Fresh Vegetables

CSA Flowers

2008-06-29T13:30:00.003-04:00

This year I signed up for the flower share in my CSA. For two weeks, they have been gorgeous.

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Clams and Mussels with Pasta (and Asparagus!)

2008-06-10T20:20:00.009-04:00

Every recipe lately starts with chopping up some asparagus. This one is no exception. I got a bag of mussels and clams at the greenmarket Saturday and figured I had better get them cooked up, since I had no idea how they keep. I asked the fish guy for instructions and he said, "a spoon of garlic, some wine or beer, a stick of butter and once they open up, add the pasta."

Here are my shellfish in the pan ready for steaming. I decided I would use wine (naturally), probably a little more than a half cup. Perhaps a cup (which was too much). I started with 5 cloves of garlic, minced and frying in a little olive oil. I covered them up and they steamed open in no time.

Since this was just for me, I figured I should go ahead and do the work of shucking before the dish was finished. I am still not certain about storing leftover mussels in the shell. Not only is the presentation less impressive, the true quantity of meat is less impressive.

I boiled up the whole wheat fettuccine, also from the farmers' market (same place as the ravioli, previous). At the end, I added the asparagus for a minute or two.

I returned the clam sauce (wine) to the pan and added the juice and zest of a lemon and a little mustard, going for a version of the lemon vinaigrette that I liked earlier in the week. It was good, perhaps a little too much lemon and wasn't reducing any too quickly. I added the noodles and asparagus, but then did not want to wait a year for it to thicken and turn my asparagus to mush. I whisked some flour into a couple of drops of wine and stirred it in. Voila!

***Hideous picture removed*** It wasn't _that_ ugly.

Less wine, less lemon, less gritty pasta. Maybe I would do it again. Those scallops are hard to beat, though.

Update: I conferred with my favorite New Englander and his dad and learned that mussels and clams have different cooking times, so I hurt my mussels by cooking them together. I need to give the clams at least a minute or two head start. Also, I should have soaked the shellfish in some fresh water to clean them, not just left them in the bottom of my fridge in a plastic bag. I may try a new recipe for clams. Maybe.

Verdict: B
Credits: My local fishmonger.
Leftovers? Yes, and they were good cold on this blistering hot day.

Notes: I used the juice of a whole lemon, but half would be plenty. Also, if I would have waited a little longer, the noodles would have soaked up some sauce and I wouldn't have needed to thicken it. Impatience.

Scallops in Miso with Asparagus

2008-06-09T10:51:00.005-04:00

I use miso glaze constantly on salmon, so it makes sense to try it with scallops. This Eating Well recipe has essentially the same ingredients for miso glaze as my favorite (Eating Well) salmon treatment: miso, mirin, garlic, ginger, rice wine. I added a little sesame oil and tamari for good measure.

Marinate for FIVE minutes or you will ruin the scallops! Scallops cook 2-3 minutes per side and come out of the pan. Put the rest of the sauce in the pan and reduce over the heat for a few minutes.

I didn't want soba to go with my scallops; I wanted asparagus! So I trimmed and sliced a bunch of asparagus and cooked it for about 2 minutes in boiling water and then drained it over some pea shoots (to wilt them).

Add this to that and it should be all done. The reality is that, unlike the noodles that absorb sauce, the veggies release water into the sauce and I was trying to reduce the sauce again. Then I waited for my neighbor to come over for lunch and my al dente asparagus got a little soggy. Tasty enough! I can try this again. Unfortunately, I need to wait another week for the greenmarket to bring me scallops and asparagus.

Verdict: B+
Credits: Miso-glazed scallops with Soba, Eating Well
Leftovers? Nope, shared with the professor.

Notes: Next time, reduce the mirin by half and the vinegar to allow for the liquid introduced by the veggies. Also drain the veggies well.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

2008-06-08T10:39:00.007-04:00

My daily asparagus dose was inspired by the sugar snap peas at Fairway and the fresh ricotta ravioli at the farmers market. The cooking technique was inspired (again) at 101 cookbooks.

I made a lemon garlic vinaigrette to dress it.

Whisk together (with a fork)
1 large lemon, juice and zest
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Drizzle in while whisking, 2 T. olive oil (or a little more)

Add 2 (or 4) T. chopped fresh thyme

To a boiling pot of water add 6 oz fresh ravioli and cook for 3 minutes or so. When a couple of them float up, add 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced and 3/4 lb. sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2 slices. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes.

Drain and rinse with a little cold water (the stuff doesn't have to get cold, unless you want it to).

Stir together with the dressing, 1/4 C. shredded parmesan and a handful of pine nuts.

YUM!

I did the dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl and all the boiled stuff in one pot, so it's not a bad clean up.

Verdict: A
Credits: 101 Cookbooks, Ravioli Pasta Salad
Leftovers? Delicious, but hard to save.

Notes: I think I am going to do this again this week as a vegetable side, no pasta for our fellowship group.

Asparagus and Shitake Barley Risotto

2008-06-06T19:45:00.007-04:00

I make a mean risotto, but also like the idea of using more whole grains and less refined carbs, so I tried the technique for barley risotto at 101 Cookbooks. Heidi's recipe is for lemons and greens, but risotto is risotto and I can use asparagus and shitake instead.

2 bunches of asparagus
1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms
2 small - medium onions
3 cloves garlic

2 C. pearled barley

2 C. white wine
4 C. chicken stock
another 1 - 2 cups of water
1/2 - 1 C. parmesan
salt and pepper

The technique is the same as for risotto with arborio rice, except the barley absorbs a lot more liquid and doesn't give up it's starch to make it so creamy. I tried to use additional cheese for creaminess, but the domestic parm I had is not very flavorful. I got an okay texture, but it's better to use good cheese.

All in all, a bland effort. Better to use the rice and the good parmesan. Maybe I would try this again with good cheese and some dried mushrooms to try and make it a little heartier.

It looks like this plated, in theory. In reality, I used a considerable portion of hot-sauce to give it some flavor.

Verdict: C
Credits: 101 Cookbooks Meyer Lemon Risotto
Leftovers? Yes, keeps well but gets blander.

Notes: Would be vegetarian with vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock.

End of the Brussels Sprouts

2008-04-13T20:35:00.007-04:00

Even though spring is just now appearing, sources I trust (okay fine, they have a commercial interest) tell me that the Brussels sprouts season is almost over. Winter vegetable. These babies were delish, though.

I didn't eat them growing up. so I suppose my mother doesn't like them. Weirdly, with no evidence, I decided I didn't like them either. Earlier last year I worked up the willingness to try them for the first time. What a mistake I've been making!

The only way I have prepared them is sauteed with garlic, and topped with salt, cracked black pepper, and Parmesan or Romano. The first time I made them, I cut an X into the base of the sprouts before cooking and then boiled briefly, and it was good but too much work. Now I just cut them in half and saute raw. Unfortunately, I don't remember the original source for the X-cut recommendation.

Tonight I used butter and olive oil to saute and Romano to top. Here they are in the pan.

And ready to eat.

Verdict: A+
Credits: I can't remember where I found my advice, but good advice is easy to find on the web.
Leftovers? Never. Too great to not finish.

Notes: 101 cookbooks has a great recipe that is almost exactly what I do. It just isn't my source, because I tried them a couple times before this recipe was posted.

Crapshoot Chowder

2008-04-12T14:19:00.011-04:00

A recipe for a Real Simple soup popped up while I was shopping -- since I had some luck with the RS recipes, I checked it out. Scallop chowder sounds delicious, but scallops were $16/lb and they wanted 1.5 lbs in their recipe. Not happening.

I ordered a half pound of large sea scallops (about 6 or 7) and a pound of the "fish cubes for stew." The mix of fish is whatever is the scrap of the day -- usually salmon, tuna, and swordfish, according to the description. A bit of a crapshoot.

What came was about 3/4 salmon and a little tuna. Which is fine.

Making the soup:

Bacon? Check.
Scallops? Check.
Onions? Check.
Potatoes? Check
Fish cubes? Check.

Here's the orignal recipe. While I was frying the bacon, I checked for salmon chowder recipes, since there was so much salmon in my fish cubes. This Epicurious recipe for Salmon Chowder seemed promising too.

I fried six slices of bacon and removed the bacon. Then cooked the scallops in the bacon fat, a couple of minutes a side, and removed them. Then the 4 red potatoes (more like a pound than half a pound) and three really small (organic small) onions sliced long-ways. I should have done just the onions and then deglazed with wine. After the onions were soft, then I deglazed with wine -- working around the potatoes.

Then a pint of chicken stock. After some simmering, a half cup of cream. Salt and pepper. I wasn't trying to double the recipe, but the stock wasn't enough for all the potatoes and the upcoming fish, so I added a cup and half of milk. Also some fresh thyme.

Bring to a simmer for a while, then add the fish. A little later, add the corn and return the scallops to the pot. More salt and pepper.

Let everything get hot. The salmon chowder recipe had lemon juice, which sounded good, so I squeezed a lemon into the pot.

Garnish with parsley and crumbled bacon.

Yum. Everything contributes a flavor. The salmon is great. Tuna very good. Scallops are so buttery and sweet, it seems impossible. Plus, bacon fat, potatoes, cream.

Very thin broth, but will probably thicken with the starch from the potatoes and corn. Thin is good, a little wet slurp with each different kind of bite. The scallops are so rich I wouldn't want it to be much heavier.

Verdict: A-
Credits: Scallop and Corn Chowder, Real Simple Magazine
Salmon Chowder recipe at Epicurious.com
Leftovers? Oh yes.

Notes: If FreshDirect challenges you for a zip code, use 10023. I am sure they deliver everywhere in that code. In mine, you'd be further challenged because I live in such a remote neighborhood (puh-leeze).

Asparagus, Chickpea, Quinoa Salad

2008-04-06T12:34:00.009-04:00

101 Cookbooks is a good source of recipes for me lately. Anticipating spring, I got some asparagus (Mexican) and made this quick dish.

It really does come together fast (maybe not 10 minutes). I substituted 2 C. quinoa cooked with 4 C. water for the brown rice in the original dish. It was probably too much -- 1 to 1 1/2 C. would be better.

Verdict: A-
Credits: 101 Cookbooks
Leftovers? Yes, and very good cold. May need a touch more dressing the next day since quinoa and chickpeas are absorbent.

Notes: The tahini dressing is good for other salads too. In this case, make it thin -- the quinoa will suck it up.

Colcannon

2007-03-18T12:47:00.000-04:00

To use yesterday's cabbage, I wanted to make this Irish treat. I based my recipe on Eating Well's version. Since I am not doing milk right now (and never have it in the house anyway), I needed a substitute to make it a little creamy. I added a little extra butter to saute the cabbage and then used wine, broth, olive oil and vinegar. Delish!

1 half head of cabbage shredded
1 lb red pototoes

2 T. butter

2 T. broth
1/4 C. white wine
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T olive oil

salt and white pepper

Start the potatoes boiling. In a frying pan, soften the cabbage with the butter and a scoop of the potato water.

When the potatoes can be stuck easily with a fork, drain and mash. Add the olive oil and broth. Salt and pepper. Stir in the cabbage, add the wine and taste. If the tang of vinegar would be good, then add that.

Low cal, high fiber.

Verdict: B+ a tasty treat and better than plain potatoes.
Credits: Eating Well
Leftovers? Yes, potato pancakes tomorrow!

Notes: Vegan, if you skip the butter.

Pozole (or posole)

2007-03-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

I was wishing for the food and the weather of Mexico during this horrible snowstorm and thought of this soup. This is an experimental version with tempeh, not pork.

4 dried chile guanjillo
4 cloves garlic
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. cumin
1 C. hot water

1 package tempeh cut in 1/2 cubes
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 T chili garlic sauce
2 limes

1 medium onion
1 qt. vegetable broth
2 whole cloves

1 can hominy
1 can black beans

olive oil
salt and pepper

Optional:
3 cups shredded cabbage
cilantro
avocado, white onion, scallions, cheese, fried tortilla strips (I didn't do any of these)

Marinate the tempeh in the soy sauce, chili sauce and juice of 1 lime.

Remove the stems from the dried chilies and cover with hot water and soak. When the chilies are soft, blend with garlic clove and oregano. I added the cumin, but recommend against it.

In the soup pot, fry the marinating tempeh in a little olive oil until browned a little and heated through. Set the tempeh aside.

Cut the onion in half and take the outer onion of one of the halves before chopping. Chop the rest of the onion. Put the whole cloves through the onion rib.

Soften the chopped onion in a little more olive oil. Add the chili puree and the vegetable broth. Drain the hominy and black beans and add to the soup. Add the cloved onion. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, occasionally skimming the foam off. Salt and pepper to taste (probably a fair amount of pepper). Add the tempeh and simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in the juice of a lime before serving.

For the first bowl I put the raw cabbage in the bowl and ladled the soup over it. Later for leftovers, I just added the cabbage in the pot. Either way is good. Garnish with the cilantro. At Pancho's, they serve with many of the garnishes on the side.

Verdict: Yummy, B+.

Credits: Vegan Represent Forums

Leftovers? Yes and the flavor develops overnight.

Notes: Next time, I will not use the cumin, and will probably find hotter chilies. Or just use two or three and add some fresh serrano or jalepeno.

Spicy Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup

2007-01-29T22:06:00.000-05:00

When I added sweet potatoes to my online cart at Fresh Direct, the site recommended the Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup recipe. When I prepared it, I hated the color of the broth and was considering dumping it out until I though of blending it. Now I love it!!

Verdict: A
Credits: Real Simple magazine [via Fresh Direct]
Leftovers? Yes, though you might need to thin with a little water.

Notes: Instead of the one inch dice, I just slice the sweet potato into pretty thick pieces and then after five or ten minutes to heat them (because I baked them a day or two before usually) use the hand blender to blend the whole thing. There's sesame oil in the picture but I usually don't bother.

Bloody Bowties

2007-01-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

Fresh Direct recommended this recipe when I was shopping for beets, so I tried it. The recipe title is Shockingly Pink Pasta so I thought it would be a bright fuschia pink. It is when you first stir in a little beet sauce to a lot of light colored pasta, but by the time it is all added, it looks like blood. Now we're talking shocking!

Roast 3 medium to large beets in the oven, wrapped in foil with a little olive oil for an hour. At the same time, wrap a whole head of garlic in foil with a little olive oil and roast.

When the beets have cooled, take out of the foil and peel the skins off. They should just slip off by hand. Sometimes I have to use the paring knife. Slice into chunks. These can be stored, refrigerated for a few days and added to salads.

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the head into the beets. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive and puree. I use my hand blender in this tupperware container. Salt and generous pepper.

Make a box of farfalle. Add the beet puree to the drained pasta. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Verdict: A
Credits: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon [via Fresh Direct]
Leftovers? Yes, very good.

Notes: It was so good that I bought the book, Passionate Vegetarian I have also made it with raw, not roasted, garlic and it is way hot with garlic. If you are roasting the beets anyway, roast the garlic.

IMBB VI: Grillers' Delight

2004-07-18T13:13:00.000-04:00

For my first participation in Is My Blog Burning?, I grilled up some pork tenderloin for the Grillers' Delight and made Grilled Pork Tacos.

I covered the pork with blackening spice rub and cooked it on my hot stovetop grill, about seven minutes a side.

Let the pork rest, then slice it up and assemble the tacos. I melted some pepperjack on a tortilla on the hot grill, added some black bean dip, pork and mango slaw (recipe below). Yum!

Mango slaw dressing

1 T. honey
Juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. cider vinegar
3 shakes of habenero sauce

Mix in a small bowl. In a large bowl mix:

1 mango, peeled, sliced from the pit and julienned
1 package shredded cabbage

Stir in dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Verdict: A
Leftovers? The pork keeps, but the slaw gets pretty soggy.

Fizzy Raspberry Lemonade

2004-07-05T09:51:00.000-04:00

Looking for a summer cooler, I tried vodka-lemonade after reviewing recipes at Epicurious.

1 pkg frozen raspberries
1 can frozen lemonade
3/4 C. Vodka (for a lightly alcoholic drink, 1 1/2 C. for a stronger drink)
mineral water

In a blender, puree the raspberries with the lemonade and add the vodka. If it is too sour, add up to a 1/4 C. sugar. Strain to get the seeds out.

To make the drink, pour an inch or so of the syrup and add mineral water to fill the glass.

The first batch I made I was adding the vodka and the mineral water, but it is easier to just put the vodka in the syrup.

Verdict: B+
Credits: Epicurious Fizzy Sour Cherry Lemonade
Leftovers? Yes. Keep the syrup in the freezer.

Korean Supper

2004-06-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a Korean picnic menu, I tried two beef dishes for dinner last weekend: a barbecued steak (bulgogi) and a cold noodle soup dish.

First, the shopping list:
1 1/2 lb of sirloin steak
1 lb other steak
ginger
garlic
scallions
cucumber
soba

Simple, eh? I had everything else on hand. I actually bought a 2 lb roast and sliced it into the two steaks.

Bulgogi

First get the steak marinating:

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 T. finely chopped peeled ginger
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
2 tsp. ground toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. sugar
ground black pepper

For the ground toasted sesame seeds, toast 1/4 C. seeds in a dry non-stick skillet. Grind in mortar with salt (1 t. or so).

Score steak deeply (nearly through to the other side) in a 1-inch crisscross diamond pattern. Turn over and score the other side. Cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly with a heavy pan to tenderize.

In a shallow dish large enough to hold the steak, combine remaining ingredients. Add the stak and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 8, turning from time to time.

Now get the broth started for the noodles.

Naengmyon

1 lb. beef for boiling (pot roast or round steak)
2 C. vegetable broth
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. ground toasted sesame seeds (see above)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 T. rice or cider vinegar
2 T. pepper vinegar (recipe calls for kimchi juice)
1 T. sugar
salt to taste
1 lb. buckwheat noodles (soba)
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and sliced

Cover the beef in broth, plus a quart of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface, then reduce heat, cover and simmer beef until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Then, allow the meat to cool in the broth.

Once the broth is going, you have THREE HOURS before you eat. Make some Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer.

Now, make the other things that go on the noodles.

Hard cook the eggs: cover with cold water; bring to a boil for 5 minutes; turn off heat, cover pan and let sit for 20 minutes; rinse with cold water and let sit in cold water for 5 minutes before peeling.

Vinegar Mustard sauce:

3 T. soy sauce
4 1/2 t. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix together in a small bowl. I used dijon instead of dry mustard, because I didn't have any. I am sure it changed the texture, but it was good.

Marinated cucumbers:

1 T. salt
1 cucumber, cut lengthwise and sliced
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. pepper vinegar
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper

In a bowl, sprinkle the salt on the cucumber slices, then cover with water. Let sit for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse and squeeze out excess moisture. In a small bowl or tupperware combine the cucumbers, vinegars, sugar and red pepper. Refrigerate until serving.

When the broth is cooled, remove the beef, trim off any fat and thinly slice. In a small bowl, combine the sliced beef with soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Mix the broth with the vinegars, sugar and salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Prepare the noodles, drain and rinse in cold water.

To serve, put noodles in a bowl and add broth mixture to cover noodle halfway. Top with sliced egg, beef, cukes and mustard sauce. Set the beef, cukes and mustard out to be added individually. In this picture, the sliced bulgogi is on the left and the steak for the noodles is on the right.

Heat the skinny grill. Cook the steak 4-5 minutes on each side, to medium rare. Slice and serve.

Verdict: B+ for steak, B for noodles. Serve it hot to make it an A.
Credits: Marinated Grilled Beef (Bulgogi) and Cold Buckwheat Noodles (Naengmyon) from Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Keep the noodle elements separately. The beef is great the next day.

Notes: The noodles are actually better with warm broth. Serve the broth while still warm, or use the broth to cook the noodles. As a warm meal, it still works with cold toppings and gets an A. Beef soup to go with grilled beef is overkill. Save the bulgogi for another meal.

Lettuce Wraps

2004-06-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

In a meal of two beef dishes, I could not make this appetizer with ground beef so I tried it with tempeh and extra vegetables. I don't know if it is as good as P.F. Chang's, but it turned out pretty tasty.

1/2 head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated and washed
4 oz. (half package) tempeh, diced small
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. peanut oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced small.
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. Garlic chili pepper sauce (I use 'A Taste of THAI') or the recipe calls for kochujang
1/4 c. rice wine (mirin)
1 T. pepper vinegar (optional)

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the tempeh. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Add the carrot, celery, and half the scallions. Cook 5-10 more minutes, the vegetables should start to soften. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another couple minutes. Add the garlic-chili sauce and the rice wine and vinegar. Cook another 3 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Here's the tempeh and vegetables:

Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve with the lettuce leaves.

And here's the assembled Lettuce Wrap ready for a bite. Yum!

Verdict: A-
Credits: Lettuce Bundles with Hot-&-Sweet Meat Filling Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Yes, but not as good cold.

Notes: I also tried this doubled and it worked out well. It feels like greasy bar appetizers, but it is a vegetarian delight. Don't eat the whole doubled recipe unless you are used to that much fiber. Yowsa.

Memorial Day Grilling

2004-05-29T19:15:00.000-04:00

Here it is Memorial Day weekend, the opening of the grilling season. I left my Weber grill in the garage, but I do have my new Le Crueset skinny grill. I got some extra shrimp when shopping for the paella and then went out and found two recipes for citrus-y baked chicken and modified them as grilled chicken with sauce and marinated shrimp.

Shopping list:

1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 to 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 or 4 juicing oranges
1 lemon
4 scallions
1 shallot
1 piece ginger
Ricard or other anise liqueur
fresh rosemary
fresh mint
white wine
lime juice
Tabasco sauce

Prepare the chicken breast:

Chicken breast
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. orange zest
rosemary sprigs
salt and pepper

Slice the chicken breast horizontally, most of the way through. Sprinkle with lemon and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the rosemary on the half of chicken breast. Close breast, cover with plastic wrap and pound with a frying pan to flatten. Refrigerate.

Marinate the shrimp:

Juice the oranges, set aside 2/3 C. for the chicken sauce.

3 T. orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried cilantro
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 T. olive oil
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 t. salt

Combine everything and cover the shrimp. Refrigerate.

Chicken sauce:

4 scallions, sliced
2 T. minced shallots
1 T. minced fresh mint
olive oil
2/3 C. orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
piece of ginger
1 T. Ricard
1/4 C. dry sherry
2 t. sugar
1/2 C. white wine

In a saucepan, cook scallions, shallots and mint in olive oil until soft. Add orange juice, lemon juice, Ricard, dry sherry and sugar. Grate ginger into a sieve and press juice out. Add ginger juice to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Spoon a little onto the chicken breast.

Add the wine and simmer while grilling, reducing by half (again).

Skewer the shrimp on bamboo skewers, or poke through with the skewer then put the shrimp on rosemary stems. This takes a lot longer, so I only did half on rosemary.

And here I am ready to grill.

The chicken takes about 8 minutes a side. Baste with the sauce occasionally.

The shrimp is much faster, about a minute and a half per side.

Here's the Yucatan Grilled Shrimp Skewers

And the Grilled Chicken in Islands Aromas

I should have made a vegetable side, but I didn't. Served with a side of pasta and a French wine.

Verdict: B
Credits: Chicken Breasts in Islands Aromas in Eating Well May/June 1993 and Chicken Yucatan in Eating Well July/August 1993
Leftovers? Yes, good cold or on a salad

Notes:

Paella rapida

2004-05-28T18:59:00.000-04:00

I haven't been cooking much lately, but I wanted to get into the spirit of the summer season and eating for celebration. First stop, paella. This was modified to make it lowfat by taking out the sausage. Of course I added some sausage back in.

2 C. chicken stock + 3 cubes
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. medium shrimp
1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, sliced
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 C. arborio rice
1 jar of artichoke hearts
1 C. frozen peas
1/3 C. bottled roasted red peppers, sliced thin

Warm the chicken stock in a saucepan, set aside.

In a skillet, cook the shrimp in 1 t. of oil for 3 minutes. Set aside in a bowl. Brown the chicken and sausage in the skillet, for about five minutes. Remove from the pan and set a side in a bowl.

In another 1 t. of oil, cook the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook for a couple minutes. Stir in the rice.

Add the chicken stock. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in artichokes, red peppers, and peas. Add the chicken, sausage, and shrimp. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with an inexpense but old (1999) Spanish wine.

Verdict: A
Credits: Paella Rapida in Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Yes, delicious.

Notes: The original recipe had a a 14 oz can of tomatoes. I had a larger can, so I used 1 1/2 C. of rice (instead of 1 C.) and then added a couple of extra cubes of broth. (I froze a bunch of chicken stock in ice cube trays.) It worked out great.

Chicken Salad with Bow Ties and Mustard-Sesame Dressing

2004-05-21T19:13:00.000-04:00

Another potluck dish. This chicken and pasta salad is fresh and easy.

I don't know what consists fair use, but I think this one recipe over ten years old from a defunct magazine is okay. I repeat it here since I followed it pretty closely.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. sesame seeds
1 4-inch piece of ginger
3 T. dijon mustard
2 T. rice-wine vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. soy sauce
1/2 lb. snow peas
1 lb. bow tie pasta (farfalle)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced into thin strips
2 scallions, green part, thinly sliced

Poach the chicken breast: in a skillet, cover the chicken breast with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, turn over the chicken, cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Slice the chicken breast thinly and set aside in the refrigerator.

In a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat. Set aside in a small dish.

Finely grate ginger into a sieve over a small bowl. Firmly press liquid out with the back of a spoon (should be 1 1/2 T. of liquid). Add mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce to the ginger juice and whisk until creamy.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 1 minutes. Remove with a spoon or tongs to a colander and rinse under cold water. Return water to a boil and cook pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine celery, red peppers, scallions and the chicken, snow peas and pasta. Add dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the toasted sessame seeds.

Verdict: B
Credits: Chicken Salad with Bow Ties and Mustard-Sesame Dressing in Eating Well March/April 1994
Leftovers? Good, but not this time. The crowd ate it up.

Notes: I ended up making a little more dressing because I was afraid the pasta would soak it up before the salad was served at the potluck. I stirred a spoonful of mustard into a couple tablespoons of vinegar and a splash of soy sauce and added it to the salad. It worked out great.

Vegetable Breakfast

2004-05-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

I have been making a vegetable egg scramble for breakfast this week.

1 whole egg + 2 whites
basil and parsely, sliced in fine ribbons
1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1/3 vidalia onion, sliced
3/4 C. broccoli, chopped
1 tortilla
parmesan cheese
Olive oil, Salt and pepper

I boil several days worth of broccoli to pre-cook, since it takes the longest. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the garlic, then saute the peppers and onions until the onion is translucent. Beat the egg and whites with a couple teaspoons of water and the herbs and a little salt and pepper. Add the cooked broccoli to the skillet, allow a few minutes to reheat if it was cold. Stir in the eggs and the cheese. Cook a minute or two until eggs are set and the cheese is melting. Serve with salsa on a warm tortilla.

And the finished product:

Verdict: B, but dependent on the quality of the salsa and cheese
Leftovers? No.

Notes: Of course this changes with the contents of my refrigerator. Pepper jack is the best cheese for this meal.

Asparagus and penne

2004-04-23T17:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I made asparagus and penne. It's an easy, tasty dish. Start the water and snap and chop the asparagus and it all comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Here's a picture of the aspargus, sauted with garlic and hot sauce in a little olive oil. The penne is in the orange pot.

Verdict: B, I love aspargus, but maybe I didn't use enough butter, it seemed a little dry.
Credits: Mom, but the recipe is essentially this one.
Leftovers? Would be great, but I ate it all.

Rainbow Trout and Red Cabbage

2004-04-04T22:28:00.000-04:00

I made this trout recipe last year and it was tasty (I love trout) but with regular cabbage and it was a little colorless. So with the red cabbage in the box, I tried it again.

Here's the primary ingredients. Yeah, they sold me the heads and tails at Gourmet Garage. I wasn't expecting that.

Cooking up in the pan. These were large trout.

Plated with the cabbage and a glass of wine. Yes, I drink red with fish. Basically, I drink red with everything.

Verdict: B
Credits: Trout with Peppercorn Crust, Bacon and Red Cabbage at Epicurious
Leftovers? Yes, plenty. I took the fish off the skin and refrigerated two portions. Splash a little rice vinegar and eat cold the next day.

Notes: The fish were large and I used the whole cabbage, which was more than 2 cups and a small bunch of onions rather than just two.

Artichokes again, illustrated

2004-04-03T12:35:00.000-05:00

This week I had more artichokes and used the pressure cooker again. This time I simplified a little and it was even better.

2 artichokes, lower leaves trimmed and stem cut to 1" and peeled

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 - 3/4 C. of white wine

Brown the garlic and thyme in the oil, one minute or less. Add the wine and arrange the artichokes on a rack.

Here's a shot of the artichokes ready to cook.

Pressure cook for 10-12 minutes (I went ten, but I think I like a little more done). Let sit to depressurize.

Make a sauce from 2 T. melted butter and 2 T. of the cooking liquid. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce a little.

Pour a little of the sauce on the artichokes. Serve with the remaining butter on the side and a bread and cheese plate--and lots of napkins.

Verdict: A
Credits: Continued tinkering with the basic instructions at Gourmet Sleuth
Leftovers? No

Vegetable volume

2004-03-31T17:50:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-29T17:40:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

I did a foodie walking tour today.

Artichokes

2004-03-19T12:06:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

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)

2004-03-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

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

2004-03-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

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.

Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles

2004-02-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

I got the new Cooking Light this week and found a recipe that would use up the red bell peppers that I got in the box. I modified it to suit what I had on hand, but essentials are the same.

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti, broken in half
1 T. dark sesame oil
4 stalks of celery sliced thin
2 red bell peppers
3 oz shitake mushroom caps, sliced
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 t. minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 C. chicken broth
1 T. cornstartch
2 T. sherry
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 bunch young swiss chard, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 T. sesame seeds
2/3 C. bread crumbs
2 T. olive oil

Cook the spaghettil, drain.

Roast the red peppers: halve and seed the peppers, then either set the skin side on a gas flame until it is completely black (with my burners I have to move it around to get everything) or put skin side up on a sheet under the broiler until blistered and black. Let the peppers cool a little, then rub the burnt skin off under running cool water. Slice into strips.

In my Le Creuset 3 1/2 Quart Saucepan with Cover, Flame heat the oil and then saute the celery, peppers and mushrooms for 2 minutes (or so). Add the chicken, ginger, garlic and saute for 3 more minutes (or until most of the chicken is browned). Stir in the soy sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch into the broth and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken (a little thick, not a lot). Remove from heat, stir in sherry, vinegar and crushed red pepper. Add spaghetti, chard and 2 t. sesame seeds. Stir well.

Stir oil and 1 t. sesame seeds into bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta mixture. Put the excellent pan right in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Verdict: B, a solid effort.
Credits: Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles Cooking Light March 2004
Leftovers? Yes, I expect the ginger and sesame flavors to develop .

Notes: The original recipe had plain red peppers, not roasted but I don't really care for bell peppers unless they are roasted. Also, I thought I took chicken breast out of the freezer, but it was chicken thighs so that's what I used. I substituted a bunch of young (small, like spinach-sized) chard for bok choy and added the celery. I think I might kick up the red pepper flakes a little and maybe the ginger. I t was good, but not super spicy.

Aloo Gobi

2004-02-03T18:39:00.000-05:00

On the DVD for Bend it Like Beckham there is a special feature for making aloo gobi. The director makes it in a restaurant kitchen with her mother and aunt looking on. I love aloo gobi and making any curry, so I was inspired to try Gurinder Chadha's version. Of course, I didn't write it down so it is only my memory of her version -- with substitutions.

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into pieces
3 yukon gold potates, chopped

1 small bunch cilantro (coriander), stems and leaves chopped separately
1 can diced tomatoes with jalepeno
2 green chilies, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. cumin seed
2 t. tumeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. hot curry powder, Calcutta Heat, Spice Islands
1 t. grated ginger
1 t. salt

In a wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds and cook for a minute or less. Add chopped onion and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and ginger, tomatoes,chilies and cilantro stems. Stir together. Stir in tumeric and simmer while you chop cauliflower and potatoes.

Add cauliflower and potatoes and salt, cover and simmer for ten minutes. Check and add water if sticking. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Stir in half the chopped cilantro and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve, topped with remaining cilantro.

Verdict: B+
Credits: Bend it Like Beckham DVD special feature
Leftovers? Yes, and even tastier. In the DVD, Ms. Chandha praises toasted aloo gobi sandwiches. But cold curry on white toast? That's whack. I won't be trying that.

Notes: For the movie, the tagline is : "Who wants to cook aloo gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?" Now, I thought the movie was great, but seriously -- soccer? I have spent far more effort learning Indian cooking.

I didn't have garam masala in the house and they were out when I went to the store, so I used hot curry powder instead. Still good.

Related product: Maya Kaimal Cocount Curry Simmer Sauce

2004-01-30T19:03:00.000-05:00

Tonight I tried the Coconut Curry flavor of the Indian sauces I bought this week. I diced a chicken breast and browned it with half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic, then added a cubed yam and 3 carrots, frozen peas and half the container of sauce and 1/4 c. water. I let it simmer for about 20 minutes before chowing down.

Verdict: A
Credits: Maya Kaimal This is pretty much the recommended preparation on the container.
Leftovers? Yes

Notes: This is sweeter and not as spicy hot as the vindaloo. In both, the coconut milk adds a sweet creaminess. After using $5 worth of chanterelles in a risotto, I don't think I'll be troubled by the price on these. A repeat buy. I mean, at some point, I'll have to get a job or just eat soup but for now, these are good.

Winter risotto (chanterelle, squash, chard)

2004-01-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

I had chard and butternut squash in the box this week, so made risotto again but with some improvements.

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

2 C. chicken broth
2 C. white wine
2 C. water
1 package dried chanterelle mushrooms (porcini are also good)

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. arborio rice
olive oil
butter

1/2 C. parmesan (or up to 1 C. according to taste)

Smash the dried mushrooms to small pieces and soak in 2 C. water for at least an hour before starting. (It's not a disaster if you wait)

In a pot, cover the squash in water and bring to a boil. Boil for just a couple minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water.

In a saucepan, add the wine and stock to the mushroom water and bring to a low boil.

In a large skillet, brown the garlic in olive oil and add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the rice and cook another couple of minutes. Add the stock, half a cup at a time. Stir the stock in until it is completely absorbed before adding more. Stir, stir, stir. When all the stock is added, the rice should be cooked through. Stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Reheat the squash in 1 T. butter and 1 T. water. Salt and pepper. Stir the squash into the rice. Chop the chard into ribbons and wilt in a little olive oil. Stir into the rice.

Serve topped with more parmesan, black pepper or hot sauce.

Verdict: A
Credits: An improvement on my last effort still inspired by Frances Mayes
Leftovers? Yes, so yummy when fried with a little olive oil and bread crumbs

Notes: This can be done with just a saucepan and a skillet, by cooking the squash first then letting it sit in the collander. Reuse the saucepan for the hot liquid, then reheat the squash in the same pan with butter. Finally wilt the chard (unless you have a ton, which is okay) in the same pan.

New Product: Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Simmer Sauce

2004-01-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

The sample at Fairway got me to try these new sauces from Maya Kaimal (of cookbook fame -- I haven't read it). I bought the Vindaloo (spicy) and the Coconut Curry (medium).

1 yam, peeled, quartered and cut in 1/2" slices
1 potato, peeled quartered and cut in 1/2" slices
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. cumin
olive oil
1/2 container Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Simmer Sauce

In a pot, cover the sweet potato and potato in water and bring to a boil. Boil for couple minutes. Drain.

In a wok or skillet, heat some olive oil and brown the garlic. Add the onions, cayenne and cumin. Cook until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the onions and mix. Stir in the vindaloo sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Longer if you can wait, the flavor will develop.

Verdict: A
Credits: Maya Kaimal Sauces at Fairway
Leftovers? I used half of the container instead of making a big batch and saving half. I am sure either way is fine.

Notes: At $4.99 for a 4 person serving, these are pretty expensive. I don't know if I will use them often. On the other hand, making authentic curry sauces is not easy or cheap (coconut milk!), so maybe.

Pineapple Sweet Potato Salad

2004-01-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

In the box this week was a pineapple, which would have been a deletion had I gotten around to checking the list before delivery (Urban Organic is good about that). I don't care for pineapple, but I had a potluck this week, so I just needed a recipe to serve it to my friends.

I went back to Food TV and found a recipe that used sweetpotatoes and pineapple, both of which I had and I only needed bell pepper and some fresh cilantro.

My only modification to the recipe was use some potatoes with the sweet potatoes because I couldn't stand to use up all my yams (yams, sweetpotatoes, whatever) for a dish I didn't like. I had plenty of pineapple juice from the cut pineapple, but I also put some lime juice in the dressing.

The salad was well received at the potluck. I had some leftover, but there aren't big eaters in that crowd. The initial taste of the dressing was very sesame, but as it sat the pineapple taste increased.

I was disappointed in the consistency of the dressing. I think my blender (or my technique) made the original mayonnaise too thin, so the dressing was even thinner. I haven't successfully made mayonnaise to diagnose this, but I'll have to try.

Verdict: B
Credits: Emeril's Molokai Sweet Potato Salad on the Food Network site
Leftovers? Yes, but not for me.

Winter vegetables

2004-01-20T16:32:00.000-05:00

Visiting new friends in Oneota on Sunday, we had Roasted Winter Vegetables with our chicken and rice. It was delicious! Angie said it was easy, just spread on a baking sheet with some oil. I may have to give this a try -- sweet potatoes in the box today.

Vegetable skillet breakfast

2004-01-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

I have been eating my vegetables for breakfast this week (which I love). I diced and cooked potatoes and sweet potatoes and sliced and cooked some broccoli and kept it all in in the refrigerator several days for easy meals.

Chopped onion (1/2 onion)
1 Minced garlic clove
1 finely chopped jalepeno pepper
1 Diced sweet potato or potato
1/2 C. steamed broccoli
2 eggs
2 T. gruyere (or other cheese), grated or sliced
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)
salt and pepper
salsa
olive oil or butter

Quarter and slice (1/4" - 1/2") the potatoes and, in a saucepan, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, they only need a couple of minutes to be cooked through. This can be done in advance and used cold from the fridge. I boil the broccoli the same way, but I slice it thin so it is done when the water boils.

In some oil or butter, brown the garlic, pepper and onions until the onions are soft. Add the potatoes and broccoli. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting some pieces get crispy and well-browned.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 t. water. Add the chopped herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the skillet and add the cheese. Stir and cook until the eggs are dry and the cheese is melting.

Serve with salsa.

Verdict: A
Credits: No one in particular
Leftovers? Yes, they are good.

Miso-Chile Sauce

2004-01-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

Pork week was interrupted by illness, but I had a pork chop tonight with thyme and rosemary and redskin potatoes. I made this sauce to go with it. It was very rich, I think it might overwhelm tuna.

2 t. butter
2 t. minced shallots
1 t. minced fresh peeled ginger
1/4 t. chile paste with garlic
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C. + 2 T. dry rose wine (Tavel)
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. rice wine (mirin)
2 T. yellow miso

In a small saucepan, cook the shallots, ginger, chile paste, garlic in the butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and mirin and reduce to half a cup or less. Take off the heat and stir in the miso.

Verdict: B
Credits: Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2004 Tuna with Miso-Chile Sauce
Leftovers? No, the quantity is more than one serving but not worth keeping.

Notes: I doubled the original recipe and used mostly rose with about 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar because I didn't have any red wine (that I wanted to cook with). I also substituted yellow miso for red miso (again, it's what I had).

Vegetable topping

2004-01-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had the same menu as last night, but I topped the carrots with my favorite all-purpose bread crumb topping. I found it in a recipe for stuffed artichokes and it is an awful thing to do to an artichoke, but on zucchini with a slice of provolone over it -- YUM! On a salad or some boring canned soup -- delish!

I can't find the free recipe booklet that it came in and the recipe on the Fagor site is missing half the ingredients.

1 C. Bread crumbs (I used canned)
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1/3 - 1/2 C. Italian parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. finely diced sopressata (sweet dry sausage, like salami)
1/4 C. olive oil
1 t. lemon zest
Salt and pepper

Mix everything in a bowl. I chop the parsley and garlic and sopressata together before adding it to the bread crumbs. Add the oil a bit at a time and just use enough to get things sticking and mealy. Cover and store.

Use on top of any vegetable, especially if you can then top with a thin slice of provolone (this is from the original artichoke recipe). I didn't use cheese tonight, but I put some on the carrots and popped my new Le Creuset French oven under the broiler, because I could. I don't think the broiling made any difference. I don't know much about this oven yet.

Verdict: A for the topping (so versatile). A- for the menu.
Credits: The free recipe book (not the instruction manual) which came with my Fagor pressure cooker
Leftovers? Yes, keeps for a week or more.

Notes: I haven't tried any variations yet, but a number of herbs could be used instead of parsley.

Thyme and Rosemary Pork Chop with Mango Ginger Sauce and Dirty Carrots

2004-01-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

Pork Week continues, using the mango (I get nearly as many fruits as vegetables in the box) and some carrots.

1 mango, diced
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. sherry
1 T minced ginger
salt and pepper

1 boneless center cut pork chop
thyme
rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" or smaller
1 T. butter

Put the mango chunks, sugar, sherry, ginger, and vinegar into a small saucepan. Cook over low until mango softens up. Whisk and simmer until all chunks are breaking up. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Coat the pork chop with oil and sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Brown both sides in a skillet, then cover and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest.

Add the carrots to the skillet and deglaze with a little water or broth (maybe a 1/4 cup). Salt. Cover and steam the carrots for 3 minutes. Uncover and add butter. Reduce (boil off) any remaining liquid.

Plate carrots, pork chop and spoon half of the sauce on the pork.

Verdict: A-
Credits: The Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook (1994, Eating Well Books): Pork Tenderloin with Keys Mango Sauce
Leftovers? Yes. The flavor of the sauce develops overnight.

Notes: Mangoes are nearly impossible to work with. My best way to chop up a mango is to slice off large pieces until I get to the pit. Then I score the pieces and slice the chunks from the peel. It's not perfect.

Pork Chop with Citrus Salsa and Wilted Spinach

2004-01-05T19:23:00.000-05:00

Despite my good efforts, the vegetables were delivered on Tuesday (four days before I got back). I had in mind to detox for a few days, semi-fasting even, but even though some of the food (lettuce) was already bad and some (yams) will keep, I feel like I should consume the good-but-going-bad stuff this week. So my detoxing will take the form of Pork Week. Six center cut boneless porkchops, miscellaneous sauces and whatever vegetables need to be used.

1 pork chop (6 oz or so)
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

2 C. spinach, washed
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar

1 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and chopped
3 oranges, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1/2 lemon, peeled, sectioned and chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
salt

For the salsa (Xec), mix in a bowl the grapefruit, orange, lemon, pepper, cilantro and season with salt. Let sit.

In my new Le Creuset cast iron French oven or other skillet, heat the oil and cook the garlic until golden, then brown the pork chop on both sides and cover for 5-10 minutes. When the pork is done, remove from the pan and let rest on a cutting board. Take the pork off the heat while it is still pink in the middle, it will continue to cook while resting.

Decide there is not enough pork fat for the spinach and chop 1 slice of bacon and fry in the skillet. When it is well browned, add the sugar and vinegar. Stir to disolve the sugar and reduce the vinegar to a syrupy consistency. Add the spinach and toss with tongs to coat with the vinegar reduction. Cook until wilted. Season with black pepper.

Plate the spinach, the pork chop and generously spoon the citrus salsa over the pork.

Verdict: C+, the spinach and the fruit were old
Credits: Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2004 Pork Tenderloin with Xec
Leftovers? I'll try the leftover salsa.

Notes: The idea for the spinach was that there would be sufficient pork fat from the pork chop, but it didn't seem like it so I chopped and added a slice of turkey bacon before the spinach. You cannot over-reduce the vinegar, because liquid from the spinach will make it thin again.

I would expect that two oranges would be sufficient for this recipe (the grapefruit and orange quantities are 1:1 in the original recipe), but these are old, dry oranges so I added a third. It was not as spicy as I expected. Maybe tomorrow.

Update: I had another try of the Xec after it kept overnight. The fruit was just too old and dried out, I think. It was spicier, but still not that good with the pork. Maybe this would be better with fish, or with some complementing side or spices.

Mexican Frittata

2004-01-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

Trying to add a little variety to the eggs during my stay in Cabo San Lucas

4 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut in 1/4" slices
2 jalepeno peppers, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup of chorizo, cooked and drained
1/2 cup of pepper cheese, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese, grated or finely chopped
10 eggs, beaten
oil or butter

Boil the potatoes for a few minutes, they don't need to be completely cooked. In a skillet, saute the onion and peppers until soft.

Mix together in a baking casserole or pot (I used a 5 quart pot) the potatoes, onions and peppers, avocado, cheese and chorizo. Beat the eggs and pour over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until eggs are firm and browning on the edges. The middle can be a little soft. The cooking time will depend on the shape of your baking pan. Top with a little more grated cheese during the last couple minutes of baking.

Serve with salsa and tortillas.

Verdict: B+
Leftovers? Yes, keeps for a couple of days.

Notes: This would have been even better with more fresh peppers, especially poblanos. Also, tomatoes would have been good.

Spaghetti alla chorizo

2004-01-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

This doesn't have many vegetables (especially since I didn't put the tomatoes on my serving), which is pretty much the pattern for my eating in Mexico.

1/2 lb. chorizo (loose, not a link in a case)
1 package spaghetti
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper

Cook the spaghetti. In a fry pan, cook the chorizo. Add the spaghetti to the pan and stir. Transfer to a bowl and add the eggs and most of the cheese (reserve a little for topping). Stir, the hot pasta cooks the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate and garnish with tomatoes.

Verdict: C
Credits: Spaghetti carbonara
Leftovers? This was pretty good the next day.

Notes: I am not sure about the quantity of chorizo and cheese that I used, but it's pretty close. The flavor of the chorizo was just not quite right with the parmesan and egg, but it was edible and a break from greasy nachos.

Holiday pause

2003-12-13T19:07:00.000-05:00

I have stopped the vegetable delivery until after the holidays. It seems likely that I will have little time to cook fresh vegetables either. I have had take-out Chinese and bagels with sundry spreads and canned soup. I will probably snack my way through this week and then show some (!) restraint at Christmas and in Mexico. I love vegetables, but this is the time of year that my eating habits suffer.

Resolutions 2004, here I come!

Homestyle chicken

2003-12-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

Regardless of what the title dish is in the South, this is the name of my favorite dish at Hunan Balcony (97 & Broadway). It is chicken breast slices with green beans in a brown sauce with ginger threads (sliced with the grain). Spicy! Before moving to NYC, this dish was unknown to me and I thought it was a specialty of Hunan Balcony. Now it looks like it is available all over town, but I am so pleased with their version that I am reluctant to try other places in the neighborhood.

It is what I ordered tonight as a compensation for the cancellation of my flight to France.

Rome report

2003-12-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't do any cooking while I was in Rome. In fact I hardly did much eating. When I travel, especially when I travel alone, I find that I can either do hardcore sightseeing or experience the nightlife. Usually not both. This trip, since everything was new, I hit the sights hard and didn't have much energy for going out.

I did experience a couple of dishes worth mentioning:

At Enoteca Corsi: the artichoke antipasta. Unbelievable! A whole artichoke, trimmed, served in oil and lemon and delicious.

Also, the Spaghetti alla Carbonara was fabulous. Both of these I tasted from my lunch companion's meal. I did not have such good luck ordering my own meal (it was good, not great).

At Due Colonne, the best dish I had was a bruschetta with paper-thin beef, arugula and parmesan cheese. Delicious!

The vegatable market at the Campo dei Fiori was fun to wander around, but I didn't purchase anything. Not there, not in the shoe stores, not in the boutiques. Next time.

Stir-fried green beans

2003-11-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

The green beans are the only remaining perishable from the box, so I cooked them up tonight. Tomorrow I go out of town. Rome!

1-2 lb green beans, washed, trimmed
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 T olive oil
2 T tamari (soy sauce)
1 T rice wine
2 T rice vinegar
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 t sesame oil
1 t corn starch
1 T. sesame seeds

Heat the garlic in the olive oil in a wok. Add the onions and beans. Cook 3-4 minutes on med-hi stirring frequently until the onion softens. Add a little soy sauce and water and cover for 5 minutes to steam the beans. Turn down to medium heat. Stir and check that the beans are hot (but not soft). Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the beans, stir until the sauce thickens.

Verdict: B
Credits
Leftovers? Yes.

Notes: This would have been very good with some steamed rice, the sauce worked well tonight. It was really a just a snack. For a meal, I add some pork or tempeh (fry it first, then set aside and stir in at the end).

Update: I had the leftovers Sunday night after my trip and they were excellent. The pepper had made the sauce very spicy and all the flavors were intense. I am going to try this again as a refrigerator salad (as soon as I get more beans).

Green salad with cheeses and Ginger Miso dressing

2003-11-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Using up the red leaf and green leaf lettuces. The arugula from this week was already yellow and rotting. Bleh. I picked up some cheeses and Onai's Fresh Miso Ginger dressing, which I love at Fairway and a baguette.

Red leaf lettuce, torn
Green leaf lettuce, torn
1/4 C. Black pepper brie, cubed
1/4 C. Emmental, cubed
1/4 C. Gruyere, cubed
Onai's Fresh Miso Ginger dressing

Toss in a big bowl. Tear a baguette and eat from the bowl.

Verdict B, good but nothing special tonight. Maybe a bleu cheese would have helped.
Credits Memories of a green salad and cheese plate lunch at the Musee D'Orsay
Leftovers? Doesn't keep.

Notes This salad dressing and Onai's Wasabi Ginger are my favorites, no oil but with miso as a medium not a bunch of artificial thickeners, emulsifiers, whatever. I've tried to recreate this, with some success. I'll post those results another time.

Kitchen Fire

2003-11-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last night, my first kitchen fire in my new apartment. I haven't had many. In fact I don't remember any fires, but it seems unlikely that it never happened. This was not too bad. I was heating the oil and garlic in a frying pan and the fire jumped into the pan and was getting kind of big. I turned off the wrong burner, then pulled the pan off the heat and it started dying. I went to set it on the floor while I tried to think of something to smother it with and it was out. I managed to spill hot oil on the floor, so it was a little mess. Plus some scorching on the hood and the cupboard above the stove.

I wasn't very pleased with my reaction, but I am not exactly sure what I should have done. Maybe I'll go get a fire extinguisher soon.

Broccoli and penne, aeolian-style

2003-11-22T12:18:00.000-05:00

For tonight's menu, assuming I go get an onion.

3-4 cups of chopped broccoli (one bunch)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 T. anchovy paste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil (ribbons are good)
1/4 C. golden raisins
1/2 C. white wine
1 medium tomato, diced
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 box penne
pine nuts, if you got 'em
olive oil
salt and pepper
parmesan

Chop the broccoli, peel and chop the stems if ambitious (or cheap). Cover in cold water, salt and bring to a boil. Fish the broccoli out of the water with a slotted spoon and set aside (or time it perfectly with the sauce).

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Push the onions to the outside. Squirt the anchovy paste in the middle, add the basil and wine and stir to mix the paste in. Let cook with the onions for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and tomato sauce and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.

Add the broccoli and the raisins to the skillet and return to a simmer. Use more wine or the broccoli/pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the penne in the broccoli water (add more if necessary). When done, drain and add to the skillet.

Serve topped with pine nuts and parmesan.

Verdict: B, the tomato was pretty hard and flavorless and I had to add the tomato sauce that I was going to leave out. Below par for an A recipe.
Credits: based on a recipe from the old Eating Well that I cannot find

Works as Leftovers? Oh yes.

Notes: Usually I use a can of tomato sauce and some tomato paste, but I had fresh tomatoes in the box this week.

Pan roasted pork tenderloin with potatoes and collard greens

2003-11-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

I need to use a portion of pork and the greens from Tuesday.

1/2 pork tenderloin (maybe a 1/2 pound)
3 russett potatoes
1 bunch collard greens (half a dozen big leaves)
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
butter
1/2 C. chicken broth (vegetable is better)
salt and pepper

Slice the tenderloin into 1" medallions, salt and pepper the pieces.

Peel , quarter and cut the potatoes into thick slices. Wash the collard greens and cut out the stem/spine. Roll up all the leaves and slice in thin ribbons.

Heat the oil and butter (1 T. each) in a 12" skillet. Crush and mince the garlic and add to the oil. Add the pork and brown over med-high heat. Add potatoes and a little broth, scraping up the bits from the pan. After the potatoes brown, add the rest of stock and simmer covered until potatoes are tender. Add the greens and cover for another 3-5 minutes to wilt the greens.

Season to taste and serve.

Verdict: B-
Credits Inspired by a recipe for Braised Fennel included in a vegetable box provided by thefoody.com
Works as leftovers? Yes, reheat in a little water, broth or wine.

Notes: By the time the potatoes cooked, the pork was pretty dry. This works better with thicker slices of pork (at least 2"). Brown in the skillet, then roast in the oven for 20 minutes while braising the vegetables. This might be good with vinegar as part of the braising liquid.

Risotto with Squash

2003-11-18T17:55:00.000-05:00

More squash came in today's vegetables. I'll use the carnival squash from last time too.

1 acorn squash
1 carnival squash
2 C. arborio rice
1 onion, chopped
2 C. water
2 C. chicken broth
2 C. white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C. parmesan
olive oil
salt and pepper

Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Then cut into manageable pieces (quarters or eighths) for peeling. I peel first with a vegetable peeler and then with a paring knife for the deep grooves. Slice the pieces in 1/4" slices. Cover in a saucepan with cold water and a little salt. Bring to a boil and check with a fork for doneness. Usually they are done in a minute of boiling. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Season with a little salt and black pepper.

Combine the wine, water and stock in saucepan and bring to low boil.

Brown the garlic and onion in 2T of oil in a large skillet. When the onion is soft, add the rice and stir together. Using a ladle or a cup measure, add about 1/2 C. of broth to the rice and stir until it is absorbed. Add about 1/2 C at a time, always stirring until absorbed. At the end this is tough to judge, but the more stirring, the creamier the risotto. After all of the broth is added, check that the rice is cooked. Stir in the cheese.

Reheat the squash in a saucepan with a little butter and water, then stir into the risotto. Serve with cheese, black pepper, or pepper sauce on top.

Verdict: A
Credits: Inspired by recipe in Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Works as leftovers? Yes. Reheat as is, or make into cakes and coat with breadcrumbs and fry in a little olive oil. YUM!

Notes: Butternut squash is easier to peel and slice, but these are what came in the box.
There's not much salt in my recipe, I use canned broth and find that even the low-sodium, cut with water is salty enough. I tried just stock, with added wine but it is WAY too salty. If I have regular cans of stock (tonight I had a box of low-sodium) then I use one can of stock, two cans of wine and 3 cans of water. If you make your own stock, you might not want to cut it with water like I do.

Spicy peanut pork stew and slaw

2003-11-14T15:52:00.000-05:00

For tonight:

First, the slaw

1 bag of coleslaw (or 2 cups chopped cabbage)
1 bag of bean sprouts (about 1 cup)
2 T tamari (soy sauce)
2 T mirin (rice wine)
2 T wine vinegar
1 T honey
2 t sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1/2 C. scallions, sliced on the diagonal

Mix the cabbage and sprouts in a bowl. Mix the liquids together and pour over the salad. Add the sesame seeds and scallions. Mix again and let marinate in the refrigerator.

Spicy pork stew

3 lb boneless pork roast
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
olive oil
1/2 C. teriyaki sauce (the thin kind, not the gooey stirfry sauce)
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 T. rice wine (mirin)
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/8 t. cayenne
1/2 C. chunky peanut butter
1 bunch of kale
2 poblano peppers, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

In a pressure cooker, heat 1 T oil and brown the garlic. Cut the roast in to 4-6 pieces and brown in the oil on all sides.

Mix the teriyaki, vinegar, wine and pepper flakes. Pour over the pork and add the poblano. Put on the lid and cook according to your pressure cooker. For me, about 30 minutes of high pressure, then let sit to depressurize.

Wash and cut the kale into thin ribbons.

Remove the pork to a cutting board. Stir peanut butter into the pan. I stir in a big spoonful and taste, then add another if necessary. Rough chop the pork and return to the pan. Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Add the kale to the pan and cover (not pressure) for 1 minute. I pile it up to the lid, cover it to wilt a little then stir and cover and stir and cover until it is softened up. Maybe 5 minutes. Use teriyaki or soy sauce if the stew is too thick.

Serve the slaw and the stew side by side in large soup bowls, to eat together.

Verdict: A-, the kale dilutes the sauce flavor so I added a little soy sauce and pepper sauce at the end.
Credits:This is based on a slow-cooker recipe for Thai-style pork stew in Cooking Light that was on the home page last month. Registration required.
Leftovers? This is great on a bun the next day. Before storing the slaw, drain the dressing off so it doesn't get too soggy.

Notes This one is still under experimentation. I like the addition of the kale, since otherwise it is a meat dish. The original was served with rice, but I don't bother with that anymore.