Oleana (Cambridge, MA)

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

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

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

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

1. Heat a wok over high heat.
2. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the onion, and saute for 3 to5 minutes, moving the pan continually.
   
3. Add the melon and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the melon starts to take on color.
4. Add the basil, salt, and pepper and continue to cook for another minute.
   
5. 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

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

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

1. Peel the potato and cut it into large chunks.
2. Boil the chunks of potato in water for 20 minutes.
3. Drain thoroughly and put potatoes through a food mill (or ricer).
4. 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.
5. Roll the dough into approximately 1/2" wide ropes.
6. Cut eat rope into 1" long pieces and roll each piece over the back of fork tines to create ridges for the sauce.
7. Bring a pot of water to boil and lower gnocchi in using a slotted spoon. Be careful not to break up the gnocchi.
8. Gnocchi are finished when they rise to the top.
9. 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

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

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables

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.

1. Add the pork and toss to coat thoroughly.
2. Cover and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (mine marinated for approx. 3 hours).
3. Just before cooking, preheat grill on high.
4. Thread pork and tomatoes onto separate skewers. Discard excess marinade.
5. Grill on high direct heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let rest 2-3 minutes before removing from skewers.
6. 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

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)

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

Kurdish Carrot Fritters

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

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

MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Bulgur Risotto with Corn and Shrimp

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

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Cook garlic, stirring, for 30 seconds; add bulgur and salt; stir 1 minute more.

3. 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.)
   

4. Add shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until it turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
   

5. 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.

6. 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

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

1. Marinade the pork for about 3 hours in the next nine ingredients (through salt).
2. Preheat the broiler or grill to high heat.
   
3. 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)

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

1. Wash bulgur under running water then soak in water for about 10 minutes. Drain then press to remove moisture as much as possible.
2. Mash onion in the food processor then add meat in batches.
   
3. Remove and place aside.
4. Mix meat mixture with bulgur, salt, spices. Process well in batches into a firm paste.
5. 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

1. Fry chopped onion with a dash of salt in oil until transparent.
2. Add minced meat, salt and spices to onions and fry until cooked.
   
3. Mix in pine nuts. Put filling aside.
4. Divide paste into egg sized balls. Dip your hands in cold water then roll each ball between the palms of your hands until smooth.
5. Make a hole in the middle with your forefinger. Work finger round in the hole until you have a shell of even thickness.
6. 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.
7. 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

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

1. Cook the chickpeas with boiling salted water until tender.
2. When done, drain the beans and keep the cooking water. Peel them.
3. Put the chickpeas into a food processor and grind until smooth.
4. 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

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

1. Marinate pork in first 6 ingredients.
   
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix carrots with next 4 ingredients. Place on baking sheet and roast 30 min.
3. 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.
4. Add pork to wok and cook through.
5. Cook ramen according to package. Rinse and shake dry and add to wok. Remove carrots from oven and add to wok.
   
6. 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...

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

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. Start by mixing the dry ingredients together. Add the egg yolks and olive oil.
   
3. Pour in the water and slowly mix until it forms a very shaggy dough.
4. Knead for a few minutes (you may need to add a little more flour so that it isn't so sticky).
5. 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.
6. 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

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

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

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

Lemon Grass Chicken and Noodles

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)

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

Tuscan Pork Pita

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

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

Pork and Vegetable Teriyaki Soba Noodles

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

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

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

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

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. 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.
3. 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.