A Good Appetite: dinner

Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Creamy Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup

This is a gorgeous and flavorful fall soup. Even though it is very creamy, thanks to blending, there is no cream in it except the soup cream you garnish it with. Fresh ginger and a pinch of cayenne give it that touch of warm that is perfect for colder winter.

Wouldn't that make a beautiful starter for Thanksgiving? Or just great meal with some bread on a busy weeknight? It is really complimented with rolls or pretzels with poppy seeds on them. You can make this ahead of time too since I think it was even better a day or two later.

Creamy Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup

1 T unsalted butter
1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 T fresh peeled, minced ginger
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped (about 2 - 2 1/2 cups)
1 c red lentils
6 c water
1 t ground mustard
1 t coriander
2 t turmeric
pinch or two of cayenne
salt
sour cream

In a large heat pot heat the butter and olive oil over medium hight heat. Add the onion and ginger. Sauté until the onion is starting to become translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt and sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes, until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to blend to desired creaminess. We got our almost blended, but left a few chunks of vegetables for texture. Salt to taste.

Serve garnished with sour cream.

Makes 6 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2013 Kathy Lewinski

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Thai-Inspired Chicken, Cabbage and Noodle Soup

This was another dish inspired by leftovers and what was in the fridge. Basically, I had some roast chicken that needed to be used up, plus a head of cabbage. I don't know why, but that just seemed like a start to an Asian soup to me. Add the fact, I had some fresh ginger and my path was clear.

The ingredient that really makes this dish is the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. It gives it a wonderful sweet and spicy flavor (very mildly spicy). A touch of lime juice added a little but of needed sour. What you end up with is a different take on a comforting chicken noodle soup that has a great fresh, almost lightness, to it.

Thai-Inspired Chicken, Cabbage and Noodle Soup
4 c chicken stock
1 t minced fresh ginger
2 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 carrot, sliced thin
3 T Thai sweet chili sauce
1/2 t soy sauce
2 t lime juice
2 c cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
small cabbage, cored and cut into approximately 2 inch piece, about 2 - 3 cups
3 - 4.5 oz thin rice sticks (3 for 2 servings and 4.5 for 3)
salt

In large soup pot, stir together the stock, ginger, white part of the green onions, carrots, Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots soften slightly. Add chicken and cabbage. Cook until cabbage wilts a little. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Meanwhile put the rice sticks into a heat proof bowl, I like to break them up a little. Cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 8 - 10 minutes until the noodles are softened, stirring occasionally.

Drain the noodles and divide between bowls. Pour soup on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with green onion greens.

Makes 2 very large or 3 smaller servings (Matt and I ate almost the whole thing ourselves, but it could have easily been divided between 3.)

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Leftover Chili Mac

It's Monday night and Matt and I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week. Time to see what I can create for dinner from the fridge and pantry. There's some leftover chili that needs to be eaten, but there isn't enough for two servings. What to turn it into?

I also had some pasta and cheese (well, Velveeta, so kind of cheese), so decided to try a chili mac. This went over really well with Matt. It was cheesy and creamy. I'm torn a little on the beans in it, because there texture is a bit like the pasta, but Matt really liked them in it. It was definitely a good use of the leftover chili.

Leftover Chili Mac

1 1/2 c leftover chili (mine was a beef and black bean chili)
6 oz mild melting cheese (I used Velveeta, because there was some lingering in the fridge)
1 T milk, cream or half & half
pinch dry mustard
1 T all-purpose flour (optional)
8 oz cooked pasta (I used penne, but short pasta that holds sauce well is good.)
sharper cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat the chili. Cut the 6 oz of cheese into small pieces and melt into the chili. Stir in the milk and dry mustard. Now comes the optional part. My sauce was a little thinner than the cheese sauce I like to use for mac and cheese, so I whisked in the flour. I simmered the sauce while stirring for a few minutes until it was nice and thick. The chili you start with will really decided this for you.

Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and pour into a casserole. Grate a little sharp cheddar over the top.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Curry Turkey Pasta Salad and an Update

Where oh, where have we been? Well, we have been continuing our diets, which doesn't always lead to the most exciting of menus. That said, the diet has been going well, Matt is down 34 pounds and I am down 23. I'm not saying we don't still eat well, just not as many fun things to share.

On top of that, we have just gone into contract on a new kitchen...

Ok, not just a kitchen, but the whole loft around it. We are selling our house and moving into Minneapolis's downtown North Loop neighborhood. We are looking forward to being in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by restaurants like Sapor, Borough, Bachelor Farmer, Smack Shack, Black Sheep Pizza, 112 Eatery, Bar La Grassa, and Be'wiched, just to name a few. Uh oh, there goes that diet!

With getting the house cleaned up, preparing for a garage sale and finding a new place to buy, we are looking for quick, satisfying meals these days. Over the weekend we roasted a turkey with friends, so we decided to turn the leftovers into a pasta salad. (You could easily do this with chicken too.) Curry powder gives this salad lots of flavor, carrots and celery add a crunch and golden raisins provide a perfect touch of sweetness. We use light mayo and non-fat yogurt to keep the calories low.

Curry Turkey Pasta Salad

4oz pasta
1 t cider vinegar
4 oz roasted turkey, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 c chopped red onion
2 T golden raisins
2 T plain non-fat yogurt
3 T light mayonaise
2 T skim milk
1 T mild curry powder
salt

Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put into a bowl and stir in vinegar. Let sit a few minutes to cool an absorb vinegar.

Mix everything but the salt into the pasta. Taste and add salt as needed.

Chill covered for at least an hour.

2 servings
About 430 calories per serving

Friday, April 19, 2013

Spanish Chorizo Fried Rice

The other night Matt had a meeting leaving me on my own for dinner. I was craving some rice, so I went looking through the fridge and freezer to find things to add to it. What I came up with was this mix of Spanish and Asian flavors.

I have to tell you this really worked. The smoked paprika flavor of the sausage worked so well with the sweetness of the peas. I kept the sauce simple, just some salty soy and sweet/hot chili sauce. The sausage also a nice chewy texture. I can't want to make this for Matt now.

Spanish Chorizo Fried Rice
Make sure to get a Spanish and not Mexican chorizo for this dish. The Spanish version is a hard sausage link.

1/4 dry white rice, like jasmine or basmati
1 t olive oil
1 oz Spanish chorizo, cut into small pieces
1 c frozen sugar snap peas
1/2 t soy sauce
1 t sweet chili sauce
1 large egg

Cook the rice and let it sit in the open air for a little bit to dry out. You don't have to do this, but it gives it a nice texture in the finished dish.

In a skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the chorizo and sauté for about a minute. Add the peas and cooked rice. Cook until the the peas are warmed through, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce and chili sauce. Move the rice mixture to the side and crack the egg in the middle of the pan. Stir, breaking the yoke and blending. As the egg set stir into the rest of the dish.

1 serving
Approximately 486 calories

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Mayan Pork

I have been meaning to tell you guys about our Easter dinner for awhile now. We had pork, but not your typical Easter ham. Instead we went south of the border for a Mayan-inspired pork.

I was recently introduced to pork cooked with annatto at our favorite breakfast place, Blackbird. Matt had it as part of a breakfast taco and let me have a little bite. It was so good, I said we needed to try making it at home.

Annatto is the seed of the achiote tree that is commonly used in Latin American and Caribbean cooking. It is also used for it red color to dye cheeses and make food coloring. This stuff is red, so watch out when you are using it. You can find it at Hispanic groceries and a spice stores like Penzeys. The annatto seed has a slightly nutty, floral, peppery flavor, it is really perfect paired with the acidity of citrus. It really gives pork a fresh, bright flavor.

We served it over hot rice the first night and then had the leftovers as tacos with just some red onion. It really doesn't need much else.

Mayan Pork
We made this in a pressure cooker, but you could also do it in a crock pot or slow cook it in the oven or on the stove top. Your cooking time will increase to a couple of hours instead of 45 minutes.

4 cloves garlic
1 T annatto seeds, ground (you can also use ground annatto)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t Mexican oregano
1/2 t allspice
1 1/2 lbs pork loin, cut into chunks
juice of one grapefruit juice
1 t olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes

With a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves. Add the annatto, cumin, oregano and allspice and grind into a paste. Rub all over the pork pieces. Put in a sealable bag with the grapefruit juice. Let marinade for 4 - 5 hours.

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the onions, tomato, pork and 1 cup of the marinade. Cook in a pressure cooker on medium for 45 minutes. Pork should be very tender.

6 servings
Approximately 174 calories per serving

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Stout and Sausage Pasta

The current issue of Cooking Light (a magazine which has really been great while we are counting calories) has a section on Macaroni and Cheese dishes. This dish is adapted from one of those recipes.

I am not calling it a mac and cheese because really it doesn't have much cheese flavor. That is because we replaced the Velveeta in the recipe with cream cheese. Why did we make the replacement? Well, we don't really use Velveeta, so it seemed like a waste to buy it to just use 1oz. Cream cheese on the other hand has become an ingredient in a lot of our dishes lately. We use the light version and add it to mexican dishes and pasta for a creamy sauce with less calories.

In this pasta the beer is really a prominent flavor, so I don't recommend it if you aren't a fan of stouts. The beer flavor really pairs well with the Italian sausage. Our sausage was a little mild and I found myself wishing for one that was a little heavier with the spices to stand up to the stout. The sauce is creamy, with just a touch of cheese making this a very satisfying dish.

Stout and Sausage Pasta
4 oz pasta (we used a medium shell, but you could use rotini or penne or even elbows.)
1 t olive oil
2 oz bulk Turkey Italian sausage
1/3 c onion, diced
1 1/4 T all-purpose flour
1/4 t pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 c stout
2 1/2 T skim milk
1 1/4 oz reduced-fat cheddar
1 oz light cream cheese

Preheat oven to 450F.

Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onion. Sauté until the sausage is cooked through. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle with the flour, salt and pepper. Cook while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the stout. Bring to a boil. Stir until thicken, this should happen pretty quickly for such a small amount. Remove from heat and add the milk and cheeses. Stir until melted. You may need to add some low heat if everything doesn't melt.

Stir in the pasta. You can divide between two small ramekins like we did or just put in one larger casserole dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.
417 calories per serving

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Indian Chicken Pizza

Pizza is one of those things that can be a little tricky to fit in when you are counting your calories. The killer is the crust. We had gotten lazy and were using a very good store bought dough, but after looking at the calories I knew that wasn't going to work anymore. Our homemade crust is a little better and we usually just top it with fresh tomatoes, a few slices of pepperoni and mozzarella. Matt wanted a change up, so since we had some leftover roast chicken, an Indian pizza seems in order.

The trick was to create a sauce that wasn't too high in calories but still full of flavor. We used some canned tomatoes as the base and then layered in the flavors of garam masala and ginger. Yogurt and just a touch of half and half give it some creaminess. I thought the yogurt would have enough tartness, but a little lemon juice added just the right about of freshness and acidity which I think is a good counterpoint to the garam masala.

This was a great treat, and at 700 calories a serving it is a treat. Still, you do get half a pizza here which is a lot of food. I think you could serve 3 people with it really which would cut the calories down to 467.

Indian Chicken Pizza

1 c crushed or diced tomatoes
1 t tomato paste
1 t half & half (you can use cream or milk I just had half and half on hand)
4 oz plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 t lemon juice
1/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t garam masala
salt
1/2 c sliced red onion
2 T chopped cilantro
4 oz cooked chicken meat, chopped or shredded
4 oz part-skim mozzarella, grated

1 pizza crust (We use 1/2 of this recipe from Wisebread to make one pizza. It makes a wet dough, but we find that gives the best texture. Resist the urge to add too much extra flour.)

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a food processor or small chopper, puree the tomatoes with the tomato paste. Stir in the half & half, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (I thought the garam masala tasted a little strong, but cooked with the other ingredients it was perfect.)

Spread your dough out on a baking sheet sprayed with a cooking spray. Top with sauce, onion, chicken, cilantro and mozzarella.

Bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 2 servings (about 8 slices of pizza, it could easily become 3 servings)
The pizza crust is about 391 calories per serving. The toppings are about 310 per serving.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Smoked Salmon Pasta

Here's a pasta that comes together in about 15 minutes and yet is still nice enough to serve to guests. It was a great busy Sunday night dinner for us.

A good deal of the flavor in this dish comes from the smoked salmon, so I would suggest getting the a good one. Or you could smoke your own like we do. The rest of the dish is composed of classic salmon pairings; cream cheese, capers, red onion and dill. It's creamy with a little crunch from the onions and briny bited from the capers. We use skim milk and light cream cheese to keep the calories around 400 a serving, but we don't lose any of the creamy richness.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

4 oz medium shell pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 c chopped red onion
2 t all-purpose flour
1/2 c skim milk
2 oz light cream cheese
4 oz smoked salmon, flaked
2 t capers (Matt thought the amount was just right, I'd add more next time)
2 T chopped fresh dill

Cook the pasta according to directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Sprinkle in the flour, cook while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk until slightly thickened and bubbly. Turn heat down to low and stir in the cream cheese until melted. Add the salmon and capers. Stir and cook until everything is hot.

When the pasta is done, stir about 1/2 cup (use more or less to get the sauce to a consistency you like) of the pasta water into the sauce. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce.

Serve with dill sprinkled over the top.

Makes 2 servings
Approximately 415 calories per serving

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Dal with Kale

Things continue to go well on our "diet." We are learning to portion better, lighten our existing recipes and are trying lots of new ones too. We are seeing some success too, Matt has lost 17 pounds and I'm down 8. Not too bad for 6 weeks in.

This is a new dish for us to make. Matt ordered some Bob's Red Mill Red Lentils after trying a Campbell's Golden Lentil with Madras Curry Soup. He loved the flavor of the soup wanted to experiment with making his own versions. This one is much more stew than soup, but had the flavors he was looking for.

Matt made his own curry seasoning for this dish. I think it was an excuse to use things like the charnushka he picked up at Penzeys. The flavor was really great and it made the house smell amazing. You get a lot of very satisfying food for the calories with this dish. Plus it made great lunch leftovers.

Dal with Kale
1 c red lentils
14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 t turmeric
1/2 T olive oil
1 c chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t mustard seed
1/2 t black onion seeds (charnushka)
1/2 t ground fenugreek
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
4 oz chopped kale leaves, blanched for 1 minute in the microwave
salt

Put the lentils, 2 1/2 c water, tomatoes and turmeric and a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover, but leave the cover open slightly. Let cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are done.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it starts to get translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute.

Crush the mustard and onion seeds to a powder. Add to the onion and garlic with the remaining spices. Sauté a minute or two until fragrant. Add to the lentil mixture. Stir in the kale and heat through. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.

Makes 5 servings at 183 calories per serving.
We served it with jasmine rice at 160 calories per serving and chicken samosas from Trader Joe's.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Chicken and Olive Stew

I was looking through the freezer the other day to see how many chickens I had left when I stumbled on a package of boneless chicken thighs. I pulled them out with the idea of doing some sort of one pot, Mediterranean-influenced dish.

The star of this dish ended up being the Kalamata olives, their brininess just adds a brightness to the sauce. Enhanced with a little white wine, fresh thyme and some garlic, it makes me think of warmer climates, but is still perfect for a cold winter Minnesota night.

Chicken and Olive Stew

1/2 T olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 c chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T white wine
1 T white wine vinegar
1 14.5 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
15 pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
1 t fresh thyme
1/4 t dried parsley
salt & pepper

In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the wine, vinegar, tomatoes, olive, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the top and let simmer until the sauce has reduced. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over hot rice or noodles.

Makes 3 servings
332 calories per serving without rice or noodles (You can reduce the calories by using chicken breasts instead of thighs, but we like the flavor of thigh.)

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Tomatillo Chicken and Rice

We roasted a chicken last week, so there was lots of leftover chicken to use in other dinners. One of my go-to dishes for leftover chicken is enchiladas. Well, I took one look at the calories in a tortilla and knew that was out right now. I decided to make a hot dish that would gives us the same flavors with less calories.

You know, hot dishes are just never the prettiest thing to photograph, but they rate high on the comfort food scale. This one has such great flavor from the tomatillo sauce. We make our own oven roasted sauce, but you could use a store bought sauce or even salsa. The rice is baked in the oven allowing it to absorb the flavors of the sauce. This definitely filled the bill for the flavor I was craving and was so incredibly filling. We served it with a few tortilla chips.

Tomatillo Chicken and Rice
If you've got leftover cooked chicken this dish is a very easy one dish meal.

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 c tomatillo sauce
3/4 c frozen sweet corn
1/2 c jasmine or white rice, uncooked
1 oz colby jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 355 F.

In a small baking dish, mix the chicken, tomatillo sauce, corn, rice and 1 cup water.
Cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is soft. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake uncovered another 10 -15 minutes.

2 servings
Approximately 390.5 calories per serving, your tomatillo sauce may change this.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pork with Tart Balsamic Cherries

With only two people in the house, Matt and I have to think when we are shopping and planning meals how we are going to use ingredients that come in larger sizes without a lot of waste. Can something be used in more than one meal that week, like a whole chicken? Should we make a larger dish and have leftovers for lunches? Can we cut it up and freeze the rest to use later?

We did the later with a pork tenderloin that we picked up last week. Matt weighed it and cut it into three pieces, each piece enough for two servings. So, that way we were only cooking exactly what we needed. This is great if you are watching your calories, because there are no leftovers to tempt you into a second helping.

This dish really felt like a special night dinner, even though Matt prepared it quickly in one pan. The tartness of the cherries, along with the depth of the balsamic, adds so much flavor to the pork. You definitely want to use tart, not sweet cherries, in this dish.

Pork with Tart Balsamic Cherries

1/2 T olive oil
8 oz pork tenderloin, cut into 4 medallions
1/2 c sliced yellow onion
1/2 c dried tart cherries
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the pork cook on one side for about 4 minutes. Flip the pork over and add the remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about another 10 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the onions and cherries have soften. Uncover and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened to a consistency you like.

2 servings
322 calories per serving.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Chicken and Potatoes in Parsley Sauce

Well, we have jumped right into our new eating plan for 2013. It is taking a little getting used to keeping track of everything, but we are already seeing a difference on the scale which is satisfying. Eating at home is, of course, the easiest and I feel like I'm eating more than I did before actually. What we really have to learn is how to eat out and still stick to our goals. Other than that, the biggest change has been giving up my many trips a week to Caribou Coffee for Chai Lattes and Dark Chocolate Mochas. All and all though, we are still eating very well.

Yeah, does this dinner look like we are suffering? The sauce for this meal came about because I had a ton of fresh parsley leftover after making homemade chicken noodle soup over the weekend (by request of a sick Matt). The sauce is quite delicate and fresh, but a little pinch of cayenne really boosted the flavor. I liked it much better on things, than by itself. I also like the fact it was a good sauce for the main and side.

Chicken and Potatoes in Parsley Sauce

1/2 T olive oil
salt & pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 t unsalted butter
2 T diced shallot
1 1/4 t all-purpose flour
3/4 c skim milk
1/2 t Dijon mustard
pinch or two of cayenne
2 T chopped fresh parsley (or more to taste)
270 grams small red potatoes, boiled, hot

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, add to the skillet and cook through. Remove to a plate and tent to keep warm.

Add the butter to the skillet and melt. Stir in the shallot and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots. Stir while cooking for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk until the sauce is thicken and bubbily. Stir in the Dijon and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley.

Serve the sauce over the hot chicken breasts and potatoes.

Two servings. (If you just served the sauce over chicken or potatoes, not both, you could get 4 servings)
96.5 calories per serving for the sauce alone. 238 calories with a chicken breast. 135 grams of potatoes comes in a 100 calories. For a total of 338 per serving.

Oh I should mention, last week I said I wasn't thrilled with the Loseit website, but after the first of the year rush it is working much better. I have to say I really love the recipe function where I can put in ingredients and get the calories for a recipe. This works great for people like us who don't eat much prepared food.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup

We are so busy this time of year getting ready for Christmas. Meals tend to be hearty and easy. If they give us leftovers, all the better. Soup seems to fit the bill a lot.

This classic soup is fill of umami and will keep you satified on a cold winter night.

We used farro in this soup because we didn't have enough barley on hand, you can certainly substitute.

Beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup

1 T olive oil
1 lb stew beef
8 oz button mushrooms
2 yellow onions sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c beef broth
2 c water
2 T soy sauce
1 t crushed, dried rosemary
1 c farro
salt and pepper

In a large heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the beef. Add the beef to the pot and sauté until cooked through. Add the mushrooms and onions. Sauté a minute or two until the onions are tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Add the garlic sauté another minute. Add the broth, water, soy sauce and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Add the farro. Bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat, cover leaving the cover open slightly and simmer for 20 minutes or until the farro is tender (it should still have a slight toothiness to it). If it seems too thick add another cup of water. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve with a crusty bread.

Makes 6 servings.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Macaroni and Cheese with Pickled Onions

Oh my gosh, where did the time go? This past month has just been a blur with Christmas shopping, a minor surgery, traveling for the holidays and work and lots of holiday craft projects. It's time I got back to sharing food with you all.

If you remember when I was last chatting with you all, I told you about the amazing dinner we had at Geranium in Copenhagen. One of our favorite dishes was this Hay Cheese Soup with Pickled Onions and Bread Crumbs.

Matt thought it was a fantasic inspiration for a macaroni and cheese. He was so right, though perhaps it is not as refined a version. This could top the list as my favorite version of our homemade mac and cheese. The pickled onions add such a wonderful bite against the creamy cheese while the pumpernickel bread crumbs add crunch and a toasty flavor.

It is really quite an easy dish to make, you just have to remember to pickle the onions ahead of time. I like to do them in the morning for that night's dinner. The longer they sit in the brine the more pickled they will get.

Macaroni and Cheese with Pickled Onions

Pickled Onions

1/2 c white vinegar
1 1/2 T sugar
1/8 t crushed red pepper
1/4 t salt
1 c sliced onion

In a small microwave safe bowl heat the vinegar, sugar, red pepper & salt in the microwave on high for about one minute. Stir until the sugar & salt are dissolved. Put in a jar or plastic container. Add the onions & stir to combine. Refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes. They get stronger the longer they sit.

Macaroni and Cheese

3/4 lb spiral macaroni
1 Tbs unsalted butter + extra for the top
1/8 C flour
1 C milk
1/2 C heavy cream
9oz mild cheese, chopped into small pieces (we wanted to use Vlaskaas, a Dutch cheese made with flax, but it was out of season, so we went when a young gouda instead. Graskaas made when the cows eat the fresh spring grass would be fabulous too.)
pinch dry mustard
salt
pepper
pumpernickel bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook pasta according to directions drain and set aside.

In a small saucepan melt butter over med-low heat. Add flour an stir constantly for 1 minute. Do not allow to brown. Slowly whisk in milk and cream. Stir until hot and smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add cheese. Whisk until melted. Add a pinch of dry mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pickled onions. Mic the cooked pasta, cheese sauce and pickled onions together. Spoon into a casserole dish. Top with pumpernickel bread crumbs and scatter a few small pats of butter around the top.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 4 - 5 servings

Monday, October 22, 2012

Easy Vegetable Curry

Let's talk a break from travel posts for a recipe. After being gone, I didn't really have a menu plan for the week, but I did have some vegetables in the house that needed to be used up. Matt has been asking for a curry for a while, so that seemed like a good way to go.

This curry could not be simpler. Just sauté your vegetables, add the seasoning and liquid then let it simmer for a while. The nice thing is you can pretty much make it with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Don't have leeks, use an onion. Don't have a squash, use a sweet or regular potato. Have some green beans or peas, throw them in too. A big part of the flavor for this comes from your curry powder, so use a good one.

Easy Vegetable Curry

1 T olive oil
2 leek (or one onion), sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 small squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 T curry powder (or more to taste)
4 oz blanch kale leaves, chopped
14 oz crushed or diced tomatoes
5.5 oz coconut milk
sirracha to taste
salt
4 servings hot rice

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the leeks, carrots, parsnip and squash. Sauté until the leeks are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and curry powder. Stir for about 1 minutes. Add the kale, tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 30 - 40 or until the vegetables are tender.

Add sirracha and salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Easy Gazpacho

When the tomatoes are ripe and the temps soar into the triple digits, it's the right time of year for gazpacho. Really, there is nothing like a bowl of this cooling soup with some crusty bread when the thought of turning on the oven, or even the grill, seems unbearable.

Ok, you do have to turn on the stove for this, but just briefly to blanch the tomatoes to remove the skins. Do it in the morning before the house heats up.

I just winged it with this version using what vegetables we had on hand and adding things I thought sounded good. Funny thing is, it's probably the best version of gazpacho I've ever made. All the flavors blend together so one vegetable doesn't over power the rest. The balsamic adds some depth and the red pepper flakes a litte zing. The color is a gorgeous deep red. Cilantro, while not typical in gazpacho, really goes with it beautifully, but if you are one of those people who can't eat cilantro leave it out. I can't recommend topping it with sweet corn more, the crunch and sweetness it adds is really something special.

Easy Gazpacho

1 c peeled, seeded and roughly chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 large sweet white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
handful of fresh cilantro (optional)
1 11.5 oz can of tomato juice
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t - 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T balsamic vinegar

Put everything in a blender or food processor. Process until everything is chopped but the soup still has a little texture. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.

Makes 4 cups

Optional toppings:
cooked corn kernels (To cook an ear of corn easily, peel the husk without removing it. Remove all the silk you can. Push the husk back up around the corn. Microwave on hight for 3 minutes. Perfectly done corn)
diced cucumbers
diced onion

Monday, July 2, 2012

"Old Fashioned" Pork Chops

We're only around for dinner for a couple days this week, so no need for a weekly menu or farmers market trip. Instead I'll start your week off with Matt's latest grilled concoction, "Old Fashioned" Pork Chops.

These are not old fashion pork chops, these are pork chops marinated in the ingredients for Matt's favorite cocktail, an Old Fashioned. Sometimes I feel like you can't really taste the flavors of a marinade in the finished meat, but that is not the case with this one. It's not they they are over-powering, instead you can taste the different components and how well they compliment the pork. I don't particularly like to drink bourbon, but apparently I really love it on pork. Plus, no dry pork here, these chops came out juicy even thought a little more well cooked than we planned.

"Old Fashioned" Pork Chops

1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c bourbon
couple dashes of bitters

2 boneless, double-cut pork chops

salt and pepper

Mix the juice, bourbon and bitters together. Pour in a ziplock bag and add chops. Seal getting as much air out as possible. Marinate in the fridge for 4 - 6 hours.

Remove the chops from the marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness.

Makes 2 servings.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

More Ideas for Garlic Scape Pesto

We continue to work on way through the 3 cups of garlic scape pesto we made last week...

First there was pizza. This one was topped with the pesto then chopped cottage bacon (oh, so amazing on pizza, not quite bacon, not quite ham), mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. The fresh, mild garlic flavor of the pesto infuses every bite.

But this, this is what garlic scape pesto is made for, Green Eggs and Hash. The hash here is just a mix of seasonal vegetables, radishes, potatoes, onions and cottage bacon. The eggs though are the star. Matt took a heathy spoonful of the pesto and about 1 oz of cream cheese and mixed it in with 4 eggs. Then he just soft scrambled them. These eggs are as light as air with a heavenly garlic flavor and just the slightest tartness from the cream cheese. The were so good we had them again later in the week without the hash.

We still have about a cup of the pesto left, any other good ideas out there?