Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts
Red Lentil Coconut Milk Soup
Ally



Dear Blog,

I know I've neglected you...like REALLY neglected you and I'm sorry. 2015 was a chaotic year, full of a lot of ups and downs and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and needed a break. It was me, not you. But this year I'm determined to have a great year and one of my resolutions is to get back into cooking and blogging. So be ready! ☺


First thing on my To Do List is: getting over this frickin' cold/sinus infection. It's hard to be awesome when you're all stuffed up and your head feels like it wants to explode.  Not to mention, I sound like a cross between Darth Vader and Girl 6 with my heavy breathing and raspy voice. It seems like everyone is down with this creeping crud...and this stuff apparently likes to lingers. I've already missed two days of work because of it and I'm pretty sure my office is one step away from going all Outbreak. There's a lot of people out with a cold, flu, or bronchitis.



I've been doing all the things I'm supposed to: hydrating, staying in bed, sleeping a ton, Purelling the sh*t out of everything, and using Puffs Plus Lotion (trust me, these are the holy grail of tissues). Peppy loves having me home and has been sleeping as much as I have. This weather has been pretty conducive for it. We even watched a great movie the other night, "Love and Mercy".  

I've also been eating a LOT of soup. A friend of mine made me a delicious Lemon Orzo with Chicken soup that I'm going to have to get the recipe for so I can make more. It felt insanely good on my sore throat.  In the meantime, this is one of my current favs to make when I'm feeling under the weather:


Red Lentil Coconut Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups red lentils, uncooked
  • 1 white onion,chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped, including seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder 
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ⅓ cup tomato paste
  • 7 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
  • 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
  • lime wedges for serving (optional)

Instructions


1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno and saute until the vegetables have softened and the onion takes on a translucent color.

2. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt and tomato paste. Stir. Cook for 3-4 more minutes.

3. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Stir. Bring the the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes.  

4.  Add the lime juice at the end. Stir.  Season with additional salt, if needed.

5. (Optional) Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.
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Mushroom Lasagna
Ally


Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving? I'm definitely not.  Growing up as an only child in a family that wasn't super gung-ho over celebrating holidays; I've felt a bit overwhelmed during the holiday season ever since I started dating Mr.S.  He has a big family that's really nice, but the holidays always feel a bit chaotic to me when I'm there. There's a lot of people in his house during Thanksgiving and Xmas, a lot of noise and kids running amuck.  Up until this year, I could skip events and just duck home to the cottage if I needed a breather but now that I live with Mr.S I'm not quite sure how I'm going to handle it all.  I think the panic of the holidays must have already started to show a little on my face because Mr. S suggested we get out of town for a night. So the day after Thanksgiving we're going to duck out and decompress. I'm looking forward to it. ☺

How do you all deal with the holiday frenzy? Got any tried and true tips?

In the meantime, if you get tired of turkey and ham, give this delicious mushroom lasagna recipe by the folks at Sunset Magazine a shot.  My friend Michelle made it for book club and it was so insanely good that I had to ask her for the recipe. I just made it again this weekend. Mr.S and I had half and I brought half to a friend that just had a baby. It has a wonderful earthy taste balanced by a béchamel sauce that's not overwhelming. Also it can be prepared ahead of time which makes it a holiday time-saving gem!

Mushroom and Fresh Herb Lasagna

Ingredients

12 no-boil lasagna noodles (1/2 lb.)
1 qt. milk  (I used 2%)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 medium leeks, sliced into thin rings
1 1/2 pounds portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. coarsely shredded Asiago cheese

Instructions

1. Soften noodles in a pan of very hot water while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Make béchamel (white sauce): Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, 2 minutes. Whisk milk into flour mixture all at once and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the nutmeg. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon; if it isn't, cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, 2 tbsp. parsley, and 1/2 tbsp. thyme. Keep covered.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat a deep, wide pot over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Swirl in 1 tbsp. oil and add leeks. Cook until tender but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scoop leeks into a bowl and set aside.
4. Swirl 2 tbsp. oil into pot. Add mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, covered, until mushrooms are tender and beginning to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until edges start to brown. Stir in leeks and remaining 1/2 tbsp. thyme. Remove from heat.
5. Mix Parmesan with Asiago.
6. Assemble lasagna: Oil a 9- by 13-in. baking dish. Spread a few spoonfuls of béchamel over bottom. Arrange 3 noodles crosswise in dish, then spoon on about 1/2 cup béchamel, followed by a third of the mushrooms and 1/3 cup cheeses. Repeat layers twice more. Top with a final layer of noodles and béchamel, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Bake lasagna until browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp. parsley and let sit at least 15 minutes before slicing.
* Make ahead: Through step 6, 1 day, chilled, or up to 3 months, frozen. Let chilled lasagna sit at room temperature 1 hour before baking. Frozen lasagna can either be thawed in the refrigerator overnight and then baked, or baked straight from the freezer for 1 3/4 hours (cover for first hour).
* Dried shiitakes will work in this recipe too. Just rinse them in cold water several times, then place them in a bowl with boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the water off, slice off the stems and use in recipe.
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Summer's Harvest: Savory Tomato Bread Pudding
Ally
Man, this has been the year of changes! New job in May. A brand-spankin' new car this month--I get to pick it up this weekend. Woo-hoo, I'm sooooo excited! And now a new home next month. Yep, you heard right...I'm moving! Out of my beloved little cottage in the Grid but not too far away...just in with Mr.S., the kidlets (or should I be calling them teenlets these days?) and Pepper. I guess after 5 years, it's about time we shack up, right? What's funny is the reaction I get when I tell people- half of my friends already thought I lived with Mr.S because I'm there so much and the other half are like, "About time!"

Anyhow, I was over there the other day visiting Mr. S and discussing how in the heck we're going to fit my stuff in his closet (that boy has a LOT of shoes!) when I noticed that my baby Roma tomatoes were finally ready to be picked. Look at how gorgeous they are! They're almost too pretty to eat...almost.




To celebrate these red beauties, I decided to transform my garden bounty into a savory tomato bread pudding. Yum! I threw in a bowlful of ripe baby Romas and sprinkled in a few leftover yellow cherry tomatoes for spots of contrasting color. To give the bread pudding some zing I also used a spicy jalapeno-cheddar focaccia from Raley's (but you can use whatever kind of bread you like). Pretty much any type of hearty, thick bread will work in this recipe.  No wimpy bread, please!



Savory Tomato Bread Pudding (based on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

Filling:

Butter, for greasing the baking dish
8 ounces Jalapeno-Cheddar focaccia, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
12 ounces (about a cup and a half) small, flavorful tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (packed) cup fresh, chopped basil leaves
5 oz. Parmesan-Reggiano

Custard:

6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375 F.

2. Butter a 9x13x2 glass casserole dish. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat up your oil over med-high heat. Add in your onion, cook until slightly translucent. Add in garlic, cook until fragrant. Add in your tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Tomatoes will soften. Turn off the heat and add in the chopped basil. Stir. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread crumbs.

4. Sprinkle with the Parmesan-Reggiano. Combine well.

5. In a bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Get the custard really smooth then pour it over the bread mixture. Let it sit for 15 minutes, tossing it frequently. You really want the bread to get saturated with the custard.

6. Place in the oven and cook for about 25-30 mutes. Stick a knife in the center and when it comes out clean, you can take the dish out.

7. Let the bread pudding cool for 5-10 minutes then slice and serve.


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Weeknight Dinner: Korean Ground Beef
Ally

I have a little secret- I love those reusable bags that you buy at the grocery store. I have about a dozen of them. You know what kind I'm talking about- Raley's, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods-- pretty much every place sells them or gives them away. The problem is I never remember to take them to the store with me. Instead I use them for everything else- carrying food/ingredients to Mr.S' casa, transporting my laundry, returning books to the library, even throwing wet clothes in there after a day at the beach. Mr.S used to make fun of me when we first started dating because he thought the bags were pretty dorky (especially my purple one from Whole Foods with a giant eggplant on it and the enthusiastic statement of, "I Love Veggies!" but he confessed to me a few years ago that he started looking forward to those bags because it usually meant I was going to cook something delicious at his house. And last year, he even bought a few himself...now whether he actually takes them to the store or not, I have no idea...but who am I to judge?☺ Anyhow, I used the bags recently to bring the ingredients over to his house to cook Korean ground beef. Both he and Kidlet #1 gave it the thumbs up, as did my friend Michelle when I gave her some. This is a super versatile recipe and I'm pretty sure I'll be making it a lot now that I'm working. It's easy to throw together and you can use it in tacos, rice bowls (this works fantastically in bibimbap) or in lettuce wraps. You will need some gochujang sauce though- a Korean red pepper paste containing chiles, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt (and sometimes a sweetner). You can find it as most Asian supermarkets. It usually comes in a jar or a plastic tub and some brands are spicier/sweeter than others. Gochujang tastes great when used to make marinades, stir-fries or stew. Sometimes I like to mix it with peanut butter and few other condiments and use it as a dressing.



Korean Ground Beef

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 - 1.25 lbs. ground beef
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 scant cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (I just use my microplane)
1 heaping teaspoon gochujang
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat up your sesame oil over medium heat. Add your garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add your ground beef. Cook, stirring to break up the crumbles. When it's no longer pink, drain the fat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together your brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and gochujang.

3. Add the mixture to the beef. Simmer for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.


4. Sprinkle in green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Stir. Remove from heat.

5. Serve over rice, with lettuce leaves or with tortillas.
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Shakshuka : It's a Dish Not a Dance
Ally
 
So readers I have some exciting news. Next week I'll be starting a new job! I'm nervous and ecstatic about the whole thing. So, until things get settled in a bit, the ol' blog might slow down a skosh. I'll try to keep up though, I promise. However that said, you might see a lot more simple prep or one-pot weeknight meals as that's what I'll probably be eating for awhile. Trust me they'll still be just as delicious as the fancier stuff. Take this dish I made the other night for Mr.S. and Kidlet #1, called shakshuka.  Shakshuka is a North African dish that was brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews. The term "shakshuka" means "mixture" (in Arabic slang) and that's exactly what the dish is - a mixture of poached eggs and a spicy tomato-based sauce served in a cast iron skillet. It's similar in some ways to Mexico's huevos rancheros and Italy's uova al purgatorio (eggs in purgatory). Mr.S and Kidlet #1 loved the dish so much I'm sure it'll be our regular rotation. It's one of those dishes that's appropriate for breakfast, lunch or dinner and is extremely flavorful and satisfying. It smells heavenly when you're cooking it too! When I made it the other night, I served it over ground beef and crumbled Italian sausage because Mr. S wanted some meat with the dish, but it's equally great when paired with steamed rice or a crusty peasant bread for dipping.
 
Couple of tips:
 
- If you prefer, a bit of harissa can be substituted for the paprika and cayenne
 
- If you're feeling particularly ambitious, make a double batch of the sauce and freeze the extra portion. That way the next time you make the dish, all you have to do is thaw it out, throw it in the pan and add eggs.
 
- If you want the dish to be spicier, you can add some red pepper flakes while cooking or drizzle some hot sauce on the finished product.
 
- This is a great dish to be inventive with - add in your favorite ingredients like mushrooms, chard or cauliflower.
 
Shakshuka (adapted from the New York Times' Shakshuka with Feta)
 
Ingredients
 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 
1 large yellow or white onion- halved and thinly sliced
 
1 large jalapeno- stemmed, seeds removed, diced
 
1 large red or green bell pepper- seeds removed, cut into strips
 
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
 
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
 
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
 
1 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes with juices (chopped or you can crush with your hands)
 
2 tablespoons tomato paste
 
1 tablespoon brown sugar
 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
 
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, more to taste
 
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
 
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
 
8 large eggs
 
1.5 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
 
hot sauce, for serving (optional)
 
a sprinkle of z'atar (optional)
 
 
Instructions
 
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
 
2. Warm olive oil in large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. Cook until onion softens, about 15-20 minutes. Add garlic and sauté it for a few more minutes.
 
3. Add in cumin, sweet smoked paprika, turmeric and cayenne. Stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes thickened slightly. About 7-12 minutes (depending on your oven).
 
4. In a small bowl, mix your feta and crushed caraway seeds together. Add it to the tomato mixture. Stir together.
 
5. Using a spoon, shape shallow little wells in the sauce. Slip a whole egg into each well. Continue this around the perimeter of the skillet. (I found cracking each egg into a small bowl then slipping it to the well made it a bit easier for me.) You want to make sure you're leaving enough room between the eggs so they're not crowded. This helps the eggs keep their shape and enhances the presentation. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper across the tops of the eggs.
 
 
6. Carefully take the skillet off the stove and move it into the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on your eggs, you want to remove the skillet from the oven just as the eggs are beginning to set.
 
7. Sprinkle with z'atar (optional) and chopped parsley. Serve hot.
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Springtime Savory Dish : Asparagus Flan
Ally

It's a bit hard to tell in the photo but the flan is actually more of a muted light green then yellow.

A few years ago, Mr.S and I took a little getaway to Seattle. We found a wonderful little rustic restaurant in the Capitol Hill neighborhood called Cascina Spinasse. We indulged in the chef's tasting menu and had a fabulous evening there. One dish that really stood out taste wise, was the roasted leek flan. I've enjoyed traditional flan on numerous occasions but a savory flan was something new to me. The leek flan at Spinasse was amazing and I fell in love with it. This winter, I ran across an asparagus flan recipe in an old issue of Gourmet (the recipe was adapted from a dish served at the Andrea Hotel Ristorante in Turin, Italy) and I bookmarked it. Now that we're in the midst of springtime and the locally-grown, vibrant green asparagus spears are readily available (and cheap) at the farmers' market, I thought I'd try my hand at making asparagus flan. I pretty much followed the recipe in Gourmet but I did opt to leave off the rich Italian Fontina sauce in an effort to be healthier. I also took note of a helpful tip on Orangette to push the pureed asparagus through a sieve to get rid of any woody bits. The asparagus flan came out great- it had the silky-custard like texture you'd normally find with flan but instead of sweetness you're greeted with an intense, fresh asparagus taste. Next time, I think I might tweak the recipe a bit by perhaps mixing in some lovely roasted leeks, cooking the flan in individual ramekins and adding a dab of sauce. I think it would be a perfect first course for a dinner party.
 
Asparagus Flan (slightly adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients
 
2 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends removed
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Butter an 8-inch by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper, then butter paper.

3. Steam asparagus in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. (I used the steamer basket in my rice cooker instead.)

4. Purée steamed asparagus in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (You will have about 2 cups purée.)

5. Using a rubber spatula or spoon push the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove woody bits. This is a bit of a PIA but really makes a difference in the texture of the flan.

6. Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, then add in asparagus purée.       
                           
8. Pour asparagus mixture into pan.                 

7. For the water bath- you will need a large rectangular baking dish. Place a folded dishtowel in the baking dish. Place your round cake pan on top of the dishtowel. Add enough boiling-hot water to reach halfway up the side of the smaller pan. Bake in a hot water bath until flan is set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. 
 
 
9.Transfer pan to a rack to cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.          
                               
10. Run a thin knife around edge of flan to loosen, then invert a serving plate over pan and invert flan onto plate. Remove pan and discard paper. Cut flan into wedges. (I served some grated Parmesan on the side for sprinkling.) Serve immediately.
 
 
Optional Fontina Sauce:
 
Ingredients
 

1/4 lb Italian Fontina, rind discarded and cheese coarsely grated (or cut into 1/4-inch dice if too soft to grate)
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs yolks
1 tablespoon butter
 
Instructions
 
1. Put all sauce ingredients in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
 
2. Heat sauce, whisking until cheese and butter are melted, and then stirring with a wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes.
 
3. Remove bowl from pan. Serve sauce with flan.

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Easy Weeknight Meal: White Bean Chicken Chili
Ally
 
 
I'll let you in on a dirty little secret...as gung-ho as I am about making things from scratch in the kitchen there are times when I take the easy road (or as I like to call it the "sloth road"). Case in point, when the weather's warm the last thing I want to do is roast a whole chicken and have my cottage feeling like it's 100+ degrees so I buy a roasted chicken at Costco. Costco has crispy, golden-brown whole chickens ready to go for $5!! Can't beat that! Trust me, it can be quite the savior on a busy weeknight. Now granted you could go home and just eat the chicken as is but if you're feeling a bit more creative, you can use it as a base in a recipe. I do this often- I love chopping up the chicken meat and using it to make Curry Chicken Salad or slicing it up and using it in chicken pot pies, enchiladas, or even as a pizza topping. Store bought roasted chickens are so cheap and versatile.

Last week when one the kidlets was sick and stayed home, I made this terrific Saveur recipe that my friend Michelle sent me. I had a bunch of rotisserie chicken meat that I had thrown in a freezer bag that I wanted to use up and this was the perfect recipe to use it in. The original recipe requires you to do all the cooking on the stove top, but I just sautéed the veggies and herbs in a pan, then threw everything in a slow cooker and let it meld for a few hours. By the time the kidlets were ready to eat, everything was piping hot and ready to go! The kidlets liked it so much they both had second helpings. I liked it too but I think next time, I might toss in a cup of frozen corn to up the vegetable ratio. With all the time I saved using this recipe, Kidlet #2 and I watched Madagascar 3. Not a shabby flick! In fact, now I want to watch Madagascar 1 and 2. ☺
 
Note:
This is a great recipe to serve on a weeknight, potluck or on a game-day. Leftovers can be used in tacos and burritos.

Btw, don't shy away from using the jalapeno and the green chilies, this recipe is NOT spicy. Of course if you like heat, you could doctor it up a bit by adding more cayenne, hot sauce or not deseeding the jalapeno.
 
White Bean Chicken Chili (adapted from Saveur Cooks Recipe Journal)
 
Ingredients
 
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
2/3 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz.) can large white beans, undrained (I used Organic Great Northern Beans)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
 
 
Instructions
 
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until tender, 4 to 7 minutes. Add in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, carrots, cumin, oregano, cloves and cayenne.
 
2. Continue to cook the mixture for about 3-4 minutes.
 
3. In the slow cooker, place your shredded chicken, beans and broth. Add in the recently sautéed ingredients. Cover. If you started with frozen chicken, keep it on high for 2 hours then switch to low for at least 2 hours. If your chicken was thawed, then cook on low for 4-5 hours.
 
4. About 2 hours in, mash the chili with a large spoon or potato masher, until half the beans are broken up. This will give the chili a thicker consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
 
5. To serve- spoon chili in bowl and top with shredded cheese. The cheese gets nice and gooey (which the kidlets loved). I served mine with a bacon-chive focaccia bread but tortillas or cornbread would work well too.
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Morel and Fiddlehead Fern Tart
Ally


Sometimes it's nice to get out of town, even if it's just for the day. A change of scenery, cooler weather and a bit of adventure is often just what you need to break out of a rut. This past Saturday, my friend Amanda and I took a mini-trip to San Francisco. Not much was on our agenda- just the desire to putter around, get some fresh air and grab a delicious lunch.

Pulling into town, we hit up the Ferry Building to check out it's myriad of culinary goods and to take a peek at the farmers' market. The produce selection that day was about what it is in Sac, just twice the price. We did find two great mushroom stands though...one in the building and one in the farmers' market. Amanda bought these gorgeous pink (yes, pink!) Tree Oyster mushrooms.




I bought some morels, nameko mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns at the indoor stand. I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to use the nameko mushrooms for but I did whip up an amazing tart with the morels and fiddlehead ferns on Saturday afternoon. If you're unfamiliar with the two-- morels are a mushroom that have a spongy, honeycomb-like texture and a wonderfully complex, meaty taste. Mr. S loves them and looks forward to them every year. They have a very short season, you can usually purchase them for a week or two in the spring. Morels love to grow in forests near dead or decaying trees and also in areas that have been burnt by a wildfire.



Fiddleheads ferns are the tightly coiled fronds of a young Ostrich fern. They're called fiddleheads because they resemble the curled end of a violin or a fiddle. This wild edible can usually be found in the early spring. They're a bit elusive, so you most likely won't find them at your local supermarket but sometimes you can find them at the farmers' market, if you're lucky. Fiddleheads are a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, potassium, iron and fiber. They are green, crunchy and have a grassy, slightly bitter taste similar to asparagus.




Morel and Fiddlehead Fern Tart

Ingredients

1 frozen pie crust, defrosted (I like the ones at Trader Joe's)

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray

10-12 fresh morels

10-12 fresh fiddlehead ferns (woody ends trimmed)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 oz. goat cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

1/4 cup half and half

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1.  Cut each morel in half lengthwise. Place morels in a large bowl of cold water. Swish around to loosen any dirt or critters. Soak for about 10-20 minutes, Lift the morels out and dump the water and debris. Gently pat the morels dry with paper towels. (Do your morel cleaning right before making your tart. Do not do it earlier as the morels can get soggy after being cleaned.)

2. Boil a pot of salted water. Blanch fiddleheads ferns for two to three  minutes. Remove and place in  a small bowl of ice cold water to shock the fiddleheads and stop the cooking process.

3. In a large pan, heat the butter. Sauté the morels and fiddleheads for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

4. Roll out pie crust. Spray 12" tart pan with cooking spray. Place pie crust in pan. Trim to fit. Poke a few holes in middle with fork to aerate. Par bake according to instructions. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. In a large bowl, beat together goat cheese, eggs, Parmesan, half and half, garlic, thyme, rosemary, chives, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (I like to use my Kitchenaid mixer so that I can make sure the filling gets nice and smooth. You don't want any lumps.)

6. Spread evenly over pie crust. Place morels and fiddleheads ferns on top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Stick a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, it's done.  Remove from oven. Can be served hot, warm or at room-temperature.

8. Can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 days and reheated.

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Spicy Red Curry Lentils
Ally

No matter how much  you try to focus on having a positive attitude, there will be some days when everything will seem to irritate you and you'll feel like pulling your hair out. For me most recently it was when my neighbor across the courtyard decided to practice his guitar solo with the amp cranked up at 1 am in the morning (yet again!). I got no sleep as it resonated throughout my cottage, all the way back to my bedroom. Not only was the guitar playing loud but it sounded awful- like feral cats having a Battle Royale outside.

So the next day, I was exhausted and cranky but I had promised to make Mr.S and Kidlet #1 dinner. I mulled over what to make and settled on lentils. (Kidlet #1 is in training for mountain biking and Mr.S is focused on eating more protein lately, so I thought it'd be a good choice.) One of my favorite slow cooker recipes to make during the winter is my Crockpot Chorizo and Lentil dish but sometimes I just don't have the time to wait 5-6 hours for dinner to cook. A great fall back is this rich and hearty (but low in fat), vegetarian Red Curry Lentils recipe. No pre-soaking of lentils required and it utilizes coconut milk and Soyrizo, perfect if you have vegetarian friends coming over for dinner or are just looking to cut back on your meat consumption. Now before you go, "Ugh! Soyrizo ?!" Give it a chance. My friend Christina recommended it to me a few years ago and I was suspicious, but Soyrizo actually turned out to be pretty good tasting. (Tip: You can buy it for cheap at Trader Joe's.)

Spicy Red Curry Lentils

Ingredients

12 oz. Soyrizo
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups lentils (green or brown)
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
couple of shakes of your favorite hot sauce (I used Cholula)
a few dashes of paprika
1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
1 (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes or unsweetened tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat up your butter over med-high heat. Sauté your Soyrizo, diced onion and garlic. Set aside.

2. Rinse and pick over your lentils. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook your lentils per package instructions. When done, add back in your Soyrizo, garlic and onions.

3. Add in red curry paste, garam masala, coriander, curry powder, brown sugar, turmeric, minced ginger, hot sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper.

4. Cook for 2-4 minutes.

5. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, mixing so that the ingredients blend well. Add in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook thoroughly for 20-25 minutes, stirring periodically.

6. Garnish with green onions, Thai basil or a dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve over jasmine or basmati rice. The dish goes equally well with garlic naan.

7. Leftovers can be frozen.

☺ TIP: If the end product turns out to be a bit too spicy for you, you can adjust the heat by adding extra coconut milk.

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Celebrate Sacramento Beer Week By Making Cary's Chile Colorado
Ally

It's Sacramento Beer Week folks! If you can't get out to one of the myriad of activities going on around town, that's ok- you can still celebrate at home. Pick up a 6-pack or a growler of your favorite local brew and make a beer-based recipe. I made a big batch of delicious Chile Colorado recently and it went over like gangbusters with Mr.S and the kidlets. The Chile Colorado recipe was acquired from my friend Cary Miller, he's brought this magical concoction to some of our potlucks and I've always found myself going back for a second helping- it's that good! You can use any kind of light beer you want. I just happened to have some Blue Moon leftover so I used that (I actually threw in a bit more than 1 bottle--shhh!). Next time I might try and use one of my favorite beers from Berryessa or Track 7. The recipe is a bit labor intensive so make a big batch- you won't regret it. We got a couple of meals out of ours. The kidlets especially loved it over rice but you can use it in tacos, burritos or eat with eggs for breakfast.

(Art Source: Heather Calderon)


Cary's Chile Colorado (recipe reprinted with permission)

Ingredients
  • 8 New Mexico Chiles  (dried)
  • One bottle of beer  (what's your poison?)
  • 8 pounds of beef  (Boneless Beef Chuck Roast. Preferably already cut into cubes.)
  • One large yellow onion
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 3 cloves of garlic  (finely minced)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 
1. Bring three cups of water to a boil. Place your dried chiles in the boiling water, cover, and turn off the heat. Let sit for 20 minutes, or until the chiles are reconstituted.
 
2. In the mean time, dice up your large yellow onion, and sauté it in a pan with 1 Tbs butter. Cook until it starts to caramelize, then set aside.
 
3. If the meat isn't already cut into cubes, do so now. You will want roughly 1.5" cubes, depending on your preference. Put 1 Tbs butter in a large stock pot, turn your heat to medium, and sear all of your cubed meat, preferably in small batches, so that all sides of beef are seared.
 
4. When you are done searing in batches, place all of the beef back in the stockpot.
 
5. Add the sautéed onions, one bottle of beer (whatever you like... I prefer something kind of light for this recipe) three cloves of garlic (minced,) and salt and pepper to the stockpot as well. Let the stock pot sit without heat while you prepare the New Mexico chiles.
 
6. Put your re-constituted chiles on a cutting board (setting aside the water they were cooked in) and cut their tops off, then slice them open and remove all of the seeds (it's easiest to do this under running water.)
 
7. Place all of the chiles in a blender and add whatever is left of the three cups of water that you boiled. Blend until pureed. Get it as smooth as you can. Then filter through a mesh, or something similar, to get rid of any stringy pieces of skin, etc.
 
8. Pour the chile sauce you've just created into the stock pot, and mix everything around really good. If needed, add a bit of water (or more beer!) to just cover the beef with liquid. Bring the entire mixture to a boil, over medium heat, and then set the temp to low and slow-cook, without a lid, for three hours or so.
 
9. If the liquid gets too far below the meat you can always add more liquid (water, beef broth, beer,) but it will generally stay pretty wet in the pot if you cook it on a nice, low temperature.
 
10. Stir the pot once ever 30 minutes or so. Chile Colorado is done when you can easily break the meat apart with a fork -- remember, we want Melt In Your Mouth Goodness!!
 
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Jamie Oliver's Braised Chicken in Milk
Ally

Happy (Belated) New Year! I hope you all welcomed the new year healthy and vibrant; unlike me, who was laid up with the creeping crud (aka the horrendous cold that everyone seems to be getting). I started exhibiting symptoms on Christmas Eve and am just now starting to feel normal as we embark on the second week of January. I had the whole symptom shebang- major congestion, aches, fever, sinus pressure and coughing. For about a week my voice was so raspy that I probably could have passed for a phone sex operator. Thanks to loads of Afrin, Nyquil, Sudafed and several boxes of Puffs with Lotion, I'm almost back to my usual sassy self. I didn't cook much during my illness but I did crawl out of my death bed to make a terrific NYE meal. Mr. S and I had both kidlets so we opted for a night in at his house (too many amateurs out there guzzling champagne for my taste) and invited his brother to join us. To usher in the new year, I decided to break in my new red Dutch oven and make a Jamie Oliver recipe that I had been eyeballing for awhile- Chicken in Milk. This recipe is from his cookbook, "Happy Days With The Naked Chef." I know, I know...chicken in milk sounds slightly unappetizing, but trust me this recipe is wonderful! Combining milk with lemon, you would think you would end up with a rancid pot of curdled milk, right? Nope! In this case, the unusual combination creates a flavorful sauce with some dodgy looking but delicious cheese-like curds. It's toe-curling good! Not only that, but while it's cooking it will fill your house with heavenly aromas. I didn't change much from the original recipe- I did sub in boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they're easier to portion and serve. Additionally, I adjusted the amount of butter and the cooking time and I added a ton more garlic. The roasted butter makes a delectable savory spread if you're serving bread/rolls with your dinner. Seriously, this is the perfect comfort food meal when you are feeling less than stellar- quick to assemble and cook and aces in the flavor department.



Braised Chicken in Milk (adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe)
Feeds 5

Ingredients

  • 12 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh (roughly 3 lbs.) 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked
  • zest from 2 lemons (I used 3 b/c mine were small Meyers)
  • 15 garlic cloves, skins left on
  • 1 pint whole milk (don't sub in soy, coconut almond, or ultra-pasteurized milk- it won't come out as good)
    •  
     
    Instructions
     
    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
     
    2. Season your chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper (on both sides). In a large Dutch oven (I used a 6 quart one), heat up your butter. Fry your chicken in the butter until it gets nice and golden. Place done thighs on a separate dish.
     
    3. Discard the leftover butter but leave the sticky, brown bits at the bottom of the pot. The brown bits will infuse additional flavor into your sauce.
     
    4. Add your cinnamon stick, sage, lemon zest, garlic cloves and milk to the pot. (Tip: don't use a microplane for your zest in this recipe- it'll get gunky as it cooks. Use a veggie peeler, peel large strips of lemon peel off... -no pith-... and then slice them up into thin sticks.)
    Give the mixture a good stir. Then return your chicken thighs to the pot.
     
     
    5. Place the pot in the oven (with the lid on), cook for 30 minutes. Give the chicken thighs a good baste.
     
    6. Remove the lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until done.
     
    7. When done, remove pot from oven. The chicken thighs will be so tender they will almost fall apart.
     
    8. Fish out the garlic cloves. Using your fingers, push the roasted garlic innards out of the skins and place in a bowl. Ditch the cinnamon stick.
     
    9.  Drizzle the chicken with the remaining sauce and serve with your favorite side. I made shaved Brussels sprouts with bacon, some rice and included a few rosemary/Parmesan rolls (which we slathered with the warm roasted garlic) to sop up all that liquid gold (sauce).
    This dish would also go great with mashed potatoes or wilted greens.
     
    * (If the texture of the chicken drippings/milk sauce oogs you out, give it a quick whirl with an immersion blender over medium heat, it'll give it a smoother consistency).
     
    * If you are one of those people who absolutely abhor sage, you can sub in thyme and rosemary. The final taste will (obviously) be slightly different.
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    Vegetarian-Friendly: Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta
    Ally

    I've been home from my trip for a week now and my suitcase is STILL sprawled on my living room floor and I've been picking things out of it as needed like a vulture picks at a carcass. Ugh! I don't know why, but unpacking feels like such a chore. Not that packing a suitcase is more fun but at least it has the added aspect that you're packing to go somewhere, an impending travel adventure.

    On a related note...do you know what your packing style is? I never gave it much thought until I started dating Mr.S. He starts packing for trips a few days before the trip and packs A LOT. Me? I tend to pack light and the night before (or sometimes even the morning of) a trip. Guess who tends to forget things more often? You got it--him. I think my packing style drives him crazy, but what can he do? And yes, he also is the type that has to immediately (and I mean immediately) unpack his luggage the minute we get home. As soon as we hit the door, he's throwing dirty shirts in the laundry, returning the toothbrushes to their upright position in the bathroom mug and the suitcases are emptied and put away before my butt can hit the sofa.

    (photo source: unknown)

    Anyhow, if your significant other is like mine, let him sort out and put away the clothing, toiletries and travel souvenirs; while he's doing that, hit the kitchen and make this barley risotto for the two of you. It tastes amazing and is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night. My friend, Michelle, ordered a similar dish at a Midtown restaurant (Tuli's) about a month ago and gave me a taste. Inspired by it's many mingling layers of delicious flavors, I looked around for the recipe and stumbled about this version in Yotam Ottolenghi's book, Jerusalem. Be sure not to skip making the feta with caraway seeds- it really add an amazing dimension of flavor to the dish. I had never used caraway seeds in a dish before and was surprised at how aromatic and tasty they are- kind of a nutty, anise-like taste. The barley risotto itself has a nice chewy texture and a deep tomato flavor. This scrumptious dish works great as a main course or as a side dish and is an easy meal to prepare for vegetarian friends. Although barley risotto is definitely less temperamental to prepare than traditional risotto, remember to still stir often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.


    Yotam Ottolenghi's Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta (you can find the original recipe in his book, Jerusalem)
    makes 4 servings

    Ingredients

    1 cup pearl barley
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    2 stalks celery, diced
    2 small shallots, diced
    4 cloves of garlic, diced
    4 sprigs thyme
    1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    1 bay leaf
    4 strips of lemon peel
    1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
    1  14-oz can chopped tomatoes (I used Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes)
    1 1/4 cups of passata (I used Pomi's strained pureed tomatoes instead)
    scant 3 cups vegetable stock
    1 tablespoon caraway seeds
    10.5 oz  feta, crumbled
    1 tablespoon fresh oregano
    salt, to taste

    Instructions
    1. In a mesh strainer, rinse the barley and leave it to drain.

    2. In a large pot, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the celery, shallots and garlic. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Then add the barley, thyme sprigs, smoked paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, chile flakes, chopped tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, stock and salt. Stir to combine.

    3. Bring the mixture to a nice boil, then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 45 minutes (uncovered). Stir frequently to prevent the barley from sticking to the bottom.

    4. While your barley risotto is cooking, toast your caraway seeds in a small, dry pan until they start to impart a toasty, nutty smell. Remove from heat immediately. Place in a bowl (or with a mortar and pestle set) and gently crush the seeds.

    5. In a medium sized bowl, combine your toasted caraway seeds, crumbled feta and remaining (4 tablespoons) olive oil. Mix to combine.

    6. When the barley is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat. Divide your barley portions into bowls and top with marinated feta and a sprinkle of fresh oregano.
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    Spicy Cashew Chicken and a Side of Margaret Cho
    Ally

    I love Sundays! They always feel so lazy and decadent after a busy Friday and Saturday. Last night, Mr.S. and I had a date night and went to the Crest to see my all-time favorite comedian, Margaret Cho. I've seen her a ton of times over the years (going as far back as when she used to headline at the Punchline) and last night she didn't disappoint. She even played the guitar and sang a hilarious song called, "Fat P*ssy." Mr.S. had never seen her live before and he thoroughly enjoyed her show.


    Afterwards, we grabbed a late night bite at Broderick (man, that place never disappoints!) and went to bed pretty late. So when this morning rolled around, I was tired and didn't want to get out of bed or change from my PJs. I stayed in them until almost 11am. Can you say L-A-Z-Y? ☺ I did eventually get dressed because I was meeting a friend at Old Soul at 40 Acres for some coffee and a bite. Grabbing good coffee always motivates me to get off my bum.

    Anyhow since I was tired and staying at the cottage tonight, I wanted to make something super simple (I hate doing dishes). I originally found this recipe on a food blog (the name eludes me at the moment) but that blogger had adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe. I've made the Martha version several times since I stumbled upon it, changing bits and pieces here and there as I went along to accommodate my own personal taste. I've finally reached a point where I'm done tinkering with it. It's a great quick meal for those nights you're dining solo and want to be able to make something on auto-pilot. I have also made this dish for Mr.S. (who at times can be a finicky eater) and he really likes it. What's also great about this dish is that you can pair it with quinoa, brown rice, farro or even noodles. You can also add additional veggies to make it more nutritious- I've added onions, red bell pepper, scallions, carrots and even steamed broccoli to the mix depending on my mood. It's a very versatile dish. (I may even make it for the kidlets soon and just leave out the red pepper.)

    Spicy Cashew Chicken

    Ingredients

    1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch bite-sized cubes (boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well too)
    1 tablespoon cornstarch
    2 tablespoons of peanut oil
    6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
    1-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated
    1/2 to 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
    2 tablespoons of unseasoned rice wine vinegar
    3 tablespoons of hoisin
    1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce
    2 teaspoons of brown sugar (optional)
    1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)
    a couple of light shakes of Chinese black vinegar (available at most Asian grocery stores)
    1/2 cup sugar snap peas
    salt and pepper, to taste
    3/4 cup of roasted cashews (you can roast themselves if you wish, just buy unsalted raw cashews to do so)
    couple of shakes of toasted sesame oil


    Instructions

    1. In a bowl, toss chicken cubes with cornstarch and a pinch or two of fresh ground pepper. Make sure the bits are evenly coated. (Alternate method: You can  put the cornstarch and pepper in a Ziploc bag, add the chicken and shake it up.) The cornstarch coating will make your chicken tender and keep it moist.

    2. In a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat , heat up your oil until it's really hot. Toss in your chicken, stirring occasionally so that all sides of the chicken cubes get cooked. (Don't crowd the pieces, you want it to sear evenly.) When done, remove chicken and set aside in a bowl.

    3. In the same skillet you were using, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add back in the cooked chicken.

    4. Add the rice wine vinegar, hoisin, soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock and few shakes of Chinese black vinegar. Stir everything together so that the flavors can meld. Bring to a nice simmer and let the ingredients cook together for 2-3 minutes. Add in your sugar snap peas. Taste the sauce, add some salt and pepper if you wish.

    5. Toss in the roasted cashews. Give the dishes a shake or two of sesame oil. Mix everything well.

    6. Serve hot over your favorite side- rice, quinoa, farro, noodles, etc..
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