Texas Caviar

I brought this recipe to a recent 6th grade event where a coworker and I did a workshop on healthy snacks. This is simple for kids to make - most of the ingredients just need to be rinsed. They may need some help chopping the pepper and celery, to get the pieces small enough.

This recipe is versatile because it can be scooped up with tortilla chips, or served as a side dish with your meal.

Thanks to my friend Steph who suggested this recipe! (And yes, this is the Stephanie of Fruit Pizza fame!)

Main Ingredients

·      15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed

·      15 oz can black beans, rinsed

·      15 oz can corn, rinsed

·      1 green pepper, diced

·      1 stalk celery, diced

Dressing Ingredients

·      3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

·      1/4 cup olive oil

·      1 cup sugar

Directions

1.    Combine main ingredients in a large bowl.

2.    In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.

3.    Pour dressing over main ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. Let sit for at least four hours, but hopefully overnight. Drain well.

4.    When ready, serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

Black Bean Soup

Thanks to all my readers, who have been extremely patient during this busy time for me! We have been working toward buying our first home, and hope to be in by Christmas time. Thankfully, the paperwork has slowed down enough for me to try out some new recipes. Here is the first of what will hopefully be a return to somewhat regular postings for me.

I've had a variety of black bean soups over time, including ones that were entirely pureed. This is one that caught my eye because it was a little bit different. It is somewhat pureed (creating the thickener) but still maintains its body by having small chunks of vegetables and beans. It also has a simple, yet flavorful, seasoning.

This recipe was adapted from Food.com.

Ingredients
for a gluten-free meal, be sure to use a gluten-free bouillon cube, such as Herb Ox brand

• Olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and chopped
• pinch of dried cumin (about 1/2 tsp)
• a few shakes each of salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• two 15-19 oz cans black beans, (do not drain) divided use
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 bouillon cubes
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until softened. Add a little bit of water if it begins to stick.
3. Add cumin, salt and pepper, red bell pepper, and one can of black beans + their juice. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Alternatively, you can transfer it in batches to a blender to blend, then return to the large pot.
5. Add water, bouillon cubes, and second can of black beans + their juice. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low. Scoop a mug-full of soup out, mix in cornstarch, then add back into pot. Stir well and serve immediately alongside bread or corn chips.

Chickpea, Potato, and Kale Soup

My friend Jonah, of the Jonah's Fish Chowder recipe fame,  came to visit a few weeks ago with a lovely surprise for me from his local farmers' market. It included oyster mushrooms, wedges of different cheeses, and a large bunch of chard. Since then, I've been daydreaming about leafy greens. (I know, that probably puts me in the category of food dork, but I'm okay with that.)

This is a variation on a soup that I used to make a long time ago. I love the combination of chickpeas and potatoes, and also how flexible the recipe is. Feel free to throw in other aromatics like carrots or celery with your onions; replace the kale with swiss chard; or even add some ground sausage to the mix.

Ingredients
(for gluten-free recipe, omit bouillon or use a gluten-free bouillon)
(for dairy-free or vegan recipe, omit parmesan cheese when serving)

• olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp dried whole thyme
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4-6 red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 cups water, divided use
• 3 tsp vegetable bouillon (or 3 bouillon cubes)
• two 15 oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used one can of chickpeas and one of pink beans)
• 3/4 bunch fresh kale, rinsed well and chopped
•  parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Cook until translucent.
2. Add potatoes and 4 cups of the water. Cover and let sit until water comes to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in bouillon. Add the other 4 cups of water, and place kale on top of other ingredients. Return cover to pot and let the kale start to steam. 
4. After about 5-7 minutes, add beans, stir well, and return cover to pot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, then turn heat off. Let sit, uncovered, for a couple minutes, then check flavors. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve with a side of parmesan cheese, for sprinkling, if desired.

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Wow, it's been an interesting few months. In my part of New York State, we've been dealing recently with major flooding - the first day of school was cut short and the rest of the week canceled. It's been kind of unreal, to help people rip apart their houses, haul out furniture that has gone bad from being saturated with flood water, and pump out basements. Please send good thoughts to the Southern Tier as many deal with the effects of the flood.

I am hoping to ease back into blogging with a wonderfully easy salad dressing recipe. The base of it is one I've been using for a few months, but discovered the special ingredient while watching an episode of The Pioneer Woman's show on Food Network.

I love making my own salad dressing, and I hope you will too. Once you see how easy it is to manipulate with different flavors (such as adding in some Dijon mustard, or using a different kind of vinegar), you can have a lot of fun with it.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• a few shakes each of salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp brown sugar (if gluten-free, make sure to use a GF brown sugar, such as Domino brand)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a resealable container. Shake well before serving.
   
   Note: Store on the shelf, not in the fridge, as olive oil will coagulate.

Fresh Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Do yourself a big favor. Go to the nearest farmers' market or roadside stand and buy the most beautiful tomato you can find. Slice it up, drizzle some oil and vinegar on top, and sit down. Stop everything else you're doing right now and let yourself enjoy the flavor. It is summertime: the perfect time for tomatoes.

Sure, you can buy beefsteak or vine ripe tomatoes from the store, but you would be doing a huge disservice to your palate. Talk to the farmers - ask about their favorites. The tomato I bought today was absolutely gorgeous. It was a deep red, bordering on purple, with a crown of green. The farmer told me that it was the perfect time to eat them. He said, "You will never taste a better tomato in your life." In a world of over-exaggerated statements, this one was 100% accurate.

I love the simplicity of this salad, as well as its flexible nature. Feel free to try it with different tomatoes, different vinegars, additions, or even caramelizing the onions to create a sweet / salty combination.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 large heirloom tomato, cut into wedges (room temperature is best)
• sliver of red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• drizzle of olive oil
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Arrange tomatoes on a plate. Sprinkle onion around them.
2. Dress with a drizzle each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
3. Top with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Enjoy!

Marinated White Beans with Tomatoes

While preparing for a recent picnic, I decided to mix up some marinated beans. After seeing this recipe on Budget Bytes, I had been thinking about a cold bean mixture to enjoy during the hot days of summer. I adapted her idea with a few tips from Jamie Oliver's salad video to create this great snack, crostini topper, or side dish.

Ingredients for Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp high quality mustard (ex: stone ground or Dijon mustard)
• small handful fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Other Ingredients

• one or two 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (for a dish with lighter dressing, use 2 cans of beans)
• 1 small vine ripe tomato, diced

Directions

1. In a small lidded container, combine dressing ingredients and shake well.
2. In a separate bowl or container, combine beans and tomatoes. Pour dressing over top and stir until coated. 
3. Let mixture sit at least fifteen minutes before serving atop toasted baguette slices or as a side dish.

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Granny Smith Apple

After a hectic end to my school year, I am back in the kitchen. Thanks for being patient!

I write today with a recipe that could easily be part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Think of it as a fusion of traditional home fries and Thanksgiving dinner's sweet potatoes. The recipe, adapted from Susie Middleton's Fast, Fresh & Green, caught my eye for its excellent description of walk-away sautéing. Middleton breaks up her book by technique; other techniques include grilling, braising, and gratins.


Important tips when walk-away sautéing:
--Cut your vegetable into similar sized pieces. The closer in size, the easier it will be to avoid larger pieces being undercooked.
--Don't be afraid of caramelizing or browning the potatoes - this will bring out their flavor
--This technique is flexible, as long as you keep in mind that it works best with firm vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or even cauliflower, paired with an aromatic vegetable such as mushroom or onion.


Ingredients
(This recipe can easily be made vegan by omitting the butter)

• 1 Tbsp butter
• generous drizzle of olive oil
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, skins on, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 medium white onion, diced
• kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 Granny Smith apple, chopped
• splash of apple cider vinegar
• dried parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat large frying pan to medium heat.
2. Add butter to melt, and olive oil
3. Add sweet potatoes, onion, and a few shakes of salt to the pan. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Stir every once in a while but do not scrape bottom of pan.
4. Once sweet potatoes are tender, add fresh apple and a splash or two of cider vinegar. Cook for another minute or two, until apples are warm.
5. Dish onto plates and top with a pinch of parsley and another sprinkle of salt. Serve hot.

Mixed Summer Vegetables with Feta

I love shopping for vegetables in the summer. I go to the farm stand and buy whatever is beautiful. This week, the beets and I fell in love.

I know what you're thinking: beets are gross. My question to you: on what beets are you basing your judgment? Those slimy canned discs are NOT beets - they're aliens! Grab some fresh ones from your local farmers' market, boil them, and enjoy their delicious sweet flavor.

• 4 small/medium beets, washed and greens removed
• 1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (into half-moon shape)
• olive oil
• red or white wine vinegar
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into small wedges
• 3-4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or broken into small pieces

1. Place beets in small pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender.
2. While beets are cooking, heat up grill or flat top griddle to medium heat.
3. Spear squash slices onto kabobs.
4. Place kabobs on grill. Drizzle with both olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Cook 8-10 minutes on each side, until charred.
6. Place squash in serving bowl to cool.
7. When beets are done, slice in half horizontally, then into small chunks. Let cool, then add to serving bowl.
8. Add tomatoes and feta.
9. Toss gently and serve at room temperature.

Polenta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, and Shallots

Polenta is cooked cornmeal. Translation: a great dinner option for those who are avoiding wheat or other products with gluten.

Polenta can be purchased pre-cooked, usually in a package whose shape resembles a giant pill. Or, you can go the old fashioned route and buy cornmeal, cooking it according to directions that are usually written on the back of the box.

Try out this dinner meal alongside grilled chicken, or as a vegetarian option accompanied with some greens. Ours cooked up crispy on the bottom and smooth inside. You can mix it up by adding parmesan cheese to the polenta before you bake it, or changing the toppings to your liking.



Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
• olive oil
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 large shallot, sliced (or can substitute 1 medium red onion)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook cornmeal according to package directions. (usually a 1:1 ratio with water)
3. Coat glass 8x8 baking dish with olive oil.
4. Spoon cornmeal into pan and top with tomatoes, basil, and shallots.
5. Drizzle olive oil on top of vegetables and add salt and pepper.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until shallots are tender.

Pasta with Lemon, Artichokes, and Spinach

Pasta with tomato sauce is one of my longtime go-to's for an easy dinner. But sometimes it's fun to mix it up! This is a simple vegetarian pasta dish with a LOT of flavor. I used the marinade packed with the artichokes to flavor the dish, and topped it with Parmesan cheese as a finish. The result: a delicious dish that's pretty healthy. If you're a fan of feta cheese, you may want to try replacing the Parm with feta for a stronger cheese flavor.


Ingredients
**(for a gluten-free meal, be sure to use gluten-free pasta, such as rice pasta)

• 1 lb long pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped
• one 15 oz jar artichokes, with marinade / juices reserved
• 1 lb baby spinach leaves
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 4 oz Parmesan cheese (half a container)

Directions

1. Boil water in large stockpot. Steam spinach above the boiling water OR steam spinach in the microwave.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse well.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
5. Add artichokes and their marinade. Cook until artichokes are heated throughout.
6. Turn off heat and add spinach to artichoke mixture.
7. Return pasta to stockpot and pour juice from artichoke / onions over pasta. Stir well.
8. Add rest of artichoke / onion / spinach mixture to pasta. Stir well.
9. Add grated zest and juice of lemon to pasta. Stir well.
10. Finally, add Parmesan cheese to pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

You may remember my love for roasting vegetables.. some may call it a problem. I call it a healthy obsession.

This recipe evolved from my need for butternut squash soup. I went to a friend's house with all the ingredients to make us lunch and realized that his kitchen's contents did not include a vegetable peeler. After the shock wore off, I was able to improvise. I guess I should thank my friend for slacking in the kitchen accessories department, since it resulted in a delicious soup, but in reality he will be receiving a special Groundhog Day present. I bet you can guess what it is.


Ingredients
for a dairy-free or vegan meal, omit heavy cream and garnish with a sprinkle of brown sugar

• 2 butternut squashes, halved and cut into large chunks for roasting
• olive oil for roasting
• salt and pepper
• olive oil for sautéing
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups water
• heavy cream for garnish (optional)

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Place squash chunks, flesh side up, in baking dish(es). Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and coat with salt and pepper.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 70-80 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork - squash should be soft.
4. When squash are almost done, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stockpot.
5. Sauté onion, garlic, and fresh ginger for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent.
6. Scoop squash from its skin and add to stockpot. 
7. Add ground ginger, cinnamon, thyme, salt, pepper, and water. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher (for a chunkier soup) or blend with immersion blender (for a creamier consistency).
9. Dish into individual bowls and top with a splash of heavy cream or sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

It can be easy to fall into a routine at Thanksgiving - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, pumpkin pie.. why not spice up your holiday? Yes, literally. Live on the edge! Consider these bad boys for a fun appetizer.

I was browsing some of my favorite blogs and came across a stuffed jalapeño recipe on The Way the Cookie Crumbles. While her peppers were wrapped in prosciutto which gave them an added texture, I was hoping to focus on flavors. With the help of my awesome friend Jen, we did an experiment with several different flavor combinations and came up with the beauties you see here. I have always enjoyed cream cheese and jelly together and was glad to see it worked out in this form. We liked the combination of spicy, creamy, and sweet.

Some of the intensity does get baked out of the peppers, but they are spicy to work with in their raw state. You can throw on a pair of rubber gloves while you're slicing and seeding to keep your hands protected.


Ingredients
(This recipe is listed as gluten-free since most cream cheeses are naturally gluten-free. However, please check the label if you are unsure.)

• 8 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
• about 4 oz. cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese (half package)
• grape jelly

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place jalapeno halves on cookie sheet. Spread cream cheese into each the "cup" of each pepper.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, removing when cream cheese has browned.
4. Top each with a small blob of jelly.
5. Place on a nice tray to serve or eat hot off the cookie sheet.  :)

Fresh Tomato and Roasted Garlic Salsa

Ingredients

• 5-6 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 2 small ripe tomatoes
• 1 green tomato
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• juice of 1/2 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut tips off the top of each garlic clove. Place in small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees until garlic is roasted completely, about 20 minutes.
3. While garlic is roasting, finely chop tomatoes and jalapeno pepper. Mix together in medium bowl.
4. Squeeze each garlic out of its paper and onto a cutting board, mince and add to bowl.
5. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Potato Soup

This soup is SO. EASY. Thanks to a basket of vegetables from my friend Gretchen, I was blessed with gorgeous homegrown potatoes and onions. They've been staring me down the entire week, basically begging to be simmered and pureed. Now, I know that root vegetables talking to me makes me weird, but at least the weirdness comes with clear cut inspiration.

The beauty of this soup, like my Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup, is that the creaminess comes from pureeing some of the starchy vegetables, so if you're not into dairy you can omit it completely. I did add a splash of heavy cream at the end, but it was a smooth soup without it. As a small bowl, this would be a great appetizer course, or could also be served as a great vegetarian / vegan main course with a hunk of warm bread.

If you have less time available to cook this, just be sure to cut your potatoes into smaller pieces; the increased surface area will help them cook more quickly.

Ingredients (serves 3-4 main dish or 5-6 appetizer)

for a vegan or dairy-free meal, replace butter with olive oil and omit heavy cream

for gluten-free meal, be sure to use gluten-free vegetable stock

• 1-2 Tbsp butter
  
• 1 small onion, chopped into small pieces
• 4 small-medium starchy potatoes, such as Russets, washed and chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• water
• 3 Tbsp or 3 cubes vegetable bouillon
• splash of heavy cream, garnish (could also use a sprig of parsley or oregano in its place)

Directions

1. Heat a stockpot over medium heat. Melt butter.
2. Add onions and cook 5 minutes or so, until they become translucent.
3. Add potatoes and thyme. 
4. Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Stir in vegetable bouillon. 
5. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid boils well, then turn heat down to medium-low and cook until potatoes are very soft. 
6. Remove from heat. Puree using an immersion blender to your desired consistency, or transfer and puree in blender in small batches. Mine still had some small chunks of potato in it.)
7. Dish into bowls. Garnish with a splash or swirl of heavy cream, or a sprig of fresh parsley or oregano if desired.

Wild Mushroom Soup

I've photographed a moon crater!

Not really, but I did win the mushroom lottery.

This week, I was gifted with delicious wild edible mushrooms. The most interesting one was the giant puffball. It was the size of a volleyball, and from reports I've received, that is a "normal" size puffball.

What do you do with an enormous puffball and approximately one-and-a-half quarts of beautiful wild, flavorful mushrooms? Make soup!

I developed this recipe to work with mushrooms from the grocery store if you don't have a mushroom fairy-godmother like I do. For the puffball, you'll want white, starchy mushrooms like button mushrooms, although you'll probably need to trim the stems. For wild mushrooms I suggested porcini mushrooms but any tan mushrooms will work, even baby bellas.

By using the mushroom puree to thicken, this recipe stays pretty healthy, but more importantly has a prominent but not overbearing mushroom flavor. The fresher the mushrooms, the better this soup will taste. And by fresher, I mean as close to home as possible. Regardless of the source of your mushrooms, be sure to wash them well before cooking.

Ingredients (serves 4)

for a vegetarian recipe, be sure to use vegetable stock instead of beef stock.

for a vegan recipe, use vegetable stock and replace the butter with olive oil.

for a gluten-free recipe, use gluten free stock.

• 6 Tbsp butter (divided use)
• 1/2 medium immature giant puffball, chopped, or 2 packages white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb or so wild mushrooms, sliced, or porcini mushrooms, sliced
• 5 cups beef or veggie stock (divided use)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme (use less if ground thyme)

Directions

1. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add puffball / white mushrooms and stir.
3. When mushrooms are browned, add 1 cup of the stock.
4. Simmer over low heat 5-10 minutes.
5. Pour into a separate mixing bowl and puree using an immersion blender. The mixture will be somewhat thick.
6. Return saucepan to medium heat. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp butter.
7. Add onion, garlic, and thyme. Saute until onion is translucent.
8. Add wild / porcini mushrooms. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes.
9. Add remaining 4 cups of stock and cook until liquid begins to bubble, about 4-5 minutes.
10. Turn heat to low. Stir mushroom puree into soup and cook for another minute.
11. Serve with bread or rolls.

Comments

If you make this recipe vegan (replacing the butter with olive oil), you may need to season with salt and pepper. However, with beef stock it was perfectly seasoned for us.

The soup was light but fairly filling. We had it for lunch with some rolls and everyone seemed satiated. I was pleased that because of the lack of cream or milk, the mushroom flavor stood out. After all, why eat mushroom soup that doesn't taste like mushrooms?

Borscht. Yes, Really.

One of my 2010 food goals was to make borscht, if for no other reason than to say that I tried it. I'm not a big fan of cold soups, so I was very excited to find that there are many different ways to serve borscht. In many cultures, borscht is served cold like gazpacho but it is just as often served hot. In the same fashion, some recipes recommend pureeing the vegetables so the soup is a creamy consistency, while others want the vegetables left chunky. 

The recipe offered below is a chunky soup, served hot. The potatoes are cut into small, bite-sized pieces for ease in both cooking and eating. The beets and onion are shredded, so a food processor's shredder attachment will make your life easier for that step. No matter what type of vegetables you add, they'll all be stained purple by the end for a very unique dish. Also, the lemon juice is necessary to create the acidic or sour taste that is essential to the overall flavor of the dish.

Based on a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients

(for gluten-free meal, use gluten-free broth)

(for vegan or dairy-free meal, omit sour cream) 

• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3-4 potatoes, chopped into small pieces (regular or sweet potatoes)
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 bunch beets (6 or so), peeled and greens removed
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt) 
• 10 grinds freshly ground pepper (about 1 tsp)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1 egg
• sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add garlic and potatoes. Cook for about a minute.
3. Add broth. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then turn heat back to medium-low. Cook for about 7-8 minutes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, shred beets and onion in food processor. Add to soup when ready.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium low until all vegetables are tender.
6. Add lemon juice.
7. Scramble egg in small bowl. Add spoonful of soup to egg, stir well, then drizzle back into pot of soup while stirring. 
8. Serve immediately with sour cream if desired.

the Red Curry Challenge

Today I found this amazing recipe on The Tasty Kitchen and immediately brought it home to make. However I ran into a problem that poses a question I must work around somewhat frequently: How do you cook ethnic cuisines when living in an area without adequate supplies? 

I intended to try the recipe exactly as it was printed, but neither grocery store in the area carried sweet Thai chili sauce (okay, this is understandable) or flat rice noodles. Seriously? My pathetic Italian heart was broken. 

Rather than giving up, I asked the omniscient Internet for assistance. By using a couple recipes for food and method replacement inspiration, I was able to come up with the delicious Red Curry you see before you. 

Don't mind all the julienning - it just refers to long, skinny pieces so the vegetables cook fairly quickly and carry the flavorful sauce on them. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 5)

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 hearty Tbsp red curry paste
• 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 large chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 onion, julienned
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• about 1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned (I used baby carrots)
• 1/2 cabbage, julienned (I used a Savoy cabbage)
• salt and pepper
• rice (2 1/2 cups dry rice would be enough to match the amount of veggies)

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat a large pan to medium-low heat. 
3. Scoop the solid coconut milk out of the can and add to pan.
4. Add in red curry paste and freshly grated ginger. Stir well.
5. Add chicken. Cover and cook until chicken is done.
6. Add onion, red pepper, and carrot. Cover again and cook until red pepper has lost a bit of its crunch (5 minutes or so).
7. Add cabbage, stir well, and cook uncovered for another 3-5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and transfer to a big serving bowl if you have one. Let sit for about 5 minutes, giving it time to thicken.
9. Serve on rice, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Comments

The process was much easier than I thought, and the final product was very good although I might try adding a little more curry paste next time as I enjoy spicier things. I enjoyed the creaminess of the coconut milk that carried throughout the dish and the fact that the cabbage was just a little crunchy. Next time I might add a little salt at the beginning when adding the curry paste - it would be easier to taste if it's enough, although my guests were happy to salt their own dishes.

This dish could easily be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken with tofu or another vegetable protein. It is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free (red curry paste is gluten-free).

Tahini Dressing

I tried this recipe for one simple reason: after making garlic hummus, I had a tub of tahini left over in my fridge and needed a recipe that used more than a tablespoon of the ingredient. My friend gave me an amazing vegetarian cookbook called Claire's Corner Copia and I found this recipe in it.

It's quick, simple, vegan, and full of protein (which you rarely get from a salad dressing).

Ingredients

• 1 c. tahini (sesame butter)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped (I used curly parsley)
• up to 1 c. water (see comments)

Directions
Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Alternately, if using immersion blender instead, put ingredients in deep bowl (at least 3 inches deep) before blending.


Comments
I like that you can control the texture simply by altering the amount of water you put in. By using the whole cup of water, your dressing will be thin enough to pour over a salad. If you use a little less, it could easily be served as a thicker dip for vegetables.

Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Did you miss out on green food for St. Patrick's Day? Look no further: this broccoli cauliflower soup has the perfect amount of green in it to sass up your month. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is easily altered for people with special diets, whether they are vegetarian, vegan, or just on a gluten-free or dairy-free restriction.

The secret of this soup is that it uses pureed vegetables as a thickener so there is no need for a roux. It is very creamy in texture, but without the use of cream. If my roasted red pepper soup hasn't convinced you to purchase an immersion blender, this soup might do the trick!



Ingredients

• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
  
• 1 head fresh broccoli, chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves
• big pinch of parsley
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth **
  
• up to 1 cup milk or more broth (for thinning soup) ****
  
• up to 1 cup cheddar cheese (optional) ** / ****
  
• salt and pepper to taste

**for gluten-free diets, use broth made from gluten-free bouillon, as well as a brand of cheese that uses gluten-free caking agents, such as Cabot cheese.
****for dairy-free diets, use broth instead of milk, and omit the cheese.

Directions

1. Heat stockpot on medium-low. Add oil, then garlic. Cook for about 1 minute.
2. Add carrot, celery, bay leaves, and parsley. Cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and 2 cups of broth. Put top on pot and cook for about 15 minutes until veggies are tender.
4. Remove soup from heat. Remove both bay leaves and discard.
5. If you wish to have some chunks of veggies in your soup, remove about 1 cup of veggies and put off to side.
6. With immersion blender or regular blender, puree soup until smooth. Add enough milk or broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Stir well.
7. If using cheese, add now and stir well so heat from the soup can melt the cheese.
8. If you removed some veggies for texture, add them back in now.
9. Salt and pepper as desired.

Comments
I enjoyed this for a light dinner. We paired it with a loaf of roasted garlic bread and I still felt satiated even a few hours after the meal. The texture I ended up with is not like broccoli cheddar soup you might find at a cafe - it has much more of a body to it. However, you could get it to be thinner by adding more liquid if you wanted.

Dan the Man's feedback: "It looks like baby food, but it tastes a lot better." You can't get more honest than that, I suppose. :)

Jalapeno Lime Ginger Shrimp

Does having ancestors from a Mediterranean country destine me for a life of obsession with oceanic life? I'd like to think so. When I was younger I was completely in love with dolphins and orcas. Now that I live nowhere near a great body of water I have moved on to smaller types of ocean life, preferably ones I can eat. Nori (Japanese seaweed used in sushi) is one. Shrimp is another.

When cooking with seafood, I like to stick to simple flavors that will highlight the flavor of the fish. That's why this recipe on Worth the Whisk caught my eye. She intended her chili lime shrimp recipe as an appetizer, but I altered its contents for a couple reasons: it sounded really good as a meal(!), and where I live, I don't have access to a lot of exotic peppers.

A note about buying shrimp: the number matters more than the size description. My recipe below suggests a pound of 16-20 count shrimp. The measuring system means in that one pound, there will be between 16-20 shrimp. A 51-60 count shrimp means you get more shrimp in a pound, but they will be much smaller. If you are looking for what some would describe as "colossal" shrimp, you would want a number like U12 or U10 (meaning fewer than 10 shrimp per pound). There is a great article about purchasing and cooking shrimp here. This article suggests that one pound of raw shrimp still in its shells (which is what my recipe used) is equivalent to about a half pound of shrimp once is has been shelled and cooked.

Also, something I didn't realize for a long time: unlike most meats, raw shrimp starts out grey and becomes pink when cooked. This fact can make an important difference in your cooking time!


Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb 16-20 ct. shrimp, shelled but tails left intact (purchased raw, with shells on)
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• half a jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and pepper minced
• juice of one lime
• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, but recommended)

Directions

1. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook for one minute.
2. Add shrimp and cook for two to three minutes.
   
3. When shrimp is pink on one side, stir/flip shrimp. Add ginger and jalapeno.
4. When shrimp is fully cooked, turn off heat. Add lime juice.
5. Plate immediately and serve with cilantro on side.

Comments

Dan and I had this dish with a side of rice. It was the perfect amount for two dinners. Just as importantly, it was a very easy and very enjoyable meal!

We forgot the cilantro until halfway through our meal. It made a big difference in the flavors of the meal. Since the ginger and jalapeno can be strong flavors, the cilantro was nice to cool the mouth a little. It certainly wasn't unbearable without the cilantro though.