This recipe is an adaptation of an all-veggie version in Super Natural Cooking. We wanted to bump up the protein so we added shrimp; we also cut the amount rice in half to make the toppings-to-base ratio more to our liking. The dish has the ingredients and taste of a sushi roll, without the need for a bamboo rolling mat.

Wahoo! This does taste like a sushi roll when you get a little bit of everything in one mouthful.

Chris says:

Totally — and I like the citrusy rice seasoning. It’s obvioulsy a bit stronger than what you’d find in your usual sushi roll, but adds just a bit of sweet and tart.

Lisa says:

I’d order this in a restaurant.

Chris says:

Well if we were in a sushi restaurant, I’d be ordering … sushi.

Lisa says:

Smartass.

Chris says:

Just sayin’.

Lisa says:

Well I’m just sayin’ I love this dinner.

Sushi Bowl with Grilled Shrimp, Tofu, and Avocado
1 cup brown rice (short-grain, if on hand)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 lb shrimp
6 oz extra-firm tofu
zest and juice of 1 orange
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp cane sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 4″ squares of toasted nori, chopped coarsely
2 green onions, choped
1 avocado, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
toasted sesame seeds

Rinse and drain the rice, then combine the rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, clean and peel the shrimp, then grill or saute until opaque and cooked through. Set aside.
Drain the tofu and pat dry. Cut the tofu into 1/2″ wide slices. Cook two at a time in a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until browned. Flip, then continue cooking until browned on the other side and firm. Remove and set aside. When cool, cut crosswise into matchsticks.
To make the dressing for the rice, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the soy sauce and vinegar. Return to a boil and cook for another minute or so until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon and orange zests.
When the rice is done, stir in 3 tbsp of the dressing and add more to taste. Divide the rice into separate bowls and top with the nori, green onions, tofu, avocado, and shrimp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

2-3 Servings

One of the fun perks of doing a food blog is the occasional opportunity to try out new products, be they food samples, spices, or even kitchen tools. So I was very excited when I was asked by New West KnifeWorks if I’d be interested in trying out one of their knives from the Fusionwood line: the Petty. I’d seen these same knives featured in a recent issue of Saveur magazine, and thought they looked pretty cool, and from the writeup, they sounded perfectly functional as well.

A few days after our initial correspondence, our knife arrived in the mail. (Isn’t it always exciting when a package arrives at your doorstep? It’s a little like Christmas.) There was a bit of reading material sent along with the knife, including a history of the company, their philosophy, etc., and I liked the fact that they encourage knife owners to send in the knives once in a while for a free “tune up” — resharpening and repolishing.  But enough reading — I wanted to play with the new knife!

The Petty is shipped with a leather sheath to protect the blade, and obviously your fingers — this thing is extremely sharp!  After a few minutes of handling the knife, and using it to cut some veggies (Is there anything better than using a new sharp knife to cut a tomato?) I unfortunately came to the conclusion that it was a bit small for my hands — perhaps I’m just used to the grip I use on my chef knife, but I was continually hitting my knuckles on the cutting board.  I asked Lisa to come in and give it a try, and lo and behold, she loved it.  It was a perfect fit for her smaller hands, and she pretty much immediately declared the knife as “hers”.  Now whenever Lisa is cooking in the kitchen, she’s using the Petty — she even brought it with her on a weekend trip to a mountain cabin a few weeks ago.

For me, I’ll be sticking with my beat-up chef’s knife (and one day checking out one of New West’s chef knives), but the Petty has become Lisa’s everyday knife. The cutting performance is great, and it just. looks. cool.  Check them out here.

Chris says:

I’ve got just one question for you.

Lisa says:

What’s that?

Chris says:

Do you like crab?

Lisa says:

I love crab, why?

Chris says:

Do you like sweet corn?

Lisa says:

You know I do… that’s two questions, by the way.

Chris says:

Doh — whatever. I just think you’re going to love this — have a spoonful.

Lisa says:

Whoa, that’s awesome! The flavor of the corn in the soup is great, and then getting to crunch on those kernels… delicious!

Chris says:

Yeah — all that, and — piled with crab!

Lisa says:

I heart crab! Hey — I’ve got just one question for you.

Chris says:

What’s that?

Lisa says:

Do we have to share this?

Summer Corn and Dungeness Crab Bisque
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp butter
18-20 baby carrots
1 large yellow onion
3-4 Swiss chard stems
2 stalks celery
2 medium zucchini
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable, or a little of each)
2 ears of sweet corn, husked
1 cup fat-free Half and Half
1 pound of Dungeness Crab meat, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the garlic in an aluminum foil pocket, drizzle with olive oil, and seal.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
Start dicing the vegetables and add them to the pot, starting with the carrots and working your way through to the zucchini.
Saute for about five minutes, and add in the herbs. Once vegetables have softened, add in the broth, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil and boil the corn for about three minutes.
Remove and let cool a bit, slice the kernels from the cob, and set aside.
“Milk” the cob (run the back of your knife down the length of the cob after the kernels are removed to collect the delicious milky corn squeezin’s) and add this to the pot.
Once the garlic is roasted and the vegetables have been simmering for 30 minutes, add the garlic and Half-and-Half.
Use a stick-blender to puree the vegetables and stock into a smooth consistency — you’ll get texture in a bit.
Add the reserved corn and half of the crab meat to the pot, mix well, and simmer for another five minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide among bowls, and garnish with remaining crab meat.

4-6 generous servings

I’m surprised that it took almost two years for these to show up on the blog, since we make them so often. It’s a great way to use up the bunch of kale that showed up in your CSA that you forgot about, or when trying to convince someone that he’d actually like the stuff. These end up as crispy, dissolve-in-your-mouth treats that you can season to your liking. Lately we’ve been using Penzey’s Northwoods Fire seasoning blend, which gives it a nice kick.

Tips…

• Wash and dry the kale really well before mixing with the oil and vinegar
• If the kale is too crowded on the baking sheet, it tends to steam rather than crisp — split among two baking sheets
• The kale will shrink a bit when it bakes, so don’t worry if your “bite size” pieces start out bigger than a bite!
• Start making bets with friends that you could get them to eat an entire bunch of kale, willingly, in one sitting.  You will win.

Kale Chips
1 bunch kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
salt, pepper, or whatever spices you like!

Preheat the oven to 350.
Tear the kale off the thick stems and into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and spin-dry the kale, then toss with the olive oil, cider vinegar, and spices of choice until well coated. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until crispy and just starting to brown. Watch carefully because they can go from done to burned in no time.
Remove from oven, put in a bowl, and inhale.

Lisa recently made these peanut-butter cups while we were on the Oregon Coast with the Small Clan — this is the second go-round for Lisa experimenting with peanut-butter cups, and it was a definite winner. The peanut-butter filling has the perfect texture thanks to the addition of crushed up graham crackers (!!) — I know, right? This recipe was found @ Pete Bakes, and for how surprisingly easy (and delicious!) they are, will surely be made again.

Om-nom-nom…

Who keeps leaving half ones? And can I finish them?

There’s only three left!

Yum, you can really taste the graham cracker…

I don’t taste the graham cracker, just delicious peanut-butter-filled goodness.

There’s only one left!

Wow, these are perfect…

It’s a good thing I didn’t make 40 of these… we’d have polished them all off!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
8 oz semi-sweet chunks
8 oz dark chocolate chunks
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup crushed graham crackers

In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and graham crackers. Set aside.
In a metal bowl over a saucepan with boiling water, carefully melt the chocolate.
Use a pastry brush or a spoon to brush the melted chocolate on the bottom and sides of mini cupcake liners. This will be the base for your cups, so if in doubt, slather on more chocolate — you don’t want the lining too thin. Put the cupcake liners on a plate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the freezer, and place about a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture in each cup. Press down a bit to spread. Spoon more melted chocolate on top of each cup.
Place the peanut butter cups back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to set.
Allow cups to get to room temperature before serving, or just serve cold!

12-16 mini peanut butter cups.

This lighter-version of a favorite comes from Eating Well, and was a great way to feel comfortable eating comfort food. The biscuit topping was a nice surprise, and the dish really tasted rich and creamy. I’m putting in my official request for Lisa to make this again.

What the… did you really just make Chicken Pot Pie?

Lisa says:

Sure did…

Chris says:

But we never…

Lisa says:

…I was craving it! It’s a light version.

Chris says:

Wow, well it looks awesome.

Lisa says:

Just wait until you taste it — it may be light but it’s pretty rich.

Chris says:

Yeah it is! This is so good — though, I have a question.

Lisa says:

Ye-e-e-e-e-e-s….?

Chris says:

Is it still considered light if I have three helpings?

Lisa says:

…. uh-no-o-o-o-o-o.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling
3 tsp canola oil
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 cup carrots, cut into small pieces
10 oz cremini mushrooms, halved
1/2 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Biscuit topping
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 tbsp canola oil

To prepare filling, heat 1 tsp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; cook, stirring, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and broccoli and cook, stirring often, until browned and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the onions and carrots to the pan. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup broth; add to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Stir in chicken, peas, sour cream, salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a 2-quart baking dish.
To prepare biscuit topping & bake potpie: Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and thyme in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or 2 knives, cut butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Add buttermilk and oil; stir until just combined. Drop the dough onto the filling in 6 even portions. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet.
Bake the potpie until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

6 Servings

Is there anything better than a seared piece of salmon?

Lisa says:

I’m sure there is, but I can’t think of anything right now.

Chris says:

What do you think of the spinach?

Lisa says:

You’re right, it just tastes like creamed spinach, but better.

Chris says:

You can actually taste the masa harina in the spinach; I really like it.

Lisa says:

You, me and Popeye.

Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Roasted Peppers
1 fresh poblano pepper
~5 cups cleaned spinach
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 tbsp masa harina
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 6-oz skinless salmon fillets
salt and pepper

Roast the poblanos over an open flame, turning regularly until blackened all over. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
Steam or microwave the spinach just until wilted and set aside.
Turn the oven on to its lowest setting. In a very large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until browned, about 4 minutes. Scoop into a blender and set the skillet aside.
Rub the skin off the poblano pepper with a paper towel and remove the seeds and stems. Roughly chop and add to the blender, along with the milk and masa harina. Blend until smooth.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Lay the fillets in the oil and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the fillets and cook until the fish just barely flakes when pressed. Transfer the fish to an ovenproof plate and set in the oven.
Pour the poblano mixture into the skillet and whisk until it boils, about a minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking in some more milk if it gets too thick. Season, add the spinach, and stir until warmed throughout.
Top each salmon fillet with a portion of the sauce.

2 Servings

I find myself turning to epicurious more and more often when I have something sitting in the fridge that I just don’t feel inspired by. We had an eggplant from our CSA box hanging out for a few days, and a few minutes at epicurious turned up this recipe from Gourmet Magazine a couple years back. Eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms are oven roasted and then tossed with barley cooked in stock, green onions, and spices, cooled, and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Delicious!

Oh, happy day!

Lisa says:

What? What?

Chris says:

I figured out what to make with the eggplant, and it ain’t baba ghanoush… not only that, you’re gonna love it.

Lisa says:

Why, is it some sort of grain salad with a bunch of veggies?

Chris says:

How the — what? Hey!

Lisa says:

Man, I’m good. Yum — so is this dish! You’re right, I love it.

Chris says:

I’m still trying to figure out…. whatever. Yeah — I really like the tomatoes… and I’m glad I threw in those mushrooms, too.

Lisa says:

That’s good for the blog, too. It missed featuring shrooms.

Chris says:

If we didn’t know so many picky eaters, I’d suggest we bring this to parties.

Lisa says:

Hey, more for us.

Chris says:

I love the way you think.

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2″ cubes
3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2″ cubes
6 oz cremini mushrooms
10 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
1 14-oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Cook barley:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot, then cook green onions, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Roast eggplant and zucchini:
Meanwhile, toss eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms with 5 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread in 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 pan and cool, reserving other pan for cooling barley.

Transfer the barley to reserved shallow baking pan and spread to quickly cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Make dressing and assemble salad:
Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well. Eat, eat, eat.

4 Main-dish Servings

Oh, I love the spices in this. The flavors are awesome.

Lisa says:

Yeah I really like all the different ways we’re finding to use the chard in our CSA box.

Chris says:

I want to make this with lamb some time, but actually, it really works with the ground turkey.

Lisa says:

I think it’s great with the turkey — I just haven’t been in a lamby mood lately.

Chris says:

Well don’t feel baa-aa-aa-aad; this is definitely one of those recipes that’ll enter the rotation.

Lisa says:

I only feel “baa-aa-aa-aad” for anyone reading this who had to put up with that pun.

Black-Eyed Pea, Ground Turkey, and Chard Stew
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp red pepper paste
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes, with juice
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 cup vegetable stock
leaves from 1 bunch of chard, coarsely chopped

In a medium saucepan, cover the black-eyed peas with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, add fresh water just to cover the peas, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain once again.
In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt to taste, and saute for four minutes until tender. Add the turkey and saute until firm and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the pepper paste and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, black-eyed peas, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the peas are very tender. Add the chard and toss to wilt. If the dish is watery, increase the heat and stir until mostly evaporated. Adjust seasonings, and serve.

4 Servings

When I spotted this recipe for Tahini Brownies on Taste of Beirut, I knew it was just a matter of time before we would tackle it ourselves.  Actually, “tackle” is very much an overstatement; this is one of the easiest brownie recipes we’ve ever made.  It literally took more time to figure out the approximate grams-to-cups conversions than to throw everything together and get them baking.  A birthday party was the perfect excuse to make, and give away (lest we eat them all ourselves), these egg-free, butter-free, sesame-sweet treats.

Yay, we’re finally making these!

Chris says:

I know it — the batter is awesome.

Lisa says:

You sure it’s a good idea to bring these to a party with kids? There’s rum in here.

Chris says:

Heck yes — I’m sure there will be plenty of kid-friendly treats. Besides, I’m sure most of the alcohol is gonna burn off during baking.

Lisa says:

True! Um, I think we should cut these before the party.

Chris says:

Well of course, how else are we gonna taste-test them?

Lisa says:

Wanna split one?

Chris says:

Yes please…

Lisa says:

Ooooh, they’re good… you can definitely taste the tahini!

Chris says:

Yeah, at the end… not overpowering, but you can definitely place it. Okay, these were a success.

Lisa says:

*Totally* — and so easy! Now let’s go before I eat any more of them.

Tahini Brownies
1 Bar of cooking chocolate, such as 60 or 70% bittersweet, 100 g
1/2 cup, plus one tablespoon of tahini
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar
~ 2/3 cup combination of rum and orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler. Meanwhile, mix the tahini, orange juice and rum in a large bowl.
Add the melted chocolate and the powdered sugar. Mix well.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture, and again mix well.
Grease an 8 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Pour in the batter, spreading it as evenly as possible.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the outside is crispy, and still slightly gooey inside.