i feel like i start most posts by professing my love for some type of food, and i’d like to start this one differently….actually, no, i don’t think i can begin without speaking of my love for minestrone soup. it’s one of the first soups i can recall eating, and it brings back memories of cozy rainy winter afternoons, steaming soup bowls, and crunchy sourdough toast that i ate alongside and dipped into the broth.

despite my profound love for minestrone, i’ve never made or eaten a homemade version, so when i saw a quick 30 minute version in vegetarian times last month, the ingredients went right onto my grocery list. since then, i’ve made this soup every week, enjoying the leftovers as much as (if not more than!) the first round of soup right off the stove.

while this soup isn’t a classic minestrone – the vegetables are still a bit crunchy, and there’s no lima beans (to me, the former is a plus, but the latter is a bit of a negative, as i love lima beans) – it’s decidedly delicious, savory, and hits the spot every time.

that’s not to say that i didn’t experiment with the recipe a bit, though, so below i’ll include the original, quick 30 minute instructions, as well as an optional addition of barley. the barley creates a heartier soup, but doubles the cooking time – so add the barley if you’re enjoying a leisurely evening at home, not if you want a speedy dinner. either way, you can’t go wrong with this savory soup!

one year ago: pesto pizza

minestrone soup

yields about 5 servings
adapted from vegetarian times

• 1T olive oil
• 1t dried basil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced into circles
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8oz sun dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
• 15oz white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4c water
• 1c frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2T vinegar
• **optional – 1c barley and 2c water
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1. heat oil in large pan over medium heat
2. add basil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, sauteeing for 5 minutes
3. add sun dried tomatoes, and allow to saute for 5 more minutes
4. add beans and water , bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
5. (if you’re using barley, add it now, plus the extra 2c of water, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes instead of 10)
6. add peas, salt and pepper to taste, and allow to simmer for 5 more minutes
7. stir in vinegar and serve with toast and some slices of cheese, if desired

i love all things with fruit and butter and sugar – crisps, tarts, pies, cobbler – you name it, and i’ll bet that i love it!

so it’s fitting that, way back in june of 2008, i experimented with making my own crisp topping – sans recipe - and blogged the creation as the first recipe on eclaire.name.

i’ve been tinkering with that recipe for almost two years, and after making it for our recent dinner party, i finally loved the results enough to share with you (again)!

i think the best thing about this topping is that you could put it over any fruit – berries, stone fruits, apples, or any combination of the above, and it will be absolutely delicious! so find whatever fruit is in season or in your freezer, and make this versatile crisp! i’ll bet you end up eating the leftovers for breakfast…just a guess…

one year ago: wild rice and chickpea soup

apple crisp

yields 6-8 servings

• 1/3c raisins
• 1c hot water
• 1t vanilla extract
• 3/4c flour
• 3/4c oats
• 2/3c brown sugar
• 1t cinnamon
• 1/2t nutmeg
• 1/2c butter, softened
• 4 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/3c pecans, broken
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1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. place the raisins in a bowl and pour the hot water and vanilla over them
3. in a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg together, then work in the butter – i use my hands, but you could use a wooden spoon if you’d prefer – until thoroughly combined
4. place the pieces of apples into an 8×8″ baking dish
5. pour lemon juice over the top of the apples and toss
6. drain the raisins, and toss the raisins and pecans with the apples, then press them down into the pan
7. sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture
8. bake for 35-45 minutes, or until apples are soft and crisp is hot and starting to get dark around the edges
9. if you’d prefer to substitute berries or another type of fruit, substitute the apples, pecans, and raisins for 3c of berries or diced fruit at room temperature, and enjoy!

here in california, we’re starting to head out of squash season and towards the lighter veggies of spring, as the days get  longer and the weather warms up a bit. so when we decided to have a potluck with our friends this weekend, i knew that it was the perfect opportunity to make this fabulous stuffed squash dish, before squash completely disappears from the store.

i absolutely adore all kinds of squash, but i usually lack time on weeknights to spend baking it the proper amount of time, so squash is a bit of a rarity for us. my dad made this stuffed squash dish for the vegetarians (and as a side for the meat eaters) at christmas dinner this year, and i’ve been thinking about making it for myself ever since then – i can’t believe it’s been two months since i promised myself i’d make this dish!

i am SO glad i finally got my act together to make these stuffed squash (or is it squashes? someone help me here!)! it was a simple recipe to follow, and turned out, if i do say so myself, quite delicious and filling. i love the combo of white beans, chard, and kalamata olives, all which hide under bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. despite its hearty and healthy construction, it’s not too terribly heavy, conveniently leaving enough room for the delicious dishes our friends brought over to share – quinoa fritters, salad with a raw and vegan cesar salad dressing, coconut bliss ice cream, and homemade banana cashew ice cream (the latter two were combined with an apple crisp we made – that recipe is my next post, so stay tuned!).  i hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

one year ago: warm quinoa breakfast cereal

stuffed squash

yields 1 stuffed squash, duplicate as needed (i usually made 1 per person)

• 1 medium acorn squash (or substitute as you see fit with other hard shelled squash)
• 1t olive oil
• 1T water
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1T olive oil
• 1/4c onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 1T water
• 1½t tomato paste
• 3c swiss chard, chopped
• 3/4c white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2T kalamata olives, chopped
• 3T dry whole wheat bread
• 3T grated parmesan cheese (optional)
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1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. cut the squash in half and scoop out the inside
3. pour 1/2t olive oil in each half, using a pastry brush to spread the oil around and thoroughly coat the squash
4. pour 1/2T water into each half of the squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes on a cookie sheet
6. meanwhile, heat 1T olive oil in large pan over medium heat
7. add onion and saute for 3 minutes
8. add garlic, salt and pepper, water, tomato paste, and chard
9. cover and alow to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until stalks are tender
10. stir in the white beans and olives, heating thoroughly, approx 3 more minutes
11. stuff the squash with the misture
12. cover the white bean and chard filling with bread crumbs and parmesan, and pop back into the oven if they’ve cooled down too much. enjoy warm with bread and salad!

i love indian food, but it’s a genre that i haven’t experimented much with in my own kitchen – i prefer to let the experts handle it. but there is a dearth of good indian food restaurants in the town where i live. so this puts me in a bit of a quandry.

so when deb over at smitten kitchen wrote about a fabulous chana masala recipe, i leaped at the chance to try making indian fare from scratch. chana masala is essentially just chick peas (chanas), onions, garlic, ginger, and a medley of spices, including garam masala (hence chana masala). the recipe is pretty simple and quick, and yet yields an amazingly flavorful dish.

we served the chana masala over jasmine rice, and alongside green beans. i was gifted a sampler of olive oils and balsamic vinegars from coeur d’olives recently, and i wanted to use one of the cute little sampler bottles in a recipe that would let the olive oil infusions shine. so, i simply added some lemon infused olive oil to green beans and sauteed away – it was a delicious and bright compliment to the spicy masala!

if you’ve ever thought about making indian food at home, i can’t advocate for this fabulous recipe enough – the recipe is speedy and delicious, and you will be graced with servings of tasty chana masala for days.

chana masala (with rice and green beans)

yields 8 servings
slightly adapted from smitten kitchen

• 2c jasmine rice, rinsed
• 1T canola oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2t fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4t red pepper flakes
• 1T ground coriander
• 3t ground cumin
• 1/4t ground cayenne pepper
• 1t ground turmeric
• 2t paprika
• 1t garam masala
• 15oz can of diced tomatoes, in their own juices
• 2/3c water
• 2 15oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2t salt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed – optional
• 2T olive oil (or infused olive oil) – optional
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1. for the rice: bring 4c of water and a few dashes of salt to a boil
2. add the rice, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes
3. for the chana masala: heat oil in a large pan (I used my 5 quart dutch oven)
4. add onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, sauteeing over medium heat for 5 minutes
5. lower the heat a bit, then add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala, sauteeing for 2 minutes
6. add the tomatoes along with their juices, water, and chickpeas
7. simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice
8. for the green beans: 5 minutes before the chana masala is ready, place green beans and oil into pan over medium high heat
9. saute for 5 minutes, or until bright green, hot, and still crispy – then promptly remove
10. serve the chana masala over the rice, with green beans on the side, and enjoy!

as promised in an earlier post, i’m sharing another delicious lemon recipe! lemon bars hold a special place in my heart – i can remember picking them out from behind beautiful glass bakery cases when i was a kid, after swimming lessons (or maybe after ballet lessons? i’m not entirely sure – eating at yummy bakery memories blend for me – it was a rough childhood, i know). while i tend to favor chocolate desserts, and just plain old chocolate in general, lemon bars are one of the few exceptions i make to my chocoholic nature.

i love that lemon bars seem really fancy, too, even though they’re a lot easier than many desserts. while they’re incredibly simple to make, they’re decidedly not quick. you have to make the shortbread base, bake that, make the lemon top, bake that, and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting and sprinkling with powdered sugar. so if you’re going to make these delicious bars, do yourself a favor and make them the night before you want to eat them, or you’ll have a gooey mess on your hands!

one year ago: kitchari

lemon bars

yields 16 cookies

• 1/2c melted butter
• 1c flour
• 1/4c powdered sugar
• 1c sugar
• 1/2t baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2t lemon zest
• 2T lemon juice
• 1-2T powdered sugar
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1. preheat the oven to 350°
2. grease and 8×8 pan
3. melt the butter (i usually nuke it), then whisk the flour and powdered sugar into the butter
4. press this mixture into the greased pan and bake for 20 minutes
5. meanwhile, whisk the sugar, baking powder, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice together
6. pour the liquid mixture over the baked crust (whisk one more time if it sat while the crust was baking)
7. bake for 25 minutes, then allow to cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight (you don’t want to skip this step, as they will ooze all over everything)
8. cut the lemon bars into 16 pieces and remove from the pan with a spatula
9. sprinkle the powdered sugar over the top of the bars, and serve!

i wish i could take credit for this recipe, but i can’t. this recipe is the spaghetti sauce i grew up eating – a standard, week night meal, and one of my favorite comfort foods.

to accommodate the palates of me and my sister, my parents would make the sauce in one pan, then divide it between a ground turkey pan and a tofu pan – much the same as in the picture below, where my sister is making the turkey on the left, and i’m making a tofu version on the right.

of course, the recipe was so common place in our home that it was never written down, so the version i make is a bit of a hybrid of the versions my parents created over the years. i start off by sauteeing onions, then throw in sliced mushrooms, grated zucchini and carrots, and add a basic tomato sauce that contains just tomatoes, salt, and basil (i hate the ones that add sugar). then i throw in some chopped kalamata olives, a glug or two of wine, tofu, some red pepper flakes, and let the whole thing simmer a bit before serving it over pasta, most often with artichokes on the side. easy, right? and delicious, and full of hearty veggies disguised as just tasty sauce. (very clever, mom and dad, very clever!)

one year ago: sunday morning muffins (applesauce oatmeal muffins)

spaghetti sauce

yields 8 servings

• 2T olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 dozen (approx) white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini, grated
• 1 jar or can tomato sauce (around 24 oz)
• 1 dozen (approx) kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 1/4t red pepper flakes
• 1/4c (approx) red wine (don’t use anything you wouldn’t drink!)
• 20 oz tofu, cubed (or sub with any other protein, like ground turkey)
• 16 oz spaghetti, shells, or other pasta
• parmesan cheese, optional
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1. place a large pot of water on the stove to boil
2. heat the olive oil in a saute pan
3. add the diced onion to the pan, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes
4. add the garlic and sliced mushrooms, and saute with the onions for another 2 minutes
5. add the grated carrot and zucchini, to the pan and allow to saute for a minute or so
6. add the tomato sauce, olives, red pepper flakes, wine, and tofu to the veggie mixture
7. allow the sauce to simmer for 5-30 minutes (it tastes better if you simmer for 30, but if you’re in a rush as few as 5 minutes will do the trick)
8. boil the pasta according the the package directions, then drain and top with sauce and parmesan cheese

a few weeks ago, my friend’s mom gave us a huge bag filled to the brim with meyer lemons. what a gift! ever since then, we’ve been making all sorts of delicious lemon-based recipes (i’ll post more soon!).

one of our all-time favorite lemon-based breakfasts is lemon poppy seed scones, and we tried out several different recipes before landing on this one.

this recipe yields light, flaky scones with just enough butter to toe the line of breakfast decadence, and a bright lemon flavor. they’re not terribly sweet, which suits my taste buds perfectly, and have an extremely satisfying poppy seed crunch.

when you add up the amazing flavor plus the speed with which they come together, these lemon poppy seed scones are one of the best brunch recipes i have in my repertoire – and now they can be a staple in your brunches as well!

one year ago: butternut squash and sage risotto

lemon poppyseed scones

yields 8 scones
slightly adapted from eating outloud

• 2c flour (i used 1c all purpose and 1c whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/3c brown sugar
• 2t baking powder
• 1/8t salt
• 1/3c butter
• 1 egg
• 1t vanilla
• 1/2c (soy) milk
• 2T lemon zest
• 1T lemon juice
• 1T poppy seeds
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• 1T soy milk (for egg wash)
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1. preheat the oven to 375º
2. measure flour(s), brown sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to incorporate
3. cut in the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are a bit smaller than pea-sized
4. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg with vanilla, soy milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds (make sure you zest the lemons before juicing them!)
5. stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just barely combined, then dump out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together, ensuring it’s not sticky but also not dry
6. press the dough into a 1″ thick rectangle and cut in half vertically, then horizontally (yielding four large rectangles)
7. then, cut each rectangle in half diagonally, yielding eight triangle shaped scones
8. put the scones onto a greased cookie sheet, and whisk together the egg and soy milk to create an egg wash for the top
9. brush the top of the scones as well as the sides with the egg wash, and reserve extra for scrambled eggs if so desired (i hate dumping good food down the drain!)
10. bake for 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown

as i was beginning to come out of my post-holiday cooking hiatus, i read a blog post over at smitten kitchen (have you checked out her website? it’s fabulous!) about a barley risotto with beans and leafy greens. i had never tried to cook anything with barley, and the pictures left me absolutely drooling, so i starred the post (my version of clipping a recipe out of a newspaper), and vowed to come back to it.

when it came time to pick recipes for the week, though, i couldn’t seem to bear the thought of standing and stirring and babying barley for over 30 minutes, in the same way that you have to watch over arborio rice (arborio’s what is used in a classic risotto). i was just starting to feel like cooking again, and didn’t want to lose all my enjoyment of the process in one arduous recipe. so i gave up on the recipe and started flipping through cookbooks for something equally hearty but much simpler.

lo and behold, i ran across a recipe for barley with spinach and peas in one of my all time favorite cookbooks, the one-dish vegetarian: 100 recipes for quick and easy vegetarian meals, by maria robbins. instead of stirring and slowly cooking the barley, you could just pour in all the broth at once, then walk away and exercise in the 30 minutes it simmers away on its own. i loved smitten kitchen’s idea of beans, though, so i swapped out some white beans for the peas called in the original recipe.

i excitedly ate this dish all of last week (it makes around 7 servings!). every meal, i enjoyed the healthy, hearty ingredients plus the smidgen of indulgence from the butter and parmesan. while you can still taste all of the veggies and grains (i discovered that i LOVE the chewy texture of barley), the broth and butter and cheese add a creaminess that is simply delightful. this recipe is definitely a keeper – i believe it’s going to become a standard in our dinner rotation, along with roasted veggies with polenta, honey glazed tofu with couscous, lentil dal, and chick pea tacos.

one year ago: banana bread

barley “risotto”

yields 6-7 servings
adapted from the one dish vegetarian and smitten kitchen

• 2T olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4c vegetable broth (i always use rapunzel bouillon)
• 1½c pearl barley, rinsed
• 10oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water (or 1lb spinach, washed and chopped)
• 15oz beans (we used great northern beans, but i think any kind of white bean (ie- cannellini) or kidney bean would work well), drained and rinsed
• 1T butter
• 1/2c parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
  ______________________________
• heat olive oil in a large pan, then saute the onion for 5 minutes over medium heat
• add the celery and carrots and saute for 5 more minutes
• pour the vegetable broth and add the barley into the pan and bring to a boil
• cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes
• add the spinach and beans, cover again, and cook for 15  more minutes
• stir in butter and parmesan cheese, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve

i’m slowly starting to get back in the swing of things, though – i made my first normal (ie- not laden with sugar, butter, and other holiday staples) grocery list in weeks – so don’t worry, i will be picking up the posts around here.

for now, i’d like to share an appetizer that i read about on eating out loud. it’s a super quick and super delicious appetizer to serve at parties, especially when you’re hosting them, as you can pull them piping hot out of the oven as guests are arriving.

the pesto puff pastry rollies barely need a recipe, but i’ll include one below…and feel free to experiment with the filling, as i did by spreading jam on part of the puff pastry so i could serve garlic and onion free rollies to my mom.

one year ago: roasted veggies

pesto puff pastry rollies

yields a little over 2 dozen
borrowed from eating out loud

• 2 sheets of puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1/2c prepared pesto (i love the kind from trader joe’s)
• jam, if you would like to make sweet rollies
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1. preheat the oven to 400º
2. press one sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle the size of a piece of paper (about 8.5 x 11″)
3. spread 1/4c pesto (or substitute jam, if making sweet ones) over the puff pastry
4. roll each side of the puff pastry towards the middle, making a little rollie pretzel shaped log
5. cut the log into approx 12 pieces, each around 1″ wide
6. stick a toothpick through the rollie to help maintain its shape while baking
7. place the rollies on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden
8. repeat with the other puff pastry sheet

last year, we began the tradition of making baked goods to share with others, and whipped out four different cookies to give as gifts. this year i wanted to continue the tradition in a new way, and make something that could be enjoyed well after the cookies made by the fabulous bakers we’re related to were eaten with relish. so, we decided to make a bunch of mini loaves that could be frozen and reheated for breakfasts, snacks, or desserts in three different flavors: zucchini, banana, and persimmon.

the persimmon bread recipe was a gift from my mom last year, and i took a bunch of photos when i made it for the first time after christmas ‘08. but i didn’t get the pictures up here before persimmon season ended, and i didn’t want to taunt you with an amazing recipe that you couldn’t make. because this bread is THAT good!

all the components are fabulous – the persimmons add a lovely texture and flavor, and keep the bread very moist and soft, the orange and lemon zest brighten the spice profile, and the pecans add a marvelous crunch. the bread rises well and yields the perfect combo of hearty but light goodness, standing up well in the hours between breakfast and lunch, but also not sitting heavily in your tummy if you eat it as a dessert. so what are you waiting for? go make this while persimmons are still in season, or you’ll be regretting it for the rest of the year!

one year ago: applesauce

persimmon spice bread

yields 8 mini loaves, 1 regular loaf, or 1 x 9″ round cake

• 1¾c all purpose flour
• 2t baking powder
• 1t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t ground nutmeg
• 1/2t ground cloves
• 1/2c butter, softened
• 1c sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 very soft, ripe persimmons
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2c chopped or broken pecans
• 1t orange zest
• 1t lemon zest
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1. preheat oven to 350º
2. in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
3. in another large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg
4. cut the tops off the persimmons and scoop out the fruit, discarding the seeds, skin, and stems
5. place the fruit into a blender and whirl with the baking soda until combined and smooth
6. beat the persimmon and baking soda mixture into the butter, sugar, and egg mixture
7. add the flour to the persimmon and butter combo and continue beating until well combined
8. stir in the nuts, orange zest, and lemon zest
9. pour into 8 greased mini loaf pans, 1 greased 8.5×4.5″ loaf pan or a greased 9″ round cake pan
10. the mini loaves will bake for about 30 minutes, while the other two will bake for 40-45 minutes
11. test the bread by pressing down off center and watching for it to spring back
12. allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then pop out and enjoy!