Long time no update

Oh, I know, it's been a while. The end of classes for the semester was such a welcome break, I forgot to do anything on the computer! However, I never stopped cooking. I started a vegetable garden:
(you should see it now!)

Grilled some kabobs:

Made some awesome steak tacos:
(key is the sauce that can double as a salad dressing. combine one avocado, 6oz fat free greek yogurt and 1/4 cup cilantro in a food processor)

Made an insane gourmet-style grilled asparagus salad:
Had time for gorgeous black bean burgers:

And even played some beer pong with sis!

Tonight we had a veggie-tastic meal. I want more vegetables, but I can't give up meat. To me, meat is another wonderful taste to add to food, one of many. So I've been trying dishes that have meat, but it isn't the solo player. The first dish was with pork. Later this week we'll try one with lamb and lentils!

Spanish Pork with Redskin Potatoes

2 redskin potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (we did three smaller ones)
1 zucchini (we had two for added veggies)
1 medium onion
3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped into slivers
3/4 lb extra-lean ground pork
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 oz goat cheese

Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Pierce potatoes with a knife to make sure they're tender, then remove from heat and drain.

While potatoes are cooking, saute zucchini and onion in 1 1/2 tsp oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Stir in pork, peas, corn and paprika. Cook for 5 more minutes, making sure that all ingredients are evenly distributed across surface of pan.

Remove pork mixture from heat and stir in bell pepper, tomato and lemon juice. Cover with lid to keep warm while finishing potatoes.

Gently toss potatoes with remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil. Add sage and thyme and season with salt and black pepper. Place about 1/2 cup potatoes alongside quarter of pork mixture on each plate, then crumble quarter of cheese over top before serving.

Over Indulgence Kick of the Week (followed by healthy!)

I will start this post with an example of what one SHOULD eat for dinner.


Scrambled eggs with onion and mushrooms, olives on the side and a salad of fresh baby greens, grape tomatoes and a dressing of premium olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Great, right? I should feel proud of myself for at least the next 24 hours. But I don't; want to know why?

I think I may have found the most crazy yummy recipe for spaghetti squash ever. But it's actually 27 Weight Watcher points. And that is why it is the most yummy ever. It didn't make me feel sick or bad, either. Just contented. Also, if you have lactose intolerance, please remember to take a lactaid pill or you'll suffer later. Again TWENTY SEVEN POINTS.

Oh, and Justin took one bite, and answered the neighbor's question "what's for dinner?" with a "I don't know, but it doesn't taste like squash or healthy at all".


"Mock" Fettuccini Primavera

1/2 medium spaghetti squash
Primavera Sauce, recipe follows

Slice squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon as you would a pumpkin. Then completely submerge both halves in boiling water and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the inside is tender to a fork and pulls apart in strands. (It is better to undercook if you are not sure). Remove, drain, and cool with cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking. Then use a fork to scrape the cooked squash out of its skin, and at the same time, fluff and separate the squash into spaghetti-like strands. Discard the skin. Save the second half to heat later for a side dish another night.

Reheat the squash strands by dipping with a strainer in boiling water just before serving. Top with Primavera Sauce.

Premavera Sauce:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets, lightly blanched
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper
fresh basil leaves, for garnish
grape tomatoes, slice in half, for garnish

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add broccoli and saute for about 1 minute. Then whisk in cream and egg yolk and cook for only 1 to 2 minutes. Next, add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly just to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the butter and the parsley. Pour over or toss with the hot spaghetti squash. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grape tomatoes.

HIT NIGHT!!!!

OMG. I have to gush. Finally, we hit a stellar night with not one, but TWO new recipes! I'm totally in a semi food coma, but I'm so stoked, I just had to write this down.


The first recipe was one I was sitting on for a while ever since I noticed I could get ground lamb at the Giant. I originally found the recipe just searching for pasta recipes, since they tend to be cheap and easy. This was, as the only things extra I needed to find was ground lamb and feta. The taste was not as exotic as you might fear if you were not used to the combination. Using a tomato sauce brand you are already familiar with makes it a lot less intimidating. I used Classico tomato and basil, since I really like that taste.


Greek Pasta with Meatballs

2 cups hot cooked orzo (or another little pasta that you have on hand)
1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups jarred marinara sauce
3/4 cup (3 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.

3. Combine breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Add egg whites, stirring mixture until just combined. Shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; cover and chill meatballs 5 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to pan; cook 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Drain well; wipe pan clean with paper towels. Return meatballs to pan. Spoon marinara sauce over meatballs; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for 11 minutes or until meatballs are done. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley. Serve over pasta.

4 servings


So the next recipe I found after desperately needing a way to cook kale for a side without having any bacon. Basically the only way I know how to cook kale is with bacon grease or as an ingredient in a soup. And kale was the only vegetable available for tonight. Without bacon, I quickly searched Food Network.com for anything I could try as the oven preheated for the meatballs. The recipe I found had only ingredients I already had, plus was easy and rated high. Bonus was the comment that this particular talent helped the user to use up their CSA goodies!


Braised Kale with Toasted Almonds
from Aaron McCargo Jr.

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

In a large saute pan over low heat, toast almonds for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add butter and allow to brown. Add garlic and onions. Cook for 3 minutes until slightly caramelized. Add kale and toss lightly. Add broth, bouillon and pepper. Cook kale for 5 to 6 minutes until tender and liquid has evaporated.

Veggie Awesomeness

Phew! I just had what had to be both the most healthy and yet most indulgent dinner tonight. It was a recipe of few ingredients but because the quality was so high, and the balance right, it was pretty intense.

But first, I did have to mention the success of last night's dinner, as even after tonight, it was the best in a long time. I have a CSA, and therefore a lot of veggies. And because it isn't spring yet, I'm getting a lot of onions. My friend Rebbecca suggested I make soup with all the soup ingredients, so I decided to try my hand at the french variety of soup.

Look! I was creative in using oven-proof bowls! My soup looked more normal. Justin's container, shown above, was bigger than the piece of toast. That's Gruyere all broiled on top.

Onion Soup with Loads of Thyme and Gruyere Toast

1 Pound yellow onions, halved and thinly cut lengthwise
3 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or more. I was liberal in the definition of "sprig")
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon (or 2) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine (we used sauvignion blanc)
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
two slices of bread for toast - french or rustic, ciabatta if available
2 Tbls unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups grater Swiss Gruyere cheese

In a heavy 5-quart pot melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until the onions are deep amber and exceedingly soft, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine, increase the heat, and let the wine bubble away 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef stock and water, and let the soup simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to broil. Toast the bread.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the soup and discard. Pour the soup into two ovenproof bowls, float the toasted bread on top, and cover it with a thick layer of the Gruyere. Put the soup bowls under the broiler on the middle rack and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and golden.

ENJOY!!!


Okay, and so for tonight. The preparation was way prettier than the resulting meal, so I took a picture of the before:

How sweet and healthy-looking is that? If you have butternut squash or a heck of a lot of shiitake mushrooms, try this recipe out. Also, you can find this really neat wide noodle at Whole Foods sometimes. If you can't find it, just use fettuccine.


Pappardelle with Squash, Mushrooms, and Spinach

12 oz pappardelle or fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes butternut squash (from 1-pound squash)
8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
1 1/2 Tbls chopped fresh sage
1 5- to 6-oz package baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bit, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, sage, and remaining 1/4 cup butter; saute until mushrooms are soft and squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Add spinach; stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to sauce in skillet. Toss to coat, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.

New Soup

So the CSA blessed me this time with two pounds of parsnips. Last time we had parsnips I combined them with turnips for that lovely gratin. This time, double the parsnips and erase the turnips. Now what? Luckily I had a friend over who mentioned a tasty parsnip soup she dined on in Europe. She did not have a recipe, but was positive I could easily find a nice recipe somewhere. I did, thanks to Emeril and Food Network. No picture yet, as I was incredibly busy making a new favorite soup at the same time. That carrot and butternut squash soup is still the best way I've found to use a butternut squash.

Cream of Parsnip Soup
Courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000, changed to suit what I had on hand

2 Tbls butter
1 1/3 cups chopped onions
2/3 cup chopped celery
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chopped garlic
6 2/3 cups chicken broth
2 lbs parsnips, peeled and diced
1/4 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in a 6-quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaf and garlic.

Add the stock and parsnips and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the parsnips are very soft, about 1 hour. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool a little. Discard bay leaf.

Using a hand-held blender, carefully puree soup until smooth. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Evolution of Slicing

I spent the last two weekends chopping and slicing. Here are the results of the first batch of bad experiences:

On the left became a curry-spiced butternut squash soup. On the right became a very unhealthy soup with heavy cream and sausage. And in the middle all those sliced parsnips and turnips became this:

This is a parsnip and turnip gratin, with gruyere cheese and those are bits of roasted panko crumbs on top. It was like a slightly sweeter potato gratin.

The weekend before, (or was it after?) I tried frying sweet potatoes to make them more enjoyable. They turned out pretty well:


Basically what I was using was the forth side of a four-sided cheese grater. You know that one side that is sort of a slicer? That's what I used for all of this. Well, it's so awkward that I eventually injured both thumbs and my right middle finger, all on the tip, in a 10 day period. So I decided to finally break down and get what is called a mandoline, basically a more professional veggie slicer. And with said slicer, I was able to breeze through two pounds of beets for pickled beets:


And one really huge sweet potato for the best chips yet:


Oh man, and can I say, using the fry daddy outside is the only option unless you want the house smelling like a McDonald's.

What I did with this week's CSA goodies

Man, today was a busy day. I would have been better if I woke up at a reasonable hour, but apparently my body told me to sleep until noon. So this afternoon has been marathon! It didn't start off well when I injured myself twice using the slicer for the beets. I never thought I would need a mandolin. I guess I just need one of everything!

Before I picked this weekend's recipes, I had some CSA veggies to get rid of. Specifically, butternut squash and beets. Everything else, carrots, onion, potatoes, spinach and mushrooms, could be eaten by themselves or simply cooked. I found a cool web site called supercook.com or something like that, where you plug in the ingredients you have and it scours the web for recipes out there using what you have. I found a nice butternut-carrot soup and also a suggestion to make beet chips (like potato chips) on the site. So here is what what cooked this Sunday:

Carrot-And-Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe asked that you shred the carrots and squash. I'm not sure how many of you out there tackle butternut squash, but the last time I did, I cursed it to hell. It's really tough and you need a really good knife, a large cutting board, and good upper body strength. Shredding is a much different animal. It also takes a LOT of time.


Look at that! On the right is what is left of an entire butternut squash. The soup is awesome. Basically onion, garlic, carrot, and butternut squash with some chicken broth, cooked and then blended. You add milk, orange zest, salt and pepper, and it's really good!


While I work on this soup, I also tried a new minestrone that used quinoa. I had never used this grain before, but it's supposed to have all the very yummy good for you fatty acids, so I gave it a try. Here's the result:


So those two recipes used much of what I had, except for the beets. I sliced them, coated with corn starch and dropped them in a hot fry daddy. I didn't know what to expect, so they came out a bit undercooked. I thought black was burnt, but apparently not. Anyhoos, they taste really good, like a fresher version of those veggie chips you can get at Whole Foods.


And then, after I rest, Justin makes dinner. Oh, you thought some of this was dinner? ha! not in this house! We used the rest of the red potatoes and the gigantic onion from the CSA and two pounds of shrimp we had on hand to make Justin's famous shrimp and potatoes (with old bay and steamed with Fat Tire beer).


Now if anyone wants recipes, that's great; just ask. This post was just too huge and I was just too tired to post all the recipes. That and tomorrow I make stuffed acorn squash for dinner and you'll certainly get that recipe. Until then, happy eating!!!