I was in Napa Valley in March enjoying the sunshine and seventy degree temperatures. Yes, I know California needs rain but I was glad for the dry week when I was there. I was in Calistoga at the north end of Napa Valley. Didn't go for the wine so pretty much hung out in Calistoga--a town of about 5,000 people and a main street one street wide and two blocks long. Calistoga is an area of natural mineral water. It was developed in the mid 1800's as a tourist spot for people who visited "to take the waters". The town was named by one of the founding fathers, Sam Brannan who story has it loved his alcoholic beverages. In an attempt to imitate the then-fashionable Saratoga Springs, NY, he declared "the Sarafornia of Calistoga!" And the name of Calistoga stuck!
Ten miles away from Calistoga in St. Helena is the west campus of the Culinary Institute of America, American's premier professional cooking school. They offer tours of the school and buildings and cooking demonstrations for the general public. The CIA purchased the earthquake-damaged Christian Brothers Monastery and distillery in 1994. They repaired and converted the massive stone building into a professional cooking school. While we could not enter the actual professional kitchen "classroom", we could look. Imagine--15,000 square feet of commercial kitchens and bakery/pastry kitchens! http://www.ciachef.edu/california/
I did take a one-hour cooking demonstration and tasting that was great fun. It was taught by one of the instructors in a fabulous teaching kitchen--imagine the kitchens you see on the Food channel with lecture hall-style seating for observing! The dish prepared was a Moroccan chickpea vegetarian dish. It was served over cous cous and paired with pita bread and a rose' wine.
I had recently tried a similar dish at home so came away with a few ideas about improvements. Below is a recipe with ideas from several sources.
Indian Spiced Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as an entrée
1 T olive oil
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp turmeric, ground
2 tsp curry powder
1 T fresh ginger root, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14oz can diced canned tomatoes
2 T raisins
2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil. Add cumin, turmeric and curry powder and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the ginger and onions and stir gently to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, 6 minutes or until the onion softens. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Add chickpeas, salt, pepper and water. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve. As an entree' this can be served over rice or cous cous.
I have added cooked chicken or chopped toasted cashews to boost the protein. This dish benefits from sitting overnight as the flavors mingle and become more intense. Refrigerate and reheat.
You can use any curry power you like. Some are spicy-hot while others are mild in heat. I used the vindaloo curry powder available at the Market Spice Shop in Seattle's Pike Place Market. This is a medium hot curry blend. They have many others and their quality is superb.
http://www.marketspice.com/store/category/indian
Nutritional information: (without chicken or cashews)
Calories 170
Protein 5 grms
Fat 14 grms
Carbohydrate 9 grms
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Winter Time Salad
When I was a kid and fresh produce at the market was much less plentiful in winter than today, one of my mom's "go to" salads would be Waldorf Salad. The ingredients were usually on hand and it doesn't take long to prepare. And my whole family loved it. What's not to love--walnuts, fruit and mayonnaise dressing? Yum!
To cut down on the calories and increase the vegetable quotient, I'm made a few changes to up date this favorite winter time salad.
Waldorf Salad
Serves 2
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
1 medium apple or pear, unpeeled and chopped
1/4 c. raisins
2 T. toasted walnuts, chopped
4 c. romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, chopped into 1" pieces
1 T. olive oil
1 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine celery, apple, raisins, walnuts and lettuce in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. When well blended, add to the fruit and lettuce mixture and toss.
Toasting the walnuts really brings out their flavor. If you have raw walnuts, you can toast them in a microwave. I chop them first and place on a plate. Microwave the walnuts for one to two minutes on high. When you can smell that delicious toasted nutty smell, they are ready. Be careful to creep up on the cooking time. Nuts are easy to overcook and burn. Let them cool before adding them to the salad.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 205, carbohydrate 30 grams, protein 2 grams, fat 12 grams, sodium 25 mgs, potassium 291 mgs.
When I was a kid and fresh produce at the market was much less plentiful in winter than today, one of my mom's "go to" salads would be Waldorf Salad. The ingredients were usually on hand and it doesn't take long to prepare. And my whole family loved it. What's not to love--walnuts, fruit and mayonnaise dressing? Yum!
To cut down on the calories and increase the vegetable quotient, I'm made a few changes to up date this favorite winter time salad.
Waldorf Salad
Serves 2
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
1 medium apple or pear, unpeeled and chopped
1/4 c. raisins
2 T. toasted walnuts, chopped
4 c. romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, chopped into 1" pieces
1 T. olive oil
1 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine celery, apple, raisins, walnuts and lettuce in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. When well blended, add to the fruit and lettuce mixture and toss.
Toasting the walnuts really brings out their flavor. If you have raw walnuts, you can toast them in a microwave. I chop them first and place on a plate. Microwave the walnuts for one to two minutes on high. When you can smell that delicious toasted nutty smell, they are ready. Be careful to creep up on the cooking time. Nuts are easy to overcook and burn. Let them cool before adding them to the salad.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 205, carbohydrate 30 grams, protein 2 grams, fat 12 grams, sodium 25 mgs, potassium 291 mgs.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
I'm back--again!
My on again, mostly off again food blog. I have all kinds of great topics to write about, but I don't seem to get to it. My interest in all things food remains a primary interest of mine, so here is another shot at it!
This is soup weather! Here in Puget Sound Country, it has been cold and foggy. Daytime temps in the 40's and nighttime in the 30's. No rain and a little sun, but mostly foggy. Bone chilling cold. So healthy, hot soup sounds very good.
I've been on a Minestrone kick. There is no "right" recipe for Minestrone. It can be made to your liking and/or from leftovers. According to Wikipedia, minestrone was originally made from leftovers added to a few standard ingredients. Minestrone means "thick vegetable soup" and that is the way I like it--thick with vegetables. Below is a recipe that I've been using. One of my objectives was to try and keep the quantity at the serves four amount. I serve it the first time as dinner with bread and cheese. Then I look forward to lunches for the next couple of days. Yum!
Minestrone
Serves 4
3 slices high quality bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart/liter beef broth
2 to 3 c coarsely chopped vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, chard, kale, bell peppers, cabbage, etc.
1/4 c green peas
1/4 c corn
1 c cooked kidney or cannellini beans
2 T orzo pasta
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
In a medium to large soup pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 T of fat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano and pepper adding olive oil if the mixture appears dry. Saute' until the onion is soft, about five minutes. Add tomatoes with the liquid and beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, beans and pasta. Simmer until the vegetables are soft--between 15 to 30 minutes. Add basil and salt to taste. Serve. Serve shredded parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle on top.
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon. Use vegetable broth and increase seasonings for more flavor. If you want the soup to be more hearty, double the quantity of beans.
Minestrone recipes, like many soups, do not require exact measurements. If two carrots are a little more than 1/2 c, add them all. If the soup is too think, add more broth.
A word about beans. I like to cook my own beans from dried beans. That way I can control what goes in. Most canned cooked beans have sugar and salt added. Cooking from dry is easy. It just takes a little planning ahead. Dried beans expand by about three. To get a cup of cooked beans, start with 1/3 c dry beans. Soak overnight in water to cover plus two inches. Drain and rinse. In a sauce pan, combine the beans with fresh water to cover plus another 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until soft, about 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon the bean. If overcooked, they will begin to fall apart. Drain and add to the soup, or add beans and cooking water if the soup needs more liquid. There is a quick method--cover the beans plus the two inches with boiling water. Let sit an hour, then drain, rinse and cook per above directions.
Nutritional content:
(coming soon!)
My on again, mostly off again food blog. I have all kinds of great topics to write about, but I don't seem to get to it. My interest in all things food remains a primary interest of mine, so here is another shot at it!
This is soup weather! Here in Puget Sound Country, it has been cold and foggy. Daytime temps in the 40's and nighttime in the 30's. No rain and a little sun, but mostly foggy. Bone chilling cold. So healthy, hot soup sounds very good.
I've been on a Minestrone kick. There is no "right" recipe for Minestrone. It can be made to your liking and/or from leftovers. According to Wikipedia, minestrone was originally made from leftovers added to a few standard ingredients. Minestrone means "thick vegetable soup" and that is the way I like it--thick with vegetables. Below is a recipe that I've been using. One of my objectives was to try and keep the quantity at the serves four amount. I serve it the first time as dinner with bread and cheese. Then I look forward to lunches for the next couple of days. Yum!
Minestrone
Serves 4
3 slices high quality bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart/liter beef broth
2 to 3 c coarsely chopped vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, chard, kale, bell peppers, cabbage, etc.
1/4 c green peas
1/4 c corn
1 c cooked kidney or cannellini beans
2 T orzo pasta
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
In a medium to large soup pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 T of fat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano and pepper adding olive oil if the mixture appears dry. Saute' until the onion is soft, about five minutes. Add tomatoes with the liquid and beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, beans and pasta. Simmer until the vegetables are soft--between 15 to 30 minutes. Add basil and salt to taste. Serve. Serve shredded parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle on top.
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon. Use vegetable broth and increase seasonings for more flavor. If you want the soup to be more hearty, double the quantity of beans.
Minestrone recipes, like many soups, do not require exact measurements. If two carrots are a little more than 1/2 c, add them all. If the soup is too think, add more broth.
A word about beans. I like to cook my own beans from dried beans. That way I can control what goes in. Most canned cooked beans have sugar and salt added. Cooking from dry is easy. It just takes a little planning ahead. Dried beans expand by about three. To get a cup of cooked beans, start with 1/3 c dry beans. Soak overnight in water to cover plus two inches. Drain and rinse. In a sauce pan, combine the beans with fresh water to cover plus another 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until soft, about 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon the bean. If overcooked, they will begin to fall apart. Drain and add to the soup, or add beans and cooking water if the soup needs more liquid. There is a quick method--cover the beans plus the two inches with boiling water. Let sit an hour, then drain, rinse and cook per above directions.
Nutritional content:
(coming soon!)
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