What's Teresa Cookin'?

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

2012-02-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

These Brussels sprouts are delicious, easy, and something a little different. If you have picky eaters who won't try them if they recognize them, shred the brussels sprouts.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts
2 large handfuls brussels sprouts, bottoms removed, and cut in quarters (enough for 8-10 brussels sprouts per person)
1 clove garlic per serving, minced or run through garlic press (so I used 2)
1/4 c whole milk, cream, or half n half
1/4 c white wine per 2 servings
1 T butter per every 2 servings
Salt to taste

Place brussels sprouts in a saucepan, add wine and butter. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cover. If it looks like the sprouts might boil dry, add another 1/4 c water. Heat until brussel sprouts are cooked through (5-10 minutes), then add milk, salt, and garlic. Stir well, and serve.

Cannot Stoppa This Tapa! Polenta and Guacamole

2012-02-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't used polenta in years, and recently it showed up in our pantry. Here's what I came up with:

These lovely tapas are polenta with guacamole, cilantro, and greek yogurt. It is amazingly simple to make.

First, the guacamole:
I like a very simple guac. All of these measurements are changeable. I like a strong garlic and lime taste, but you may prefer more coriander or salt.
2 avocados, peeled and seeds removed
2 large cloves garlic
1-1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4-1/2 tsp dried coriander
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
Usually, that's it. But as I had a some fresh cilantro, I chopped about a tablespoon of that into the guacamole and used some for garnish.
Mash all ingredients together into a slightly chunky consistency until well blended.

Now for the polenta:
I used an organic tube o' polenta from Trader Joes. If you make it fresh, can use this recipe, refrigerate the final product for at least 2 hours, and form it into rounds. You will have leftovers. Take your rounds of polenta and cook in a little olive oil over medium-high heat.. It will take a long time for the polenta to brown, maybe as much as 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. The polenta should turn a warm brown when ready.

To assemble, place a healthy spoonful of guacamole on each polenta round, followed by slightly less Greek yogurt. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve with sangria (or in our case, ginger ale). With a bowl of hearty soup (carrot, perhaps?), you've got yourself a meal.

It's LEFTOVER MADNESS!!!!!

2012-01-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

So. . .I wanted to do a posting on uses of tahini that didn't involve hummus. Now I love hummus, but decided I didn't need to showcase it again. Because I've done that. More than once. But the information I found pretty much involved odd recipes that probably tasted great, but didn't sound wonderful (one for Sesame Flapjacks With Tahini-Maple Syrup was intriguing, but didn't sound like me), or using thinned tahini as a sauce for almost anything, which seemed basic to me, and I'm feeling kind of sophisticated today. My husband always laughs when I say that, but you may not know me, so I might get away with it here.

Anyway. . .the reason I was looking for tahini uses is the 1/3 a can of tahini I have after making hummus. So I decided to share some of the ways I use up leftovers:

Reduce: Anything that started out thin can usually be thickened.

Brothy soup: You can thicken a liquid soup with any number of things. . .heavy cream, butter, pesto, TAHINI (see! in a sauce!), peanut butter, flour, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, or cooking with some raw pasta or rice and letting the starch thicken it. You can also thicken soup by pureeing (I would only do this with vegetables, so if you have meat in your soup, pull it out, puree the soup, and either add it back or serve it on the side). To thicken, start with 1 tablespoon of whatever thickener you want for each cup of soup. In the case of rice or pasta, I'd add a handful per 2 cups, and plan on 15 minutes for the pasta to cook, 20 minutes for white rice, and 40 minutes for brown rice.
Vegetables: Mashed potatoes or cooked soft vegetables can be thickened into all kinds of wonderful new incarnations.

Fritters: chop and saute some onions, an egg, and 1/4 cup of flour per cup of veggies. Press most of the water out of the veggies, and if you can cut them into small pieces (as with broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) do so. Stir together the onion, egg, flour, and vegetables. You can add other flavorings if you like--garlic, chopped herbs, or a little cayenne. Form into patties and saute for about 5 minutes on each side.

Sauce: Mix the veggies together, and thicken it with any of the thickeners listed above to form a sauce. Add a a few chopped mushrooms or sauteed chicken or browned ground beef. You can then serve it over pasta, rice, or millet.

Desserts: If you have soupy-sweet-stuff leftovers (like chocolate milk, fruit sauce, or poaching liquid), the same principle applies.

Pudding: Chocolate milk is a fine base for chocolate pudding with the addition of a few teaspoons of cornstarch (per 2 cups), maybe 1t extra cocoa, and a carefully added egg (heat the milk first, then add a little to the egg while constantly beating, then add that mixture to the hot chocolate milk). I would try leftover eggnog with the same recipe, substituting a smaller amount of nutmeg for the cocoa.

Syrup: Fruit sauce or poaching liquid can be thickened by boiling it down while carefully watching it, or if it isn't super-thin, you can stir a little butter into the sauce to thicken it. Use it for pancake syrup, over cake, fruit, or yogurt.

Thin: Many things that start out thick can be thinned. It's like a culinary George Carlinism--to reduce something liquid is the opposite of thinning it. Thinning is faster than reducing, because you basically just add liquid. Here are some great ways to think thin with leftovers:

Soup: Creamy soup can be thinned to become the base of a more brothy one. Spaghetti, alfredo, or other sauce can be thinned to become soup. Mashed potatoes can also be thinned, add a little garlic and a chopped and well-washed leek, and--tada!--you have a delicious potato soup.
Sauce: Peanut butter, TAHINI, pesto, or miso can be thinned and used as a sauce with no other changes, or add a little soy sauce, lemon juice, or other addition to enhance the flavor.
Dessert: The last little bits of jam, crystallized maple sugar, or honey can also be thinned and used. Thin them with water or apple juice and use it to steep fruit or in place of some liquid in a cake or muffin recipe.

Reuse/Recycle: Other ways to transform foods.

Leftovers to Fancy Breads: Puree vegetables and mix into bread or biscuit mixes for gourmet bread. You can also use any bits of leftover fresh or dried herbs, grates bits and pieces of cheese, and finish off the last drops of milk to change a simple biscuit into sophisticated (there's that word again) accompaniment to dinner.
Deliciously complicate plain cooked meat.

Sandwich fillings: Mix leftover meat with with mayonaise, pickes, celery, and shredded carrots to make sandwich fillings (chicken salad, tuna salad, corn beef spread, etc.)

Pasta/Rice combos: Chop meat finely, mix with chopped cooked vegetables and put over pasta--bonus points if you use a leftover thickened soup or other reduction to make the sauce.

Salad: Chopped meat can be tossed with arugula or other salad components, and tossed with a dressing made from any kind of oil, herb, vinegar or citrus juice mixture for a lovely salad.

International Quickies: Mix the meat with spices based on the country you like for leftovers with an international flair. Quantities are per 2 cups of meat:

Mexican: Mix meat with up to 1 cup of cooked pinto, kidney, or black beans, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and: 1/4 t dry oregano (or 1 T fresh), 1 t (or more) cumin, 1/4 t coriander (or 2 T fresh cilantro), 1/8 t cocoa, 1/8 t cinnamon, 1/2 t dry basil (or 2 T fresh), and 1/4 c salsa verde. Serve with tortillas or plan corn chips, tomato, lettuce, sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Italian: 1/4 t dry oregano (or 1 T fresh), 1/2 t dry basil (or 2 T fresh), 3-4 cloves crushed garlic, 1 cup chopped fresh, or 1/3 cup canned mushrooms, 1 12-oz can pureed tomatoes, 1/4 c red wine (or sub 1 c white wine, 2 T pesto, and 1/2 c starchy water from cooked pasta for the tomatoes and red wine for a tomato-free sauce). Serve over pasta with a side of broccoli raab and some garlic bread for an amazing use for leftover chicken or hamburger.
Greek: Shred chicken, lamb, or other meat. Toss with feta cheese, 1 T fresh organo, 1 1/2 t minced rosemary, and 1/2 cup sliced olives (kalamatas are best, but you will need to pit them). Heat together in a skillet with 1/4 cup dry white wine until just warm. Remove from heat, toss with 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or toss with cooked eggplant or summer squash), 1/2 t lemon juice and 1/4 c flavorful extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pine nuts and serve as a wilted salad or over orzo pasta.
Asian: Take your plain cooked meat, toss in 1 1/2 t sesame oil, 1 T soy sauce, 1 tsp peanut butter (optional), and a little bottled hot sauce (optional). Heat together with 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic until hot. Toss with baby spinach leaves or finely chopped cabbage, and chopped cilantro and/or fresh basil leaves. Or wrap in lettuce leaves with cooked rice noodles, chopped peanuts, and a few sprigs of cilantro. Serve with a dipping sauce of 1 T soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/2 t sugar, and 1 t sesame oil.

The Omelet Just about anything can go into an omelet. Start with 6-8 eggs for 2-3 people (or more if you have extra veggies and bread). Add leftover greens, meat, beans, potatoes, sauces. . .almost anything can go together. Here's a recipe using wine and cheese; and another using kale. I've seen recipes for omelets using green beans and onions, potatoes, asparagus, even corn chips and black beans. I've scraped the last bits from pesto containers into my omelet, as well as dregs of mustard, tomato paste, wine and even salsa. Any savory combination that tastes good without eggs will probably taste good with them, too!

There are tons of ways to use up leftovers. Let me know of any creative ideas you have!

Boozed Up Edible Eggs

2011-12-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

I eat a lot of eggs. . .they are cheap protein, full of nutrients, and can be made a variety of different ways. Unfortunately, I also can get tired of eggs quickly, to the point that I push them around listlessly on my plate at breakfast and decide to have a big lunch instead of finishing them.

Today I played around with my Plain Old Scrambled Eggs, and made something really yummy! (I did not post a picture of my actual eggs because my skill at photographing food does not seem to be anywhere near my skill at making it and eating it!) I waited around a while to make this, so I was hungry, and used 3 eggs. I've made the recipe for 8 eggs, enough for 4 people. . .adjust as you see fit.

Anyway, today all I really had for breakfast was. ..you guessed it. . .eggs. I wasn't really feelin' the love, so I decided to be a little more creative than usual. Thankfully we had been to Trader Joes (thank you for 3 Buck Chuck!) so I had some white wine. I mixed all the things that usually make eggs better into my omelet, and really enjoyed the finished product! I also recommend this for a quiche filling.

Boozed Up Edible Eggs
8 eggs, beaten
2-4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese
3 T grated Parmesan (or other dry cheese)
1/4 c dry white wine
3 T all purpose flour
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed (the garlic mellows beautifully, so don't worry about using too much)
1/3 c whole milk
1-1/2 tsp grated dry herbs (I used a wonderful bottle of organic Greek herbs that have a grinder on it to keep it fresh, you can mix whatever you like--oregano, basil, fennel, thyme, etc.)
1 T butter or olive oil

Mix all ingredients but the butter or olive oil. Heat a large skillet and add butter or olive oil. Allow butter to melt and the foam to die down, if using, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. If you are good at flipping omelets, let the mixture sit until mostly set, then flip and finish cooking on the other side. If, like me, you have watched Jacques Pepin and Julia Child flip omelets, but you have only thrown them on the floor when you try to flip them, just push the eggs around so they finish cooking to the extent you like (soft, hard, creamy, rubbery--yes, I know of at least one person--my husband--who prefers his eggs a little rubbery). Transfer to a plate and eat. If you want to take a picture of your eggs, transfer them to a plate that is not stark white--red or orange or yellow is nice, otherwise you will just use a picture of fresh eggs when you show off your new recipe.

If you decide to make a quiche, you can make a pastry crust or a prepared pie shell, and put the uncooked egg mixture in it. Cook in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes. (Or do what I would do--bake the crust in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes; pour in the cooked eggs, and put back in the oven with a little mozzarella for 10 minutes so it looks like the eggs cooked in the pie shell.)

**The lovely egg photo is by A. Laczek.

Hamburger Sliders, Yellow Squash with Feta, Cannellini Beans with Spinach

2011-11-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is a fun and quick meal. If you are a vegetarian, veggie burgers, a big slice of grilled portobello or a vegetable saute can be used in the sliders.

Sliders
Dinner rolls (I got mine from http://thewilliamsbakery.com/
1/2 lb of hamburger
Condiments and toppings of choice (mayo, ketchup, chopped onions, hummus, lettuce, tomato, yogurt sauce, pickle, etc.)
Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil or butter (if you want to toast the buns)

Form hamburgers into 4 equal size patties, slightly larger than the rolls to allow for shrinkage during cooking. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in frying pan set on medium-high heat (or grill) and cook to well or medium-well done, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Cut a small slit into one to check for doneness, if necessary.
Cut dinner rolls in half. Brush with olive oil or a bit of butter and brown in the oven or set in a hot frying pan for 1-2 minutes to toast, if desired.
Assemble sliders by putting hamburger on roll, adding desired condiments and toppings.

Yellow Squash with Feta
2 small to medium yellow squash
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 white onion, chopped fine
dried oregano and basil to taste (1/4 - 1 t each)
salt and pepper to taste
2-4oz feta cheese
2 T olive oil

Cut squash in to 1/2-in slices, then quarter each slice.
Put olive oil in a large frying pan (I use an iron skillet) and set heat to medium. Place one piece of chopped onion in oil, and when it starts to sizzle add the rest. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 2 minutes.
Add garlic, spices, salt, pepper, and chopped squash and stir to coat all ingredients with oil. Turn heat to medium low and cover for 5 minutes.
Remove cover, and stir. Check squash for doneness--it should be tender but not mushy. Crumble feta over dish. You can serve as is, or sprinkle with another teaspoon of olive oil and broil in the oven (check it constantly so it doesn't burn) until feta browns slightly.

Cannellini Beans and Spinach
1 T olive oil
1 can cooked cannellini beans, with liquid, or 2 cups cooked beans
1 handful fresh spinach (or 1/2 of a 13-oz can of spinach, drained through a colander)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp balsamic or apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
1/4 cup canned tomatoes (optional)
water, white wine, or chicken or vegetable broth to thin to desired consistency
freshly gratted Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Place olive oil in pan and allow to heat on medium for 1 minute.
Crush garlic or slice thinly; add to oil. Let cook for 30 seconds.
Place cannellini beans and liquid in pan. Stir for about a minute, then crush the beans slightly with a potato masher or fork. Add spinach and tomato, if using. Allow spinach to wilt if fresh
If mixture becomes too thick, add liquid in tablespoons until it reaches the desired consistency.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir.
Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, and serve.

"Refried" Beans

2011-10-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is perhaps the simplest recipe of all time:

1 can, or 2 cups cooked pinto, kidney, black beans (or a mix), liquid with liquid
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin (optional)
1/2 salt or to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or pepper jack cheese (optional)
cilantro or scallions for garnish (optional)

Put olive oil into an iron skillet or frying pan. Add cooked beans, and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese, and stir/mash together. Just before serving, sprinkle cheese over beans, if using, and garnish with cilantro or scallions. Serve with tortillas or other dishes (rice, taco filling, etc.)

Chicken with Hummus Sauce

2011-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jim didn't know what to make for dinner, so he was procrastinating on making it. I was hungry, so I decided to make some quick hummus for a snack. For some reason, I didn't drain the chickpeas, and the hummus came out runny. It looked like a sauce, so I suggested to Jim that we have Chicken with Hummus Sauce for dinner. Here's how we did it:

Hummus Sauce
1 can chickpeas, with liquid
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T tahini
approx. 1/4 c good extra virgin olive oil (you can substitute sesame oil (NOT toasted) for some or all of the olive oil)
salt to taste
Chuck everything into a blender and blend until mixed. Set aside. Will yield 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce.

Chicken
1 lb of chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 onion, cut into strings
1/4 c white wine
olive oil
1 1/2 cup Hummus Sauce
White or brown basmati rice
Water or chicken broth

In a saucepan poach chicken pieces just until done in just enough chicken broth or water to cover them, about 5 minutes at a vigorous boil. Remove from heat, cover pot, and allow them to sit. Cook 2 cups basmati rice in water or chicken broth according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the vegetables in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add white wine, broth, Hummus Sauce, and chicken, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until warmed through. Fluff rice. Serves at least 4.

Variations:

add 1 cup chopped green or other olives in last 5 minutes of cooking.
add chopped sun-dried tomatoes in last 5 minutes of cooking, or 1 cup diced tomatoes with all liquids, and increase cooking time to 25 minutes.
add any combination of following herbs to the meat mixture in the last 5 minutes: fresh herbs: (1 tablespoon each) basil, oregano, rosemary, or cilantro, or 1 teaspoon each of any combination of dried herbs: cumin, coriander, oregano, rosemary.
add some of the following fresh ingredients into the cooked rice just before serving: a mixture of fresh herbs such as oregano and cilantro, or dill alone, or parsley and mint, at least 2 tablespoons of each. You can also add chopped almonds, or pistachios, or sesame seeds.
use millet or barley instead of rice
instead of chicken, use boneless cooked lamb, or cook some falafel (haven't tried it yet, so for now I'll recommend using the mixes that aren't bad), and serve with sauce on the side.

Hummus Among Us

2010-12-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

My recent recipe for millet salad only used 1/2 a can of chickpeas, which meant I had some chickpeas leftover. Hummus is the fastest way to use up chickpeas. Here's my recipe, but the fun thing about hummus is you can add so many different flavors: roasted peppers, onions, herbs--feel free to play!

1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 or more cloves of garlic, run through garlic press (if you can't get the taste strong enough, let it sit a few hours: garlic gets stronger in hummus with time)
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt (hummus absorbs a lot of salt)
2 T tahini
1/4 c olive oil (some people use UNtoasted sesame oil instead
a little water to get the hummus to your desired consistancy

Mix ingredients together in a blender, or mash in a bowl with a potato masher (for a chunkier texture). Allow to sit for an hour, then adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with crackers or on toast or raw veggies, or thin and use as a sauce for veggies, on sandwiches, or just eat it with a spoon from a bowl. (Keep some mints handy if you have a job interview or date afterward!)

Olive-Millet Grain Salad

2010-12-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

Howdy! Time off means I'm let loose in the kitchen more often. And I get munchy, and lazy, so about: home it's time to use up leftovers. Today I had leftover millet in the fridge, so while I was at the store I got some olive mix, and made this millet salad.

Ingredients:
1 cup of millet
1 cup assorted olives (the better the quality the olives, the better the salad. . .I don't recommend canned olives if you can find them in brine in the prepared food section of your grocery)
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 can chickpeas (about 1/2-2/3 cup), rinsed
1 t balsamic vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, run through a garlic press
Any fresh or dried herbs you like, up to 1-2 tablespoons fresh, or 1-2 teaspoons dried. Oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, or sage could fit here.
Toss all ingredients together, and adjust salt olive oil, and vinegar to taste. Ideally allow it to set overnight for th flavors to marinate. I like to serve it room temperature, or even a little warm.

Reuben, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Fruit

2010-12-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a "fix it on the fly" kind of meal. But since it's what we had for supper one night last week, and took a nice picture, I thought I'd share.

Reuben, Teresa-style, Soup, and Fruit
Since I'm not a cheese lover, we don't keep a bunch of different kinds around. Basically, mozzarella is our soft cheese, parmesan is our dry cheese, and feta is our crumbly cheese. Jim likes to pick up bits and pieces that Whole Foods has out, so sometimes we have havarti, or gouda, but those are usually not in shareable quantities. So even though Swiss is the official Reuben cheese, I think, we used mozzarella.

Ingredients
2 thick slices mozzarella cheese
Several slices of uncured pastrami or corned beef deli meat (or uncured corned beef brisket if you have time to cook one).
Rye bread (we use Whole Foods Jewish Rye)
butter
Butternut squash soup (I used Trader Joe's box'a'soup)
curry powder (I get mine from one of our local Indian markets and look for the mildest one I can find)
Fruit (we used apples and giant purple seedless grapes)

Make sandwiches using meat and one slice of cheese. Butter one side of the bread, and toast the outside on a hot iron skillet for 2-3 minutes until bread has browned. Butter the side of bread facing you, then carefully turn the sandwich over to brown the other side for anothe 2-3 minutes (the cheese will also soften at this point).

To make soup: heat soup, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder per cup of soup, and salt to taste.

Chop fruit as needed, and arrange on plate.

Eat. (I had a Reed's Extra Ginger Ale with mine).

Chocolate Pudding!

2010-11-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

(It is much more chocolate-y looking in "real life.")

This is based on Vanilla Pudding in The New Laurel's Kitchen, a great vegetarian cookbook I've had for years. Since chocolate makes everything better, I made it a chocolate pudding, and worked around some things I was missing in the pantry.

2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
1 egg
2 t rice flour
1t potato starch
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 t salt
3 oz dark chocolate (I used Green & Black 80% cacao)
3 t cocoa

In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup half-and-half, 1 t potato starch, and the egg and vanilla; reserve. Pour 1 1/2 cups half-and-half and sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium until steaming, stirring frequently. Add chocolate and whisk until mixed. Add salt, then stir vigorously and mix in the reserved egg/half-and-half mixture. Continue heating until pudding thickens and makes "volcano" bubbles (I'm sure you'll know them when you see them). Pour pudding into a bowl and refrigerate several hours to cool. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon-Herb Chicken, Steamed Cabbage, and Mashed Potato Soup

2010-11-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Lemon-Herb Chicken
A rare baked dish--I usually feel safer sauteing anything I eat so I can keep an eye on it. No picture, because I forgot until after we ate. Jim was bummed about "boring" chicken until it was served. . .and there were no leftovers!

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into large bite-size pieces
1 T chopped oregano
1 T chopped chives (or 1/4 large white onion, chopped fine)
1 t chopped rosemary (or 1 4-in sprig, not chopped)
a handful of baby carrots
1 T lemon juice
dash of olive oil
2 T butter (or 1 T butter and 1 T rice flour in 1/4 c of water)
2 T white wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine or run through a garlic press

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub the olive oil into a small lidded oven safe pan. Lay the carrots in the pan. Mix all remaining ingredients except the butter, toss with chicken and add to the pan. Add one tablespoon of butter, cover and bake about 30 minutes, checking to be sure chicken is cooked through. Strain the juices from the chicken into a saucepan and boil on high for 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter or mix the flour and water and allow to thicken (I used the rice flour this time and it turned out beautifully). Pour over chicken, and garnish with a sprig of oregano or rosemary.

Steamed Cabbage
Roughly cut 1/3 of a cabbage. Place in 1/2 c of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, and allow to cook 5-10 minutes or until cabbage reaches desired doneness. Remove from any remaining water.

Flavoring Choices for Cabbage:

Whisk 1 T butter into the cooking water for the cabbage. Add a dash of lemon juice, and/or 1 t grated lemon rind and toss with cabbage.
Instead of water, cook cabbage in 1/c white wine with 1 t chopped rosemary and 1/2 t salt.
After cabbage is cooked, drain the water and add cook cabbage with 1/4 cup cream and 1 clove of garlic for 5 minutes.

Mashed Potato Soup (what mashed potatoes become when I make them too runny)

2 red potatoes, eyes removed and cut in small pieces
1/2 c milk, half/half, or cream
1 T butter
2 T chopped chives
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil 2 cups salted water or chicken broth to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes. Add milk and butter, stir, then mash potatoes until mixture resembles a thick soup. Add chives, salt and pepper and serve.

Penne in Tomato Sauce

2010-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've never been able to buy bottled or canned spaghetti sauce--it's over- or under- spiced, too sweet, or so expensive for something that doesn't have to take very long to make with fresh ingredients. If I'm in a real hurry, all I have to have are some form of cooked tomato, fresh garlic, and basil to make a lovely sauce. Here's more or less the basic sauce at our house, that we improvise freely:

Tomato Sauce:
makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta, and how much pasta makes a serving. this would be enough for about 4 servings at our house, with a little left to mix into veggies another day.

1 can pureed or diced organic tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, peeld and diced small or run through a garlic press
1 t each dried basil and oregano, or several teaspoons total of any combination of fresh basil, oregano, chives, marjoram, or thyme, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup wine, preferably red (merlot is usually good, but in a pinch I've even used rice cooking wine and adjusted the salt)
4 oz. chopped mushrooms, or a small can of mushrooms, drained
up to 1 t salt (taste the sauce first to see if it needs any salt at all)
1 t sugar, if you taste the sauce and it seems harsh at all
3 T good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated (or just use the grated Parmesan if it's what's in the fridge--the flavor is different, but still works)
1 lb meat (usually ground beef or chopped chicken breast in our house. If you use the ground beef, you can cook it separately to minimize the fat ) - optional
Extra Virgin olive oil for sauteing and to drizzle over sauce
Penne pasta, cooked just al dente (reserve the cooking water separated from the pasta in case the sauce is runny), enough for each serving (since a serving can be anything from 1/2 cup cooked pasta in a weight-watching household to a full cup or more per person in a munchie household, it's hard to say how much pasta to have here).

Pour 1 T olive oil into a saucepan and add the onion and red pepper. Saute on medium for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook an additional 1 minute, then the ground beef or chicken if using, and cook another minute or two. Add the tomato, red wine and dried spices, if using and simmer about 10 minutes. Add any vegetables you want (see below) including the mushrooms, the sugar (if needed) and salt, and simmer another 20 minutes, uncovered. Add the fresh spices if you are using them. If the sauce seems too thin, add a ladle-full of the starchy pasta cooking water and simmer another 10 minutes. Mix in the cooked pasta, and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve.

Optional add-ins: plan on thickening the sauce with the pasta water, or a little extra grated cheese if you use any raw veggies in the recipe. If the sauce just won't thicken (it's happened to me), mix 1 T of rice flour or cornstarch to 1/4 cup water, and add to the sauce to thicken.

Vegetables:

1-2 handfuls fresh chopped spinach
1 cup cooked greens of any kind, squeezed dry and chopped
1 cup chopped broccoli or cauliflower
1/2-1 cooked zucchini or yellow squash, cut small if necessary
1-2 raw tomatoes, cut small
a handful of pitted olives, chopped

Other additions:

Grated mozzerella, crumbled feta or other cheese
chopped beef or turkey bacon--cook bacon first, then drain almost all fat and begin recipe as usual

Carrot Soup

2010-11-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

This was a surprise hit in my continuing effort to make vegetables interesting to the Man of the House (it's not that he doesn't eat them, he just usually doesn't like them as he eats them). We had some carrots dying of old age in the fridge because Jim doesn't like to cook them, so I decided to make soup.

Sweet Carrot Soup
makes about 3 cups
6-8 small/medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-in pieces, or about a half pound of "baby carrots"
1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Smoked Red Pepper Soup (if you don't have that, you can use 1/2 cup purreed tomatoes, 1/2 cup purreed pumpkin, or 1/2 cup of cream and 1/4 cup water or chicken broth--it won't taste the same, but it will be yummy!)
1/2 cup sweet white wine (I used Dr. Beckermann "Liebfraumilch"-which means "Mother's Milk" from good ole Trader Joes. If your wine isn't really sweet, add more maple syrup).
1/2-2/3 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/2-1 T powdered ginger
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 or less teaspoon salt
2T Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream (optional)

Steam the carrots in a little water 15-20 minutes or until soft. Put the carrots, any remaining steaming liquid, and all ingredients except yogurt or sour cream into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until heated through. Stir in yogurt or sour cream, or add to each serving as pictured. The soup is really rich, so I serve it in small ramekins of no more than 1/2 cup at a time.

Lamb again, and leftover pilaf

2010-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right, making the Husband eat lamb again. And sneaking kale into rice (kale is another of Jim's not-favorites). So far he hasn't run away, so I guess it's ok.

Rosemary Garlic Lamb with Leftover Rice-Kale Pilaf

Preheat oven to 350.
1-lb lamb leg (sirloin half, bone-in)
several sprigs fresh rosemary
5 cloves of garlic, diced
splash of organic seasoned rice vinegar (or balsamic vinegar for a different flavor)
splash white wine
salt and ground pepper to taste

Pour a good splash (+/- 2 T) good quality olive oil into a small baking dish, and add the garlic, vinegar, wine, and oil. Lay the lamb in the oil mixture to coat all sides, then put the rosemary under and on top of the lamb. Cover and put in oven--about 30 minutes for medium-rare, 45 for medium-well.

Before:

After:

Leftover Rice-Kale Pilaf
2 cups leftover cooked rice
1/3 large yellow oven, diced
1/3 red pepper, diced
olive oil (I actually used a blend of coconut and olive oil, but would have preferred it with olive oil alone)
a splash of white wine (what isn't better with a splash of wine?)
2 handfulls cooked kale, well-chopped

Saute the onion and red pepper in the oil until the onion is translucent, then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low until heated through, 15-20 minutes.

Greek-style Lamb, Rice Pilaf, Green Beans

2010-10-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), lamb, onion, and garlic are good for building yang; rice and green beans are good for Spleen qi, or digestive energy, and herbs are good for moving qi. This meal is great for autumn, especially when you have fresh herbs handy!

Greek Style Lamb:

1/3 or a large white onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 lb boneless lamb leg, chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon pesto
...1 green zebra tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
large handful fresh herbs (in this case, a sprig of rosemary, and chives, mint, and oregano)
dash salt

Saute the onion for several minutes in a tablespoon or so of oil (I used walnut, but olive would be great too). Add the garlic and cook for about another minute, then add the lamb and brown on all sides, then add the chopped tomato. Mix the pesto, water, and tomato paste, and add to the lamb, then add the sprig of rosemary. Cover pan and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes on medium low, and just before serving add the rest of the fresh herbs and remove the sprig of rosemary. Serves 2.

Pesto Rice Pilaf
1 c white basmati rice
2 heaping T pesto
1 cup beef broth
1/2 water
...handful of chopped fresh herbs (same as above)
Put one cup of white basmati rice into a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon oil over med to med high heat. Stir constantly until you can smell the rice cooking and it may be slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Mix the pesto, beef broth, and water, and pour over the rice. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, checking to see if all the water is absorbed after 10 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and allow to steam with the cover on for another 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the handful of fresh herbs, and toss with a fork. Makes enough for 3-4 servings.

Green Beans
Two large handfuls fresh green beans, stemmed and tails removed
2 cloves garlic
2 T pureed tomatoes
1/3 c water
...
Stir all ingredients after green beans together, and add to green beans. Turn on high until brought to boil, and cook until done, maybe 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve.

Omelet!

2010-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Omelets have saved our mealtimes more often than you'd think, considering how little Jim likes eggs. As long as I can cover their taste with omelet ingredients, though, he'll eat them and even enjoy them (a little bit). Here's yesterday work:

6-8 eggs (I'm lucky enough to have occasional access to a friend's chickens, so my eggs come in all different sizes--say 6 large and 8 small, or just use 7)
1/4 cup whole milk, half and half, or cream
2/3 cup cooked kale, chopped finely (or spinach)
at least 3 cloves of garlic--some days I hate peeling them. . .if I'm energetic I'd probably use 6
1/3 of a large onion, cut as finely as you can without stress
1 cup feta cheese (other cheese can be substituted; adjust the quantity on the flavor of the cheese)
1-3 T whatever chopped fresh herbs you have (or a few tablespoons pesto)

Allow a skillet to heat for a minute or so. Heat the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil mixed with a tablespoon of butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until translucent, then add the kale and the garlic. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the milk, then stir in the feta cheese. Add to the pan of kale, onion, and garlic and immediately sprinkle the herbs evenly over the egg mixture. If you're good at it, fold the omelet over once the bottom has set; otherwise, just slowly push the omelet's edges toward the center so it doesn't stick or get too brown (unless, of course, you like it brown. . .). Grind some pepper over everything, and salt to taste. I like my eggs a little runny, so I usually take my half out as soon as there's no obvious liquid but a kind of creamy look to them. Jim wants them very solid, so I let his cook until they look rubbery to me. If I'm sticking to my attempt to avoid starches, I'll serve this with hot tea and a side veggie; if not, I'll make toast or pester Jim into making biscuits to go with it.

Guest Post - Abondigas and a Scary Rich Link

2010-10-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Howdy, everyone. Jim and I haven't made anything really interesting lately (Trader Joe's made a few interesting things for us), but I've read about some interesting things I want to make. First, a link to a scarily rich pie called Banofee Danger Pie , which is evidently very popular in Brit and Brit-derived countries other than the US.

The recipe says to boil unopened cans of condensed milk, which is weird and frightening, but the promise is instant toffee sauce. So if you try it and don't end up in the hospital, let me know--I love hearing about other people's experiences before risking my own life!

Now for the recipe. Brought to us by Kathy Shafer, who is one of the most creative women I know. She gardens, she cooks, she crafts, she's musically gifted. . .and recently told everyone on Facebook she was making Abondigas, which I had never heard of. It's a meatball soup. Judging by the comments of those who have eaten it, it is at least as well-liked as Banofee Danger Pie, without boiling cans of milk. She recommends varying the amounts based on the likes of your family, so play with the ratios of veggies to meat to seasoning as you like. Here is the recipe she gave me, which I hope to try very soon:

1 Soup pot

1 onion (diced, or sliced)
3 fresh garlic cloves
1 bag of carrots
4 branches of fresh cilantro (or whatever one desires)
Bullion squares (Kosher in the International section of store)
Follow instructions on packaging.
Wash and prepare your veggies and place into pot with prepared bullion squares.

1 lb ground (beef, chicken or turkey)
1 egg for each lb of meat
1 cup of uncooked rice for each lb of meat. (I use white long grain)
Season with salt (I use kosher sea salt)
Black pepper
Now take all these ingredients and knead them together in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Then make your meatballs.
Carefully place the meatballs on top of veggies and prepared bullion broth. Add water and seasoning if needing more. Cover.
Bring to a roaring bowl and skim the top of water to remove fat and egg deposits. Reduce hit to medium high heat. After carrots are soft, serve hot. We us lemon wedges to cut the excess fat in the soup. Optional: fresh corn tortillas warmed up and rolled in hand as a substitute for bread or biscuits.

One Layer Tropical Upside Down Cake

2010-10-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy, cold day here at Chez Green. Something cozy seemed in order, something to serve with hot tea. I started out with a simple yellow cake from Mark Bittman's wonderful book How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food, but Jim started yelling ideas in from the den, and then I added to those. The cake is still based on "Golden Layer Cake" from Bittman's book, and was limited by what I had in the pantry (if I had planned the cake, I would have added coconut, used pecans instead of walnuts, and mixed the pineapple into the batter and frosted it with a cream cheese frosting). I only made one layer because there's only 2 of us in the house, and my layer cakes always look tired and a little drunk. It's not out of the oven yet, so I'll give you taste details and a picture then. If it looks awful, it will probably become a trifle!

Ingredients

5 T softened butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pineapple (I always find cake recipes come out too sweet. If you don't find that, add up to another 1/3 cup sugar)
2 eggs
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/4 c milk (I use half and half because that's all we had in the house)
1/4 cup passion fruit juice
1/2-1 c walnuts
most of a 20-oz can of pineapple tidbits (if I'd had rings, I would have used them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-in cake pan, then put a piece of waxed paper on it and butter that as well. Too late, I realized Bittman's recipe also said to flour said pan, so you might want to do that also. Drain the pineapple, and arrange the pineapple on the bottom of the cake pan. Sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar on the pineapple in hopes of making it caramelize real pretty.

Beat the butter, then add the sugar and mix until creamy. Add the eggs. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Don't do what I did in my enthusiasm and add the walnuts now. Save them until the end. Add to the egg mixture alternating first with the passion fruit juice, then with the milk, until blended. Don't mix the juice and the milk together, or the juice will curdle the milk. Add them to the batter separately. Add the walnuts and stir everything just until mixed.

Gently pour the cake batter into the cake pan. If by some weird chance you have batter leftover, pour into a small loaf pan or cupcake pan, or give it to an enthusiastic spoon licker. Tap the cake on the counter a little to settle it, and bake it for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I'll pop pictures in, no matter how terrifying, when it's out of the oven. The batter tasted great.

Pesto

2010-10-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Pesto can be the base of all kinds of tasty meals. A few spoonfuls thinned with pasta cooking water makes a simple spaghetti. Rub some on chicken breasts and bake for a great chicken dish. Add a few spoonfuls to spaghetti sauce for an instant upgrade in flavor. Spread some on Italian bread and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese for an impromptu pizza. Or just put some in a bowl and lay some bread straws or crackers beside it for a quick hors d'oeuvre. Here's the on-the-fly recipe I used for my pesto, with a few ways to change it in parentheses:

At least 5 generous handfuls basil (pull the leaves after measuring), or 2-3 small packages from the store (can substitute some or all parsley or cilantro for a very different flavor)
4 or more cloves of garlic (hard to use too much)
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I have also used crumbled feta in a pinch. If you use cilantro, try queso fresco, though the texture may change a lot). If you freeze the pesto, omit the cheese until you thaw it.
A handful (1/3 cup or so) walnuts, pignoli, or almonds (I've never tried pecans, but I can imagine that working, too)
olive oil (walnut or almond might work, but I'd use a lot more garlic to boost flavor) and salt (hard to give an exact amount)

Pack all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, then begin to mix it, allowing for your appliance's motor endurance (ie, don't keep it running until the motor burns out). Once it's started spinning the ingredients, add oil to the desired "runniness," then add salt to taste. This recipe can be increased exponentially; just mix it in small batches. To freeze, line ice cube trays with plastic wrap and pour the pesto in. Freeze, and empty into Ziploc baggies to keep in freezer and use as needed. To mix into a sauce, just toss a few cubes into the sauce. If using it as a stand-alone condiment or sauce, thaw the pesto, mix in cheese, and if needed, a little more olive oil for texture.