Tropical Envy

My friend Janice is vacationing in Hawaii this week.  My sister's vacationing in Florida.  I'm stuck here with nothing but rain every single dingle day, dreaming about sunshine and the sand between my toes. So if I can't go to the tropics, I'll bring a little of the tropics here....a sweet Caribbean-inspired chicken and banana dish.  May sound weird, but believe me it is delish!  Made me do the happy dance after the first bite...feeling a little full of myself right now.

First I heated about a teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat and browned four quartered bananas. It takes just a minute or two per side.  Remove them from the skillet, and when they're cool enough to handle, give them a rough chop. And try not to eat all of them while you're preparing the rest of the meal.  That's the tricky part.

Add a bit more coconut oil to the same skillet and saute one pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cinnamon - give both sides a good rub of the spice mix.  I pound the heck out of the chicken breasts (before I season them, of course) so that they are about 1/4" thick and they cook much faster - just 4-5 minutes per side.  When they're cooked through to 165, remove them from the skillet to cool and then shred into bite-sized pieces.

Add just a smidge more coconut oil to the skillet and saute two diced jalapeno peppers (remove seeds and membrane if you're afraid of the heat), 1 diced red bell pepper, and 6 thinly sliced scallions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes then add the chopped banana, shredded chicken, 3 cups cooked brown basmati rice, 1/3 cup chopped peanuts, the juice of one lime, and one tablespoon tamari.  Garnish with a little of the scallion greens or chives and call it a day.  \Another one pot wonder - fuit, veg, protein, whole grain...you've got it all.

The smoky chicken, the sweet, gooey carmelized banana, the crunchy peanuts, the fiery jalapeno peppers; suddenly I don't care so much that it's raining... and raining and raining. Well sure, the umbrella drink helps a little. 

It's Appetizer Season!

Well, my blogging "with a vengeance" wasn't so vengeful after all. Things have been a little busy, with the holidays and all, so I thought I should share a little of what I've been up to..

Given the choice of appetizers or dessert, I will always opt for appetizers.  In fact, I would opt for appetizers for dinner, too.  And lately I have been sharing the love.  I've catered two appetizer parties in the past couple weeks,taught a Holiday Appetizer class, and have brought an appetizer to every dinner I've gone to lately.  I'm clearly not alone in my love of the small plates. 

It all started with Thanksgiving, the official start of Appetizer Season.  For the second year in a row I brought a Kahlua Baked Brie (sorry no picture, because it was significantly attacked by the crowd in the time it took me to get my camera out of my purse).  One woman who I had given the recipe to last year told me that she  pulled the recipe out of her coat pocket the next day, staring at it longingly like it was the phone number from a cute guy she met in a bar the night before, complete with that old "oh, what did I do last night?"  Yep, it's that good, folks:

Kahlua Baked Brie

1 6oz wheel of Brie

¼ c chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

2T Kahlua

1T agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350◦.  Cut the rind off top of brie, leaving 1/4” at edges.  In a bowl combine remaining ingredients.  Place brie on an oven-safe dish, preferably one with a lip. Top with Kahlua mixture.  Bake for 5-8 minutes until soft. Serve with baguette, crackers, or apple and pear slices.

Last weekend I prepared 5 appetizers for a wine tasting party...

We had Caprese Kebabs, Wild Salmon Spread with Cucumber Rounds, Proscuitto, Fig & Arugula Roll-ups with Lemon Chevre, Spinach Stuffed Red Bliss Potatoes, and Asian Style Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce.  You're probably saying, "Wow, that sounds delicious."  And you would be right. I made much more than necessary, and the small group ate every single dingle thing, much to the chagrin of the hostess who was hoping for leftovers later in the evening.

After that party I came home and got ready to go to a holiday party of my own.  I never like to come empty handed, and since I was hopped up on appetizer energy I decided to make yet another.  This was completely on the fly, which I think is why I liked it so much.  When I throw something together with ingredients I have on hand and it comes out this delicious, it makes me do the happy dance (no picture of that dance either, sadly).  This Pear, Proscuitto & Gorgonzola Crostini will be making the rounds at a lot of parties in the next couple weeks. 

Start by melting a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a skillet.  Add 1 pear, diced and 3 slices proscuitto, chopped.  Saute for a few minutes until the pear is slightly softened.  Hit it with a pinch of salt and pepper and a little sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.

While the pear is cooking, drizzle olive oil over thinly sliced baguette slices (this recipe will make about 24 crostini) and pop them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until slightly toasted.

Remove the bread form the oven and top with the pear mixture.  Place a few crumbles of gorgonzola on top of the pears and bake again for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted.  When you pull them out of the oven, think about how many guests there really are going to be at the party and then determine how many of these you can eat in advance and still have enough for everyone else...my count was three.

I'll share more of the other appetizer recipes with you later; writing this and looking at the pictures made me hungry.  Got to pop into the kitchen and see what I can come up with now.....

Try Something New

I went to the farmers' market to get inspired today.  We're moving into that less colorful season around here, the one I call the "101 Things to Do with Kale" season.  Winter markets are less exciting for me, so I was pleased to find something I had never tried before: feijoas, also known as pineapple guava.  And I am in love!

At first I thought they were limes, which I needed to get, but as I got closer I could tell they were something different...the sign poking out of the box that read "Pineapple Guava" helped a bit.  Twin Girls Farm has samples out of all their fruits, so I picked one up as I walked by, and it literally stopped me in my tracks.  The flavor and the scent of the fruit are almost intoxicating - a beautiful blend of pineapple, pear, lemon, guava, kiwi and pinot griggio...seriously, it's THAT good.  And it's so nice to know that there is a "tropical" fruit grown here in California, so I can satisfy my "local and seasonal" sensibilities and  my desire for tropical fruit.  I'm bummed I only bought 5 of them; I only have one left.  I'll be hitting the Civic Center Market on Sunday to scoop up a bunch before they're all gone.  They will only be around for a couple more weeks, so do yourself a favor and get out to your local farmer's market before they disappear (unless your local market is also the Sunday Civic Center one; then stay home, it's supposed to rain Sunday and I'm concerned you'll catch a cold). 

Look for ones that are dark green, give a little (like an avacado), and are free of bruises.  The skin is a little bitter, so I don't eat it, but according to the farmer, you can.  I just cut them in half and scoop out the flesh.  With the next batch I buy I'll get a little more invested:  put them in salads and smoothies and make a tropical salsa (with kiwi, satsuma, shallots and red pepper flakes) to put over a nice piece of fish.  If you are a baker, I think these would be fantastic in muffins...and then bring them on over to my house!

I've got to go eat that last one.....

Tip of the Day

It's always a good idea to wash your knives immediately after cutting something.  That way you avoid eating a piece of kiwi that tastes like onion! You know I looove onions, but that is a flavor combination that's not so tasty...

Shepherd-ish Pie

I was housesittiing for a friend the past 11 days and away from my computer, but I am back with a blogging vengeance.  The weather had turned cold here in the Bay Area, and that makes me want to cook warm, comforting foods.... like my version of a shepherd's pie.  Mashed potatoes may very well be my favorite food, and I'm a huge fan of one pot meals, so years ago when I first heard about this dish with meat and veggies topped with mashed potatoes, I was in!

Now, friends have told me I should never tell this story (it doesn't really instill confidence in my cooking), but it was years ago, and it's a good one, so here goes... my first crack at Shepherd's Pie.

I think it was Real Simple magazine that had a recipe each month that was a kind of "cheat" version, a short cut of a more complicated dish.  I should have known it wouldn't end well because A) every time I've taken a "short cut" to avoid traffic, it ends up taking me much longer than if I had just stayed on the highway and B) the recipe called for boxed mashed potatoes, which shouldn't be consumed by anyone not living in a dorm.

I'm still going to maintain that the recipe could've been written better, but even my friend Jacqueline who admittedly doesn't cook, started laughing so hard that she was crying when I said that since the recipe didn't say to cook the fake potatoes first, I just sprinkled them on top...the whole 4 cups of them!  So that was a disaster and went right into the trash.   I think I ate cereal that night.

A couple days later I decided that this recipe was NOT going to get the best of me, so I tried again.  This time I cooked the potatoes first, but again I maintain that the recipe wasn't written well... what I eventually figured out was that they were going for 4 cups of cooked potatoes.  The reicpe, however, just said "4 cups instant mashed potates", so I cooked 4 cups of the flakes, which yielded a boatload of cooked potatoes.  And, you guessed it, I went ahead and threw them right on top of my meat and veggie mixture, all the while saying "this just doesn't seem right."  The weight of the mountain of potatoes reduced the rest of the food to about 1/4 inch.  While that attempt was edible from an "at least it won't make you sick" standpoint, it was pretty much inedible.  So I threw out the recipe and the idea that I would ever make shepherd's pie again.

But today's a new day, and I'm a much better cook.  Sorry guys, this is one of my no-recipe dishes - I think I'm categorically opposed to writing a recipe for it given my history.  But it's super simple and adaptable; just remember to taste as you go when you start seasoning.

I start with baking about 4 large sweet potaotes (you can use the traditional russet potatoes, but sweet potaotes give it a nice flavor and are full of antioxidants.  Best of all, they help stabilize blood sugar levels and inprove the body's use of insulin.  I have a nephew with Type 1 diabetes, so I am always looking for good food to help him out.  If you are caring for anyone with diabetes, get sweet potaotes on your menu.

While the potatoes are baking, saute 1 chopped medium onion in a tablespoon of olive oil.  After about 5 minutes add whatever veggies you like; I use chopped bell peppers, carrots and corn (frozen works, too). Peas are a traditional veggie in a shepherd's pie, but I'm not a big fan.

After another 5 minutes or so, add 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground turkey, and your favorite seasonings.  I like to use thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder and sage.  Just sprinkle a little at a time and taste as you go.  Remember you can always add more, but you can't take it away.  Cook until turkey is no longer pink.

When potaotes are done, split them open and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  In a large bowl mash the potatoes with a splash of milk, 1 or 2 tablespoons butter and a couple teaspoons of  pure maple syrup. 

Fill a cassetrole dish with the meat and veggie mixture and top with the sweet potaotes.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Who the heck needs a short cut?!

Ch-ch-ch-chia!

This week I'm working at the culinary school I went to, and it's re-energized my healthy eating commitment.  The school, Bauman College, focuses on a holistic and therapeutic approach to cooking.  Aside from the obvious: eat lots of fruits and veggies, avoid trans fats and sugar, the culinary program taught me about powerfully healthy "alternative" ingredients.  When I first started the program I referred to them as "weird foods."  The first one I was introduced to was chia.  One of my instructors, Chef Maria, shared her love of chia with us in the first week.  Every time she mentioned it, I couldn't help but picture the silly chia pets that I used to see advertised on TV.  I never understood why those were considered a cute gift; I had an even harder time imagining how they could be tasty and good for you to eat???  Come to think of it, my ex-husband gave me a chia pet for Christmas years ago (yet another reason why he's the "ex" husband), and while I may have contemplated making HIM eat it, I never would've taken a nibble myself.

So back to culinary school... one day at school our kitchen manager, Dana, made us a chia pudding for our snack. A) it was delicious, and B) it wasn't the green stuff pretending to be Abe Lincoln's hair; they were tiny dark seeds...

Now for the nutritional stuff.... chia seeds have more calcium that a glass of milk, are a good source of fiber, protein and omega 3's, and because they soak up 10X their weight in water they help to keep you hydrated and to retain electrolytes.

Dana soaked the seeds in coconut milk and added garam masala and cinnamon.  I was so in love with the taste that when I had a bunch of my college girlfriends over for a girls' weekend a couple weeks later I fixed it for breakfast, and, not surprisingly, they all loved it.  My friend Sue still makes it regularly and has developed her own concoctions using chia seeds.  Maybe she'll share some of her ideas with us...

I hadn't made Chia Pudding in months, but between being back at Bauman this week and seeing the new commercial for the Barak Obama Chia Head today, I decided to whip up a little chia love.

Coconut milk is sometimes a little heavy for me, so I tried something I had read about while at Bauman and made banana milk.  For people who are lactose intolerant (which I unfortunately am not), it's a nice alternative and super easy to make: put one medium banana in a blender with 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth.  You can strain it if you want, but I don't.  It makes 1 cup of "milk."  I poured a little bit on my granola (yum) and then made a Banana Chia Pudding:

First put 1/4 cup chia seeds in a bowl and add 1 cup banana milk (always use 1 part chia seeds to 4 parts liquid) and a pinch of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg:

Stir to blend. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then stir well again.  Wait another 5 minutes and give it one more stir.  Trust me on this... the first time I made it I took a short cut on the stirring part, and the final product reminded me of a clumpy litter box (yeah, not so appetizing, so do it!).  Put it in the fridge overnight.  What you get is a super delish pudding, great for breakfast, snack or dessert.  I like to add berries and nuts, usually.   I was too excited to eat this one, so I forgot to add the nuts and didn't even take the time to defrost the frozen berries; just wanted to take the picture and dig in!

Give this one a try.  Just trust me; you'll love it, and it is sooooo good for you.  Not to mention, according to the Chia Head commercials running now, if you are "Proud to be an American" you'll get your chia on!!

Fear not the butternut!

Butternut squash can be a little intimidating...they're not the easiest things to peel and cut.  It certainly helps to have a sharp peeler and knife, as it turns out.  A couple weeks ago I was working in the kitchen at Spirit Rock and the chef had a huge tub of butternut squash waiting for me.  When I put on my best "isn't there something else I can do?" face, he wasn't buying it.  He leaned in and said, "Suzanne, that which we resist, persists."  What do you expect from the chef at a Buddhist Meditation Retreat Center??

But he was right.  After spending a hour or so wrestling with those buggers, they became less frustrating for me.  So when I received two of them in my CSA last week, I was not afraid...I fearlessly cut the heck out of them and made the most delish soup.  In case you're unsure about how to work the butternut, here's a little help...

First, cut a slice off the bottom to keep the squash stable while you peel it.  Once peeled cut off the top and cut across just above the bulbous part of the squash:

Next cut the seeded half in half again and scoop out the seeds:

Then slice them lengthwise and chop into uniform pieces, about 1" cubes are best for soup or risotto.

I sauteed the squash with onions, apples, herbs and seasonings and simmered in vegetable stock for about a half hour.  Top it with homemade herb croutons (toss cut sourdough with olive oil and your favorite herbs in a skillet til toasted) and whip up a side salad for a great, light dinner.



Butternut & Apple Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 fuji apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Juice and zest from one medium orange

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups organic vegetable broth

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add apples and sauté an additional 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add squash, thyme, juice from the orange and salt .  Stir to combine all ingredients and add broth to cover.  Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  Working in batches, fill a blender half way and puree until smooth.  Return to pot and add orange zest, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Box of Yum...

I love the days that I get my CSA (Community Sponsered Agriculture).  It's a little like Christmas morning to me, even though I know exactly what fruit and veggies I'm getting.  So it's exactly like the year my sister Michelle was about 11 and I was 7, and we unwrapped all our gifts a week before Christmas when our parents were out and then re-wrapped them.  Not much of a surprise Christmas morning, but still fun to have new stuff to play with.

This week I'll be playing with arugula, artichokes, butternut squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, romaine, apples, oranges and pears...

I'm thinking Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, Stuffed Artichokes, Maple Glazed Carrots, and Fig and Arugula Pizza (with goat cheese, of course).  Sounds like a good week, so come back and check out the culinary mischief...

For starters, here's what happened to the  juicy oranges and peppery arugula from the Box of Yum:

Smoky Tilapia in Citrus Sauce

Serves 4

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

4 tilapia fillets

4 cups arugula (baby spinach works great, too)

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup dried cranberries

In a small bowl combine the juices, agave, oil, tamari and mirin.  Set aside.  In another small bowl mix paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.  Rub mixture over tilapia fillets.  Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add tilapia and cook 3 minutes.  Turn each fillet, add citrus sauce and continue cooking 3-4 minutes until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.  Mix arugula, almonds and cranberries together and divide among four plates.  Top with tilapia fillet and sauce.

Justify dessert!

My friend Sue recently posed the question, "does Chardonnay count as a food group?" to which I replied "it's made from grapes, so yes.  And enjoy your two servings."  I'm a master at justification.... so let's talk dessert.

You won't find many dessert recipes posted here, for these reasons:
1) I prefer appetizers to dessert.
2) Baking generally involves exact measurements, precision and science.  Count me out. On all levels.
3) I don't really have a sweet tooth.  My cravings come in the form of a block of parmegiano-reggiano or gouda.
3) I can usually calm the rare sweet tooth craving (somewhere around day 26) with a spoonful of organic peanut butter with a squirt of chocolate syrup on top.  Seriously, try it.

But the other day I was looking at these sad little pears and apples still sitting in my fruit bowl after a week, and I felt the need to save them.  I think that when we throw produce away we have robbed it of it's purpose, and it leaves this life unfulfilled.  No, I don't really think that; I just hate to throw away food that I spent good money on.

So I made an easy, cute dessert with one quick trip through the express lane and a few staples from the pantry....and it was delicious!!  AND the best part is......since it's predominantly fruit, I don't think of it as dessert...just your way to getting two servings a day (like the chardonnay).  Don't eat the whole batch, though.


First I took a roll of prepared pie crust (remember - science, measuring, precision, no thanks) and with my 3" circle cutter (you can use a glass or cup), I cut out about 10-12 circles.  Poke them with a fork to keep them from puffing up, and bake them for 11 minutes or so, until they are lightly browned.  Remove them from the oven and let cool.

Peel, core and dice 2 apples and 2 pears (I'm not picky on varieties. I like them all, but I used fuji and bosc this time).  Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and add fruit.  Saute for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (buy whole nutmeg and get a microplane to zest it yourself - such a better flavor than the pre-ground spice!), 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, a pinch of salt and 1/3 cup dried cranberries.  Stir to combine and continue cooking a few more minutes.  I like the fruit to be slightly soft but with a little bite to it.  When cooked to your taste, remove from heat and cool slightly.

While that's cooling, mix up a little whipped cream.  Don't buy the canned stuff; use the real thing.  You can sweeten it yourself using whatever you'd like in whatever quantity you want: tuvia, stevia, powdered sugar, regular sugar....

Now this is where it gets really complicated...spread a little whipped cream on each of the pastry circles and top it with the fruit. Yep, that's it; you're done.  Easy as pie...oh wait, actually it's way easier than pie! And did I mention cute; I love cute food....

Lemony Goodness

I was over at my sister Michelle's house the other day, and her lemon tree was BEGGING me to pick some of the gorgeous, huge Meyer lemons from it.  I am a sucker for lemons... I put slices in my water and tea, juice them in salad dressings, add zest in all kinds of dishes.  Lemons are a great substitute for salt in cooking, they help neutralize flavor if you've made something too sweet or too salty, and whenever I think a dish needs "a little something", lemon does the trick; it naturally brightens food.  If you haven't tried adding lemon zest to your repertoire, you need to do it...next time you're cooking seafood add a little zest to it and you'll be sold, I promise.  And then, unless your thumb is greener than mine (or you can afford a gardener) you're going to suffer from...

...Citrus Envy.  When I see a tree like the one at Michelle's or the ones allllllll over my neighborhood, taunting me on my daily walks with my dog, I get definite citrus envy.  I've contemplated waiting til dark, putting on my camouflage gear (no, not really - all black would be fine) and comandeering a few of the neighbors' lonely lemons, but a friend once told me that he chased a lady down the street who was pilfering his tree, and I don't want any part of that action.  I have a sad little dwarf lemon tree that my friend Nancy gave me years ago.  It blossomed beautifully the first year and I watched as a few lemons popped up.  I was waiting until they were good and plump, then one day I walked into the yard and......they were gone!  Some critter climbed the fence and stole my lemons.  It must've scared the poor tree, because it never produced another lemon again (although my mother says something about watering and fertilizer??)

So with my legally obtained lemons I made a yummy lemon herb cream sauce, with lemon thyme, parsley and chives from my yard.  I added Swiss chard (spinach or kale would be good, too), garlic, onions and tomatoes I picked up from the farmers' maket today.  I'm a big "one pot" girl...I like to put as many veggies into simple things, so I can avoid making a side dish or a salad.  Only one pot to clean is a bonus.

I tossed the sauce with Trader Joe's spinach and chive linguini - my new fave - but regular linguini would be just fine.  Best of all, it comes together in about 15 minutes...my kind of meal.

Linguini with Lemon-Herb Cream

Serves 4

8 ounces linguini

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup finely diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoon juice (from 1-2 lemons)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup half-and-half

2 cups Swiss chard, stems removes and leaves chopped

1/3 cup quartered kalamata olives

½ cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped chives

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to instructions on package.  Be sure to reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid to add to the sauce if necessary.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium.  Add onion and garlic and sauté 3-4 minutes.  Add thyme, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and half-and-half.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes.  Add Swiss chard and kalamata olives, cooking for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add stir in the lemon juice.  Immediately add drained pasta, tossing to coat.  Use some of the reserved pasta water if necessary to create adequate amount of sauce.  Garnish with tomatoes and chopped chives.

Feeling kinda saucy...

I recently joined a CSA of organic fruit and veggies.  I had put it off for years because in Marin County I can go to a farmer's market 5 days a week, year round.  In the spring/summer months I can go to two or more every day (I don't actually do that, but I could if I were really crazy for farmer's markets - or farmers).  I always thought the veggie boxes were for people who didn't have access to farmer's markets or good organic produce.  But about a month ago I was feeling my culinary creativity slipping a bit and realized that I wasn't "cooking outside the box".  I was buying the same stuff at the market every week and cooking virtually the same types of meals over and over (but dang, that Mexicali Skillet is delicious!).  So I decided to step out of my comfort zone and get a mystery box of fruit and veggies delivered to my door every other week. Technically it's not a mystery box; you can go online and see what they are sending you, but it inevitablly includes things I may not have picked up on my own.

This week I got carrots and spinach and instead of turning them into an ordinary side dish, I turned them into delicious sauces.  The carrot sauce is fantastic over pasta, and the spinach and herb sauce is one of the most versatile sauces I've ever made - perfect with pasta and grains, over seafood and chicken, even tossed in a salad.  It contains neither oil or nuts, but is every bit as good as any pesto you ever met.  I have to hurry up and finish this...I'm making me hungry.

Spinach & Herb Sauce
1 bunch spinach
handful of flat-leaf parsley (or cilantro)
handful of fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespooon fresh lemon juice
1 large tomato, quartered
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place spinach, parsley, basil and cloves in the bowl of a food processor and blend all ingredients.  Add salt, pepper and lemon juice, pulsing to combine.  Add tomato and cheese and blend for 1-2 minutes until sauce is smooth. Season to taste.

Carrot Sauce over Penne Rigate
1 pound penne rigate (rigate has the ridges that grab onto the sauce)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 bunch medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup frshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon chopped chives or mint
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package.

Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add onion, carrot and garlic and cook 5-7 minutes until veggies begin to soften.   Add curry powder, salt, garam masala, and pepper pepper, stirring to combine.  Add stock, juice and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until carrots are soft.  Transfer to blender and, working in batches, blend until smooth adding some of the pasta water to thin it if necessary.

Toss sauce with drained pasta and top with chopped herbs and parmesan.

A good start

On Sunday nights I usually make a big batch of granola, so that I'm armed for the week with a healthy and quick breakfast.  Granola also makes a pretty yummy snack, too.  I know my limitations, so I don't have normal "snack food" in my house - no chips, crackers, candy, ice cream - they wouldn't stand a chance around here!  A handful of this granola with a little yogurt on top usually takes care of the snack craving.

Store-bought granola can often be so full of sugar that you may as well eat a Three Musketeer's bar for breakfast (shoot, now I'll be thinking about Three Musketeer's bars all day).  I have found some brands at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's that are pretty good, but I started making my own granola about 6 months ago.  I can control what goes into it, I can pronounce everything that goes into it, and it makes the house smell yummy.

You can make one quick stop at the bulk bin aisle to find most of what you need: rolled oats (not quick cooking oats), nuts, seeds, dried fruit.  Nuts are one of the healthiest foods you can eat - in moderation.  They are high in fat, so go easy, but it's a healthy fat and it is one of the best plant-based sources of omega 3's.  There is a strong link between eating nuts and good heart health: the omega 3's and L-arginine found in many nuts have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, build strong artery walls, reduce plaque build-up and prevent blood clots. 

Be careful with the dried fruit; a lot of those are very high in sugar.  Check the labels.  I love dried banana chips, they are much lower in sugar than other dried fruit, so I add more of them to my granola and supplement just a little of the higher sugar fruits, like dried cranberries, cherries, and blueberries.  And try to go natural and avoid the packaged fruit that has added sugar (you know who you are, craisins) - fruit has plenty of natural sugar in them, you don't need anything but what nature gave it.  I'm going to play with drying my own fruit - my toaster oven goes as low as 150 degrees, which is perfect for dehydrating foods.   Hmmmm, does someone have a control problem??

Suzanne's Granola

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped nuts - I use walnuts, almonds and pecans
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons grade B maple syrup
1 tablespoon flax meal (for extra omega 3's)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
pinch salt
1/4 cup dried fruit - cherries, blueberries, cranerries
1/2 cup dried banana chips, broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 325. Combine the first 11 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, mixing to coat all the oats.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 -20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until toasted.  Remove from oven and add fruit.  When cool, place in glass container and store for one week.

I love mine topped with a little bit of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of local honey (honey from your area helps build your immune system as we get ready for cold season)

The Prized Sandwich

I went to lunch with my friend Sue today for her birthday.  I was telling her about my next planned blog post - my favorite quick fix meal.  I call it my Mexicali Skillet (coming soon) and I make it when I'm really hungry and looking for something easy and quick to throw together - onions, peppers, olives, corn, spinach, black beans, cheddar, corn tortillas, spices. After I spelledf out the first few ingredients, she started to smile.  Not a "that sounds yummy" smile, but more of a "you're a nut" smile (I get those a lot from her).  When I was done explaining my "quick fix" meal, she said that in a similar positon, most people just make a sandwich.

It occurred to me that a sandwich almost never comes to mind when I'm hungry - in a hurry or not.  I really only make two sandwiches: a friend egg and carmelized onion sandwich and a caprese sandwich.

Aaaaaaah my love for the caprese sandwich.  This time of year I make a caprese salad, sometime with bread (AKA Panzanella Salad as previously posted) and sometimes not or a caprese sandwich pretty frequently.  The heirloom tomatoes available now are not only beautiful but so juicy and tasty.  And soon they will be gone.  So right about now I eat tomatoes like there's no tomorrow...literally.  There's a HUGE difference between getting tomatoes off your own plant in your backyard or the local farmer's market and those that you buy in the grocery store.  I realize that we can now buy tomatoes year round, but there is just notthing like a fresh, local, in-season tomoato (and I mean "in-seson" for us, not another country).  Once this season come to an end, I will have to wait (unpatiently) until the season comes around again before I make my beloved salad or sandwich.

Another "No recipe" recipe: sliced baguette drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a brush of dijon mustard,  layered with buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil.  Eat it cold or heat it in the oven until the mozz just starts to melt - yummy either way!

One more note on the seasonality of food....The culinary school I went to focused on therapeutic and holistic cooking.  One of the big take-aways for me was the notion of eating foods indigenous to our area.  We also discussed what I refer to as "hereditary" eating - eating the foods that our ancestors ate.  It made so much sense to me.  My ancestors lived on a farm in France and ate whatever the grew or raised, and they lived long, healthy lives.  And I love cooking with all the vegetables that my long-ago family used on a daily basis, thanks in great part to many years spent in the kitchen with my grandmere - my very first culinary teacher.  The idea is that our bodies- these wonderful machines that know how to have babies and fend off viruses- also know how to process food that they recognize, and utilize them in the best way possible for our ultimate health.  I think this is why I make things like the Mexicali Skillet ( I should work on a French Skillet), because it's my instinct to work with all the fresh, seasonal veggies I love and create one warm, delicous meal (and if I can make it all in one skillet and save time cleaning pots and pans, that's just an added bonus).  For me it's not just physically comforting and satisfying, it comforts my soul.

So next time, I'll share with you my Mexical Skillet....while I work on a French version.

Veg Out...

I love making my own vegetable stock.  It makes my house smell delicious (not-chocolate-chip-cookie delicious, but ya know) and it's so much healthier than boxed or canned broths.  Most store-bought stocks are so full of sodium - some as much as 24% of the daily recommended allowance - that you should be able to feel your blood pressure rise with each sip.  But with your own stock, you control the salt; I use no more than a teaspoon. 

What makes it easy for me is that I cook a lot of vegetarian meals, and I save all of the vegetable scraps.  When I cut off the ends of onions, carrots, cerery, herbs, etc., I save them in a container in the freezer.  When I have a good amount, I pop them into a pot, add more fresh veggies and herbs, cover with water and just let it simmer for about an hour.  The result is remarkably different from what you buy off the shelf of your local grocer.  Just look at the color difference from my most recent batch.  The little bowl contains a boxed organic stock; the jars contain my homemade organic stock...

That rich color equals flavor!  I substitute water for stock when I cook rice, grains, pasta and soups.  It adds so much dimension and great taste to the final product.

Now one word of note...learn from my mistakes: NEVER put broccoli scraps in the stock.  That fibrous stalk that you normally cut off is the equivalent to a stink bomb going off in your kitchen.  The first time (and only time!) I added it to my stock, I walked into the kitchen and thought an animal had died in the walls somehow.  Big mistake.  Go ahead and throw the leftover broccoli in your compost.  If you stick to the veggies in my recipe - scraps or fresh - you will be just fine, and you won't have to evacuate the house...

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1 medium leek, coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 large tomato, quartered

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bunch parsley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 ½ quarts water

Put all of the ingredients in a stock pot.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and discard solids.

 Once cooled, stock can be frozen in 1 or 2 cup containers for future use.  When freezing, be sure to leave at least an inch of space at the top, as the stock will expand as it frteezes (especially important when using glass Ball jars, which I recommend).

Seriously?

On The Biggest Loser this past week, Bob took one of the contestants into the kitchen to show her how to make a healthy snack…a smoothie.  He poured some milk into a blender and then pulled out a new item from Yoplait, a frozen package of fruit (and stuff).   When they cheered about how “easy” that was, I found myself yelling at the TV, “so is just putting fruit in a blender, you big doofus!”  I’m amazed at how we continue to make products to take the place of real food.  Nature keeps giving us the good stuff, been doing it for centuries, but corporations insist on taking a good thing and jacking it up by making “food-like” foods. 

I make smoothies a few times a week, and I do it without xanthum gum or sucralose or anything I can’t pronounce without having to sound it out.  In fact, a three year old can pronounce everything that goes into my smoothies, and can identify the ingredients on sight…. Milk, ice, banana, almond butter.  That’s my favorite go-to smoothie; it’s got the protein, fat and carb combo that fills me up and gives me energy.  Despite my best intentions I never seem to eat all my bananas before they start to get brown spots on them, so I throw them into smoothies.  Or I cut them up and freeze them – if you put frozen pieces of banana in your food processor and let it go for a while, you’ll have a healthy frozen dessert, like frozen yogurt, with just one ingredient: banana.

I realize that bananas don’t meet my “seasonal and local” criteria, but I make an exception for them:

A) I’m not moving to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil or Mexico any time soon.  And B) they are so good for you – full of potassium which is one of the most important electrolytes in the body, regulating heart function and blood pressure.

Please don’t fall for the “convenience” foods created in a lab somewhere by some mad scientist, when the real thing is just as convenient and much healthier.  As Michael Pollan says in his book Food Rules, ”If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” 

Banana Smoothie

2 cups ice (crush it beforehand if your blender doesn’t have an ice-crush mode)

½ cup organic, whole milk (can use almond milk)

1 banana, broken into pieces

1 tablespoon organic nut butter (almond, cashew or peanut)

Blend all ingredients adding more milk or water to get the consistency you prefer.

(When I’m feeling a little naughty, I add a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Midnight Moo Organic Chocolate Syrup and make it for dessert….shhhhhh)

Berry Smoothie

2 cups ice

Juice of 2 oranges

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh berries

1 teaspoon honey

Blend all ingredients adding more juice or water to get the consistency you prefer.

(Buy fresh berries at your farmers’ market before they are all gone and freeze them to put into smoothies until they come back in season again.)

So corny

In general I don't have patience for lines or crowds, but when it comes to farmers' markets I seek them out.  What sold me on this was a huge line one Sunday in front of a strawberry vendor.  At the time there were tons of strawberries at the market, but this was the only one with a line.  I asked a guy who was waiting if these particular strawberries were so much better than all the others, and everyone in line gave me an emphatic "yes."  So I walked around a little, waiting for the line to thin out some, and went back for a basket.  Man, were they right... those strawberries were like candy.  I don't use that "tastes like candy" line to describe much of anything (well, except candy, but that's obvious) because my mom used to try to get my sister and me to eat peas (which we hated) when we were kids using that old "tastes just like candy" line.  I promptly told all the kids at school to skip our house on Halloween.  But these strawberries DID taste like candy... sweet, delicious, juicy, healthy candy.

So now I look for the lines at the farmers' markets - let the crowd do the heavy lifting, as it were.  Just show me the good stuff.  And last week it was corn, so I grabbed a few ears of sweet corn from the stall with the longest line.  Now what?  Corn Chowder?  Delicious, but it's still too warm in Marin for soup.  Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter?  Certainly is barbeque weather, but too easy.  Instead I decided to challenge myself....polenta.  I say "challenge myself" because polenta and I have never really been friends.  I made a couple attempts, but was unimpressed. Now before you hit the "back" button, hang on a second...all that polenta needed was a slight makeover, and now we're finally friends.

Start with roasting pasilla peppers (or any other pepper you like - jalapeno next time!) and browning the corn with some shallot and garlic.  Instead of water, cook the polenta in milk and veg stock and finish with a little butter and cheese.....ooooh creamy goodness.  I ate some with lunch and put the rest into ramekins to have during the week.  Whenever I'm pressed for time or too tired to cook, I can just pop one in the toaster oven.  I made a mushroom sauce to go with it, but salsa or a marinara are good on top, too.  A little spinach salad on the side and you're all set.  So give polenta a chance.....she's actually very nice once you get to know her.

Pasilla and Corn Polenta

Servings: 4 entrées, or 8 side dishes

2 pasilla peppers

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 Tablespoon chopped shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup milk

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta

1 Tablespoon butter

½ cup grated gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper (cayenne if you like a little heat) to taste

Char all sides of the peppers, turning them over an open flame on the stove or under the broiler.

Once completely blackened, put the peppers in a large bowl and cover with a plate. 

When they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and remove seeds and membrane.  Chop and set aside.

Remove kernels from corn cob, if using fresh, or thaw frozen corn and place in a saucepan over medium heat with coconut oil, shallot and garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat the milk, stock and water.  Add peppers, corn mixture and 1t salt.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Add polenta, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.  Stir in butter and cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately or put into ramekins, cover and refrigerate.

You say "tomato"...

...I say "yes, please!"

Went to Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa today for lunch.  This is my friend Stephanie's "Blondie Mary" - a Bloody Mary made with yellow tomatoes in a salt & pepper rimmed glass topped with two little tomatoes.  And so started my day of tomato lovin'.

We started with a fantastic bruschetta, followed by their tomato and rustic bread soup...both fantastic.  I should have stopped there, but becasue I ignored my "eat breaksfast" rule in lieu of the snooze button this morning, I was pretty hungry (I warned me about that!), so I also had a little one-on-one time with their mushroom risotto.  Just writing about it makes me full all over again.

Although I swore to never eat again, dinner time did rear its ugly head.  I decided to keep it light and make my favorite summer salad, the Panzanella.  There are a million variations of this salad, but they all start with bread and tomatoes.  I use sourdough baguette cubes sauteed in a small amount of olive oil and salt (about 5-8 minutes).  A couple minutes before the bread is done, I add a handful of sliced red onion to the same skillet.  In a bowl, toss the bread, onion, a couple of juicy heirloom tomatoes cut in cubes, basil, capers and mozzarella.  When you are ready to eat drizzle with lemon-infused olive oil and balsamic.  The bread soaks up the vinegar and oil, so don't dress it early.

The Panzanella salad was born of necessity, in a time when nothing was wasted (what else do you do with stale bread?), and often included lots of vegetables and other ingredients.  So give it a try and put your own spin on it...

Holy Frijoles!

Let's talk breakfast....first of all, eat it.  It gets your metabolism going, gives you the energy to get moving, and helps keep you from over-eating or making bad food choices later in the day.  Most mornings I make either a smoothie, my homemade granola with Greek yogurt, or whole grain toast with peanut butter and fresh fruit. I go for a combination of complex carbs, protein and healthy fat; this will sustain you for a few hours until lunch or snack, depending on how early you eat breakfast.

But on the weekend I like to fix eggs.  Now, I'm all about simple cooking, but I cannot just make a fried egg or scrambled eggs.  Well, first of all, I don't really like fried eggs, so it's all about the scramble or the omelet.  When I was a kid my French grandmother would make "omelets" for my sister and me when we spent the night at her house.  It wasn't a fancy omelet, just eggs and some herbs and veggies...and she didn't fold it over; it was essentailly just a big ol' scramble.  I've been doing the same thing all my life.  It so easy to find opportunites to add more veggies to your diet, and this is one way that I do it deliciously and pretty effortlessly.

My favorite is a healthy version of huevos rancheros. The eggs and the beans give you lots of protein, which is a great start to the day.  And I've added some of the most healthy veggies on the planet - onions, peppers and tomatoes.  These veggies work hard, promoting eye health and blood sugar regulation while fighting cancer and heart disease.  Slip them into as many meals as you can! And then there's my favorite healthy fat, the avocado - the jewel in the crown, or the sombrero, as it were.  This is such a filling breakfast that you don't need anyting except a fresh fruit cup to round it out.

Suzanne’s Huevos Rancheros

Serves 4

4 corn tortillas

1 can black, pinto or kidney beans, drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

¼ teaspoon coriander

4 eggs

2 Tablespoons water (or milk)

Salt and pepper

¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

Juice of one lime

Place corn tortillas in a clean, damp cloth and warm on low in the oven.*

Heat beans over low heat in a small saucepan, mashing them as they get tender.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add onion and peppers, and cook 5 minutes.  Stir in the spices and push veggies to the sides of the pan.

Beat eggs in a bowl adding water (or milk), salt and pepper to taste.

Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir until eggs are cooked to your taste.

Sprinkle cheese over eggs.

Assembly:

Lay tortillas on 4 plates

Top with a quarter of the beans, then the eggs, the cooked veggies, the tomatoes, avocado and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with a bit of lime juice.

*Note: If you can stand a little less healthy version, you can heat oil to just cover the bottom of a skillet, get it good and hot (a drop of water sizzles and pops when flicked in the oil – be careful, just a drop) and using tongs fry the tortillas one at a time for just a few seconds each side.  If the oil isn’t really hot, the tortilla will just soak up all the oil. Drain on paper towels.  (But you didn’t hear this from me!)