Devils On Horseback

Healing Power of Pancakes

2010-05-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

Very recently I was in a bike/car accident (I was the one on the bike), and was left in a state where I couldn't do much for myself. Miraculously, I wasn't thinking about food every waking moment. After one particularly grueling physical therapy session, I finally had a craving...for pancakes. I have to back up for a moment to say that I never want pancakes. It's extremely rare that I don't wake up wanting something savory and on the occasion that I do, it's a piece of chocolate not a baked good. I cut to the chase and freebase sugar straight up, none of that flour nonsense. Anyhow, my dear mother was in town playing nurse and she is a pancake person. I knew I was in good hands.

I wanted to pack in as many nutrients as possible, so we came up with a heavenly pancake recipe for a whole grainish number with what I had laying around along with a blueberry compote made from good for nothin wrinkly berries. Topped with peanut butter and washed down with a cold glass of almond milk drank from a pink neon straw, it made me feel a little less broken.

I gave directions; my mom cooked. We're a good team. Thanks mom.

Post-Accident Pancakes
* 1/2 cup organic all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup organic buckwheat flour
* 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
* Small handful of wheat germ
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups or so of kefir
* 1 large egg
* 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; extra for cooking and serving

Whisk together all the flours along with the baking powder and soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the egg and gradually mix in kefir until desired consistency - I like my batter on the thinner side but these make pretty cake-like pancakes. Heat up a pan - non-stick, cast-iron, what have you - and butter that baby up. In my humble opinion, hot fat and pancake batter make for a beautiful match. So heat your pan to medium and pour a third of a cup or so of batter into the pan leaving room for the other guys depending on how large your pan is. Patiently wait until bubbles (holes?) appear and then gingerly flip them. Wait a minute or so, grab straight from the pan and eat immediately. If you have the willpower to wait a sec, I highly recommend slathering a warm pancake with peanut butter and topping it with blueberry compote. It's like the best pb&j you've never had.

Serves 4...or 2

Blueberry Compote

* 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup blueberries, preferably ones past their prime
* water
* agave syrup
* lemon
* cinnamon

This is a loose recipe, which are honestly the only ones I am good at. I much prefer a compote on my pancakes rather than putting fruit in the batter as the latter often results in watery fruit and fugly looking pancakes.

After you pick out the moldy berries and treat them to a light rinse, throw them in a saucepan with a little water - just enough to cover the bottom of the pan should do. Bring it to a boil and let them bubble away until they begin to break down a bit and look jammy. Turn it down to a simmer and add water as you see fit so it doesn't get dry and burn. You can keep this on the back burner on low while you go about making pancakes. Taste them naturally because they may not need a lot of adjusting, but a squeeze of lemon and a shake of cinnamon does wonders. Stir in a bit of agave syrup at the end and that's it. You can basically do this with any fruit. It's great for impressing people and putting on top of ice cream too.

Makes 2 generous servings.

Self Assesment: Pudding

2010-01-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

So, I am not good at a lot of things. Some of which include taking photos (the physical act of taking my camera/phone out) and keeping a disciplined regimen for anything aside from going to my job daily. This may help to explain my infrequency of blog postings. However, my inspiration for writing anything stems from something I am actually good at: experimenting with confidence. That sounds incredibly annoying, but I'm trying to be positive. It's 2010 dude!

This all brings me to caramel pudding. I was aimlessly snacking on an amaretti cookie the other day at work - likely a remnant of a holiday gift basket - and thought, this would be delicious on pudding. I had some friends round last night for dinner and decided to experiment on them. I have made pudding once (butterscotch) before which was for no less than 30 people, and while it had everyone licking their plates and asking for a recipe, I didn't have a recipe to share. Add that to the list: writing down recipes. Here's to turning over a new stone...

Caramel Pudding
serves 8

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups organic heavy cream
3 1/4 cups organic whole milk
3 large best quality (local, humane, whatever)egg yolks
healthy pinch sea salt (1/4 tsp or more)
vanilla extract
3 tbs cornstarch
1-2 tbs agave syrup
16 small amaretti cookies, crushed

Start off with the sugar and water and a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring it to simmer/boil and let it bubble up. You want to let it do it's thing for about 5 minutes, swirling the pan a little but not stirring. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pot you can wash them down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. But really, I find this mostly unnecessary and how many people have pastry brushes? Keep your eye on the caramel-to-be and watch it go from from a light amber brown to something darker and richer. Also, use your instincts and smell it. Once mine started to smell like toasted marshmallows, I took it off the heat and whisked in a cup of heavy cream. Keep whisking away and put back on the stove over low/med heat. Whisk in 3 cups of milk. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and 1/4 milk in a separate bowl and the yolks, salt, and vanilla in another bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into caramel and keep whisking. It will thicken very quickly. Take about a 1/4 cup of the caramel mixture and slowly combine it with the yolks. Then carefully add the yolk mix back into the caramel. Whisk and stir for another minute or so. Pour into a clean bowl or little cups, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and pop in the fridge for a few hours to chill and set.

To serve, whisk the shit out of the remaining cup of heavy cream until it turns in whipped cream (magic!) and fold in some agave syrup to taste. Top servings of pudding with whipped cream and crushed up amaretti cookies.

Hot Damn

2009-07-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

The best breakfast-brunch-lunch-dinner-ever is a plate of chilaquiles.

I'm not sure where my love affair with chilaquiles came from. I grew up in a community with a fair amount of people from Mexico but had never even heard of them (chilaquiles, not Mexicans). It's one of those home cook secrets/peasant-style dishes found in every culture where you have leftover this and a scrap of that and make something absolutely delicious and comforting. I can't contain how stoked I am.

The first time I heard about this dish, I think, was from an old roommate of mine (of San Diego/Mexican descent) and I decided to try out the dish at Eat Records where I moonlighted as a guest brunch chef on the weekends. I made huge casserole dishes of the good stuff and baked eggs on top. Baking eggs are a little fussy for me on the weekends where I want to cook brunch fast and inhale it even faster. I'm really not a beast, I just love to eat.

The basic elements of chilaquiles consist of torn up corn tortillas (preferably not fresh) fried to a crisp then tossed into a pan with red or green sauce and topped with eggs or meats and little goodies like avocado, cheese, sour cream, raw onions...whatever fits your fancy. I prefer the green variety. There is no science to this recipe just whatever you have around and your personal taste. I guess it could suck if you have bad taste, but that's your problem. Don't blame the chilaquiles.

Chilaquiles Verde
Serves one

2 tablespoons canola or corn oil
2-6 in. corn tortillas (I used blue ones); cut into eight triangles
1/2 small onion, chopped on the fine side, set aside a little more for finishing
1/2 jalapeno with seeds, sliced
1/2 cup - or more - of jarred salsa verde, Goya is always a solid choice
1/2 avocado, sliced or cubed
1/2 cup egg whites (all I had)
small handful shredded cheddar cheese
small handful of chopped cilantro
salt & pepper

Start off by heating a heavy, medium sized pan over high heat. Add oil and test to see if it's hot enough by putting a little piece of tortilla in the pan. If it sizzles then put tortilla pieces in the pan on one layer. You'll probably have to do two batches unless you're using a monster-sized pan. Fry until they poof up and get crispy like chips, then set aside on some paper towels to drain. Next, throw the onions and jalapenos in the same pan but make sure to turn the heat WAY down, to low-medium. Stir around until they soften and then add the salsa. Simmer until everything is nice and hot, and add the chips back in. You want the chips softened with a little crunch left. Put the mixture to one side of the pan, and make a little area to scramble you eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper, and cook until they're done to your liking. Take one big stir and then put in a shallow bowl or plate. Top with cheese, cilantro, onions, and avocado. Hot Damn.

Whoa Momma

2009-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

So, this doesn't really have to do with mom besides the fact that she eats yogurt every morning with all sorts of goodies mixed in (rolled oats, wheat germ, fruit, etc). I had a breakfast that was so good it made me say "whoa momma"...in my head at least (I'm at work). I am attempting to bring my own food to work these days since it's better for my health and my wallet, but I'm lazy about packing it and really enjoy finding food in Soho throughout the work day. It's a welcome distraction from , well, work.

I had leftover sweetened toasted coconut from a Tres Leches cake I made for Helen's baby shower (recipe forthcoming or else I'll forget it and it was GOOD), blueberries and Greek yogurt.

I just mixed the three together and it was so so delicious. You know why really addictive, gourmet-ish or non-gourmet granola tastes so good. Coconut. I went straight to the source and will now be sprinkling it on everything I can.

To toast sweetened, flaked coconut:

In a 350F degree oven, place coconut on cookie sheet, spreading as thin as humanly possible (so it toasts evenly).

Watch it closely and stir it around. Keep watching -- it burns very quickly -- then take out when fragrant and toasty-brown colored.

Muscle Man Greens

2009-01-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

I love greens. Spinach, swiss chard, bok choy, watercress and especially kale. Kale is not a wuss. Kale is plentiful in the winter and inexpensive (how many things are plentiful and inexpensive!). Kale is a survivor. You can buy it and throw it in the darkest, most untouched depths of your fridge and discover it a week and a half later -- and it's in mint condition patiently waiting to be cooked. But I digress. These recipes are about eating on a cleanse tonight. I'm doing a week-long detox cleanse and I was hungry. My body was seriously begging for food.

Luckily I could eat a piece of salmon and greens. Hurrah! Real food! If you actually look up this cleanse, you'll find that I totally cheated and didn't follow the rules and only stayed straight by using the salmon and greens. I did discover that I'm a kale genius. Well, I might have been to the point where anything would have tasted like ambrosia, but you'll have to be the judge of that.

I made two courses, and was really only supposed to eat one. Whoops.

Steamed Kale with a Soft Boiled Egg and Chili Oil

1 bunch of regular curly kale, divided
1 egg
A teaspoon of chili sesame oil, or to taste
A dash of soy sauce
A couple squirts of sriracha hot sauce

First off put the egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil, and once it starts to boil turn the heat off. Let it sit in the water to stay warm while you do other things, or if you want your egg gooier just put the egg on the counter.

Next de-rib the kale, stack the leaves and cut it cross-wise into very thin slivers. Put a few inches of water into a tall saucepan and place the steamer basket in. Dump all of the kale into the pot, packing it in. Cover and let steam for 10-15min, or until it has decreased in size by about half.

Here's where your own personal preference comes in: Using about 3/4 of the kale, put in a bowl and season with the chili oil and soy. Be careful not to overdue it with the oil/soy, as you want the kale soft and fairly dry. Next, place the soft-boiled egg (de-shelled, duh) on top of the kale and halve or smash up so it's insides are showing. Squirt some sriracha on the egg and kale and devour.

Disclaimer: I ate this while I was making the my actual dinner

Salmon with Scorched Scallions and Kale

1 6-8oz salmon fillet, preferably wild Alaskan with the skin on
a couple tablespoons olive oil
mix of dried herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, whatever you like)
3 or so scallions, white and pale parts only, cut lengthwise into skinny wisps
A cup of previously steamed kale
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Throw in the scallions until they sizzle and soften, and throw in the dried herbs. I actually used this "pesce" herb mix my friend brought my back from Rome in an unmarked plastic bag so I'm not totally sure what was in it...sorry. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Make a clearing in the pan and place the salmon skin side down. Turn up the heat a little so the salmon skin gets nice and crispy. Move the scallions around so they don't burn and flip the fillet after 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness and how well done you want it) and cook an additional 5 minutes. If the skin needs more crisping time, flip it over again and put all of the scallions on top of the fillet to rest. Even if you don't need to crisp it more, do this anyways and just take out of the pan immediately and onto a plate. Next throw in the kale and the vinegar, deglazing the pan and using the kale as your mop. This cleans your pan also. Two in one!

I put the kale on top of the salmon and scallions and enthusiastically dug in.

Christmas Gable-Style

2008-12-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

A few things.

It's been a long while. My apologies. The only reason that I decided to write some words down was a request from my lovely and talented friends at http://luvinspoonfuls.wordpress.com/. I sent the following recipe idea to them for their “Luvin Spoonfuls Economical Holiday Recipe Contest!”. Alas, I was a little late, and missed the actual contest, but I can explain.

My brother had to stay in the city due to work obligations, and being the good sister I am (sometimes) decided to stay here with him. The past few days have been spent planning, cooking and eating a lobster/sausage/moonshine/dance party blow out for Christmas Eve and a semi-traditional Christmas dinner. Yes, it was the expected Christmas dinner with a standing rib roast, gravy and the like -- but also hanging around were some jewel-toned latkes and horseradish thrown in the mashed potatoes for good measure... An homage to our half-Jewish roots.

So this recipe is sadly not an original but is extremely cheap and delicious. Besides some tired vegetables you have to dig up (either in your vegetable crisper, the corner grocery, or your garden), everything else you probably have in your fridge and cupboards. Though the ingredients are everyday ho-hum, it seems like a holiday treat once your kitchen smells like frying onions and you dollop generous amounts of sour cream on the end product.

You could make this with any old root vegetable: sweet potato, parsnips, celery root, purple potatoes, etc. Other vegetables would work fine, just as long as they're moist when grated such as zucchini, butternut squash, or even apples and pears. This recipe makes about 8 little pancakes. You'll want to double the recipe, I promise.

Beet and Carrot Latkes
adapted from Bon Appétit, March 1998

1 cup or so of coarsely grated beets, about one large/medium (raw, peeled)
1 cup or so of coarsely grated carrots, about 3 small/medium (raw, peeled)
1 small, thinly sliced onion
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
olive oil

Combine all of the veggies in a medium bowl, then gently stir in the egg, salt and pepper. Next, sprinkle the flour in and give it another stir. Heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Drop about a 1/3 cup of the mixture (depending on how large you want them) into the pan and flatten with a spatula. Wait about 5 minutes until the latkes begins to brown and hold together. Flip and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes.

I would eat these out of the pan, but if you must wait, keep them warm in a 300F oven.

Eat with sour cream mixed with capers and fresh dill or sour cream with scallions and lemon zest.

Mama Mia

2008-05-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to cook tonight by my mother and her only, as my lack of sleep and drinking habits these past few days usually amount to me ordering in on a Sunday night like this...My mom, who does not have the food memory (or would it be obsession?) that my father and I share, recently recounted a braised lamb shank ragu I made during one of my few trips home to Florida over the past few years. She requested that my dad make it for Mother's Day this year. I was honored. Though she loves to eat and has become somewhat of a gourmand due to being married to my father for (almost) 28 years, I don't recall her ever asking for a recipe of one of my made up savory concoctions. She really has more of a sweet tooth. With lamb ragu on the mind, and unseasonably chilly weather I decided to make a ragu of my own. Instead of lamb shanks, I used some Italian sweet sausage I salvaged from the freezer. I have always used sausage as a quick, flavorful fix. What I have learned is that simmering it for awhile -- makes an unbelievably silky sauce. By silky, I mean I was greedily licking the pot after I had put leftovers away for Jordan to eat when he gets home. This sauce is best served with a chunky pasta to hold all of the glorious sauce.

Sweet Sausage Ragu

About a pound of sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 med-large onion, chopped
4-5 large garlic gloves, minced
2 small-medium carrots, chopped
4 or so halves of sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, finely chopped
2-3 bay leaves
28-oz can of plum tomatoes, either whole or chopped
fresh ground pepper

I really think that's it, though the flavors taste so much more complex due to the long cooking time.

Begin by browning the sausage over med-high heat in a little olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot, until it is fully cooked through. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are softened, stirring up any brown bits off the bottom. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes and a little water. Bring to a simmer and cover. Turn the heat down to low and relax. Check on the the sauce periodically, giving it a stir or two, and making sure it doesn't bubble over. After about an hour or so, give it a taste. I added a ton of black pepper and a dash of granulated garlic powder (I couldn't help it!). Don't forget to take the bay leaves out.

Serve over pasta and grate fresh parmesan cheese and extra black pepper over the top. Delish!

2008-04-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrassed that it's been over a year since I've recounted my eating and cooking endeavours. There are so many recipes gone undocumented...but on the bright side I'm still at it (eating that is). Not that tonight was any different than any other I've had time to make a proper meal, but I realized that if I actually wanted to re-create it someday down the road I needed to write it down. What a novel idea. It's been a lazy Sunday and I was in the mood for Mexican comfort food.

Black Bean-Chorizo Gravy Tacos
Lime, Red Onion, and Pickled Jalapeno Quinoa
Sauteed Garlic Kale
Serves 3 (with leftovers if you have any self-discipline)

Black Bean-Chorizo Gravy Tacos
1lb fresh chorizo sausage
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
large handful of grape tomatoes
1 cup or so of beer, I used Presidente
1 can of black beans
1/2 to 1 cup salsa verde, depending on preference

Whole Wheat Tortillas (6 or 8in)

To Garnish:
Crumbled Feta
Chopped Scallions
Sliced Avocado
Lime wedges

I hope the word gravy doesn't turn anyone off, but the liquid in the recipe reduces into this glorious substance that has a velvetly mouthfeel akin to nothing else but the g-word. Begin by browning the chorizo and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or saucepan over med to med-high heat. If the chorizo is in casing, be sure to squeeze the meat out... I find this very fun. Break up the chorizo with a wooden spoon into bite size pieces and cook until it's brown in spots and to the point where most of the fat has rendered. Don't be tempted to be be virtuous and drain some of the fat off. For a split-second I thought about this, but if I had done so it would have been foolish mistake. Throw in the chopped vegetables and tomatoes, and coat them well with bright orange oil. Once well mixed, pour in the beer and cover for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally if you feel like it. Then add the black beans and salsa verde. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Take off the lid and reduce until the mixture is nice and thick. To serve, use a slotted spoon and put as much as you like in to a tortilla and top with crumbled feta, chopped scallions, avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Lime, Red Onion, and Pickled Jalapeno Quinoa

1 1/2 cups organic quinoa
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
A few tablespoons of olive oil
salt

This is such a simple recipe, and really exceeded my expectations of a last minute side dish...

Make the quinoa according the the directions on the package. Mix lime zest, lime, red onion and jalepeno together and add to cooked quinoa. Finish with olive oil and add salt to taste. Seriously, that's it.

Sauteed Garlic Kale

One bunch organic kale, trimmed and torn into 2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
granulated garlic powder
salt

Saute the garlic slices in olive oil over medium heat- once fragrant, add the kale in batches. Cook until wilted and season with salt, garlic powder and a drizzle of olive oil.

Potato Salad Season

2007-07-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Since I've made potato salad roughly three times in the past month, I decided it was time to share. Granted - potato salad is not difficult to make, and this is not a remake of the original. This is the potato salad I grew up with, compliments of my Maine-born-and-raised mother. The below recipe makes enough for a crowd (15-20 people), and leaves leftovers which are better than eating the freshly made stuff. This is a rough outline for a recipe to do with as you will.

6-7 lbs red skinned potatoes

2 packages of frozen peas
3-4 stalks of celery, finely minced
1/4 - 1/2 large red onion, finely minced
3 scallions (all parts) trimmed, chopped, optional
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups or so of Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise
2-3 heaping tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Having made this so much recently, I feel like somewhat of an expert in this style of potato salad. This is far from the truth, but I have acquired many tips - so be warned.

First throw halved (if large) or whole potatoes into a large stockpot. Fill with cold water and place over very high heat, cover. Bring it to a rolling boil, which will roughly take 30-40 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking combine celery, red onion, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Let peas thaw on counter or put them in a colander and run warm water over them.

This is the fun part: after the potatoes have come to a boil and have cooked for 20 minutes, stick a fork in one to check for doneness. If you can easily slide the fork in and the potato breaks apart easily - turn off the heat. Drain the potatoes and put half back in the pot. Here I break apart the potatoes with a fork and knife into large, irregular chunks (skins and all). This also creates a starchy potato mush that I live for. Combine half of the potato mixture to the mayo mixture. Repeat with the remainder of the potatoes. Lastly, fold in peas and eggs. You can't over mix this, so go to town. Check for seasoning as you may like it saltier (add salt, duh), more piquant (mustard or pepper), or more wet (mayo or starchy potato water). Sprinkle with scallions if you're into that. Dig in!

Suffering Succotash!

2007-06-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my first official posting from my new apartment. We moved in nearly 2 weeks ago and I've had some excellent "firsts" there, such as my first indoor hamburger and my first succotash. The latter is very exciting for me, and I'm honestly not sure why...could it be the colors? The New England heritage? Who's to say, but the simplicity of the dish made it perfect for a June weeknight meal. Traditionally succotash contains lima beans, but instead I used small navy beans as I had bought a huge bag of the dried variety. Their creamy texture was a perfect foil for the crisp veggies and smoky bacon.

I have to admit that the dish was premeditated. I think it may have been the half and half in the fridge which truly inspired me. I always found it interesting that recipes for succotash called for it. Enough rambling, here is the recipe.

2 pieces of good quality bacon
a few tbs of olive oil
1 medium onion
dried basil
red pepper flakes
1 cup of half and half
1 package of frozen corn, thawed
1 large bell pepper, chopped into large (1-2 inch) chunks
2-3 cups of small navy beans
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2in long pieces. Place into a cold pan with a tbs of the olive oil and cook over med-med/low heat. The trick is to slowly render the bacon, so all the fat comes out and you're left with pretty bacon bits. Once cooked through, take the bacon bits out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, put the onions in and cook over medium heat, but only for about 5 minutes or so. You don't want them to be totally translucent. Throw in the corn and navy beans and warm through. Season the mixture with generous amounts of salt and freshly ground black pepper, along with a few pinches of red pepper flakes and a tsp or so of dried basil. If you have fresh basil, then by all means, use it. Next pour in the half and half and give it a good mix. I placed the red pepper chunks on top of the mixture and put the lid on the pan. If you need more liquid for them to steam, just add a touch of chicken broth. Give the peppers about 5 or so minutes to steam, but don't let them get too soft because you still want them to have a nice little bite to them. Finish the dish of with a generous handful of chopped parsley and the bacon bits.

I split a boneless, skinless chicken breast (I know, boring) and sautéed the halves in another pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. I served one chicken breast half over a heaping mound of the succotash.

Comfort Food: Stuffed Shells

2007-05-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Where to start! I was cooking quite a bit, but not feeling very inspired to write anything down. Then, after cooking stuffed shells two nights in a row (Jordan's request), I decided it was high time. I hate to waste food and am in major money-saving mode, so I was determined to make something delicious for dinner Saturday night without going to the store. I had some random bits and pieces left from the week and a casual pizza party I threw on Friday night. I made stuffed shells with peas in a red pepper vegetable ragout...on Sunday I made spinach and zucchini stuffed shells in a spicy tomato sauce, but I had gone to the store beforehand, so it's not nearly as impressive.

16-18 Jumbo Shell pasta (literally all I had)

Filling:
8-10oz of Part Skim Ricotta
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
1 package of frozen pea, cooked (you'll only need 1/3-1/2 box)
Lots of fresh thyme, leftover from pizza night
High quality garlic powder, I can' resist
parmesan

Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot/celery
2 garlic cloves
32oz can of crushed tomatoes (set aside 3/4 cup for a later use)
Dried basil and oregano

3-4tbs of low-fat plain yogurt
1 large red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
Salt

This may sound tricky, but the timing works out quite nicely. First thing: put a large put of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 375F. Get the sauce going by sauteeing the red onion/carrot/celery/garlic in a little olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the finished sauce. Season the mixture when it gets soft with salt and pepper and some dried basil and oregano. Then, pour in the crushed tomatoes and give the whole thing a good stir. Simmer. If the water is boiling -- throw in the shells. They usually take about 10-12 min. At this point mix the ricotta with an egg, then season with salt/pepper and loads of thyme. Fold in the peas last along with a small handful of parmesan cheese if you have it. Here comes the fun part. Steam chunks of the red bell pepper in a little water until they start to soften a bit. Drain them and combine with the yogurt in the food processor with the clove of garlic and salt. Whiz away! I poured the mixture into the tomato sauce. Don't let it simmer too aggressively or the yogurt will start doing strange things, like separating.

Get a 9x13 casserole dish and put a cup or so of sauce on the bottom. Start stuffing the shells with a tbs or so of filling or as much as you can cram into them like I do. Line them up side-by-side in the casserole dish. Drizzle sauce on top and cover tightly with foil. Cook in oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Serve with extra sauce. Yum!

Subway Musings

2007-04-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I had a few remaining thawed artichoke hearts and peas from the other night, so on the commute home I day-dreamed about what combinations of things I could create when I got into the kitchen. I probably looked like a crazy person, staring off into oblivion and then smirking when I thought of something really delicious. By the time I got to Greenpoint I thought of three dishes to make: pan-fried kielbasy (picked up on the way home) with roasted sweet potatoes, artichoke hearts, and red onion(and of course garlic for good measure); a deliciously Spring salad with homemade blue cheese dressing; a rich yellow split pea soup. The soup wasn’t specifically for dinner, it was more for lunches this week - as I’m not a fan of waking up and making sandwiches.

The soup is super simple and is virtually fat-free and vegetarian – but it’s actually good.

1 package of dry yellow split peas
Two seeded and chopped Jalapeños
Medium onion quartered
3-4 garlic cloves
4 whole sprigs of Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbs of chopped fresh ginger
Scant tbs of curry powder (all I had!)
Salt to taste

This is so easy! It’s also a weird hybrid of my parents as my mom makes incredible, though traditional, split pea soup and my dad puts curry on everything. I literally threw everything in a big stock pot, except the salt. Cover with cold water by an inch or two. Bring contents to a boil, then put the lid on and simmer to a divine mush, which usually takes about an hour. I added nearly a tbs of salt at the end. It made four huge servings.

I also concocted my first ever blue cheese dressing. It made a little more than Jordan and I needed for our salad and would be excellent in an egg salad...

A few 1-inch chunks of blue cheese
A few tbs of sour cream
A tbs of light Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Scant tsp of Dijon mustard
A tbs or so of white wine vinegar
Drop of Olive Oil to loosen
Lots of black pepper
Garlic Powder

I think that was it it...I basically put the first two ingredients into a teacup and smashed it up, then added the mayo, mustard, vinegar, etc. Be sure to taste along the way. I put it on top of a salad composed of red leaf lettuce, radishes, peas, scallions, hard-boiled eggs and crispy Canadian bacon. So so good.

40oz Freedom

2007-04-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

I rarely have wine lying around. As soon as I buy a bottle it is promptly opened and drunk (with help of course). So is the case that I am often trying to makesome new creation and never have the 1/3 cup of wine that is so vital to the recipe at hand. Last night, I was making a fast chicken thigh fricasse/braise with peas, artichokes and mushrooms. I needed alcohol. Luckily, I had a week-old and barely touched bottle of Colt 45, compliments of my lovely fiancé. I used nearly 2 cups of this stuff to deglaze the pan and cook all of my spring veggies in. I used a lot of Colt 45, so it would cook down to something a little nicer...Here's the recipe, we had no leftovers.

4 small organic chicken thighs
Salt/pepper

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs of Italian parsely, chopped
2 cups Colt 45 Malt Liquor
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 package of frozen peas
8-10 white button mushrooms
1 lemon
Olive oil
Dried basil
Garlic Powder

1 cup dry orzo, cooked

First, put a few tbs of oil in a hot pan (nonstick if that is your thing). Cook chicken seasoned with salt and pepper skin side down for about 4-5 minutes, flip, and do the same. Remove from pan and set aside. Throw in the onions, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper, dried basil and garlic powder if you like, because I do. Cook over med heat until onions are starting to get soft. I normally love caramelized onions, but not for this, so pour in the 40 at this point to deglaze the pan - one cup at a time. I would put the chicken back in the bubbling brew and put the lid on the pan. Take a swig of the good ole malt liquor. 10-15 minutes later throw in the frozen artichoke hearts and peas. 5 minutes later throw in the mushrooms. Now take the thighs out and place under the broiler for for 5 minutes, so they're nice and golden brown on top. Season the veggie mix once again and add the juice of one lemon. Toss the vegetables with hot orzo. Serve the chicken thighs on top of a heaping mound of orzo and vegetables.