Vegetable volume

So what comes in my box of vegetables?



This week:

6 pears
3 apples
2 grapefruits
1 eggplant
1 cauliflower
4 potatoes
2 artichokes
1 leaf lettuce
2 bunches of red chard
1 bunch arugula
4 banans
1 mango
1 celery
1 red cabbage

Broccoli Penne

I made Broccoli and Penne last night to use up the broccoli before another box arrives tomorrow. My fresh basil had turned to slime, so I substitued dry oregano and thyme. For tomatoes, I used a can of diced and an 8 oz. can of sauce. Here's a shot of the finished product, plated and steaming hot.

Noshwalk story on NYC Notes

I did a foodie walking tour today.

Artichokes

I got artichokes this week in the box and wanted to eat them up early. A few months ago I tried a stuffed artichoke recipe that was disappointing, so Wednesday I prepared them plain. Pretty tasty.

2 artichokes

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 t. thyme
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 c. water

Trim the lower leaves from the artichokes. Trim the stem to 1 1/2 inches and peel. In a pressure cooker, brown the garlic and thyme in the oil. Set the artichokes on a little rack in the pot and add the liquid.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes and let sit until depressurized.

Make a dipping butter from

1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 stick of butter
2 T. white wine

Bring ingredients to a boil while artichokes are cooking. I added 2-3 T. of parmesan, but I think that was a mistake. Just garlic butter would be enough.

Verdict: B, good but a lot of work to eat
Credits: Gourmet Sleuth
Leftovers? No

Notes: The garlic butter didn't amount to much, since the artichokes were tasty.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Cabbage

I had half a cabbage and some collard greens so I tried using them for a little crunch in the noodle dish.

1/2 small cabbage, shredded
4 collard green leaves

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti or linguini (or rice noodles or soba)

1/3 C. peanut butter
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. cayenne
1 clove garlic, minced
5 shakes of hot pepper sauce
1/2 C. scallions, finely chopped

Cut the spines from the collard greens. Roll the leaves together and cut into fine ribbons.
Add the cabbage and greens to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Lightly salt and pepper.

Make the noodles.

In a bowl, stir together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, hot sauce and cayenne. Adjust to taste and preferred thickness. Stir in the scallions.

Drain the noodles and move to a serving bowl. Stir in the sauce. Add the vegetables and mix in. Alternatively, serve the vegetables seperately and stir together on the plate.

Verdict: B
Credits: Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce Eating Well July/August 1996
Leftovers? Yes, very good cold. Use a little water or vinegar or soy sauce to refresh the sauce.

Notes: The Trader Joe's organic whole wheat spaghetti that I used tonight absorbed all the sauce. I added at least a 1/4 C. of water with a little vinegar and hot sauce to the noodles and sauce to thin it out and make it saucy. Otherwise it would have been a big sticky clump. With other noodles, the sauce takes a long time to absorb.

Spicy Peanut Pork Stew (again)

I made the pork stew and slaw again and it was delish. I didn't use the cayenne pepper, but included a serrano chili in the pork and pepper pressure cooking mix. It didn't seem that spicy, but it may be after sitting overnight. I didn't add any greens (closer to original recipe) because I am saving my collards for the beans tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Updated: Cooking up the dry black beans just seems like a much bigger obstacle than it is. Instead I sliced up the collard greens in fine ribbons and cooked them with some left over shredded pork with garlic sauce. Very good. But I really should use the black beans sometime....

Sauteed Ocean Perch with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce

3 filets (1 pound) of ocean perch
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
flour
salt and pepper

3/4 C. chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 C.)
1 T. green peppercorns
1 t. butter

Melt 1 T. butter with oil in a skillet. While the skillet is heating, salt and pepper both sides of the fish and dredge in flour in a shallow dish. (I use a 8x11 casserole).

Add the filets to the hot pan, skin side up. Cook for at least 3-4 minutes without checking. Turn and cook until fish is opaque and flaky, another 3-5 minutes. Make a salad while the fish is cooking.

Combine the stock, lemon juice and peppercorns.

Remove the fish to a plate. Add the stock to the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced by at least half. Serve the sauce over the filet. Add a salad and a little bread and cheese for a light and tasty Lenten dinner.

Verdict: B, very lemony sauce. Lemon garnish is unnecessary.
Credits: Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce Cooking Light, March 2004
Leftovers? Yes, for a half day or a day

Notes: The original recipe was for tilapia, but the point of the article is that pan-frying and making a sauce was a technique more than a recipe. Any light fish would work in this recipe.

Whatcha got vegetable curry

A vegetable curry can be made with just about any veggies (or even chickpeas or lentils). This week I had a yam, potato and eggplant and some frozen peas.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin seeds
1 - 2 chillies (I use serrano peppers, I am not sure what Indians actually use)
olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes (with jalapeno is good)
1 T. garam masala
1 T. madras curry powder

1 eggplant, chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 C. frozen peas

Heat the olive oil in a skillet or wok. Add the cumin seeds and garlic and chillies. Cook until the garlic starts to brown. Add the onions and cook until translucent and soft.

Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for at least 3 minutes. The longer this simmers, the more the flavors develop.

Add the vegetables. Stir to coat with the tomato mixture. Add 1/2 C. water and let cook, stirring occasionally. Consider the cooking times of the vegetables and add them appropriately. I let the potato and yam cook for a few minutes covered before adding the eggplant and then waited a few more minutes before adding the peas. Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes. When stirring, check vegetables for doneness and add water if dry or threatening to burn.

Verdict: B+ I love curry, eggplants are a little weird
Leftovers? Yes, delicious cold or hot.

Notes:

Spicy Chicken Soup

The only fresh vegetables in this recipe are the peppers and the green onions. All the canned food makes it fast to prepare.

1 chicken breast, diced
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, quartered and sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced white and green parts
1 t. cumin

1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 7oz can chiptole peppers in adobo sauce

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the chicken and brown. Add the garlic, peppers, white parts of the green onions and cumin and saute until the peppers are soft.

Drain and rinse the corn and black beans. Take 2 chipotle peppers from the can and dice. Add the corn, beans, chipotle peppers, chicken stock and tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. Or in a bread bowl. Top with a little cheese and the green part of the green onions.

Verdict: B, a reliable and spicy dish
Credits: Cooking Light Spicy Chicken Soup (subscription required)
Leftovers? Yes.

Notes: Fast and spicy with ingredients I am likely to have on hand. Except the chipotle in adobo sauce -- I need to find a use for the leftovers.

This is a thick soup, the original recipe uses 2 cans of stock. Also, I used more peppers. A diced fresh avocado would be good, too.