Archive for the ‘weekend herb blogging’ Category

Coconut Curried Greens

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

curried-collards

I love collards. And to think that for 25 or so years of my life, I had no idea what I was missing out on!  I grew up in NY and never really tasted them, or if I did, I didn’t remember it.  But Virginia is “Southern country” and they were a staple at potlucks.  Granted, generally ’round these parts they’re served with ham, but I liked them enough that I was intrigued and determined to find another way to enjoy them. They’re best right after the first winter frost, but it’s one of the few things I can still find at the Farmer’s Markets even now, and it’s nice to have locally grown on the menu.

The most miraculous part of all of this is that DH ate them…and asked for more.  Somehow perhaps it has escaped him that indeed, the green stuff is a vegetable?  I won’t mention it and hope that he doesn’t his mind!  But they are so buttery when they cook up in the coconut curry that we’ve ended up fighting over leftovers.  Yum.

I use coconut meat to make a coconut milk, but I’m sure canned would work just as well.  I often brown chicken or another protein or toss in leftovers for a heartier meal, but it works just as nicely in vegan form.

And, of course, you can add in some cayenne for a little extra kick if you’re so inclined!

Last year, I grew my own collards and used them in a yummy African inspired Almond Stew, but this year, the rabbits chewed them down to the ribs.  I guess that’s what I get for pulling up the carrots.

Large bunch of collards, stems removed
2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons garam masala powder

meat of one young coconut and water (2 cups total when blended)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add collards, let boil vigorously for 20 minutes (or more, to preference). Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the collard water. Blend water with coconut (this is your coconut milk!). Chop collards coarsely.

If making a version with meat, brown meat in the oil and reserve. Saute ginger and garlic in oil until fragrant. Add in garam masala powder and stir for a minute. Add in coconut mill, the greens and browned protein (optional). Allow to cook and thicken for 8-10 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.

Serve and enjoy!

I’m serving up these collards for Weekend Herb Blogging, originated by Kalyn

. Now our kind coordinator is Haalo, and she’s hosting this week, too! Collards aren’t unusual veggies, but I’m not familiar with them in curried form, so I hope this counts.

Weekend Herb Blogging-170 Roundup

Monday, February 16th, 2009

3iconsWell, I’m delighted to host my first WHB roundup.  It’s so much fun to see the fabulous things people have put together from all around the globe. Y’all are some amazing photographers!   It’s also put my “slacker-licous” nature to shame.  I always send things in under the wire, other people send things out on Monday!

Here’s to the host for this week (starting Feb 16th)  WHB 171, Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

And to my usual readers, yes, some of these dishes contain gluten.  First time for everything.  ;-) Most actually don’t.

esquite

Anna of  Morsels & Musings of Sydney, Australia brings in a lovely Esquite (Mexican corn snack). Her experience with Mexican food has come from dear friends, and I must say, it seems they’ve taught her well!  She uses Tajin in the dish, which is made of chili peppers and dehydrated lime.  She also provides some great background info  on corn.  I can’t help wondering if corn is in season in her neck of the woods.  Here in the States, summertime corn is a distant memory.

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Maggie of Say Yes to Salad joins us from Mountain View, CA, which is why it’s warm enough for her to pick up some golden beets at her local Farmer’s market.  She’s embarking on a macrobiotic diet and missing her fruit, but loving her new discoveries.   She reports that the golden beets stain less and are sweeter than their redder cousins

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TS and JS of [eatingclub] vancouver drop in from chilly Vancouver, Canada to share their Hazelnut Gremolata that came to her in a dream! Really, you can’t beat that as a descriptor. She gives several links for ways to use it in a Portugese meal, and will post more soon.

rpchicken1

Believe it or not, I almost forgot to include mine: Red Pepper Sauce, which features fresh thyme from my garden.  First, it’s my DH’s absolute favorite, which is why we made it for Valentine’s day!  It’s a great way to add vitamin C and a whole truckload of yum to any dish.

pinto-bean-stew-300-kalynskitchen

Kalyn’s Kitchen is the original mommy of WHB, and as always, graces us with a South Beach ready Pressure Cooker Recipe for Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew with Cumin and Cilantro. On first glance, it looks like chili, but it’s a milder dish featuring cilantro, one of the yummiest herbs out there (IMHO)

afelia-braised-pork-wine-coriander-plate-5

Jude, of Apple Pie, Patis and Pate shares his Afelia – Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds. This classic Cypriot dish gets much of its flavor from the overnight marination and coriander seeds.

bananabread

Did someone say dulce de leche? Dhanggit celebrates and great salary and combines some of the most incredible flavors on the planet in the form of Banana Almond Dulce De Leche Bread.
Seriously, it looks worth a trip to France to have a slice

eggplant

Joanne, from Boston is another fan of cilantro and shares lovely sentiments for Valentine’s day AND her Mashed Eggplant and Tomato Salad on her blog Eats Well With Others. It’s an adaption from a
Middle Eastern cookbook.

torta-di-polenta1

Brii from briiblog is living in Valsorda, on the most beautiful lake of Italy, the Garda Lake (her words–I wish I knew from experience!). She shares her simple, yet elegant Maize and Ricotta cake, which appears blissfully gluten and sugar free!

okraremouladewhb

Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and our host for the upcoming week joins us from NY with a decidedly spicy twist: Cajun Fried Okra with Remoulade Sauce. This is part of her successful plot to reach a happy gastronomic arrangement with okra, a former nemesis.

My spam filter seems to have gotten hungry and swallowed some of the emails.  Check these out, too!

whb170-haalo

Haalo, who is kind enough to host WHB, graces us with Wasabi Leaf Vichyssoise. Wasabi leaves are a member of the mustard family, and apparently quite mild when raw.  She’s able to find them at her local market.

potatosaladwhb

Jeanne  of Cook sister drops by from London to share her Warm Potato Salad with onion, dill and mustard.  The salad was conceived by accident by her brother, and features dill as the herb of choice.

Cinczia of Cindystarbrings our second entry from Lake of Garda, Italy.  She shares her Candied Orange Zest and is kind enough to give us the scoop in English, too, which is awesome to me because it’s one of my DH’s favorites!


I must say, it was a delight to travel through global cuisines with you all.  Have a greatweek!

I *heart* Red Pepper Sauce

Friday, February 13th, 2009

rpchicken3iconsYahoo!  At long last, I am delighted to get the honor to host Weekend Herb Blogging.  If you’re not familiar with WHB, it was originated by Kalyn’s Kitchen, and our current hostess is Haalo.  It’s a great way to get inspiration for yummy ways to use herbs in your cooking…and an eclectic collection of fruits and veggies, too.

The last few weeks have been a total roller coaster rides, so it was time for a peaceful, relaxing, indulgent meal.  One my DH’s absolute favorite things is red pepper sauce, and one of my favorite things is rpeppersaucehow darn easy it is!  And how delicious, too.  I love that it’s so creamy that it tastes like it’s a dairy based sauce, and the sweetness is such a treat.  My first post way back when had red pepper chicken, and quite a few people asked for the recipe.  It’s worth the wait, I think!

We had an unseasonably warm weekend, so I roped DH into grilling the peppers.  Usually, I just use frozen herb-y peppers from the summer months.  The hardest part is having enough peppers left over to freeze.  They’re just like candy.

So, this is a beautiful meal for you and your Valentine.  The sauce is delish any kind of protein…or on anyone you love. =P

5 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1-2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons oil

1 cup good quality broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
good squeeze of lemon
2 Tablespoons ground almond or hazelnuts

2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced

Grill or roast peppers, or use canned or frozen. When cool, add to blender with broth, cayenne, onions and ground nuts. Blend until very smooth. In a Vitamix, this takes 2 minutes. It will take much longer in a normal blender. Saute garlic in olive oil, add in the blended peppers. You can poach a protein of your choice in the sauce, or just pour it on whatever you want to make yummy.

Everything just tastes better when covered in chocolate

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

chocpomI’ve had been under the weather this month, necessitating some ingenuity to whip up some tasty allergen friendly treats that are super easy to make. My three favorites? Chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, chocolate covered clementines and pistachio brittle (pumpkin seed brittle, just sub in pistachios). Easy, elegant, low stress, and huge on taste. Vegan and top 8 allergen free too! Totally my style.clem

I don’t know where I first got the idea of coating pom seeds with chocolate, but I couldn’t resist giving it a try, and it couldn’t be easier! The idea for dipping clementines is from a grad school friend, Michelle, who is an amazing hostess.

If you’re not a huge pom fiend, you should be. IMHO, they’re the yummiest winter fruit and chock full of antioxidants and, of course, flavor. According to Greek mythology, we’re stuck with winter because Persephone, daughter of the goddess of the Harvest was kidnapped and taken off to the underworld. She was miserable, and didn’t eat but couldn’t resist pom seeds! Rules are if you eat in the underworld, you stay. So when she is stuck “down there” we’re all stuck up here with winter, as the goddess of the harvest is mourning. Now here I thought I didn’t learn anything in junior high. Funny what sticks in your head.

Giving recipes for these is almost a joke, but here goes! Melt chocolate. Add fruit. Allow to cool. Accept compliments and smile.

Here’s a bit more detail:
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
3 oz bittersweet chocolate

Heat chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 sec (it takes about 2 min total). A double boiler works too, but I’m WAY too lazy. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Stir in pom seeds thoroughly, drop onto wax paper or muffin liners. Allow to cool at room temp. You can put them in the fridge but they won’t look as nice.

I didn’t measure the amount of chocolate for the clementines, but I dipped one half in semi sweet and allowed them to cool on wax paper.
WHB is the baby of Kalyn’s Kitchen, and now our kind hostess is Haalo. Did you see her cherry coconut slice? Looks delish!

Have a relaxing and delicious holiday season!!!

Pom Chicken

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Pomegranates are pretty much perfect.  Heck, they’re a lot of effort to peel, but it makes me appreciate them even more!  They’re very high in antioxidants and vitamin C, and wonderfully delicious.

The only downside to poms is the amount of mess they make and the amount they stain…everything.  We have pomegranate stains on the walls, the floor, some of my sweaters.  You get the idea! Regretfully, DH does not see this as art.  I’m still working on convincing him.

Since I can’t eat citrus, pomegranates are a great way to get a tangy taste.  I used fresh pomegranates, but you can also just use pom juice for this recipe.  I used to juice using a food mill, but realized that a (well sealed) ziplock bag and a rolling pin was easier.  And if you enjoy having poms in the warmer months, the seeds freeze really well!

1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons of oil
pinch of salt
2-3 chicken breasts, diced
2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped or well mashed with a rolling pin
1 tablespoon agave or to taste
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup pom kernels, reserved

1 1/2 cups pom juice (about 3 poms, with 1/4 cup reserved and not juiced)

1 cup broth

Simmer the juice and broth gently until it is reduced by half. In skillet, saute onions until translucent and set aside. Brown the chicken in the same pan. Add sauteed onions to the chicken, along with reduced juice mixture, spices and walnuts.

Adjust spices as necessary, serve with broccoli and a starch of your choice.

This is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, originated by Kalyn’s Kitchen, and now hosted by Haalo of Cook almost anything at least once

Our host this month is Scott of Real Epicurean.

Red Pepper Soup

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

I love red peppers. And yellow peppers. And orange peppers. I guess I really mean all sweet peppers! Raw, roasted, sauteed…you really can’t go wrong. I eat a ridiculous quantity of roasted peppers in the summer and fall months. As it gets colder, I turn more toward red pepper soup and sauce.

This is one of those “un-recipe” recipes. Every time I’ve done it it’s been great, and each time is slightly different, depending on what I have on hand and my mood. You can use different nuts. I like brazil nuts and almonds, too. When I have some, I add in a clove or two of roasted garlic, and it works well. I try to put aside some of my herb-y roasted peppers (if I can manage not to eat them all!!), but canned marinated peppers work, too.

The soup is creamy and satisfying and best of all it’s quick and easy to make!

1 cup roasted peppers
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup broth
a squirt or two of agave
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (if your peppers are not already marinated or seasoned)
pinch of sea salt
black pepper, to taste
pinch cayenne
sprig of thyme

Put everything except thyme in a blender and blend until smooth (this may take a while!). You’ll have a great soup ready in just a few minutes. Warm over gentle heat, sprinkle with fresh thyme and enjoy.

This is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, which has passed from Kalyn’s Kitchen to Haalo ofCook Almost Anything At least Once (words to live by!) This week’s hostess is Wiffy of Noob Cook

Pesto time!

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

As always, I leave things to the last minute, and this is pretty much the last hurrah for my basil.   I’m just lucky that the weather has cooperated and that my basil is still around!  I love pesto, and it’s just so easy to do.  It’s even better because the basil and garlic are from my garden (the garlic was harvested and roasted months ago).

And, as an added bonus, pesto is part of my sneaky agenda to add vegan meals to the menu without DH noticing.  Pesto is so hearty and filling, especially with a great protein like quinoa, and I think it somehow escaped his attention.  Whenever he notices, he feels the need to compensate by eating a big bowl of ice cream…which entirely defeats the purpose.  He says it’s not intentional, but I don’t buy it.  We had a deal when we married.  I wasn’t moving to Rochester, and he wasn’t going vegetarian.  So far, we’re living in Virginia, and still have a mixed diet.  But that doesn’t stop me from trying to push the envelope.  Ah, the things we do for love…

But onto the pesto!

I make a bunch at a time and freeze it so I can enjoy in the winter. I tend to make a pretty dry paste to freeze, and then just thin out with more olive oil as needed when I’m ready to use it. And there are so many ways to use it! Stir it into quinoa, as above, or use it as a pizza topping. Use it as a dip, pesto your fish….you’re only limited by your imagination!

You may also notice that there’s no cheese in this recipe, since I’m allergic to dairy. You can certainly add in some parm, but between the pine nuts and walnuts, there’s a delightful creaminess and I never miss it.

3 cups packed fresh basil, washed at the last minute
4 cloves roasted garlic (optional)
1 clove raw garlic
1/2 cup olive oil*
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts and walnuts
Big pinch sea salt
good squirt of lemon
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional)

*more as needed or desired

Toast pine nuts and walnuts over medium heat in a dry skillet, shaking to prevent burning. Set aside.
Process basil, garlic and oil until smooth-ish. Add in salt, nuts and lemon and pulse. I like to leave chunks, but that’s a matter of personal taste!

Since I’ve been missing the “Grow your own” deadlines for a while, I’m reversing the trend and submitting early! The host for this round is Andrea, of Andrea’s Kitchen, who also was the founder of this event.

Menu Plan Monday Sept 29th

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

My mini pumpkins still have a few weeks to grow, but they look like they’ll be here in perfect timing for Halloween. They’re minis, so much too small to carve.

The food of the week is almonds, as chosen by Kimberly of Living Free.  Like Kimberly, I’m currently grain free again, which is a pain in the neck.  Enough said.  But I’m jazzed that she’s chosen almonds! I have a few almond recipes planned, and I’m quite an avid almond eater. I use almond meal and flour a good bit in my baking, and just pulled Apple date bars out of the oven, which are made with almond meal. My only complaint with almond flour is that it’s so dense and filling that I usually get full very quickly and can’t eat much of the final product.

This week, I posted my Daring baker recipe for flatbread crackers. They are super yummy, and I had a lot of fun making them! Another post was a recipe for a cross between salsa and guac, which was perfect on the crackers.
I also made Ricki’s Frosted Banana Bars into mini bites, which were delicious and adorable.

This weekend has been very busy, and much of next weekend will be busy, too. I’m teaching a gluten free class in Alexandria, which is always great fun, and I’ve been squeezing in time to volunteer to register voters, too. BTW, if you haven’t registered and you live in the US, NO EXCUSES!!!! um, unless you can’t vote for some reason, in which case, you’re excused. 8-) Anyhow, here’s the plan:

Monday:
Vegan
Apple date bars for snack
Quinoa with homemade basil (it didn’t happen last week)

Tuesday:
Chicken curry with papadams and a TBD veg
Happy Rosh Hashana: Apples dipped in agave/almond caramel (the closest I’m getting to apple in honey at this point)

Wednesday:
Roast turkey with celery in a chestnut sauce

Thursday:
Leftovers with sauteed fennel

Friday:
Thai inspired:
Chicken in a Thai Pepper sauce with broccoli

Saturday:

Here, fishy:
Halibut with parsley/hazelnut pesto


Cooking projects:

The apple date bars are still cooling, but hopefully they’ll be good
Agave “caramel” using almond milk

From my garden:

a LOT of tomatoes
peppers
lemongrass
celery
basil
assorted herbs

From the Farmer’s market:
Peaches–last ones!
pears
apples
kale
fennel

Salsa-mole

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

I was fully prepared to make guacamole, but there were all of these tomatoes and I was craving salsa, too. Problem solved: salsa-mole.

This made a great, quick, vegan lunch that I enjoyed most thoroughly! If you’re a big fan of cilantro, like I am, you may want to increase it. You can enjoy this on tortilla chips, crackers or just with a spoon. Yum!

Cilantro, or coriander, is a member of the same family as carrots, celery and parsley, and yet the neighborhood rabbits leave it alone. Come to think, they’re not too clever, they rarely munch on my garden. Usually they have grass instead. Hey, I’m not complaining but grass instead of veggies? You must be kidding! Now that the weather is getting cooler, I’ve planted some again and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Many culinary traditions make good use of cilantro, such as in Mexican, Indian and many others. However, there are some misguided people out there that can’t abide the taste or smell. Regretfully, DH is one.

1 avocado, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 heirloom tomato, diced
1/2 sweet pepper, diced
small shallot, finely minced, or a Tablespoon sweet onion
small handful of chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
good squeeze of lime

Add everything together, mix and enjoy!

This is my weekly offering to Weekend Herb Blogging, the baby of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s host is Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once is our host, and that’s a motto that sounds like fun. Her photos are stunning!


Luscious Banana Bread

Friday, September 12th, 2008

My in-laws came to visit, leaving me with an overabundance of bananas. Later that day, a friend gave me a jar of orange blossom honey, with the theory that since I bake so much, surely I’d use it. Well, I rarely bake with honey, most of it goes to DH’s tea. But honey has such a lovely flavor, and as I eyed the bananas and honey sitting side by side, I thought, bring on the banana bread!

This is a particularly dessert-y banana bread, and sweeter than many of my baked goods. It’s quite different of my very favorite banana creations, my Nana Skillet bread, which has a much more mellow flavor. I was actually surprised at how it came out because there was a pretty modest amount of sweetener, but a little honey goes a long way! Especially if you’re using super ripe bananas, the chocolate chips are totally optional. As impossible as it sounds, I think I put in too many! Next time I’d likely leave them out all together or only use 1/4 a cup (I used 1/2 cup). Like all of my creations, this is delightfully gluten, dairy, egg, soy and corn free, and can easily be vegan by using agave and cane sugar free by eliminating the chips or using cacao nibs. It’ll thrill your honey for sure. Both loaves and the cake were devoured and enjoyed by gluten eaters and non gluten eaters alike.

I favor mini cakes and loaves in general because they’re so darn cute, and I can also gift them to different people. Rather than doing a big loaf, I used 2 mini loaf pans and a mini bundt (2 mini loaves and 2 mini muffins would also have worked quite well). I assume a standard loaf pan would work, too.

I used the GF flours I had on hand. I used almond meal because I wanted to use healthy fats from real food, like the flax and almond, rather than butter or oils. I’m sure any mix of whole grain gf flours would work, and would suspect wheat flour would work, too.

And just so you’re forewarned, the honey turns the bread a deep yummy brown. Don’t be afraid, though, it didn’t burn.

1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup teff flour
1 rounded tablespoon mesquite flour(optional, or add carob or more almond meal instead)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of fine sea salt
2 overripe bananas
1 rounded tablespoon ground flax
1/3 cup sparkling water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line pans with parchment for ease of serving and cleanup. Stir flax into the sparkling water and set aside for a few minutes. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Mash the banana until you’ve got mush. Combine it with the honey, add the flax mix and stir thoroughly. Briefly combine dry ingredients and honey mixture and add in chopped nuts, mix until just combined.

Put into preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350, then cover with foil and turn down to 325. A mini bundt was done in 30 total, but the small loaves took close to an hour.

This is my submission for Weekly Herb Blogging. It may sound like this wouldn’t fit, because Kalyn’s rules for WHB state unusual fruits or veggies, and bananas are certainly run of the mill! But did you know that bananas are technically herbs, and not fruit? Well, they’re really the fruit of an herb, so that should count.

Our host is Gretchen from Canela & Comino, who has quite a range of global dishes in her recipe section. I must say, I spent far too long looking through the archive!