Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sauteed Greens, Beets & Chickpeas
.
Last Sunday night I was expounding (as I am prone to do) to an enthralled audience (I'm sure...) on the difference between beets and chard, when someone stated that they are nothing alike, from a nutrition standpoint.
Well. She was just plain wrong.
And, of course, exactly right.
Beets and chard are not much alike - nutritionally.
One is a sugary root and the other is a leaf for heavens sake.
But I was talking about beet greens.
Which are nutritionally quite similar to chard, only a bit of a different color and texture...because chard is just a variety of beet in which the root is not overly developed.
In other words (and much like this post) I wasn't clear about what I was talking about. Since I was talking about beet greens.
And to think, I used to work in "communications." The irony is not lost on me. (And I do hope that is the proper use of that word.)
The good news is, I have this space to clarify (or not, depending on if this is clear to you.) and to post a nutritional power-house recipe for chard and chick peas.
A quick side-dish. It is perfect with brown rice or as a filling for tacos. I also like to use the left-overs in a fritatta.
So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 bunch chard, sliced thin
1 bunch beet greens, sliced thin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice and zest of one small tangerine
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 large beet, cooked and diced
1 cup chick peas (boiled or canned, whichever)
Rinse the greens and set aside. Do not dry.
Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the greens and fruit juice and zest. Saute until wilted. Add the beets and chick peas and stir to heat through.
Serves four.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.comIf you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.
Chard - n. - Long succulent whitish stalks with large green leaves; Beet lacking swollen root.
The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant in the amaranth family. It is best known its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red root vegetable known as the garden beet. However, other cultivated varieties include the leaf vegetables chard and spinach beet, as well as the root vegetables sugar beet, which is important in the production of table sugar. - Wiki
Misshapen fruit and vegetables won a reprieve on Wed from th EU as it scrapped rules banning overly curved, extra knobbly or oddly shaped produce from markets. Ending regulations on the size and shape of 26 types of fruit and vegetables, authorities killed off restrictions that had become synonymous with bureaucratic meddling. In July, these standards for the 26 products, as varied as peas and plums, will disappear. For 10 other types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, citrus, peaches, pears, strawberries and tomatoes, shape standards will remain. – NY TIMES
Last Sunday night I was expounding (as I am prone to do) to an enthralled audience (I'm sure...) on the difference between beets and chard, when someone stated that they are nothing alike, from a nutrition standpoint.Well. She was just plain wrong.
And, of course, exactly right.
Beets and chard are not much alike - nutritionally.
One is a sugary root and the other is a leaf for heavens sake.
But I was talking about beet greens.
Which are nutritionally quite similar to chard, only a bit of a different color and texture...because chard is just a variety of beet in which the root is not overly developed.
In other words (and much like this post) I wasn't clear about what I was talking about. Since I was talking about beet greens.
And to think, I used to work in "communications." The irony is not lost on me. (And I do hope that is the proper use of that word.)
The good news is, I have this space to clarify (or not, depending on if this is clear to you.) and to post a nutritional power-house recipe for chard and chick peas.
A quick side-dish. It is perfect with brown rice or as a filling for tacos. I also like to use the left-overs in a fritatta.
So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 bunch chard, sliced thin
1 bunch beet greens, sliced thin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice and zest of one small tangerine
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 large beet, cooked and diced
1 cup chick peas (boiled or canned, whichever)
Rinse the greens and set aside. Do not dry.
Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the greens and fruit juice and zest. Saute until wilted. Add the beets and chick peas and stir to heat through.
Serves four.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.comIf you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.
Chard - n. - Long succulent whitish stalks with large green leaves; Beet lacking swollen root.
The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant in the amaranth family. It is best known its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red root vegetable known as the garden beet. However, other cultivated varieties include the leaf vegetables chard and spinach beet, as well as the root vegetables sugar beet, which is important in the production of table sugar. - Wiki
Misshapen fruit and vegetables won a reprieve on Wed from th EU as it scrapped rules banning overly curved, extra knobbly or oddly shaped produce from markets. Ending regulations on the size and shape of 26 types of fruit and vegetables, authorities killed off restrictions that had become synonymous with bureaucratic meddling. In July, these standards for the 26 products, as varied as peas and plums, will disappear. For 10 other types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, citrus, peaches, pears, strawberries and tomatoes, shape standards will remain. – NY TIMES
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Friday, October 10, 2008
French Style Tomato Soup
.
Last weekend took a bite out of me.
It all started innocently enough.
An invitation to a birthday party, a few beers, (my commitment to eating local ends at beverages you must understand) a couple of shots of who-knows-what, a scandalously short skirt and one reckless piggy-back ride, all conspired to land the Ombudsman in the hospital getting stitches at 3 am.
Poor, sweet man. Bled like a stuck pig he did. (Sorry, icky, right?) And after the doctor had his way, he looked remarkably like Frankenstein’s Monster. (With a nicer smile.)
Bless his heart. And his noggin.
Oh. Sweet love. (Thank GOODNESS he never reads this. I swear he would kill me for gettin all gushy. But I’m a girl. And a friend. So there you go.) Needless to say, my guilt is paramount and my heart is heavy and the poor boy is a bit shamed and ego-battered (but enviously well insured! The pay as a city worker may be sputtery but heavens does that insurance rock!) well...all that called for soup.
But what kind at this crux of the seasons?
Looking around the farmers market the next day, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. There were tomatoes and pumpkins. Corn and persimmons. Basil and beets. End of summer, beginning o fall. Which to choose? The last of the warm summer harvest or the new and exciting autumn delights?
I opted for both by making a nourishing tomato soup to offer a bruised and battered man. Summery tomatoes in a warm bowl. The orange and fennel and tomato melding in to a perfect meal.
Fresh and spry, simple and delicious. Very quick (quicker than most of my recipes!) Perfect for what ails you or just the right thing for a lovely luncheon…So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
(As you can see from the photo I did not include the croutons. I mean, I did, but we ate them before the shot was taken...)
1 small baguette, sliced on the bias (yeilding 12 slices. save the rest for something else)
olive oil
1/4 stick butter
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 small fennel bulb, coarse chop
1 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 small tomatoes, cored and rough chopped
1 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
3 cups vegetable broth
Optional garnish (lower calorie if you skip it)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 more teaspoons orange zest
Preheat oven to 350F.
Brush olive oil on both sides of the bread. Season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp, to make croutons.
In a food processor, chop the onion, fennel, carrot and garlic.
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients. Cover and simmer vegetables 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk cream, rosemary and 1 teaspoon orange zest in bowl until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest into soup. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle cream mixture over and serve with a few croutons.
(For those of you following my eat-local-ism...the bread was local artisan made, but obviously not with local ingredients. Everything else came from the Hollywood Farmers market or my own garden.)
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com
A 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans contains about 1 1/2 cups beans, after draining and rinsing. One cup dried beans yields about 3 cups cooked beans.
Order your Montery Bay Aquarium Sushi Pocket Guide now! So "you’ll be able to make seafood choices that please the palate and protect the world’s ocean wildlife."
Restaurants in Los Angeles that I have a hard time Googling: Eat. Local. 8 oz. Food. 15. Milk. (Couldn't find links for some. Because their names are dumb! You try searching for "Food restaurant in West LA" or "Local restaurant on Sunset blvd.") Any to add?
Last weekend took a bite out of me.It all started innocently enough.
An invitation to a birthday party, a few beers, (my commitment to eating local ends at beverages you must understand) a couple of shots of who-knows-what, a scandalously short skirt and one reckless piggy-back ride, all conspired to land the Ombudsman in the hospital getting stitches at 3 am.
Poor, sweet man. Bled like a stuck pig he did. (Sorry, icky, right?) And after the doctor had his way, he looked remarkably like Frankenstein’s Monster. (With a nicer smile.)
Bless his heart. And his noggin.
Oh. Sweet love. (Thank GOODNESS he never reads this. I swear he would kill me for gettin all gushy. But I’m a girl. And a friend. So there you go.) Needless to say, my guilt is paramount and my heart is heavy and the poor boy is a bit shamed and ego-battered (but enviously well insured! The pay as a city worker may be sputtery but heavens does that insurance rock!) well...all that called for soup.
But what kind at this crux of the seasons?
Looking around the farmers market the next day, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. There were tomatoes and pumpkins. Corn and persimmons. Basil and beets. End of summer, beginning o fall. Which to choose? The last of the warm summer harvest or the new and exciting autumn delights?
I opted for both by making a nourishing tomato soup to offer a bruised and battered man. Summery tomatoes in a warm bowl. The orange and fennel and tomato melding in to a perfect meal.
Fresh and spry, simple and delicious. Very quick (quicker than most of my recipes!) Perfect for what ails you or just the right thing for a lovely luncheon…So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
(As you can see from the photo I did not include the croutons. I mean, I did, but we ate them before the shot was taken...)
1 small baguette, sliced on the bias (yeilding 12 slices. save the rest for something else)
olive oil
1/4 stick butter
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 small fennel bulb, coarse chop
1 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 small tomatoes, cored and rough chopped
1 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
3 cups vegetable broth
Optional garnish (lower calorie if you skip it)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 more teaspoons orange zest
Preheat oven to 350F.
Brush olive oil on both sides of the bread. Season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp, to make croutons.
In a food processor, chop the onion, fennel, carrot and garlic.
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients. Cover and simmer vegetables 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk cream, rosemary and 1 teaspoon orange zest in bowl until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest into soup. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle cream mixture over and serve with a few croutons.
(For those of you following my eat-local-ism...the bread was local artisan made, but obviously not with local ingredients. Everything else came from the Hollywood Farmers market or my own garden.)
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com
A 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans contains about 1 1/2 cups beans, after draining and rinsing. One cup dried beans yields about 3 cups cooked beans.
Order your Montery Bay Aquarium Sushi Pocket Guide now! So "you’ll be able to make seafood choices that please the palate and protect the world’s ocean wildlife."
Restaurants in Los Angeles that I have a hard time Googling: Eat. Local. 8 oz. Food. 15. Milk. (Couldn't find links for some. Because their names are dumb! You try searching for "Food restaurant in West LA" or "Local restaurant on Sunset blvd.") Any to add?
Labels: Low-Carb, Luncheon, Soup, Vegetarian
Monday, July 14, 2008
Triple Lemon Grilled Arctic Char
.
Everything is daisy-sunshine happiness these days. Summer rocks!
In other words...what's not to like?
Brilliance!
*grin*
And me, I'm taking the summer one day at a time. Lots of relaxing and lots of tooling around thinking about the wonder of it all.
And one great place to spend an hour or so is one of our lovely outdoor markets.
I'm sure you know (or have maybe read), the SoCal farmers markets are a bit of a dream in terms of edible options. A cornucopia if you will.
So if you are open minded, flexible with your menu and willing to try new things (and eat a lot of fruit) it really can be a guilt free and lovely day-time excursion.
Phew.
So here is my recipe for a grilled triple lemon fish - ingredients for which can usually be found year round at any good farm stand. Sustainable, delicious, delightful. Perky too. Zippy, really, if you must know. And except for the pepper, it all came from my local farmers market.
I only wish I had captured a better shot of this before we ate it on down...
Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
6 each lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup black olives, diced, dry cured such as Gaeta
4 each Arctic Char, fish steaks, six ounces apiece
1/4 cup olive oil
1 each lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon pink peppercorn, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine the honey and lemon juice and set aside until ready to grill.
Marinate the fish in the lemon oil, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, pink pepper and salt at room temperature for no longer than 1 hour.
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds; drain. Bring 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the black olives.
Preheat your grill.
Grill the fish for 7 minutes per inch, basting once with the honey-lemon glaze. Remove and serve with lemon confit as garnish.
Everything is daisy-sunshine happiness these days. Summer rocks!In other words...what's not to like?
Brilliance!
*grin*
And me, I'm taking the summer one day at a time. Lots of relaxing and lots of tooling around thinking about the wonder of it all.
And one great place to spend an hour or so is one of our lovely outdoor markets.
I'm sure you know (or have maybe read), the SoCal farmers markets are a bit of a dream in terms of edible options. A cornucopia if you will.
So if you are open minded, flexible with your menu and willing to try new things (and eat a lot of fruit) it really can be a guilt free and lovely day-time excursion.
Phew.
So here is my recipe for a grilled triple lemon fish - ingredients for which can usually be found year round at any good farm stand. Sustainable, delicious, delightful. Perky too. Zippy, really, if you must know. And except for the pepper, it all came from my local farmers market.
I only wish I had captured a better shot of this before we ate it on down...
Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
6 each lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup black olives, diced, dry cured such as Gaeta
4 each Arctic Char, fish steaks, six ounces apiece
1/4 cup olive oil
1 each lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon pink peppercorn, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine the honey and lemon juice and set aside until ready to grill.
Marinate the fish in the lemon oil, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, pink pepper and salt at room temperature for no longer than 1 hour.
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds; drain. Bring 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the black olives.
Preheat your grill.
Grill the fish for 7 minutes per inch, basting once with the honey-lemon glaze. Remove and serve with lemon confit as garnish.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.
The city of Beverly Hills gave final approval Tuesday night on a deal that will bring a local restaurant from Thomas Keller, the only American chef with two 3-star establishments.Keller will be opening one of his casual-dining Bouchon bistros in Beverly Hills by fall 2009.
Popcorn was $11 for 20 lbs in January of this year. It's now $17 for the same bag.
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Seafood
Monday, July 07, 2008
Red Seaweed (Sea Vegetable) Salad
.
Oh dear, oh dear.
I am officially a guilt-ridden bourgie girl with a food-complex.
How could this happen? It's so tragically cliche.
In the last few weeks (between reading a few intense books The Ombudsman threw my way in his ongoing effort to nurture my inner nerd/keep me single) I managed to read The Omnivore's Dilemma and Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood.
Whoooo.
Now peaches, in case you aren’t familiar with these tomes, they are of the genre that can best be described as, “we are all going to h*ll in a hand-basket unless we start making some informed decisions - stat.”
These books are informative, brilliantly written, methodically researched, heartbreaking and scary and happily (very happily) also tinged with hope.
The hope part being that, if we really do all pull ourselves together (for heavens sake!) just a tiny bit - and pay attention to our food choices - crisis can be averted and our lives and health and the world in general may just well improve. Super-fab news indeed. (And what a relief to hear!)
Phew.
My immediate (band-wagon-esque) instinct after all this intense info was to run out to the farmers market (as I do every week. I'm not really that new to this bandwagon) and buy something, anything, that I could feel chic and eco about. Naturally I ended up with...sea vegetables from The Carlsbad Aquafarm.
I mean, talk about a non-controversial food choice! It's (mostly) local, it's (totally, fer sher)healthy and it grows back quick as a wink.
Joyousness.
Sure, sure, it could be argued that it looks like something Little Orphan Annie's plumber pulled out of her shower drain...(oy!) but thrillingly, it's crisp, ocean breeze taste trumps it's trendiness impaired looks. In fact, there is also an delicate beauty to it that cannot be denied.
Keeping it light simple, I added a few salad-y ingredients and voila, a perfect summertime meal. And guilt free to boot.
Try it my peaches and taste the joy. (And I promise this is my last preachy post. For now...)
1 cup red seaweed, torn apart
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, large mince
1 small jalapeno, large mince
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A few drops of sesame oil
1 green apple
English cucumber
Sea salt (naturally!)
To make the dressing, combine the ginger with the jalapeno, vinegar and oils. Taste and season with salt.
Peel and dice the cucumbers and add to the dressing.
Slice the apple and fan out on two chilled plates. Top with the sea vegetable. Spoon some of the cucumber over it and serve immediately.
Makes two large salads.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.
The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, now includes edamame (immature green soybeans), pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish) and about 100 other newly added words that have taken root in the American lexicon. GoErie.com
2007 vodka sales at the supplier level reached $4.3 billion, a 7.65% increase over 2006
Joey Chestnut is the 2008 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner. It was initially a tie between Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi at 59 hot dogs each, which lead to a sudden death show down. This year's event was cut down to 10 minutes vrom 12. Prior to Chestnut's record - Japan's Takeru Kobayashi had been the crowning champ for five years straight. - Gambling911
Oh dear, oh dear.I am officially a guilt-ridden bourgie girl with a food-complex.
How could this happen? It's so tragically cliche.
In the last few weeks (between reading a few intense books The Ombudsman threw my way in his ongoing effort to nurture my inner nerd/keep me single) I managed to read The Omnivore's Dilemma and Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood.
Whoooo.
Now peaches, in case you aren’t familiar with these tomes, they are of the genre that can best be described as, “we are all going to h*ll in a hand-basket unless we start making some informed decisions - stat.”
These books are informative, brilliantly written, methodically researched, heartbreaking and scary and happily (very happily) also tinged with hope.
The hope part being that, if we really do all pull ourselves together (for heavens sake!) just a tiny bit - and pay attention to our food choices - crisis can be averted and our lives and health and the world in general may just well improve. Super-fab news indeed. (And what a relief to hear!)
Phew.
My immediate (band-wagon-esque) instinct after all this intense info was to run out to the farmers market (as I do every week. I'm not really that new to this bandwagon) and buy something, anything, that I could feel chic and eco about. Naturally I ended up with...sea vegetables from The Carlsbad Aquafarm.
I mean, talk about a non-controversial food choice! It's (mostly) local, it's (totally, fer sher)healthy and it grows back quick as a wink.
Joyousness.
Sure, sure, it could be argued that it looks like something Little Orphan Annie's plumber pulled out of her shower drain...(oy!) but thrillingly, it's crisp, ocean breeze taste trumps it's trendiness impaired looks. In fact, there is also an delicate beauty to it that cannot be denied.
Keeping it light simple, I added a few salad-y ingredients and voila, a perfect summertime meal. And guilt free to boot.
Try it my peaches and taste the joy. (And I promise this is my last preachy post. For now...)
1 cup red seaweed, torn apart
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, large mince
1 small jalapeno, large mince
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A few drops of sesame oil
1 green apple
English cucumber
Sea salt (naturally!)
To make the dressing, combine the ginger with the jalapeno, vinegar and oils. Taste and season with salt.
Peel and dice the cucumbers and add to the dressing.
Slice the apple and fan out on two chilled plates. Top with the sea vegetable. Spoon some of the cucumber over it and serve immediately.
Makes two large salads.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.
The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, now includes edamame (immature green soybeans), pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish) and about 100 other newly added words that have taken root in the American lexicon. GoErie.com
2007 vodka sales at the supplier level reached $4.3 billion, a 7.65% increase over 2006
Joey Chestnut is the 2008 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner. It was initially a tie between Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi at 59 hot dogs each, which lead to a sudden death show down. This year's event was cut down to 10 minutes vrom 12. Prior to Chestnut's record - Japan's Takeru Kobayashi had been the crowning champ for five years straight. - Gambling911
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Raw, Salad, Vegan
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Grilled Asparagus with Pistachio Aillade
.
All this glorious early summer sunshine is going to my head.
I tell you it's just peachy keen!
Trouble is, it has me forgetting lots of stuff too.
Like, to post recipes.
Whoopsee!
My shoulders are tanned, the garden is growing and my days are full with good friends and whimsical cocktails. This is just the richest, most soul satisfying business.
And now, for you, my glamorous readers, I am reprinting (with not so many words changed) a recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Why?
Because kids, this little bit of knowledge is just far beyond a recipe, it strikes me as prose.
Seriously!
Read this recipe. Then, if you have a - oh, I don't know - Gordon Ramsay or some other hyper-masculine chef's cookbook at home, compare them.
It's easy to see.
This is so obviously written by a real woman. A woman with a gentle appreciation of her craft and a respect for her product. (Reminds me a lot of the beautiful writing by one of one of my favorite bloggers - Lucy at Nourish Me) It is a simple recipe with elegantly beautiful results.
Such a lovely thing to find in a world full of kitchen-intensity. I had to share.
It has such a wonderful layering of flavors and unexpected delights.
So try it my dears, and please do taste the joy.
1/2 cup pistachios
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of a tangerine or mandarin
Brandy or grappa (I actually used cognac)
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
salt
Turn the oven to 350F.
Go through the pistachios and discard any that are shrunken or brown.
Spread on a baking sheet and heat the pistachios until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes, long enough to heighten their flavor without burning their fragile oil. Coarsely chop.
Coarsely chop the garlic then pound in a mortar (or pulse in a food processor), scoop out and set aside.
Transfer the pistachios to the mortar (or, again, food processor) and pound to a dry paste. Blend in the pounded garlic to taste. Pound or grind in about half the oil to bind with the nuts, then stir in the remainder.
With a few strokes of a zester, carve a teaspoon of fragrant orange filaments. Chop, then stir them into the paste. Add the brandy or grappa and salt to taste.
The finished aillade will be a dense, heavy paste. Set aside to mellow. As it sits the crushed nuts will settle out of the oil, but a few stirs will reamalgamate the paste.
Prepare your grill.
For the asparagus break off the woody ends, then peel away the toughest skin. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and salt lightly. Blanch the asparagus for about one minute. Drain. Cool in lightly salted ice water, drain and pat dry. (Skip the blanching if your asparagus is pencil thin). Oil and arrange in a single layer on the grill.
Grill until hot through and emblazoned with pretty char marks, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Serve with the aillade.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
MIAMI (AP) -- South Florida schools are having to back away from goals to offer more nutritious meals because of rising food costs. Switching from fresh fruit to canned saves money and maintains the same level of nutrition. Schools have also cut some whole grain breads, replacing it with white bread. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach schools are all looking to increase the price of their school lunches. Besides food costs going up, another problem is that the money school districts get from the federal government for each meal has not changed since last year.
Aillade is the name used in southern France for two different garlic-based condiments. In Provence, it is a garlic-flavored vinaigrette, while in some other areas, it is a form of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. In the latter meaning, it is a synonym for aioli. - Wikipedia
All this glorious early summer sunshine is going to my head.I tell you it's just peachy keen!
Trouble is, it has me forgetting lots of stuff too.
Like, to post recipes.
Whoopsee!
My shoulders are tanned, the garden is growing and my days are full with good friends and whimsical cocktails. This is just the richest, most soul satisfying business.
And now, for you, my glamorous readers, I am reprinting (with not so many words changed) a recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Why?
Because kids, this little bit of knowledge is just far beyond a recipe, it strikes me as prose.
Seriously!
Read this recipe. Then, if you have a - oh, I don't know - Gordon Ramsay or some other hyper-masculine chef's cookbook at home, compare them.
It's easy to see.
This is so obviously written by a real woman. A woman with a gentle appreciation of her craft and a respect for her product. (Reminds me a lot of the beautiful writing by one of one of my favorite bloggers - Lucy at Nourish Me) It is a simple recipe with elegantly beautiful results.
Such a lovely thing to find in a world full of kitchen-intensity. I had to share.
It has such a wonderful layering of flavors and unexpected delights.
So try it my dears, and please do taste the joy.
1/2 cup pistachios
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of a tangerine or mandarin
Brandy or grappa (I actually used cognac)
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
salt
Turn the oven to 350F.Go through the pistachios and discard any that are shrunken or brown.
Spread on a baking sheet and heat the pistachios until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes, long enough to heighten their flavor without burning their fragile oil. Coarsely chop.
Coarsely chop the garlic then pound in a mortar (or pulse in a food processor), scoop out and set aside.
Transfer the pistachios to the mortar (or, again, food processor) and pound to a dry paste. Blend in the pounded garlic to taste. Pound or grind in about half the oil to bind with the nuts, then stir in the remainder.
With a few strokes of a zester, carve a teaspoon of fragrant orange filaments. Chop, then stir them into the paste. Add the brandy or grappa and salt to taste.
The finished aillade will be a dense, heavy paste. Set aside to mellow. As it sits the crushed nuts will settle out of the oil, but a few stirs will reamalgamate the paste.
Prepare your grill.
For the asparagus break off the woody ends, then peel away the toughest skin. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and salt lightly. Blanch the asparagus for about one minute. Drain. Cool in lightly salted ice water, drain and pat dry. (Skip the blanching if your asparagus is pencil thin). Oil and arrange in a single layer on the grill.
Grill until hot through and emblazoned with pretty char marks, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Serve with the aillade.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
MIAMI (AP) -- South Florida schools are having to back away from goals to offer more nutritious meals because of rising food costs. Switching from fresh fruit to canned saves money and maintains the same level of nutrition. Schools have also cut some whole grain breads, replacing it with white bread. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach schools are all looking to increase the price of their school lunches. Besides food costs going up, another problem is that the money school districts get from the federal government for each meal has not changed since last year.
Aillade is the name used in southern France for two different garlic-based condiments. In Provence, it is a garlic-flavored vinaigrette, while in some other areas, it is a form of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. In the latter meaning, it is a synonym for aioli. - Wikipedia
Labels: Condiment, Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
How To Cook a Perfect Steak (With Mushrooms)
.
I believe I was rhapsodizing to the Ombudsman about my unabashed crush on my butcher.
He is so smart! And his prices are the best! And did I tell you he knows everything about meat? Like, everything?
Swoon.
So what if he is in his mid 70's and has grandchildren! I still lurve him.
As this was going on, the Ombudsman was just looking at me. Quizzically.
I could read it on his face, he officially thinks I may have lost what was left of my fabubbloicity.
The man obviously cannot wrap his mind around that which is the brilliance of a true, old school butcher.
It's a joyful thing.
Noting the look on his face, I paused. I decided to start again.
"So, how do you want your steak?"
Plain. With mushrooms.
Good to go.
Simple steak, simply fantastic.
Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.
2 6 oz. filets of beef, room temperature
2 tablespoons high quality butter
salt and pepper
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick
1 teaspoon minced fresh savory
Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large, cast iron skillet over a medium flame. When it is good and hot add half the butter. When melted, add the mushrooms in a nice single layer. Then just leave them alone. Don't push them around, don't flip, just let them cook for three minutes. You can peek under one if you must, but really, trust me, just let them cook. Then flip. When they are golden on both sides, toss in the savory (or any fresh herb you are partial to.) stir a moment and remove all to a warm plate. Add the rest of the butter and then the steak. Again, don't touch it, just let it cook. Don't shake the pan, don't press down on it, just let it be. When golden, flip and repeat. When almost done (how long is that? However long it takes my peaches. I suspect you can tell) add back the mushrooms, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the pan, let rest at least 6 minutes then serve. Voila, perfect steak.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
Last year 24,000 cookbooks were published in the U.S.
I believe I was rhapsodizing to the Ombudsman about my unabashed crush on my butcher.He is so smart! And his prices are the best! And did I tell you he knows everything about meat? Like, everything?
Swoon.
So what if he is in his mid 70's and has grandchildren! I still lurve him.
As this was going on, the Ombudsman was just looking at me. Quizzically.
I could read it on his face, he officially thinks I may have lost what was left of my fabubbloicity.
The man obviously cannot wrap his mind around that which is the brilliance of a true, old school butcher.
It's a joyful thing.
Noting the look on his face, I paused. I decided to start again.
"So, how do you want your steak?"
Plain. With mushrooms.
Good to go.
Simple steak, simply fantastic.
Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.
2 6 oz. filets of beef, room temperature
2 tablespoons high quality butter
salt and pepper
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick
1 teaspoon minced fresh savory
Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large, cast iron skillet over a medium flame. When it is good and hot add half the butter. When melted, add the mushrooms in a nice single layer. Then just leave them alone. Don't push them around, don't flip, just let them cook for three minutes. You can peek under one if you must, but really, trust me, just let them cook. Then flip. When they are golden on both sides, toss in the savory (or any fresh herb you are partial to.) stir a moment and remove all to a warm plate. Add the rest of the butter and then the steak. Again, don't touch it, just let it cook. Don't shake the pan, don't press down on it, just let it be. When golden, flip and repeat. When almost done (how long is that? However long it takes my peaches. I suspect you can tell) add back the mushrooms, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the pan, let rest at least 6 minutes then serve. Voila, perfect steak.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
Last year 24,000 cookbooks were published in the U.S.
Wanna read the sweetest thing? That Hazel, what a peach!
Americans consume about 26 pounds of pasta per capita each year. Italians, it almost goes without saying, are the world champions, averaging 60 pounds of pasta a year for every man, woman and child in the country. - WSJ
Wright’s Hickory Seasoning is made by collecting the smoke from burning hickory wood in a condenser and cooling it until it forms water. The droplets are captured and filtered twice, before being bottled without any additional ingredients. - Chow.com
Labels: Beef, Entree, Gluten Free, Low-Carb
Monday, May 19, 2008
Quick Pickled Fennel
.
Inspiration! Isn't it just key? Key!
My fully-fantastic friend The Hostess, who is just the peachy keenest, is forever inspiring me to reach for the stars when it comes to my cooking. She is such a natural talent I just can't help but be in awe.
Seriously, every idea she has just sounds so yumlicious, it makes it hard to resist heading right to the market whenever we finish chatting.
This, for example, was her idea. We were talking cheese plates (you do that all the time with your girlfriends too, don't you?) and somehow ended up rhapsodizing about fennel and pickles and well, the rest is pretty obvious...
Pickled fennel. Tart, tangy and salty with a hint of sweetness and a whisper of something divine. It is just too, too perfect with an assortment of cheeses and a well balanced gin and tonic. (Or, um, you could pair it with something non-alcoholic if that is your thing) Crisp, simple and sassy.
So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 large bulb fennel, sliced into large matchsticks
1 cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon white pepper corns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced onion
Have your chopped fennel in a glass bowl or jar.
In a medium sized sauce pot, simmer all of the ingredients except the fennel. Let simmer for 3 minutes to meld.
Pour the pickling solution you have just made over the fennel. Let rest 3 hours and up to 1 week.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
I am growing fennel in my garden this summer, I got the seeds from Seeds from Italy.
Burpee's best-selling new vegetable last year was Golden Mama, a yellow-fleshed, egg-shaped tomato designed to make paste. It cooks down to a golden-yellow sauce instead of the unattractive grayish-brown that other yellow tomatoes typically produce.- WSJ.com
Are fennel and anise the same thing? No. Fennel is truly a vegetable and should not be confused with the herb, sweet anise. Even though they share a similar mild sweet licorice flavor, fennel comes from an entirely different plant. - Tony Tantillo.com
Inspiration! Isn't it just key? Key!My fully-fantastic friend The Hostess, who is just the peachy keenest, is forever inspiring me to reach for the stars when it comes to my cooking. She is such a natural talent I just can't help but be in awe.
Seriously, every idea she has just sounds so yumlicious, it makes it hard to resist heading right to the market whenever we finish chatting.
This, for example, was her idea. We were talking cheese plates (you do that all the time with your girlfriends too, don't you?) and somehow ended up rhapsodizing about fennel and pickles and well, the rest is pretty obvious...
Pickled fennel. Tart, tangy and salty with a hint of sweetness and a whisper of something divine. It is just too, too perfect with an assortment of cheeses and a well balanced gin and tonic. (Or, um, you could pair it with something non-alcoholic if that is your thing) Crisp, simple and sassy.
So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 large bulb fennel, sliced into large matchsticks
1 cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon white pepper corns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced onion
Have your chopped fennel in a glass bowl or jar.
In a medium sized sauce pot, simmer all of the ingredients except the fennel. Let simmer for 3 minutes to meld.
Pour the pickling solution you have just made over the fennel. Let rest 3 hours and up to 1 week.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
I am growing fennel in my garden this summer, I got the seeds from Seeds from Italy.
Burpee's best-selling new vegetable last year was Golden Mama, a yellow-fleshed, egg-shaped tomato designed to make paste. It cooks down to a golden-yellow sauce instead of the unattractive grayish-brown that other yellow tomatoes typically produce.- WSJ.com
Are fennel and anise the same thing? No. Fennel is truly a vegetable and should not be confused with the herb, sweet anise. Even though they share a similar mild sweet licorice flavor, fennel comes from an entirely different plant. - Tony Tantillo.com
Labels: Condiment, Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Friday, May 02, 2008
Super Spicy Habanero, Tomatillo Salsa
.
I don’t know what happened! Honestly…looking at my calendar for the next three months it seems as if I have exactly 28 minutes of unblocked time coming to me – sometime in July I think.
It’s as if I got caught up in a tornado. Wait, sorry, is that the funnel cloud one? Yes, what I meant is I got caught up in a funnel cloud of social engagements and activities and meetings (well, not so many of them thankfully) and all sorts of summer-centric-paloozas.
I’m not complaining though, as a matter of fact, I am quite looking forward to it. I’m a bit of a planning calendar (“diary” if I were British) addict. (Do you use Google calendars? The best! The BEST!) and happy to see all the good times that lay ahead.
And due to that, I have got to dust off my BBQ/Potluck/Cocktail Soiree recipes and get myself in gear. Like a soldier going in to battle I must be prepared!
I have to bust out the good stuff! Bring out the big guns! (My, MY, lots of military references today. How…odd.)
So peaches, if you want to arm yourselves too…try making a big batch of this scorching salsa. It’s sure to put a bit of zip in your step (and tears in your eyes. Seriously.) and get you in the mood for Cinco de Mayo and the long, hot summer.
Try it, and taste the joy.
2 habenero chiles
2 jalapeno chiles
2 serrano chiles
1 large onion, large dice
2 cloves garlic
6 tomatillos
Juice of 3 limes
½ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
In a large cast-iron pan, roast the chiles until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam.
Meanwhile, char the onion and garlic in the same dry skillet.
Next up, (carefully!) rub the charred skin off and pull out the seeds.
Puree everything in a food processor. Taste and add salt as needed.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
My dear friend EB produced some great Office Workout shorts for MSN...try them out and feel the burn!
The Naga Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) is the world's hottest chile pepper.
Burger King Holdings Inc. said Thursday that strong same-store sales in each of its segments and new restaurant growth helped to boost profit 21 percent in its third fiscal quarter.
I don’t know what happened! Honestly…looking at my calendar for the next three months it seems as if I have exactly 28 minutes of unblocked time coming to me – sometime in July I think.It’s as if I got caught up in a tornado. Wait, sorry, is that the funnel cloud one? Yes, what I meant is I got caught up in a funnel cloud of social engagements and activities and meetings (well, not so many of them thankfully) and all sorts of summer-centric-paloozas.
I’m not complaining though, as a matter of fact, I am quite looking forward to it. I’m a bit of a planning calendar (“diary” if I were British) addict. (Do you use Google calendars? The best! The BEST!) and happy to see all the good times that lay ahead.
And due to that, I have got to dust off my BBQ/Potluck/Cocktail Soiree recipes and get myself in gear. Like a soldier going in to battle I must be prepared!
I have to bust out the good stuff! Bring out the big guns! (My, MY, lots of military references today. How…odd.)
So peaches, if you want to arm yourselves too…try making a big batch of this scorching salsa. It’s sure to put a bit of zip in your step (and tears in your eyes. Seriously.) and get you in the mood for Cinco de Mayo and the long, hot summer.
Try it, and taste the joy.
2 habenero chiles
2 jalapeno chiles
2 serrano chiles
1 large onion, large dice
2 cloves garlic
6 tomatillos
Juice of 3 limes
½ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
In a large cast-iron pan, roast the chiles until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam.
Meanwhile, char the onion and garlic in the same dry skillet.
Next up, (carefully!) rub the charred skin off and pull out the seeds.
Puree everything in a food processor. Taste and add salt as needed.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
My dear friend EB produced some great Office Workout shorts for MSN...try them out and feel the burn!
The Naga Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) is the world's hottest chile pepper.
Burger King Holdings Inc. said Thursday that strong same-store sales in each of its segments and new restaurant growth helped to boost profit 21 percent in its third fiscal quarter.
Labels: Condiment, Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Vegan, Vegetarian
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
How & Why To Make Compound Butter
.
It seems as if, in every high-end cookbook there is that inevitable recipe - nestled between those grand glamor shots - for something so super basic, it requires a pause.
For instance, I was flipping through Super-Star Chef, Thomas Keller's hefty tome, Bouchon and finding my silly-self wondering…is this the book - of all the books available, that I pull off the shelf for a basic vinaigrette recipe? Is this the man I first think of when wondering how to make toast? No, no, not so much. And yet, those recipes lie bound within.
But if that little interjection of epicurean knowledge were not in there, would I notice and indict the volume for falling short on such important building blocks? Yes, yes, and yes.
Double-edged chefs knife indeed.
I mean, let's face facts, the man can and does make superior foods, but my ultra-glossy, five pound cookbook isn't coming into the kitchen with me for something so plebeian...then again, perhaps I am alone in this...
So then there is this lil site. No high-falutin' space, but still, a site that let's you think about how to make chicken-date sausages, and veers wildly back to a primer on how to make bread crumbs.
Both here, both ready to direct and guide you through your own culinary adventure.
And in that spirit - and to create that fancy-cookbook feel, I offer you a non-recipe recipe for that magic bullet, compound butter.
Yes kids, compound butter.
Herbs and aromatics satisfyingly smushed up into creamery butter and rolled into a convenient shape. Primed and ready for all sorts of culinary uses. (Especially on a nicely cooked steak)
All sorts of culinary uses, I say. Roast chicken, crostini, a nice steak, cream cheese spread, lamb chops and more. Savory dishes in need of a bit of flavor injection can all benefit from a pat of this glory. And it sure beats out using a shake of some spice mix that has been lurking in your cupboard for an age plus a day.
Useful too, since perhaps you, like me, tend to have some fresh herbs around that you just can't bear to see go bad. If so, this is the perfect thing to preserve their usefulness.
So try some today my darlings, and taste the joy.
Please do feel free to change this up any which way you see fit, this just happens to be what I made, it is certainly not set in stone. Just butter.
½ pound butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons, minced fresh herbs (I used dill, marjoram, parsley and thyme)
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon citrus zest (I used lemon and lime)
Some fresh pepper
Pinch of paprika
And now for the fun part…using you hands, mush that all together. Roll into a log, wrap in plastic and, voila, compound butter.
Keeps in the freezer for 6 months, in the fridge for 2 months.
Slice off a few pats as needed or desired.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
Do you shop at Rose and Radish?
Nick Davis’ Hobsons Mild was voted Britain's best beer last year and is currently being served up as a guest beer in the Houses of Parliament! The small brewery near Kidderminster now produces four draft and four bottled beers using hops mainly grown on farms within a 10 mile radius. If you can't find them at your local, you should be able to buy bottles through the brewery's website in the coming months. -Birmingham Mail.net
It seems as if, in every high-end cookbook there is that inevitable recipe - nestled between those grand glamor shots - for something so super basic, it requires a pause.For instance, I was flipping through Super-Star Chef, Thomas Keller's hefty tome, Bouchon and finding my silly-self wondering…is this the book - of all the books available, that I pull off the shelf for a basic vinaigrette recipe? Is this the man I first think of when wondering how to make toast? No, no, not so much. And yet, those recipes lie bound within.
But if that little interjection of epicurean knowledge were not in there, would I notice and indict the volume for falling short on such important building blocks? Yes, yes, and yes.
Double-edged chefs knife indeed.
I mean, let's face facts, the man can and does make superior foods, but my ultra-glossy, five pound cookbook isn't coming into the kitchen with me for something so plebeian...then again, perhaps I am alone in this...
So then there is this lil site. No high-falutin' space, but still, a site that let's you think about how to make chicken-date sausages, and veers wildly back to a primer on how to make bread crumbs.
Both here, both ready to direct and guide you through your own culinary adventure.
And in that spirit - and to create that fancy-cookbook feel, I offer you a non-recipe recipe for that magic bullet, compound butter.
Yes kids, compound butter.
Herbs and aromatics satisfyingly smushed up into creamery butter and rolled into a convenient shape. Primed and ready for all sorts of culinary uses. (Especially on a nicely cooked steak)
All sorts of culinary uses, I say. Roast chicken, crostini, a nice steak, cream cheese spread, lamb chops and more. Savory dishes in need of a bit of flavor injection can all benefit from a pat of this glory. And it sure beats out using a shake of some spice mix that has been lurking in your cupboard for an age plus a day.
Useful too, since perhaps you, like me, tend to have some fresh herbs around that you just can't bear to see go bad. If so, this is the perfect thing to preserve their usefulness.
So try some today my darlings, and taste the joy.
Please do feel free to change this up any which way you see fit, this just happens to be what I made, it is certainly not set in stone. Just butter.
½ pound butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons, minced fresh herbs (I used dill, marjoram, parsley and thyme)
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon citrus zest (I used lemon and lime)
Some fresh pepper
Pinch of paprika
And now for the fun part…using you hands, mush that all together. Roll into a log, wrap in plastic and, voila, compound butter.
Keeps in the freezer for 6 months, in the fridge for 2 months.
Slice off a few pats as needed or desired.
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________
© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.
Do you shop at Rose and Radish?
Nick Davis’ Hobsons Mild was voted Britain's best beer last year and is currently being served up as a guest beer in the Houses of Parliament! The small brewery near Kidderminster now produces four draft and four bottled beers using hops mainly grown on farms within a 10 mile radius. If you can't find them at your local, you should be able to buy bottles through the brewery's website in the coming months. -Birmingham Mail.net
Labels: Gluten Free, Kitchen Project, Low-Carb, Vegetarian
Friday, February 29, 2008
Roasted Pepper & Caper Salad
.
Ooh, ooh. It's leap day! Also known as Sadie Hawkins Day. Or, apparently the day ladies are given social permission to ask men to marry them.
What sassy good fun. Hippity-hop.
Me, I'm avoiding (The Ombudsman) any such entanglements, just in case things get weird, and focusing on the important things.
With the blissful weather (Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus! The Groundhog was wrong! Spring has sprung! Whoopeeee!) I have a whole new zest for life (which was tricky, since I was a pretty zesty girl to start with) and renewed zeal for all things food.
The markets round the hood are a bounty of early strawberries, lithesome asparagus and the last of the sparkling citrus. Peppers are just coming to an end and me, I'm all aflutter (A flutter? Fluttery? Flibberty! I digress...Happy Leap Day!) over what's in store, in this cusp of the seasons.
It's as if we have it all right now. Winter, spring, summer and fall.
So what do I do with this co-mingling of delights? Why this salad of course. A salad without greens. Because darlings, not all salads are leafy.
It is a nice little way to combine the best of late winter/early spring produce in a summery-weather way. Ties is all up quite nicely, don't you think?
Try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
6 large red bell peppers
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced
4 cloves of garlic
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Roast your peppers over an open flame, or under the broiler until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover the bowl to allow the peppers to steam a few minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and saute briefly in the olive oil. Add the capers just at the last moment then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool.
Remove the peppers from the bowl, rinse off the charred skin, and remove the seeds. Slice into strips.
Layer on a platter, drizzle with olive oil, garlic and capers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Serves six
__________________________________________________
The edible ice cream cone made its American debut at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and now, the ice cream cone has won Senate approval to become Missouri's official dessert.
Pork producer Smithfield Foods said Thursday that third-quarter profits fell about 10 percent on lower live hog prices and higher raising costs, but the results beat expectations handily. The nation's largest hog producer and pork processor also forecast a difficult fourth quarter. - AP
Ooh, ooh. It's leap day! Also known as Sadie Hawkins Day. Or, apparently the day ladies are given social permission to ask men to marry them.What sassy good fun. Hippity-hop.
Me, I'm avoiding (The Ombudsman) any such entanglements, just in case things get weird, and focusing on the important things.
With the blissful weather (Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus! The Groundhog was wrong! Spring has sprung! Whoopeeee!) I have a whole new zest for life (which was tricky, since I was a pretty zesty girl to start with) and renewed zeal for all things food.
The markets round the hood are a bounty of early strawberries, lithesome asparagus and the last of the sparkling citrus. Peppers are just coming to an end and me, I'm all aflutter (A flutter? Fluttery? Flibberty! I digress...Happy Leap Day!) over what's in store, in this cusp of the seasons.
It's as if we have it all right now. Winter, spring, summer and fall.
So what do I do with this co-mingling of delights? Why this salad of course. A salad without greens. Because darlings, not all salads are leafy.
It is a nice little way to combine the best of late winter/early spring produce in a summery-weather way. Ties is all up quite nicely, don't you think?
Try this my peaches, and taste the joy.
6 large red bell peppers
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced
4 cloves of garlic
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Roast your peppers over an open flame, or under the broiler until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover the bowl to allow the peppers to steam a few minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and saute briefly in the olive oil. Add the capers just at the last moment then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool.
Remove the peppers from the bowl, rinse off the charred skin, and remove the seeds. Slice into strips.
Layer on a platter, drizzle with olive oil, garlic and capers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Serves six
__________________________________________________
The edible ice cream cone made its American debut at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and now, the ice cream cone has won Senate approval to become Missouri's official dessert.
Pork producer Smithfield Foods said Thursday that third-quarter profits fell about 10 percent on lower live hog prices and higher raising costs, but the results beat expectations handily. The nation's largest hog producer and pork processor also forecast a difficult fourth quarter. - AP
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Celery Root with Capers
.
In life, there are some people you wouldn't mind being stuck in an elevator with.
And as with life, there are some people that you fear being stuck in an elevator with.
I have found myself "stuck in the elevator" over the years, with a profound range of people.
But in a wonderful, kismet-kinda moment, I was recently cloistered up with someone who, in a few small moments, changed my life, changed my perspective and offered me the opportunity to take hold of my dreams. A pretty lucky thing, indeed. All that, and she inspired this recipe.
And that, darlings, is how my 2007 ended. I hope yours was as good.
Viva 2008.
Now try this wintery delight my peaches, and rejoice in the prospects of your new year.
1 large celery root
3 teaspoons real mayonnaise
3 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup capers
Salt and pepper to taste
Carefully peel the celery root. Slice into thin matchsticks.
Drain and rinse the capers and rough chop.
Toss all the ingredients together, then let rest five minutes to let the flavors meld.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve at room temperature.
Makes enough for four as a side dish.
_____________________________
"Depending on your gut bacteria, that doughnut might have more calories for you — possibly as much as 30 % more — than for your neighbor.” and "the liver best detoxifies booze between 5 and 6 p.m" Facts from “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream,” by Jennifer Ackerman
Invented in St. Joseph, Missouri and introduced in 1889; Aunt Jemima pancake flour was the first commercially sold, ready-mix food.
The 13th annual Great Fruitcake Toss is taking place in Manitou Springs, Colorado this weekend
In life, there are some people you wouldn't mind being stuck in an elevator with.And as with life, there are some people that you fear being stuck in an elevator with.
I have found myself "stuck in the elevator" over the years, with a profound range of people.
But in a wonderful, kismet-kinda moment, I was recently cloistered up with someone who, in a few small moments, changed my life, changed my perspective and offered me the opportunity to take hold of my dreams. A pretty lucky thing, indeed. All that, and she inspired this recipe.
And that, darlings, is how my 2007 ended. I hope yours was as good.
Viva 2008.
Now try this wintery delight my peaches, and rejoice in the prospects of your new year.
1 large celery root
3 teaspoons real mayonnaise
3 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup capers
Salt and pepper to taste
Carefully peel the celery root. Slice into thin matchsticks.
Drain and rinse the capers and rough chop.
Toss all the ingredients together, then let rest five minutes to let the flavors meld.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve at room temperature.
Makes enough for four as a side dish.
_____________________________
"Depending on your gut bacteria, that doughnut might have more calories for you — possibly as much as 30 % more — than for your neighbor.” and "the liver best detoxifies booze between 5 and 6 p.m" Facts from “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream,” by Jennifer Ackerman
Invented in St. Joseph, Missouri and introduced in 1889; Aunt Jemima pancake flour was the first commercially sold, ready-mix food.
The 13th annual Great Fruitcake Toss is taking place in Manitou Springs, Colorado this weekend
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegetarian
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Haricot Vert with Filberts (Or, Green Beans with Hazelnuts)
.
Hello my dears!
I'm starting this post with a bit of info I am certain you don't need...but following it up at the bottom with a recipe that I am certain you do need...because the taste sensation is just too divine to pass up.
The somewhat (or, you know, entirely) irrelevant info, that I am compelled to share first, is that I have got a stupendously random song (sorry for the lame link, there doesn't seem to be a proper video) stuck in my head in my head on auto-loop.
ACK!
I have only the slightest notion how it got there, (Okay, I confess, I know perfectly well how it got there, but I cannot fathom how it became so deeply lodged) and in all honesty, it's driving me to the brink...la lalalalla la la. The brink I say!
For DAYS, (going on weeks frankly) all the blessed souls around me have been pleading (at first with their eyes, then quite vocally) that I stop tra-la-la-ing the refrain every time there is even a hint of a lull in conversation... it really is that...well, catchy actually, but ultimately, bothersome.
So tell me my sweets, is there a cure? Is there anything to be done?
Whoa is me.
And much like that song, this recipe* is driving me to distraction as well. I must have some sort of compulsive disorder.
(I am hoping just writing about it here will have the desired therapeutic affect...my sanity depends on it!)
Happily, the dish (unlike the lovely song) is easy to ingest, and that makes a happy girl indeedeeeee.
The combination of flavors and textures, the way it smells as it bubbles and sputters in the pan, it has a grip on me. I crave it.
And - bonus - it's perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish.
So my peaches, try it, and taste the joy.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound/4 cups French green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup filberts
Salt, pepper and lemon zest to season
In a large saute pan, melt the butter then add the beans and nuts. Let that cook until the butter is slightly browned, when that happens, remove from the pan, toss with salt, pepper and zest and serve.
_________________________
The Hazelnut Growers of Oregon accounted for 1/3 of the nation’s 27,000-ton production last year. Virtually all U.S. hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.
*The original version of this recipe was given to me by She-Who-Inspires-Me, AKA, Taji, at Simple Gourmet
Fresh beans are classified into two basic categories: edible pod beans and shell beans. Green beans, otherwise known as snap or string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the United States. The lima bean is the most common shell bean sold in the United States.
Jamie Oliver will be returning to The Food Network with a new show called Jamie at Home. The show will feature him preparing meals with produce from his country garden. Each episode will feature a different ingredient and show a variety of recipes that focus on that ingredient. The show premiers on Saturday, January 12, 2008
Hello my dears!I'm starting this post with a bit of info I am certain you don't need...but following it up at the bottom with a recipe that I am certain you do need...because the taste sensation is just too divine to pass up.
The somewhat (or, you know, entirely) irrelevant info, that I am compelled to share first, is that I have got a stupendously random song (sorry for the lame link, there doesn't seem to be a proper video) stuck in my head in my head on auto-loop.
ACK!
I have only the slightest notion how it got there, (Okay, I confess, I know perfectly well how it got there, but I cannot fathom how it became so deeply lodged) and in all honesty, it's driving me to the brink...la lalalalla la la. The brink I say!
For DAYS, (going on weeks frankly) all the blessed souls around me have been pleading (at first with their eyes, then quite vocally) that I stop tra-la-la-ing the refrain every time there is even a hint of a lull in conversation... it really is that...well, catchy actually, but ultimately, bothersome.
So tell me my sweets, is there a cure? Is there anything to be done?
Whoa is me.
And much like that song, this recipe* is driving me to distraction as well. I must have some sort of compulsive disorder.
(I am hoping just writing about it here will have the desired therapeutic affect...my sanity depends on it!)
Happily, the dish (unlike the lovely song) is easy to ingest, and that makes a happy girl indeedeeeee.
The combination of flavors and textures, the way it smells as it bubbles and sputters in the pan, it has a grip on me. I crave it.
And - bonus - it's perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish.
So my peaches, try it, and taste the joy.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound/4 cups French green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup filberts
Salt, pepper and lemon zest to season
In a large saute pan, melt the butter then add the beans and nuts. Let that cook until the butter is slightly browned, when that happens, remove from the pan, toss with salt, pepper and zest and serve.
_________________________
The Hazelnut Growers of Oregon accounted for 1/3 of the nation’s 27,000-ton production last year. Virtually all U.S. hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.
*The original version of this recipe was given to me by She-Who-Inspires-Me, AKA, Taji, at Simple Gourmet
Fresh beans are classified into two basic categories: edible pod beans and shell beans. Green beans, otherwise known as snap or string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the United States. The lima bean is the most common shell bean sold in the United States.
Jamie Oliver will be returning to The Food Network with a new show called Jamie at Home. The show will feature him preparing meals with produce from his country garden. Each episode will feature a different ingredient and show a variety of recipes that focus on that ingredient. The show premiers on Saturday, January 12, 2008
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegetarian
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Nutty Chicken with Peanut Dipping Sauce
.
When my darling, the Glamazon, was a wee bitty child, (pre-glamazon days, which I believe should be called the precocious years,) she announced, in response to my fathers query, "What do you girls want for lunch?" that her favorite food was Chicken Nuggets, and that is the only thing she was willing to eat.
Now, my father is not a fast food eater, nor is he a pop culture follower, so he just roared with laughter, eyes twinkling.
He sincerely thought she made it up. In his reasoning, there was no way there could there be such a foodstuff, it simply had to be the concoction of a fabulous four year old mind. Nuggets of chicken???
Now mind you, at that point in my young life, I had never indulged in a Chicken Nugget, but being a child, I was all very aware of their existence. My parents wouldn't have dreamed of letting us sample that sort of thing. So naturally, I chimed in saying that was all I wanted for lunch too. As the words came out of my lips, I was anxiously wondering...could this be the day? Would my father actually take us to a fast food chain to eat fried, compressed chicken bits served with gloopy, sugar dense, dipping sauce? The possibility of it all almost felled me.
Well, miracle of miracle, my food-conscious father whimsically decided to indulge Pre-Glamazon's fancy. (She was just so irresistibly cute.) So into the car piled four kids, one adult, and palpable anticipation.
Seemingly moments later, our food devoured, my father turned to the Pre-Glamazon, and asked if she had enjoyed her lunch. Tears welled up in her big golden eyes, (yes, her eyes are golden. It's stunning.) as she proclaimed they were "dreadful" and her new favorite food was hot dogs.
Turns out, her parents had never let her have them either...sly child that Glamazon.
After that day, I'm not sure I ever ate them again. They weren't to my taste. I know for a fact my father never did either. As for the Glamazon, she currently lives on a steady diet of salads and Champagne, as all good glamour girls do...but while none of us eat them, 20+ years later, my father still lovingly calls her (with that smile in his eyes)...Chicken Nugget...
This appetizer, it's an adult version. Real chicken. Complex flavor. Simply stunning.
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon chile, minced
1 t. vegetable oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 T lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup peanuts
1 T. ground cardamom
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 cup rice or wheat flour
2 eggs
4 chicken breasts
Corn oil
Saute the ginger and chile in the vegetable oil. Remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter, soy, sugar, lime, coconut and water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Cut chicken into bite-sized bits.
Whisk eggs in a bowl.
In a Cusinart, combine the nuts, spices and rice flour. Pulse to combine. Pour this into a shallow bowl.
Dip the chicken bits into the egg, then the nut mixture. When all the pieces are coated, saute in the corn oil until golden brown. Serve room temperature with peanut dipping sauce.
_________________________________________
Do I love Food? Heck yes, and if you live in Los Angeles, you should too. Review coming soon.
Other ways to play with Peanut Butter? Cookies anyone?
McDonalds Chicken McNuggets (C), were introduced in 1983. 6 pieces have 250 calories. A McNugget is a small piece of minced chicken and mechanically separated meat held together with phosphate salts and chicken skin. The pieces are coated with batter, then deep-fried and sold. - Wikipedia
When my darling, the Glamazon, was a wee bitty child, (pre-glamazon days, which I believe should be called the precocious years,) she announced, in response to my fathers query, "What do you girls want for lunch?" that her favorite food was Chicken Nuggets, and that is the only thing she was willing to eat.Now, my father is not a fast food eater, nor is he a pop culture follower, so he just roared with laughter, eyes twinkling.
He sincerely thought she made it up. In his reasoning, there was no way there could there be such a foodstuff, it simply had to be the concoction of a fabulous four year old mind. Nuggets of chicken???
Now mind you, at that point in my young life, I had never indulged in a Chicken Nugget, but being a child, I was all very aware of their existence. My parents wouldn't have dreamed of letting us sample that sort of thing. So naturally, I chimed in saying that was all I wanted for lunch too. As the words came out of my lips, I was anxiously wondering...could this be the day? Would my father actually take us to a fast food chain to eat fried, compressed chicken bits served with gloopy, sugar dense, dipping sauce? The possibility of it all almost felled me.
Well, miracle of miracle, my food-conscious father whimsically decided to indulge Pre-Glamazon's fancy. (She was just so irresistibly cute.) So into the car piled four kids, one adult, and palpable anticipation.
Seemingly moments later, our food devoured, my father turned to the Pre-Glamazon, and asked if she had enjoyed her lunch. Tears welled up in her big golden eyes, (yes, her eyes are golden. It's stunning.) as she proclaimed they were "dreadful" and her new favorite food was hot dogs.
Turns out, her parents had never let her have them either...sly child that Glamazon.
After that day, I'm not sure I ever ate them again. They weren't to my taste. I know for a fact my father never did either. As for the Glamazon, she currently lives on a steady diet of salads and Champagne, as all good glamour girls do...but while none of us eat them, 20+ years later, my father still lovingly calls her (with that smile in his eyes)...Chicken Nugget...
This appetizer, it's an adult version. Real chicken. Complex flavor. Simply stunning.
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon chile, minced
1 t. vegetable oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 T lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup peanuts
1 T. ground cardamom
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 cup rice or wheat flour
2 eggs
4 chicken breasts
Corn oil
Saute the ginger and chile in the vegetable oil. Remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter, soy, sugar, lime, coconut and water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Cut chicken into bite-sized bits.
Whisk eggs in a bowl.
In a Cusinart, combine the nuts, spices and rice flour. Pulse to combine. Pour this into a shallow bowl.
Dip the chicken bits into the egg, then the nut mixture. When all the pieces are coated, saute in the corn oil until golden brown. Serve room temperature with peanut dipping sauce.
_________________________________________
Do I love Food? Heck yes, and if you live in Los Angeles, you should too. Review coming soon.
Other ways to play with Peanut Butter? Cookies anyone?
McDonalds Chicken McNuggets (C), were introduced in 1983. 6 pieces have 250 calories. A McNugget is a small piece of minced chicken and mechanically separated meat held together with phosphate salts and chicken skin. The pieces are coated with batter, then deep-fried and sold. - Wikipedia
Labels: Appetizer, Chicken, Gluten Free, Low-Carb
Saturday, September 22, 2007
German Cabbage Salad
.
And here I sit.
Hung over as can be.
Too much beer, I fear.
Pout.
We hit an early Octoberfest potluck party, repleat with Ommpah band and lederhosen. It was enough to make a girl long for the old country. Even if that country isn't her own. Beer was flowing, people danced. It brought a tear to my eye, I tell ya, a tear. Of joy.
The Ombudsman, being a German-American had graciously (if somewhat clumsily) acted as my sous-chef for this vibrant delight, and while he claims it is particularly inauthentic, he still contends it is lip smackin good. So there you go. From the horses mouth. Or, should I say, from the mouth of das pferd.
Inspired. Tangy. Crisp. Sweet. Sour.
Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 head of red cabbage
4 red onions
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
Salt
Caraway seeds
Black pepper
Okay, so you slice the cabbage as thin as can be. Then you do the same with the red onions.
Grind about a teaspoon of caraway seeds.
Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, a bit of the caraway seeds and some salt. Add the onions, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust any which way you think it needs.
Let that cool completely, then toss it with the cabbage. Let it all just sit and get mellow. Sprinkle with some more caraway, then eat. Makes a whole-lotta-food.
___________________________________
The Dutch originated coleslaw: kool means cabbage and sla means salad
Caraway seeds are not actually seeds, but the small ripe fruit of the caraway plant
And here I sit.Hung over as can be.
Too much beer, I fear.
Pout.
We hit an early Octoberfest potluck party, repleat with Ommpah band and lederhosen. It was enough to make a girl long for the old country. Even if that country isn't her own. Beer was flowing, people danced. It brought a tear to my eye, I tell ya, a tear. Of joy.
The Ombudsman, being a German-American had graciously (if somewhat clumsily) acted as my sous-chef for this vibrant delight, and while he claims it is particularly inauthentic, he still contends it is lip smackin good. So there you go. From the horses mouth. Or, should I say, from the mouth of das pferd.
Inspired. Tangy. Crisp. Sweet. Sour.
Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.
1 head of red cabbage
4 red onions
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
Salt
Caraway seeds
Black pepper
Okay, so you slice the cabbage as thin as can be. Then you do the same with the red onions.
Grind about a teaspoon of caraway seeds.
Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, a bit of the caraway seeds and some salt. Add the onions, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust any which way you think it needs.
Let that cool completely, then toss it with the cabbage. Let it all just sit and get mellow. Sprinkle with some more caraway, then eat. Makes a whole-lotta-food.
___________________________________
The Dutch originated coleslaw: kool means cabbage and sla means salad
Caraway seeds are not actually seeds, but the small ripe fruit of the caraway plant
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Blue Cheese and Walnut Cole Slaw
.
If for some random reason, I were writing an essay on how I spent my summer vacation, the thesis statement would simply have to include words like "dazzling," "marvelous," and "indulgent."
I would rhapsodize about the picnics, road trips, afternoons spent at the beach, decadent, balmy cocktail-fueled nights and a life-time supply of cheek-aching laughter. If it were being graded, my essay would rock an A. (With a note to tone down the hyperbole, I'm sure.)
But I'm not a school-girl any longer, being asked to summarize three months of my girly-exploits on two, single-spaced pages. And you, my darlings, are here for the food. Thus, I will spare you (most of) my revelry.
If for some random reason, I were writing an essay on how I spent my summer vacation, the thesis statement would simply have to include words like "dazzling," "marvelous," and "indulgent."I would rhapsodize about the picnics, road trips, afternoons spent at the beach, decadent, balmy cocktail-fueled nights and a life-time supply of cheek-aching laughter. If it were being graded, my essay would rock an A. (With a note to tone down the hyperbole, I'm sure.)
But I'm not a school-girl any longer, being asked to summarize three months of my girly-exploits on two, single-spaced pages. And you, my darlings, are here for the food. Thus, I will spare you (most of) my revelry.
But there were culinary highlights, lots of them! And this recipe rings in at number one. Ding-a-ling!
It first appeared in my rotation at a backyard fiesta, and was declared an instant classic by all present. Reappearances (on demand) included a riotous night at the Hollywood Bowl; an engagement party so far away, that as I wound my way further and further up in to the hills, I feared I was about to emerge one state over; and then at a few other, assorted parties. All in all, it made the rounds, charmed the pants off of a wide array of partiers, and has solidified its spot in my pantheon of recipe perfection.
And I didn't even come up with it. How's that for humbling. I did make a few, minor adjustments, but overall, I must give credit where credit is due. This recipe originated with my personal guardian angels, Melanie and Taji of Simple Gourmet. Two women who make food, fantastic. Gosh I lurve them.
But enough about that...let's talk about how simple, and gourmet this cabbage-creation really is. 5 minutes of work, and wham-bam, culinary delights ready for consumption.
Try this, my peaches, and enjoy!
1 head of napa or savoy cabbage, shredded
1 small shallot, sliced super thin
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (or use candied pecans. Yum)
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Chives for garnish
Combine the mayo, sugar and vinegar. Season generously with pepper and just a touch of salt (the blue cheese is salty, so you will want to adjust that after it is added.)
Pour half of this mixture over the shredded cabbage and shallots. Toss to coat. Taste the coated cabbage and adjust the seasonings in the remaining mayo. Does it need more sugar? Vinegar? Is it too thick? (If so add a few drops of water) So adjust, and add the rest to the cabbage. Add the walnuts and blue cheese. Gently incorporate. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Taste, add salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with chives and serve.
_______________________________
I read the book, Into The Wild, and honestly, it made me mad. Now, a dear (and sensationally glam) friend is in the film, and well, I hope you will all go check it out. I'm going to.
Researchers at the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University tested dilute vinegar against plain water and a commercial product called Veggie Wash that they purchased at a grocery store, to clean produce. "We really did not really find the veggie washes effective or necessary," says Sandria Godwin, who oversaw the project. Godwin says they do get rid of most bacteria, but her team of researchers found that water works just as well. They found that water can remove 98 percent of bacteria when it's used to rinse and soak produce. -NPR.org
Are you in LA and looking for roaming snack carts? Check online to find out where renegade bakers, Treat Street will show up next. They come, they push sugar, and bam, they are gone again. Hot fun in the city.
Labels: Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegetarian
Monday, July 09, 2007
G'Day Gourmet Indian Curry Tuna Salad with Sweet Potatoes
.
Australia is just the best.
Not that I've ever been there (I have an aversion to flights that long. Anything that lasts more than 12 hours - and I am out.) but they have such a cool vibe, and a good thing going. Sun, surf, food.
They are so rockin' a country/continent in fact, that they had a party just to introduce some of their fancy-foodstuffs to our shores and wadda ya know...I was invited.
G'Day indeed!
We ate lamb, (natch) and kiwi jam. We had fois gras (take THAT Chicago.) and lots of other things that I forget because of the copious amounts of wine. Lovely Down Under wine.
And as part of their brilliant marketing strategy, these culinary goodwill ambassadors gave out goody-bags. So we could continue the gluttony in the privacy of our own homes. (It's as if they some how knew their product would end up getting reviewed on line...)
Oh yea baby.
Good-ies!
My favorite item, by far, was this adorable can of tuna. G'Day Gourmet (TM) Tuna.
I know what you are thinking, I do...can of tuna? What gives?
But seriously kids, this is more than just a can-o-tuna. Its sustainable, low/no mercury, TASTY tuna. Seasoned tuna. Mild Indian Curry seasoned tuna. Lip smackin' goodness right out of a can.
This stuff is my idea of pre-made food heaven. It is just what I look for in a quick-bite-delight. Really flavorful and earth friendly.
Can I get a "hallelujah!"
(The packaging is way cute too...seriously adorable.)
And I didn't just slap this stuff between two slices of bread and call it luncheon...no I did NOT! I made it into Empanadas (omg, SO perfect with that recipe) and into this tuna salad extraordinaire.
This light, wiz-bang-pow flavor packed, nutrient dense, high protein, low-carb (ack, sorry, had to say it) wonderment. It may seem like a funky combo, but the sweetness of the pickles, and the crunch of the water chestnuts perfectly match the richness of the fish and the fire of the (0optional) chile.
So good.
SO good.
So if you find some of this on your grocers shelves (Whole Foods has it.) this is the perfect way to indulge in its savory sinfulness (actually, not sinful at all, I was just going for alliteration.) and if you don't have access to it...well, for one, ask your grocer to add it, or try adding some curry powder to your regular tuna. Not as good, but still a plan.
Okay, and now the recipe! Enjoy!
3 cans G'Day Gourmet Mild Curry Tuna
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup peas
1 small Thai chile, minced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked
Some parsley, minced
1 heaping teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup water chestnuts, slivered
Combine all, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit to meld, about 15 minutes.
Makes enough for four servings. Can be reduced or increased as you like.
_________________________________
62-year-old Jennifer Brown was thrilled to be awarded second place for her Victoria Sponge in a baking contest at her her village carnival in Wimblington, Cambs England... and she was intrigued to find out which cake had beaten her tasty treat to the top spot. Then judges revealed her cake had been the ONLY entry. Organisers had spotted her sponge had rack mark indentations from where it had been in the oven - and decided it just wasn't up to the high standards demanded of coveted top place. "I must admit I have never heard of coming second in a one horse race before. "But I haven't taken it personally - I had a good laugh about it." - The Mirror, UK
The term curry was invented by the English, East Indian Trading Co.
G'day Gourmet offers seasoned tuna and salmon. Other choices include:Chili, Lemon Pepper, Mild Indian Curry, Tomato Basil, Tomato Onion, and Tomato Salsa. I tried them all, and loved them all.
Australia is just the best.
Not that I've ever been there (I have an aversion to flights that long. Anything that lasts more than 12 hours - and I am out.) but they have such a cool vibe, and a good thing going. Sun, surf, food.
They are so rockin' a country/continent in fact, that they had a party just to introduce some of their fancy-foodstuffs to our shores and wadda ya know...I was invited.
G'Day indeed!
We ate lamb, (natch) and kiwi jam. We had fois gras (take THAT Chicago.) and lots of other things that I forget because of the copious amounts of wine. Lovely Down Under wine.
And as part of their brilliant marketing strategy, these culinary goodwill ambassadors gave out goody-bags. So we could continue the gluttony in the privacy of our own homes. (It's as if they some how knew their product would end up getting reviewed on line...)
Oh yea baby.
Good-ies!
My favorite item, by far, was this adorable can of tuna. G'Day Gourmet (TM) Tuna.
I know what you are thinking, I do...can of tuna? What gives?
But seriously kids, this is more than just a can-o-tuna. Its sustainable, low/no mercury, TASTY tuna. Seasoned tuna. Mild Indian Curry seasoned tuna. Lip smackin' goodness right out of a can.
This stuff is my idea of pre-made food heaven. It is just what I look for in a quick-bite-delight. Really flavorful and earth friendly.
Can I get a "hallelujah!"
(The packaging is way cute too...seriously adorable.)
And I didn't just slap this stuff between two slices of bread and call it luncheon...no I did NOT! I made it into Empanadas (omg, SO perfect with that recipe) and into this tuna salad extraordinaire.
This light, wiz-bang-pow flavor packed, nutrient dense, high protein, low-carb (ack, sorry, had to say it) wonderment. It may seem like a funky combo, but the sweetness of the pickles, and the crunch of the water chestnuts perfectly match the richness of the fish and the fire of the (0optional) chile.
So good.
SO good.
So if you find some of this on your grocers shelves (Whole Foods has it.) this is the perfect way to indulge in its savory sinfulness (actually, not sinful at all, I was just going for alliteration.) and if you don't have access to it...well, for one, ask your grocer to add it, or try adding some curry powder to your regular tuna. Not as good, but still a plan.
Okay, and now the recipe! Enjoy!
3 cans G'Day Gourmet Mild Curry Tuna
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup peas
1 small Thai chile, minced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked
Some parsley, minced
1 heaping teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup water chestnuts, slivered
Combine all, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit to meld, about 15 minutes.
Makes enough for four servings. Can be reduced or increased as you like.
_________________________________
62-year-old Jennifer Brown was thrilled to be awarded second place for her Victoria Sponge in a baking contest at her her village carnival in Wimblington, Cambs England... and she was intrigued to find out which cake had beaten her tasty treat to the top spot. Then judges revealed her cake had been the ONLY entry. Organisers had spotted her sponge had rack mark indentations from where it had been in the oven - and decided it just wasn't up to the high standards demanded of coveted top place. "I must admit I have never heard of coming second in a one horse race before. "But I haven't taken it personally - I had a good laugh about it." - The Mirror, UK
The term curry was invented by the English, East Indian Trading Co.
G'day Gourmet offers seasoned tuna and salmon. Other choices include:Chili, Lemon Pepper, Mild Indian Curry, Tomato Basil, Tomato Onion, and Tomato Salsa. I tried them all, and loved them all.
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood
Monday, July 02, 2007
Bay & Lemon Beef Kebobs
.
Over one too many cocktails this weekend, (as evidenced by the odd comments The Ombudsman and I left on the last post - read at your own discretion...) the boy pointed out that I mention the 4th being my favorite holiday much too often.
Apparently, get one drink in me, and instead of going on about how much I love him, or the Dodgers, or a really well curated art exhibit, stinky cheese or a really good fish taco, I rhapsodize about the 4th. Ad naseum.
Strange, but true. (And better than being a hostile drunk I think!)
So, since I am currently sober as a judge, I will refrain from going on and on about the topic once again...sparing you my mooney-eyed drivel.
But it is you know. The best holiday ever. Gosh I love it! So I am also wishing you (people in this country that is) an extremely happy Fourth of July!
There, I did it.
Kaboom!
I mean come on, it's good times!
And to add just that much more enjoyment to your day, may I humbly suggest you work this wonderment onto your menu. It is a sort of light and refreshing (if beef can be called refreshing) kebob-o-delights. Simple, beautiful (don't you agree?) and tasty as all get-out.
Try it my peaches, on the 4th (the best holiday ever) or any time you just want something a bit different from the everyday. Just make sure to take the lemons and bay leaves off before you dive in.
2 - 3 pounds sirloin steak
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 lemons (Meyer if you can get them)
Fresh Bay leaves (California) soaked in cold water
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mint, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
If using wooded skewers, soak them in cold water until ready to use.
Cut the steaks into large cubes. Toss with the Worchestershire sauce and oil, add some pepper and let marinate for up to four hours, turning three or four times.
Slice the lemons very thin. Remove any pits and pour any juice that comes out in with the beef marinade.
Thred the beef onto the skewers, alternating with bay leaves and lemon slices.
If the kebobs are at all dry, roll them around in the marinade to coat. The leaves and lemons cannot be dry or they will burn.
Grill for 6-7 minutes, on medium-high heat turning once or twice.
Remove from the heat.
While they are resting, combine the yogurt and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the kebobs.
Makes about 10.
______________________________________
Turkish bay leaves are smaller and less pungent that California bay leaves
Over one too many cocktails this weekend, (as evidenced by the odd comments The Ombudsman and I left on the last post - read at your own discretion...) the boy pointed out that I mention the 4th being my favorite holiday much too often.Apparently, get one drink in me, and instead of going on about how much I love him, or the Dodgers, or a really well curated art exhibit, stinky cheese or a really good fish taco, I rhapsodize about the 4th. Ad naseum.
Strange, but true. (And better than being a hostile drunk I think!)
So, since I am currently sober as a judge, I will refrain from going on and on about the topic once again...sparing you my mooney-eyed drivel.
But it is you know. The best holiday ever. Gosh I love it! So I am also wishing you (people in this country that is) an extremely happy Fourth of July!
There, I did it.
Kaboom!
I mean come on, it's good times!
And to add just that much more enjoyment to your day, may I humbly suggest you work this wonderment onto your menu. It is a sort of light and refreshing (if beef can be called refreshing) kebob-o-delights. Simple, beautiful (don't you agree?) and tasty as all get-out.
Try it my peaches, on the 4th (the best holiday ever) or any time you just want something a bit different from the everyday. Just make sure to take the lemons and bay leaves off before you dive in.
2 - 3 pounds sirloin steak
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 lemons (Meyer if you can get them)
Fresh Bay leaves (California) soaked in cold water
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mint, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
If using wooded skewers, soak them in cold water until ready to use.
Cut the steaks into large cubes. Toss with the Worchestershire sauce and oil, add some pepper and let marinate for up to four hours, turning three or four times.
Slice the lemons very thin. Remove any pits and pour any juice that comes out in with the beef marinade.
Thred the beef onto the skewers, alternating with bay leaves and lemon slices.
If the kebobs are at all dry, roll them around in the marinade to coat. The leaves and lemons cannot be dry or they will burn.
Grill for 6-7 minutes, on medium-high heat turning once or twice.
Remove from the heat.
While they are resting, combine the yogurt and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the kebobs.
Makes about 10.
______________________________________
Turkish bay leaves are smaller and less pungent that California bay leaves
A day after regulators in the United States placed a partial ban on imports of certain types of seafood from China, the Chinese government promised Friday to cooperate in tackling its food safety problems but urged a quick resolution. - NY Times
Labels: Beef, Entree, Grilling, Low-Carb
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Deep Fried Spinach (Oh My!)
.
Happy first day of summer! My favorite day of the year! Long, languid and shimmery summer is upon us.
But yesterday was last day of Spring, and on that occasion, I ventured deep in to the heart of Beverly Hills to have lunch with my dear friend, the superbly ethereal Ms. Tiffany. (Who forgot to mention in her celeb spotting roundup that we saw random British hottie sensation, Caprice...I would have rather seen Meg White...)
Spending time with Tiffany is always a lovely and light hearted way to spend an afternoon. Delightful really.
We met up at The Farm and were both decked out in Ella Moss. We drank a refreshing bottle wine, (what could be better on a warm day?) nibbled on salads (okay, she nibbled, I devoured.), and gossiped about food, restaurants, celebs, and the merits of homeopathic veterinary medicine. In other words, it was a perfect afternoon.
And thank goodness lunch was a salad, because lemme tell ya, after having made this deep fried spinach concoction three nights in a row? I was in need of something a bit less...insane.
Why insane?
Because this recipe is so bad for you, I can't even believe it.
Does that mean I will stop making it?
Pfft. Heck no! It's tasty! Darned tasty. Extra-crispy-oily-salty-verdant-tasty. Which is why I keep coming back, and back and back...
And you should too. Now, at this point, I hope you are wondering, how can you too enjoy deep fried spinach? (That was what you were wondering, right?)
Well, my peaches, its easy as pie. Except for the fact it is a wee bit dangerous, and decidedly messy. Dangerous because spinach (turns out) is like, I dunno, 80% water? And oil and water? Not friends. So the coupling of the two is a bit...explosive. But fear not. With a handy splatter guard and a quick mind, you should be fine.
So try this my dears, and enjoy, just don't forget to carve out some time on the treadmill after you indulge in this delight.
2 pounds cleaned spinach
vegetable oil
salt
optional garnishes: lemon zest, sesame seeds, fried ginger or garlic, shredded nori...
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large, wide pan. Carefully (really, really carefully...) add a large handful of spinach...it is going to boil and splatter so the second you add it, cover the pan with a splatter screen. Cook, stirring a few times, for about 6-8 minutes until it is all translucent. Remove and drain on paper towel lined plates or cookie sheets. Salt and garnish immediately. Continue with the rest of the spinach. Oddly, this stuff can stay crisp for about an hour, (versus getting soggy) so take your time, and do be careful...
Makes four - six side servings.
___________________________________
Cottage cheese is 80% water, lettuce 95 %, spinach is 90 %, and milk is 88 % water.
The first modified vegetable oil to achieve large-scale commercial production, canola was developed because of nutritional concerns in animals with the fatty acid, erucic acid. In canola oil, oleic acid replaced the erucic acid found in traditional rapeseed oil.
Looking for this site? How about you Google "Does Olive Oil Make You Sexy" or "Marty Ordman Wedding" and see what comes up! (I'll save you the trouble...this site comes up...)
Happy first day of summer! My favorite day of the year! Long, languid and shimmery summer is upon us.But yesterday was last day of Spring, and on that occasion, I ventured deep in to the heart of Beverly Hills to have lunch with my dear friend, the superbly ethereal Ms. Tiffany. (Who forgot to mention in her celeb spotting roundup that we saw random British hottie sensation, Caprice...I would have rather seen Meg White...)
Spending time with Tiffany is always a lovely and light hearted way to spend an afternoon. Delightful really.
We met up at The Farm and were both decked out in Ella Moss. We drank a refreshing bottle wine, (what could be better on a warm day?) nibbled on salads (okay, she nibbled, I devoured.), and gossiped about food, restaurants, celebs, and the merits of homeopathic veterinary medicine. In other words, it was a perfect afternoon.
And thank goodness lunch was a salad, because lemme tell ya, after having made this deep fried spinach concoction three nights in a row? I was in need of something a bit less...insane.
Why insane?
Because this recipe is so bad for you, I can't even believe it.
Does that mean I will stop making it?
Pfft. Heck no! It's tasty! Darned tasty. Extra-crispy-oily-salty-verdant-tasty. Which is why I keep coming back, and back and back...
And you should too. Now, at this point, I hope you are wondering, how can you too enjoy deep fried spinach? (That was what you were wondering, right?)
Well, my peaches, its easy as pie. Except for the fact it is a wee bit dangerous, and decidedly messy. Dangerous because spinach (turns out) is like, I dunno, 80% water? And oil and water? Not friends. So the coupling of the two is a bit...explosive. But fear not. With a handy splatter guard and a quick mind, you should be fine.
So try this my dears, and enjoy, just don't forget to carve out some time on the treadmill after you indulge in this delight.
2 pounds cleaned spinach
vegetable oil
salt
optional garnishes: lemon zest, sesame seeds, fried ginger or garlic, shredded nori...
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large, wide pan. Carefully (really, really carefully...) add a large handful of spinach...it is going to boil and splatter so the second you add it, cover the pan with a splatter screen. Cook, stirring a few times, for about 6-8 minutes until it is all translucent. Remove and drain on paper towel lined plates or cookie sheets. Salt and garnish immediately. Continue with the rest of the spinach. Oddly, this stuff can stay crisp for about an hour, (versus getting soggy) so take your time, and do be careful...
Makes four - six side servings.
___________________________________
Cottage cheese is 80% water, lettuce 95 %, spinach is 90 %, and milk is 88 % water.
The first modified vegetable oil to achieve large-scale commercial production, canola was developed because of nutritional concerns in animals with the fatty acid, erucic acid. In canola oil, oleic acid replaced the erucic acid found in traditional rapeseed oil.
Looking for this site? How about you Google "Does Olive Oil Make You Sexy" or "Marty Ordman Wedding" and see what comes up! (I'll save you the trouble...this site comes up...)
Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Pasta:Salad with White Beans and Roasted Peppers
.
Now lookie here. As a girl who cares about her figure, I can assure you, I completely get it with the whole low-carb thing. I mean, cutting out those big-bad empty calories makes total sense. And this time of year, well, let’s just say, a few less slices of white bread would do us all a bit of good.
But just because something is logical my sweet juicy peaches, doesn’t mean the whole world is on board…
So there has to be compromise. A middle ground. A place where everyone can meet, eat and rejoice.
And this wiz-bang Pasta:Salad is the answer, lemme tell ya.
I just dashed off a bowl of seasonal, highly flavorful, outrageously fantastic veg and whatnot and then divided it between a bowl of chilled fusilli for those around me who eat carbs and tossed the rest in another bowl of perky-peppery greens (Arugula actually.) for the kids avoiding noodles and whatnot.
It’s a medley of flavors that shout summertime, with out without those pesky carbs. And owning to my obsession with all things spicy and citrus, it has zip. The beans add a nice creaminess to balance the heat of the chile flakes and chile oil and the cooling, crunchy fennel adds that something special to make it a sassy delight.
So try this my dears, and enjoy!
1 small bulb fennel, sliced medium thick
10 picholine olives, pitted and rough chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, deseeded and sliced
½ cup white beans, rinsed (this is approx. I used ¾ of a standard can)
Arugula
Cooked pasta
Zest and juice of one small orange
2 T. olive oil
1 teaspoon chile oil (optional)
1 pinch (to taste) chile flakes
Salt
In a medium sauce-pan, heat the zest, juice, oils and chile flakes over a medium flame until just simmering.
Add the fennel, olives, pepper and beans and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and add the pasta or let cool and add to the salad greens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
_______________________________________
Arugula, which it today classified as an herb, was commonly featured in ancient meals. The Romans used the leaves in salads and made aromatic oils from the seeds. Arugula seed has been a frequent ingredient in aphrodiasiac potions since the first century.
But just because something is logical my sweet juicy peaches, doesn’t mean the whole world is on board…
So there has to be compromise. A middle ground. A place where everyone can meet, eat and rejoice.
And this wiz-bang Pasta:Salad is the answer, lemme tell ya.
I just dashed off a bowl of seasonal, highly flavorful, outrageously fantastic veg and whatnot and then divided it between a bowl of chilled fusilli for those around me who eat carbs and tossed the rest in another bowl of perky-peppery greens (Arugula actually.) for the kids avoiding noodles and whatnot.
It’s a medley of flavors that shout summertime, with out without those pesky carbs. And owning to my obsession with all things spicy and citrus, it has zip. The beans add a nice creaminess to balance the heat of the chile flakes and chile oil and the cooling, crunchy fennel adds that something special to make it a sassy delight.
So try this my dears, and enjoy!1 small bulb fennel, sliced medium thick
10 picholine olives, pitted and rough chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, deseeded and sliced
½ cup white beans, rinsed (this is approx. I used ¾ of a standard can)
Arugula
Cooked pasta
Zest and juice of one small orange
2 T. olive oil
1 teaspoon chile oil (optional)
1 pinch (to taste) chile flakes
Salt
In a medium sauce-pan, heat the zest, juice, oils and chile flakes over a medium flame until just simmering.
Add the fennel, olives, pepper and beans and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and add the pasta or let cool and add to the salad greens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
_______________________________________
Arugula, which it today classified as an herb, was commonly featured in ancient meals. The Romans used the leaves in salads and made aromatic oils from the seeds. Arugula seed has been a frequent ingredient in aphrodiasiac potions since the first century.
Labels: Entree, Low-Carb, Luncheon, Pasta, Vegan
Monday, May 07, 2007
Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
.
The fight. The Kentucky Derby. Cinco de Mayo. The Palisades Symphony Spring Concert. It was a big weekend. Bigger than big! Chock-full-o-fun! Over the top in the best possible way.
The weather? Phenomenal. The mood? Relaxed happiness. My place in the world? Secure.
Sigh. Grin. Sigh.
And now my sweets, it is Monday. And frankly, my brain is total and complete mush.
I feel like a Hollywood starlet after a bender.
I mean really.
I burnt myself OUT. And here I thought the weekend was for recovery.
Bah, I say. Bah. It is for FUN!
So as the non-stop weekend threatened to fade into the past, I had to stop and drink it all in. I enticed my boy, the Ombudsman over for a bit of chill time, replete with style, substance and sustenance, in the form of grilled steak with chimichurri sauce. (and a good old fashioned run-on sentence. Cuz who doesn't love that! Faboo!) Because we all know, sitting out by the grill in the twilight, with a beer in hand, is the best of life's little offerings.
And then there is chimichurri. Icing on the cake of happiness.
Argentina’s beloved fresh herb condiment. Simple, vibrant, delicious, versatile. Sexy good stuff.
Grill up a steak and make a fat batch to drizzle over. Lap it up my dears, it is unmitigated perfection. It might not bring your brain back from a fuzzy weekend, but it sure makes for a happy mouth.
4, 8-ounce skirt steaks
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chimichurri ingredients
1 cup flat leaf parsley stems removed
1 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
3 T. fresh oregano, stems removed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Marinate the steak in a shallow dish with the three minced garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.
For chimichurri, puree the parsley, cilantro, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and salt in a blender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Heat your grill (or grill pan) and cook the steak at least six minutes, or until done to your liking. (I went for three minutes per side to medium rare.) Remove from the grill. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.
________________________________
Orlando-based Darden Restaurants will shut down more than 50 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill locations and will sell the remaining 73. The action ends Darden's plans to build the first national casual-dining barbecue chain and affects 4,000 workers. The company, owner of Red Lobster and Olive Garden, said it had decided to jettison Smokey Bones based on an accelerated decline in sales and drop in customers. – AP
Argentina leads the world in beef consumption, with the annual average per person consumption at just over 143 pounds (65KG). Consumption in the US? 94.6 pounds (43.8 KG) annually, Australia and Brazil tie at 82.5 lbs. (37.5 KG) Annual average in the Ukraine? 20 lbs. (9.5KG)
The fight. The Kentucky Derby. Cinco de Mayo. The Palisades Symphony Spring Concert. It was a big weekend. Bigger than big! Chock-full-o-fun! Over the top in the best possible way.
The weather? Phenomenal. The mood? Relaxed happiness. My place in the world? Secure.
Sigh. Grin. Sigh.
And now my sweets, it is Monday. And frankly, my brain is total and complete mush.
I feel like a Hollywood starlet after a bender.
I mean really.
I burnt myself OUT. And here I thought the weekend was for recovery.
Bah, I say. Bah. It is for FUN!
So as the non-stop weekend threatened to fade into the past, I had to stop and drink it all in. I enticed my boy, the Ombudsman over for a bit of chill time, replete with style, substance and sustenance, in the form of grilled steak with chimichurri sauce. (and a good old fashioned run-on sentence. Cuz who doesn't love that! Faboo!) Because we all know, sitting out by the grill in the twilight, with a beer in hand, is the best of life's little offerings.
And then there is chimichurri. Icing on the cake of happiness.
Argentina’s beloved fresh herb condiment. Simple, vibrant, delicious, versatile. Sexy good stuff.
Grill up a steak and make a fat batch to drizzle over. Lap it up my dears, it is unmitigated perfection. It might not bring your brain back from a fuzzy weekend, but it sure makes for a happy mouth.
4, 8-ounce skirt steaks
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chimichurri ingredients
1 cup flat leaf parsley stems removed
1 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
3 T. fresh oregano, stems removed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Marinate the steak in a shallow dish with the three minced garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.
For chimichurri, puree the parsley, cilantro, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and salt in a blender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Heat your grill (or grill pan) and cook the steak at least six minutes, or until done to your liking. (I went for three minutes per side to medium rare.) Remove from the grill. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.
________________________________
Orlando-based Darden Restaurants will shut down more than 50 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill locations and will sell the remaining 73. The action ends Darden's plans to build the first national casual-dining barbecue chain and affects 4,000 workers. The company, owner of Red Lobster and Olive Garden, said it had decided to jettison Smokey Bones based on an accelerated decline in sales and drop in customers. – AP
Argentina leads the world in beef consumption, with the annual average per person consumption at just over 143 pounds (65KG). Consumption in the US? 94.6 pounds (43.8 KG) annually, Australia and Brazil tie at 82.5 lbs. (37.5 KG) Annual average in the Ukraine? 20 lbs. (9.5KG)
Labels: Beef, Entree, Gluten Free, Grilling, Low-Carb
