fajitas

You know what I like about fajitas? Everything! But I especially like the fact that they require almost no cooking, are super fast, and that there is only one pan to clean. So, it's kind of like the perfect meal. You can use whatever vegetables you want for this dish, the method just makes it special, and totally adaptable to anything you want to throw in the pan. (If you want to do something with meat in it, I would recommend cutting the meat into small pieces to assure proper cooking.) But anyway I digress. Let's fajita!

Ingredients:
1 package of seitan, roughly chopped
1 can of black beans, drained
2 peppers, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 yellow squash, julienned
1/2 onion, juli- gotcha!, sliced
1 scallion, sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp. safflower oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice (2 limes)
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

OK, here it goes in 50 words or less: Heat pan smoking hot. Mix oil and juice with spices. Toss with other ingredients. Add to pan, cook for four to six minutes, tossing constantly. Serve on warm tortillas. Top with cheese or sour cream. Eat fajitas! Only wash one pan!

three onion and arugula frittata

Nothing is better on a weekend morning than a fresh cooked frittata. Or for that matter, nothing is better to finish off after your husband has gone to work than a fresh cooked frittata, right Katie?

Our CSA has some amazing farm fresh eggs from chickens that roam freely and eat creepy crawlies and oh, you can just read about it here. We had a lot of members of the onion family this week and some awesome local baby arugula as well, and we thought... hmmmm... let's throw it together with eggs and cheese! Speaking of cheese, we also found this awesome company: NYMilk. All the cows are totally pasture fed, there is no animal rennet its all raw milk, and all of the workers are guaranteed a fair wage. Plus its made in state, and its priced competitively with those big national organic cheeses. Go local!

Anyway, back to business. This recipe is highly customizable, just substitute as you see fit.

Ingredients:
6-7 Large Eggs
3 small Leeks (white and pale green parts only), 1 Red Spring Onion and 1 White Spring Onion (both with some greens), all sliced thinly. This is a total of 1.5 cups of goodness.
1/2 pound of arugula, or your favorite green
2 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance (or butter)
1 Tbsp. Safflower Oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
salt and pepper to taste

You can take care of the veggies a day or two before hand if you like, or if you just want to sleep in a little longer. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp. of EB in a saute' pan on medium heat. Add the onion/leek mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until they are just starting to get caramelized, about 10-13 minutes. Once they are ready toss in the greens, adding them slowly but surely as they continue to cook down. This will take about 5-7 minutes until all of the greens are cooked. Season to taste. Ready to move on? Need a coffee break; OK, I can wait.

Good, now set this veggie mixture aside (off the stove would be best, see above), and preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take the remaining EB and coat a pie dish (we used Pyrex, using metal may vary the cooking time, so check in a little more often). Beat the eggs in a bowl, and then incorporate the cheese. Season if ya like to. Add these to the veggie mixture and mix thoroughly. Place in your dish and throw that bad boy in the oven, gently of course.

Now its time for the waiting. This is probably going to take about 40-45 minutes. Set a timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off turn on your oven light or peek inside eversoquickly to not let heat out. What you will probably see is a delicious crust forming on the top, with the outer rim of the fritatta puffed up and the center still sunken in. It is now time to babysit. Check back every 2 to 3 minutes, once the center has risen it is time to remove it from the oven. Careful, its hot. Set it aside. Don't touch it. Let it set and firm up for about 10 minutes. Plus it'll burn your mouth, be patient. Use this time to make some toast or hash browns. Make another pot of coffee. Call your mom, she is probably eating cereal this morning and will be very proud of what you have just created. Has it been 10 minutes? OK, let's eat breakfast.

raclette panini with wilted greens

We were recently gifted a George Foreman Grill. Now, while I do love grilling and am super appreciative of my new found ability to do it indoors, I am equally as excited about its other feature. PANINI PRESS!!!! On our way home the other day we stopped by to visit the nice folks at The Bedford Cheese Shop. We snagged some fresh ciabatta and I spotted some amazing looking Raclette from Spring Brook Farms in Vermont. Raclette is a traditional melting cheese usually made in France, and sometimes Switzerland. It's usually made from cows milk, and has a supple texture and almost beefy flavor. This domestic Raclette was slightly more mild in flavor (which works out well for sandwiches), but as intended was perfect for melting. I am upset we didn't buy extra for grilled cheeses or mac and cheese. Good thing the cheese shop is only a few blocks away. This recipe makes two pretty big sammiches. And if you don't have a panini press of some sort, don't sweat it, just do what we did here.

Ingredients:
2 good sized Crusty Rolls
3 cups of Greens (we used Beet Greens), roughly chopped
1/2 White Onion, sliced thinly
2 Scapes (or 2 cloves of garlic), finely chopped
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 pound Raclette, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a saute' pan over medium high heat, add the oil and onions. Cook until translucent and then add the greens and the lemon juice. Let the greens get just wilted, and then remove them from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Preheat your panini press, and open those rolls. Layer in the cheese and top with the greens. Press until the bread is crusty and the cheese is melted and looks irresistible. Now eat it!

tomato black bean bisque

I don't care what time of the year it is, I love soup. We had a few rainy days this past week, so I whipped up a batch of this simple, spicy recipe to keep us warm and dry.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Black Beans, reserve 1 cup
1 28 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes (there are no local fresh tomatoes yet)
28 oz. of water
1 white Spring Onion, roughly diced, save greens for garnish
4 Garlic Scapes, 3 of them roughly chopped (you could substitute 2 cloves of garlic)
2 Jalapenos, roughly chopped, (you can remove the seeds and ribs if you don't want it too spicy)
2 Tbsp. 2x Tomato Paste
1/4 cup of whole milk (optional)
2 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
1/2 cup of Creme Fraiche
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
3 Tbsp. Cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the creme fraiche, sour cream, cilantro and the one reserved scape into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pop it back in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sweat the onion and scapes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast it. Toss in half of the black beans, the jalapenos, the water and the diced tomatoes and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until piping hot. Using a immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth adding in some milk to cream it if you like. Season to taste. Turn off the heat and add the rest of the black beans. Wait a few minutes, top it with the cilantro cream and onion greens, and serve with some tortillas or chips.

lentil salad with purslane

Since moving to NYC one thing has become certain in our lives, we do not have as much time to cook as we used to. We have found a lot of ways to adapt. From prepping things a few days ahead, using our slow cooker more, or just making things that are simpler and still packed full of flavor we have found ways to save time and still make some amazing food. This dish is no exception.

This is also the first time we have used purslane. This happy little succulent is not only pretty damn tasty, its also the highest land vegetable in omega-3's. So eat up Veggies! Make friends and dinner with purslane!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 bunch purslane, (2 cups of leaves)
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 spring red onion finely diced, about 1/2 cup
2 inches of onion greens, finely diced
2 garlic scapes, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 carrots finely diced
1 tsp lemon zest
juice of said lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Grab a large bowl. Throw all of the ingredients into it. Toss well, and season to taste. We served it on top of a pita warmed in a pan with a little bit of Earth Balance.

zucchini pancakes

Hash browns, pancakes, latkes, tempura, fry cakes, whatever the hell you call them; we love them passionately. Especially when you can dip them in something awesome and shove them in your face without spending a lot of money or effort. Oh, and while drinking beer.

We got the idea for this dish a few nights before at a pub when Katie ordered zucchini pancakes and actually got pancakes, only with some chunked zucchini and onion in them. They were served with plain sour cream and a boring salsa. After a few bites we realized that we could do this better, and way less than $7 for 4 pancakes. So we started drinking some beers another night and this is what happened.

Zucchini Pancakes: (makes 20 3" pancakes)

2 zucchini
3 potatoes, russet preferably. About 1.5 pounds total.
1 onion, peeled. Please don't shred an unpeeled onion.
1/2 jalapeno, seeded if you please. (odds are this is a good idea).

You got a food processor? OK. Then shred this stuff above and mix it in a bowl. No processor? I hope you have very strong arms and a lot of will power. Rest assured that the end product will be worth the work. Meanwhile mix everything below in another bowl.

2 cups rice flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 teaspoons baking powder
salt to taste
2 cups H20, or club soda if you're nasty

Heat some (ahem, about 1 inch of) oil in a deep pan over medium high heat, we used safflower because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. (Plus its REALLY cheap, its basically the new canola oil. Don't say I didn't let you in on the scoop.) Mix the slurry into the shredded veggie mixture and adjust for any overage or underage of moisture. What you should have should feel like a really grainy, thick and chunky paste. It should feel like something you would never want to eat. But we are about to deep fry it, so just be patient.

OK. First you have to do the unthinkable. You have to make a tester. Then you have to eat it. I HATE this step, but if I MUST make the food right its too crucial to skip. Use a 4 oz. ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup to make 1 pancake in the oil. Please be careful, its real hot. Flip it after about 2 minutes (when its golden brown and delicious on the down side) and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Check for doneness with the no fail-taste test and adjust your cooking time accordingly. When done, set to drain on paper towels or some fancy rack you have that we don't.

Need more or less cooking time? Then adjust. Keep tasting, this recipe makes enough for everyone and plenty for you to snack on as well.

If you are going to eat them now, keep them in an oven set to 250. If you are just torturing yourself, put them in the fridge. These also freeze remarkably well, just make sure to refrigerate them first so that the temperature change is gradual and you don't pull too much moisture from the veggies. Serve with the dipping sauce below, any salsa that doesn't come from a jar, and some nicely stewed black beans. Oh yeah, and a really fresh IPA.



Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:

1 container tofutti sour cream
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce in adobo
4 tablespoons cilantro/scallion pesto (it's a basic pesto, recipe will be in one of the next entries)
lime juice and garlic to taste

chorizo and potatoes for brunch

This was a quick breakfast idea when we woke up kind of on the wrong side of the bed (read: hungover) one morning. It requires little action, but reaps great rewards.

Ingredients:
1 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced into approx. 1/2" rounds
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 peppers, whatever color you have, coarsely chopped
1 package Light Life Chorizo Style "Sausage", cut into 1/2" slices
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija Cheese, or Queso Fresco
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Cumin
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
Fried Egg (optional)

Wake up. Grab glass of water and Emergen-C. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop stuff. Mix everything except cheese and eggs in a bowl. Put into baking dish and put that into the oven. Put on pot of coffee. Set timer for 25 minutes. Crawl back into bed.

When the timer goes off, get out of bed and check the potatoes. Are they fork tender? OK, good. Remove the dish from the oven and top with cheese. Cook some eggs if you like and throw them on there too. Grab your coffee, sit down and watch some cartoons.

stuffed shells with butternut squash and ricotta filling

Ingredients:

1 large 3 pound butternut squash, halved, seeds and pulp removed

1 package of large pasta shells, cooked to package instructions

1 pound of ricotta cheese

1 pound of fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 small heads of red cabbage, shredded

2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 tsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. Earth balance

salt and pepper to taste

Do this a day ahead if possible: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place the squash face up. Rub with canola oil. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place in oven uncovered and cook until completely cooked through, (should have a "mashed potato" kinda feel to it) about 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool, so that its easy to handle. Scrape the squash from the skin and set aside in a bowl. In this bowl, mix the ricotta cheese in with with cooked and cooled squash. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large saute' pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil and sweat the onions until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add in the cabbage slowly while tossing, the cabbage will cook down fast, and allow more room in the pan quickly. Add salt and pepper throughout the cooking, since you want it to be well seasoned, but are still adding new food to the pan. Once all of the cabbage has been cooked, stir in the beans and set the pan to the side- do not drain the cabbage/onion liquid from the pan, you will need it later. (Sound familiar?)

In a large pyrex or casserole, put half of the cabbage and onion mixture on the bottom. Stuff the shells with the squash and ricotta filling and place them into the casserole dish. Top with the rest of the cabbage and onion mixture. Top with parmesan, breadcrumbs, and slices of fresh mozzarella. Cover the whole dish with a layer of parchment paper, and then foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes covered, and then an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Pull it out of the oven and let it set for 4-5 minutes before gorging yourself on its deliciousness!

pasta with butternut squash, purple cabbage and cannellini beans

So this week we had a RIDICULOUS amount of cabbage and butternut squash. We wanted to make some dishes that were fast, super tasty, and had a lot of leftovers that we could take to work. So, the next three posts will all be these recipes. Similar ingredients with different twists, some of them a little unconventional- but they came out damn good. Here's the first!

Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked to package directions

1 3-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

2 small heads of purple cabbage, cored and shredded

2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 15 oz. can of cannelini beans, drained

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 Tbsp. canola oil

2 tsps. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the squash chunks with 1 Tbsp. of oil, the thyme, and some salt and pepper. Lay this out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until the squash is cooked through, but still firm, about 20-25 minutes.

In a large saute' pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil and sweat the onions until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add in the cabbage slowly while tossing, the cabbage will cook down fast, and allow more room in the pan quickly. Add salt and pepper throughout the cooking, since you want it to be well seasoned, but are still adding new food to the pan. Once all of the cabbage has been cooked, stir in the beans and set the pan to the side- do not drain the cabbage/onion liquid from the pan, you will need it later.

Right about now your pasta should be done, and so should the squash. Find a BIG mixing bowl, and toss everything in! Sprinkle the nutritional yeast in as your mixing, it and the left-over cabbage/onion juice will make a nice sauce. Adjust any seasonings- more salt and pepper, more herbs, whatever you like. Then gobble it up!

balsamic kale, brie and crispy prosciutto sandwiches

We originally planned on making this with broccoli rabe, but our broccoli rabe went bad before we got around to it. Luckily our kale was much heartier!

Ingredients:

1 fresh baguette

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly torn

1/4 lb of prosciutto thinly sliced

1/2 brie thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Cut kale into bite sized pieces. Halve baguette. Apply brie to one side of the baguette. Apply prosciutto to the other half of the baguette. Toast the open face sandwiches in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melty. Sautee the kale with onions, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for 4-8 minutes until softened.

soft chili tofu

We still have some quick pickled veggies left over from last week. I guess now they're not quick anymore - just regular pickled veggies. We thought they would pair well with our favorite appetizer which we always get when we order Chinese takeout. Here's our own version of soft chili tofu. It's super simple, fast and the flavors very vibrant - fresh, salty, and little spicy.


Ingredients:

1 block soft tofu, small dice

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 scallions, finely diced

2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cut the tofu into very small cubes and add to a large bowl. Pour in the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and very gently toss to incorporate. Next add the scallions and red pepper flakes. Soft tofu is very crumbly so stir everything together as gently as possible. Garnish with pickles cucumbers, beets and onions. And you're done - it's that easy!

Kenny's legendary vegan cheese sauce

Ingredients:

5 slicing tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, seeded and chopped

5 red peppers, finely diced

a few leaves of arugula, about 1/4 lb

1/2 red onion, diced finely

3 cloves garlic, diced finely

1 lb pasta, your choice

vegan cheese sauce:

2 Tbsp earth balance

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups soy milk (unsweetened is preferable)

2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup nutritional yeast

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp dijon mustard (optional)

We made some epic vegan mac using my famous "cheeze" sauce. Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes and peppers and continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 minutes.

For the cheeze sauce, make a rue with the earth balance and flour and allow to cook over medium heat until it no longer smells like flour, and is a nice toasty golden color, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the soy milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for 1 minute, (still whisking!) and start to add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and finally the mustard. Season with salt and pepper, combine with the veggies and pasta, and wolf down!

vegetable curry

Ingredients:

1 lb russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 medium onion, roughly diced

1 lb tomatoes, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 head chard, stems removed, and julienned

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" segments

2 medium kombucha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks

4 Tbsp curry powder

4 cups veggie stock
2 cans of coconut milk
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

I've been really busy at work lately, and haven't had much time for cooking (or updating the blog), so I have been trying to come up with recipes that are quick, allow me to multitask and get other stuff done around the house, or just veg out in front of the tube for a few minutes to relax while some other appliance does the work. This one is no exception. Its fast, easy, and soooo freaking good you will want to spill it all over your favorite pair of jeans staining them yellow/orange with tumeric so you will never ever forget this tasty meal again. OK, don't do that. I did, and I am kinda sad about my favorite pants. Anyway, here is how easy it is. It only has 6 simple steps.

1. Chop all the veggies.
2. Add everything that isn't green into a large pot on medium heat, bring to a simmer.
3. Mix drink, sit on couch, watch Mighty Boosh Season 3.
4. Cover and cook for 15-17 minutes until squash and potatoes are ALMOST fork tender.
5. Add green things into pot, stir, cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
6. Taste, season, spill on pants.

chard and chickpea burgers with quick pickled veggies

Ingredients:
Burgers:

1 bunch chard, roughly chopped

1 can chick peas, drained

1/2 cup all purpose flour, possibly more

1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp canola oil (or less, your choice- it won't really make a difference in frying texture, only time)

Pickled Veggies

2 beets, peeled, and thinly sliced

2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups hot water, not boiling
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

For the veggies: Put the onions and cucumbers into one bowl, and the beets into another... unless you want them all pink, then hell, just use one bowl, do less dishes. Mix the sugar and salt into the hot water, then add the vinegar, and set aside to cool. When the pickling liquid has cooled, add the liquid to the veggies, just enough to cover them, and then cover the bowls and place them in the fridge.


For the burgers:
Put all ingredients (minus the oil) in a food processor or bender and blend until incorporated. Seasonally, you made need more or less flour depending on your greens, or you could even substitute gluten free flours if you so choose. When it looks like its ready to be pattied, wet your hands and get ready to rock. Put 3 Tbsp of oil into a sauce pan and add the pattied burgers, flipping after 2 minutes on each side. Put on your favorite buns, top with pickled veggies and some Wildwood Garlic Aioli, or Veganaise and some greens. Eat them up!

mini quiches

I was going to make myself a whole tray of mushroom & onion mini quiches because I'm a glutton like that. But we had still had some peppers in the fridge, so I figured I'd be nice and make some quiches that Kenny would like as well. Last time we made quiche was awesome, but this time I wanted to make the dough from scratch and use our muffin tin to make these cutesy little mini quiches. They make great hors d'oeuvres and the possibilities for the filling are endless!

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
8 Tbsp cold butter, sliced into small pieces
3-5 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt

Add the flour, salt and butter to a food processor and pulse for a minute. Transfer to a large bowl and add 3 Tbsp water and begin to knead the dough and form into a ball. If the dough is not sticking enough, add more water one Tbsp at a time until it becomes easier. Form into a ball then put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When your dough is set up, flour a cutting board and rolling pin, and roll out the dough. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut circles in the dough. Press a dough circle into each well of a 12 well non-stick muffin tin, pushing the dough down to conform to the tin. Use a fork to poke holes in each mini crust.

We are going to blind bake the crusts so that they hold their shape. Rip off some squares of tin foil and press a piece into each muffin well then fill with dry rice or beans which will act as weights. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 425. Remove the tin foil and weights and return to the oven for another 10 minutes at 350. The crust should be dry and cooked through.

Mushroom filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz white button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 onion, diced
pinches of oregano thyme, salt & pepper

Pepper filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 gypsy peppers, small matchstick slice
1/2 onion, diced
pinches of red pepper flakes, salt & pepper

You can take care of this while you are waiting for your dough to set up & blind bake. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and simply cook the ingredients together until just before the onions start to caramelize. Remember they will cook again in the quiche, so don't over do it at this point. Set aside in two separate bowls.

Quiche filling:
2 cups heavy cream
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl then, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until uniformly combined. Separate into equal portions using a measuring cup and add the mushroom filling to one portion and the pepper filling to the other. Pour the mushroom and quiche filling mixture into the first 6 mini pie crusts. Pour the pepper and quiche filling mixture in to the last 6 crusts. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the tin around halfway through if your oven doesn't bake evenly. At the end of 40 minutes, the mini quiches should be puffed up and beautifully golden on top. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing the mini quiches from the muffin tin. Use a small spoon to run along the edge and pop them out.

roasted red pepper, tomato and chard soup

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes (or other ripe tomatoes), roughly chopped and seeded (or 2 28 oz cans of canned tomatoes, drained)
3 roasted red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch chard, thick stems discarded and cut in a chiffonade
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, 1/2" dice
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
salt & pepper of course!

In an effort not to get off topic later in this post, I am going to start, well- off topic. I have read on some message boards that people really like to save their veggie scraps (stems of greens/beets, broccoli, pepper ends, etc.) for later use in making stocks. Please don't torture yourself or your loved ones by doing such a silly thing. These can be used in so many other ways; broccoli stems can be peeled and shredded in slaws, pepper ends can merely be trimmed and used in the recipe you are making or a later one, and stems of greens while good in longer cooked dishes, can and should just be composted if you aren't going to use them. Putting these things into stocks, especially cruciferous veggies and green trimmings, will only do one thing- make your stock bitter. Not to mention the discoloration that would make it less appetizing. (If you really like bitter, dark stock then please, by all means, go ahead and continue.) Traditional vegetable stock has been made the same way for ages, and I am sure that many before us had ventured to add some extras into it, only to return to the simplicity that is as the French would say the "mirepoix". Two parts of one of the members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, etc.), one part carrot, and one part celery. It just makes perfect stock, and I would like to think that if it isn't broken, we shouldn't try to fix it. In this case, the case of taste, it's good to let history and past mistakes tell us what to do.

On to the soup!

In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue to cook an additional 3 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes, red peppers, and herbs (Whoa Kenny! Toss them in whole, and don't remove the tomato skin? Totes, we want to make this soup fast, so we will strain it all out later.) and cook, stirring until the tomatoes soften, about 12-14 minutes. Add the stock, pop on a lid, and go read a book for 15 minutes. When the soup starts to boil, adjust the heat to low and allow to simmer, covered for an additional 20 minutes.

Now it's time to get down to business. Remove the sprigs of herbs and use your immersion blender to blend the soup until all the chunks are removed. You will notice that it's a little thick, and if you are really hungry, or like the soup just like that- go ahead and skip this next step. Turn off the heat and using a fine mesh strainer or a chinois (I hate those things, sorry, one tried to kill me once) strain the soup into another bowl, using a spoon to help you along. Compost the leftover chunky bits that are clouding your strainer and continue until all the soup has been strained. Place the soup back into the pot, and return the heat to low. The soup will still be pretty hot, so getting it back to a simmer won't take to long. When it reaches a simmer, add the chard and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the chard is just cooked through, but still has a little bite to it. Spoon into a big bowl, grab some bread, get in your Slanket, and turn on the tube; it's time to get comfy and relax.

pasta bake with fire roasted vegetables

Ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta shells
1 pint fire roasted cherry tomatoes (see below)
2 cups remaining zucchini, onion, bell pepper and garlic mix from yesterday (see below)
1 cup grated parmesean
2 cups Italian shredded cheese blend


I am not really a fan of raw tomatoes. Every chance I get I will cook them just so I don't have to even think about making anything that contains an uncooked tomato. One of my favorite ways is to fire or oven roast them with olive oil and balsamic. Its a great topping for salads, pastas, chicken or fish. So yesterday while we were grilling I took a pint of cherry tomatoes from the box and put them in a foil pouch with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and some salt and pepper. After we had finished our grilling and were eating, I popped them on to the hot side of the grill and cooked them covered for 15 minutes (The same can be accomplished in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, but although while really delicious, they will lack the smokey flavor- which you might not want anyway, your choice.).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a sauce pan, heat the tomatoes, and veggie mixture over medium heat. Once it is hot, about 9-10 minutes, stir in the parmesan. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but take it out about 1 minute before its supposed to be al dente, cause this is still going to cook in the oven for a few minutes. Combine the pasta and tomato/veggie goodness in a baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Since both the pasta and the veggies are warm, we can bake this uncovered for a short amount of time. Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cheese gets melty and starts to turn golden brown. Now hold everyone back from digging in before you serve, because that dish is gonna be hot. This was an awesome fast and easy meal that gave us some tasty lunches in the days to follow. Not too bad what a little planning ahead can do eh?

stuffed tomatoes

Ingredients:
4 large ROUND heirloom tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper, 1/4" dice
1 large zucchini, 1/4" dice
1/2 white onion, 1/4" dice
3 Tbsp parsley, roughly torn or chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian cheese blend
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp fresh Italian herbs (or 1.5 tsp dried)

This dinner is a multi-tasker. You will end up with way more stuffing than you need, but fear not (and look above) because it works into a second equally awesome recipe.

Chop all your veggies first. That way while you cook them, you can be hollowing out the tomatoes. If you are getting heirlooms, make sure to use the roundest ones you have. The weird, bulbous tomatoes are a pain to stuff. Not using heirlooms? Well the odds are that years of cross breading and hybridization have yielded you a nice, round tomato. Congrats. (It just won't taste quite as good.)

The way I clean them is simple. Cut off the top down past where the vine attaches, and squeeze all the tomato goo into the compost. Run your knife around the outer meat, cutting all the ribs, but being careful not to poke through the bottom. Next just grab a spoon, retrace the same cut you just did, only putting some pressure on the bottom rib of the tomato, and POW!, it should pop right out.

Heat a large skillet to medium and add your oil. Toss in the onions and allow to sweat until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and continue to cook until the peppers are softened, another 6-7 minutes. Now throw in your herbs, the zucchini, and some salt and pepper. Let this cook for a good 9-10 minutes until the zucchini is cooked through. Transfer 2 cups of this mixture to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, pressing as much liquid as you can back into the skillet. (We don't want soggy tomatoes, now do we?) Add the breadcrumbs and parsley to the mixture in the bowl, stir, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Your tomatoes should be completely hollowed out, with no seeds, liquid, or ribs inside. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes, and top them with cheese. You can wrap them together if you like, or like we did in little individual foil pouches (if you are going to do them in the oven you could just just a sprayed Pyrex dish) making sure to spray the foil with cooking spray before inserting the goods. Just don't cover the tops, we aren't looking to lose any cheese here.

Place them on the cold side of the grill and pop the cover on, cook for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the stuffing is piping hot. Proceed to shove in face.

minestrone

My worst love is the Olive Garden. I LOVE the minestrone and breadsticks and would eat it every meal if it was followed by cheesesteaks. But for serious, summer in SF is time for soup, because well... its freaking cold! So we made some awesome minestrone and have been eating for days with some local crusty bread. I have been topping mine with grated parm and nut yeast, but that's just me. Our minestrone puts the OG to shame... which is where the OG belongs- in a deep, dark pit of fake Italian shame. Anyhoo...

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, 1/4" dice
4 ribs celery, 1/4" dice
3 carrots, 1/4" dice
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
5 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/4" segments
1 cup pasta (We used Eden Organic Alphabet pasta)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Get a big pot and turn on the heat to low. Throw in your oil, mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery), a pinch of S&P and saute until your entire apartment smells good, about 15 minutes, stirring between songs on your ipod, every 5 minutes or so. Add in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 minutes to "toast" the tomato paste and bring out the tomato flavor.

Add the chickpeas, heirlooms, stock and water, cover the pot and go have a drink. Heck, have 3, you have 45 minutes. Get a separate pot of water boiling for your pasta. When the 45 minutes are up, the tomatoes will be nicely broken down in the soup and you can start cooking your pasta in the other pot. Toss the green beans and Italian seasoning into the soup pot, taste and adjust the S&P. Now you need to cut your bread and get it into the toaster oven as well. When the pasta finishes cooking, drain and add it to the soup, and then thank me in the morning. Soup is awesome!

cabbage and carrot slaw

Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, shredded
1 large head of romaine lettuce, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp mixed black and white sesame seeds
salt to taste


This salad was SUPER tasty! It takes your average everyday cole slaw to a whole new level!
Just combine all of the vegetables, mix and then add the coconut milk and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Top your pulled pork sandwich, tacos, or just eat it right out of the bowl. Oh my gosh, so good. I finished ALL the leftovers for lunch the next day.