Recap!

Yes, it has been a while since my last post, but I promise I've been cooking, taking pictures, documenting, and of course, eating! I have a serious blog backup, so I decided to write a "recap" blog to cover the best recipes that I've tried so far this winter. I will provide a picture and link with each to go straight to the recipe source.

Here goes....

Quinoa Patties from Epicurious
These are a protein-packed snack that's perfect on-the-go, since I thought they tasted good hot or cold. I topped a fresh veggie salad with two of these babies and lunch was done.

Pumpkin Gnocchi from Steamy Kitchen
My first time making gnocchi. Not too hard, a good change-up when pasta gets boring. I wish it had some kind of sauce, though.

Chickpeas, Spinach, and Eggs from Bon Appetit
What a great protein-chocked vegetarian meal! The only drawback is that for a weeknight meal there were too many tedious steps.  I like to keep weeknights simple. I would make this for a Sunday post-workout brunch.

Whiskey Mushroom Steak Sauce from Steamy Kitchen
Everyone has their go-to steak preparation, and after making this sauce twice, this is now mine. So easy, so delicious, and light enough not to detract from the scrumptious juicy steak itself. I found a local store that sells grass-fed filet for $5-8 a pop -- WOW.  I went back there recently to get more and almost cried when the sign said they were closed until late May!

Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce from Steamy Kitchen
Can't get more low-carb than this and still get so much flavor. Since it was too cold to grill outside, my indoor grill worked wonderfully. The sauce is a hoisin-peanut butter-water blend that awesome cook and blogger, Cookie Loves, taught me. Basically, whisk together hoisin sauce and peanut butter until the flavor has that perfect sweet and tangy balance, then add water to thin it out to a more dip-like consistency.

 

See, I wasn't slacking after all! :)

Roasted Tomato Soup

This recipe is from Steamy Kitchen's blog (one of my favorites to follow!). I was looking for nutritious soup recipes for my poor hubby who recently had gum surgery. He loves salads and hasn't been able to eat anything crunchy! Since I recently picked up a quart of large, juicy homegrown tomatos from the local farmers' market, this was a good way to use them up. Often in tomato soups, it is turned into a "bisque" by adding cream, and I liked that this one had awesome flavor without all that extra fat. My immersion blender made quick work of the big chunks of veggies without having to transfer the boiling mixture into another appliance for blending.

RECIPE:
5 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 onion, cut into 1/2" slices
1 jalapeno, cut in half lengthwise, seeded
2 bell peppers, cut into big chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread tomatos, onion, jalapeno, bell peppers and garlic onto large baking sheets. Drizzle or spritz with olive oil until everything is thinly coated. Roast vegetables for 20-30 minutes, until everything is a bit browned and blistered. Take sheets out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Scrape all items into a large soup pot then add vegetable broth, paprika, salt and pepper. Use immersion blender to blend all ingredients to a smooth puree. Otherwise, transfer contents of soup pot to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Once soup is blended and back in the soup pot, bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld, and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if you like, and a thick slice of fresh bread. Makes 4 servings(per serving: 130cals, 7g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein)

French Onion Soup

This picture was taken right after I pulled two bowls of bubbling soup out from under the oven's broiler and the overpowering scent of onions, toasted homemade bread, and Gruyere was hitting me in the face! It isn't the prettiest soup I've ever made, but it tasted phenomenal. The ingredients are few and simple, with the most expensive ingredient being the Gruyere cheese which must be a splurge because there is no substitute for its flavor!

The recipe is from epicurious.com, labeled a "blue ribbon" recipe which means lots of good ratings! Definitely more comfort food than healthy given the ample cheese and butter, but its flavor is so rich that one bowl will satisfy. The recipe stated that it made 2 servings, but I had at least one full bowl leftover. I used 1/2" slices of homemade wheat bread; too much bread takes away from the soup's silky texture. I didn't know how large a "sprig" of thyme is, so I pulled 2 3" stems from my herb garden, which gave just a hint of thyme flavor.

RECIPE:
1 lb yellow onions (about 4 medium), sliced thin
3-5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups Swiss Gruyere cheese, grated
crusty bread, sliced 1/2" thick, heavily toasted

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium. Melt the butter, then add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and some salt & pepper. Saute for a few minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook onions for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a caramel color and very soft. Add flour and mix in, then increase heat to medium, add white wine and let bubble for a few minutes. Pour in broth and water, bring to a simmer and cook with the pot covered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle in more salt and pepper to taste. Once the flavor of the soup is to your liking, turn off heat and ladle soup into two oven-proof bowls. Float slices of bread on top and sprinkle on a thick layer of Gruyere on the bread. Place bowls onto a baking dish for stability and broil on the middle rack for 5 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Let cool before serving, and don't forget the bowls are very hot!

Lentil Squash Soup (Vegan)

I had about 2 cups of leftover trombocino squash (similar to butternut) after making chili over the weekend, and since it is cold outside tonight this soup fit the bill of simple, comforting, hearty, and healthy.

Check out this freaky looking squash from the CSA! The one on the left is the trombocino, and on the right is a type of pumpkin. I succeeded in using both of these monsters up with various recipes - go me!

 

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and adapted it a little based on the ingredients I had on hand. I didn't have fresh ginger or fenugreek seeds (who has those lying around?), substituted green Goya lentils for red, and added sliced baby bella mushrooms. I also used the whole can of coconut milk, because I was too lazy to figure out what to do with the other half can!  Including cooking time, it took about an hour to make.

RECIPE:
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup dry lentils (don't forget to rinse and sort thru these like I did! oops)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can light coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
canola oil
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Add a bit of oil to the bottom of a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic, onion, and ginger for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add squash, mushrooms lentils, cilantro and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste, coconut milk, water, curry, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne. Mix together, crank the heat up to high and bring to a boil briefly. Simmer on low for 30 minutes with the pot uncovered. After 30 minutes, check the lentils to see if they are soft. There should not be much liquid left at this point. If lentils are still crunchy, cover pot and continue simmering until they are done. Taste test and add more seasoning if needed. Serve hot in a bowl sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Guacamole

This guac recipe is out of Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking cookbook, the same book from which the Roasted Tomato Salsa came. I have made several recipes from this book, and I would highly recommend it.

A food processor makes short work of creating the perfect texture for this guac. The recipe says to puree it, but I prefer my guac (and salsa, for that matter) extra chunky, so I just pulsed it to my desired chunkiness. Tomatillos aren't something regularly available in grocery stores near me, but I lucked out in that the CSA included a bunch in the latest box. I was able to get the avocados for $1 each at Sam's Club, and despite my low expectations for their quality, I was pleasantly surprised to cut them open and find perfectly ripe, un-mottled green flesh inside.

RECIPE:
2 large avocados, pits removed and flesh scooped out
4 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
1/2 medium white onion, quartered
1-2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and quartered
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
1 small tomato, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Add tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro to a food process and pulse until well blended. Add avocado and pulse to desired texture. Scrape out mixture into medium bowl. Add tomato, lime juice, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Pair with thick tortilla chips (I am addicted to Target's organic blue corn chips!) Eat within a few hours of making.

Scallops with Spinach and Lemony Risotto

Huge, "jumbo" scallops were on sale at the grocery store, and since I was craving seared scallops over risotto anyway, I decided to buy a pound and try cooking them myself. Doing a quick online search, there were several recipes out there that sounded delicious, but I decided on this one because of it's simplicity and step-by-step directions. Here is the link to the blog I found and used. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, so I won't replicate all the steps here since the blog author did such a great job of writing it!  I did add a couple additional splashes of white wine to the scallops and risotto broth because I like the tart flavor of a dry white to balance out the buttery flavors. I hope you have as much success making this as I did! Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe is out of Cooking Light's June 2012 "Super Fast" section, and it really is quick and easy to make. At first it seemed like it would be a basic stir-fry but  I've made it twice now and it was so good each time that I figured it was blog-worthy.

REVIEW: I changed out the veggies depending on what looked fresh at the grocery. Asparagus subbed for broccoli is delicious if you love asparagus like I do. The sauce is the best part because it is very flavorful, especially after adding a generous amount of Sriracha! I did add a splash of fish sauce to the sauce to add depth. This will definitely be on my regular weeknight dinner rotation.

RECIPE:
1 lb chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 cup rice cooked per its directions (I prefer jasmine)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups broccoli or asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup frozen edamame (soybeans), shelled
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted unsalted cashews
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp Sriracha
salt
pepper

Combine chicken, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss until the chicken pieces are well-coated. To make the sauce, combine rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and  sriracha in a bowl and set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok to medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oil to the wok. Add chicken pieces and saute until chicken is lightly browned and is almost cooked through. Increase heat to high and add broccoli, edamame, garlic, bell peper, and onion. Stir fry for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender but not too soft.Check that chicken is cooked through.  Add sauce and cashews and stir until heated through.

Bonus Tip: One of the trickiest parts of stir-frying is getting the timing just right - the chicken is cooked through but the veggies are not mushy or too crunchy. A really good method that I often use for ensuring the veggies are crisp-tender is to cook the hard vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc) beforehand. To do this, crank the wok up to high and add about 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the wok. Add vegetables to the water and cover. The veggies will steam in about 5 minutes, then remove them from the wok and set aside while cooking the rest of the stir fry. Add 'em back in at the end with the sauce. Works great!