Ok, so as you can probably guess from the announcement at the side of the blog, this post is being brought to you today by the husband of Thyme. I shall call myself Mint. I thought of taking Ginger, but figured I'd leave that one to Rosemary's husband if he ever wanted it.
Before beginning the recipe, one little caveat: I don't know any of the proportions for this dish. I learned it in Spain from a little old lady who basically only gave ingredients and told me to experiment until it tasted right. So I will do mostly the same, but give you about what I think is right. It really can't be messed up too bad, as a 20 year old single guy like me, at the time, couldn't screw it up.
Lentejas
1 lb lentils, cleaned
2 large russet potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
1 green chile (or 1 can green chilies, mild)
2-3 medium tomatoes, whole but with the stems cut out (or one large can diced)
8 oz Spanish chorizo*, chopped
3 cloves garlic, whole (more if you want)
2-3 bay leaves
salt to taste
This is a true one pot meal. Start off with the lentils in a large pot, putting enough water to cover them by about an inch to an 1 1/2 inches. Basically, the more liquid you put in the soupier they will be. Add the potatoes, carrots, green chilies, tomatoes, chorizo, and garlic to the pot and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a while, until the tomatoes and the chili are soft enough that you can basically pull of the skin and let the insides fall apart. It's best to kind of pulp the tomatoes and chili using either a grater or a press of some kind. You mostly want them to be juice, not substance. After the tomatoes and chili are pulped, fish through the pot and find all of the cloves of garlic. They should be soft enough to just smash and mix back into the stew. Be sure to find all of them, as you can bet that no one wants a mouthful of garlic like that. Next, salt the lentejas to your liking. Remember, you might need more salt than you think, since lentils and the rest of the ingredients need quite a bit.
The recipe can be modified however you want, adding any vegetables that you feel work well for you. It is basically a pauper's dish, so whatever you have works.
* A note on Spanish chorizo: It is not the same stuff that you find in Mexico or many South American countries. It is a hard sausage similar to pepperoni, but not as spicy. There are many varieties that you can find, but if you can find Basque style it should be good enough. Obviously to make it authentic you would have to find actual spanish style, but it is often fairly expensive here in the states and so a substitute should probably be found. Talk to your local grocer to see what they have.
Mint
PS-Rosemary, don't ever feel it's inappropriate to ask me to post. I really don't mind, so if there is anything you wanted me to put up here, let me know.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Maharagwe, or, African coconut beans
Okay, so unless I totally spaced it and have actually already posted this recipe, I'm gonna finally give into the repeated demands that I give out my recipe for the yummiest beans in the world. Okay, they're not the yummiest beans, I think that award actually goes to my dad's chili beans (which, despite adding the exact same ingredients never turn out the same way when I make them), but they are pretty darn fantastic. I learned to cook them in Tanzania and from what I could tell, they're a fairly popular regional dish, and there are lots of variations on them. You can use lentils, add ginger or tomatoes, add hominy, serve with chapatis or rice or spaghetti, whatever. But the base recipe is actually quite simple.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, maharagwe (or maharage) just means beans in Swahili.
Maharagwe
1 lb dry red beans, cleaned, soaked, and cooked
2-3 tbs oil (sunflower is what they used there, I usually use canola or vegetable here)
1 red onion, diced
2-3 carrots, chopped or grated
1 green bell pepper (or two small ones), chopped
kosher salt (regular salt works, too, just keep an eye on taste)
1/2 can coconut milk*
Heat oil in large pot, add in onion, carrots and bell pepper, saute until they start to get soft. Add in the cooked red beans and half a can of coconut milk. Add any extra liquid (either the water the beans cooked in or just water) you want, or let it cook down, depending on how soupy you want it. Let it all simmer together for a little while, and add salt to taste. Serve over the rice (jasmine or basmati is best) or spaghetti or make chapatis to go with it (I'll try to post that at some point, too - it's far more involved). You can also serve salted cucumbers with it, sliced avocados, or a sauteed spinach or cabbage (just saute up some more red onion and then add spinach or cabbage to it and cook until done). Soooo yummy.
*If you have a fresh coconut and a grater, you can do it the more authentic way: crack open your coconut and let the juice just drain out - you don't want that boring old clear liquid (unless you have some random use for it - then keep it if you want); grate as much of the white flesh as you can (I picked up something in Tanzania called an mbuzi that is specifically for this purpose, but I'm sure you inventive souls could find another way to scrape it out or break the coconut into chunks for grating). Add hot, almost boiling water (about a half cup or so) to the flesh, let it sit for a minute, then kind of massage the coconut with your hands to really squeeze the milk out. Strain out the coconut, set the milk to one side. Repeat two more times. Add the milk to the beans in the reverse order that you squeezed them in (lightest milk first), letting it simmer down a bit after each addition. Add the creamiest, first milk last to get the best flavor. (At least, I think that's the order you're supposed to do it in, it's how I've done it the last few times).
There, are you happy now, Rosemary? (Sorry, just wanted to get one more parenthetical statement in there - there's a lot in this post, huh)
Thyme
Oh, and in case you're wondering, maharagwe (or maharage) just means beans in Swahili.
Maharagwe
1 lb dry red beans, cleaned, soaked, and cooked
2-3 tbs oil (sunflower is what they used there, I usually use canola or vegetable here)
1 red onion, diced
2-3 carrots, chopped or grated
1 green bell pepper (or two small ones), chopped
kosher salt (regular salt works, too, just keep an eye on taste)
1/2 can coconut milk*
Heat oil in large pot, add in onion, carrots and bell pepper, saute until they start to get soft. Add in the cooked red beans and half a can of coconut milk. Add any extra liquid (either the water the beans cooked in or just water) you want, or let it cook down, depending on how soupy you want it. Let it all simmer together for a little while, and add salt to taste. Serve over the rice (jasmine or basmati is best) or spaghetti or make chapatis to go with it (I'll try to post that at some point, too - it's far more involved). You can also serve salted cucumbers with it, sliced avocados, or a sauteed spinach or cabbage (just saute up some more red onion and then add spinach or cabbage to it and cook until done). Soooo yummy.
*If you have a fresh coconut and a grater, you can do it the more authentic way: crack open your coconut and let the juice just drain out - you don't want that boring old clear liquid (unless you have some random use for it - then keep it if you want); grate as much of the white flesh as you can (I picked up something in Tanzania called an mbuzi that is specifically for this purpose, but I'm sure you inventive souls could find another way to scrape it out or break the coconut into chunks for grating). Add hot, almost boiling water (about a half cup or so) to the flesh, let it sit for a minute, then kind of massage the coconut with your hands to really squeeze the milk out. Strain out the coconut, set the milk to one side. Repeat two more times. Add the milk to the beans in the reverse order that you squeezed them in (lightest milk first), letting it simmer down a bit after each addition. Add the creamiest, first milk last to get the best flavor. (At least, I think that's the order you're supposed to do it in, it's how I've done it the last few times).
There, are you happy now, Rosemary? (Sorry, just wanted to get one more parenthetical statement in there - there's a lot in this post, huh)
Thyme
Monday, January 25, 2010
Almond Cream Sauce (with Broccoli)
Since we were having a pretty lean mean for dinner tonight (boneless skinless chicken breasts with couscous), I decided to go with a higher fat vegetable side dish. Not only could we adults "afford" it because of the lean meal, it actually helps make the meal more satisfying and keeps us full for longer. Plus, with a toddler around, we have to make sure there's always at least one good source of fat in our meals, be it the butter for the bread, regular shredded cheese on our burritos, or the peanut butter in his sandwich. The little tykes need more of their calories from fat than adults do. Too bad he didn't actually eat it. Maybe next time. At least he enjoyed the couscous. :)
I couldn't find the broccoli gratin recipe that I was sure existed in one of my cookbooks, but I found this little beauty in my "What's Cooking?" cookbook that a roommate gave me a few years back. I don't think it's in print anymore, but it's got some good recipes in it. I modified this one a tad, but stayed pretty true to it.
Almond Cream Sauce
2 tbsp butter (I did about half extra virgin olive oil)
3 tbsp sliced almonds
3 tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli or other vegetable, still hot or reheated (I think we had about twice this, but the sauce ran out on us eventually.)
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add sliced almonds and cook lightly. Stir in heavy cream. Cook until volume is reduced by half. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of broccoli.
Rosemary
I couldn't find the broccoli gratin recipe that I was sure existed in one of my cookbooks, but I found this little beauty in my "What's Cooking?" cookbook that a roommate gave me a few years back. I don't think it's in print anymore, but it's got some good recipes in it. I modified this one a tad, but stayed pretty true to it.
Almond Cream Sauce
2 tbsp butter (I did about half extra virgin olive oil)
3 tbsp sliced almonds
3 tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli or other vegetable, still hot or reheated (I think we had about twice this, but the sauce ran out on us eventually.)
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add sliced almonds and cook lightly. Stir in heavy cream. Cook until volume is reduced by half. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of broccoli.
Rosemary
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Corn Chowder
Don't think you can bump my post and not pay, Rosemary - eat this! Literally, this is a great dish. Super easy, too.
Corn Chowder
1/2 to 1 lb sausage (I prefer the sage kind, and usually use half a pound, but use more if you wish)
1/2 onion, chopped
2-4 potatoes, chopped (make it as potato-ey as you want)
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can evaporated milk
Thyme or sage (1/2 tsp or so)
salt and pepper to taste
In large pot, brown sausage with onion, drain off any grease. Add potatoes and spices and just enough water (or broth) to cover them. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cans of corn and milk (I tossed in about 3/4 cup half and half 'cause I was trying to use it up) and heat it until it's all warm and yummy.
Corn Chowder
1/2 to 1 lb sausage (I prefer the sage kind, and usually use half a pound, but use more if you wish)
1/2 onion, chopped
2-4 potatoes, chopped (make it as potato-ey as you want)
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can evaporated milk
Thyme or sage (1/2 tsp or so)
salt and pepper to taste
In large pot, brown sausage with onion, drain off any grease. Add potatoes and spices and just enough water (or broth) to cover them. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cans of corn and milk (I tossed in about 3/4 cup half and half 'cause I was trying to use it up) and heat it until it's all warm and yummy.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Another great recipe find that resulted from me needing to use up random ingredients. I was suspicious that butternut squash and spaghetti sauce might not blend well. I was happily mistaken. We like this recipe very much and will certainly make it again.
P.S. my kid broke my camera, so that's why there haven't been pictures lately.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, cubed, steamed, and mashed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (or onion powder if you're last onion got moldy like mine did :(
2 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper to taste
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
1-2 jars of spaghetti sauce
1/2 box lasagna noodles (use oven ready or else make up the regular kind according to the instructions)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or less if you're using real Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1. Cook up lasagna noodles if you're using the regular kind.This is also a great time to cook your squash. You can throw it in a steamer. I used a microwave steamer and it worked beautifully and relatively quickly. My 1/2 inch cubes were done in about 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until just starting to brown.Throw in squash, crushed red pepper, and honey. Salt and pepper are optional too.
3. Throw a small amount (1/2 cup or so) of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Add a layer of noodles followed by 1/2 of the squash mixture, 1/2 of the cottage cheese, some more spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Do another layer of noodles, squash, cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, noodles, a little more sauce, the rest of the mozzarella cheese, and the Parmesan cheese. If you don't want so much pasta or you didn't cook up quite enough, you can just put the cheeses on top of your last layer of sauce and skip the top layer of noodles. That works too.
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or so until cheese on top is getting bubbly.
Rosemary
P.S. my kid broke my camera, so that's why there haven't been pictures lately.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, cubed, steamed, and mashed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (or onion powder if you're last onion got moldy like mine did :(
2 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper to taste
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
1-2 jars of spaghetti sauce
1/2 box lasagna noodles (use oven ready or else make up the regular kind according to the instructions)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or less if you're using real Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1. Cook up lasagna noodles if you're using the regular kind.This is also a great time to cook your squash. You can throw it in a steamer. I used a microwave steamer and it worked beautifully and relatively quickly. My 1/2 inch cubes were done in about 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until just starting to brown.Throw in squash, crushed red pepper, and honey. Salt and pepper are optional too.
3. Throw a small amount (1/2 cup or so) of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Add a layer of noodles followed by 1/2 of the squash mixture, 1/2 of the cottage cheese, some more spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Do another layer of noodles, squash, cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, noodles, a little more sauce, the rest of the mozzarella cheese, and the Parmesan cheese. If you don't want so much pasta or you didn't cook up quite enough, you can just put the cheeses on top of your last layer of sauce and skip the top layer of noodles. That works too.
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or so until cheese on top is getting bubbly.
Rosemary
Monday, January 18, 2010
Creamy ham and green bean pasta
Since the arrival of bouncing baby boy number two a month ago, dinners around here have been both simple and quick (or in the slow cooker, which isn't quick but is convenient). Today I decided to use up some of the leftover Christmas ham we had in the freezer and turned to the handy-dandy "red" cookbook (this refers to the red cover on the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and not to anything of the communist ilk) and found a recipe for creamy pasta. It looked pretty simple and amazingly I had all of the ingredients. So I did something I very rarely do - I followed the recipe. Not perfectly, since I didn't really bother to measure, but the only thing I actually changed was that I substituted green beans for broccoli.
And oh boy, was that a mistake. Don't get me wrong - the recipe turned out great - very yummy, rich sauce, which just might make it into our meal rotation. It was more the fact that when I was busy assembling my ingredients my son decided to pour a shower of breadcrumbs on his stuffed polar bear. And then when I was busy precisely stirring the sauce in the pot in the correct order, he was busy mixing syrup and parsley in the back of his dump truck. The moral of the story that I came away with is to never follow the recipe - it's way too distracting.
Creamy Pasta with ham and green beans
1 tbs olive oil
4 oz neufchatel or cream cheese
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs dried basil (or 1/4 cup fresh)
3/4 cup milk
parsley
Cook garlic and basil in hot oil for about 30 seconds. Add cheeses and stir them while they melt. Slowly stir in milk and parsley, let it thicken up a bit. Toss in pre-cooked ham and green beans, let it all heat up. Serve over pasta of your choice.
Thyme
And oh boy, was that a mistake. Don't get me wrong - the recipe turned out great - very yummy, rich sauce, which just might make it into our meal rotation. It was more the fact that when I was busy assembling my ingredients my son decided to pour a shower of breadcrumbs on his stuffed polar bear. And then when I was busy precisely stirring the sauce in the pot in the correct order, he was busy mixing syrup and parsley in the back of his dump truck. The moral of the story that I came away with is to never follow the recipe - it's way too distracting.
Creamy Pasta with ham and green beans
1 tbs olive oil
4 oz neufchatel or cream cheese
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs dried basil (or 1/4 cup fresh)
3/4 cup milk
parsley
Cook garlic and basil in hot oil for about 30 seconds. Add cheeses and stir them while they melt. Slowly stir in milk and parsley, let it thicken up a bit. Toss in pre-cooked ham and green beans, let it all heat up. Serve over pasta of your choice.
Thyme
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Bean Burgers
I my house, we're big fans of Black Bean Burgers. So this week when I had lots of left over great northern beans and some wasa crackers nobody was eating, I got creative. The results were delicious. Here are two recipes for you.
In case you're curious, here's a link for a lot of healthy burger recipes. Some are vegetarian, some aren't.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_burger_recipes
And here's a good recipe for buns
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/whole_wheat_burger_buns.html
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs, or more if needed (whole wheat if you can)
1 can chopped green chilies, the fresh roasted equivalent, or chili powder to your heat tolerance
1/4 cup or so corn meal
canola oil as needed
Cheese if desired
Buns/bread
Regular hamburger condiments
Using a stick blender or your food processor, mash up the beans a bit, but do not puree. Throw in one egg, slightly beaten, bread crumbs, and green chilies/chili powder, mixing well. Add enough crumbs so that it will hold together nicely and it's not too sticky.
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
Place corn meal in a small plate. Put some water in a bowl or cup. Wet hands with water. (Re wet every time and the patties won't stick to your hands.) Scoop out about 1/2 cup of bean mixture and shape into a pattie. Place pattie on corn meal, turning over once to coat.
Once oil is hot, place a few patties in it. Cook each side for 4-5 minute. You can use more or less oil, it's up to you. I've even used cooking spray successfully, but the texture wasn't quite as good. I recommend canola since it's a good heart-healthy oil and it's more heat stable than olive oil.
Serve and eat just like a hamburger. It won't taste anything like beef because it's not supposed to any more than a chicken burger is. Enjoy it for what it is.
2 cups cooked great northern beans with liquid
1 egg
1/2 a package or so multigrain wasa, pulsed thoroughly in a food processor
1 can chopped green chilies, the fresh roasted equivalent, or chili powder to your heat tolerance
1/4 cup or so corn meal
canola oil as needed
Cheese if desired
Buns/bread
Regular hamburger condiments
Assemble just like the black bean burgers. Additional salt may be needed depending on whether or not you salted the beans as you cooked them. You can also use a can of great northern beans or any other bean.
In case you're curious, here's a link for a lot of healthy burger recipes. Some are vegetarian, some aren't.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_burger_recipes
And here's a good recipe for buns
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/whole_wheat_burger_buns.html
Black Bean Burgers
1 can black beans (DO NOT DRAIN)1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs, or more if needed (whole wheat if you can)
1 can chopped green chilies, the fresh roasted equivalent, or chili powder to your heat tolerance
1/4 cup or so corn meal
canola oil as needed
Cheese if desired
Buns/bread
Regular hamburger condiments
Using a stick blender or your food processor, mash up the beans a bit, but do not puree. Throw in one egg, slightly beaten, bread crumbs, and green chilies/chili powder, mixing well. Add enough crumbs so that it will hold together nicely and it's not too sticky.
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
Place corn meal in a small plate. Put some water in a bowl or cup. Wet hands with water. (Re wet every time and the patties won't stick to your hands.) Scoop out about 1/2 cup of bean mixture and shape into a pattie. Place pattie on corn meal, turning over once to coat.
Once oil is hot, place a few patties in it. Cook each side for 4-5 minute. You can use more or less oil, it's up to you. I've even used cooking spray successfully, but the texture wasn't quite as good. I recommend canola since it's a good heart-healthy oil and it's more heat stable than olive oil.
Serve and eat just like a hamburger. It won't taste anything like beef because it's not supposed to any more than a chicken burger is. Enjoy it for what it is.
Great Northern Bean and Wasa burgers.
2 cups cooked great northern beans with liquid
1 egg
1/2 a package or so multigrain wasa, pulsed thoroughly in a food processor
1 can chopped green chilies, the fresh roasted equivalent, or chili powder to your heat tolerance
1/4 cup or so corn meal
canola oil as needed
Cheese if desired
Buns/bread
Regular hamburger condiments
Assemble just like the black bean burgers. Additional salt may be needed depending on whether or not you salted the beans as you cooked them. You can also use a can of great northern beans or any other bean.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dark Chocolate Mousse
I'm a fan of Food Network. Alton Brown is probably my favorite celebrity chef because he gives loads of great information on his show and he's silly to boot. But recently I discovered another Food Network personality that I have completely overlooked. She's a registered dietitian, so once I found that out, I had to check her out. She's Ellie Krieger and, while she uses the same catch phrases an awful lot, I really like her recipes. Here's one of my favorites so far. It's ever-so-yummy (as good as any pudding I've ever had) and also rich in antioxidants and the goodness of soy.
The original recipe can be found here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe/index.html
You can also find a video for it on the Food Network website "Fabulous tofu chocolate mousse" and on Hulu. The amounts she gives on the video are a little different, so I'll have to try it that way next time and tell you if I like it that way better.
The original recipe can be found here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe/index.html
You can also find a video for it on the Food Network website "Fabulous tofu chocolate mousse" and on Hulu. The amounts she gives on the video are a little different, so I'll have to try it that way next time and tell you if I like it that way better.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
- 1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu, drained
- 3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon brandy (I use water or juice)
- 1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/4 teaspoons shaved chocolate
Directions
In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until it is smooth.
Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup water and brandy in a saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch barely simmering water. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in 1/2 cup of sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.
Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Whip the cream with a beater. When the cream is almost completely whipped, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and finish whipping. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and serve.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size 1/2 cup of mousse, 1 tablespoon whipped cream and 1/4 teaspoon shaved chocolate)
Rosemary
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