Posts from the ‘Vegetables’ Category

Mar 8

Spring Forward, A Fresh Salad With Creamy Meyer Lemon Dressing And Some Shopping

Spring salad

Although it won’t officially be spring until Friday, March 20th at 6:46 PM, we have taken one giant leap by changing the clocks, moving them forward one hour which gives us an extra hour of daylight, in my opinion having to wake up an hour earlier is cruel and unecessary, leave the clocks be please (editorial opinions are strictly my own). I have proclaimed that it is Spring in my house today by opening some of my windows to let in some fresh (cold) air and although there is still snow piled up outside, I made a fresh salad in honor of Spring, This salad was born out of necessity, I needed to use watermelon radish, frisee, beets, spring onion and blood orange before they went bad, threw some garbanzo beans in and had a small wedge of 2 day old sourdough bread that I cut into cubes and made some pan fried croutons. The dressing is simple, meyer lemon juice, mayonaise, olive oil, mint and basil (both dried), the flavor is creamy and bright and it went so nicely on the salad, you don’t have to use mayonnaise you can use yogurt for a lighter dressing or simply lemon, oil and herbs for an even lighter one. I hope you all enjoy your extra hour of daylight and we will all soon be enjoying lovely Spring weather and beautiful produce.

Vegetables

Salad for one:

handful of frisee

beet cut into bite size pieces

scallions or spring onion

watermelon radish cut into strips

1 blood orange, or orange supremed used half the orange in the salad and squeezed the juice of the other half on top of the salad

garbanzo beans about 1/4 cup

croutons

Toasted nuts would also be a great option in this salad

Instead of croutons you could add a whole grain like farro, freekeh, barley or whatever you like.

Toss it all in a bowl (pretty easy right)

Meyer lemon dressing

2 tbs mayonaise

juice of a meyer lemon a (you determine how thick or thin you like your dressing)

drizzle of olive oil

dried mint and basil or whatever herbs you want to use, fresh is best but dried will do nicely.

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk everything together, add the lemon juice little by little until you reach the desiered consistency.

One of my favorite things to do is go to the local Marshall’s houseware department. They have great stuff for the kitchen an home. I could literally spend hours there and never leave empty handed. Today I got some assorted bowls, a great ceramic pitcher and found this pug mug that I couldn’t resist, I needed a new spoon cradle and I fell in love with a vibrant ceramic eggplant spoon cradle. Last month I decided to re furnish, my guest room, I bought new furniture and rugs, today I found some cool accessories, throw pillows, and some really nice baskets, it’s so much fun to shop.

Pug mug

spoon cradle

Feb 27

162 Comments

Edamame Gyoza With Dipping Sauce For Fiesta Friday #57

Ready to eat

One of my favorite things to eat besides sushi in a Japanese restaurant is Gyoza. Traditional Gyoza has a minced pork filling, they are succulent and delicious and loaded with umami especially when dipped in the very flavorful dipping sauce. I made these vegetarian combining my love of edamame and gyoza. The edamame are steamed, then sautéed then mashed and used as filling for these lovely little dumplings. The dipping sauce is my version of the typical gyoza dipping sauce. I added some chili paste to give it a little kick, traditional dipping sauce contains something called Rayu, I don’t have it and it’s too cold to venture out looking for it so I adapted and made my own version using soy, mirin, a little sweetness and chili paste. It tastes wonderful with the gyoza.

I thought these little beauties would make a nice addition to the hottest party in town, Fiesta Friday #57. Angie@The Novice Gardener is hosting as always and this week her co hosts are everyone, as in all of us, how about that. We are all tasked with voting for the feature recipes.

Makes 18
Making the edamame filling and gyoza:
1 cup shelled edamame cooked
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
1 heaping teaspoon light miso paste (It’s actually closer to 2 tsp)
splash of sriracha
season with salt and pepper to taste
18 wonton or gyoza wrappers
water to seal the edges
sesame oil and vegetable oil to fry the gyoza
Steam the edamame, I used the microwave following package directions, cooking for 3 minutes on high. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet, add a splash of sesame oil add the garlic and saute until soft, add the edamame and continue to saute for approximately 1 minute, add 4 oz of water and cover, let cook until all the water evaporates. Remove from heat. Add all the ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times to break up the soy bean and mix everything together. Test to make sure it will hold together, should be a rough paste. Note: I did not need to add salt, the miso paste added more than enough for me and the dipping sauce is salty from the soy sauce. So use salt gingerly if so desired.

Making the gyoza

Place the wrappers on your work surface. Have a cup of water and the filling ready. Place a tsp of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper all the way around and fold over, press on the edge using your thumb and index finger until you know that it’s bonded. Heat a skillet ( I used a 12 inch skillet) on high with a little sesame oil (Note: I used the same skillet I used for the edamame so it was already oiled a splash of sesame oil was all I needed), place the gyoza seam side standing up in the skillet. Brown them, it takes only about a minute or two. Now add about 2/3 cup water to the skillet and cover. Let cook for 4-5 minutes or until the water completely evaporates. Serve immediately.
Dipping sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon chili paste (or more if you want it spicier)
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Whisk all ingredients together and serve with the gyoza

Yum!

Feb 23

86 Comments

Crunchy Noodles, Pork Belly And Vegetables

Crunchy noodles, vegetables and pork belly

I step a bit outside my comfort zone here. I love Asian food especially anything involving noodles but I usually eat out and don’t make it myself at home. Food52 as you know has recipe contests and this time it’s your best recipe using noodles.

This recipe is really pretty simple and straightforward but the sum of all it’s parts is delicious. Crunchy noodles, marinated pork belly fried until crisp, oven roasted bok choy and steamed snow peas all nestled in a really flavorful broth. The pork belly marinade is so flavorful and the resulting meat is delicious. The noodles are deep fried and retain texture and crunch even in the broth. Now this is not a bowl of soup, there is broth but it’s not a lot of liquid, what I went for was intense flavor.
Marinade and roasting the pork belly:

2 garlic cloves smashed
1 spring onion cut into small pieces white and green part
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 pound pork belly ( I used berkshire 3 strips)
broth (chicken, vegetable,pork. beef your choice) enough to come to middle of the piece of pork (approximately 2 cups).
Mix all ingredients together, place pork belly in zip lock bag or container and pour the marinade on the pork. Squish it around until each piece is coated and refrigerate over night.
Pre heat oven to 325. Place pork belly in a baking dish, reserve the marinade. Cover the pork half way with broth (your choice, chicken, vegetable, beef or pork) Cover baking dish tightly and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours. When done remove pork belly and wrap in foil or place in covered container and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight Pour the broth into a fat separator, if you don’t have one refrigerate the broth and skim off the fat, reserve the remaining broth you will use it for serving.

bok choy and snow peas

Vegetables, noodles and putting together:

4 baby bok choy
1/2 pound approximately snow peas
vegetable and toasted sesame oil
season with salt and pepper to taste only if desired NOTE: the broth is quite intense and has salt so bear that in mind when seasoning the vegetables
1-2 packets fresh chow mien or lo mein noodles
vegetable oil to deep fry the noodles
1/2 tsp minced ginger (for broth)
pork belly and reserved marinade
Pre heat oven to 375. Cut Bok Choy in half and place on baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Brush with vegetable oil, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetable is slightly browned and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside. Steam your snow peas. (I steamed in the microwave for 55 seconds in a glass bowl with a splash of water) Set aside.

fresh noodles

I used fresh chow mien noodles that came in individual packets. One packet made two servings. Take out a packet of fresh noodles. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a pot to 375 degrees. Divide the noodles into portion size desired and drop noodles in one piece into the hot oil, let fry until golden brown, turn over and fry the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Place reserved broth in a skillet add a little minced ginger and cook until reduced by about half, you want the broth to be slightly thickened and very rich. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and cut into slices. Heat a skillet with a little oil, dip the pork belly in the reserved (left over) marinade and fry on high heat until crisped and browned. Place fried noodles in a bowl, arrange, bok choy. snow pea’s and pork belly slices on top of the noodles. Pour some broth over it all, garnish with spring onions.

Jan 23

131 Comments

Crab Cake And Slaw Appetizer For Fiesta Friday #52

crab cake and slaw appetizers

Fiesta Friday #52, a very special occasion and a milestone it has been one year, can you believe it, yes one year ago Angie@The Novice Gardener got the brilliant idea to have a virtual party inviting food blogger friends. We share food/recipes and get to know each other. I have not participated from the beginning it’s been about 6 months but I have to say this is the nicest group of people, welcoming, kind and generous. I look forward to participating in Fiesta Friday every week and I want to congratulate Angie on this auspicious occasion. Because we are all party animals and the occasion merits it the party will go on for 2 weeks, this week is drinks, appetizers, amuse bouche, we are warming up for the grand finale next week when we bring the main course and dessert. The recipes should be created specifically for the party, no re blogging unless of course you have a great recipe and want to share it again with new photo’s and write up. My offering this week is crab cake appetizers loaded with crab meat. Each bite size crab cake is topped with a little bit of slaw with an Asian inspired dressing. Oh, I can’t forget to let you know that this weeks co hosts are no strangers to Fiesta Friday, thank you Hilda @Along The Grapevine and Julianna @Foodie On Board for helping Angie on this special day.

This recipe is from one of the older Martha Stewart cookbooks and is my favorite recipe for crab cakes. I have tried other recipes and always come back to this one. It’s simple and delicious, the crab cakes contain some bread crumbs but are not breaded there is no doubt these are made with crab because there are very little fillers. I love to enjoy with a crisp salad or slaw but they make an excellent sandwich also. This recipe is easily adapted you can substitute and omit without dramatically changing anything. I usually omit the jalapeño pepper and will often substitute onion or shallot for the scallion if I don’t have. You can freeze them after you fry if you don’t need that many crab cakes, just re heat in the oven they hold up beautifully.

crab cakes

Crab Cakes

1 cup dried bread crumbs

2 large eggs lightly beaten

2 lbs lump crabmeat picked over for cartilage (I used jumbo lump and what they called regular lump)

1/2 cup cilantro or parsley chopped

4 scallions chopped

1 red bell pepper seeded and diced

1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced

1 jalapeño pepped seeded and diced

1 cup mayonnaise

Optional but I like to add a little lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl mix together the bread crumbs, egg, crabmeat. scallions, pepper and mayonnaise and optional lemon zes. Season with salt and pepper.

Form mixture into patties (will make 24 small crab cakes or 48 appetizer size). Heat oil in skillet until hot, cook the crab cakes 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place on platter or plate lined with paper towel or brown paper. Serve hot.

Slaw

1/2 smallish green cabbage- shredded

1/2 smallish red cabbage-shredded

2 cups shredded carrot

Mix all the vegetables together in a bowl

Dressing

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbs mirin

2 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

Juice of 1/2 lime

pinch of lime zest

1 tsp honey or sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together, pour on the vegetables and refrigerate until ready to use.

Jan 4

95 Comments

No Recipe Required Cream Of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli soup

We had slushy snow yesterday and today is almost 60 degrees in NYC, the weather is just plain weird, in the winter I want soup and even though it’s like Spring today I made this because it’s quick and easy and when the temps plummet tomorrow I will have a steaming hot bowl of broccoli soup ready for me. I am also on a low carb diet and need warming satisfying food that are not laden with carbs. Looking in the fridge I had quite a few vegetables I needed to use along with a couple of small potatoes. Although I am calling this cream of broccoli it really has other vegetables in it also and no recipe required. I am keeping it super simple, will puree add a little butter and a little cream just to make it decadent, a tiny grating of nutmeg, some salt and pepper and there you have it. Garnish however you like, I simply grated some cheese on top. Soups on!

Note: I made this a throw everything in the pot sort of soup, you of course can saute your onions, oven roast the vegetables and this will add a more complex flavor. It would be delicious like that but I just made a simple soup without the steps. Just have to add very excited tonight is the season premiere of Downton Abbey, love that show!!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Serves 6-8

Water, vegetable or chicken stock your choice

broccoli (1 head)

potato (2 small)

carrot (I had some white/yellow carrots to use) orange will change the color (I had 5 very small carrots)

onion 1 large

Optional 1-2 tbs butter

Optional 1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt, pepper pinch of nutmeg is optional also.

Vegetables ready to boil

Throw everything in a soup pot, boil until the vegetables are soft and very tender, fish out the vegetables separating from the broth, set the broth aside. Let cool a bit, puree in food processor or blender adding a little broth as needed . Add the puree to soup pot and enough of the broth so it’s the thickness you like. Add a little butter (I added a generous tbs, and about 1/4 cup heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg if you like.NOTE If you want to freeze this soup freeze the puree without the butter and cream, add that later when you heat if so desired.

satisfying bowl of soup

Nov 25

67 Comments

Chicken Nuggets-A Thanksgiving Dog Treat Recipe

Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog is a blog that is both inspirational and informative and when Sharon contacted me to ask if I would share a recipe for a dog treat I was more than happy to oblige. For years Sharon selflessly cared for her beloved Sophie who due to a rare disease became paralyzed, read about Sophie here. You see Sharon’s blog is near and dear to me she offers so much to pet parents of Special Needs Pets, both cats and dogs. My Nando is Special needs having suffered from diabetes for the past 6 years, he is also blind and has been almost 6 years. With the holidays it’s always nice to give our fur babies a special treat and although Nando gets these every day they are special.

So here is my recipe for Doggie Chicken Nuggets. I had to make them with diabetes in mind, I have had Nando on a very strict diet since he was first diagnosed he gets lean protein, vegetables and barley. These little bites contain ground chicken breast, coarsely ground vegetables, pumpkin or butternut squash, cheese and barley. They are low on the glycemic index and Nando loves them. Happy Thanksgiving to all pets and pet parents.

Chicken Nuggets

1 lb ground chicken ( I use breast meat) You can also use ground turkey breast
1 cup ground vegetables, I use parsley, spinach, carrot, kale and celery
1/2 cup cube pumpkin or butternut squash (steamed until tender)
1/2 cup cooked barley
1/2 cup grated cheese (your choice) I use cheddar a lot)
1 egg lightly beaten
small pinch of sea salt

Pre heat oven to 350
Cut your pumpkin or butternut squash into cubes and steam or oven roast until tender. Set aside.
Grind the vegetables in your food processor, pulsing until coursely ground (don’t pulverize)
Place chicken, vegetables. barley, pumpkin or squash, egg,cheese and pinch of salt in bowl and mix to combine.
On small sheet pan lined with parchment and lightly greased with olive oil place the chicken mixture and spread into a loaf. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Let cool for about 20 minutes and then chop into bite size pieces. Store in refrigerator.

Nando

Nov 20

74 Comments

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Hot soup

When Fall and Winter are here my thoughts turn to mushrooms, well not all the time but a lot. I told you that I joined this new CSA, Farmigo and I just picked up my second order. They had some beautiful mushrooms. I got Shitake and Oyster. I have been wanting a piping hot bowl of Cream of Mushroom soup. I made enough for 2 servings but you can double or triple to make more. The earthy mushroom and sage and rosemary go so well together, the flavor of the herbs is very subtle, just a hint. This soup would be great added to casseroles, pasta or just eaten as is. I used as a guide the recipe for Cream of Mushroom soup from Balthazar on Food52. This soup is dedicated to all of those who are experiencing extreme cold, snow and ice stay warm and safe. A hot bowl of soup is just what you need. Enjoy with some good bread and butter, a salad and you have a wonderful meal.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 generous servings

1 1/2 lbs mushrooms (I used shiitake and oyster) cleaned, woody stems removed

1 small onion white or brown

2 cloves garlic

1 small stem rosemary

1 small stem sage

splash of olive oil

splash of white wine

3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken or mushroom broth)

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbs butter

salt and pepper to taste

mushrooms and herbs simmering in broth

In large heavy pot add olive oil and the stem of rosemary and sage, let it heat on Med/high until you hear the herbs sizzle. Now add the sliced onion and garlic. Sauce stirring until the onion and garlic soften but don’t let them brown. Add the mushrooms and let cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the mushrooms give off their liquid and it cooks down. Add a splash of white wine and continue cooking for another 5 minutes so that it is reduced to very little liquid. Pour in the broth and cook for 30-45 minutes, bring to a boil then turn heat down so that it is a strong simmer about Medium heat. Once everything is cooked. remove the rosemary and sage and spoon out the mushrooms, onion and garlic and place in blender or food processor, add 1/4 cup half and half and the butter and process or blend until smooth. Add back to pot and pour in the cream. Get it good and hot and serve immediately. Note: I did not puree all the mushrooms I wanted some pieces in the soup. I also have a confession to make. I wash my mushrooms, I know thats a HUGE no no, you brush the dirt off, well brushing them doesn’t satisfy me, I wash in cold water quickly, pat dry then air dry. I know this is frowned upon but I am not liking the odds of having dirt in my food by simply brushing the mushrooms I want them clean. I hope i didn’t offend anyone just needed to get that off my chest.

Nov 18

109 Comments

What Will You Serve For Thanksgiving?

Dressing or stuffing

Some of you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but here in the US this is probably the biggest food holiday of them all, it’s also a time to remember how much we have to be thankful for. For me the Thanksgiving meal is steeped in tradition. Every year I make the same meal, I have tried adding something different but in the end, the best is always the tried and true recipes.

Do you try new recipes or stick to the tried and true?

Is it Potluck or do you do all the cooking?

What do you make, or do you go to someone else’s house for the meal?

I bake pies for friends, this year I am making apple, pumpkin and pecan for both my table and for my friends. I have will have 6-8 people over, family and friends.

How many will be around your table?

Photo by James Ransom

Thanksgiving 2014

Butter and herb roast turkey– compound butter under the skin and steam roasted

Dressing– cornbread and bread with a lot of other things. My signature dish.

Mashed potatoes- Yukon gold, sour cream and butter. I like super creamy smooth potatoes so I use a food mill.

Corn

Brussels Sprouts- I am going to make this recipe this year from my friend Bevi, it’s a Food52 contest winner

Gravy

Cranberry orange sauce (see recipe below)

Homemade potato rolls

Just out of the oven

Pecan Pie

For Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Apple pie right out of the oven

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice + 1 tsp orange zest
1 12-ounce package Fresh or Frozen Cranberries ( I always buy Ocean Spray)
Combine sugar and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 2 1/4 cups. Optional- add the zest of 1 orange for a stronger orange flavor. I always make a double batch because I must have it for the leftovers.

The Wine

Can’t forget the wine, this year I have a magnum of Christian Bernard Select Black Gamay (A beaujolais), I also have Rioja, 2001 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia, Pernand-Vergelesses 2008, premier Cru Sous Fretille (Grand Vin du Bourgogne) I’ll pop the bubbly with dessert and serve coffee too. What are you drinking?

Nov 17

44 Comments

Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu In Cabbage Leaves And Hearty Minestrone

Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu

This recipe is from one of my favorite bloggers Sonal@Simply Vegetarian777 and one that really inspires me to eat wholesome healthful food. This recipe is very special, you see Sonal dedicated it to me, I was touched and thrilled and had to make it, the recipe is Ginger Cilantro Spicy Tofu in Cabbage Leaves, long name yes and long on flavor. It’s fantastic, so simple to make but really really flavorful. I love the crisp tofu, another recipe that really defines umami, it’s healthful, so flavorful and lends itself to variations in serving. Sonali has you pile the spicy tofu in cabbage leaves (I used savoy cabbage) but you can scoop it up with warm flat bread, eat over rice or on it’s own. Anyway you serve it it’s wonderful, delicious and so good for you.

Delicious

I saw this recipe on the blog Bourbon and Brown Sugar for a Hearty Minestrone With Tortellini And Mini Meatballs there are some really fantastic recipes on her site but this soup spoke to me. It’s a meal in a bowl, there are meatballs, tortellini, loads and loads of vegetables and a delicious broth. It’s just perfect for a cold weather meal, it fills you up and warms you. It’s really simple to make, doesn’t take very long to cook and serves a crowd. I followed the recipe except for two things, used leeks instead of onion, only because I had a huge amount I needed to use and I added the rind of a piece of parmigiana the last 30 minutes of cooking time its an incredibly delicious soup.

Delicious and hearty soup

Nov 11

63 Comments

Exciting Offer From Farmigo And A Sandwich

The good people at Farmigo saw my post and generously offered to you, my readers $25 off your order use coupon code “Puglife”. I love the concept, the food which is uber fresh, organic and delicious and the fact that it’s all local means a lot to me and I am very picky when it comes to food. Right now they are in 2 parts of the country, so if you happen to be in the New York area (this includes parts of New Jersey) or the San Francisco Bay area you’re in luck. Check here to see if there is a pick up location near you. My pick up location is directly across the street, how convenient!!

I am excited for any of you that live in the two area’s to give Farmigo a try and $25 off is a great incentive. Food shopping makes me happy, finding great deals and new avenues to find fresh healthful food makes me really really happy, like you all I love to cook and am always searching out the best sources for the freshest food I can find. I am not being paid or compensated nor was I asked by Farmigo to do this post this is all my idea. This is a CSA like no other, you get to pick what goes into your box, an a la carte CSA if you would, and they really do make it easy with lots of pick up locations. Give it a try, use coupon code “pug life” and get your discount and you will be giving yourself the gift of fresh farm to table food.

My photo not so good

Now for the sandwich. I have been meaning to share this sandwich with you for a while now but got caught up with stuff and forgot about it until the nice people at Food52 decided to feature it. I was taken by surprise and very flattered that my sandwich was featured on the site.

It has a rather long name Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Caponata and Pesto Sandwich if you click on the link you can see the recipe on Food52. I fried thin chicken cutlets in a panko/parmigiano coating, had some good bread, a baguette, some homemade pesto and some homemade caponata. You simply slather the bread with pesto and grill it, pile on caponata and then chicken, close it up and eat. Really pretty simple and really delicious. I thought using both pesto and caponata as condiments would be pretty tasty.