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Veggie Curry

17 Oct

As the crispness of fall begins permeating the air, it’s hard to resist the urge to sit down with a steaming bowl of something soul-warming after a long day at work. So the other night I was inspired to whip up a veggie curry using the abundance of farmers market veggies I had stockpiled in the fridge — kale, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. Nearly any combination of vegetables would work here, so feel free to be creative. Just be aware of their cooking times and the order in which you add them to the pan.

Served over brown rice and topped with Greek yogurt, this is a seriously healthy meal that’s so delicious it feels like a splurge. I always enjoy a dish that allows me to go back for seconds without feeling guilty, don’t you?

Veggie Curry (serves 4)

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 4 large leaves of kale, stems removed and cut into ribbons
  • 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 3 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, cut into a large dice
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder (I used hot curry, but whatever you have would work)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Greek yogurt for garnish (optional)
  • Brown rice for serving

How you do it:

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add kale and zucchini, stir, cover, and let cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the kale has wilted and the zucchini has begun to soften.
  2. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and the shallot begins to turn translucent.
  3. Add the tomato and curry powder. Stir to combine, then add the vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir the chickpeas into the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes or until all the veggies are tender.
  5. Serve curry over brown rice and topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Red Wine Glazed Pork Loin with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

12 Sep

It’s almost that time of year. You know what I’m talking about.

Fall.

Oh, and crock-pot season.

I have to admit that I’m not crock-pot crazy like some other people I know. I’d much prefer to slow cook something in the oven for 8 hours in a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven, but let’s be honest — that’s not practical. At all. And for the times where you just don’t have time, the crock-pot is a pretty good stand-in.

I tend to use my crock-pot much more in the fall than any other season. Probably because I spend most of my Sunday’s outside watching my crazy husband do this.

Cyclocross. And yes, it’s as ridiculous as it looks. But as someone who tried it last year, trust me — it’s freakin’ hard. My efforts are much better spent heckling from the sidelines. (If you’re feeling extra ambitious in your video watching, you can see my hubs do a header into a sandpit at the 7:18 mark — makes me laugh every time.)

Anyway, back to this recipe. What impressed me the most was that the pork loin stayed sliceable (aka, didn’t completely fall apart like most other meats that are cooked in a crock-pot) and was very moist. A great Sunday dinner — especially after a day of cyclocross.

Red Wine Glazed Pork Loin

Slightly adapted from C+C Marriage Factory

What you need:

For the pork:

  • 1 2-pound boneless pork loin
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 cup water
For the glaze:
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

How you do it:

  1. Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  2. About an hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze a few times during the last hour of cooking. Slice the pork and serve with the remaining glaze drizzled over the pork.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What you need:

  • 8 ounces of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

How you do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a baking sheet until tender and lightly browned, approximately 15 to 18 minutes depending on the size of your Brussels sprouts.

Roasted Potatoes with Pesto and Capers

20 Jun

I absolutely adore pesto. And luckily for me, it takes nanoseconds to make, which is about all the time I’ve had to spend in the kitchen lately. If this blog is any indication of how often I’ve been cooking, it’s pretty obvious that…well…I haven’t been. It’s pretty hard to maintain a food blog when you don’t have any time to cook. Anyway…

I came up with this recipe one night when crunched for time and craving something other than a bowl of cereal. And it’s super good. Fresh basil goodness with a punch of saltiness from the Parmesan and capers. I think you’ll adore it just as much as I do.

Roasted Potatoes with Pesto and Capers (makes 2 main courses or 4 side dish portions)

What you need:

  • 4 decent-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in to 3/4″ cubes
  • 5 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
  • 2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves, plus more (the smaller leaves) for garnish
  • 1 handful of nuts, toasted (I used almonds because that’s what I had, but you can use pretty much anything)
  • 1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed
  • The juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
How you do it:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray liberally with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Toss cubed potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on foil-lined baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned and cooked through — approximately 20-25 minutes.
  3. While potatoes are roasting, combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil, basil, toasted nuts,Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz until very well blended. I like my pesto on the thicker side, but if you’d like it thinner just add more olive oil and blitz again.
  4. Once the potatoes are done roasting, put them in a mixing bowl and add the pesto. Carefully toss everything together until the potatoes are well coated. Stir capers into the mixture and test for seasoning. I usually add more pepper at this stage.
  5. Divide potatoes into serving bowls and top each with a small basil leaf and some fresh Parmesan before serving.

Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Bowl

18 Apr

Anytime I can put sour cream and cheese on something, I’m a happy girl. I guess that’s why I’m such a huge fan of Mexican food — what’s not to like? Unfortunately though, Mexican food also happens to be one of the worst diet offenders. So when that craving strikes (which it does frequently), I like to play around with different Mexican-inspired ingredients to see how I can satisfy that craving without throwing my entire concept of healthy eating right out the window.

This recipe — which contains healthy brown rice, black beans and sweet potatoes — gets a huge punch of flavor from canned chipotles in adobo. If you haven’t tried them before, you must — they’re an amazing way to add TONS of great smoky spice to a dish with hardly any effort. You won’t believe how good they taste when combined with the sweet potatoes.

The best part about this dish is that you can indulge in an entire bowl without feeling guilty. Each serving is packed with tons of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, so you don’t even have to feel bad about splurging with a little sour cream and cheese. I know I didn’t.

Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Bowl (serves 4)

What you need:

  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped (divided)
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice (made from approximately 1/2 cup uncooked rice)
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (divided)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Diced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream (for serving)
*Put the rest in a plastic bag and freeze for another time

How you do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a metal baking sheet with foil and spray liberally with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, toss sweet potato, onion, chipotle, adobo sauce, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for approximately 25 minutes or until potatoes are browned.
  3. After the potatoes have been roasting for 20 minutes, put black beans in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add half of the cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and heat until warmed through.
  4. Fluff the cooked brown rice and add half the scallions and the remaining half of the cilantro. Season with salt.
  5. Assemble by layering the rice, chipotle potatoes and black beans in each of your serving bowls. Top with remaining scallions, avocado, shredded cheddar and sour cream.

Kale and Potato Frittata with Basil Oil Drizzle

18 Mar

I used to really dislike eggs. In fact, I disliked most breakfast foods with the exception of pancakes, waffles and cereal. A lot has changed since then, and now I’m a huge fan of breakfast food — eggs included.

The masses seem to go back and fourth on whether or not eggs are good for you, but I think the nutritional information speaks for itself. One large egg has 70 calories, 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. Sure, they’re high in cholesterol (70% daily value), but as long as you are active and live a healthy lifestyle, I’m not sure there’s much to worry about there. Plus, there aren’t many foods more versatile than the egg.

I loved the idea of a potato and kale frittata because it’s a well-rounded, meatless dish that’s easy to prepare. I actually made it for dinner, but it’d be perfect for breakfast or lunch, too.

Tasty.

Kale and Potato Frittata with Basil Oil Drizzle (serves 4)

Adapted from Self Magazine

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch of kale (mine was 5 stems), trimmed, blanched in boiling water for about 3 minutes, squeezed dry and chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups boiled diced yukon gold potatoes (about 3)
  • 4 whole eggs (Note: this may vary a bit depending on the size of your pan)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for sprinkling on top
  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper

For the basil oil:

  • A handful of basil leaves
  • Olive oil

How you do it:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a medium oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add kale and garlic; stir 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir to combine.
  • Whisk eggs, egg whites, 2 tablespoons of water and paprika in a small bowl, and add to the skillet. If you find that you need more eggs at this point, whisk up more and add them. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and let the eggs cook (don’t stir them) over medium-low heat for one 1 minute.
  • Transfer skillet to oven; bake until eggs are set, about 8 minutes. Switch on the broiler and let the eggs brown for an additional minute. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two.
  • Meanwhile, make the basil oil by blending basil leaves and olive oil in a blender until well pureed. If desired, strain mixture through a cheesecloth or coffee filter into an air-tight container. Note: Can be kept for about 10 days.
  • Slice the frittata into 4 pieces and drizzle each with a bit of the basil oil. Top with an extra dusting of paprika, if desired.

Sausages and Mustardy Roasted Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

11 Mar

First of all, it’s Brussels sprouts. With an s. And a capital B. And as a writer, I find these to be very important details. You should, too.

Another important detail is that I happen to love said Brussels sprouts. In fact, when dining out, my husband can usually predict which dish I’ll order based on whether or not it includes Brussels sprouts. Seriously, it’s weird, but I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with. My childhood self is frowning shamefully upon me.

I was automatically drawn to this side dish recipe from The Kitchn, which featured B-sprouts, potatoes and bacon. However, I wanted to make more of a meal out of it, so I added some roasted sausages, more sprouts (of course) and a sour cream mustard sauce. The final result was one dish meal that was flavorful and filling. Pretty sproutacular (yeah, I went there).

Sausages and Mustardy Roasted Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Adapted from The Kitchn

What you need:

  • 2 chicken spicy Italian sausages (or whatever kind you like)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard, divided
  • 3 or 4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4″ cubes
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 8 ounces of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • Salt and pepper

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of mustard. Toss the potatoes, shallot, and bacon in the bowl until evenly coated with the mustard and oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Spread the potato mixture in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish and roast for 10 minutes.
  2. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and give the mixture a good stir, making sure everything is cooking evenly. Prick the sausages a few times with a fork, place on top of the potato mixture, and put back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the mustard sauce by combining 2 tablespoons of mustard and 2 tablespoons of sour cream in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. After the sausages have been cooking for 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add the Brussels sprouts; gently stirring so that they are coated in some of the rendered bacon fat. Continue roasting everything — sausages included — for about 20 more minutes, until the sausages and potatoes are cooked through and the bacon is crispy. Season to taste. Top each portion with the sour cream and mustard sauce.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Gorgonzola

9 Mar

 

I should have added the word “random” to the title of this post because that’s how this recipe came about — if you even want to call it that. (Hence the lack of pictures. Sad.)

I eat salads often — especially for lunch. And since they’re always a part of my meal rotation, I’m constantly thinking about different ways to prepare them. You know — keep it interesting. So last week, when I made that Sweet and Spicy Hash, I had some of the potato mixture left over. Naturally I decided to throw it on top of some greens, top it with balsamic vinaigrette and call it a day. But wait — it was good! Really good. So this week, I decided to replicate that idea (with some enhancements, of course) for lunches throughout the week. Here’s how I did it.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Gorgonzola

What you need:

  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 3/4″ chunks
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Salad greens
  • Black beans, rinsed and drained
  • Crumbled gorgonzola
  • Balsamic vinaigrette

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place sweet potatoes and onion on a large baking sheet. Add olive oil, salt and pepper; toss to combine. Roast, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and slightly browned; approximately 20 – 25 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Top salad greens with potato and onion mixture, black beans, crumbled gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. Finish with a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper.

Note: Potato and onion mixture makes enough for about 4 meal-sized salads.

Sweet and Spicy Hash with Baked Eggs

4 Mar

I love breakfast food, especially that of the savory type. I make a potato, pepper and onion hash pretty frequently,  but I tend to have food ADD (aka: I get bored easily). So, I decided to mix it up a bit, and in the process came up with this little gem.

Midway through creating this recipe — by some stroke of foodie genius — I randomly decided to bake eggs on top of it. Um, why had I never thought of that before?! I hate to pat myself on the back, but seriously — it was a pretty awesome idea.

Let’s just say my standard hash has been one-upped by its sweeter, spicier counterpart. Long live breakfast yumminess.

Sweet and Spicy Hash (serves 2)

What you need:

  • 1 raw chorizo link, casing removed
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • Chopped parsley
  • Crumbled feta cheese
  • Sliced avocado

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large, ovenproof skillet, cook the chorizo. Once cooked through, remove from skillet (leaving a smidge of rendered fat in the pan) and set aside on paper towel-lined plate.
  3. Add the potatoes and onion to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook in the rendered chorizo fat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through; approximately 25 minutes.
  4. Once the potatoes are cooked, stir the cooked chorizo back to the skillet. Crack 2 eggs over the hash and put the pan in the oven. Cook until the egg whites are set; approximately 10 minutes.
  5. Serve by topping each portion with chopped parsley, crumbled feta and a few slices of avocado.

No Fry Stir Fry

16 Feb

The blogosphere is a weird place. Sometimes it can make you feel as though you know someone in real life, even when you don’t.

That’s how I felt when I first read The Hungry Birdie. I don’t know Robin, the blog’s author, but the way she writes and the level of detail she puts into her posts makes me feel like I do. I like that.

A few weeks ago, she posted a recipe for No Fry Stir Fry, a vegan mix of veggies and tofu that’s baked in the oven rather than fried in a wok. Now, I happen to love tofu, but my husband does not. I even posted this comment on her blog:

“I’m trying to convince my husband that he likes tofu. So far I haven’t had much luck, but maybe this recipe could convert him! If not, more for me! Looks delicious.”

So, I gave it a try. The hubs was skeptical, so I made him a pork chop too…just in case. “How did you cook the tofu? Was it in the oven with the veggies?” he asked. When I told him that it was, he said, “interesting.”

It didn’t sound promising.

However, much to my surprise, he liked it. He said that baking to tofu gave it a nice texture, and I’d have to agree. Plus, the citrus sauce gives everything a really nice flavor. I really enjoyed this recipe and didn’t feel even a smidge guilty when I went back for seconds. Gotta love that. Thanks for the recipe, Robin!

No Fry Stir Fry (serves 4)

Adapted from The Hungry Birdie

What you need:

  • 1 head broccoli florets
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 package extra firm tofu, dried and cut into cubes
  • 1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
  • About 2 cups prepared couscous (or quinoa or brown rice)

Citrus sauce:

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • Zest of said orange
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1/2 tsp ginger, grated (or use jarred ginger, like I did)
  • 4 tsp soy sauce
  • 3 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • freshly cracked black pepper

How you do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the citrus sauce. Add veggies and tofu (reserving almonds for later) and toss to coat. Spread mixture onto a shallow baking tray lined with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Add almonds and bake for another 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous (or rice or quinoa). Serve the vegetable and tofu mixture over the couscous and drizzle everything with a bit of soy sauce and sriracha.

A Super Bowl of Super Chili

4 Feb

Football and chili — it just goes together. And for the year’s biggest game, you need the best chili. This recipe — originally created by my dad and adapted by me — is the only chili recipe I really like. And believe me, I’ve tried others, but this is still “the one.”

It might have something to do with its history. Back when I was living at home, I only remember my dad ever cooking two things — meat on the Weber grill (that’s cooking, right?) and this chili. Luckily for him, he does both really well.

I’m not sure about this recipe’s history, but I do remember the first time I tried to make it myself. I was in college and my roommates and I decided to have a chili and football night. Of course I volunteered to make the chili, but I didn’t realize until much later that I was in way over my head. I didn’t know much about cooking back then (if I couldn’t microwave it, I didn’t eat it), and I think the whole process took a few hours.

Luckily, my skills have vastly improved since then and I can easily whip up this chili — from memory — in about 30 minutes. Over the years I’ve made slight modifications to the recipe, but the basics remain the same. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to make it quite like he does, though.

Dad’s Chili


What you need:

  • 1 pound raw chorizo, casings removed
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 2 bell peppers (preferably red, yellow or orange), chopped
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 1 whole jalapeno, sliced (although you could remove ribs and seeds or eliminate entirely if you’re timid with spice)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons chili powder, to taste
  • 1 12-ounce can of tomato paste
  • 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 15-ounce can white kidney beans, drained
  • 1 32-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
  • 1 12-ounce lager or ale (I used a local brew from our favorite brewery — Half Acre)
  • Shredded cheese, scallions, sour cream, oyster crackers, or any toppings you like

How you do it:

  1. In a large stockpot, cook chorizo and turkey until cooked through.
  2. Add peppers, jalapeno, onions and garlic and stir everything together to combine. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the veggies start to soften.
  3. Add barbecue and Worcestershire sauce, stir combine and let simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Stir in mustard, celery seed, garlic powder and chili powder.
  5. Add tomato paste, beans (drained) and tomatoes (with juice), stirring to combine. Gently break up the tomatoes using your spoon.
  6. Add beer, stir and cover, and let the whole batch simmer for at least two hours. The longer it cooks, the better it is.
  7. Serve topped with your choice of toppings and a frosty mug of your favorite beer.

Oh, and in case you were wondering who I’ll be rooting for (maybe next year)…

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