The Joy of Winging It

Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

2012-06-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Recipe type: Salad

Author: Cookie and Kate

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Raw kale salad
1 bunch of curly kale (green or red)
Sea salt
1 avocado
4 to 6 carrots (rainbow carrots are pretty but standard orange carrots are great, too)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (preferably black sesame seeds, regular white are fine)
Creamy tahini miso dressing
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon white miso
1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
big pinch red pepper flakes
small handful chopped cilantro
1/3 cup water
dash of tamari or soy sauce (optional)

Instructions

Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stem and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife or your hands to chop or tear the kale into small, bite sized pieces. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves for a couple of minutes (see notes above).
In a small bowl or 8-ounce mason jar, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Divide the kale into two bowls, drizzle in the salad dressing (don’t skimp), and toss thoroughly. If possible, let the salads rest for ten minutes before eating.
Peel and slice the carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, score the flesh with a knife and scoop it out with a big spoon. Top the salad with carrot ribbons, diced avocado and some chopped carrot greens, if available/desired. Sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds and serve.

via Cookie & Kate

Baba Ghanoush with Roasted Garlic

2011-12-09T15:29:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked eggplant flesh from about 3 large eggplants
(2 of mine were 8 inches long and 1 was 12 inches long)1 head garlic, roasted
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp -- 1/4 cup tahini (to taste)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
handful fresh parsley
1 tsp salt, or to taste
pepper, to taste

1.Preheat the oven to 475F. Generously poke holes in your eggplant and rub all over with olive oil. Place the eggplant on roasting pan with the head of garlic, all wrapped up in foil like a mummy.

2. Roast the eggplant, turning occasionally until they collapse. Large eggplant will take 30-45 minutes. Roast the foil-wrapped garlic for 2o minutes, removing from oven while the eggplant finishes up. Set both aside until cool enough to handle.

3. Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a clean dry skillet until golden brown, stirring continually. Add half to a food processor, reserving other half for garnish. Pop the garlic cloves out of the skins and add them to the processor as well.

4. Finally, scoop out four cups of eggplant flesh and add it to the processor with lemon juice, tahini, and parsley. Pulse, drizzling in olive as needed -- I used about 1/4 cup. The mixture should take on a hummus-like consistency.

[via Global Table Adventure]

Apple Cider Cups

2011-12-06T15:52:00.001-08:00

An entertaining way to serve your cider this year...

[Via Livet Hemma]

Red lentil, chickpea and chili soup

2011-12-01T21:12:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds
large pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
140 gr split red lentils
850 m vegetable stock or water
400 gr can tomatoes, whole or chopped
200 gr chickpeas, rinsed and drained
small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
4 tbsp of Greek yogurt to serve

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough purée, pour back into the pan and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well and stir in the coriander. Finish with a dollop of yogurt and coriander leaves.

[via Jungle Frog]

Chicken Vegetable Soup With A Kick

2011-10-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

This'll put some zazz in your basic chicken soup. A nice hint of curry and a little zip of heat. Great for dipping toasted bread. Super easy to make. Bring on the rainy weather and a warm blanket!

1 large yellow onion diced
3 celery stalks 1 inch diagonal slices
3 carrots sliced thin diagonally
2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
2 small tomatoes diced/1/2 can diced tomatoes
4 chicken thighs cut into bite size chunks
canola oil
curry powder
hot sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 veggie bouillon cube
4 cups water

1. Heat large soup pot on high, add a generous amount of canola oil, brown chicken in two batches. Take chicken out from soup pot and set aside.
2. Add onions to soup pot and cook until translucent. While stirring, scrape meat bits off bottom and mix with onions.
3. Add carrots, celery, water, bouillon, tomatoes, garlic, 2-3 dashes of curry powder (not too much) and chicken to pot. Give a good stir. Bring to boil and then simmer until carrots and celery are cooked to your liking. Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce. (We like Sriracha hot chili sauce). Done!

Thanks Lynne, for inspiring me with your lovely soup today :)

How To Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds

2011-10-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ahi Tuna Steaks with Asian Mustard Sauce

2011-10-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

6 ahi (yellowfin tuna) steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon horseradish

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Brush a thin layer of sauce on each side of Ahi steak.

2. Sprinkle both sides with your favorite blackened spices, or pepper.

3. Grill steaks for approximately two minutes on each side. Do not overcook.

4. Slice steaks across the grain.

5. Apply a small amount of honey mustard sauce on each plate. Place a serving of tuna on plate. Viola!

Tip: Look for Ahi Tuna in the frozen section at Trader Joe's.

[via about.com]

Easy Baked Tofu

2011-09-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

When baking tofu, it acquires a terrific, firm crust, while its interior gains the texture of a pleasant custard, almost egglike. It's basic, essential, and-for some reason-relatively unknown. Cooled and sliced or cubed, baked tofu is ready for anything: sandwiches, salads, stir-fries-you name it.

1 to 2 pounds firm tofu

any of the following seasonings:

- soy sauce

- miso paste thinned with water/sake/vegetable broth/white wine

- barbeque sauce

- teriyaki sauce

- ponzu sauce

- salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dry the tofu by using a paper towel to blot off excess water, brush liberally with one of any of the above seasonings. Put it in a baking pan or a nonstick skillet.

2. Bake for about 1 hour, undisturbed. The tofu is done when the crust is lightly browned and firm. remove and use immediately or cool, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

This one's for you Daniel :) Enjoy!

via Mark Bittman 'How to Cook Everything Vegetarian'

Eggplant with fresh garlic & parsley

2011-09-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

medium size eggplants, cubed (more tender than large eggplants)

fresh garlic, minced

fresh parsley, chopped
lemon juice
cumin
chili flakes

1. Preheat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add a generous amount of olive oil to the pan as well as the eggplant, a generous amount of salt and a bit of water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant starts to moisten .

2. When the eggplant is cooked about half way, remove the lid and continue cooking until the eggplant is cooked through. Be careful not to over cook it so that the eggplant becomes mushy.

3. When the eggplant is finished, turn off the heat, mix in the garlic and parsley and a little more salt and oil if needed. Done.

Thanks Mama Rada :)

Green Beans with Walnut-Miso Sauce

2011-09-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 TBS grated or minced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup light miso paste

1/2 cup shelled walnuts, minced

1 tsp soy sauce

2 tsps water

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop the beans in. After about 1 min, start testing for tenderness. You want your beans slightly cooked on the outside with a slight crunch to them. Fish the beans out of pot of water and into a strainer and run under cold water until room temperature. Place beans in large mixing bowl.

2. In a small mixing bowl (or blender), mix together the ginger, miso, walnuts, 2 tsps water, and soy sauce.

3. Toss green beans with sauce. Done.

Top 10 Places for Chocolate

2011-09-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

Excerpted from the book Food Journeys of a Lifetime, NatGeo Traveler’s new food section brings us a list of the best places in the world to find chocolate -or should that be the places in the world to find the best chocolate? Either way, it’s mouth-watering time. For example, you should know where to get chocolate at 4AM in Madrid.

Few institutions offer better evidence of Madrid’s insomnia than its perennially popular chocolaterías (also known as churrerías), typically abuzz with late-night revelers from 4 a.m. to breakfast time. Their trademark dish is the churro, a long waffle-like stick of savory fried dough, eaten dunked into very thick bittersweet hot chocolate. Stop in at the venerable Chocolatería San Ginés, an 1894 throwback. Expect entertainingly brusque service, bright lights, and a frenzied atmosphere.

Planning: Chocolatería San Ginés is downtown on Pasadizo San Ginés. It’s open all night.

And that’s just number eight on the list. Link -Thanks, Marilyn Terrell!

(Image credit: Miguel Pereira)

Roasted Veggies

2011-07-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
mushrooms, halved or whole depending on size
red onions, quartered
Tomatoes, halved (Roma, Pearl, Grape or Cherry)

seasoning:
olive oil
sea salt
pepper

Preheat oven on broil for 10 min. Toss veggies with seasoning and spread on a lightly greased baking pan. Cook 10 - 15 minutes until edges are just slightly browned. The goal is to still have a bit of give to the veggies.

Organic produce will provide so much more flavor. Experiment and test the theory! :)

Butter Lettuce and Red Cabbage Salad

2011-07-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

Salad:
butter lettuce
red cabbage, sliced thinly with mandolin
green onion, sliced (green parts only)
radishes, sliced thinly
lightly toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
fresh lemon juice
olive oil
coarse salt
pepper

Vegan Scrambled "Eggs" with Mushrooms

2011-07-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

silken tofu (soft or firm depending on your preference)
shallots, sliced
mushrooms, sliced
soy sauce
turmeric
olive oil
salt and pepper

Saute mushrooms and shallots with a dash of soy sauce and a bit of olive oil on med-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or so until mushrooms are slightly softened. Add Tofu, and break apart or (scramble) by mixing everything together with a spatula. Add a few dashes of turmeric. Season with salt and pepper, Serve immediately.

Other variations:
green onions instead of shallots
fresh minced garlic and assorted bell peppers and tomatoes

This is cooking!

2011-06-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Chicken Pesto Ciabatta Sandwich

2011-05-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

pan fried chicken breast, sliced thin and cooked with salt, pepper and garlic

sliced tomatoes

macro greens or baby greens

ciabbatta buns, halved

cucumber, sliced in rounds

pesto spread

Pesto:

Blend all ingredients in food processor.

fresh basil

fresh garlic

romano or parmesan cheese, grated

olive oil

salt

pine nuts or walnuts

via Britt & Miso

Simple Pasta

2011-05-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

cherry tomatoes, halved

kalamata olives, sliced into circles

pine nuts, toasted

orecchiette pasta

fresh pressed garlic, one clove per serving

olive oil

Directions: Cook pasta. Stir in remaining ingredients. Done!

via Britt & Miso

Orange and Green Salad

2011-05-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Salad:
1 can black-eyed peas
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large shallot, sliced in fine rounds
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup curly parsley
1/2 cup green apple, diced
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
canola oil
rice vinegar
lemon juice
coarse salt

via Britt & Miso

Fennel and Zucchini Soup with Warm Tomato Relish

2011-05-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

2 TBS olive oil
2 cups diced fresh fennel, fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp fennel or cumin seeds
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup grape tomatoes quartered

Heat 1 1/2 TBS olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add diced fennel, zucchini, onion, and fennel seeds. Saute until fennel is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree in blender until smooth; return soup to saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 TBS olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes and saute until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 1 TBS chopped fennel fronds; season relish with salt and pepper. Serve soup with relish and tomatoes.

via Bon Appetit

Garbanzo salad with Lemon, parmesan, and fresh herbs

2011-05-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Salad:
garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
chopped fresh basil
chopped fresh parsley
grated parmesan or romano cheese

Dressing:
fresh lemon juice
olive oil
pressed garlic
coarse salt

via Bon Appetit

Simple Red Cabbage Salad

2011-05-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Salad:
shredded red cabbage
chopped cilantro
blanched frozen corn
roasted pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
canola oil
rice vinegar
coarse salt
pepper

via Britt & Miso

Green and white bean salad with tuna

2011-04-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 TBS white-wine vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 can solid white tuna packed in water, drained, and broken into pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini
coarse slat and pepper

1. In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and pat dry.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add green beans , cannellini beans, onion, tuna, and pepperoncini and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

via Everyday Food magazine

Spring green soup

2011-04-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

1 TBS + 2 tsp olive oil
2 medium leeks (white and light green parts only) , halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4 inch slices, rinsed well and drained.
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and halved
4 cups parsley leaves
coarse salt and pepper

1. In a medium pot, heat 2 tsps oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and lightly browned ,about 6 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 10 minutes. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine parsley leaves and 1 TBS oil and process until finely chopped. remove soup from heat and stir in parsley puree.

via Everyday Food Magazine

Black-eyed peas & avocado salad

2011-03-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

canned black-eyed peas
red bell pepper
red onion
avocado
lemon juice
cumin
salt & pepper

Dice red bell pepper,red onion, avocado and mix in black-eyed peas. Season to taste with lemon juice, cumin powder and salt and pepper.

via BRITT

Avocado & walnut salad with Meyer lemon dressing

2011-01-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Salad

Baby greens

avocado

green onions

walnuts

Dressing

Juice of Meyer lemon

apple cider vinegar

olive oil

salt and pepper

Season to taste, using mostly lemon and just a dash of cider vinegar.

via BRITT