So I struck out with Blue Apron. Week after week I read the selections, and week after week I just wasn't interested in paying $60 for any combination of three items that were available to me that week. Then Facebook, as it does, started telling me I should try all these other meal services. Facebook is really good at telling me what to buy. Sloth tee shirts, meal kits... you name it. Suddenly my suggestion sidebar was full of banners that said "$30 off this meal delivery service", and I decided it was time to try some others.
Martha Stewart's new service, Marley Spoon, seemed like an obvious one to try, given my new-found love for Martha that developed when she decided to do a hilariously entertaining cooking show with Snoop Dogg on VH-1. I had no idea this celebrity ex-con dynamo was also hilarious. What a pleasant surprise. Take my money, Martha...
Greek Poutine - This dish was VERY tasty, but it gave me heartburn. It was also pretty basic - potatoes with ground pork and a sauce that was just feta whisked in a bowl with some water, then all topped with arugula. I would unquestionably make this dish again, with ground chicken instead of pork.
Pan Seared Wild Salmon with French Lentils and Cucumber Salad - This was a good dish, but I didn't love it. I almost always love lentils, so it was disheartening to feel this way.
Cauliflower and Beet Grain Bowl - I loved this, but it's basically oven roasted vegetables topped with not really that spicy Greek yogurt. I can reproduce this dish for $5. I couldn't taste the harissa at all, short of adding a large amount of harissa powder from my own collection. It was similar to Blue Apron in that way. It definitely increased my awareness of how amazing golden beets are when you roast them. I will always be grateful to Marley Spoon for this piece of information.
The truth of the matter here is that I definitely considered Marley Spoon a step up from Blue Apron in a lot of different ways. There was a bit less waste, there were more options, and I was not limited in which options I could choose together and thought the food was really good. My main complaint here was that I thought the meals were simple enough that I didn't really need a meal box to make them. I also thought that, once again, the spice and seasoning level did not measure up to what I was hoping to get. Also, the recipes called for a lot of oil. Like, A LOT OF OIL. At this point I just knew not to use it (I would have been taking a bath in the stuff if I'd followed directions)...
On the other hand, there was not a single thing on this plan I could not have made for significantly less money. These dishes are basic and lovely (though someone should really talk to the people making the recipes about not drowning their food in cooking oil), but I see this more as a place to find ideas than a service to order. I can do the same on Pinterest, and it does not cost $60 a week...
Sorry, Martha. I still love you, though.
Recipes here, in order of love. Make them. Use less oil. You're welcome.
https://marleyspoon.com/archive/10279-greek-poutine-with-spiced-pork-creamy-feta-sauce - Very delicious. Needs a tone-down on the grease, so I would reduce the EVOO and substitute ground chicken for the pork if I made it again. If you like grease, then we're good here.
https://marleyspoon.com/archive/11942-cauliflower-beet-grain-bowl-with-harissa-yogurt - Best vegetarian dish I've had in awhile. Needs significantly more spice than provided in the meal box. Luckily I am the type of person who keeps personal containers of harissa on hand, so this did not turn into the disappointment it otherwise might have been.
https://marleyspoon.com/archive/11943-pan-seared-cod-with-french-lentils-cucumber-salad - Not my favorite, but not bad, either.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Meal kits services are not for everyone, Part 1, a.k.a. Why I am only a Blue Apron member to read their free recipes online...
Everyone has been going nuts on the internet over these meal kit delivery services lately, and in some ways I can see why. They're more interesting than eating pasta for the third night in a row, they take the effort out of grocery acquisition and they teach us new cuisines and cooking styles that we might not have otherwise tried. This is why I have been drawn to them, as a foodie and someone who loves to cook, but I realized in one shot that Blue Apron is probably not for me.
Why was I not a fan of this service, when so many other people love it? Well, there are several reasons:
1. Waste, waste and more waste. This is far and away the thing that bugs me the most about these meal boxes. Any of my readers who know me personally know I can be kind of a hippie about these things. Excessive use of K-cups can fill me with a sudden blind rage, and I won't drink bottled water unless I am in a part of the world where drinking the tap water might literally kill me (even then, I might use my steri-pen if it's not chunky or smelly water, so as not to put one more plastic bottle into the landfills). So, there's some bias here. But the waste is definitely an issue, and moreso with Blue Apron than the others I have tried since. There is a box with two or more large ice packs (which are great once, because now you have giant ice packs for your cooler when you go camping, but once you have enough, are simply waste). There are 3-4 or more small one time use bottles with condiments, oils, etc (I saved them to bring salad dressing in my work lunches, but, again, there are only so many tiny bottles a person can use). There are plastic bags or other packaging for all the other ingredients as well. None of the packaging in my Blue Apron box was of a nature intended to save waste. (Others I have used since have been much better at this.) I can justify it once, maybe twice, but I cannot convince myself that this service is a good idea as a once weekly delivery. And there are other reasons...
2. Blue Apron is sooooooo fatty. I've pretty much never eaten anything that greasy at home that was not takeout. All three of the Blue Apron meals I prepared left me thinking to myself, "This is why we're fat." Every recipe contains far more fats than required for what you are preparing. A little plastic container with oil here, a little plastic container with mayo there, a little foil wrapper with butter on top of it all, served with meats that do not even need oil to cook because they make their own. Maybe some people like greasy, 800 calorie dinners, but I am not one of those people. Some meal services offer some variety in this capacity. This one does not.
3. There just isn't that much spice in their "spicy" options. Now that I know they use too much fat, I can just reduce the amount of oil, butter, mayo, etc. that I use from my package (though that is wasteful, it does improve my overall meal experience). However, the trace amount of harissa paste or gochu jang in my package does not help much if I do not have my own harissa paste and gochu jang in my kitchen (I totally do, but I'm using these services to try NEW flavors, not use the ones I already own, and I suspect their other customers are, too). Include larger quantities of the things we are buying this service to try, Blue Apron, not more oil and mayonnaise. Everyone who cooks has oil and mayonnaise!!! Throw enough seasoning in there for people to actually taste it. I am referring to all of the unique flavors, not just the spicy ones. I might not have enjoyed my Moroccan and Korean choices nearly as much if I did not have Moroccan and Korean ingredients already in my pantry, and that is not how this service is supposed to work.
4. The choices are pretty limited. I like that there are six meals and you can choose three. I do not like that they black out which things you can choose together. Other services I have looked at and tried do not do this. When trying to assemble my weekly order, only one time was I able to choose the three things I wanted the most. Did you wonder why I never ordered again, Blue Apron? This was a big factor. I'm not paying $60 a week to only get 1 or 2 of my 3 choices...
5. The final and probably most obvious reason is that I already know how to cook interesting flavors from all over the world that I like, in the way that I like them. Why fix something that isn't broken? I have already been exposed to a lot of these ingredients, seasonings and techniques. For someone who has not, Blue Apron might be an amazing service, and, other than imploring the company to try and find more environmentally friendly packaging and offer a few lower calorie options, I don't have any real complaint about them at all. The vegetables in my Blue Apron box were truly beautiful, and I think they are a good value for ingredient quality.
What it comes down to is that there are three reasons that I cook for myself instead of going to a restaurant: 1.) I like cooking. 2.) Because restaurant food has too much fat and makes me feel icky and 3.) Because it saves money. Blue Apron gives me one out of three in this regard. On the one hand, I love going to their website, reading the week's menu and saying, "Ooooh, I should have harissa chicken with carrots tonight"... On the other hand, when I ordered that menu item from Blue Apron, I was left with a meal that had 300 more calories per serving than if I had made it my way, cost $10 more to make and had significantly more packaging waste than my trip to the store left me with. There was about as much hot sauce in the package of a 1500 calorie meal as I would personally use on one cracker, and as much oil as I would use for a 6 serving casserole.
While I loved preparing the supposedly two (but really three) portion Korean pork bun meal to share with my Korean roommate and his wife, literally none of us enjoyed the fancy mayo that was included in the recipe, and there was barely a trace of spice (even to Min, whose face pours sweat at even a small amount of hot pepper) in the meat or the slaw. Fortunately, having a Korean in the house, there is a perpetual supply of gochu jang paste and cocktail sauce with which to top these items, and the meal was a big success with those additions and subtractions.
In short, if you are looking for the most white person friendly Korean or Moroccan dish you've ever come into contact with, Blue Apron is a one-stop shop. If you like your Korean or Moroccan dishes to taste a little more like Korean or Moroccan dishes, coordinate a trip to your local international farmer's market for sauces and pastes with the delivery time of your Blue Apron Box...
The seared salmon dish was very flavorful, but, again very very greasy.
The recipes I tried are below.
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/seared-salmon-fall-vegetable-hash-with-apple-brown-butter-dressing
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/harissa-chicken-carrots-with-dates-crispy-chickpea-rice
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/roasted-pork-steamed-buns-with-black-garlic-mayonnaise-spicy-cabbage-slaw
These things being said, I think Blue Apron is great for people who have not really cooked much and want to learn about new techniques and ingredients, who are looking to try a flavor they have never tried before, who don't have time to go to the grocery store or just plain don't like going to the grocery store, who can find something to reuse the packaging for so we don't fill 1,000 new landfills with Blue Apron waste alone, who have spare seasonings on hand in case the meals are too bland, who need to bulk up a little for a race training, etc. There are definitely a lot of reasons to like this service and this company, hence the thirty posts per week from my friends about how much they loved this week's Blue Apron selections. I will probably never stop looking at the weekly recipes they email me and using them as suggestions, but this is definitely not something I would ever consider as a weekly service. I wasn't even excited enough about this food to post it on Instagram, y'all.
Why was I not a fan of this service, when so many other people love it? Well, there are several reasons:
1. Waste, waste and more waste. This is far and away the thing that bugs me the most about these meal boxes. Any of my readers who know me personally know I can be kind of a hippie about these things. Excessive use of K-cups can fill me with a sudden blind rage, and I won't drink bottled water unless I am in a part of the world where drinking the tap water might literally kill me (even then, I might use my steri-pen if it's not chunky or smelly water, so as not to put one more plastic bottle into the landfills). So, there's some bias here. But the waste is definitely an issue, and moreso with Blue Apron than the others I have tried since. There is a box with two or more large ice packs (which are great once, because now you have giant ice packs for your cooler when you go camping, but once you have enough, are simply waste). There are 3-4 or more small one time use bottles with condiments, oils, etc (I saved them to bring salad dressing in my work lunches, but, again, there are only so many tiny bottles a person can use). There are plastic bags or other packaging for all the other ingredients as well. None of the packaging in my Blue Apron box was of a nature intended to save waste. (Others I have used since have been much better at this.) I can justify it once, maybe twice, but I cannot convince myself that this service is a good idea as a once weekly delivery. And there are other reasons...
2. Blue Apron is sooooooo fatty. I've pretty much never eaten anything that greasy at home that was not takeout. All three of the Blue Apron meals I prepared left me thinking to myself, "This is why we're fat." Every recipe contains far more fats than required for what you are preparing. A little plastic container with oil here, a little plastic container with mayo there, a little foil wrapper with butter on top of it all, served with meats that do not even need oil to cook because they make their own. Maybe some people like greasy, 800 calorie dinners, but I am not one of those people. Some meal services offer some variety in this capacity. This one does not.
3. There just isn't that much spice in their "spicy" options. Now that I know they use too much fat, I can just reduce the amount of oil, butter, mayo, etc. that I use from my package (though that is wasteful, it does improve my overall meal experience). However, the trace amount of harissa paste or gochu jang in my package does not help much if I do not have my own harissa paste and gochu jang in my kitchen (I totally do, but I'm using these services to try NEW flavors, not use the ones I already own, and I suspect their other customers are, too). Include larger quantities of the things we are buying this service to try, Blue Apron, not more oil and mayonnaise. Everyone who cooks has oil and mayonnaise!!! Throw enough seasoning in there for people to actually taste it. I am referring to all of the unique flavors, not just the spicy ones. I might not have enjoyed my Moroccan and Korean choices nearly as much if I did not have Moroccan and Korean ingredients already in my pantry, and that is not how this service is supposed to work.
4. The choices are pretty limited. I like that there are six meals and you can choose three. I do not like that they black out which things you can choose together. Other services I have looked at and tried do not do this. When trying to assemble my weekly order, only one time was I able to choose the three things I wanted the most. Did you wonder why I never ordered again, Blue Apron? This was a big factor. I'm not paying $60 a week to only get 1 or 2 of my 3 choices...
5. The final and probably most obvious reason is that I already know how to cook interesting flavors from all over the world that I like, in the way that I like them. Why fix something that isn't broken? I have already been exposed to a lot of these ingredients, seasonings and techniques. For someone who has not, Blue Apron might be an amazing service, and, other than imploring the company to try and find more environmentally friendly packaging and offer a few lower calorie options, I don't have any real complaint about them at all. The vegetables in my Blue Apron box were truly beautiful, and I think they are a good value for ingredient quality.
What it comes down to is that there are three reasons that I cook for myself instead of going to a restaurant: 1.) I like cooking. 2.) Because restaurant food has too much fat and makes me feel icky and 3.) Because it saves money. Blue Apron gives me one out of three in this regard. On the one hand, I love going to their website, reading the week's menu and saying, "Ooooh, I should have harissa chicken with carrots tonight"... On the other hand, when I ordered that menu item from Blue Apron, I was left with a meal that had 300 more calories per serving than if I had made it my way, cost $10 more to make and had significantly more packaging waste than my trip to the store left me with. There was about as much hot sauce in the package of a 1500 calorie meal as I would personally use on one cracker, and as much oil as I would use for a 6 serving casserole.
While I loved preparing the supposedly two (but really three) portion Korean pork bun meal to share with my Korean roommate and his wife, literally none of us enjoyed the fancy mayo that was included in the recipe, and there was barely a trace of spice (even to Min, whose face pours sweat at even a small amount of hot pepper) in the meat or the slaw. Fortunately, having a Korean in the house, there is a perpetual supply of gochu jang paste and cocktail sauce with which to top these items, and the meal was a big success with those additions and subtractions.
In short, if you are looking for the most white person friendly Korean or Moroccan dish you've ever come into contact with, Blue Apron is a one-stop shop. If you like your Korean or Moroccan dishes to taste a little more like Korean or Moroccan dishes, coordinate a trip to your local international farmer's market for sauces and pastes with the delivery time of your Blue Apron Box...
The seared salmon dish was very flavorful, but, again very very greasy.
The recipes I tried are below.
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/seared-salmon-fall-vegetable-hash-with-apple-brown-butter-dressing
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/harissa-chicken-carrots-with-dates-crispy-chickpea-rice
https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/roasted-pork-steamed-buns-with-black-garlic-mayonnaise-spicy-cabbage-slaw
These things being said, I think Blue Apron is great for people who have not really cooked much and want to learn about new techniques and ingredients, who are looking to try a flavor they have never tried before, who don't have time to go to the grocery store or just plain don't like going to the grocery store, who can find something to reuse the packaging for so we don't fill 1,000 new landfills with Blue Apron waste alone, who have spare seasonings on hand in case the meals are too bland, who need to bulk up a little for a race training, etc. There are definitely a lot of reasons to like this service and this company, hence the thirty posts per week from my friends about how much they loved this week's Blue Apron selections. I will probably never stop looking at the weekly recipes they email me and using them as suggestions, but this is definitely not something I would ever consider as a weekly service. I wasn't even excited enough about this food to post it on Instagram, y'all.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Travel Cooking... A quick stir fry because restaurants around here don't serve enough vegetables...
Travel cooking. It's definitely a different experience, because your ingredient list is different than what you would normally have at home.
However, if you're me, you will probably carry an arsenal of "can't live without" items that make this task a little bit easier (though still creative). I have a small bucket weighing down my backpack of teeny tiny containers of hot sauce, olive oil, salts and spices and herbs... (the actual contents varies depending on how low the circumstances require my pack weight to be). At the moment, I have garlic salt, cayenne, a couple of spice blends, dried rosemary and thyme, several varieties of olive oil in very tiny containers (maybe 1 oz. at the most - I got them when I ordered to-go nutrition shots at Arden's Garden), two tabascos in the same containers, and a sriracha to-go key chain.
So, there's that. If I had to narrow it down to three, it would be olive oil, garlic salt and cayenne pepper, but I've splurged because this is the longest trip I've ever taken and I want to ease into it with some comforts of home.
But I digress...
Today I am in Cartagena, Colombia, where you can't just go to a grocery store and get all the ingredients you want to cook with. The full-sized supermarket I went into today had very little produce, because most of it is sold in outdoor produce stands. What I ended up with, as a result, was some yogurt (eaten as an afternoon snack prior to cooking, because the hostel refrigerator is broken) and a mango. Then, I walked by food stands until I saw some red bell peppers (with some swirly green spots where they hadn't fully changed) and bought two of those.
Tonight's dinner was a major win for me, as I stir fried the two bell peppers with small strips of ripe mango, sriracha, olive oil and garlic salt. Really, this hodgepodge only occurred because the refrigerator in my hostel is broken and I knew none of the items would be in good shape if not used immediately, but WOW. Stir fry your red bell peppers with very ripe mango and sriracha. Seriously. Do it. And to think I almost left the sriracha at home....
Again, ingredients:
-2 red(dish) bell peppers, sliced into stir-fry sized strips
-Olive oil
-Slices of super ripe mango (just a few, because you are also eating the mango as you cook. To not do so would be a travesty.
-Sriracha
-Garlic salt
Instructions:
-Throw peppers in pan with olive oil. Add mango as you slice and eat it. Garlic salt and sriracha to taste (in my case, a lot of both).
-Cook it to the desired texture.
-Take a picture, because it just looks so good.
-Eat.
However, if you're me, you will probably carry an arsenal of "can't live without" items that make this task a little bit easier (though still creative). I have a small bucket weighing down my backpack of teeny tiny containers of hot sauce, olive oil, salts and spices and herbs... (the actual contents varies depending on how low the circumstances require my pack weight to be). At the moment, I have garlic salt, cayenne, a couple of spice blends, dried rosemary and thyme, several varieties of olive oil in very tiny containers (maybe 1 oz. at the most - I got them when I ordered to-go nutrition shots at Arden's Garden), two tabascos in the same containers, and a sriracha to-go key chain.
So, there's that. If I had to narrow it down to three, it would be olive oil, garlic salt and cayenne pepper, but I've splurged because this is the longest trip I've ever taken and I want to ease into it with some comforts of home.
But I digress...
Today I am in Cartagena, Colombia, where you can't just go to a grocery store and get all the ingredients you want to cook with. The full-sized supermarket I went into today had very little produce, because most of it is sold in outdoor produce stands. What I ended up with, as a result, was some yogurt (eaten as an afternoon snack prior to cooking, because the hostel refrigerator is broken) and a mango. Then, I walked by food stands until I saw some red bell peppers (with some swirly green spots where they hadn't fully changed) and bought two of those.
Tonight's dinner was a major win for me, as I stir fried the two bell peppers with small strips of ripe mango, sriracha, olive oil and garlic salt. Really, this hodgepodge only occurred because the refrigerator in my hostel is broken and I knew none of the items would be in good shape if not used immediately, but WOW. Stir fry your red bell peppers with very ripe mango and sriracha. Seriously. Do it. And to think I almost left the sriracha at home....
Again, ingredients:
-2 red(dish) bell peppers, sliced into stir-fry sized strips
-Olive oil
-Slices of super ripe mango (just a few, because you are also eating the mango as you cook. To not do so would be a travesty.
-Sriracha
-Garlic salt
Instructions:
-Throw peppers in pan with olive oil. Add mango as you slice and eat it. Garlic salt and sriracha to taste (in my case, a lot of both).
-Cook it to the desired texture.
-Take a picture, because it just looks so good.
-Eat.
 |
| I mean, just look at that sh*t. Yum. |
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
On the theme of cleaning out the pantry... I also make smoothies.
"Cleaning out the pantry" smoothie recipes
One day, when I was in college, a guy showed up at the door of my apartment from a party across the street and offered to trade one of my roommates a bottle of coconut rum he had taken from the party for a cigarette. This was obviously a major score for us, except that we had nothing to mix the rum with. After raiding the refrigerator and pantry, I discovered some canned fruit, which we threw into the blender with rum and ice, creating delicious alcoholic fruit smoothies!
Since that day, I have been throwing random, cast-aside pantry items into blenders and making them delicious, from soups to smoothies to dips. This past week, I have discovered unused items like applesauce, cranberry sauce, crystallized orange, cocoa powder (sweetened) and peanut butter and turned them into delicious treats instead of throwing them away.
This week's major victories in the smoothie department are as follows:
Orange/cranberry/ginger smoothie
- 1 individual container of greek yogurt with some kind of fruit (or just a cup of yogurt)
- 1 individual container of applesauce (or 1/2 cup from a jar)
- 1/3 can of cranberry sauce
- 1 - 2 packets of crystallized orange (http://www.truelemon.com/true-orange-cooking)
- Minced or powdered ginger, to taste
- Any frozen fruit
Blend these things. Add liquid of choice if needed (I use green tea by the spoon with this one, but not much is needed because most of the ingredients aren't solid.)
Banana/PB/Mocha smoothie
This one is ice-creamy and wonderful
- 1 chopped frozen banana
- Peanut butter (1-2 tbsp)
- Dutch cocoa powder (or whatever cocoa powder is in YOUR pantry), to taste. I used 1 spoonful, but 2 would not be crazy.
- about 1/3 cup of coffee, or a little less for thicker, more ice creamy consistency
Blend it. Love it.
One day, when I was in college, a guy showed up at the door of my apartment from a party across the street and offered to trade one of my roommates a bottle of coconut rum he had taken from the party for a cigarette. This was obviously a major score for us, except that we had nothing to mix the rum with. After raiding the refrigerator and pantry, I discovered some canned fruit, which we threw into the blender with rum and ice, creating delicious alcoholic fruit smoothies!
Since that day, I have been throwing random, cast-aside pantry items into blenders and making them delicious, from soups to smoothies to dips. This past week, I have discovered unused items like applesauce, cranberry sauce, crystallized orange, cocoa powder (sweetened) and peanut butter and turned them into delicious treats instead of throwing them away.
This week's major victories in the smoothie department are as follows:
Orange/cranberry/ginger smoothie
- 1 individual container of greek yogurt with some kind of fruit (or just a cup of yogurt)
- 1 individual container of applesauce (or 1/2 cup from a jar)
- 1/3 can of cranberry sauce
- 1 - 2 packets of crystallized orange (http://www.truelemon.com/true-orange-cooking)
- Minced or powdered ginger, to taste
- Any frozen fruit
Blend these things. Add liquid of choice if needed (I use green tea by the spoon with this one, but not much is needed because most of the ingredients aren't solid.)
Banana/PB/Mocha smoothie
This one is ice-creamy and wonderful
- 1 chopped frozen banana
- Peanut butter (1-2 tbsp)
- Dutch cocoa powder (or whatever cocoa powder is in YOUR pantry), to taste. I used 1 spoonful, but 2 would not be crazy.
- about 1/3 cup of coffee, or a little less for thicker, more ice creamy consistency
Blend it. Love it.
Monday, October 26, 2015
"Cleaning the pantry" soup #2356 (or something comparable, as I make soup every time I clean my pantry)
Asparagus, tomato and goat cheese soup
I'm getting ready to go traveling for awhile, and one of the elements of my impending move into storage is the cleaning out of pantry ingredients. Today I needed to get rid of a jar of white asparagus (asparagus in a jar makes better pureed soup than fresh, due to its texture), a can of tomatoes and one refrigerator impulse buy, sweet hot pepper goat cheese.
Boil the jar of asparagus and the can of diced tomatoes in a saucepan for a few minutes with about a cup of water and some garlic salt and ground red pepper to taste. Then puree it all, put it back in the pan with the burner on medium-ish. Crumble in 1/4 to 1/2 of the log of goat cheese (depending on how badly you need to get rid of the goat cheese) and stir. After about 5-10 minutes, split it into two generous servings and eat it with other things you need to finish. In my case, that was two pieces of rye toast with EVOO and garlic salt.
Then give me a big hug because that was so good.
I'm getting ready to go traveling for awhile, and one of the elements of my impending move into storage is the cleaning out of pantry ingredients. Today I needed to get rid of a jar of white asparagus (asparagus in a jar makes better pureed soup than fresh, due to its texture), a can of tomatoes and one refrigerator impulse buy, sweet hot pepper goat cheese.
Boil the jar of asparagus and the can of diced tomatoes in a saucepan for a few minutes with about a cup of water and some garlic salt and ground red pepper to taste. Then puree it all, put it back in the pan with the burner on medium-ish. Crumble in 1/4 to 1/2 of the log of goat cheese (depending on how badly you need to get rid of the goat cheese) and stir. After about 5-10 minutes, split it into two generous servings and eat it with other things you need to finish. In my case, that was two pieces of rye toast with EVOO and garlic salt.
Then give me a big hug because that was so good.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Cleaning house!
So, in my attempts to clean out my food supply, which includes tomato and basil, I made this: American fusion caprese salad: 1 piece of toast with cream cheese, topped with massive amounts of basil, a huge thick tomato slice, topped with 1/3 shotglass full (yes I use shotglasses in my apartment for food measurements rather than drink measurements now that I'm old) of fig balsamic blended with the world's greatest olive oil from Portugal... So good (even though it's less than authentic, it's fresh - basil picked right from plant - and amazingly delicious)!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Crack Soup
Crack Soup (aka Tomato Hot Wing Soup)
*I wrote this in May and forgot to post it...
I came home from work yesterday and created something I deem "crack soup." I am so sad right now that I didn't make a bigger batch due to its experimental nature. I almost started licking the bowl in the office I share with five other people...
Anyway, crack soup is my cross between buffalo chicken soup and tomato bleu cheese soup, two recipes I glanced at on the internet when trying to find vegetable-based soup ideas using bleu cheese. I've never liked bleu cheese, but it makes me sad that there is a whole spectrum of cheeses I have been ignoring for 32 years, so I've decided I will build an affinity to it by gradually introducing it into my diet. So far, this has been a big success.
Ingredients:
1 can tomatoes with chiles (rotel or store brand)
1 small can sliced carrots (should be half the height of the tomato can)
2-3 cloves garlic, roasted first
onion powder, to taste
2 tbsp hot wing sauce (any kind, I use Kroger's spicy garlic)
2-3 tbsp crumbled bleu cheese
1 chicken tenderloin
1-2 cups tomato juice (optional)
To Make:
Throw canned vegetables in a saucepan on medium. Cut cloves of garlic into thin strips. Roast garlic with a couple drops or spritz of olive oil. Add garlic and onion powder to vegetable mix. Stir. Add hot wing sauce and bleu cheese. Stir. Throw in frozen chicken tenderloin. Leave sitting on medium while you sit in your room chatting on the phone and Facebooking.
After a fair amount of time (15-30 minutes with occasional checks to make sure it's not overcooking), remove the chicken and put the rest of the stuff in the blender on "puree." Shred the chicken with a fork and mix back in in the saucepan. Add a cup or two of tomato juice if it's too thick.
If you like bleu cheese, garnish with some. I am still easing in, so not this time...
Even though I've now written it down for prosperity, I'm still sad to no longer be eating it...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
First ever homemade pasta sauce!
Zero thought went into this recipe, which was made on a whim, but it will be my new replacement for HFCS loaded cans and $5.00 jars...
1 28 oz. Can Rega Chopped Tomatoes (They sell these at the Dekalb Farmer's Market. Ingredients: Tomatoes, tomato juice, salt). I actually used half a can because that's what I had, but since it's so good, whole can next time
1/2 cup of V8 to make it a bit more saucy. I use the spicy kind
2-3 cloves garlic. Increase if you're a garlic lover.
10-20 leaves of fresh basil chopped into itty bitty pieces. I picked small leaves off the plant.
Cayenne pepper to taste.
Garlic salt to taste.
Saute tomatoes, juice, garlic and basil on low/medium low for an hour or so. When it's warm stir in the garlic salt to taste. Add a tsp or so of cayenne, more if you want a kick.
Olive oil is a good addition, but not necessary if you want to keep the calories down. I cooked some EVOO into the vegetables and chicken I ate it with, but left it out of the sauce itself...
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Taste of the Himalayas at Home...
I tried this in a Nepali restaurant in Dublin called Monty's of Kathmandu. It was pretty much to-die-for, and I have fantasized about eating it again (if you know me you know this isn't a joke) for eight months...
My take on this recipe:
Recipe from the internet: http://www.food.com/recipe/gorkhali-chicken-chili-86986
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon hot chili pepper, minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup tomato, chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups red bell peppers, cut into 1-in pieces
- 1 cup scallion, cut into 1-in length
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 5 whole dried red chilies
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to garnish)
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon szechwan pepper (timur)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida powder
- salt and pepper
Directions:
Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 3/4 hrs
- 1 In a small bowl, combine all marinating ingredients into a smooth paste.
- 2 In a large bowl, pour the marinade over chicken pieces.
- 3 Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours.
- 4 Grill marinated chicken on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about ten minutes.
- 5 Cut grilled chicken into 1-in strips.
- 6 In a blender, process garlic, ginger, fresh chili, cumin, chopped onions and tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper into a smooth paste.
- 7 In a sauce pan heat two tablespoons of cooking oil.
- 8 Fry dry whole red chilies till dark.
- 9 Add the spice mixture and sauté on medium heat till the oil starts to separate from the spices, about 5-8 minutes.
- 10 Add grilled chicken pieces, red bell pepper, and scallions.
- 11 Stir thoroughly to coat with spices.
- 12 Cook until vegetables are tender.
- 13 Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 14 Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- 15 Serve with rice, or roti (flat bread).
I have no idea what asafetida powder is, other than it's a funny word. I decided I could live without it this time.
Obviously, I didn't use onions. I never have, and don't plan to start. Onions are yucky. My substitution: a little bit more garlic, and onion powder to taste.
I think it had too much honey. I will use half next time. There are too many other excellent flavors I hate to overpower like that.
Finally, to serve... I have done it on both toasted corn tortillas and a toasted oat bran pita. I serve with a little bit of lentils and a lot of Greek yogurt because it's spicy as heck and the first time I ate some it was a little too much burn.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Aji de Gallina of Awesomeness
Here is the recipe I use, so I won't lose it AGAIN:
Ingredients
Ají de Gallina
4 to 6 servings
(Peruvian spicy chicken in a creamy yellow pepper sauce)
- Chicken breast, boneless, skinless -- 2 pounds
- Water or stock -- 3 cups
- Salt and pepper -- to season
- Oil -- 3 tablespoons
- Onion, finely chopped -- 1
- Ají amarillo chile peppers, finely chopped (see variations) -- 2 or 3
- Garlic, minced -- 1 or 2 cloves
- Fresh bread crumbs (see notes) -- 1 cup
- Evaporated milk or cream -- 1 cup
- Walnuts, ground -- 1/2 cup
- Parmesan, grated -- 1/2 cup
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
Method
- Put the chicken, water or stock, salt and pepper to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, reserving the broth. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with your fingers. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium flame. Add the onion and ají peppers and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with the breadcrumbs and evaporated milk or cream and enough of the reserved stock enough to give it a nice saucy consistency. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the walnuts, Parmesan cheese. Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes, adding more of the remaining broth as needed to make a nice sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot over rice or boiled potatoes (or both!). For a typical garnish, top portions with sliced hard-boiled eggs and pitted black olives.
Variations
- Add a chunk of onion, a stalk of celery, a small carrot and a bay leaf to the simmering chicken for a more flavorful stock.
- Fresh ají peppers can be hard to find. Latin markets often carry them frozen or canned. You can also buy ají pepper paste, dried whole or ground powder. Adjust the amount you use to your taste. If you can't find ají in any form, substitute fresh jalapeño peppers and add 2 teaspoons of turmeric for color.
- A cup of pisco brandy is sometimes stirred into the simmering sauce for adults-only flavor.
Notes
- To Make Fresh Breadcrumbs: Trim the crust from 4 or 5 slices of fresh bread, then put into a food processor and pulse to make crumbs.
Here are my variations:
I use onion powder (to taste) instead of actual onions.
I use jalapenos because I don't have aji amarillo. They do sell the seasoning on Amazon I think. If you want to be more authentic and not just use what you've got.
I make my own stock with vegan cubes from the Farmer's Market.
I buy pre-cooked rotisserie chickens from Kroger because they are insanely cheap and just use shredded and chopped pieces of the chicken.
Buy these seasonings if you like yummy stew.
Lately I have a basic crock pot recipe for North African stews. It consists of the following:
Chunked zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant or other squash
Tomato base (canned tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sometimes juice or sauce in a pinch)
Minced Garlic
Lentils
Cilantro
Chunked zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant or other squash
Tomato base (canned tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sometimes juice or sauce in a pinch)
Minced Garlic
Lentils
Cilantro
Diced bell peppers of the sweet, multicolored variety, if I have them.
I have purchased (and received as gifts) the following seasonings for my collection, which make this stew positively delightful:
Nirmala's Kitchen Moroccan Tagine Seasoning
Nirmala's Kitchen Ethiopian Berbere Seasoning
Nirmala's Kitchen Tunisian Harissa Blend
Zamouri's Chicken Tagine Seasoning
Zamouri's Berbere
I have purchased (and received as gifts) the following seasonings for my collection, which make this stew positively delightful:
Nirmala's Kitchen Moroccan Tagine Seasoning
Nirmala's Kitchen Ethiopian Berbere Seasoning
Nirmala's Kitchen Tunisian Harissa Blend
Zamouri's Chicken Tagine Seasoning
Zamouri's Berbere
(The Nirmala's seasonings are superb, but Zamouri has more variety and tends to qualify for Super Saver Shipping on Amazon.)
Add salt to taste (sometimes a lot, as these seasonings can be sweeter than desired). Serve with some couscous/whole wheat couscous.
I've also been adding shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken, but it's not really necessary if you're a vegetarian/vegan.
Add salt to taste (sometimes a lot, as these seasonings can be sweeter than desired). Serve with some couscous/whole wheat couscous.
I've also been adding shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken, but it's not really necessary if you're a vegetarian/vegan.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Today I made the most ridiculous black bean patties just fooling around...
I hate canned beans. They taste like a can, and it kind of feels like cheating. However, sometimes I have difficulties making the dried ones (i.e. I burn them).
At Veronica's suggestion, I was attempting to make black beans in the crock pot for the first time to see if they would come out right, so I just threw a serving size in with some water, a little bit of broth and cumin and left it on high for a few hours while I did other things, checking occasionally to make sure it was not burning.
When I was done, I wanted black bean burgers, so I mashed up the beans and liquid and added an egg and chipotle chili powder. It was a bit too runny, so I put in a couple of tablespoons of bread crumbs, then decided to add the little bit of cheddar that was left in the bag.
I sprayed the frying pan and dumped it into the pan like a pancake but thicker, then cooked it as I would cook a pancake.
Served this with a little bit of taco sauce and sour cream. Wow.
At Veronica's suggestion, I was attempting to make black beans in the crock pot for the first time to see if they would come out right, so I just threw a serving size in with some water, a little bit of broth and cumin and left it on high for a few hours while I did other things, checking occasionally to make sure it was not burning.
When I was done, I wanted black bean burgers, so I mashed up the beans and liquid and added an egg and chipotle chili powder. It was a bit too runny, so I put in a couple of tablespoons of bread crumbs, then decided to add the little bit of cheddar that was left in the bag.
I sprayed the frying pan and dumped it into the pan like a pancake but thicker, then cooked it as I would cook a pancake.
Served this with a little bit of taco sauce and sour cream. Wow.
Monday, January 10, 2011
I will never get a cold again without making this soup...
Chicken Soup... Our whole lives people have touted this as the miracle cure to the common cold... Well, I am convinced this one is. It cures congestion, anyway... And why? Because it's awesomely spicy, of course!
To make the broth, I boiled a 1 pound package of chicken and removed the chicken from the water, then poured about 4 cups of water in a saucepan. You can also use packaged broth, but I've found this works better for this particular soup because I like to start without the salt.
Ingredients
4 cups broth or boiled chicken water
1/3-1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces
1-2 tbsp soy or Bragg sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sriracha sauce (hot pepper paste)
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp dried or minced ginger
1/2 chicken breast, shredded
Optional : 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground
Directions
Boil the broth and cabbage together for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat and slowly stir in the seasonings one by one, tasting to decide if you like that quantity.
Keep in mind that each ingredient will make it a bit spicier so don't add too much of any one.
Add chicken, simmer for a few more minutes and serve.
Enjoy your clear sinuses!
Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how much you want...
To make the broth, I boiled a 1 pound package of chicken and removed the chicken from the water, then poured about 4 cups of water in a saucepan. You can also use packaged broth, but I've found this works better for this particular soup because I like to start without the salt.
Ingredients
4 cups broth or boiled chicken water
1/3-1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces
1-2 tbsp soy or Bragg sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sriracha sauce (hot pepper paste)
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp dried or minced ginger
1/2 chicken breast, shredded
Optional : 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground
Directions
Boil the broth and cabbage together for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat and slowly stir in the seasonings one by one, tasting to decide if you like that quantity.
Keep in mind that each ingredient will make it a bit spicier so don't add too much of any one.
Add chicken, simmer for a few more minutes and serve.
Enjoy your clear sinuses!
Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how much you want...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Some really healthy stuff that took 5 minutes to make...
I have some weird cravings. This week I have been watching The Biggest Loser just a bit too much, as well as saving as many calories as I can for the holiday weekend... That being said, here are two random, very healthy snacks/mini-meals I had tonight that I wanted to remember for next time...
Szechuan Tuna in Cabbage - All ingredients cold
1 can tuna
1 tsp minced ginger (from a jar)
1 tsp soy or bragg sauce
2 tbsp Szechuan stir fry sauce
2 large cabbage leaves, cut into 3 strips each
Mix tuna with other ingredients in a bowl, scoop with a spoon into the cabbage pieces and roll up. Super good, between 200-250 calories total.
Mashed cauliflower
4 cups cauliflower (I used a bag of frozen cauliflower from Kroger)
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
Microwave or steam the cauliflower, throw it all in a blender or food processor. Serve. Less than 200 calories, delicious and super filling.
Szechuan Tuna in Cabbage - All ingredients cold
1 can tuna
1 tsp minced ginger (from a jar)
1 tsp soy or bragg sauce
2 tbsp Szechuan stir fry sauce
2 large cabbage leaves, cut into 3 strips each
Mix tuna with other ingredients in a bowl, scoop with a spoon into the cabbage pieces and roll up. Super good, between 200-250 calories total.
Mashed cauliflower
4 cups cauliflower (I used a bag of frozen cauliflower from Kroger)
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
Microwave or steam the cauliflower, throw it all in a blender or food processor. Serve. Less than 200 calories, delicious and super filling.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
African Peanut Soup
Following the cues of a recipe I found on my FAVORITE soup site, delish.com, I have been using this as a staple in my soup-making.
Original Recipe: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/african-peanut-soup-recipe-3706?click=recipe_sr
My version:
1-2 cloves of garlic instead of an onion
1 tsp olive oil instead of canola (or no oil at all since peanut butter is oily)
1 tbsp curry powder
1 can(s) (10-ounce) condensed tomato soup -OR- 1 can tomato juice or V8 (this could also make it more vegan-friendly)
1-2 cups of water and a veggie buillion cube. I never buy ready made broth. If I am doing it with chicken sometimes I will use the water I boiled the chicken in instead of a cube.
2 tablespoon(s)peanut butter
1-2 tablespoon(s) chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
To make it heartier:
I always add chopped veggies -OR- the easier version of bagged broccoli or cabbage slaw from the store.
Sometimes I add shredded chicken
*Note: Even if you're not a huge cilantro fan, use the cilantro. It brings out the other flavors without being overpowering in itself.
Original Recipe: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/african-peanut-soup-recipe-3706?click=recipe_sr
My version:
1-2 cloves of garlic instead of an onion
1 tsp olive oil instead of canola (or no oil at all since peanut butter is oily)
1 tbsp curry powder
1 can(s) (10-ounce) condensed tomato soup -OR- 1 can tomato juice or V8 (this could also make it more vegan-friendly)
1-2 cups of water and a veggie buillion cube. I never buy ready made broth. If I am doing it with chicken sometimes I will use the water I boiled the chicken in instead of a cube.
2 tablespoon(s)peanut butter
1-2 tablespoon(s) chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
To make it heartier:
I always add chopped veggies -OR- the easier version of bagged broccoli or cabbage slaw from the store.
Sometimes I add shredded chicken
*Note: Even if you're not a huge cilantro fan, use the cilantro. It brings out the other flavors without being overpowering in itself.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Homemade salad dressing. I heart you.
The problem with eating fresher foods and making everything from scratch is that store bought products I used to enjoy taste fake now. I can't eat Campbell's soups, and I stopped eating salad because store bought dressings just taste like vegetable oil or mayonnaise. However, as a girl with 13 flavors of olive oil in my kitchen, the latter issue is not difficult to resolve.
Dressing - As made last night
1 tbsp mushroom olive oil
1 tbsp herb olive oil
4 tbsp regular olive oil (I just won't use vegetable. I don't care if recipes call for it.)
4 tbsp aged balsamic
4 tbsp fig balsamic
4-8 tbsp white vinegar (to taste, and to desired texture)
8 thin slices fresh garlic
4-6 sun dried tomatoes
a few sprinkles of fresh or dried basil
Throw everything but the white vinegar into a blender and blend until everything is pureed into a sort of paste. Put it into a plastic container and add white vinegar by 1-2 tbsp quantities until you reach your desired flavor and texture. I used a lot because I like a thinner dressing, and the balsamic was a bit strong for me.
Croutons - My first attempt that was not a charred mess
Coated one side of bread in nonstick spray, garlic powder and olive oil and baked for 15 minutes on 250. Then I duplicated for the other side and sliced with a pizza cutter. I might slice the bread first next time.
Dressing - As made last night
1 tbsp mushroom olive oil
1 tbsp herb olive oil
4 tbsp regular olive oil (I just won't use vegetable. I don't care if recipes call for it.)
4 tbsp aged balsamic
4 tbsp fig balsamic
4-8 tbsp white vinegar (to taste, and to desired texture)
8 thin slices fresh garlic
4-6 sun dried tomatoes
a few sprinkles of fresh or dried basil
Throw everything but the white vinegar into a blender and blend until everything is pureed into a sort of paste. Put it into a plastic container and add white vinegar by 1-2 tbsp quantities until you reach your desired flavor and texture. I used a lot because I like a thinner dressing, and the balsamic was a bit strong for me.
Croutons - My first attempt that was not a charred mess
Coated one side of bread in nonstick spray, garlic powder and olive oil and baked for 15 minutes on 250. Then I duplicated for the other side and sliced with a pizza cutter. I might slice the bread first next time.
Monday, November 15, 2010
So what exactly does one DO with four pounds of green beans?
I have compulsive grocery shopping issues. I always have. I have a pantry full of random boxes of bread mix I bought last year, canned whatever and anything else that won't spoil and happened to look like a bargain six months ago. I try to control this by centering recipes around the things I compulsively buy, but then I compulsively buy something else to go with those recipes. It's a vicious cycle.
So it was no surprise when I left the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago with thirty pounds of vegetables, half of which are now chopped up in my freezer because I had to unexpectedly leave town and my stove is broken.
Included in these thirty were four pounds of sugar snap green beans. (Note: This was before the broken stove.) I consulted my life guru, www.google.com, looking for ways to cook green beans, came up with some general ideas, and went to town. Here are my two favorites.
Easy Szechuan Green Bean Stir Fry
This is a total cheater recipe but still rocks. I use Szechuan stir fry sauce that I bought at Sevananda.
Stir fry 1-2 lbs of green beans, chopped to 1-2 inch length, along with some chopped red and green bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook in olive oil, soy or Bragg sauce, Szechuan stir fry sauce and minced garlic (I've recently switched to fresh over the little jars and WOW). When you have reached your desired texture, sprinkle a whole bunch of sesame seeds on top. Easy and awesome.
Goat cheese and almond delight
Stir fry 1-2 lbs of green beans, chopped to 1-2 inch length, along with some chopped almonds. Cook in olive oil (flavor of choice) and minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice onto the beans while cooking. When you have reached your desired texture, stir in your desired amount of goat cheese. This one kind of wowed me. Goat cheese should be on everything.
I tried a fried green bean recipe, but haven't perfected how to make them "fried" without making them fatty and nasty. Maybe I will try breading and baking them when the oven is back in commission...
So it was no surprise when I left the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago with thirty pounds of vegetables, half of which are now chopped up in my freezer because I had to unexpectedly leave town and my stove is broken.
Included in these thirty were four pounds of sugar snap green beans. (Note: This was before the broken stove.) I consulted my life guru, www.google.com, looking for ways to cook green beans, came up with some general ideas, and went to town. Here are my two favorites.
Easy Szechuan Green Bean Stir Fry
This is a total cheater recipe but still rocks. I use Szechuan stir fry sauce that I bought at Sevananda.
Stir fry 1-2 lbs of green beans, chopped to 1-2 inch length, along with some chopped red and green bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook in olive oil, soy or Bragg sauce, Szechuan stir fry sauce and minced garlic (I've recently switched to fresh over the little jars and WOW). When you have reached your desired texture, sprinkle a whole bunch of sesame seeds on top. Easy and awesome.
Goat cheese and almond delight
Stir fry 1-2 lbs of green beans, chopped to 1-2 inch length, along with some chopped almonds. Cook in olive oil (flavor of choice) and minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice onto the beans while cooking. When you have reached your desired texture, stir in your desired amount of goat cheese. This one kind of wowed me. Goat cheese should be on everything.
I tried a fried green bean recipe, but haven't perfected how to make them "fried" without making them fatty and nasty. Maybe I will try breading and baking them when the oven is back in commission...
Brussels Sprouts Are Fun!
I have discovered the easiest vegetable to make delicious EVER. Seriously. All you have to do to make brussels sprouts awesome is cut them in halves or quarters and cook them in various ways with one or two ingredients. Where has this cruciferous beauty been all my life? I would have been way healthier in my twenties if I had known such things...
My tried and true favorite:
Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Throw them in a pan with some chipotle olive oil, garlic and salt. Cook on medium until they reach your preferred texture. (Yes, that's all.)
Thank you, internet.
Google helped me come up with this one. Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Throw them in the microwave for 2 minutes or however long it takes to achieve desired texture with some olive oil. When they are ready, mix a bit of dijon mustard and salt. (Yes, that's all.)
Szechuan? Yes please.
I thank Cristy, Google and Tasty China for the inspiration for this recipe.
Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Mix in some soy or Bragg sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, chili oil, Szechuan peppercorns and stir fry. Yum.
My tried and true favorite:
Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Throw them in a pan with some chipotle olive oil, garlic and salt. Cook on medium until they reach your preferred texture. (Yes, that's all.)
Thank you, internet.
Google helped me come up with this one. Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Throw them in the microwave for 2 minutes or however long it takes to achieve desired texture with some olive oil. When they are ready, mix a bit of dijon mustard and salt. (Yes, that's all.)
Szechuan? Yes please.
I thank Cristy, Google and Tasty China for the inspiration for this recipe.
Take some brussels sprouts, halve or quarter them. Mix in some soy or Bragg sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, chili oil, Szechuan peppercorns and stir fry. Yum.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
White bean soup... This could be a new trend...
Several months ago on an office birthday, we went to a downtown restaurant called FAB, where I tried a white bean and truffle oil soup that rocked my world. I have not stopped thinking about this soup since.
Yesterday I did a quick Google and saw the title "White Bean and Rosemary Soup" pop up in my browser. Without doing more than skim the recipe, I went home and made it my own. It's easier than you could imagine (though not quick):
Boil about 4 cups of water, a veggie buillion cube (I used vegan sea salt with herbs -- no MSG), half a cup of dried navy beans, a tsp of minced garlic and some rosemary (this is discretionary - I used 3 tsps of ground rosemary and it was a bit too much -- I recommend fresh or dried for future tries) in a saucepan on medium low heat and covered. I did this in three 20 minute intervals because I ALWAYS burn beans (and rice, and quinoa, and barley, if we're being honest). This way I can check, stir and add more water as needed. I tried to make it so there were about 2 cups of water when the beans were tender.
When done boiling, pour into a blender with about 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and puree until smooth. Add more water if it's too thick.
Now, taste it, and think, "Holy crap, this isn't a $10 bowl of French restaurant soup!"
Note: Increase accordingly. This recipe makes about 1 bowl of soup. To enjoy a more reasonable calorie content, I am eating it in half cup servings (140 calories per half cup, approximately). The bowl would be about 420 calories. You could use only one tbsp of olive oil to decrease the content to 300, but it would be slightly less yummy...
Yesterday I did a quick Google and saw the title "White Bean and Rosemary Soup" pop up in my browser. Without doing more than skim the recipe, I went home and made it my own. It's easier than you could imagine (though not quick):
Boil about 4 cups of water, a veggie buillion cube (I used vegan sea salt with herbs -- no MSG), half a cup of dried navy beans, a tsp of minced garlic and some rosemary (this is discretionary - I used 3 tsps of ground rosemary and it was a bit too much -- I recommend fresh or dried for future tries) in a saucepan on medium low heat and covered. I did this in three 20 minute intervals because I ALWAYS burn beans (and rice, and quinoa, and barley, if we're being honest). This way I can check, stir and add more water as needed. I tried to make it so there were about 2 cups of water when the beans were tender.
When done boiling, pour into a blender with about 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and puree until smooth. Add more water if it's too thick.
Now, taste it, and think, "Holy crap, this isn't a $10 bowl of French restaurant soup!"
Note: Increase accordingly. This recipe makes about 1 bowl of soup. To enjoy a more reasonable calorie content, I am eating it in half cup servings (140 calories per half cup, approximately). The bowl would be about 420 calories. You could use only one tbsp of olive oil to decrease the content to 300, but it would be slightly less yummy...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
When your veggies are nearing the end of their shelf life....
I hit the farmer's market approximately every two weeks and buy a crap-ton of vegetables. The problem with this strategy is that sometimes I get busy and forget to cook. Yesterday I made up some fun and easy recipes to avoid wasting some of my delicious veggies from my last shopping spree.
Bell pepper and Asparagus Curry Soup
My red and yellow bell peppers and asparagus were all a little soft. I was at the junction of "freeze" and "throw away" when the inspiration hit... SOUP!
I chopped all of these and put them in a deep frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 cups of water and a vegan bouillon cube (because other types typically have MSG). Once the cube was dissolved and the mixture was warm I put it in a blender with a tablespoon of Thai red curry paste. Puree, put back into a saucepan, and season to taste.
Spinach With Cheese and Turkey
After returning from my dance class, I went to the refrigerator to evaluate the possibility of a spinach salad. As suspected, my spinach had reached the point where the raw option is pretty much out of the question. I threw it in a frying pan with about a quarter to half cup of water to steam it, moving around with a spatula regularly. For taste I added a sprinkle of Adobo and squeezed a lime wedge on the spinach. Then I threw in some cheddar and a chopped up slice of cold cut turkey for added protein.
The spinach was flavorful enough on its own from the lime and salt, for those not looking to add cheese and turkey, but they were definitely a nice touch. No oil required if you use water and don't leave it sitting in the pan to stick.
Bell pepper and Asparagus Curry Soup
My red and yellow bell peppers and asparagus were all a little soft. I was at the junction of "freeze" and "throw away" when the inspiration hit... SOUP!
I chopped all of these and put them in a deep frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 cups of water and a vegan bouillon cube (because other types typically have MSG). Once the cube was dissolved and the mixture was warm I put it in a blender with a tablespoon of Thai red curry paste. Puree, put back into a saucepan, and season to taste.
Spinach With Cheese and Turkey
After returning from my dance class, I went to the refrigerator to evaluate the possibility of a spinach salad. As suspected, my spinach had reached the point where the raw option is pretty much out of the question. I threw it in a frying pan with about a quarter to half cup of water to steam it, moving around with a spatula regularly. For taste I added a sprinkle of Adobo and squeezed a lime wedge on the spinach. Then I threw in some cheddar and a chopped up slice of cold cut turkey for added protein.
The spinach was flavorful enough on its own from the lime and salt, for those not looking to add cheese and turkey, but they were definitely a nice touch. No oil required if you use water and don't leave it sitting in the pan to stick.
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