Beet, Spinach + Goat Cheese Salad

This a great summer salad - very light but very nutritious! Roast the beets ahead of time if you can. It will be easier to peel them when they're cool. I like to peel them after they've been roasted, but either way it will be a big mess, so it's up to you. Yummy beets!!

If you want to buy the sherry vinegar and have no idea what else you could use it for, it makes a wonderful dressing for salads with any kind of roasted vegetables involved. 

Beet, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Salad
serves 2 as a large side (aka add protein)

2 cups of washed spinach
4 medium sized beets, roasted, peeled, and sliced
4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
Olive Oil
Sherry Vinegar
Kosher Salt

Divide ingredients evenly between two plates, and drizzle lightly with oil and vinegar (it's better to start with too little vinegar - it's strong stuff!) and sprinkle with salt.

Butter Chicken + Fresh Vegetable Salad

 

So, I love Butter Chicken. It has this weird hold on me... if I can distract myself long enough to forget about (we're talking weeks here), I'm fine. But if it enters my mind again I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT AND I HAVE TO MAKE IT. I love Indian spices, and I love Indian sauces. I also really love rice, and the way it soaks up all those lovely spices and sauces. Ergo, Butter Chicken = Perfection. The recipe I used is from the book Simply Indian which I've mentioned a few times already. 

 I'm not going to give you the recipe this time because:
1) you really should buy that book if you like Indian food - the recipes are not complicated, they just have a lot of ingredients and most of them are spices easily acquired, and
2) there are a LOT of Butter Chicken recipes out there and everyone says that theirs is the best. If you are a bit of a fanatic like me, just try a few until you find your favorite! They come in varying levels of spice, ease, and authenticity.

However, I will tell you the reasons I like this one and then maybe you'll decide that this really IS the best!

1) It has raisins in it. Weird? Maybe at first... but you fry them in butter and they get all plump and juicy and they add the most delightful sweetness and chew to the sauce! MM! (It also calls for almonds but I prefer to skip those. Nuts get soft in sauce and it really is weird)

2) I love the spices it calls for. The chicken is marinated in Tandoori powder with garlic and ginger, and the sauce has cardamom and nutmeg in it! That is very unique in my opinion, and is what gives this recipe that air of mystery.

3) This recipes calls for 4 cups of milk that have been boiled down to 1 cup. This takes forever and is simply not worth the time so I've been using Evaporated Milk instead. I'm just proud of myself for making that connection, so that's the only reason I'm adding this.

This is a fantastic Fresh Vegetable salad from the same book. Perfect for cooling off once the spice adds up!

**This is the best part - my special garnish! It's not pictured below as I didn't have the ingredients this time, but, observe:

- Finely (I'm talking as small as possible) dice:

1/2 Tomato, just the meaty parts with the skin (can substitute a Red Pepper)

1/4 Red Onion

1/4 Cucumber, again just the meaty parts with the skin

2 Tbsp Parsley or Cilantro

- Mix and spoon a generous amount on top of your steaming bowl of bright orange butter chicken!

This is a little embarrassing but, 75% of the reason I bought these blue bowls was because Butter Chicken would look awesome in them!

If you, like me, need to test out recipes before you buy a cookbook, let me know and I can email you the recipe.

Red Salad

Slowly but surely, I'm building up a repertoire of salads that I actually enjoy (Shocking - I know!). Near the top of the list is this one that I call the Red Salad. Don't let that put you off, they're all good things! Super simple, I won't list quantities because it's totally up to you.

Red Leaf Lettuce
Red Grapes, cut in half if large
Red Onion (thinly sliced and soaked in cold water to wash away a bit of it's pungency)
Balsamic Dressing
Toasted Walnuts or Pecans, optional
Crumbled Blue Cheese or Goat Cheese, optional but you should really do it, it's what makes the salad! ("but it's weeeiirddd it's bluuueeeee" oh stop being such a wimp. It's just cheese, it's not like it's monkey brains!)


Toss and enjoy with a glass of wine for a light dinner, or with some chicken and potatoes as part of a fantastic feast!

Heehee - these looked like an octopus

Eggs in a Kale nest

I'll admit - this recipe was pretty much stolen from my Martha Stewart magazine, but I did make some changes so I don't feel too guilty posting this - and you certainly won't have to feel guilty eating it, because it is some of the most delicious health food you'll ever have! I may be exaggerating, depending how you feel about soft-boiled eggs. I hear not everyone is a fan... hmm... ANYWAY, so the story goes:

4 soft-boiled eggs (how to)
1 large bunch of Kale
1/2 onion (shallot, red, white, yellow, blue... blue???), chopped
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 lemon, zested
olive oil
s+p

1) If you're thinking far enough in advance, cook the eggs about 30 minutes ahead. They will be MUCH easier to peel.
Preheat oven to 400

2) Cook the brown rice - 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice (this is almost ALWAYS the ratio, also with white rice - memorize it!). Bring to a boil, then simmer and cover until all the water is absorbed.

3) Remove the large ribs from each Kale stem, and chop VERY roughly. Kale shrinks almost as much as spinach so keep the leaves fairly large. Toss with the onion, a healthy drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest, and the salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and slide into the top third of the oven.

4) I'm rarely precise when I cook, so I don't know how long it took - set your timer at 3 minutes intervals - when the kale is crispy and a little brown, it's done. Stop when you smell burning!!

5) Serve the kale on the rice and the eggs on the kale!

*tip: if you're peeling your eggs and they seem too soft for your liking (like as if not all of the white is cooked) it won't hurt them to lower them back into simmering water for another 5 minutes or so. I can't STAND uncooked egg white... ick!*

Vegetable Confit with Accordion Potatoes

I love slow cooked vegetables. I came across a recipe for a Vegetable Tian in Laura Calder’s “French Taste” cookbook. What caught my attention was how she described it as a Vegetable Confit. For those who don’t know, a Confit is usually referring to duck legs that are submerged in duck fat, and slowly cooked in the oven. Can you say heavenly? I can! Here, it refers to all these vegetables cooking away in their own juices and olive oil until they just slump into each other and kind of become one mass. There are very few other flavoring agents in this recipe besides the vegetables themselves. I adapted this recipe a little and made it in the crockpot, to ensure a high level of confit-ness! There are no real measurements here, but it’s good to start with one of each of these vegetables:

Onion
Zucchini
Eggplant
Orange Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Tomato
1) Slice all vegetables to relatively the same thickness.

2) Sautee the onions briefly until they get soft.

3) Putting the onions in first, layer everything in the crockpot however you like. One vegetable per layer, alternating colors – whatever! You’re the artist. Save the tomatoes for the very top, though. Salt and pepper every few layers, and at the end generously drizzle olive oil over everything.

4) Crockpot on low, for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. If you want to do this in the oven, it’s 450 for about an hour.

Now of course a good accompaniment to ANY dish that is lacking in fill-you-up power is the wonderful potato. These accordian potatoes are also super easy and they just look so fancy.
1) Cut your potatoes width-ways, slicing every centimetre or so, not quite cutting through the bottom.
2) Shove herbs in a few of the crevices - thyme, parsley, bay leaves - drizzle generously with olive oil, and salt and pepper.
3) Roast for about 45 minutes at 375.

Soba Noodle Salad

This is one of my favorite salads. It's kind of my way of tricking myself into thinking I'm eating pasta. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, so they are much healthier for you even than whole wheat noodles, and they lend themselves wonderfully to Asian flavors. And, what do you know, it fits with the Daniel Fast! Hooray! (Yes, soy products are allowed, so hush) Once you have your vegetables chopped, this is a very fast dinner. If you don't have time there's no need to refrigerate at all. This goes well with chicken or salmon served on the side, or even tossed right in! Man is this delicious! We've been eating this for dinner at least once a week during the fast. Try it, please.

Photo (and recipe) from Women's Health Mag

8 oz soba noodles
1 c frozen shelled edamame
1 1/2 c shredded carrots
1 1/2 c thinly sliced green onion, diagonal
1/2 c chopped fresh mint
1 large orange
2 Tbsp white miso
3 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt

1. Fill a 6-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and edamame and cook for 6 minutes.
2. Empty into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Stir in carrots, scallion, and mint; toss gently and set aside.
3. Grate orange to produce a half teaspoon fine zest. Juice orange to produce 3 tablespoons liquid. Place zest and juice in a small bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over noodle mixture.
4. Toss gently and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings as a side, 2-3 as a main dish

Fish Tacos and a Confession

 

Our first meal to start easing into the Daniel Fast was Fish Tacos. The only thing not in the 'rules' was the fish (Tilapia), but that's not the confession. We are making exceptions for occasional meat, and when we do it will be prepared in the healthiest way possible. SO, don't judge us if you see some recipes that include meat - we didn't want this to become the kind of thing where you give yourself a guilt trip if you don't follow the rules exactly. I'm also not going to kill myself trying to come up with the perfect meal - we're using the Fast as a guideline, and will do our best to follow it wherever we can.

I'm starting to like fish tacos more than what can now only be considered a North American taco. I think it's because they seem more authentic. In the places where tacos originate they aren't laden with sour cream, cheese, and "taco seasoning". They are often very simple and very fresh - lots of fresh chiles, tomatoes, and herbs. Exactly the kind of cooking style that I enjoy. Minimalist, with loads of fresh flavors. This is also one of the fastest, healthiest week night meals I've come across in a long time. Even if only for that, you should try these! You can find the recipe here.

Now on to the confession. It's a little strange....... Here goes: When it comes to food, there are few things I enjoy more than discovering a perfectly ripe Avocado. It's always a gamble with Avocados. They feel soft, are they too soft? Are they soft enough, is that a bruise? Eeek! But then you slice into that thing, and when it's a good one I think a Heavenly Choir sings a little bit! I always exclaim in delight when I find a good one. They're just so pretty! With their creamy flesh that fades from a buttery yellow in the center to a soft but vivid green around the edges. Mm! I often give a few moments of silence to take in their splendor before I get to work cutting them up.

Well, now you know why I have two pictures of Avocados below.

I just want to stick my face in it.

Which would actually be a good thing - they do wonders for your skin when used internally OR externally!

Tagine. Huh?

You may or may not have heard the word "Tagine" before. Until recently I had only ever seen it linked to pictures of what looked like ordinary stews, and heard it murmured a few times in the presence of something exotic looking with at least 5 different spices, at least one unusual ingredient, and a stone/earthenware dish that looks like this:

I did a little research after I saw a recipe for a Chicken Tagine in a recently acquired cookbook (Laura Calder, French Taste). In a nutshell, a Tagine really is just an ordinary stew originating in North Africa, named after the heavy clay pot it is served and cooked in. The top is cone/dome shaped to encourage all the condensation to return to the base of the dish (can you say moist meat?).  You certainly don't need the fancy dish to make the recipe taste authentic - a regular pot will do.
There are a few spices involved, but nothing you can't find in your usual grocery store. In the recipe I'm going to give you, they do call for preserved lemons (EASY to make, but take a couple weeks to preserve), which you could probably find with some searching.

I didn't actually cook this time - I was trying to fit too many things into one evening so Dave made it. I have to say he did a great job, but also tell you (without offending him!) that it is a super easy recipe so there's no need to be scared by how exotic it sounds. It was also DELICIOUS - I was very surprised. I don't usually pick a recipe unless I think it's going to be good, but sometimes it really comes out better than what I imagine. I may be choosing a recipe for the minorities - I know Olives are a touchy subject, but I love them and they really make this dish great.

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Serves 4

4 chicken legs, split at the joint and skinned (or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in large cubes)

salt and pepper

2 onions, grated or sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

Skins of 2 preserved lemons, chopped (remember to rinse the lemons first, or you will die of salt!)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

2 pinches saffron (it's not a big deal if you don't have any)

Pinch turmeric (I used curry powder)

1 cup green olives, with or without pits

A generous handful or two of chopped cilantro

Put everything except the olives and cilantro in a pot, add a couple glasses of water, cover, and summer until the chicken is done, about 40 minutes. Remove the lid if there is too much liquid so some can evaporate (The dish should be quite liquid, but it's not as thick as a stew). At the end of cooking, add the olives and cilantro. Serve over couscous or quinoa.

A pizza revolution!

Sausage, Spinach, Basil, and Gruyere Cheese

I am a regular subscriber to Martha Stewart Living magazine, and sometimes I am just blown away by all the new ideas they come up with. I mean other than your ingredients, who knew that pizza could actually STILL be improved upon? (In the March issue)

Before I continue my ravings, I should tell you what kind of pizza person I am (what? there are many different styles of pizza!). I like a crispy-bottomed crust, but I don't want to eat a cracker. I want my crust just thick enough to provide a bit of chew. I like classic, fairly minimalist toppings like actual tomatoes as the sauce, basil, sausage, peppers, and only enough cheese to hold the toppings together. I don't know what kind of pizza you like, but if you're adventurous - and I know you are - you should probably give this a try!

I won't tell you what kinds of toppings to use or how much - by now you should know what you like on your pizza!

1) Oven on to 500'F. In a well-oiled cast iron skillet, press your pizza dough (store bought or your favorite recipe) into the skillet, coming up ever so slightly on the sides. Spread with sauce. I crushed whole canned tomatoes and mixed them with fresh garlic and a tablespoon of tomato paste. If you do it that way, spread all the watery/juicy bits right to the very edge of the crust. It adds flavor to the spots that may not get toppings.

2) On the stovetop, cook the crust on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom starts to get golden. Then pop it in the oven for another 3 minutes.

3) Take it out and top it with whatever you like - cheese and all. Then put it back in the oven for exactly 8 minutes. I did mine this way and it came out perfectly cooked and delicious.

Please be careful! The whole cast iron skillet is going to be extremely hot, and so will your pizza! It's probably a good idea to let the pizza rest on the cutting board for a couple minutes, to soak in the juices and cool down a teense.

Cooking on the stovetop

Topped, before popping in the oven

Fresh Basil scattered on top after cooking - mmmmmmmm!!

Cheese Souffle - not as hard as it looks!

Our fluffy soufflés and my husbands excited face!

Soufflés have somehow acquired legendary status as a dish that only the most confident and experienced chefs can create. Looking at recipes, I thought that it didn't sound too difficult  - that with just a bit of extra attention and care they would come out just fine.

My sister-in-law Erin and I decided to test this theory one day, and put together a meal with cheese soufflé as the star! As you can see, it was a success! Those little babies puffed right up, and tasted great too!! They do fall rather quickly (though not as quickly as Dutch Babies) but are delicious no matter what state they are in. The key is to have everything prepared ahead of time as much as possible. Measure out all your ingredients, separate the eggs, etc. It will be worth it, I promise!

We served our soufflés with a lightly dressed caprese salad, and fantastic sausages dunked in a garlic aioli. The recipe we used was the goat cheese soufflé from Alice Waters' book, The Art of Simple Food.

6 tbsp butter, divided
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
salt
fresh-ground pepper
pinch of cayenne
1 thyme sprig, leaves only
4 eggs
4 oz. goat cheese

1) Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 1-quart souffle dish or 4 small ramekins with remaining 1 tbsp butter.
2) Melt 5 tbsp butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Little by little, whisking thoroughly between additions, stir in milk. Season the bechamel with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3) Separate the eggs, stirring the yolks into the white sauce. Add the goat cheese to the sauce.
4) Whip the egg whites into moist firm peaks. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the souffle base. Then gently fold the base into the rest of the egg whites, taking care not to deflate them. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until puffed and golden, but still soft in the center and jiggly when shaken gently. (Halve the bake time if baking in smaller dishes.)

We're so excited!!

Quick Chicken + Veggies

Another recipe in a series of "budget meals" that will no doubt appear on this here blog of mine! Weighing in at 5 ingredients, this afterthought may turn into a weekly staple! I think if nothing else, this blog will be a good way for me to keep track of recipes like this that sort of get formed out of nothing. After eating a successfully cheap and delicious meal, my first thought is not usually "I should write this down and make it again," it's "Wait! I gotta get the camera." Now I can actually use these pictures for something - to tempt you, and to jog my memory!

BBQ Chicken + Veggies
1 red onion, cut in wedges
2 cloves of garlic (optional), minced
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 green peppers, cut to stubby spears (see left)
1/4 cup BBQ sauce or salsa
3 chicken breasts
S+P

1. Seasons chicken breasts and sear on both sides until golden. Set aside, and cut into chunks (it's fine if it's not cooked through at this point).
2. Sautee onion (and garlic, if desired) in the same pan until just soft. Add peppers and tomatoes, and cook on medium low for 5-10 minutes, until tomatoes start to break down.
3. Add sauce/salsa and chicken, and cover. Keep temperature at a simmer until chicken is cooked through, and a sauce is formed.
Serve with potatoes, rice or any other carb you can think of to soak up the delicious sauce, and enjoy!

Chicken in a Cream + Shallot Sauce

This recipe, like many others to come, was invented when I was running on grocery-budget-fumes.  It’s surprising what you can think up when you’re under pressure! Learning how to improvise takes a lot of trial and error, and sometimes you really need to know what flavors work together. But really, if you can think up a meal you’ve had in the past, you can often recreate it while making a few tweaks here and there! But sometimes, all you need is a good sauce (this is becoming my catch phrase). So with that in mind, this recipe will be a good front-runner for a post to come on making easy from-scratch sauces that barely cost a thing! Et voila:

 

2 chicken breasts (skin on or off is fine)
¼ lemon, zested

S+ P

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, sliced in thin rounds (or minced if you prefer smaller pieces)

1 Tbsp. capers

¼ lemon, zested

¾ c. stock (really, everything but beef works)

¼ c. cream

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1.Preheat oven to 400’. Season the chicken well with S+P and lemon zest. Sear in olive oil in an oven proof skillet until golden. Set aside in a bowl. Deglaze hot pan with ¼ cup of stock. Scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan, and pour over the chicken.

2. Heat olive oil and gently cook the garlic and shallots until soft. Add capers and the rest of the lemon zest. Turn off the heat, and add the chicken and all liquid from the bowl.  Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from the pan and keep warm. Add the rest of the stock, cream, and parsley to the pan. Boil until the sauce has reduced slightly and is a little syrupy.

If using a serving dish, pour the sauce right over the chicken and garnish with more parsley, or serve the sauce in a gravy boat on the side.

I served this chicken with white rice I had cooked in more chicken stock with some herbs, and slow roasted tomatoes (olive oil, S+P, roast with the chicken).