Pasta with Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

This pasta is a tribute to a crostini appetizer I learned to make when I was in Avignon. I stumbled upon a cooking demonstration at the Les Halles Indoor Market there during my visit to France in 2007. Ever since then, any party requiring appetizers will be debuting this crostini. I still have the recipe printout from the chef, neatly stored behind plastic. The other recipe he gave was a creme de petit pois, a cold thin pea puree with mint and creme fraiche--also delightful, but that's another post.

After making the crostini a week ago for a party, I was left with all the makings for the crostini, except the baguette. And thus the baguette toastee pasta au chevre frai et legumes croquants was born.

Something about fresh basil and goat cheese is magical. Dare I say moreso than basil and fresh mozzarella? I threw in a few yellow pear tomatoes from my garden since the plant is ripening tomatoes at lightning speed with the sun we've been having. 

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

3-4 servings

1/2 pound pasta 

1 big bunch of asparagus, sliced thin at an angle

1-2 big handful of sugar snap peas, sliced thin

1 handful of fresh basil, chopped

1-2 big spoonfuls of tomato paste or 1/3 to 1/2 cup of a good tomato sauce

About 1/3 cup Goat cheese

1 sprig of fresh thyme, chopped (optional)

A few radishes, thinly sliced (optional)

Halved cherry or pear tomatoes (optional)

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Boil the pasta according to the direction. In the last minute of boiling, toss in the asparagus and snap peas. Drain the pasta when the minute is up. Whilst hot, stir in the basil, tomato paste or sauce. You may need to thin the paste a bit to get it to stir in nicely. Add the thyme if you are using it, crumble in the goat cheese and stir so that is can dissolve a bit in the hot pasta. Stir in the radishes and tomatoes, if  you are using them, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. 

For Crostini

Toast slices of baguette until crisp. When cooled a bit, spread with goat cheese. In a bowl, toss together the sliced radish (definitely not optional here-it's too delicious to skip), sliced asparagus, sliced snap peas, tomato paste or sauce, chopped basil and thyme, a little salt and olive oil. Arrange a little bit of the vegetable mixture over each crostini.  

Anie's Salmon

 

While spending a much needed weekend away, I procured this amazing salmon marinade recipe from an old high school friend. Anie was, and still is, a meticulous person, whose food choices reflect careful consideration to health and solitude. Even in high school, Anie would tell me about her brown rice and kimchi breakfasts, the time she spent meditating before school, and the special teas her mother would give her when she was sick.

I have since, somewhat caught up to her, as far as taking my health more seriously, this coming from a girl who skipped breakfast and lunch throughout all four years of high school, and ate candy bars before running cross country (What was I thinking?). However, Anie has moved on to much more exciting and complex activities, such as driving Navy ships about the Pacific, and maneuvering the coastal highways of San Diego.

Here is her simple, simple recipe for broiled salmon with a marinade. Be sure to try to find Wild Alaskan Salmon, not farm raised. Your brain and heart will thank you.

Anie's Salmon

Salmon fillets

Soy sauce

Garlic cloves, several, crushed or chopped

Brown sugar, a few spoons

Lemon juice, from one lemon

(No measurements! You won't mess it up, I promise.) Place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag with enough soy sauce for the salmon to sit in it, but not so much that it's swimming. (Tee hee hee-swimming.)

Place the salmon in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Place the salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet, and preheat the broiler. Broil the salmon, depending on the thickness, for 7 to 10 minutes. (Don't burn stuff under the broiler, like me. Put a timer on!) Check to be sure the fish is done in the middle, is opaque and flakes easily. 

If you like you can flip them and crisp up the skin. I eat the skin (don't say ew!) because, first of all, it's tasty, and second, there is a lot of good-for-you omega-3 fat in there. But I only eat the skin from the wild Alaskan Salmon, because of the chemical pollutant possibility from other types.

Pot Roast with Gravy

Among my favorite anti-vegetable sentiments/excuses: "I am a meat and potatoes person."

There is nothing wrong with meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes are perfectly reasonable sources of nutrients. But, that's only 1/2 your plate. A quarter meat, and a quarter potatoes. And what else is there? I guess since you thrive only on meat and potatoes, you wouldn't like a nice serving of green beans, or how about some Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, or some steamed broccoli, or maybe a few carrots, or what about come collards or cauliflower. I can go all day here, people.

You can't neglect these vegetables. Not only do I know you like at least a few of them , they complete your meat and potatoes feast. Just look at my colourful example above. I am not saying that meat and potatoes, day after day is a great idea. After all, getting a variety of foods will give a variety of benefits. But, no one says you have to eat salad and forgo your staple dinner fixings.

According to this article, getting a variety of different coloured vegetables will actually give a lovely skin colour. And after all, if health isn't about beauty, then few people would be on board.

So without further ado, I present pot roast. I used to ask for roast beef and mashed potatoes every birthday, and thought it was only something my mom could achieve perfectly, so I never bothered. As it turns out, it couldn't be easier. Just be sure to give yourself an hour ahead of time for each pound of meat you have.

Pot Roast with Gravy

Whole Pork shoulder or Beef chuck
Salt and Pepper

Heat a large pot on medium high. Add a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add your meat and brown on all sides, this should just take a few minutes. Now turn down to low. Add water, anywhere from 1 cup to a little more for bigger roasts, so that it makes it at least an inch or so up the side of the pot. Cover with a lid.

For every pound of meat, you need to give the meat 45 minutes to an hour. Actually a very flat 1.5 pounder for just the two of us took an hour, so the shape matters, too. Replenish the water as needed. Don't be shy with the water, we are making gravy with it.

When done, remove from pot, place on a plate and cover with foil. Let let a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mix up a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with water. Be sure to dissolve all the cornstarch. Bring the remaining meaty water in the pot to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture, and a little water or broth if you are lacking in volume and need lots of gravy, like me. Boil until the gravy becomes thick. Add a little salt to taste.


Mashed potatoes with Celery Root and Buttermilk

1 Celery root, washed and cut into large cubes
6-8 Red skinned potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
1 cup buttermilk or milk, warmed slightly
A few knobs of butter
Salt and pepper

Boil the celery root and potatoes until tender. Mash, and about halfway through start adding the buttermilk until it becomes a consistency of your liking. Add the butter, salt and pepper.

Figgy Necklace

This is exactly what it looks like. A necklace made out of figs.

Sean and I were in the backyard this morning looking at my brand new mini raised bed full of herbs. Some of the leftover figs from the summer caught my eye on our bare fig tree. The tree has already begun to show buds. But for some reason, some of the little dried up, hard-as-a-rock figs were still clinging to the branches. I don't know why I automatically though of a necklace. Maybe because they were so hard and obviously dried out. Maybe because they were all the size of a marble. To my delight, however, this craft actually turned out pretty well.

In order to get a hole in the fig, I had to break through the outside layer with a sturdy needle. I pressed through the bottom of the fig with the needle and pressed the needle against a table protected with a thick cloth, while holding the fig. Then I strung them together putting a few gold beans between each one. Each fig looks a little different. One is cream coloured, one has a bluish cheek to it. Some are golden. If you have a fig tree, here is one idea of how to use up all those darn figs!

Or if you need other weird necklace ideas: Rose Petal Beads.

A Tale of Two "Carbonaras"

Looks like I got you in the door with "Carbonara." But the deception will have to end here. Pasta Carbonara refers to the bacon in the the pasta, somewhat resembling carbon. I plan on stealing the term, instead, to refer to how pasta carbonara is made, by adding the egg to hot noodles, so that it clings with creamy wonderful richness.

The first dish was one I made up while in the presence of several tens of Meyer lemons from my neighbor's tree, and plotting my strike against them. Meyer lemons are a thin skinned variety that are one of  the few citrus trees that grow well here in Las Vegas. They have an almost orange rind, and a faintly orange flavor. But you can use other lemons, too.

In my refrigerator, two egg yolks were patiently waiting for me, after I whipped their counterparts into a peanut butter atrocity of a dessert, that I do not wish to repeat. So I had lemons, egg yolks, and just needed a starchy base. And since I had just bought a bag of brown jasmine rice, Meyer Lemon Risotto was born, which brings me to the "carbonara" part. Risotto is often made with several pats of butter and a ton of Parmesan cheese. Instead, if you stir in a few eggs or egg yolks, you can still achieve a nice sticky creamy rice dish, and although it is not going to be exactly like a risotto, I think it makes a dandy substitute, and saves you quite a bit of fat by excluding the butter.

Meyer Lemon "Risotto"
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water or broth
1/3 cup of white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1-3 lemons worth of zest, depending on size (and your taste)
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the rice according to the package. I know this is not very risotto-like, but trust me. Don't let the rice burn to the bottom. You can always boil excess water away with the lid off. The important thing it that the rice is fully cooked.

When the rice is done, leave the heat on and turn it up to medium or medium high. Add the wine and let it bubble away, but don't let the rice get dry. Add the lemon zest. Stir half the cheese into the eggs and whip it up very well. Take the hot rice off the heat. Add the eggs to the rice, stir it up quickly to coat. Then add the rest of the cheese and black pepper to taste. Serve with more cheese at the table. A few asparagus spears or a green salad goes nicely!


Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Anchovies and Greens
Adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 anchovies (adds a salty, not fishy, flavor)
1 fresh chili pepper such as cherry or Fresno
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 big bunch of greens or 2 small, ribbed and chopped (Try collards or Kale)
Few grates of nutmeg
2 large eggs or egg yolks
Grated Parmesan

Boil noodles according to package.

While noodles are boiling, fry up the olive oil and anchovies with a lid to cover over medium heat, a few minutes. Mash up the anchovies into the oil when they are hot. Add garlic and chili pepper, stir 2 minutes. Add greens and nutmeg. Stir, let wilt.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with a 1/4 cup of pasta water, beating quickly while pouring in the hot water.

Toss the drained spaghetti with the kale, add the eggs and with a few handfuls of Parmesan cheese and toss to coat evenly.

Bagels with Homemade Cream Cheese and Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

The best kind of presents to give are the kind you can benefit from. For example, when I bought my sister the cookbook Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, I knew that good things were going to come out of it, and they were going to come right to me. Don't feel bad for her, she does it to me, too. Plus, last week, I was over at her house making the "Oreos" recipe out of that book, so I am sure she is not complaining.

A few reasons to get this book if you are into DIY:  there is an abundance of easy recipes to make novel things that are very impressive such as cream cheese, Camembert, ricotta, mozzarella, mascarpone, vermouth, bitters, marshmallows, pancetta, and, of course, oreos, just to name the few I can remember. Since I don't have this book, however, I can't supply the recipe for the fluffy and light, dreamily creamy cream cheese that she made and gave to me. I can tell you, it was easy. The only extra work is in buying the mesophilic culture from an online supplier. 

What I will share is this easy bagel recipe I got from The Good Stuff Cookbook, another wonderful cookbook, full of novel items, like honey jelly, wine jelly, potted cheese, homemade biscotti, pretzels, crumpets, fresh mustards, cranberry ketchup, digestive biscuits and the list goes on and on.

Water Bagels

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups warm water between 110 and 115 degrees F

3 Tablespoons barley malt powder (I happen to have this thanks to Sean's beer making ventures, but you can use honey or sugar as well)

2 teaspoons salt (originally was 3 but you know how I feel about salt, and mine were perfectly salty enough)

5 - 5 1/2 cups bread flour (I mixed 1 cup of whole grain rye with whole wheat flour and some wheat gluten)

Dissolve your yeast into the water. Let it activate for about 10 minutes. now stir in the sugar or malt, a cup of the flour then the salt. Then work in the rest of your flour. Knead by hand for 10 to 15 minutes. Don't skimp on the kneading. Most home cooks underknead. If you have a standing mixer, knead for about 5-8 minutes. Now let this rise about an hour or until doubled in volume or in the refrigerator overnight.

If you had it in the fridge, take it out for about an hour before shaping the bagels. Divide the dough into 12 lumps. Now you can make a ball, stick your finger through the middle and with it in the middle roll it on all side to make the hole neater looking. The hole should be a bit large since it will become smaller as the bagel puffs up.

Let the bagels rise 10 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425.

Bring to a boil 3 quarts water and a 1/4 cup of the barley malt, or some sugar. Boil the bagels 30 seconds on each side.I recommend a baking sheet with parchment or heavily oiled as my bagels stuck quite a bit.  After they are done boiling you can brush them with egg white if you want to, I didn't, and sprinkle them with salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and/or caraway. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

1 cup of frozen cranberries

3 jalapenos, diced

1 clementine, diced

3/4 - 1 cup sugar

Gently boil all ingredients together, stirring now and then until the jam is very thick and most of the cranberries have popped. It will not be spicy.

Tom Yum

Yum is right. This is what I usually order when I go out for Thai food. So, when my sis gave me a few kaffir Limes, I knew I wanted to try to make my own version. I have made it a few times, and now, a year later, my kaffir limes are dry and hard as little rocks, but I whip out my micro plane and they still give off a very, very powerful flavor, so I use a minuscule amount.  If you have enough of the ingredients that give this soup its unique flavor, then you can definitely give it a go.

You will need:

Lemongrass
Kaffir lime, fruit or leaves (or try it out with a regular old lime, but it won't be quite the same. I bet you can find Kaffir vegetation somewhere in Chinatown.)
Fresh Galangal or Ginger root
Coconut milk
Onions
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Tofu or chicken

I add in red bell pepper, bay leaves, garlic, and cilantro for good measure. As you may have noticed, this recipe is also vegan, and so far, other than a few items left in our fridge, we are eating mostly vegan. Today, however, I was able to fortuitously and finally purchase eggs from our across the street and over a little bit neighbor. Apparently, they have 14 hens and charged me $1.50 for a dozen of these beautiful speckled, green, and brown eggs. I feel good about consuming animal products when I know that I am funding a worthwhile operation. I think that was a part of the reason we decided to stop investing so much money in animal products in the first place, because we can't always afford to buy from trustworthy suppliers. If you are interested, I highly recommend checking out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of sustainable (and in most cases, more nutritious) seafood to purchase. Buying wild Alaskan salmon isn't just better for the environment, it actually lives up to the health benefits you are after anyway.

Tom Yum Soup
1 Tablespoon of lemongrass dried
1-2 bricks of firm tofu, cut into cubes (or sub out cooked cubed chicken)
1/2 onion, cut the onion in half, then slice it
1 pkg of mushrooms
Kaffir lime leaves or a tiny amount of the zest of the fruit OR zest a regular lime. Use a small amount and taste!
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tablespoon fresh ginger root or galangal, minced
2-3 small tomatoes
1/2 can regular coconut milk
1-2 Bay leaves (optional)
Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Salt or soy sauce to taste

Heat up two cups of water in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass either in a tea ball or a tea bag, or resign yourself to having to later strain out the lemongrass and return the liquid to the pot--no big deal. Boil the water and lemongrass for 5-8 minutes, covered. Strain out the lemongrass. Now add all of your other ingredients in and simmer for at least 8-10 minutes to get that nice flavor from the leaves. Covered, uncovered, whatever--you can't mess this up.

I cooked a mixture of brown and wild rice and put this in the bottom of my bowl for some extra rib stickiness.

Three Sisters Stew

Sean and I have stopped buying animal products. Now, if they are offered to us... that's another matter.

The other day, we were sitting in Pura Vida, a wonderful vegan restaurant situated right next to an antique mall and a strip club, and we were reminiscing about  how great we felt when we used to live in California and have beans and vegetables from the local farmers' market. I never bought much meat because it is so much more expensive, and thus we inadvertently became vegans with the occasional egg or yogurt. Of course, with a tiny budget, you have to choose between that scary Tyson chicken from Smart and Final or 6 dollars a pound heirloom beans, and if you know me, you know where my money is going.

So, for the moment, except for the brick of parmesan left in the fridge, and the homemade cream cheese my sis gave me, and the chocolates I can't seem to stop eating at work (Must be Valentines Day) we are eating pretty much an animal free diet.

Here is the recipe for what I made last night. It is called three sisters stew, because it has the three staples in the Mexican diet: corn, squash and beans. Oh, it is so delicious. I adapted the recipe from The Jungle Effect. Here is the original recipe, along with the entire list of recipes from the book, all of which are highly delicious.

Three Sisters Stew
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 dried guajillo chili, boiled in a little water, purreed, and mashed through a strainer, saving the cooking liquid or a few sprinkles of any chili powder, to taste
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 can of tomatoes or 3 fresh tomatoes
5 small tomatillos ( I just used some extra salsa verde I had)
1 cup of broth or water
2 cups Lima beans ( I used frozen)
1-2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 cups hominy
2 cups peeled and sliced delicata squash, or other squash, such as butternut or acorn
1 bunch of cilantro
Queso fresco or parmesan, to garnish.

Cook the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the oil over medium heat until tender. Add in everything else, except the cilantro and cheese. Put a lid on top and let stew on low for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Top with queso fresco or parmesan, and some sliced radishes if you like.

Makes a lot.

Pork Loin with Broccoli and Carrots

My new favorite recipe from guess who... Marcella! Can she do no wrong? You have a little pork loin? You like carrots and broccoli, because who doesn't? You can make this!! Just chop up a few vegetables, then cover the pot and go for a jog for 20 minutes. Voila.

But first, the news.

Salt is an amazing seasoning. It enhances food flavors, and we are born to love it. Which is precisely why food manufacturers put it in EVERYTHING. Do you ever feel like going to the grocery store is a game of who can outwit who? The customer or the food marketers? A good example of marketing influence can be found in this very interesting podcast about lard.

My point is, a lot of salt can lead to high blood pressure. And high blood pressure, WILL lead to heart disease, and kidney failure. Many people whose kidneys no longer function have to sit through dialysis three times a week for three hours at a time while their blood is filtered through a machine. Sound like science fiction? The hardest part is, they have an impossibly restrictive diet, which cuts out practically whole food groups. All because of high blood pressure.

So I implore you, gentle reader, to continue reading. Here are a few Salt tips:

1. Your taste buds can be trained to prefer less salt on your food. Try really taking time to taste your food before you sprinkle.

2. Avoid canned vegetables and canned soups, unless they are low sodium.

3. Try adding salt at the table instead of during cooking.

4. Avoid a lot of processed meats: bacon, ham, salami, sausage, hot dogs.

5. Watch your snacks: get unsalted versions of snacks like nuts, crackers, popcorn, pretzels, cookies.

6. Check every food label!

How to check the label:

The Calories and the Sodium should be the same, or the sodium should be less. So if the Calories are 100, the sodium should be around 100 or less. My favorite example is Cup of Noodles: the calories are 296 and the sodium is 1434. That is a whole day's worth of sodium.

Fun Fact: Did you know that bread has more sodium(salt) than potato chips? Since the salt is on the outside of the chip, whereas it is baked into the bread, you can taste the salt more.

Pork Loin with Carrots and Broccoli

Adapted from Marcella Cucina

1 pound of pork loin, cut into strips similar in length to the vegetables

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup of white flour

3 bunches broccoli, trimmed of any woody skin on the stem, and cut into strips

2-3 large carrots, cut into strips

1/2 cup dry white wine

Toss the pork in the flour.

Heat up the olive oil over medium to high heat in a pot, deep enough to fit all the ingredients. Toss in the garlic and cook for a minute. Add in the pork and brown on both sides. Add in chopped vegetables. (You can add the stem of the broccoli and the bushy tops or just the stem. Both ways are good.) Stir the contents of the pot. Add the white wine, let cook for a few seconds, then cover, turn down to low and set the timer for 20 minutes. 

After 20 minutes, add a few grindings of black pepper. I don't think this needs any salt, but you may want to add a sprinkle at the table. 

Wake Up Little Bloggy (N'ice Cream)

I don't like giving up much. I am also a terrible procrastinator. Which is why my little bloggy here is still alive. It has just been dormant- much like my fig tree out back. In fact my fig tree looks dead, but I am looking forward to fig jam and fig newtons this summer, and I am looking forward to sharing all my new experiences. Ever since my last post, I have been working in the cardiac unit, and honestly it's hard to hunch over medical charts for 8 hours, then come home and hunch over the computer. But why am I going to go to the effort of baking my own bran flakes, and rolling out my own wonton wrappers if not to record it. It will make it so much easier for that lucky journalist to write up my biography one day.

The recipe I am posting today has a terrible picture. But that is only because I couldn't stop eating it long enough to get a good one. And that is testament enough. Sean actually made this one up, and I am very proud of him. It is a good use for those frozen bananas you keep in the freezer to make banana bread for the church bake sale, and its a whole lot healthier.

N'ice Cream (It's not ice cream--or is it?)

1 frozen banana
1 handful frozen blueberries
Nonfat milk, or any other milk substitute

Get out your stick(immersion) blender and blend away. And if you don't have one(its a good investment) you can use your blender, but it won't be so nice and thick because you will have to add more milk.

Bag Lunch Series Part 2: Niçoise Salad

Somehow, salads have gained a reputation for being the food of the fanatical health nut. Or worse yet, being a "lady's" lunch, thus excluding all male parties from partaking in this easy and inexpensive lunch. But salads can include any combination of "manly" ingredients (that 's a code word for filling) so you don't have to worry about grabbing at your stash of quarters for the vending machine.

One of the best examples of a filling salad is the niçoise salad, which includes a good amount of protein, the key to making it satisfying. With just a few ingredients on hand, and very little preparation, you could assemble this salad for lunch the next day. Or better yet, roast potatoes and steam green beans for dinner the night before, and use leftovers to make this salad.

Shopping List
Red skinned potatoes
Green geans
Mixed greens, spinach, boston, or butter lettuce
Tomatoes
Green or Kalamata olives
Eggs
Canned Tuna (or fresh if you want to follow Elise's recipe)
Lemon
Olive oil
Shallot or garlic
Fresh or dried thyme, basil, and oregano leaves
Dijon or other mustard

Ingredients for 2 salads
2 small-med red skinned
2 handfuls of green beans, with tips cut off and cut into bite sizes
2 hardboiled eggs
1-2 cans of tuna
1 large tomato, cut into wedges or 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
8 olives
2-4 cups of greens

Ingredients for 2 servings of dressing
1 teaspoons of mustard
Juice of a lemon (or apple cider vinegar if you don't have a lemon)
2 minced garlic cloves, or 1 minced shallot
1 teaspoon of dried herbs (thyme, basil or oregano) or 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs
1/4 cup olive oil

Preparing your salad the night before
1. Cut potatoes into bite sizes. Place potatoes in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Alternatively you can roast them at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until tender.
2. Remove the potatoes to cool but keep the water. You can now boil your green beans for 5 minutes. Any longer and they will be stringy.
3. Hardboil your eggs.
4. Whisk together your dressing ingredients and divide into two containers to take to work.
5. Once your cooked items are cool, all you have to do is divide up all the ingredients among two containers to take to work. Putting the greens in last make keep them from getting wilted.

The salads don't have to stop here! Here are some other salad-y ideas:

• Tex-Mex salad: Greens, tomatoes, salsa, canned black beans, frozen or canned corn, avocado, queso fresco, leftover steak if you have it
• Mediterranean: Greens, tomatoes, olives, chopped cucumbers, feta cheese, chopped leftover chicken or fish, chopped red onion, chopped bell pepper, leftover roasted eggplant, store bought pita bread
• Autumn: Roasted beets and butternut squash or sweet potato cubes, bleu or goat cheese, greens or arugula, toasted walnuts or other nuts, sliced apples or pears, dried fruits, side of cottage cheese
• Alternatives to dressing: Try to keep your dressing splashing to a minimum. If your salad is drenched, you may be eating way more calories than you think. Instead of oil and vinegar, try balsamic vinegar by itself. Try salsa instead of dressing, or have a scoop of cottage cheese next to your salad. This combination is extremely delicious, although it may sound weird.

One last thing. . .  no iceberg.

Bag Lunch Series Part 1: Grain Salads

Quite a while ago my friend asked me to do a post on taking your lunch to work. My usual default mode as far as lunch is concerned is to make leftovers at dinnertime, then pack them away before Sean can eat them, so we have them for lunch the next day. First of all, not everyone likes leftovers, not everyone cooks dinner every night, and not every dinner is good the next day. So, I have been doing some thinking on the matter, and have decided that one post will just not do. Taking lunch to work is a multi-faceted process that takes time and planning, so I have decided to do a bag lunch series, instead.

There are several different ways to approach bag lunch. You can:

• Make a batch of something over the weekend, freeze it and cook it at work
• Make a food that can be in the fridge for 2 or more days and have it several times that week
• Have several supplies on hand to assemble the meal each morning, or the night before
• Have leftovers and throw in a salad or side

Today's recipe to kick off our series is a grain salad. These keep really well, and can be very hearty and healthy choices. They require very little cooking, so all you have to do is assemble them the night before.

This particular recipe is one of my favorite recipes ever! I clipped it out of one of the dentist's magazines. What? He is not going to use it. He is too busy making people cry. Stupid crowns. Anyway, it is super delicious. I just now realised that it is also vegan. But trust me, you won't even know, that is how tasty it is.

Sweet Potato and Grain Salad for 3-4 lunches

Shopping List
Box or bag of whole grains, such as farro, sweet brown rice, barley, or another nice chewy grain. Farro cooks in only 15 minutes!
Bag of frozen, shelled edamame
2 med-lg. sweet potatoes
1 onion, red or yellow
2 med carrots
Box of golden raisins (or raisins or dried cherries)
Bag of fresh organic spinach
Garlic clove
Balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil

For the salad
1 cup of the grains, cooked according to package, then cooled.
1 cup edamame, cooked according to package, then cooled
2 sweet potatoes cooked in microwave 7-10 minutes until soft, cut into bites
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (optional)
2 carrots, grated (If you have a grating attachment on your food processor, use it. Such a time saver!)
1 cup golden or regular raisins
1 cup packed spinach, torn into smaller pieces

For the dressing
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Assembly the night before
1. Combine grains, edamame, sweet potato, carrots, onion, and golden raisins.
2. In 4 lunch containers, divide the dressing among the containers. (You can leave the dressing separate, but remember to divide it into 4 servings.)
3. Divide the grain mixture among the containers.
4. Add a handful of fresh spinach on the salad that you will take that next morning, otherwise, it may get more wilted than you like.
5. When you get to work, shake or stir the dressing on the bottom into the rest of the salad.

Mint and Lavender Iced Tea

Wow, how time flies when you are looking for a job, and not attending to your blog!

I made this wonderful tea. It is just perfect for summertime. It is a refreshing and calming brew, and doesn't need any sweetening. If you are in Las Vegas and you have more than sand in your backyard like me, you might just have some mint and lavender, which you pretty well here, surprisingly. I just steal my parents' leafy herbs, because they have a 30 year jumpstart on that whole making-things-stay-alive-in-your-garden thing.

Use lavender flowers, not leaves, or it may be too bitter. If you try the dried herbs, you may want to cut down on the quantity a bit, maybe half. If you do let me know how it goes.

Mint and Lavender Iced Tea

Half cup or tight handful each of fresh lavender flowers and fresh spearmint leaves
Boiling water
Half Gallon Mason jar

Pour boiling water over the herbs and let sit, covered (so you trap in the volatile compounds), overnight or for 6-12 hours. When it cools down you can put it into the fridge. Strain with a fine mesh strainer. You want it to be a little strong because you are going to add ice for iced tea.

Summer Melon Salad

When you live in Las Vegas, you have to come up with a few summer coping mechanisms, like walking around with a lifetime supply of water, making friends with the neighbor who has a pool, and getting used to wearing very little, if any, clotthing. Our move back here from California was nothing short of shocking. All you want to do is sleep and drink water and complain. Not really anything like SLO where it rarely gets above 80 degrees and you can bike for miles and miles without feeling like you are going to pass out. So magical.

Here in our new place, we have a lovely fig tree, whose figs became fig jam the moment I saw them. Here is the recipe I always use for fig jam (I cut down on the sugar and up the spices), which  employs a microwave, because I would sooner stab myself with an icicle than stand over a hot stove right now.

Avoiding cooking is a very hard thing to do when you pour over cookbooks for leisurely reading. So, I have been sticking to cooling and raw foods. According to Ayurvedic herbalism, green vegetables, sweet fruits and milk are cooling. So I have my spinach shake for breakfast. And just yesterday, I concocted this super delicious salad from the fruits that we picked at Gilcrease Orchard. If you shave the fruits, it makes the salad look pretty fancy.

Summer Melon Salad
Romaine chopped, or use spinach
Zucchini or cucumber, sliced thin or shaved
Cantaloupe or honeydew sliced thin or shaved
Apple, sliced or shaved
Grapes, sliced in half
Juice of half a lemon or lime (I especially like lime)
Olive oil (Just a little if you just have to have it)
Black pepper (Try a little before you call me crazy)
Plain yogurt

As for measurements, I do about 1 part each of the fruit and zucchini over a bed of lettuce. Then you can drizzle on just a tiny bit of oil. Sprinkle on the yogurt and juice. Finish with the pepper. Everything is optional. Let me know if you come up with your own combinations.

Cappucino Ice Cream

Naughty, naughty, naughty post! I tried to stop it and it just wrote itself.

This is what happens when you combine free time with an  ice cream maker and the need to clear out your pantry because you are moving.

This recipe comes from Marcella's book called Marcella's Italian Kitchen. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I love Marcella. Her ingredient lists are so simple. This ice cream is just coffee grinds, milk, sugar, and egg yolks. Since there are so few ingredients, it is important that they are good ingredients. For example, be sure that you are using fresh coffee ginds(unbrewed) that would make a coffee you would want to drink. Don't go grabbing at any old preground, flavoured, canned business you find at the store or you'll regret it.

Cappuccino Ice Cream
Adapted from Marcella's Italian Kitchen
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh, usused coffee grinds
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

Combine milk and coffee grinds in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until pale yellow and slightly frothy. Beat in sugar and cocoa if you are using it. When the milk is done, strain out the coffee grinds. In a thin stream, whisking constantly, add the hot milk to the egg yolks. Whisk thouroughly. Let cool and then place in the fridge to get completely (completely!) cool. Add to ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions, or you can follow David Leovitz's version of ice cream without the maker!

Everyday Sushi

I could eat sushi everyday. That's right. I said everyday. You could eat sushi all the time if you wanted to. It is waaay easier than you think. And the best part? It is blazing outside, and sushi is cool as a cucumber. In fact, cucumber is actually a cooling vegetable according to Ayurveda. (So is celery, in case you need some insurance.)

I would love to go buy sashimi grade fish, and eat raw salmon all the time, but that is a little hard, budget-wise. So instead, i keep it simple. Trader Joe's has a can of crab for 2 dollars. I get avocados at the farmer's market. And i try to buy organic cucumbers there, too. Cucumbers are high on the list of foods found with a lot of pesticides. I bought a giant bag of nori, which i am trying to use quick, because nori can go bad if you keep it too long, or in a humid place.

Then there is the rice.I get short grain brown rice. I used the rice specifically for sushi, also. But the reasons I don't buy it all the time are related to lack of nutrients and price. Although the brown is not as sticky, I think it works nicely and adds a little chewiness, which I like.

Everyday Sushi

For 2

6 or more sheets nori

1 cup short grain brown or sushi rice

1 1/2 cups water (just 1 cup for sushi rice)

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt or soy sauce

1 cucumber

1 carrot(optional)

1 apple(optional)

Horseradish or scallions(optional)

6 oz can crab meat

1-2 avocados

Sriracha

Sesame seeds

Wash your rice until the water is no longer cloudy. Combine water and rice, and bring to a boil Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until rice is tender. Turn off heat, and let rice sit for 10 minutes, covered. Pour rice into a very large and wide bowl, or onto a flat, clean area, like a cutting board.

Combine vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce or salt. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice. With something to fan the rice, begin to fan and fluff or toss the rice with a fork. Do this for several minutes until the rice hascooled down quite a bit.

Slice the cucumber, avocado, carrots, and apple into thin sticks. Place the first sheet of nori shiny side down, and spread a thin layer of rice over about two thirds of the sheet. Lay the vegetables and crab meat along the edge of the nori with the rice, and begin the tightly roll the sheet away from you. Allow it to sit seam side down for several minutes for the nori to soften, and it will be easier to cut. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Slice the nori log with a serrated knife, into small bites. Do not press down with the knife, or you will squish your sushi. Just saw. :)

Add a little sriracha and soy sauce to a small bowl to dip your sushi. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Noodles with Peanut or Cashew Sauce

I have one of Lorna Sass's vegetarian cookbooks called Complete Vegetarian Kitchen. I stole this from my sister a few years ago. Really, I prefer the term indefinite borrowing. And I am infamous for it. Well, when it comes to cookbooks. Think of it as a compliment. I just couldn't part with this book. She discusses all of the interesting grains you might ever want to try in your life: quionoa millet, teff, bulghur, amaranth, etc. I don't think I have made a recipe out of this book that I am not in love with; this broccoli and noodle dish was the first.

Alright, I have something I need to tell you. This  book is not just vegetarian; it's vegan. Stop scrunching your nose at me! You eat vegan all the time, and don't even notice: chips and salsa, beans and rice, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, even Bacon Bits!!

Let's discuss the anatomy of this dish, shall we? Well, it has noodles, and broccoli... uh-huh. You can cook those in your sleep. But, I don't advise it. They might get all mushy and overcooked. Then there is our peanut sauce. Delicious: check. Protein: check. Flavour: double check! There is no added fat; just the fat from the nuts you use. I made cashew butter from cashews this time around, because I didn't have any peanut butter in the house, and it was a wonderful substitute!

 Peanut or Cashew Sauce

Adapted from Complete Vegetarian Kitchen

1/2 cup of peanut butter or cashew butter
2 cloves garlic, fresh or roasted
2 inches fresh ginger
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons Rice vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Dash Cayenne

Blend it all in the food processor with just eough water to get it moving.

Broccoli and Noodles with Peanut or Cashew sauce

1/2 or 1 recipe peanut sauce
1-2 large heads of broccoli
8 ounces pasta (noodles, especially buckwheat soba work best, but any kind will do)
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain pasta, saving some water to cook the broccoli. Chop the broccoli into bite size peices. Toss in with the water and cover over medium heat, turning the broccoli over in the pan a few times to cook evenly. Cook for just a few minutes, but don't let it get mushy.  Toss with the broccoli. Toss the sauce over the noodles and broccoli. You can use half the recipe, here, is what Lorna says, but I usually use the whole thing and double the broccoli in the dish. Happy Eats!

My homegrown broccoli!

Easy Rhubarb Jam

Sean is obsessed with rhubarb. He won't even let me put strawberries or cherries with it. It has to be alone.

I don't remember the first time Sean had rhubarb, but it must have been at my house. I don't imagine many Mexican homes having a lot of rhubarb. In the Pennsylvania Dutch home, however, it is synonymous with pie. That is why it is also called pie plant. Although very tart tasting right out of the ground, when cooked down with a little sugar, rhubarb is quite delicious. I think anyone could like it. It doesn't have a strange flavor at all, so I find it odd when people say they don't like it. Of course when I hear "I don't like that," what I really hear is "I could like it if you would just make it for me." This inevitably leads me into all kinds of trouble between me and Sean, where I cook up the offending food in every tasty manner possible, and insist he try it. And you know what? It usually works, but he is pretty easy. (I am still working on coconut flakes.)

I can remember saying I didn't like green olives, and then I had them in Spain. I remember saying I didin't like collards, and then I bought some and cooked them for a brief period of time. I didn't like brussels sprouts either, until I had them roasted! Here is my philosophy on this matter: if there are entire cultures of people enjoying the food you loathe, do you really think they are the crazy ones? The trick is to try, try, try again.

What foods do you love to hate???



Easy Rhubarb Jam

6 cups or 2 pounds of rhubarb, chopped fine (remember to remove the leaves as they are very poisonous!)

2 cups of sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Juice from half of a big lemon

Zest from half a lemon (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Stir all the ingredient together in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Liquid will seep from the rhubarb.

Transfer the contents of the bowl to a big pot. Turn on the heat to medium and allow to simmer stirring occasionally, until it has thickened like the picture above. Don't wander, this will happen quickly. Pour into jars. (I usually do not can things because I am lazy, so just throw these in the refrigerator after they have cooled. It will last quite a while in there.) 

Rose Petal Beads

When you are into DIY, it can be fun. And then you can be halfway through somehing and wonder "what the heck am I doing?" I guess I just really love rose petals. I like their smell, and the way they taste. Not many rose blooms get by me without a good sniff.

The white roses in the front house are shedding their petals all over the ground, and I saw this recipe and couldn't resist. So what is the deal? Well, you gather up enough rose petals to pack into your food processor. Add enough water to get is whizzing, and it will start to look like this:

So you throw them in your cast iron pan, and cook them for just a bit. I have read that boiling is bad, but I do not really understand why. Mine boiled a bit, just to get out a little water.

Each day for 2 or three days, you heat up the pan, stir the mush around, and it starts to look like clay.

 And when it is dry enough, and acts like clay in your hand, form little pieces into beads. They will shrink as they dry, and they will crack too, so be sure that they are rolled compactly. Push a pin through them.

I used my dehydrator because I am terribly impatient, but I bet you could just let them sit around or stick them in a cork board, or even heat them gently in the oven. It is hard to know when they are completely dry. I would estimate several weeks. Mine are dry on the outside, but I can tell they are still squishy inside.


And if you are thinking I am crazy. Well . . . I am.

Overnight Oats

Happy 4th of July!!

I learned about overnight oats from a fellow intern. Since then, I can't tell you how many times I have made it. I know you might have made crockpot oats overnight. They are hot and ready in the morning. Well, these are cold. Cold? Yes, cold!

Well, who would want to eat cold oatmeal? Me. And you too, if you have the guts to try it.

This simple preparation has saved me a few times when I am headed out the door 20 minutes late with no food for luch and zero prospects.It is ready in just a few hours.

What I really like about this, it that sometimes you want a cold breakfast that fills you up. Not that air popped cereal, where even the fourth bowl makes it seem like you just sat down to eat. And when the city is ablaze at 8:00 in the morning (Thank you Las Vegas) this really hits the spot.

KP's Version of Overnight Oats

1 part rolled or steel cut oats

2 parts milk

1 part yogurt

A few spoonfuls of chia seeds or ground flaxseed

Honey or Maple syrup to taste

Fresh fruit and/or dried fruit

You can  put all the ingredients together, including the fruit, stir it up, and leave in the fridge overnight. Or you can just leave out the fruit and sweetener and do that in the morning. The flaxseed helps to thicken it up but is optional, and is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, as are chia seeds.