new year's revolution

well, i haven't posted for over two months, but that doesn't mean i haven't been cooking. i've been cooking up a storm, but more importantly, i've been restructuring my daily routine and learning how to subvert the big food industry.

perhaps you're thinking, "wow - that really came out of left field!" from my perspective, though, it's been more of a gradual progression; i couldn't have done this without the increasing familiarity with researching, buying, cooking and serving food that i've gained over the last year. in fact, this undertaking was the subject of my new year's resolution last year.

as i come up on one year of creative and highly rewarding cooking, i'm ready to officially up the ante for 2010. i've already dropped milk from my diet and am trying to reduce my intake of other dairy. i've also mostly dropped meat. but this fall i made a huge leap: i began baking my own bread and making my own butter. i keep butter on hand just in case, but now i just buy heavy whipping cream and shake it until i have butter and buttermilk. i haven't bought bread from the store for several months now and my roommate and i have gotten into a great baking rotation which includes our standby white bread, as well as challah, beer bread, soda bread and biscuits. life is good in our apartment.

today, i made another step forward - incorporating dry beans into my cooking routine. (you know how i love my beans.) i have a pot of black beans on the stove and am excited to eat them, freeze them, make chili out of them, feed them to my friends, and have none left so that i can make some more. it's just so great.

so, i'm in the final throes of the academic quarter right now, but as soon as i'm off for break, i'll post some of the great recipes from this fall: sweet potato salad, apple & goat cheese potato salad, beer bread, challah, turkey soup, black beans, roasted beets, etc.

as always, i'll post my adventures in cooking -and i'll continue to cook fun things and write about them in a way that assures that anyone can successfully make the dish- but i will also begin to chronicle my 2010 new year's 'revolution': subverting big agra and gradually moving towards a corn-free diet.

happy eating!

-a.

buttermilk biscuits

one more reason why god loves the south more than the rest of the world.

this recipe is taken from southern plate, a fantastic website with tons of recipes and tutorials: http://www.southernplate.com/2009/05/buttermilk-biscuits-tutorial.html

i make these biscuits on a regular basis and don't usually have a lot of trouble getting other people to help me eat them. (like i need help!)

if you're fairly comfortable with your biscuit-making skills, this recapitulation of the recipe should work just fine for you. if you're a novice, i'd recommend reading through the thorough tutorial on the southern plate site.

ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

to make:

blend the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

cut the stick of butter into 1/4in slices and toss with the flour. use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. this will take a while, but don't stop until the pieces of butter are about pea-sized.

stick the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes.

preheat your oven to 450 degrees and let it heat while you're waiting.

after 15 minutes, pull the bowl out of the fridge and stir in the milk. the dough will be wet and sticky, but shouldn't be runny.

turn the dough onto a well floured surface. flour your hands and knead the dough three or four times. don't overwork the dough and don't let it get too warm. press it out (gently!) until it's about 1/2in thick. cut the biscuits with your favorite cutter - i use a heart. you can also use a glass to get a good circle.

place the biscuits on a greased and floured (or a non-stick) pan and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

you're welcome to brush them with butter when they come out of the oven, but there's plenty of butter in them already.

these biscuits are a dream to make and are fantastic with any meal. enjoy!

chips n' salsa chicken strips

chips n' salsa chicken was my million dollar idea of the day.

ingredients:

6 chicken strips or thinly sliced boneless breasts
3/4 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 lime

this recipe provides modest portions for two adults. adjust accordingly.

to make:

marinate the chicken strips with the salsa and lime juice in the refrigerator for two to three hours.

in the mean time, crush tortilla chips in a ziploc bag (try to get them pretty well crushed) and dump them into a soup bowl. spread them around the bottom of the bowl.

heat a non-stick frying pan with a little bit of olive oil.

shake the excess salsa from the chicken tenders and roll them in the crushed chips (they don't all stick, but do the best you can). cook the tenders over medium high heat, flipping as infrequently as possible.

serve up immediately. sauteed chard makes a great side!

modifications: feel free to add some black pepper to the tortilla chip crumbs, or even some panko.

the long summer

i'm finally home after a long summer of traveling. it was wonderful, but aside from my variation on a cheesesteak that i whipped up for an overseas labor day celebration in berlin, i took a backseat and watched a lot of cooking and baking happen. now that i'm home, however, it's back to the burners. here are two new recipes, chips n' salsa chicken strips and buttermilk biscuits, to get the academic year started off right.

enjoy!

sweet wheat biscuits

i got this recipe from an old friend who used it to make bread for some of our religious services. you can make it a loaf, but i like to make dense, yet delicious, biscuits.

the biggest perk of this recipe is that you can have delicious biscuits on the table in 20 mins flat (including prep time).

however, this recipe has a caveat. because it's generally used to make bread for service, please sing a song, meditate on something peaceful, or think about your loved ones while you're making it.

ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp double acting baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup veg oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water

to make:
preheat oven to 400
mix all dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl
whisk dry ingredients to mix salt and baking powder evenly
add all wet ingredients to a separate mixing bowl
don't bother trying to mix the wet ingredients - just let them be in the bowl together
gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring the whole time
the dough will be stiff and not very sticky
turn the dough out onto a floured surface
knead 2 or 3 times, just to make sure the dough all sticks to itself
flatten the dough with your hands, it should be a little over an inch thick
use a cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits
place biscuits on an oiled and floured pan (i use a pizza pan)

bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes
the biscuits will not rise much and will not turn golden brown - don't worry, they're done inside when you stick a knife in and it comes out clean.

this recipe should make about 7 biscuts. if you decide to make a loaf, score the top or impress the cookie cutter into the loaf. allow the loaf to cook about 14 mins.

enjoy!

bring your own leprechaun

taken from the nyt: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/health/nutrition/03recipehealth.html?ref=nutrition

kale and potato soup

instead of celebrating (or fabricating) our irish heritage with the rest of america's irresponsible youth, we were writing our term papers. so i had everyone over on saturday for a late celebration, complete with potato soup and brown soda bread. here's the soup:

ingredients:
2tbsp olive oil (plus more to taste)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper to taste
2 to 2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch of kale, thoroughly washed and chopped into relatively small pieces
bouquet garni (or something less pretentious) with any of the following: bay leaf, parsely, thyme, parmesan rind, small hunk of parmesan cheese.

food prep:
this dish gets going really fast, so pretend you're on a cooking show and chop/peel everything beforehand. i did it about 4 hours in advance and threw it all in tupperwares and gratin dishes in the fridge. it made things way easier and faster - especially if you're expecting company.

equipment:
having a potato masher will really increase the success of this recipe.

to make:
heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. when hot, add the onion and cook for 5 mins, stirring often.
add garlic and salt, cook 1 min
stir in potatoes, 2 quarts water, and 'bouquet garni'
bring to a boil, add salt
reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 mins (until the potatoes are falling apart)
remove bouquet garni
mash potatoes with your masher
stir in the kale and simmer for 10-15 mins uncovered (until the kale is tender but still colorful)
taste, adjust salt, add pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil

let your guests serve themselves. set out parmesan cheese and extra salt and pepper.

serves 6 healthy adults.

granola bars, version 2.0

i first made these granola bars about a month ago, but something just wasn't right. don't get me wrong, they tasted just fine, but i wanted them to be slightly crunchier. voila. i think they're the grains and berries version of pemmican.

these bars have a bunch of healthy ingredients and keep forever (at least a month) if you wrap them individually in saran or store them in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

ingredients:
1 3/4 cups puffy cereal (i used nutty flax from whole foods -they're like tiny, healthy kix and they never go stale or get soggy. and they're gluten-free.)
3/4 cup toasted oatmeal
3/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted flaxseed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 oz. dried fruit (of your choice, but i use cherries)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
lots of wax paper
pyrex dish (one 11x16 or two 8x8 dishes)

to make:
food prep - i like to chop the cherries in half

line the baking dish with wax paper - make sure that the paper comes up the sides of the dish, as well

mix dry ingredients (except chocolate chips), and fruit in a medium sized mixing bowl

meanwhile, heat the honey, sugar, butter and salt over low to medium heat, stir often

whisk together dry ingredients to distribute component parts evenly

get your sturdiest spoon

when the sugar syrup is syrupy and beginning to bubble, pour over the dry ingredients.

stir, stir, stir!

immediately plop into the lined pan(s)

cover the granola bar mixture with another sheet of wax paper. use this paper to press the granola bar out to the edges of the pan. squish it so that it will stick to itself. let it sit and cool for several hours. you can use books to help squish it long-term, if you would like.

before they get rock hard, lift up the wax paper and sprinkle on some chocolate chips. press these in and go back to the squishing.

later, turn the granola out onto a cutting board. take a big knife and cut them into whatever shape you like best. i wrap mine in saran wrap for fast grabbing and portable snacking.

like i said, they keep forever. so make them and share them.

for substitutions: the honey/sugar is the glue. you can use it to stick together pretty much whatever you want. feel free to substitute nuts, other grains, etc.

eggless mini-gratins

on the night that i made the gratin for dinner, i found out just in the nick of time that the friend i had invited to share it with me was actually allergic to eggs (whoops!). here is what i made for her instead:

follow the gratin recipe (below), minus beating the eggs. just before you would mix everything together, reserve a little bit less than a cup of greens and set them aside in a small bowl. continue to make the regular gratin.

for the mini gratins (you have plenty of time to do this while the main gratin is cooking):

take the bowl of reserved greens, add about 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa and 2 tsp olive oil. stir so that the olive oil coats everything. add 1/8 to 1/4 cup gruyere to the mixture and stir well. meanwhile, butter 2 muffin spots of a muffin tin. press breadcrumbs onto the butter and try to get as many as possible to stick. also sprinkle some on the bottom of the tins.

scoop the mixture into the two buttered tins and pack it in firmly. sprinkle a little bit more cheese on top, then some bread crumbs and finally drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. pop these in the oven for the last 12 minutes that the gratin has to cook. when they're done, run a knife around the mini-gratin and carefully lift it out like a very fragile muffin. it should hold together without being offensively cheesy.

it is a comparable and cute eggless alternative.

cabbage & kale gratin

possibly one of the most delicious dishes i've put together. it's also taken from the new york times, but i modified it by substituting quinoa for rice. this post will also have much more detailed directions than the nyt version. you can refer to the original here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/health/nutrition/06recipehealth.html?_r=1

okay, here goes.

ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, washed, destemmed and chopped into slivers
1 small head of cabbage, quartered, de-cored and chopped into slivers
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (you need to have it already cooked and on hand)
3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese, firmly packed
3 tbsp breadcrumbs

it will help if you lay out these kitchen implements:
a large mixing bowl
several measuring cups
cooking spoon
large pot
2 quart gratin dish/casserole
small bowl
cheese grater
colander

to make:
wash and chop kale, set aside in big bowl
chop the onion and garlic
set the pot on low heat and heat 2 tbsp olive oil
when hot, put in the onion only and cook for 5 mins
add the garlic and cook for 1-2 mins

preheat the oven to 375

add the kale and some salt. the kale needs to be a little bit damp for this to work. cover the pot and let the kale steam, stirring occasionally.
in the mean time, core and chop the cabbage. when the kale is wilted, add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of water.

cover and cook for 10 mins or until the water has evaporated

in the mean time, beat 2 eggs in the large mixing bowl

grate and pack the gruyere cheese and measure out 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
when the water has cooked off, add salt and pepper to the cabbage/kale
stir 2 large spoonfuls of greens into the eggs - keep stirring to temper the eggs
gradually add the quinoa, cheese and the rest of the greens to the egg mixture. mix well so that everything is coated with egg.
scrape into a greased gratin dish, sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil

bake at 375 for 35 - 40 minutes or until the egg is set. let the gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving.

the dish can also be served at room temperature and makes wonderful leftovers.

this is a confusing dish for sides, since it is a vegetable and protein dish, but we served it up with a simple salad and some flatbread.

red velvet cake

...is beautiful, but doesn't really taste like anything.

i have three papers to finish within the next forty-eight hours, but as soon as i'm done, i'll work on creating the best, most flavorful red velvet cupcakes this side of the mississippi.

also, an update on the brussels sprouts salad: like most salads, this one won't keep if you've already drenched it in viniagrette. so, douse carefully (or pressure your dinner partners to eat it all).

also coming soon, a cabbage and kale gratin that i saw on the nyt and have been dying to modify.

cheers & happy monday.

brussels sprouts salad

i really like brussels sprouts - perhaps you're starting to catch on. in a sinister attempt to get the rest of the world to love them as much as i do, i have cleverly disguised them as a salad.

actually, the real story is this: i had steamed some brussels sprouts to go with my dinner and i noticed how tasty the outer leaves were when eaten individually. i thought the leaves would probably make a delicious, albeit labor-intensive, salad.

today's weber-paper-discussion potluck was the perfect opportunity to try out this new dish. if i ever make this again, i'll probably do something differently (don't know quite what yet), but the dish seemed to go over well. several people had seconds, thirds and fourths - and one classmate had brussels sprouts for the first time ever. successssssssss.

[if any of you happen to make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out and how you improved it.]

ingredients:

brussels sprouts (1 lb should serve about 4 people as a side dish)
red/yellow/orange bell peppers (1 large pepper should do it)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
mustard
some kind of fruit jelly/jam
grated parmesan cheese

to make:

wash brussels sprouts
cut off the bottom/stem part and remove any gross outer leaves (but leave the nice looking ones - you need as many outer leaves as possible)
slice in half lengthwise and place in a pot with about 1/2 in. water in the bottom
when all the sprouts are in the pot, cover and heat the water
let the water come to a boil
when the sprouts are bright green and slightly tender, remove from heat and drain
dump the sprouts onto a cutting board or other work surface
peel off outer leaves and place on paper towels or in a salad spinner
set brussels sprouts' "hearts" aside for later
dry the leaves and place them in a bowl
put them in the fridge to chill and crisp up

meanwhile, slice the hearts into little crunchy bites and place in a smaller bowl
cut the bell peppers into bite sized pieces and set aside

to make the dressing, combine 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil with 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. add 2 tsp brown mustard and 1 tsp jam. stir up.

take the greens out of the fridge and toss lightly. add the hearts and bell peppers. pour dressing over the top and toss salad. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

it should keep in the fridge for a day or so. if the leftovers are terrible, i'll post and let you know.

mexican hot chocolate sponge cupcakes

make. these. now.

i wanted to whip them up from scratch, but i didn't - cake mix was on sale and i'm short on time because it's the end of the quarter. in any case, they came out beautifully. i'll let you know how the from-scratch ones turn out, but, frankly, the box cake ones are so good that i might never switch.

ingredients:
1 box devils food cake mix (+ eggs, vegetable oil, & water - read the box)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

to make:
make the cake mix according to the instructions on the box
when the batter is done, stir in the sour cream
when the sour cream is all stirred in, sprinkle the cayenne pepper over the batter and stir in.
make sure it's not clumping up anywhere - that would be a serious surprise!

bake them according to the instructions on the box. i made cupcakes, but you can make whatever shape you want. having already made them, though, i would say that the cupcake is the perfect form because they come out very moist and spongy.

don't expect them to rise a lot. and don't bother frosting them (unless you're a frosting junkie --in that case, have at it.)

they're good with coffee because they're not too sweet, and the cayenne gives the chocolate a rich flavor with a slow burn.

enjoy!

i just deglazed my first pan

i just made brussels sprouts to go with the quinoa pancakes - they are delicious and quick & easy to make.

ingredients:
brussels sprouts. limit about 4 cups/batch, so you don't overwhelm your frying pan.
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

to make:
rinse brussels sprouts, cut off stem, peel off outer leaves and cut in half lengthwise.
put 1/2 in. water in a small saucepan and put in brussels sprouts (no steamer basket needed)
steam until bright green
drain

in the mean time:
heat up a pan on medium heat
when it's hot, put a little bit of olive oil in and swirl it around
pour in 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar - careful, it will pop and spray a little
immediately throw in drained brussels sprouts and sautee
add more balsamic vinegar
sautee until tender

they are delicious and the whole process took about 10 mins from start to finish. i can't wait to eat them tomorrow.

-a.

quinoa pancakes

i think i'm on my way to earning a reputation for turning food into pancakes, which is ironic because i don't really like breakfast pancakes.

these are a delicious side for leftover borscht and the leftover pancakes will be good with the brussels sprouts i'm about to cook up for my lunch tomorrow. they'd probably also be a really good alternative to an omelette - for a lunchy brunch, serve up quinoa pancakes with broccoli. or, for a southern twist, with green beans and stewed tomatoes. with quinoa pancakes everyone wins.

ingredients:
2 eggs
about 1 cup cooked quinoa (enough so that the egg quinoa mixture isn't runny)
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (adjust to taste)

to make:
heat a frying pan over medium heat - be patient while it heats up. don't start it on hi and then turn it down and expect this to work. trust me.

in the mean time:
scramble 2 eggs, add salt and pepper and grate in parmesan cheese. stir in quinoa so that the mixture is wet and quinoa is coated, but is not runny.

when the pan is hot, drizzle a little bit of olive oil in there. spoon in quinoa into two palm-sized cakes (make them 2 at a time unless you really have a big griddle or good griddle skillz).
let them cook for about 4 minutes - you'll be able to watch the egg cook through the quinoa. when the egg is set about halfway up the cake, flip them.
the second side will take about the same time to cook. the cakes should be faintly golden brown - if they're brown, turn down your stove.
flip once more, cook 1 minute on each side.
serve immediately. makes 4 cakes.

leftovers: they should reheat in the microwave - if they don't, i'll post again after lunch tomorrow.

variation on a borscht

i took this one from the new york times, as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/253srex.html?ref=dining

my fantastic roommate receives a csa produce box every other week and lately she's been getting a lot of cabbage. after an unsuccessful attempt at cabbage soup, a second head of cabbage that was slowly making its way to the black hole at the back of the fridge, and yet another head arriving in last week's box, it was time to take matters into our own hands. drastic times call for drastic measures. luckily, i had recently bookmarked a recipe for beets and greens borscht from the nyt.

it turned out really well and only took about 2 hours from start to finish. this recipe makes a LOT of borscht, so invite your friends over. if you don't, you'll be eating leftovers for a week like us. (and just in case you don't have any friends, it keeps very well in the fridge, thanks for asking.)

ingredients:
5 beets with greens, chop the beets into 1/2 in. dice. remove the stems from the greens and chop them coarsely
1 head of cabbage, chopped or shredded
1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large onion, chopped thinly
1 can kidney beans/2 cups home cooked beans
salt
5 medium-sized potatoes, chopped into 1/2 in. dice. (if you have lots of beets, use fewer potatoes and more beets)
11 cups of water
2 tbsp tomato paste
balsamic vinegar
any other leftover veggies you have - throw them in the pot.

to make:
in your biggest pot, combine beets, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, kidney beans, onion and 9 cups of water.
mix 2 cups of water with 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. add to the pot.
the water should just cover the veggies. don't add too much water!
bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. cook for an hour or until beets and potatoes are tender. don't worry if it boils for a while after you turn it down - this helped ours cook a lot faster.

just before you're ready to serve the borscht, sautee the chopped beet greens in a skillet with olive oil. when they're tender, throw them in the pot. add more balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

serve up and garnish with sour cream.

sides: fresh sourdough bread.
for spicing up the leftovers that you will undoubtedly have: serve over cooked quinoa or with quinoa pancakes (see recipe post). reheat over medium heat. add more balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

warm chickpea and broccoli salad

i took this one from the new york times' "recipes for health" section: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/health/nutrition/05recipehealth.html

i whipped it up in about 15 minutes after a soccer game and took it to a potluck, which seemed to be a pretty successful debut opportunity for the dish. i didn't have onions or parsley on hand, so if you really like those, see the original recipe and add them back in.

ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas/about 4 cups home cooked chickpeas
2 heads of broccoli, cut into small bite-sized florets
(you can adjust these proportions to taste)
salt
2 oz./4tbsp. parmesan cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vinegar (i used half red wine vinegar and half balsamic)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove
6 tbsp olive oil OR 4 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp plain yogurt

to make:
put broccoli in pot, add 1/2 in. water and steam until the broccoli is bright green
rinse chickpeas, drain and add to cooked broccoli
heat until warm

in the mean time, mix lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, garlic clove, olive oil and yogurt (optional) in a small bowl. set aside.
grate parmesan cheese into a different small bowl. set aside.

when chickpeas and broccoli are warm, empty into a serving bowl (the water should have cooked off by now). add a little bit of salt.

mix in the dressing and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

this recipe serves 6-8 people and makes fantastic leftovers.

the granola bars - coming soon

hi everyone,

i'm currently beta testing my first batch of granola bars. i needed to find a way to make a healthy, tasty kashi-like bar that was more filling and less expensive. the batch turned out really well and was a snap to make (and the bars are full of healthy stuff), but i want to make them a little bit more crunchy before i post the recipe.

coming soon!

-a.

so, i have this blog...

hello gentle readers,

i've had this blog for several months now, but i haven't really known what to do with it. i'm not on the road, i don't take a lot of pictures, and my life is pretty mundane. this is great for my gpa, but doesn't make good blog fodder.

however, i think i've finally found a partial use for this space. my new year's resolution this year was to learn how to cook and try some new recipes. i'm sure a lot of you are glad to hear this, probably because you know my diet is mainly composed of peas and beans. i've been doing a pretty good job of mixing it up lately, and since i now cook at least three meals a day for myself i have lots of time to play around in the kitchen. (don't tell my professors.) i'm also a regular attendee at grad student potlucks, which has been prompting me to learn to cook interesting new foods.

so, i'm going to use this space to post recipes that i really like, both those that i've made up, as well as those that i've adapted from other sources or learned along the way. you're invited to read along as i have my culinary adventures (and misadventures), as well as post some of your own recipes to help me along on my journey to becoming competent in the kitchen.

there aren't really any ground rules, but it might save you time and energy if you knew the following: i can't eat nuts (i'm allergic to some and i don't like the others), i don't eat shellfish or most fish, i'm generally vegetarian during the lenten season, and i don't eat tofu that looks like snot.

with that said, enjoy!

-a.

p.s. for those of you who don't care about recipes, i'll also post stories and pictures about my life from time to time.