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Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

27.2.12

How to Make Your House Smell Amazing & Dinner Too

 There's still time!  I know it feels like it might be warming up, and we are all dreaming of fresh summer salads, and otter pops.  But, don't let this finicky weather fool you, there are still plenty of soup days left yet on the calendar.  (I just love soup.)

This one is ridiculously healthy, hearty, and best of all aromatic.  The smells of indian curry filled my kitchen, and then the whole house, as I simmered lentils and coconut milk.  And if you still aren't convinced, wait until you hear about the spiced butter...














Make Green Lentil Curry Soup:

Combine 2 tablespoons butter, the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over 
medium heat.  Stir while onions and garlic soften.  Add broth and lentils.  Simmer about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

When lentils are tender, remove form heat, and add the coconut milk.  Here you can puree the whole thing or some of the soup if you like.  I prefer it chunky.


Make the Spiced Butter:

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in small saucepan until just brown and 'nutty' smelling.  Stir in curry powder and saute until spices are fragrant (less than a minute).

Now add half of your spiced butter to the soup (your house should smell like an authentic indian restaurant by now) saving the remaining spiced butter to drizzle over individual servings.  Top with chopped fresh chives.





















>>>>>A fun note about chives which I learned from my dear friend Fi over at Clussster.  You can regrow your chives, or green onions!  Who knew??  You can't reuse them forever, but it sure is fun watching them double in size all over again!  Just stick the roots in water, the onions do the rest.

Ingredients:


5 tbsp Butter
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups green lentils rinsed
1 tbsp indian curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
fresh chives




Happy cooking, and happy almost spring, everyone!

Have you given up on winter yet?

7.2.12

Most Delicious Bean Dip

This is definitely one of those little recipes you find, and think to yourself...oh gosh!  How have I even lived before this??

Maybe it is the springish weather, maybe not...but I am on a fresh & healthy foods kick again.  It feels (and tastes) so good.

I have been on the prowl for good looking recipes and when I saw this one over at Gastronomical Sovereignty I just had to get Kristy's permission to post about it.  Permission WAS necessary because this is her top secret recipe!

Click here to see her post and get the exact directions!

I served it with almond rice crackers to make it even healthier, but it would be good with chips and I'm thinking even as a sandwich spread.

Simple is the magic word here, not too many ingredients:

Garlic
Black Beans (canned)
Onion
Honey
Red Pepper
Cumin
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Kristy adds hot stuff like red chile and chile powder, but I made my version sans *kick*, because my taste buds are not so tough.  But I imagine that with the sweetness of the honey, a little spice would add another awesome element.

The Makings

The Most Delicious Bean Dip 


 "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,
if one has not dined well."
~ Virginia Woolf, "A Room of One's Own"

10.11.11

Roots and Lentils




Hey all, it is definitely time to get out the soup pot, and this week, since I'm tired of my old stand by recipes, I gave this new soup a try.  Check out this Lentil and Root Stew from the fabulous food blog, Allotment 2 Kitchen (you should because her photos are so much better, and she made dumplings to go with!).  

My favorite part of this new recipe was the spices; coriander and cumin.  The soup had an earthy and non-american taste that was so heart warming and delicious.  Not to mention, I am a huge fan of vegetarian cuisine, especially when I know it is loaded with protein (even without the meat...thank you lentils).

This recipe is absolutely a keeper!

Keep warm everyone!

29.9.11

My Week in Squash

One of Autumn's big contributions is squash..acorn, delicata, butternut...i love them all (can't wait to make pumpkin pie!). Here are the three different ways I used squash this week...

-------->>>>I surprised Matt the other night with a late night romantic dinner of butternut squash raviolis..all homemade! I was inspired by the food blog Let's Dish, where lasagna noodles are used to make giant 'ravioli' packets.  Instead of making a sausage filling, I made a quick and simple butternut squash and feta filling, mostly faking it as I went, and making a mess, and having lots of fun trying a new recipe.  (Pictures of me, courtesy of Matt.)





-------->>>>So simple, acorn squash as a side dish with butter and brown sugar, the main course was soba noodles and tofu:




-------->>>>With the extra butternut squash left over from the raviolis, I thought I would see if I could find a recipe for butternut squash pasta sauce.  Even though the squash was prepared a bit differently from the previous recipe, I was able to make a delicious sauce from this recipe by just adding some garlic, sage, salt and pepper, and some cream and water.  It was great over some store bought tortellini from the freezer and quick to pull together!





I've been so into cooking lately, must be me practicing for the cozy winter months.  What cooking adventures has Autumn inspired in your kitchen?


26.9.11

Angry Wasp Season & Sweet Pepper Salad

I've been out regularly working it with my husband, breaking in those new Nikes.  Well, this morning, a wasp made a bee line (hah) for my hair and gave me a scare and a sting right above my ear!  Boo, the risks of exercise...it still hurts and I'm still mad at that wasp.  The funny thing is that, Matt was stung just last week while we were out burning calories minding our own business.  What is this, angry wasp season, or do we both just smell like flowers??

In my quest lately to be a healthy healthy girl, I have been cooking out of Natalia Rose's Raw Food book again.  I absolutely love this pepper tomato salad.  It's great by itself, in sandwiches, and even as a pizza topping.  It lasts for days in the fridge, so it is a great thing to use all week long!




Here's the easy recipe:

Cut up a bunch of pretty, sweet peppers.
Cut up a tomato.
Mince a clove of garlic.
Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy a healthy treat!  Simple, easy, and yum, and don't leave your house without bee repellent!


18.9.11

Really Good Cooking

Something really came over me yesterday, I just had to cook something complicated, and earlier this week, I had been completely inspired by a post on one of my favorite food blogs, Herbie Likes Spaghetti .  The recipe seemed perfectly delicious and I had most of the ingredients already.

Here's my take on Fettucini with Fresh Corn Pesto:




I will admit to a few things, I never properly follow a recipe and in this one, I added some breaded chicken pieces, substituted spaghetti for the fettucini, and left out the walnuts.  Also, the smoke alarm went off while I was frying all that bacon and chicken!  I have never tried or ever even heard of corn pesto....it is incredible!  I could have licked the food processor clean.  YUM!


11.9.11

Hazards Of Baking & All You Need Are Chairs

I can't imagine making cookies without my pretty Kitchen Aid.  But it is a dangerous business using that (not so) little helper.  The only place to put it in our closet sized kitchen (grr, whoever built this house did not like to cook and bake as much as I do!!) is on top of the fridge.  We have a huge fridge.  So every time I go to get the Kitchen Aid down from its towering perch, I fear for my life.  It weighs 500 pounds, easily, I can only imagine the damage that dropping it would do.  But persevere I do, because cookies and quiche are worth a little risk.  Yes, chocolate chip cookies for desert after a delicious garlic chicken sausage and parmesan quiche...but seriously, I need some cabinets on ground level for safety's sake...some day.

Here is me, trying not to kill myself retrieving the two ton Kitchen Aid:


Here are the spoils of such a daring and selfless act:


But, in other news, we finally bought chairs (now I can stand on one to retrieve the stuff on top of the fridge!) to go with our huge dining table...this is really worth celebrating because we seriously went for months without any chairs and just this huge table begging to be sat at.

We got rid of nearly all of our furniture during the big move last February and are slowly repurchasing things.  If you've ever shopped for nice dining chairs, you know how pricey they can get, and so I am happy to report a killer steal of a deal from craigslist:  6 chairs, solid wood, nearly perfect for less than the price of one brand new one.  Good things come to those who wait, and stand while eating for months on end because the kids get the barstools.  Ahhh, you will find me sitting at the table, relishing in the quaintness of family dinners and game nights.





Chairs+Table=Happy

It doesn't take a huge thing to make my day.  :)  And....we can now host dinner parties without the BYOC (bring your own chair) requirement.  Classy.

1.8.11

No Hillbilly Hot Dogs Here

These Ain't No Hillbilly Hotdogs





















These Ain't No Hillbilly Hotdogs:


Simple Ingredients-  pear, hotdog, bun, brie.


Directions-  Find a really nice hotdog (no oscar meyer crappy dog here) from somewhere like Whole Foods or New Seasons that is 100% beef and won't make you sick thinking about its ingredients (this is important).  Grill the dog sliced open and add fancy cheese (brie) and pieces of a yummy thinly sliced pear. Put this all in an artisan bun for the best tasting hot dog you will ever eat, I swear.


PS


I may have already blogged about this, I'm not sure.  But if so, it's because these hot dogs are THAT good.  Best summer BBQ recipe, really.


PSS


I'd like to thank my hubby for surprising me with these perfect hot dog ingredients yesterday after he worked all day and for grilling up a divine BBQ dinner just for us.

23.6.11

Recipe for Distraction

Not sure if I mentioned it, but the kids are away for the month.  Probably I am in denial still, what with the oddly silent state things are in, and the huge amount of free time I am so unaccustomed to, it's a bit of a shock.  I know this should be a time to harness all of my productive energies and take on the world.  I'm trying.  To cheer myself up and get me in a properly self absorbed (in a good way), me-centric, and independent mood (that only people without kids are really familiar with), I cooked a fancy European meal for two.  Yes, romance and imported cheese...makes everything better.  I was inspired by the incredible photos from FXcuisine.com, simple foods, complex flavors...delicious, and a fine place for dinner inspiration.

On The Menu:  
Goat Gouda, Walnut, and Pear Bruschetta
Elicoidali Pasta in Blue Cheese Sauce with a hint of Nutmeg.
Sangiovese Di Puglia



11.6.11

Good Times












 For a really YUM kabob baste recipe, go here.  I had nearly all of the ingredients already, lots of common stuff went into this recipe which is quick and easy...AND it was a complete hit all around the dinner table.  Can't beat a recipe that is a complete meal and can stand alone: steak, potato, bell pepper, and tomato.

+Game Night.  We've been very into Cribbage lately.  I grew up playing hearts and rummy but never Cribbage.  Matt taught me the other night and I'm hooked!  Fun fact:  The guy who invented Cribbage in the early 1630s was a crazy womanizing game shark of a knight, Sir John.  And, like many brilliant people, killed himself at much too young an age (32).  Anyway, I won, and I think thanks to the lovely 'I <3 U' necklace MyGirl tied around my neck during the game.  Lucky!

Happy Weekend!

11.5.11

Drizzly Day and White Bean, Turkey and Kale Soup

On a drizzly day like this one, it always makes me feel cozy to make soup and this is the soup I make most often (in other words, I highly reccomend it!):

White Bean, Turkey and Kale Soup (for a rainy day)

First, you'll need to put on some good music, I'm listening to Nellie Mckay's album Home Sweet Mobile Home.  But whatever keeps you going is good.

I'd also recommend a nice glass of red wine to inspire the cooking project.

Here are some key Ingredients:
Garlic
Onion
Kale
Ground Turkey
Vegetable Broth
Olive Oil
Carrots
White Beans
Lemon Juice
Tamari
Pepper



Now, chop up an onion and a few cloves of garlic to saute in olive oil.  This starts the soup off with really good flavor.  (Use a big soup pot, because this recipe is a 'one pot wonder'.)
Add carrots chopped 'coin style'.  
Add broth (I used two cartons) and additional water based on your soupy preference.
Add rinsed and drained beans (I used three cans (butter beans, black eyed peas, and white kidney beans)).
Simmer all of this for a bit and meanwhile chop some kale.  Don't forget to wash the greens.  Last week, I found a ladybug in my romaine lettuce!!

Add the chopped kale (I used one bunch).


Now we add a few splashes of lemon juice and tamari and a dash or two of ground pepper.  Simmer some more until the kale is a bit tender.  Mmmm....and now....

Soup is Ready.
Don't be afraid to modify this with anything your creative kitchen intuition comes up with...that's the best thing about soup, it always turns out gooooood.



19.4.11

First Barbecue of the Season

The rain let up just enough yesterday to clean up the grill and try out barbecuing some burgers at the new house.  I had been looking forward to this all day, ever since Matt texted me the key ingredients:  Gruyere, thyme, bacon, and apples....all from a recipe he found in Men's Health at work.

We got to cooking.
organic beef ready for cooking
with all the ingredients mixed in

green apples cooked and softened in butter

adding the ground cardamon
to delicious bacon and shallots
I don't know about you, but this is making me hungry all over again.  I would call the recipe a major success (we didn't make the sauce so I can''t vouch for that) although there were quite a few steps involved.  The burgers ended up being cooked half on the grill (till they started falling apart) and then salvaged and baked for the remainder of the time.  The flavor of these burgers was PHENOMENAL!

What better way to bring in the spring?
A girl, her dog, and BBQ