Off topic... but so funny

This is neither recipe nor anything to do with Leavenworth. What it is instead is a welcome diversion and funny slice of life in SF. I made a spoon feint the other night with my hot moves right after listening to these stories about the Beatles' first appearance in America on Ed Sullivan, two crazy Bostonians who brought their carefree world with them to Iraq, and one of my latest favorite writers, Shalom Auslander.

For fans of this american life old and new, I hope you enjoy:

http://thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=281

Kyle

Kabocha Squash Soup

1 medium kabocha squash
1 medium delicata squash
(you can use any kind of winter squash here...one large butternut would suffice, or 2 acorns)

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Halve the squash, clean out seeds, and place cut side down onto baking sheet. Bake until very tender, about 50 minutes.

3-4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 stick butter
3 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2-4 sage leaves
leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

OPTIONAL:
1/3-1/2 cup apple cider
knob of ginger about the size of a big toe (ew), grated
heavy cream!

In a stock pot, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add leeks and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme, bay leaf, and stock. Bring to a boil.
When squash is fully cooked, carefully scoop out as much flesh as you can, being careful not to get any skin. Add squash to the stock, and try to break up as best you can. Season with salt to taste. When squash has been in the pot for about 10-15 minutes, transfer soup to a blender and puree. Put it back in the pot.

At this point I added a little more thyme and about 1/2 cup of apple cider. This is optional, but adds a nice flavor. I also added some grated ginger.

Add a little heavy cream just before serving!

Leavenworth Update

As of tomorrow, December 1, all of the original residents of 1301 Leavenworth Street, apartments 22, 42, 44, and 48, will be gone. It's the end of an era! For real real! You can now find these core Team Dinner members at the following locations:

#22 - Timmy - Durham, NC
#42 - Alex and Laucha - Inner Sunset, SF
#44 - Jacob - Bowling Green, OH
#44 - Karen - Shrewsbury, MA
#44 - Melissa - Hayes Valley, SF
#48 - Thomas - Inner Richmond, SF

Shed a tiny tear for the end of 1301 Leavenworth, people. But wipe it away slowly with the hankie of relief that is this here blog.

Vegetable Tagine

I made this last night and it came out really really good. It's vegan! I based it on a recipe from Chow.com, but I made several changes as can be seen from my recipe.

Here's the original recipe: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10840

Here's what I used:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons turmeric
1-2 teaspoons ground coriander
dash of cayenne pepper
2 thumbs worth of chopped fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled, sliced diagonally
1 cup canned diced tomatoes in juice
2-3 cups vegetable broth (depends on how much liquid you want)
Pinch saffron - this ingredient is pretty key - pre-soak in a small amount of hot water
2 zucchinis, in half moon slices.
1/2 cup green olives, halved
2 cups cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas, drained (I used one can)
1 cup dried currants (can also use raisins, apricots, prunes, whatever)
1 preserved lemon, seeds removed, finely chopped (I used fresh lemon juice instead)
salt and pepper

Directions: Slice the onions and sautee with olive oil until onions are mostly wilted. Add all spices except saffron. Add salt and pepper. Add a bit of broth if the spices start to stick to the pot. Add carrots, garlic, ginger, cook for 4 mins. Then add tomatoes, broth, saffron, lemon. Let stew come to a boil and simmer for 10 mins. Add chickpeas, simmer for 5 mins more. Then add olives, zucchini, currants (or other dried fruit) and cook for 10 mins on medium simmer until zucchini and carrots are the preferred consistency. Adjust salt, pepper and other spices to taste - there should be a good balance of cinnamon and saffron.

I really liked what I made, but next time I would adjust a few things. Mainly, I'd add more olives (I felt unsure about this, but they ended up tasting really good) and more dried fruit - the currants were the best part. I already adjusted the recipe to call for 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. I actually used some raisins too since I ran out of currants.

I served this over quinoa, which worked really well! Would also be great with couscous or rice....other possible veggies include cauliflower, eggplant, squash - these would all be great.

Enjoy
David

Merguez Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

I made this soup tonight and based it roughly on an Italian sausage soup recipe. However, I changed several ingredients mainly to adjust to what I had in the house. The principal important ingredients are merguez sausage (lamb or beef usually), beans (white or not white) and greens (I used swiss chard, but kale would also be excellent).

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
8 sausages - about 1.25 lbs of meat
1 leek, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 can white beans, with liquid
1-1.5 cups chopped tomato (fresh or canned)
1 large bunch of swiss chard (red chard looks nice)
3-4 cups chicken broth
1-2 tsp thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp white pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot, heat olive oil and add whole sausages. Fry until browned on all sides. When browned, add garlic, shallots, leek and sautee for 2 minutes. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, and all spices and bring to a simmer. While the liquid gets hot, take sausages out of the pot one at a time w/ a slotted spoon, cut them into bite sized pieces, and put the pieces back in the soup. Let the soup simmer for a few minutes to make sure sausage is fully cooked, then add swiss chard. Continue simmer until swiss chard is tender. Serve immediately, or save to serve later or the next day. The soup is very nice with a squeeze of lime or lemon.

I ended up inventing this recipe because one of the vendors at the Ferry Building gave me all of this sausage for free. Merguez sausage is very good and has nice spices that really add to the flavor of this soup, but a similar soup can easily be made w/ other types of sausage.

Asparagus Risotto with Lemon and Peas

adapted from a recipe from Mario Batali

Asparagus Risotto with Lemon and Peas

Time: 45 minutes

1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved
6 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 package frozen peas (fresh if they're in season!)
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup chopped basil
10-15 sage leaves
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
about 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside. (mbc note: i pureed them raw- admittedly i wasnt reading this recipe while i cooked)

2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.

4. After about 15 minutes, add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, basil, sage, and peas, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 1/2 cup asparagus puree. Remove skillet from heat, add lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Corn Bisque and Lime Cream

Hi! I'm one of Karen's friends from vet school and I brought this soup to a recent potluck. I didn't serve the lime cream then because the sour cream I bought was spoiled, but the soup is plenty good without it.
Adapted from "A New Way to Cook"

Corn Bisque
2-3 tbsp peanut oil, preferably Spectrum brand
2 med yellow or Vidalia onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
30oz cooked corn, either fresh or frozen
2 dried red chiles, crumbled
1/2 ancho chile (optional)
2-3 tsp toasted cumin seeds
2 c. veggie broth
2 tbsp parsley or cilantro
2 c. 2% or whole milk

Lime Cream:
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives or scallions
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
1-3 tbsp lime juice, to taste
pepper to taste
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Corn Bisque: Saute chopped onion in peanut oil until translucent and lightly browned. While the onions are cooking, mash the garlic cloves with salt. Once the onions are done, add the corn, both kinds of chilies, the cumin seed, and the veggie broth. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off burner and let sit until cool enough to puree in food processor, or use immersion blender. Puree 3/4 - all of the soup depending on desired consistency, adding parsley/ cilantro to the portion to be pureed. Add the milk, taste and adjust salt, and heat gently until warmed through. For the Lime Cream, just mix all ingredients together, and serve on top of soup.

Winter Squash Lasagna with sage, walnuts and black kale

This was great. Kind of dairy heavy... but the kale was a great addition. This is from Deborah Madison's cookbook. It is especially good on a cold fall evening :)
hope you kittens are well!
love, kareni

ingridients:
3.5c milk
aromatics: 1 garlic clove, 1 slice onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 parsley sprig
1 large butternut squash (3lbs or less)
4 plump garlic cloves
20 or so sage lleaves
packed .5c parsley leaves
.25c olive oil
1 large onion cute into squares
1 c lightly toasted walnuts or hazlenuts finely chopped
sea salt and ground pepper
1.5 Tbs butter
3.5 Tbs flour
1 8 oz package no boil lasagne noodles
1c grated gruyere cheese
1c freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 bunches black kale
pinch of red pepper flakes

1. butter large baking dish and preheat oven to 375F. in a small pot heat the milk w aromtatics and when its nearly boiling, cover the put, turn it off and let it stand
2. peel squash and chop into .5 inch cubes. chop 2 cloves of garlic and the sage and parsley. heat olive oil in skillet add the sqyash... cook until they are a little softened. Add the onions and continue cooking until squash is tendor. reduce heat and continue to cook until slightly caramelized. add garlic and herb mixture. cook a few more minutes then turn off heat. add s and p to taste
3. melt butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. reheat the milk and pour it thru a strainer into the roux....while wisking briskly! turn heat low and wait until it thickens (like 15 min) season w s and p to taste.
4. spread .5c sauce onto baking dish and lay 3 noodles over it. cover with half the squash mixture, 1c of sauce, half the gruyere and a third of the parmesan. repeat and then add the third layer of noodles. spread remaining sauce and top with parmesan. tent with foil. bake for 30 min, then remove foil and continue to bake until bubbly and golden (20 min longer). remove from oven and let rest while you cook the kale
5. strip kale from ropy stems. cut into .5inch strips. head oil and garlic. when oil is golden add the kale
add some crushed red pepper flakes. and some salt, toss in the pan and coat with oil and then add 2 c of water (I added much less then this, and there was still too much water.. i would say go with .75c) cook until it is as tender as you like it!
6. lay kale on plate and top with cheesey bubbly goodness :)


enjoy!

Pao de Queijo - Brasilian Cheese Bread

I made this last night and they came out excellent as usual. It made 20 small cheese breads. The picture I am including was not taken by me....it's from the web. But mine looked sort of like this, but even better. These are so easy to make and so delicious!

2 cups manioc flour (can be found at any Asian or Brasilian market...it's super inexpensive, I buy a Vietnamese brand)

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (can also use canola oil, or combination of the two)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated parmesan cheese or other hard cheese....stronger cheese is really nice. Adding more cheese doesn't hurt either...the cheesier the better.
2 eggs

Mix milk, salt and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, then add the manioc flour. Then add the cheese and eggs, kneed with your hands or spoon until it's smooth, then form balls (depending on how big you want the small breads to be) with your hands. Cook on greased baking sheet at 400 degrees until they are lightly browned and crispy on top, about 15-20 mins. Serve right away. They are delicious.

I personally love the texture of bread made with manioc flour, and ate lots of pan de yuca in Ecuador when I was there last year (same idea, but without the cheese).

Spicy Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Collard Greens, Crispy Tempeh Strips, and Jasmine Rice

Hey guys,

Folks asked for this one a long time ago- I made it at my house this spring. It's from my favorite cookbook- Fresh Food Fast, by Peter Berley and Melissa Clark.

This menu can easily be made vegan (scrap the butter) and gluten-free (pick wheat-free tempeh and perhaps check the coconut milk?... those are the only really processed ingredients.)

Enjoy!

-Brigid


Spicy Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Collard Greens

Serves 4

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onion (about 2 medium)
2 tsp coarse salt
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small jalepeno pepper with seeds, minced
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground or 1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 small bunch collard geens, tough stems removed, and leaves cut in half along the rib, and then crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
lime wedges
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and saute until softened, for 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the sweet potato, garlic, jalpeno, ginger, coriander, and turmeric, and saute for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, the coconut milk, and 2 teaspoons of salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

3. Add the collard greens to the soup and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of water if the soup is too thick.

4. Ladle the soup into 4 wide soup plates, and top with a spoonful of jasmine rice and several crisy tempeh strips. Squeeze lime over and sprinkle with cilantro.


Crispy Tempeh Strips

Serves 4

2 (8 ounce) packages of soy tempeh, cut into 3 x 1/4 inch strips
2 cups neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower
Coarse salt

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Fry the tempeh in batches (don't crowd the pan) until golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt


Jasmine Rice

Serves 4

2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1 Tbs unsalted butter (optional)
1 tsp coarse salt

1. in a medium saucepan over high heat, combine rice, butter, and salt with 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Stir the rice once, reduce heat, and cover the pan.

2. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice begins to stick on the bottom, about 18-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve.

more like a question then a recipe- per se....

hi friends-

I am writting to solicit advice on behalf of my mother. she really likes brocolli rabe- but complains that everytime she makes it, it turns out bitter. do you asian cuisine-savvy folks have any advice??

lovelove- your poop4eva
ive been hanging out w a lot of 20year olds.. what can i say-- they rub off on me :)

k

Lemon Chicken

Melissa and I invented this recipe and it turned out really well. It was great alongside the disappearing zucchini orzo.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (pounded and cut into thirds)
1 cup flour
a few pinches salt
10 grinds of the pepper
several pinches of fresh thyme (dried would work too)
A few tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup (or maybe more) white wine (we used Riesling)
2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 pinch herbs from Provence (or else just more thyme)
more salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
a few pinches of Hungarian paprika

Directions: Mix flour, pepper, salt and thyme in small dish. Coat pounded chicken with flour mixture, then sautee in the olive oil in a deep pan. Once the chicken is browned, add shallots, wine and lemons. Add herbs, more salt and pepper and butter, then cover and let simmer for several minutes (10 or so). Then add paprika and serve. Lemon rinds should be tender enough to eat by this point, and chicken should be fully cooked.

Disappearing Orzo Photos

Here are some photos of the zucchini orzo before and after it disappeared! It was really good.

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

This is adapted from Barbara Kingsolver's recipe from her new book Animal Vegetable Miracle

Ingredients:
1 lb orzo pasta
Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 large zucchini
olive oil for sauté
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese (or more to taste)
1 tbsp butter (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with garlic until lightly golden.
Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.

Spanekopeta

Kyle and I made this Spanekopeta recipe for the chowhound picnic, and it came out really well. The recipe comes from my grandmother - not sure where or when she got it, but it's a family favorite. My aunt serves it every Christmas.

It takes a while to prepare - Kyle and I spent about 2 hrs working together to prepare the pies, then we froze them. They bake for about 1 hr and 15 minutes when frozen.

I took some pictures, which I will try to add to this post when I load them to my computer.

Spanakopeta

from Judy Pistrang

1/2 lb. phyllo dough (cut 1 lb. package in half)

2 packages frozen spinach, leaf or chopped (I like to use one of each)

2 T olive oil

1 medium grated onion

1 T dried dill

1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled

2 T grated romano cheese (or parmesan cheese)

2 T large curd cottage cheese

1/2 to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 stick butter, melted

1 egg for glaze

Thaw phyllo dough according to package.

Saute onions in oil until wilted. Add frozen spinach to onion and cook together until defrosted. Cool. Add dill.

Beat 2 eggs well. Add baking powder, feta, cottage cheese and 2 T romano or parmesan.

Combine spinach and cheese mixtures.

Butter 13 X 9 inch pan. Construct Spanakopeta as follows:

Layer 5- 6 sheets of phyllo in pan, overlapping each other, covering the sides of the pan (overlap 1 inch over sides of pan). Brush each sheet with melted butter. Put half of spinach/cheese mixture in pan, spread evenly, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat with 5 or 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing with butter. Spread rest of spinach/cheese mixture, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with rest of phyllo sheets, brush with butter. Fold sides over to seal. Brush with one beaten egg.

With sharp knife cut diagonally into 3 to 4 inch squares.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until brown. May be frozen and baked for 1 hour at 350.

Chocolate Coconut Pudding

from Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.com

Coconut Chocolate Pudding Recipe

September 4, 2007 | by Heidi

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tablespoons sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 teaspoon raz el hanout spice blend or curry powder, (optional)
3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted (be sure to check the label- non-alkalized will not set!)
1 3.5-ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a separate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend (or curry powder), and cocoa powder.

When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Now whisk the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up to a boil and thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of spices (or curry powder).

Serves four.

Melissa's Marinara with Meatballs

YUM! David and Alex and I made some pasta last night with meatballs and hot italian sausage and it was delectable.

for the meatballs:
• 1 lb. ground beef ( I used grass-fed from Whole Foods)
• 2 slices white bread (wheat is fine, but nothing nothing crusty- anything pre-sliced in a bag is good- eek!)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
• a handfull of chopped basil
• a handful of breadcrumbs
• about 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper


Soak the bread in the milk until soggy, add everything else, mix with your hands and form into balls. Brown outside in a frying pan before dropping into sauce to cook the rest of the way.

for the sauce:
• as many fresh tomatoes as you can get- any kind. I used Early girls and cherry tomatoes.
• 2 onions, chopped coarsely
• many cloves of garlic
• a handful of chopped basil
• a bay leaf
• a splash of red wine (optional)
• meatballs and sausage (optional)

Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaf. Let cook until tomatoes break apart and it starts to look like a sauce. At any point you can add wine, meatballs, and sausages. make sure they cook through all the way!

Costa Rican Refried Beans

I made refried beans tonight using Salsa Lizano, which is a Costa Rican sauce similar to Worcestershire. If you don't have salsa lizano, you could add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and a bit more sugar and it would be similar. Or just skip the Salsa Lizano and it'd probably still be very good.

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup water
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil.
2 tablespoons salsa lizano (costa rican sauce)
1 teaspoon sugar

Open can of black beans, drain out the liquid, rinse thoroughly and drain again. Put beans in cuisinart and add one cup of water. Puree beans and water.

Meanwhile, fry onions and garlic in a saucepan w/ oil, cumin, salt and cilantro. When this is browned and ready, add the bean/water mixture into the pot. Add salsa lizano and sugar, and keep over medium heat. Simmer, stirring regularly, until enough water evaporates. You will be left with delicious pureed black refried beans (technically not refried I guess, since they are only fried once, but whatever.....) They tasted just like the beans that I ate this one time in Costa Rica.

Chayote Soup

I made this soup tonight and it came out great. This was my first time ever cooking a chayote - they are pretty weird when you cut them, but then they turn normal once they are cooked.

• 2 large chayotes, peeled and sliced into 2 inch thick pieces
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced. I used a semi-sweet hybrid potato from Berkeley Bowl.
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Simmer chayote slices and potato slices in 2 cups salted water in a medium saucepan until tender, about 15 minutes. Puree chayote and potato in cuisinart, then add 1 cup of the cooking water and continue blending until smooth.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in the butter in a large saucepan until the onion is soft. Pour in the chayote/potato mixture, and add more water until the soup is at desired thickness. At this point, chicken or vegetable broth could be substituted for water - this would make it better than the soup I made.

Season soup w/ salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with a plate of garnishes on the side to put into the soup. Garnish plate should include: chopped cilantro, finely chopped scallion, sliced fresh tomatoes and wedges of lime to squeeze. The soup would probably also be very good cold.

Overall, I was amazed at how easy this was to make (especially cause I semi-invented it) and it was quick and delicious.

DMP

Zucchini-Chard Pancakes and Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

Another exercise in using up whats's in the fridge: 1 huge zucchini/squash (about the size of a baby's head), 1 bunch of chard that's getting older every day, early girl tomates that need to be eaten soon, some buttermilk from the chocolate zucchini cupcakes.

Zucchini-Chard Pancakes
proportions and measurements were improvised, and can be varied to your liking.
1 giant zucchini
1/2 bunch chard
i smal yellow onion
handful of parsley
handful of chives
salt and pepper
3 eggs
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Grate the zucchini and the onion into a bowl. Chop the chard finely, or throw it in a food processor (I did the latter). Combine with zucchini and onion, and sthrow in the finley chopped parsley and dill. Add eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix!

Heat up a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. (I tried butter at first, but that didnt work as well). Cook them like you would cook pancakes.

We ate them with 2 different sauces:
this one, which was delicious and easy:


and Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

• 1/2 buttermilk
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste

Baked Chicken Tawook

I found a recipe for Shish Tawook and adjusted it to fit my grill-less life. I baked it, and there were a lot of juices left over. I think next time I'll try it in a cast iron.

5 or so boneless chicken breasts (that's what i had- next time i might use thighs)

Marinade:
(all measurements are approximate- I didn't actually measure)
about 1 c yogurt
1/2 c olive oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
some crushed garlic
2 -3 Tbsp sumac
1-2 Tbsp paprika
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon

Let marinate for awhile (mine went for about 2 hours).

Grill, bake, saute, whatever! (i baked mine for about 45 minutes at 375)

Next Day:
I took the leftovers and made chicken salad. I chopped it finely, used a few tablespoons of the juicy marinade that was left, a bit of mayo, salt, pepper, lots of lemon juice, and sumac. yum!

A Good Idea for Leftover Rice

I had a bunch of leftover rice, a whole bunch of cilantro, and a bit of basil. I threw the greens in the blender with some raw garlic, and then stirred it into the rice in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil to warm it up. A pinch of salt and pepper, and voila! Green Rice.

Would probably be really good with spinach or arugula, too. Or broccoli!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes!

I'm SO happy I found this recipe!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups (360 mL) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil (hs note: I used unrefined, scented, all-natural coconut oil)
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (120 mL) buttermilk
2 cups (480 mL) grated zucchini
1 cup (240 mL) chocolate chips
2 cups (480 mL) unbleached flour
1 cup (240 mL) cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) allspice
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease large muffin pans and line with muffin cups.

In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well Incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, while preparing the icing (hs note: I made these without the icing, also - don't overcook them or you will lose all the moist goodness - you want them to look almost done in the oven - they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you pull them from the oven from the residual heat).

Yields 9 large cupcakes or 20 standard cupcakes.

Kee Mao

This recipe is from Britton, who got it from her sister.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh rice noodles (non-fresh rice noodles are okay too)
2-3 T vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite size pieces (can also substitute shrimp or tofu)
10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 small hot Thai chili, finely chopped
1 large red onion, sliced (but still pretty large pieces)
1 sweet pepper (red or yellow), sliced in large pieces
equal amounts (about 5 T each) of sugar and fish sauce
fresh basil (two large handfuls)

Directions: Prepare all ingredients to have ready to cook. Heat wok (or very large frying pan) at highest heat. Add oil. When oil begins to smoke, add chilis and garlic. Stir quickly, then add chicken or protein of choice ( though if you are adding shrimp, do this after the onions, since shrimp cooks very quickly). Cook until chicken has half-cooked, then add onions. Stir for 2 mins, then add peppers and sliced rice noodles. Stir everything, and then add fish sauce and sugar in equal proportions (to taste, about 5 tablespoons each, but maybe more or less depending on quantity of meat/noodles). At the very end, add the fresh basil and cook until the basil is wilted. Serve immediately.

Grilled Pork Loin with Red Currant Sauce

I made this dish the other night, but sadly did not take any pictures. I invented it because I was at Berkeley Bowl and I saw red currants so I bought some even though I had no idea what to do. I also bought pork. So I made this, and it came out really good!

1 medium sized pork loin

Marinade - marinate for several hours.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup grapefruit or orange juice (I used grapefruit)
1/8 cup maple syrup
dash of salt
dash of pepper
small handful thyme
small handful rosemary (fresh or dried)
1 onion
2 T olive oil

Red Currant Sauce:

One small package (half pint? pint?) fresh red currants (or substitute another fruit, like blackberry or cranberry)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup white wine
sugar to taste (2-4 T)
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch of salt
2 T butter
1/2 small onion

Directions: Marinate pork for several hours. Then grill pork till it is just slightly pink inside. Meanwhile, in small saucepan heat red currants, wine and finely chopped onion. Heat until it simmers and let some of the wine evaporate. Add sugar, thyme and salt. Turn down heat, continue simmering until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Just before it is done, add butter. Slice the pork into thin pieces and drizzle with currant sauce.

Nectarine Plum Preserves with Ginger and Cardamom

So I had some leftover nectarines and plums. More than I could comfortably eat before they went bad. I made some jam!

Ingredients:
-Several ripe nectarines, plums, and a pluot. (You can use any fruit for this- as long as they'll taste good together!)
-lots of sugar- this is important in making the jam a) taste good and b) get to "jam" consistency
-lemon juice is traditionally added to jam and preserves but I didnt have any lemons so I left it out and it worked just fine.

- All you have to do is chop up the fruit, add a couple cups of sugar, and let it cook for a loooong time- maybe an hour, or two, depending on how much fruit you have. Every time you go and check on the fruit, add a little bit more sugar. Keep on tasting it. you know how jam is supposed to taste, so go to it!

-i wanted to add a little bit of kick, so I broke a few cardamom pods into the pot and grated a bunch of ginger. Do this to taste. Make suer you take the pods out (the seeds can stay) before you jar them.

-If you want to jar the jam, get some mason jars, put them in a pot with enough water to cover them (boil lids and seals also, but make sure they're not ON the jars). Boil for about 5 minutes. be careful when you're done because a) the pot will be very heavy and b) the jars will be very hot! and c) you don't want to get them dirty. Clean your hands and a pair of tongs and take the jars out. Put the jam in the jars, put the seals and lids on, and then put them back into the hot water and boil for another 5 minutes or so. There. The seal should be done. You can store these in the cabinet until you (or the lucky recipient) opens it.

Other flavors that might be really awesome:
-peach-rhubarb
-mango-chili
-strawberry-ginger
-blackberry-vanilla bean?

the key to matzah ball soup

photo courtesy of http://www.bramfoto.com/fotos_abstract.html

well of course you must start with a solid soup base.
if a veggie soup- include a lot of onions, carrots, celery, GINGER AND GARLIC!! (the caps mean to emphasize their importance)
let that boil for a while on a low to med heat
if a chiken soup- add chicken :)
make the matzah meal by putting some matzah in a blender (or in a bag to crush it up)
add some parsley and chopped onions or shallots.
use 1/2 c of matzah meal for 2 eggs.
the key to a good matzah ball is that you want to add only the egg yolks first to the matzah meal. then mix in the parsley, and onions/shallots until evenly wet.
seperately beat the egg whites until stiff.
gently fold the egg whites into the matzah mix. then put in the fridge for 1-several hours.
when you add the egg whites whipped, it makes for a lovely fluffy texture.
when you are ready to add the matzah balls to the soup (about 1/2 hour before you want to eat it ideally), gently make balls from your matzah paste. you don't want to squeeze them too tightly or the hard little balls will fall to the bottom of your pot and will be gross. you want them to be nice and fluffy- but you do want them to stick together and not fall apart. so you'll have to find a nice medium of ball squeezing.

have fun and be healthy!

swiss fondue

photo from wikipedia

when making fondue.. remember friends that it is always an experiement. a test. trying something NEW...
so be bold! throw in some hard nutty cheese that the cute hipster in the Whole Foods cheese deptartment recommended to you.
we won't judge. its an evolution.

okay. on to the recipe


ideally this is done in a fonud pot. but if not any old pot (like a steel one) would do.
grate the cheese. (you want between 125-150g of cheese per person) (this is 4.41-5.29oz for those unfamiliar with the metric system)
you want mostly grueyer cheese (really this is the supreme cheese... when chosing it- look for tiny grains of salt for the best quality)... but I also like to throw in some appenzeller and maybe a tiny bit of emmentaler.

the rest of the recipe is based on if you are using 500g of cheese... so adjust accordingly. (or just throw stuff in... again, real cooks don't use measuring cups)
a couple of cloves of garlic (rub the inside of the pot for a mild taste, put through a garlic press for a bold one)
200ml of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of corn starch (to be added and mixed into the grated cheese before it is melted- otherwise chunks form)
and a shot of kirsh (cherry liquere)

once you start melting the cheese- don't stop stirring!
ideally you would have a little sterno to bring to the table to keep the cheese melty while you are eating it.. but its not a big deal if you dont (as we demonstrated the other night at David's)

enjoy! and remember that if you drop your bread in the pot, you must kiss the person to the left!!

Fresh Fig Tart with Orange Flower Custard

by Deborah Madison

(from Timmy's book- Local Flavors) - I substituted mascarpone for creme fraiche and it was delicious!

Arrange the figs in concentric circles or jumble them on helter-skelter. If you can't find orange flower water, substitute 1 teaspoon orange zest. Serves six to eight. Yields one 9-inch tart.

ingredients

For the crust:
5-1/2 oz. (1-1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) chilled butter
2 to 3 Tbs. ice water mixed with 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:
12 to 16 ripe figs (using a variety is pretty)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1-1/2 Tbs. packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. orange flower water

how to make

To make the crust

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl and then cut in the butter until the mixture forms very fine crumbs. You can also do this by pulsing in a food processor. Sprinkle in enough of the ice water for the dough to come together, and then shape it into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for about 15 min. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle and put it in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pinch the dough edge so that it's slightly thick, even, and rises just above the rim. Prick the bottom with a fork in 6 or 7 places, and then put the pan in the freezer for 20 min. while you heat the oven to 425°F. Put the chilled tart shell on a baking sheet, line the shell with foil, and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until it's lightly colored, 20 to 25 min. Remove the tart and reduce the oven temperature to 400°F; remove the weights and foil.

To make the filling

Cut the stems off the figs (leave the skins on) and slice the figs in half -- if they're large, you may choose to quarter them. Set aside one-quarter of the figs (to be added after you pour in the custard). Arrange the remaining figs, cut side up, on the tart shell; this will leave room for the custard to spread evenly when you pour it.

Whisk the egg yolk, crème fraîche, brown sugar, and orange flower water until combined and then pour carefully around but not over the figs. Add the remaining figs. Bake the tart on the baking sheet in the 400°F oven until the custard is lightly colored and set, about 30 min. Serve slightly warm.

"A Luxurious and Deeply Aromatic Noodle Dish"

this is from the 101cookbooks blog- I think next time I will add a little sugar to the broth- its really more aromatic than it is flavorful, but its great for cold weather, and stores well.

A Luxurious and Deeply Aromatic Noodle Dish

For the spice paste:
Chilies - 4 or 5 small, hot red ones
Garlic - 2 or 3 small cloves
Ginger - a small lump, about the size of a walnut in its shell
Lemon grass - 2 or 3 plump stalks
Coriander seeds - a few
Coriander leaves - a few (hs note: cilantro for all you non-brits)
Ground tumeric - a teaspoon
vegetable oil - a little
For the soup:
Stock - vegetable, 500 ml
Coconut milk - 400ml (lite is ok)
A lime - just the juice
Soy sauce
Mint - a small handful of leaves

To finish:
Noodles - I think I used about 1 lb....big, chubby, fresh asian egg ones.

Halve and seed the chilies. Peel the garlic. Peel and shred the ginger. Finely slice the tender, innermost leaves of the lemon grass. Grind the coriander seeds or crush them in a mortar. Blitz it all to a thick paste in a food processor with the coriander leaves and any well scrubbed roots, plus the tumeric. You may need a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to help it go round but add as little as you can.

Place a fairly deep pan over moderate heat, add half the spice paste (keep the other half in the fridge for tomorrow) and fry it, movingit round the pan, for a minute or so, then pour in the stock, coconut milk, and a splash of soy sauce -- let it come to the boil. Turn the heat down and let the soup simer for ten minutes. Meanwhile cook the noodles briefly in boiling water and drain them.

Divide the noodles between four large, deep bowls and ladle over hot soup. Sprinkle with mint leaves.

Serves about 4.

Chicken Gai Yang

this came out DELICIOUS! I used boneless chicken breast and cooked it in the wok, but it would be amazing roasted or grilled. Next time I want to try it with thighs.

Chicken Gai Yang

Ingredients

3 tb Minced cilantro root

3 tb Fish sauce

3 tb Chinese light soy sauce

2 tb Fresh lime juice

1 tb Freshly ground black pepper

1 tb Minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 lb Chicken legs or breasts,

-skin and fat removed

A street and market food served everywhere in Thailand, this chicken is traditionally associated with the Northeast. At the train stations or bus stop, you can get a few skewers and a little bag of sticky rice for a delicious snack or light lunch. The marinade dates back to a time before the introduction of chilies by the Portuguese. Black peppercorns were used in enormous quantities, and they still have an important role in Thai cooking. Combine cilantro root, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, pepper and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and pour into a shallow, non aluminum dish. Add chicken and turn to coat evenly with marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Preheat the broiler or prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade for basting. Broil or grill the chicken on a lightly oiled rack approximately 3 inches from the heat for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and baste with the reserved marinade. Discard any leftover marinade. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the outside is browned and the inside is no longer pink.

KOMBUCHA

- Boil 1 gallon of water, turn off heat
- add 5-6 teabags (no herbal tea, must be actual tea leaves)* and one cup of sugar
- mix sugar in thoroughly, and let cool to room temperature
- put into a 1-gallon glass jar with the mother
- cover with a cloth and rubber band
- let sit for 2 weeks

*you can ADD herbal tea, but your base must be actual tea leaves (black, green, white, twig). Don't use any teas that have oils in them (i.e. earl greay has bergamot oil)

Melissa's Mac-n-Cheese

probably the best ever.



Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tbsp, plus 1 tbsp
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and ground black pepper to taste
pinch cayenne (optional)
pinch paprika

1 pound elbow macaroni

12 ounces grated cheddar cheese
12 ounces grated gruyere cheese


Mix cheeses together in a bowl and set aside.

In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the milk little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, cayenne, and a handful of the cheese mixture. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander and return the macaroni to the pot. Add the bechamel sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with 1tbsp of butter and set aside.

Place one-half of the macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with one-third of the mixed cheeses. Top with the other half of the macaroni and the rest of the cheese mixture. Top with remaining butter broken into small chunks, and a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Turn heat up to 425 for last 5-10 minutes of baking to brown top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Spring to Summer Salad

from the www.amateurgourmet.com

note: we used green beans instead of snowpeas and it was delicious

Ingredients:

beets, string beans or snap peas, radishes, carrots, hard boiled eggs

olive oil, balsamic vinegar, your favorite mustard (optional), salt, pepper

"To make the salad, I just stringed the snap peas (you pull the little tail across the pea until the string is gone), boiled some beets (you drop in boiling water with some vinegar and salt and then, when you can get a knife through the beet, it's done), peeled some carrots, sliced some radishes and then hard boiled those eggs.

To get your eggs pretty, just place the eggs at the bottom of a saucepan, cover with cold water, put on the heat, when it comes just to the boil, put the lid on, turn the heat off and wait 8-10 minutes. Then drop the eggs in ice water, peel under a faucet.

Toss the vegetables with really good olive oil, some balsamic vinegar (or whatever your favorite vinegar is), salt and pepper (we added mustard too).

Kyle's Green Beans

Wash and blanche green beans.
Saute with shallots, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almonds.
yum!

Warm Potato Salad with Beer and Mustard Dressing

This is the potato salad I made for the 4th of July party:

Ingredients

Salad:
3 pounds red potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickles
2 tablespoons beer
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup beer
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

To prepare salad, place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Combine potatoes, red onion, and next 6 ingredients (through 2 tablespoons vinegar); toss gently.

To prepare dressing, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup yellow onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add 3/4 cup beer and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 6 minutes). Place mixture in a food processor. Add mustard to food processor; process until smooth. With processor on, slowly pour remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil through food chute, processing until smooth. Pour dressing over potato mixture; toss gently. Serve immediately.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Otsu na soba

Otsu
from http://www.amateurgourmet.com/the_amateur_gourmet/2007/05/otsu.html

For the dressing:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1-inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned brown rice vinegar
1/3 cup shoyu sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the rest:
12 ounces dried soba noodles
12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped, for garnish
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Heidi instructs, in the book: "To make the dressing, combine the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.

"Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender" (Note from Adam: this took literally three minutes, despite the package saying seven minutes--taste the noodles as they cook!) "then drain and rinse under cold running water. While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long)."

"Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side."

"Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy."

"In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the 1/4 cup cilantro, green onions, cucumber and about 2/3 cup of the dressing and toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4 to 6."

There were only three of us and we devoured this thoroughly. Craig came home and asked what was for dinner and I said, "Cold noodles" and he gave me a look as if to say, "Are you for real?" Yet, after he lifted his portion into his bowl and took his first bite, his face lit up: "Mmmm!" he sang out, delighted. "I didn't realize it was going to have so much flavor!"

I told this to Heidi and she says, "Yay! This is one of my all-time favorite recipes in the book."

101 Cookbooks recipe blog

http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html

Welcome to Team Dinner

where we'll post our favorite recipes because we won't be sharing a cookbook shelf any longer :(