almond coffee skillet cake

This is great because you probably have all of the ingredients in your cupboard without having to go to the store :). I got this from my Cash sister-in-law.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 3/4 c butter, melted
• 1 tsp almond extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 c slivered almonds
• sprinkle of sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix all ingredients in bowl.
3. Line skillet in aluminium. Pour in mixture and sprinkle almonds and sugar on top. Fold foil over the top to cover.
4. Bake for 45 minutes and then uncover and bake about 15 minutes more until golden brown.

peppermint pretzels

bowl of peppermint pretzels

After a coworker brought these to the office I had to try making them myself because they were so delicious! Getting the candy cane pieces to stick to the pretzels seems tricky at first, but just remember they can be "artistic" :-)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb "nibblers" pretzels
• 15 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cake paraffin
• 1 package (about 12) candy canes
• hammer
• wax or parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin in a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water.
2. While the chocolate is melting, chip up the candy canes by putting a few at a time into a zip top baggie lined with parchment paper and then lightly tapping them with a hammer. Pour onto a small plate to use later.
3. Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper next to the stove top.
4. Using tongs or cooking chopsticks (my favorite - they are extra long to keep your hands out of the steam), dip each nibbler into the chocolate to coat it completely and let the excess drip off back into the bowl. Then roll the still warm pretzel in the crushed candy canes and then place on the cookie sheet to let it cool and let the chocolate harden.
5. Store in refrigerator.

roasted butternut squash salad

roasted butternut squash salad

I am excited to post that I have a new favorite recipe blog to follow: 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson. She has great recipes but fabulous photography! I've been posting photos of my food on this blog regularly, but they are pretty bad compared to some great foodie/photo blogs I've seen.

Tonight we tried Heidi's roasted pumpkin salad recipe but I made it with butternut squash because Whole Foods sells it peeled and I really hate peeling squash. This recipe is even more delicious than it sounds. I'm saving it in draft until I get permission to repost but go check it out on her blog.

Happy Tuna Sandwiches

With too many things to do today, we opted for a quick tuna salad sandwich. But as soon as I reached the kitchen, I just couldn't let it be plain ole tuna salad. So, here's we had and it was quite tasty :)

Ingredients:

• 2 single serving pouches Albacore tuna
• 2 heaping tlbsp light mayo
• 4 tblsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 large shallot, finely chopped
• heavy dash of freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• sprinkle of micro-grated fresh parmesan
• 4 slices wheat bread

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and toast bread lightly while you make the filling.
2. Mix all ingredients except parmesan.
3. Put half of the tuna mixture on two pieces of bread each and then sprinkle parmesan on top, and on the other two slices of bread.
4. Place back in the oven for about 7 minutes. Note that the parmesan will not appear melted but it will be warm.
5. Sandwich the cheese bread over the tuna half and enjoy!

Tastes great with fresh apple slices.

Winter Citrus Tea

Tonight I had a craving for some type of cider/tea/cinnamon type of hot drink so I made this up. It's pretty good! I made two and each came out slightly different so adjust this according to your favored flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tblsp honey
• 1 tblsp sugar
• 1 black tea bag
• juice of about 1/4 lemon
• 4 cloves, whole
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 oz hot water

Instructions:

While the water is boiling, add the rest of all of the ingredients to a mug. Pour the water in and stir with cinnamon stick. Remove tea bag after 1-2 minutes (depends on your desired tea strength). Enjoy!

Interesting Homemade Stuff

Discovery has a great series of information pages on things you can make from home instead of buying. I find this useful for doing substitutions while cooking (since I nearly always forget at least one ingredient), saving money, or just using the fewest number of ingredients in something to keep it pure.

45 Homemade Foods You Can Make Yourself (But Never Thought You Could)

Condiments and Ingredients

1. Baking Powder
2. Vanilla Extract
3. Homemade Vinegar and Flavored Vinegars
4. Mustard
5. Catsup or Ketchup
6. Mayonnaise
7. Grape Jelly
8. Dill Pickles
9. French Dressing
10. Peanut Butter
11. Nutella
12. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Meat and Proteins

13. Bacon
14. Tofu
15. Tempeh
16. Sausage

Dairy

17. Goat Milk Ricotta
18. Mascarpone
19. Mozzarella
20. Yogurt
21. Kefir

Spices and Herb Blends

22. Smoke Your Own Chipotle Peppers
23. Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
24. Harrissa
25. Herbes de Provence

Breads and Cereals

26. Sour Dough Starter
27. Brown and Serve Rolls
28. Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
29. Homemade Corn Flakes
30. Pita Bread
31. Graham Crackers, Animal Crackers and Saltines
32. Whole Wheat Pasta Dough

Snacks

33. Homemade Thin Mints
34. Sea Salt Caramels
35. Chocolate Covered Cherries
36. Tie Dyed Tortilla Chips
37. Fudgesicles
38. Butterfingers
39. Peanut Butter Cups
40. Homemade Candy Corn
41. Fruit Roll Ups

Beverages

42. Flavored Vodka
43. Hard Cider
44. Roast Coffee Beans
45. Chai Mix

Cherry Custard Tart

This is my first Julia-Inspired experience, and it was fun :). It's funny, but following instructions is very much in my nature, but when it comes to cooking or baking, I am just not capable. I have to spin it my own way. This is especially the case when I do the grocery shopping because I never seem to remember to get everything I need - so improvising is a necessity.

This is fairly close to Julia's recipe for "Tarte aux Cerises, Flambee" (page 643 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking), but my improvisation would probably not be in high approval by Madame Childs. Here's to a modern cook :)

Ingredients:

• Julia's Vanilla Custard (separate recipe)
• 12 frozen pastry puff shells (Julia would not approve, I know)
• 12 oz frozen cherries
• 3 tblsp Grand Marnier (Julia said kirsch or cognac)
• 1 c full-bodied red wine (Julia says Bordeaux, but I used Syrah)
• 2 tblsp orange juice (Julia said lemon)
• 6 tblsp sugar

Instructions:

1. Thaw the frozen cherries as they sit in the Grand Marnier. I cut the cherries in 1/2 for easier eating because we are using small pastry shells. If you used the 8 inch tart shell that Julia recommended it wouldn't feel so large, but in small shells this just makes more sense.
2. While those thaw, cook the pastry shells according to package instructions and let cool when they are ready.
3. In medium sauce pan, combine wine, orange juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Add thawed and soaked cherries and return to a boil. Let simmer for 5 or 6 minutes and then remove from heat. Cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then drain. You can discard the syrup.
4. While the cherries are cooling, make the custard.
5. Fold the drained cherries into the custard.
6. Remove the top and inside of the pastry shells, and then spoon the cherry custard into each shell.
7. Top with a pinch of sugar and put in oven at 500 F or in broiler just for a few minutes to caramelize the sugar.

Vanilla Custard

This custard is the base for many different tarts that Julia Childs includes in her MAFC cookbook. It's not tough to make, but the information that Julia provides in her cookbook on proper measurement of flour as well as how to know when beaten egg yolks are at the right stage is invaluable in getting in right. My instructions below assume a more modern kitchen than Julia was using :).

Ingredients:

• 1 c sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 c boiling whole milk
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 1/2 tblsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Beat the sugar into the egg yolks using an electric mixer and whisk attachment for a few minutes until it's light yellow and thick.
2. Beat in the flour.
3. Still beating, very slowly add the boiled milk. It will get a bit of foam on top and that's fine.
4. Transfer mixture to a saucepan on medium-high heat and start whisking. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and keep whisking. The texture becomes lumpy and sticky and as you keep whisking it starts to even out and become smooth... just keep whisking.

Mastering the Art of... understanding Julia Childs

My parents-in-law gave me Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Childs for my birthday! I was so excited to open it and comb over every detail... and details were there for me, boy oh boy. This woman is so difficult to understand! haha. She is so particular and irregular in her instructions, it just cracks me up. And on top of that, it is so very 1960s in America in how she talks about the size of meat in the states. It's really a fantastic cookbook with so much information, but I think I'm likely to take it as generalized instruction and great background information which will lead to my own method of cooking similar dishes. So, I am starting a new tag for future recipies: "JuliaInspired" :) I can't wait to cook more!

world's best hot chocolate

Just chocolaty and spicy enough for us. Spicy kick is required, to feel like Aztec royalty. ;-)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups lowfat milk
• 3 tblsp Hershey's Dark & Dutched Cocoa powder
  
• 5 tblsp sugar
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 4 tblsp whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Warm milk in sauce pan (do not boil) and keep on low heat.
   
2. Add cocoa powder, sugar and cayenne. Slowly stir until dissolved.
3. Add whipped cream and then remove from heat, stirring until dissolved. Continue stirring until thick crema on top becomes a thin film.
   

Serves 2.

summer corn and pea salad

I had som corn and nothing to do with it, and out came this salad. It's summery feeling with a little kick.

Ingredients:

• 3 ears sweet corn
• 1 can blackeyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 large orange, juice only
• 2 tsp tobassco
• salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the corn for about 3-4 minutes and cut off the cob. Combine with peas.
2. Saute onion in 1 tsp olive oil until tender. Add to mixture.
3. Add cilantro. Squeeze juice of orange into mixture. Add tobassco, salt and pepper.
4. Stir to combine.

I am serving this as is, but you could probably keep this in the fridge and let the flavors soak in and serve cold.

apple cranberry stuffed pork roast

apple cranberry stuffed pork roast

Holy cow this is delicious. Elise does it again with this one from Simply Recipes. This is my first "fall time" dish for the season and we liked it so much we plan to have it for Christmas dinner this year. It's everything fall time: the smell of cloves and cinnamon on the stove, and the meat just calling for a green bean casserole and some hot sweet potatoes. I really enjoyed making this; because it's such a keeper I need to repost the content as well but please visit Elise's blog - she's got a ton of great recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large shallot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups tart apples, finely diced (packed)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (or substitute)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (short and wide - about 7-8 inches long and 4-5 inches wide)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Before starting on the pork, put the pork roast in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut. While the pork is chilling, you can make the filling.
2. Bring all the filling ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Use a rubber spatula to press against the apple mixture in the sieve to extract as much liquid out as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and reserve this liquid for use as a glaze. Pulse apple mixture in food processor, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F or prepare your grill for indirect heat. You will be "double-butterflying" the pork roast. Lay the roast down, fat side up. Insert the knife into the roast 1/2-inch horizontally from the bottom of the roast, along the long side of the roast. Make a long cut along the bottom of the roast, stopping 1/2 inch before the edge of the roast. You might find it easier to handle by starting at a corner of the roast. Open up the roast and continue to cut through the thicker half of the roast, again keeping 1/2 inch from the bottom. Repeat until the roast is an even 1/2-inch thickness all over when laid out. If necessary, pound the roast to an even thickness with a meat pounder.
4. Season the inside of the roast well with salt and pepper. Spread out the filling on the roast, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the edges. Starting with the short side of the roast, roll it up very tightly. Secure with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Season the outside of the roast generously with salt and pepper.
5. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan, place in oven, on the middle rack.
6. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until the internal temperature of the roast is 130 to 135 degrees. Brush with half of the glaze and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove the roast from the oven or grill. Place it on a cutting board. Tent it with foil to rest and keep warm for 15 minutes before slicing.
7. Slice into 1/2-inch wide pieces, removing the cooking twine as you cut the roast. Serve with remaining glaze.

dill and sour cream sauce (for fish)

I mixed this up without measuring but it tastes great. Serve on top of baked salmon.

Ingredients

• 1 c light sour cream
• 5 sprigs fresh dill, large stems removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tblsp sweet onion, finely chopped
• kosher salt
• black pepper

Combine in a food processor and serve.

Note: the onion was a bit much here. Next time I going to try to sweat the onion first.

anchovies for the summer

My parents-in-law described a sauce they had on a cruise that was basically olive oil with anchovies dissolved into it over pasta. My husband loves anchovies so I gave it the make-it-my-own try and it turned out pretty good. The lesson learned is that for about 1/2 c of olive oil you only need about 6 anchovies (not the entire jar, as I used... it would have been nice for my husband to have passed that bit of information along earlier, hehe).

For the sauce:
Heat 1/2 c olive oil on medium heat (don't let it splatter). Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 6 anchovies, diced. Mix and spread until the anchovies basically disintegrate. (This took me 30 minutes but I'm sure that you can do this much quicker if the right amount of anchovies are used.)

To serve:

We tossed the sauce with gnocchi and diced heirloom tomatoes, and then added chopped parsley on top, and steamed spinach on the side. I absolutely recommend the parsley no matter how you serve this sauce! We also had some bread for sopping up the sauce that was fantastic from Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe.

most delicious shrimp ever

Tonight the menu came from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta (cookbook from Karen that is great!). I made the Spring dish even though we are dead in summer heat right now. This was quite literally the best tasting shrimp we've ever had, and it's not even that hard to make!

The cookbook called for making this by using fresh lavender as a skewer, alternating the marinated shrimp with small squares of red bell pepper and then grilling. I altered it to fit my lack-of-grill environment. I just cooked the shrimp on a cast iron skillet without the skewers and I served it with bell peppers cooked the same way. Below is the recipe for the shrimp -- note the marinating time required!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb small shrimp
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano leaves, chopped without stem
• 8 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 sprig fresh thyme leaves, raked off the stem
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp (sometimes the fish monger will sell them already deveined which is great, but don't forget to peel still).
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss the shrimp thoroughly in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with just enough olive oil to cover the surface. When hot, add the shrimp to cook. Let the ingredients from the marinade come in to the skillet with the shrimp -- it adds to the browning of the shrimp. (Note: toss the rest of the marinade because it was sitting with the raw shrimp.) The shrimp is done when both sides are pink and it bounces back when you poke it; small shrimp take only a few minutes on each side.

gnocchi, gnocchi, gnocchi

I tried to make gnocchi from scratch tonight. Why? I'm not sure. I guess I've made other things from scratch that are unnecessarily time consuming, such as a knitting a scarf, baking bread, etc. I guess I'm just not familiar enough with gnocchi to be able to identify the good stuff, which makes this time-consuming task feel a bit... not worth it. Oh well. Worth the experiment at least. Perhaps I will order it at a few great restaurants before attempting it again.

stuffed avocados

This recipe is fabulous! It was inspired by (and mostly is) a recipe from Debbie Dierkes. I think she eats this uncooked, more like a raw salad, but I changed it up a bit because I enjoy onions and garlic cooked.

Ingredients:

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 1 large tomato, mostly seeded, chopped small
• 1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 green poblano pepper, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 ripe avacados, cut in half with pit removed and centers scored
• 4 tblsp shredded cheese (I used low fat cheddar)*
• 4 tblsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Let avocados sit out to room temperature if they were in the fridge but do not cut them until you are ready to serve (to prevent browning).
2. Heat olive oil on medium heat and brown garlic.
3. Add onions, pepper, tomato, salt and pepper and stir. Reduce heat and cover; let simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Score the centers so that the juice from the stuffing will seep through.
5. Spoon stuffing into center and let fill over the top of each half.
6. Top with shredded cheese and parsley.

*Use non-dairy cheese to make vegan.

chicken marinade

I get so tired of chicken sometimes, but it's so easy! Today we tried a marinade that really made a difference. We used chicken tenders and let this sit for about 3 hrs before baking at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley

Just pour it in a zip-top bag with the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator.

Inspired by a similar recipe on All Recipes.

pesto and olive salad

This salad was "inspired" by the Nando's butternut squash and couscous salad in DC. I marked this vegan and vegetarian because you can obviously leave out the chicken if desired.

Ingredients for 2:

• 1 large chicken breast (or 2 small)
• spice mix*
• 1 cup cooked plain couscous
• olive oil
• 1 large shallot
• 1 bag frozen cubed butternut squash (I've also used sweet potatoes which was great)
• 1 bag/box of spinach (or mache)
• basil
• 7-8 tblsp pine nuts
• large green olives
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt and pepper
• shaved parmesan

*Spice Mix: this is a general mix that I use on chicken that gives this salad a lot of flavor. I don't measure; just mix until it seems right: kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper.

Instructions:

1. Cook couscous according to package instructions.
2. Lightly coat chicken with olive oil, then spread spice mix over both sides. Bakes on foiled cookie sheet on 350 until cooked through (varies greatly depending on thickness of chicken but maybe 20 minutes).
3. While the chicken is cooking, thinly slice the shallot and saute with a bit of olive oil on medium heat. When it becomes translucent, add the squash or sweet potatoes. Dash of salt of pepper, cover with a lid and cook until squash is soft (about 15 minutes).
4. While those are cooking, make a pesto in a blender or food processor. Blend pine nuts, two handfuls of spinach, 1 handful of basil, garlic, some salt and pepper and a generous dose of olive oil. Blend completely. If not runny, blend more and add olive oil.
5. Plate a serving of spinach and drop pesto around the surface. Add slices of chicken breast topped also with pesto. Serve squash and olives on top. Sprinkle remaining pine nuts. Top with shreds of parmesan.

green heirloom tomato sandwiches

I couldn't pass up the gorgeous pile of heirloom tomatoes at My Organic Market this weekend! I got one huge green one and knew I could find something tasty to do with it when I got home. Today I made us sandwiches that according to my husband are "good enough to shop for." We ate these sandwiches with left-over cold cucumber soup.

Ingredients:

Of course most ingredients lists include measurements, but this is a sandwich. I'm sure you can adjust to your taste!

• sandwich bread (we used slices of fresh no-knead bread)
• butter*
• olive oil
• heirloom tomato
• salt and pepper
• mayo*
• dill
• turkey slices*
• lettuce leaves (1 large leaf per sandwich)
• english cucumber
• bartlett pear (these are sweet instead of tart)

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the tomato, lightly brush with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put in the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes (depends on the size and thickness of the tomato). It is done when it basically falls apart when you try to move the slice.
2. Lightly brush the bread slices with butter and toast them. Before the bread is toasted completely, add two slices of turkey to 1/2 of the slices and then complete the toasting so that the turkey warms.
3. Finely chop the dill and mix with mayo.
4. Peel the cucumber and make long thin slices (I like to use a peeler for this). Lightly sprinkle with salt and pat dry with a paper towel to remove moisture.
5. Peel and thinly slice the pear.
6. When bread and turkey slices are ready, spread the dill-mayo over the top of the turkey and on the other slices of bread.
7. Place the lettuce leaf on the non-turkey slice of bread (the turkey on one side and lettuce on the other side helps to protect the bread from getting soggy).
8. Fill the sandwich with the tomatoes, cucumber slices and pear slices.

* I tagged this vegan and vegetarian because it's simple enough to adjust this recipe without changing the taste at all if you are looking for that.

cucumber soup

Delicious on a hot humid summer day. I definitely had to add this to my blog even though it came from another chef because ifood.tv made it so incredibly difficult to get the printed recipe rather than the video of this soup. we had this with a hearty salad.

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded
• 1 1/3 thick sour cream
• 1 1/3 whole milk yogurt
• 2 cups organic vegetable stock
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 cup fresh dill
• pepper, to taste (this actually makes a huge difference)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except pepper in a large bowl.
2. Puree the mixture with an Immersion Blender until smooth.
3. Season with pepper.
4. Serve topped with some fresh mint and dill.

Credit: ifood.tv

coffee... oh how i love thee

One of my favorite "investments" (where the return is pure satisfaction) is our espresso machine. I just adore making espresso or lattes or cappuccinos for us. And I've totally taken it over -- my husband doesn't know how to use it because I insist on making them every time. It's almost like a tea ceremony in that there is the heating of the water, the waiting, and then (yay!) the coffee.... only this also includes a quite loud series of noises, but hey, I can use all the help I can get waking up in the morning.

And returning from Goteburg where we found amazing coffee shops and excellent Italian coffee has even deepened this silliness. Also, someone on flickr who seems to be a great design posted this clever little diagram to help with making various espresso drinks!

potato-tomato salad

In attempting to mimic the potato salad made by our Göteburg hostess, I made up something else. I think I need more olive oil, spicier peppers, and Swedish new potatoes to really pull off what she did. Nevertheless, this was tasty and not your ordinary potato salad.

Ingredients:

• 5 small red potatoes, washed and quartered, skins on
  
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 large green chili pepper, seeds and membrane removed from about half of it, diced
• 1 leek, diced (only use the white part, about 4 inches long)
  
• 1 small red or white onion (the tiny kind with the long green stems), all of it diced
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped into eighths, juice removed from one tomato
• salt and pepper
• 4 tblsp whole fresh basil leaves
  

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until they are tender when poked. Meanwhile:
2. Heat oil on medium high and add garlic and chili until garlic begins to roast.
3. Add leek and onion, saute until almost soft.
4. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and saute for another few minutes.
5. When potatoes are done, drain and put in large bowl. Add sauted vegetables and basil and stir to combine. Some of the potato skins will probably come off but that's fine. Add salt and pepper as desired.
6. Serve warm. Serves 3.
   

Göteburg Food!

I don't have any particular recipes to share from Sweden, but I wanted to post about the delicious food we had there. We ate most of our meals at our friend's home, so we got "the real deal" as far as home cooking in Sweden goes. Here's what we experienced:

• Snaps: highly popular alcohol that basically tastes like vodka seasoned by herbs like elderberry flowers, dill, caraway, etc.
  
• New potatoes: around midsummer, the potatoes are new and small. I've never seen this type of potato in the States, but I am going to do some investigation on potatoes now, to learn more about the variation in taste and season.
• Pickled herring: we lucked out and got to taste home-made sauces that the pickled herring marinated in such as traditional (onion and carrots), lingeonberry, mixed mustards with dill, and a creamy garlic sauce. They were great.
• Fish, fish, fish: we also had smoked mackerel cut from the fish right in the kitchen, gravlox, hot smoked salmon and cold smoked salmon.
• Cheeses: we had a Swedish Cheddar which is white not yellow, and Västerbotten which is a traditional cheese during celebration events named after a town in Sweden.
• Fil mjolk (/feel mee-yelk/): a yogurt to eat for breakfast that is thiner than American eaten yogurt and a bit more tart.
• Shrimp sandwiches: a common lunch time sandwich is the some bread with mayo, slices of hard-boiled eggs, and a pile of delicious tiny shrimp, with a strip of cucumber on top.
• Half special: "sausages," or hotdogs, are commonly sold by vendors on the street, almost like in D.C. or other US cities. The "half special" was a thin hotdog in a bun with an enormous mound of mashed potatoes on top, plus fried onions, ketchup and mustard.
• Weak beer: the alcoholic beverages are referred to by their "class" (1, 2 or 3) referring to the percentage of alcohol in the beverage, because that is how it is taxed. The lowest amount of alchohol in beer is called weak beer and is sold basically like a soda and drinken anytime. We had a weak beer and our half special one late night on the street side after being out with friends.

The food in Sweden that we tried was amazing, and by just a bit the flavors were familiar but not common as they are there, which we enjoyed. In Gotenburg fish is the most common thing to eat BY FAR as a port city, and it is delicious!

curried quinoa, pistachio, and fig salad

My friend Lil listed the ingredients in a wonderful salad she got at the market for lunch. I put my own preparations together and adjusted it a tiny bit and we had it for dinner tonight - it's great! It's one of the those salads that is actually filling, not something you eat and then get hungry in an hour.

Ingredients:

• 1 c uncooked, red, whole wheat quinoa
• maple syrup
• lime juice
• agave nectar
• olive oil
• dash of salt
• 2 c packed (or 1 pre-washed bag or box) mixed greens, rinsed
• 1 tblsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2 handfuls pistachios, shelled and roasted
• about 15 dried figs, stemmed cut off, quartered

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile whisk up the dressing -- mix syrup, lime juice, nectar, oil and salt. The proportions are really up to your taste, but in total you only need less than 1/4 cup. If it is too sweet, add oil. Too tangy, add salt.
3. When the quinoa is ready, in a small bowl mix about 1/2 c quinoa with the cumin and curry.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing with the greens, pistachios, quartered figs, and curried quinoa. Add another generous cup of quinoa (without the curry), and combine thoroughly. Serve immediately.
5. Serves 2.

Salad Dressings

I hate purchasing salad dressing. They either have high fructose corn syrup ("which is fine if eaten in moderation" except that it's at least as bad as sugar and there's no way to eat it in moderation since it's now literally in everything that's not produce... end rant), or it tastes bad.

We usually just mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of mustard into our salad, but that's getting old now, especially in the warmer weather. So with minimal research (ask the magic Google), I found this article from Eating Well, that lists a variety of seemingly easy salads and salad dressings to make at home that look pretty healthy!

I'm trying this Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing which can be stored for a week.

• 1 small shallot, peeled (note: ensure it is small or only use a portion of one or the dressing has a very onion-y flavor)
  
• 3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk powder (my grocer didn't have this and it was still tasty)
  
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Non-Mayo Potato Salad

This is the greatest potato salad ever. I love potato salad but I rarely make it because of it basically being a big bowl of starch+fat. But this recipe uses an olive oil dressing instead, which makes it the good kind of fat, plus it really just tastes amazing. I love it.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 large), cut into uniform 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped flavorful olives - green or Kalamata (I bought a little container of mixed and seasoned olives from the deli which worked great)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Put potatoes into a saucepan, cover with an inch of cold water. Salt the water (about a teaspoon and a half for 2 quarts of water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well.
2. Put potatoes in a large serving bowl with the celery, red onion, olives, and parsley.
   
3. Whisk the oil and vinegar and mix with the rest while the potatoes are still warm, so they absorb the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust vinegar and oil to taste.
4. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Credit to Simply Recipes.

Portabella and Kasha "Burgers"

I am not usually a fan of "veggie burgers" from scratch just to do it, but this recipe from one of my favorites Epicurious just looked too great to pass up! And it uses kasha, which is new for us and delicious. I've pasted the recipe below with credits so I don't lose it.

Overall the burgers taste fabulous, but it is definitely a weekend activity to make these things. NOTE that below this is saying you prepare the patties, then chill for an hour before you do the final cook and serve.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup coarse kasha (whole roasted buckwheat groats)
• 1 pound portabella mushrooms, stems discarded
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (I used green which is generally cheaper and it was great)
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I simply left this out and it was great)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs, divided
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten*
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise*
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco chipotle sauce, or to taste
• 4 buns
  

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in kasha. Cover and reduce heat to low, then cook until kasha is tender and water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
2. Break one third of mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining 2 batches of mushrooms, transferring to bowl.
3. Cook onion and bell pepper in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
   
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, then stir in kasha, parsley, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs until combined well. Cool 10 minutes, then stir in egg until combined well.
5. Line a platter with foil. Spread remaining cup bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish.
6. Form one fourth of mushroom mixture (about 3/4 cup) into a 3/4-inch-thick patty (3 1/2 inches in diameter), then dredge in bread crumbs, knocking off excess, and transfer to platter. Form and dredge 3 more patties, transferring to platter.
   
7. Chill patties, loosely covered with plastic wrap, 1 hour.(When I did this, I just put them i the freezer for about 30-40 minutes and it worked.)
8. Heat oil in cleaned 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry patties, turning over once, until deep golden, about 4 minutes total. Transfer patties to paper towels to drain (patties will be soft).
9. Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise and chipotle sauce, and toast the buns.
10. Spread buns with chipotle mayonnaise and add patty.

* If you want to make this vegan it is extremely straight-forward and wouldn't change the taste. Just use a substitute "sticky" substance like egg substitute, and use veganaise instead of mayo.

Credit to Epicurious.

Caprese Pasta

This is so easy. I learned this general dish years ago as a great entertainment dinner because you can have it all ready except the pasta and toss at the end before your guests arrive, so that you aren't in the kitchen while your party is having fun. My host used mozerella but we used goat cheese last night and it was much tangier -- depends on your taste :)

Serves 4. Easy to double or triple.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fuselli (spiral) pasta (we prefer the whole wheat variety but regular is fine as well)
• 2 c grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 c fresh basil leaves
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tblsp olive oil (plus some for drizzling)
• 5 tblsp goat cheese or mozerella

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In the meantime, put most of the basil leaves, the garlic cloves and the olive oil in a food processor and pulse a few times until the they are chopped finely. Add the chopped basil mixture and tomatoes to a large pasta serving dish.
3. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Add to the bowl and toss with mixture.
4. Add cheese in small bits to the pasta and toss well so that the cheese spreads evenly and melts.

Pre-dinner prep instructions:

1. Do step 2 ahead and time, and let sit at room temperature.
2. Once guests arrive, start your pasta and then the toss and cheese steps only take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Additions:

• This would also be great served with chunks of cooked chicken breast.

Easy Gazpacho

Summertime is here! I have made this one day ahead hoping that the flavors will be even better tomorrow, but the taste test passed today :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 large English cucumber, finely chopped (with seeds)
  
• 3/4 jicama, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely chopped
• 2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Tobasco
• 2 1/2 c V8 Original
  
• creme fraiche for serving (optional)
• another small cucumber for serving (optional)
• mint sprigs for serving, (optional)

Instructions:

• Chop all of the vegetables into very small pieces so that eating them in the soup is pleasant, not like a vegetable side dish :). Combine them in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, tobasco and V8 and stir.
• Using a blender wand (my favorite kitchen tool), puree *some* of the soup, but not all, so that nice chunks of fresh vegetables remain.
• Chill for 24 hours before serving for best results.
• Serving recommendation: top each bowl with a spoonful of creme fraiche, sprinkle of cucumber cubes, and a sprig of mint. Serve with a slice of toasted, crusty bread.
  

Cinco de Mayo Chicken

I got the general idea of this recipe from Health magazine but definitely had to make it in my order and add a lot more spice. It was great for cinco de mayo! I served this over a bit of quinoa but it could be served over some spanish rice or other grain. Also, I didn't have an avacado, but I think this would be great served with avacado slices or some quacamole.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• chili powder
• dried oregano
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 c crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 c water
• 3/4 c frozen corn
• 2 green onions, sliced
• tobasco or favorite hot sauce
• 1 lime, quartered (for topping)
• 1 c cilantro, chopped (for topping)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the chicken on a separate plate. Sprinkle both sides of all pieces with chili powder, cayenne, and a small amount of oregano. Sprinkle one side with salt.
2. Heat large skillet with olive oil and saute chicken tenders. If the pan is not large enough, cook 1/2 of the chicken until almost done, then cook the rest until almost done, and then they will reduce in size so you can add them all back to the pan together. Total cooking time should be less than 5 minutes before proceeding to next step.
3. Add tomatoes and 1/2 c water over chicken and bring to boil.
4. Mix onions and corn in bowl and add to pan. Add another 1/2 c water. Cover and let simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes or until corn is cooked through.
5. Serve chicken over grain, add sauce and then top with cilantro. Serve with a slice of lime.

Lentil and Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this up! yay! It's actually quite tasty -- it has an earthy kind of flavor but you can still taste the freshness from the carrots.

• 3 tblsp vegetable broth
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 large carrot, skinned, chopped into tiny pieces
• 1/2 c portabella mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 c cooked brown rice*
• 1/2 c brown lentils, drained and rinsed (canned)
• 4 tblsp cilantro, chopped
• 4 tblsp feta
• 2 green bell peppers
• olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. On medium heat, cook the shallot and garlic in the broth until they begin to release their aroma. Add the carrot and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If they start to stick, add water 1 tblsp at a time.
3. Transfer carrot mixture to mixing bowl. Add cooked brown rice and lentils. Stir to combine.
4. Add cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the feta. Stir to combine.
5. Cut off just the tops of the bell peppers and scoop out the inside (rinse to remove seeds). Put a small bit of olive oil in your hands and lightly coat the outside and top cut edge of the bell peppers. Fill the bell peppers with the carrot mixture almost to the top, then top with the remaining feta.
6. Place the stuffed peppers on a lined cookie sheet or thin pan and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the outsides of the peppers begin to wrinkle (note that the feta will not really appear to melt).

*Variations!
We got a bag of lentils and plenty of other ingredients so I tried two slightly different variations.

1. use red quinoa instead of brown rice. richer flavor.
2. add alcohol to the cooked vegetable mixture. the first time I used rose wine and I really really liked that. the second time I used a lager and it was good but not special like the wine made it.
   

halibut and asparagus in parchment

We took these basic ingredients from an epicurious recipe and made it ourselves - delicious.

• 2 large pieces of parchment
• 2 serving size pieces of halibut (probably other white fish of choice would work just as well)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tblsp butter
• 1 pack asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• about 20 leaves of fresh tarragon
• 1/2 large orange
  

1. Preheat oven to 400.
   
2. Place one piece of parchment on a cookie sheet and lie the halibut skin-down in the center. Salt and pepper the top of the fish.
3. Cut 1 tbsp of butter into small cubes and lie in a row down the top of the fish.
4. Pile 1/2 of the cut asparagus on top.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 of the tarragon leaves on top of that.
6. Squeeze 1/2 of the juice of the orange on top of that.
7. Wrap the pile in the parchments so that all sides are wrapped in and then folded over on top (it may start to unwrap a bit at the top; that's OK as long as the sides are contained).
8. Repeat steps 2 - 7 for the other piece of fish on the same cookie sheet.
9. Cook until halibut is flaky, about 17 minutes.

easter 2009 menu

We really enjoyed this meal (my husband says it is his absolute favorite!) for Easter, and it wasn't very difficult to make. We enjoyed it on our new fine china which was also a treat.

Drink: Kir Royale

Starter: Cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto

Main

Pork tenderloin, seasoned with olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper

Asparagus salad with cucumber and herb dressing

Apple, potato and onion gratin

Asparagus Salad with Cucumber and Herb Dressing

Another find from Epicurious, this salad I loved eating cold. I didn't weigh the amount of asaragus that I purchased so I basically "winged it" and just used all of the ingredients except the chervil that the original calls for. So here is my take on this recipe:

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 1 package asparagus, trimmed
• 2 cups thinly sliced green onions
• 1 large peeled seeded Kirby or English hothouse cucumbers, cubed
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

For dressing:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil.

For salad:

1. Fill large bowl with lightly salted ice water; stir until salt dissolves.
   
2. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
   
3. Transfer asparagus to bowl of salted ice water to cool.
   
4. Place green onions in another large bowl; pour hot reserved asparagus cooking liquid over onions until covered and let stand until cool, about 30 minutes.
   
5. Drain asparagus and green onions well. Transfer onions to clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry. DO AHEAD: Asparagus and onions can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap separately in several layers of paper towels, then enclose in resealable plastic bags and refrigerate.
6. Combine green onions, cucumbers, and herbs in mixing bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon cucumber mixture over and serve.
   

Original recipe from Epicurious.

Apple, Potato and Onion Gratin

This is a fabulous dish! We absolutely love it, although we will mark it as "special occasion" given the amount of butter -- it would certainly have Paula Dean's blessing. I cut it in 1/2 from the original (provided by bon apetit) and the directions were difficult to follow so I've reworked them below.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons, divided
• 1 large sweet/white onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons (packed) chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold, yellow Finn, or German Butterball potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 pound tart apples (such as Granny Smith, Pippin, or Pink Lady), peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
2. Butter 9x6-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
   
3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, and 2 teaspoons salt; sauté until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
   
4. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until onions are tender and begin to color, about 8 minutes longer.
   
5. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup water, wine, and sugar to skillet; stir and swirl skillet to combine. Bring to boil.
   
6. Remove from heat and cool onion mixture to lukewarm.
7. Combine potatoes, apples, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and onion mixture in large bowl; toss gently to blend.
   
8. Transfer to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
   
9. Cover dish with parchment paper, then cover with foil, shiny side down. Bake gratin until potatoes are tender, about 55 minutes.
   
10. Uncover and bake until top browns and juices bubble thickly, about 20 minutes longer.
11. Let gratin stand 15 minutes before serving.

carrot and tarragon (or thyme) tart

I found this on EatingWell.com which strangely has a lot of recipes labeled as healthy that I would not quite qualify myself. This one is 1/3 of the day's fat, but it seems savory enough to be a complete meal, so I'm going for it.What I think sounds nice about this recipe is that both the crust and filling have herbs in them.

Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive or canola oil
• 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Filling

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or canola oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry or rice vinegar, divided
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or 3/4 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. To prepare crust: Coat a 9- to 10-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Place all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, tarragon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup yogurt and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.
   
3. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar) and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
   
5. Spread mustard over the crust. Sprinkle with Cheddar, then evenly spread the carrot mixture in the tart shell.
   
6. Whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, eggs, tarragon, the remaining 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar), 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
7. Bake the tart until the filling is firm and the edges are golden brown, 40 to 60* minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or chilled.
   * The original recipe said 40-45 minutes, but my oven required 60.
   

Credit: EatingWell.com. The website provides additional tips and nutritional information.

lesli's turkey salad

Lesli made up this recipe and we had it for dinner when she visited with some hard cheese and baguette - it was quite the smorgasbord.

• 1 lb cooked turkey breast, diced into tiny bite sizes (we used herb coated from Whole Foods)
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 medium shallot, finely diced
• 2 golden delicious apples, diced
• 1 lemon (just the juice)
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts
• 1/4 c chopped crasins
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or you can use tarragon)
• 4 tablespoons mayo (start with 2 and add mayo until it is the consistency you enjoy)
• (your choice) sandwich bread or crackers or bibb lettuce leaves or mixed greens.

1. Chop everything into very small pieces and add to large bowl. Squeeze the lemon over everything once you add the apple.
2. Mix in the mayo. This is like a chicken salad -- add the amount of mayo you like.
3. Cover and set in the refrigerator at least one hour, but best is overnight.
4. Enjoy on bread as sandwich, or with crackers, or in bibb lettuce leaves as a wrap or a top a bed of mixed green salad.

Serves 6.

on poaching fish

Last night we tried poaching our fish (we used Artic Char) insteading of baking like we usually do, and it was so much easier and better tasting. The concept here is to put aromatics (whole + liquid) in a skillet using very large pieces so that the fish sits on top of them and cooks all around. Here is what we did:

1. Cut about 3 ribs of celery in half and lie ridge up in a skillet (we used shiny metal not cast-iron).
2. Cut 2 carrots into quarters so they lie down on the skillet.
3. Give a super rough chop to 1/2 an onion and add to the skillet.
4. Add about 1/2 c of an aromatic - we used Sweet Vermouth - plus a bit of water to cool that flavor down.
5. Salt and pepper the fish and lie on top of the vegetables with plenty of space all around the pieces (space under the fish, yes).
6. Cover with a lid (transparent is best, so you can watch the fish change color rather than continue to lift the lid) and let cook until fish is flaky.

Best Bread Ever... and no kneading!

My friend Karen is onto a bread adventure, and she has already reached near perfection! The bread I ate at her house was phenomenal. Read more on her blog (Towards Pumpernickel) about her adventure and the description of the bread. I've included a copy of the Woman's Day recipe she used below in case we lose the url in the future.

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
  
• 1/4 tsp instant (rapid-rise) yeast
  
• 2 tsp salt
  
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed for coating (I used cornmeal)
• 3 - 4 qt. cast iron dutch oven

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups tepid water, and stir until blended; dough will be sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, cornmeal or wheat bran.

4. Using just enough flour to keep dough (which is sticky) from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.

5. Put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal or bran. Cover with another cotton towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 to 3 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

6. At least a half hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 °F. Put a 3- to 4-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. (Make sure if the pot has a handle that it is oven safe to 450 °F. If not, remove it.) When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.

7. Turn out on wire rack to cool completely. Your bread will look different, depending on the type of dusting flour you used. Yields one 1 1/2 lb loaf.

Yogurt Dip for Vegetables

I roasted some winter vegetables and wanted something to spruce up the meal, so I read a variety of recipes online for dips, and ended up making this up. It's pretty good. The key is super fine chopping. It would also be good with crudite too.

• 1 1/2 c plain yogurt
• 3 tsp mustard (yellow with some kick of some sort is best)
• dash of salt
• dash of garlic powder
• good heaping of black pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Mix it up and serve immediately.

White Bean and Cabbage Stew

Oh my goodness - changed my mind and we're trying this one tonight instead. It looks so delicious and healthy too!

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 to 1-1/2 pounds potatoes, cut in large dice
• 1/3 cup pearled barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups cooked great northern beans (2 cans, drained)
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• salt to taste

1. Place vegetables, seasonings, barley, and broth into a large stockpot. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, check seasonings, and add more herbs if necessary.
3. Simmer uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes directly from one of my favorites, The Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen. On her blog she also includes Crockpot directions and nutritional information.

Barley and Root Vegetable Chowder

Another one from EatingWell magazine. I can't wait to try this out with some crusty bread this rainy dreary evening!

• 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 parsnip, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped green cabbage
• 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper

1. Bring broth and water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Add celery root, turnip, rutabaga, carrot, parsnip, cabbage, onion, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, sage, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 78 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 251 mg sodium; 372 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (21% daily value), Vitamin C (28% dv).

Arlington Farmers Market

This isn't a recipe but it is certainly a WeeksEats. We've started going to the Arlington Farmer's Market every Saturday morning to stock up on the basics. It's not very big, about 10 vendors right now (perhaps more in the spring?), but the food is great, and it's nice to buy from local farmers and vendors.

We especially enjoy getting fresh milk, eggs, and lettuce. Today we also got some mushroom soup from the mushroom lady, and some aged cheddar from the cheese couple. It's a little more expensive than My Organic Market, but it's worth it to support the local yokles.

My Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

The recipes I found online for chicken noodle soup did not sound very good; they all sounded bland. So I made this up, and it's not super exciting but it does the trick when you feel like crap as I do this weekend, and it is easy enough to make when you feel like that.

• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow sweet onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 64 oz low-sodium organic chicken broth
• 3 cans white chicken
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 spring fresh thyme (left whole so you can remove it later)
• 1 package of egg noodles or other egg pasta such as parpardelle (I enjoy it loaded with noodles, so use your discretion on the amount)

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high and add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent.
2. Add the chicken broth and wait for it to warm through (not boiling).
3. Add remaining ingredients + a hefty portion of salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes on medium. Do not let the broth boil or the chicken will get tough.
4. Add noodles and cook the amount of time indicated on the packaging or until al dente.
5. Remove the bay and thyme.
6. Best served with additional fresh parsley on top.

Easy Vegetable Soup

My stepmom makes a fantastic vegetable soup, but I couldn't get in touch with her today so I made up my own - yay! I am cooking it as I write this recipe, so I'm sure I will have adjustments later, but I wanted to get it down before I forgot the proportions.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 small or 1 large white sweet onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
  
• 2 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes (I prefer Hunt's brand)
• 1 c frozen sliced carrots*
• 1 c frozen cut green beans
• 1 c frozen corn
  
• 1 c frozen crowder peas
  
• 1 14.5 oz can of mild/original RoTel (found near the canned tomatoes)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 c water
  

Note on ingredients: I didn't have celery to create a mirepoix to start, but I would do that if I make this again. To do so, chop 1 large stalk of celery, 1 large carrot (or perhaps some additional carrots from the frozen bag used above) and cook together with the olive oil like you do with the onion in the directions below.

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium-high and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute until you really start to smell it. Add the chopped onion, salt and pepper and cook until onion in transparent. (Here is where you would cook the mirepoix if you want to try it out.)
2. Add the stewed tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Let the soup get hot again (not boiling).
3. Add the frozen vegetables, RoTel and 2 more cups of water. Stir to combine.
   
4. Add the bay leaves, cover and let cook on medium (not boiling) for about 1 hour or until the tomato base of the soup turns into a deeper red, not bright red as it started. Add more salt and pepper to taste as it cooks.
   

Bodner family Pesto

This recipe comes from our friends the Bodners; Laura made this one summer afternoon with pasta for us and it was delicious.

• 3 c packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 to 4 large cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/3 c parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste
• (optional) 1/3 c pine nuts, lightly toasted

1. Place the well-drained basil leaves and garlic in food processor and mince well.
2. Add nuts, if using, and continue to blend until nuts are ground.
3. Drizzle in the olive oil, as you keep the food processor running.
   
4. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place room temperature pesto in a serving bowl and add hot pasta (1 lb) and toss thoroughly.

(Laura says this is a modified version of Mollie Katzen's recipe from Mossewood Cookbook.)

Better than average microwave lunch

Annie Chun's Soups are definately a better-than-average selection for a quick and easy microwave lunch. They do not have as much sodium as other microwave lunches, and they taste authentically Japanese. Delicious :)

chocolate banana bread

This is a great dessert without loads of fat or oil or the regular bad stuff that is included in most desserts, and the sugar only comes from the chocolate and fruit.

This recipe comes from "Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta" a spa in Mexico where my friend visited. The recipe itself is the same but I thought the instructions were slightly complicated to follow so I've altered them to make it easier.

• 2 cups water
• 12 oz pitted prunes
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c all purpose or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 c walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 c banana chips, broken into small pieces
• 1 c semisweet chocolate chips
  

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter an 8-cup (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch) loaf pan, and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, leaving the parchment long enough to grab on each of the long sides of the pan. This is what makes it so easy to remove when its done baking.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and prunes and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for about 30 minutes until the prunes are very soft, about 30 minutes. While that it cooking...
   
3. Toss the banana chips and walnuts into a food processor quickly to chop into small pieces and set aside.
4. Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl (bowl of your powder mixer if you have one). Leave in the bowl.
   
5. Once the prunes are soft (see #2), drain the liquid. Put prunes, bananas and eggs into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry flour mixture and blend or stir until combined.
6. Gently add the banana chips, walnuts and chocolate chips and combine well.
7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (my oven takes 59). Bake until you can insert a knife easily and remove it clean, with only the potential melted chocolate on the knife.
   
8. Once removed from the oven, use the extra parchment on the sides to remove the loaf and put on a cooling rack. Slide the parchment out from under the loaf. (Doing this instead of turning the loaf out will keep it from breaking or flattening the rounded, peaked top of the loaf.)
9. Once cooled, cut into thin slices to serve.
   

Roasted Butternut Squash with Beet Greens, Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts and Mint

We had this salad at Karen's house but she served it with spinach instead of beet greens and it was delicious.

• 4 butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 3 cups beet greens
  
• 3/4 cup walnuts
  
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
  
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on 2 sheet trays, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and distribute evenly. Place in oven and bake until softened and golden.
3. Wash beet greens and de-stem and chiffonade greens. Toast walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat.
4. Remove squash from the oven and toss in beet greens, mint and goat cheese. Top with toasted walnuts. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy Colombe Jacobsen: Next Food Network Star : Episode FLNFS-101A

karen's chipotle corn soup

This is fantastic - it has a bite to it that is unexpected from a corn soup.

• 2T olive oil
• 2 leeks, washed and chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 c. fresh corn kernels
• 8 c. water or vegetable stock
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 T agave
• S&P to taste
• 1/4 c crema fresca or sour cream
• chives or other herb for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add leeks, carrot, bay leaf and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until leeks soften, about 5 mins.
2. Add corn and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook 5 mins.
3. Add water and chipotle and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered 30 minutes on medium heat.
4. Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor. Strain. Adjust seasonings, adding lime juice and agave (or sugar) to taste as well as S&P.
5. Serve the soup with a small dollop of crema or sour cream per serving and some minced herb.

Makes 8 cups.