(image from Everyday Food)Thought our veggie friends might want to see some of these recipes from Everyday Food:
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Veggie Friendly
(image from Everyday Food)Thought our veggie friends might want to see some of these recipes from Everyday Food:
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mulligatawny Soup
Yesterday's dinner was a pot of Mulligatawny Soup. A spicy Indian curry soup. With just a few steps, you too can have a bowl of this exotic soup; warming your belly and clearing your sinuses!
The recipe starts by making an elixir of ginger and garlic. This brings a very robust punch of flavor to the finished soup. I'm not fond of it and in the future, I plan to skip this step. I will maintain the quantity of ginger and garlic, because I like those flavors, but the intention is that they remain uncooked at the end. Uncooked garlic and ginger taste metallic and sharp to me, so I'll pass in the future.
The main recipe starts with butter, onions and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Add garlic and ginger. Stir in some unsweetened coconut and all the spices and flour (to thicken the soup.) A note on the coconut; I can't find unsweetened coconut at my grocery stores. We're not that sophisticated. So I bought the regular, sweetened coconut and steeped it in boiling water and rinsed in hot water. I did this three times. Here's what happened; the extra sweetness was removed, AND the basic essence of the coconut. If you can't find unsweetened coconut, skip it altogether from the recipe. In its place, perhaps add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the soup at the end, for flavor.
After you get the spices into the mix, add the broth of your choice. I used chicken this time, as it's what I had on hand. Use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian soup. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Oh, and there's banana in the soup! It's there for texture and slight sweetness. You don't taste banana when you taste the soup. No hint of banana at all!
After the soup has cooked, give it a whiz through the food processor or in the blender. Serve with rice if you like, dollop of plain yogurt and chopped cilantro. You can also serve with cooked lentils for an authentic, protein rich, vegetarian meal!
The recipe starts by making an elixir of ginger and garlic. This brings a very robust punch of flavor to the finished soup. I'm not fond of it and in the future, I plan to skip this step. I will maintain the quantity of ginger and garlic, because I like those flavors, but the intention is that they remain uncooked at the end. Uncooked garlic and ginger taste metallic and sharp to me, so I'll pass in the future.
The main recipe starts with butter, onions and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Add garlic and ginger. Stir in some unsweetened coconut and all the spices and flour (to thicken the soup.) A note on the coconut; I can't find unsweetened coconut at my grocery stores. We're not that sophisticated. So I bought the regular, sweetened coconut and steeped it in boiling water and rinsed in hot water. I did this three times. Here's what happened; the extra sweetness was removed, AND the basic essence of the coconut. If you can't find unsweetened coconut, skip it altogether from the recipe. In its place, perhaps add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the soup at the end, for flavor. 
After you get the spices into the mix, add the broth of your choice. I used chicken this time, as it's what I had on hand. Use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian soup. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Oh, and there's banana in the soup! It's there for texture and slight sweetness. You don't taste banana when you taste the soup. No hint of banana at all!
After the soup has cooked, give it a whiz through the food processor or in the blender. Serve with rice if you like, dollop of plain yogurt and chopped cilantro. You can also serve with cooked lentils for an authentic, protein rich, vegetarian meal!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Leftovers and Catch Up
Apologies for my regular readers...summer's a harder time for me to keep my nose to the grindstone and update the blog on a regular basis. I'm still cooking, just not taking photos as often, or pontificating about food as much.
Regardless, I made a few good meals this past week. The first...
Regardless, I made a few good meals this past week. The first...
Beef Pot Pie, using up more of the leftover grilled brisket.
To start, I sauted some onions and rosemary in butter. I hope heaven smells like this! ...well, as least once a week! So fragrant and beautiful. The resinous aroma of rosemary is so calming and relaxing for me.
After the onions are soft, I add some flour to the butter to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a few minutes until it starts to smell toasty and nutty and the color darkens slightly. Stir constantly. I then added a few glugs of beer and some beef broth and chicken broth. When using canned beef broth, it's usually a good idea to cut it with some chicken broth. The canned beef broth is fine, but on it's own can taste metallic overly fake. The diluted version tastes a touch more natural. The sauce will be thick and velvety. Add some boiled potatoes and carrots. Stir in the chopped up brisket. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
Pour the mixture into individual baking dishes. I had two medium sized ramekins. Cover with pie dough or puff pastry. I had frozen, store bought dough. I carefully cut out rounds and laid them over the pie filling. Poke a few holes in to let the steam out. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Handle the dish gently and serve hot. Delicious! This was very satisfy and super filling. Not a summer dish, but when you're using up leftovers, that's OK!
Delicious meal #2 was a special request. The Kara was visiting for the weekend and asked for the Chopped Mexican Salad with Jicama. This is an amazing salad. Usually it's a composed salad with the ingredients laid out and you scoop what you like. We were being more causual, so I chopped and mixed.
Here we have grill roasted corn and green bell peppers. There are some yellow cherry tomatoes from the market...as was the corn and bell pepper. I had one leftover red tomato from the store. There is also a small amount of jicama. I was sad. I bought a GIANT jicama at the store...it was the only one not soft and squishy...when I cut it open, rotten...I was only able to harvest about 1/2 a cup of good jicama. Oh well...
Add some avocado, cilantro and the dressing...an orange-lime dressing with shallots and cumin. Toss and serve. Crunchy, tangy, creamy, fresh, vibrant! Happy.
I served with my grilled Pollo Verde (a favorite!) and some fresh whole wheat tortillas, also from the market. Cut the chicken up and roll up in the tortillas with scoops of the salad. The ultimate, fairly healthy burrito! No cheese, no rice, extra helpings of vegetables!
To start, I sauted some onions and rosemary in butter. I hope heaven smells like this! ...well, as least once a week! So fragrant and beautiful. The resinous aroma of rosemary is so calming and relaxing for me.
After the onions are soft, I add some flour to the butter to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a few minutes until it starts to smell toasty and nutty and the color darkens slightly. Stir constantly. I then added a few glugs of beer and some beef broth and chicken broth. When using canned beef broth, it's usually a good idea to cut it with some chicken broth. The canned beef broth is fine, but on it's own can taste metallic overly fake. The diluted version tastes a touch more natural. The sauce will be thick and velvety. Add some boiled potatoes and carrots. Stir in the chopped up brisket. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat. Pour the mixture into individual baking dishes. I had two medium sized ramekins. Cover with pie dough or puff pastry. I had frozen, store bought dough. I carefully cut out rounds and laid them over the pie filling. Poke a few holes in to let the steam out. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Handle the dish gently and serve hot. Delicious! This was very satisfy and super filling. Not a summer dish, but when you're using up leftovers, that's OK!Delicious meal #2 was a special request. The Kara was visiting for the weekend and asked for the Chopped Mexican Salad with Jicama. This is an amazing salad. Usually it's a composed salad with the ingredients laid out and you scoop what you like. We were being more causual, so I chopped and mixed.
Here we have grill roasted corn and green bell peppers. There are some yellow cherry tomatoes from the market...as was the corn and bell pepper. I had one leftover red tomato from the store. There is also a small amount of jicama. I was sad. I bought a GIANT jicama at the store...it was the only one not soft and squishy...when I cut it open, rotten...I was only able to harvest about 1/2 a cup of good jicama. Oh well... 
Add some avocado, cilantro and the dressing...an orange-lime dressing with shallots and cumin. Toss and serve. Crunchy, tangy, creamy, fresh, vibrant! Happy.
I served with my grilled Pollo Verde (a favorite!) and some fresh whole wheat tortillas, also from the market. Cut the chicken up and roll up in the tortillas with scoops of the salad. The ultimate, fairly healthy burrito! No cheese, no rice, extra helpings of vegetables!Saturday, June 20, 2009
Noodles
Mmmm. Stir-Fried Noodles. I made way too much. We couldn't finish.
But a great meal on a mellow night at home.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Super Cheap and Ridiculously Tasty
I have a short story about this dish. A few years ago, the first time we went to a vegetarian, Indian restaurant, I said, "We may need to stop at McDonald's afterwards so I can get something to eat." I was skeptical! Being as picky as I am, I figured I would eat some bread and rice and call it a day. WELL...I couldn't have been more wrong. The food was amazing, we had a great time and I left thinking I wouldn't eat for days! Go Udupi!!!
This recipe is a bit of a recreation of the first thing I ate at Udupi. Channa Masala is highly seasoned chickpeas. YUM. Again, I think canned chickpeas by themselves are skeevy...gross...and they stink! But when mixed with garlic and tahini for hummus or with a variety of spices and curries...NICE!
This recipe is from Serious Eats. So let's get started!
Start with onions and butter. Cook until the onions just start to brown.
Add garlic and a variety of spices.
Stir in tomatoes.
Add some water to simmer and a further addition of spices.
Simmer for about ten minutes, until the liquid thickens and reduces.
Garnish with cilantro and serve on a fragrant rice; such as Jasmine or Basmati.
Channa Masala
serves 2
Adapted from Serious Eats
1 TB butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 TB ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
6 TB canned diced tomatoes and their juice (about half a 14 oz can)
1/2 cup water
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon (fresh only and necessary!)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 TB chopped cilantro
Toss butter in a skillet or pot over medium heat. When melted, add the onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and tumeric. Stir until combined and cook for 30 seconds or so, or until it is very fragrant. NOTE: Tumeric can stain your cooking utensils. I have a spatula and wooden spoon that I use every time I make a curry based dish and they are stained flourescent yellow! So don't use anything you don't want to stain. Also, if you have pale or white colored kitchen counters, becareful, it can stain them as well. Nothing a little kitchen scrubber with bleach can't get out.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about two minutes.
Add the chickpeas and pour in the water. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes. NOTE: Of all the additions to the dish, I found the lemon to be the most exciting and vital. The citric acid in the juice pops in front and brightens the other flavors. Don't skip this ingredient if you can at all help it.
Stir in the ginger and half of the chopped cilantro. Cook for another 30 seconds. Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice.
This was really satisying. The original recipe was really spicy, so I toned it down here. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and half of a jalapeno. I like heat, but this was starting to be distracting, so I removed the jalapeno and cut back on the cayenne. Adjust as you see fit.
The recipe uses butter, which is fairly commen and pretty authentic to Indian cooking; although they would probably use ghee, a clarified butter. If you don't want to use butter, or don't have any butter, I would go with a plain vegetable oil. I personally feel an olive oil would be too flavorful and could alter the final dishes flavor.
Also, I doubled the recipe. We got two large meals out of it for dinner and two smaller, lunch-sized portions. I will be having mine today, so we'll see how that goes!
Enjoy.
This recipe is a bit of a recreation of the first thing I ate at Udupi. Channa Masala is highly seasoned chickpeas. YUM. Again, I think canned chickpeas by themselves are skeevy...gross...and they stink! But when mixed with garlic and tahini for hummus or with a variety of spices and curries...NICE!
This recipe is from Serious Eats. So let's get started!
Start with onions and butter. Cook until the onions just start to brown.
Add garlic and a variety of spices.
Stir in tomatoes.
Add some water to simmer and a further addition of spices.
Simmer for about ten minutes, until the liquid thickens and reduces.
Garnish with cilantro and serve on a fragrant rice; such as Jasmine or Basmati.Channa Masala
serves 2
Adapted from Serious Eats
1 TB butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 TB ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
6 TB canned diced tomatoes and their juice (about half a 14 oz can)
1/2 cup water
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon (fresh only and necessary!)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 TB chopped cilantro
Toss butter in a skillet or pot over medium heat. When melted, add the onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and tumeric. Stir until combined and cook for 30 seconds or so, or until it is very fragrant. NOTE: Tumeric can stain your cooking utensils. I have a spatula and wooden spoon that I use every time I make a curry based dish and they are stained flourescent yellow! So don't use anything you don't want to stain. Also, if you have pale or white colored kitchen counters, becareful, it can stain them as well. Nothing a little kitchen scrubber with bleach can't get out.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about two minutes.
Add the chickpeas and pour in the water. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes. NOTE: Of all the additions to the dish, I found the lemon to be the most exciting and vital. The citric acid in the juice pops in front and brightens the other flavors. Don't skip this ingredient if you can at all help it.
Stir in the ginger and half of the chopped cilantro. Cook for another 30 seconds. Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice.
This was really satisying. The original recipe was really spicy, so I toned it down here. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and half of a jalapeno. I like heat, but this was starting to be distracting, so I removed the jalapeno and cut back on the cayenne. Adjust as you see fit.
The recipe uses butter, which is fairly commen and pretty authentic to Indian cooking; although they would probably use ghee, a clarified butter. If you don't want to use butter, or don't have any butter, I would go with a plain vegetable oil. I personally feel an olive oil would be too flavorful and could alter the final dishes flavor.
Also, I doubled the recipe. We got two large meals out of it for dinner and two smaller, lunch-sized portions. I will be having mine today, so we'll see how that goes!
Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
It's a Christmas Miracle!
I made broccoli and I liked it! What The? Yep, me...the broccoli hater!
This weekend at the Market, we bought a head of broccoli. That's the first golden point there! Farm fresh veggies.Yeah!
Spicy Stir Fried Broccoli with Garlic
When I cooked it tonight, I started by blanching the veg for 2 minutes in boiling water, followed by a plunge in an ice bath. Drain. When we were ready to have dinner, I put 3 TB of olive oil in a very hot pan. Add 1/2 a tsp of red pepper flakes, stir. Add 6-8 cloves of minced garlic, stir quickly and until fragrant. Add the drained broccoli and toss to coat with the oil, garlic, red pepper and until heated through. About one minute. Season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately!
WOW. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go out of my way to eat this green veg, but for the first time in ages, I thought it was good and not a tasteless, nasty mess. Thanks farmers market.
~~~
I served the broccoli with Chicken Thighs Braised in white wine and spring onions. Very tasty, but horrible to look at in pictures. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, sear the chicken in olive oil until browned. If the skin is still on, remove it after you sear it. This will allow the skin to leave some brown bits in the pan and render some tasty fat. If you braise the chicken with the skin, it will become flabby and nasty. So, remove the skin. And remove the chicken from the pan. Add about 1 cup of diced spring onions (or green onions/scallions, or shallots, or 1/2 cup diced yellow onion). When softened, add 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced. When you smell the garlic, add the 1 cup of dry white wine. Scrape up any bits from the pan and reduce by half. Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan. The chicken should be covered half way. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes. Done. Serve hot and spoon some remaining braising liquid over the chicken.
With rice if you like.
And yes, the spring onions came from the market!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Canned chickpeas smell like canned catfood...blech
I'm expecting nearly 40 of my nearest and dearest to visit this Saturday and I've been planning and prepping and cooking and cleaning and...and...and...oy! Tired.
One of the snacks I'm prepping for my guests to nosh on includes a fresh batch of the classic Mediterrean/Middle Eastern dip, Hummus.
I got all my ingredients together. What you see is for a double batch...for a SINGLE batch, you need 2 cans of chickpeas (aka: Garbanzo Beans), garlic ( I used two heads of Roasted Garlic), tahini sauce (Sesame Paste), lemon juice, salt and olive oil.
One of the snacks I'm prepping for my guests to nosh on includes a fresh batch of the classic Mediterrean/Middle Eastern dip, Hummus.
I got all my ingredients together. What you see is for a double batch...for a SINGLE batch, you need 2 cans of chickpeas (aka: Garbanzo Beans), garlic ( I used two heads of Roasted Garlic), tahini sauce (Sesame Paste), lemon juice, salt and olive oil.
Add all the ingredients, except the olive oil, to the food processor and whiz together. Oh, how much of the other stuff...:
2 cans chickpeas
3-4 TB tahini
2-3 TB fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 head roasted garlic
olive oil (quantity unknown-read on)
Whiz the first ingredients until the get broken up and start to come together in a giant chunky sauce. Then start adding olive oil...I'm guessing I used at least 1/2 cup of olive oil, but maybe even one cup. Pour the oil in while the processor is working...soon you'll have a lovely soft dip. Taste, adjust the salt or lemon if you like. Serve with pita points or fresh veg for dipping.
**Yes, I think canned chickpeas smell like nasty canned catfood...they make me want to toss my lunch...so I open them in the sink, with cold water running to rise them immediately...that raw smell is kind of nasty...at least to me...but they make delicious dip!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Squash It
Time to make the Spaghetti Squash...
This was a small to medium sized squash, no soft spots...a few blemishes, but nothing structural. The squash should feel very solid and heavy for it's size, not squishy or light weight.
First: Preheat your oven to 375. Then, slice off the vine end, then cut in half, end to end. The squash is hard to cut. Use a very heavy duty knife and becareful! I inserted the tip of the knife in the middle of the squash and rocked the knife until it was most of the way through the fruit.
Once you've split the squash in two, scoop out the seeds using a heavy duty spoon or ice cream scoop. Discard the filling.
Clean!
This is optional, but encouraged; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the fruit, cut side down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toss in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. Let rest of a few minutes before the next step. If you don't want to tackle slicing the squash in half, you can just prick it several times and bake it whole; extend the time in the oven to an hour.
Using a clean kitchen towel to protect your hands from the heat, nestle the squash in your hand and rake a fork over the inside, separating the spaghetti strands.
Clean out both halves. Toss lightly to ensure separation.
Plate up. I made some little chicken scallopini and a pan sauce of shallots, sage and butter. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and "spaghetti."
This was a small to medium sized squash, no soft spots...a few blemishes, but nothing structural. The squash should feel very solid and heavy for it's size, not squishy or light weight.
First: Preheat your oven to 375. Then, slice off the vine end, then cut in half, end to end. The squash is hard to cut. Use a very heavy duty knife and becareful! I inserted the tip of the knife in the middle of the squash and rocked the knife until it was most of the way through the fruit.
Once you've split the squash in two, scoop out the seeds using a heavy duty spoon or ice cream scoop. Discard the filling.
Clean!
This is optional, but encouraged; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the fruit, cut side down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toss in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. Let rest of a few minutes before the next step. If you don't want to tackle slicing the squash in half, you can just prick it several times and bake it whole; extend the time in the oven to an hour.
Using a clean kitchen towel to protect your hands from the heat, nestle the squash in your hand and rake a fork over the inside, separating the spaghetti strands.
Clean out both halves. Toss lightly to ensure separation.
Plate up. I made some little chicken scallopini and a pan sauce of shallots, sage and butter. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and "spaghetti."Delish! The squash has a little bit of an strong al dente texture, a crispy, julienned vegetable. But sweet. The baking of the squash draws out the natural sweetness, later enhanced by the butter and sage. Sweet!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Gourd-geous
Spaghetti SquashI used to grow spaghetti squash, but it's been probably 20 years since I've had it. Tonight was a fun reminder.
Stay tuned for how I prepped it.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fast and Delish
Last night I wasn't really in the mood to make anything, but in a last ditch effort to pull through I made some Stir-Fried Noodles. They were awesome!
As I mentioned the first time we made these, the original recipe called for shrimp. Which was fine. But we actually prefer the veggie friendly version with no meat or seafood. The sauce whips together in a minute. Chopping the jalapenos and herbs another minute. The peanuts are a mess to chop, but give great crunch and a small protein boost. I had to pick up bean sprouts at the store. Heat the oil. Add the jalapeno. Sizzle Sizzle...toss in garlic for about 10-20 seconds...add the sprouts....sizzle, toss, sizzle...add the sauce...stir, stir...cooked noodles*...stir, toss, coat...herbs...toss...serve, garnish with peanuts. Done. FAST! Delicious and really filling.
*noodles: OK, so the rice noodles don't actually cook the way the package says. Put the rice noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Allow them to sit for a minute. If they don't come to the appropriate doneness, drain and add more boiling water for another minute. This should do it.
As I mentioned the first time we made these, the original recipe called for shrimp. Which was fine. But we actually prefer the veggie friendly version with no meat or seafood. The sauce whips together in a minute. Chopping the jalapenos and herbs another minute. The peanuts are a mess to chop, but give great crunch and a small protein boost. I had to pick up bean sprouts at the store. Heat the oil. Add the jalapeno. Sizzle Sizzle...toss in garlic for about 10-20 seconds...add the sprouts....sizzle, toss, sizzle...add the sauce...stir, stir...cooked noodles*...stir, toss, coat...herbs...toss...serve, garnish with peanuts. Done. FAST! Delicious and really filling.*noodles: OK, so the rice noodles don't actually cook the way the package says. Put the rice noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Allow them to sit for a minute. If they don't come to the appropriate doneness, drain and add more boiling water for another minute. This should do it.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
A few of my favorite things
Grilled Corn On The CobPeel off a few of the outer layers of the husk and soak your fresh cobs in a container of cool water for an hour or so. When you're ready to get started on dinner, place the cobs on a hot grill (or for us grill impaired apartment dwellers, a grill pan.) Rotate as they cook. About 4-5 minutes per side, for a total of approximately 20 minutes.
My Cobs were served with a little compound butter I made. Fresh butter, lime zest & juice of 1/2 the lime, ancho chile powder, pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Mix together and refrigerate. Peel the husks off the corn and spread over the hot corn! Perfect!
Fresh Strawberries and Cream with GranolaThe strawberries were quartered and then some lightly whipped cream was spooned over the top. Sprinkle with your favorite granola. Divine!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Take your bean-o!
I was lazy Thursday night and had left over pizza...it held up well. Ms. Terri in WI has contributed a recipe she came up with this week and loved! Thanks Terri! Enjoy everyone.
Terri’s Tuscan Bean Soup
(not sure what makes it Tuscan, but go with it!)
Around 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
About 1 cup of chopped baby carrots
At least 1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I’m sure olive oil would’ve worked)
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups water
1 can (16 oz.) Bush’s large Butter Beans, drained (I only had 1 can)
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
A lot of dried Italian seasoning
A few shakes of crushed hot red pepper
Kosher salt to taste
Lots of McCormick’s pepper blend
4 or 5 large fresh basil leaves, left whole
As much minced/chopped garlic as you can stand (I used dried)
Shredded parmesan cheese
Cook celery, carrots and onion in oil until soft.
Add flour, cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add water, stir until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients, except cheese.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until thickened.
Serve with a sprinkling (or a lot!) of parmesan cheese.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sides
More updates on this weekend shindig. Our main dish was Tinga Poblano with Chicken. A tasty, smokey, spicy, low-cooked chicken dish that is great on the plate, a tortilla, a quesadilla, a crusty bun or with a pile of rice. I made WAY TO MUCH.
You've seen what we had for dessert! Or was the Sangria dessert?
Here are the sides we served:
You've seen what we had for dessert! Or was the Sangria dessert?
Here are the sides we served:
J-lo made this Black Bean Confetti Salad. The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen. I know he had some notes. A little more salt. Some hot sauce in the dressing. Maybe some else, but I'll let him pipe in.
I made my fresh Pico de Gallo. Lots for fresh tomatoes, diced onions, a couple jalepeno, wee bit of minced garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and cilantro! Let it sit for awhile for the flavors to make naughty together! Be generous with the lime and salt.
And it wouldn't be a proper Latin feast without Gaucamole. Sorry, but I must say it!!!! YUM-O!
I made my fresh Pico de Gallo. Lots for fresh tomatoes, diced onions, a couple jalepeno, wee bit of minced garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and cilantro! Let it sit for awhile for the flavors to make naughty together! Be generous with the lime and salt.
And it wouldn't be a proper Latin feast without Gaucamole. Sorry, but I must say it!!!! YUM-O!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday Night Light
Tonight's dinner was on the healthy side! Some olive oil and some good natural fats and veggies and fish! I'm still not good with the fish...it was fine, but looked messed up. It didn't fry right, I should have broiled it like I originally intended.
The side for the dinner was based on this chopped salad recipe I started making last year. I lightly folded together two avocados, two ears of grilled corn on the cob and one diced tomato. The mix was dressed with a nearly identical dressing as the one on the chopped salad. 1 TB Orange Juice, Juice from two limes, Salt, pepper, 1 shallot; diced, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil. Whisk together, taste and adjust seasoning. It looks a mess, but was really tasty!
The fish was tilapia, tossed on the griddle side of the grill pan with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin. Once cooked, it was drizzled with lime juice. The taste was fine, but I didn't have enough oil on the pan and the fish STUCK! Oops. Will try that again in the future.
The fish only takes a few short minutes to cook. The item that took the longest was the grilled corn on the cob. That said, this took less than 30 minutes. And it's healthy and full of good for you stuff.
The side for the dinner was based on this chopped salad recipe I started making last year. I lightly folded together two avocados, two ears of grilled corn on the cob and one diced tomato. The mix was dressed with a nearly identical dressing as the one on the chopped salad. 1 TB Orange Juice, Juice from two limes, Salt, pepper, 1 shallot; diced, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil. Whisk together, taste and adjust seasoning. It looks a mess, but was really tasty!
Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad
The fish was tilapia, tossed on the griddle side of the grill pan with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin. Once cooked, it was drizzled with lime juice. The taste was fine, but I didn't have enough oil on the pan and the fish STUCK! Oops. Will try that again in the future.
The fish only takes a few short minutes to cook. The item that took the longest was the grilled corn on the cob. That said, this took less than 30 minutes. And it's healthy and full of good for you stuff.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Pancakes for dinner
Recently J-lo brought home a recipe card for Potato Pancakes. He was able to try them at a demonstration at Maryland Day and really enjoyed them.
So I thought I would give them a shot. They were pretty easy, do require a little work to grate the taters and also need some fry time, take that into consideration when making these. I could have gotten about 10 pancakes from this recipe. I stopped at 8. That fed the two of us. I would recommend doubling if you plan to serve to three or more, as part of the main entree (tonight we had boring pork...and it looked icky, pale and paltry in the photo so I cropped most of it out.)
Potato Pancakes
serves 4-6
1 3/4 pounds firm potatoes, peeled
1 large sweet onion, finely grated
1 finely minced garlic glove
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 TB flour
1 tsp salt
1 pinch fresh black pepper
1 TB minced fresh parsley
1 large egg white, beaten stiff
Peanut Oil for cooking
(NOTES: I didn't use garlic; substituted garlic powder. My onion was tiny; added a little onion powder. I thought I had cooking oil, I didn't; used olive oil instead.)
Finely grate the potatoes. Put them in a large bowl and add the onion and garlic. Mix well.
Sprinkle in the flour and mix. Add the egg (yolk and white), salt, pepper and parsley. Mix well.
Heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. For each pancake, drop in a heaping tablespoon of the potato mix and press down with a spatula. Brown until crisp on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.
So I thought I would give them a shot. They were pretty easy, do require a little work to grate the taters and also need some fry time, take that into consideration when making these. I could have gotten about 10 pancakes from this recipe. I stopped at 8. That fed the two of us. I would recommend doubling if you plan to serve to three or more, as part of the main entree (tonight we had boring pork...and it looked icky, pale and paltry in the photo so I cropped most of it out.)
Potato Pancakes
serves 4-6
1 3/4 pounds firm potatoes, peeled
1 large sweet onion, finely grated
1 finely minced garlic glove
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 TB flour
1 tsp salt
1 pinch fresh black pepper
1 TB minced fresh parsley
1 large egg white, beaten stiff
Peanut Oil for cooking
(NOTES: I didn't use garlic; substituted garlic powder. My onion was tiny; added a little onion powder. I thought I had cooking oil, I didn't; used olive oil instead.)
Finely grate the potatoes. Put them in a large bowl and add the onion and garlic. Mix well.
Sprinkle in the flour and mix. Add the egg (yolk and white), salt, pepper and parsley. Mix well.
Heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. For each pancake, drop in a heaping tablespoon of the potato mix and press down with a spatula. Brown until crisp on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Fruity Fried Rice
The short story for dinner tonight. J-lo wanted pineapple. Mmmm??? I happened to be chatting with the Vampire Slayer in Oregon at the time and I asked her about her Pineapple Fried Rice. First...I don't know...I guess there was an outbreak of vampires in beaverland, so she had to leave me. Umpf! Second...pineapple fried rice? The Vampire Slayer was always talking about it and craving it, so I heard about it, but never saw it or tasted it, but I trust her, so here goes.
The recipe she gave me was really basic. I've played around a bit and have added some things.
Pineapple Fried Rice
serves 2-3
3-4 TB vegetable or peanut oil
Pork or Shrimp or Chicken (optional, see note)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice blend
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB grated fresh ginger
1 cup fresh pineapple, 1/4 inch dice (& juice)
1/4 cup diced green/spring onion
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
Day old rice, about 3-4 cups
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
Next time: A handful of Bean Sprouts
Make sure all your ingredients are prepared and ready to go. This will move fast, just a few minutes.
Add the Chinese Five Spice blend and salt to the pork, toss to coat.
Heat your largest skillet or wok over high heat. When super hot, add the oil. Give it a moment to shimmer, add the meat. Stir for a brief minute, the meat will start to cook.
Add the onions, stir until softened, about a minute. Add the carrot, saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant.
Add the pineapple and it's juice, stir to incorporate and heat through. Add the green onions, fish, soy and hot sauces.
Add the rice and stir to fully incorporate. Give a minute or two to absorb the flavors in your pan.
Stir in the cilantro.
Serve Hot.
NOTE: The meat is optional. I was able to get a pack of three thin pork chops. I removed all the fat and sliced thinnly. I would also do the same thing with chicken. If I went with shrimp, I'd clean up and cut in half or smaller bites. If I had shrimp, I'd add them after the carrots, as they will only take a moment to cook.
Oops...I just realized that Ms. Slayer said to add an egg...oops. Maybe next time.
My rice was not day old. So I cooked up a double batch in the rice cooker when I got home. When it was done, I let it steam out for a minute, the spread it out on the pan (sprayed lightly with cooking spray so it didn't stick), the threw it in a warm (300) oven for ten minutes. I think this set the rice up to soak up a little more flavor.
Thanks Slayer--we miss you!!!
The recipe she gave me was really basic. I've played around a bit and have added some things.
Pineapple Fried Rice
serves 2-3
3-4 TB vegetable or peanut oil
Pork or Shrimp or Chicken (optional, see note)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice blend
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB grated fresh ginger
1 cup fresh pineapple, 1/4 inch dice (& juice)
1/4 cup diced green/spring onion
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
Day old rice, about 3-4 cups
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
Next time: A handful of Bean Sprouts
Make sure all your ingredients are prepared and ready to go. This will move fast, just a few minutes.
Add the Chinese Five Spice blend and salt to the pork, toss to coat.
Heat your largest skillet or wok over high heat. When super hot, add the oil. Give it a moment to shimmer, add the meat. Stir for a brief minute, the meat will start to cook.
Add the onions, stir until softened, about a minute. Add the carrot, saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant.
Add the pineapple and it's juice, stir to incorporate and heat through. Add the green onions, fish, soy and hot sauces.
Add the rice and stir to fully incorporate. Give a minute or two to absorb the flavors in your pan.
Stir in the cilantro.
Serve Hot.
NOTE: The meat is optional. I was able to get a pack of three thin pork chops. I removed all the fat and sliced thinnly. I would also do the same thing with chicken. If I went with shrimp, I'd clean up and cut in half or smaller bites. If I had shrimp, I'd add them after the carrots, as they will only take a moment to cook.
Oops...I just realized that Ms. Slayer said to add an egg...oops. Maybe next time.
My rice was not day old. So I cooked up a double batch in the rice cooker when I got home. When it was done, I let it steam out for a minute, the spread it out on the pan (sprayed lightly with cooking spray so it didn't stick), the threw it in a warm (300) oven for ten minutes. I think this set the rice up to soak up a little more flavor.(stupid blogger broke--1 picture missing)
The pork & spices cooking with the onions.
Add carrots, garlic and ginger.
Add the pineapple and some of it's juice.
Green onions and sauces.
Rice!
Cilantro!!
Delicious! It tastes like more!!! And I had another plate full. So much for leftovers for lunch. By taking a few minutes to prepare the ingredients, your dinner will be done in minutes...really, just a few minutes.
The pork & spices cooking with the onions.
Add carrots, garlic and ginger.
Add the pineapple and some of it's juice.
Green onions and sauces.
Rice!
Cilantro!!
Delicious! It tastes like more!!! And I had another plate full. So much for leftovers for lunch. By taking a few minutes to prepare the ingredients, your dinner will be done in minutes...really, just a few minutes. Thanks Slayer--we miss you!!!
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