Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken

Yum yum!

3/4 pound sweet potatoes
5 tablespoons peanut oil
8 each Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup onions, julienned
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped, roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and place in an oven-proof pie tin. Place the pie tin in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the potatoes and discard them. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.

Place the tomatoes in a small mixing bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes until the skins are caramelized and wilted, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, discard the skins, and set the tomatoes aside until ready to use.

Set a 1 gallon stockpot over a medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the curry powder to the pot and toast for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the cayenne pepper and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes to the soup. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk to the pot and stir to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a bar blender until smooth. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and, if necessary, more pepper.

Season the chicken pieces with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the white pepper, and sear in a hot saute pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil for 5 minutes. Add the seared chicken to the pot. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra cilantro and the chopped peanuts.

Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad

Yum!! I love this salad. And it is super healthy with only 1 Tbls of oil (though I think you could omit that if you really wanted to). I tried to take pictures of it, but the salad kept coming out looking hot pink and not too appetizing. Use your imagination. The color is wonderful - beet red, orange and green. It is just slightly spicy and will be loved by those that like Indian spices. The cookbook recommends serving with roast pork or chicken. Prep is a snap if you have a food processor to shred the beets and carrots, but you could use a box grater, too.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls honey
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2-3/4 tsp coarse salt
1 pound raw beets, peeled
4-6 carrots, peeled (The recipe called for 2. I put in 4, but next time would still put in more, I think. There was plenty of the spice mix to cover it.)
1/3 cup coarsely torn fresh parsley

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, honey, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and salt.
2. In a food processor fitted with the shredding disk, shred the beets and then the carrots. Add to the bowl along with the parsley, and toss all of the ingredients to combine.

Rainy Day and Stew

I found this recipe on Saturday and it was warm out so I didn't think stew was really appropriate, sunny and warm again on Monday, blah. But today, it rained. The second day of fall, rain, and stew go together right?

So I give you, (by way of Martha Stewart and friends) Vegetable and Navy Bean Stew. Here's where you can get the recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is a definite comfort food. (Which I need after the week I've had. See this post.)

I had two chicken breasts (bone and skin included) in my fridge and Martha suggested I check out this everyday food recipe. This was good, but fillo dough is hard to work with so I'm not sure I'd use that topping again. But I've got plenty of it left in my freezer so now I'll be looking for some good recipe's to use that up. Ideas?

The pictures of the inside did not look that great.

More Beets!

I've got lots more beets. I woke up this morning having dreams about picking and cleaning beets from my garden.

Ed suggested I make a Roasted Beet Salad as found in Betty Crocker's cookbook. That one calls for orange slices and goat cheese. I just used the beets and some toasted walnuts.

This salad went nicely with some Fresh Brewed Jasmine Green Iced Tea.

Chicken Roll-Ups

I saw this one on Everyday Food on Saturday. Chicken Roll-Ups. Their recipe was with Arugula and Goat Cheese, instead I used Spinach, Ricotta Cheese, and Red Pepper, and I added some steamed broccoli on the side.



Their picture looks much better than mine, when I cut them they really fell apart - but that didn't change the flavor. Yum, I'll definitely make this one again.

Garden Fresh Beets

These fresh beets from my garden just became Roasted Beet Borscht.

The recipe is here.



I asked Ed if he thought I should make this recipe - he said "I love Borscht." So I decided that was as good a reason as any to give it a try. Plus, I've got a lot of beets to do something with.

I'd never even heard the word Borscht before little Benjamin fell asleep over "Too Much Borscht" back in January. According to Wikipedia, Borscht is the Yiddish word for soup. More here.

Mine doesn't look anything like the pictures on Wikipedia, but I followed this recipe exactly. (All except for I didn't use dill, and I used yogurt instead of sour cream.)

This was actually much like the Carrot Ginger Soup. So if I made it again, I might not blend it up quite so much - just for something different. I also used Ed's idea of toasting a Pita with a little EVOO for a nice bread to go with it.

If you like beets - you'll like this! Yum!

Let me know if you try it.

Sara

Trying to Beat the Heat

So my air conditioner is on the fritz. (Not a great thing when you live in Nebraska, in July.) So that makes my nightly cup of hot tea sort of a stupid idea.

Lately I've been taking to brewing a couple of pints of tea in the evening and letting them sit. Before I go to bed I stick them in the fridge. Then the next day I add ice and enjoy this freshly brewed Iced Tea.

Obviously not a new idea by any means, but new for me. I've always hated iced tea (or thought I did) because my dad always made the mixed stuff with the creepy artificial sugar taste. This is just so much better. Tonight I'm brewing a cup of Moroccan Mint Green tea, and a cup of a tea called "The Magic of Hawaii" its an herbal brew with some tropical hints. Delicious!

Speaking of nice summer time drinks I wonder if Linda will share her Mojito recipe . . that sounds good right now too!

I'm also enjoying a bowl of ice cream tonight, that's keeping me cool too!

Sara

I hear Ed's got a great new idea for a quick and delicious pizza crust - I can't wait til he blogs it and we all can learn something new!

Transition

I've gotta rip a line off from a blog I just read because it articulates fairly well my own continuing adventure in the food department.

I love The Oven. It is probably the most important restaurant in my transition away from the limited diet of my youth to the expanded, diversified diet I enjoy today. For that reason it will always hold a special place in my heart.

For me it wasn't The Oven, but a restraunt called Tandoor (also Indian, also in Lincoln). Mara made me go there one day (she paid, so I didn't put up too much of a stink) and I loved it. Of course I'm still pretty far away from having a truly expanded diet (with in the last week I have been labeled a "culinary nightmare") but I'm getting closer. Thanks to Tandoor which got the ball rolling!

Sara

btw - I didn't link to this person's blog because they went on to give a bad review of The Oven, I didn't find that all together helpful and I made an executive decision that you wouldn't want to read it either!

Carrot Cake

A Carrot Cake for the 4th of July. I guess they don't really go together, but its what I had the ingredients for! Yum! I can't wait to dig into this one. Hopefully it makes the trip to Filley without getting too much frosting on the upholstery of my car.

Both the Carrot Cake and the Cream Cheese Frosting are in the Betty Crocker Cookbook, everybody has that one right?

Happy 4th!

My Summer Favorite

So I jumped the gun a little bit on this one. My favorite summer food is Tomato Basil Pizza, especially when all I have to do is walk out the garden and pick the tomato and basil. My garden isn't quite ready yet - but I am.

I'm working on perfecting my pizza crust recipe, tonight's recipe follows.

Pizza Crust:
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp EVOO
1 Tblsp honey (if you use the same measuring spoon and measure the oil first the honey slides right out - a little trick I accidentally discovered.)
2/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup corn meal
1/3 cup oatmeal
Then add alternating 1/3 cup portions of wheat and white until you achieve bread dough consistency. Knead for about 10 strokes (with a bit more flour) and let rise.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I've made this one a ton of times, but I guess I've never blogged it! Mary is responsible for introducing this delicious dish. It's Butternut Squash Risotto - I think she got it from an Everyday Food magazine. This one could be a side dish or an entire meal.

I've lost the actual recipe - but here's how I make it.

Cut up one medium sized squash into about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat with 2 Tbs. of butter.

Add 1 cup of Risotto rice and mix in with 1/2 cup white cooking wine.

When all of the liquid is dissolved add warm chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments. About two cans of Chicken broth are needed.

When the rice is all cooked (this takes about 45 minutes) add approx. 1 Tbs. of fresh Sage and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

I had this one tonight in my new pottery bowl from the empty bowls luncheon for the Food Bank. Isn't it a great bowl??

Fruit and Lemon Cheesecake

I just put the finishing touches on a Memorial Day cheesecake! I can't wait to take a bite of it. Doesn't it just look spectacular??

Mom had a great cheesecake recipe with fruit and a lemon glaze on top - that is still the best cheesecake I've ever had. She couldn't find it so I came up with my own version.

This is a New York Cheesecake - here's the recipe. This recipe is for a 10 inch pan - I only have a nine inch pan so I made 4/5 of the recipe. (Ah, see - this is why we are forced to learn to divide fractions in middle school!) This particular recipe calls for a shortbread crust - I used it even though usually I make a graham cracker crust.

Then, I toped it with strawberries, kiwi, and Lemon Curd. Here's the recipe for the Lemon Curd - I only used half of the recipe. You should surf around on this blog while you're checking out the Lemon curd - this girl takes the best pictures!

One more picture just to make your mouth water!

Beef Bulgogi

Here's a recipe I found in the Everyday Food cookbook. All I have to say is - Delicious!! I am definitely going to make this one again!

Beef Bulgogi
1 1/2 pounds rib-eye steak, trimmed of excess fat
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon hot chile sesame oil (or add a dash of red pepper flakes to 1 Tbls toasted sesame oil.)
2 Tbls dark brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 medium red onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
1 green bell pepper, seeds adn ribs removed, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
4 teas EVOO
1 small head Boston lettuce, separated into leaves

1 - Freeze the beef for 20 minutes; transfer to a clean work surface. Slice diagonally (across the grain) into 1/8-inch-thick strips. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Place the onions and peppers in a small bowl; toss with half the soy marinade. Toss the steak int he remaining marinade; let stand for 15 minutes.

2 - Heat 2 tsp EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3 - Heat the remaining 2 tsp EVOO over high heat. Cook half the meat, turning often, until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining meat. Return the first batch and any accumulated juices to the pan; add the onion mixture. Cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. To serve, roll up the beef mixture in lettuce leaves.

That's the recipe as its written. I didn't have any lettuce so I cooked rice and served it on top of that. Though I think it would have been great in a lettuce wrap! I only used one onion and that was plenty.

I've never heard of Bulgogi before - Its a Korean dish - I found that out from wiki!

Ginger Carrot Soup

This one reminds me of a great vacation...

Last summer when Ed, Linda, Bill and I went to Duluth we stopped at this "fancy pants" restaurant on the way back. After looking at the menu I was less than excited about my choices. I finally settled on a bowl of Ginger Carrot soup and some bread. Best soup ever, well maybe not ever - but close. It was served in a teapot, with a dollop of cardamom ice cream.

Tonight's recipe is Ginger Carrot Soup. Here's the recipe. I used a dollop of vanilla yogurt because where does one get cardamom ice cream anyway? I didn't serve mine in a teapot - in fact my tea kettle has lots of spurts of the soup splattered on it - ah well - it was worth it. I got a kitchen to clean up - let me know if you try this one.

Broccoli Tortellini

Tonight's recipe is from the book Stylish One-Dish Dinners - I got it at the Library.

The meal is Broccoli Rabe with Italian Sausage, Tortellini, and Fresh Cherry Tomatoes. It was tasty - although if I made it again I'd add about twice as many tomatoes. It is also very pretty - lots of colors! Check out the cooking pic - I took it because it was so pretty.

Here's the recipe:
2 Tbls. EVOO
1 Pound Italian Sausage
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Onion, coarsely chopped
2 (13-ounce) cans chicken broth
2 Cups water
1 Pound fresh tortellini filled iwth sausage or cheese
1 bunch broccoli Rabe, chopped and without stems
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly shaved Parmesan

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the EVOO and saute the sausage and onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Remove from the pan and deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and water, scraping up all the bits from the bottom.

In a large sauce pot, bring the broth and water to a boil, add the tortellini, and cook for 5 minutes, then drain.

Return the sausage, onion, and garlic to the skillet, add the broccoli and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes more. Top with the Parmesan. Serve immediately.

If you've got 20 minutes...

...I think this is definitely worth your time.

(click here) What's Wrong With What We Eat.

This video presentation is by New York Times food writer, Mark Bittman. His presentation is somewhat similar to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," in that it doesn't seem like much more than a really nice Power Point presentation, but it does inspire you to stop and think, and even make some changes at how you look at food.

After you have watched it, leave a comment on how you might change your diet. Who knows, publishing your comment might just help you stick to your plan and also give someone else a good idea to eat smarter? Myself? I am really going to try to eat no more than a half pound of meat a week.

Scones - Part 2

Here's my picture to go with Martha's Scones recipe. (As in Martha my sister, not Stewart.) I use the same recipe, its from Betty Crocker. Today I made Cinnamon Chip and Walnut Scones as well as Raspberry and White Chocolate Chip Scones. And check out how nicely they are displayed on the platter Mary gave me for Christmas.

The Cinnamon Chip ones I made according to her recipe. The Raspberry ones I used about a cup of frozen whole raspberries and then mixed it very gently. I couldn't really knead it (as it would crush the berries.) That one turned out sort of crumbly and if I did it again I'd probably make them individually instead of in a pie shape.

Good stuff. They are all gone except one which will be my breakfast tomorrow.

Peanut Sauce

The main course to go with my Strawberry Spinach Salad is Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Asparagus With Peanut Dipping Sauce. Delicious!

I tore the recipe out of a friend's Family Fun magazine. Here's a link to the recipe. I basically only used half of it and there was more than enough of the Peanut Sauce.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 1 pound pork tenderloin

And the best part is I have enough left over for lunch tomorrow too.

Spinach Salad

Ed gave me the suggestion on my post about my garden fresh Spinach to make a Strawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans - that's just what I did.

I got the recipe here. But since I don't really use much salad dressing I didn't use this recipe. Instead I just mixed some Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, and Poppy Seeds together and poured it on.

Fresh From the Garden

I spent the morning digging up more weeds in my garden. But it is pretty muddy out there, so I didn't make a great amount of progress.

However there was a good amount of Spinach ready to pick.

I guess tonight I'll have to make something with Spinach in it - any suggestions?

And to go with the Biscuits!

Another great recipe from Rachael Ray. It is called: Chicken in a Pot, No Pie! It is basically really thick chicken soup. The asparagus and peas are my favorite parts!

Here's the recipe.

Whole-Wheat Biscuits

These are super simple Whole-Wheat Biscuits. I remembered after I had started baking these that I only have a rolling pin for Flatbread - so the biscuits got a little texture!

Here's the recipe.

Sara

Baked Sole (or Flounder or even Tilapia) and Roasted Asparagus with Sesame

This Asian inspired duo passed the Turnage test with flying colors...all 3 wee people were in the clean plate club. We used tilapia. Here's the recipe.

Mango & Black Bean Salad

We had this with shredded beef wraps. It was supposed to be a side, but it ended up inside lot of wraps so it works well as a fruity salsa too. Sara was very brave and tried it, even though it's a lot like a condiment.

Mango & Black Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe mango

1 cupthinkly sliced green onion

1/2 cup cooked wild or brown rice

3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

2 Tbsp. roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. EVOO

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Serves 6.

Tomato Basil Soup

Sorry it's taken me so long to post this, Sara. The Spicy Hot V8 is the secret...regular tomato juice just isn't the same.

Tomato Basil Soup

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
11.5 oz. Spicy Hot V8
14.5 oz. chicken broth
15-20 fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup butter

Combine tomatoes, V8 and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. * Puree in blender or with immersion blender. Add the cream and butter, return to medium-low heat, and stir until butter melts completely. Serve immediately.

*We've added basil before and after pureeing....both are good.

Spinach Polenta Topped with Tomatoes

I'm totally digging trying new recipes. I used to have about four main dishes that I just cycled through, its a whole new world.

Last night I tried this Spinach Polenta from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. Delicious.

Spinach Polenta
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta cornmeal
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces fresh baby spinach

Fresh Tomato Topping
4 large tomatoes or 8 to 10 plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons oliver oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a saucepan, bring the water, milk, and salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream while whisking. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until polenta is thick. (mine took about 20 minutes.)

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Cut the tomatoes into wedges. In a saucepan on medium-low heat, cook the garlic in the oil for a minute. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, and vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes, just until hot.

When the poletna is thick, reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese (I only used about 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese) until melted and smooth. Fold in the spinach, a couple of handfuls at a time, until just wilted.

Serve the polenta hot, topped with the tomatoes and more cheese if you wish.

I thought this was a great meal. I would serve it in a bowl next time as the tomatoes were a bit runny. Otherwise - perfect!

Sausage, Mushroom & Pesto Polenta Lasagna

Lasagna is definitely a comfort food, but this one has a little twist. Polenta replaces the lasagna noodles, making it that much creamier and comforting.

It's was hard to get a good photo of this "lasagna", but it tastes better than it looks....Just look how much Rick loves it!

Here's the recipe.

We used the last variation with some of our own homemade pesto. Rick also made the polenta himself. Here's how:


Bring 2.75 cups water to boiling. In a bowl combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 cup cold water. Slowly add cornmeal mixture to boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir till mixture returns to boiling. Reduce heat, cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes or till mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally.

Mixture will have a consistency like a thick bread pudding. Spoon polenta onto sheets of wax paper and roll to make a tube that is 2-3 inches in diameter. Chill overnight.


OR make your life easier and buy the prepared polenta the recipe calls for.

Either way, enjoy it with a class of wine and a fresh green salad!

Green Curry - Part Two

Green Chicken Curry.

After making the curry paste - I marinated about a pound of chicken breast strips in a couple Tablespoons of the paste.

Then I sauted one yellow onion with a bit of garlic and oil until the onion was clear. I added 3 Tablespoons of the curry paste and cooked that for about 2 minutes. Then I added the chicken and cooked that until it was about 80% cooked. Then I added 1 can of Coconut Milk and 3/4 cup of chicken broth and cooked the whole thing for about 10 more minutes. Finally I added some fresh Spinach and frozen peas. And served it on top of steamed rice.

The coconut milk I'd never used before and when I opened the can it was solid - which I hadn't expected. I chunked it out and found liquid at the bottom. (yes - I made a phone call to Mary to see if this was normal.)

This was actually a really delicious meal! Again, I would have added just a little more kick to the curry paste and If I did it again I'd make some broccoli or some other veggie to go with it.

Green Curry - Part One

Ever since my return to the restaurant scene after Easter, and my subsequent trip to The Blue Orchid, and getting to sample Mary's delicious green curry dish - I've been on a mission to make my own green curry. Saturday was my first attempt.

Part One - Green Curry Paste. After a trip to our new HyVee store, which conveniently hosts Lincoln's only Caribou coffee shop - I had most of the ingredients I needed. I was still missing lemon grass and fresh coriander. The lemon grass I got in a tube - not sure if that was a good decision or not - I'm going to have to try to find the real thing. The fresh coriander was a learning experience for me.

I found an Asian grocery store and asked for the fresh coriander and was told they had nothing like this. I found a second store - called "Homeland Food Market" - and again asked for fresh coriander. The clerk seemed to know nothing of this product. A customer leaving the store over heard my question and enlightened me - "you need cilantro," he said. I promptly began to think of him as an idiot, like I don't know what cilantro is. Turns out Cilantro and Fresh Coriander are the same thing! Learn more here. I left that store with a jar of Coriander Chutney. Not sure if I'll ever use it - but I felt stupid so I bought something. (Turns out most people already know this - thanks for telling me!)

Here's my green curry paste: (I just found this recipe on the internet - there are tons!)
2 Fresh Green Chillies
1 Small Onion
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Lime, juice and rind
1 Stalk Lemon Grass
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 cup Fresh Coriander, stalks and leaves
1 Tblsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbls oil

Place all in blender/food processor and blend until paste.
(When I make this again I'll use more chillies and more lime.) I had plenty left over so its in a jar in my fridge - perhaps I'll freeze it.

Lentil-Walnut Burgers

If you have a food processor, these burgers are EASY! And they are so tasty. My notes:





-I made them according to the recipe, but you could reduce the cumin/coriander. I may do that next time for a more subtle flavor.
-I used less oil then listed for the cooking and they were fine, probably just not aS crispy as intended.
-I doubled the recipe and it still fit in my food processor.
-We topped our burgers with tomato, red onion and yogurt.

(From Everyday Food - Great Food Fast page 153)

3/4 c lentils
3/4 c walnuts
1/3 c plain dried breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground corander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Tbls olive oil
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350. Place lentils in a small saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and cool.

Meanwhile, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and darkened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Process until finely ground. Add the lentils and 1 Tbls of the oil. Pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils will remain whole).

In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the lentil mixture; mix well. Dived into 4 balls and flatten into 3/4 inch thick patties. (Use wet hands to reduce the stickiness.)

Heat the remaining 3 Tbls oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, about 8-10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

Green Pie

Sara's heard tell of the euphemistically named "Green Pie," but she's never had a chance to eat it at my house. The problem is that my family of 5 eats the whole thing. Which is pretty cool since the original name was "Italian Spinach Pie." Yep. Spinach is the main ingredient. And my 3 kids (11, 9 & 6) count it as one of their favorite meals.

Use your favorite pizza dough, just be sure the dough isn't too moist...you want a stiff, dry dough because the filling has a lot of moisture. Here's one we tried recently and liked. Rick doubled it (you need a top & bottom crust), and he had to add more flour than it called for to get the right consistency, but it was a really good crust!

For the filling:

2-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
2 eggs
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1 c. soft bread crumbs ( make with 2-3 slices of bread chopped in food processor or blender)
1 c. parmesan cheese (we use the stuff out of the plastic jar)

Saute the onions in butter until clear. While onions are cooking, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach in a colander. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and combine all filling ingredients, mixing well.

Divide dough in half and roll out as you would for 2 pizzas. Put one dough round onto a round baking stone. Spread spinach mixture evenly on the dough. Cover the filling with the 2nd dough round. Seal the edges by pressing together. Brush the top with olive oil.

Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. Check at about 20 minutes. You may need to brush the top with olive oil again to keep it from overbaking.

Top with your favorite marinara sauce, if you like that sort of thing.

An Old Favorite

Maybe Rice Hotdish wasn't the original comfort food . . . maybe it was Cream Peas on Toast. Some of my favorites from childhood will never go away. Yum!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry in a Hurry

Sweet Potatoes are becoming a new favorite! Here's the recipe as Rachael Ray (#266) wrote it. I did everything as written except I used milk instead of heavy cream.

Mary says we're not very good at photographing food. I thought this picture turned out okay. I like the color scheme in this dish - orange, red, and green. Mary - any tips or ideas for better pics?

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry in a Hurry:

1 cup white rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half-moons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 rounded tablespoon mild curry paste or 2 rablespoons curry powder (a generous palmful)
2 pounds chicken tenders, bite-size chunks
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (1 palmful)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup prepared mango chutney (a couple of heaping tablespoons)
1 10-ounce box frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (a generous handful), chopped

Prepare rice as directions on package.

Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the sweet potatoes to the skillet, season with salt, pepper, and curry paste or powder, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Scoot the potatoes over to one side of the pan and add the chunks of chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, browning slightly, for 3 minutes. Add the onions and bell peppers and toss to combine. Add the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, cream, and mango chutney, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Add the peas and cilantro and simmer for 1 minute to heat the peas through, Serve over the rice.

Let me know if you try it!

Sara

In About 60 Days

In about 60 days this is going to be supper! Mary and Mom worked hard in my garden today preparing the soil and sowing the seeds.

We planted:
Spinach
Onions (red and yellow)
Parsnips
Carrots
Sugar Peas
Beets

Yum, Yum, Yum . . . I can't wait to come up with some sweet recipes to use all this food.

You can see the two Basset Hounds keeping watch over the garden. They are annoying as can be when they bark non-stop, but they do seem to keep the rabbits out of the garden.

Sara

Scones!

alright. for some reason my camera won't upload my photos from this morning. so, I'll post the scone recipe now, and try to add a picture later.

This is a dee-lish and easy recipe (so easy, in fact, that a caveman could do it)...

1 3/4 cup flour (I usually use about half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
3 T sugar (or less if your kid is around and wants to eat!)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 (or about that) of something delicious like mini-chocolate chips, or raisins, or craisins, maybe some nuts, etc.
4 to 6 T. of milk

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is fine little crumbs. Stir in egg, chocolate chips (or whatever you like) and just enough of the milk so dough leaves the side of bowl.
3. place dough on lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. drop about 9 lumps of the dough on a cookie sheet (sprinkle sugar on the top if you want)
4. bake about 15 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

Ray and Pizza!

Ray and Pizza - these are a few of my favorite things!

Happy Easter

My first meal in a restaurants since February 6th - Howard's Pantry. I had chicken strips and fries. Pretty much my "go to" meal as a kid!!

I guess I'm still eating like a child. Tonight or maybe tomorrow I think we'll go out for Thai food.

Sara

Culinary Visit to Afghanistan

For our book discussion of A Thousand Splendid Suns, I searched for some Afghan recipes to make. From www.afghan-network.com I picked the three that looked the easiest and called for ingredients that I had on hand. I was happy with the results! Ed, Benjamin and I had this for dinner, and then I served the book club group. It was unanimous - YUM! (Even Benjamin loved the rice and meatballs.)

It is hard to tell in the picture - I took it with my phone. The meatballs are about 1 1/2" diameter. The squash is coated with the yogurt sauce, which is great when mixed with the rice.

Kofta Nakhod
(Meatballs & Chick-Pea)

* 1 cup of Dried chick-peas, covered with hot water & soaked overnight, or at least 8-10 hrs
* 1 1/2 lb Ground beef
* 1 large Onion, grated
* 1/4 tablespoons of Pepper
* 1 tablespoons of Salt, or to taste
* 1/4 tablespoons of Ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoons of Dried mint, crushed
* 1 tablespoons of Bread crumbs, matzoh meal or plain flour
* 4 cup of Water, boiling

Chick-peas provide bulk in well-seasoned kofta, name for various types of meatballs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, & India. Unlike custom in other countries, they are boiled in soup or water & served separately from soup.

1. Drain chick-peas in a colander, then grind them rather fine in a processor. Mix everything together except water.

2. To prepare meatballs: Moisten hands w/cold water and prepare meat & chick-peas balls 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Put the meatballs into boiling water, one at a time, & simmer over moderate heat for 45 mins. Remember that chick-peas are ground but not cooked. The meatballs may also be cooked in a light chicken broth. Serve meatballs & soup separately with bread, rice, & pickles. Serve 8. Makes about 18 meatballs.

Afghan Spice Rub
(I used this spice in the Basmati rice.)

* 3 tablespoons Black peppercorns
* 1 tablespoons Ground cardamom
* 3 tablespoons Cumin seed
* 1 tablespoons Ground coriander
* 2 tablespoons Tumeric

Grind all ingredients together with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container. Make 1/3 cup.

Can be rubbed into beef, pork or chicken two hours before grilling. It also adds a pungent note to tuna, swordfish, blue fish or bass if rubbed onto both sides of the steaks or fillets about an hour before grilling. In either case, the rub can be left on the meat or fish while grilling to make a blackened, seasoned crust. Used as a spice, it can be stirred into boiled rice or summer soups to taste.

Sweet Pumpkin
(I used Butternut Squash. I will definitely make this again!)

* 2 lb Fresh pumpkin or squash
* 1/4 cup of Corn oil
Sweet Tomato Sauce:
* 1 tablespoon Crushed garlic
* 1 cup of Water
* 1/2 tablespoon Salt
* 1/2 cup of Sugar
* 4 oz Tomato sauce
* 1/2 ts Ginger root, chopped fine
* 1 tablespoon Freshly ground coriander Seeds
* 1/4 ts Black pepper
Yogurt Sauce: 1/4 ts Crushed garlic, 1/4 tablespoon Salt, 3/4 cup Plain yogurt
Garnish: Dry mint leaves, crushed

Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2-3" cubes; set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Fry the pumpkins on both sides fora couple of minutes until lightly browned.

Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in fry pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (I don't know how it's going to evaporate if the pan is covered....-B.) Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.

To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint. May be served with chalow (basmati rice) and naan or pita bread.

Three Variations

Yesterday, I had very few items with which to make a meal.
I did happen to have tomatoes, goat cheese (don't you always keep this on hand?), and spinach.
Here's what I came up with:

Variation #1
A Grilled Goat Cheese and Tomato Sandwich
(for lunch...after the photo opt I did put another piece of bread on top)


Variation #2
Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Spinach Pizza on a whole wheat crust
(for supper...normally I would try and add a little meat, but we didn't have any on hand)
This pizza was awesome!...even my meat eating spouse agreed!


Variation #3 (made with the intent of having it as leftovers the next day)
Same as Variation #2, except no sauce
(I usually make a smaller 2nd pizza to use up the dough...this was good too--a thinner, crispy crust is the key)

Rice Hotdish: The Remix

This is my first attempt at a more ... shall we say interesting version of the old Spohr Family favorite: Rice Hotdish.

I have to admit, this picture still doesn't make it look very interesting at all. It basically looks like mush. Ah well - it tastes better than it looks.

Tonight I omitted the cream of mushroom soup and added a little chicken broth and whole mushrooms. Then for a little color I added some Red Bell Peppers.

Another factor in the taste of this one is that the little plastic cap with the slit in it that covers my soy sauce jar seems to have gone missing. So I opened up the bottle to shake a little soy sauce in and I'm pretty sure this dish got a 1/2 a cup. It doesn't seem to have done much damage. I'm enjoying this as I type.

Let me know if you get any more ideas for an update. This one's not quite perfected yet.

Sara

Sweet! Mashed Potatoes.

For lunch today I'm basically having leftovers. The chicken and spinach are left from the Ginger Chicken recipe from Friday. Then, I had two potatoes and one sweet potato leftover - so I combined them to make some nicely colored mashed potatoes.
So, not only a nice lunch, but a sweet color palate as well.

And yes, its butter atop the "Sweet Mashed Potatoes." I'm half Norwegian, butter should be its own category. Am I right Mom?

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

This is one I made a few weeks ago - but it is delicious! This is another Rachael Ray recipe.

Here's the recipe. I pretty much did it just as it says. I used those button mushrooms instead of what they say. I used milk with a Tblsp of butter instead of cream (just cause I didn't have any) and I omitted the chives. I'm not opposed to chives, again - I just didn't have any.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

2 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (eyeball it)
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream (2 healthy turns of the pan)
2 to 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pound penne or cellantani pasta
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (12 chives)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO (twice around the pan) and sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Move the sausage to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions to the other side of the pan. Cook until the mushrooms brown, then season with salt and pepper. Combine the sausage and vegetables and deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute. Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it'll be thick. Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Top with the cheese and chives.

OR try, Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, Pumpkin, and Hazelnuts

OMIT the Sausage
ADD 2 10 ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and 1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Wring out the spinach in a kitchen towel until dry. Start the pan with EVOO as in the master recipe, and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Cook until brown, then add the spinach, separating it with your fingertips as you add it to the pan. Combine and heat the mixture for 2 minutes, then add the wine and proceed as above. Top the pasta with cheese, chives, and the tasted hazelnuts.

Oh, The Possibilities!

I chose "The New Comfort Food" for the title of this blog for a couple of reasons:

1. Its way to easy for me to cook about 4-6 standard dishes, a list from which I never deviate. That's not very exciting.
   
2. For a picky eater its good to try a few new things. (In other words, get out of my comfort zone.) Who knows maybe I'll even like them?
3. Maybe we can spice up a few of the old comforts and something like Rice Hotdish could make a comeback. Any ideas for that one?

Ed had a bunch of great ideas for blog names. The first was "kitchen adventures" but that was already taken. So here were some of the other ideas. All of which were good, a few of which made me gut laugh!

1. "MicrowaveBlues"
2. "StovetopHappenings"
3. "TheBackBurner"
4. "Icancookthat"
5. "MyDogThinksI'mAGoodCook"
6. "OnceUponAKitchen"
7. "GetOverItEasy"
8. "StuffYourMomNeverMade"
9. "RecipeRants"
10. "CanIGetThatRecipeFromYou"
11. "HowtoBurnToast"
12. "CookUpSomeTrouble"
13. "TheLegendofRiceHotdish"
14. "CannedFoodsSuck"
15. "MinnesotaSpice"
16. "CookingBecauseYouCan"
17. "TheOven:NotJustAnotherShelfInYourKitchen"
18. "HowToMessUpYourKitchen"
19. "ICookThereforeIAm"
20. "CookEatClean"
21. "CookingbyBruceLansky"
22. "FeedYourSoulByCooking"

Its a great list. What's your favorite?

Ginger-Stuffed Chicken with Sesame Spinach

Last night's supper was Ginger-Stuffed Chicken with Sesame Spinach. I got the recipe from someone at church, she got it from Real Simple. I love ginger - and this dish gives you just a little hint in every bite.

You can click here to get the recipe. Then I don't have to re-type it. I strive for efficiency.

This was a really good recipe for me. I usually only buy boneless skinless chicken breasts - last night I got a whole cut up chicken for $4. I thought that seemed like a pretty good deal. I used the two chicken breasts for this recipe. And I saved the legs, thighs, and wings for Monday night's dinner which will be - "Big, Thick, Hearty Thighs" (and legs and wings.)

I added toasted sliced almonds to my rice, a little something I stole from a different recipe. Overall a delicious dinner!

What's for dinner at your house?

Sara

Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

First of all these are two ingredients that were on my "do not eat" list less than one year ago. See how I'm growing up?

Tonight for dinner I'm having Sweet Potato and Black Beans on Rice. The recipe is for making burritos, but I'm improvising just a bit.

This is Mary's recipe. But its pretty simple. Saute one onion and two small sweet potatoes until the sweet potatoes are cooked. Add cinnamon and ground cumin and one can of black beans. I sprinkled some cheese on top. Mary said cheddar cheese but all I had was white.

This was one of the entrees at the family Christmas. I've been meaning to make it again ever since. Mine isn't as good as Mary's, but I'm still eating comfortably tonight!

Sara