Green Curry with Bok Choy

I wanted to cook something green but healthy for St Patrick’s Day. Again, I found another curry recipe in the Cooking Light magazine. This time the curry is inspired in a Thai version. The dish is beautiful and tasty, check the recipe here. Check their picture of the dish, it's super beautiful!

I used ½ onion instead of shallots, coconut oil in place of the sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of 4. The broccoli and bok choy came from Door to Door Organics and they were as fresh they could possible be!  I served with brown rice but because the flavors of this dish are so delicate, I would serve it with steamed white rice next time. I also think that the recipe yields to more than 4 servings.

Vegetable Korma

This original, super easy and delicious recipe is from Cooking Light magazine: they had a bad time as a magazine for a while (about 2 years ago) but I think they have improved a lot and now they are a high quality magazine with wonderful recipes: I look forward to receiving my new issue in the mail because they always have a number of recipes that I want to try! Check the recipe here.

Heart of Palm Pie (Empadinha)

I combined multiple recipes that I found online and made this very popular Brazilian dish. I can’t find my resulting recipe so I am recommending this recipe from a NY Times blog, which looks pretty close and I will probably try in the near future. See the recipe here.

I made a large pie version and added corn and peas to lower the price, as heart of palm is very expensive. You can make it with shrimp as well.  In Brazil, you find these delicious, flaky pies the size of a small cupcake that melt in your mouth in every bakery, which means everywhere! 

Braised Chuck Roast with Winter Vegetables

We’ve got some yak meat from a friend, Eddy Sanders, who has a yak farm in Colorado, check his web site here. We have already tried the New York Steak and it was delicious: if you imagine a yak, you wouldn’t think its meat is mild tasting and tender. Not to mention that it is wild and very high in omega-3 fatty acids! I decided to make a Braised Yak Chuck Roast with Winter Vegetables, huummm comfort food, since there is snow coming our way.

This dish is based on a recipe from Jamie Bunnell, owner of Jamie's Bar & Grill in Sacramento, CA, refer to original recipe here. I followed most of his recipe but you may want to use beef stock instead of veal stock (I’ve used some of my own that I made some time ago and it’s a lot of work). I used vegetable oil instead of duck fat and yellow onions, which are similar to Spanish onions (larger and sweeter than yellow onions). I roasted super fresh yams, purple potatoes, carrots and mushrooms from Door to Door Organics to serve as a side dish. 

Spinach, Feta and Marjoram Pizza

Hi all, I am back! At least for one post… I have been working hard as a cook and I don’t have much time to spare. However, because I am addicted to cooking, I can’t not cook on my days off!

I’d like to take a moment to talk about Door to Door Organics. They offer local products whenever possible and their produce are always very fresh.  They send you a periodical email with your produce list where you can swap a number of items, and you end up with a nice custom basket. You can also cancel the service anytime or put it on hold anytime, which is very handy if you are going on vacation or you have too much from the last delivery. This week we’ve got purple potatoes, baby carrots (the ones with the leaves, so pretty), white mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, yams, onions, pea sprouts, watercress, limes, baby bok choy. Check their web site here. The fun part is to plan a menu with these items.

Today I decided to make some pizza dough and have it topped with spinach from Door to Door Organics. I blanched the spinach so it keeps the bright green color. I also added tomatoes, crumbled feta and marjoram. Drizzle the pizza with some quality olive oil right after baking and presto! We also had some watercress, pea sprouts and celery salad.

Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins

I think I am back. I am done with cooking school and doing an internship at a restaurant. I still don't know what I am going to do, but I know what I want to keep doing: I want to keep cooking and I want to keep finding nice ways to use CSA ingredients.
This is the 5th week of CSA, unbelievable, how fast summer is passing by. We are getting lots of scallions and they look so beautiful, fresh, they smell awesome, how can you let this go unused? I found this wonderful recipe from Gourmet Magazine and I want to share it with you. It calls for 1 cup of chopped scallions, I would use an additional 1/2 cup next time.
Serve it with sauteed spinach, kale or beet greens and you will have a wonderful complete meal!

Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins

Makes 12 muffins. Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

4 ounces soft mild goat cheese

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 bunch scallions

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F. and butter twelve muffin cups.

Prep Goat Cheese:

In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons milk and goat cheese until combined.

Mix Wet, Dry and Scallions:

Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Melt butter and in another small bowl whisk together with remaining milk and egg. Finely chop enough scallions to measure 1 cup.

Stir butter mixture and scallions into flour mixture until just combined.

Bake:

Divide half of batter evenly among muffin cups and top each with about 2 teaspoons goat cheese filling. Divide remaining batter over filling.

Bake muffins in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Scallion-Goat-Cheese-Muffins-100599

Cooking School

I am starting Cooking School on 03/01/10. It’s a 16 week intense full time program so I probably won’t have the time to work on the blog. I will update the blog if I create another one, I promise. 

Happy cooking! (That's what my dear friend Patricia would say!)

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Shrimp and Hearts of Palm

It's been a while I have posted any recipes in this blog. I had decided to stop posting but I guess, well, I still have some contributions to it!

So here is a recipe I came up with yesterday and it turned out really delicious!

The heart of palm blends in with the fettuccine in such a way that you can’t see it but the taste is intriguing and delicious! I used brown rice pasta with is a little lighter an smoother than wheat.

The only problem was the shrimp: I can't seem to find good tasting shrimp anymore. We've got wild American shrimp and it tasted like dirt! If you have any tips on where/how to get great tasting shrimp, please share.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Shrimp and Hearts of Palm

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb fresh or frozen and thawed medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes (summer)

½ cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

½ can hearts of palm

¾ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

8 ounces dry pasta

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Shred hearts of palm lengthwise in strips: they don’t need to be too thin as they will kind of melt later. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ the garlic, shrimp and ½ teaspoon lemon zest and cook until pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and reserve. Add onions and remaining garlic. Cook 5 minutes until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Add shrimp, heart of palm, remaining lemon zest and parsley, reserving 1 teaspoon of parsley for decoration, toss well and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Divide pasta into 4 individual bowls. Top with sauce,  parsley and Parmesan if using. Some people think that cheese should not be served in a seafood dish. It’s up to you, if you like you, just have it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Linzer Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies that I am bringing for my Christmas Eve party today are from Prevention magazine. They are delicious and easy to make. Check the original recipe here. I am reproducing the full recipe here in case their web page changes place. I used ½ cup of almond meal instead of slivered almonds; butter instead of Smart Balance and triple berry spread (no sugar added) instead of the raspberry spread.

I am also bringing tandoori chicken with basmati rice.

Linzer Thumbprint Cookies

Work Time: 55 Minutes / Total Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes / Yield: 4 1/2 Dozen

3/4 c slivered almonds


1 c all-purpose flour


1/4 c whole wheat flour


1 tsp ground cinnamon


1/4 tsp salt


1/2 c light brown sugar


1/4 c + 1 Tbsp butter


3 Tbsp  50/50 butter blend spread (we used smart Balance)


1/2 tsp almond extract


5 Tbsp raspberry 100% fruit spread


1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. on baking sheet, toast almonds 10 minutes or until light golden. Cool.

2. Whisk flours, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. grind almonds in nut grinder or pulse in mini food processor with 1/3 cup of the dry mixture until finely ground. Whisk almonds into remaining dry ingredients.

3. Beat brown sugar, butter, spread, and almond extract in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. add dry ingredients in thirds, beating to combine. 

4. Shape dough into disks using 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough for each. place cookies 1 1/2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. press middle of each cookie with thumb, reshape dough if edges split, and fill each indentation with rounded 1/4 teaspoon of the fruit spread.

5. Bake cookies until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. sift confectioners' sugar over cookies, if desired. 

Nutritional Info Per Cookie 46 cal, 1 g pro, 5 g carb, 0.5 g fiber, 2.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 12 mg sodium

Pasta with Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken

My friend Camilla sent this recipe to me, it’s from Prevention Magazine, see the original recipe here. It’s simple, yet delicious, full of different flavors: the pine nuts, the sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and the basil are a wonderful combination!

Pasta with Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

2 ounces dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Soak tomatoes in hot water 10 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserving  1/2 cup of water, and chop.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat while farro cooks.

Season chicken with salt. Add chicken, garlic, and red-pepper flakes to skillet. Cook, stirring, until garlic turns golden, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir  in tomatoes and reserved water and cook 2 to 3 minutes until chicken  is completely cooked.

Add farro to skillet, and toss. Add basil and toss. Divide equally among 4 bowls and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of pine  nuts. Top with more basil, if desired.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Meatballs

I went through my Japanese and Indian food phase. I am still having some Indian food cravings. But Moroccan has been in my mind a lot lately. I found this recipe that sounded delicious and tried it. It took a long time to make, maybe because it was the first time I was making it, but it’s worth it. This dish fragrant and full of flavor!

I followed the recipe for the most part. The only changes I made were that I used 1 tablespoon of butter instead of 4and ½ tablespoon of salt instead of 1 ½. I opted for making the ras el hanout but it is optional, I bet the dish will taste wonderful even without it.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Meatballs

(From http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moroccan-spiced-lamb-and-rice-meatballs)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup medium-grain rice, such as arborio

2 medium onions, 1 quartered and 1 thinly sliced

1 cup cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup mint leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Scant 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

(substitution = 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.)

Scant 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Scant 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional; see Notes)

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb

4 1/2 cups water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well. 

In a food processor, pulse the quartered onion with the cup of cilantro leaves and the mint, cumin, paprika, allspice, cayenne, ras el hanout and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt until pureed. Scrape the puree into a large bowl and mix in the ground lamb and rice. 

Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using lightly moistened hands, roll rounded tablespoons of the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and transfer them to the baking sheet. 

Pour the 4 1/2 cups of water into a large, deep skillet. Add the sliced onion, butter, parsley, crushed red pepper and saffron to the skillet and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the meatballs; they will not fit in a single layer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over moderately low heat until the meatballs are cooked and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently once or twice halfway through. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a large platter. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and skim off as much fat as possible. Return the cooking liquid to the skillet and boil over high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over moderate heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and the lemon juice, season with salt and serve with pita bread.

Notes:

Ras el hanout, a Moroccan blend of up to 30 spices, including ginger, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns and cloves, is available at Middle Eastern markets

Ras el Hanout

http://cookalmostanything.blogspot.com/2006/04/ras-el-hanout.html

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat up the seeds and peppercorns in a frying pan. Dry fry until aromatic, about a minutes. Place all the ingredients into a food processor/mill and process until smooth.

Chicken Tikka Masala

It’s been a couple of years that Tanya, Camilla and I and our families get together before Christmas for a potluck dinner. We used to work at the same company but not anymore, so we catch up with personal things and see the kids growing up. We also go for walks and scrap booking (that has been a while!).

Every year we had a food “theme”. We had fondue, pasta and this year, Indian food. Camilla made keema and basmati rice. Tanya made egg curry and dahl. I made saffron rice and chicken tikka masala. Everything was to die for!

This is a simplified version of the chicken tikka masala. You can make your own garam masala, which I usually do. I prefer to use equal amounts of cream and and half and half instead of cream only. The final dish turns out lighter and a little thinner than the original. I also use cayenne pepper instead of chilies, that way it’s easier to control the spiciness. Today I am serving the dish with cashew nuts and saffron rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Chicken Tikka

1/2 teaspoon  ground cumin  

1/2 teaspoon  ground coriander  

1/4 teaspoon  cayenne pepper  

1 teaspoon  sea salt  

2 pounds  boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1” cubes 

1 cup  plain yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil  

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon  grated fresh ginger  

Masala Sauce

2 tablespoons  vegetable oil  

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger  

1 fresh Serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced or 1 teaspoon cayenne (for more heat, leave seeds on, for less heat add less pepper with no seeds or ¼ teaspoon cayenne)

1 tablespoon  tomato paste

1 tablespoon  garam masala

1 can diced tomatoes

1 ½ cup water 

½ teaspoon sea salt  

½ cup  heavy cream or half and half

1/4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro leaves  

Directions:

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt in small bowl. In large resalable plastic bag, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger and the spice mixture. Add to chicken to bag. Seal and shake well to cover the chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add onion and cook, about 10 minutes or until it starts browning. While the onion is cooking, mix garlic, ginger, pepper, tomato paste and garam masala in a small bowl. Remove onion from pan and add the chicken. Discard the marinade. Sautee chicken until all sides are sealed, about 5 minutes. Return onion and spice mix to pan, stir and cook about 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add canned tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Stir in cream or half and half and cilantro just before serving. Adjust salt.

Saffron Rice

Saffron Rice

(From Curried Flavors, Maya Kaimal MacMillan)

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 C basmati rice, well washed

1/2 t saffron threads

2 T warm milk

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

4 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1 T oil

3 1/4 C water

1 1/2 t salt

½ cup broken raw cashew nuts or blanched slivered almonds

1/3 cup raisins

1 tablespoon Ghee or butter

Directions:

Soak the saffron in warm milk for 10 min.

Boil the water.

Add oil, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to a pan, at medium heat.

When the spices start to release their fragrance, add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes, until the rice is shinny and coated with the oil.

Add the boiling water, saffron, lower the heat and cover.

Cook till all the water is absorbed.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, fry nuts and raisins in ghee or butter until nuts turn redish brown. Stir thoroughly into rice and serve.

Whole Wheat Walnut Bread

I decided to try the No-Knead bread recipe using whole wheat and walnuts. It turned out really good. The bread is heavy as is any 100% whole wheat bread but it’s moist and tender, if you would believe this! If you decide to try, use the same recipe as the Olive Bread and add walnuts in place of olives (I used 1 ½ cups but next time I think I will use only 1 cup) and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Enjoy!

Steamed Fish with Tofu and Shiitake

This recipe is rich in protein and low in calories. Recommended for cold days.
Super easy to prepare! I am serving the fish with grated daikon (no chili) and ponzu.


Steamed Fish with Tofu and Shiitake

(Adapted from Japanese Cuisine for Everyone, Yukiko Moriyama)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 white fish fillets (4 to 5 oz sea bass or cod)

12 to 16 oz tofu, cut into 2 to 3” cubes

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, softened in warm water, cut into half

2 cups of Chinese cabbage cut crosswise in 1” strips

1 green onion, finely chopped

4 pieces of kombu (kelp), 2 inches each

2 tablespoons of sake

1 cup dashi stock

Condiments:

Momiji-oroshi:

Grated daikon and chili

Ponzu sauce:

¼ cup lemon or lime juice

¼ cup soy sauce

Directions:

Place kombu on bottom of 4 heat proof individual serving bowls or a big heat proof glassware. Top each bowl with ¼ of each of the following: Chinese cabbage, tofu, fish and shiitake mushrooms. Season each bowl with ½ tablespoon of sake, ¼ cup of dashi stock. Steam uncovered for 20 minutes over high heat.

Sprinkle the green onions before serving. Serve immediately with steamed short grain rice, momiji-oroshi and ponzu sauce on the side or on the fish.

Grilled Lamb Chops with English Mint Sauce

These were our last loin chops… we already ordered another lamb but it will be here only by the end of January. This mint sauce is delicious and it lightens up the meat. Serve in individual small bowls. Just dip every bite into the sauce.

I decided to make a rice with Brussels sprouts in the last minute so there is no recipe for it. I cooked the halved sprouts in a bit of olive oil and salt for 5 minutes, covered. Then added the cooked brown rice, a dollop of butter and some lime rind. Ready.

Lamb Chops with English Mint Sauce

4 servings

Ingredients:

Mint Sauce:

Makes 1 cup

(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons boiling water

4 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

16 to 20 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Lamb:

4 loin lamb chops 1.5" thick

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

Instructions:

To make the mint sauce stir in together brown sugar and boiling water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Then stir in chopped mint leaves and vinegar. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Preheat broiler. Mix oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush lamb chops with the oil mix. Broil in a sheet pan 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Serve each lamb chop with 1/2 cup of mint sauce on the side.

Olive Bread

This bread is good, really, really good! And super easy to make. It takes a long time but it’s just waiting time! I found the recipe in the Ginger Beat blog (thank you, Ginger Beat!) which pointed to the original recipe at Splendid Table, reprinted from "My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method". See the recipe here. Ginger Beat said she also made it with walnuts and it turned out really good too. I usually point to recipes that I find in other blogs but I decided to add it to my post as well as I don’t want to lose it! 

Olive Bread

Yield: One 10-inch round loaf; 1 1/2 pounds

Equipment: A 4 1/2 to 5 1/2-quart heavy pot

Ingredients:

3 cups bread flour (400 grams)

About 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pitted olives (200 grams)

3/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast (3 grams)

1 1/2 cups cool (55 to 65 degrees F) water (300 grams)

wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, olives, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place a covered 4 1/2 - to 5 1/2 -quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution—the pot will be very hot; see photos, page 55.) Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.