Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts

Cilantro Lime Rice




A couple years ago when I first made Creamy Beef Taquitos, I thought "what the heck do you serve with taquitos to turn them into a meal?" Plain rice seemed too boring.  So I started by making a pot of basmati rice, which I always have on hand since we make so much Indian food.  I stirred in a couple tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper which made the rice fantastic (it really emphasizes the nuttiness of basmati and reminds me of popcorn), but I still wanted it to have a Mexican influence.  I noticed the lime and cilantro still sitting on my counter leftover from making taquitos and threw them both in.  Perfect!  A great accompaniment to any Mexican meal, or even Asian or Indian dishes.  


Recipe by Meal Planning 101
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Serves 4


1 3/4 cup water
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lime juice
2-3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil.  Add rice, turn heat down to medium low, and simmer rice with a lid on for 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add butter, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and stir through to combine.  Serve.


Click here for printable version of Cilantro Lime Rice
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RESULTS?
I love making this as an easy side dish that is different than just plain rice.  The freshness of the lime and cilantro work nicely with main dishes that are rich (like Creamy Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas) or spicy (like Buffalo Chicken Taquitos or Tandoori Chicken) or pretty much any Mexican dish.  If you are one of those people that hate cilantro, fresh Italian parsley would be a great substitute - it would still provide you with the same fresh, herbaceous hit.  Or really, have you ever just stirred lots of butter, salt and pepper into hot basmati rice?  SO GOOD!  

I have tons of meal ideas for you, because this Cilantro Lime Rice is a great accompaniment to so many things!  

Meal Ideas:
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Oven Roasted Broccoli That'll Knock Your Kidlets' Socks Off

Here's an old joke, you may or may not have heard before:

Question: What's the difference between broccoli and snot?
Answer: Kids don't eat broccoli.



Well about a year ago I would have believed it, but currently one of my favorite dishes to make Mr.S.'s kidlets is roasted broccoli. Yep, you heard me right--- BROCCOLI! Really! It's easy to cook, it's incredibly nutritious (low-cal, rich in phyto-nutrients and a great source of Vitamins A & C) and it doesn't hit the ol' wallet too hard either. Initially the kidlets pooh-poohed the roasted broccoli at dinner time, but with a few tweaks we got them on board and begging for more. The main game changer was letting the broccoli cook longer so it softened and the florets got a slight caramelized crust going. (They love those crunchy, brown, charred pieces.) That extra cooking time really makes a difference in texture and taste. The kidlets seem to like the roasted broccoli sprinkled with grated Parmesan so we eat it like that most of the time but sometimes we add some soy sauce and sesame seeds to jazz it up.



Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 lemon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.

2. Rinse broccoli and dry thoroughly. Cut into bite-sized florets.

3. Place aluminum foil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the florets out evenly on the foil in a single layer.

4. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic. Swish it all around with your hands. Make sure everything is lightly (and evenly) coated. Space the florets out as much as you can. They cook better if they're not crowded.

5. Pop the baking sheet in the oven and roast for approximately 18-22 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, take a spatula and flip the suckers over so they cook nicely all the way around. (Note: Keep an eye on the broccoli the first time you make this, every oven is different and some run really hot. You want the broccoli to start to get a nice brown color but not burn.)

6. When done, remove sheet from oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it. You can either sprinkle some grated Parmesan on the broccoli at this point or just leave it on the table and people can put it on themselves.

7. Toss. Serve immediately.

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Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Kale with Roasted Sweet Potatoes


Happy New Year!  We had a fabulous Christmas and New Years surrounded by tons of family.  We hosted everyone at our place, so the last day or two has been spent completely VEGGING out.  Gotta recover from all the busyness!

This was a recipe I served to my vegetarian-loving brother-in law and his fam.  I've actually made this recipe quite often in the last couple months.  It's one of those vegetarian meals my husband actually enjoys!  When I first made this, it was also one of my first introductions to kale and I'm hooked.  I love the way it holds up in soups, stews or curries and doesn't get soggy or slimy.  

Packed with nutrition AND flavor this is a great way to eat your veggies (and to start off the new year)!


Recipe adapted from Dinner with Julie
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Serves 4



1 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 tsp curry paste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 19 oz (540 mL) can chickpeas, drained well
2 cups kale, chopped
1 14 oz (398 mL) can coconut milk (or light coconut milk)
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper

fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft; add the garlic, ginger, curry paste and chili powder and cook for another minute or two. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and red chili flakes (if using); cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture. Add the kale and cook until it wilts, about 3-4 minutes; add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Add the salt and cook until it’s as thick or saucy as you like.

Serve coconut curried chickpeas and kale either alongside roasted sweet potatoes or on top.


Click here for printable version of Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Kale with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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THE RESULTS?
My meat loving husband really likes this dish as do my kids.  It's pretty great when you can convince your 3 and 5 year old they love kale, chick peas and sweet potatoes!  I like to go easy on the curry paste because I love the creamy flavor of the coconut milk.  Sometimes swapping out regular coconut milk for light doesn't work because it makes the final dish too runny.  But in this case, it works great and I've done it many times.  I usually like to give you guys ideas for how to serve up the recipe and create a meal but this one is a complete meal all on its own!  The sweet morsels of sweet potatoes go perfectly with the chick peas and kale.

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No Bra Sundays & Mushroom-Asparagus Quinoa "Pilaf"




It's Sunday and Mr.S. is running around frantically trying to complete his weekend To Do list. Every so often he comes into the house to check the scores on the 9 million football games that are on. He winces more then he smiles at the scores and as he heads outside again to mow the lawn and rake leaves, he shoots me a version of the stinkeye that could give an old gypsy woman a run for her money. I love Mr.S. but he's one of those guys who always has to be busy with something- projects, repairs, a new exercise routine; whereas, I'm of the ilk that believes Sundays are for lazing about. Yep, buy me a one way ticket to Lazytown. Nothing makes me happier than what I affectionately call No Bra Sundays. My lady friends know what I'm talking about...those Sundays where you sleep in, drink a cup of coffee (or three) around 10 and then you just lounge on the sofa while sporting comfy yoga pants and no over-the-shoulder boulder holder. Yep, the girls are feelin' free and so am I. After munching on a lunch of a few "fun-size" candy bars and finishing Tina Fey's, "Bossypants," I'm ready for some human interaction, reluctantly...and it's only 3pm.

Anyhow, post No Bra Sunday (aka Monday), you'll need to get back with the Get Sh*t Done regime and to do that you'll need to eat something healthier than a bag of Doritos and leftover Thai takeout. Give this faux pilaf recipe a try. I know it sounds turbo healthy (which it is) but it tastes good as well. If it makes you feel better, you can eat it while wearing your yoga pants and watching an episode of "Revenge."

Mushroom-Asparagus Quinoa "Pilaf"

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (I used Trader Joe's Organic Tri-Color Quinoa)

2 cups broth (You can pretty much use any kind. Chicken or vegetable work well. I had some leftover shiitake broth from another cooking project so I used that)

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Rinse your quinoa. (I do this even if the package is marked pre-rinsed.) It removes the quinoa's bitter tasting coating called the saponin.

2. Place rinsed quinoa in a pot with broth.

3. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook for however long the product's instructions say, usually 15-30 minutes.

4. In a skillet, heat up olive oil. Once it's hot, add mushrooms, asparagus and garlic. Saute until asparagus is bright green (about 5 minutes).



5. When the quinoa is done (you can tell when it's done cooking because there be a little white ring that curls around it, this is called the germ), add it to your veggies.



6. Season with salt and pepper and you're ready to go!
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Roasted Delicata Squash



Delicata squash...it's the Ryan Gosling of the winter squash family. It's hip, it's smooth and oh-so-cute! You can bake them, you can steam them, you can even stuff them...or my personal favorite- you can roast them. The best part is there's no peeling necessary, the skin's edible. Just slice the squash up into rounds, pop out the seeds and guts, season and throw the squash into the oven. In just 25 minutes, you'll have a plateful of delicious squash with a buttery texture that tastes just like a mild sweet potato (but much healthier). Packed full of dietary fiber and beta carotene, it's a great addition to your seasonal veggie line-up or as a side dish for Thanksgiving.




Roasted Delicata Squash
(Feeds 2-3 people as a side)

Ingredients

2 delicata squash, washed and scrubbed

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice squash. Then pop out the seeds and squash goo in the center. You'll have small rounds of squash.

3. Place squash in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on. Toss with your hands and make sure pieces are evenly coated.

4. Season lightly with salt. Roast until tender (approx. 25 minutes, flipping the squash over halfway through the cooking time).

5. Remove from oven. Season with salt (to taste) and serve while it's still hot.

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Party Time! : Mini Cheesy Spinach Quiches



October is party month: birthday parties, Oktoberfest parties and lots and LOTS of Halloween parties. Parties require party food. My favorites are cute-bite sized treats that your guest can pick up with one hand so they don't have to put down their tasty drink. No one likes to put their drink down at a party! A really simple finger food to make (and is vegetarian-friendly) are mini quiches. They look fancy and like you have mad cooking skills but in reality it's just you, pre-made pie dough and a biscuit cutter. 10 minutes tops to assemble! 
What's your favorite easy-to-assemble party dish?


[On an unrelated side note, a friend recently gave me a heads up that my blog's comment box has not been working correctly. Sorry about the inconvenience. The issue's been repaired, so feel free to comment away folks!]   ;)


Mini Cheesy Spinach Quiches
makes 48 tiny quiches

Ingredients

1 pkg. pre-made pie crust (I like Trader Joe's brand, it comes with 2 pie crusts)

1 (10 oz.) box of frozen, chopped spinach

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (you can find this where the shredded cheese is at your store)

1 (16 oz.) container cottage cheese

1 bunch of green onion, white parts only sliced

4 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and freshly grounded pepper

 
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Defrost frozen spinach. Then place spinach in a colander and press out remaining water.

3. Using a small biscuit cutter or lip of a shot glass, stamp out your dough.

4. Press each dough round into the hole of your pre-greased mini-muffin tin. (I usually give the tin a light squirt with some cooking spray.)

5. In a bowl, combine spinach, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, green onion, eggs, salt and pepper together. Mix well.

6. Using a spoon, fill each pie crust about 3/4 full.

7. Place tin in oven and bake 20-22 minutes, until edges are a light golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the middle of a quiche, if it comes out clean the quiche are done.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pop the quiches out of the tin with a paring knife.

Note: You can make these quiches to suit your taste by subbing in red peppers, bacon, mushrooms, Gruyere...whatever you like. They're very versatile.





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Jalapeno-Cream Cheese Crescent Poppers



Seems like Old Mother Nature was trying to give us one more whammy of sweltering hot weather this weekend. Hope you were able to keep cool and have a good time. I did, well sorta.... Oh the joys of dating a Catholic boy! You are obligated to attend baptisms, confirmations and apparently the Holy Bowl. Mr.S.'s alma mater, Christian Brothers High School (or "Brothers," as him and his buddies call it) has a big rivalry with Jesuit High School and they duke it out in a once a year football game called the Holy Bowl. So Saturday night, we packed up the kidlets and drove over to Hughes Stadium where we met up with several of Mr.S.'s friends and tailgated before the big game. For our contribution, I made up some wild rice salad, cookies and these jalapeno-cream cheese crescent poppers. I actually had bought enough ingredients for two batches (the crescent rolls were BOGO) but I decided to only make one batch, in case they were a total disaster. They turned out to be a hit (and spicy!). And although I thought the initial bite-sized portions were cute, the second go around I decided to try and make the the poppers bigger. I was pleased with the outcome. So if you want to make ones that are teeny-tiny and perfect for cocktail hour, check out the original recipe on My Homemade Life. My version makes puffs that are twice as big. Maybe they're man-sized poppers? Haha.  :) Anyhow, we had fun at the Holy Bowl (even though CBHS lost) and I learned a few things about football...mainly, bring a pillow- those bleacher seats are uncomfortable after the first hour!





Jalapeno-Cream Cheese Crescent Poppers

Ingredients

6 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2 oz. canned, diced jalapenos (half of one of those small cans)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tube regular Pillsbury crescent rolls

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a bowl, stir together your softened cream cheese, diced jalapenos and tablespoon of sugar.  Mix well.

3. Pop open your crescent can. When you unfurl your rolls, you should have 4 rectangles (which have perforations to make triangles). Place two of the rectangles one on top of the other. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the connecting and perforated areas. Smooth the cream cheese mixture across the crescent roll mix. (See photo)


 
 
4. Then roll up your dough and cut into rounds. Place rounds (one of the spiral sides up) on a Silpat and place in oven.
 
5. Bake 13-14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.
 

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Borscht and a Baby...

Hey there!  Sorry for the long break from this lil blog, but I went and gave birth to this adorable hearbreaker:

Copeland Barry Alexander
Between this sweet muffin, my oldest daughter starting Kindergarten and my middle daughter starting preschool, we've been a little busy!

I'm working on some new posts and will respond this afternoon to the tons of comments and questions you've left me.  If you left me a comment, check back soon :)


Alright, onto the borscht...have you ever eaten it before?  My family is Polish so I grew up eating it, especially in the late summer or early fall when there is tons of fresh veggies to be harvested from the garden.  We would go to my Grandma's house where she'd make a huge pot of it and then we'd be eating bowls of the magenta soup blushed with a dollop of sour cream for days upon days.  This is our family recipe full of beautiful vegetables, a touch of smokiness from some Farmer sausage and that great earthy finish at the end with some fresh dill.

Recipe by My Dad/Grandma
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Serves 4-6

1 small onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced 
4 cups beets, peeled and diced
1 lb farmer sausage, diced
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups water

2 bay leaves

Fresh dill
Sour cream (for serving)

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and the onion and celery.  Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the carrots, potatoes, beets, farmer sausage, chicken stock, water and bay leaves.  Bring up to a boil then turn heat down to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  

At the end stir in a couple tablespoons of chopped fresh dill.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  When serving, ladle soup into bowls and then place a dollop of sour cream on top.  


Click here for printable version of Borscht
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THE RESULTS?
Growing up I ate this soup so often I thought nothing of it.  It wasn't until last summer when my Dad came to visit me and brought me bags and bags of his garden bounty that I was reminded of this soup.  I asked my Dad to teach me to make it, and my husband and I were slurping it up by the bowlful.  "How did I not remember how good this was?!" I exclaimed. 

Farmer sausage is a pork sausage that's got a bit of smokiness.  A similar sausage or even bacon would be a good substitute if you can't find it.  You can for sure leave it out and have it just be a vegetable soup, which is often how my Grandma makes it, but I LOVE the bits of smokey, salty pork sausage in there.  Obviously, for a vegetarian soup, leave out the sausage and use vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Meal Ideas:



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Avocado Bruschetta



After being away for four days on vacation and eating such nutritious snacks as Hostess Ding Dongs, chips-n-onion dip and Slim Jims, my system's in full DEFCON Level 1 mode and revolting against itself. So to appease my angry belly, I decided to make a simple HEALTHY lunch today of avocado bruschetta (pronounced [bru'sket:ta]). I've been making this dish (usually as a midnight snack) for years and never seem to tire of it. Each bite of the smooth, fresh avocado is punctuated by the crispness of the crusty warm bread...mmm, now I'm hungry again, might have to go make more!

Avocado Bruschetta

Ingredients

4 slices of crusty, rustic french bread- sliced (about 1/2 inch thick)

1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

good quality, extra-virgin olive oil

1 large (fresh) garlic clove

red pepper flakes

sea salt and fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Slice the clove of garlic crosswise and rub it on each bread slice.

3. Lightly brush the bread on both sides with olive oil (I like to use a pastry brush to do this).

4. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until golden.

5. Cut the avocado into small cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix gently.

6. Spoon a portion of the chopped avocado onto each bread slice. Season with a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh ground pepper and red pepper flakes.

* Alternatively if you'd like more of a char to your bread, you can grill or broil it.
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Summertime Caprese Skewers



It's summertiiiiiime and the livin' is easy....ok, maybe it's not quite easy but it's definitely hot and I'm feeling lazy. So if you'd rather relax by the pool or catch up on some Gabriel Macht in "Suits," than slog away in a hot kitchen, I have the perfect hors d'Å“uvre recipe for you. I'm sure you've seen a hundred variations of this on Pinterest and it's easy to see why- it's healthy, requires practically no effort and is on a stick...and who doesn't love nibbles on a stick? Also if you halve the tomato and use it as a base like I do, it makes it look like a cute little retro piece of art.


Summertime Caprese Skewers

Ingredients

1 (12 oz.) container Trader Joe's Marinated Mozzarella Balls
1 package fresh grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
olive oil or good quality balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 package round toothpicks

Instructions

1. Thread 1 mozzarella ball, 1 folded basil leaf and 1 tomato half onto the toothpick (with the tomato's sliced side facing the bottom).

2. Place on dish upright, using the tomato as a base.

3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil or balsamic vinegar if you wish.
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(Beer Battered) Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms



Happy Monday! Surprisingly, I haven't been doing much cooking for the past week, just enjoying the holidays and the weekend. With 4th of July being midweek, it felt like there were two weekends to me. Did you do anything fun for the 4th? Mr.S., the kidlets and I attended a block party at his cousin's in East Sac, complete with taco truck then afterwards went home to light a huge pile of fireworks with another cousin that was visiting from Louisiana. It was a blast but I'll admit I'm one of those grade-A worriers when it comes to fireworks...in fact, I probably am a lot like the mom in Christmas story who keeps saying, "You'll shoot your eye out!!" except I'm constantly harping, "You'll blow your eye out!" or "Watch those fingers!" What a buzzkill, I know...but don't worry, Mr.S. more than makes up for my incessant warnings. He LOVES to light stuff on fire, it's that pyro gene that most boys (and men) seem to possess. He's not as obsessed as his neighbor a few blocks away though, who was lighting gigantic fireworks. I'm not sure where he got them but his fireworks show lit up the whole neighborhood's sky and could seriously put Cal Expo to shame. It was so pretty!

The kidlets lighting some fireworks

When Saturday rolled around we decided to pack the kidlets up along with a picnic and head to the beach. The weather was nice and cool by the coast and we had a fun time frolicking in the waves. No one wanted to come home since we heard that Sacramento was a stinky hot 101 degrees. Gah!

Sunday buzzed by for me- farmers' market and a mimosa brunch with a fantabulous friend and then off to a birthday BBQ for Mr.S.'s big bro. The BBQ was quite enjoyable (tri-tip, panzanella and pasta salads, grilled asparagus and a decadent red velvet birthday cake). If it hadn't been for a horrendous migraine that snuck up on me halfway through the festivities, I would have said it was an A+ Sunday.

So I'm back to the regular week with no BBQs, taco trucks or birthday cake...I'm going to have to cook my own meals today. When my friend Cate and I were at the farmers' market yesterday, squash blossoms were everywhere and cheap! I guess edible flowers are the rage? I picked up a dozen for $2. 

Now I've cooked with squash blossoms before and know that they get wilty pretty quick; so I knew I needed to cook them ASAP. Hmmm...quesadillas? Soup? No, no...wait! Stuffed squash blossoms! I made these last year- stuffed them with goat cheese and then deep fried them in a light beer batter. Mmm, they were delicious and definitely worth another go round. At this point you're probably thinking, "Cheese? Beer batter? Frying? Is this girl loco? It all sounds so heavy!" I assure you it's not, the end result is a delicate savory dish with a delightful melding of flavors.


(Beer Battered) Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Ingredients

12 squash blossoms
canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying
6 oz. goat cheese (bring it to room temp so it's easier to work with)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (sage, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil- use whatever you like...)
1/2 cup beer (stay away from using a super heavy beer like a port of stout)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, beaten
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Gently wash the squash blossoms and allow to dry. Cut off stems and pinch off the stamen.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine: goat cheese, scallions, fresh herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. In another bowl, mix batter ingredients together: beer, flour, corn starch, baking powder and egg.

4. Stuff each squash blossom with a tablespoon of the cheese mixture. You can use your fingers and a spoon to do this or you can pipe it in there with a pastry bag. Twist the top of the blossoms to close.


Stuffed

5. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium.

6. Once the oil is hot (you want it to be about 375 degrees F), lightly dredge the stuffed blossoms through the beer batter (coating it evenly) and place in pan. Take care not to crowd the blossoms in the pan.

7. Cook until batter takes on a light, golden brown color- about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer blossoms to a paper towel to drain for a few minutes.

8. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Eat while they're still warm.

Fried
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Roasted Curried Cauliflower



Earlier in the week I commented about how sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go. Well, that's exactly what we did this weekend. Mr.S. and I decided to head to the Bay Area and enjoy some down time in Muir Woods. Have you ever been? This was my first time and I was amazed at how absolutely gorgeous this state park is. We were smart and got there early before the hordes of tourists showed up. This gave us time to meander about at a leisurely pace and revel in the tranquility of the woods. It was so peaceful and romantic under the canopy of the redwoods with just the sounds of the creek trickling along that I almost forgot that we were just a hop, skip and a jump from the bustle of SF. It was the perfect place to spend a Saturday morning.



In the kitchen Sunday, I wanted to stay with cooking something simple. I had some cauliflower in the crisper so I decided to throw together a batch of roasted curried cauliflower. I love roasting my vegetables, it brings out so much more of their natural flavors compared to boiling or stir-frying them. The tender little caramelized bits, a by-product of the roasting, are my favorite part. Although, I would technically classify this as a "side dish," it's so delicious that you could eat it as a main dish or a snack. Also don't forget, this recipe is low in calories and carbs, high in antioxidants and loaded with fiber- making it perfect for those of us who are trying to eat healthy.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head of fresh cauliflower (don't use frozen, it'll come out mushy)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

pinch of cayenne


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Wash cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets. Discard the stem. Pat florets dry with a papertowel.

3. In a medium-size bowl, mix the oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and all the spices together.

4. Add the florets to the mixture and swish around to make sure each piece is throughly coated.

5. Spread the cauliflower florets out on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

6. Place in the oven and cook for roughly 18 minutes.

7. Remove baking sheet from oven, drizzle cauliflower with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Serve immediately.


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Sweet Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad + The Avett Brothers



Whoa, it's Monday already? Feels like Saturday and Sunday flew by. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Ours was buuuuuu-sy! Mr.S. and I started the weekend out by having some friends over for a dinner party-BBQ on Saturday. Since the weather was so nice we made pulled pork sliders, some Korean chicken, several salads and various finger foods. Festivities had to be moved indoors halfway through the night though because it got a bit chilly in the backyard. Maybe one of these days we'll get around to buying a firepit.

We closed out our wonderful weekend by listening to The Avett Brothers play under the stars at the Woodlake Hotel (which by the way is one of the crappiest concert venues I've ever been to. I loved being outside but who was the genius who thought to plant TREES throughout the sightline?)  Anyhow, The Avett Brothers were amazing and seem to have picked up more fans since I saw them at the Crest last year. I've never seen so many plaid shirts in one place. :)


In keeping with the country stylings of The Avett Brothers, I'm posting a corn, avocado and tomato salad I made this weekend. It's sweet with a hint of tangy. The perfect summer BBQ side dish.

Sweet Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4 ears of fresh sweet corn
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Peel the husks from the corn. Place the ears in boiling water, cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from water. Set aside to cool.

2. TIP: An easy way to strip the kernels is to balance the ear of corn vertically on the center of a sturdy bundt pan (with the wider part of the ear on the bottom). Hold the top of the ear with one hand and shear off the kernels in a downward motion with a sharp kitchen knife. Turn the ear as you go. The kernels collect in the bundt pan. When all the kernels are off, just run the back of the knife down the ear to get the corn juices to run down.
Voila! Messy kernels flying about the kitchen---> averted.



3. Place cut corn kernels, halved tomatoes and diced red onion in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chopped basil, lime zest and juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk thoroughly.

5. Pour dressing over the corn mixture. Mix well.

6. Refrigerate.

7. Right before serving, add cubed avocado. Gently toss.
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Rice 'n' Easy Casserole


This year that I worked full time I cooked differently than I have in the past.  Gone were the elaborate 10 step recipes and in swooped easy throw-in-the-oven casseroles, slow cooker meals and low effort roasting pans (and quite a few frozen pizzas).  This recipe for a cheesy rice and broccoli casserole is not one that I would have normally picked when perusing a cookbook, but it totally fit the bill when it came to dinner time.  

It's also not a typical recipe you'd find in a "low-fat, healthy eating" cookbook.  I know some may scoff at the use of cream of mushroom soup and a prepackaged flavored rice, but for a busy family it's nice to have a recipe that utilizes these ingredients in a healthiER way.  Most recipes I found online for this same casserole utilized butter, more rice and less veggies, and more than triple the amount of full-fat cheese.  

This was a good, comforting, creamy side dish alongside some simply roasted chicken.

Recipe from The Looneyspoons Collection
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Serves 6


1 pkg (6.3 oz/180 g) Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice original recipe (I couldn't find this product, so I used 1 cup of Uncle Ben's Natural Select Roasted Chicken & Wild Rice)
2 10oz. cans of reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup light old cheddar (sharp), shredded
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut small
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut small

Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting butter.  Set aside.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together soup, cheese and Dijon mustard.  Mix well.  Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray.  Layer half the soup mixture over bottom, top with half the broccoli and cauliflower, followed by half the rice.  Repeat layers.  Cover and bake for 1 hour.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  


Click here for printable version of Rice 'n' Easy Casserole


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THE RESULTS?

As I said before, this dish was comforting, creamy and easy to throw together.  It becomes a really no-fuss meal when you roast some spiced chicken thighs alongside the casserole...you've got a complete meal with no extra work.  This was also a great potluck contribution, and I brought home a completely empty casserole dish.  

Meal Ideas:



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Cheesy Quinoa Casserole





Resolutions and goals aren't solely reserved  for New Year's. I'm a firm believer that you can set them for any time of the year. One of the goals we've in embraced in our household for summer is to get healthy and I'm not talking about sucking down ViSalus shakes and getting up to change the TV channel. By "healthy", I'm referring to nutritious-waistline friendly meals, more exercise and drinking more water. We also enrolled the kidlets in this great program for the summer that I heard from my friend Sheri, who's a nurse. It's called Project HYPE  (Healthy Youth for Physical Excellence) and it's a free day camp (ages 10-15) run by the Mission Oaks Recreation and Park District. It's only the third day in but Kidlet #2 seems to love it and Kidlet #1 slowly seems to be coming around (I think he was hoping for a summer of sleeping in and playing video games all day...teenagers!). The program focuses on teaching the kids proper nutrition and physical fitness in a positive environment. According to Kidlet #2- karate, yoga, and kickball are just a few of the exercise activities on the agenda for this summer. Several speakers, ranging from professional trainers to chefs will be coming to speak as well. Additionally, one of the great things about this program is that it requires that the family be involved. They have bi-weekly meetings for the parents and guardians that are mandatory. According to HYPE's literature, "[i]n 2008, the Center of Disease control published statistics indicating that 1 out of every 3 children are either overweight or obese. Out of 58 counties, Sacramento ranks 3rd in California in the prevalence of overweight children ages 6-11. Overweight and obese children are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease and cancer." Sacramento ranks 3rd!! Can you believe that? That is not a statistic we should be proud of.

So a healthy meal...last night I took stock of the fridge and decided to make a quinoa casserole. Although it does have cheese in it, on the whole this meatless meal is nutritionally sound. You have your vegetables and your supergrain- quinoa. Which is high in protein and includes all nine essential amino acids. I tweaked the original recipe to utilize what I had in my home and my personal tastes. I also wanted it to be lactose-free so I subbed in soy milk and Daiya Cheese for the dairy items.


Cheesy Quinoa Casserole (adapted from Eat Live Run)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth (or veg broth if you want to go vegetarian)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 bunch of chard, rinsed and chopped into bite-size pieces (or you can use spinach)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup soy milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Add canola oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add bell pepper, green onions and chard. Saute for about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds more.

4. Add your quinoa and your broth. Stir well. Then add your dry mustard, salt and pepper.

5. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover and let the mixture cook for 20 minutes until the quinoa has completely absorbed the liquid and cooked (the quinoa will take on a translucent look).

6. Add the grated cheddar and soy milk. Stir well. Then transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 glass casserole dish.

7. In a small bowl, combine the panko and the mozzarella. Sprinkle that on top of the casserole.

8. Bake for 30 minutes. The top with get a golden, crunchy look.

9. Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: This also makes a great meal to take to lunch the next day. It reheats well.
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Crisp Green Apple Salsa



Triple digits! Can you believe it? That's the rumor for what this weekend's temp is supposed to hit. That's Africa hot! Tarzan couldn't take that kind of hot. Jeebus, it's only been in the low 90's this week and I'm feeling hot and cranky. Well come this weekend, if you're feeling knackered and sweaty and don't want to turn on your oven then try making some of this crisp green apple salsa. It's crunchy, healthy and absolutely delicious and best of all it requires minimal effort. You can pair it with some pita or sweet potato chips and take it to a BBQ or just enjoy it solo in front of the air conditioning. (I won't tell, I promise!)

Crisp Green Apple Tomato (slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples- peeled, cored and chopped

1 yellow bell pepper- chopped

1 saladette tomato- chopped

1/4 medium sweet onion- chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice


Instructions

1. Chop/dice all of the fruits and veggies. (Note: You can opt to not peel the apples if the skin doesn't bother you.) Place in a large bowl.

2.  Add salt, sugar and lime juice. Toss thoroughly.

3. If it's too tart for you, you can add a pinch more of sugar.

4. You're done. Told you this was a quickie. Enjoy!



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Coconut Milk Chickpea and Lentil Curry




It must be "baby season" again. Seems like a lot of my friends are welcoming little bundles of joy into their lives this summer. One of my girl friends, Susan, just had her first baby so my friend Rose and I made arrangements to visit and bring a few meals for the new mother and her family. Now Susan's vegetarian and her hubby doesn't do cheese so I was in a bit of a quandary as to what to make; however, I finally decided on a batch of mild coconut milk curry with chickpeas and lentils (since I know Susan loves Indian food) as well as some wild rice salad and some baked goods. I figured that would give them a variety of things to munch on if they didn't feel like cooking. Of course I made a skosh more so that I could have some for lunch tomorrow....mmmm!



Coconut Milk Chickpea and Lentil Curry (adapted from Sweet Sugar Bean)

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons mild Indian curry paste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 (13.5oz.) cans of coconut milk
2 cups whole green lentils, rinsed and picked through
2 cans (15 oz.) cooked chickpeas, rinsed
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups fresh cauliflower florets
1 cup frozen peas
couple of dashes of hot sauce (optional)
handful of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium heat. Add chopped onions, cook until onions are soft.

2. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper, carrots, curry paste, spices and salt. Stir. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, lentils, tomato paste and honey. Bring to a boil. Stir well.

4. Cover. Reduce to simmer. Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add cauliflower and peas. Cook for about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

6. Add a handful of chopped cilantro.

7. Adjust seasonings if necessary. (At this time, add a few splashes of hot sauce if you want it slightly spicier.)

8. Serve hot by itself or over rice.

9. (Optional) Garnish with plain yogurt, cilantro or chopped peanuts.



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Pico de Gallo


Originally posted Feb 12, 2009.  Photo's and text updated June 3, 2012.

I'm sorry I dropped off the face of the earth again!  This always seems to happen when work gets crazy, and being in the final few weeks of preschool while 7 months pregnant has made it extra hectic.  Two more weeks of putting my nose to the grindstone and I can officially relax and enjoy my summer and my family before this baby comes.

In the meantime, I thought I'd pop in quick and post new photos of this fantastic pico de gallo recipe.  The old ones were HORRRRRID.  Like, really bad.  It's nice to be able to update and improve them :)

A couple Saturday's ago, I was in the throes of a huge preschool Mother's Day project.  My house had gone to pot, the laundry had mountainized, there was still a ton of preschool work to be done....and I was single parenting for the day!  I decided to ignore all the chores that were calling my name, pack up the girls and head to the Farmer's Market.  It turned into such a lovely day!  I let my girls pick out some fresh produce and we came home with some beautiful red and yellow cocktail tomatoes (nothing like those pinkish-orange anemic ones we find in the grocery store), red and green jalapeno's and some fresh cilantro.  Fresh pico de gallo was definitely in order!  The sweet and juicy greenhouse tomatoes tasted like gold amongst the raw pungent onions, peppery cilantro, lime and chile. I served it up on some Authentic Mexican Tacos, but found myself scooping it up later in the evening on tortilla chips and not being able to control myself.

As an appetizer with chips, or as a condiment for your fave Mexican foods, you must make some pico de gallo this summer.

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Makes about 1 1/2 cups



2-3 large ripe tomatotes, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced (or about 6 green onions)
1/2 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped (this is the heat level I like, so adjust to your own tastes)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

Dice the tomatoes and add to a bowl. I like to deseed my tomatoes, but that's because I deseed tomatoes for everything I make...I'm not a fan of the goopy stuff. Feel free to just chop them without deseeding because it's not totally necessary for this recipe. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, cilantro and/or jalapeno to your liking. Serve with taco's or as dip for tortilla chips.


Click here for printable version of Pico de Gallo
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THE RESULTS?
Really fresh and really delicious. What I like about making pico de gallo is that it's a dish that you don't really need a recipe for. You just chop ingredients and mix them together. Yes, you have to make sure all the flavors are in balance but the nice thing is you can alter and adjust to your own tastes. I like that. I also love that it's a perfect use for fresh summer produce.

Here's some ideas of what to do with it:

  • Layer it into your favorite Layered Mexican dip
  • Grill chicken breasts with lime and grill seasoning and pile pico de gallo on top.  Or slice chicken into a salad and top with pico de gallo and other favorite veggies.  Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing drizzled on top would taste fabulous.
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Pickled Grapes



Oh cheese, glorious cheese...yum! Did you guys see that ALL CHEESE wedding cake on Cup of Jo this week? My gawd! My jaw dropped ---does it get any better than that? Well it can. Even cheese needs a sidekick. Batman had Robin, Cousin Larry had Balki and Ren had Stimpy...so what should your cheese's wingman be?  I vote for pickled grapes. Seriously, pickled grapes. They're delish. I ran across the recipe in Molly Wizenberg's book, "A Homemade Life," a few years back and these little orbs pickled with cinnamon and black pepper will rock your tastebuds. This last batch, I used some leftover muscat grapes and paired the finished product with some creamy Cypress Grove Purple Haze chevre---total foodgasm!


Molly Wizenberg also writes the food blog, "Orangette" which I love.



Pickled Grapes (adapted from "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg)

Ingredients

1 lb. seedless red or black grapes (I used muscat grapes and it came out fine.)

1 cup white wine vinegar (Make sure you're using the right kind of vinegar, please. It makes a big difference.)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 (2 1/2 inch) cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon salt


Ingredients

1. Wash and dry the grapes. Take a sharp knife and poke a slit where the grape's "bellybutton" is. This will help the pickling juices get in there. Place the cut grapes in a large bowl.

2. In a medium pot, mix the white wine vinegar, sugar, brown mustard seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and salt together. Stir the ingredients up to make sure they're combined. Bring it to a nice boil. Give it one last stir, remove from heat and pour over the grapes.

3. Allow the mixture to cool to room temp and then ladle into clean jars with lids. Place the jars in the fridge and allow them to sit overnight.

4. Serve the grapes cold with your favorite cheese.

* The pickled grapes will keep for a week to a week and a half; however, the flavor will become more pronounced the longer it sits.
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Soba with Ginger Scallion Sauce



Ok, I lied to you. I know I said I was going to give the David Chang recipes a rest- buuuuuuut I ended up with a ton of scallions this week and needed to do something with them so I threw together some of his ginger scallion sauce. I ended up pairing it with some soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) I had laying around in the cupboard and it was absolutely delish. I definitely recommend it unless you hate scallions or hate ginger because this tastes like a whole lotta both. It's also a great sauce to make because it keeps for a few days in the fridge and you can integrate it into all kinds of dishes- chicken, rice, seafood.... Just remember to have an Altoid on hand afterwards because this sauce will definitely leave you with some pungent breath.

Ginger Scallion Sauce (adapted from "Momofuku" by David Chang and Peter Meehan)

Ingredients

2 bundles of dried soba

2 bunches of fresh scallions

1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 1/4 teaspoon usukuchi (or a reduced sodium light soy sauce)

3/4 teaspoon mirin*

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

toasted sesame seeds, for garnish


Instructions

1. Thinly slice the scallions (whites and greens).

2. In a bowl, mix together the sliced scallions, ginger, oil, usukuchi, mirin and salt. Allow it to sit about 20 minutes so the flavors can meld. (Note: Don't skip the waiting period, it does make a difference in the taste.)

3. After 20 minutes, taste. Add more salt if necessary or if it's too salty for you, you can add 3/4 teaspoon of sugar.

4. Boil some buckwheat noodles (about 4-5 minutes). Drain noodles and rinse with cold running water.

5. Mix buckwheat noodles with ginger scallion sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Store the leftover sauce in an airtight container and place in fridge.

* The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, I didn't have any on hand and mirin worked fine as a substitute.



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