The Weeknight Chef

Maybe the Best Pizza Ever

2011-10-23T14:52:00.006-06:00

I love pizza. Who doesn't? It's a pretty common weekend meal at my house, as it was last night, and this is the combination of ingredients I like the best. If you like meat on your pizza, I suspect Italian sausage or something similar would be great. But I like my pizza veggie-ful, and this MBPE pizza is the one I come back to the most. This pizza is so good that even though you get an entire, full-size pizza out of it, I find that it never makes more than about 2-3 servings.

I'm not going to lie to you - this takes some serious prep time. The sauce comes together in minutes, but the crust takes 2 rises (about an hour a piece), the peppers take about an hour to roast, and the onions take a good 30 minutes to caramelize. But you can mostly walk away while those things are happening (except with the onion caramelizing - that takes your fairly undivided attention), and the result is just plain wow. Your house will smell like a savory heaven. When you have some time, give it a shot. If you make extras of everything to store in the freezer, you'll be ready to go on your next pizza night.

The crust and sauce recipes are not mine. Instead, they're links to the best dang crust and sauce I've found, and that I've used forever, so why mess with perfection?

Yield: 1 thick crust pizza, roughly "medium" size
Start to finish: Hours if you're making everything from scratch, 30 minutes if you have things ready to go

Maybe the Best Pizza Ever
1 recipe Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 recipe Exquisite Pizza Sauce
1 C baby spinach leaves (or however much you have hanging around)
1/2 onion, caramelized (for great instructions and a video, see here)
1 red bell pepper, roasted and cut into bite-sized pieces (for roasting instructions, see here)
1/2 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, sliced into bite-sized pieces
Sliced olives (as many as you can handle)
1 C grated Italian cheese mix, or more if you prefer (my favorite is Tillamook's mozzarella/Parmesan/smoked provolone)

1. Get your crust ready.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. Place your toppings in this order to avoid burning: Sauce, spinach, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, cheese.
4. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Crust will be baked, and cheese will be golden brown and bubbly.
5. Let the pizza sit for a couple of minutes so the juices settle, then slice and serve.

Zucchini Fritters

2011-10-23T14:39:00.003-06:00

If you have any zucchini left in your garden, this is a great way to use them up. It takes a little time, but the results are well worth it. This is one of my favorite take-along picnic foods, but they're fantastic as a snack or light meal, too. They're wonderful dipped in marinara sauce.

Yield: 8-12 fritters
Start to finish: 45 minutes

Zucchini Fritters
2 T oil
1 onion, diced
2 medium zucchinis, grated (use the coarse side of a cheese grater)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out all the extra moisture you can. You can do this by hand - just get as much moisture as possible out of the zucchini.
2. Saute the onion and zucchini in 1 T oil for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic, and sautee until all the remaining liquid evaporates (about 5 minutes).
4. Put the zucchini mixture in a large-ish mixing bowl, and stir in eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and salt and pepper.
5. Add the remaining 1 T oil to your skillet. Place balls of zucchini mixture in the skillet and flatten somewhat with a spatula (or "pancake turner", if you're from that part of the country). I've found that using an ice cream scoop to make the balls gives me pancake-size fritters. If you'd like yours smaller, just scoop some of the zucchini mixture out with your hand.
6. Fry on both sides until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side.

BBQ Bean Burgers

2011-08-01T14:05:00.002-06:00

I really wish I had taken a picture of these before they were all gone, because they were a thing of beauty. I also wish I had measured the seasonings, because they were a thing of deliciousness. However, I honestly don't think you could go too far wrong just eyeballing the seasonings - this is a very forgiving recipe. The liquid smoke gives it a wonderful touch of hickory flavor that really adds to the "burger" feel, so be sure to include that.

It's also a true quickie, perfect for weeknights. You can serve these with fancy salads, delicious baked sweet potato "fries", or whatever else you might want, but if you just throw some Terra Chips on the plate you'll have dinner on the table in about 10 minutes. Honest.

As always, the asterisk (*) indicates a wild guess about the actual amount of the ingredient used.

Yield: 3-4 servings (depending on how large you like your burgers)
Start to finish: 10 minutes

BBQ Bean Burgers
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 C bread crumbs, plus 1/4 C to use as needed (I used store-bought)
1/4 C quick cooking oats (not instant)
1 egg white
*1 t cumin
*1/2 t onion powder
*3/8 t garlic powder
*1/4 t liquid smoke (I used half a cap)
Salt and pepper to taste
-----
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
French fried onions (Durkee, French's, etc.)
Whole grain hamburger buns
Lettuce, tomato, etc., - if you must

1. In a medium bowl, mash the rinsed and drained beans. I've tried lots of different methods and find that using your hands is by far the most effective.
2. Add all of the other ingredients from the first part of the list and mix well.
3. Form into 3 or 4 patties - 3 will give you roughly 1/3 pound size patties, 4 will give you about 1/4 pound size.
4. Cook. I use my trusty George Foreman grill, but you could also use a skillet with a little oil or nonstick spray, or even an outdoor grill. You'd probably want to put foil under the burger if you use an outdoor grill, since these aren't quite as dense as meat burgers.
5. Garnish with cheese, BBQ sauce, french fried onions, and anything else that strikes your fancy.

Kalesadillas

2011-05-15T21:01:00.003-06:00

I love kale. And I love anything that can be eaten in a tortilla, which in my experience is almost everything. And, as a good New Mexican, I love green chile. So ta-da! The kalesadilla was born. I don't know that using whole wheat tortillas and kale makes this super-healthy, but it could be worse and was certainly tasty. I originally started with about half the amount of green chiles in this recipe and found that it definitely needed more to be able to taste and appreciate them. Your mileage may vary.

Yield: 2 servings
Start to finish: 20 minutes

Kalesadillas
1/2 small bunch of kale (I used Italian, but any kind is fine)
Olive oil
4 eggs
Salt to taste
1/2 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1/4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 or 4 whole wheat tortillas (depending on whether you fold or stack your quesadillas)

1. Strip the leaves from the kale stalks. Pile them on top of each other and slice finely. It will look like a fairly enormous pile of kale, but it will cook down to about 1/4 the size.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute the kale until wilted and cooked down. Kale is one of the rare greens that actually needs to be cooked to access its full nutritional value, and it's also pretty tough, so don't worry about overcooking it.
3. While the kale is cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl, add salt, and beat until well-mixed.
4. Add the eggs to the pan with the kale. Add the green chiles. Stir constantly until the eggs are scrambled to your taste. (HINT: Leave them just a little more moist than you usually like them, since they will be on the heat again later.)
5. When the eggs are nicely set, spoon them into a bowl and set aside for the moment. Rinse out your skillet - or use another one if you're not picky about the number of dishes you have to do - and lightly coat it with butter. I just rub a stick of butter very quickly over the pan for this. You could use a little oil, of course, but I prefer the taste of butter on my quesadillas.
6. Place one tortilla flat in the pan. Sprinkle half the sharp cheddar cheese over the tortilla, then scoop half of the egg mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Fold the other half over the egg mixture, and brown the kalesadilla lightly on both sides.* Slice and serve!

*If you are a quesadilla stacker, spread the filling out over the entire tortilla and place another tortilla on top. Fair warning, though, you won't get as satisfyingly chunky a kalesadilla that way.

Breakfast Couscous

2011-03-13T20:58:00.002-06:00

In keeping with my recent focus on things to eat in the morning, here's another quick and easy breakfast option. I made this up for a camping trip last summer, but I've made it many times in an actual kitchen since then. I usually prepare everything the night before so that in the morning all I have to do is add hot water. Like the oatmeal "recipes," this is really a series of approximations, and the flavors can certainly be varied. I think this is my favorite flavor combination, though.

Yield: 1 serving
Start to finish: 7 minutes

Breakfast Couscous
1/3 C dry couscous
1/4 t cinnamon
generous pinch cardamom
1 t ground flax seed
1 t brown sugar
2 dried apricots, chopped
1 dried apple ring, chopped
1 T slivered almonds
2/3 C boiling water

1. Put all ingredients except water in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Pour boiling water over couscous, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes until all water is absorbed.
3. Fluff lightly with a fork and enjoy.

Roasted Broccoli Penne with Savory Orange-Beet Salad

2011-02-13T21:18:00.006-07:00

This is my current favorite weeknight dinner. The whole thing comes together in half an hour, and it involves broccoli and garlic, two of my favorite things to find in the kitchen. Of course, there's a good chance you'll reek afterward, so maybe skip this one for Valentine's Day dinner.

Note: The salad requires roasted beets, which take about an hour and then need to cool. My advice? Roast a bunch of them early in the week and slice them into salads, drizzle them with olive oil and serve as a side dish with salt and pepper, combine with feta and toasted walnuts...

Directions for roasting beets are at the bottom.

Yield: 2 servings
Start to finish: 30 minutes

Roasted Broccoli Penne with Savory Orange-Beet Salad
1-1/2 C whole wheat penne (dry)
2 crowns broccoli (I use the florets and the small stalks, sliced into bite-sized pieces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste - be generous
2 T olive oil
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1 handful walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put penne on to cook according to package directions.
3. Toss broccoli, garlic, salt, and pepper in the olive oil. Spread in a single layer in a baking dish.
4. Roast the broccoli mixture for 10-12 minutes, until broccoli is just tender. It will be a lovely, deep, bright green.
5. Drain the pasta well, and return to the pot. Toss with the broccoli mixture, walnuts, and Parmesan cheese.
6. For maximum color impact and general tastiness, serve with...

Savory Orange-Beet Salad
1 roasted beet, peeled and sliced
1 orange, separated into slices
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/4 C?)
1-1/2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Arrange the beet and orange slices artfully on the plate.
2. In a small jar, combine orange juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shake well.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the beets and oranges.

How to roast beets: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. If your beets came with greens, cut those off and save them for another purpose. (You can use them the way you'd use spinach or any other greens.) Rinse the beets well to remove any dirt. Put the beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Double it up if your foil is flimsy -- trust me when I tell you that beets are juicy and will drip all over your oven. Drizzle olive oil over the beets, making sure they're covered with oil. Fold the foil to cover the beets and crimp the sides to make sure the packet is tightly closed. Roast the beets until they're tender. It will take about an hour, less for smaller beets, more for bigger ones. Poke through the foil with a fork to check doneness. It should slide in easily, kind of like a baked potato. When the beets have cooled, the peels should slip right off when you rub them, but you can also peel them with a paring knife.

Max Klinger's Lebanese Love Stew

2011-01-17T19:45:00.003-07:00

First, a few words about the name of this soup... The "Lebanese" part is because the soup this was originally supposed to be is a traditional Lebanese recipe. The "Max Klinger" part is because this soup is a complete screw-up. (If you don't know who Max Klinger is, shame on you.) I started cooking before I checked the cabinets for the recipe ingredients, and almost immediately I had to punt. I won't bore you with the numerous substitutions I made, or the things I added simply on a whim, but the end result is a soup so far removed from the recipe it was supposed to be that it's something entirely new. I have no idea if anything about this soup is still Lebanese, but it turned out pretty darn good!

Yield: 6-8 servings
Start to finish: 30 minutes

Max Klinger's Lebanese Love Stew
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 T salt
1 C lentils (dry)
8 C water or vegetable broth (important: if you use broth, make sure it's low sodium or reduce/eliminate the salt above)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
4 C baby spinach
1 T coriander
1 t cinnamon
salt to taste (be sure to taste!)
1/4 C lemon juice, or 1 lemon, sliced

1. In a stock pot, saute the leeks and garlic in the olive oil until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and stir well.
2. Add the lentils and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add water/broth, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes until lentils are softened.
4. Stir in spinach, coriander, and cinnamon, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Add a splash of lemon juice to each bowl before serving (squeeze 1 slice of lemon into each bowl, or stir in about 1/2 t bottled juice).

Not-So-Chunky Monkey Oatmeal

2011-01-11T21:13:00.006-07:00

It's freezing here. Actually, it's much worse than that: We're lucky if we see freezing as our high for the day. To warm me up, I've been eating a lot of oatmeal for breakfast lately. I know oatmeal isn't all that exciting, and it's not all that sexy (although it makes a really nice facial), but it is hearty and healthy. The one thing it very often isn't is tasty. To avoid the dreaded library paste glop, I recommend either the ironically sinful Amish treat of baked oatmeal or one of these tasty variations. This is a quick breakfast, but to save even more time I usually assemble all the dry ingredients in the bowl the night before.

Start to finish: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Note 1: This symbol (*) means the amount is approximate. I just lightly cover the surface of the oatmeal with these ingredients.
Note 2: Don't omit the cinnamon. Everything is better with cinnamon.
Note 3: The peanut butter gives a nice shot of protein. You can add a little calcium, too, by sprinkling some powdered milk over the oatmeal.

Not-So-Chunky Monkey Oatmeal
1/2 C rolled oats, preferably organic, not the quick kind
1 t* ground flax seed
1/2 t* cinnamon
1 small banana
1-3 t peanut butter (amount depending on personal taste, and creamy is always best)
1 C water

1. Measure oats into a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Lightly cover the surface of the oats with ground flax seed and cinnamon, or measure them if you're feeling confident about those amounts.
3. Slice the banana into the oats and top with a dollop of peanut butter.
4. Add water.
5. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving for 30 seconds at a time, then stirring, until oatmeal reaches desired consistency. I like mine pretty thick, and it usually takes me about 2 minutes.
6. Stir the oatmeal well. The banana should fall apart and add a luscious creaminess, and the peanut butter will be melty and gooey, in the best possible way.

PB&A Oatmeal
Follow the directions above, except substitute half an apple, diced, for the banana and add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. I usually use Granny Smith, but any good, crisp apple works.

Resolution Soup

2011-01-02T18:50:00.008-07:00

Okay, we've had our fun over the holidays. We've played with all our new toys, behaved mildly inappropriately at some public gathering, and we've realized that our jeans are a little more snug than they were before Thanksgiving. Now it's time to stow the Christmas decorations in the garage and get back to real life. To that end, I give you tonight's invention: Resolution Soup. It's a variation on one of my favorite quick soups, based on a combination of what was in the fridge and what would be super healthy. Kale's a nutritional powerhouse, broccoli fights cancer, beans are full of fiber, garlic lowers your cholesterol, and Tofurkey... Well, Tofurkey is a little sketchy, but I wanted something to take the place of the turkey kielbasa I usually use. I didn't measure as I cooked, so I'm guesstimating at these amounts, but my result was so yummy I don't think you could go far wrong.

Note: This soup is vegan, but you can easily carnivorize it without adversely affecting the healthiness. Just use chicken broth and turkey sausage in place of my veg ingredients.

Servings: 6-8
Start to finish: 30 minutes

Resolution Soup
1/2 large onion (or 1 smallish onion), diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1 package Tofurkey Italian-style sausage, sliced
4 C vegetable broth
1 can cannelini beans, with liquid
4 C kale, chopped roughly (I used about 6 handsful - roughly half a bunch of kale)
2 C broccoli (again, a gross approximation of what I had left over)
2 t Italian seasoning
dash red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste (but I doubt you'll need either)

1. In a stock pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is slightly softened.
2. Add sausage and saute for about 3 minutes or until sausage is slightly browned if using meat sausage, stirring frequently.
3. Add all the other ingredients to the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until broccoli and kale are softened but not mushy.
4. Serve with good crusty bread or on its own.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

2010-12-12T11:15:00.007-07:00

I've been playing with versions of this for a few years, but I think this one works the best, thanks to a little inspiration from another cook. This is full of Christmasey flavors and holiday goodness. The bourbon certainly isn't necessary, but I had some and don't know how to use it other than in cooking. Feel free to leave it out, but it does add a nice little festive zing. This pudding would make a perfect Christmas morning breakfast!

Start to finish: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Bourbon Craisins
1/2 loaf good white bread, cut or torn into 1/2 inch cubes (challah, brioche, etc. - I used mild sourdough)
2 cups eggnog
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup craisins
1/3 cup bourbon
sugar to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a full size loaf pan with butter.
2. Put craisins in a small bowl, and add bourbon to cover. You may not need all of it, or you could add a bit more if you like. Microwave for about 30 seconds to help the craisins absorb the bourbon, then set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggnog, eggs, nutmeg, vanilla, and sugar to taste. I used about 2 tablespoons, but you can use more or less depending on how sweet your eggnog is and your preferences.
4. Gently fold in bread cubes, then craisins and any bourbon that hasn't been absorbed.
5. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes as the bread absorbs the liquid, then pour everything into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with additional sugar for a sweet crust, if desired.
6. Cook for 50-55 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. It's best to let the pudding sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving, but you can serve it warmer and softer if you want to.

Ravioli Ubriaco

2010-11-18T18:09:00.007-07:00

If I were the boasting type, I would say, "Holy cow, I've done it again!" This is a variation on a dish I created about a year ago, and I think I like this version even better. It's called "Drunken Ravioli," but it's really just tipsy, at most.

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ravioli Ubriaco
9 ounce package fresh cheese ravioli
2 T butter or margarine
3 T brandy
2 apples, cored and sliced into thin slices (I've only ever used Honeycrisp, because they're awesome)
1/4 C craisins (a handful)
3 T chopped walnuts
1 C baby spinach (2 hands full)
dash nutmeg

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions.
2. Melt butter or margarine in skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add sliced apples and saute until just beginning to get translucent.
4. Add brandy, craisins, and walnuts. Cook for about 3 minutes, until apples are slightly softened.
5. Add spinach and stir until just wilted.
6. Drain ravioli and add to the pan with apple mixture. Stir gently to mix ingredients, and serve immediately. Sprinkle with nutmeg to garnish.

Notes: In the original version I used white wine instead of brandy, omitted craisins, walnuts, and nutmeg, and sprinkled the whole shebang with grated parmesan. Both versions are very tasty, but the flavors are quite different.

Grilled Italian Omelet Sandwich

2010-11-07T17:46:00.014-07:00

I can't say enough about the yumminess of this sandwich. Like most of my creations, this one was born of the ingredients in my refrigerator. I had some eggs from a friend's chickens (happy, free range chickens), some spinach that didn't make it into last night's salad, a leftover leek, garlic from another friend's garden...you get the idea. This is one of those meals that's good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Start to finish: 15 minutes?
Yield: 1 serving

Grilled Italian Omelet Sandwich
1 leek, thinly sliced (about 1/2 inch of white/light green part)
1/4 t finely chopped garlic
generous handful baby spinach
2 eggs
1/4 t Italian seasoning
2 T marinara sauce
2 T shredded Italian cheese (I used a mozzarella/Parmesan blend)
2 thin slices sourdough bread
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute leek and garlic in a little olive oil in a non-stick pan.
2. Add spinach, stir until wilted. Reduce heat to medium low.
3. Beat eggs, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
4. Cook without stirring until egg is set, then gently flip. (If you make a mess of it at this point, don't fret. Just try to keep the egg mixture relatively flat -- it's easier to make into a sandwich.)
5. While the omelet is cooking, spread 1 T marinara sauce on each slice of bread.
6. Pile half of omelet onto bread. Sprinkle with 1 T cheese. Repeat with the rest of the omelet and cheese.
7. Top with second slice of bread.
8. Melt butter in frying pan (or spray with cooking spray). Grill sandwich on both sides, just like making a grilled cheese.

Siesta Fiesta Chicken Casserole

2010-10-26T19:41:00.013-06:00

This is not super healthy. It is, however, super fast and super easy, and frankly you could do worse. As the days have gotten shorter and the nights colder, dishes like this yummy casserole have really hit the spot. Oh, and just as soon as I can find the cord for my camera, I'll start putting pictures in here again.

Start to Finish: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Siesta Fiesta Chicken Casserole
1 rotisserie chicken
2 bags frozen "fiesta style" vegetables
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cans cream of chicken condensed soup
2 cups sliced pepper jack cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the breast meat from the chicken into bite sized chunks. Save the rest for something else.
3. Mix the chicken, vegetables, olives, chiles, condensed soup, and 1 cup of the pepper jack cheese together, and put everything in a casserole dish. (Maybe 9x13? I'm not sure how big the one I used was, but it was the biggest one I have.)
4. Sprinkle the other cup of pepper jack cheese over the top of the casserole.
5. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is browning and bubbly.
6. For best results, serve with cornbread. (We're talking Jiffy mix muffins, here.)

Coconut Rice Pudding

2010-04-25T18:22:00.006-06:00

Today's anecdotal recipe is for coconut rice pudding - I think I'm on something of a tropical kick lately. Last night we had macadamia crusted mahi-mahi with tropical fruit salsa, accompanied by jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. So good. I made extra jasmine rice because I think you can never have too much of it, and I held back some macadamia nuts because I figured inspiration might strike, and who wants to be nutless when it does? Today I wanted a quick dinner (maybe more of a snack/dessert), so I stirred together the leftover jasmine rice, about half a can of lite coconut milk, a little water, some raisins, some chopped macadamia nuts, and flaked coconut. I put the whole thing over medium-low heat, stirred it for a few minutes, and wound up with a rich, creamy, delicious rice pudding/porridge. It was nicely filling, light on the tastebuds, and there's enough left for breakfast tomorrow morning!

P.S. The picture is not of my coconut rice pudding, because I didn't think to take a picture. It looks just like mine, though. The image is by Randy Mayor and Jan Gautro and is borrowed affectionately but without permission from the Cooking Light website.

17th Annual Seven Arrows Powwow - Boise, Idaho

2010-04-10T16:54:00.002-06:00

Spring creations

2010-04-05T20:02:00.005-06:00

It is my sincere hope that I'll get recipes, pictures, etc., posted soon for these two new creations. It has been a while, after all. But...I'm not making any promises. In the meantime, how about some narrative descriptions?

Hawaiian Crepes
I freely admit it: I still love Jacques Pepin, and I eat crepes as often as I can manage it. Last weekend I created toasted macadamia nut crepes, topped with honey-grilled pineapple and coconut syrup. For the crepes, I ground up macadamia nuts to a coarse flour, toasted the flour lightly, and then substituted the macadamia nut "flour" for half the real flour in my crepe recipe (which you can find in the previous post). With the trusty George Foreman grill, I grilled pineapple slices brushed with a 3:1 honey and pineapple juice glaze and got charming grill marks on the fruit. I topped all of that with a coconut syrup made by sweetening a can of coconut milk with a simple syrup (1/3 cup sugar dissolved in 1/3 cup water), thickened slightly with a little cornstarch. For garnish, a little toasted coconut. It was...well, it was spectacular, if I do say so myself. It's a fairly sweet concoction, though, so to make it passable for dinner I served it with a green papaya salad (shredded green papaya, carrots, and green beans, tossed with a soy-lime-chili-garlic dressing, substituting soy sauce for the traditional fish sauce because I don't like fish sauce). Seriously, it was awesome; leftovers were nonexistent.

Spring Mac and Cheese
Tonight I was seduced by the asparagus at the store. It's so fresh and tender in the early spring. When I got home I tossed together a macaroni and cheese using whole wheat macaroni, blanched asparagus, and a garlic-parmesan cheese sauce. I made it with soy milk because that's what I had, but any kind of milk would work (with the possible exception of rice milk, which may not have enough fat). The sauce is just a basic white sauce, with garlic and parmesan stirred in at the end, then seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Pour it over the drained pasta and asparagus, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs if desired and a little more parmesan, broil for a couple of minutes until the top is a nice golden brown, and voila! Again...mmmmm.

Summer Sunday breakfast crepes

2009-06-14T18:09:00.007-06:00

I've been watching a lot of Jacques Pepin lately and am in love with all things French. These crepes are perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast - the sweetness of summer blackberries, the sunny tang of lemon... Couldn't be nicer. The only trick to these is timing. Everything cooks pretty quickly, and the custard sauce needs undivided attention to avoid lumps. Do it in the order below, and you should be golden.

Start to finish: About 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Summer Sunday Breakfast Crepes
2 pints blackberries
Sugar to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons)
-----
Lemon custard sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
4 egg yolks
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
-----
Crepes:
1 1/4 cups skim milk (or milk thinned with water)
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
Additional butter or cooking spray for cooking

Rinse the blackberries. Place in a saucepan with just the water that clings to the berries. Sprinkle with sugar to taste. Cover and place over low heat. These will simmer while you make everything else.
Begin the custard sauce. Put cream and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat it just until you see bubbles - you should still be able to test the temperature with your finger without getting burned.
While the cream mixture is heating, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Slowly pour about half of the heated cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously. (This is where you will get lumps in the custard if you pour in the cream too fast. Lumps aren't attractive, but they don't affect the taste.) Pour the egg mixture back into the rest of the cream, whisking continuously. Cook the custard mixture until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon without dripping (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the custard sauce from the heat and set aside to cool - it should be about room temperature when it's served.
Check your blackberries to make sure they're not dry or cooking down too much. If they are, remove them from the heat, but keep them covered so they stay warm.
Start the crepes. This takes the longest, because they can only be done one at a time. Keep crepes warm while you finish the batch by putting them on a plate over simmering water, and cover with another plate. Put all the crepe ingredients in a blender and mix for a few seconds. The batter will be about the consistency of cream.
Put a 6-inch skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot enough to make water sizzle when dripped on it, coat the pan lightly with butter. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter quickly into the skillet, and then tilt the pan to cover the bottom with the batter. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned, then flip the crepe to brown the other side. Crepes are pretty sturdy and should stay together as you do this. Complete the batch, keeping finished crepes warm. You should have 8 crepes when you're finished.
Fold crepes into quarters and plate. Spoon on warm blackberries, and cover with lemon custard sauce. A mint sprig makes a nice finishing touch.

Havanuther Cookies

2009-03-13T14:21:00.010-06:00

I firmly believe that the world needs cookies. In fact, I think there's a good chance that if the Israelis and Palestinians would just sit down together over a warm plate of Tollhouse's best, they could work out all their problems. These bite-sized beauties are my homage to the Schoolyard Oatmeal Cookies found in Table for Two. They're just sweet enough, just chewy enough, just spicy enough, and more or less guilt-free.

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Yield: 16-24 cookies

Havanuther Cookies
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup millet
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup brown rice syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3-1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
In a small bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together, and then stir into the dry ingredients. The dough will be quite thick and stiff.
Stir in the dried cranberries.
Drop by rounded teaspoons or tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheet. (Teaspoons will give you roughly 2 dozen bite-sized cookies; tablespoons will give you about 16 two-bite cookies.)
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden.

Note: You can add walnuts, almonds, etc., if you like. Just cut back on the amount of dried cranberries.

Shameless Smoothie

2009-03-09T13:35:00.004-06:00

Now that the weather's turning a little warmer, I've started thinking again about making food that's raw and cooling. This morning I made up a smoothie that was simply delicious. Granted, smoothies are not rocket science, but this was too good not to share. (It's "shameless" because you needn't have any shame eating this healthy, tasty treat.)

Yield: 1 serving
Start to finish: Less than 5 minutes

Shameless Smoothie
1/2 cup yogurt "cheese" (see below for directions)
1 organic banana
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries (or fresh, but I like a little frostiness)
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Yogurt Cheese
This is my new favorite treat, also known as Greek-style yogurt, made by draining off the whey in yogurt. It's thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, makes a great bagel spread, and can be used as a substitute for sour cream or cream cheese in dips, baking...whatever you want! The cheese I used for my smoothie was made with Nancy's Organic Vanilla, but it works just as well with plain or any other flavor you want.

Line a colander with cheesecloth or coffee filters.
Place it in a bowl or dish. You may want to put it on top of another bowl turned upside-down, because you'll be draining off liquid, and you don't want the contents in the colander to sit in the liquid.
Pour yogurt into the lined colander. Use any amount you want -- just be aware that the amount of "cheese" you're left with will be 1/3 to 1/2 less than the amount of yogurt you started with.
Put the whole assembly into the refrigerator to drain overnight.
In the morning, you'll have yogurt "cheese" and some amount of clear, pale yellow liquid that has drained off. The liquid is the whey and can be used as a substitute for water when making bread to add a little protein and smooth out the texture. (You can freeze it to use later if you're not going to use it in a day or two.) Apparently you can also make your own ricotta cheese with it, but that seems like more trouble than it's worth.

Eggplant Cannelloni

2009-02-16T13:49:00.005-07:00

I spent years avoiding eggplant as a mushy, tasteless waste of my culinary time. It turns out I had simply never had it done well. Eggplant is incredibly versatile, and it soaks up flavors beautifully. This dish does take some prep time (so it might be better for a weekend, which is when I typically make it), but it's well worth the effort. Serve it with a tossed green salad for a satisfying, low-cal meal.

*This version is vegan, but you could easily throw in some ground beef or sausage for a nonvegan version.

Start to finish: About an hour and a half
Yield: 4 servings

Eggplant Cannelloni
1 medium-large eggplant
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 jar pasta sauce (about 2 cups - I like to use roasted garlic, but any flavor will work)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Trim the ends off the eggplant. Peel it and slice it lengthwise into roughly 1/4 inch slices.
Lay the sliced eggplant on plates, a baking dish, or in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. (This will draw some of the extra moisture out of the eggplant. You could skip this step, but I like the texture better this way.) Rinse the salt off, and then squeeze the eggplant slices to release even more moisture. Don't worry about smashing them -- they're resilient.
Spray a baking dish or sheet with cooking spray. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on the sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the slices are flexible.
While the eggplant is cooking, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil or cooking spray, until the onion is soft. Add the broth and spinach and cook uncovered until the spinach has wilted and the broth has cooked away.
Remove the eggplant from the oven. Spoon a little of the filling mixture onto each slice, and then roll up slices.
Put enough tomato sauce in a baking dish to cover the bottom. Place rolled eggplant cannelloni, seam-side down, in the dish. Cover the cannelloni with additional sauce. (Feel free to sprinkle with cheese or bread crumbs at this point.)
Bake the cannelloni for another 30 minutes. Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a nice red wine.

Field Stuff Soup

2009-02-04T17:08:00.003-07:00

This is my new favorite soup of the moment, adapted from a recipe at the fantastic Fatfree Vegan Kitchen blog. The things I changed from the original were based mostly on what was in my kitchen and not on any serious culinary aesthetic, but I really like the way it turned out. It takes about an hour to make, but you can be somewhere else for all but about 5 minutes of that. As an added bonus, it's incredibly good for you!

Start to finish: 60 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Field Stuff Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 package frozen baby lima beans
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 package sliced baby portabella mushrooms (about 6 oz)
1/4 cup wild rice
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt to taste

Heat a large soup pot. Spray with cooking spray, and saute onions until they begin to brown (about 6 minutes). Add the celery and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the broth, water, and lima beans to the pot and bring to a boil.
Add all the remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the beans and wild rice are done, 45-55 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-01-28T17:56:00.003-07:00

This is my friend Danette's "easiest and favorite" recipe. It's perfect for nights when you need dinner in a hurry, and it's a great way to use up some leftover chicken. If you don't have leftovers, buy one of those precooked rotisserie chickens to save yourself time.

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (fat free or lowfat)
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
1 can green enchilada sauce (10 oz, not the little one)
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
1 soup can milk (less if you like your soup thicker)
1 chicken breast (boneless/skinless) cooked and shredded

Combine everything in a saucepan and cook until hot, being careful not to burn because of the milk. For some reason, the longer the soup is cooked, it seems like the spicier it can get.
Toss in anything extra you have lying around -- frozen corn, a can of diced tomatoes, black beans, etc. Top it off with tortilla chips "crackers."

Chana Masala (Curried Chickpeas and Spinach)

2009-01-21T16:48:00.003-07:00

It's still freezing. We're trapped beneath a winter inversion that keeps our valley skies gray and damp, and I can't seem to find socks thick enough to keep my feet warm. Definitely time to spice things up with a little Indian food. I had some garbanzo beans and spinach that I needed to use up, and this savory Punjabi dish was just the ticket. I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it's awesome. Serve it over rice, or be really authentic and scoop it up with chapatis.

*Note: This is a nonfat, medium-spice version. For richer and spicier options, see notes at the end.

Start to finish: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings (doubles, triples, etc., easily)

Chana Masala
Cooking spray
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, with liquid
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder**
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala***
1 large bunch spinach (about 2 cups)
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan or skillet, saute the onion and garlic in cooking spray until the onion is soft and beginning to brown.
Add the beans in their liquid, lemon juice, and spices. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the beans are soft. (The sauce will cook down and thicken up.)
Turn off the heat, add the spinach to the pan, and cover again. Let the spinach wilt (about 3 minutes).
Add salt to taste. Be sure to taste it first, though -- the bean liquid makes it plenty salty enough for me.
Serve over rice, on its own, with Indian bread, as a side dish... It's terrific no matter how you eat it!

*Variations: For a richer dish, use 3 tablespoons of olive oil instead of cooking spray. For a spicier dish, add cayenne pepper to taste.

**Curry powder is available in the spice section at pretty much every store, but the quality and flavor varies tremendously. I made my own by mixing 2 tablespoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons of coriander, 2 teaspoons of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.

***Garam masala is a North Indian spice mixture and should be available in the spice section of most grocery stores. Like most ground spices, it loses some of its flavor and aroma within a few months, so buy it in the smallest quantities possible unless you cook a lot of Indian food.

Veganazi Soup

2009-01-12T14:25:00.002-07:00

It's cold and clammy and cloudy here today -- perfect soup weather. I dug into my refrigerator and pantry to see what I had, and this is what I came up with. Although there was very little plan involved, and I was basically just using things up, it turned out really well. Fair warning: The measurements are gross approximations, because I just tossed things into the pot. This would probably go really well with Treehugger Bread. For a non-vegan version, throw in some sliced sausage.

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Veganazi Soup
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
8 cups water
1 can tomato paste with basil, oregano, and garlic
1 can tomato sauce (no salt added)
2 bay leaves
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 bunch kale, leaves removed from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 can Great Northern, navy, or cannellini beans, with liquid
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, saute the onion and garlic in cooking spray until softened.
Add water, tomato paste, and tomato sauce.
Add everything else.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the kale has softened. (It's a tough green and takes longer than most.)
Remove the bay leaves, ladle up, and enjoy.

*Note: I also added about half a can of garbanzo beans and some meatless meatballs that I had on hand, just because I needed to use them. The beans were fine, but the "meatballs" didn't add much. This would be tasty with sliced sausage (pork, chicken, turkey, whatever).

Pasta e Fagioli

2009-01-08T20:42:00.004-07:00

This recipe is from Shannon, one of my oldest friends and one of the best cooks around. She's also insanely busy, with one husband, three kids, one dog, and a million responsibilities. This is her version of a fantastic weeknight soup.

Start to finish: About 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Pasta e Fagioli
1 lb. ground beef
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 large onion, fine dice
1 cup shredded carrots
8 cups chicken stock
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup macaroni
crushed red pepper flakes to taste, if desired

Brown ground beef, celery and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
Bring chicken stock to simmer. Add meat mixture, spaghetti sauce, beans and macaroni. Simmer until mac is al dente.
Add red pepper flakes if you want. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Serve with garlic toast. Yum!

Treehugger Bread

2009-01-04T17:42:00.006-07:00

I'm not a baker. I don't understand the chemistry behind it (and true bakers can go on and on about that), and I don't usually have the time to indulge in it. Nonetheless, carbs are my downfall, and this bread is likely to become a staple at my house. I modified it from a bread machine recipe I found at AllRecipes.com and was delighted when it turned out absolutely perfect. Bread seems hard, but don't let the mysterious terminology and long preparation times scare you off -- even bread that doesn't turn out quite right will probably still taste terrific. Of course, if you have a bread machine, just toss everything into it and go.

Start to finish: About 2 hours
Yield: 2 pounds

Treehugger Bread
1 1/3 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
---
3 tablespoons dry milk powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
---
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour (use bread flour, not all purpose - there's some chemical reason)
3/4 cup multigrain hot cereal (I use Bob's Red Mill 8 Grain)

Dissolve the honey in the warm water. I usually use water as hot as it will come out of the tap, because it will cool down to the desired temperature as it's dissolving the honey.
Add the yeast to the honey/water mixture and let it proof. (That just means to go away for about 10 minutes and let it get all bubbly while you're gone. If it doesn't get bubbly and smell like bread, your yeast is bad, and you'll need to start over.)
Stir the milk powder, oil, egg, and salt together. Add this to the proofed yeast.
Add the whole wheat flour, 2 cups of the bread flour, and the multigrain cereal to the yeast mixture. Stir it together. I don't have a magic technique for this. Just stir it up. It will be quite sticky at this point. Add more bread flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture isn't sticky anymore. I find it's easiest to judge this if I mix it with my hands. You'll probably need at least 1/2 cup more flour, and maybe a full cup, but it varies depending on humidity, what your yeast did, the phase of the moon...
At this point you should have a nice ball of nonsticky dough that pulls together. Pour a little vegetable oil down the sides of the bowl you've been working in, and swirl it around so that it's evenly distributed. Turn your ball of dough over in the bowl once or twice to coat it with oil, then cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and set it aside for a moment.
Let the dough rise until it's doubled in size (about 30 minutes). I put the bowl with the dough in a cold oven, along with a kettle of boiling water. The temperature and humidity in the oven seem to help dough rise perfectly.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down to its previous size again. Spray two 1-pound loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into loaf shape, and put one in each pan.
Let the dough rise a second time until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). I put the pans with the dough on them on top of the stove while I preheat the oven for baking (375 degrees).
When the dough has reached the top of the loaf pans, put the pans in a 375 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes. They should be nice and golden brown by this point. If they're not, give them another 5 minutes.
Brush the tops of finished loaves with melted butter to keep the crusts soft. Remove the loaves from the pans, let them cool, and enjoy! (Or eat half a loaf almost immediately, like I did.)

Avgolemono

2009-01-04T17:13:00.004-07:00

The temperature here didn't quite hit freezing yesterday, which definitely called for soup. This is a traditional Greek soup (avgo = egg, lemono = lemon), but all of the ingredients can be purchased ready to dump in the pot. It has a light and delicate flavor - perfect for post-holiday penance. I might add just a dash of cumin next time.

The only tricky part is adding the egg. Just make sure you keep stirring, or you'll wind up with egg drop soup.

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Avgolemono
4 cups chicken broth
1 can garbanzo beans (undrained)
1/3 cup white rice or orzo
1 cup shredded carrots
2 eggs
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bag baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the broth, garbanzo beans with their liquid, and rice in a stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the carrots. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cover and cook until the rice is tender but not mushy (about 10 minutes).
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the lemon juice, and stir to combine. It will be opaque, smooth, and not very eggy looking at this point.
This is the tricky part. Ladle 1/2 cup of the broth into the eggs. Stir immediately so the egg doesn't set. Pour the egg mixture into the soup pot, stirring continuously as you do.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the spinach. Stir until it wilts, which should be right away.
Serve immediately with some nice bread for dipping.

*Note: Like any soup with spinach, unless you like it slimy you might want to add spinach to individual bowls if it won't all be eaten at once.

Bacon, Lettuce, and Potato

2009-01-02T10:27:00.005-07:00

My mom invented this years ago as a way to get dinner on the table in minutes. It sounds strange, but it was always one of our family's favorite weeknight dinners. I suppose you could make mashed potatoes for this, but it's much faster (and more in the spirit of the meal) to use leftovers, instant, or those frozen ones. I should warn you -- this isn't so much a recipe as a procedure.

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: Varies

Bacon, Lettuce, and Potato
leftover mashed potatoes
bagged salad greens
crumbled bacon, or bacon bits
Italian salad dressing (I prefer Newman's Own for this)

Heat up your mashed potatoes.
In a separate bowl, toss salad greens and bacon with Italian dressing. You could also add tomatoes and green onions, but why bother chopping anything?
Heap potatoes on a plate, and put the salad mix on top of them.
Try to get some warm potatoes and cool salad with each forkful.

*Note: I justify eating at Wendy's on occasion by ordering a Caesar side salad and dumping it on top of a plain baked potato for basically this same effect.

Apple Puff Pancake

2008-12-27T16:56:00.005-07:00

I don't especially like breakfast food -- except at night. And in the winter, pancakes and omelets for supper warm the soul. This is a simple recipe my parents picked up years ago at an inn somewhere in the California Gold Country. Put a little vanilla ice cream on top, and you could probably use it for dessert, too.

Start to finish: 35 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

*Notes: This is equally tasty with peaches, and would probably be good with any cookable fruit that you fancy. This recipe also doubles, triples, etc., well. Just be sure to use one pie pan for every 2 servings to ensure even cooking and nice puffing.

Apple Puff Pancake
1 apple, cored and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the butter in a pie pan and melt in the oven while it's preheating. When it's melted, take the pan out and swirl the butter around to coat the sides.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the butter. (You can premix them if you want to, but there's no need.) This will create a nice caramel glaze.
Arrange the apple slices over the butter. There's no special strategy to this. Just try to cover the bottom of the pan relatively evenly.
Mix together the milk, flour, eggs, and salt. Don't worry if it has lumps in it.
Pour the batter over the apples in the pan.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Take out of the oven and immediately invert onto a plate. The caramel side will be on top. Cut into slices and serve.

Tipsy Missionary Toast

2008-12-24T19:04:00.004-07:00

This is a rich and tasty breakfast dish that I invented for a special occasion I can no longer recall. In my house, it's a Christmas and birthday morning treat.

Start to finish: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Tipsy Missionary Toast
2 1-inch slices Hawaiian sweet bread
1 cup cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter

Sauce:
1 cup pulpy orange juice (I use 4 pulped mandarins, with the large pieces removed)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix cream, eggs, Grand Marnier, and vanilla.
Cut two 1-inch slices of Hawaiian sweet bread from the center of the loaf.
Place bread slices in an 8 x 8 dish. (It doesn't have to be this size. Any dish that will fit both slices without a lot of room left over will do.) Pour the cream mixture over the bread and let it sit.
Mix the juice or pulped mandarins, sugar, sweetened dried cranberries, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until it thickens slightly.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Put the bread slices in the butter, and fry on both sides until golden brown (about 3 minutes).
Put one bread slice on each plate, pour orange sauce over it, and serve.

New Mexico Chile Corn Chowder

2008-12-22T12:34:00.005-07:00

While living on the New Mexico side of the Navajo Reservation, I had this soup at the Navajo Nation Inn, just across the border in Window Rock, Arizona. Theirs is scorchingly hot, but I went home and recreated a less fiery version. Since then, it's become a part of my family's Christmas tradition. The big dinner is always Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day we enjoy tamales, frybread, salad, chile corn chowder...and homemade snowballs for dessert.

Start to finish: About 1 hour
Servings: About 6

Note: Made according to the recipe, this is neither especially quick nor especially healthy.

New Mexico Chile Corn Chowder
1/2 pound bacon, plus 2 strips for garnish
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 cups cream-style corn
2 cups roasted corn kernels*
4 cups chicken broth
1 small can diced green chiles, undrained
red pepper flakes to taste
2 cups milk
6 small potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Chop the bacon before cooking, if desired. Fry bacon in pan until done. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reserve the 2 strips' worth for garnish.
Add onions and celery to the pan the bacon was in, and saute until lightly browned.
Transfer onions, celery, and all but reserved bacon to a large stock pot. Add cream-style corn, kernel corn, chiles, red pepper flakes, butter, broth, carrots, and potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Mix together flour and a little of the hot broth to form a paste.
Add milk and flour paste to the stock pot. You might want to add more flour paste, depending on how thick you like your chowder. Simmer for 30 minutes or until you are ready to eat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with crumbled reserved bacon and serve.

*You can substitute frozen whole kernels in a pinch, but the roasted flavor is wonderful.

Penne Siciliano with Jewel Fruit Salad

2008-12-19T15:17:00.006-07:00

It doesn't get much easier than this. You just toss a bunch of stuff into a pan and heat it together. It's simple, light, and very tasty. For a non-vegetarian option, add sliced grilled chicken. The salad makes a sweet and pretty accompaniment.

Start to finish: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 servings with plenty of leftovers

*Note: Start marinating for the salad before you do anything else.

Penne Siciliano
1 cup vegetable broth
12 dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
1 (8 oz) package uncooked penne pasta
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups bagged baby spinach
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Parmesan cheese to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook until al dente (9-12 minutes), and drain.
When you put the water on to boil, put the broth into a small saucepan and bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the broth for 15 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving the broth, and chop the tomatoes.
While everything's boiling and soaking, place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted, then remove from heat. (Watch carefully -- they can burn quickly. You can skip this step if you want.)
When the pine nuts are done, heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in the same skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic for about a minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach and cook until almost wilted. Stir in the olives, artichoke hearts, and chopped tomatoes. Pour in the reserved broth. Cook for about 2 minutes, until heated through.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach mixture and pine nuts. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Jewel Fruit Salad
Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Salad:
3 tangerines
1 cup pomegranate juice
4 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Before you do anything else: Peel and section the tangerines. Place the tangerines in the cup of pomegranate juice and set aside to marinate.
Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar with a lid. Set aside.
Drain the tangerines.
Mix marinated tangerines, greens, red onion, and pine nuts in a large bowl.
Toss with vinaigrette and serve.

Tips and thoughts

2008-12-18T19:04:00.005-07:00

I wouldn't say that I have a philosophy -- about anything, really. There are just some things that I think are a good idea. I think it's a good idea to be healthy, but I'm not a fanatic about it. I think it's a good idea to care for the planet, but I don't have the energy to obsess about it. I think it's a good idea to do more with less, but I don't save well and I accumulate stuff just like everybody else.

So I'm imperfect even about the things I care about, but there are some areas where compromise just doesn't make sense. Here, in a nutshell, is my non-philosophy for the kitchen.

Buy local produce if you can. There are good ecological reasons, of course. You're eliminating the massive carbon footprint of shipping your asparagus from Peru, which is hard to ignore at this point. You're also supporting people within your community. Just as importantly, local food is in season, so it tastes a lot better. Try farmer's markets or farmstands, or just keep an eye on the labels at the supermarket.
Green Bags are amazing. How many times has broccoli liquefied in your crisper drawer? I'm not getting a percentage or anything, but those "As Seen on TV" Green Bags really are terrific. Your produce will last so much longer.
Canned beans are your friend. Beans take forever to cook, but they're really good for you and very versatile. To save time, use the canned ones. Just be sure to drain and rinse them to get rid of the excess salt.
Eat less meat. It's expensive, and most of us don't really move around enough to need all that fat and protein. And did you know that the earth could support something like twice as many people if we all ate only a little meat? I'm not saying I want 12 billion people around me, but I think it's important to take care of the ones we already have.
Variety is the spice of life. I don't know how people survive on rice and fish, or hamburgers and french fries, every single day. Try new things. You might not like all of it, but you're bound to like some of it.
It's okay to hate tomatoes. Or Brussels sprouts, or liverwurst, or tea, or whatever it is you don't like.
You can't overdo cinnamon and garlic. Okay, you probably can. But I love these two seasonings (not together), and I tend to use a heavy hand with them. Caveat eater.
Moderation is the key. Feasts are great, but not every day. Desserts are terrific, but not at every meal. Wine is lovely, but not to excess. Veganism/raw foodism/Atkinsism/whatever is fine, but don't become an evangelist for the cause. Nobody will thank you for ruining their meal with guilt. Not much is inherently bad for you -- just enjoy it all in moderation.

Mostly Vegetarian Beanie Soup

2008-12-17T18:03:00.006-07:00

When the weather turns cold enough to break out the sweaters, soup is the perfect meal. This is a simple, tasty soup I made up one night this week. Notes for vegetarian options at the bottom.

Start to finish: About 30 minutes
Yield: About 4 servings

Mostly Vegetarian Beanie Soup
2 leeks, white and light green portions only, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup baby carrots, quartered
7 oz smoked turkey sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces (half the package, use all if desired)
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cumin
1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, saute leeks, garlic, carrots, and sausage in a little oil until the vegetables are slightly softened.
Add the broth, beans, bay leaves, and cumin. Bring to a boil.
Remove pan from heat, and discard bay leaves.
Stir in spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.

Notes:
*For a vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage and use vegetable broth.
*If you won't be eating all of the soup right away, you might want to add the spinach to individual bowls of hot soup. That way, no matter when you eat it, the spinach is bright and fresh.