In the Kitchen with Kristie: fresh, healthy and often vegetarian recipes

Vegetarian Etouffee

2010-12-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, my friends and I conspired a trip to New Orleans for New Year's Eve. The trip didn't end up happening, but an excitement for Cajun-style cooking happened instead.

In October, Garret and I went to a restaurant in San Jose's Santana Row, called Roux, where we had a sampling of cheesy grits, crawfish etouffee over rice, fried okra and Mississippi brews. The food was great and I especially enjoyed the etouffee. Etouffee (eh-too-fay) means "smothered" in French. In this case, covered in a rich tomato gravy.

When I came back from my trip up North, I decided to try and make etouffee, but in a vegetarian-friendly way. Here are my findings from digging through the internet and compiling this recipe. I can't guarantee it's authenticity to real Cajun food, but it's delicious and a great comfort food in cold weather.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock

1, 8 ounce block tofu, chopped into small cubes (carnivores may like shrimp or chicken)
Salt, cayenne, and black pepper

Tabasco sauce

juice of half a lemon

chopped parsley

4 servings cheesy grits or rice

I used this recipe for grits, but substituted broth for milk and used Quick Grits instead of polenta.

Directions
Melt the butter in a heavy pan until melted. Sift flour into butter mixture and whisk. Stir constantly for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until mixture becomes a brown color— be careful not to burn. You will smell it if the butter burns and you will need to start over.

Add the vegetables to this mixture and saute until the onions become translucent. Add thyme, tomato paste and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tofu in the last 10 minutes of cooking. To finish, add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste and squeeze in half a lemon. Stir and serve over cheesy grits. Top with parsley.

Need Some Tested Thanksgiving Recipes?

2010-11-23T17:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend we decided to have a little pre-Thanksgiving feast with our friends in SLO since there are a bunch of us that like to cook and we are all going all over California for the actual holiday. Much was made out of the Thanksgiving issues of Bon Appetit and Cooking light that I really liked and thought I would pass along in case anyone is looking for some great recipes to try:

Malt Beer Brined Turkey With Malt Glaze:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=beer+brined+turkey&x=0&y=0

This was a deliciously juicy and had great flavor. Due to Dave's new interest in beer making, we decided to go for some beer inspired recipes. We cooked it in a "turkey roaster" (think giant crock pot) on 350 for about 4 1/2 hours. The only thing I changed is I used three of Dave's American Pale Ale beers from the keg to baste with instead of the water that the recipe called for.

Mixed Mushroom and Tarragon Gravy:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mixed-Mushroom-and-Tarragon-Gravy-361769

Great flavor. I kind of messed up the texture on this by using light sour cream instead of creme fraiche. Use the real deal. I also subbed Trader Joe's turkey broth for the home made turkey stock due to time.

Framboise Cranberry Sauce
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107546

Not too sweet and super easy! I'd make it again. I might add a tiny bit more orange zest next time. We made it the day before and I feel like the flavors melded together quite nicely. We could actually taste the raspberry from the framboise.

And Nat made a really nice vegetarian mushroom stuffing I thought I'd also share. The flavor was really nice:

Ingredients:
3 boxes assorted mushrooms, sliced thin
1 stick butter
2 white onions, chopped
9 cloves garlic, minced
a good large splash of brandy- might have been like a 1/2 cup
2 boxes of corn bread stuffing mix
2 cups home made mushroom stock (or can sub veg stock)
1 bag collard "southern" greens from TJ's

To season- salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne, paprika to taste

Directions:
Cook mushrooms and onions in a stick of butter, add brandy, cook until most of liquid is absorbed- about 15 minutes.

Cook greens in a pan for like 30 min with garlic, seasonings and some liquid- broth or water or both until well cooked.

Mix everything in a bowl, add more season if necessary, butter the pan well, and cook at 350 for an hour or until golden brown.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Spinach Salad with Avocado and Orange

2010-11-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

I have a ton of Thanksgiving / wintery recipes to share, but somehow I can't get in the holiday mood to post them yet. I've been working on holiday campaigns at work since September, so I think in my mind we skipped December, and it is already February!

I made this salad recently (that I found via Bon Appetit archives of mine) and it was pleasantly simple and delicious. With all these ingredients in season right now, it makes a beautiful palette of colors and a nice side dish.

Ingredients

2 T finely chopped shallots

2 T seasoned rice vinegar

1 T vegetable oil

2 t peeled, minced ginger

1/2 t sesame oil

1 bag organic baby spinach

1 large ripe orange

1 large ripe avocado

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together first five ingredients until well combined. (This can be done up to two days in advance.)

In a serving bowl or plate, arrange spinach. Peel the orange with a knife so that none of the skin or white pith remains and cut into wedges. Cut the avocado into long wedges as well. Place both the orange and the avocado in the spinach and lightly toss with dressing. Season with a light sprinkling of fresh salt and pepper and serve within 2 hours.

I think this salad would also be just as nice (but less simple) with the addition of pomegranate seeds, walnuts or thin slices of red onion.

Birthday Cupcakes

2010-11-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

There are exactly 51 days of the year when Garret and I are the same age. The remaining 305 days of the year, he likes to endearingly call me a cradle robber or his cougar. Thankfully, I still get carded at the grocery store, and he usually doesn't. Garret finally entered his "late twenties" this week so we celebrated with friends at his favorite beer bar where we had tacos, craft brews and these cupcakes I made. They aren't exactly the typical fluffy-cakey cupcake most are used to. I would say they are more of a hybrid between a brownie and a flourless chocolate flavor. Topped with a bourbon-vanilla bean-brown sugar frosting, they were pretty good.

Cupcake Ingredients (makes 24)

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

4 sticks butter

14 ounces, high quality chocolate (I used a combo of 80% cacao and a little milk chocolate)

2 cups white sugar

8 eggs

2 T flour

Cupcake Directions

In a sauce pan, heat butter to medium heat until it melts. Break the chocolate bars into pieces and slowly stir/melt the chocolate into the butter without scorching. Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar to the chocolate mix and stir with a wood spoon until combined. Let cool slightly.

Add eggs one at a time to the frosting while mixing on a medium speed. When combined, add flour. Transfer batter to cupcake pans.

Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. They might remain a little doughy at this point, but that is okay. Turn the oven off and let the cupcakes cool for ten minutes with the oven door open, (in the oven the cakes will puff up and then collapse upon cooling) then transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.

Frosting Ingredients

(makes a LOT- you could probably half this if you aren't a frosting person)

1, 80z package of cream cheese, room temperature

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

vanilla beans from inside of vanilla pod- not completely necessary

Frosting Directions

Add cream cheese and butter to a bowl and mix on High for 5 minutes. Slowly add bourbon and brown sugar and keep mixing on high until well combined and fluffy. Add powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired stiffness. Add in vanilla beans for pretty specks, mostly.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes in desired amounts. If you don't plan to eat these right away, store covered in refrigerator until you plan to enjoy. Right before serving, you may like to sprinkle with some large sugar crystals or chocolate powder.

Happy Birthday Garret!

Fig and Goat Cheese Appetizer

2010-11-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Fig season is just about coming to an end in San Luis Obispo, but I thought I would share this easy little recipe that is both sweet and tangy and full of that figgy goodness.

The twin has moved out to twelve fine acres of Edna Valley and with her sweet rental came a large mature fig tree with an abundant crop of ripe purple figs. So naturally, I stole quite a few of them this season. Garret and I have a tiny little fig tree on our porch that we once thought was barren, but this year it produced three whole figs! I think we are on to something.

Ingredients

6-10 figs, any color (anticipate about 1-1.5 figs per person)

*per fig half*

1/4 teaspoon creme fraiche

1/2 teaspoon chevre

a drizzle of honey or agave nectar

a dash of pepper

Directions

Clean figs under cool water. Pat dry and slice in half, removing stems. Top each half with a small dollop of creme fraiche followed by a coin of goat cheese. Place figs on a plate and carefully drizzle with honey or raw agave nectar and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper.

Barley and Lentil Veggie 'Burgers'

2010-09-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light. We have an increasing number of veggie lovers in the group so I decided my first attempt at this for our 4OJ BBQ this year. I know I am a little late to post, but pictures were not taken on that occasion. We did a little BBQ last weekend before the Cal Poly/University of Montana football game (Go Mustangs!) and I made these patties once again. I recommend making the mix ahead of time and letting it set up in the fridge (up to two days) for more consistent 'burgers'. If you can't completely ditch the meat, Dave mixed this with half sirloin and half veggie mix and he really liked it. The extra fat from the ground beef made the patties stay in tact a little better. As pictured above, we topped them with pepper jack, sliced avocado, and ketchup. They are also very good served on a bun toasted with mayo and the regular burger fixings. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c dried lentils
cooking spray
1 c chopped onion
1/4 c grated carrot or sweet potato
2 t minced garlic
2 T tomato paste
1 1/2 t ground cumin
3/4 t dried oregano
1/2 t chile powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 c cooked barley (about 1/3 c dried and boiled in water for 40 minutes)
1/2 c plain breadcrumbs
1/4 c finely chopped cilantro
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 large egg, 2 large egg whites
3 t canola oil

Directions:
Combine lentils and water in a small sauce pan. Cook about 30 minutes until tender and remove from heat. Drain any excess water. Reserve 1/2 cooked lentils in a large mixing bowl and add the rest to your food processor. Pulse until a paste is formed. Add the paste to the bowl with the reserved lentils. (As a side note, since my processor was already out of the cabinet, I also used to "chop" the majority of the ingredients in this recipe- super easy!)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little cooking spray added. Add onion and carrot. Saute about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook one more minute. Add tomato paste, cumin, chile powder, oregano, and salt. Cook one more minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into lentil mixture. Add barley and remaining ingredients through egg. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour until firm.

Divide mixture into 8 portions and form into patties. Heat 1 1/2 t canola oil in a large non stick pan (I used my grill pan). Grill 4 patties at a time. Cook three minutes per side. Repeat with remaining patties. Serve with pepper jack, sliced avocado, pickles, onion, salsa...whatever you like on your burgers.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

2010-08-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome salad we adapted from the July Cooking Light. You can pretty much put whatever you want in the salad, but the dressing is the amazing part. I used turkey bacon thinking it would be "healthier". Subsequently, I read an article discussing that there isn't much difference in nutrition between turkey and pork bacon. In a nutshell, one ounce of turkey bacon has 107 calories per serving, 8 grams of fat, and a 640 mg of sodium. In contrast, pork bacon has 149 calories, 11 g of fat, and 680 mg of sodium. (Granted this will all differ by the actual product you buy). Now knowing that the difference isn't that substantial, I probably would have splurged on the real bacon...it just tastes and crumbles better! (and this recipe doesn't use all that much). We had the leftovers for lunch the next day and they were just as delicious as the dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

Dressing-
3 T white balsamic vinegar
1 t honey
3/4 t ground cumin
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground red pepper
2 T canola oil

Salad-
3 slices center cut bacon
cooking spray
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, coated in cooking spray, S&P and grilled 8 min per side
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 c pico de gallo- we just used chopped farmers market tomato
1/2 c diced avocado
1/2 c crumbled queso fresco
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 can low sodium organic black beans
2 eggs hard boiled and finely chopped

Directions:
To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the oil, stirring constantly with a whisk, set aside.

Cook bacon in a non stick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble.

Arrange 2 cups lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 2 t bacon, 5 T chopped chicken breast, 2 T pico de gallo, 2 T queso fresco, 1 T onions, 2 T chopped egg and 1/3 c beans. Drizzle dressing evenly over salads.

Grilled Lamb and Summer Squash Soup

2010-07-23T07:40:00.001-07:00

My girlfriends came up from San Diego a few weeks ago and I promised them a delicious dinner. Since I had all day Friday off to plan, I decided to make things that were seasonal and I had never personally made before. Our dinner consisted of grilled lamb "lollipops" (recipe came from a coworker who made this at a work BBQ a few weeks prior), summer squash soup with cumin brown butter (from 101cookbooks), artichokes, and a mixed greens salad with farmers market tomatoes and home grown cucumbers from my garden. We had a day of wine tasting planned, so none of these recipes are super complex...just takes a little prior planning. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Grilled Lamb

Ingredients:
1 "frenched" cut rack of lamb

1 bottle decent zinfandel- I used Trader Joe's organic

4 garlic cloves, smashed

4 T fresh oregano

1/4 c olive oil

Directions:
Clean lamb and trim any excess fat. Mix all ingredients and marinate overnight in a shallow glass pan. If you can start marinating in the morning, this should prob suffice, it just needs a long soak in the vino.

Preheat the barbecue to med high. Grill the lamb fat side down for 12 minutes, turn and cook until desired doneness (we did about 5 more minutes for pink, but not super rare). Cover in foil and let rest at least 5 min, cut in between bones. we had some flare ups due to the olive oil/fat combination. Dave ended up bbqing it over foil after he got some initiall grill marks on this and it worked great.

Buttermilk Squash Soup (care of 101cookbooks)

Ingredients:
1 t cumin seeds
1/4 c butter
sea salt

3 T butter
2 med yellow onions, chopped
2 med garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 lbs yellow summer squash
4 c vegetable stock
1 c buttermilk
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Directions:
In your smallest frying pan, over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Just a minute or two. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the seeds into a fine powder. (If you don't have this, you can leave them whole...it still tastes good). Set aside. In the same skillet, melt the butter and cook until it's brown. Remove from heat, stir the cumin into the butter along with a couple pinches of salt, then set aside in a warm place. You want the butter to stay liquid until you're ready to use it.

To make the soup, heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a bit of salt. Saute for a few minutes, or until the onions start to get translucent. Stir in the potatoes and squash and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the squash starts to soften up. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the stock (most of it) - the stock should just barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, roughly another 25 minutes. Remove the soup from heat, puree completely with a hand blender, then stir in the buttermilk. If you need to thin the soup out with a bit more stock, you can do so. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve each bowl topped with plenty of the cumin butter, and a sprinkling of chives.

Since the initial making of this soup, I couldn't get enough of it and made another batch. It hold up really nicely in the fridge, which makes it a great thing to prepare ahead of time if needed.

Grilled Chicken and Chipotle Peaches

2010-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

I love summer because of the simplicity of foods you can make on the grill. Dave and I made this dish from the Bon Appetit July 2010 edition to celebrate the completion of our (his) hard work on the back yard. It was pretty easy and does not require a lot of ingredients, which are things I look for on week night cooking. It was a great use of summer fruit and the adobo sauce gave it a nice smoky flavor. We served this over brown rice with a little extra sauce poured over the top.

Ingredients:
nonstick spray
1/3 c peach preserves
1/3 c peach nectar
4 t red wine vinegar
2 t adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 t chopped fresh cilantro
3 large peaches, rinsed, cut in half
1 pack boneless skinless chicken tenders

Directions:
Coat grill rack with nonstick spray. Prep barbecue on medium high heat. Stir preserves and next three ingredients, 2 t oil, and cilantro into bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1/4 cup dressing into another smaller bowl for brushing.

Brush peaches, then chicken with oil and dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Grill peaches until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side.

Makes 4 servings. Place chicken and peaches over brown rice. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

It's Summer Time!

2010-07-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

One of my friends made a recipe similar to this a few months ago for a dinner party we had and everyone loved it. I modified it a bit to go along with a Thai Red Duck Curry dish that Natalie made for us last weekend. The coolness and the texture were really nice to finish off a spicy meal. I am hoping one day Nat will post the curry recipe. I keep having dreams about it.

Crust:
30 Nabisco "Famous Chocolate Wafer" cookies, crushed (I used my food processor)
5 T butter, melted
1 pinch salt
1 t vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and press into a pie plate that has been greased with cooking spray. Cook on 325 for 6-8 minutes until firm. Completely cool on a wire rack.

Filling:
2 pints of your favorite sorbet. I used pomegranate, but I imagine lemon or coconut or raspberry would also be fantastic with this.

Set out sorbet until soft and spread evenly into pie with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until set about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream.

Whipped cream:
2 c whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/4 c powdered sugar- add more to desired sweetness

Beat in a cold bowl until stiff. Top the pie with the cream and again cover with plastic wrap. Freeze at least two hours.

To serve: Remove pie from freezer 20 minutes before serving. Top with toasted almonds and coconut.

Spinach and Cheese Tart

2010-05-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dave and I moved to San Luis Obispo last week and with that I have a renewed commitment to start cooking and blogging again. Another great thing about this is that Natalie and I can now cook together! We decided to cook a feast this weekend in celebration of our house (mainly kitchen see above) finally being assembled. The menu included the following:

Spiced white bean dip with whole wheat flatbread
Spinach and cheese tart with cornmeal crust
Grilled portobello mushrooms with pesto and Swiss cheese
Grilled tri tip
Mache salad with sun dried tomatoes, lentils, and Parmesan cheese

There is a vegetarian blog I follow regularly called 101 Cookbooks that has some amazing recipes. The post last week was a for a turnip greens tart. I have never made a tart before, but it seemed like a good challenge. I made this for our dinner this weekend, but I modified it by using spinach instead of turnip greens. I will warn you for those of you who have never made a tart that it is extremely time consuming. That said, I would still do it again. I would probably add a little more cheese, some caramelized red onions, and maybe some minced marinated artichoke hearts to give it more texture. The recipe makes two shells so I will probably attempt this soon...keep you posted! (recipe in the hyperlink above)

Natalie will have to post the mushrooms and salad recipes because these were her incredible contributions to the feast. Below is the dip recipe I created, which was really simple, but a great appetizer for a complicated dinner menu. Enjoy!

Spiced White Bean Dip

1 can white cannellini beans, drained

1/8 c olive oil

1/8 c lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 t kosher salt (more to taste if desired)

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 t toasted cumin seeds

1 t coriander powder

1/2 t white pepper

dash of red wine vinegar

Directions

In food processor, pulse all ingredients until smooth. I put in a bowl and drizzled with a little more olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and some feta cheese. I served this with store bought whole wheat flat bread that I toasted and cut into triangles and carrot sticks.

Margaritas My Way

2010-02-25T23:18:00.000-08:00

I would call these skinny girl margaritas, but let's face it- margaritas don't make anyone skinny. I liked this recipe because they were light and refreshing and didn't make you feel like going into diabetic shock after drinking them. They also went really well with a big plate of home made nachos and a movie.

This mixture should fit nicely into a standard blender and make a nice smoothie-like consistency. You can get all these ingredients at Trader Joe's.

Fruit Margaritas

Ingredients
3 cups ice
1 cup frozen fruit (I like pineapple)
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3 ounces agave nectar
1/2 cup sparkling water
4-7 shots Resposado or 100% agave Tequila

Directions
Add ingredients to blender in order as above. Blend. Add more alcohol or ice as necessary. This should make 3-4 drinks. Top with a splash of Cointreau if you are feeling Cadillac.

Note: If you don't want them fruity, substitute fruit for another cup of ice and add a little more lime juice.

It's almost March- I know, right?

2010-02-20T12:08:00.001-08:00

Let's just say my attempt at vegan Thanksgiving was good and bad- the vegan "cheese" was so bad that I had to take a recipe blogging hiatus for four months! I've been really busy doing things like:

planning for a big day,

enjoying the beautiful Central Coast weather,

dancing,

and wearing silly hats!

But in the meantime, I bring you this glorious soup recipe. I really enjoy the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup at California Pizza Kitchen, so I made an attempt at recreating it. Recipe follows:

Smashed Pea and Barley Soup

Ingredients
1 t olive oil
half of a white onion, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts vegetable broth
2 cups split peas, rinsed

1/2 cup barley

1.5 t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t fresh thyme
juice of half a lemon

Snipped green onions, parsley and cracked pepper for garnish

Directions
Coat a large stock pot with olive oil and sautee the carrots, celery, onions and garlic for 5-7 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas and reduce to a simmer. Let this cook covered for about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the barley according to package directions. (It should take about an hour.)

When the peas are done cooking, turn the heat off on the soup pot and roughly blend with an immersion blender making sure to keep some of the peas still intact and not pureed. Add the cooked barley to the soup and season with the remaining ingredients. You may need to add more broth at this point to get a desired soup consistency. Garnish with parsley and chopped green onions and serve.

A Meat Eating/Vegetarian/Vegan Thanksviging Part II

2009-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

Since I work for an investment company, we are open the day after Thanksgiving, which means no travel to Northern California for turkey this year for Dave and I...solution..you bet! Most of my family is coming to Newport Beach this year and we are having ten people for a feast in my 800 square foot beach cottage. Being the obsessive planner that I am, and trying to please the (newly vegan or vegetarian) palates of all family members, I started early on the menu planning this year and assigned everyone a dish according to their expertise. Here's what we are making:

*Turkey- I will be roasting a turkey filled with fresh herbs, lemon, seasonings...luckily I have done this before and there will be plenty of help
*Gravy- Dad's specialty
*Michael Mathews' famous sausage and cognac stuffing- again, Dad's specialty
*Natalie's vegan version of Mathews' stuffing
*Buttermilk and chive mashed potatoes- me..I prefer to use buttermilk because I like them tangy and you can use nonfat buttermilk, which has lots of flavor, but eliminates the fat
*Sauteed green beans with apple wood smoked bacon and shallots- Dave my husband loves these so he will be making them this year
*Vegan sweet potatoes au gratin- Nat
*Shaved brussel sprout salad- Nat
*Rolls- Aunt Kathy
*Cranberry Chutney- Aunt Kathy
*Pumpkin pie- mom's specialty

In honor of it being turkey day this week, I thought I'd post two recipes in order to help those of you who are still menu planning...stay tuned for the results of our Thanksgiving feast! (and wish us luck!)

Dad's Famous Gravy

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry white vermouth
2 tablespoons Cognac
1/3 cup all purpose flour
About 5 ½ cups of broth – turkey, veal stock, and/or chicken
About 4 tablespoons of fat – reserved from Turkey or use butter
All the browned bits from the bottom of the turkey pan

Directions:
Pour pan juices from roasting pan into large measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface. Transfer 4 tablespoons fat to medium saucepan (if needed, use some of reserved fat from turkey broth to measure 4 tablespoons total). Discard any excess fat.

Place roasting pan over 2 burners set at medium-high heat. Add vermouth and Cognac to pan and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add degreased pan juices and 1 cup broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.

Heat reserved 4 tablespoons fat in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Whisk constantly until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in pan-juice mixture and 3 cups of broth. Simmer until gravy is thick enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Carmel Apple Pie
I made this this weekend for the Marshall Thanksgiving and it turned out pretty good. It came from the holiday issue of Cooking Light.

Ingredients:

Topping-
1/4 c flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Crust-
1 1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt
3 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 T chilled vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
3 T ice water
cooking spray

Filling-
1/4 c white sugar
2 T cornstarch
4 c thinly sliced granny smith apples
3 c thinly sliced fuji apples

Carmel Sauce-
1/2 c store bought fat free caramel sauce
1/8 t sea salt

Directions:

Topping- combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse ten times, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

Crust- combine flour and salt in food processor. Add 3 T butter and shortening. Pulse 4 times or until mixture looks crumbly. With processor on, add ice water until mixture combines. Remove from food processor and press into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Overlap two pieces of plastic wrap on a smooth surface. Place dough in center and cover with an additional two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll evenly into an 11 inch circle. Freeze circle of dough about 5 minutes, until it can be easily removed from the plastic wrap. Press into pie pan.

Preheat oven to 375.

Filling- whisk together cornstarch and sugar. Add apples. Toss to combine. Add apple mixture to pie pan, mounding slightly in the center.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove pie and top evenly with topping. Bake an additional 25 minutes until golden. Top with caramel sauce and whipped cream, if desired.

A Meat Eating / Vegetarian / Vegan Thanksgiving... How we are going to do all 3 (Part 1)

2009-11-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving is going to be different than our usual Thanksgivings (except for the family and lots of red wine part). For one, we will be celebrating in Southern California for the first time since 1993, but also, in the past year, I have switched to a mostly vegetarian diet and my brother has gone completely vegan. In turn, we are trying to plan aspects of the dinner that will please everyone.

Being the Mathews resident vegetarian chef, I am planning the vegan dishes, simply because they are different than my family's normal style of cooking. I have been familiarizing myself with this diet in the past couple of months and have tried to make it from whole, plant based sources instead of simply finding freaky soy replacements for meat; tofurkey anyone?

Here's what I am making along with some recipe highlights. I'll post full recipes and reviews after the holiday.

Triple Spiced Creamy Sweet Potato Gratin
Based on a recipe from Kathy Patalsky, writer of Healthy Happy Life. Kathy writes a great blog with vegan recipes and wellness tips. She put together a delicious looking potato au gratin recipe that I hope to recreate with some added sweet potatoes.

Sauteed Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Featuring balsamic, red onions, pine nuts and cranberries. I make this often, this year sans prosciutto.

Mathews (now Vegan) Stuffing
My dad makes great stuffing. I am going to attempt a version without animal products. His famous ingredients are Congac and veal stock. I am adding portabello mushrooms, walnuts, butternut squash and lots of fresh herbs.

We'll see if we'll be keeping these recipes around for future Thanksgivings. Melanie should be posting some of her recipe ideas shortly and we'll catch up with how this all went after the holiday.

Fiesta Mac and Cheese

2009-11-16T21:13:00.001-08:00

On the subject of mac and cheese, I adapted this from the December issue of Cooking Light. It was really good and only took about 15 minutes of prep time plus an additional 15 minutes of cook time. It was all made in one pot so barely a mess. This would make a good week night meal. I think you could use any type of cheese in this. Pepper jack might make a nice substitute for the white cheddar, but I just used what I had in the fridge.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 1/2 cups whole wheat penne
1 T butter, divided
1 c chopped red bell pepper
2 1/2 T flour
1 1/2 c nonfat milk
1/2 c extra sharp cheddar
1/2 c white cheddar
1 small can fire roasted green chilies
1/2 c thinly sliced green onion
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 slice sourdough bread

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. In the pasta pot, melt 1 T butter. Add bell peppers and cook 5 min until tender. Add to pasta.

Add flour to pan. Slowly add milk and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat, slowly add cheese while stirring constantly until melted into milk mixture. Stir in chilies, salt, and pepper. Add to pasta mixture. Add green onions and toss until well
combined.

Place bread in small food chopper and process until crumbly. Melt remaining butter. Mix bread crumbs and butter together in bowl.

Pour pasta into small oven proof dish. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

2009-11-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Fall is in the air. Even though it is 85 degrees outside in San Luis Obispo, I am dreaming of stews, soups and braised everything, so I figured it was time to post my favorite mac recipe. This recipe originated in a Cooking Light circa 2005 when Melanie and I were roommates in college. We love it so much we still both make it and modify it accordingly.

Ingredients (serves 8)
3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray or spray olive oil
a sprinkle of Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon butter, melted
2 cups cheese- I use a combo of blue cheese, extra sharp cheddar and fontina
1 egg, whisked
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

12 ounces large elbow macaroni or medium size shells

Directions
Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out tomatoes. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to an hour until the tomatoes blister and start to appear sun dried.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine bread pieces, melted butter and a pinch of sea salt until crumbs are formed. Lay out crumbs on a separate baking sheet and cook 15 minutes or until golden.

Boil pasta for 7 minutes or until al dente by package directions. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. After draining pasta, return to a medium heat and stir in your bowl of cheese, milk, egg and spice mixture. Cook for 4 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve immediately topped with bread crumbs and tomatoes.

Leftovers are good, but fresh is best with this recipe. Enjoy!

Tuscan Potato Soup

2009-11-01T12:52:00.001-08:00

In the spirit of fall being in full effect, I made this soup the other evening. The gist of the recipe came from a recent Cooking Light, but I changed it up a bit. This was a pretty easy weeknight dinner to make (I recommend an immersion blender) and the leftovers were great in lunches for the week! The Yukon potatoes gave this soup a very creamy texture without all the added fat of using a lot of butter or cream. I have never done crumbled sausage on top before, but now could not imagine this soup without it.

Ingredients

2 heads garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups finely chopped onion, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 1/4 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 6 cups)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
3 green onion stalks, chopped roughly

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut off pointed end of each garlic head to partially reveal cloves, place each head in the center of a small sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each head; wrap each in foil. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Squeeze to extract pulp; discard skins.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in half-and-half. Squeeze roasted garlic into pot, blend entire pot with immersion blender until smooth (can be done in a real blender if you do not have an immersion blender). Finely grate 2 ounces cheese to yield 1/2 cup; stir into soup. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and sausage cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

Divide soup into bowls, top with remaining cheese, sausage crumbles, and green onions.

Coconut Water: Nature's Gatorade

2009-10-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Where have I been for I don't know, a month? I guess keeping busy training for a half marathon. The event took place this Sunday where over one thousand runners raced in the local City to the Sea Half Marathon. During my training, I discovered a drink called coconut water. The health promoting, new age hipster blogs that I read rave about it, so I decided to give it a try. It has since been a staple beverage in my household that I enjoy after strenuous workouts or a night of partying alike.

So what is it?
Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the clear liquid found inside young, green, unripe coconuts. When a coconut ripens, the liquid inside hardens and becomes a part of the white flesh, which is used to make coconut milk.

Coconut water is naturally 99% fat free and low in carbohydrates and sugars. It is a natural isotonic beverage that contains essential salts and minerals in the same concentration as our bodies, thus making it ideal for replenishing and rehydrating after a workout. Ten ounces of coconut water has more potassium than a banana (about 15 times more than most sports drinks) thus making it ideal for preventing cramps and promoting muscle recovery. Best of all, it is a drink found in nature, so when you drink it you can be confident that it doesn't have chemicals, artificial colors, added sugars or preservatives that you would find in most sports drinks.

What does it taste like?
I have an undying love for coconut and anything with coconut in it. So naturally, I enjoy the taste of this beverage quite a lot. My best description of the flavor would be a very cold, flat, coconut taste that is nutty and not overly sweet. If coconut isn't your thing, many companies make "flavored" coconut water that is naturally created with the juices of other fruits such as lime or passion fruit. I prefer the original flavor.

Other random facts:

It has almost identical properties to human blood plasma, and in times of war or famine it has successfully been used as a replacement for intravenous hydration fluid.
Some pregnant women prefer drinking coconut water as a natural aid to help ease digestion problems or heartburn during pregnancy. The lauric acid found in coconut water is the same as human breast milk.
It helps in relieving problems related to the urinary tract, intestines and kidneys and is known to break up kidney stones.
Coconut water boosts your metabolism and your immune system. It can also aid with weight loss.

Low Fat Banana Bread Muffins

2009-10-04T18:36:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 c organic sugar
1/3 c applesauce
3 smashed extra ripe bananas
1 T canola oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c toasted chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Using mixer, beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until thick. Add remaining wet ingredients, sift in dry ingredients. Pour mixture into baking cups. Bake until tops are golden brown, about 30 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2009-09-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Nutty and cheesy with a toasty hazelnut crunch. Not meant to be eaten alone. Not meant for those watching their caloric intake.

This was a pretty darn good version of roasted butternut squash lasagna that I found on Food Network via Michael Chiarello. I made this for a small dinner with friends and we really enjoyed it. It was a balanced, hearty meal that went well with wine. In addition, it was also my first successful venture at creating a bechamel sauce that didn't resemble paste.

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash, about 3 to 5 pounds
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 t Fennel seeds, crushed
1 t cinnamon
2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese (or a 15-ounce container)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
1 pound dried lasagna sheets (about 24 sheets), each 6 1/2 by 3 inches
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup toasted, crumbled hazelnuts

For the sauce:
2 quarts 2 percent milk
6 T unsalted butter
1 T sage, minced
2 t minced garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg

Lasagna Assembly Extras
Butter, for dish
1 pound mozzarella, grated
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the squash's hard shell. Trim about 1/2-inch off the top and bottom ends so you can set each section of the squash flat on a cutting board. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon, and coarsely chop the squash into 1/2-inch chunks. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss the squash with the oil, sage, fennel, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper. Spread the squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the squash in the oven until very soft and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the squash from the oven and puree in a food processor with fresh nutmeg.

In a large bowl, mix the squash puree, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna sheets until al dente. Drain the sheets and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with oil and set aside.

Prepare the sauce: In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a slow simmer over medium heat. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sage and garlic to the butter, cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and stir. Add about 3 cups of the milk, and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, while whisking continuously. Add the remaining milk and whisk again. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust the heat to low to maintain a slow simmer, and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Makes about 8 cups.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Spoon a ladle of bechamel into the dish and spread to coat the bottom. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top of the bechamel. Spread some of the squash mixture evenly over the lasagna sheets and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top. Repeat this step until all ingredients are used, starting with 2 to 3 ladles of bechamel for each layer. Keep building the layers until the pan is full to about 1/4-inch from the top. Finish with cheese and sauce directly over the noodles. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Remove the cover, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Right before removing from oven, sprinkle with hazelnuts. Allow lasagna to rest before slicing. Serve warm.

Notes:

The leftovers of this are especially delicious
I made a half version of this recipe (it would still be enough to serve 6 people minimum because it is such a rich dish)
If you have extra bechamel sauce- mix it with marinara and toss over whole wheat spaghetti for a quick meal
This recipe is quick for a weeknight if you roast the squash the day before
You can also use frozen or prepared butternut squash cubes to cut out extra prep time

Channa Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

2009-08-25T22:48:00.001-07:00

Masala = Spice Mix = The heart and soul of any Indian Food

Garam Masala = My new favorite spice = smells like Chai tea

I've been on a bit of a vegetarian Indian food kick lately and have stocked my spice drawer accordingly. Channa masala is a classic Northern Indian dish that I came across on seriouseats.com and decided to give it a whirl after sampling something similar at Trader Joe's (they had a vegetarian Indian food sample night recently). It is a curry made of chickpeas that is beautiful in color, fragrant and rather healthy.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 T ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground turmeric
6 T chopped tomatoes (or half a can)
1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 t paprika
1/2 t garam masala
1/2 t salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 t fresh ginger, grated

Directions

Pour olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. When warm, add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir until combined and cook for 30 seconds or so, or until it is very fragrant.

Stir in the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dump in the chickpeas and the pour in the water. Stir until combined, and then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt, and lemon juice. Cover and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in the ginger and jalapeno. Cook for another 30 seconds. Season with salt if needed.

Notes

I served this over Trader Joe's garlic naan. It comes in the frozen section of their store and it is delicious!
I hear it is also served with rice.
I found all of the spices that you can't find at a regular grocery store at Cost Plus World Market. They have a nice selection of unusual and exotic spices.
This was pretty mellow in terms of heat. If you want to kick it up a notch add more jalapeno or forget to deseed it!

Organic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-08-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

I made this for Wendy's Birthday last weekend. Recipe is from Bon Appetit online. The recipe called for using everything organic. I used organic carrots, flour, and sugar but didn't go to the extreme to find things like organic cream cheese. I think I would recommend adding a little more coconut if you like it to give it more texture as well as some golden raisens if you are in to those. I added toasted walnuts, but probably would have added more than the 3/4 cup the recipe calls for if I did it again. This is also one of those recipes you could use applesauce instead of some of the oil to make it healthier due to the density of the cake.

Ingredients:
1/3 c shredded unsweetened coconut
1 lb organic carrots
1 c chopped pineapple
1 1/2 c organic all purpose flour
1/2 c organic whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 c organic cane sugar
2 t baking soda
2 1/4 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1/2 c dark brown sugar
3/4 c canola oil
1 T vanilla extract
3 eggs
frosting recipe (below)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 eight inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the coconut in a cup of warm water to soften it for 15 minutes.

Put carrots in the food processor and process for 1 minute. Add the pineapple and puree, 1-2 minutes until smooth.

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add brown sugar and whisk to break up pieces.

Drain the coconut and place it in a medium bowl. Add the oil, vanilla, eggs, and carrot-pineapple puree, whisk to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a spatula to incorporate, but not overmix. When the batter is almost mixed, add chopped walnuts if desired. Pour batter into prepared pans.

The recipe called to bake for 55 minutes, however, I checked mine after 30 minutes and it was done. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
3 8 oz packages reduced fat or nonfat cream cheese (I used 2 nonfat and 1 light)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 t grated lemon zest
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 T vanilla extract
2 3/4 c powdered sugar

Directions:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter on med high speed until combined and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.

Sift the powdered sugar. Turn mixer to low speed and slowly pour into frosting mixture.

Fill the inside of cake and frost the outter layer. I 'decorated' the cake by mixing the remaining frosting with yellow food coloring (and then later with green) and putting into frosting bags. I recommend putting the frosting in the fridge for a bit if you want to use it to decorate the cake in order to make it a little stiffer. As a side note, I think the recipe made a little too much frosting unless you wanted to really mound it up on the cake. I also used this frosting on red velvet cupcakes this week and it is a nice airy and not too sweet frosting to compliment many types of dessert.

Baked Ziti

2009-08-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the super ugly picture. It was a last minute Marshall family decision that this must be posted so it was taken with my camera phone that I am still not very capable with. This recipe uses very few ingredients and comes together quickly and pretty delish so I thought I'd share.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz bag penette pasta (mini penne)
1 16 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
1 large egg
4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 8 oz jars organic marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's)
1 T dried Italian seasoning
1 handful fresh basil, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil pasta per package directions. Drain in cold water and set aside. Whisk ricotta, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, basil, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add pasta and mix until pasta is thoroughly coated in cheese mixture.

In a large casserole dish coated in cooking spray, add half the pasta cheese mixture, top with 1 jar of marinara sauce and 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of pasta, sauce and cheese. Top with additional Parmesan cheese as desired and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning blend. Bake uncovered at 375 until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Notes:
*This can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated.
*This recipe yields enough to feed 8 (or more if you have a salad) people. You could easily half it and use a smaller dish.
*I was in a hurry and put this recipe together in about 15 minutes. It makes a great weeknight meal. If you had more time, you could always use home made marinara.

Dijon Pizza with Pear, Arugula, Goat Cheese

2009-08-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

First off— if you like spicy, go to Trader Joe's and get yourself some of their Dijon mustard! It is unique blend they import from France and it is delicious and unusual compared to the average jar of Grey Poupon. I have always trusted TJs to sell great products at a good price and at $1.60 something for 13 ounces I guess you can't beat it.

Moving forward from my tangent, I am skipping my backlog of recipes to present you with this new pizza recipe. It is loosely inspired from this month's Bon Appetite and the flavor combination is pretty divine. I created it as an "experimental" pizza when we had pizza night last week and paired it with a more traditional "super veggie" sort of pizza. It was so delicous, we actually finished this one first! This pizza took about 10 minutes to prepare which is always a plus for a busy weeknight.

Ingredients
one package prepared pizza dough
corn meal
2 bosch pears, skin on, sliced into thin slivers
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 T dijon mustard
handful of arugula
6 red onion "rings"
1/3 cup parmesan blend

Directions
Let pizza dough set out of fridge for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Flatten out pizza dough in a 12 - 15 inch round. Lay on a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal or in a pizza pan. Prick the dough with a fork and par bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread a thin layer of Dijon onto the dough. Top with arugula and then sprinkle goat cheese and onion rings throughout.Arrange pears in a circular pattern. Sprinkle entire pizza with parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden. Let cool for 5 minutes out of oven and serve.

Sour Cream-Hazelnut Waffles with Warm Berry Coulis

2009-07-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

I saw these in this month's Bon Appetit and just had to find an occasion to make them. I am not much of a pancake person, but when it comes to waffles, I love their crunchy outer layer, delicate fluffy inside AND the infinite flavor/topping possibilities!

The random twin ESP hit again as Melanie and I happened to make the same recipe on the same day. She will probably add her notes to this post later as we both used different modifications.

Waffle Ingredients (adapted from Bon Appetit, AUG 2009) -makes about 20
1 stick butter, unsalted
1/4 cup honey
3 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream (I actually used nonfat organic Greek yogurt)
2/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (reserve some for topping)

Pure organic maple syrup
warm berry coulis (see recipe below)

Directions
Melt the butter with honey in a small saucepan over low heat. In a large bowl, whisk together flour through baking soda. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs through sour cream. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Add the honey butter mixture and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Heat oven to 250 degrees. This is to keep the waffles warm while you take the time to make them all one-by-one in your waffle iron. Heat your waffle iron and spray lightly with nonstick spray. Depending on the size of your iron, add about a ladle full of waffle batter to the iron and cook for 5 minutes or until the steaming stops and the outside of the waffle is crispy. Place in oven until remaining waffles are finished.

Serve waffles warm and drizzle with maple syrup, a spoonful of berry coulis and sprinkled hazelnuts.

Warm Berry Coulis Ingredients- makes 3.5 cups
2 cups fresh strawberries, divided
2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
1 cup fresh blackberries, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice

Directions
Place half of every berry in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice to the berries and let stand for 30 minutes or until the natural juices are released. Bring the berry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until berries are soft- about 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to release as much juice as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer.

Return the berry puree to the saucepan. Add remaining reserved berries to the saucepan over medium heat and stir until warm- about five minutes. Spoon over waffles.

Notes

The actual recipe calls for full-fat versions of everything. I did not do this and I don't think the recipe was missing anything.
This recipe was originated at Balthazar restaurant in New York
I love fresh berries and I didn't see the need to spoil beautiful, expensive, edible berries in a sauce. I used this handy frozen mix from Trader Joe's that has all these berries in it already and probably saved myself ten bucks.

Two Tasty Blog Recipes I Tried This Weekend

2009-07-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

We had guests for the weekend so I decided to whip up some recipes that I saw on the web this week.

The first was a recipe from 101 Cook Books which was a Red Pesto Ravioli made with goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, walnuts and spinach. I followed this recipe almost exactly except that I doubled the pesto recipe to ensure I'd have more for later. This was a hit with our guests and was also a healthy and balanced vegetarian meal. I paired it with a Greek Salad. Check out the recipe below.

Red Pesto Ravioli

For dessert, I made a peach and creme fraiche pie that I found on Smitten Kitchen. This recipe was originally from Martha Stewart. It was delicious and I thought that the creme fraiche really took the peaches to another level of flavor complexity. It was also the first time that I've been successful with making a perfect crumble topping! I learned that the trick is to keep everything really cold before putting it into the oven. I sliced almost frozen butter and mixed it in with the dry crumble ingredients and it turned out really crumbly and crispy. I'm not sure if it was chef error or just juicy California peaches, but I couldn't get the pie to set and be sliceable. It ended up pretty ugly on the plate and was in essence a pie crust with a peach/creme fraiche/crumble soup on top. I think if i were to create this again I would skip the pie crust and just make it in a 8x8 pan as a peach cobbler.

Peach and Creme Fraiche Pie

Both of the blogs have much better pictures than I take so check out their photos- they are beautiful.

Cupcakes!

2009-07-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

I took a whirlwind trip to San Francisco this weekend and found that Kelsey has a fabulous little cupcake place in her neighborhood (Cow Hollow) called Kara's Cupcakes. They are made from locally sourced (organic when possible) ingredients and made from scratch daily. I couldn't decide on just one, so I took a little sampler pack back to SLO with me!

The flavors are Java, Smores, Fleur de sel (chocolate filled with salted caramel) and Kara's Karrot. See more at karascupcakes.com.

Summer Caprese Salad on Flatbread

2009-07-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

I love juicy red tomatoes that just plain taste like summer. I picked up some fresh tomatoes and arugula from Farmer's Market and got to work on a new caprese dish. This makes for a nice light dinner on a hot day or could be made more miniature and served as appetizers.

Ingredients (serves 2 if made this way)
6 - 8 ounces fresh pizza dough
1 handful fresh basil leaves (or other similar greens)
1 T pine nuts or walnuts
1 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T Parmesan or other hard cheese
1 large hot house or heirloom tomato, cut into thick slices
4 thick slices fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind that is packed in water)
1 cup fresh arugula or other similar greens
1 T capers
a drizzle of good quality olive oil
fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Roll out the pizza dough into thin 6" circles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, prick the surface a few times with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden and slightly crispy.

In the meantime, make the pesto sauce by placing basil through Parmesan in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and saucy. It should be a drizzling consistency, so you may need to add more liquid as necessary.

When flat breads are finished baking, top with arugula, cheese and tomato slices. Drizzle with pesto mixture and sprinkle with capers, salt and pepper.

Vegan Blueberry Banana Smoothie

2009-07-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

This cold refreshing beverage makes a nice breakfast or post work out pick-me-up on hot summer days. I have been on quite the smoothie kick lately and this is one of my favorite combinations, which packs a lot of vitamins and nutrients. Most of this fruit is in season right now which is convenient for making your own frozen fruit. (Much more economical than buying it already frozen in many cases!) Simply wash, slice and set the fruit on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Let it freeze solid like this in the freezer and then transfer it to a plastic bag or freezer safe container. It should last a few weeks.

Ingredients (serves 1)
1 ripe banana
1/8 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup soy, nut or rice based milk (I enjoy hazelnut milk)

Directions
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Spicy Chickpea Green Salad

2009-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my mom (Kristie!) and then added a little bit of extra goodies to it. She's been making it on hot Sacramento summer nights to pair with a crisp glass of white wine and grilled salmon. It can be made to be an entree or side salad depending on serving size. Not only is it vegan, but it is really delicious and healthy! It's also not as spicy as spicy as the title may lead you to think- so if you want it really spicy, you might skimp on deseeding the serrano chiles.

Ingredients (serves 6 as a side salad)
adapted from Food Network's Guy Fieri's recipe
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded, ribs removed and finely diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, sliced, skin on
1/2 bunch mint, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves roughly chopped
1 head red leaf lettuce, shredded
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions
Combine the garlic, pepper, red onion, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl.

Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss in the lettuce and arugula. Plate and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Cheesy Twice Baked Potatoes with Yogurt Spice Paste

2009-06-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

I eat a lot of potatoes. They are sort of my go-to comfort food to the point that I am always looking for new delicious recipes. Naturally, when I came across these gems in this month's Bon Appetit, I just had to try them. They have a feature this month on exotic barbecue that explores a bunch of new-to-me flavors. Let me say these potatoes were worth every random extra ingredient that I had to pick up at the store! These little guys are a flavor party in your mouth! In the magazine, it says to barbecue the potatoes, but I chose to twice bake them to save myself some time.

Ingredients (serves 6)

Potatoes and Stuffing
3 large unpeeled russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Coarse kosher salt

Yogurt Spice Paste
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sweet or hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork and cook in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and slice in half.

Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a bowl leaving just the shell. Mash and mix in cheese, melted butter, cilantro, green onion, chile, and sesame seeds. Season potato mixture generously with salt and pepper; divide among potato shells.

For the yogurt spice paste, combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture is finely chopped. Add yogurt, oil, and lemon juice and process until smooth puree forms. Transfer to small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To flavor the potato skin, dip the bottoms of the potatoes in the yogurt paste and dredge in sesame seeds. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and pour equal portions of the remaining yogurt sauce on top of each potato. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. Bake the potatoes at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Serve warm. These make great leftovers if you can't finish them all.

* If you have leftover yogurt sauce, it makes a wonderful lowfat dip for fresh veggies!

French Onion Soup

2009-06-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

You either love it or you hate it. For me, I've always had this sick love for French onion soup— the salted broth, the crunchy croutons, the crusted cheese on top— every time I see it on a restaurant menu, I just have to order it. This recipe is adapted from Julia Child's own recipe. Adding cognac to it gives the broth a rich, decadent touch so I suggest you pair it with an equally fancy cheese topping.

Ingredients (makes 6+ bowls of soup)
2-1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2-1/2 quarts vegetable stock
4 to 5 tablespoons Cognac (I used Brandy- I'm cheap!)
1 cup dry white vermouth

Serve with
sliced baguette
sliced Gruyere cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Melt the butter in a large stock pan and melt. Next add in the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook covered over medium heat until the onions are tender and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the salt and sugar and raise the temperature to a medium high heat. Cook the onions, uncovered for about 30 minutes, until they are golden in color.

Add the flour and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups heated vegetable stock. Add the remaining stock and alcohols and simmer covered for an hour over low heat.

To prepare the bowls, pour soup into individual oven safe bowls. Add a thin slice of toasted baguette and top with cheeses. The amount of cheese used will vary on your preference, but a small handful of cheese for each bowl should be good. Broil bowls in the oven until the topping is golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs or Italian seasoning.

Notes

This soup is inexpensive and wonderful to freeze for an easy weeknight meal. Just add the toppings after thawing.
Slice the onions as thin as possible. I would recommend using a mandolin if you have one.
You may choose to skimp on cooking the soup for a full hour, but do not skimp on browning the onions before adding the liquid. It will result in nasty potent oniony soup. I know from experience :)
I used a stock photo for this article as to not ward people off from trying this lovely soup recipe. Although my soup looked similar, my photo of it turned out terrible!

Mediterranean Cous Cous

2009-06-16T22:20:00.001-07:00

I made this for a little falafel night at my friend Jenna's house. It was pretty tasty and had a nice range of sweet / salty / sour flavors going on. I was really unsure about adding apricot to the salad, but it ended up adding a nice punch to the flavor. It also made for some nice leftovers— I made too much and we ended up eating this for a week. I would definitely recommend hunting down some Israeli cous cous. I had never tried it before, but picked some up at Trader Joe's, and the texture is out of this world!

Ingredients
3 cups cooked cous cous- I used whole wheat and Israeli
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced kalamata olives
1/4 cup shredded mint leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricot
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup diced roasted peppers

3 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/4 clove garlic, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook cous cous according to package directions. When done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside. Get to chopping all your salad fixings and add them to the bowl as you go.

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and toss into salad. Serve room temperature or cold.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs

2009-06-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

I adopted this Turkish recipe from this month's Bon Appetit because we were lacking in some of the required spices. It was an amazing balance of spicy and creamy. I served it with spanakopita triangles, lemon zest roasted broccoli, and corn barbecued in chili pepper and garlic.

Ingredients (makes three dinner sized skewers):
2 t crushed red peppers
2 t paprika
1 c nonfat Greek yogurt
3 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
2 t kosher salt
1 t fresh ground pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 sliced lemon
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks for grilling

Directions:
Mix peppers through garlic in a bowl and whisk together. Add lemon slices and chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to one day. Remove chicken from bowl and thread onto skewers. Barbecue over medium heat 12 minutes, turning twice.

This would have been wonderful served with pita bread, hummus, plain yogurt, feta cheese, and a greek style salad as well.

Tofu Satay with Rice and Vegetables

2009-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I did it... After all these months of cooking predominantly vegetarian, I finally tried cooking tofu.

My sister and I grew up fearful of this slimy white substance. I have fond memories of our aunt visiting from Napa Valley for the weekend and bringing various goodies from sake to chocolate cheese. She was an advocate for tofu and always tried to trick us into eating it. I remember sampling some dessert mousse that she brought over and once we knew it was tofu, it instantly became inedible regardless of how good it was. We were just plain picky-as-you-can-get kids.

I'd have to say after all these years, I am no longer a picky eater and have become quite adventurous when dining. Knowing that tofu is quite good for you and packed with protein, I decided to take a stab at tofu satay. It was pretty good... definitely a light meal that I felt good about eating. Try it for yourself if you dare.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 block of extra firm tofu, rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 T tamari soy sauce
2 T Asian sesame oil
2 T sherry or sherry vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 seranno pepper, minced

Sauce
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter, smooth or chunky
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t curry powder
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1 T lime juice
1 T canola oil
1 1/2 T tamari soy sauce
Dash cayenne pepper

1 large yam, peeled and cut into sticks
2 cups green beans, trimmed
12 fresh basil leaves
3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces and pat dry again with a paper towel. Let tofu marinate in a bowl with the soy sauce through serrano for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

In a blender, combine satay sauce ingredients and let set until ready to serve.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a pyrex pan, lay out marinated tofu and drizzle with a little satay sauce. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and firm.

Meanwhile, steam the yams and green beans. The yams will take approximately 10 minutes (test with a fork) in a steamer attachment and the beans will take 6 if you want to keep them crispy.

When tofu is done cooking, divide rice equally among plates and top with basil, veggies and tofu. Drizzle with satay sauce.

Notes

If you are feeling lazy, you can substitute home made satay sauce for bottled satay sauce. You can find this pretty easily in the ethnic foods section of most grocery stores. This would make for a very easy weeknight meal.
Make sure to get firm or extra firm tofu or it wont roast to the proper texture.

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Chive Dressing

2009-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Beets are a "nutritional powerhouse" of vegetables and can be cooked in a variety of ways. The rich, colorful hues of beets make for a dramatic presentation in any salad. When beets are in season, (summer through winter) they are tender and sweet which pairs nicely with tangy goat cheese. They have also become a recent fixture in fine dining where you may see anything from beet soup to beet "carpaccio."

Ingredients (makes 4 dinner sized salads)

Dressing
1 T fresh chopped chives
1/2 t minced shallot
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
2 cups cooked barley- cook in vegetable broth with a little salt for added flavor
3 cups mixed greens- I used mache, spinach and red leaf lettuce
2 beets, peeled and sliced into thin circles
1/2 a red onion, sliced into rings
4 ounces herbed goat cheese

Directions
Prepare dressing by combining ingredients together and whisking vigorously. Let dressing set while cooking the remainder of your salad to let the flavors marry.

In a steamer attachment on your stove, steam beet slices for approximately 12 minutes or until you can pierce them with a knife. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble salad by putting a bed of grains on your plate. Add greens, beets and rings of onion. Drizzle with dressing and top with crumbled goat cheese and fresh cracked salt and pepper.

Notes

When purchasing beets, get ones that are about 2 inches in diameter that still have healthy looking greens attached. They can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
The highly nutritious green tops of beets can be eaten as well– in a salad or cooked like you would spinach.
Next time, I might add mandarin orange wedges to this salad

Baked Beans

2009-06-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

This is a great recipe to accompany anything at a summer barbecue. This recipe belongs to our Grandma Midge and has been in the family for years. I am pretty sure our dad ate this as a kid. It reminds me of many family Fourth of Julys. I have been making this recipe a lot since the purchase of the new grill. It sounds labor intensive due to the cook times, but once you have prepared the sauce, you can leave it alone and just remember to check on it occasionally.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried navy beans or small white beans, rinsed and soaked for up to 8 hours
8 oz bacon chopped (I used prosciutto or it could be eliminated all together)
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
2 c ketchup
6 T maple syrup
6 T dark molasses
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t pepper

Directions:
Rinse beans after soaking for up to 8 hours. Boil in an oven proof pot for 45 minutes until tender, drain and reserve 1 c of cooking liquid. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cook bacon in flame proof baking dish, until crisp, add onion and garlic, saute an additional 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook until dissolved and slightly bubbly. Add remaining ingredients. Cook in oven 2 1/2 hours stirring every half hour. Remove lid and cook an additional 30 minutes prior to serving. Add reserved cooking liquid if sauce becomes too thick.

Two Bean Salad with Tarragon Dressing

2009-06-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love cold salads? This recipe is perfect as a healthy side dish to serve at summer barbecues and can even be made a day in advance. The dressing has a nice balance of sweetness and tang which compliments the flavorful crunch of the green beans.

Recipe Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

Dressing
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbs fresh tarragon

Salad
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
6 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 c sliced red onion
1/4 c finely chopped Italian parsley

Directions
Fill large pot with 1 inch of water and set steamer basket in pot. Cover, and bring water to a boil. Place green beans in steamer basket. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and steam 2 - 3 minutes, or until green beans are crisp-tender. Cool.

Toss green beans with all remaining salad ingredients and place in large serving bowl.

For the dressing, blend vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper in blender or food processor until smooth. With machine running, gradually add oil and tarragon through feed tube, and blend until smooth. Pour dressing over salad, and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

2009-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

¡Warning! Don't make this if you are on a diet. This rich, creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese with lobster tails was a creation made from combining a couple of different macaroni recipes together, substituting my favorite cheeses and adding lobster tails to it. The lobster isn't necessary, in fact it's probably a little gratuitous for humble macaroni and cheese, but it gives it a nice sea food flair and an added texture.

Ingredients
4 cups dry pasta shells- small or medium size
1 T olive oil
1 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, minced
4 T flour
3 cups half and half
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz gorgonzola cheese, shredded
8 oz fontina cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked lobster tails, cut into pieces
1/2 cup panko crumbs

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta shells. Cook according to package directions, keeping them on the al dente side. Remove and drain. Place shells into a bowl and toss with olive oil.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and add garlic and onions. Cook about five minutes on medium heat until translucent. Turn heat to low and sprinkle in flour to create a roux. Whisk vigorously. Cook for another minute or two and slowly add half and half while stirring. Next, add your cheeses. Reserve half of the cheddar cheese for topping.

Add your cheese sauce to the bowl of macaroni shells and stir gently. Add spices and then stir in lobster tails. Put pasta into a greased 9x9 pan. You may have some extra for another pan depending on the size of your shells (yay leftovers!). Top macaroni with remaining cheddar and sprinkle with panko and some additional nutmeg. Cook in oven for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and topping is golden.

Notes

I like to serve my mac and cheese with a heaping side of steamed spinach and broccoli.
I purchased my lobster tails from Trader Joe's in the frozen section. They come cooked, cut and ready to go for this recipe. Just defrost and rinse.
Try substituting with your favorite cheeses. A lot of people shy away from blue cheese varieties, but it really adds an interesting layer of flavor.
This recipe is very rich and could easily serve 6 people if accompanied with enough vegetables and a salad.
Pairs nicely with a Pinot Noir. We actually started with Tolosa Pinot Gris and finished with Pinot Noir.
Check back later for Stovetop Macaroni with Roasted Tomatoes, a much healthier version that I make adapted from Cooking Light :D

Need a good Sunday Brunch this week?

2009-05-30T11:24:00.001-07:00

For those of you that live in SLO, we tried this great new place over Memorial Day weekend while helping Nat and Garret scope out wedding venues. It is called Profile and it is in an old house on Marsh Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. A few noteworthy items are their $15 bottomless mimosas made from Tobin James Dreamweaver champagne. They had amazing eggs benedict (pictured below) and cinnamon bun french toast (pictured above). They have a very cute indoor sun room as well as an outdoor patio that was great for brunch. They are open from 10am-2pm for Sunday brunch and also have a week day happy hour. On Tuesdays, it is 25% off for Cal Poly students and faculty.

website: http://profilewinecafe.com/index.html

Turkey Feta Burgers

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Time for some grilling weather!

Ingredients (makes 4 patties):
1 lb (or a little more) ground lean turkey
1 container reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
1 t oregano
1 t garlic powder
1 t olive oil
salt and pepper as desired

Directions:
Mix above ingredients in a bowl until blended. Divide into four equal parts and shape into patties. Barbecue on medium heat for 6-8 minutes per side (until cooked all the way through). Toast buns with butter and garlic salt. Top burgers with mustard, tomatoes, avocado slices, and arugula as desired.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

2009-05-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

I made a ton of this dip this weekend for a little Memorial Day barbecue. This dip is always a hit at parties and can be made ahead of time and heated right before guests arrive. This can be modified to be as healthy or as naughty as you like, but the full-on heart attack version tastes the best. This recipe will make a 9x9 Pyrex pan worth of dip.

Ingredients
1 cup daisy sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 80z block cream cheese, room temp

1 bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 large jar marinated artichokes, chopped- reserve the juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t hot sauce
1 cup sharp cheddar or Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin to taste

1/2 cup home made bread crumbs (see below)- substitute with panko if lazy

Serve with tortilla chips, sliced peppers, carrot sticks, thin sliced toasted baguettes, etc.

Directions
In a large bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients together. Add half of the vinegary juices from the jar of artichokes to the mixture. Add a half cup of the cheese into the dip and season to taste. Transfer to a greased pyrex pan and top with remaining cheese.

To make the bread crumbs, toast 5 slices of sourdough bread until golden. Tear into pieces and combine in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and mix. Crumble on top of dip.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden and dip is bubbly. Serve warm.

Modifications

Add a jalapeno that is seeded and finely chopped for an extra crunch and spicy kick.
If dip needs a little more of that marinated vinegary taste, add red wine vinegar
Forgo cream cheese and just use mayonnaise and sour cream

Mojitos with lime simple syrup

2009-05-20T20:55:00.001-07:00

I started growing an herb garden this year and for some reason decided mint was a good component. Once it actually sprouted (I didn't kill it!) I nicknamed it the mojito bush. Over mother's day weekend we tried making mojitos by putting mint in the food processor (I would not recommend this). After discussing over gross mojitos, we decided that it would have been better with out the chunks. I perfected it last weekend by creating a lime and mint flavored simple syrup (no chunks in your drink that way). These can be made with any type of fruit muddled in the bottom of the glass- strawberries, mangos, or blackberries work well- but they are also good just plain.

Ingredients (makes 2 cups simple syrup):
1/2 c white sugar
8 oz water
the zest of four large limes
1 c mint, crushed

Per Drink:
1 2 oz shot white rum
juice of 1/4 lime
2 T simple syrup
sparkling water as needed

Directions:
Combine the water and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat and pour into a jar or pyrex measuring cup. Add mint leaves and lime zest. Cover and refridgerate for at least 4 hours. Strain out the mint and lime zest prior to serving.

Add fruit to bottom of a pint glass (if desired). Fill to the top with ice. Add rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and fill to the rim with sparkling water. Garnish with lime and mint. Great on a hot day!

Note that the picture above is the 'chunky' version and not the smooth recipe below- forgot to take a picture!

Tortellini Market Salad with Pesto

2009-05-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

I made this salad for a sunset dinner with a friend on a lazy Sunday after a weekend of eating pizza for dinner (okay maybe we had the rest of it for breakfast too!) You will feel good eating this salad because it's fresh, healthy and colorful. The dressing / pesto recipes here are enough for about 4 dinner sized salads, but I will leave the rest of the amounts up to your personal tastes and preferences.

Ingredients

Pesto
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
1/4 cup packed Italian parsley
2 T pine nuts
1 T chopped shallot
2 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
2 t chopped basil leaves
4 t red wine vinegar
3 t olive oil

Salad
2 cups organic red leaf lettuce, washed and chopped
2 cups mache lettuce*
2 cups baby lettuce blend
shelled English peas, cooked and set to room temperature
thin sliced radishes
thin sliced English cucumber
thin sliced red onions
cooked asparagus tips (I forgot to add these but it was my intention)
avocado slices
fresh cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
toasted pine nuts
crumbled farmer's cheese or queso blanco (in the Mexican food cold aisle of the market)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Add pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to add more oil or lemon depending on the thickness you desire. Let set up to a day in the refrigerator.

Blend dressing ingredients together and let set out.

Let lettuce crisp up by washing and setting in the refrigerator covered with a wet paper towel. When you are ready to serve, toss the lettuce in a large bowl with the other vegetables and dressing. Plate salad onto individual plates and add tortellini, pine nuts and cheese to each individually. Drizzle each plate with pesto and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

*I have a new obsession with mache lettuce, which is slowly gaining popularity in America. It tastes nutty, is a rich green color and has a delicate texture. High in vitamins A, B and C, it is known to fight stress and fatigue. It also has a third more iron in it than spinach! I haven't seen mache in many grocery stores as of yet, but I have found it in the bagged lettuce area at Trader Joe's.

Thank you Narineh for taking lovely pictures of the meal! You should check out her blog Traditionally Modern Designs for more (and other great design, home, food, etc. stuff!)

Cheese Fondue

2009-05-16T12:52:00.001-07:00

This recipe has been in our family for years...I remember our parents making it when we were kids and not being too fond of the taste of Swiss cheese or white wine at the age of 5-12, Nat and I would always delight in dark portions of fried chicken Hungry Man TV dinners. Now that we are grown up, we enjoy this recipe all the time. We modified it a bit this time by using extra sharp cheddar in conjunction with the Swiss cheese. We used spicy chicken sausages, red mini bell peppers, broccoli, garlic mushrooms, and or course sourdough bread as dipping mechanisms, but really anything that tastes good with cheese works. We also served this with side salads to balance out the richness of the rest of the meal.

Ingredients:
1 pound Swiss cheese grated- use the store brand kind- it melts the best and doesn't separate
1/4 pound Extra Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar grated (we used Trader Joes brand)
1 split garlic clove
1 c drinkable white wine- we used Meridian Chardonnay
2 t cornstarch
1 t dry mustard
dash nutmeg
1 t Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Grate cheese and mix with dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub the garlic clove on the inside of the fondue pot. Heat the wine in fondue pot over the stove. Slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly until desired texture is achieved- you want it to coat the spoon. Add Worcestershire sauce just before serving. Transfer to fondue burner and enjoy!

Brie with Almonds and Fruit Preserves

2009-05-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

This recipe makes for a quick and easy appetizer. I found a wonderful jar of fig (slight obsession) preserves, but I presume any fruit preserve that is not overly sweetened would do well.

Ingredients
one triangle brie- approx 6-10 oz
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup prepared preserves

apple slices and crostinis for dipping

Directions
Cut the brie into slices and place in a slightly oiled baking dish. Top with almonds, salt, pepper and oil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and apply a thin layer of preserves. Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Serve warm with toasted bread slices and apples.

I have found that with serving brie the most important thing is to not skimp on quality. Crappy store brand brie will taste like it. Some bries have more of a consistency of rubber than a nice soft cheese. I recommend buying double or triple cream brie from Trader Joe's and make sure that when it is chilled in the refrigerator that it still is soft to the touch.

Here are some more brie facts I found on the web

The white moldy Brie rind is edible and is usually eaten along with the softer interior.
Underripe Brie will feel hard when gently pressed with your finger, while overripe Brie will feel too soft and runny to the touch. The exterior should be firm, while the center should be springy but not watery.
Brie stops aging once it is sliced, so if it is not properly aged when you cut into it, it will not improve.
Brie should be brought to room temperature or warmed before eating.
French Brie has a lower fat content (about 40 percent) than American Brie which has up to 60 percent fat content. However, true Brie cheese is unpasteurized and illegal to import to the US.
Champagne goes particularly well with Brie cheese.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-05-12T20:17:00.001-07:00

For the last several years, our Mother's Day tradition has been a ladies weekend somewhere (usually San Luis Obispo) with the twins and Kristie. This year, we had it in Newport and Nat and I decided to cook most of the meals at home...great food blog opportunities...right? This is a very easy family recipe that usually makes an appearance around the holidays. We broke it out a little early this year with the mimosas for mom!

Ingredients:
1/2 stick salted butter, melted, plus 2 T
2 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/4 c brown sugar
1 package premade dough- such as Bridgeford ready dough or Trader Joe's white pizza dough
2 T flour

1 package low fat cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c powdered sugar
3 T milk

Directions:
Roll out the dough onto a large flourer surface into a rectangle. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar together in a bowl with a fork. Pour melted butter over the surface of the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Tightly roll the dough into a long tube. Now, this is a trick I did not know, but having mom in town this weekend, she shared the best way to cut cinnamon rolls EVER! Take a piece of unwaxed dental floss (about a foot long) and lay the tube of dough on top of it. Slowly bring the two ends together like you are going to tie a knot and it slices the dough into perfect little pieces without mushing the ends together. (See pic below).

Place slices into a greased baking pan about 1 inch apart and spoon remaining melted butter over the tops. Bake on 325 for 20 minutes until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl with a mixer to create frosting. Generously top each roll as they come out of the oven.

Vegetable Fried Rice

2009-05-11T22:34:00.001-07:00

This is an easy weeknight meal I prepare often that sneaks in a lot of healthy vegetables. The trick is to combine roughly one cup of vegetables and one scrambled egg white for every cup of rice. You can use any combination of vegetables that you like that goes well with soy sauce. It is also good with some extra thrown in rotisserie chicken or small precooked shrimp for you meat eaters.

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup white onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped snap peas
1 cup shredded napa cabbage
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
3 cups precooked brown rice
3 egg whites
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup green onion
cumin, white pepper, soy sauce, red pepper flakes to taste

Directions
Add oil to pan and sautee onions and garlic. Slowly add vegetables in order of how long they take to cook. When vegetables are almost done, add rice and egg and stir until egg is cooked thoroughly. Add more delicate herbs and vegetables and season to taste. Give pan a good pour of soy sauce and serve hot.

The trick with the rice is to use day old rice or to not go overboard on adding liquid to the pan of rice. Too much liquid will result in mush.

Green Onion and Sharp Cheddar Quinoa

2009-05-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

I think quinoa is the next hot ticket food item. It is nutritious, delicious and has so many varieties of ways to cook it. This recipe is from the SF Gate which claims to be a quinoa / risotto combination— "quinotto." It's good! I added a few extras to it and it really makes a creamy and delicious grain that could be a main dish or side dish.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
3 cups hot diluted broth
3 green onions, thinly sliced
About 3 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 heaping tablespoons cottage cheese
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt, black and red pepper, to taste
A grating of fresh nutmeg

Directions
In a heavy nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat, lightly toast the quinoa until it turns slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of broth, stirring as you go. When it has absorbed, add more liquid, a little at a time, in the same style as risotto, with less stirring. Add more liquid when the grains look as if they have absorbed all the liquid in the pan. Cook this way for about 10 minutes.

When the grains are just tender, another 5 minutes or so, add a little more liquid, and stir in the green onions. Cover and remove from the heat. Allow the quinoa to rest for 5-10 minutes, then add the cheddar, cottage cheese, salt, black and red pepper, and nutmeg. Add the tomatoes.

Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese, then fluff up the grains with a fork to gently combine. If the cheese hasn't melted, return the quinoa to a medium-low heat until it has.

Coffee Chocolate Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Toasted Coconut Whipped Cream

2009-05-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Now for a baking recipe... I made this last weekend when Garret's dad Dennis was in town. The McElveny men have a special place in their hearts for pineapple upside down cake, so I always try to make a new experimental version when I have an occasion. I got the chocolate cake recipe from Simply Organic and the rest came from my head. The cake itself is pretty exceptional. It is light but very moist. Dennis also brought up a couple of wines that were created before I was born so we had one to accompany our cake.

Ingredients
1 can pineapple rings, in natural juices
2 T rum
2 T brown sugar
1 t melted butter

1.75 cups flour
1.75 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup strong coffee
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 t vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 cup whipping cream
3 T powdered sugar
1 T coffee

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 10 inch cake pan and line top with parchment paper. sprinkle the inside of the pan with the brown sugar, butter and rum and then line with pineapple slices.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through salt). In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla). Stir well with a mixer and gradually add the contents of the dry bowl to the wet bowl.

Carefully pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 55 minutes.

While cake is baking, chill your mixer beaters and a bowl in the freezer. Line a baking sheet with the coconut and cook until golden- about 10 minutes.

When cake is done, cool for 10 minutes and invert onto a cake plate. While cake is cooling, beat whipping cream, sugar and coffee in a bowl until it is the right consistency. Slice the cake onto serving plates and top with cream and coconut.

Buttercup Kitchenaid Mixer

2009-05-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

It has arrived!!! Thank you grandpa and grandma! I received an early wedding gift from my grandparents today. My grandparents couldn't afford a high end mixer in their early married years and realized what a wonderful asset they were to the kitchen when they finally purchased one. Grandma decided that when her granddaughters got married that she would get them mixers. I can't wait to start baking... and making pizza dough... and bread... and cookies... oh my.

I got buttercup mainly because I love yellow and decided it would be a great heirloom to pass down to someone someday. I look at all the rust, chocolate and pea soup colored kitchen things my mom still has lying around and it brings a happy nostalgia for the past.

Taco Soup

2009-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T olive oil
1.5 lbs ground turkey

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1 package taco seasoning

sliced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips for garnish

Directions:
Saute the onion and garlic in a large soup pot until translucent. Add turkey until browned. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 20 minutes. Garnish with avocado slices, chips, cheese, and sour cream. This can be made vegetarian by eliminating the turkey and using an additional can of black beans.

May is Bike Month!

2009-05-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

Okay this it totally food unrelated, but for those of you who don't know, May is national bike month. Ride your bike more and enjoy the sunshine!

Bike Love Poster by Dora Drimilas

Some Biking Links
Bike Happening (This Thursday night! in SLO)
SLO County Bike Coalition
Bikely- cycling routes
Map my Ride

World's Best Bean Dip

2009-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo (this is you Nar)! I grew up on this bean dip- Superbowl, house parties, any occasion to make bean dip- we made it. I believe the recipe originated from an old family friend Randi Smith. This is always a hit and really easy to make. It makes a great burrito too! Watch out you may find Melanie and I selling bean dip burritos with avocado slices out of a little cart at the beach some day.

Ingredients
1-2 cans vegetarian Rosarita beans
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
cumin
corriander
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
cayenne pepper
(or use half a packet of taco seasoning if lazy)
3-15 good splashes of hot sauce, depending on your tolerance
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese- reserve most for topping
chips

Directions
Mix beans through hot sauce in a bowl. Add spices to your personal tastes or preferences. Mix in some of the cheese for added drippy cheesy gooiness in each bite. Put in an oven safe dish, top with remaining cheese and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and the cheese is melted. Serve with chips. Make extra. It will go quickly at large gatherings.

* As a side note, I usually make this with lightened versions of the sour cream and cream cheese to attempt to reduce chances of diabetes and heart disease in unsuspecting friends. I am a huge fan of sour cream as a condiment and have discovered that Daisy Light sour cream is the best light sour cream out there. The rest are grainy, flavorless and uncomparable to full fat sour cream.

Roasted Chicken

2009-05-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is such a great, easy recipe that can make a component to so many other dishes. The lemon under the skin gave the chicken a wonderful flavor- even cut up in salads the next day!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 lemon
1 T salt
1 T pepper
1 head garlic, crushed
4 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
1 T fresh thyme
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
cooking spray

Directions:
Cut the lemon in thin slices. Saute 2 minutes each side on low heat in a small frying pan coated in cooking spray. Let cool. Meanwhile, clean the chicken and loosen the skin, but leave the skin on. Place onto a large roasting pan. Place lemon slices, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and thyme under the chicken skin. Tie up the legs with twine. Coat chicken in cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with onion. Cook on 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 325. Cook an additional hour or until a meat themometer in the meaty part of the leg registers 180 degrees. I served this with buttermilk smashed potatoes and broccoli. I also made a sauce out of the chicken drippings by adding 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1 cup vegetable broth, and reducing until thickened. It was pretty awesome.

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Tart

2009-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

I had been eying this recipe from Deborah Madison's, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and decided to make it when I had company over this weekend. The flavor of the filling is nice. It tastes like it was made with love and would make a wonderful pasta sauce on its own if some red wine were added. The actual tart is reminiscent of a red jammy old fashioned pizza pie, minus the cheese. It would probably also be great with smoked mozzarella or thin slices of Romano on top.

Ingredients

Tart Dough
2 t active dry yeast
1/2 t sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 T olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 t salt
1.75 cups flour, as needed

Tart Filling
2 red onions, finely diced
3 T olive oil, plus extra for glazing crust
1.5 lbs ripe roma tomatoes
3 large red bell peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t saffron threads
salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 T chopped fresh basil
16 kalamata olives

Directions

Make the dough first!
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl and let stand 10 minutes. Add the oil, egg and salt, then stir in the flour. When the dough is too stiff to work with a spoon, turn it onto the counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Set the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise in a window until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour. Turn the dough out and roll into a thin circle and use it to line a 10" tart pan.

Filling
Cook the onions in the oil over medium heat until soft, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onion is cooking, half and seed the bell peppers. Roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes on broil until peppers are soft and skin is shiny. Set aside one pepper for topping and finely dice the rest. Peel and seed the tomatoes and finely chop those as well. Add the garlic, tomatoes and peppers to the onions. Crumble in the saffron threads and anise and season with salt and pepper. Cook mixture for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will be quite thick. Taste for proper seasoning and add basil at the end of cooking.

Tart
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add filling to the tart pan. Cut the reserved bell pepper into narrow strips and decorate top with a lattice pattern. Place the olives in the spaces formed by the peppers. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tart from the tart pan and brush the crust with olive oil. Serve warm with a nice salad.

*Make sure to keep an eye on your tart in the oven. I left mine in too long and I feel the crust was a little dry because of it.

Salad with Bulgur, Red Onion and Brandy Soaked Raisins

2009-04-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

This sounds like an odd combination, but it made a really enjoyable salad and we were sad there weren't any leftovers! It makes for a nice light yet filling lunch that will give you enough energy to keep going through the afternoon. The sweetness of the raisins combined with the chewy texture of the bulgur and saltiness of the olives is really nice. This recipe is enough to make a large salad for 4 people.

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur
1.75 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup raisins
2 T brandy
1/2 T honey
1/4 cup hot water
small bag organic mixed greens
1/2 head chopped red leaf lettuce
1 small thinly diced red onion
1/4 cup green olives
feta cheese - just enough for sprinkling on top
your favorite dressing

Directions
Bring the broth to a boil. Add bulgur and turn off heat. Cover and let set for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, sautee the raisins with the water, honey and brandy to reconstitute them.

When bulgur and raisins are done cooking, toss all remaining ingredients together. Serve slightly warm if possible.

I think this recipe would also be great with goat cheese instead of feta. Next time I might also add slivered toasted almonds.

Vegetarian Sandwiches

2009-04-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

We have quit deli meat and have been on a vegetarian sandwich kick lately. Garret and I have been trying them at most of the local sandwich shops that we enjoy. Here is a rundown of our favorites:

Gus' Deli Vegetarian Sandwich:
any kind of bread, herbed cream cheese spread, mashed avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers

High Street Deli Mother Nature Veggie Sandwich:
Sliced wheat bread, mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, cheese, sprouts, sliced mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, tomato, pickle, red onion

Old Edna Deli Rochella Sandwich:
Italian baguette with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, pesto and pesto oil- they also have a variation on this one that's on focaccia. It has all the above ingredients plus artichoke hearts, arugula, olives and herbed mayonnaise

Sidewalk Market Denicce Sandwich:
French roll, buffalo mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, red onion, basil, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar

We also created a sandwich at home that costs less than the average made-to-order deli sandwich that is pretty tasty. Recipe follows...

Ingredients
Organic whole wheat bread
herbed cream cheese (recipe follows)
Dijon mustard
brie slices
halved cherry tomatoes
sprouts
English cucumbers
radishes
avocado slices

variations include: shaved carrots, Gruyere cheese, red onion slivers

Directions
Toast bread, put together sandwich to your liking.

Herbed Cream Cheese
I have a little herb garden in my front yard, so I just took a variety of what I grow and mixed it with am 8 ounce block of light cream cheese.

Directions
Take cheese and let it set out until it reaches room temperature. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the following: basil, cilantro, chives, Italian parsley. Add sea salt and fresh pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and half of a clove of garlic that is minced finely. Mix everything together and refrigerate. The longer it refrigerates, the better the flavors mix together.

You can also make a great appetizer with this by spreading it on toasted baguette slices and adding roasted red peppers and a basil leaf or kalamata olives.

Asparagus and Sugar Pea Summer Salad

2009-04-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a very easy, light and refreshing side dish that I made in 10 minutes. I got this in my May 09 Cooking Light magazine. They had it served with chicken scallopine. I made it as a 'healthy' side dish to mac and cheese:)

Ingredients:

1/2 of 1 bunch of thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 cup sugar snap peas, julienne cut (cut the ends off and cut once down the length, not on the seam)

1 T chopped fresh mint
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t grated lemon rind
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt

Directions:

Steam peas and asparagus in hot water for 4 minutes, rinse with cold water and chill until ready to serve. Whisk together remaining ingredients and set aside until ready to serve. Toss vegetables with oil mixture to coat.

Quinoa and Corn Griddle Cakes with Salsa

2009-04-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

I was going to post something else tonight, but I made these this evening and they were so delicious I decided to use these instead. My mom sent me this recipe from Prevention Magazine and said it was a hit at her house. The griddle cakes are reminiscent of latkes but a little chewier and have a nice sweet corn crunch to them. This recipe serves two with some leftover salsa. The salsa is nice and acidic with a beautiful array of colors. The leftovers would be great with chips or on a baked potato. This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but I think you will find that you have most of this stuff on hand already.

Ingredients
(adapted from Prevention Magazine)

Cakes
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup reduced sodium savory vegetable broth
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 scallions, sliced finely
1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 T buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
a few shakes of hot sauce
2 T canola oil

Salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno chile, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 medium red bell pepper, minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Optional Toppings
Sour cream
Avocado slices

Directions
Make the salsa by combining all the salsa ingredients together. Chill in fridge while making the cakes or longer.

Prepare quinoa by cooking with broth in a sauce pan until it boils. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low until the broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, and add remaining ingredients except for the oil.

Heat oil in a large fry pan at a medium high temperature. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the quinoa mixture at a time onto the pan and flatten with the back of a spatula. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until browned. Serve topped with salsa and other toppings as desired.

Puff Pastry Traingles with Feta, Spinach and Artichoke

2009-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I was having a craving for spanikopita and had some extra puff pastry in the freezer from the tarts that I made about a week ago, so I came up with this. These are easy to make, just require a little time to stuff and seal the pastry squares. I served these over a little mixed green salad with home made balsamic dressing. Recipe makes 16- I would recommend making 3-4 per person.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked spinach
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/3 cup mix of fresh herbs- I used basil, thyme, chives and Italian parsley
1/2 t Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup herbed feta crumbles
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
splash of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 package puff pastry, thawed (2, 10" squares)

Directions
Mix the first 10 ingredients together in a bowl. Lay out puff pastry on a cutting board and cut each piece into 4 squares. With a butter knife, take each square and make a perforation diagonally through it to make 2 triangles- do not cut in half. Put 2-3 spoonfuls of the spinach mixture onto one side of the diagonal line and fold pastry over so that it folds into a little triangular pouch. Press sides together and roll up slightly until sealed.

Repeat this process with remaining pastry squares. Place triangles on a cookie sheet, spray tops with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Take out of oven, let cool for 5 minutes and cut each larger triangle in half to make nice bite sized ones.

Steak and Pineapple Kabobs with Grilled Vegetables

2009-04-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

Dave and I celebrated the first 'summer-like' weekend in Newport by purchasing a gas grill. I have enjoyed my charcoal Weber for years, but we had been discussing for some time that we would probably use a grill much more often if we didn't have to wait for coals, especially during the week. This recipe is really simple and does not require a lot of work...perfect tribute to summer after a day at the beach!

Ingredients (serves 2):
3 large red potatoes
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T olive oil
1 T thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1 2 lb top sirloin, fat trimmed and cut into chunks
1 pineapple, chopped into large chunks (you will have some leftover)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 T Worcestershire sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T canola oil

Directions:

Trim steak and put into a large ziplock bag. Add all ingredients, except pineapple to bag to create a marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. I made this in the morning and headed to the beach all day.

Chop vegetables, mix in bowl with garlic, seasonings, and olive oil. Put in grill basket and grill over low heat for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, assemble kabobs by alternating steak and pineapple chunks on skewers. If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak in water prior to assembling. Once vegetables have cooked a while, flip the grill basket to grill the other side, add kabobs to barbecue. Cook on low to medium for an additional 20 minutes (turn every 5 minutes so all sides are seared) until desired doneness is achieved. Remove from grill and serve side by side. We also served this with rice pilaf.

Pizza Sauce

2009-04-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

My husband and I got a pizza pan and a spring form pan as wedding presents seven months ago and it has spawned a love for making pizzas. We probably make pizza twice per month. We've tried everything from deep dish barbecue pizza with cornmeal crust to spinach, artichoke and chicken sausage (pictured above). As pizza toppings are a personal preference for many, I am not going to post how to make pizza, but rather my sauce recipe. Go grab yourself a bag of Trader Joe's pizza dough, make some sauce, and enjoy creating!

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T thyme
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Directions:

Mice the garlic and onions, add to sauce pot with olive oil and saute on medium heat until translucent. Add cans of tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and remaining ingredients through fennel. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, turn down heat and add fresh basil. Now, you are ready to create pizzas. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Curd

2009-04-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

I have been an avid reader of Cooking Light for many years. Most of their food is delicious while remaining health conscious. I came across these waffles in their Reader Recipe column a few years back and they are delicious. The waffles are a beautiful crisp brown color and the crystallized ginger adds wonderful spicy chewy bits to some of the bites. I definitely recommend seeking out prepared lemon curd because it really adds an extra layer of complexity to this meal. I made these waffles for a little mimosa brunch with my family this Easter. They were a hit and didn't take very much effort to make. I served them with fresh sliced strawberries, prosecco and mandarin mimosas and some bacon.

Ingredients
recipe from Cooking Light March 2007
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups fat-free buttermilk
3 T canola oil
3 T molasses
2 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large egg yolks
1 (4-ounce) container applesauce
3 T minced crystallized ginger
2 large egg whites

jarred lemon curd for topping

Directions
Spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through applesauce) in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in crystallized ginger.

Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray, and preheat. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter evenly to edges. Cook for 5 minutes or until steaming stops, and repeat procedure with remaining batter.

This recipe supposedly makes 9 servings, but I would say it serves about 6 people or 5 really hungry people. The leftovers freeze well and heat back up in the toaster nicely.

Asparagus and Mushroom Tarts

2009-04-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend we moved to our new place, so first off, I would like to say GOODBYE TINY KITCHEN with 14 inches of counter space and hello new perfect kitchen! I have been without a dishwasher or a garbage disposal for the last two years, and boy have I missed them!

This was the first meal that I made in our new house. My lovely family came down from Roseville to help us move and were a wonderful help to us. I wanted to make them a nice little meal after a long day of moving that we could enjoy lots of wine with. I saw this recipe while reading this month's Bon Appetit and decided to try it. I have been intrigued by tarts lately- they are something I have found plenty of perusing through my vegetarian cookbooks.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit) Makes 8
Ingredients
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
12 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, cut into thin pieces
1 t coarse kosher salt
1/2 t coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut along length and then into 1" pieces
1 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 t lemon peel
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 equal pieces. Set on foil lined cookie sheet. Score the edges of the squares with a knife making a 1/2 inch design around each piece.

In a fry pan, melt butter. Add mushrooms and part of the salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain mixture and let cool.

In a bowl, combine mushrooms through gruyere to make the filling. Mound the filling in the center of each tart. Cook tarts for 12-15 minutes in the oven or until puffed up and golden and filling is cooked through.

I served these with a large garden salad and some balsamic roasted artichoke halves with a basil garlic aioli. To make the aioli, mix a half cup mayonnaise with 1 clove crushed garlic, splash balsamic, and 5 large minced basil leaves and set in fridge for at least an hour. I think everyone enjoyed their meal. Our favorite wine of the evening was Work Vineyard's Syrah.

Restaurant Review: Greens Restaurant, San Francisco

2009-04-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

a guest post by Jenna Boyd

For my birthday, the lovely Miss Natalie Mathews who knows me all too well (being the food fiend that I am) gave me a gift certificate to the vegetarian restaurant Greens in San Francisco. Until I traveled around Spain, I had no idea that vegetarian food could actually be GOOD... in fact, I had always viewed it as strange concoctions of tofu and faux meat. Well, I learned my lesson. Vegetarian food can actually be AMAZING, and no more so than at the iconic Greens restaurant which is in the upper echelon of vegetarian cuisine.

Located in Fort Mason, the restaurant has stunning views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge with expansive windows lining the entire wall. After settling into our table and nibbling on some complimentary roasted almonds (which were delicious), I got down to business and eagerly started pouring over the menu. I could hardly contain my glee while picking the items I wanted to order. Normally, I exhibit slightly more restraint, but as I had this magical gift card, I felt as though I had free reign to order whatever I pleased. And so I did. I ordered two appetizers, an entree, and two desserts. Mind you, I was with two friends so I did intend to share some of this.

First came the potato and masa griddle cakes with jalapenos, green onions, salsa, and sour cream. These were delicious and quickly devoured– a great start to our meal. The menu changes regularly so unfortunately I do not have a menu to which I can refer. Next, came the artisan cheese plate with two different kinds of cheese, a small sampling of olives, and a fennel salad. The distinct taste of fennel complemented the smoothness of the cheese nicely as did the saltiness of the olives.

Our waiter, Gregory, had taken a liking to us by this point and insisted on bringing us all samples of the Italian butter bean soup. How could we resist? It was good, especially with the cheesy hunks of croutons which had soaked up some of the soup.

For my main course, I chose the risotto cake with grilled asparagus, turnips, and other veggies in a Meyer lemon cream sauce. The sauce was deliciously silky, and the asparagus was beautifully grilled. My friends ordered the veggie tacos and a leek pizza, but I have to say, mine was my favorite. I definitely cleaned my plate!

By this point, the other ladies had started discussing how full they were and did not need any dessert.. so I had to pull the birthday card and order two desserts which they seemed to have no problem eating once they arrived! The chocolate pot de creme came with a candle for me and two chocolate chip biscotti- perfect for dunking. The second was a fancy ice cream sandwich with Mitchell's (a SF favorite) baby coconut ice cream between two delectable chocolate chip cookies. Mmmm... I left full having blown my gift certificate out of the water.

Happy Birthday Jenna! Jenna has been doing a small restaurant tour of San Francisco for her 25th birthday festivities. As a side note, she is visiting world renown, Chez Panisse of Berkeley tonight, so be prepared for another SF area restaurant review coming up!

Sweet Potato Hash

2009-04-08T20:47:00.001-07:00

I love yams, but I can never think of ways to cook them besides baking them in the oven and putting a little browned butter and molasses on them or making the traditional marshmellowed Thanksgiving kind. I thought it would be interesting to make them in a manner similar to regular potato hash browns and see what happens. This makes a healthy, colorful and nutritious side dish.

Ingredients
3 sweet potatoes (yams), cleaned and peeled
1 T salted butter
1 large shallot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
Sage, chili powder, fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Grate the potatoes with the largest setting on your box grater and soak in a bowl of water until ready to use.

In a frying pan, melt the butter and cook shallots on medium high for two minutes. Add bell pepper and drained grated potatoes and sautee for 12 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Season to taste and serve warm.

Yams are high in vitamins A, B6, C, fiber and potassium.

Huevos Rancheros

2009-04-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

If you can't tell my my all of the sudden artistic pictures, Natalie was in town for a visit this weekend. One thing we have been experimenting with for the last year or so (since Nat discovered that she actually liked eggs in some format) is making variations of poached eggs. Recently, I acquired the skills of hand poaching eggs so they don't look like something that comes out of a McDonald's breakfast sandwich, as they do when they are made in a poaching pan. This recipe got 5 stars from the crew and was actually inspired by a trip to the Elite Cafe in SF (thanks Kelsey).

Ingredients:
(makes 4 plates)
6 corn tortillas
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese + some extra for garnish
2 cans organic black beans
1 jar red salsa (I used Trader Joe's Salsa Authentica)
4 eggs
4 T hot sauce (we used Cholula)
4 T Mexican Sour Cream- cut your normal sour cream with a splash of salt and nonfat milk, whisk until smooth and runny

Directions:
Drain beans and put on stove top in saucepan with salsa. Let cook on low until cooked through. Meanwhile, put three tortillas on a baking sheet, add cheese, top with remaining tortillas. Cook on 350 for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into slices. Poach eggs (see directions below). Layer each plate with 3-4 quesadilla triangles, 1/2 c bean mixture, 1 egg, and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and hot sauce. This went great with our Bloody Mary's I posted yesterday!

How to poach an egg:
Boil enough water in a 4-6 quart pan to cover the top of an egg plus an inch. (I used my 6 qt all clad stock pot that has low sides). Once water is boiling, reduce to a simmer so it no longer bubbles. Slowly crack an egg into a serving spoon, gently lower into the water. Cook for about 4 minutes until it reaches desired doneness. Repeat with remaining eggs. Remove with a slotted spoon, salt, and serve immediately. It doesn't sound that hard, but it took me almost a year to figure out how to do this and have them look pretty. The trick is getting the water hot enough to boil before reducing it and using a pan with low enough sides to give you leverage with the spoon. Good luck!

Breakfast Bloody Marys

2009-04-05T20:42:00.001-07:00

I would consider myself a connoisseur of bloody marys. When I lived in San Diego, I developed a love for these drinks. One morning every weekend was sure to include them. About a year ago, I started trying to perfect the recipe- something not too tomato, not too spicy, good texture, lots of garnish. I came across this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. Works the best if you have a food processor, but I have also made them in the blender. If you like them really hot, make sure to add more hot sauce and Worcestershire than the recipe calls for. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 large celery stalks
3 t prepared horseradish
the juice of 3 lemons
2 t grated yellow onion- I used about 1/4 of a small onion and threw it in the food processor
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t celery salt
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t Tabasco- I used Cholula
46 ounces of tomato juice
2 cups vodka- I recommend Absolut Peppar

Directions:
Cut the celery in large chunks and puree in the bowl of a food processor. Add horseradish, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, kosher salt, and Tabasco and puree it again. Pour tomato juice into a 2 1/2 quart pitcher, stir in the mixture and add vodka and chill. Salt glass rims and fill with ice. Garnish with celery stalks, lemon, and green olives. I made this a day ahead and it worked great!

Black Bean Jalapeno Dip

2009-04-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

I made this for a taco party. It was tasty and pretty healthy too!

Ingredients
1/2 a white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos, diced
1 t olive oil
8 oz light cream cheese (room temperature)
salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and chile powder to taste
2 cans black beans (or make them from scratch!)
1/2 cup jack or pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions
Mix onion through olive oil in a blender or in a bowl with a hand blender. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add spices and black beans and make sure black beans get mashed, but not fully pureed. Put mixture in a small oven proof dish and top with cheese. Cook at 400 degrees until heated thoroughly- about 20 minutes. When finished, top with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips. You can add more jalapenos or serranos for an extra kick!

What's Worth Buying Organic?

2009-04-01T18:53:00.001-07:00

This month's Cooking Light has a good amount of information on organic products. Organic foods can be quite expensive, and while I try to buy many organic fruits and vegetables, I have always wanted to know what's really worth spending the extra money on. According to some research I have done, foods that come with the heaviest burden of hormones, additives and pesticides are most important to be purchased organically when available. Here is a list I've compiled that can be used as a quick reference guide when shopping:

Buy Organic:
Apples
Bell Peppers
Carrots
Celery
Cherries
Coffee
Grapes
Kale
Leafy Greens
Lettuce
Meat
Milk
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries

Buy Regular
These items are least likely to contain trace levels of pesticides.
Pineapple
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Broccoli
Cabbage
Corn
Eggplant
Kiwi
Mango
Onion
Papaya
Peas
Sweet Potato
Tomato
Watermelon

Sources: April 2009 Cooking Light, thedailygreen.com

Vegetarian Month = Over

2009-03-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

So vegetarian month has finally come to a ceasefire. So what did I learn? I kind of liked it. It forced me to enter a lot of new cooking territories that I previously hadn't explored. We didn't end up eating bean burritos or pizza every night and still managed to be healthy. Overall, I feel healthier and more energetic and will probably not go back to being full-time carnivore. Hopefully you, our small dear reader crowd has been inspired to think outside of the box and focus on what you are putting into your body as well.

Apparently, someone else was on a veggie kick this month too! Today my friend Kelsey sent me this link that contains one month of vegetarian dinners: My Recipes Vegetarian Month. This sure would have come in handy! I will definitely be trying some of these recipes out and if they turn out good I will post them.

Here are some other vegetarian / vegan blogs that I have discovered lately that you may find interesting:

101 Cookbooks
Chef Erik
Chow Vegan
Crazy Sexy Life
Modern Beet
Vegan Guinea Pig
Vegan Yum Yum
Veg Cooking Blog
Vegetarian Organic

Vegetarian / Lifestyle books that I have read, am still going through (or haven't gotten to yet):
Skinny Bitch
The China Study
In Defense of Food
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

I have a backlog of vegetarian recipes I have tried or created, so keep expecting more. I also have a review of SLO's best vegetarian sandwich coming soon!

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

2009-03-30T19:39:00.001-07:00

This weekend we hit up Nepenthe in Big Sur. When ordering our entrees, the waitress asked if we wanted blue cheese dressing on our salad as if that were the normal thing to order there, so we just went with it. I am not usually a fan of Ranch dressing on salads; I prefer dressing of that consistency to be used as a dip. To our surprise, when the salads came out, it was their "house" blue cheese vinaigrette. Now I see why she assumed we would want it. It was delicious! I didn't ask them for their recipe, but I came across this version online that is claimed to be close. I tasted it last night and it is almost on the spot. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 t Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 T fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

A simple salad of red leaf lettuce and tomatoes. We also added sliced cucumber.

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together except for the blue cheese. When ready to serve, add cheese and whisk. Toss with salad greens.

This recipe will make about 3/4 cup.

Spring Chicken

2009-03-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am ruining vegetarian month a few days early (I heard Nat had a steak this weekend so I don't feel that bad!). I get about three cooking magazines per month in addition to a stack of cookbooks. I made a goal this month that at least once per week I am going to actually cook something out of these wonderful reads. Tonight Dave and I made chicken that we adapted from the April 2009 Bon Appetit, which highlights using fresh spring ingredients. It was so good that I can't wait until my lunch tomorrow when I get to have it again!

Ingredients:
1/4 c finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 T finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 T minced shallot (I used the whole thing)
2 t grated orange peel
1/2 t grated lemon peel

1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (trimmed and coated with salt and pepper)
2 T (+) olive oil
1 T butter

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped, discard the dark green parts
1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch slender asparagus spears, cleaned and trimmed into thirds
3/4 c vegetable broth
2 T cream fraiche

Directions:
Mix first five ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet. Cook chicken thighs about 3 minutes on each side until cooked all the way through. Remove from heat and put on a plate covered with foil to keep warm.

Add butter and onions to pan. Cook until translucent (about 4 min). Add asparagus and saute 1 minute longer. Salt and pepper to taste. Add vegetable broth to pan. Simmer about 4 minutes until veggies are fully cooked. Add herb and lemon mixture to pan. Add cream fraiche to pan. Cook an additional 2 minutes on low until sauce thickens. Remove veggies with slotted spoon and set aside with chicken. Cook sauce a few more minutes until bubbly.

I served the chicken, veggies, and sauce over wild rice pilaf with a steamed artichoke on the side. Delicious!

Headed to Big Sur for the Weekend

2009-03-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here is something I wrote a year ago this week. Every year Garret and I go camping in Big Sur for our anniversary. These are two of our favorite places to eat there. We will be hitting them up again.

Nepenthe Restaurant
We went for an early dinner. Waited outside by the fire and had some local brews. Dinner included Filet Mignon with mushroom white wine ragout and garlic mashed potatoes, maple duck glazed with ginger mango sauce and cappuccino creme brulee. The restaurant has a spectacular view from almost any location on the premises as well as an indoor and outdoor fireplace. The ingredients and wine list are all local and fresh.

Ripplewood Resort Restaurant
We stopped here to get coffee on the way home and ended up having a full-on gourmet breakfast. From the outside it looks like a gas station / convenience store and we were expecting Denny's on the inside. Instead it was quite charming. The wait staff boasted an eggs Benedict special which was probably the most beautiful eggs Benedict I have ever seen— eggs on top of an English muffin with Hollandaise sauce, sauteed mushrooms and fresh avocado slices. It was also served with hash browns that appeared to be made from a mashed potato base. I got the huevos rancheros with egg whites which was also wonderful. This restaurant was a great place to discover after a 10 mile hike the previous day and a freezing cold night of camping.

PS: We will probably be cheating on our vegetarian diet for the weekend. I can't justify driving 1.5 hours, hiking all day and roughing it for a veggie burger :)

Burrito Stuffed Bell Peppers

2009-03-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

I commonly stuff bell peppers with anything from meat loaf to jambalaya. This time, I stuffed them like a burrito. These are delicious, healthy and easy.

Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced lengthwise
2 cups cooked bulgur
1 can pinto beans
1/2 cup pico de gallo (see recipe) + more for topping
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t chile powder
1/2 t coriander
salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste
1/3 cup extra sharp cheddar + more for topping
sour cream for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a pot of water and in a steamer attachment, steam the bell peppers for 4 minutes each. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl add remaining ingredients except for sour cream and stir. Place peppers into a greased pyrex and spoon in the stuffing. Top with more cheese and cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Remove peppers from oven and top with sour cream and more pico de gallo. Serve warm.

One half of a pepper is almost a good enough serving for one person if you are serving a salad or another side. They are more filling than they look, but definitely save well for leftovers if you cook and add toppings the next day. I think they would also be great with sliced avocado on top.

Green Veggie Alfredo Pasta

2009-03-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Garret's mom used to make him fettuccine Alfredo a lot growing up, so in our earlier dating years, when eating on a college budget, I tried making him fettuccine Alfredo for the first time. My mom taught me to make Alfredo sauce from a roux and needless to say, the fettuccine turned out more like paste than pasta. He ate it anyway, but has since taught me "his" way of making the sauce, which is unexpectedly from cream cheese. I haven't tried making it the roux way since; this is great and much easier.

Ingredients:
two handfuls green beans, trimmed
one bunch spinach
2 - 4 servings noodle pasta
1 tsp canola butter
8 ounces light cream cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 T milk
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, plus some for topping
1/8 cup toasted pepitas
1/8 cup manzanilla olives
salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
Bring a two pots of water to a boil. In one, blanche the green beans and set them aside, then steam the spinach in the same pot and set aside also. Boil pasta according to directions.

In the meantime, add butter, garlic and cream cheese to a sauce pan. Stirring with a whisk, add milk and Parmesan and stir until smooth. You may need to add more milk as it cooks.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce, vegetables and remaining ingredients.

I have been using Trader Joe's Multigrain Pasta with Flax. It has a really nice taste and texture as well as adding extra nutrients and protein. I'm usually not a fan of wheat pasta, but this stuff is GOOD!

Tomato Basil Lasagna

2009-03-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

When you can get fresh colorful basil and tomatoes you can't pass a dish like this up! It's a little lighter than traditional hearty meat lasagna, but equally delicious. Make sure to use a high quality tomato sauce that you really enjoy!

Ingredients
1 small box 8" lasagna noodles
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced thick
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small bunch basil, chopped
12 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar vodka sauce
1 ball fresh mozzarella
Italian seasoning, cracked pepper and salt

Directions
Grease an 8x8 inch pyrex pan with olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together ricotta, eggs, garlic and spices until fluffy. Soak the tomato slices in balsamic.

Pour a small amount of the sauce into the pan and cover the entire bottom of the dish. Add lasagna noodles- about 4- on top of the sauce and then add another layer on top going in the opposite direction. Spoon all of the ricotta mix onto the noodles and spread with a spatula. Layer the basil on top of the ricotta followed by a layer of sliced tomatoes and a layer of mozzarella. Spoon another light layer of sauce on top. Next, add another layer of noodles in the same pattern as the first layer. Top this with more tomatoes and then pour the remaining sauce on top. Finish off with another layer of cheese and a sprinkling of seasonings.

Bake for at least 45 minutes and serve.

I found that Trader Joe's makes neat little 8" 'no boil' noodles that don't have crinkles on them. These layer really nicely in lasagna and cook nicely without breaking. I would serve this with a little green salad. Leftovers are nice with some extra vodka sauce spooned over them.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2009-03-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

I've never made bread from scratch before, minus the bread maker when I was young. Cooking Light had an issue a few months back highlighting many different variations of bread that made me promise I was going to try to make it soon. I couldn't find the issue today, but I decided to try to make this one because it is versatile...went great with the potato leek soup I made for dinner and I'm certain it will make a great turkey sandwich for work tomorrow!

Ingredients:

1/2 t sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 t warm water

2 cups 1% milk
3 T canola oil
3 T honey
1 t salt

3 c all purpose flour
3 c whole wheat flour

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Let stand 15 minutes until it looks like this:
Meanwhile, combine milk, honey, salt, and canola oil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until warmed and honey fully dissolves in liquid mixture. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add yeast.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and stir with a whisk. Add the liquid and stir until a sticky dough forms. Pour dough onto a large surface covered in 2 T all purpose flour. Knead until dough is no longer sticky. Add up to 2 more T flour if necessary.

Pour into a large bowl coated in cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 20-25 minutes until dough rises and if you gently press your finger into the dough, the indentation will stay. Punch down the dough, cover and let sit an additional 15 minutes.

In bowl, slice dough down the center with a knife. Remove half and place on flour covered surface. Cover the remaining half so it does not dry out. Roll dough into a 7 x 14 rectangle. Roll dough into a roll, eliminating bubbles in the dough as necessary. Place seam side down into a metal loaf pan (I used 8x4) coated in canola oil. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover and let sit 30 minutes. Dough will double in size.

Place dough into a 400 degree oven. Cook for 10 minutes and turn down heat to 325. Cook an additional 35 minutes. Slide a knife around the loaf to remove from pan. Place on a towel lined cooling rack. Can be served immediately.

Pico de Gallo

2009-03-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

I use this a lot, so I figured I would give it an individual post before I started adding it as an ingredient to other recipes. Pico de Gallo is great in burritos, tacos, on baked potatoes and just great alone on chips with a cold beer or margarita :)

Ingredients
two roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 a white onion, diced
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 seranno pepper, finely chopped
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Add all ingredients to a bowl and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors blend. Makes about 2 and a half cups.

Depending on your tolerance for spicy you can add more or less serrano. If you aren't into spicy food, remove the seeds from the pepper.

French Toast

2009-03-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

French Toast

Ingredients

1 egg
1/4 c low fat milk
1 t vanilla bean paste (or just vanilla if not available)
1 t cinnamon
4 slices french bread (I got the hot at 4pm kind from local grocery)
1 banana
1 T powdered sugar
2 T syrup
1 T butter
1 t canola oil

Directions

Add butter and canola to frying pan over medium heat. Let melt. Meanwhile, mix egg, milk, vanilla paste, and cinnamon in a shallow glass bowl. Quickly dip french bread in liquid mixture (both sides). Add to frying pan. Cook about 2 minutes each side being careful not to burn. Plate and top with banana slices, syrup, and powdered sugar.

Quinoa with Chickpeas, Vegetables and Feta

2009-03-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I should balance out Mel's non-vegetarian dish with something new I created tonight. I had a bunch of vegetables lying around and thought this might make a nice light meal with some quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that is not yet well known in North America. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred. My quinoa recipe turned out really colorful and hearty enough that it didn't really need a side dish.

I have been reading a few vegetarian cookbooks (Vegetarian Suppers and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison) that taught me how to cook these grains. These books are really helpful when it comes to the basics of vegetarian cooking. They show how to create virtually anything just like a basic Betty Crocker cookbook would. So far, the vegetarian month has gone easier than expected. I dont' feel that it has changed our lifestyle all that much. Besides the occasional cheeseburger craving, (after almost three weeks), I don't really even want or desire meat anymore. I don't think that this will result in full-blown vegetarianism at the end of this month, but more serve as an eye opener as to what else there is out there to cook besides meat-centered meals. On another side note, I have been reading a book called The China Study which proclaims that for better overall health and less chances of cancer and other diseases, that humans should make meat proteins less than 10% of their diet- more on that later.

Ingredients
2 cups vegetable broth
olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a white onion, diced
1/2 cup asparagus tips
1 zucchini, diced
1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup grape tomatoes
1/8 cup kalamata olives
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 bunch watercress, diced
feta cheese for topping
salt, pepper, fennel seeds, oregano, cayenne to taste

Directions
Boil vegetable broth in small sauce pan. Add quinoa, turn down, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sautee onion and garlic in large fry pan. After a few minutes, add asparagus, zucchini and chickpeas. When quinoa is almost cooked, add remaining ingredients to heat and season to taste. Pour cooked quinoa over vegetable mixture, stir well and season to taste. Serve topped with a little feta cheese.

Serves 4.

A Proper Mathews St. Patties Day Meal

2009-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry Nat, I had to break the vegetarian thing because I had beef on the 17th! As Nat explained, it has been tradition in my family for many years to make the following: corned beef, cabbage, carrots, red potatoes in some format, and mint chocolate cookie cake. I have included some photos as well as basic instructions below. My new married family got to enjoy it this year!

Corned Beef

Ingredients:
1 corned beef brisket
2 smashed garlic cloves
2-3 large containers of beef or vegetable broth
1 Guinness

Directions:
In large crock pot, add corned beef, beer, and garlic. Add beef or vegetable broth until roast is fully covered. Cook on the lowest setting (mine had 10 hours as low) all day. When side dished are prepared, remove from crock pot, assemble on platter, and shred with two forks. Remove fatty layer as necessary.

Cabbage

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage sliced into thin wedges
3 slices smoked apple wood bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 T water
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 pinch white sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Fry bacon in large skillet (with sides) until crispy, remove and place on a paper towel. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add cabbage, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat about 15 minutes. Prior to serving, toss with vinegar and bacon pieces.

Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:
6 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise and quartered
zest of 1 lemon
1 t lemon juice
1 t honey
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
1/8 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients except carrots. Toss carrots into liquid mixture. Pour into Pyrex baking dish. Bake in 400 degree oven about 25 minutes until roasted and tender to a fork.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 small red potatoes, quartered, with skins on
3 T butter
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook potatoes in salted boiling water about 25 minutes until fork tender. Drain. Add butter. Mash with potato masher until fluffy. Add warm milk, sour cream, and chives. Whip until desired consistency is achieved. Add more or less liquid depending on desired fluffiness.

Chocolate Mint Cookie Cake

Ingredients:
1 pint whipping cream
5 T powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 t peppermint extract
1 box of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Directions:
Put whipping cream and a metal or glass bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes, remove. Whip with small electric mixer until cream starts to form. Slowly add sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Taste and add more sugar or mint if necessary. Continue to whip until it is firm, but be careful to not let it turn into butter. With a spatula, add whipped cream on top of 1 wafer cookie. Stack and assemble cookies until it will balance on its side. Continue adding cookies until entire box is used. Use remaining whipped cream to cover the outside of the cookie stack. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes prior to serving. Slice at an angle. Enjoy!

Beer Cheese Soup with Roasted Potatoes and Leeks

2009-03-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

My family has very few holidays where we religiously create the same meal, but Saint Patrick's Day has always been one of them. Typically, we have corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and chocolate mint cake and revel in our semi Irish heritage. This year, trying the whole vegetarian thing, I had to come up with something new that still felt Irish. I have always seen versions of Beer Cheddar Soup in cooking magazines and decided to take a crack at making one that had a little substance. Overall, it was pretty good, but I still kind of missed my corned beef with mustard!

Ingredients
olive oil
4 russet potatoes, chopped, skin on
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 a beer- I used Hefenweizen
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese + some for topping
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped- remove dark green leaves
1/2 bunch chives, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a pyrex pan, mix potatoes and garlic with a little olive oil and roast for an hour.

When potatoes are roasted, add to a soup pot with carrots and liquids. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth, but still a little chunky. Turn heat back on to low and stir in cheese.

In a frying pan, sautee the leeks and onion until tender and add these and the chives to the soup. Season to taste.

Serve soup topped with cheese and chives and a little cracked pepper.

Fresh Braised Greens and Lentils over Toast

2009-03-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for a few days now and I decided I needed some fresh air tonight so I walked down to SLO's Farmer's Market. (For all the people who know what a gem this is- you're jealous right now). Tonight I found a lady who had these amazing baskets of fresh greens for salads, stir fry, you name it. I ended up getting a mix of them that consisted of chard, kale, pea shoots, broccoli rabe, etc. and created this for dinner. BTW- I got all this below for less than $11!

Ingredients
splash olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 red onion, diced
2 handfuls fresh greens
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup diced stewed tomatoes
1/2 t whole seed mustard
1/4 cup dry red wine
salt and pepper to taste

fancy bread cut into slices
Parmesan for sprinkling

Directions
Add olive oil through greens to a hot pan and sautee. Add lentils through wine and let cook covered until lentils set up, about 30 minutes or longer.

Meanwhile, slice bread and place in oven at 400 degrees to toast.

Serve lentils over toast and sprinkle with cheese.

I purchased my bread from House of Bread. It was Basil Parmesan Bread which had a swirl of cheese and herbs inside. I discovered tonight that they have "day olds" on sale for $2.50 which is still much cheaper and more value than much of anything you can get at the grocery store. Tonight we definitely "ate local." This amount was just enough to feed two people along with a little salad and wine. Tonight I recommend Bishop's Peak Rock Solid Red.

Chow Mein Soup

2009-03-11T21:34:00.001-07:00

For lack of a better name, this is what I'm calling it. Our family LOVES Hop Sing's (0f Folsom California) vegetable chow mein. My mom recently invented this soup recipe which is very similar, but a little more healthy and perfect for a cold day!

Ingredients:
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 package soba noodles (usually near the produce, buy them raw and fresh)

1 T canola oil
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
1 white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cups diced bok choy
2-3 stalks of green onion, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 T Tamari soy sauce

Directions:
Add oil to large sauce pan and heat, saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrots until translucent. Salt and pepper to taste. Add broth, bring to a boil. Cook noodles in mixture according to package directions. After noodles have cooked fully, turn down the heat to a simmer. Add peas, bean sprouts, bok choy, more salt and pepper (if necessary), red pepper flakes, and cook five more minutes.

Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped green onion and soy sauce. Enjoy!

How to Cook Grains

2009-03-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Grains can be tricky. Being vegetarian this month, I have discovered a whole new uncharted territory in the cooking realm. (I mean really, groats? millet?) I have been buying grains in bulk, but the problem with that is— no directions! I created this little chart to have something consolidated for reference that has all this information in one place. Enjoy! More recipes using these grains to follow!

(click on chart for full size version)
Unused grains can be kept in an airtight container out of direct sunlight for 3-4 months.

Pistachio Creme Brulee

2009-03-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love pistachio anything... I think it started with my childhood love for pistachio pudding and spumoni ice cream. I also love creme brulee so I guess this recipe was a natural progression. My next baking adventure will be a pistachio cheese cake.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup half and half
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
5 ounces chopped pistachios

sprinklings of refined sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan heat the half and half with the vanilla bean and pistachios just until it starts to boil. Cover and let ingredients steep for at least 20 minutes. Bring mixture back to a medium heat. Strain this mixture into a glass measuring cup.

In a bowl, mix eggs and sugar together until creamy. SLOWLY pour (temper) the hot milk mixture into the bowl while vigorously whisking. Pour mixture into about 6 ramekins. Take some of the remaining pistachios from the strainer and sprinkle them into the brulees.

Place brulees in a glass dish with a water bath (hot water half way up the ramekins) and cook for 25 minutes. When brulees are set, remove and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. This can be made a day in advance if you like.

To serve, sprinkle brulees with refined white sugar and caramelize with a torch. Top with some crushed pistachios if you like.

Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Salad

2009-03-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

This salad is tasty, healthy and colorful and has a nice balance of salty and sweet. Below I have listed the ingredients for one dinner sized salad— multiply as necessary. It would also be fantastic with some sliced grilled chicken breast on top. If you are a blue cheese hater, I think that shaved Parmesan would be a nice substitution.

Ingredients
1/4 cup cubed butternut squash (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup fresh baby spinach
2 T chopped walnuts
2 T dried cranberries
2 T chopped yellow bell pepper
a few shavings of red onion
1 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
your favorite balsamic dressing (I like Annie's)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil. Spread out butternut squash and let roast for 15 minutes until tender. (I used the frozen variety- fresh may take longer to actually cook).

In a bowl, add remaining ingredients and top with hot butternut squash. Add dressing, toss and serve slightly warm.

Going Vegetarian for March

2009-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Garret and I (and some other family members) have decided to try out being vegetarian for one month and see how it goes. A recent death in the family due to cancer has caused us to reexamine our lifestyles and to see what we can do to live healthier, better lives. I'm in no way saying that our family member died because of her lifestyle- we actually think her cancer was caused by certain environmental factors or exposures- but regardless, I have been reading a lot of articles on health and lifestyle lately and have learned:

About a third of the 12 most common cancers in high-income countries could be prevented through diet, exercise and weight control.
A study in the UK proved that 13,000 cancer cases in the UK were linked to being overweight or obese, and even more were linked to poor diet, drinking too much alcohol and not doing enough exercise.
The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association currently recommend that if you do drink, you should do so in moderation, meaning one drink (12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits) per day for women and two for men.
Obama and his brother are "nuts" about improving Americans' health overall. The administration has put an unprecedented one billion dollars into the economic stimulus package toward expanding community prevention programs.

Sources: Health Magazine via CNN.com, BBC News Health, wbctv.com

For the next month, we will feature more articles on lifestyle, vegetarian recipes and updates on how our experience is going.

Here are some guidelines we have set for the next month:

4 hours or more of exercise per week
Drink more water
Drink no (or less) soda
Drink less alcohol
No meat— not even fish
Don't replace meat intake with just a bunch of cheese and refined carbs
Corned beef and cabbage will have to wait until April
Eat local and organic when possible (yay farmer's market)

You are welcome to join us in this one month "challenge!" Keep us posted on your progress and we'll keep you accountable.

*As another update, I created a recipe last night for Cooking Light's Annual Reader Recipe Contest, stay tuned!

Palmer House Brownies

2009-02-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit and really wanted to try making brownies from scratch (I am typically enjoy an undercooked Betty Crocker Box brownie). The Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago is supposedly known for their brownies. An interesting fact is that this recipe is reported to have been created for the World's Fair in 1893. These are very dense and fudgy— saying that, there is a ton of butter in them and they count a serving size as 1/16 of an 8x8 pan— so make these to enjoy and share :)

Ingredients
9 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup (two sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cake flour
1 t baking powder
1 t sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Set aside and cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs for one minute. Whisk in melted chocolate/butter mixture. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl and fold. Transfer batter to prepared pan and sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake the brownies until they are raised and a toothpick comes out with some moist batter— about 45 minutes.

Melt apricot preserves in a sauce pan and strain. Spread preserves over hot brownies. Let brownies cool for one hour and then cover and transfer to refrigerator for another hour. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Lowfat Chocolate Souffle

2009-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing about this tastes lowfat, but with less than one gram of fat each— you can eat two! I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light's April 2007 issue and have made it many times because it makes for a nice chocolatey simple dessert. This recipe makes two, but you can double it if you need more than that.

Ingredients
4 T granulated sugar, divided
1 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T Dutch process cocoa
2 T fat-free milk
1/4 T vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 t powdered sugar

Fresh Raspberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray.

Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until smooth. Spoon chocolate mixture into a medium bowl; cool 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Place egg white in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle each soufflé with 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar. Top with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

Coq Au Vin

2009-02-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

French for "chicken in wine," this rustic dish is one of my favorites to make because you get to light things on fire. I paired this with mashed potatoes and a salad of fennel, tomatoes and goat cheese (and a bottle of Pinot Noir). I saw Casey Thompson make Coq Au Vin on Season 3 of Top Chef and wanted to learn how to make it. This recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma: French.

Ingredients
4 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup flour
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 - 6 Assorted cuts of chicken- on the bone with skin
olive oil

1/3 cup brandy

1/2 bottle full-bodied red wine
1 small can tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 box mini portobello mushrooms (or cremini mushrooms)
1/2 bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley

Directions
In a large stock pot, cook bacon for 4-5 minutes or until crisp.

Put flour in a large zip bag and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to bag and shake until well-coated. Shake excess flour off of chicken and cook on each side in olive oil in frying pan for 7 minutes.

Put chicken pieces into stock pot and add brandy. Let brandy heat for 30 seconds, turn off heat, and then light on fire with a long kitchen torch. (do this promptly or you could end up with an unexpected fireball in your face) After alcohol burns off, add wine, tomato paste and garlic. Cover and cook chicken over medium-low heat for 50 minutes, turning once.

When chicken is almost done, cook mushrooms and onions in a small fry pan with olive oil and seasoning for 5 - 7 minutes or until tender.

To plate, put down chicken and top with extra sauce. Top with mushrooms and onions and finish with parsley. Serve at once.

Stuffed Artichoke with Roasted Red Pepper Mayonnaise

2009-02-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

I usually eat pretty plain artichokes with mayonnaise, but love going to restaurants and seeing them cooked fancy. I thought I would take a stab at making one myself. I think an essential step with this is making the breadcrumbs yourself. Home made ones are just so much better than the store bought kind!

Ingredients
1 artichoke, leaves trimmed and top cut
1/4 loaf old french bread
1 t melted butter
1/8 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tomato, diced
salt, pepper, olive oil

1/4 c lowfat mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
juice of half a lemon
1 roasted red pepper

Directions
Steam artichoke in a boiling covered pan for 35 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool and then turn upside down and spread leaves out slightly. With a large spoon, scoop out the soft inside of the artichoke, just leaving outer leaves and heart.

While artichoke is steaming, put bread and butter in a food processor to make bread crumbs. When artichoke is prepared, drizzle with olive oil to help the stuffing stick and then alternate adding the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes.

While artichoke is baking, add remaining ingredients to a food processor to make the red pepper mayo. Serve artichoke warm or at room temperature.

Penne with Sausage and Peppers

2009-02-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

I have the Everyday Pasta book by Giada De Laurentiis and first of all must say that everything I have ever cooked from this book is fantastic. One night I had a bunch of leftover chicken jalapeno sausages from fondue night the evening before so I looked up sausage in the index to see what I could find. I did not have Marsala wine so I used white wine instead and it worked out just fine.

Ingredients:
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (recipe calls for sweet- I used jalapeno)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 t salt
1 t ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
2 T tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine (I used sauv blanc)
1 large can diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted due to the usage of jalapeno sausages)
1 pound rigatoni pasta
fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown (about 1o minutes depending on size). Remove sausages from pan and place on a towel lined plate.

Add bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions are cooked through, about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, oregano, and basil, cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, add wine, tomatoes with juice, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, scrape bottom of pan and bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into bite sized pieces. Return to sauce pan. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta and add the sauce, toss to combine. Plate and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

This was a great dish and kept really well for leftovers the next day. Unless you like really hot food, I would recommend using sweet Italian sausage. It was really spicy!

VDay My Way

2009-02-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

I made pan seared steaks with blackberry Merlot reduction, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, artichokes, and raspberry vanilla bean cream brulee for Love Day. Natalie taught me how to make steaks in a fry pan like this and I prefer them to cooking steaks on the barbecue because they are much more tender and it is easier to control the desired doneness of the meat. The blackberry Merlot sauce has been a family favorite for many years. I remember having it for Valentine's Day when I lived at home. I usually use filet Mignon, but have found that good quality top sirloins are more inexpensive and the added fat actually adds a lot of flavor. It was a hit with the husband!

Ingredients
Steaks
2 top sirloin filets, about 1/2 pound each
4 sprigs of rosemary, stemmed
1/2 stick of butter
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
salt and pepper

Blackberry Merlot Reduction
2 T minced shallots
2 t minced garlic
2 oz seedless blackberry jam
1 cup good Merlot- I used 05 Meridian
1 cup beef broth

Asparagus
1 bunch of petite asparagus rinsed and ends trimmed off
3 T olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stemmed
3 T store bought crumbled Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4-5 small Yukon gold potatoes rinsed and chopped with skin on
1 head of garlic
2 T fresh Italian parsley
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the end off a head of garlic and wrap in foil. Place in hot oven for about 20 minutes. Boil medium pan full of water. Add potatoes and cook until you can easily pierce with a fork, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil, spread asparagus over baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper, set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together chopped shallots, garlic, jam, Merlot, and beef broth. Bring to a rolling boil and let reduce about 2o minutes until sauce will coat a spoon.

In large fry pan that has sides, slowly heat 1/2 stick of butter, rosemary, and chopped garlic together. Do not let butter burn. Dust top sirloin with salt and cracked pepper, press into sides so it sticks to the meat. When garlic is cooked through and begins to sizzle, add the steaks to the fry pan. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, rotating pan so outer layer browns, but does not burn.

Take seared steaks out of the fry pan and place in a glass baking dish. Pour remaining butter garlic and rosemary mixture over the top. Put a meat thermometer in the center of one of the filets. Put filets and asparagus in the oven about 12 minutes. Cook steaks to 150 degrees in the center (for medium rare).

While steaks and asparagus are finishing in the oven, drain the potatoes and bring back to pan on the stove. Squeeze roasted garlic out of the skins into the potato pan along with 1/4 stick of butter. Mash with a potato masher until blended. Heat half and half in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. Slowly add heated half and half, salt, pepper, and chopped Italian parsley to pot. Whip with potato masher until desired texture is achieved.

Remove steaks and asparagus from oven and plate, plate potatoes, top steaks with blackberry merlot reduction. We enjoyed our dinner with an excellent bottle of Laetitia Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve. It was fantastic!

Braised Leg of Lamb over Marscapone Polenta

2009-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

I made this last night for the infamous V day. I sort of pieced this recipe together through a variety of Food Network chefs' lamb recipes, except for the polenta. Emeril Lagsse can take credit for the marscapone polenta part (but I lightened it a bit). We searched 7 grocery stores in town to find marscapone cheese— I had no idea it was so hard to come by in SLO! This dish is extremely fragrant and really delicious. I served it with a stuffed artichoke and pistachio creme brulee. I will post those recipes in the near future.

Ingredients
Lamb
4 garlic cloves
1 small piece peeled fresh gingerroot
olive oil
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb steaks, cut into 2 inch strips
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 onion, diced
1/2 T ground cumin
1/2 T ground coriander seeds
1/4 t cayenne
1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon

Polenta
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups lowfat milk
a drizzle of olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup polenta
1/8 cup half and half
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Toppings
steamed spinach
toasted pine nuts
diced roasted red peppers
2 T plain yogurt
pepper
balsamic reduction- find the recipe here

Directions
In a blender, combine the garlic cloves with the ginger and about 1/4 cup water, reserve. In a heavy stock pot, grease with olive oil and cook the lamb pieces until browned on all sides, but not cooked in the center. Remove lamb from pot and set aside. In the same pot, fry the cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf and cook for a minute. Next, add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Add the cumin through yogurt ingredients as well as the garlic/ginger mixture and stir thoroughly. Add the lamb back into the pot and fill with a little water until the liquid is half way up the meat. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover and turn to simmer and cook for two hours or until meat is fork tender.

When the lamb has about 45 minutes to go, start the polenta. Combine the broth, milk, olive oil and pepper in a pot and bring to almost a boil. Add the polenta into the pot in a slow stream, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Bring ingredients to a boil and then turn down to low and cover for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. With 15 minutes remaining, add the marscapone and half and half and adjust the seasonings.

When lamb is done, pull out pieces with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. To plate the recipe, put down a little polenta and then top with lamb and remaining toppings.

This version will feed 3 hungry people or 4 lighter eaters (it is very rich). I assume other cuts of lamb could be used (like shanks or shoulder) but this is all I could get fresh and organic in SLO that seemed suitable for braising. With this dish we had Adelaida Cellars 2005 Version wine.

Easy Chicken Salad

2009-02-12T21:40:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this (I ate it all before I had the chance to take a photo!), but I made this last night and it is fantastic!

Ingredients
1 shredded store bought rotisserie chicken
5-6 celery stocks, chopped finely
3 red apples, chopped finely, with the skin on
10 leaves fresh basil, chopped finely
juice of one large lemon

1 cup rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups light mayo
1/2 cup nonfat milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon powdered onion

Directions
Add rice, garlic, and almonds to high heat and toast, when it starts to brown, add chicken broth. Cook about 30 minutes until rice is fluffy, let cool.

Meanwhile, shred entire rotisserie chicken, mix with apples, celery, and basil. Squeeze the lemon juice over the bowl to keep apples from turning brown.

In measuring cup, whisk together mayo, milk, and seasonings.

Add rice mixture to chicken mixture when cooled, toss with mayo mixture.

I put this in the fridge over night and put a scoop on top of a ton of chopped romaine and spinach. It makes an excellent 'bring to work in a tupperware' lunch! If you are against mayo, it would probably also be good with nonfat plain yogurt. Enjoy!

Asparagus with Provolone

2009-02-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

I created this dish the other night with roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. I generally love the "prosciutto wrapped asparagus" appetizer and thought that this might be a nice side dish spin on it. These had a nice woodsy/spicy/salty flavor.

Ingredients
one bunch asparagus
good quality olive oil
sea salt
thyme
red pepper flakes
2 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and lay down asparagus side-by-side. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the sea salt, thyme and red pepper flakes. Put into oven for 7 minutes. After asparagus cooks a little, add the cheese and cook for another 4 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm.