BBQ Lunch Box

So- my new phone has a camera and I thought it would be a great way to take a picture of my lunchbox for the blog. As you can see, it was not the best idea ever and the rice looks positively radioactive, which I promise you it was not. So, if you will excuse the picture, let me tell you about my lunch.

First off, I like tofu. I always have and it's nothing that I'm forcing upon myself (or Zach) for the vegan challenge. I don't really understand it when people say they don't like tofu, as I think it's fairly neutral in terms of taste and texture. What I love about tofu is it's ability to soak up flavors in a sauce or a marinade. I would say that about 90% of the time that I eat meat, I'm not actually after the meat itself, but the delicious curry, sauce or marinade that it's in, so tofu is a perfect substitute for me. In preparation for the Vegan MoFo, I got Vegan with a Vengance from the library and marked a ton of recipes that I wanted to try, including BBQ Pomegranate Tofu.

I'd never made BBQ sauce before, so I thought I would try it, along with some coconut rice and roasted broccoli. I made a few changes to the recipe, substituting fresh pomegranate for the pomegranate molasses as my grocery store didn't have it, and leaving out the peanut butter, since Zach can't stand it. I've also decreased the amount of oil and soy sauce that the tofu is baked with, as I thought it could do with less. The BBQ tofu took a bit longer to make than expected (45 minutes total) so by the time dinner was finally ready, I was starving, but it was totally worth it. I can't remember the last time I made a protein plus two sides, so that in itself was novel. The BBQ sauce was great on the tofu, and the roasted broccoli was crisp and delicious, both with and without the sauce. I overcooked the rice a bit, but I'm sure you won't have that problem. Recipes after the jump.

BBQ Pomegranate Tofu
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance
Serves 4

For the tofu
1lb/450g firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces
1 t. olive oil
2 t. tamari

For the BBQ sauce
1 T olive oil
1 C/2 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1t five-spice powder
4oz/120g tomato paste
2 C/500ml vegetable broth
2 T pomegranate molasses
1/2 C pomegranate arils
1T Tamari or soy sauce
1/4C/60ml maple syrup
1t hot sauce (or to taste)
1t liquid smoke

-Preheat oven to 350. Put the tofu in baking dish, pour the olive oil and soy sauce over it, and turn to coat. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, flip the tofu and bake for another 15 minutes. While the tofu is baking, start the sauce.

- Heat a saucepan over medium. Add the oil and saute the shallots for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, 5 spice and tomato paste and sauté 1 minute more. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Put a few ladle fulls of sauce over the tofu and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Coconut Rice
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance
Serves however many you'd like it to

Jasmine Rice
Light coconut milk
1 Lime

- Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting coconut milk for about 1/4-1/2 of the water.

- When rice is finished cooking, add the zest of one lime and fluff.

Roasted Broccoli
Serves 4

1.5lb/700g broccoli
olive oil
salt
pepper

- Preheat oven to 350F (you may already have it going for the tofu).

- Cut broccoli into florets, put in on a large baking sheet, drizzle on a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give it a good mix and stick it in the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring once. It's done when it's crisp-tender and starting to brown.

Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip

My summer travels have come to an end and I'm back in DC (for the next week at least). While my summer photos are loading I thought I'd post this dip that I made earlier in the summer. It's healthy, delicious and easy- for a while I was making a batch a week to have as a snack. Yes, garlic scape season has passed us by but it's just as good made with fresh rosemary and a small piece of garlic. I used this recipe from Zested, a blog worth visiting just for the photos alone and made even better by the great recipes. I'll be back soon with more recipes and travel food posts.

The Darings Do Dumplings

Late yes, but so good they deserved the post anyway. A few years ago I decided to have a dumpling making party- I invited a few friends over, we made a few fillings and spent a happy hour sealing wrappers. Then, when it came time to cook the dumplings, we ended up with a mushy on the outside/raw on the inside mess. My friend M- disputes this, and says that only the pork ones came out raw and the rest were fine, but pork crudo dumplings sort of ruined it for me and I decided to leave dumpling making to the pros, until this month's Daring Cooks Challenge at least.

Jen, from Use Real Butter, chose dumplings as last month's challenge and the real challenge was to make the wrappers from scratch. I was nervous at first but her directions were great and the dough came together in no time at all. While the dough was having a rest, I made a pork filling, following Jen's recipe exactly. Make that almost exactly. I thought I had a huge knob of ginger at home but it turned out I had about 2T worth, half what the recipe called for. I hoped that would be all right and pressed on.

I started to roll out the little rounds and realized that it would take me the entire afternoon to roll, stuff and seal all of the dumplings so I called for backup. Zach and I set up an assembly line. He would roll out the little dough knobs and I would stuff and seal. Pretty soon we had about 40 dumplings lined up and ready to go. I put half in the freezer and pan fried the rest for lunch.

While they may not have been quite as pretty as the dumplings you get from restaurants, they were just as, if not more delicious. The filling had the perfect blend of ginger and soy, even though I used less ginger than called for. The crunch of the golden brown crust played perfectly off the soft top of the wrapper and (cooked!) pork filling. This recipe is definitley a keeper.

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers
Recipe from Jen at Use Real Butter
Makes about 40 dumplings

pork filling: (this makes a bit more than you will need- use the rest as filling for stuffed cabbage or make a dumpling burger or meatloaf out of it)
1 lb (450g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried - rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
2 T (25g) ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

dough:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Make the filling:
Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.

Red Cabbage

Can I admit it? I like cabbage. A lot. It's seems shameful to own up to it as cabbage isn't sexy, trendy or quite frankly even very pretty. But I do like it.

Take red cabbage for instance. What else would brighten up a plate of meatballs, boiled potatoes and pan sauce quite so much? Nothing that would even remotely go with Scandinavian food, that's for sure. There's just something about slightly crispy yet tender cabbage with a hint of lemon and a pinch of sugar that makes me think of Denmark and my exchange student days... but getting back to more practical matters, red cabbage can go from cutting board to table in about 10 minutes- always a plus in my book. Recipe after the jump.

Red Cabbage
Serves 4-6 as a side

1 head red cabbage (about 2 lb/1kg)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
spoonful of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

- Remove the other leaves from the cabbage if they look dirty or beaten up. Split the cabbage in half from top to bottom and then cut out the root. Position one cabbage half cut-side-down on the cutting board and slice the cabbage thinly (1/4in, 1cm) parallel to the root. Repeat with the other half.

- Put the cabbage, garlic and 1/3 c (100ml) water in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 4-8 minutes, depending on how cooked you like the cabbage. Personally, I aim for a just cooked but still a bit crispy stage that it close to the 4 minute mark.

- Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Quick Carrot Soup

It seems like I have this idea every winter but not much ever comes of it-- I decide to make more soups. They're economical, generally healthy and make great leftovers. Usually I make a soup as the main dish, but this time I decided to have a soup as the vegetable with dinner. This carrot soup comes together in about 5 minutes of prep and cooks for only 20 minutes. It's very carroty tasting so if you like carrots you'll like this soup. You can vary the herbs you sprinkle in at the end depending on your taste or what else you're serving at dinner. Plus it's a not your typical vegetable side dish and is really vibrant orange color and very cheery on a cold winter day. Recipe after the jump.

Quick Carrot Soup
Serves 4-5 as an appetizer
Adapted from French Women Don't Get Fat*

1 lb. (450g) carrots
1/2 T. butter
1 T. fresh chopped parsley or dill or any herb you like
salt and pepper to taste

- Slice carrots into 1/4 in. (1/2cm) thick rounds. Place in a soup pot and add water to just cover the carrots. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.

- Use a stick blender (if you've got one) to puree the soup or carefully transfer it in batches to a blender and puree (making sure to remove the vent in the lid and cover it with a kitchen towel or silicon potholder so steam can escape) and then return it to the pot.

- Stir in the butter, herbs and salt and pepper to taste and serve. You could add a dollop of sour cream to make it a bit more fancy if you'd like.

*Ok- yes, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I got this book from the library but I did and it's actually really reasonable and has a lot of very sensible advice and recipes.

Cranberry Applesauce

I'm about to head to the airport but I thought I would try to get this post up, as I've been so bad about posting this month. I made this cranberry applesauce first for Thanksgiving and then twice after that since it's so good. Not only is it a gorgeous, deep burgundy but it perfectly balances the tastes of cranberry and apple and takes only about 10 minutes of prep work to make. In fact, I think I'm going to go have a bowl of it now. Recipe after the jump.

Cranberry Applesauce
Adapted from Cuisine at Home
Makes about 5 cups

2.5 lb (1kg) apples, your favorite variety (probably 4-5 apples, depending on size)
1, 12oz (350g) bag fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over to remove stray stems and                           wonky berries
2 C (500ml) apple cider
1/2 C (50g) sugar, with another 1/2 C in reserve
1/4-1/2 t. cinnamon (depending on your taste)
1/4-1/2 t. ground ginger (depending on your taste)
pinch of salt

- Peel the apples. Core and chop half the apples into chunks- whatever size you like (bigger if you're a fan of chunky applesauce, smaller if you like it smoother). Shred the remaining apples on the largest holes of a box grater.

- Put the apples and all the rest of the ingredients in a heavy pot over medium heat. Bring to a bowl and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. It's actually rather fun to hear them pop away as you're cooking. The sauce will have thickened slightly and turned an almost uniform cranberry color.  Give the sauce a taste and add more sugar, cinnamon and ginger until it's just how you like it.

- Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool, it will continue to thicken as it does. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

What is it?

I apologize for the lack of posting lately. I actually have been cooking but I haven't quite figured out how to shoot in the light in the new house and all of my photos are turning out to be blurry, discolored messes. In addition, my computer has a bad cold and refuses to upload anything at the moment so I have to find alternate sources for pictures uploading.

My friend M-- offered to pick me up a romanesco at the farmers market this past weekend and since I'm never one to turn away food, I happily took him up on the offer. I'd heard of it and seen a few pictures online but nothing prepared me for my first encounter. It was sitting there in M--'s kitchen, perched on a rather nice looking cutting board. The fractal nature of the romanesco looks even stranger in person and 3-D than in a picture. I was actually afraid to touch it as it sort of looks like it should have hidden spines or something...

M-- assured me that it wouldn't bite and I very gingerly picked it up and couldn't stop staring at it. I was really acting sort of rude as M-- and I were talking and I just kept staring at the romanesco like a crazy person. I was listening to M-- though and got from him both some cooking tips and the factoid that romanesco is not some genetically engineered super plant, but an old variety from Italy.

I followed M--'s advice and cut the romanesco up into florets and steamed it for a few minutes until just tender. Zach and I dipped it in olive oil and grapefruit juice (I didn't have a lemon on hand). Though I was a little nervous about taking the first bite, the romanesco was really good. It had more of the texture of cauliflower but with a nuttier, fuller taste. I would definitley make it again but I might take M--'s other suggestion and get a head of romanesco to use as a centerpiece next time I have people over for dinner.

Laban

Second in the brunch series.

I went to the library to study last week and one of the books on display caught my attention. It was a Joy of Cooking book about party foods and since I knew we were going to have people over, I grabbed it on the way out. A lot of the recipes were a little too fussy for what I was looking for but the Laban, homemade yogurt cheese rolled in paprika and mint, kept catching my attention every time I flipped through the book.

My grandma, who was perpetually watching her cholesterol, used to make yogurt cheese but I hadn't had it in years. It's really simple to make, just take plain yogurt and let it strain for a day on the counter, then transfer it to the fridge to firm up overnight. Then it's ready to use. Laban (at least my version of it) has the consistency of softer cream cheese with a creamy, tangy taste. It's yogurt, but it's not yogurt at the same time, as the flavor has deepened. The sweet paprika and mint coating made the laban look great on the plate and added an unusual but delicious flavor. The laban went over really well- I will be making another batch in the near future.

Laban
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
Makes 18 grape sized balls

2 C. plain, lowfat yogurt
1.5 t. salt
1 T. sweet paprika
1 t. crushed dried mint
Equipment: bowl, mesh strainer, cheesecloth (or coffee filters)

- Line the mesh strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or two layers of coffee filters. Place the strainer over the bowl. Mix the yogurt and salt and pour into the strainer. Fold the cheesecloth over the top, or place a coffee filter on top. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

- Place a few coffee filters or paper towels on a plate. Turn the cheese out onto the plate and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. The cheese will be slightly dry on the outside.

- Mix the paprika and mint. Form balls of the cheese (I did mine grape sized) and roll in the spice mix. Serve immediately.

Weeknight Curry

I love curries. Indian, Thai, East Asian, I love them all. I didn't grow up eating curry and in fact never had it till I was an exchange student in Denmark (strange place for it I know). While I was there I took a Danish cooking class with some of the other students. We made the basics- meatballs, leek stuffed meatballs and anything else you can imagine with ground pork. My strongest memory though is going into the spice pantry and getting the jar of curry at the beginning of every class. My group was a bit obsessed and we put curry in everything. Most of the time it worked out and, well, everyone has to try curried spaghetti sauce once in their life right?

I hope the intervening years have given me a bit more appreciation for the flavors that make up curry and less desire to dump it on anything and everything. I still usually resort to a premixed curry powder but when I was searching for some recipes on the Food Network website last week, I came across one for curry that didn't call for curry powder. Normally, these kind of recipes seem to call for about 10 specialty spices I don't have but this one called for spices I knew I had on had. As an added bonus it also called for a bag of frozen veggies (not usually something I do, but as we just moved and I wasn't sure I could find a knife it sounded perfect).

I made a few small adjustments to the recipe as I most of my spices were ground and not whole and I left out the fennel seed as usual (no anise flavor for me, thank you). To thicken the curry, Alton Brown called for plain yogurt and cornstarch, an idea which I really liked as it would give the curry a creamy flavor without all the fat of coconut milk. I decided to use a low-fat Greek yogurt for extra creaminess, as it's already so thick, I left out the cornstarch called for. The last change was to add a third a cup of raisins since I always like something sweet in curries.

Zach and I both really liked the curry. Easy, cheap and healthy and it had so much flavor. To go with it we had basmati rice and spiced chicken, which I will post about this weekend.

Weeknight Curry
Adapted from Alton Brown
Serves 4 (along with a protein) or 2 on its own

Tip: I think it's helpful to measure out the spices and put them in bowls according to when they get added.

1, 1 lb. bag mixed frozen vegetables
2 t. vegetable oil
1/2 t. mustard seeds
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat of your knife and skin removed
2 dried red chiles (stems and seeds removed if less heat is desired)
1/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
2/3 C. (6 oz.) lowfat greek yogurt
1/3 C. raisins or chopped dried apricots or other dried fruit
ground black pepper to taste

- Poke a few holes in the vegetable bag and defrost the vegetables in the microwave.

- Eat the oil in a medium non-stick skillet. Add the mustard seeds and cover with a splatter screen. Cook until the seeds begin to pop.

- Add the cumin, turmeric, onion powder, coriander, cinnamon, garlic and chiles. Cook gently for 3-4 minutes to lightly brown the garlic. Add the vegetables, sugar and salt and cook on medium-high until the vegetables are hot.

- Put the yogurt in your serving bowl along with the raisins. Add the hot vegetables and stir to combine. Add pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Thai Style Cucumber Radish Salad

 

The other night I made teriyaki salmon for dinner (I shouldn't really say made- more like heated since it came pre-marinated from Trader Joe's) and I wanted something sour to have with it to cut the sweetness. There was a cucumber in the fridge, along with a bunch of CSA radishes which made me think of the pickles sometimes served at Thai restaurants. After a quick online search I had a few recipes that could be made in around 5 minutes. I sliced the cucumber and radishes and poured over the the juice? sauce? pickling liquid? well, whatever i should call it. It pickled for about an hour while we took a walk and baked the salmon and then it was done. Very quick and easy- crunchy and sour with just a hint of sweetness.

Recipe after the jump.

Thai Style Cucumber Radish Salad

Serves 2 

1 small cucumber, sliced very thinly
2 small radishes, scrubbed well and thinly sliced
1/3 C. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/4 t. chili sauce
1/2 t. red pepper flakes

- Mix last 4 ingredients in a small bowl then add the cucumber and radishes. Let sit at least 30 minutes and serve.

Better late...

Yes, I am a few days late with this month's Daring Bakers challenge but I am so glad I did it. This was the first savory challenge I've done and also the first that didn't require me to buy any special ingredients, or take half a day. Not that I'm complaining- I like to spend time in the kitchen, but with the way this month has been going I had given up hope of completing the challenge until I actually took the time to read the recipe.

This month we made lavosh crackers. As the challenge was hosted by two of our alternative bakers, Natalie from Gluten A Go Go and Shel of Musings From the Fishbowl the idea was for all of us to try our hand at gluten-free baking and a vegan dip but our hosts kindly gave us instructions for wheat based crackers as well. I chose to do the wheat option since I had everything for it already in the house and I didn't get around to the dip quite yet...

I was shocked at how quickly and easily the crackers came together. Basically mix, stir, knead. Then let it rise for an hour and a half and roll out as thinly as you possibly can top and bake. That's it. I decided to top my crackers with sesame seeds (on one half) and molasses sugar (on the other) to have both savory and sweet crackers. The sesame seeds didn't adhere to the crackers as nicely as I would have liked them too but that was my only and admittedly very minor issue with the whole recipe.

The crackers are crisp, delicious and totally satisfying, not to mention way cheaper than store-bought. I'm going to try to make a batch every week for Zach and I to take with our lunches so I'll keep you posted if I come up with any really good flavors.

One note: I did use a mix of white and whole wheat flour instead of the straight white called for in the recipe. I thought it came the crackers extra flavor, and fiber, yet didn't overpower the delicate nature of the crisps. Feel free to use all white flour if you want

Lavosh Crackers
Adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread
Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

1 C. (4 oz.) white flour
1/2 C. (2.75 oz.) whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 C. warm water
1 T. sesame seeds for topping
2 T. dark brown sugar for topping

- Stir the first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the oil and about half of the water. Stir together. Keep stirring and adding water until the dough forms a ball.

- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10-15 minutes. Add more flour if the dough starts sticking to your hands. The dough should be shiny and sort of springy when you're done kneading. To test if it's ready you can pinch off a piece, flatten it into a disk and gently pull on the edges. It should stretch into a very thin membrane. If it rips immediately, keep kneading.

- Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 90 minutes or until doubled in bulk. (About 30 minutes before your dough is ready heat your oven to 350F)

- Divide dough in half (with a sharp knife). Lightly grease your work surface and set the dough down. Pat in to a rough square shape and lightly flour the top. Roll out as thinly as you possible can (we're talking paper-thin). You might need to give the dough a few breaks while rolling to allow the gluten to relax. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the other dough.

- Brush the top of the dough with a little bit of water and sprinkle on your topping.

- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time really depends on how thick your dough is. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then break apart and serve or store in an airtight container.

Couscous, Shopska Style

I know my posts have been few and far between in the past few weeks. I wish I could tell you that I have been cooking up a storm and have a backlog of recipes to post but that's sadly not the case. Between the start of the semester and everything else that has been going on I haven't been in the kitchen that much. Last night was an exception, more because I needed to clean out the fridge than any noble nourishment purpose. Read More!

I had some peppers, half a cucumber, small tomato and feta cheese- all the fixing for a Shopska salad (a kind of Balkan vegetable salad). Since this would be our dinner I decided to make turn the Shopska into a pasta salad by mixing it with the Israeli couscous I picked up on the weekend. The whole dinner took about 20 minutes to put together. While the water boils and the couscous cooks you can chop the veggies, then everything gets tossed together with olive oil, red wine vinegar and feta cheese. That's it. Despite the simplicity the salad is light, fresh and delicious. We had it for dinner, but it would be a great side dish to grilled chicken or fish.

I'm entering this recipe in the Monthly Mingle, which this month is Sensational Sides, hosted by Ruth at Kitchen Experiments in place of Meeta, who usually hosts.

Couscous, Shopka Style
Serves 2 for dinner, for as a side dish

1 C. Israeli style couscous
1 1/3 C. water, or a mix of water and broth (I did 1 C. water, 1/2 C. chicken broth)
1/3 white onion, chopped
1 C. cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 small tomato, diced
1 bell pepper, or two small peppers, diced (any color you like, though orange would be prettiest)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

- Set the onion in a bowl full of cold water and swish around then leave till you are ready to assemble the salad. This will help make it a bit less pungent.

- Bring the water (and broth) to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in couscous and reduce to a simmer, cook for 8-10 minutes or until couscous is tender.* If you notice that you pot has run dry and a few more tablespoons of water.

- While the water boils, chop up the veggies. When the couscous is cooked, stir in the vegetables, oil and vinegar and a few grates of pepper and then the feta cheese. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

The salad keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, just fluff with a fork before eating.

*If you use straight water to cook the couscous, add a good pinch of salt to it with the pasta.

Chimichurri Wins the Day

For the past few weeks we've been getting a few ears of sweet corn in every CSA delivery. Though I normally love corn on the cob, lately I've wanted to try using sweet corn in things, instead of on its own. Remembering back to a phenomenal corn fritter I had while in San Fransico I decided to try to make my own. I knew I didn't want to deep fry (or for that matter even shallow fry) anything so I though about trying to make a sort of hybrid corn pancake fritter. I looked up several recipes online and decided to make an arepa style dough, but add in fresh sweet corn kernels.

I got a few recipes from the Food Network website and stopped off at the Latino market on the way home to buy some masa harina, a precooked corn meal flour. I made the arepa dough according to the directions, which involved mixing the masa harina with boiling water, salt and a bit of sugar and then stirring in the corn kernels. The dough needed to rest for 30 minutes, so while it did I made a chimichurri based on the recipe included with the arepas.* My only prior experience of chimichurri was when Zach and I were in Argentina and a little bowl of it came with, well, nearly every meal. It's a condiment not dissimilar to pesto in form, but much thinner and generally based on parsley and cilantro instead of basil. I blended the juice of 1 lemon with big handfulls of cilantro and parsley, along with garlic, salt and a tiny hot pepper.

Then I pan fried the arepas with just a brush of oil in the pan and topped them with some soft cheese (also from the Latin Market), chimichurri and a piece of tomato. The arepas were all right- good flavor in general but just too dense for what I was looking for. The chimichurri, on the other hand, was amazing. The flavors were so refreshing- the tang of the lemon, the cilantro and parsley and just a hint of bite from the chiles, it gave the arepas a great flavor. Since the recipe made about 2/3C, we've had it on baked potatoes, veggie burgers and a few other random things- it is a great all purpose condiment and the flavor is different enough from typical things we eat to hit my tastebuds every time.

* I cannot for the life of me find the webpage with the arepa recipe I used so I apologize for not providing the link.

Chimichurri
Yield, approx. 2/3 C.
Adapted from the same phantom webpage mentioned above

Juice of 1 lemon
2 big handfulls parsley (about 1/2 C. firmly packed)
2 big handfulls cilantro (about 1/2 C. firmly packed)
1 fat clove of garlic
3 T. oil oil
1 chili pepper
3 sprigs fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste

- Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. You are looking for a smooth sauce that still maintains small pieces of the herbs. The chimichurri should easily pour off a spoon. If it's too thick, add a bit more lemon juice and oil (or you can just add water if you don't want to add more fat).

- Serve immediately or keep for up to a week, tightly covered in the fridge.

Drop Biscuits

As I said previously, two recipes on Flexitarian Menu inspired me last week and I made both of them twice, for the same meal. To go with the summer gratin, I made lemony biscuits with sage and rosemary, except I didn’t use lemon, sage or rosemary. Add in the course of making this recipe twice, I changed so many things that I think it is rather fair to call it my recipe now. So, if you would like to read about the tale of two biscuits, click the link to the right.

I love biscuits. Who doesn’t love biscuits? Flaky, tender, piping hot out of the oven, with a bit of melted butter and a hint of honey, they may be the best quick bread ever. The recipe that I’m writing about though, it not really a biscuit, even though it pretends to be one. A true biscuit involves cutting cold fat (butter or lard) into the flour mixture, then adding the wet ingredients and lightly kneading before cutting out circles for baking. This recipe is really actually for a muffin, for reasons we will get to in a minute.

The first time I made this biscuits I followed the recipe more or less. I used 50% whole wheat flour to add some fiber and I had forgotten to buy a lemon so went without. I knew I needed to add in an acid of some kind to help activate the baking soda, so I used 1 T. of vinegar instead, which had the added bonus of helping to quickly sour the milk (a poor substitute for buttermilk, I know, but it works). I also used parsley and oregano in place of the rosemary and sage since that's what I had on hand. The last substitution I made was to use a bit of yogurt in place of the low-fat mayonnaise the recipe called for. Mayonnaise in a baked good just seemed a bit odd to me. I mixed the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in the other, and then combined the two exactly according to the Muffin Method of Mixing taught to me by my eighth grade home ec teacher. The biscuits baked up quickly and we had them straight out of the oven with dinner.

They were rather too wheaty and not herby enough but I thought they had potential and decided to try again. The second go around I reduced the whole wheat to white flour ratio, added about a quarter cup of chopped fresh basil and a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese for added flavor. I skipped the yogurt and used one tablespoon vegetable oil for added tenderness. I baked half of the biscuits just after I had made them, and put the other half in the fridge to bake up the next day. This round was much more successful than the first- a pleasant but not overwhelming wheat flavor and a hint of basil and Parmesan to make it interesting but the best results came the next morning. After sitting overnight in the fridge the basil permeated the batter and the biscuits had deeper flavor. They were truly delicious. So, if you had a little time, make this batter ahead of time and let it sit for a few hours before baking.

Though they're not really biscuits, this drop biscuits are my new go to recipe for a dinner carb- quick, relatively healthy and way more interesting than spaghetti and way healthier than real biscuits.

Drop Biscuits
Inspired by Flexitarian Menu
Yields 12, 2-3 in. biscuits

Dry Ingredients
1 and 1/3 c. white flour
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
fat pinch salt
1/4 c. fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Wet Ingredients
1 c. lowfat milk
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil

- Preheat oven to 400F (if you are baking immediately). Grease a cookie sheet. Measure out the milk and add the vinegar to it.

- Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl till evenly combined. Make a well in the center and add the milk mixture and oil. Stir until just combined. Proceed immediately or let the dough rest for up to overnight.

- Drop the batter into 12 even portions on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Summer Gratin

After a weekend of eating beach food (read fried things, ice cream and brownies) I really needed some vegetables. I happened to come across a new-to-me blog, Flexitarian Menu, and was immediately inspired to make not one, but two things from it, starting with this summer vegetable gratin. The recipe was so simple it took hardly any time at all to put together and the simplicity highlighted the flavors of the fresh tomatoes, squash and zucchini.

I modified the original Flexitarian recipe quite a bit (both because I forgot to print it out and was looking to cut the fat.). The sliced veggies (which you can see above) rest on a bed of sauteed onions and where the original recipe called for olive oil for sauteeing I used butter. While this does add a bit more saturated fat, I decided to do it to follow Marcella Hazan's (the best Italian cookbook writer ever) principal of not mixing olive oil and cheese and because onions cooking in butter may be the best kitchen smell ever.

Once the onions were softened I spread them out on the bottom on the gratin dish and arranged the other vegetables on top, sprinkling some parsley, oregano, salt and pepper on each layer. The original recipe called for liberally topping the dish with olive oil before sprinkling on the breadcrumb and cheese topping but I wasn't sure that would actually improve the flavor and skipped it entirely. For the topping, I used a combination of panko bread crumbs, fontina and Gruyeres cheeses and it baked into the most deliciously crispy crust.

This recipe will easily feed four for a main course and has only 1 T. butter and a little more than half a cup of cheese (shredded) but tastes so good, you'd never think it was a lower-fat dish. The onions on the bottom get caramelized during baking and add a hint of sweetness to balance the tang of the cheese and the oregano adds just a hint of flavor. If Zach will happily eat this for dinner without a piece of meat in sight, I think you'll like it too. I served it with a whole wheat drop biscuit, which I will be posting about later this week.

Update: I liked this so much I've made it a second time using eggplant in place of the squash and basil in place of oregano- also delicious.

In the recipe below I've given approximate measurements for the vegetables but it really depends on the size of your baking dish and the size of the veggies.

I'm submitting this post to Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Ruth at Kitchen Experiments a roundup of recipes that one has been meaning to make...


Summer Vegetable Gratin
Adapted from Flexitarian Menu
Serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side

1/2 large onion, sliced (about one cup)
1 T. butter
3 tomatoes
1 small zucchini
1 small squash (or eggplant)
fresh oregano (from about 5 stalks)
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/2 c. panko
1/3 c. fontina cheese, grated
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

- Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a skillet on the stove with the butter, add the onions and cook till softened, about 10 minutes.

- While the onion is cooking, slice the vegetables into rounds about 1/4 in. (1/2 cm) thick. Mix the cheeses and panko in a small bowl. Mix the parsley and oregano together and add 1 T. to the cheeses and mix again.

- When the onion in cooked, spread it over the bottom of your baking dish (8x8in works, as does an oblong casserole) and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then arrange the vegetables on top in alternating rows, sprinkling with the herb mix, salt and pepper every few rows. When your dish is filled, top with remaining herb mix and sprinkle on the cheese and panko topping. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown, serve immediately.

The gratin does pretty well as leftovers, especially if you heat in in the toaster oven the next day.

Hot and Sour Eggplant

For the opening ceremony of the Olympics last Friday we were invited to a friend's house for a Chinese-themed potluck. As I found out about the potluck part at two in the afternoon I frantically messaged my friend K* for some advice on what to make. I like Chinese food, but it's not something I really ever cook at home (very often anyway, there are some exceptions) and I was at a loss of what to make. K* sent a few recipe links my way, and the Hot and Sour Eggplant sounded intriguing and would also be a good way to use the two little eggplants sitting in the fridge. Since there would be more than 2 people at dinner, I headed to the store to pick up some additional eggplant and then came home to start cooking.

The recipe called for cutting the eggplant up and soaking it in salted water for half an hour, which is supposed to take away the bitterness. I did it with 4 off the 5 eggplants but forgot about the last one and it really didn't seem to make a difference. It might help with larger eggplants, but I think the tiny eggplants aren't bitter so don't need it. After drying off the eggplant cubes, I quickly fried them in a bit of oil. One of the keys to using less oil when frying eggplant is stirring it constantly for the first minute. This allows all the eggplant to get lightly coated in the oil, instead of the bottom pieces soaking it all up.

After browning the eggplant, a simple sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chilies gets added (I omitted the salt called for in the original recipe as I think that soy sauce is quite salty on its on and slightly reduced the amount of sugar called for) and is cooked until it thickens. That's it- it's really that easy. I really liked this preparation of eggplant, which is not something I can say about everything I've made with it. Stir-frying softens the eggplant without making it mushy and the sauce packs just enough heat to make it interesting and the sour vinegar taste adds an unexpected tang. The eggplant seemed to go over well with everyone else too, although I didn't think it could compete with the ma po tofu that another friend made. I don't think any of our humble dishes could compete with the real star of the night- the opening ceremonies, which were truly spectacular.

Hot and Sour Eggplant
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Serves 8 as a side dish

2 lbs. eggplant, in 2cm cubes
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 little green chili pepper, cut into 4 pieces, seeds removed if desired
2 t. cornstarch
2 t. chili oil

- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When oil starts to smoke, add eggplant, stirring constantly for the first minute to distribute the oil. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and slightly browned.

- While the eggplant is cooking, mix remaining ingredients for the sauce. Once the eggplant is golden, add the sauce and stir until the sauce has thicken, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Keeps for a few days in the fridge too.

Blender Baba

These two little eggplants were part of this week's CSA delivery. While they are rather cute, I didn't really know what to do with them since besides the Eggplant Rolatini I made a few months ago, neither Zach nor I particularly cares for eggplant. Then I saw a recipe for baba ganoush that Jenn posted at The Leftover Queen. The recipe stuck in my head even though I have always professed a dislike for baba ganoush and had never even contemplated making it before.

Since Zach and I are going out of town this weekend I needed to do something with the eggplants and since I have plenty of friends who do like eggplant spread, I decided to give it a try. Of course I forgot to write down Jenn's recipe and don't have internet at home, so I tried to make it from memory and I think it came out pretty well. Did I love it? No- but it was good, especially when I consider that it is chock full of vegetable and low in fat and I think my friends will like it at wine night tonight.

Blender Baba Ganoush
Makes about 2 cups
Inspired by The Leftover Queen

2 tiny eggplants, or the equivalent, cut into thick slices
1 T. tahini paste
1/3 C. lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 C. olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 clove garlic
juice from 1/2 a lemon or lime (whatever you've got)
salt and pepper to taste

- Heat grill or grill pan to high. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides till soft and well grill marked.

- Add remaining ingredients to blender and pulse a few times. Roughly chop eggplant and add to blender pulsing till the mixture is smooth.

- Serve with pita or crackers.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Whenever I get a craving for something really rich and creamy, I make a risotto. I know you might think that's odd, after all how can a big bowl of rice be so satisfying but I think it's the combination of the creamy yet still al dente rice along with the knowledge that I'm not eating something with eight zillion grams of fat that makes it a totally pleasurable eating experience. Since it always takes me at least 45 minutes in the kitchen to make a risotto (mine never ever cook in 20 minutes- I think I must be buying mutant super hard rice or something) I always tend to make enough for 6 or 8 portions but there really is only so much risotto I can eat in a week, even with Zach's help.

A few weeks ago I made a spring vegetable risotto from a Marcella Hazan recipe. It looked so good, packed with fresh zucchini, carrots and tomato. This time, I decided to try freezing a few portions of the risotto for later consumption. At the time I was mostly worried about the veggies- would the zucchini get mushy or would the tomatoes disintegrate? It turns out I needn't have worried about the veggies as they stood up perfectly fine to the freezing but the rice didn't fare so well. Though perfectly cooked when I packed it away, 3 weeks in the freezer turned it to mush and the consistency was rather like baby food. I'm not sure if I will try freezing risotto again, but if I do, I'll definitely undercook it first. Next time I think I'll try to make arancini, the fried balls of risotto filled with cheese, with the leftovers instead.

I haven't posted the recipe here but if you are interested in it (and it was really good when first made) just send me an email and I'll send it to you.

Scallion Pancakes

In this episode I attempt to do something will some of the masses of scallions we have in the fridge. I've never used scallions for much besides topping soups and sauces, or maybe adding to few in a stir-fry. These methods, while tasty, weren't going to use enough of the scallions to even make a dent in the supply. As I was running through ideas in my head (scallion salad, scallion eggs, pasta with scallion) I hit up scallion pancakes.

I sort of remembered having scallion pancakes once and liking them so set off in search of a recipe. I settled on one by Ming Tsai posted at the food network but couldn't help but make a few little changes. I substituted a third of the white flour for wheat flour, and reduced the oil from over half a cup to just 3 tablespoons and added a bit of baking powder. The pancakes were easy to make but the dough does need an hour to rest before rolling out.

After a quick cooking in a very hot pan, the pancakes were ready to eat. It seems to me that these pancakes would qualify as Chinese comport food. They have a very delicate flavor which I initially thought was bland but then after another I began to appreciate the scallion flavor in the crisp yet chewy dough.

I've uploaded this recipe into the Key Ingredient collection. If you'd like to check it out there you can click here.

Scallion Pancakes
Adapted from a recipe by Ming Tsai
Makes 4, 6in pancakes

1 and 1/3 C. white flour
2/3 C. wheat flour
1/2 baking powder
1 cup boiling water
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
1 T. sesame oil
3/4 C. finely chopped scallion
salt
Dipping sauce (recipe below)

- Mix flours and baking powder in a medium bowl. Slowly add the boiling water, stirring constantly. The dough should for a very loose ball. It won't come together like bread dough, but should for a few balls and stick when you press them together. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for an hour.

- Mix 1 T. vegetable oil with the sesame oil. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough trying to make it rectangular, until it is 1/4 in. thick. Top with the oil (I found it easiest to pour the oil on and use my hand to spread it around, sprinkle on a few pinches of salt then top evenly with the scallions.

- Roll the dough up, started at a long end (if you have one) like a jelly roll- the tighter the better.

- Cut the roll into 4 equal pieces. Pick up a piece and make 3 twists in it, like you are making a spiral out of it, the roll it into a ball. Roll the ball out to a pancake slightly thinner than 1/4 in. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Have ready the remaining 1 T. oil and a pastry brush. When the skillet is hot, brush on a bit of oil and put in 1 pancake. Cook 2-3 minutes, until it is seared and golden brown. Flip and cook again (adding more oil if needed). Repeat with remaining pancakes.

- Cut pancakes into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

2 T. soy sauce
2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. thinly sliced scallion
1 t. grated ginger
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. chili sauce.

- Combine all ingredients and serve with scallion pancakes.

Cucumber Vinegar Salad

Along with the meatballs we needed to have some kind of vegetable. (I'm always torn as to whether tomato sauce counts as a vegetable. I know it's tomatoes but it just doesn't seem very vegetabally to me-- thoughts?). Well, I thought we needed to have something along with the meatballs and it needed to be something quick (I can't actually really remember why at this point- not to self, don't wait 5 days before writing up posts). I grabbed half a cucumber that had been sitting in the fridge and quickly sliced it up, then mixed together about 1/3 C red wine vinegar and 2 t. of sugar and poured it over top, sprinkled on a little salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It is maybe the easiest salad imaginable and the vinegar and sugar give the cucumber a bit of bite and texture without masking the clean cuke flavor. You can make it with red wine, white wine or plain vinegar and if you have time, let it sit for 30 minutes or more for the best flavor.