Eat Little, Eat Big

Recipe for Thai Shrimp and Veggie Curry

2012-03-08T02:00:00.000-10:00

The photo doesn't do this meal justice! I probably should have worked on the composition a bit more and taken a few other shots but after tasting the curry sauce, I was in a hurry to eat! So, don't hold the poor quality photo against this recipe-it's a keeper.

Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cut asparagus spears, 1 inch pieces
2 cups spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup diced onion
1 can coconut milk
1 TBSP fish sauce
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
24 medium shrimp, cleaned, shelled, tails removed and deveined
3 TBSP Thai red curry paste
Canola oil
Salt
Pepper
Fresh mint and lime slices for garnish

Method:

Saute onion in oil over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute over medium high heat.
Add curry paste.
Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice.
Bring to boil. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Turn down heat to medium, add asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add spinach and shrimp; simmer until shrimp turns pink and spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
Serve over rice, garnished with chopped mint and lime slices.

This would be good with chicken or beef too. And seriously, it's "spoon up the left over sauce and slurp it" kind of good!

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Recipe inspiration

Recipe for Moussaka-Secret Recipe Club

2012-03-05T07:00:00.000-10:00

Moussaka-something I love ordering in restaurants but have failed miserably the few times I've tried to make it. Not this time! Thanks to Evelyne at Cheap Ethnic Eatz, I now have a great recipe. Evelyne's blog was my March Secret Recipe Club assignment. It is a nice experience each month to really spend some dedicated time on a fellow bloggers site. You can read more and see all of this months recipes on the Secret Recipe Club site.

Evelyne has a nice mixture of ethnic recipes on her site so I'd encourage you to go over and check it out. It was hard to pick just one recipe but I'm really happy I chose her moussaka. The only real changes I made were using bison instead of lamb or beef (wanted to use lamb but couldn't find any the day I was cooking) and I used a fair bit more cinnamon than called for, only because I love it so much!

Yield: 8 servings
Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs ground bison, lean
2 large onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1/2 cup good red wine (I used a pinot noir)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3/4 TBSP ground cinnamon
salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 cup grated aged Parmesan
Cooking spray

For the bechamel sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup AP flour
4 cups 2% milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups 2% cottage cheese
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Method:

Slice the eggplants into 1/2 inch slices; lay on paper towels and sprinkle with salt; allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat a few TBSP of oil over med-high heat.
Wipe salt off and dry eggplant slices then fry until browned and softening; do in batches adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels after each batch.
Hold cooked eggplant for assembly of casserole and meanwhile heat remaining oil over medium heat.
Add onions and cook until translucent.
Add ground bison and cook until no longer pink.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add wine, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add parsley.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over the bottom of dish.
Layer half the eggplant, then half the meat, then half the Parmesan.
Repeat layering, breadcrumbs, eggplant, meat, Parmesan.
Make sauce by melting butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in milk, whisking continuously until very thick.
Remove from heat.
Slowly whisk in eggs, cottage cheese and nutmeg.
Pour sauce over casserole, smooth top if needed.
Bake for 1 hour or until browned.
Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Why was this recipe a keeper? I think it was a combination of having the eggplant sliced to the right thickness, cooking until browned and softening and then the wonderful bechamel with cottage cheese in it. The sauce was rich without being too overwhelming. I think this would be amazing made with ground lamb (and hope I can find some next time!).

This keeps and reheats very nicely. Thanks Evelyne for sharing this recipe!
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Recipe for Microwaved Acorn Squash

2012-03-01T02:00:00.000-10:00

How would you like to have a healthy and tasty vegetable dish on the table in under 20 minutes of almost no hands-on time and with only 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper)? Oh, and no need to heat up the kitchen because it's cooked in the microwave.

This is so simple, I almost can't call it a recipe!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: under 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium acorn squash (about 12 inch circumference)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 TBSP coarse sea salt
1 tsp freshly grated black pepper
2 TBSP toasted pine nuts

Method:

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds and stringy bits.
Wrap loosely in parchment paper.
Microwave on high for 12-15 minutes until soft.
Carefully, remove pulp and discard skin.
Mash pulp with oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Serve topped with toasted pine nuts.

I've always been a big fan of butternut squash. Lately, I'm trying to branch out and have fallen in love with acorn squash. Try this easy recipe and I think you will too!

Printable recipe

Other ELEB squash recipes:

Acorn Squash Fitters

Roasted Squash with Mint and Pepitas

Squash, Bacon and Apple Pizza

Butternut Squash "Fries"

Recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Quick Bread-Daring Bakers Challenge

2012-02-27T02:00:00.000-10:00

I used to be a chocolate chip kinda girl, now more an oatmeal raisin one. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate but when reaching for a cookie, I'm more likely to go for the oatmeal raisin one. Well, the truth is I'm happiest when I can have an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie! I don't know why oatmeal raisin cookies were on my mind when I came up with this recipe for February's Daring Baker's Challenge. I'm glad they were though, because this Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Quick Bread is terrific.

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lis stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

The challenge instructions were quite good and very helpful in putting this together. Here are some of the great tips Lis gave us:

Quick breads can be created by the following methods:

Muffin (or the two-bowl) method – The dry and wet ingredients are kept separate and then are combined quickly and gingerly by adding the wet to the dry, and folding the two together with only a few strokes. The idea is to not over-mix, basically moistening the ingredients and leaving the batter slightly lumpy, with wisps of flour showing (even small lumps are fine) so as not to overdevelop the gluten in the flour which will keep the bread tender. An over mixed batter creates tough and rubbery muffins/quick breads. Since over-mixing will cause "tunnels" – holes where the air bubbles can escape – which will make the quick bread tough.
Creaming method – The butter and sugar are beaten and creamed together until smooth and fluffy. Next, the egg and liquid flavoring are added to the butter and sugar mixture. The dry ingredients and other liquids are folded in last. This method is best when baking cakes since a lot of air pockets are added into the mixture. Folding in the ingredients creates even more air pockets to keep the cakes light and fluffy.
Cutting in method – The chilled fat is cut into the flour. The fat results in a flaky texture since the fat melts while in the oven. This method is best used when baking biscuits, scones or pie crusts.
Depending on the recipe and the type of quick bread, there are also three different types of batter:

Pour Batter: This type of batter has a dry:liquid ratio of 1:1. Because there is so much liquid in this type of batter, the result is very moist and dense.
Drop Batter: This batter has a dry:liquid ratio of 3:1. This batter will result in a moist but fluffy baked good.
Stiff Dough: This batter has a dry:liquid ratio of 7:1 This batter will result in a very light and fluffy baked good.

Lower gluten flours are best to make quick breads you can replace 4 tablespoons in each cup of all-purpose flour with cake flour in most recipes or replace 2 tablespoons in each cup of all-purpose flour with corn flour (cornstarch) if you wish to lower the gluten levels of your flour.
Flour should be sifted to aerate it which gives more rise therefore a lighter crumb to the final baked goods.
Add fruit, nuts, etc. after lightly combining the wet and dry ingredients. Then give the batter one more light-handed stir and you're done. Is the batter still thick and lumpy? That's exactly what you want.

With all that good information and some sample recipes to look at, I was ready to go. I wanted a moist but fluffy quick bread so I used the muffin (two-bowl) method, sifted my dry ingredients and approximated a 3:1 dry to liquid ratio with my ingredients (a little more of the wet ingredients because I assumed the oats would soak up a fair amount).

Yield: 1 loaf (9x5 pan)

Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup cake flour
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (uncooked)
¼ cup sugar (plus more to sprinkle on top-optional)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 TBSP cinnamon
2 eggs
¾ cup 2% milk
¾ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup macadamia nut oil
½ cup honey
½ cup golden raisins
Baking spray (or butter)
Parchment paper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray (or spread with butter) and line with parchment paper sling. Lightly spray parchment.
Sift flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Stir in oats and raisins.
In a second bowl, mix together the egg, milk, yogurt, oil and honey.
Stir wet ingredients into dry, just to mix. Batter may be a little lumpy, that is okay, don’t over mix.
Pour into parchment lined loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
Sprinkle top with sugar when removed from oven (optional).
Cool 10 minutes in pan on a rack then remove from pan and continue cooling.
Serve room temperature, warmed or toasted.

A perfect loaf, if I do say so myself! Breakfast treat, dessert, afternoon tea? Yes, yes and yes.

This is the first time I used the parchment sling with a loaf pan-it works like a charm, so don't skip that step. So easy to remove the loaf, just lift the parchment.

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Here's more info about the Daring Bakers and some of my other baking challenges:

Biscuits (aka scones in some parts of the world!)

Sans Rival Cake

Recipe for Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Goat's Cheese and Roasted Red Peppers

2012-02-23T02:00:00.000-10:00

We love stuffed turkey burgers so I'm always trying to come up with a new "surprise" for the stuffing. The answer is often as simple as what is in the fridge and pantry. This week, goat's cheese and a jar of roasted red peppers.

My quick broccoli slaw was a nice complement to the turkey burgers.

Yield: 3 burgers
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
3 large pieces of roasted red pepper
3 coins (about an ounce total) goat's cheese
Salt and pepper
1 TBSP canola oil
Buns for serving (or large lettuce leaves for bunless burger)
Condiments as desired

Method:

Divide ground turkey breast into 6 equal pieces.
Place a coin of cheese on top of the 3 pieces of red pepper.
Place one pepper with cheese on each of 3 pieces of turkey breast and then top each with another piece of turkey breast.
Form gently into patties, sealing the pepper and cheese inside.
Salt and pepper liberally.
Heat oil over med-high heat.
Add burgers and cook about 3 1/2 minutes on each side until browned and turkey is no longer pink (don't overcook or they will be too dry).
Serve on buns or wrapped in lettuce with your choice of condiments.

The most important part of the recipe is not to overcook the burgers!

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Here are some of our other favorite turkey burger recipes:
Inside out turkey cheeseburgers

Blue cheese, pistachio and cranberry turkey burgers

Recipe for Curried Chicken with Peanuts

2012-02-20T02:00:00.000-10:00

As I recently mentioned, we've been eating a fair number of Asian themed meals lately. They are quick to put together-usually from stuff on hand. They are also tasty and healthy. So I find it's hard to go wrong! Take this recipe for example. Tender chicken, salty peanuts, a subtle curry/coconut milk background and a little pop from the green peas stirred in at the end. Simple and pretty perfect!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 TBSP canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
1 TBSP curry powder (or more to taste)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup peanut halves
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Salt and pepper

Method:

Heat oil over medium-high and when hot, add chicken that has been well seasoned with salt and pepper.
Brown chicken for about 2-3 minutes then remove from pan.
Add ginger and curry powder and cook for 30 seconds.
Add broth, rice, and raisins and bring to a boil.
Add chicken back to pan and reduce heat to medium/medium low, cover pan and cook until rice is tender about 20 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, peas and green onions; let sit covered, off the heat for 5 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro and peanuts and serve.

Printable recipe

Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Recipe for Chicken Curry

2012-02-17T02:00:00.000-10:00

I've been cooking a fair number of Asian themed meals: stir fries, curries etc. This recipe is based on one that a group of us used to make on the weekends in the dorm back in the 70's. We were poor and had very little in the way of utensils. We cooked on an illegal hot plate and used inexpensive canned chicken. We sure didn't have access or means to acquire fresh herbs or coconut milk. And the only seasoning we had was Martha's curry powder her family sent her from India. But we turned out a mean chicken curry. The whole floor of the dorm smelled lovely and we ate well! So here's to the girls on the 12th floor!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped potato (1/2x1/2 inch)
1 ½ cup chopped onion (similar size to potato)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP curry powder (more if desired)
1 TBSP Garam masala
½ TBSP ground cardamom
1 cup water
1 cup light coconut milk
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into small pieces (similar size to potato)
2 cups frozen green peas, defrosted
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
1 cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oil over medium heat.
Add spices and stir constantly while cooking for 45 seconds.
Add potatoes, onions, water, and coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes.
Add chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper (and more water/coconut milk if needed-you do want a moist curry).
Cook 10 more minutes or until chicken no longer pink and potatoes are soft.
Stir in peas, cilantro, raisins and cook 2 additional minutes.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve garnished with cilantro, with rice or naan.

The fragrant cooking smells will drive you crazy until the dish is finished and you can sit down and eat. What recipes do you cook that bring back memories of days gone by?

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Recipe for Indian Flavored Squash Fritters-Daring Cooks

2012-02-14T02:00:00.000-10:00

This recipe resulted from the monthly challenge from the Daring Kitchen. The Daring Cooks' February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax and Lis and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients, and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties.

Sometimes the challenges are very specific. This one was great because we had a lot of latitude in our recipe. I thought about different kinds of patties all month-I think I had patty paralysis. But, as is often the case, I just needed to open the fridge to get inspiration. When I saw the acorn squash sitting there, I was over my paralysis and knew what I'd put together-a fritter!

Microwaving the squash made this a quick to prepare recipe. If you are reading this blog much, you know I'm on an Indian kick lately. I think these would turn out just as nice with other seasonings. Let me know if you try something that turns out really tasty.

Yield: 6 patties
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small acorn squash (1 cup mashed)
½ cup cornmeal
1 egg
Large pinch kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Garam masala
¼ cup olive oil (enough for shallow layer in frying pan)

Optional:

Prepared chutney (like Major Grey’s)
Spiced yogurt (non-fat plain Greek yogurt mixed with garam masala)

Method:

Slice squash in half and remove seeds and stringy bits.
Wrap loosely in parchment paper and microwave for 8-10 minutes until steaming and soft.
Let cool and then scrape out cooked squash, discarding skin.
Mix squash, salt and pepper, egg, garam masala, and cornmeal together.
Heat olive oil over med-high heat.
When oil is hot, drop 1/6^th of mixture into oil and flatten; repeat with remaining mixture (but don’t overfill pan-cook in two batches).
Cook about 3 minutes per side until warmed through and crispy on outside.
Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot (with chutney and/or spiced yogurt if desired).

This is an acorn squash

These are the insides that you discard

Pan frying

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Other Daring Cooks challenges I've participated in:
Tea Challenge

Char Sui Bao Challenge

Here is some interesting reading about patties that our hosts provided.

Technically patties are flatten discs of ingredients held together by (added) binders (usually eggs, flour or breadcrumbs) usually coated in breadcrumbs (or flour) then fried (and sometime baked). Burgers, rissoles, croquettes, fritters, and rösti are types of patties as well.

Irish chef Patrick "Patty" Seedhouse is said to have come up with the original concept and term as we know it today with his first production of burgers utilizing steamed meat pattys - the pattys were "packed and patted down" (and called pattys for short) in order to shape a flattened disc that would enflame with juices once steamed.

The binding of the ingredients in patties follows a couple of simple recipes (there is some overlap in the categories below)

Patties – patties are ingredients bound together and shaped as a disc.

Rissoles and croquettes – use egg with breadcrumbs as the binder, typical usage for 500 grams (1 lb) of filling ingredients is 1 egg with ½ cup of breadcrumbs (sometimes flour, cooked grains, nuts and bran can be used instead of the breadcrumbs). Some meat patties use no added binders in them they rely on the protein strands within the meat to bind the patty together. Vegetarian and vegan patties may use mashed vegetables, mashed beans, grains, nuts and seeds to bind the patty. Generally croquettes are crumbed (breaded) patties which are shallow- or deep-fried. Rissoles are not usually crumbed (but can be) and are pan- or shallow-fried. Most rissoles and croquettes can be baked. (Examples are all-meat patties, hamburgers, meat rissoles, meatloaves, meatballs, tuna fish and rice patties, salmon and potato rissoles, most vegetable patties.)

Wet Fritters – use flour, eggs and milk as the binder, typical usage for 500 grams (1 lb) of filling ingredients is 2 cups flour, 1 egg with 1 cup of milk and are usually deep-fried and sometimes pan-fried (examples deep fried apple fritters, potato fritters, some vegetable fritters, hushpuppies)

Dry Fritters – use eggs and (some) flour as the binder, typical usage for 500 grams (1 lb) of filling ingredients is 1 to 2 eggs and (usually) some 2 to 8 tablespoons of flour (but sometimes no flour) and are pan- or shallow- fried. (examples most vegetable patties like zucchini fritters, Thai fish cakes, crab cakes, NZ whitebait fritters)

Röstis – use eggs (sometimes with a little flour) as the binder for the grated potato, carrot and other root vegetables, typical usage for 500 grams (1 lb) of filling ingredients is one egg yolk (potato rösti).

Sautéing, stir frying, pan frying, shallow frying, and deep frying use different amounts fat to cook the food. Sautéing uses the least amount of oil (a few teaspoons) while deep frying uses (many many cups) the most oil. The oil helps lubricate (sometimes adds flavour) the food being fried so it will not stick to the pan and helps transfer heat to the food being cooked.

In particular, as a form of cooking patties, pan- and shallow-frying relies on oil of the correct temperature to seal the surface (so retaining moisture) and to heat the interior ingredients (so binding them together) so cooking the patty. The exposed topside of the patty while cooking allows, unlike deep frying, some moisture loss and contact with the pan bottom with the patty creates greater browning on the contact surface that is the crust of the patty is browned and the interior is cooked by pan- and shallow-frying. Because the food is only being cooked on one side while being pan- or shallow-fried, the food must be flipped at least once to totally cook the patty.

Quick Valentines Treat

2012-02-13T02:00:00.000-10:00

I know not everyone can get fresh strawberries right now. If you can, this quick treat is always appreciated!

I hope you have a Happy Valentines Day tomorrow!

Recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

2012-02-09T02:00:00.000-10:00

Now here's a fun little appetizer. While these take a bit of effort to make, they are sure to please. We ate these (along with lots of other goodies) at a friend's football party. Unfortunately, the team we were all pulling for lost (San Francisco 49ers) but these are a winner!

I named these little goodies after a favorite chicken dish-chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese. These are actually "inside out" in some respects since the bacon is on the outside!

Yep, takes a bit of patience to wrap them up. Worth it though!

Yield: 30 bites
Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
4 slices low fat swiss cheese, sliced into 1 inch pieces
10 oz. center cut bacon slices, cut in half
Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season chicken with pepper.
Fold a piece of cheese inside each chicken piece, then wrap each in a piece of bacon.
Secure each with a toothpick.
Cook on rack over tin foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and bacon is crispy.
If chicken is cooked and bacon isn't, place under high broiler for 2-3 minutes to finish crisping bacon.

They are best when warm out of the oven but still good at room temperature.

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Recipe for Stuffed Portabellas-Secret Recipe Club

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-10:00

It is that time again! I look forward each month to my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club. This is a large group of bloggers who cook from one another's blogs each month. We don't know who is cooking from our blog or what they are cooking until the big reveal day. That would be today!

This month my assignment was the blog "cravings of a lunatic" authored by the very irreverent and funny Kim Bee. I chose one of Kim's non-dessert dishes to cook since Mr. ELEB and I are supposed to be limiting our treats right now (although I enjoyed browsing through all the decadent sweets on her site!).

I've made portabella pizzas before and we love them so I was naturally drawn to Kim Bee's recipe for stuffed portabella mushrooms.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 portabella mushrooms, stems and gills removed (see my video if you need to learn this technique)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
4 TBSP mushroom sauce
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
3/4 cup cooked, diced sausage, I used a mix of grilled chicken apple sausages
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste (I omitted this)
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese, plus more for tops

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment and place mushrooms on parchment.
Mix rice, sauce, onion, sausage, most of cheese and seasonings together.
Spoon mixture into mushrooms and top with remaining cheese.
Cook for 15 minutes or until filling is warmed and cheese is melted.
Serve hot.

Big mahalo (thanks) to Kim Bee for this tasty recipe. I can envision all sorts of yummy stuffing combinations for portabellas going forward.

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Recipe for Gingered Salmon

2012-02-02T02:00:00.000-10:00

I'm dying to do this recipe again. It was very easy and very satisfying. Bonus: also good for you! I saw a recipe on some website for a gingered salmon served with cucumber and radish salad but despite searching online, I can't find it again!!!! So I did what all home cooks do-winged it.
Now, Mr. ELEB likes radishes; me, not so much so I didn't include them in the side salad but you could certainly do so. The flavorful salmon worked well with simple steamed broccoli and cilantro brown rice.

Yield: 2 servings
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets, about 5 oz each
4 TBSP freshly grated ginger
Zest of 1 lemon
1 TBSP olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges for serving

Method:

Position broiler rack about 4 inches from broiler and preheat oven to "high broil".
Wash and pat the fillets dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix olive oil, zest, and ginger together and pat on top of fish; place fish on a foil lined baking sheet.
Broil for about 6-7 minutes, watching carefully.
Serve with lemon wedges.

For the cucumber salad, I think the original had a few more ingredients besides the radishes (?) but I just seeded a cucumber and mixed it with garlic, ginger, plain non-fat Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon. Chill in fridge while fish is being prepared.

Printable recipe

Here are a couple of other favorite salmon recipes:

Sesame salmon with spinach and whole wheat spaghetti

Lemony salmon and dill toss

Recipe for Pork and Peanut Stir Fry

2012-01-30T02:00:00.000-10:00

I've yet to make a Mark Bittman recipe that I didn't like. This recipe was adapted from one of his in "The Food Matters Cookbook" which I have and love. The recipe can also be found on line.

The flavors in this dish are Asian fusion in my estimation. Sort of a fried rice, pad Thai, stir fry cousin. The recipe originally called for chicken but I used pork. The basic recipe can be customized to your preferences and ingredients. I made the rice in a rice cooker the day before and kept it in the fridge until needed.

Time: 30 minutes (make the rice ahead of time and store in fridge)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 TBSP canola oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 carrot, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
3 cups bean sprouts
8 oz pork chops, trimmed of fat and sliced thinly in bite sized pieces
1 TBSP minced garlic (2 large or 3 small cloves)
2 cups chilled, cooked brown rice
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 TBSP fish sauce
1/3 cup peanut halves
1/2 cup chopped basil and more for garnish
1/2 jalapeno or other chile, seeded and chopped (more if you want it spicier)
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cook the onions, carrot, mushrooms and bean sprouts in 1 TBSP of the oil over high heat for about 4-5 minutes until softened and beginning to brown (watch for scorching and turn to med-high if necessary).
Remove veggies and add 1 TBSP oil to pan.
When oil is hot, add pork and stir fry until no longer pink, about 4 minutes then remove to bowl with veggies.
Add remaining oil and when hot add garlic and rice, breaking up any clumps of the rice.
Once rice is broken up and sizzling, add egg to center of pan and scramble, stirring into rice as it cooks.
Add pork and veggies to pan. Stir in coconut milk and cook for a minute or so.
Stir in fish sauce, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Stir in peanuts, basil, lime juice, and chile.
Serve garnished with basil.

This was a big hit at our house, hope you enjoy!

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Recipe for Simple Biscuits-Daring Bakers

2012-01-27T02:00:00.001-10:00

Mmmm, fresh out of the oven! We don't eat biscuits as a general rule although I used to eat them frequently enough when I lived in the South. I was surprised how much we both enjoyed these when I made them for our monthly Daring Bakers challenge.

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host.. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens! Aud hails from down under, hence the "scone" reference.

This lovely, simple recipe has so many possibilities beyond the simple, yet fabulous plain biscuit (scone). Cheese biscuits come to mind as the first variety I might try next.

Tuck this away for when you want a quick and reliable biscuit recipe!

Yield: 8 biscuits
Time: 20 minutes (or 60 minutes if you follow the options)

Ingredients:

1 cup/140 grams plain all purpose flour
2 tsp/10 grams baking powder (make sure it is fresh)
1/4 tsp/1 1/2 grams table salt
2 TBSP frozen grated butter (grated on large holes of box grater)
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold 1% milk plus a dab for brushing the tops

Method:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder three times.
Optional: place sifted ingredients in refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
To the sifted dry ingredients, rub in the grated butter until the mix looks like a mix of large sand pieces and pea sized pieces.
Add the milk to the bowl with the dry ingredient/butter mixture and mix with hands until a sticky dough is formed.
Turn dough out on to a floured surface and sprinkle the top with flour.
Gently knead a few times, then fold into thirds several times, gently pressing out between folds.
Pat dough out into an approximately 6 x 4 inch rectangle.
Using a floured biscuit cutter (approximately 2 inches) cut 4-5 biscuits pressing down, not twisting.
Reform dough and cut out 2 more biscuits.
Use scraps to form final biscuit.
Place biscuits in baking pan.
Optional: place formed biscuits into refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Brush top of biscuits with milk and then bake for approximately 10 minutes.
Serve warm. Can be cooled to room temperature and stored in freezer bag in freezer.
Reheat briefly.

Biscuits formed, ready for fridge

Out of the oven

Mmmm, ready to eat

If you are interested in more information about the Daring Kitchen challenges, here is the website.

Printable recipe

Another Daring Baker challenge I participated in: Sans Rival Cake

Black and White Wednesdays: Beef and Veggies

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-10:00

Making short ribs.

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays.

Check out all the great black and white photos at The Well Seasoned Cook.

Recipe for Black Bean Salad

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-10:00

This is a great side dish for chicken fajitas. If you don't want to bother roasting the peppers, I've also made this successfully using store bought roasted red peppers.

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, I used one red and one yellow
1 TBSP canola oil
1 can organic black beans
1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup (or more) chopped cilantro
2 tsp cumin
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat broiler.
Cut peppers in half, remove seeds, and press with hand to flatten
Toss peppers with canola oil and place on baking sheet.
Broil peppers for 5 minutes or so per side until charred.
Remove peppers from tray and place in covered bowl for 5 minutes.
Carefully remove skin from peppers and chop.
Rinse and drain beans.
Combine beans, peppers, avocado, cilantro, cumin, lime juice and zest.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Chill briefly before serving.

This keeps really well for a couple of days in the fridge (the avocado will eventually start to brown but the lime juice helps retard that for a while). Wrapped in a tortilla, it makes a nice veggie lunch and served over scrambled egg whites makes for a tasty breakfast.

Printable recipe

Recipe for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-10:00

This was my first time, but not my last, cooking short ribs. I don't know why I've stayed away. Mr. ELEB loves them and I have enjoyed them at restaurants from time to time. He has dropped subtle (actually, not so subtle) hints about having them at home. When I saw a recipe in October's Bon Appetit I decided to bite the bullet. I found some nice looking short ribs at Whole Foods and served this at our Boxing Day get together along with olive oil mashed potatoes and roasted squash. It was a lovely rustic meal and the ribs were so tender and flavorful. You really can't mess this recipe up!

Yield: 8 servings
Time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

5 lb. bone in beef short ribs in approximately 2 inch pieces, trimmed of any big chunks of fat
3 TBSP canola oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP tomato paste
750 ml (one bottle) Cabernet Sauvignon (or other red wine)
10 sprigs flat leaf parsley
9 sprigs thyme
2 springs rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Salt and pepper the ribs liberally.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat.
Cooking a few ribs at a time (don't crowd pot), brown on all sides. As browned, remove to a platter.
When all ribs are browned and removed from pan, remove all but about 3 TBSP of the remaining oil/fat.
Add veggies and cook until onions are browned, stirring frequently.
Add flour and tomato paste and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
Add wine and ribs with any juices that have released on to platter.
Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until wine has reduced by half.
Add herbs, garlic and broth.
Cover Dutch oven and place in oven.
Cook until meat is separating from the bones, about 2-2 1/2 hours.
Remove ribs to serving platter or bowl.
Skim any fat from remaining sauce.
Taste sauce and add any additional salt/pepper if needed.
Pour sauce over ribs (if in bowl) or serve separately in a gravy boat.

Short ribs are actually easy to cook using this method. I won't be shying away from cooking them again and am looking for a good Asian short ribs recipe (please share in the comments if you have one). Mr. ELEB says "tell them these ribs got the husband seal of approval." So there you go!

Printable recipe
Original recipe

Black and White Wednesdays-Backyard Lime

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-10:00

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Recipe for Roasted Squash with Mint and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-10:00

We sure enjoyed this roasted squash dish when I served it on Boxing Day for ourselves and some of our friends. The recipe is an interesting combination with mint and balsamic vinegar flavoring the lovely roasted flavor of the squash.

I used half butternut and half acorn squash, but pumpkin squash could be used too.

Yield: 8 servings
Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds each butternut and acorn squash (3 pounds total)
3 TBSP olive oil
1+ TBSP good aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup toasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut squash into wedges, leaving skin on but removing any seeds or strings.
Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread out on large baking sheet, cut side down.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown, turning several times to brown all cut sides.
Serve drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with salt and pepper, mint, and pepitas.

Some folks ate the skin. I chose not to, but either way the squash is delicious! It also reheats nicely (microwave).

Printable recipe
Original recipe from Bon Appetit

Other squash recipes you may enjoy:
Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat's Cheese and Pine Nuts

Butternut Squash "Fries"

Recipe for Blue Cheese, Apricot, and Pistachio Phyllo Cups

2012-01-13T01:00:00.000-10:00

This is the pupu (appetizer) I took to a neighborhood New Year's Eve celebration. It couldn't be easier and, as long as you like blue cheese, you'll love it.

Yields: 24 pieces
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

24 ready formed phyllo cups
2.5-3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3 oz. apricot "all fruit" spread
48 pistachios, shelled

Method:

Preheat oven per phyllo cup box directions.
Warm apricot spread over medium heat (or in microwave) until liquid.
Fill each phyllo cup about 1/2 full with cheese.
Drizzle apricot spread over cheese.
Top with 2 pistachios.
Bake per box instructions (for mine 12 minutes).
Serve warm or room temperature.

I loved the tangy bite from the blue cheese, the tender flaky crunch of the phyllo, and the sweet and salty from the spread and the nuts. If you don't like blue cheese, I'm sure these would also work with goat's cheese or brie.

Here are another couple more favorite appetizers:

Prosciutto wrapped pesto tortellini with asparagus

Nutty Cheese Ball

Black and White Wednesday-Rustic Ham Loaf

2012-01-11T01:00:00.000-10:00

Rustic Ham Loaf

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Recipe for Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Sesame Salmon and Spinach

2012-01-09T02:00:00.000-10:00

Here's a great recipe for when you want to get something on the table quickly but you want to stay on the healthier side of things. In under thirty minutes you can put this dish together, serve it, and be ready to receive the accolades that will surely be sent your way!

We are doing pretty well with our goal of eating fish once or twice a week. I've found some frozen sockeye salmon that is really good. Flash frozen on the boat when it's caught, I can't imagine much fresher unless you catch it yourself. I'm keeping a bag in the freezer so I have no excuse not to get those good-for-you omega fatty acids in our weekly diet.

Mr. ELEB and I both love spinach but if you don't you could substitute another green, leafy veg or even some asparagus, broccoli, or peas. It's worth paying for some good quality whole wheat or whole grain pasta.

Yield: 2 servings
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces salmon filet
1 cup white wine or chicken or vegetable broth
4 ounces whole wheat (or whole grain) thin spaghetti pasta
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 TBSP sesame oil
Salt and pepper

Method:

Cook pasta per box instructions for al dente.
Heat wine or broth over med-high heat. When simmering, add salmon and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes until still slightly translucent in center, just beginning to flake when pressed with spatula. When cooked, remove from wine/broth and flake into bite sized pieces. Reserve liquid for serving if needed.
While salmon and pasta cook, add sesame oil to skillet over med-high heat. When hot, add garlic and sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute, being sure not to burn garlic.
Add soy sauce and spinach and wilt for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Drain pasta and add back to pan. Add spinach, salmon, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Stir and add some reserved wine/broth if needed.
Serve sprinkled with additional sesame seeds.

This has lovely soft Asian flavors, which we both love. Hope you do too!

Printable recipe
Adapted from this Mark Bittman recipe

Here are a few more of our favorite salmon recipes:

Lemony Salmon and Dill Toss

Poached Eggs with Spinach, Salmon and Roasted Red Peppers

Recipe for Smoky Fried Chickpeas

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-10:00

Hummus is one of those things you'll always find in our fridge. But other than that, I'm not a big fan of chickpeas. I have tried them on salads, in casseroles etc. and I'll eat them but they don't wow me. These smoky fried chickpeas, however, WOW!

I love everything about them-flavor, texture, and ease of preparation. Just imagine smoky paprika and chipotle flavored with salt and lime. A little crunch and then a nice creamy chew. Have I sold you yet? I adapted this recipe slightly from Bon Appetit.

Yield: 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
6 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground chipotle chile
3 tsp grated lime zest
Salt (kosher or sea salt)

Method:

Wash, drain, and pat dry the chickpeas.
Remove any loose skins from the chickpeas.
Mix paprika and chipotle together. Set aside.
Heat 1/2 of olive oil over med-high heat.
Cook 1/2 of chickpeas for 8-10 minutes until brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Wipe out any brown bits and add remaining olive oil to pan. Heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add remaining chickpeas and cook for 8-10 minutes until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Place chickpeas in a bowl, salt liberally and stir in paprika mixture and lime zest.
Serve with paper napkins to wipe fingers on.

A new appetizer to add in to the repertoire. Hope you enjoy!

Printable recipe
Original recipe

Black and White Wednesday-Vanilla Bean

2012-01-04T01:00:00.000-10:00

Vanilla Bean

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Top Recipes of 2011

2012-01-02T02:00:00.000-10:00

#1 Healthy Egg White Breakfast Treat; #2 Lemon Parmesan Pork; #3 Slow Cooker Pork Verde; #4 Cheesy Penne Pasta Bake

Welcome to 2012! I hope you had a safe and Happy New Year.

I often get asked "what are the most popular recipes on your blog?". Good question-I went back through 2011 and looked at the posts garnering the most page views, shown in the collage above. Does that mean these are my best recipes from 2011?

I eat microwaved egg white treats most mornings-I love them, so that one is definitely a "best" in my book. The Parmesan pork was good but needed some improvements, so not one of my bests but a good recipe. The slow cooker pork was one of my favorites made in the slow cooker this year. The penne pasta dish was one of my Secret Recipe Club posts-I loved it but it isn't my "best" pasta dish.

It is interesting (to me at least) that in 2010 like 2011, my top post was also a breakfast item (Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Quiche) and the next one was also! (Overnight Oatmeal). This tells me that a lot of people are looking for healthy breakfast ideas.

Were there other recipes on the blog in 2011 that were my favorites? Why, yes, thanks for asking!

My Blue Cheese, Pistachio, and Cranberry Turkey Burgers were fantastic.

High on my list of veggie favorites (and close to the top in page views from you readers) was Cauli-kale Surprise.

I explored a lot of Indian flavors in 2011 and loved this recipe for Chai Concentrate.

And, I think the recipe I have cooked more than any other this year (besides bread) is Not Just For Special Occasion Roasted Chicken.

So here's to another year-hope it will be kind and generous to you. Thanks for reading!

Links to "top rated" recipes for 2011:
Microwaved Egg White Breakfast Treat

Lemon Parmesan Pork

Slow Cooker Pork Verde

Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta