recreate as many things as possible. This is one of my favorite restaurant items, kibbe balls. The restaurant deep fries the balls but this recipe calls for you to bake them. I think I prefer the frying but I'm sure it was less messy this way. In addition to the kibbe balls, hummus, and pita bread, I decided to make some of the other things we enjoy from the Lebanese Restaurant, labneh and vegetables. Labneh

I have been making labneh for a few months now. I told someone about it who was skeptical of this method but it is so much easier than making your own yogurt to start with store bought yogurt. I've only used Greek yogurt. Mix a few sprinkles of kosher salt into yogurt. Place yogurt in a strainer lined with a coffee filter over a bow. Cover and place in fridge overnight and drain until yogurt cheese forms. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of sumac.

Kibbe Balls (from Chicho's Kitchen)

1 to 1½ lb (500 to 700g) ground beef
2 cups bulgur (cracked wheat)
1 onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Wash bulgur under running water then soak in water for about 10 minutes. Drain then press to remove moisture as much as possible.
Mash onion in the food processor then add meat in batches.
Remove and place aside.
Mix meat mixture with bulgur, salt, spices. Process well in batches into a firm paste.
Knead mixture with wet hands into a smooth paste. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes covered with a piece of wet texture.

Filling:
1/3 pound (150g) ground beef
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a handful of fried pine nuts
1 tbsp sumac

Fry chopped onion with a dash of salt in oil until transparent.
Add minced meat, salt and spices to onions and fry until cooked.
Mix in pine nuts. Put filling aside.
Divide paste into egg sized balls. Dip your hands in cold water then roll each ball between the palms of your hands until smooth.
Make a hole in the middle with your forefinger. Work finger round in the hole until you have a shell of even thickness.
Fill hole with filling mixture and close opening. Moisten with cold water to seal well and to shape with two pointed sides. If any breaks appear in shell, close with wet fingers.
Place balls on a tray. Bake them in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 20 mn or heat oil in a pan then fry till brown evenly and cooked.

I had a little bit of filling leftover and so I added some sliced zucchini, sliced carrots, sliced onions, and sliced red peppers and sauteed them in the pan with the leftover filling. Delicious!

Hummus and crispy chickpea skins

2010-04-26T20:53:00.006-04:00

I know everyone makes a hummus recipe. I know most hummus recipes are quick and easy. This was not quick and easy but it made some damn good hummus. This was just like the Lebanese Restaurant near our house. I didn't think about researching beforehand and spent a really, really long time peeling each individual garbanzo bean. I read about a few other methods just now. Results: super smooth hummus. I couldn't just let all those skins go to waste though. So I put them in the oven and sort made some snacks like when I made the ceci arrostiti. All I did for the skins was put them in the oven on 350 degrees with a little spray of olive oil and some salt and ras el hanout. I checked them often but I'd guess they were in there between 10 and 20 minutes. YUM! Here is a picture: When I was in pre-school my best friend's family was Palestinian, recently my mom and I visited her parents and her mom taught me how to make falafel correctly with a press. I haven't had a chance to make them again but she gave me a large bag of garbanzo beans and that's what I used to make this hummus.

Hummus (from Chicho's Kitchen)

1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight (or one cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
cooking water
salt
sumac
olive oil

Cook the chickpeas with boiling salted water until tender.
When done, drain the beans and keep the cooking water. Peel them.
Put the chickpeas into a food processor and grind until smooth.
Add the tahini, the garlic, the lemon juice and the salt if necessary. If the hummus is thick, add some cooking water blending until the desired texture. Spoon into a dish, drizzle some olive oil and garnish a pinch of sumac.

I added water a few tablespoons at a time. I think it depends on your preference of texture on how much water you add.

100th Post, Another Stir-Fry

2010-04-21T20:45:00.005-04:00

I was hoping my 100th post would be something more exciting than another stir-fry. This one wasn't great and I added some hoison sauce to the top of mine to make it taste better. This was originally supposed to be a salad of cabbage and leftover pork. I took it and turned it into a stir fry and then added leftover vegetables that I forgot I had in the fridge. Fell asleep before dinner last night so I'll have to push a few meals forward this week.

Pork and Roasted Carrot Ramen Stir Fry

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

9 oz pork loin, cut into small thin pieces

7 carrots, cut into chunks
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1 pinch kosher salt
2 tsp soy sauce

2 cups cole slaw mix
1/3 red pepper, julienned
1/2 zucchini, julienned
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

1 pack ramen noodles, cooked without flavoring packet and drained
2 scallions, sliced
1 egg
1 tsp peanut oil

Marinate pork in first 6 ingredients.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix carrots with next 4 ingredients. Place on baking sheet and roast 30 min.
Heat water for ramen noodles, meanwhile heat peanut oil in wok over medium to high heat. Add cabbage, garlic, onion, pepper, and zucchini to wok. Cook 5-7 min or until vegetables are almost desired doneness.
Add pork to wok and cook through.
Cook ramen according to package. Rinse and shake dry and add to wok. Remove carrots from oven and add to wok.
Move vegetables to side of wok to expose some of the hottest part of the wok. Break egg into wok and scramble, mixing into noodles, pork and vegetables. Be sure egg cooks through entirely. Top with scallions.

In search of the yeastless pizza crust...

2010-04-21T17:00:00.009-04:00

I was having my cousins HT and E over for "make your own pizza". I don't like dealing with yeast dough when I'm having guests because it's a little bit of a hassle. Luckily on Sunday night I decided to give a new recipe a dry run. I found a flatbread recipe and found some junk in the house to put on it. The problem was it was too dry and cracker-like which wasn't what I was looking for.

Being that I had to cook for the children (plus my mom and aunt) on Tuesday, I had no choice but to find another recipe and cook it sight unseen. After reading the copious reviews I decided I should be able to trust it. I liked it! The kids seemed to enjoy it and the parents seemed to like it too. Here are the two recipes and the pictures from each. You decide what you like...
Flatbread Dough (from Whole Family Fare)

1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Start by mixing the dry ingredients together. Add the egg yolks and olive oil.
Pour in the water and slowly mix until it forms a very shaggy dough.
Knead for a few minutes (you may need to add a little more flour so that it isn't so sticky).
Let it rest for 20 minutes, before rolling it out (preferably onto an preheated baking stone). Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and top with your veggies and cheeses. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes.

I topped this one with leftover fajita chicken, shredded and mixed with crushed fennel seed, sliced leftover apple, and a little shredded colby jack cheese. I don't think I would reccommend these particular toppings.

Here is the other recipe:
Yeast Free Pizza Crust (adapted from cooks.com)

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil

Mix all ingredients and let sit 10-15 minutes to rest. With a little whole wheat flour on the board, roll out dough to desired size and thickness. Top and bake on 500 degrees for 12-15 min.

Here the kids are eating.
Here we are with the kids' creations. They had red sauce, cheese and bacon.
The Aftermath
The adults had pear and blue cheese pizza with walnuts and rosemary. MMMMMMM

Ceci arrostiti

2010-04-18T20:59:00.005-04:00

Ever since I saw the fried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) on the airline magazine on Southwest, I had wanted to make this snack. I don't particularly like garbanzo beans. I like hummus but that's about it. I think it is a textural thing. For health reasons I decided to roast these, having just learned about this technique on a variety of sites. I made two different flavors (because I know some of my visitors aren't garlic fans). They were great right out of the oven but when I tried to store them it didn't work well. Tomorrow I am going to try and put them in the toaster oven to try and rejuvenate them for the people coming over.

Ceci arrostiti (Roasted chickpeas)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and dried on a clean dish towel
2 tsp olive oil

Seasonings:
black pepper, fresh garlic minced, dried rosemary, kosher salt

brown sugar, cayenne pepper, dried rosemary, kosher salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix oil and beans, tossing to coat. Feel free to loosen skins lightly, they will crisp nicely if slightly detatched.
Since I made to flavors I divided the batch in half and coated each half with a different flavor. Season to taste.
Spread seasoned beans in a single layer on a baking sheet (I used foil to divided the sheet in half).
Roast in oven 30-40 minutes.
Cool slightly then serve.

The beans in the foreground are the ones with cayenne pepper and brown sugar.

Lemon Grass Chicken and Noodles

2010-04-16T16:38:00.004-04:00

This was my first experience cooking with lemon grass and I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping it will be more accessible at the store next time I try to buy it. This time I was able to find it in two forms. One was a jar but I was apprehensive about it so I ended up buying the seafood pack of herbs in the produce section. It came with dill and chives but I feel in the future if I have to buy it in that form I will be able to find a vehicle for those herbs as well. J thought this tasted too much like cilantro and I thought it needed to be sweeter. I added a little hoisin sauce mixed with leftover chicken broth at the table. The picture above does not include that. The whole thin was only approximately 6 WW points (including the hoison sauce).

Lemon Grass Chicken and Noodles (adapted from Weight Watchers)
Serves 3-4

5 sprays cooking spray
6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 large scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp crushed red paper flakes
8 oz whole wheat linguine
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
(1 tbsp hoisin sauce, thinned with a few tbsps chicken broth)

Cook pasta according to package, keep hot.
Coat a large wok with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat.
Add chicken and cook 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides.
Add scallions, lemongrass and garlic and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add broth, soy sauce, zest and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Remove a few tablespoons of hot broth from wok and mix with cornstarch. Add slurry to wok.
Add spaghetti and cook 1 minute to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Top with hoisin sauce as desired.

Tuscan Pork Pita

2010-04-12T20:32:00.008-04:00

Tuscan Pork Pita (adapted from Weight Watchers)

1 wheat pita
3 oz. pork loin, sliced in rounds, pounded to 1/8" thickness

1/2 small tomato, sliced thinly
several basil leaves
1/4 cup sliced eggplant
2 tbsp roasted red peppers
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
3/4 tsp rosemary
kosher salt
pepper

Heat broiler on high heat.
Mix olive oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Coat pork slices with dressing.
Press eggplant into breadcrumbs and broil each side for approx. 4 min on each side. Set aside.
Press pork slices into breadcrumbs. Broil approx. 5 min on each side or until done. Set aside.
Wrap pita in wet paper towel and microwave 30 seconds.
Fill pita with tomato slices, basil, pork, eggplant, and roasted red peppers.

Pork and Vegetable Teriyaki Soba Noodles

2010-04-08T20:45:00.006-04:00

Today I learned the value of marinating overnight. Sure, recipes usually say a few hours to overnight. And even though I know which days I'm cooking what, I sometimes don't think ahead on the marinating until it is too late. Yesterday I had planned on making stir-fry, but I fell asleep and decided to save it for today. The overnight marinating made a huge difference in the taste of the pork.

Pork and Vegetable Teriyaki Soba Noodles

7 oz. pork loin, cut in to strips
3.2 oz dry soba noodles
10 asparagus spears, cut into thirds
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups cole slaw mix (cabbage/carrots shredded)
3 carrots, diced
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 cup broccolini, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp hoison sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp peanut oil

Marinate pork strips overnight in 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and 2 tbsp hoison.
In a wok heated over medium high heat, heat 2 tbsp peanut oil.
Add broccoli, asparagus, onion, garlic, and carrots and stir-fry several minutes until slightly tender.
Add scallions, broccolini, zucchini and cabbage and cook until tender.
Add soy sauce, cook one minute and remove vegetables from wok.
Add last tablespoon peanut oil to wok and heat. Drain marinade from pork (leaving a little for flavor) and add to wok.
Cook soba noodles according to package while pork cooks.
Add cook soba noodles to cooked pork in wok plus extra 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce and stir to coat.
Add vegetables back into wok and stir to heat through. Serve.

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts: Biggest Loser Recipe Makeover #3

2010-04-08T20:19:00.004-04:00

Well the contest is over and J came in first! I was third (lost ~25 lbs.) and my dad was second. This is one of the meals we ate the very last week. Since then we had Easter eating extravaganza and I started a contest at work so I'll be weighing in each week still. I had gained 10 lbs. from Easter but I'm back down 7 lbs. Hopefully I can lose those last 3 lbs. quickly and get back on track (otherwise I have to pay a dollar!). Still eating minimal meat when I cook at home. This used only about 4 oz. of chicken. I suppose I could have left it out but J really doesn't like pasta dishes so I feel like it needs a little meat to make him happier.

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts (adapted from Real Simple)

4 ounces shell pasta or some other short pasta
2 crown broccoli, cut into small florets
3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp salted butter
1/8 cup grated Parmesan
4 oz. cooked chicken breast

Heat oven to 400° F.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender, approx. 15 minutes. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, chicken breast, butter, and some of the reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

Pear and Blue Cheese Soup

2010-03-26T18:15:00.005-04:00

Our favorite flavor combination is back again. This soup while not very complex is SO EASY and flavorful. It is also very inexpensive to make. Who doesn't like pear and blue cheese? Actually I was talking about this soup at work and I think that I totally grossed out my coworkers. The one guy said that he doesn't eat pears even and the other seemed pretty taken aback that these pears are cooked. I really don't like raw pears to tell you the truth. The texture is all grainy and sandy. I prefer some type of heat to soften them up. Pear and blue cheese pizza is one of our favorites but we also make a tartlet using phyllo cups. I'm sure if I wanted to be really creative I could come up with other ideas. Pear and blue cheese omelet perhaps? Maybe a crostada or galette? A wrap? I think I've made similar panini in the past. Anyway, make this soup, before it really gets warm and summery and you want to eat salad for months.

Pear and Blue Cheese Soup (from Biggest Diabetic Loser)
Serves 2

14.5 ounce fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 medium sized pears, peeled and sliced
2 ounces blue cheese
1.5 ounce pancetta, diced and pan fried (then cooled)
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of Paprika

Put broth in pot and add sliced pears.
Cook until pears are soft enough to blend with a stick blender.
Remove from heat, stir in blue cheese and add salt, pepper and paprika.

Tacos Verdes de Pollo

2010-03-25T19:57:00.006-04:00

Tacos Verdes de Pollo

6 flour tortillas (fajita size)
1/2 large onion, sliced and caramelized
6 tbsp shredded pepper jack cheese
1 boneless chicken breast half
2 cups fresh spinach, shredded
1-2 tsbp seasoning for chicken (I used a mixture of salt, thyme, bay, allspice, hot pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper- a spice blend from a friend)
1 avocado
1/4 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2. tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

1. Press seasoning blend into chicken. Pan sear on both sides until cooked through. slice very thinly for tacos.
2. Make avocado crema: mash avocado and combine with garlic, salt to taste, cilantro, grapefruit juice and yogurt.
3. Microwave tortillas in a wet paper towel until soft 10-20 seconds.
4. Assemble tacos with 1/6 of each: caramelized onions, cheese, chicken, spinach, and avocado crema.

These are so delicious. The avocado crema was yummy and the grapefruit juice kept the acidity needed from lemon juice to prevent oxidation but added sweetness to balance out the rest of tang from the yogurt and the spice from the garlic. The caramelized onions add the rest of the sweetness. I want to make these again. Can we make them again now? I want to make them now.

Baked Eggs in Toast Cups

2010-03-25T18:48:00.005-04:00

This is a great concept. So easy, affordable and fast! The only problem I still have is that I don't REALLY like eggs. They look so delicious and creamy, smooth. As a child I really only ate scrambled ages or omelettes. I wanted to like the fried sunny side up eggs my parents made and would eat them once in a while but had a hard time stomaching them. In college I tried to enjoy egg salad one Easter season. Since them I can eat poached eggs (with something like toast) and eggs benedict (variation on poached). I still can't stand hard boiled. So I decided baked eggs deserved a shot as well.

Baked Eggs in Toast Cups

4 eggs
4 pieces sliced bread (crusts removed)
salt
pepper
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pesto
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Using a rolling pin, flatten each piece of bread.
Grease 4 tins of a muffin tin and fill the rest with a few centimeters of water.
Press each piece of bread into the muffin tins.
Break one egg into each bread cup.
Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper and top with 1/4 tsp of butter.
Bake eggs until reach desired done-ness, 8-10 minutes.
Mix pesto and olive oil and drizzle over finished eggs.

Pressed BBQ Chicken Sandwich

2010-03-18T17:47:00.003-04:00

I originally wanted to make panini but I don't think this flattened enough to consider it legitimate panini but I promise that I pressed and heated this sandwich. The side was just broiled asparagus with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. They were so good. I could have eaten a whole dinner of just asparagus. Just like fries and apparently one of the proper ways to enjoy asparagus, I ate them with my fingers.

Pressed BBQ Chicken Sandwich
hard roll
3 oz piece of boneless skinless BBQ chicken (I sauteed mine on the stove top with sauce)
1 slice muenster cheese
1/2 cup caramelized onions
extra barbecue sauce or horseradish sauce (optional)

Assemble sandwich and press/heat as you would panini.

Roasted Asparagus, Zucchini and Tomato Salad

2010-03-18T16:22:00.005-04:00

I am very apprehensive when it comes to making salad. They just don't turn out right. Maybe it's genetic, my mother also isn't confident when it comes to salad. I do really enjoy a good whole meal salad and the ones I have been making are getting better.This one was exceptional. I couldn't find halloumi cheese at my supermarket and I didn't grill the vegetables like the original recipe said to but it was delicious just the same. I love roasted vegetables! They are super easy and juicy and wonderful. I served this with the Greek turkey meatballs.

Roasted Asparagus, Zucchini and Tomato Salad
(adapted from Closet Cooking-and Cook Sister!) Makes 2 large salads

4 handfuls spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
8-10 spears asparagus
1 zucchini, thinly slice lengthwise
4 oz breadcheese, cut into 1 oz slices (Juustoleipa/Leipajuusto)-Carr Valley is the brand I have.
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons pesto
olive oil
salt
pepper

Place tomatoes, asparagus and zucchini on baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, add salt and pepper and toss to coat, keeping each vegetable separate from the others. Broil on high 5 minutes or until you reach desired color.
Mix lemon juice, pesto and approx. 1 tablespoon olive oil, reserve as dressing for the salad.
Heat bread cheese 30 second in the microwave on separate plate. Top spinach with cheese.
Add vegetables and dressing to salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Greek Turkey Meatballs

2010-03-17T22:03:00.003-04:00

This is the second attempt at this Greek turkey meatballs recipe. They really are quite delicious. My friend W tried one and she said there were delicious as well. I have been using a 1/2 tablespoon to create the meatballs for all my turkey meatballs lately. I like have lots of little meatballs rather than a few larger ones. I served this along with a salad (see next post) and all in all it was a wonderful meal to top off a day of beautiful weather. Spring is in the air and soon we'll be grilling up a storm. I can't wait for the seasonal produce and I'm thinking about joining a CSA.

Greek Turkey Meatballs (adapted from The Perfect Pantry)

6-8 oz ground turkey

1/4 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs

~4 tbsp fat free plain Greek yogurt

1 large egg

~1 tsp dried oregano

~1 tsp lemon zest

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp dried parsley

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well combined, with the breadcrumbs and yogurt evenly distributed throughout.
Wet your hands with water, and form the turkey mixture into meatballs.
In a pan coated with cooking spray, saute the meatballs until cooked through, turning to ensure browning on all sides.

Pork Bulgogi

2010-03-16T23:01:00.004-04:00

After going to the Korean restaurant in NYC two weekends ago, I decided we needed to try making some of out own Korean food and trying new things. I'm not a huge Martha Stewart fan and I'm not sure how authentic this recipe is but we tried it just the same. I would make this again in a heartbeat. I think this would be easy to do with other types of meat as well. We enjoy the very lean pork but chicken and beef should also be decent. This also gave me the opportunity to use my wok (always a plus!). As usual J wanted some rice or noodles to accompany his pork. This is a little spicy but you can definitely decrease the amount of red pepper flakes for the more sensitive palate.

Pork Bulgogi (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Serves 2

4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp ginger, freshly grated
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 oz pork loin, very thinly sliced crosswise (pounded to equal thinness if necessary)
1/2 large sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon corn oil
sesame seeds
Boston Bibb lettuce, 6-8 whole leaves

In a medium bowl, combine garlic cloves, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and ground pepper.
Add pork and onion wedges; marinate 10-30 minutes.
In a wok, heat oil over high heat. Brown pork and onion, 5 to 10 minutes. Add sesame seeds, if desired.
Wrap mixture in lettuce leaves, taco style, to eat.

Mujadarrah

2010-03-16T21:20:00.007-04:00

I was living in Spain when I first tried lentils. I hated them. Then I tried the lentil soup with cider vinegar. This is the only way to eat lentil soup. Giving up on lentils for a while, I had them again at W's house over rice and lettuce with feta and vegetables. It was awesome! So I decided to try this Middle Eastern recipe because I love onions. I was not impressed. I'd say if you like lentils, it was delicious. I had to throw out my leftovers. Not one of my better experiments.

Mujadarrah (adapted from CookEatShare)

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced into rings
1/3 cups uncooked lentils
1/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
Add the rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

Turkey Kefta

2010-03-11T22:09:00.006-05:00

Last May I made this recipe from Cooking Light. I was looking for some more turkey meatball ideas when I stumbled back on this recipe and I decided to use the ingredients and the idea to make something a little different. The special part of this recipe is the Ras el Hanout that I made last year for the original recipe. Here's my take (with help from CL) on Moroccan Kefta using
turkey.

Turkey Kefta (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/2 large sweet onion sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Cooking spray

1 tbsp dried parsley (this is a personal preference because I don't like fresh parsley)
1/4 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
10 oz ground turkey

couscous (prepared per package instructions)
Greek yogurt

With a little cooking spray caramelize the onions. Add salt, pepper, raisins, Ras el Hanout and a splash of broth.
Combine turkey, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, Ras el Hanout, pepper and egg in a large bowl; shape mixture into 1/2 tbsp sized meatballs.
Place meatballs on top of onion mixture; cover and cook, turning once, until done. Continue adding broth so food in pan doesn't stick as it evaporated. Not so much that you are boiling the meatballs (more like they are beings gradually sauteed and steamed at the same time).
Serve over prepared couscous with a dollop of fat free plain Greek yogurt.

Mandoo Bar (New York, NY)

2010-03-08T19:48:00.010-05:00

We were looking for a place to eat in between the used CD store and the theatre and apparently that's just where Koreatown happens to be. Totally randomly I chose Mandoo Bar online. J and I had never actually had the pleasure (that we knew of) of eating Korean food before. I had tried kimchi once at a Vietnamese restaurant but that was as close as we had come. Mandoo Bar specializes in mandu, little dumplings. We tried the pork mandu and they were delicious. All the mandu are made right in the front of the restaurant by two ladies who do nothing other than make mandu all day long. Here they are. The picture below is our Goon Mandu. We also decided to try the Seafood Noodles and the Bulgogi. J really enjoyed the metal chop sticks that are customary for Koreans.
He thought the Seafood Noodles weren't all that different than the Shrimp Yaki-Udon that he gets at the Japanese restaurant in our town. I didn't like them as much as the Bulgogi, which I would love to be able to make for myself. Now that I've had some Korean food, I can't wait to be able to experience it again.

Via Brasil (New York, NY)

2010-03-08T16:55:00.009-05:00

I'm not saying I'm against Brazilian food in the slightest. J explained it to me in this way: it's like the Thai restaurant. What he means is that every time he goes to the Thai restaurant, he always orders something he hates. He says he has finally found something that he likes. Once when we went to New York, J decided he wanted to try Via Brasil. Last time I tried ordering something I thought I would like (chicken stroganoff) and I was sorely disappointed. It is very rare that I go somewhere and don't at least mildly enjoy the food I'm eating.

J claims that he had his favorite meal ever at the Brazilian restaurant, misto. I remember thinking that he was out of his mind, and that it wasn't that good (bland). Misto is a mix of chicken, pork, beef, and sausage, served on a giant sword-like skewer. J likes to call it "meat on a sword". Being that it was his birthday, I thought it would be nice to offer to go back to Via Brasil (even though I had no idea what to order, which never happens. Usually I can't decide because there are too many things I want on the menu).

This time I decided to be more daring and try something very authentic and more out of my comfort zone: Feijoada Completa, black bean stew with fresh and dried beef, salt and fresh pork, bacon, sausage, and ribs served with rice, collard greens, orange slices and farofa (toasted yuca flour). J tried it and he thought it wasn't bad. I actually liked the collard greens ok but I really wasn't a fan of the rest of it.
This time J's food was delicious. I don't know what the difference was but the meat had a very nice flavor. So at the very least I've foudn something I can eat so J can have his favorite meal.
While this was tasty it really doesn't have too much in the way of being nutritionally sound and good for the Biggest Loser contest. I didn't eat too much so hopefully it didn't ruin my standing.

Il Melograno (New York, NY)

2010-03-07T08:24:00.009-05:00

I rarely do a restaurant review (probably because many of the places where we live and eat aren't really note-worthy). This weekend, however we went to NYC for J's birthday. As is the custom with the two of us we spent an unholy amount of time trying to decide where to eat. Finally I just made a decision and we went with it.

Il Melograno is owned by an Italian gentleman, Alberto, who according to the couple seated to the side of us, once owned a very successful restaurant in the Italian Alps. Located on the corner of W. 51st St and 10th Avenue a mere 20 min walk from our accommodations on Central Park Sout, Il Melograno means pomegranate in Italian.

Our first impressions were a little shaky, mostly due to the fact that it was such a busy night. No more than 15 tables and seating for approximately 30 made our first 15 or so an interesting affair. There were two couples and a single gentlemen waiting for a table ahead of us (in a space only big enough to hold two people comfortably. If it wasn't winter I would have been very happy to wait outside because it was apparent that we were in the way. A six top was open and after some quick thinking they separated the tables to form three two tops. The single gentleman (who may have been a critic for the way he was approaching the meal, decided he would rather wait for the more spacious bench table near the door. This move wedged us between two couples (most likely in their 60s). Once they brought me a chair, things began to run more smoothly.

The way the restaurant is set up, the pass is right along the aisle that patrons must walk through to enter and exit the back tables in the restaurant. This afforded us the view of all food being served at the restaurant (which was quite a treat and made ordering easier). We were also able to watch the fluidity with which Alberto moved from the role of owner, to head chef, to bus boy, to cashier, to expediting. The man did it all in the hour and a half that we were there.

The best way for me to describe the atmosphere is dynamic. This is not the place to go for a quiet dinner for two, with white tablecloths and old world restaurant manners. The staff was vibrant, youthful, and helpful. The kitchen being part of the dining area was not conducive to low whispered conversations with an illicit lover (if that's your particular situation). We were so close to our fellow diners that by the end of the meal we had made friends with one of the couples who was distantly related through marriage to the owner.

Not knowing what wine we wanted to order the couple next to us directed us to ask for a taste of the house red. It was a little too heavy for my taste in wine. I prefer light to medium bodied wines. We each had a glass of the Pinot Noir instead. They pour very generously by the glass so I didn't feel cheated not ordering the bottle. The staff was also very attentive to filling up my water glass.

The menu on menupages.com is not complete and obviously would not include specials, but their website is under construction so at the moment it was the only resource we had. Originally we were going to order the Cecina, a puree of chickpeas and basil, which sounded similar to a pesto hummus but after seeing them at the pass we went with one of the specials: arugula, tomato, and orange salad as an accompaniment to grilled swordfish, shrimp, and calamari. J was torn between homemade pasta (most of the pasta is homemade and specified as so on the menu) with pesto or the rack of lamb, with spinach, and roasted potatoes. The lamb was very good. I was deciding between several of the pasta dishes and when it came down to the penne with wild mushroom ragout, mascarpone cheese & fresh rosemary or the fresh pappardelle with sweet sausage sauce, peas and truffle oil, my server directed me to try the fresh pasta instead. The only complaint I have (and it's a personal taste issue) is that the sauce contained some red (I believe bell) pepper and I would have liked that specified on the menu because I'm not the biggest fan of peppers in my red sauce. The dish was still delicious and I would definitely order it again.
Sorry for the picture quality but I didn't want to bother the other people dining so close to us, and it was a difficult to see if it was focused or not.
For dessert I thought perhaps the tiramisu would be too boring, so we ordered the apple and nutella cake with vanilla gelato. I don't think it was fresh so we would have been better with the tiramisu. Our dinner companions said it was the best tiramisu they had ever eaten and offered us a taste. J liked it so much that he ordered one to go. Later Alberto came to speak to the other table and we complimented the chef and they brought us all limoncello. The other gentleman we were sitting with (not realizing J had bought a second dessert to go) told Alberto that J needed tiramisu instead of limoncello, so we had a bite of that as well.

Overall I would go back to Il Melograno. It was very reasonably priced and well located. The cramped quarters were not as distracting as I thought they might be.

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

2010-03-05T17:40:00.005-05:00

Here's the weekly stir-fry. I don't know if I'll make another one next week. I think that J is getting a little tired of them. He wants me to start stir-frying the rice as well. This will take some ahead of time planning. This was very easy and tasty, another winner from Cooking Light.

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry (adapted from Cooking Light)

3 3/4 tsp cornstarch, divided
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 lb. chicken breast, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews
1 tbsp canola oil
1 julienne-cut red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup white rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.
Heat wok over medium high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions. Serve over rice.

Greek Pasta and Meatballs

2010-03-02T21:17:00.006-05:00

I really enjoy making meatballs. They are so much fun and I'm pretty fast at making them. Of course this is another cooking light recipe. As far as Greek inspired recipes, I prefer this recipe for turkey meatballs (sauteed with a little cooking spray) from The Perfect Pantry. Although this was a light recipe I felt that the ground lamb that was available in the grocery store was extremely fatty. I don't generally use jarred tomato sauce (see recipe), so instead I took a can of crushed tomatoes and sauteed some garlic and onion (plus some herbs and spices I had on hand with a pinch of cinnamon to tie in the Greek flavor to the sauce) to make a sauce. I think I'll continue to use the ground turkey for (weekly) meatballs.

Greek Pasta with Meatballs (adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup orzo
1/3 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground lamb (I couldn't get lean and it really needs to be less fat that what I had)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 large egg whites
cooking spray
1-2 cups marinara sauce (can add oregano, cinnamon, and allspice for more of a Greek taste)
8 tablespoons feta cheese (reduced fat if you prefer)

Preheat broiler on high.
Cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.
Combine breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Add egg whites, stirring mixture until just combined. Shape mixture into ~25-30 (1 tbsp) meatballs, place on cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
Broil meatballs 4-5 minutes on each side, turning once (8-10 min total). Let dry on paper towels. Spoon heated marinara sauce over orzo; sprinkle with cheese. Serve with meatballs.

I thought it was a little bland so I added a little grated Parmesan cheese as well.

Chicken Panini with Figs

2010-03-01T20:47:00.007-05:00

Back when I was making the fig stuffed pork tenderloin, I bought some figs. Later I made a fig paste to put on some pizza. My grocery didn't carry fig jam or preserves and I am continuing to use the dried fig paste from the same fig for other things. Last week my parents came to visit (and I forgot to photograph all the food I had made but I will make the fig and blue cheese appetizers again for J's birthday on Friday. I put half a tsp or so of blue cheese and the same amount of fig paste in little phyllo cups and toasted them. When I saw this recipe in my file, I thought it would be a nice way to use up some of the chicken in the freezer and these figs. Thanks again, Cooking Light!

Chicken Panini with Figs (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 2

1/8 cup fig paste (re-hydrated dried figs, chopped in food processor)
1 (small) ciabatta loaf, cut lengthwise
1/8 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mesclun
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Spread jam over cut side of top half of bread. Combine cheese and butter in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread cheese mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread. Arrange chicken evenly over cheese mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Place top half of bread, jam side down, over chicken.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add sandwich to pan. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet on sandwich; cook 5 minutes or until both sides are browned, turning once. You can also use a panini press.
Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Remove top bread half from sandwich. Arrange arugula mixture over chicken. Replace top bread half. Cut sandwich into 2 equal portions.

Beef Noodles with Oyster Sauce

2010-02-26T13:41:00.007-05:00

This is another recipe from that Chinese Cooking book that J gave me. I talk about it here. I thought this was one of the best stir-fries I've made so far. J said it didn't have that "stir-fry" taste (I think he means burnt vegetables). Because I cook over really high heat in the wok some of the pieces taste a little charred like on a grill. I think that was the difference with this recipe. He also doesn't like asparagus so I wasn't expecting him to love this.

Beef Noodles with Oyster Sauce (adapted from Chinese Cooking)

1/2 lb beef thinly sliced into strips
9 oz. fresh Chinese Egg Noodles (found near the wonton wrappers in the store)
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped (1.5" pieces)
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp fat free beef broth
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp oyster sauce (found in the International aisle in the store)
1 tsp sesame seeds

Marinade:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp rice wine

In a non-metallic bowl mix marinade ingredients and add the beef. Marinate at least 15 minutes.
Boil the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse and set aside.
Heat the wok over high heat. Add half the oil and heat.
Add the asparagus and stir-fry one minute.
Add the beef and marinade to the wok (carefully). Stir-fry until medium.
Remove beef and asparagus from pan.
Heat the rest of the oil and stir-fry garlic, ginger, and onion until onion is soft.
Add broth, wine, and oyster sauce and bring to a boil, continuing to stir.
Return the beef and asparagus to wok with noodles. Mix everything together and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Ginger Shrimp Wontons with Spicy Peanut Sauce

2010-02-26T12:39:00.008-05:00

J was helping pick out recipes last week and he must have really been craving Asian food as you can see from the previous posts. He even had Chinese Buffet for one of his lunches, so apparently dinner almost every night wasn't enough for him. These were originally supposed to be potstickers but I didn't feel like dealing with it so these were baked nice and crunchy in the oven.
These were surprisingly fast to make. Don't be afraid of wonton wrappers; they are so much fun to work with. One day I'd like to have a dumpling party and make a bunch of fillings and sit around talking and wrapper and then snack on them during game night or whatever. If I could find enough people I would love to start a dinner club (or whatever you want to call it). Anyone interested in a once a month type of thing?

Ginger Shrimp Wontons with Spicy Peanut Sauce (adapted from Cooking Light)

(makes 24 wontons, I had some filling leftover either because I didn't fill them enough or I didn't measure my shrimp carefully enough)

1 cup shredded napa cabbage
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cooked peeled small shrimp (I used thawed frozen pre-cooked)
Dash of hot sauce (sriracha)
24 wonton wrappers

Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

To prepare wontons, combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 4 times or until coarsely chopped.
Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp mixture into center of each wrapper.
Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake wontons at 400 degrees for approx. 8-10 min. Edges should be crispy but not burnt.
To prepare sauce, combine 1/4 cup water and next 5 ingredients (through sugar) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Serve sauce with pot stickers. Garnish with extra chopped green onions, if desired.

Pork Chops with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

2010-02-26T11:49:00.004-05:00

Look out. Incoming! Another Cooking Light recipe. Did I mention I took all my clipped recipes from all different sources and tried to file them in some type of system? In doing so, I also have to make an effort to actually try these recipes I've been hoarding. Yes, hoarding. My expandable folder literally couldn't hold all of the recipes. So besides the blogs, the databases, and the cookbooks, I am also trying to use as many of these recipes as well. If it isn't any good I can throw away the recipe. This particular recipe wasn't bad per se. I just don't actually know if I would make it again. When I was little my mother had a rating system in she would write in her cookbooks with the date she first made the recipe to keep track of them. Excellent, Very Good, Good, Ok, Fair, Poor. These are the words I've been trying to incorporate myself so I can decide whether or not to make something again (although we all know that I have a hard time making the same thing twice). I would say Good and above have a decent chance of a repeat performance. This recipe I rated as Good. I wouldn't serve it to company, but as a nice weeknight meal it fits the bill.

Pork Chops with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce (adapted from Cooking Light)

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup (King Syrup)
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Chinese hot mustard (such as Ty Ling brand)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
4 green onions
1 cup hot cooked white rice

Combine sugar and syrup in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally.
Stir in hoisin, vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Keep warm.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over pork. Add pork to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done.
Add pork to hoisin mixture, turning to coat. Keep warm.
Combine onions, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and rice; serve with pork.

Marinated Beef with Vegetables

2010-02-26T10:51:00.004-05:00

You know those inexpensive cookbooks that don't really have an author (just a publishing company) that they sell in the sale sections at bookstore or in the front of stores like Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls? Well, somehow I have acquired several of those over the years. Some were gifts, some were impulse buys because two dollars for any book is worth it to me. At any rate, I've always been afraid to cook from them because I don't trust that anyone has ever tested these recipes. Let me know if you know anything about that. Paragon Books puts out several different kinds of these books and for Christmas one year J gave me one called Chinese Cooking: A collection of easy and elegant recipes. This Christmas I got a wok and J requested that I make a stir-fry once a week. So I decided what better way to get so use out of this book than to try to cook all the recipes that we would actually eat. The idea of cooking my way through an entire cookbook is very intriguing, but there are is rarely a book in which every single recipe sounds like something I would like. I'm not picky anymore but the few things I know I don't like I stay away from. Why waste calories on something you don't really want to eat? Going to weight watchers has definitely instilled this philosophy in me. This works only for things that aren't good for you of course. The healthy guidelines are good for you even if you don't really want to eat your vegetables. I guess the key is making the vegetables something you that you want to eat. This particular recipe includes lots of vegetables. I personally thought the recipe was a little bland but I like my Asian food to have some kick to it. J added a little hoisin or you could add some sriracha if you wanted something with a little more flavor.

Marinated Beef with Vegetables (adapted from Chinese Cooking)

Marinade:
1 tbsp sherry
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 pound thinly sliced beef
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 crowns broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, julienned
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 cup fat free beef broth
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup white rice, cooked according to package

Combine ingredients for marinade, add beef and cover. Let marinade 30 min and remove beef.
Heat half the oil in the wok at high heat. Stir-fry beef until medium rare and remove from pan.
Combine cornstarch and soy sauce. Add remaining oil to wok and add broccoli, carrots, and peas and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add stock and let vegetable steam 2 minutes (covering if possible).
Add spinach, beef and cornstarch mixture. Cook to thicken and serve over rice.

Shredded Romaine Salad

2010-02-26T09:45:00.007-05:00

Recently my friends and I have been talking about decreasing the amount of meat in our diets. I have been taking various steps at our house; being sure to package meat in single servings, only making enough to eat 2 servings or packaging extra servings immediately for later consumption, making meatless meals whenever possible. We watched Food Inc. at the local independent theatre and I starting looking into flexitarian living. My aunt and my sister are vegetarians but I don't think I'll ever have enough of a commitment to really go all the way and become a vegetarian. J would NEVER get on board with that one and I don't think I could give up some of my favorite foods. For me vegan is out of the question. Cheese is way too important. Anyway, I started looking into flexitarian cookbooks to nudge us in the right direction. While I haven't quite made any of the entree recipes my new book did give me some lunch ideas and made me a little less annoyed with my salad making attempts. After reading many reviews on cookbooks, for Christmas, I requested The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld. So far I've made two salads which have both been very good. I've had to make some substitutions based on availability at the grocery store but the Baby Greens with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette and Warm Goat Cheese Medallions was very good and so was the Shredded Romaine Salad with Dill and Scallions. As a change of pace for the side dish with those turkey meatballs (J insists upon each week) I made the salad.

Shredded Romaine Salad (adapted from The Healthy Hedonist)

1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
1-2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 bunch sliced scallions
salt and pepper
1 minced garlic clove
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2-3 tbsp olive oil
pomegranate seeds (from approximately 1/2 a pomegranate)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Mix the lettuce, dill, scallions, and salt in pepper.
To make the dressing, whisk the garlic, lemon, and oil and toss with greens.
Garnish with fruit and cheese.

Sweet Orange Salmon

2010-02-26T08:53:00.004-05:00

I am a big fan of Cooking Light recipes. I guess it is a pretty well known fact because my good friend B gave me a Cooking Light Cookbook this year. I found this recipe in that book and salmon was on sale. The recipe was extremely easy and flavorful. The orange was not over-powering and the sugar cut through the acidity.

Sweet Orange Salmon (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 salmon fillets
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl.
Rub spice mixture over both sides of salmon fillets.
Place salmon on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
Broil for 8 minutes or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

2010-02-10T21:31:00.005-05:00

J thinks we should have a "wok meal" (basically a stir-fry) once a week. I am totally loving the new wok, but I don't know if I really want to have a stir fry once a week. We'll see how it goes. I was a little apprehensive trying this one because J doesn't eat asparagus. I personally thought the asparagus was less pungent a flavor compared to the sugar snap peas. This was one of the first times I had ever used pork strips in a stir-fry and I really like them. Next time I would probably not use sesame oil for the high heat frying. Dark sesame oil is usually used for finishing and flavor; I would use some peanut oil perhaps for the frying and add some sesame oil at the end perhaps. I'm a slowly learning the importance of my mise en place, this time I only forgot one ingredient when I was getting ready. I have also (finally) learned the importance of drying your meat before searing in a pan. The soba noodles were all J's idea. The recipe originally called for rice but I was ok with no starch at all.

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas (adapted from the kitchn)

1/2 small pork loin, cut into 1/2 thick strips totalling approx. 1 cup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 large shallots, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 pound asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Season the pork strips with salt and pepper.
Whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and corn starch. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a wok over very high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until edges begin to brown and they are just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the other tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan, and cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Add the asparagus, cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then add the sugar snap peas.
Pour the water into the pan, and scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up browned bits.
Sauté the vegetable mixture for another 3 minutes, until asparagus and peas are bright green but still crunchy. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the sauce and the pork. Cook and stir until everything is coated in the sauce. Serve over soba noodles.

Pumpkin Risotto

2010-02-09T17:20:00.006-05:00

Rice is born in water and must die in wine.
Italian Proverb

I know I've said how much I love risotto in the past. This was another experiment. I'm sure it would have been better with fresher ingredients but I tried my best with what I wanted to use up. I had some leftover pumpkin frozen that I wanted to use up. At first I wasn't sure that I liked this recipe but it really grew on me. I brought this over to a friend's house and we ate it as a side dish for some breaded tilapia and salad. I had originally intended on this being a main course, but many people don't see risotto as the centerpiece to a meal so it became our side dish. I think it was less overpowering as an accompaniment to something else. The almond flavor was very strong in my opinion. I should have either used less cookies (mine we so small I increased from 4 to 6 cookies) or omitted them and used something else. I think a ginger snap (while being less Italian) would have been a welcome flavor.

Pumpkin Risotto (adapted from FXcuisine.com)

4-5 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup sweet white wine
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 tbsp European style butter
1 cups pumpkin flesh
6 small amaretti cookies
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Start by melting 1 tbsp butter with a little oil in the large pot. Gently fry the onions. DO NOT let them become brown.
As soon as the onions are soft, pour in your rice.
Mix the rice with the fat and onions over high heat for about 2 minutes or until every rice grain is coated with butter and they toast slightly.
Pour in wine and stir briskly so that all of the rice will coated with wine.
When the wine has completely evaporated, add one generous ladle of stock and mix briskly.
Stir the rice every 20 seconds. Continue adding one ladle of broth at a time as it evaporates.
After about 10 minutes, add the pumpkin flesh to the rice and mix. Continue to cook as before with another ladle of broth, making sure the risotto never sticks.
Crumble your amaretti in a mortar. Be sure to leave larger crumbs to add interest to the dish.
Add the amaretti crumbles to the risotto and mix in. Continue to cook, tasting every 30 seconds now, until they rice is almost done.
First remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 1 minute covered. Then cut the rest of your butter in small and add them to the rice. Mix in the butter.
Grate the Parmesan and add it to the risotto. Mix it in.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe Bolognese

2010-02-08T19:01:00.004-05:00

When J was out of town, I spent the week cooking meals I knew he wouldn't like very much. The artichoke soup was one of them. He also find broccoli rabe to be too bitter in most recipes. I don't know what it is about broccoli rabe, sometimes I find it too bitter and other times it doesn't bother me. It doesn't matter if I blanche it before I use it or not it varies on the bitterness. This recipe I'm sure would have been too bitter for J. This is a Weight Watchers recipe that I changed slightly. I ate it for several different meals. The beef was a welcome protein that we haven't used much lately (on the BL challenge we have been trying to limit it more than before). I don't cook with beef a lot in general but I know J has been eating more bison and poultry for his lunches. I try to buy very lean beef when available. I also tried a different shape of pasta (the recipe called for penne but this is pipette.

On a side note, I've been reading some other blogs and some insights about why people blog. Sometimes blogging seems like a very egocentric activity. Trying desperately to be heard by the masses. I think that for me however, I am using the blog as was way of documenting my food experiments. The blog puts all my opinions in one place and gives me a photo history of the cooking experiences I am having.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe Bolognese (adapted from Weight Watchers)

	1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
	2 tsp olive oil
	1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
	1 Tbsp minced garlic
	1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
	2 1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
	28 oz canned tomato puree
	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
	1/2 tsp dried oregano
	12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, penne rigate suggested
	1 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent. Add beef and fennel seeds to pan; cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon.
Stir in tomato puree, salt, red pepper flakes and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions, adding broccoli rabe to pasta water 5 minutes before pasta will be done; cook until pasta and broccoli rabe are tender.
Drain pasta and broccoli rabe; return to pot. Add sauce; toss to mix and coat.

Creamy Artichoke Soup

2010-02-08T17:02:00.008-05:00

I know it isn't the most appetizing color. I don't even know how I stumbled upon this recipe. However this is the second time I've made Giada De Laurentiis' Creamy Artichoke soup. I don't really follow the instructions verbatim of course. At one point I was thinking this would be a very good soup to make for my parents, but perhaps the artichoke flavor is stronger than I first realized. It is a super easy recipe and comes together very quickly. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.

Creamy Artichoke Soup (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis) serves 2

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, washed well and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 can/jar of artichoke hearts in water (4-6 oz)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese.

Feel free to garnish with chives or parsley (I used dried parsley and it turned out well). I have used both the immersion blender method and the blender method of pureeing. The the regular blender makes more of a mess but I think you get a smoother soup. It's really your call.

Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Rabe with Peanuts

2010-02-07T10:10:00.006-05:00

With our Biggest Loser contest, I am now able to get J to eat more and more vegetables. This is one of the recipes I made the first week. He normally hates broccoli rabe, but this version he actually liked. This was also the first time I got to use my brand new wok. Yay wok! I don't usually keep salted peanuts in the house but I think it may be better for this recipe to go ahead and buy some. I didn't and the peanuts tasted a little out of place. It was a super easy recipe and very filling with how much broccoli rabe we ate. J likes the stir frying so much he wants me to make one once a week. He did say he would have preferred some soba or ramen with his chicken, but I don't really think it needed it. The recipe also suggested other greens if you don't like broccoli rabe, but when I see that as part of a recipe I naturally gravitate towards it. My friend told me that it is because I'm Italian. The funny thing is, we never had broccoli rabe at home growing up. Once in a while at a deli or sandwich shop they would sell it with sausage and my dad would get a little tub of it and we might eat it on bread. When I was in college I think it was more readily available in grocery stores and my mother starting making a Giada de Laurentis recipe using hot Italian turkey sausage and broccoli rabe.

Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Rabe with Peanuts
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons dry Sherry, divided
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons golden brown sugar, divided
1/2 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoons peanut oil
4 green onions, white parts and green parts chopped separately
2 teaspoons chopped seeded serrano chiles
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, thick stems removed, cut into 1" chunks
1/4 cup peanuts

Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add chicken; marinade 20 to 30 minutes.
Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl and reserve.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil in wok over high heat.
Add white parts of onions and chiles; stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir-fry just until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet; heat over high heat. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more. Sauté just until tender, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on type of greens.
Return chicken to skillet. Add reserved soy sauce mixture; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with green parts of onions and peanuts.

Potato, Ham and Cheese Frittata

2010-02-07T09:41:00.005-05:00

I made this for dinner but it really works at any meal. It is really low in WW points (so much so that we decided to have seconds). I served mine with strawberries but any filling (low point) side would make a filling dinner. This recipe called for a few ingredients I didn't have or couldn't find so I improvised. Otherwise it was very easy.

Potato, Ham and Cheese Frittata (4 servings/4 WW points per serving)
(adapted from Cooking Light)

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes (such as Ore-Ida)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped lean deli ham
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Preheat broiler.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, onion, and ham; saute 8 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
Remove from pan. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Combine salt, hot sauce, pepper, eggs, and egg whites in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in potato mixture, cheese, and chopped green onions.
Heat pan over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 3 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned, lifting edges and tilting skillet as eggs cook to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath cooked portion.
Wrap handle of pan with foil if non-oven safe. Broil 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned and set.

Asian Summer Rolls

2010-01-26T20:01:00.008-05:00

I've been to many different types of restaurants that serve some version of this cold dish. Whether it be Vietnamese, Thai, or Asian fusion, the summer roll, or fresh spring roll is a light refreshing (normally) appetizer that leaves you wanting more food but not feeling so full that you wonder why you ordered an entree. J is a huge fan of these and tends to order them whenever possible; so when I discovered that our grocery store was now carrying rice paper wrappers (sometimes called spring roll wrappers), I knew I just had to try these out for ourselves.

I was a little nervous about these at first. Anytime you are working with a new ingredient, especially one that seems so delicate it can daunting. This was surprisingly easy. The prep work took a little but of time but the actual wrapping was fairly fast. I think the next time would be much faster because I'm used to it. You should definitely prep everything before you try to start preparing these.

Asian Summer Rolls

8 rice paper wrappers
32 small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1 1/2 cups rice vermicelli, cooked for cold noodle preparation according to package
1-2 cups red leaf lettuce, julienned
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter (any variety)
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 cup warm water (to taste)

Combine first 6 ingredients of dipping sauce. While mixing with a whisk, gradually add warm water until sauce reaches desired consistency/taste. Set aside.
In a large pie plate soak rice paper wrappers (do each one right before you fill and wrap it, not all at the same time) according to instructions on the box. My package suggested hot water for 15-20 seconds. As the water cooled it took a little longer to softened. I even had to microwave my water once to keep it warm. Be sure you are using a microwavable container (my pie plate was Pyrex).
Lay wrapper on a very clean tea towel to dry excess moisture and begin filling.
Place 4 shrimp in a row in the center of the wrapper.
Top with 1/8 of the noodles. Then add one 1/8 of the mint and cilantro, then 1/8 of the lettuce.
To wrap, fold the top fairly tightly over the filling (do not tear). Fold each of the sides in tightly and then making sure there isn't too much air inside, fold the bottom up over it all. The roll should be firm not floppy.
Repeat for remaining 7 wrappers.
Serve with dipping sauce, makes 8 rolls.

I calculated these summer rolls at 2 WW points apiece. I did not calculate for the sauce. We at a few as a main course for something nice and light.

Pork Ragout

2010-01-21T18:55:00.003-05:00

This is a another Cooking Light recipe. I was making it and I decided that I wasn't a fan of the texture (or even the flavor for that matter). Perfect excuse to use my new kitchen appliance (big grin). I received a lovely immersion blender for Christmas. I hadn't asked for one but surprisingly I've been thinking of different ways to use it now that it is here. I've already gotten some use out of my new wok, which I will be posting later on. All this recipe needed was a little insight (I'm not tooting my own horn) to wrap the flavors together. It was also too chunky for my taste so here it is, Pork Ragout my way adapted from Cooking Light.

Pork Ragout (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 pound boned pork loin
1 (4-ounce) link hot Italian turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 (15-oz) can Italian-style chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 oz dry penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1/4 cup grated fresh Romano cheese (I also added some Parmesan)

Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1/4-inch cubes.
Remove casing from sausage and break in to pieces. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble.
Remove sausage from pan. Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add pork, and saute 5 minutes. Add sausage, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Stir in broth and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cinnamon, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until reaches desired texture. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with cheese.

The cinnamon added a sweetness without added extra calories. I think that it made all the difference between a sauce that was lacking something and bitter and a full-bodied flavor. I'm not trying to be cocky but it was really tasty once I took that one little risk. If could also have been a huge disaster.