Veggies and fruit go well together - 'All good things' stew

Hello! Is anybody still there? *taps microphone*

I have been away from my blog for almost a month, and I have so much I want to share with you. I've been cooking a fairly decent amount, and was very happy with how some of my recipes turned out, and so to make up for my absence, will post them over the next few days as a sort of backlog.

'All good things' stew

This recipe was a gorgeous mishmash of veggies and fruits I had in my refrigerator. Red-skinned waxy potatoes were first cooked over low/medium heat in olive oil, sea salt, and chopped rosemary until crusty and browned. I then added halved brussels sprouts and garlic to braise, and when those were a vivid green and softly cooked through in the outer layers, I added cauliflower and diced apples. Everything was topped off with a sauce of pureed apples, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of beef broth to add depth to the flavor, then covered and left to simmer (ie, letting your food party together!). The result was a fragrant and hearty dish that remained light thanks to the apples, garlic, rosemary, and sauce. Served with a quick pasta salad of whole grain and regular pasta, mixed with a small amount of butter, olive oil, chopped garlic, and halved cherry tomatoes right after draining, my boyfriend pronounced it 'Delicious!' and we finished everything off.

Recipe for the stew:

Two medium sized red-skinned waxy potatoes
2-3 sprigs of rosemary, gently washed and dried, with the rosemary needles stripped from the stem and finely chopped
Pinch of sea salt
 
About 1 pint of brussels sprouts
1 quarter of a smallish/medium-sized head of cauliflower, cleaned, and cut into bite size chunks

Two tart-sweet apples (I used two Fuji apples), thoroughly washed, then cubed

For the sauce: reserve about 1/3 of the cubed apples to puree in a blender with 1/2 cup of beef broth (or any other kind of broth, such as chicken or veggie) and about 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, until it's a smooth and..sauce-y!  (cue those slapstick-sounding drums..anybody know what those are actually called?)

-Cook the potatoes, in about 2-3 tbsp olive oil, with the rosemary and salt, over low-medium heat until they are slightly browned
-Next add the brussels sprouts, allowing them to cook until bright green, stirring occasionally to keep flavors and heat evenly distributed

-Add the apples, cauliflower, and sauce, stir to coat evenly, turn heat up to medium, and allow mixture to come to a boil. Then you cover the pan, turn heat to low to allow the mixture to simmer, and stir once in a while to keep it all nice and mixed. The dish is ready when the sprouts are tender enough to be pierced with a fork and yet retain their shapes, the cauliflower is toothy-tender, you can smell the fragrance of the apples from the sauce, and the apples also retain their shape, and are soft and tender and melting in your mouth. 

Enjoy :)

Going with the flow

I like the idea of continuity, of things, events, interactions, and ideas flowing seamlessly into each other. The same can be said for the way I approach my work - it's wonderful when the pieces fall together and there is a natural progression of how events unfold. 

Happily, all this happened the other night when I made this dinner. Gently sauteed collard greens, a mix of whole wheat and regular pasta liberally dressed with grated cheese, and a fried egg to top it all off.

I was channeling the mantras and themes of some of my favorite Italian [cook]books and the artists who put them together, namely Rosetta Costantino's My Calabria, and Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun.  I loved these books for the authors' approach to good food. It begins with carefully selected and fresh ingredients, and culminates in simple preparations that really allow them to speak for themselves. I've come to adopt these principles as they resonate the most with me, and they are the ones I rely and fall back on when I want a healthy and tasty meal without going too crazy over the stove. So for me that night, it was all about simplicity and celebrating the vibrancy of good and fresh ingredients. How they come together, play off of and balance each other. In what I thought was near-perfect harmony, no less.

I would recommend this dinner when you want something light and yet fulfilling. The collards pack a healthy punch of vitamins A, C, and K, not to mention calcium and fiber, the egg gives you protein, and the pasta sustains and makes you happy. Seriously :) It's cheesy, noodle-y goodness and two nutritional powerhouses, what more could you ask for from dinner?

What to do:

It was all about timing to make sure the components made it onto the plate at around the same time all piping hot and freshly prepared. Pasta and collards are cooked nearly in tandem, with the egg coming up last to make sure the yolk is liquid (and hot) enough to mingle with the rest of the dish.

This serves 2 for one meal, or 1 for 2 meals :)

-4 ounces of your favorite pasta
-1 inch cubes of Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded (I've managed to keep the Gruyere fresh for almost a month now. The wonders of special cheese-wrapping paper...in any case, I'm just glad that this one didn't go moldy on me before I was finished using it, and I'm down to my last little cube. Which most likely will be gone by the time I write my next post :)

-1 tbsp olive oil
-Red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste
-Collard greens, 8 big leaves (they are like umbrellas or fans! What a veggie :)
-1 cup of low sodium chicken, beef, or veggie broth. I used beef.
-1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

First, wash and slice the collards into strips about an inch wide. This is easier if you cut the whole leaf downwards length wise along the rib, lay the pieces on top of each other, fold length wise in half, then slice away. Put the water for pasta on to boil. While you're waiting for that water to boil, mince your garlic and set it aside. Cook your pasta according to its directions, usually around 11 minutes, and test frequently towards the end to make sure you end up with pasta al dente, or somewhere close around there.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on medium heat, add the two kinds of pepper, then add your strips of collard greens. Toss to coat evenly with the oil and pepper. Add the beef broth, stir, allow to come to a boil, then cover and let steam for about 3 minutes until the veggies are wilted and brilliantly deep green. Turn the heat off, add the garlic and stir, and let the residual heat do the rest of the work (cover the pan and stir occasionally to distribute flavors and heat).

Meanwhile, gently fry up your egg on the lower side of medium heat, according to your preference. I like to leave my yolk a little runny so I can break it, and let it can coat the pasta along with the cheese. It's velvety and delicious!

How's that pasta doing? If it's cooked to the texture you like, immediately remove from the stove, add cold water to the pot, then drain pasta. Plate the pasta, cover with cheese and mix to let the cheese melt into the pasta. Add veggies to the plate, then the fried egg, and dinner is served!

Three very good things

I saw this on Chocolate and Zucchini (link on the right! Please note new link section full of inspiring reads), and think it is a wonderful way to remember the things in life to be thankful for. Here is my list for today:

-My boyfriend, not just for today, but for all the love and sweetness he brings to my life. Plus, the man brings me my favorite pretzels and sandwiches from this great local bakery..he knows me and my stomach well. Thank you sweetie for being you <3

-The light on the front patio of the International House of Philadelphia, streaming onto the stone benches and concrete from underneath thousands and thousands of green gold and scarlet leaves.

-Laughing with my friends and watching great Bollywood music videos. Chaiyya Chaiyya, ShahRukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, ahh :)

Have a wonderful weekend and week :)

Some days I just want something simple, tasty, and refreshing for dinner. Especially if those days are Taco Tuesdays at work (a weekly holiday my girls and I from the office treat ourselves to - we go this amazing taco truck a few blocks from our work to get our fix of savory meat, fresh guacamole, and hot sauce wrapped up in assorted bundles of tasty, spicy goodness. Burritos are my go-to, so large they're enough for two meals! But I digress -), or if I bring leftover pizza and curried stew for lunch.

Last night was one of those times, where all I craved were light, flavorful, and juicy foods. I had a gorgeous head of Romaine lettuce from the farmer's market - thanks Ash for spotting those at the stand! - a good stock of canned sardines in my pantry, and some odds and ends that came together to make a bright and crisp salad that bordered on exhilarating. It made me happy to look at and even happier to eat it.

I like salads that focus on a few good ingredients and how their flavors blend and play together. I think this one hit the mark, a few simple things to make something that is more than the sum of their parts. I could have cheerfully munched away on those tender crisp green leaves, the juicy tart-sweet apple, savored the salty cheese and the briny sardines, one by one. Put together, they were a flavor explosion in my mouth. 

I also 'made' tortilla chips, from some corn tortillas I had in my fridge that were begging to be put to use. A quick search over the Internet turned up troves of websites with tips on baking tortillas into chips. Simple and tastes amazing hot from the oven. I would definitely recommend these chips plus your favorite dip/salsa/guacamole for your next get-together (or just to munch on for yourself, anytime, anywhere).

Falling for Apples and Cheese Salad:

Half a head of Romaine lettuce
1 Honeycrisp apple (or Fuji if Honeycrisps aren't readily available)
1 one-inch cube of Gruyere cheese
Half a tin of sardines (I like sardines relatively unmessed with, in olive oil or water without extra salt or flavorings)

Dressing:
1 clove of garlic, finely minced (let your garlic sit for at least 5-10 minutes after mincing, before you use it, to help it maximize its cancer-fighting properties. They are supposedly activated by slicing/cutting/grinding/mashing/you get the picture...)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
a little more than a tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps rice vinegar

Rinse well, dry, and tear Romaine leaves into the size you like. Wash your apple thoroughly, slice into bite sized slivers, keeping the peel on if organic, peeling if not organic (just to be careful of any residual pesticides, even if the apple is organic, wash and rub vigorously and well under running cold water). Sliver your cheese as finely as you like, using a mandoline, or you can coarsely grate them as well depending on the texture you like.

Vigorously beat and stir the salad dressing ingredients together at the bottom of your salad mixing bowl. Add lettuce, toss to coat thoroughly, then add apples and sardines, tossing and breaking up sardines as you go, and evenly distributing the dressing. Put salad onto your plate, sprinkle with the cheese, and enjoy!

*Serves 1 :) Go on, treat yourself!



Baked tortilla chips:

Ready made corn tortillas
Olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of tortillas, stack them up and slice into sixths. Arrange single layer on baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with the sea salt, pop into the oven and take them out when the edges have curled up and the chips are golden brown. Enjoy and congratulate yourself on your ingenuity :)

Hold on

Summer escaped from us quickly this year.  Those hot days, heavy with humidity and sunshine so strong you can almost hold in your hands, seem like a fleeting memory as we now face grayer skies and cooling temperatures.  I call these my gray kitten days, when the skies are robed in fuzzy silver clouds that almost purr as they pass their way by.  When the weather is like this, there's nothing I want more than to curl up with a good book and hot tea, soft music in the background, and a warm heart next to me.

Well, almost nothing else, and this being a food blog, you've guessed the exception - a nice dinner, but not just any nice dinner.  I had in mind something substantial in nutrients and that incorporates summer's last bounty, light and yet still satisfying in preparation.

I had a small basketful of slender green Italian peppers that I had just picked up at the weekly farmer's market.  I like Italian peppers for their clean flavor.  The red ones are more sweet, while the green ones taste as green as they look. Which is to say, an almost effervescent burst of juiciness, crispness, and clear flavor with a slight hint of heat.  A sunny, yellow-green, almost chartreuse taste.

With smoky chicken sausage, sweet red onions, savory earthy mushrooms, and pungent garlic, I thought I would let the peppers mingle, and contribute its own fresh note to the dish.  Whole wheat pasta 'mac and cheese' would round out the meal, along with leftover quick-sauteed red cabbage.  A tasty way to transition from summer to fall. 

I like to make big pots/pans of vegetable based dishes that will last me a few meals and taste good reheated.  Unless it's dinner for two, these become lunch at work for the next day, part of the next day's dinner, or if there's just a small amount left, a pre-dinner nosh before I start the 'serious' cooking for that night. Recipes for all three follow below; they are all quick to make, with what I think is minimal fuss, and allow for the ingredients to shine together.  There is also room for variation so you can season, add, adjust as you like. It's your canvas, dinner, masterpiece :)

For these kinds of dishes I don't really measure out my ingredients, especially when it comes to seasonings. The amounts are approximations, what I've become accustomed to using for their balance of tastes, and so with these as a guide, you should feel free to nudge and tinker with the amounts as it suits your own taste. 

Almost-fall quick-stew:
-Makes about 2-3 servings.
-Prep time: 5-10 mins to mince garlic, chop onions, slice sausages, slice peppers. Cooking time is about 30 minutes, so 45 minutes total. The main thing is before the simmering, to remember to stir and keep an eye on how your dish is doing to keep it cooking evenly.  Other than that, it's pretty low-maintenance, and you can do other things while it's simmering for the latter half of the recipe!

Ingredients:
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tsp hot red pepper flakes. I use this in a lot of my cooking, because I love the hint of spicy heat the pepper flakes lend to the food.  The amount here may be a bit spicy for those who prefer more mild dishes; I would halve the amount so you would have just a gentle boost to the flavor. 
-half of a medium sized red onion, coarsely chopped (half-inch chunks)
-1 chicken sausage, sliced.  For my veggie dishes, I like to use small-ish amounts of flavorful meats as an accent, but you can add some more if you wish, and it will provide a bit more bulk to keep you full a little longer.
-2 cups of your favorite mushrooms. I used a dried blend from Costco, which rehydrated and swelled beautifully throughout the cooking, and had shiitakes, porcinis, Brazilians, ivory ports, morels, and oyster mushrooms! Ah, Costco, how I love thee :D Of course, fresh mushrooms would be delicious in this dish. Depending on how delicate the mushroom is, I would recommend adding them towards the middle or the last 5-10 minutes of the recipe to prevent them from shrinking/overcooking.  On the other hand, dried mushrooms benefit from longer cooking times to soak up more of the liquids, so I'd keep those at the beginning of the recipe. Whew, that's a lot of talk about mushrooms..
-about 1 tbsp dried basil
-a little less dried oregano

 -1/2 cup your favorite tomato sauce

-6 Italian peppers, washed, trimmed of stem and inner core of seeds, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2-inch width
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 cup chicken broth.  I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth whenever you are able. In addition to being healthier for you, it adds a savory touch to your dishes without running the risk of making your food too salty if you are using other products that often come with added sodium (such as the sausage and sauce). You get a nice clean slate where you can experiment with your seasonings and really taste their impact, their subtleties and nuances depending on how much and what you add. Plus, you can always salt and pepper to adjust the taste to your liking towards the end.

What to do:
In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and dried red pepper flakes on medium heat, until you can feel the heat by holding your hand a few inches from the oil. As with any hot stove/oven, pan, utensil, or food - careful!

When the oil is heated, add the onion, sausage, mushrooms, and dried herbs, and let cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the onion has become translucent.

Next, add the tomato sauce and let it heat through for a few minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.

Then add the green peppers, stirring thoroughly to mix and heat through.  Add the garlic, stir and let heat for just a few minutes until fragrant, add the broth, stirring to combine, and when the whole thing comes to a boil, turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend.  If the stew looks a bit watery towards the end, turn the heat up to medium high, and let cook uncovered for a few minutes, stirring and watching carefully, to cook off the excess. 

Serve and enjoy!  This would be nice over pasta or rice, or you can top a toasted slice of hearty bread rubbed with the cut end of a garlic clove with some of the stew for a snack. 


Sauteed red cabbage:
-Makes a lot of servings.  Cabbage is wonderfully healthy and inexpensive, so this is a good, easy dish to bulk up your meals with plenty of fiber and nutrients.
-Prep time: 10 mins to mince garlic and prepare cabbage, 15-20 to cook, about half an hour total.

Ingredients:
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
-4 cloves garlic, minced

-1 head of red cabbage, outer layer leaves removed, trimmed of stem, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 inch strips. Be careful when trimming and slicing, I needed to use a bigger knife (not quite a meat cleaver, but definitely heftier than a paring knife!) to get through the entire cabbage. I felt very hardcore. (ok..I admit the pun was slightly intended, since those cabbages have really, really tough cores to slice through. Ahem, let's move on with the cooking shall we!)
-1/2 cup chicken broth
-1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste.

What to do:
On medium heat in a non-stick pan, heat up your oil and red pepper, and then add your garlic, stirring and heating until the mixture is fragrant.  Add the cabbage and stir thoroughly to coat with the seasonings and oil, cooking for just a few minutes uncovered.  Add the chicken broth, let the mixture come to a boil, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.  Let any excess liquid cook off, the pan uncovered, add the Dijon mustard, stir to mix and heat through, add salt and pepper to taste, and you are finished. 

A tasty variation - chop up an apple, and add it to the pan before you add the chicken broth, stirring to mix with the cabbage and seasonings before you let the whole thing simmer cheerfully away. 

I like this with a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.  I think it would make a nice partner to a zesty grilled fish, and a meal of raclette if you are so inclined. Along similar lines, for an easy and filling dish, boil a couple of small potatoes (Yukon Golds if you can, or a few nice fingelings), treat yourself to a sample of your favorite sausages/cured meats if you like, load up your plate with cabbage, and call it a quick choucroute. 


Still with me? (It's okay if you need a break!) Thanks for staying with me so far. One more recipe I wanted to share:


Easy-peasy 'mac and cheese' (-y. Yeah, I know...couldn't resist :)
-Makes about 3 portions, or 2 if you want more cheesy pasta goodness!
-Prep time: 5 minutes to grate cheese, 15-20 to cook pasta, 3-5 minutes to allow ingredients to meld - about 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
-1/4 of a box of pasta. I used whole wheat rotini this time.
-1 inch cubes of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and aged white cheddar cheese, grated
-a little less than 1 tbsp good butter. I used Beurre d'Isigny that I found at a local bakery. It's a little expensive, but the taste is incredible, so I store it in the freezer and parcel it out for recipes where its flavor can really shine.
-salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Well, this one's really easy and just depends on careful use of heat to melt the cheese and butter just enough to coat your pasta.  It's best to keep the pasta al dente, as with any pasta dish, so keep an eye on the cooking time and taste for doneness a minute or so before it's 'time.' Pasta will continue to cook in the hot water even after you shut off the heat; adding cold water to the pot, and quickly draining will prevent overcooking (just don't rinse the pasta under running water once you've put it in the colander. I did this once and a friend who really knew pasta was horrified because apparently I'd 'killed the pasta!')

Once you've got your hot drained pasta, set the pot you used to cook the pasta back on the stove, on the lowest heat setting, and add your butter.  Let it melt and coat the bottom of the pot, then add your pasta, stir to coat, then add all your grated cheese.  Stir gently to fold pasta and cheese together, add salt and pepper to taste, and take it off the heat when the cheese has nearly completely melted into the pasta.  The idea is to get it away from the heat source and let the residual heat finish the job so that the cheese doesn't dry out and get tough or rubbery.  Serve immediately and enjoy :)  I liked it with a dollop of pesto mixed in.  

Whew, all done! Thank you for staying with me through all this. You are all champions :)  I didn't realize how long this blog post would be, and it's definitely a lot to take in. However, I hope you'll have found some inspiration or ideas on delicious and healthy foods that are simple to prepare and accommodate a variety of meal combinations.  Let me know how it turns out!

Welcome (the first bite)

Hi there, and welcome to my blog. My name is Min, and I am happy that you are sharing this first step with me.

Although I am not new to the blogging world or the idea of blogging, thanks to my college community's blogspace (a shout-out to all of Planworld! It was a happy day when I was introduced to this virtual enclave, and I will write more about this in a future post. I think it deserves one.), this is my first foray into specifically blogging on food.  

My friends and family will wonder why and how it took me so long to start a blog devoted to all matters relating to food.  For example, in the past year or so, my Planworld posts have been increasingly speckled with blurbs on pastries, hearty salads, particularly eye-opening restaurant experiences, and  food market adventures.  I will expound upon food, by way of both verbal and written word, to my dear friends, my sweet boyfriend, and pretty much anybody who happens to be close by at the moment (just kidding..I will not, for example, accost you on the subway if you happen to innocently comment on the bags of produce or bread or meat or cheese I am clutching..with luck my eyes probably will just light up and you might think I'm only the teensiest bit crazy.).

Beyond that, I think I have always loved food. I distinctly remember my 5 year old self gobbling up the entire contents of a skillet of delicious sauteed vegetables my wonderful mother had cooked for dinner.  She couldn't stop laughing when she came back to the kitchen to the sight of the empty pan and my sheepish yet triumphant grin, and to this day we wonder how I managed to put all that food away.  Her winter-time stews were major events in my days, and I savored each lovingly cooked bite.  As with many other good things, I credit this amazing woman for instilling in me a firm appreciation for food that nourishes not only your body, but also, really, your soul.

In any case, just to make my point, when you find yourself writing rather and probably unduly passionately about food on your college alumni directory profile, then you know that's a pretty good sign you ought to do it somewhere 'proper.'

And so here we are, on a blustery fall night, with a mug of green tea steaming next to me and Queen in the background, and the first post on my shiny new blog.  I have many ideas, thoughts, recipes, etc I am looking forward to share with you; I hope you will stay with me, and that you will enjoy and benefit as this develops.

I will leave you with the thought of something sweet and delightful - a perfect crème brûlée, silky smooth custard protected by that tempting, fragile glass topping of burnt sugar. Served to you in a tinfoil cup from a brightly painted dessert truck parked along a busy through-street of an urban university campus.  Aren't food trucks grand?  Have you partaken of truck food, and if so, what's your favorite? I would love your recommendations, wherever you are, and will hopefully be lucky enough to sample one day!