I am a meat eater, but I mostly eat vegetarian--mainly because it's cheaper and tends to be easier to do so as a cook (i.e., it's a lot easier to mess up a piece of meat than a pot of pasta). Nowadays though, I try to make it a point to be meat free on Mondays--mainly for health reasons, but also for budget purposes. So I've been experimenting with more exciting vegetarian meals, and though I'm not a fan of green bell peppers (and they don't like me, either), I've always found that when a poblano is cooked, the flavor is mild and tasty. So last week I picked up some poblanos, which I decided to grill and stuff with beans, rice and corn.
Grilled and Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
4 Poblano peppers
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup of black beans (I used refried)
1/4 cup of sweet corn kernels (canned or frozen)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
a few grape tomatoes sliced (for garnish)
Oil for grill pan
Serves 4
I cut each of the poblano peppers in half (lengthwise), removed the seeds and washed them. Then I popped them onto a lightly oil grill pan. I left them on the pan (on a medium flame) until they had some nice grill marks and were softened.
In the meantime I made the "stuffing" by combining the rice, corn, beans and all the seasonings (chopped cilantro through garlic powder) so that everything seemed well mixed.
Once the peppers were ready, I let them cool for a few minutes and then stuffed each with about a half cup of the filling and placed them in a roasting pan. Then I sprinkled the cheese on top of each and garnished with slices of grape tomatoes.
I popped the peppers in the oven for approximately 35 minutes on 350° just so the peppers would be nicely warmed through and until the cheese was melted well (see top photo).
I decided to use a jarred mole sauce to top the peppers, but the sauce itself, which isn't bad, seemed like it needed something extra, so I doctored it up with some raisins and smoked paprika. Any tasty Mexican sauce (salsa verde, enchilada sauce, etc.) would
probably go well with these, but I did enjoy the rich flavor of the
mole.
I served the peppers with chopped romaine lettuce and pea shoots and the mole sauce, and it was a lovely meal. I definitely think I'll add this into my rotation. I've even considered adding chopped spinach to the stuffing, just for a little more greens.
Recently at the HWFC Cheese and Specialty department, where I work as a monger (well, kind of), we acquired a new product. It is a Lacinato kale and garlic pesto, and it's very good, but also very expensive. I read the ingredients and it seemed pretty straight forward. Since I've been doing my best to get more greens into my diet, I had a ton of kale in my house (regular curly kale, however) and set out to make my own.
Before I started I did a "something" search for some basic recipes to see what other people out there have done to make a kale pesto--I wondered if people basically did the same thing as a basil pesto or if anyone had added some tricks (certain special ingredients, etc.). I found for the most part that it was more or less like a basil pesto, except in all the recipes the kale was blanched first. This makes complete sense to me because otherwise it might still be too tough to make the pesto smooth. Plus, since I have trouble digesting raw kale, I was happy to find this as the first step.
What I used and did:
Ingredients
3-5 cups raw kale, stems removed and roughly chopped (then blanched)
3-4 cloves garlic
1 small shallot or half a medium one
1 lemon for juice and zest (all the juice and about a teaspoon of its zest)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (more or less can be used depending on how creamy you want the pesto)
1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano
1 cup (more or less) of good extra virgin olive oil
After removing any tough stems left on the kale, I blanched it in boiling water for about one to two minutes. On top of softening the kale, blanching gave it a really nice bright green color.
After the couple minutes in the hot water, I moved the kale to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking too much (and losing some of its nutrients to the water).
While I let the kale cool off in the cold water, I gathered all the other ingredients: walnuts (which I toasted), a lemon (for juice and zest), 4 cloves garlic, half a shallot, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh, and olive oil, of course.
After toasting the walnuts and letting them cool, I tossed them in the mini food processor and gave them a whirl for about 20 seconds. Then I added, the shallot and garlic and spun all of them together for another 10-15 seconds.
Once those were all nicely ground up, I added the lemon juice and zest, and whirled it for a few seconds just to make sure it was all combined.
I then drained the kale and patted it dry with a clean, lint-free towel and tossed it in the large food processor. After chopping it up nice and fine, I added the walnut mixture.
I spun that together and then got ready to add the cheese.
I shredded the cheese then added it to the food processor and whirled it together, then I slowly added the olive oil.
I think I may have used a little more walnuts than necessary because the mixture was extra creamy and thick, but it was still tasty. It wasn't quite as garlicky as the one from the coop (or as oily), but it had a nice lemony flavor making it taste very fresh. The yield was about a pint of pesto total.
I brought over a half pint to my buddy's house for a picnic, and we served it with a very tasty cheese and homemade spelt crackers (she made).
I think everyone liked it because it was all gone before we had dinner. :)
So a usual breakfast for me is toast or rice cakes with peanut butter and fruit (usually berries of some kind and a banana). It's typical because it's easy and I can even take it on the go if necessary.
This breakfast I'm about to tell you about is anything but typical, and, I will say, it was pretty freaking tasty, too.
One weekend morning when I had more time for breakfast (it was really brunch by the time I got around to making and eating it), I was wanting something a little different. I realized I had all the makings for french toast, but no maple syrup... which was ok, but not ideal. So instead this is what I came up with.
I started with two pieces of delicious multigrain bread and filled them with chocolate hazelnut butter (I had Justin's because it was a good deal at the market, but, of course, Nutella would be just fine and equally delicious).
Then in a shallow bowl, I cracked an egg, added some cinnamon, a splash of milk, and a dash of almond extract, and whisked it all together.
I tossed the sandwich in the egg mixture.
I heated a pan on medium heat and added a little butter and oil.
And then browned both sides of the sandwich, making sure it was on the stove long enough so the filling would be hot.
In the meantime, I also concocted a raspberry syrup recipe. I combined about a cup or less of frozen raspberries and a half cup of honey and popped it in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes on 50% power.
And, wow, this was beyond my ordinary breakfast. Just look at that.
No really, look at it.
I don't know if you get what I am saying, look at it!
Well, what was even better than its looks was what it tasted like. I fully enjoyed every bite. And if you make this, I'm pretty certain you will too (unless you don't like french toast, nutella, or raspberries).
I disappeared there for a little while; sorry if you stopped by looking for some good little tips or recipes these last few months. But I'm sure you know how it is, life gets in the way of living sometimes.
It's Vidalia onion season and, as a big fan of French onion soup, I bought a few pounds of the onions with the intention of making
some soup. Fortunately, the weather around here has been (mostly)
really nice, and hot soup hasn't really been something I've been
craving. Instead I decided to go ahead and use some of the base ingredients from the French
onion soup recipe I use, and make a dish with chicken and kale as well
(giving the healthy protein and greens that tasty sweet and savory onion flavor).
I haven't come up with the right name for it, so any suggestions for a name are welcome.
Ingredients
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 Tb butter (or smart balance, etc.)
1 tsp chopped chives
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
4 (about a lb or more) Vidalia (or other sweet) onions, sliced into rings
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp (or cube) of bouillon (I used vegetable, but chicken or beef would be fine.)
2-3 cups chopped/ripped kale
3/4 cup of wine (dry red, dry white, or sherry)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 dash of Tamari (soy sauce)
2-4 thin (sliced or pounded) chicken breasts
black pepper
I began with sauteing three crushed cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of chives in a half tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Once the garlic was fragrant, I added four small to medium-sized onions sliced into rings.
Once the onions started to brown a bit I added about a teaspoon of dried thyme, and then began adding the kale, which I ripped into small pieces (no stems). As the kale began to turn bright green, I added about half a cup of white wine and about two tablespoons of red.* I let the wine reduce and then added some vegetable bouillon and about a half a cup of water.
To make this recipe easier on me, this is when I turned off the heat and moved everything into the crock pot. I added a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a half dash of Tamari, and a sprinkle of pepper to the onions and greens.
When I initially thought up this recipe I had intended to brown the chicken before putting it into the crock pot, but I spaced on that step when I was making it. Nevertheless, I placed two thinly sliced chicken breast on top of the greens and onions in the pot and set the pot to low. About an hour into the slow cooking I moved the chicken to the bottom of the pot (with the onions and greens on top of it).
As it cooked in the crock pot, the aroma was wonderful. Since the chicken was pounded thinly, I let it cook for 2.5 hours on low, and that was plenty of time--if you use more or thicker chicken you may want to add an hour or so.
The point of the crock pot was to try to ensure the chicken would be moist and absorb the flavors nicely. I am happy to say it was a successful plan. It was a very flavorful dish and the bitterness of the kale helped balance the sweetness of the onions, and both went very well with the chicken. The dish was somewhat reminiscent of chicken Marsala. So one thing that seemed to be missing, for both texture and flavor, was mushrooms. It also lacked color, so I might add some cut up carrots to make it more visually appealing. To make it even more like onion soup, I might even consider sprinkling some grated gruyere cheese over it...
I know you can't see the chicken, but it's there under all the kale and onions.
I served it over brown rice, but I think mashed potatoes would have been even better, because a gravy could be made out of the sauce left in the pot.
So, I was mostly pleased with this dish, but next time I make it, I may try using sherry wine (instead of the red and white), adding mushrooms and carrots, and serving it with mashed potatoes. :)
*I typically use only red wine when I make my French onion soup, but I
figured with the chicken, white might be a little more complementary. Also, typically most recipes call for sherry wine when making French onion soup and use beef stock--but the version I make is vegetarian and I've always found that the red wine gives the kind richness beef stock would normally add.
I've had Jamaican jerk chicken before and I used to really like it,
but due to my inflammatory digestive disease I can no longer eat highly
spiced (heat) foods, so it's not something I've really thought about eating in the last few years.
Recently, however, one of my favorite food blogs posted a recipe for jerk chicken wings so I gave them a try.
Holy crud were they good.
Wings
I think that the chicken wings came from high-quality chickens made a difference, but the marinade had such a wonderful sweet and savory jerk flavor, I devoured them. Additionally, the method by which they're roasted--first for 15 minutes at 400° then for 15 more minutes (for blackening) at 500°--cooked them to perfection: crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. In the past I've cooked wings in the oven and they don't end up crispy, but the method used by Comfy Belly was perfect--even if it did set off the smoke detectors in my apartment.
My stand-by taste-tester Andrea said that they were the best homemade chicken wings she's ever had.
A few night's later I was having some folks over for dinner, so I decided to make them again, and this time I also added some chicken legs to the marinade to roast along with the wings--the legs are cheaper and meatier and I figured they'd serve as a more solid "meal" star. I cooked the legs for about 25-30 minutes on 400° first, then for the 15 minutes on 500°.
Legs
To go along with the chicken I also made my standard cabbage slaw (just sliced cabbage with a simple vinaigrette made from apple cider vinegar, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and good olive oil) and roasted potatoes.
Slaw to accompany the jerk.
I sliced the potatoes prior to roasting them so that they could be seasoned inside and out--slicing them just so they are still connected at the bottom, then tossing them in olive oil and sprinkling them with tasty seasoning. I used Montreal steak seasoning, but any seasoning you prefer will do.
Taters
It was a very tasty meal indeed, and one that will likely be in my regular rotation because it's also incredibly simple.
Think next time I make it, I might add some carrots to
the slaw to bring more color to this dish.
I served aged red Zinfandel with the meal (when I had company), but I think beer accompanies it better ...perhaps a Red Stripe. ;)
So, I had planned to make a meal this evening that was nothing special, but it involved making some brown rice. So I went ahead and got it in the pot and set the timer for 35 minutes, so I could go in the other room and do some reading. Usually it takes a bit longer than that, but I figured I could check on it then. Well... apparently I had the heat a little to high because right in the middle of a paragraph I started to smell burning. "OH CRAP!" Well, there was no fire, but the rice was definitely burnt. And in case you don't know, that's an awful stench. Despite the cold, I have my window open to air the place out.
Yeah, poor timing, etc. on my part. But I thought this snafu was a nice lead into a post I've been thinking about for a while: Food Fails. I've had quite a few of them. They're always so disappointing, especially when I had high hopes for the dish and put in more effort than boiling water and pouring rice into the water. Here are just four of my recent fails...
Food Fail 1: Savory Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash
I love acorn squash roasted after being tossed with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and rosemary (and then sprinkled generously with blue cheese). Admittedly, I hadn't made this before, but it was similar to a stuffed portabella recipe I had made, and thought it would be good. First I cut the squash in half, cleaned it, tossed it in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and balsamic vinegar, and roasted the two pieces for 25 minutes (face down) at 400°. Then I turned them over and let them bake for another 10 minutes at 375°. In the meantime I made the stuffing, which consisted of diced garlic, diced shallot, chopped spinach, chopped walnuts, sliced crimini mushrooms, and gorgonzola cheese. I sauteed the filling (before adding the cheese) for a bit to try and cook down the garlic and shallot. I should have tasted the stuffing before adding it, but... well, this is a failure story. Once I stuffed the two pieces of squash, I sprinkled some more gorgonzola on top and put them in the oven on 375° for 15 minutes. Verdict: way too much garlic and shallot, which tasted raw and overwhelming, and the squash wasn't entirely cooked through... though I had managed to stick a fork in it easily before stuffing it... that spot must have been cooked through. I imagine if I cooked the filling a bit more and mixed the filling, maybe with some breadcrumbs or rice it would have been ok. So I may try this again with those alterations (and make sure the squash is cooked through before stuffing it).
This is how I normally make acorn squash and how I will continue to...
Seems pretty straight forward right? I mean I had a huge head of cabbage and though I typically love it raw dressed in a simple vinaigrette and salt and pepper, I wanted to try something new. I cut up a couple pieces of applewood smoked bacon and let it render, then I added some chopped garlic, the sliced cabbage, and about a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper and let it all cook down. I thought it would have a nice smoky, sweet, slightly acidic thing that would go well with pork or roasted chicken. Nope... Boring... It wasn't terrible, but it was just totally meh. I guess I could have used some paprika or even dried mustard to give it a kick, but I think I'll just try and stick with my usual way of making cabbage for now... or until I find a recipe I want to try... where it's not total improv on my part.
Food Fail 3: Pesto Spaghetti Squash Bake
Yes, another squash... perhaps that's where I need to not experiment. I've made spaghetti squash numerous times and it always turned out pretty good. I had some pesto, ricotta, and some mozzarella cheese so I went for it. Cooked the squash, tossed it with the pesto and ricotta, sprinkled the top with mozz and parm, and baked it for about 25 minutes. Yuck... The textures were just off... and unlike pasta the squash doesn't absorb any of the pesto oil so it was pretty oily and just plain bleck. I guess I should mention, too, that it was then I had realized I've lost my taste for pesto. I used to love it, but for whatever reason it's something I have no interest in eating any time soon (or maybe even again).
Food Fail 4: Sauteed Chicken with Drunken Wild Mushrooms
This was perhaps one of my biggest disappointments. The recipe was basically an altered chicken Marsala recipe, but I used dried mushrooms and a dry white wine. When re-hydrating the mushrooms I cooked them in part chicken broth and part white wine. Despite my efforts I somehow over cooked the chicken and undercooked the mushrooms... it didn't taste bad, but the dryness of the chicken and the chewyness of the mushrooms left the dish... off. And it left me throwing out the leftovers. This is one I would try again, but I think I would just pay closer attention to the timing, etc. so I didn't over or under cook any of it.
So, though my grandma (and others) called me a good little cook, there is plenty of trial and error. Now to find a way to remove that burnt odor from my apartment...
Or... Mediterranean Turkey Patties with yogurt sauce and roast veggies
I used to make these all the time, but I haven't made them in while and I was craving them. I think I found the original recipe in a magazine, which included bulgur wheat, but I've made some alterations and actually find I like my recipe better.
Patties:
1-1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 T fresh minced garlic
2 Ts chopped green onion
1 T fresh lemon zest
2 tsps ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Making the patties is pretty straight forward: put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix them together well, and make them into patties. I cook mine in a nonstick fry pan on medium heat, until cooked through.
Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 tsp fresh minced garlic
pinch of salt
The sauce is best made ahead of time so that the flavors can meld together before serving. Greek yogurt isn't totally necessary, it's just what I always have on hand. If you want to make a salad you could easily make a yogurt dressing with regular yogurt (which is thinner) and add water or even a little bit of lemon juice to make it more "saucy."
There are varying sides that would be a good mate to these--chickpeas and tomato salad is just one suggestion. I made some roasted veggies (red onions, carrots, and mushrooms) to go along with them which I tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil, about a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a good bit of dried oregano.
The great thing about this recipe is that the patties are pretty
versatile. I tend to eat them either as part of a salad or just on top of
some romaine lettuce (like in the top photo), but they could easily be made into burgers or
sliders, or even meatballs. Also I use the 93% fat free turkey, but you
could use the 99%. If you do, I'd probably make sure you don't overcook
them at all since it's likely they'd dry out really quickly.
The turkey patties may seem a bit boring, but honestly this is one of my favorite meals. They're easy and have a fresh and healthy, but fulfilling flavor. Let me know if you try them!
