Winner, winner, chickpea dinner!

Since my daughter started her AP Environmental Studies class this year, she has taken to 'schooling' us on all the things we are doing wrong for the planet. As you can imagine, this has been a lovely addition to having a teenage girl merely schooling us on how we are ruining HER life; now we are ruining EVERYONE'S lives, even people we have never even met, or who have not even been born yet. Our achievement apparently knows no bounds. In my defense, I feel I have to say that this onslaught of criticism does come from a girl who seems incapable of breaking down her Starbucks cup into the bits that go into the recycling bin, those that go into compost and those that are trash... but I digress.

One of her favorite current complaints is that meat, or rather the farming of that meat, is bad for the environment. Whilst I am not planning on giving up meat, I have found myself making the effort to cook more vegetarian meals. Whereas we used to eat vegetarian maybe two evenings per week, we now aim to eschew meat more than we indulge - i.e. go veggie at least four evenings per week. I know that vegan would be even better for the environment, since dairy farming is probably evil too, but I just can't, and here is my reason:

Nuff said.

This change in our diets, has led me discover a fair few new recipes which have entered our regular rotation, and also rekindled my desire to blog and rave about them, so here I am, with apologies for my absence of late.

The recipe below is based on a curry recipe I found in a favorite book by Judith Finlayson: The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. However, I found her recipe resulted in a dish that was a tad watery and not rich enough for my tastes, so I tweaked it and came up with this little gem. We enjoyed this thoroughly and I've even added the recipes below for the accompaniments we had alongside the curry. Apart from adding some naan bread on the table for the kids, the meal was also low carb, since there was no rice or other grain involved. Hopefully that will help further with reducing the post-Christmas-pooch situation we still have going on!

Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Serves 6

1 tbsp canola oil
3 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP ginger root, finely grated
1 TBSP ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
3 cups chopped Roma/plum tomatoes (no need to skin or de-seed)
3 15oz cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 of 15oz can coconut milk
2 tsp cornstarch/cornflour
1/2 cup chopped green/spring onions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and fry onions over medium heat until starting to brown.
2. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper and continue to fry, stirring constantly, for a further minute.
3. Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and heat through until it starts to bubble.
4. Pour into the slow cooker stoneware, and mix in the chickpeas.
5. Cook on low for 7 hours.
6. Mix the cornstarch with the coconut milk to combine, and then stir that into the crockpot with the spinach. Cook for a further 20 minutes until thickened and bubbly.
7. Serve sprinkled with chopped green onions.



Roasted Spiced Carrots and Parsnips
Adapted from Taste of Home magazine

4 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
3 large parsnips, cut into 1" chunks
3 TBSP canola/sunflower oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chile powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
dash ground cloves
dash cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Whisk together the oil, salt, coriander, cumin, pepper, chile powder, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne.
3. Toss the carrots and parsnips with the oil mixture, then spread on to a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.



Roast Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin
adapted from Food & Wine magazine
serves 6

1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/3 cup canola/sunflower oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220 C).
2. Whisk together the oil, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and salt.
3. Toss the cauliflower with the oil mixture to coat, and then spread on to a large rimmed baking sheet.
4. Bake for one hour, tossing in the middle, by which time it should be tinged brown and tender.
5. Toss with the cilantro and the pine nuts and serve warm.

Loading up the ladle

This is not one of those 5 ingredient recipes, that is for sure, but don't be afraid. Despite the rather long list of lovely parts, the resulting whole comes together pretty quickly, and is more than worth a bit of prep.

Again, we are in Soupville, and this one calls itself a Minestrone in the original recipe (from Bon Appetit). However, (not that I'm pedantic, you understand!) a minestrone generally contains pasta, and this one notably does not. Despite this, it does contain a plethora of lovely veggies, including some hunger-quelling potatoes, and was thus more than satisfying (served with a hunk of bread to mop up the bowl, of course) for my tableful of large appetites. As for 'pistou' the delicious topping on the soup, this is a French version of pesto, although it does not contain pine nuts.

So grab that ladle like you mean business and scoop up some colorful bowls of (non-authentic, but nonetheless delicious) French/Italian Minestrone, and rake in the compliments.

Kale Minestrone with Pistou
Serves 6

2 TBSP olive oil
4 oz chopped pancetta
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
salt
2 TBSP tomato paste/puree
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1 2oz parmesan rind
2 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained with liquid reserved
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
12 oz baby potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bunch Tuscan/Lacinato kale, stems removed and sliced

For Pistou:
2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3 TBSP grated parmesan
1 tsp grated lemon zest
salt to taste

1. Saute the pancetta in the olive oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan.
2. Once it is browned around the edges, add the onion, leek, carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of salt.
3. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are getting tender - about 10-12 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to darken, then add the tomatoes, using your hands, or kitchen scissors to break them down into chunks. Add the herbs, black pepper and the parmesan rind.
5. Add to the reserved water from the beans, enough water to make it up to 6 cups of liquid, then pour this into the pan and stir to combine.
6. Bring to the boil, and then stir in the potatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).
7. While the soup if simmering, make the pistou: put the basil and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil, parmesan and lemon rind and pulse to combine.  Season with salt to taste.
8. Once the potatoes are tender, taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if desired. Add kale and white beans and cook for a further five minutes to cook the kale and heat the beans through.
9. Serve soup with a dollop of pistou on top, and a sprinkling of more fresh grated parmesan.

In survivalism mode!

Nope, not moving into a cave and stockpiling beef jerky, but rather loading up the freezer. It is soup season, and as someone who regularly over-caters, this is a good thing, as I can load up my freezer with tubs of soupy goodness for the days when any effort is too much effort. You can make all the anti-Cali jokes you like, but it is layers weather here, and it has been mighty wet too. Cold and damp are two things that have the kind of relationship, whereby feeling one, makes you feel even more of the other. No kidding, I actually had to wear a hat when walking the dogs today!

So soup is the order of the day, and expect to see a few new bowl-shaped recipes appearing here in the next few weeks, at least until the weather perks up. This one is a particular new favorite around here, as it is packed with squash, of which there is a healthy glut in stores right now, quinoa, which fills bellies very nicely, thank you very much, and the kind of spices that make one feel instantly warmer from the inside.

So grab a spoon and enjoy (while sitting with a blanket over your knees and wearing fuzzy socks to protect those toesies!)



Squash and Quinoa Soup
adapted from The Great American Slow Cooker by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough
Serves 8

8 cups chicken broth
6 1/2 cups (2 lbs) peeled seeded and chopped butternut squash
2 2/3 cups lite coconut milk
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/3 cups white quinoa
4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like more heat)
1 tsp ground cardamom
plain yoghurt and snipped chives to serve

1. Mix together all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until squash and quinoa are both very tender.
3. Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender in batches) to puree the soup until smooth. Heat for a further 15 minutes in the slow cooker if needed.
4. Serve in bowls with a dollop of yoghurt and some chives sprinkled over the top.

Baby it's cold outside

Living in California makes you a wimp. It's official. I've lived here for 17 years, and now, if the temperature dips below 50 degrees F, I start to shiver, search for fuzzy slippers and stare at the thermostat convinced that it is lying. Even the onset of age-induced hot flashes doesn't provide relief. Sheesh - I even measure temperature in fahrenheit - if that isn't a sign of wimpishness, I don't know what is. Fahrenheit can't even measure freezing point in a way that seems justified - how can 32 degrees sound cold? Zero is far more evocative of the kind of toe-tingling chilblain-inducing cold you get up in the mountains of California, even if not in the wimpy coastal areas where we live. 

Anyway, with fuzzy slippers installed, I certainly enjoy the kind of soups and stews that winter brings. And nothing warms you quite like a nice curry with just enough heat to warm you from the inside out, whilst not scaring off the kids. This one definitely fit the bill last night. It even has potato in it, thus satisfying the apparently carb-deprived in the family, without the need for cooking rice. All the better for making a quick transit from frosty doorway to dinner table. All you need is a bowl of this, and some naan bread to mop up the saucy goodness, and your extremities will be safe from frostbite for another evening at least. Don't forget the slippers just in case though...

Indonesian Beef Curry

Adapted from Family Circle magazine

Serves 6

2 TBSP canola oil

3 lbs lean cubed stew beef

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 1/4 lbs small potatoes, cut into 1" chunks

1/2 lb halved peeled baby carrots

2 14oz cans light coconut milk

3 TBSP curry powder

1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp granulated garlic/garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups chopped green beans

fresh chopped parsley and warmed naan bread to serve

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the beef in two batches over a medium-high heat. Put beef in slow cooker.

2. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots to slow cooker.

3. Mix together coconut milk, curry powder, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper. Pour over beef and vegetables in the slow cooker and stir to combine, pushing the vegetables under the liquid.

4. Cook on LOW for 7 hours, then add the green beans and cook for a further hour. Check seasoning. 

5. Serve sprinkled with parsley and with naan bread for dipping.

Put a bow on it :-)

Temperatures are dipping and its time for comfort food. It's time for the kind of meal that just might involve undoing a top button and having to beach oneself post-prandially on a nearby sofa for a spell. This dish involves one of my favorite comfort foods, polenta. I can feel myself relaxing when I even say 'polenta'. Say 'polenta and a glass of red wine' and I'm pretty much comatose.

This dish is originally called 'polenta in chains', because the veggies in there are in strands and thus appear entwined throughout the final dish. I have to say, that description didn't make sense to me, so, at risk of offending multiple generations of Italians than me, I'm renaming it Polenta with Ribbons, since the veggies are cut into thin strips or shredded, so that in the final dish, they look kind of like ribbons stirred into the cheesy polenta-y goodness.

I had never before cooked polenta in a slow cooker, and to be honest, it isn't the best use of the machine, since it doesn't take too long to cook - for me, the slow cooker is about being able to load it up 8 hours in advance before the day really begins, and then have dinner pretty much sorted when the day is ending. However, it does work well, so if you happen to be available to do a minimal amount of prep 3 hours before dinner time, have at it, but if you have a more normal schedule and are driving kids from pillar to post all afternoon, I cannot see why it wouldn't be perfectly possible to cook this in a more traditional way on the stove-top. I would then saute the veggies just a touch though, so that they are not too crunchy in the final dish, and maybe mix them in about 5 minutes before the polenta is ready. Then all you need is a nice salad to accompany it, and that glass of red wine.



Polenta with Ribbons
adapted from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone
Serves 6+

7 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups polenta (not instant polenta)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
3 cups finely shredded kale
2 cans white beans (e.g. Cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 TBSP olive oil

1. In the slow cooker, stir together the polenta, water, garlic and salt.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
3. Stir in the veggies, beans and pepper to taste (1/2-1 tsp should do it).
4. Cover and cook for a further 60-75 minutes until the polenta has thickened and the veggies are tender.
5. Stir in the olive oil and cheese and serve immediately, sprinkled with more parmesan if desired.

Long may logic reign!

I want you to join in my celebration of the fact that my son did something logical. This is youngest son, who for years, refused to eat pasta, unless it was Mac 'n' cheese. No logic in that. However, over the past year, he seems to have come around to the joy of pasta and now readily sits down over a steaming plate of penne and chows down,. This is a relief, if for no other reason than because it seemed to be the only thing that sustained his older brother during the massive and continued growth spurt he experienced in the early teen years. Without pasta, the poor lad would have starved. However, youngest son was clearly not ready to wholly embrace logic, as he still refused to touch couscous, despite being confronted with the proof on the packet that it really is only pasta, just in tiny bits. Neither was it the tininess of the bits that was the problem, as he will happily chow down on other similar textural delights, such as bulgur wheat and quinoa. Sometimes it really does feel like dinner time is just an opportunity to mess with Mum's last remaining threads of sanity. There aren't that many left, people. Play nice with those!

Anyway, I think we have finally turned a corner, as a cous cous recipe was eagerly consumed by not one, not two, but all three children just last night. Some people wait their entire lives to achieve olympic gold to prove their worth. I think I may have just peaked last night. The rest could all be downhill. Nevertheless for now, I will just wallow in my relative success :-) And may you get the same result (not the downhill bit, the success bit!)

Lime Cous Cous with Summer Veggies
Adapted from Family Choice
Serves 4 as a main dish

10 oz wholewheat cous cous
1lb carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks
2 TBSP olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into 3/4" chunks
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 3/4" chunks
6 green onions, sliced into 1/2" slices
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
zest of one lime
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP honey
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 oz shaved parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Mix carrots, zucchini, squash, green onions and all but 2 TBSP of parsley on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle over 2 TBSP olive oil, and toss to coat. Place in preheated oven, and roast for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tinged brown at the edges.
3. Meanwhile, prepare cous cous, but putting into a pan with 1 2/3 cups cold water. Bring to the boil, turn heat off, put lid on and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
4. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet until tinged brown and fragrant (don't leave them unattended, as they burn really quickly).
5. Mix vegetables with cous cous in a large bowl and leave to cool slightly.
6. While they cool, make the dressing by whisking together lime zest and juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Taste, and if a sweeter dressing is required, then add a little more honey.
7. Toss dressing with cous cous mixture, which should have cooled to warm/room temp. Sprinkle toasted walnuts, remaining parsley and parmesan shavings over the top to serve.

Salad Days are here again

It's been a while... yes, I have been busier than ever in Cupcake world, growing my business BiteSize Baking. Fear not, my family have not been starved of all other forms of nourishment during this time, but it has been difficult to find the time to try out new recipes. Recently though, the advent of consistently hot and sunny weather has been motivation to try out some main-dish salad recipes to fuel our summer adventures. Two such recipes were on the menu this week and are definitely worth sharing. Both are a meal in themselves, particularly if, like me, you put an overflowing bowl of bread in the middle of the table to satisfy growing teenage boys, ravenous preteens who refuse to eat lunch, and (somewhat less fortunately), bread-addicted adults trying to cut down on carb consumption.

Apart from some prep work (which can be seriously cut down if, like me, you buy ready cooked bacon, edamame and hard-boiled eggs. Without Trader Joe's, my life would be so much harder!), they are also the kind of salads you can just throw together in a big bowl, toss and serve, which is, quite frankly, all most people want to do on a warm summer evening, when there is a nice wine chilling, and a comfy sofa waiting under an umbrella while the sun goes down.

For those of you planning on a season of main-dish salads, I'm adapting the recipe index on this site (see page listed on the right hand side of the page, or click here), so that there is a section of Main-dish salads, each linking to the relevant blog entry. Live long and salad lots :-)




Chicken and Edamame Couscous Salad
Serves 4 as a main dish
Adapted from Cooking Light

2/3 cup uncooked wholewheat couscous
3/4 cup cooked shelled edamame (if you can't find these fresh (Trader Joes!), then buy frozen and cook, then cool)
3 TBSP fresh squeezed orange juice
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups shredded skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
3 TBSP dry roasted sunflower seeds

1) Cook couscous in water according to directions
2) Fluff couscous with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to cool
3) Combine orange juice, olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper with a whisk.
4) Stir edamame, chicken, spinach, parsley, green onions and cranberries into couscous. Add dressing and toss to combine.
5) Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds to serve.





Kale and Smoked Turkey Cobb Salad
Serves 4 as main dish
Adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine

8 slices cooked crispy bacon, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 TBSO white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 bunches Lacinato (Dino) kale, stemmed and thinly sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/4 pound deli smoked turkey, chopped
2 avocados, diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, shallot, vinegar and mustard. Add sliced kale and mix thoroughly together so that the kale is coated. Leave for at least 30 minutes for the kale to become tender.
2) Add turkey, bacon, eggs and avocado to the bowl and toss together.
3) Sprinkle with cheese and ground black pepper to serve.