Braised Lamb Shanks

My summer cookbook purge continues.

This recipe is Maundy Thursday/Passover lamb meal.  In our good years, we celebrate a Christian Seder on Maundy Thursday.  The main course is lamb.  My notes in the cookbook?  "Best lamb I've made."  Depending on the year, all my kids will eat this.

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Braised Lamb Shanks
adapted from Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker

4 - 5 lbs lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
3 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t cumin
1/2 c beef stock, chicken stock, or water
1/4 c dry white wine (optional, if don't use, increase water by 1/4 c)

Optional sweet pepper garnish (I've done this before, but I've also omitted it)
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 T parsley, coarsely chopped
1 c crumbled feta cheese

Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat  Sear the shanks, in batches of necessary to prevent overcrowding, when the oil is hot, until golden brown on all sides.  Transfer to a plate.

Pour most excess fat from the pan and heat again.  Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and saute until vegetables are soft and golden, about 8 - 10minutes.  Pour the stock and wine into the pan and stir to dislodge any yummy browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Transfer the contents of the pan to a slow cooker, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and place the lamb shanks on top.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours (my slow cooker cooks fast on low. I only cook this for 5 hours on low.  Know thy slow cooker and cook accordingly).  The meat should be very tender.

If desired, to finish, heat a skillet over medium heat and warm 1 T olive oil.  Add the bell peppers and salute until just beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

To serve, top with sautéed bell peppers (or if not using bell peppers, just with top with the fresh chopped parsley) and a sprinkle of feta.

Tale of Two Shakshuka's

Sometimes owning two cookbooks by the same author is a problem.  For example, last night, after a week of eating lots of meat and "fancy" (although not really fancy, just different than what we eat) food, I wanted comfort food.  I remembered the velvety warmth of Ottolenghi's Shakshuka---roasted red peppers with an ample dose of seasoning which cradled soft cooked eggs.  Although the red peppers aren't in season, this dish screams winter comfort food.

I am usually a mostly organized person.  I can find what I need and I have things arranged that make sense for me.  Usually.  When I make new recipes, I make annotations in my cookbooks, so I can remember how I made it or what I would do differently next time.  Usually.  Once I decided to make shakshuka last night for supper, I looked first in Jerusalem and then in Plenty.  In Jerusalem, I saw no notes, in Plenty, there were notes.  I proceeded to make the recipe from Plenty, thinking as I went, that this recipe seemed different.

When I was just a couple of minutes out from finishing the dish, I read the note I had written in Plenty.  The note said, "Curtis and I love the version in Jerusalem."  What???  Turns out, I never had made this version before.  Why in the world would I write a note on the recipe I didn't want to make?

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, Curtis and I loved the Plenty version of shakshuka too.  I fed the kids plain fried eggs, along with roasted root vegetables and orange slices.  It was a wonderful winter, light meal and I am looking forward to recreating it this morning for breakfast.

Here are the two versions.  They're both good.  Choose the recipe you want to make based on the ingredients you have or the time you have (the version from Jerusalem is just a hair faster).  Each recipe will serve 4.  To adjust the serving size, just change the number of eggs you use--for just the two of us, I make a full recipe, but only use two eggs.

The First Shakshuka

adapted from Jerusalem

2 T olive oil

+/- 2 T harissa (I use store bought--this is the spiciness in the dish)

2 t tomato paste

2 lg red bell peppers, diced (about 1/4" pieces)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 t cumin

2 (14-oz) cans diced tomatoes or 5 c fresh tomatoes, chopped

4 eggs

crusty white bread (toasted if you feel like it)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the harissa, tomato paste, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and 3/4 t salt.  Stir and cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, until the peppers have softened.  Add the diced tomatoes, simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Make 4 little holes in the bell pepper/tomato sauce.  Gently break each egg into a hole.  Simmer gently, covering with a lid, for 8 - 10 minutes until eggs are at your desired doneness (I like a runny yolk, Curtis doesn't.  I try to customize, but have yet to been successful.  If you are more adept with eggs than I am, this shouldn't be a problem).  Remove from heat and serve with bread--I like my eggs and peppers on top of bread, Curtis likes the bread on the side.

The Second Shakshuka

adapted from Plenty

1/2 t cumin seeds

2 T olive oil

1 large onions, sliced

2 red (or a combination of red and yellow) bell peppers, cut into 3/4" thickness

2 t sugar

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped (optional if you don't have it)

1 (15-oz can) diced tomatoes (or 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped)

a pinch of saffron threads

a dash or two of cayenne, depending on your heat tolerance

4 eggs

crusty white bread

In a large skillet, dry roast the cumin seeds on med-high heat for a couple of minutes.  Add the oil and onions and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and cilantro and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes on med-high heat until the peppers are soft and the onions have a nice brown color.

Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, and salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add a bit of additional water at a time to achieve and maintain a pasta sauce consistency.  Taste and adjust seasonings (salt and cayenne primarily).

Make 4 little holes in the bell pepper/tomato sauce.  Gently break each egg into a hole.  Simmer gently, covering with a lid, for 8 - 10 minutes until eggs are at your desired doneness (I like a runny yolk, Curtis doesn't.  I try to customize, but have yet to been successful.  If you are more adept with eggs than I am, this shouldn't be a problem).  Remove from heat and serve with bread--I like my eggs and peppers on top of bread, Curtis likes the bread on the side.

Curried Rice Salad

I've started feeling like I'm in a bit of a cooking rut this summer.  I seem to just be making the same (wonderful, nonetheless) meals over and over.  That's saying something too, since I had three weeks of not really cooking smack dab in the middle of the summer.

Maybe it's the multitude of eggplant, peppers, and summer squash that brings about the cooking doldrums.  Maybe I'm just a little bit lazier this summer (that could be the case, because its been a really enjoyable summer...).  However, I was ready for some new inspiration.

I have a list of potential cookbooks I'd like, but I've learned, I have limited real estate for cookbooks.  I would like to find cookbooks that I cook many recipes from and that are different than the recipes I'm already using.  Plus, the recipes need to be heavy on vegetables and not so heavy on meat.

Jerusalem has been a great match for that, but I needed more.  So, I went to the public library.

This recipe is from one of my library cookbooks.  It's a great Sunday afternoon meal, perfect for taking to the pool and eating there.  It didn't use eggplant or summer squash, which was a disadvantage, but frankly, I'm tired of both those.

We all loved it, except for M.  J was thrilled that it was vegetarian--that boy's deciding he's not a big fan of meat.  I'll definitely make this again (and just let M fend for herself for supper. She's 8.  She can handle that).

This originally called for fresh tomatoes, of which I had none.  I omitted them and didn't miss them at all.  I also didn't really measure the vegetables, just eyeballed it.  This is the kind of recipe where you can do that without many negative effects (however, please, measure your spices).  This reminded me of a curry dish, minus the meat or sauce.

Serves 4- 6.

Curried Rice Salad
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

1 c uncooked brown rice
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
2 c water

1 c celery, diced
1 c sweet peppers, diced
1 c apples, diced
1/2 c currants or raisins

1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1 T brown sugar
1 T fresh ginger root, grated
1 1 /2 t cumin
1 t curry powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t coriander
1/4 t cardamom
salt to taste

Greek plain yogurt
cashews, toasted and chopped
mango, diced (optional)

In a saucepan, combine the rice with the turmeric, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t salt, and water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, combine the vegetables in a large bowl.  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger root, cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom.  Pour it over the vegetables and fruit and salt to taste.

Cool the rice for 15 minutes, then toss it with the vegetables and dressing.

Serve room temperature or cold, garnishing with yogurt, cashews, and mangoes, as desired.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad

I know it's been a long time since I've added any recipes.  A usual, its a new cookbook that causes me to start adding recipes.  For Christmas this year, the dog gave me a cookbook again.  Her choice was superb:  Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  I want to be sure next summer when I am scrambling to come up with recipes using eggplant, cucumbers, and the likes, I remember these recipes.

Normally I shy away from cookbooks by restaurant owners or Food Network personalities.  They seem full of themselves and full of ingredients that are either terribly expensive or terribly hard to find.  Not so for Jerusalem.  Although Ottolenghi owns restaurants bearing his name in London, the recipes are easily accessible.  The recipes are mostly kosher and heavy on vegetables.   Many of the summer vegetables use limited stove/oven time as well, which is nice when it's over 100 degrees outside and I really don't want to heat up my oven any more.

This the first recipe to share.  We love it, especially the spiced chickpeas. My margin note?  "The spiced chickpeas are divine!"  I made a few changes.  The original recipe called for a dressing on top of the vegetables.  I left that out.  Additionally, because with five people we are bound to like different things, I did not mix the vegetables together, I left them in separate piles on the serving platter.  I used the vegetables I had (two kinds of sweet peppers), I omitted those I didn't (radishes).

Remember to start the chickpeas the night before you want to eat this meal.

This serves 4.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad
adapted from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi and Tamimi

1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 t baking soda

2 small cucumbers, cut into 2/3" dice (seed and peel if you prefer)
2 large tomatoes, cut into 2/3" dice
8.5 oz radishes, cut into 2/3" dice (optional)
1 -2 sweet peppers, seeded and ribs removed, cut into 2/3" dice
2/3 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 oz parsley, coarsely chopped

1 t ground cardamom
1 1/2 t allspice
1 t cumin
1/4 t salt

Greek yogurt
pita

Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and baking soda.  The next day, drain, place in a large saucepan and cover with water twice the volume of the chickpeas.  Bring to a boil and simmer, skimming off any foam that may gather on top.  Simmer for an hour or until the chickpeas are tender.  Drain and set aside.

Mix the cardamom, allspice, cumin, and salt on a plate.  Roll the cooked chickpeas gently through the spices.  Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chickpeas and fry for 2 - 5 minutes.  Gently shake the pan so they cook evenly and don't stick.  Remove from heat and keep warm

To serve, put each vegetable on a serving platter. (Alternately, combine all the vegetables and herbs and place in a low bowl.  Top with warm chickpeas.)  Serve the chickpeas in a small bowl.  Allow everyone to take the vegetables they want and top with chickpeas.  Serve with pita and drizzle Greek yogurt over top if desired.

Warm Arugula Chicken Salad

One of the first greens to show up in our fall CSA boxes is arugula.  Tender leaves, a bit peppery, grace our boxes, a respite from all the other summer produce I've long grown tired of.

I have two favorite websites to get recipes from these days (in addition to pinterest of course).  Farmhouse Delivery and The Year in Food never cease to awe and inspire me.  Farmhouse Delivery is a local blog based off of seasonal eating, so I don't have to search in summer recipes for our October produce.  A Year in Food just is beautiful.  Beautiful.

While this recipe originally was a warm chicken salad, I transformed it to a warm arugula salad when I discovered the chicken I had reheated for the salad was extremely freezer-burnt and I couldn't stand to eat it.  (True story).  Next time, I plan on trying this again with chicken, but preferably chicken that hasn't been frozen yet....maybe a nice leftover chicken recipe for a roasted or rotisserie chicken.  If you want to leave out the chicken to make this vegetarian, you can.  You'll just have a nice, not-warm arugula apple salad instead.

I didn't serve this to the kids.  Curtis and I polished this off nicely for a Saturday lunch all by ourselves.

This serves 2 as a main dish.

Warm Arugula Chicken Salad
from Farmhouse Table (Farmhouse Delivery)

leftover roast chicken, wrapped in foil and re-warmed at 350 (save juices and drippings) (optional)
1/2 bunch arugula, washed carefully, stems removed, and torn
1 apple, sliced as thinly as possible
2 -3 sweet peppers slivered (if you have other sweet peppers besides bell, definitely use those!)
2 T pine nuts, toasted

1 T rosemary, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T sherry vinegar
1 T whole grain mustard
1/2 c olive oil

Combine warm chicken (if using), arugula, apple, sweet peppers, and pine nuts in a large salad bowl or serving platter.  Place rosemary, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and olive oil in a small glass jar and shake vigorously until oil appears to be mixed in.  Add the saved chicken juices/drippings (if using), and continue to shake.  Add half the dressing to the salad and toss well to combine.  Serve the reminder of dressing on the side (in case someone wants more dressing).

Serve immediately.

Pimiento Cheese

I have finally figured out what to do with all the peppers that multiply in my crisper drawer so quickly.  The bell peppers never last long.  I know those have no spice and they get through into a variety of things---beans, fancy tuna salad, sloppy joes.  However, there's a whole group of peppers that show up in my box that aren't bell peppers and don't tend to have any spice.  These tend to be the longer peppers--orange or light yellow in color, occasionally red.  Every once in a while they may have a slightly mild spice, but that is rare.  I don't risk it though by cooking them in sloppy joes or other foods I know the kids I love.

Those peppers, the mystery ones with not much (any) spice become pimiento cheese.  I know this is my second pimiento cheese recipe.  This is the good recipe.....the roast your own peppers recipe with not a lot of mayo and lots of cheddar cheese.  For good measure, toasted pecans are also added.

Curtis, Isaac and I love this recipe.  M hasn't wanted to try it, so I haven't encouraged her (nope, I don't want to share).  I think I have kept J in the dark knowing about it's existence as well, because there's a good chance he'll like it, too.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese
adapted from farmhousedelivery.com/blog

1 lb grated cheddar
4 - 6 sweet peppers (the long, slender, multi-colored assortment, not bell peppers)
2 small hot peppers, minced (purely optional--I omit since Isaac likes this recipe)
1/3 c pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 - 1/2 c mayo

Roast the sweet peppers (not the spicy peppers though).  I prefer to do this on a gas grill.  Brush each pepper lightly with oil and place on hot grill.  Turn occasionally, until all sides are lightly charred.  This can also be done on the top of a gas stove (directly on the flame) or in the oven.  Once all sides are charred (will probably take 8 - 12 minutes or so on the grill, depending on how hot your grill is), place in a bowl and cover.  Allow to steam for 10 minutes or so.  With the blunt side of a knife, gently scrape charred skin off of the peppers.  Remove the seeds.  For best taste, do not rinse the peppers.  Chop the peppers.

In a medium to large bowl, combine the cheddar with the roasted, chopped sweet peppers, the minced hot peppers, pecans, and 1/4 c mayo.  Taste and add more mayo if you need a bit more (I love mayo, so I usually need a bit more...always a bit more mayo).  Season to taste with black pepper.

Serve with crackers or make into sandwich.  I like to make grilled pimiento cheese sandwiches.  It's also really good with a slice of prosciutto.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew

The other day I walked into my neighbor's house. It smelled absolutely wonderful. I asked her what she was making and all I caught was pork and tomatillo (I was too distracted by the aroma). When I got home I immediately put tomatillos on my grocery list and set about finding a recipe that had pork and tomatillos in it.

What I made didn't necessarily smell like what her house smelled like, but it was good nonetheless. The recipe reminds me of New Mexico Posole, but without the hominy (which is just fine with me!!). The tomatillos added a wonderful tartness that wasn't overpowering. We all liked and it will definitely be put on my list of repeatable meals.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew
adapted from Food and Wine.com

2 T oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 3" (or smaller is fine too) chunks
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lrg celery stalks, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 Anaheim chile (also known as Poblano or any other mild green chile), seeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t mild chile powder (I found a New Mexico chile powder that is mild and has wonderful flavor)
1 T cumin
pinch of dried oregano
2 c chicken or beef stock
1 c carrots, 1/2" diced
12 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into 1" dice

hot sauce
cilantro, chopped
tortillas
lime wedges

Heat the oil in a medium soup pot. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add the celery and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the diced chile, garlic, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and tomatillos, cover an simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the stew over moderate heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the shredded pork into the stew and season with salt and pepper. Serve and garnish with hot sauce, cilantro, tortilla chips and limes.

Old Bay Seasoned Fish and Vegetables

I don't have much to say about this recipe for a change. We love it. I was able to use some of my sweet (mild) mystery peppers in this as well since I was out of bell peppers. Yep, a hit. M ate a whole fillet (6 oz of fish) and J even ate well. Plus, you can never go wrong with roasted sweet potatoes. I did use the lesser amount of Old Bay Seasoning because Old Bay occasionally gets too spicy from my kids. Enough said. Here's the recipe.

Old Bay Roasted Fish and Vegetables
from Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/3" thick slices
1 lg onion, cut in half and then into 1/2" slices
1 large sweet pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
3 T olive oil
1 t dried thyme
1/2 - 1 T Old Bay Seasoning

4 (6-oz) white fish fillets (such as tilapia, cod or halibut)
1 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t - 1 T Old Bay Seasoning

In a mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with 3 T olive oil, dried thyme, and up to 1 T Old Bay Seasoning. Spread on lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and browned. Meanwhile, place the fish fillets in a single layer in a lightly oiled baking pan. Whisk the 1 T olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic, and remaining Old Bay and drizzle over the fish. When the vegetables have roasted about 15 minutes, stir them with a spatula to prevent sticking. Put the pan of fish in the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Roasted Poblano Peppers

Before roasting

Or in fact, roasted red bell peppers or roasted hatch chile peppers or roasted anaheim chile peppers. The process is the same for all pepper roasting--char and peel the skins.

I prefer to use our gas grill for this venture, but you could use the oven, any grill, or even the flame of a gas stove top (I haven't tried this one personally, I just know it could be done...). Lightly spread oil over the peppers. I use olive oil that is in a pressurized spray bottle, but you could toss them in bowl with oil as well. Place over high heat (about 400 - 450 degrees in the oven), and char skins. Turn as needed until all sides are charred. Don't over char or you won't be able to peel the skins off (the flesh will be burnt as well and you don't want that). Once all sides are charred, steam the peppers to loosen the skins. To do this, either throw in a bag (ziploc or paper, just make sure if you use a ziploc type bag, it is freezer quality, otherwise it will melt the bag) or place in a bowl and cover. Let set for 10 minutes or so. Remove and carefully peel off the skins. It's ok if some of the flesh is darkened, as long as the skin peels off. Remove stem and seeds (if desired, I always do because that's where most of the heat is). Use as the recipe directs.

After roasting (the light pepper isn't done yet).

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

I am still searching for ways to use my peppers--one pepper at a time when it comes to the small spicy ones. Tonight's dinner felt like a wild goose chase--I started out looking for tuna (canned) and pasta recipes and ended up with pan-seared tilapia, rice, and green beans. The search definitely went in the right direction. Serving rice with this was perfect because it meant I could slather some of the butter on the rice too.

We all loved this recipe. I can't go wrong with fish in my house--both M and J love fish. The chile lime butter was fabulous. I am looking forward to finding things to put the chile lime butter on (I know, not the healthiest....). Be sure to pat the fish dry (I step always skipped in the directions until I learned why it was important to do it). Drying the fish, or whatever you are frying, allows the food to brown. The only problem is that it didn't put a dent whatsoever into my stash of hot peppers. Oh well.

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter
from Gourmet Magazine

Chile Lime Butter
1/4 c unsalted butter, softened (not melted, just softened--room temperature is about right)
1 T finely chopped shallot (optional--I left this out, didn't want to mess with cutting an onion)
1 t finely grated lime zest
2 t fresh lime juice
1 t serrano or jalapeno, minced (preferably red)
1/2 t salt

The Fish
24 oz (4 - 6 fillets) skinless tilapia fillet
1/2 t salt
2 T oil

To make the chile lime butter, stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat 1 T oil in a 12" heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking. Saute the fish, turning over once with a spatula until golden and just cooked through, 4 - 5 minutes. Do this in two batches if necessary, do not overcrowd the skillet. Serve each fillet with a dollop of chile lime butter.

Mango Black Bean Salsa

This is one of those recipes that contain very few local ingredients. Unfortunately, we have no mangoes growing in our area. However, it seems like mangoes are in season somewhere right now because they haven't been very expensive at the grocery store, they have been juicy, juicy, and they are so sweet. This is one of my favorite salsas and whenever I make pecan crusted salmon, I serve this salsa on top or on the side.

Mango Black Bean Salsa
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/2 c red bell peppers, diced
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 fresh green chile, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 c orange juice
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 t salt

Rinse the beans and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini

I am always challenged by the amount of peppers we get every summer in our box. I was searching last week and found one that took 2 poblanos and decided I needed to make it. It wasn't difficult or time consuming to make. I used the grill to roast the poblanos and cook the steaks so I didn't need to heat up the house too much.

M and J just ate the steak for supper and passed on the vegetable cream sauce on top. Curtis and I liked the cream sauce just fine, but as leftovers, I couldn't bring myself to eat the cream sauce. We also had roasted potatoes with cilantro lime mayonnaise with this meal as well.

Skirt Steak with Poblano Rajas and Zucchini
from Bon Appetit

2 large poblanos
2 (12-oz) skirt steaks
3 T olive oil
2 t cumin
1 t chile powder (optional)

1 c zucchini, diced
3/4 c onions, chopped
1/2 c whipping cream

Roast poblanos either in the broiler or on a grill. To roast, char the chile on all sides, until blackened all over. Put in ziploc bag for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the chile to steam (which loosens the skin). Remove blackened skin with your fingers or the back of knife (if using your fingers, be careful. This is a chile and can burn, especially in small cuts). Seed and cut chiles lengthwise into 1/2" wide strips. Set aside. Brush steaks with 1 T oil. Mix 1 t cumin and chile powder, if using, and rub on both sides of steaks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini, poblanos, and onions. Saute until zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 t cumin. Add cream, boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill steaks, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let cool for 5 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain. Transfer steaks to platter. Top with poblanos and chopped cilantro.

Vegetarian Chili with Cashews

At the farmers market last weekend, I saw zucchini. I know it's the middle of November when I eagerly grab at zucchini at the Farmer's Market (usually I walk on by, as quickly as possible). I'd had a hankering for Vegetarian Chili with cashews for a while and the zucchini was all I needed for that little extra bit of encouragement.

First a brief disclaimer. In the Texas sense of the word chili, this is not chili. In Texas, your chili does not have beans in it. That basically means the name Vegetarian Chili is an oxymoron. If it doesn't have met it can't be chili. I am not from Texas (just reside here now) and I think chili should have beans. Thus, my love for this recipe.

To make the vegetarian chili, saute 2 small chopped onions and 1 clove of minced garlic in a T of oil in a large soup pot for 5 minutes. Add to the onions and garlic 2 diced medium zucchini, 2 diced stalks of celery, 2 diced medium carrots, 2 diced bell peppers, 2 T chili powder, 1 t cumin, 1/2 t cayenne, 2 bay leaves, and 2 T brown sugar (I actually left the chili powder and cayenne out in hopes the kids would eat it). Cover and simmer over low heat for 4 minutes. Stir in 2 (15-oz) cans of kidney beans and 2 (15-oz) cans of tomato sauce. I didn't have any tomato sauce so I used a pint jar of tomato juice I canned earlier in the summer and a pint jar of end of the garden I had canned (end of the garden is canned tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions). I since it was thinner than juice, I simmered it down for about 30 minutes before I started making supper. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, but not mushy, and flavors have blended (about 10 minutes). Remove bay leaves. Serve and top each bowl with a handful of roasted, unsalted cashews. (If you put the cashews straight in the pot, the leftovers will end up with soft, bloated cashews). This is a large recipe. It can easily serve at least 8 people.

M and J weren't thrilled with supper tonight. They both really like the whole wheat toast topped with local honey, but didn't eat a lot of soup. M said she liked it, I just don't think she was especially hungry for some reason. Curtis and I both loved it. I thought it was exactly like this cold November day needed.

Not Arugula, Prosciutto and Asiago Pizza

When I planned pizza, I had hoped to get some arugula or mizuna for the very least. I was dreaming of the wonderful pizza I often I get at Mandola's. Alas, no arugula or mizuna and I wasn't quite bold enough to make a pizza with kale or bok choy on top. I had already bought some prosciutto and asiago cheese so I decided to stick with that. Upon looking through the crisper drawer and pantry, I decided to add some tapenade (a marinated olive mixture of sorts) and some roasted bell peppers to the meat and cheese.

To make supper, I made a batch of pizza dough. While the dough was raising, I chose two bell peppers from my massive collection of peppers in the crisper drawer. I sprayed them with olive oil and put them the grill. I roasted them, turning as needed, until each side was charred. (You can also roast them in a 375 oven for 35 or so minutes, turning frequently). I took them off the grill and put them directly into a ziploc bag and let them steam, this helps the skins peel right off. Once they were cool enough to handle, I peeled the skins off of them, removed the stems and seeds and cut into long strips.

Once the dough was done rising, I opened up a jar of pasta sauce I canned earlier this summer and lightly spread some on top. I then sprinkled some of the olive mixture on top, followed by the roasted bell peppers. Because I used prosciutto and asiago cheese, two very flavorful ingredients, I needed less cheese and meat then if I would have used pepperoni and mozzarella. I used 2 thin slices of prosciutto that I cut into small rectangles and then lightly sprinkled with asiago cheese. I baked it at 425 for 12 minutes and then served with the frequent side of a bok choy salad.

What can I say? The family loved it. It was pizza. You can't go wrong there. We had to laugh though. M preferred to eat off the toppings and leave the crust for her second piece. J ate the crust and left the toppings scattered on his plate. Jack Sprat and his wife all over again.

Polenta Stuffed Bell Peppers

Seeing bell peppers on the expected list of veggies for Wednesday, I decided I better get using the bell peppers which have been multiplying in the fridge. I made a bok choy salad to go with meal to provide some green.

To make the stuffed peppers, I cut 4 bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds but leave the stems on so the peppers hold their shape. Brush the peppers halves inside and out with some olive and sprinkle with salt. Put on a greased cookie sheet and roast in a preheated 450 for 15 minutes (or until they are tender but hold their shape). While the peppers roast, in a heavy saucepan bring 4 c water, and 1/2 t salt to a boil. Add 1 c polenta cornmeal (this is different than regular cornmeal--I bought it in bulk at Central Market and was able to buy less than 2 c worth) in a slow steady stream while whisking. I cooked on medium heat, stirring it often until it was thickened. Stir in 1 1/2 c corn kernels (I omitted this), 1 T butter, 1 c shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/2 c chopped green olives (stuffed with pimentos). Remove from heat. I then stuffed the bell peppers and sprinkled 1/2 c grated cheddar on top of them. I returned them to the oven for 10 minutes. I put part of the polenta in a separate bowl and baked it for M and J. While that baked, in a saucepan I combined a jar of salsa (16-oz), a can of black beans (15-oz) and 1/4 c chopped cilantro and simmered. To serve, I topped the peppers with the black bean/salsa mixture.

I was pleased. J loved it, he didn't eat the peppers, but thought the polenta was good. He ate a couple of servings. I realized as I watched him eat it exactly how nutrition poor eating just polenta is. M ate bok choy salad for the first time. I had to fight her for the last little bit. What a switch from the last month where she wouldn't even consider eating any salad. It's a start! She wasn't too sure about the polenta, but she did eat some, although rather guarded. Curtis and I both liked it, which was also pretty good because we had mixed opinions on polenta in the past. I think making our own for change improved our opinions considerably.

Egg Foo Yung Omelet

It took me forever to decide on supper tonight. I am not kidding, but it took about 2 hours of scavenging through cookbooks and recipes online before I finally found something that both looked good and I had the ingredients for (thankfully J took a long nap and M was entertaining herself as I sent myself on my almost wild goose chase). I ended up finding egg foo yung omelets.

I still had some bok choy left from last week which amazingly had not gone bad. It was a little wilted, but since I was cooking it I wasn't too worried about it (and I am ignoring the fact that lots of its valuable nutrients had left too). The omelet was pretty easy. I thinly sliced about 1/2 c onion, 1 small bell pepper (I used an orange one--the color and sweetness was nice), and a small head of bok choy (about 1 - 1 1/2 c worth). From the bok choy I used both the stems and the leaves. I heated some olive oil in a black skillet (about 8 -10 inches or so, it actually matters in this recipe), and cooked the veggies for 7 minutes with the cover on, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables were tender. While the vegetables cooked, I whisked together 5 eggs, 1 T soy sauce, 1 T water and 1 t ginger. I also combined 1 T cornstarch in 1 c of water and the added 1 T soy sauce and few drops of sesame oil to that. The cornstarch/water/soy sauce mixture I transferred to small pan on the stove and attempted to thicken it (my cornstarch thickening skills leave a lot to be desired) by bringing it to a boil and then simmering until it was clear and thickened. (I ran out of patience before that happened so our sauce was rather runny, but still good!). I poured the eggs over the tender vegetables, covered and slightly reduced heat and let the eggs cook, about 5 - 10 minutes. To serve, I removed the eggs from the skillet and topped with the soy sauce mixture.

Curtis and I really enjoyed it. J liked it pretty well too. M has been unusually picky about food lately so we were not surprised that she didn't eat any of it. I also served leftover poultry pasta primavera with the meal. I discovered that the soy sauce on top of that is also very tasty!

Cashew Chicken and Bok Choy Salad

I was happy to remember I had chicken breasts in the freezer this evening. I was having a hard time coming up with what's for dinner until I realized chicken stir fry was an option. I thawed 1 lb of chicken and then cut it into small pieces. I stir fried it in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes (don't cook the chicken all the way yet). I added 1/2 large onion cut into 1/2 inch wedges, 1 sliced green pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 2 t grated fresh ginger root (1/2 t ground ginger) and stir-fried everything until the chicken was cooked and the onions were crisp-tender. Then I added the seasonings: 4 t soy sauce, 1/2 t ground coriander, 2 t fish sauce, 3 T water, 1 T lemon juice, and 1/2 t ground cumin. I stir fried for just a minute more before stirring in 1/2 c of unsalted, roasted cashews. I served immediately over rice and with the wonderful bok choy salad on the side.

Everyone ate this well. I was quite pleased because M even ate the bell peppers--I think that is the first time that has happened. Unfortunately, the cashews were a little freezer burnt from being in my freezer too long. It was still good, I just didn't eat the cashews.

Old Bay Roasted Fish and Vegetables

I decided on Old Bay Roasted Fish and Vegetables for supper after getting sweet potatoes in our box this week. I had gotten the fish last week, but due to not getting what I had hoped for in the CSA box, I froze it, waiting for a week with sweet potatoes or arugula.

To make this, peel a medium/large sweet potato and cut it in half lengthwise and then crosswise into slices about 1/3" thick (little half moon shapes). Peel a kohlrabi (or repeat the first step with a second sweet potato if you have no kohlrabi. I just wanted to use up a kohlrabi in my recipe!) and dice it into small squares. Peel large onion and cut it in half and then into 1/2 " slices. Stem and seed a bell pepper and cut it into 1 1/2" chunks. In a mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with 3 T olive oil, 1 t dried thyme, and 1 T Old Bay Seasoning. Spread on a greased baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 25 - 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and browned.

While the vegetables roast, place 4 (6 oz) white fish fillets (I used tilapia, but you could use cod or halibut as well) in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk the 1 T olive oil with 2 T lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 T Old Bay Seasoning together. Drizzle olive oil mixture over the fish. When the vegetables have roasted for about 15 minutes, stir them with a spatula to prevent sticking. Put the pan of fish in the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes per inch thickness.

This turned out great! The kohlrabi had a wonderful flavor and was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Curtis and I really enjoyed it. M and J loved the fish. J had a few vegetables. M opted out of the vegetables for just fish. We figured with how infrequently we eat fish, a brief overload of fish was ok. I was worried the Old Bay would make it too spicy for the kids, but they liked it just fine.

Cuban Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers

I had planned on making Mexican Stuffed Peppers tonight for supper. That didn't quite work out once I realized my tomato had gone bad and I knew M wouldn't eat the black beans. After searching the internet for a while for other stuffed pepper recipes, I gave up because most seemed to have ground beef in them, which I had no interest in using. I decided to invent my own variation.

I wanted to use kidney beans because M will eat red beans (just not black beans---typical 3 year old!). I found a basic Cuban red beans and rice and decided to stuff the peppers with that. The recipe called for making your own beans. I just basically sauteed a half a chopped onion and two cloves minced garlic. Meanwhile I cooked white rice. After the rice was cooked, I mixed in 1/2 t cumin (it could have used more) to the onions and garlic and one can of kidney beans. I heated it and then added rice to just heat everything. I stuffed the two bell peppers that I had steamed in an inch or so of boiling water for 6 minutes. I put the remainder of the filling around the peppers in a 9 x 9" baking pan and topped the peppers with crumbled goat cheese and the extra filling with cheddar. I baked it all in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes.

All in all it was ok. Everyone ate it. J loved the beans, M was fine with it, Curtis thought it was good, but I thought it was rather bland. I didn't remember to add salt and the beans and rice needed a good dose of salt (or something). I may try again, but I want to find a better way of seasoning it.

Autumn Vegetable Soup

Today would be what I would consider our first truly wonderful fall day. After a trip to a park this morning watching my munchkins run around happily in long sleeves and long pants, I decided soup was definitely in the cards for tonight. Curtis had to work late again, so I was a little unsure about how the soup would go over. Last year, M would not eat soup so for a while I thought about backing out of soup and doing something more kid friendly. But I just couldn't pass up our beautiful fall day.

I chose a soup that used both kale and bell peppers. I was also hoping to sneak some kohlrabi in, but decided against it. To make the soup, I sauted a half a chopped onion in a medium saucepan (nothing huge necessary--only 4 c of liquid and 4 c of veggies). Once the onion was soft, I added two minced garlic cloves and sauted for an additional minute. Then I added approximately 3 c chopped kale, 1 c chopped bell pepper, 1 T chopped fresh basil, and 1 T chopped fresh oregano (or 1 t basil and 1 t oregano). I briefly sauted for a few minutes, then lowered the heat, covered the pot, and simmered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (I know this sounds strange to cook the vegetables without liquid, but it turns out great). I then added 3 c of chicken broth (the recipe called for 1 c water and 2 c vegetable stock, but I had 3 c of chicken broth in the freezer that I wanted to use), 1 c tomato juice (that I had canned earlier this summer), 1 1/2 T red wine, 2 c kidney beans (pretty much any kind of light bean works---black are a little too heavy), and 1/4 c small shells (or any other small pasta). Bring that to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. I served it like this, topped with parmesan.

The recipe does call for 1/2 c chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 T chopped fresh parsley to be stirred in at the end of the cooking time. If I would have had tomatoes, I would have added them (I've used them in the past as you can see in the picture). If you aren't ready to eat right away, you can let the soup simmer for as long as you need to.

I needn't worried about the kids response to the soup. M loved it. She didn't eat the kale (no surprise there) but she did eat the kidney beans I used which surprised me. J ate it very well as well and I had two bowls. There's nothing like the first soup of the fall.