Recipe #53: Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry

I love working with new ingredients!  I welcome tofu to my stove top.  My friend directed me to this recipe, which can be found (and is copied from) http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lemony-chickpea-stirfry-recipe.html

I love the overall lemony flavor and the different textures between the zucchini, tofu, and chickpeas.  Better yet:  it's healthy!  If you don't like tofu, I bet diced cooked chicken would be good in its place.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoon ghee or extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don't want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 cup of chopped kale  (I used spinach instead)
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee/olive oil In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of ghee/olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.

Recipe #52: Fried Green Tomatoes!

Fried green tomatoes just sound gross when you hear the name if you haven't had them before.  If you HAVE had them, though, you probably know better.  These things are DELICIOUS!  Forget about your diet for now... Crunchy outer coating, and a hot juicy center with a flavor only unripe tomatoes can give.  AMAZING. 

My recipe is an adaptation of one of many.  There are many different ways to make FGTs, using cornmeal, salt and pepper, different kinds of flour, etc... but this is mine and it worked well.

INGREDIENTS:

Green, unripe tomatoes of any kind or size, sliced thick.  Homegrown are best!
Breadcrumbs (mine were seasoned)
Vegetable oil
Flour
Milk


DIRECTIONS:

Mix flour and breadcrumbs on a plate and pour milk into a bowl.  Dip each slice of tomato into the milk, dredge in the flour/breadcrumb mixture, and then repeat.  Place on a plate until complete.

Heat up the oil in a pan until dropping a drop of water in makes it hiss.  Carefully place the tomatoes in the oil, and cook for about 4 minutes.  Carefully turn, making sure to not scrape the breading off.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and let cool a little bit.  You might have to do this in batches.

Recipe #51: Roast Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes

I feel kind of foolish for being excited about a simple roast beef, but I always like trying something new.  Be sure to not over-cook this one- it should be medium rare in the middle- because it dries out quickly.  It was excellent, and I bet the leftovers will be great.

INGREDIENTS:

5 mixed red and yellow bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch-wide strips (I used 2 red, 2 yellow, and 1 green)
2 red onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch wedges (I only used 1 because I couldn't fit 2)
3/4 lb new white potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I used baby red potatoes)
5 garlic cloves, 3 left whole, 2 cut into 6 slivers each (I used more...)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2.5 lbs eye-of-round beef roast
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme (I also added some fresh thyme on top)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place peppers, onions, potatoes, and whole garlic cloves on a large rimmed baking sheet.  (I used a casserole dish instead).  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Using a paring knife, make 12 small slits in top and sides of roast; insert garlic slivers.  Move vegetables to sides of baking sheet.  Place beef in center, and rub with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.  Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme; rub mixture over beef.  (I just sprinkled it all on...)

Transfer to oven; roast, tossing vegetables occasionally, until tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare, 40-50 minutes.  Let meat stand 10 minutes, covered loosely with aluminum foil.  Cut half the meat into very thin slices; serve with vegetables.

I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks (below).  I love it because every recipe has a picture.  Sometimes I pick a recipe to try just because the picture looks great.

Recipe #50: Button Mushrooms with Thyme, Rosemary, and Basil

I made this with recipe #49.  These will definitely be on my list of common sides that I'll be making from now on.... quite an amazing flavor combination!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
15 large button mushrooms (I used more small ones), halved
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil or oregano (I used dried)
1/4 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add the mushrooms, cut side down.  Do not crowd the pan.  Cook the mushrooms, undisturbed, until browned, 1-2 minutes.  Add the shallot, thyme, and rosemary and cook until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the basil over the mushrooms and add the chicken broth.  Quickly stir and toss the mushrooms and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve.

Recipe #49: Trout with Classic Butter Sauce

I made this recipe with recipe #50.  I love how they shared some of the ingredients, like thyme and shallots.  I was very happy with this combination.

Both recipes come from the following cookbook, which is one of my top 3 favorites:

INGREDIENTS:

2 trout, sole, or flounder fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.  Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and lay them on a plate.  Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the oil.  When the mixture is hot, add the fish and cook until light to medium brown on the first side, 2-3 minutes.  Turn and cook until light brown on the other side and the fish is opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes.  Sprinkle the thyme over the fillets.  Transfer to warmed plates and put in the oven to keep warm while you make the sauce.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shallot, vinegar, and wine.  Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 or 2 cubes at a time.  Adjust the heat if necessary so the butter melts but does not overheat and separate.  Strain the sauce into a small bowl and whisk in the 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Remove the fillets from the oven, spoon some of the sauce around and on top of the fillets, and serve.

Recipe #48: Steamed Asian Dumplings

I love asian dumplings and pot stickers, so naturally I was excited to receive a bamboo steamer from my friend for my birthday... right away I knew that's what I'd use it for!

This isn't a very photogenic recipe, but it tastes fantastic. I liked using my steamer- I didn't even have to clean it because I lined it with parchment paper first.

INGREDIENTS:

Palm-ful of finely chopped chives, or dried chives
1/2 lb deveined, peeled shrimp, chopped into small pieces
1/4 lb ground pork
16 wonton wrappers
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp rice wine (I used regular wine)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash of pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, mix the chives, pork, and shrimp well. In another bowl, add the ginger, wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar, and corn starch and mix well. Add the mixture to the pork mixture and combine well.

When using the wonton wrappers, be sure to cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out while you work on each dumpling. Also, cover the finished dumplings in their tray before you start steaming so they also don't dry out.

Prepare a bowl of water which will be used as "glue" for sealing the dumplings. First, wet your fingers and run it along the edges of the wonton wrapper. Next, spoon about 1 tsp of filling into the middle of the wrapper. pinch 3 of the corners together and roll the dumpling into the fourth corner and seal. Set on the steamer and repeat for the rest. I recommend lining the steamer with parchment paper.

All wrapped and ready for steaming....

Place the steamer on a pan of boiling water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the dumplings.

I put about an inch or less of water in the pan, and they steamed away...

Steam for 12 minutes. Once the dumplings are cooked, they should look translucent.

I served them with soy sauce. Nick ate a whole bunch- success!

Ok they don't look that pretty, but they're very flavorful...

Recipe #47: Crock Pot Ribs

I really love this recipe, and I make these often. It's so easy! I love the alternative to bbq ribs- these have a whole different kind of flavor.


INGREDIENTS:

Slab of ribs, your choice (pork, or beef short ribs), sliced apart
Black pepper, to taste
Dried thyme, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 can french onion soup
1 bottle of dark beer (I always use Guinness)


DIRECTIONS:

Season the cut-apart ribs with the dried seasonings and place in a crock pot. In a bowl, mix the beer and soup, then pour over the ribs. Cook on low for 8 hours.

They fall right off the bone- check out how clean these are!

Recipe #46: Healthy Lasagna

Just because something is healthy doesn't mean it has to sacrifice on flavor! This is a fantastic recipe that uses ground turkey in place of ground beef and multi-grain noodles instead of the regular ones. The nutmeg adds a whole new dimension to the flavor. My in-laws approved of this one!



Here's the recipe as I found it online after searching for "healthy lasagna"...

INGREDIENTS

* Vegetable-oil cooking spray (I used olive oil spray instead- it's healthier)
* 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used more like a cup. I like onion!)
* 1 pound ground turkey breast
* 3 cups tomato sauce
* 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp each dried basil, parsley, and oregano)
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I used a cup- I love mushrooms!)
* 6 cups chopped fresh spinach
* 2 cups fat-free ricotta
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 package whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 8 oz, or 9 noodles)
* 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a medium-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add turkey and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, all seasonings and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and nutmeg. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 lasagna noodles (3 noodles) on the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture, then turkey mixture, then 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.



310 calories per serving, 6 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 31 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 33 g protein

My Kitchen

Here's where the food magic happens. I have a decent sized kitchen for being in an apartment, but I'm starting to run out of room.

I have reorganized some since taking these pictures, but it's close enough. I have a dehydrator that I need to make some more jerky with! I do hate our refrigerator- it's either too warm, or freezes anything not in the front... and it definitely could be bigger.

Bamboo cutting boards- Nick likes these- our knife set from our wedding shower... and a painting covering up the breaker door.... the much-used coffee pot... thank god for storage above the cabinets. Since these pictures have been taken, there's even more stuff up there.


Here are my cook books.... I have a couple more now. I love the Wine and Food Lover's Diet and Sandra Lee cookbooks- I use them often. The maroon binder on the far right is a bunch of recipes that my best friend Carlie put together for me a long time ago... there's a great one for chicken broccoli alfredo in there...

I can't wait to have a nice kitchen some day when we get a house. More room, maybe an island to work on, and a bigger fridge! But for now, this works well enough for me.

Recipe #45: Dave's Carrot Cake

A friend gave me this great recipe for carrot cake, which I followed exactly except for putting lemon in the frosting. It turned out perfect, which is a feat for me since I seem to screw up baking sweets 9 out of 10 times. That's probably good for my health though!


INGREDIENTS:

1 lb mini carrots
Baking oil spray
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2.5 c white sugar
1 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 c applesauce
1 c chopped walnuts
2 c flour
Rind of 1 orange, chopped, without the white pith
8 oz whipped cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:

Boil 1 lb of mini carrots for 20 mins, or until very soft. Chop into small pieces.

Heat oven to 350 F. oil and lightly flour 9X13 pan. In a large bowl combine 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, half a tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, mix it up. Add 1 cup white sugar, mix, 1 cup canola oil,1 tsp vanilla extract mix. Add 2 eggs, half cup applesauce, mix. Add half to 1 cup chopped walnuts, the boiled carrots and 1 cup flour, mix. Add another cup flour, mix. Add the peel of 1 orange, without the white pith, chopped up. Bake for 40 to 50 mins.

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese (whipped preferred), softened, and half a stick of butter, softened, microwaved into liquid is fine. Add 1 tsp lemon extract, mix. Add 1 and a half cups white sugar, mix well. Spread on top when cake is cooled.