Tasty and Fast

 This recipe is right out of New York Times Cooking--a great website for wonderful recipes!  This Beef and Broccoli has become a favorite in our quick and tasty rotation of entrees.  I've made a few minor changes to the original recipe such as less oil.

Beef and Broccoli

1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar

3 T. plus 2 tsp soy sauce

1 T. cornstarch

1 pound chuck or rib steak, sliced thin against the grain

1/4 c oyster sauce

1 T. Chile-garlic sauce (Sriracha)

3 T. neutral oil such as canola or peanut

1 pound broccoli, cut into florets and tender stem pieces, sliced

1 T. butter

In bowl large enough to hold the beef, mix together the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the cornstarch.  Add sliced beef and mix together.  Cover and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

For the sauce, combine in a small bowl the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce and the Chile-garlic sauce.  Then add a tablespoon of water and mix again.

Heat the oil on high heat in a wok or large skillet.  When the oil is shimmering hot add half the beef and stir.  Cook until browned, barely cooked through for about two minutes.  Remove to a plate and cook the remaining beef. 

Add the broccoli to the empty wok/skillet and stir-fry for about two minutes until the broccoli is lightly charred.

Add two tablespoons water to the wok/skillet and toss and stir the broccoli in the steam for an additional two minutes.  Return the beef and marinade to the wok/skillet, followed by the sauce.  Stir/toss for about 30 seconds or so, then add the butter.  Stir/toss for another 30 seconds.  Serve immediately over rice.

If you want more heat in the seasonings, use more Chile-garlic sauce--one to two more tablespoons.

I've made this in a skillet and found that a little more time is needed for the broccoli.

Another Easy Winter Time One Pot Meal

I'm always looking for dinner recipes that are fast, easy and don't need a lot of clean up.  I was looking for a recipe for cabbage and sausages.  I ended up combining the ingredients and cooking methods of two recipes.  For wintertime comfort food, we thought it quite tasty as well as fast, easy and cheap!

Roasted Cabbage with Sausages and Yams

 

 

3 T. olive oil

½ c. sweet onion, sliced lengthwise

1 small cabbage, roughly shredded

1 Pink Lady or Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 16 wedges

1 tsp thyme

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

12 ounces pre-cooked chicken sausage (4 sausages)

12 ounces yam, cut into wedges

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 T olive oil

1 T wine vinegar

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a sheet pan(s) with parchment paper.

 

Mix together cabbage, onions, apples, thyme and red pepper flakes with 2 T olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on the sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

 

Mix yams with remaining 1 T olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on the sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Place sausages on sheet pan.

 

Roast 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  The yams may need to go into the oven five minutes before the remaining ingredients depending on their size.

 

Mix together the olive oil, vinegar and Djion mustard.  Pour over cabbage mixture once in the serving bowl.

 

This can be served in one large bowl or platter.  The vegetables will be more crispy and with singed edges if spaced so they are not touching, otherwise they will steam vs. roast.

 

 

Tasty Vegan Entree!

This is a great vegan recipe!  Which for us carnivores is saying something!  And it is pretty quick to prepare.  It needs to cook for 30 minutes which is plenty of time to get the table and any side dishes ready.

Lentil Mushroom Stew

 

Makes 4 servings

 

1 T. olive oil

½ c onion, chopped

2 c sliced mushrooms

2 T soy sauce or aminos

2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

2 T. Italian parsley, chopped

2/3 c green or brown lentils

2 c vegetable broth

 

Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and onions.  Saute’ three minutes, stirring occasionally

Add mushrooms and soy or aminos sauce.  Saute’ for five minutes.

Add thyme, parsley, lentils and broth.  Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer.  Cook approximately 30 minutes.

Once the lentils are tender, taste mixture and adjust seasonings if desired.

Turn off heat and let mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired, at the table

 

Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.

 

Nutrition:

         280 calories

         43 grams carbohydrates

         9 grams protein

         8 grams fat

         10 grams fiber

Comfort Food in Trying Times!

Black Beans with Eggs
Serves 2

Who isn't looking for comfort food in these days of COVID-19 quarantine?  I could eat this dish every other day!  

Cooking is one way to fill the day even though this dish is very fast.  Before starting the beans, you can spend some time on making a great salad to go with it.  Hit all the food groups!

2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 small carrot, sliced
1/4 c. celery, thinly sliced
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if you like hot)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 14-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups home cooked beans
1/2 c. hot water
Salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs
1/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated

In a smallish (10" cast iron works great) skillet on medium low heat, saute' onions, carrot, celery and garlic until vegetables are soft.  Add tomato paste, paprika, red pepper, cumin and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the beans, water and salt and pepper.  Stir to combine all ingredients.  Let simmer five to 10 minutes.  Make four indentations in the beans and crack an egg into each.  Cover and cook for four to eight minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs.  When ready to serve, sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve in the skillet.

Based on a recipe from NYT Cooking 

A Great Picnic Salad!

Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad


Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This recipe is very tasty and right out of NYT Cooking. I served it at a family picnic and got rave reviews.  The original recipe included shaved Parmesan cheese (2 oz) but I thought it was over the top.  I like the fresh taste of the vegetables and adding cheese seemed to make the dressing thick.  I like the crunch of the onions and celery.

¼ c olive oil

3 T red wine vinegar

½ tsp Dijon mustard

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 small or ½ large red onion, sliced vertically in narrow pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

4 c cooked cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 ribs celery, sliced thinly

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir in the onion and garlic.  Set aside to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Once the tomatoes, celery and beans have been prepared, add to the dressing in the large bowl.  Gently toss together.  Just prior to serving fold in the parsley.

I’ve made this in advance and combined the dressing with the other ingredients right before serving.

Adding more and different fresh herbs would also go well.

Curry Garbanzo Beans with Chicken

I've got a new cookbook!  "Feed Zone Table: Family-Style Meals to Nourish Life and Sport".  There are two authors, Biju Thomas and Allen Lim.  They both consult with professional sports teams.  One is a professional chef and the other a PhD exercise physiologist.  In the book, they both focus on pro cycling teams and how to improve performance through nutrition.  While doing research they found that cyclists perform better when their training is more socially connected to each other.  So they now train and eat in groups.  The authors then focused on family-style meals that are nutritious, made from fresh ingredients, quick to prepare and tasty.  The following recipe is one that I adapted from one of theirs.

Curry Garbanzo Beans with Chicken

One pound zucchini cut into ½” matchsticks

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ red onion, sliced vertically

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 T. Madras curry powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp Ufra chili or red pepper flakes

1 15 ½ oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

6 – 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1”x2” pieces

2 T. olive oil

½ c. chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, mint, cilantro and/or basil.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees regular bake or 400 degrees convection roast.

Place all ingredients, except the herbs, into a large bowl and mix until the spices are well distributed.  Spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and distribute to one layer.  Place in the oven.  After 10 minutes check for doneness of the chicken.  It should be just cooked through.  Continue to roast for a few more minutes if the chicken is not quite cooked.

Place on a serving platter and distribute herbs over the top.  Serve with yogurt on the side.  Serves two as an entree.

I found this to be very tasty and very fast.  In a convection oven on roast (vs. bake) this cooked up in 10 minutes.  You could make this vegan by eliminating the chicken and adding 1/4 c. pine nuts or chopped walnuts.

For those who count carbs, the number of carbs per serving (approx. 1 cup) is 44 grms.  Subtract the dietary fiber of 12 grms. and the number of carbs that count is 32 grms. You can reduce the quantity of carbs to 1 cup/recipe.  An individual serving of countable carbs will drop to 16 grms.  One serving or one exchange for my diabetic friends.

Wintertime is Squash Time!

It's the middle of winter and comfort food gets my tastebuds working! I love winter squash--all the varieties, but I find my favorite to be butternut.  It roasts easily in the oven and can be used for any recipe calling for squash or pumpkin. We have started receiving produce shipment bi-weekly delivered to our door from Imperfect Product.  www.imperfectproduce.com   or Ugly Produce as most people describe their fresh products.  Our last box contained a butternut squash.  In a effort to make the roasted squash more interesting, I came up with the following recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash with Pears 1 – 1 ½ pounds butternut squash 2 T olive oil 1 small onion, diced 1 small fresh pear, diced, peeled or not 2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary 1 – 2 tsp curry powder 2 T heavy cream Salt & pepper to taste Cut the squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds.  Brush cut edge with oil.  Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.  Places squash cut side down on the sheet.  Roast at 425 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a knife.  Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.  Scoop out cooked squash and set aside. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, pear, rosemary and saute until the onion is soft.  Add curry powder and stir to coat the onions and pears. Add the roasted butternut squash and cream.  Stir until completely mixed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to heat on low until serving temperature is reached.  Makes 4 servings plus or minus depending on the size of the squash. Nutritional Information per serving: Calories 143 CHO 12 grms Protein 0 grms Fat 11 grms Fiber grms My husband, who I experiment on all the time, said this recipe was worth writing down.  I thought it was a keeper too.  The flavor of the roasted squash comes through but the seasonings give it a bit more interest, the pears a bit of sweetness and the cream--that comfort food touch. Imperfect Produce is a great idea and service.  Their mission is to divert produce that doesn't make it to store shelves to people who will eat i, resulting in less food waste.  Their products either don't pass the "appearance" test or are surplus.  Either way, their produce is fresh and tasty and is delivered to your door (in certain cities.)

Zucchini with Herbs Salad

I came across this recipe from a flyer from my supermarket, Fred Meyer, during the height of zucchini growing season this past summer.  I found it very tasty with the fresh herbs adding greatly to the dish.  It is a great way to use the medium to large sized zucchini.  It can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.  And it travels well if you leave the final assembly to just before serving.

Zucchini with Herbs Salad

Serves 4

Vinaigrette

2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 T. minced shallot or one garlic clove minced
3 T. red wine vinegar
4 T. EV olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

2 or 3 zucchini, depending on size, cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup lightly packed parsley, either curly or Italian, chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed basil or fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed chives, chopped
1 T. toasted pine nuts
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Make the vinaigrette by adding all ingredients in a jar or small bowl.  Shake or whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Preheat your grill or oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly brush both side of the zucchini with olive oil.  Place directly on the grill on indirect heat.  Or place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan one layer deep for your oven.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook turning once until the edges are charred and the zucchini is tender-crisp.  

Arrange zucchini on a serving platter, drizzle the vinaigrette over, top with the herbs and pine nuts.  Scatter the Parmesan over all.  

The herbs and pine nuts really upped the flavor of the zucchini!  Feel free to use any combination of fresh herbs available.

Dinner in a Box?

I've been curious about these meals in a box.  I've talked to several people who think they are great.  I'm a "from scratch" cook and like to select my own produce and meats to get the best available.  I'm pretty good at looking in the fridge at 4:00 pm to see what I can make a dinner out of.  

I tried a meal in a box from our Fred Meyer (Kroger) store packaged by www.preppared.com.  I selected the Japanese Beef Bowl with Pickled Carrots at $18 for two servings.  It contained ground beef (15% fat), cooked jasmine white rice, shredded carrots, chopped bok choy, sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, chopped ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and Asian hot sauce.  The preparation time was 20 minutes.  The directions were very easy to follow and took the time estimated.  And it tasted good.  Certainly as good as if I had prepared it from scratch.  The quality and freshness of the ingredients appeared high.  The box is labeled with a "use by" date which was three days away.  I thought the entree was as advertised.

But I was curious:  how much time did I save?  How much would it cost if I'd purchased the ingredients myself?  I estimated the two servings would have cost $8.  Time savings?  The rice would take 25 minutes for water to boil and then cook the rice on the stove.  You could buy the mushrooms and carrots already sliced.  The bok choy would need to be washed and chopped as would the garlic and ginger.  But that could go on while the meat cooks.  The rice was microwaved.  And I had selected an easy recipe.  For this dish, preparing from scratch would take 30 minutes if you are good at multitasking while cooking.  

Pros and Cons?

Pro:

• All the ingredients are ready and waiting
• The ingredients were fresh
• Easy to follow directions/steps
• No "mystery" ingredients added--the list of ingredients on the package was very short unlike frozen entrees'
• Minimal packaging--recyclable paper box and directions, minimal amount of plastic wrapping of ingredients
• Easy decision on menu for dinner for those times when you can't think of what to fix

Con:

• Cost twice as much
• Not sure of the meat's origin--I like to know that my meat is from the same animal
• Limited ability to change portion size.  I was good with the controlled portion size, but my husband could have eaten more.

All in all, I think there is a place for dinner in a box.  For me the benefit over frozen entrees' was no additives, portion control and no planning needed.  And it sure beats ordering pizza for nutritional content!

Eat It Like Popcorn!

I had a chunk of eggplant in the fridge earlier this week.  Since it doesn't have a long shelf life, I started looking for a recipe.  I didn't plan on eating it right after I cooked it, but decided the eggplant needed to be cooked now.

I consulted Molly Stevens, "All About Roasting" cookbook.  I found a very simple recipe that the author raved about.  And I had on hand the other ingredients.

Roasted Eggplant with Cumin and Pimenton

1 1/2 pounds eggplant
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds,  toasted and ground
1/8 tsp pimentos (smoked Spanish paprika)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 450 degrees (425 if convection oven).  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

To toast the cumin seeds, I put them in a small salute pan on medium-low heat.  Shake the pan a time or two and watch carefully as the seeds can burn quickly.  This should take less than 10 minutes.  I put the cooled seeds into a "repurposed" pepper grinder to grind them up.

Cut the eggplant including the skin into one-inch cubes.  Put the eggplant in a large bowl.  Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and pimenton, add a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste.  Toss well to coat all the pieces.  Don't worry if some pieces are not thoroughly coated.  Spread the eggplant out in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.  The cubes will shrink as they cook.

Roast for 10 minutes then, using a turner, turn the eggplant over.  Thereafter, do this every five minutes until the eggplant cubes are brown on the edges and soft in the middle.  Mine were in the oven about 20 minutes.  It will depend on the size of the cubes.

When done to your liking, remove from the oven and slide the eggplant into a serving bowl.  I found these tasty hot, room temperature and cold.  It was better than eating popcorn!  The outsides were crispy and well browned and the inside was nice and soft.  The author suggested making this into a salad by adding a small amount of balsamic vinegar (1 to 2 tsp) and 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons.  I ate half the batch when it came out of the oven.  Then next day I put the remainder into a pasta with sausage and roasted red pepper and parmesan cheese.  Delish!

Soup and Stew Weather!

Maybe I'm "on again" in posting to WoodmontCooks!  Who knows--the desire and ideas are there.  It's just the making the time.

It is cold and dark outside!  That means it is soup, stew and one-pot meal weather!  Soups are easy but they do take time to prepare the ingredients.  But there are also some "convenience" foods that are not processed foods that can shorten preparation time like pre-cubed squash.

The recipe that follows is for a vegetarian lentil soup.  If soup is going to be the main or only event, I like it thick.  This is thick and very satisfying for a vegan recipe.  Serve with a great bread and a glass of wine--yum!

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, cut in 1/2 inch cubes.  (This is the orange flesh sweet potato that I call a yam.)
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1/2 Inch cubes
1 cup brown-green lentils
1 quart vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you don't care about being vegan)
1 16 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh chopped spinach

Using a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, sweet potato and squash.  Cook covered stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about seven minutes.

Stir in the lentils, broth and tomatoes.  Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and salt and pepper.  Cook covered on medium-low (just maintain a slow simmer) for 30 to 45 minutes.  When the lentils are soft, stir in the spinach.  Once the spinach has wilted, remove the bay leaves.  Serve!

If you like a soup with thinner broth, add more vegetable or chicken broth.

This soup was thick from the beginning and what I'd call stew-like.  I've found that many soups with lentils, beans or barley really thicken up the second day.  This soup is great the second or third day and will freeze well.

The soup tasted great even if I didn't use any of the Kitchen Aid products mentioned!

Not the Same Old Broccoli Salad

I was thinking a crunchy broccoli salad would be a fresh change from roasted broccoli for our dinner vegetable.  I was tired of the salad of broccoli, cheese, raisins, sunflower seeds, etc.  A quick Google search revealed a different treatment from the New York Times Cooking section.  It required making it in advance (you gotta' love that) and there were not many ingredients.  I had them all on hand!  It was a taste hit!  It was even better the next day as an accompaniment to a sandwich for lunch.  This would be a great picnic or pot luck salad.  If you try it, I'd love to hear your comments.

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad

2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
1 pound broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
red pepper flakes, to taste--a pinch to 1/2 tsp

In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt.  Add broccoli and toss to combine.

In a skillet, heat olive oil until hot, shimmering but not smoking.  Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes.  Remove from heat, pour over the broccoli and toss well.  Let sit for at least an hour at room temperature or chill up to 48 hours.  Adjust seasonings.

The acid in the recipe works on the broccoli like ceviche on fish.  It turns the broccoli bright green and the broccoli soaks up all the seasoning.  This makes 4 to 6 servings.

I did make a couple of changes to the recipe.  (I can't leave some ingredients unmolested!)  The recipe called for a teaspoon of salt and three times !!!! as much olive oil--3/4 cup!  I think there is plenty of olive oil at 1/4 cup.  And, of course, salt can always be added at the table.

Quick and Tasty Dinner with Browned Butter

In the February 19, 2015 edition of the Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine, there was a piece about browned butter.  Or in French, Beurre Noisette.  Sounds better in French, right?  Noisette means hazelnut which suggests the flavor of browned butter. The article suggested serving it over pasta with roasted squash.  I tried it and my two "tasters" declared it delicious.  I thought so too.  And easy. 

Brown butter is made from butter and needs only one pan to make a luscious, nut-like golden sauce for pasta or roasted vegetables.  To make the browned butter, melt 1/4 inch slices (one per serving) of butter in a light colored saute' pan over medium-low heat.  Slowly melt the butter, swirling the pan so it melts evenly.  Butter has three components: water, butterfat and milk solids.  The water will evaporate and the milk solids--foam--will brown.  Initially, the butter will sputter, but will soon quiet down as the water is evaporated.  Taking care to not burn the milk solids, continue to cook until it becomes oil-like and smells like toasted nuts.  It's ready!

Roasted Butternut Squash over Cheese Ravioli

Serves 4

1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 T Olive oil
1 lb. cheese ravioli--from the refrigerator case at your grocery store
4 T butter
8 fresh sage leaves
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 c walnuts, chopped and toasted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Toss squash slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the squash slices one layer deep on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast about 25 minutes or until the edges caramelize, turning once.

While the ravioli is cooking, brown the butter.  Add the sage leaves when the butter starts smelling sweet and nutty.  Cook the sage leaves until crisp, a minute or two.  Remove to a paper towel if the butter isn't quite ready.  When the butter is ready, remove the pan from the heat. 

Drain the pasta and divide between four pasta bowls.  Top with the squash. Spoon the butter and sage on top then sprinkle the cheese and walnuts.  Serve immediately.

I served it with roasted asparagus (which shared the roasting pan with the squash during the last 10 minutes.)

The Best Week Night Dinner

When I'm pressed for time, especially for dinner preparation time, I have a great fall back menu.  It is fast, tasty, healthy, easy to prepare and easy to clean up afterwards.  The menu is:

Tom Douglas' "Rub with Love" Roasted Salmon

Potatoes Gratin

Roasted Vegetables

We are very fortunate to have a local meat and seafood market that stays open until 6:00 PM weeknights--B & E Meats & Seafood.  As I'm cruising home from a busy day, I stop and pick up a shy pound of salmon or steelhead.  When I come in the door, I turn the oven on to 450 degrees.  I prepare the gratin first as it takes the longest time to cook.

Potato Gratin (serves 2)

3/4 pound of Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, washed and dried
2 - 3 T. olive oil
1 T. Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes in 1/8" rounds.  Oil the bottom of a small baking dish.  Layer the potatoes and parsley, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and add a little salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  The potatoes are done when soft all the way through and a little crusty on top.

Roasted Vegetables (serves 2)

Take a large roasting sheet--commonly called a half sheet--and cover the bottom with parchment paper or foil.  Wash and dry bite size pieces of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots--about three cups worth.  Toss with salt, pepper and 1 - 2 T. olive oil.  Spread out in a single layer on two-thirds of the prepared baking sheet.

Tom Douglas' "Rub with Love" Salmon (serves 2)

Mix 1 T. olive oil with 2 T. Tom Douglas' "Love the Rub" seasoning.  Place the salmon fillet on the open space on the prepared baking sheet.  With the back of a spoon or your clean fingers, rub the paste over the top of the salmon.

Place the baking sheet on the lower rack in the oven and roast for about 13 minutes.  The time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon fillet (usually around 1 inch) and how done you like your salmon and vegetables.  We like our vegetables singed but still crunchy and our salmon on the medium rare side. 

Your table setting is minimal--dinner plate, beverage glass and flatware.  And minimal clean up--the parchment paper protected the baking sheet--no washing required.  And the baking dish with the gratin will be no work for your dishwasher along with the serving plates, the dinner plates, glasses and flatware.

You have just had a wonderful meal, clean up is over and you're in the den watching Law & Order re-runs before 8:30 PM!  Life is good!

Food Adventure

Years ago I saw a movie, Big Night (1996).  It was a story about two Italian immigrant brothers who came to the New Jersey Shore to open an authentic Italian restaurant in the 1950's.  The climax of the plot revolves around this huge Italian feast.  One of the dishes prepared was a timpano.  A timpano is layers of yummy Italian dishes encased in a pastry. Once baked, it is cut in wedges exposing the multiple layers of the dishes.  I had never heard of it and was immediately interested given it takes multiple days to make, or it did in the movie.  I found the recipe on the internet, but never got up enough nerve to try it.

Jump to the holiday season 2014.  My friend Debbie and I volunteered to prepare the entree for the annual Irate-8 Holiday Dinner Party.  As we discussed recipes, I remembered the timpano!  What better testing ground that your friends?  Debbie, being the great sport that she is and a great cook, said "Let's do it!"  I couldn't find the recipe I had printed off the internet so many years ago so I did another internet search.  I found lots of recipes and ingredient ideas from five recipes that I incorporated to come up with what we prepared. Since a timpano is layers of ingredients we actually made our favorite components and then layered them into a pastry-lined large stainless steel bowl.  A timpano is traditionally cooked in a round enamel washbasin.

Debbie prepared some killer ragu sauce and some terrific mini-meatballs.   She actually baked the meatballs in mini muffin pans--very ingenious and much less messy that rolling raw meatballs between your palms and then dropping into a hot skillet to brown.  She scooped tablespoons of raw meatballs and dropped into the muffin cups.  She baked them turning them over with a fork at the half way point.  They came out round and brown!

I roasted some red and yellow bell peppers and some Swiss chard.  Made a pie pastry large enough for three single pastry pies.  Also boiled and peeled some eggs, grated several kinds of hard cheeses, procured some sliced salami and cubed mozzarella.

Early afternoon the day of the dinner, we met and assembled the timpano.  The process went like this:

Roll out two-thirds of the pastry dough so it is large enough to completely fill the oiled interior of the baking bowl with some pastry hanging over the edge.  Start layering the ingredients remembering that the bottom of the bowl will be the top of the timpano.  We started with cooked elbow pasta mixed with some of the ragu sauce, followed by a layer of meatballs and a layer of mozzarella cubes.  Next came the eggs and more ragu sauce and more pasta.  While filling the bowl, we tapped it against the counter top to keep the contents tightly packed.  Air spaces are not good.  We finished off with the vegetables, the salami and finally pasta and the remainder of the ragu.  Roll out the remaining pastry dough and cover the top of the bowl.  Fold the two pastry layers together to created a seal and pinch a low edge all along the top.

Cleo was our supervisor!
.

Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for 60 to 90 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and let sit for 15 minutes in the bowl.  This is a heavy dish!  Carefully run a thin knife along the inside edge, place your serving platter on top of the bowl and with the help of someone else, flip the whole thing over allowing the contents of the bowl to fall carefully onto the platter in one piece.  Again let it sit for a few minutes.  During these cooling breaks, it is good to drink some of the fine red wine that you will be serving with the entree!  

Cut the timpano into wedges and serve like a cake wedge.  Pass additional ragu sauce and serve with a simple green salad. 




I thought the dish quite yummy and was a lot of fun to make!  And there were leftovers!

Leftovers? Bestovers!

We returned from a great Labor Day weekend on Hood Canal, Washington, with a few left overs.  Our Labor Day weekend is an annual event with three other couples and eating is a big part of the weekend.  We all love to cook and, of course, eat!  We had shopped at the Olympia Farmers' Market www.olympiafarmersmarket.org on the way to Hood Canal.  They have a wonderful three season market near the waterfront.  In addition to buying some lovely peaches, we bought corn and tomatoes.  It's the season! 

We returned home with a couple of roasted ears of corn on the cob and some peeled and chopped tomatoes.   I did a recipe search on corn and tomatoes and hit upon a great recipe called Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding that I used as a starting point.  Thanks to Gaida De Laurentis, here it is, renamed and with a few changes:

Tomato and Corn Bread Pudding

8 ozs  rustic white bread, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped green onions or sweet white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chopped fresh tomatoes (peeled optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 c packed chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1/2 c corn
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9" by 13" glass baking dish.  Add the bread and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, basil and corn and season with salt and pepper.  Pour the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese over the bread and combine well.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together until smooth.  Pour the mixture over the bread mixture gently tossing to coat.  Bake until slightly puffed and golden, about 25 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes. 

We had the pudding along with some ground beef patties, also leftover, and a green salad.  Yum!

 

I Visited the CIA!

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

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.

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!)
 

I'm Back!!!!

After a year of neglect, I'm back to blogging about food!  I appreciate the feedback I've received that tells me a few of you, at least, haven't given up entirely!  My plan is to be more regular about postings.

I've had several requests for my Pasta Carbonara.  The recipe I use is not "mine", but one from Ruth Richel's 1971 A Feastiary that I found online.  I learned about Pasta Carbonara from an interview I heard on NPR's "Fresh Air".  Terry Gross was interviewing Ruth Richel a few days after Gourmet magazine announced it was discontinuing its print version.  Ruth Richel was the editor of Gourmet at the time and the news was a surprise to her.  I've read two books by Ruth Richel, Tender at the Bone, a memoir of her childhood cooking experiences, and Garlic and Sapphires, a memoir of her time as the restaurant critic for the New York Times.  Both are fine reads.  She has a great sense of humor.

Back to the recipe.  This is a yummy dish that qualifies as comfort food and can be prepared in minutes with items probably on hand.  It has bacon in it.  What isn't better with bacon?  And use high quality bacon, boutique bacon if you please.  Thick sliced and meaty.  You only need two strips per serving so indulge.  I keep the bacon in my freezer, wrapped in four slice packets.  Also helps to use good parmesan cheese.  And I will admit that I did change Ruth Richel's recipe a bit to suit my taste and diet. 

Pasta Carbonara
Serves 2

4 oz dried spaghetti
4 slices bacon
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  When boiling, add the spaghetti and cook per package directions or about nine minutes.  I use whole wheat spaghetti and break the pieces in half for easier tossing.

Break the egg into the pasta serving bowl.  Beat with a fork until well mixed.  Add pepper.

While the spaghetti cooks, cut the bacon in 1/2 inch cross-wise pieces.  Peel the garlic.  Heat a saute pan on medium/medium-high heat.  When hot, add the bacon and cook until the fat begins to render, about two minutes.  Add the garlic clove and cook for another five minutes until the bacon starts to just get crispy.  Do not overcook.  You will want a little bacon fat for the pasta so remove any that seems like too much.  Remove the garlic clove.

When the pasta has cooked, drain.  Immediately put into the serving bowl and toss with the egg.  The heat from the hot pasta will cook the egg into a nice sauce.  Add the bacon with its fat and toss again.  Add the cheese and serve.  If the pasta is too dry for your taste, add a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water after you add the bacon.

This isn't exactly health food, but sometimes you need to feed your mental health!  Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

460 calories, 40 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams protein, 25 grams fat