I think it's safe to say that Spring is here. I have packed up my boots and am digging around for a lighter jacket. Phew. It's about time, although I'm not holding my breath.
In the meantime, while I have had a minute to spare I have also been enjoying "Springy dishes" at meal time. Unfortunately tonight was not one of those nights--just eating a piece of toast right now (yikes), but that is not the point. The point is there is this dish that is pretty dece that I wanted to share with you.
The main reason why this meal is "springy" is because of it's green colors (unfortunately not because of the veggies--they don't come into season in MN until May/June). Anyway, it's green and therefore springy, hence it's name Soba Noodles VERDE. Which reminds me, for you Spanish speakers out there, I'm sorry it is incorrect Spanglish, that's what the woman who gave me the recipe called it and I kinda like the ring of it. So lo siento, call it what you like and I hope you like it anyway :)
Two key things to know before you start:
1) Do not overcook the Soba Noodles--if you have ever worked with buckwheat noodles before you will know they aren't tasty if they are overcooked (I think anyway), so be sure to keep your eye on them and taste test them--al dente is best. For me they usually get done around 4 minutes but I also boil with the cover on, so just use your best judgment, its better undercooked than overcooked in my opinion.
2) This meal is very quick to prepare except for the dressing which is made of freshly chopped herbs, which can go quickly if you skip the thyme (because you have to get all those little leaves off the stem), but I personally like the flavor of fresh thyme in it so I add about an extra 20-30 minutes just to get a lot of thyme in the mix--it's therapeutic. If you think that sounds crazy just substitute the fresh thyme for dried thyme and you'll speed right through the prep.
Okay, the rest is easy.
Soba Noodles Verde
Dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil (marinade/dressing), 1 lemon juiced and zested, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup of fresh, chopped herbs--I use basil, thyme, chives and parsley and put in maybe closer to 1.5 cups of herbs but you can be creative here, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix 'em up, set aside.
Chop into bite size, 1 cup each of: broccoli, zucchini (trust me it's good), and snap peas/snowpeas. Heat medium skillet of olive oil and saute the zucchini for 2 minutes, add the broccoli and then snap peas/snowpeas. Don't overcook, they should be a little crunchy. Set aside.
Boil water and add one package of soba noodles (12 oz) and follow directions on the package but remember not to overcook.
When noodles are done boiling place in colander and run cold water over them to ensure they stop cooking quickly.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the noodles, veggies and dressing. Add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Sorry I do not have a picture to share...next time I make it I will take one.
Happy cooking and eating!
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Mixed bean goulash recipe
This recipe has been adapted from the book, The Vegetarian Gourmet's Easy International Recipes by Bobbie Hinman. It's the first recipe I have tried from the book. I have been trying to cook without recipes lately but must say I am glad I checked this one out. It has provided great nourishment and comfort in the cold weather and it keeps well.
Lately I have been challenging my friends and family to eat meatless on Mondays. To provide some support and motivation I am sharing a vegetarian recipe. It can be vegan if you leave out the yogurt garnish, which is totally doable.
This recipe is based on a Hungarian stew and is thick, rich, and delish! For best flavor try to buy your ingredients locally and organically when you can.
Makes 8 servings (or lots if you eat little portions)
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced (or 2 cups of onion)
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced (or 1 cup)
2 cups of organic vegetable broth
1-7 oz. can of tomato paste--organic if possible
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of white beans (cannellini)
1 can of pinto beans
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or 1 pound)
2.5 TBSP paprika (or more if you like)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt and cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
cayenne pepper (to taste, for those who want more spice--I probably put in at least 1/2 tsp.)
1 cup of whole fat greek yogurt
noodles or rice depending on your mood :)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic for one minute, then add onions and bell pepper. Stir frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of water to mixture if necessary to prevent from sticking. Then add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT the yogurt!)
Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil and leave on medium heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir several times while cooking.
Serve over brown rice or noodles (egg noodles are good) and top each serving with 2 TBSP of yogurt or in any amount desired, I usually just put a good spoonful on top of the goulash. You can also just add grated parmesan cheese over the top if you are looking for that extra flavor.
Each serving provides approximately 235 calories, 13 g of protein, 2 g of fat, 0 sat. fat, 43 g carbohydrates, 521 mg sodium and 1 mg of cholesterol.
Lately I have been challenging my friends and family to eat meatless on Mondays. To provide some support and motivation I am sharing a vegetarian recipe. It can be vegan if you leave out the yogurt garnish, which is totally doable.
This recipe is based on a Hungarian stew and is thick, rich, and delish! For best flavor try to buy your ingredients locally and organically when you can.
Makes 8 servings (or lots if you eat little portions)
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced (or 2 cups of onion)
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced (or 1 cup)
2 cups of organic vegetable broth
1-7 oz. can of tomato paste--organic if possible
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of white beans (cannellini)
1 can of pinto beans
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or 1 pound)
2.5 TBSP paprika (or more if you like)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt and cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
cayenne pepper (to taste, for those who want more spice--I probably put in at least 1/2 tsp.)
1 cup of whole fat greek yogurt
noodles or rice depending on your mood :)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic for one minute, then add onions and bell pepper. Stir frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of water to mixture if necessary to prevent from sticking. Then add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT the yogurt!)
Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil and leave on medium heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir several times while cooking.
Serve over brown rice or noodles (egg noodles are good) and top each serving with 2 TBSP of yogurt or in any amount desired, I usually just put a good spoonful on top of the goulash. You can also just add grated parmesan cheese over the top if you are looking for that extra flavor.
Each serving provides approximately 235 calories, 13 g of protein, 2 g of fat, 0 sat. fat, 43 g carbohydrates, 521 mg sodium and 1 mg of cholesterol.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My how "time flies" and my latest baking endeavors
Happy belated New Year everybody!
Time flies, huh?
I really must say that this year I have felt life move so very quickly, it's almost amazing and depressing all at once. (Here I ask myself, did I take enough breaths in between the movement?) At the same time I do feel at home with where I am at post- 2010, even though I do not always know exactly where that might be at any given point in time :)
Brief 2010 recap: I got engaged to a fine man, I finished 3 semesters of 4 semesters of grad school, woot woot, I started my yogi schooling, I fell in love with plants all over again and the list goes on...I'll spare you the rest of the details.
What I came on here to say was that I have a list of 40 New Years Resolutions this year. I know, I am trying to cut back a bit here. Forty is a little excessive, no? I won't judge myself for it. I keep one of these lists going at all times anyway, not just for New Year's but it's always fun to "start fresh" and reconsider one's priorities. New Year's happens to be one of those holidays that gets people thinking about their lives, so I'm a fan.
Don't worry, I didn't come on here to tell you about all 40 things I wrote about, either, I just wanted to share one, mainly because I have pictures.
#19 Bake Grandma J's recipes, work on recipe book.
Picture of Grandma J's well-used recipe cards that I am working on...
To explain more about this project, my Grandma J was a woman dedicated to making the bestest baked goodies and she had quite a few recipes up her sleeve. Well, my family has had her recipe box sitting on a shelf, and I noticed it was getting dusty so I decided this year I wanted to pick a bunch of them and try on Grandma's shoes.
So far I have tried four of her recipes. I made her pecan pie successfully for my Dad's birthday three years ago and last year (Dec.) I decided to tackle my dad's favorite Christmas cookie recipe for Christmas.
This experience is now referred to as "The Date Christmas Cookie Disaster of 2010." Yes, I'm being dramatic, the cookies still tasted okay but let's just say that my dad's sister (who was often in charge of typing up Grandma J's recipes had forgotten to include an ingredient on her recipe card). Oops. I won't fully blame her because it was kinda funny looking back on it and I didn't have much guidance, I probably did a million things wrong, but I learned another lesson.
I learned that my grandma's vague descriptions leave me with a lot of questions. Sometimes I wish I could just call her up and ask her what she meant. Sometimes I regret not talking about these kinds of things with her when she was alive, but at the same time, I was 10 years younger and had no desire to be in the kitchen especially if it meant that I'd be doing the dishes.
Relative to this project I'm doing, this realization has required me to do my own research and brainstorming before commencing the baking/cooking. Now when attempting one of her recipes, I look online at similar recipes to make sure I'm on the right track with directions.
So far on the year I have made her banana bread- which was a hit, and tonight I just made her Mexican Wedding Cake--the cake, not the cookie.
While some of her ingredients are old school and not so healthy, I have tried to stick as closely to what she used because I want to keep with tradition, which brings me to another point.
Tradition is so important to me, and I think a lot of Americans have lost their family traditions and culture as time flies by and the days of early immigration fade from our nation's memories. Some of the last traditions to stay alive in our melting pot country happen to be recipes. This thinking brought me to the reason why I wanted to reconnect with Grandma J through her recipes.
Originally the plan was for me to record all of her recipes down into my recipe book. But after I thought about it, I decided it made more sense to try the recipe first. I wanted to try them out because I needed to decide for myself if it was a recipe I really want to pass onto my family. Instead of just mindlessly copying words, I felt by baking it and making my own tweaks, I could add my story to the line of tradition and ingredients, making me a part of it, too.
Here are the pictures of tonight's project. I have not frosted the cake yet, I think I'll wait until morning. If it tastes lovely I may post the recipe, otherwise I challenge you to dig up some family recipes of your own and add your flavor to it. Tweak it or leave it :) If your family doesn't bake or did not record the recipes, don't fret, if you want to change that part of your history, then maybe now would be a good time to start your own book.
The frosting--I didn't quite get all the powdered sugar mixed...let's just say some of the frosting ended up on the floor so the ratio was eyeballed.
The cake--after the mexican wedding, the frosting and cake will become one :) But for now, I'm off to bed.
Time flies, huh?
I really must say that this year I have felt life move so very quickly, it's almost amazing and depressing all at once. (Here I ask myself, did I take enough breaths in between the movement?) At the same time I do feel at home with where I am at post- 2010, even though I do not always know exactly where that might be at any given point in time :)
Brief 2010 recap: I got engaged to a fine man, I finished 3 semesters of 4 semesters of grad school, woot woot, I started my yogi schooling, I fell in love with plants all over again and the list goes on...I'll spare you the rest of the details.
What I came on here to say was that I have a list of 40 New Years Resolutions this year. I know, I am trying to cut back a bit here. Forty is a little excessive, no? I won't judge myself for it. I keep one of these lists going at all times anyway, not just for New Year's but it's always fun to "start fresh" and reconsider one's priorities. New Year's happens to be one of those holidays that gets people thinking about their lives, so I'm a fan.
Don't worry, I didn't come on here to tell you about all 40 things I wrote about, either, I just wanted to share one, mainly because I have pictures.
#19 Bake Grandma J's recipes, work on recipe book.
Picture of Grandma J's well-used recipe cards that I am working on...
To explain more about this project, my Grandma J was a woman dedicated to making the bestest baked goodies and she had quite a few recipes up her sleeve. Well, my family has had her recipe box sitting on a shelf, and I noticed it was getting dusty so I decided this year I wanted to pick a bunch of them and try on Grandma's shoes.
So far I have tried four of her recipes. I made her pecan pie successfully for my Dad's birthday three years ago and last year (Dec.) I decided to tackle my dad's favorite Christmas cookie recipe for Christmas.
This experience is now referred to as "The Date Christmas Cookie Disaster of 2010." Yes, I'm being dramatic, the cookies still tasted okay but let's just say that my dad's sister (who was often in charge of typing up Grandma J's recipes had forgotten to include an ingredient on her recipe card). Oops. I won't fully blame her because it was kinda funny looking back on it and I didn't have much guidance, I probably did a million things wrong, but I learned another lesson.
I learned that my grandma's vague descriptions leave me with a lot of questions. Sometimes I wish I could just call her up and ask her what she meant. Sometimes I regret not talking about these kinds of things with her when she was alive, but at the same time, I was 10 years younger and had no desire to be in the kitchen especially if it meant that I'd be doing the dishes.
Relative to this project I'm doing, this realization has required me to do my own research and brainstorming before commencing the baking/cooking. Now when attempting one of her recipes, I look online at similar recipes to make sure I'm on the right track with directions.
So far on the year I have made her banana bread- which was a hit, and tonight I just made her Mexican Wedding Cake--the cake, not the cookie.
While some of her ingredients are old school and not so healthy, I have tried to stick as closely to what she used because I want to keep with tradition, which brings me to another point.
Tradition is so important to me, and I think a lot of Americans have lost their family traditions and culture as time flies by and the days of early immigration fade from our nation's memories. Some of the last traditions to stay alive in our melting pot country happen to be recipes. This thinking brought me to the reason why I wanted to reconnect with Grandma J through her recipes.
Originally the plan was for me to record all of her recipes down into my recipe book. But after I thought about it, I decided it made more sense to try the recipe first. I wanted to try them out because I needed to decide for myself if it was a recipe I really want to pass onto my family. Instead of just mindlessly copying words, I felt by baking it and making my own tweaks, I could add my story to the line of tradition and ingredients, making me a part of it, too.
Here are the pictures of tonight's project. I have not frosted the cake yet, I think I'll wait until morning. If it tastes lovely I may post the recipe, otherwise I challenge you to dig up some family recipes of your own and add your flavor to it. Tweak it or leave it :) If your family doesn't bake or did not record the recipes, don't fret, if you want to change that part of your history, then maybe now would be a good time to start your own book.
The frosting--I didn't quite get all the powdered sugar mixed...let's just say some of the frosting ended up on the floor so the ratio was eyeballed.
The cake--after the mexican wedding, the frosting and cake will become one :) But for now, I'm off to bed.
Friday, November 26, 2010
I give thanks for this Yamtastic recipe, among other things
I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope that you find many reasons in your life to be grateful for this holiday and for life.
This year I find myself grateful for the support I received the past year and a half from my partner, friends and family. As I continue my learning process in graduate school, I am grateful for the patience, love, understanding and compassion that I have received over the semester from everyone. I have truly been blessed and feel honored to have the opportunity to attend more school and learn more about myself and the world. I am very excited to take what I have learned and give back to the community once I finish my degree.
I am also very thankful for good health and for life. I have recently heard about the death of one of my favorite English professors from St. Olaf, which has left me full of tears and speechless until now. I have thought about him and his family quite a bit over this holiday and his life has reminded me again of why we should be so thankful for each day we have here on Earth as well as the importance of being a good person. Thank you Rich Durocher for your passion and spirit and for sharing your gifts with the St. Olaf community, your family, friends and me. While you will be greatly missed, I have no doubt that you have touched the life of every person you have met, and I am thankful to have known you.
On a less spiritual and emotional note, I am thankful for a recipe that my friend shared with me this holiday. I cannot write about Thanksgiving and not mention food, right? :)
This year for Turkey Day, I was given the task of making sweet potatoes. Now, most people don't get too excited about this side. I admit, I was a little bummed that the only thing my mom could think of that I could make was the sweet potatoes--the dish that often gets left behind, the dish that people don't really care about. However, instead of just giving up hope on my responsibility, I decided to find a recipe with some flare to make people think twice about yams and maybe even go for second helpings.
The recipe I found was not your typical marshmallow-canned sweet potato concoction. Check it out on my my friend's blog, she calls it Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole. It was amazing and to die for if you have a sweet tooth, providing a sweet break between the bites of turkey and dressing.
To be fair, I must give a proper introduction to my friend. Her name is Liz and she has a fabulous cooking blog that all foodies should acquaint themselves with. She is a St. Paul local, runs a childcare center and teaches cooking classes to all ages. She is my go-to gal when I need to make something to entertain guests or family members. I have not been let down yet by one of her recipes, I assure you, you won't be let down either.
Also, to those readers out there, a big thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your readership and thoughtfulness :)
This year I find myself grateful for the support I received the past year and a half from my partner, friends and family. As I continue my learning process in graduate school, I am grateful for the patience, love, understanding and compassion that I have received over the semester from everyone. I have truly been blessed and feel honored to have the opportunity to attend more school and learn more about myself and the world. I am very excited to take what I have learned and give back to the community once I finish my degree.
I am also very thankful for good health and for life. I have recently heard about the death of one of my favorite English professors from St. Olaf, which has left me full of tears and speechless until now. I have thought about him and his family quite a bit over this holiday and his life has reminded me again of why we should be so thankful for each day we have here on Earth as well as the importance of being a good person. Thank you Rich Durocher for your passion and spirit and for sharing your gifts with the St. Olaf community, your family, friends and me. While you will be greatly missed, I have no doubt that you have touched the life of every person you have met, and I am thankful to have known you.
On a less spiritual and emotional note, I am thankful for a recipe that my friend shared with me this holiday. I cannot write about Thanksgiving and not mention food, right? :)
This year for Turkey Day, I was given the task of making sweet potatoes. Now, most people don't get too excited about this side. I admit, I was a little bummed that the only thing my mom could think of that I could make was the sweet potatoes--the dish that often gets left behind, the dish that people don't really care about. However, instead of just giving up hope on my responsibility, I decided to find a recipe with some flare to make people think twice about yams and maybe even go for second helpings.
The recipe I found was not your typical marshmallow-canned sweet potato concoction. Check it out on my my friend's blog, she calls it Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole. It was amazing and to die for if you have a sweet tooth, providing a sweet break between the bites of turkey and dressing.
To be fair, I must give a proper introduction to my friend. Her name is Liz and she has a fabulous cooking blog that all foodies should acquaint themselves with. She is a St. Paul local, runs a childcare center and teaches cooking classes to all ages. She is my go-to gal when I need to make something to entertain guests or family members. I have not been let down yet by one of her recipes, I assure you, you won't be let down either.
Also, to those readers out there, a big thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your readership and thoughtfulness :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Food topic for the week: Get veggies back into your life. Lots of them.
In my Alternative Approaches to Nutrition class I am learning a lot of little tips to help with eating a more balanced diet and living a healthier lifestyle. I'm also learning about food safety (you'll hear more on this later).
With that said I've decided to post some "food for thought" each week to help get our minds thinking about what exactly we put into our bodies for nourishment. If we want to wake up and live our lives, food choice is a big part of it. With the winter months creeping around the corner I think its a good time to establish some patterns and habits so it will be easier to stay healthy and active through the stillness of Winter.
Who needs more veggies in their life? Chances are, you do. As the Daily Beast reports yesterday, "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a study this month that says only 26 percent of American adults eat vegetables three or more times a day. According to the 'Eating Patterns in America' report released this week by a market research company, only 23 percent of meals include a vegetable—and that’s including lettuce on a hamburger." If people are considering a leaf of lettuce on a hamburger one vegetable serving I would argue that the 26 percent figure may even be an overestimation.
So what does this mean? Yeah, we all know we should eat our vegetables, and we don't eat enough of them, so what? Well, for starters a diet rich in fruits and veggies is one of the best ways to prevent almost all chronic diseases. It's true. As Murray's Encyclopedia of Healing Foods says, "Fruits and vegetables are so important in the battle against cancer that some experts said--and we agree--that cancer is a result of a 'maladaptaton' over time to a reduced level of intake of fruits and vegetables" and similarly the medical journal, Cancer Causes & Control says, "Vegetables and fruit contain the anticarcinogenic cocktail to which we are adapted. We abandon it at our peril" (18).
Maybe in my younger years this would be a foreign matter, but as I get older and my bones begin to get creak when I get up I've started to pay more attention to "chronic disease" prevention and I'm all about it. Hell yes I enjoy life too much to discard all the evidence surrounding this topic, and I love food so I'm taking the veggie challenge. You should too. Try to eat more vegetables this week and you'll notice you'll have less room in the stomach for other things like, let's say chips, cookies, ice cream, etc.? And you'll feel better. I promise!
Tip of the day:
BUY LOTS OF FROZEN VEGGIES (PREFERABLY ORGANIC) FOR COOKING SO YOU CAN EASILY ADD A VEGGIE DISH TO A MEAL.
(SO EASY...NO WASHING OR CHOPPING INVOLVED. NO LETTING IT GO BAD IN THE FRIDGE, IT'S THERE AND READY FOR EATIN'!)
Frozen veggies retain their nutrients better than most canned and even fresh vegetables, which start losing their nutritional value the moment they are picked. Don't get me wrong though, eat lots of fresh veggies when you can!
You can be very creative with frozen veggies, they are good for stir-frying, side dishes to a meal, or even a snack. If you have any snack/meal ideas to share that incorporate frozen veggies please do share!
Here is my favorite breakfast meal lately, that incorporates frozen veggies:
1 clove of garlic chopped (from farmer's market...we'll discuss good places to buy food another week)
1 beaten egg (from the farmer's market)
1 cup of frozen organic veggies
Cheese (whatever's in the fridge)
Olive Oil
Directions
1) Chop up a clove of garlic. Beat one egg (or two if you need).
2) On medium heat, heat a little olive oil in a pan on the stove.
3) Add garlic, let cook for a minute.
4) Add the veggies (1 cup). Let cook for a couple minutes.
5) Add the beaten egg and mix it up/scramble with the veggies. Grate a little cheese over the mixture.
6) Add a little sea salt, pepper, dried herbs to suit your palate.
7) Eat a homecooked yummy breakfast with veggies and protein that took less than 10 minutes to prepare! If you're looking for some carbs to add to the mix, grab a piece of fruit like a banana and you'll really be set.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Potato Lover's 5 Ingredient Fix: Swiss Rösti
So lately my blog seems to be turning into a cooking blog (I have two other recipes I want to share but am saving to insert later for variety's sake), but hey food is a part of every body's life and if you are going to wake up, its best to eat something tasty when you can, right?
After doing a little wiki-research on Rösti I found that Rösti was in fact a meal that people woke up to, especially those working on the farm. Nowadays it is considered a national dish in Switzerland and more often a side dish. For me though, tonight Rösti was a meal to wind down to and it was a recipe from that famous potato book that Jay gave me. You can find another delicious recipe from this book in my Thai Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Coconut post.
Anyway, with the amount of butter and potatoes involved I couldn't have been more satisfied. I didn't realize until after the fact that it would have made for a better side dish for dinner portions, but I had two helpings and felt full enough. Jay also got his fill so I think you could do fine eating just this for dinner. Obviously it would make for a more impressive side dish, but I wasn't out to impress tonight. In all honesty what drew me to this recipe was the low amount of ingedients since I wanted to make a fairly cheap and simple homemade meal.
Here is the recipe pretty much word for word, plus my cliff notes/thoughts too.
Swiss Rösti
Rösti can also be served topped with fried eggs, sprinkled with Gruyere cheese, or served separately with meat and sausages.
2 lb. potatoes, unpeeled and well scrubbed
3/4 cup clarified butter*
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. pancetta or bacon, cut into thin strips (I did pancetta)
1 lb. wild mushrooms or large, flat, cultivated mushrooms, or a mixture of both, cut in halves or quarters if large
2 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
SERVES 4
*To clarify butter, melt over a gentle heat, then let cool. Pour off and keep the pure butter, discard the solids.
1) Put the whole potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water (I accidentally peeled the potatoes first...was on the phone distracted and did not realize they were supposed to be unpeeled at this point, don't know if it made a big difference in the outcome). Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until just tender (I did it for 10 minutes because I thought without skin they might boil faster). Drain well, let cool slightly, peel, then grate coarsely into a large bowl.
2) Heat 2 TBSP butter in a skillet, add the onion and bacon/pancetta, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the onions are softened. Tip this mixture into the bowl of potato, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
3) Heat half the remaining butter in a skillet, add the potato mixture, and press down slightly to form a large pancake (like the size of the skillet). Cook for 10 minutes, adding a little extra butter around the edges and shaking the skillet occasionally.
4) Carefully cover the skillet with a plate and flip over. (THIS PART IS THE TRICKIEST!) I used a round pizza pan, it was the only plate that was big enough, and I had Jay flip it over for me because I was too nervous to do it. If you don't think you have the muscles to do this, you can always break up the pancake into smaller pancakes and do the flipping individually. Ever since my Uncle Buck fascination I have been into big pancakes. Yikes. ANYWAY...after you flip it over add more butter around the edge and cook until golden for about 7 minutes. It may take longer or shorter depending on how high your heat is and how crispy you like your taters. Remove from heat and keep warm.
5) Heat the remaining butter in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until tender, but still firm. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.
6) Serve the rösti topped with mushrooms. You can also divide the rösti mixture in 4 before cooking to serve as a small starter--or vary the topping according to taste, and garnish with a few peppery salad leaves.
This meal could be made a lot faster by using frozen hashbrowns. All you would need to do is pan fry the pancetta or bacon with the onions, and add the hashbrowns/follow the recipe as written.
Here was my final product:
After doing a little wiki-research on Rösti I found that Rösti was in fact a meal that people woke up to, especially those working on the farm. Nowadays it is considered a national dish in Switzerland and more often a side dish. For me though, tonight Rösti was a meal to wind down to and it was a recipe from that famous potato book that Jay gave me. You can find another delicious recipe from this book in my Thai Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Coconut post.
Anyway, with the amount of butter and potatoes involved I couldn't have been more satisfied. I didn't realize until after the fact that it would have made for a better side dish for dinner portions, but I had two helpings and felt full enough. Jay also got his fill so I think you could do fine eating just this for dinner. Obviously it would make for a more impressive side dish, but I wasn't out to impress tonight. In all honesty what drew me to this recipe was the low amount of ingedients since I wanted to make a fairly cheap and simple homemade meal.
Here is the recipe pretty much word for word, plus my cliff notes/thoughts too.
Swiss Rösti
Rösti can also be served topped with fried eggs, sprinkled with Gruyere cheese, or served separately with meat and sausages.
2 lb. potatoes, unpeeled and well scrubbed
3/4 cup clarified butter*
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. pancetta or bacon, cut into thin strips (I did pancetta)
1 lb. wild mushrooms or large, flat, cultivated mushrooms, or a mixture of both, cut in halves or quarters if large
2 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
SERVES 4
*To clarify butter, melt over a gentle heat, then let cool. Pour off and keep the pure butter, discard the solids.
1) Put the whole potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water (I accidentally peeled the potatoes first...was on the phone distracted and did not realize they were supposed to be unpeeled at this point, don't know if it made a big difference in the outcome). Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until just tender (I did it for 10 minutes because I thought without skin they might boil faster). Drain well, let cool slightly, peel, then grate coarsely into a large bowl.
2) Heat 2 TBSP butter in a skillet, add the onion and bacon/pancetta, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the onions are softened. Tip this mixture into the bowl of potato, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
3) Heat half the remaining butter in a skillet, add the potato mixture, and press down slightly to form a large pancake (like the size of the skillet). Cook for 10 minutes, adding a little extra butter around the edges and shaking the skillet occasionally.
4) Carefully cover the skillet with a plate and flip over. (THIS PART IS THE TRICKIEST!) I used a round pizza pan, it was the only plate that was big enough, and I had Jay flip it over for me because I was too nervous to do it. If you don't think you have the muscles to do this, you can always break up the pancake into smaller pancakes and do the flipping individually. Ever since my Uncle Buck fascination I have been into big pancakes. Yikes. ANYWAY...after you flip it over add more butter around the edge and cook until golden for about 7 minutes. It may take longer or shorter depending on how high your heat is and how crispy you like your taters. Remove from heat and keep warm.
5) Heat the remaining butter in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until tender, but still firm. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.
6) Serve the rösti topped with mushrooms. You can also divide the rösti mixture in 4 before cooking to serve as a small starter--or vary the topping according to taste, and garnish with a few peppery salad leaves.
This meal could be made a lot faster by using frozen hashbrowns. All you would need to do is pan fry the pancetta or bacon with the onions, and add the hashbrowns/follow the recipe as written.
Here was my final product:
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Mediterranean cooking night--a Healthy Start to the New Year!
Since I have had some free time this month (no school) I have been able to be a bit more mindful about what I am putting into my body. I have heard so many good things about the Mediterranean diet and so I thought I would test it out. My partner is very interested in cooking and learning about other culture's diets, so he picked up this book at Half Price Books:
Since the Mediterranean diet is rich in a variety of seafood, I thought a good place to begin would be with the Italian Shrimp Skewers. Pretty safe. With all of the different kinds of fish and shellfish recipes introduced in the cookbook, I thought it would be good insurance for my first stab at this cooking style.
I decided to couple the Italian Shrimp Skewers with the Halloumi and Grape Salad. (I saw the fried cheese on the salad and was sold!) No but really, I thought it would be a perfect side, sticking to the lightness of the shrimp, but also adding an element of rich and substantial flavor. Plus if you are a cheese lover you can't go wrong here!
Both the shrimp and the salad are SUPER easy to prepare. Really with the salad it is just finding the cheese (call ahead to your grocer to make sure it is there), and with the shrimp you just need an hour or so to let it sit and marinate.
HALLOUMI AND GRAPE SALAD
In Eastern Europe, firm, salty halloumi cheese is often served fried for breakfast or supper. Feta cheese makes a good substitute in this recipe.
FOR THE DRESSING:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme (or dill...I used thyme)
FOR THE SALAD:
5 oz. mixed salad greens (1 bag)
3 oz. seedless green grapes
3 oz. seedless red grapes
9 oz. halloumi cheese (the packet came in 8.8 oz. so I just went with that)
3 TBSP olive oil
Thyme leaves (or dill) to garnish
SERVES 4
1. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season. Stir in the thyme (or dill) and set aside.
2. Toss together the salad greens and the green and red grapes, then transfer to a large serving plate.
3. Thinly slice the cheese. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the cheese and saute briefly until turning golden on the underside. Turn the cheese with a spatula and cook the other side.
(Jay may have overdone them according to the recipe, but it still tasted phenomenal!)
4. Arrange the cheese on the salad. Pour on the dressing and garnish with thyme (or dill). (We just put the cheese pieces in a bowl and like croutons, added as much cheese as we wanted on our own salads).
So simple, but so good!
ITALIAN SHRIMP SKEWERS
Simple and delicious mouthfuls from the Amalfi Coast
2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup very fine dry bread crumbs (I used Italian since it made sense with
the name and I couldn't find anything else)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
lemon wedges, to serve
SERVES 4 (Note about serving size: When I made it, I halved the above written recipe and it yielded 48 pieces of shrimp, 8 skewers with 6 pieces of shrimp each, for Jay and I halving this recipe still yielded 4 servings for us, we each ate 2 skewers for dinner and each had 2 more leftover for lunch).
1. Slit the shrimp down their backs and remove the dark vein (I bought the deveined kind so I was fortunate to save some time here). Rinse in cold water and pat dry.
2. Put the olive oil and vegetable oil in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat evenly. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp thoroughly to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least an hour.
3. Thread the shrimp onto four metal or wooden skewers (for us this was actually 8 wooden skewers for the half recipe), curling them up as you do so, so that the tail is skewered in the middle.
4. Preheat the broiler. Place the skewers in the broiler pan (cookie sheet) and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the bread crumbs are golden. Serve with lemon wedges.
NUM NUM NUM NUM...you are finished!
Italian Shrimp Skewers
Up Close of the Halloumi Salad
Forgot to add the lemon wedges for garnish
I can't get enough angles of this meal!
Really, I cannot stress enough the simplicity of this meal, and as you can see in the photos, for how simple it is to make, it sure cleans up well and makes for a good presentation. If you have any other questions about this recipe, let me know.
To have your own copy of this cookbook (and I only would suggest that you buy it if you really like ALL kinds of seafood--including squid), click here. I highly recommend buying a USED copy of this book to lessen the environmental impact of your purchase.
Since the Mediterranean diet is rich in a variety of seafood, I thought a good place to begin would be with the Italian Shrimp Skewers. Pretty safe. With all of the different kinds of fish and shellfish recipes introduced in the cookbook, I thought it would be good insurance for my first stab at this cooking style.
I decided to couple the Italian Shrimp Skewers with the Halloumi and Grape Salad. (I saw the fried cheese on the salad and was sold!) No but really, I thought it would be a perfect side, sticking to the lightness of the shrimp, but also adding an element of rich and substantial flavor. Plus if you are a cheese lover you can't go wrong here!
Both the shrimp and the salad are SUPER easy to prepare. Really with the salad it is just finding the cheese (call ahead to your grocer to make sure it is there), and with the shrimp you just need an hour or so to let it sit and marinate.
HALLOUMI AND GRAPE SALAD
In Eastern Europe, firm, salty halloumi cheese is often served fried for breakfast or supper. Feta cheese makes a good substitute in this recipe.
FOR THE DRESSING:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme (or dill...I used thyme)
FOR THE SALAD:
5 oz. mixed salad greens (1 bag)
3 oz. seedless green grapes
3 oz. seedless red grapes
9 oz. halloumi cheese (the packet came in 8.8 oz. so I just went with that)
3 TBSP olive oil
Thyme leaves (or dill) to garnish
SERVES 4
1. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season. Stir in the thyme (or dill) and set aside.
2. Toss together the salad greens and the green and red grapes, then transfer to a large serving plate.
3. Thinly slice the cheese. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the cheese and saute briefly until turning golden on the underside. Turn the cheese with a spatula and cook the other side.
(Jay may have overdone them according to the recipe, but it still tasted phenomenal!)
4. Arrange the cheese on the salad. Pour on the dressing and garnish with thyme (or dill). (We just put the cheese pieces in a bowl and like croutons, added as much cheese as we wanted on our own salads).
So simple, but so good!
ITALIAN SHRIMP SKEWERS
Simple and delicious mouthfuls from the Amalfi Coast
2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup very fine dry bread crumbs (I used Italian since it made sense with
the name and I couldn't find anything else)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
lemon wedges, to serve
SERVES 4 (Note about serving size: When I made it, I halved the above written recipe and it yielded 48 pieces of shrimp, 8 skewers with 6 pieces of shrimp each, for Jay and I halving this recipe still yielded 4 servings for us, we each ate 2 skewers for dinner and each had 2 more leftover for lunch).
1. Slit the shrimp down their backs and remove the dark vein (I bought the deveined kind so I was fortunate to save some time here). Rinse in cold water and pat dry.
2. Put the olive oil and vegetable oil in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat evenly. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp thoroughly to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least an hour.
3. Thread the shrimp onto four metal or wooden skewers (for us this was actually 8 wooden skewers for the half recipe), curling them up as you do so, so that the tail is skewered in the middle.
4. Preheat the broiler. Place the skewers in the broiler pan (cookie sheet) and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the bread crumbs are golden. Serve with lemon wedges.
NUM NUM NUM NUM...you are finished!
Italian Shrimp Skewers
Up Close of the Halloumi Salad
Forgot to add the lemon wedges for garnish
I can't get enough angles of this meal!
Really, I cannot stress enough the simplicity of this meal, and as you can see in the photos, for how simple it is to make, it sure cleans up well and makes for a good presentation. If you have any other questions about this recipe, let me know.
To have your own copy of this cookbook (and I only would suggest that you buy it if you really like ALL kinds of seafood--including squid), click here. I highly recommend buying a USED copy of this book to lessen the environmental impact of your purchase.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
NYE Appetizer: Rosemary Flatbread with Herbed Goat Cheese
Jay and me at the Chef's Gallery, December 29, 2009
Anne and me at the Chef's Gallery, December 29, 2009
For Christmas Jay's sister gifted us a cooking class at The Chef's Gallery. We went to the special New Years Eve Appetizer Party one and enjoyed ourselves very much. Today I am planning to make a rosemary flatbread and goat cheese spread for a party tonight (from the class). I'd like to share this recipe with all people who might be interested in giving it a shot, if not tonight, another fine evening :)
Rosemary Flatbread
18 oz. (3 cups) Semolina flour
13-1/2 ounces (3 cups) flour)
2 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1-2/3 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil
All-purpose flour for kneading. Parchment paper for kneading. Extra virgin olive oil for brushing baked flatbread. Course sea salt or kosher salt for sprinkling baked flatbread
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then whisk in the rosemary. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then add the water and oil. Pull the dry ingredients into the oil and water until the mixture forms a mass. Mix by hand to form a smooth dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead about 2 minutes, being careful not to over mix. Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 1 hour. Place a baking stone in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the dough into egg-sized portions, weighing about 2 ounces each. Very lightly flour a work surface and roll each dough portion out as thin as possible. Using a very large spatula or pizza wheel, transfer the rolled dough directly from the cutting board to the preheated baking stone. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp, light, and golden. Remove from oven and brush with olice oil and sprinkle with salt.
Herbed Goat Cheese
6 ounces goat cheese at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese at room temp
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 TBSP finely chopped soft-leaved herbs such as Parsley, Italitan Parsley, or Basil
2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish
1. Place cheeses and the cream in a glass mixing bowl. With a hand-held blender, blend the cheese and the cream just until light and smooth. Do not over mix.
2. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped soft-leaved herbs and spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with the Ateco tip.
3. Pipe about 1 TBSP of the cheese mixture directly on the crisps, or pipe the cheese onto individual plates and place 1 or 2 crisps into the cheese vertically. Garnish with sliced scallions. Note: the cheese spread is great with vegetable crudites or any type of cracker or bread.
The finished product!
ENJOY!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Miso soup recipe to boost your immune system
I have been feeling a little itch in my throat for the past month or so, and I had blamed it on allergies, but after a mini frost and some snow on the ground, as well as some yucky looking red bumps on the back of my throat I decided that I probably should get to the grocery store and buy some fruits and vegetables to help boost my immune system to help fight this bug.
Being a student trying to live a lifestyle that prevents health issues rather than one that reacts to them, I admit I feel a bit guilty buying veggies AFTER I felt sick, but I am doing my best! In my defense, I was eating lots of fruits and veggies before last week, but it has been a hectic week of eating on the run, eating what I could find in the cupboards, and going from place to place at the speed of light. I didn't make time for healthy foods and what do you know, I don't feel very good!
However, I would like to give myself a little credit, because this recipe below is the most proactive thing I have done for my diet with the little knowledge I have gained so far from my program through various readings, research, and speakers.
Shiitake Miso Soup Serves 4(recipe and info taken from Robin Robertson's One Dish Vegetarian Meals)
Miso is a rich Japanese soybean pastethat is said to have many healing properties. Be sure not to boil the soup once the miso paste has been added, since boiling destroys valuable enzymes. Long- or short- grain brown rice would be a good choice here for maximum nutritional benefits.
Ingredients:
5 cups water
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 TBSP tamari
-----
3 TBSP miso paste (you can usually find this in the produce)
1 cup chopped spinach leaves
1 cup cooked long- or short-grain brown rice
4 ounces firm silken tofum drained, blotted dry, and diced
1) Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, scallions, carrots, ginger, and tamari, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
2) Reduce the heat to low. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the hot soup to a small bowl and add the miso paste, blending well. Stir the blended miso into the soup along with the chopped spinach and simmer for 2 minutes, being careful not to boil. Divide the rice and tofu among 4 soup bowls and ladle the hot soup into the bowls.
***Beyond the note about the healing powers of miso paste, the spinach and shiitake mushrooms have been mentioned to me several times in helping prevent/combat the flu. As I heard from a naturopathic doctor who spoke in my class the other day, the shiitake mushroom is great for fighting flus and colds. Here is more research to back her word (that I found on wikipedia):
Shiitake (椎茸, 香菇, 표고) is a popular culinary mushroom used in dishes around the world. Research has demonstrated the Shiitake mushroom:
Stimulates the immune system[5]
Contains a cholesterol lowering compound known as eritadenine.[6]
Possesses anti-bacterial properties[7][8][9]
Possesses anti-viral properties[5][10] (including anti-HIV[11][12][13] and anti-HSV-1[14]) (contains a proteinase inhibitor[15])
Reduces platelet aggregation[16]
Some other words of advice mentioned was if you are sick you should make sure to AVOID sugar, dairy, and wheat. With over 60% of the immune system in your gut it is important to put the right things in there to support it!
Being a student trying to live a lifestyle that prevents health issues rather than one that reacts to them, I admit I feel a bit guilty buying veggies AFTER I felt sick, but I am doing my best! In my defense, I was eating lots of fruits and veggies before last week, but it has been a hectic week of eating on the run, eating what I could find in the cupboards, and going from place to place at the speed of light. I didn't make time for healthy foods and what do you know, I don't feel very good!
However, I would like to give myself a little credit, because this recipe below is the most proactive thing I have done for my diet with the little knowledge I have gained so far from my program through various readings, research, and speakers.
Shiitake Miso Soup Serves 4(recipe and info taken from Robin Robertson's One Dish Vegetarian Meals)
Miso is a rich Japanese soybean pastethat is said to have many healing properties. Be sure not to boil the soup once the miso paste has been added, since boiling destroys valuable enzymes. Long- or short- grain brown rice would be a good choice here for maximum nutritional benefits.
Ingredients:
5 cups water
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 TBSP tamari
-----
3 TBSP miso paste (you can usually find this in the produce)
1 cup chopped spinach leaves
1 cup cooked long- or short-grain brown rice
4 ounces firm silken tofum drained, blotted dry, and diced
1) Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, scallions, carrots, ginger, and tamari, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
2) Reduce the heat to low. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the hot soup to a small bowl and add the miso paste, blending well. Stir the blended miso into the soup along with the chopped spinach and simmer for 2 minutes, being careful not to boil. Divide the rice and tofu among 4 soup bowls and ladle the hot soup into the bowls.
***Beyond the note about the healing powers of miso paste, the spinach and shiitake mushrooms have been mentioned to me several times in helping prevent/combat the flu. As I heard from a naturopathic doctor who spoke in my class the other day, the shiitake mushroom is great for fighting flus and colds. Here is more research to back her word (that I found on wikipedia):
Shiitake (椎茸, 香菇, 표고) is a popular culinary mushroom used in dishes around the world. Research has demonstrated the Shiitake mushroom:
Stimulates the immune system[5]
Contains a cholesterol lowering compound known as eritadenine.[6]
Possesses anti-bacterial properties[7][8][9]
Possesses anti-viral properties[5][10] (including anti-HIV[11][12][13] and anti-HSV-1[14]) (contains a proteinase inhibitor[15])
Reduces platelet aggregation[16]
Some other words of advice mentioned was if you are sick you should make sure to AVOID sugar, dairy, and wheat. With over 60% of the immune system in your gut it is important to put the right things in there to support it!
Friday, August 7, 2009
"Vexed sailors cursed the RAIN, for which poor shepherds prayed in vain."
Okay, I know rhyming is a little outdated, but on a dreary day like today I cannot refrain (haha) from recording the line! The above quote is from Edmund Waller, a British poet, whom I have no connection to, beyond the borrowing of his words, but like a true English major I must cite it before moving on here--screw the foot notes and being smooth! I have been done with smooth transitions for about 2 years now, yo, and even my profs might argue that they never were smooth in the first place...
So I plainly write this quote down because tonight I am off to a cabin with some friends, and of course all I was hoping for was good weather. But as the quote references--there are always two sides, and while I don't want it to rain, I recognize we do need the rain, so I can't really complain about it!
But I can tell you how it affected my day so far. I woke early this morning to be very productive--take care of the dishes from last night's dinner, organize my closet and clear the dirty clothes off the bedroom floor, as well as enter all my purchases from the month of july into my budget spreadsheet, and not to mention take a 6 mile run outside! But the rain washed out my ambitious spirits and now limits me to the dark corner of my apt., under a bright light, where I sit and type these thoughts. And at first it kind of ticked me off...because most of my tasks can be done indoors, so it shouldn't matter that it is raining...but its like because I see its rainy out and its dark in my apartment, I can't get myself to move onto my chores. On the bright side, I feel like it drew me to my blog, and it is always good to take some time to write down some thoughts even if you have no idea what direction they may be headed. Also, it got me to set up my printer (the first time its been plugged in since college), and I printed off some coupons, so when I run some errands today I can use them! Plus, at least once I am done with this post, I can feel like I accomplished something and perhaps move on to the next item on my list!
While I'm here, I might as well apologize for not having any mentionable ideas/projects to share with you lately. I have been more contemplative than normal these days, and it seems the nature of my blog is turning more diary-esque than sharing ideas of interest to the greater good, so again I apologize, but let me do something about that right now.
Below is a tune that I really like. Its by the Eels. It is playing right now at my apt. and it has been playing a lot around here lately. I just like how you can really feel the emotions. Not to mention it also reminds me of an old friend who used to be a big part of my life. So cheers to you, old chingoo.
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wREjT7DlI7M
Sorry insert link function isn't working right now, so you'll just have to go old school and cut and paste.
Beyond that sorta melancholy but beautiful melody, I'd also like to share my latest cooking endeavor that occurred last night:
Jay bought me an awesome potato book, which you can see here- http://www.amazon.com/Potatoes-pancakes-pommes-frites-Nichols/dp/0847820777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249655562&sr=8-1 and so I decided to surprise him with a recipe from the book last night. The above pics do not capture how lovely it tasted! Below is the recipe and instructions. Enjoy!
Kaeng Kai - Thai Chicken Curry w/ potatoes and coconut milk
* 2 TBsp Veggie Oil
* 1.25 boneless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into large chunks
* 2 to 3 tablespoons red or green thai curry paste (I did 3 of the red, because Jay
and I enjoy spicy, but if you are not that into it I would suggest getting the
green kind or going less on the red)
* 2.75 cups of canned coconut milk
* 2.5 TBsp Thai fish sauce
* 1 lb of new potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut in half (I did more like 1.25
yukon potatoes, and I cut them into quarters or less so that they would cook
faster)
* 2 TBsp brown sugar
* 2 TBsp lime juice
To serve:
* 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
* 3 scallions, finely shredded
* Thai basil or cilantro (I did cilantro), coarsely chopped
* 2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced (didn't have this laying around so I ommited)
1) Heat veggie oil in large wok or skillet, add chicken pieces, in batches if necessary. Saute them briefly on all sides to seal. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl.
2) Add the curry paste to pan and stir-fry for about 30 seconds to release the aromas of the chiles and spices.
3) Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar to the pan and stir well to combine. Return the sauteed chicken pieces to the pan, together with any juices accumlated in bowl.
4) Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the potato halves, reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.
5) Stir in the lime juice. Serve with sprinkled peanuts, scallion strips, basil or cilantro, and the kaffir lime strips, if using. Steamed jasmine rice is a suitable accompaniment, although I used long grain, organic brown rice in the pic.
Tips: Make sure you chop the potatoes small enough that they can cook fast and evenly. A good dessert for this is lime fruit bars! After all the spice, a limey popsicle is just enough!
If you have any other questions about this recipe, let me know. Thank you for your patience. I am off now for a run upstairs, the day is rollin'...
Enjoy the rain everybody!
Love, me
So I plainly write this quote down because tonight I am off to a cabin with some friends, and of course all I was hoping for was good weather. But as the quote references--there are always two sides, and while I don't want it to rain, I recognize we do need the rain, so I can't really complain about it!
But I can tell you how it affected my day so far. I woke early this morning to be very productive--take care of the dishes from last night's dinner, organize my closet and clear the dirty clothes off the bedroom floor, as well as enter all my purchases from the month of july into my budget spreadsheet, and not to mention take a 6 mile run outside! But the rain washed out my ambitious spirits and now limits me to the dark corner of my apt., under a bright light, where I sit and type these thoughts. And at first it kind of ticked me off...because most of my tasks can be done indoors, so it shouldn't matter that it is raining...but its like because I see its rainy out and its dark in my apartment, I can't get myself to move onto my chores. On the bright side, I feel like it drew me to my blog, and it is always good to take some time to write down some thoughts even if you have no idea what direction they may be headed. Also, it got me to set up my printer (the first time its been plugged in since college), and I printed off some coupons, so when I run some errands today I can use them! Plus, at least once I am done with this post, I can feel like I accomplished something and perhaps move on to the next item on my list!
While I'm here, I might as well apologize for not having any mentionable ideas/projects to share with you lately. I have been more contemplative than normal these days, and it seems the nature of my blog is turning more diary-esque than sharing ideas of interest to the greater good, so again I apologize, but let me do something about that right now.
Below is a tune that I really like. Its by the Eels. It is playing right now at my apt. and it has been playing a lot around here lately. I just like how you can really feel the emotions. Not to mention it also reminds me of an old friend who used to be a big part of my life. So cheers to you, old chingoo.
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wREjT7DlI7M
Sorry insert link function isn't working right now, so you'll just have to go old school and cut and paste.
Beyond that sorta melancholy but beautiful melody, I'd also like to share my latest cooking endeavor that occurred last night:
Jay bought me an awesome potato book, which you can see here- http://www.amazon.com/Potatoes-pancakes-pommes-frites-Nichols/dp/0847820777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249655562&sr=8-1 and so I decided to surprise him with a recipe from the book last night. The above pics do not capture how lovely it tasted! Below is the recipe and instructions. Enjoy!
Kaeng Kai - Thai Chicken Curry w/ potatoes and coconut milk
* 2 TBsp Veggie Oil
* 1.25 boneless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into large chunks
* 2 to 3 tablespoons red or green thai curry paste (I did 3 of the red, because Jay
and I enjoy spicy, but if you are not that into it I would suggest getting the
green kind or going less on the red)
* 2.75 cups of canned coconut milk
* 2.5 TBsp Thai fish sauce
* 1 lb of new potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut in half (I did more like 1.25
yukon potatoes, and I cut them into quarters or less so that they would cook
faster)
* 2 TBsp brown sugar
* 2 TBsp lime juice
To serve:
* 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
* 3 scallions, finely shredded
* Thai basil or cilantro (I did cilantro), coarsely chopped
* 2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced (didn't have this laying around so I ommited)
1) Heat veggie oil in large wok or skillet, add chicken pieces, in batches if necessary. Saute them briefly on all sides to seal. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl.
2) Add the curry paste to pan and stir-fry for about 30 seconds to release the aromas of the chiles and spices.
3) Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar to the pan and stir well to combine. Return the sauteed chicken pieces to the pan, together with any juices accumlated in bowl.
4) Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the potato halves, reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.
5) Stir in the lime juice. Serve with sprinkled peanuts, scallion strips, basil or cilantro, and the kaffir lime strips, if using. Steamed jasmine rice is a suitable accompaniment, although I used long grain, organic brown rice in the pic.
Tips: Make sure you chop the potatoes small enough that they can cook fast and evenly. A good dessert for this is lime fruit bars! After all the spice, a limey popsicle is just enough!
If you have any other questions about this recipe, let me know. Thank you for your patience. I am off now for a run upstairs, the day is rollin'...
Enjoy the rain everybody!
Love, me
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)