My Grandmother's Chex Mix

My Grandmother is awesome.   Among other things, she taught me The Look -- the one that will make anyone from annoying salesgirl to creepy dude on the subway go away.  Every time.   Quickly.  It is possible that it was dangerous for someone who had mastered this look at 5 feet to teach it to someone who ended up a lot closer to 6 feet, but the damage is done and for some reason people just don't bother me.

Now that I've described her that way, you might not have the right idea.  She is definitely a Grandmother with a capital G.  Every year for Christmas we'd arrive at her house and she'd have an entire table covered with treats she'd been making. The world's best fudge, peppermint bark, cookies, forgotten cookies, and the all-important Chex Mix.  She'd make two batches:  one without peanuts for my cousin who didn't like peanuts and one with peanuts for the rest of us.  I scooped it up in a white teacup, curled up in an armchair, and settled in for another fantastic Christmas.

Shortly after we got married, we made Chex Mix, foolishly using the recipe on the box.  We took one bite and realized that my Grandmother had spoiled us with something completely different.  The stuff on the back of the box tastes like Chex.  Which is fine if you want to munch on Chex.

I called her and asked her how to make Chex Mix the way she made it.   "I just use the recipe on the box."  Yep, she's one of those women.  She also claimed the fudge recipe is on the back of the powdered sugar box.  So not true.  My sister is hard at work trying to reverse engineer the fudge, but I'm happy to tell you that after many batches, my husband and I got the Chex Mix right, and I'll even tell you the recipe.

By the way, this recipe has a lot of Worstershire sauce.  If your eyes never water a little from it all, you haven't put enough in.  When I opened the oven while I was making it, I teared up.   I'll bet you anything my Grandmother never teared up making this.  She just isn't the type.


Chex Mix

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 c. each corn, rice & wheat chex
- 1 c. pretzels
- 1 c. peanuts
- 6 T. butter, melted
- 4-5 T. Worstershire
- 1 t. garlic salt
- 1/4 t. cayenne
- 1/4 t. salt


METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 250 with the pan in the oven.  Use a half sheet.  No need to grease it or use a silpat or anything  -- didn't you notice the 6 T. of butter?

Combine butter, Worstershire, garlic salt, cayenne, and salt.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread on the half sheet and bake 30 minutes.  Take out, put in bowl, add more Worstershire.  Return it to the half sheet.  Bake an additional 30 minutes, cool on paper towels.

As a side note, if you buy one box each of Rice Chex and Corn Chex and two of wheat chex, you'll have just the right amount to make 4 batches. (Actually, you'll have some wheat chex left over, but not much.)   With two half sheets and an absolutely gigantic mixing bowl, I can make two batches of chex mix at a time.

The same setup allows me to make two batches of granola at once, which is a huge time saver.  I actually did not get my mixing bowl from Amazon.  I got it from a restaurant supply store, and it isn't stainless steel.  When it wears out I'll upgrade to stainless steel.  I think mine cost $7, and makes a great salad bowl if you're having a party for 20 people.

Kale Chips

These are so good that when I served them the other night, we didn't have enough of them.  That's right, an entire bunch of kale (admittedly, a small bunch) wasn't enough.  If you have some reason to believe that the health benefits of kale are drastically reduced by time in the oven, please don't tell me.  I can assure you that cooked kale is better than no kale, and those are the options at my house.  Maybe someday we'll expand our horizons, but for now we're eating kale chips until we turn green.

There's talk on the internet that kale chips taste just like potato chips.  If you think that, I strongly recommend that you never eat a potato chip again.  You've clearly forgotten what they taste like, and that must work wonders for your self-control.  If, like most people in this country, you remember very clearly what a potato chip tastes like, don't listen to these people.  Kale chips taste salty and crunchy, which is awesome.  They do not taste like potato chips.

I like the curly kale best, although all the kinds I've tried work.  Trader Joe's is selling bags of washed and cut up kale to make this extra-easy, although I haven't actually tried it.   Mark Bittman recently broke my heart by making a convincing argument against bagged salad.  My convenience foods seem to get chipped away one by one.  I make so many things from scratch...can't I just have a factory somewhere get my salad ready for me?

Speaking of buying kale, it seems to last a really long time in the fridge if you put it in a glass of water like a bunch of flowers.  My mother says it looks like I've decorated the inside of my fridge.

But I digress.  It seems like an exaggeration to call this a recipe, but here's how to make kale chips.

Take a bunch of kale and cut the leaves off of the big thick stems.  You can cut them into big pieces of small pieces, it doesn't really matter.  Wash them and dry them in your handy-dandy salad spinner.  You want the leaves really dry, so I try to do this ahead of time and then leave them out to dry more before the next step.  I've heard rumors that there are climates where leaving kale out on the counter doesn't actually dry it out, but it works very nicely here.

Then put the kale in a big bowl and toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  It doesn't seem like much for all that kale, but trust me, it is enough.  Then sprinkle on plenty of salt and pepper and put it on a sheet pan with a silpat on it.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  When they're crispy all over, take them out and serve.  Sit down in front of the TV and mindlessly eat an entire bunch of kale.  Not bad, eh?

Vietnamese Beef & Noodle Soup

Now, I am so white that I can get a sunburn inside, so when I say "Vietnamese", I hope you understand that the recipe that follows is like Vietnamese food in the same way that Connect 4 is like chess.  But it still tastes good, and best of all it is easy and can be ready when you walk in the door in the evening.

This is adapted from a recipe in Slow Cooker Revolution, which you should totally buy.  I make a new thing from it every 2-3 weeks, and I've loved everything so far.

When you buy the beef, get something with a nice bone in the middle with tons of marrow.  It makes the soup taste super beefy.

You could use some of those tiny bird peppers that are way more authentic, but you could also just put some lighter fluid in your mouth and light a match.  I have no idea how people eat them, so I use jalapenos.  If you like them, by all means use them as garnish.

One really nice thing about this is that the heat comes from the garnish, so the whole family can enjoy this.


Vietnamese-Style Beef and Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T. vegetable oil
- 4 c. low sodium chicken broth
- 4 c beef broth
- 2 c water
- 1/4 c fish sauce
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 2 T. sugar
- 1 stalk lemon grass
- 4 star anise pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 3-4 lbs. beef shank or beef soup meat with bone
- 8 oz. thick rice noodles (see picture below.  I bought mine at 99 Ranch. If you can't find these noodles, I'd suggest using ramen noodles instead.  Throw out the flavor packet and cook them in the slow cooker for about 5 minutes instead of the 20 needed for the rice noodles.)
- 2 c bean sprouts
- 1 c fresh thai basil or regular basil leaves
- 1 c fresh cilantro
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 fresh jalapeno chili, sliced thin
- lime wedges


Serves 8

Take the lemon grass and cut off just the bottom 5 inches.  Then smush it a little with the flat side of your knife.

Saute onions, garlic, and oil in a skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened. Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir chicken broth, beef broth, water, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and lemon grass into slow cooker.  Put the  star anise and cloves in a small cheesecloth pouch or tea bag and add to slow cooker.   If you have a tea ball, you can use that instead of cheesecloth.

Season the beef with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high.

Transfer beef to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.  Throw away the bone.  Discard lemon grass and spice pouch.

Stir in the noodles, cover and cook on high until noodles are tender, 10-20 mins.  Stir in shredded beef and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Serve with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, scallions, and jalapenos for garnish.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Soccer Season Wrap-Up

Soccer isn't over, but the time change means that late evening practices are.  Mostly, things went really, really well.  There was one week where I completely failed -- I don't exactly remember what we ate before soccer, but it may very well have been a bag of goldfish crackers.  A good snack was the least of my problems that day, but hey, one day in the season isn't too bad.

I learned a couple of things.  First off, I never, ever feel like spending Sunday afternoon making soccer snacks.  Easy was definitely important.  Re-packaging some leftovers worked well, and so did leftover soup.  The kids' favorites were granola, sausage kebabs, and red pepper spread.  Fortunately, those were some of the quickest, too.  Just as important as the kids' favorites were my favorites, because when 6:00 rolls around, I'm usually the one who needs dinner RIGHT NOW.  Waiting until 7:30 was a major problem, and soup was my favorite way to stay upright until we sat down to a real dinner.

Black Beans. Spicy Orange Sauce. Caramelized Bananas.

Are you drooling yet?  I can't get over how much I love this.  I think I could eat it every day.  It is easy.

This is adapted from a recipe in The Family Dinner by Laurie David, which you should read, even if you don't like the recipes.  It is beautiful and reminds you of why you should eat with your family whenever possible.  I have made some changes to the recipe suit my kitchen better.

My children ate this without the spicy sauce, and they didn't complain.  They do think I've violated all the laws of nature to cook a banana.  The looks on their faces were hilarious.  My son went so far as to taste the banana, admit that it was good, and refuse to take another bite.  We were then forced to remind them (for about the 100th time) that their first night in a college dining hall will be a terrible shock.

So here's what you do:
First off, you'll need 1.5 lbs. of grilled fish, chicken, shrimp, tofu, whatever you like, as well as some rice.  White, brown, short, long, whatever.  Cook it.  This last time I made it, I tried making coconut rice.  I don't think I've quite figured it out yet, but when I do, I'll post the recipe.  If you know how, let me know.  Once you've got the rice taken care of, you're ready to make the sauce:

1/2 c. frozen OJ concentrate
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce  (You buy these in a can, and you can freeze the ones you don't use.)

Take all those things and puree them in the blender.  Then put them in a small saucepan to simmer and forget about it for a while.

Now cook the beans.
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 c. low sodium chicken broth

Heat  small saucepan to medium heat.  Saute the onion until translucent.  Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the black beans and the broth and heat to a simmer.  Let that cook for 15 minutes.

Now cook the bananas.
Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high.  Pretty hot, but you don't need oil to smoke in it or anything.  You've got to get it hot enough to brown the bananas, though.  If you're making this on a hot night, a cast iron skillet on the grill might be just the thing.

4 bananas, peeled, sliced lengthwise
3 T. honey
1 T. olive oil
pinch cayenne
pinch salt

Toss the bananas with the honey and olive oil, and season with the cayenne and the salt.  Throw them in the pan and let them sit without stirring for a few minutes so that they get nice and brown.  Flip them once, cook a few more minutes, and you're done with that.

Now serve the plates:  rice, with beans and fish/chicken/shrimp/tofu, topped with the sauce and covered with the bananas.  And don't forget to invite me over.

My friend Kate's Greekish Salad & Pita Pizzas

My friend Kate invited a few of us over for dinner last night, and if you weren't there, you missed out. She made this delicious salad that is Greekish, but neither of us would want you to think we think it is authentically Greek. It is, however, delicious. It is also perfect for entertaining or a busy life because it is easy to prepare early in the day and throw together at the last minute.

Alongside the salad she served these fantastic little pita pizzas. Honestly, when I saw them, I didn't think I'd like them. First off they had uncooked red onions, and I consider uncooked onions to be a crime. But then I took a bite and realized that there's more than one way to make an onion taste good.

I forgot to take a picture of the pita pizzas, but I'll get one soon because I think they're going to become a staple in my house.

I use Trader Joe's light feta for this (and everything involving feta.) It is delicious and my lipid specialist thinks it belongs on my plate.

Kate's Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb. orzo pasta

- 2-3 heads romaine – chopped

- 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes - halved

- 2 cucumbers, peeld, sliced, seeded, chopped

- mint – more than you’d think. I use 2 plastic packs. If you skimp, isn’t the same.

- 1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bit-sized pieces

- feta cheese, crumbled – a boatload of this, 2 small plastic tubs.

- Salad dressing – I use Girard’s champagne vinaigrette. Oddly works better than Greek.

- Pita bread – about 2, cut into triangles. Pass more at table.

If you feel like making your own vinaigrette, this works nicely. Just shake up the ingredients in a bottle. Don't be skimpy with it.

- 1 clove garlic

- 2 T. dijon mustard

- 1/4 c champagne vinegar

- 2 T. fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 t salt

- 1/2 t black pepper

- 1/2 c olive oil

METHOD:

1) Cook & cool orzo

2) Chop the next six ingredients

3) In large bowl, roughly toss orzo through feta, reserving half the feta and half the

tomatoes. Add salad dressing to taste.

4) Sprinkle remaining feta and tomatoes on top.

5) Stand little pita triangles on side of bowl. (presentation, baby!)

For the pita pizzas:

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Greek Pita Pizzas

INGREDIENTS:

-equal parts olive oil and red wine vinegar. You can start with 2 T. of each, but I used more.

- 4 (8-inch) pita bread

- salt and pepper

- 1 red onion, small – sliced thin

- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives – chopped and pitted (optional)

- 1/2 cup hummus

- 1 cup shredded Quattro Fromaggio from Trader Joe's

- 1 cup crumbled Trader Joe's low fat feta cheese

- 2 cups arugula

METHOD:

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475.

Combine half of the oil & vinegar mixture with some salt and pepper and the sliced onion in a bowl. Reserve the other half for drizzling later.

3) Spread some hummus on each pita round. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over hummus, then top with onion mixture. Bake until onions soften and cheese is melted, 6-8 minutes.

4) Just before serving, toss arugula with remaining oil & vinegar mixture. Arrange arugula on top of pita pizzas. Serve.

Tasty, Easy Curry

Last night while soccer practice was happening, I made this very easy curry from Gourmet magazine.  I left out the jalapeno in deference to the kids and just went with the curry powder.  It was delicious and the kids even liked it. (They skipped the sauce, but didn't mind that the chicken had been cooked in the sauce.  I poured quite a bit of sauce on my plate, because I'm not a fool.)  Enjoy!

Soccer snacks: Roasted Red Bell Pepper spread, butternut squash soup

Alert readers may have noticed that I skipped two weeks in the soccer snacks.  I've been putting together the PTA directory and so I've been a little busy, but we did have good snacks before soccer practice.

Last week we had roasted red bell pepper spread with pita and veggies.

This week the kids had yogurt parfaits again, and I had butternut squash soup.  I used Cook's Illustrated recipe with a big container of pre-cut squash from Costco.  I know, I know, it isn't as tasty as if I cut it up myself.  But it is so much tastier than no butternut squash soup at all, which is what I would have had otherwise.

Cocktail Snacks before soccer

I know basically nothing about the 50s or cocktail parties, but something about this snack makes me think of cocktail parties in the 50s.  My kids love them, and they couldn't be easier.

Ingredients:
toothpicks (very important)
red bell pepper, chopped into pieces
apple, chopped into chunks
sausage, sliced.  I used Trader Joe's chicken apple.

I grilled the chicken, just to make it look more appealing.  Then I assembled the skewers.  The kids can do this themselves, if they want.

I actually ate the eggplant feta mint chili pepper wraps that day, because I love them.

Meatballs with Bulgar

You may have worried that because I didn't post anything last week, soccer had the upper hand. As it happens, I didn't have time to post it, but we did have a very nice snack last week, as well as a good dinner.

The snack was meatballs, with sauce to dip them in. These definitely take more time than the other snacks I've made, but it wasn't bad on Monday. We ate spaghetti and meatballs one day for dinner last week, and I froze the leftovers. (Meatballs in one container, sauce in another.) Monday I just defrosted. I used my steamer basket to thaw the meatballs, and that worked really well. I put little cocktail toothpicks in because my kids always like food better if it comes on little sticks. When we ate spaghetti & meatballs for dinner, my daughter claimed to hate them and my son loved them. They switched rolls on Monday when it was a snack. And they wonder why I don't take their whining seriously.

I sort of made up (if there's any way to make up a new meatball recipe after thousands of years of humans making meatballs) this meatball recipe. I also have a recipe that uses breadcrumbs, ground pork, and ground beef, but they actually wind up so tender that sometimes they strike me as gross. These were nice, although really different from pork and beef meatballs. Give them a try and see what you think!

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Spaghetti & Meatballs with Bulgar

This makes enough for a family of four to eat twice.

INGREDIENTS:

-Meatballs

- 1.5 lb. ground buffalo

- 1.5 c parsley, chopped

- 6-7 scallions, chopped

- 3/4 c coarse bulgar

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 1/2 c olive oil

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1.5 t cumin

- 3/4 t salt

- pepper

Simple Tomato Sauce

- 6 T. olive oil

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

- 3 T. fresh basil, minced

1 lb. pound spaghetti

Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

For the meatballs: Combine meat, all but 3 T. of parsley, scallions, bulgur, eggs, 3 T. of olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix and form into meatballs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot for cooking pasta.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 -inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat in 10- or 11-inch sauté pan. I find that a stainless steel skillet works better for meatballs than a non-stick skillet. When edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, regulating heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to paper towel--lined plate; set aside. Repeat, if necessary, with remaining meatballs.

For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot.

Soccer begs for mercy

I'm going to be bold and declare that I'm totally winning. We are having dinner every Monday night together, and we're not pounding tons of unhealthy snacks on Monday afternoons. Admittedly, most of the season is still ahead of us, but I think we're off to a really good start.

This week was super easy. We had yogurt parfait with homemade granola. It took 5 minutes to assemble, and in martini glasses, the kids think it is fantastic. I'm pretty sure that if I put it in a plastic bowl they wouldn't eat it. Score one for marketing.

If you've been eating parfaits prepared by Starbucks or Panera or whoever, try making them at home. You won't believe how much better they are when the fruit isn't half-frozen, the yogurt is actually good, and the granola isn't half flax seeds.

The recipe for the granola is one of my first blog posts. If you need to buy the granola at the store, I won't tell. Just don't pick the one that is half flax seeds, because it isn't healthy if you can't choke it down.

Week 3: Peanut Sauce Snack

This is week 3 of soccer and I'm pretty pleased with myself. So far, dinner is winning.

I just read The Family Dinner by Laurie David, and I loved it. It is full of encouragement for those of us who think dinner is more important than soccer or homework or chores or whatever.

This afternoon, we'll be having "Peanut Sauce Snack." Whatever vegetables I have in the fridge along with a few grilled chicken skewers and this fantastic sauce. My goal for dinner today is to spend less time asking the kids to hurry up and eat and more time chatting. It is a tall order, considering that we're all ready to fall asleep at about 8:00!

Wish us luck!

The peanut sauce is remarkably similar to a Mollie Katzen recipe called "Broccoli dipped in wonderful sauce". Mollie's version has a little more zing to it. Someday perhaps my children will be half as zingy as Mollie Katzen.

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 T. honey

1/2 c. boiling water

2 T. soy sauce

1 t. garlic, minced or crushed

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1/4 t. salt

pinch of cayenne

Mix all the ingredients together. Eat.

Puffata

Yesterday was the first day of school and my daughter had soccer from 5:30 to 7:00. The good news is that I'm still winning -- we had dinner as a family at 7:20. Definitely not our ideal schedule, but we did it. Here's how it went down:

Late in the afternoon, we each had a puffata snack. I've posted the recipe for this previously, and it is super easy. It definitely kept us all from fainting before dinner came around. I made the pecan and radish salad that I've written about before, some green beans, and while I went to pick her up, my husband grilled some salmon. It was all ready to go when she walked in the door.

Either arm, let's go

On November 15, 1996, people woke up that morning and realized that the day's Dilbert strip was about me. (Well, me and quite a few friends. We travel in packs whenever possible.) They made a beeline for the fax machine, and by the time I got to work on the west coast, there was a stack of them on my desk.

The same delightful qualities of my personality that caused people to think of me when they saw this strip have been on display since I got word that my daughter's soccer practice will be from 5:30 - 7:00 this season.

I think this blog makes it obvious that dinner is hugely important to me. I generally talk about the food, but the reason I care about the food is because eating together is good for us.

I'm going to quote from my favorite parenting site here:

"Kids who eat dinner with their families regularly are more emotionally stable and are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. They get better grades. They have fewer depressive symptoms, particularly among adolescent girls. And they are less likely to become obese or have an eating disorder. Family dinners even trump reading to your kids in terms of preparing them for school. And these associations hold even after researchers control for family connectedness, which means that the benefits of family meals go above and beyond being close-knit as a family."

Here's the whole post about dinner.

So you see, dinner is more important than soccer. More important than piano lessons or homework or cleaning your room or playdates. And while I could give in and decide that eating dinner separately once a week isn't so bad, it feels like a slippery slope to me. My husband has to miss dinner at home sometimes for work, and as they get older, the kids' activities will get later and later.

So I say, "Either arm, let's go." We're having dinner together every night, even soccer nights. Bring it on, soccer. I'm going to win this one.

That's a challenge, though. We can wait until she's home and eat together, but all of us (especially me) will be about to faint from hunger by that point. We're going to have to snack sometime between 4:00 and 6:00, and we'll all stuff ourselves with goldfish crackers if I don't have a better plan. The challenge is to provide everyone with a hearty enough snack that we can survive until after soccer but still have room to eat a small, late dinner.

I've been scouring cookbooks for ideas, and I think I've got some good ones. I'm planning to post the week's "hearty snack" every Monday. I think this is a good time to serve some things that are not on the Lipitor-friendly diet that usually characterizes dinner. Small portions! Once a week! (I'll conveniently throw out the slippery slope thing on this one.) Get ready for beef and cheese.

This week, we're having Apple Cheddar Chutney buns, an idea I got fromFood52. It couldn't be simpler: small buns (in my case Trader Joe's mini-hamburger buns), sliced cheddar cheese, sliced apple, and chutney. Use a pretty thick slice of cheddar -- if there's too much chutney you can't taste the cheese. Honestly, the Trader Joe's mini buns aren't that good, but they are awfully convenient. These cry out for mini-brioche or my Mom's wheat rolls, but I don't have time to turn this into some massive project. If possible, I recommend warming these up in the toaster oven.

As a side note, my soccer player (who probably needs the snack more than the rest of us) doesn't like cheese. (Who doesn't like cheese?!) I made some for her with tofu. She still doesn't like them of course, but she likes so little, I don't care. I'm going to try again with jelly instead of chutney. My other child (who has soccer practice at a very civilized 3:30) loves them.

Best Zucchini Ever

I like zucchini, but it can be a bit of a pain to cook, and so I don't eat it as often as I might. Food52 sent me this recipe yesterday, and I tried it last night. The adults at the table gave it rave reviews, even the two who professed to dislike zucchini. It is easy and tasty! Of course my kids said it was disgusting, but they're fools.

Click here to see the recipe on Food52.

Grains with Pecans and Radishes

Or, Sherry Vinegar, where have you been all my life?

The original recipe for this had way too many ingredients. It tasted fine, but things were getting lost. Here's a streamlined version that takes advantage of the slow cooker for the grains. I don't know about you, but if I put something on the stove for more than 45minutes, I'm likely to forget all about it, leave the house, and come back later to a house that smells like burned beans. And stays that way for two weeks. All hypothetical, you understand.

In any case, enjoy.

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Radish and Pecan Grain Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 1-2 cups cooked mixed grains (like farro, freekah, wheat berries, wild rice, and quinoa, pearl barley, or any combination of the above)

- 1/2 c mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade

- 1/2 lb. pecans

- 1/4 c walnut oil

- 1/4 c sherry vinegar

- 1 c radishes, sliced thin

- 1/4 c olive oil

- 1/2 c dried cranberries

METHOD:

I like to cook the grains in the slow cooker. I admit I've never made freekah and I hate quinoa, so I'll let you figure out how to cook those. I have tested the barley and wheatberries in the slow cooker. I haven't yet tried the wild rice or farro. I'll let you know when I get to that. Better yet, if you try it, let me know! Obviously there are other ways to cook grains -- the important thing for this recipe is to cook them.

Barley or Farro: 2.5 c. boiling water, 1 c. pearl barley, 1/2 t. salt. Cook on high 1 hr. and 30 minutes.

Wheatberries: 1 c. hard winter wheatberries, 3 c. water, 1/2 t. salt. Cook on low 8 hours.

Wild Rice: 2 1/4 c. water, 1 c. wild rice, 1/2 t. salt, cook on low 4-5 hours.

Drain the grains into a colander, then set aside until warm to the touch.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Season with salt to taste.

SERVINGS: 8

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Green Bean Salad

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Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 T. red wine vinegar

- 2 T. sugar

- 3 T. olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 t. table salt

- Ground black pepper

- 8 oz. green beans, cut into 1-inch-long pieces

- cherry tomatoes, optional

- 1/4 c sliced almonds

METHOD:

Heat vinegar, sugar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in small nonreactive skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature. In the same small skillet, heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then combine with the vinegar mixture.

Blanch the green beans. (Boil a pot of water with enough salt to taste like sweat. Cook the green beans for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot and put in a bowl of ice water until they're cool. Drain.)

Toss the green beans with the dressing, garnish with almonds and halved cherry tomatoes.

===============

Carrot & Peanut Salad

I love carrots, but they can get a little old. I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. The original is Nigella Lawson's, and you can find it here. I don't see the point of making a salad with a measly 4 carrots, so I used a whole pound and upped the other ingredients.

1 lb. carrots, peeled

1 c. salted peanuts

4 T. red wine vinegar

4 T. peanut oil

1/2 t. sesame oil

Grate the carrots with the big grater wheel on the food processor. Toss them in a bowl with the peanuts. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and oils. Toss them with the carrots and you're done!

Escarole Salad

Mark Bittman came to me in a dream and told me about this salad. Okay, it was the New York Times. And while the salad he describes is probably delicious, I couldn't find the ingredients at my usual stores, so I improvised. The results were delicious. I liked it so much the first night that I started making it the second night, only to realize we'd run out of grapes. I used blueberries instead, and it was delicious that way, too. I might try strawberries next week. Or grape tomatoes.

===============

Escarole Salad with Almond Vinaigrette & Grapes

INGREDIENTS:

- escarole

- 2 c. grapes, halved

- 3/4 c. sliced almonds

- 1/3 c. almond oil

- 2 T. sherry vinegar

METHOD:

Toss escarole with 2 cups halved grapes, 3/4 cup sliced almonds. Combine vinegar and oil and toss with salad. Salt and pepper to taste.

===============

Eggplant Feta Rolls

I am awful at appetizers, but I'm trying to get better. I think appetizers just aren't logical enough for me. I mean, are we eating a meal here, or not? If we are, then I'll cook you a meal. If not, then what the heck are we doing? I know, I know, this doesn't actually make any sense, and appetizers exist for good reason. At least one part of my brain knows this.

Despite all the cooking I do, if you ask me to bring an appetizer, I'll usually show up with a plate of Trader Joe's frozen dumplings and a little bowl of soy sauce. If I'm feeling super fancy I'll slice up scallions on top. Seriously, that has been my appetizer A game for years. But as I said, I'm trying to get better. Today is certainly a step in the right direction.

I made these for a party this afternoon, and people ate them all. I ate...a few. I will definitely be making them again. This recipe is one I got from Nigella Lawson's Summer-themed cookbook, with a few small adjustments. Enjoy! I'm sure you could make these with some other type of feta if you don't live near a Trader Joe's, but I am loyal to TJ's. Most light fetas have almost no fat and a dry, icky texture. TJ's has 1.5g/oz, which is quite reasonable health-wise, and it also has a delicious taste and good texture. Think of it as 2% milk rather than skim.

Maybe we should call these, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding Where I Married a Terrific Man From Thailand" rolls. Then again, maybe Eggplant Feta Rolls is the way to go.

--3 large eggplants, cut thinly lengthwise

--olive oil

--kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

--8 oz. Trader Joe's Light Feta

--1 medium-sized red chili pepper, finely chopped and seeded. I used one the size of a jalapeno (I have no idea what it is called, but I'll try to remember to look at the store tomorrow) and these were very mild. I may go smaller next time (which generally means spicier) but I'm not going to try those tiny little Thai bird chilis, which are lethal.

--1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped

--1 lemon, juiced

Preheat your grill. I'm a gas-grill kind of gal, and my new grill is HOT, so I used a medium heat for eggplant. Otherwise I find that I incinerate them.

While the grill heats up, slice up the eggplant and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on each side, as well.

Grill the eggplant until it is tender and brown. I had to try grilling eggplant a couple of times before I got it right, but it is easy once you get the hang of it, and well worth learning. The quick heat gets rid of all that liquid and you're left with the delicious eggplant instead of lots of water.

Mix up the remaining ingredients in a bowl with a fork. After the eggplant has cooled for a few minutes, spoon a little bit of the feta on the slice of eggplant and roll it up. Resist the temptation to pile on a lot of the feta mixture, because the fatter the rolls are, the tougher they are to eat as finger food. Of course, if you're going to put them on a plate with a knife and fork, go crazy. In that case, you'll only need 2 eggplants.

I used toothpicks to hold mine together. It probably isn't strictly necessary, but I think it made people more likely to pick them up.

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Asparagus with Portobello Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

People really love this. Honestly, it is so easy, I feel bad that they're impressed. Try it next time you're grilling something. I'm thinking of adding some grilled chicken and serving this recipe inside a big tortilla as a wrap.

1 bunch asparagus

2 portobello mushroom tops

1 t. fresh rosemary, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and remove the stems of the portobello mushrooms. Brush the mushrooms and asparagus with olive oil. Grill them. The mushrooms will take a while. It takes a little practice to grill asparagus without burning it, but it is a skill well worth the work. After grilling, slice the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms and asparagus on a platter.

Combine the rosemary, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Drizzle over the mushrooms and asparagus. Garnish with the goat cheese and serve.


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Eggplant a la Baked Potato

Have I mentioned that I love Mark Bittman? I do. His books are as much inspirational as they are instructional, and this recipe is a case in point. His recipe calls for Miso and something else, which is fine, but not as good as this. The great thing his recipe did for me was to make me think of an eggplant as a baked potato. Load it up with toppings and all of the sudden I've devoured an entire eggplant by myself, which I suspect is better for me than the baked potato.

Here's how I make it:

First, cut a large globe eggplant in half lengthwise. Brush the cut side with plenty of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place it flat side down on a hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more, or until the eggplant is pretty squishy, but hopefully not burned on the outside. Even if it is burned on the outside, just slice off the burned part and keep going.

Score the cut side of the eggplant with a fork or knife and mush it up a little bit. This part is way easier than mushing up a baked potato. Drizzle the following ingredients on and mush it up a little more. That's all!

--olive oil

--salt

--pepper

--fresh basil

--minced garlic

--balsamic vinegar

--parmesan

As you can see from the photo below, it isn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it is really yummy.

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Grown-Up Oatmeal Cookies

Okay, I try to keep it healthy on this blog, but it has been a long day, and fortunately or me it is teacher appreciation week. That means I'm supposed to take dessert to school tomorrow for the teachers. (Okay, fruit or dessert, but I know Allison has the strawberries taken care of, so I'll make cookies.) These are adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. They're easy and fantastic, and I rarely make them because one of my husband's few failings is that he thinks cookies should have neither oatmeal nor nuts. He is right about so many things, but he is very, very wrong about these cookies. They are divine.

===============

Chocolate-chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Dried Cherries

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)

- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon table salt

- 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats

- 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

- 1 cup dried tart cherries

- 3/4 cup chocolate chips

- 12 tablespoon s unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool

- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

- 1 large egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries, and chocolate.

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat. Add flour mixture. Gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated.

I use a spring-loaded scoop to make the dough balls. The scoop is 1 1/2" in diameter. Chill the dough for a little while -- at least an hour. I think this makes the cookies retain their shape better. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Err on the side of being underdone. Because they're cookies.

Puffata

So, I know this recipe is not a classic frittata, and bears little resemblance to anything Marcella Hazan would cook. My husband suggested we called it a "Puffata", and I think he's right.

The Puffata is delicious, easy, and very flexible. It is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I've never actually made the recipe as it is printed in the cookbook, but I've made a version like the one below many times. I'm posting it for a friend with three small children who finds it impossible to get eggs on the table before getting everyone out the door at 7:45. The great thing about a frittata is that you can cook it and then slice it up and freeze the slices in foil. You can warm them up in the toaster oven or oven and they'll taste terrific.

This also makes a great meal on those nights when you don't feel like your fridge quite has a meal. You can throw all kinds of leftover vegetables and cheese in here and it turns out nicely.

Clean Out The Fridge Puffata

3 T. butter

8 eggs

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/3 c. flour

3/4 t. baking powder

cheese, maybe 1/2 cup, but more if you like more.

other stuff, like vegetables. Sauteed onions are a great choice. If you have any leftover ham or bacon, or smoked salmon definitely throw it in. I have never once had leftover smoked salmon, but maybe I'm weird.

Preheat the oven to 350. In theory you need to use a 10" oven-proof skillet for this, but a pie pan will work fine, and an 8x8 pyrex pan would probably do the trick, too.

Melt the butter and pour it into the pan.

Whisk the eggs, and the salt, pepper, flour, baking powder, and cheese. Then stir in the leftovers and pour into the baking dish or skillet. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until it is puffy and the top is golden brown.

World's Best Broccoli

My alert Facebook friends alerted me to a delicious broccoli recipe, and I thought I'd try it. Then I noticed that it requires a 500 degree oven. As it happens, my oven appears to lack insulation, so getting it to 500 degrees requires my kitchen to be pretty darn hot. Someday I'll get a real oven, but until then, I'm going to need to make delicious broccoli on the stovetop. Which I did. And I'll tell you how. It was really easy and even my daughter (who eats about four things) liked it. I do not like broccoli, or at least I didn't, until last night. This one is definitely going to appear regularly.

The ingredients are exactly the same as the original recipe:

2 lbs. broccoli crowns, cut lengthwise

2 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

black pepper

The cutting lengthwise is really important, and there's a nice photo in the original recipe. This gives a flat surface to caramelize. Mix these together in a bowl. Now heat a skillet over very high heat. Give it all you've got. You're trying to replicate a 500 degree oven. You can't use a nonstick pan for this -- you'll damage the nonstick, and the broccoli won't caramelize. Now go do something else while the pan gets hot. Once it is really, really hot, use tongs to put the broccoli flat side down into the pan. Cover the pan and let it cook for a few minutes. I'm not sure exactly how long I left it there, but probably about 4 minutes. Then I removed the lid and used a sturdy metal spatula to remove the broccoli. Delicious.

Cheese bread

Last week I read the New York Times Magazine article about sugar and how horrible it is. While I love sugar, I recognize that it isn't good for me. The whole sugar-in-any-quantity-is-poison thing doesn't really resonate with me, but I found myself thinking at the end of the article, "I'll quit eating sugar when my lipid specialist says I can eat all the cheese I want." Seriously, I'd trade cheese for sugar, because I love cheese so so so much. The whole lipitor lifestyle makes a lot of cheese ill-advised, so I try to enjoy small amounts of cheese as much as I can. I have a recipe for truly decadent cheese bread, but I make it maybe once a year. Fortunately for me, it is a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and they revamped it in their book America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook that I'm always raving about. The recipe is perfect as it is, so go buy the cookbook. It is worth mentioning that it doesn't contain any weird edible non-food substances like fat-free sour cream or fat-free half and half. It uses lowfat buttermilk, whole wheat flour, and less cheese than the original. Here's a photo. It looks better in person, of course!


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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

I absolutely love chicken noodle soup. I once made the world's best chicken noodle soup. I made everything, including the broth and the noodles. But you'll notice I said I made it once. That's because it took me about 4 hours and I wound up with a paltry pot of soup for my efforts.

And then last week, while cruising Costco without my children, I noticed that America's Test Kitchen has published a Slow Cooker cookbook. It is called Slow Cooker Revolution, and I'm planning on trying a lot of recipes in it. After I got it home, I noticed that the casserole section is full of things like cans of cream of mushroom soup and store-bought alfredo sauce. After I settled down, I realized that the rest of the book looks like more typical ATK stuff -- cans of tomatoes, but no cans of Campbell's soup.

The chicken noodle soup recipe is the first one in the book, and it is a winner. I'm not going to violate their copyright by reprinting it here, so go buy the book yourself. It does feature a technique I've never seen before for the chicken breast. The recipe instructed me to make a foil packet for the chicken breast and put that on top of the soup to cook. The chicken thighs were down in the soup itself. Once the soup was done, the chicken all comes out to be shredded and put back in the soup. It was very simple and it did keep the white meat nice and moist. I've never understood how chicken breasts can get dry in a slow cooker full of broth, but they can. I'm going to try this technique with the chicken posole recipe I've been trying to perfect.

The Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen) website is awesome. They have a basic online subscription, which is $19.95 per year. This is a fantastic deal, in my opinion. Recipes that originally appeared in cookbooks rather than in the CI magazine are only available with an upgraded subscription, which is an additional $14.95. It looks to me like they haven't added Slow Cooker Revolution yet.

By the way, I served this with "Low-Fat" Cheese Bread from the Healthy Family Cookbook. It was delicious. Different from the fully decadent version, but I loved it.

Soba Noodles

Soba Noodles are terrific for you, and I like them, but they need a tiny bit of sauce or they taste entirely too healthy. Here's what I put on them, along with some crisp vegetables:

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. mirin (chinese cooking wine, available at 99 Ranch)

1/2 T. rice vinegar

1/4 t. sesame oil

1/2 t. sugar

Just mix those ingredients in a small bowl and toss with the noodles. The noodles will keep in the fridge for several days this way, and they taste great cold.


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Roman-Style Chicken

This is a crummy week at our house, because our dear friends are moving back to England on Monday. So, how do I serve comfort food without canceling out all that Lipitor?

Here's one solution: Roman-Style Chicken. Yes, it has some pancetta in it. The rest of it is really healthy, and the pancetta is extra-delicious. We had it with some good bread to soak up the sauce and salad.

I've used bone-in breasts for this, as well as boneless skinless, and I sometimes throw in some drumsticks for the kids. The cooking time has to be adjusted, but they all taste great.

===============
Roman-style Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

- 2-4 chicken breasts,
- 1/2 t. salt, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 t. black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 red bell peppers, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 5 oz. pancetta, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1 T. fresh thyme
- 1/2 t. dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 c. chicken broth
- 2 T. capers
- 1/4 c. parsley


METHOD:



Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the pancetta until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and cook until the peppers have browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers, pancetta, and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers, pancetta and the parsley and serve.


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Satay Dipping Sauces

Thai Sweet Pepper Sauce

- 1 T. neutral vegetable oil, like canola or safflower
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 3/4 c rice vinegar
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper
- 1/8 t cayenne


Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook. Stir it constantly to prevent it from burning, until it turns yellow. Add the remaining ingredients and stir and cook, until the sauce boils and the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spatula. Take the sauce off the heat and let it cool. It will keep in the fridge for one month.

Peanut Sauce

- 1/2 t sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced. 2 T.
- 1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, outer layer and green parts removed, minced
- 1 T. ginger, minced
- 2 shallots
- 1 c coconut cream mixed with milk, the consistency of whole milk
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 3 T. brown sugar
- 3 T. creamy peanut butter
- 3 T. tamarind juice


And now you're wondering...tamarind juice? It turns out that at 99 Ranch you can buy this packet of stuff called "Tamarind Seedless". Like most things at 99 Ranch, I suspect that characters I can't read say about a thousand other things, too. In any case, it is on the dried vegetable aisle. So you buy this and pull of a big chunk of it. Pour boiling water over it and let it sit until the water cools down. Mush it up with a fork and then pour the liquid through a strainer. The liquid is tamarind juice, and the remaining pulp I threw away. For a full explanation of all this, read Su-Mei Yu's book Asian Grilling. She definitely treats the whole thing more carefully than I do, but that's why she owns a famous Thai restaurant and I just cook dinner.


Put into the blender: salt, garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and coconut cream mixture. Blend well.

Put the mixture into a saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until it begins to bubble, 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to let it curdle. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter, and stir. When the mixture begins to bubble, add the tamarind juice. Cook until it begins to bubble again. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Nonya Style Chicken Satay

So, I figure if I'm going to go to the trouble of taking Lipitor at such a young age, it makes sense to eat as well as I can. I end up grilling a lot of chicken, and I get tired of it. I came across this fantastic cookbook by Su-Mei Yu (see the resources section) and it is full of great sauces and marinades for grilling pretty much everything. I tried a whole bunch of them a week ago, and everything turned out well. Here's my favorite for chicken, with my small variations.

Nonya-Style Chicken
1 t. coriander seeds
1/2 t. sea salt
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and diced
1 stalk of lemongrass, tough outer layers and green parts removed, chopped
1 t. tumeric powder
3 shallots
1 T. blanched almonds (I used sliced)
1 t. red miso paste
1/2 c. coconut cream mixed with milk, to make the consistency of whole milk

Put the coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet and dry-roast over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the spices up in a coffee grinder.

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

You can use this as a marinade, but I simply brushed it onto chicken kebabs. It worked really well.

In my next post, I'll put up two dipping sauce recipes to go with the satay.

Protein-Packed Side Dishes: Dreaming of Morocco Chickpeas

As part of the whole Lipitor thing, I saw a nutritionist recently. We went over my diet and she said it all looked good, but that I needed to eat more protein. She encouraged me to get the extra protein from plant sources, rather than just eating more chicken. Thank goodness, because I really don't want to eat more chicken. Or any other kind of meat except bacon, honestly.

Anyway, I've been trying out recipes to add some protein to my day. I tried this recipe that had a beautiful description, something like "Chickpeas that sing of the Mediterranean." I stayed up until 10:30 to make them, and then I ate one and I wish I hadn't. I seriously considered spitting it out. Just awful.

I decided I could do better, and I'm happy to say that I have. I've decided to call them "Dreaming of Morocco Chickpeas." They can't possibly be authentic, seeing as how I've never even checked a Moroccan cookbook out of the library, but I was thinking of Morocco when I made them.

You can use canned chickpeas for this, but I cooked dried ones in my slow cooker.

To do that, you can add up to 1 pound of dried chickpeas to the slow cooker, and cover with a lot of water. 8 cups if you're using the full pound. Don't worry too much about getting it right -- you'll drain them when you're done, anyway. Just make sure there's enough so that they won't dry out! By the way, 1 pound of dried chickpeas is about 2.5 cups of dried chickpeas. Cook for 10 hours on low heat.

For the dressing:

2 T. raisins
1/4 t. coriander
1/8 t. cumin
1/2 c. carrot juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. plain yogurt
1 t. honey
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil

Toast the coriander and cumin in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. If you're using whole spices, you'll need to grind them. If not, just put them in a bowl with the raisins. Wipe out the skillet and add the carrot juice. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 c., about 10 minutes. Pour carrot juice over the raisins and then let them cool to room temperature.

Put everything except the olive oil in the blender and blend thoroughly. With the machine running, gradually add the oil.

Toss the dressing with the chickpeas and add halved grapes. This gives it some nice texture and sweetness. You can add other things too, like bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc.








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Thai eggplant

I recently read a cookbook by Su-Mei Yu, called Asian Grilling. I loved this book. Unlike her book The Elements of Life, Asian Grilling is accessible and a lot of the recipes are relatively simple. The first thing I tried is a sauce called Chiles, Garlic, Fish Sauce, and Lime Juice. I didn't use her recipe exactly, although my version is very similar. I mixed up the sauce and then brushed in slices of chinese eggplant. I grilled the eggplant and served it with the sauce for dipping. It was delicious.

1/2 of a jalapeno, seeded and chopped into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 c. fish sauce
2 T. fresh lime juice, or more

This was the warm up for a big asian skewer feast we had Monday night. I used recipes from the book. I forgot to take pictures, but I'll share some of my favorite stuff in my next post.

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Linda's Tried and True Granola

I have to make so much of this granola that I bought another half sheet and a gigantic bowl at a restaurant supply so that I can mix and bake a double recipe. Here's the single recipe.





INGREDIENTS:

- 4 cups old fashioned (not quick) oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups chopped nuts, at least one cup is good, more is also tasty.
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey OR maple syrup


METHOD:



Heat the oven to 325.

Pecans and almonds are the favorites at my house, and I chop them separately in the food processor because the pecans pulverize before the almonds are even in halves. You can use fewer nuts, if you'd like.

Mix the oats and nuts in a large mixing bowl.

Put all the other ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until it bubbles a bit. Pour the contents of the saucepan over the nuts and oats and mix well. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and stir it up. I pour it back into the mixing bowl, but maybe you're more coordinated than I am, and you can stir on a baking sheet without flipping the granola all over the floor. Return the granola to the oven for another 15 minutes.

After a total of 35 minutes of baking, the granola typically doesn't look done, but whenever I've left it in longer, it has been burned. I find that it crisps up after being removed from the oven.

You can add any kind of dried fruit after the granola is cooked.


===============

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Greek Style Halibut

With the ouzo, this time! This is still a great dish. It was a little tough to evaluate the impact of the ouzo, because at Trader Joe's I mistakenly picked up the can of tomatoes with diced green chilis instead of the plain ones. I'd love to come up with an excuse, like I had three children with me, but I was by myself and have no idea what happened. The recipe was still good, but I don't think the ouzo had much of a chance. The only real problem is that I'd bought way too much halibut, because my relatives who had said they'd come over bailed...all the more reason why, if you're my friend and you're hungry, you should probably drop by at 6pm.

===============
Greek Style Halibut

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 T. olive oil
- 4 halibut fillets, or other firm white fish
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t pepper
- 1 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into wedges
- 1 T. ouzo or other anise-flavored liquer
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 T. fresh oregano, roughly chopped


METHOD:

Heat a skillet very hot.

Rub the fish with salt and pepper.

Add 1 T. olive oil. Add the fish and brown for about 4 minutes without moving. Transfer fish to a plate.

Add 1 T. olive oil to the now-empty skillet along with fennel and 1 T. ouzo. Cook, stirring frequently, until light golden and almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, 1/2 c. water, chickpeas, remaining salt and pepper, and the oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Lay fish fillets, browned side up, in sauce and simmer until fish is cooked through, 5 -10 minutes.

SOURCE: Sunset Magazine


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Vegetable Chili with Heirloom Beans

My hay fever has been going crazy for the past week, so it was a perfect day for chili. As it happens, I'm supposed to bring a huge pot of chili to school tonight. I decided to make vegetable chili and use heirloom beans instead of chicken. Look how beautiful these beans are!

And here's the chili.

===============

Vegetarian Chili

INGREDIENTS:

- 5 yellow onions, chopped
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 red bell peppers, chopped
- 4 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 t. chili powder
- 2 t. cumin
- 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 t. cayenne
- 4 t. kosher salt
- 4 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
- 1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
- tortilla chips
- cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- avocado
- 6 c cooked beans


METHOD:

Cook the onions in the olive oil over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beans, and serve with additional basil on top. Grated cheddar cheese and avocado slices are a nice, too!


SERVINGS: 12-15

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Dal -- The Dip of the Week

I'm trying to make a dip each week for vegetables and pita -- adding a little protein to the afternoon snack. This one is Mark Bittman's Simplest Dal.

1 c. dried red lentils
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. garlic, minced
4 cardamom pods
1 T. mustard seeds
2 whole cloves
1 t. black pepper
salt
2 T. cold butter or olive oil

Combine lentils, ginger, garlic, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, and pepper in a saucepan and add water to cover by about 1". Cook at a steady simmer until the lentils are quite soft, 20-30 minutes, salting as the lentils soften.

Remove the cloves and, if you like, the cardamom pods. Stir in the butter or oil if you're using it. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

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Curried Rice Salad

I threw this together tonight and I took a picture, but it didn't look like much. It tasted pretty good, so here's the recipe. It definitely falls into the "eat more protein" category.

cooked brown rice
chopped cucumber
raisins
cooked green lentils

6 T. neutral oil, like canola or safflower
1/4 c. rice vinegar
pinch of salt
1 t. curry powder

Mix the oil, vinegar, salt, and curry powder together. Then add the dressing to the rice and add the cucumber, raisins, and lentils. Honestly, I think this could use some red, so next time I'll add red bell peppers, too.

Chicken Kebabs

I just got a fancy new grill, and so I'm enjoying this recipe more than I used to! It is super simple but very tasty.

boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. fresh chopped herbs
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken, and then add the chicken to marinate for a little while. 15 minutes is fine, but so is overnight in the fridge. Put them on skewers and grill them up!



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Chicken Pieprade in the Slow Cooker

Chicken Piperade in the Slow Cooker

I got a fancy new slow cooker for Christmas, and I've been using it to cook dinner on family dinner nights when the kids have activities all afternoon. Tonight it is Chicken Piperade in the Slow Cooker. I took this photo last night after preparing everything. This morning I heated it all up and put it in the slow cooker. I'll serve it with salad and egg noodles tonight.





Chicken Piperade for the Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS:

- 3/4 c. flour
- 1 t. salt
- 1 chicken , cut into serving pieces
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 yellow onion , sliced
- 3 red bell peppers, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 T. tomato paste
- 1 c. dry white wine
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 bay leaves


METHOD:

Combine the flour and salt in a dish and coat the chicken with it.

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning, for 5-8 minutes until crisp. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Wipe most of the bacon fat out of the pan, leaving a coating on the bottom. Add the chicken to the pan over medium-high heat and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes, until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then arrange in the slow cooker.

Set the saute pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Saute, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softeneed. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.

Crumble the bacon over the chicken in the slow cooker and pour in the sauce. Add the thyme and bay leave. Cover and cook on low for 3-8 hours, until chicken is tender. At 3-4 hours, chicken will still be firm and hold its shape. At 6-8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves.

SOURCE: Lynn Alley

Romaine Salad with Cranberries, Spiced Pecans, Chicken, and Cheddar

Romaine Salad with Cranberries, Spiced Pecans, Chicken, and Cheddar

The color is awful on these -- I use my iPhone because I'm just too lazy to sync my camera and computer. The salad is really quite good, and it is a nice demonstration of how I usually serve things. The adults can mix everything up, and the kids can keep everything in separate little piles on their Star Wars plates. Someday they'll toss a salad together, right?



Romaine Salad with Chicken, Cheddar, Apple, and Spiced Pecans

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/8 cup cranberry juice or water
- 1/8 cup dried cranberries
- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 small shallot, peeled and quartered
- 1 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 small garlic clove, peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salad
- 1/2 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bits (about 10 cups)
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced thin
- 1/2 cup spiced pecans (see Related Recipe)
- 1/8 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cups shredded or sliced cooked chicken


METHOD:

1. For the vinaigrette: Combine the cranberry juice and dried cranberries in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until hot, about 1 minute. Puree the hot cranberry mixture, vinegar, shallot, thyme, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender until the shallot and garlic are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With the blender running, add the oil and continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. (The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature and whisk to recombine before using.)


2. For the salad: Toss the lettuce, cheddar, apple, pecans, onion, and dried cranberries with 3⁄4 cup of the vinaigrette. Divide the salad among individual plates. Place the shredded chicken in the bowl used to dress the lettuce, and toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Divide the dressed chicken evenly among the plates, arranging it on the lettuce. Serve, passing the remaining dressing separately.

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Quick Spiced Pecans

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 tablespoon sugar


METHOD:
Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, followed by the pecans. Toast the nuts, stirring often, until the color of the nuts deepens slightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and toss with the sugar. Spread the coated nuts on a plate to cool.




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Red pepper spread

In my efforts to add more protein to my diet, here is this afternoon's snack.


Roasted Red Pepper Spread

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/4 c. almonds (optional)
- 2 slices good-quality sandwich bread (white or wheat), torn into quarters (this is also optional. The spread will taste good without it, but adding the bread does make it thicker)
- 1/2 c. roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry with paper towels
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 T. lemons, juiced
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. mild molasses
- 3/4 t. salt
- 1 t. cumin
- 1/8 t. cayenne


Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend, about 10 1-second pulses.

This recipe is based on one from Cook's Illustrated. The original recipe doesn't have any beans in it, and so it tastes a lot like eating a roasted red bell pepper, straight. Not my thing.