Red Curry and Tilapia Soup

This may be my favorite soup I've ever had. Except for maybe a good Pho. Then it's a tie.

For this particular recipe, I used a time-saving pre-made red curry sauce. If you don't have that on-hand but you do have red curry paste and coconut milk, look to the recipe that inspired me http://www.food.com/recipe/thai-style-tilapia-with-coconut-curry-broth-217245, which was apparently inspired by http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/thai-style-halibut-with-coconut-curry-broth-recipe.html Also, feel free to swap out vegetables and fish as desired and available.

Red Curry and Tilapia Soup

2 5oz tilapia fillets
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2+ bell pepper, preferably yellow, orange, or red, chopped (you could do a hot pepper if you felt adventurous)
1 11 oz. bottle Trader Joe's Red Curry Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
5 cups raw spinach or baby greens such as kale and Swiss chard
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1-2 cups cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet or other similar grain
1/4 to 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (optional, but delicious)
Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in soup pan or dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions and bell pepper and sweat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tilapia, sauce, and stock. Bring to a low simmer and cook, covered, until tilapia is cooked through. Remove from heat and add half of the cilantro if desired.
3. Meanwhile, in another pan, steam the spinach and set aside. In the same pan, heat up peas to their desired doneness and set aside. (I prefer my peas less cooked so only cooked them for a couple of minutes.)
4. To serve the soup, place greens, peas, rice, and some fish in a bowl and ladle the [crazily delicious] broth over the top. Garnish with remaining cilantro. Alternatively, you could add all ingredients to the soup pot, break up the fish, and serve a ladle full at a time, but the first method is nice since everyone can customize their bowl, components are less likely to overcook, and it feels more fancy.

Enjoy!
Rosemary

Bean Burgers part II

Here's another great idea that I saw on a clip from The Chew. I often make black bean burgers but had never tried cooking down the beans with some onions. It worked really well, added great flavor, and required about half the bread crumbs (read: filler). This might be my new go-to recipe for black bean burgers. Also, apparently a 12-year-old wrote the recipe. I'll copy it here from the ABC website and add my own notes in italics:


Black Bean Burger 

1 can (15 ounce) Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed) 
1/2 Onion (Peeled and Chopped) 
2 Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Minced) 
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/3 cup Cilantro, optional
Pinch Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs 
2 Eggs Whites or 1 whole egg
5 Whole Wheat Buns 

• In a small sauté pan, warm the Olive Oil. Add the Onions and Garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until the Onion is soft. Add the Beans, Chili Powder, Salt and Pepper, and Cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place in a food processor or mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Pulse about 5 times, or until coarsely chopped. Pour into a bowl and add the Bread Crumbs and Egg Whites and combine thoroughly. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (I skipped the last step and was just fine.)
• Preheat the grill. Shape the burger mix into 5 patties and grill on grill topper/basket until cooked through and crispy on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Alternatively, put a small amount of oil in a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Serve as you would any other burger. They recommend an avocado spread. I'd go Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onions and peppers, fresh tomato, lettuce, and avocado.

Rosemary 

Olive Oil Cake

You can thank reality TV for this posting. I'd never heard of olive oil cake until I saw it used on a couple of cooking competitions. I was especially intrigued the last time I saw it because the contestant used semolina flour. It just so happens that I bought a 50 lb. bag of organic semolina flour from a local pasta company that was closing up shop and clearing out their inventory. Since I'm not in the way of regularly making dried pasta, I haven't been sure what to do with it. It's of a larger grit than all-purpose flour so it doesn't work interchangeably in recipes. So I am excited to share with you a delicious way to use semolina flour.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake
adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com

3/4 cup olive oil, light or extra virgin
1 large lemon
1/2 cup semolina flour*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
5 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8" springform pan with cooking spray. Lay a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and spray the top of it. Alternatively, use a regular 8" cake pan or a muffin tin (adjust baking time as needed).

2. Grate the lemon zest from your lemon into a large bowl. Add flours and whisk together. Juice the lemon into another small bowl or measuring cup (you will need at least 1 1/2 tablespoons).

3. Beat 4 of the egg whites and salt on medium high until foamy (reserve other egg white for another use). Slowly add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks are reached. Move egg whites to another bowl and set aside.

4. Beat all 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar on high until thick and pale in color. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil and lemon juice. Once incorporated (mixture may appear separated), turn off mixer. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently incorporate the flour mixture. Stir until just mixed. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to finish cooling on a rack. Cake will need to be loosened from the edge of the pan with a knife.

Serving suggestions: Serve as-is for a not-too-sweet, mildly fruity dessert. We all agreed that it would also be nice as a shortcake substitute with berries and whipped cream.

*This particular recipe called for 1 cup cake flour. Many other olive oil cake recipes called for 1/2 semolina flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour, so that is what I went with. The semolina flour gives it a texture a little more like cornbread, but not as gritty. I might try whole wheat flour for the a.p. flour next time just because that's how I roll.

Rosemary

How to Use Up the Last of What's in a Jar

Don't you just hate it when you get to the end of a jar of peanut butter and you can never truly empty it out? It feels wasteful to throw it away, but it's a real waste of time and effort to sit there scraping for a long time just to eke out another tablespoon. Well, there is a better way. I found some ideas on Living on a Dime and have experimented with my own ideas since. I'll list a few of my favorites here.


How to use up the last of what's in a jar:

Take your nearly empty jar, add some more ingredients, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously. Enjoy this new product which will exit the jar much more completely than the original.

What's in the Jar?
     Mayonnaise        
What you can Make:
     Creamy version of your favorite vinaigrette
     Throw everything you need for your favorite vinaigrette minus a little bit of oil. Bonus: you won't have to shake it up every time you use it.

What's in the Jar?
     Peanut Butter         
What you can Make:
     Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa
     Using care and some heat protection, pour hot water or milk and some hot cocoa mix in the jar and shake it up. If you're concerned about hot plastic and food, you might want to skip this one or get p.b. in a glass jar.
                 
What's in the Jar?
     Nutella         
What you can Make:
     Nutella Hot Cocoa
     Same as peanut butter hot cocoa but even better. Cut back on hot cocoa mix a bit.                            
     
What's in the Jar?
     Honey         
What you can Make:
     Lemonade    
     Squeeze in some fresh lemons or limes, add water and a little less sugar than you normally would normally add.   
                                           
What's in the Jar?
     Tahini         
What you can Make:
     Salad Dressing    
     Basically the same as the idea for mayonnaise. Especially good for a balsamic, olive oil and basil dressing.
                                           

What are your favorite ways to deal with the bottom of the barrel? Ideas for lotions and other products are welcome.

Rosemary

Brownie in a Mug...sort of

First, let me describe to you the circumstances leading up to this experiment:

It's very very hot right now. I only turn on the oven if I have to since it heats up the house. But I told the kids we'd bake something nice for snack since we haven't baked in a while. I still didn't want to heat up the house though. I remember Nutmeg telling me about brownies you can make in the microwave, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The only problem is that I'm out of cocoa powder. But I have bittersweet chocolate chips and I figured I could make that work...hopefully. And if I cut back on the sugar it wouldn't be a bit healthier and not too sweet, especially since it was for an afternoon snack. Also, we got a huge bag of organic semolina flour from a pasta company that was shutting down (you know, the kind for making dried pasta). Some of it didn't fit in the bucket, so it got thrown on the top of my A.P. flour. Since I ran out of whole wheat flour 2 tbsp into this project, semolina flour was what got used. Oh, and I had coconut milk to use up. Here's the results:

Original Recipe from Food.com  

Microwave Chocolate Mug Brownie

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 dash salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. In a 12 oz coffee mug, add water, butter, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well.
2. Add cocoa powder, whisk well. Add sugar, whisk well. Add flour, whisk well.
3. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molted. Careful not to overcook.
4. Enjoy with a spoon. Careful brownie will be hot.

My Altered Recipe

Microwave Bittersweet Chocolate Mug Brownie

2 heaping tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tiny pinch salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 tablespoons flour (preferably whole wheat)

1. In a 12 oz coffee mug, add bittersweet chocolate chips and coconut milk. Microwave for about 1 minute, until chocolate easily stirs into the milk.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

3. Microwave for 60-90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Be careful not to overcook.

4. Cool for a minute and enjoy with a spoon and a glass of your favorite milk.

Results:

I made three of these: one for each of the kids and one for me. It was a nice bittersweet chocolate flavor. Definitely not too sweet and fairly chocolatey, although a little cocoa powder might have amped that up nicely. The texture was a bit grainy from the semolina flour. You could see the little flour grains. I think that should be easily fixed by using regular whole wheat or a.p. flour. I enjoyed mine but couldn't finish my mug. The kids had no such problem finishing theirs and seem quite happy and content for now. So overall it was pretty good for a quick chocolate fix, but it did seem like it could have used...something. Any ideas? I'd like to try it again since it's so quick and easy and I'm open to variations (and I don't always have an open can of coconut milk).

Rosemary

Mushroom Pie

Up until the last year or so, I was a mushroom hater. They smelled great and tasted ok, but the texture was more than I could bear. But I was blessed with a mushroom-loving son. My 5-year-old will readily tell you that mushrooms are his favorite vegetable. I wanted to encourage this, so I started buying fresh mushrooms on a regular basis (there's nothing like hearing your son shout "MUSH-A-ROOMS!" every time he sees them in the store produce section) and I started cooking. And you know what? I'm sold! A little good technique is necessary and they're fantastic.

So today, when debating what to make for dinner, I shouted out to the family for ideas, with the category being anything that would use up the large crate of portabello mushrooms we'd bought from Costco. My son's idea: mushroom pie. So we searched online and found a recipe that looked too good to pass up, especially since I actually had most of the ingredients. It's terribly unhealthy (other than the mushrooms, of course), but one of those dishes that is good enough to be worth it and rich enough that you only need it once in a while to be satisfied. I might try to make it healthier next time*, but I have no remorse for this time as it was completely delicious.

Mushroom Pie

4 slices bacon, chopped
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or swiss cheese
1 tsp fresh dill
pepper to taste
1 package frozen puff pastry and 1 egg OR dumpling dough infused with dill

In a large pan, render bacon until there is just enough fat to saute in. Do not remove bacon from pan. Add mushrooms and onions and cook 5-10 minutes until tender and starting to caramelize. Reduce heat to medium and add cream and dill. Stir well, being sure to get up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minute. Add cheese and pepper and stir until smooth. You shouldn't need to add any extra salt.

If using puff pastry, place one sheet of dough on a well-oiled baking sheet, pour the mushroom filling on top, then cover with a second sheet. Press the edges together to seal and make holes or slits in the top layer for the steam to vent through. Brush the top with the beaten egg.

If using the dumpling dough (less fancy, but easy to whip up if you don't have puff pastry), spray a small casserole dish. Pour in mushroom filling. Top with just enough dumpling dough to cover the filling.

Bake at 350 F until dough is nicely browned and cooked through, about 40 minutes for the puff pastry and probably less for the dumpling dough.

Rosemary


*My plan for next time is to use less bacon, less cheese, half & half or milk or possibly cream cut with chicken stock instead of heavy cream, and to add a green such as spinach, swiss chard, or kale.

Watermelon Ice

My kids LOVE watermelon and beg me to buy them every time we see them. I've been putting them off for months since they've been out of season. But the price came down last week, so I relented and got them a small one. Not surprisingly, it was very pale inside and didn't have a lot of flavor, although it was better than I expected. Since I hate using a really good watermelon for anything other than eating as-is, I decided that this was a good time to make something fun. The end result was a very simple, very easy watermelon ice cream (well, technically it's an "ice" or "frozen dessert" since it is less than 10 percent milk fat, but let's not worry about that since we're not trying to sell it.)

Watermelon Sorbet/Ice Cream

4 cups seedless watermelon, diced (or seeded watermelon with seeds removed)
1/2 cup honey (adjust based on the sweetness of your melon)
6 oz cream* (optional)

1. Put ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Option 1: Pour mix into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for making ice cream.

   Option 2: Pour mix into metal pie pan and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Use a fork to break up the ice crystals and put mix back in the freezer. Repeat this process until it has been at least 3 hours. Place mix in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.


*Initially I added the cream just because I thought I had too much honey and needed to tone down the sweetness. It made a nice texture and flavor, but is completely optional. It just depends on whether you want more of a sorbet or light ice cream.

Rosemary