New Kid on the Block - Kale

Since I began writing, this blog has brought me and my palate to many places.  As I browse the grocery isles these days, I'm always on the hunt for a new "victim", that is, a new fruit or veggie I've never cooked with.  I have a long way to go in this world of different cuisines.  I like to think of myself as a milder version of  that guy on Bizarre Foods.  No, I won't be eating deep fried hissing coach roaches, ever!  But, I do like to have a huge variety in my food repertoire.

Last week I brought home a bunch of kale, not sure what I'd do with it at the time.  It was a deep forest green and just looking at it made me feel healthier!   It has its origins dating back before the middle ages and is loaded with anti cancer properties, vitamin K, C, lutein and calcium.  Sure, I'd give it a try! 

Although it has the appearance of spinach or chard, its closest relative is black cabbage, a Tuscan staple.  In this recipe I treated it like spinach.  Most of the articles I  had read about kale indicated that it could be bitter, but I'd fix that.  Add raisins!  So, here it is in its glory, my rendition of "Hail to the Kale".

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, cleaned and chopped.

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water

2 handfuls raisins

a dash of sea salt

1 Tbsp butter

more oil for drizzling at the end.

2 Tbsp pine nuts

In a large (5 qt.) pot place the oil, water and kale in.  Bring it to a boil, adding the raisins, a dash of salt and stir.  Reduce the heat to simmer and slightly (not tightly) cover, stirring occasionally until the kale becomes fairly limp, but still has a bit of crunch.  At the last minute add the butter and sprinkle with pine nuts and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.   Serve and enjoy.

Mediterranean Pitas

Pitas are the perfect way to serve a sandwich.  The "built in" pockets allow for some interesting combinations.  I'll be using these more in the future as well as maybe making them from scratch.  For the following combo I made minted lamb patties first and garnished with a bit of balsamic, goat cheese and avocado.  The choices are endless.  Olives would have gone nicely in these as well. 

For the lamb patties:

1 lb ground lamb

1 clove minced garlic

2 Tbsp chopped onion

1 Tbsp egg substitute (or use 1 egg white)

1 handful chopped mint

1 handful chopped basil

Mix the above well and make patties.  Cook on a grill or in a skillet until done.  Have on hand the garnishes you prefer.  I broke apart the lamb patties to stuff them into the "pockets" better.  For mine, I assembled the pitas with chopped lettuce, goat cheese, avocado, and  thinly sliced cucumbers that were marinated in balsamic dressing.  Roasted red pepper hummus would have been good inside; maybe next time! 

If you don't like lamb, try them with ground chicken or turkey!  Be creative in the kitchen...

Special Seafood Risotto

What makes this recipe/meal so special?  I wasn't the one hovered over the stove top!  My "guest post" of the week was none other than my son and his girlfriend, Leilani!  For some reason they wanted to come over and cook dinner for us a few Sundays ago.  I'm not one to say no to this.  Any one is allowed in my  kitchen, especially them!  And especially when seafood risotto was on the menu.  One of my favorites (I have so many) is seafood and my hubby's is rice, so risotto would be a real treat!

Unfortunately, for you, I didn't get the exact recipe but It came from Leilani's whimsical like cookbook called Kitchen Scraps by Pierre Lamielle, who is an illustrator/cook.

I have to say most of the preparation (99%) of this seafood risotto was done by Leilani, and it was wonderful!  What I liked about this recipe is that it had virtually no cheese!  It also had anchovies for the base, which I had never worked with. (because they received a bad rap at one point in my life)

The risotto was creamy and flavorful with a hint of the sea and lemon.  Just perfect!  It was filled with cod, scallops and prawns!   We enjoyed this meal immensely and Leilani, you are welcome anytime to grace my kitchen!  Thank you for the lovely dinner.

Leilani and Jeremy, chefs of the day!

Brownies!! - It's What the Doctor Ordered

A few months ago I sat in anticipation as I watched the Dr. Oz show.  I didn't dare miss the next segment since the topic was about a brownie I could eat without the guilt.   With pen and pencil in tow, I was ready to capture the recipe and try it or at least prove him wrong.

The chef with the "brownie brainstorm" was Rocco DiSpirito.  He's Italian, so I know anything baked by an Italian has to be good.  Right?  What he came up with was a brownie batter that was mostly BLACK BEANS!   You're kidding.  Now, I love black beans, but I had a hard time imagining them in a brownie.  Then I thought back to my childhood and some of the quirky, but tasty concoctions I had baked.  A mayonnaise cake and a cake with sauerkraut to give it texture plus moistness!  This might work!

Most brownie recipes are laden with about 2 sticks of butter to go with the 2 cups of sugar.  None of that, except 1 Tbsp of butter!  Pretty amazing.  Off to the kitchen I went to try these...

Ingredients:

15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp espresso powder

3/4 cup liquid egg substitute

3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour ( I used regular cake flour)

3/4 cup agave nectar (I used 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup of Kahlua)

1 Tbsp unsalted, melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon (my addition)

As you see, you can "play around" with this recipe by adding different flavors.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.  In a food processor add the beans, cocoa, egg, espresso powder and flour and pulse until no lumps appear.  Add the vanilla, agave and butter and mix again.  Pour into the pan and bake for 20 minutes turning once, halfway through.  Then turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and continue to bake for about 5-8 minutes.  Toothpick should come out clean.  Cool the brownies completely and refrigerate.  I think the chilling makes them better. 


Very moist and chocolaty


All in all, I will make this again.  How bad can they be for you?  Hopefully, not too bad cause I practically ate the whole thing!  (not in one sitting I might add)  The texture is slightly non-cakey, more moist but you could add a bit of chocolate chips or nuts to alter that.  

NOTE:  There is another variation that Rocco makes that contains truvia instead of agave and sour cream with no flour, at all!  I'll try that one next!  Maybe I'll even get his book Now Eat This.   Anyone who can make a good tasting brownie for 50 something calories vs. 1500 a square deserves my attention!   

Fire, Ice and Brownies!

This last Thursday started innocently enough.  I decided to make a batch of brownies.  Well, not "real brownies" with 2 cups of sugar and enough butter to alert the cholesterol police!  This recipe was featured on a Dr. Oz segment, healthy, healthy, but how would they taste?  I was up for the challenge.

The only problem was the typical Northern Nevada weather pattern indicating the presence of a huge storm. (always on the western side of the mountains, stalling in California)  The winds around mid morning were gusting at over 100 miles per hour in our neighborhood and 80 or so through the Washoe Valley which hugs hwy 395, a major thoroughfare.  With each gust, I couldn't help but have thoughts of "What if a fire started"? 

The next thing I knew I was gazing at the hills to the southeast of us and plumes of smoke were beginning to blow in the distance.  How long would it be before they reached our area and where were the flames originating?  What do I do, who do I call, and what do I begin to evacuate.  (The media was suggesting a voluntary evacuation for our area)  Holy crap!

On the next ridge!

So, being the calculating person that I am, I had years before (when we were threatened by another forest fire) organized pictures, important papers, etc. and placed them in one general area so they would be easier to grab.  When you live in our area it's not if, but, when another fire will come roaring through.

My car trunk was filled with our memories and paperwork, so I went from room to room and photographed the contents.  All I would need to do was grab my cat, computer tower and go.   I realized as soon as my hubby and son arrived to help, I was surprisingly calm.  As I looked around the house, a home that we built some 24 years ago,  I knew we could always rebuild, but I could not replace the people in my life.  Stuff is just "stuff" .  It can all be replaced.   

As the time passed, the fire grew to about 3100 acres, flames could be seen, the highway patrol came door to door, but we decided to stay until evacuation was mandatory.  I'm sure many of our friends and family thought we were nuts, but deep down I knew we'd be okay.  Fast forward to Friday. Driving into town I could see the charred patterns on the hills around us.  Pretty daunting!  When I arrived home this was my view.

Friday evening the fire was about 65% contained, however the winds were howling again.  The storm that had sent a crippling icy  rain to the Northwest, stalling in California was beginning to find its way over the mountain and wind driven drizzle pierced the air.  By nightfall a drenching rain was enveloping the area and we woke to a fresh blanket of snow!  Hooray!

Thanks to many of our friends and family who called, etc. to express their concern and offer help.  We appreciate you all!

And for those brownies......remember those?  I'll post the recipe tomorrow for those.  Quite a surprise...you'll see what I mean.

Enjoy your day, your weekend and hug those around you.  It's really all we have that's worth anything!   Lesson learned!

French Cassoulet Style Soup

One of the many "bucket list" areas to travel for me is the country of France.  Yes, I would like to lounge by the sea while gazing at the distant  fields of sunflowers and vineyards.  Or stroll along the Seine river in Paris only to sit at a bistro sipping thick hot chocolate or a crusty warm baguette smeared with chocolate!  Then there is the Burgundy region and the Dijon area where, I'm told, gastronomic excellence resides.  It all sounds great to me, a person of French heritage.

A trip back to the "homeland" would surely have to include the western shore and the seaside city of La Rochelle, where my ancestors left for the freedoms of North America.   South of this area is the Languedoc area with the similarities of Provence, but more quaint.  The cuisine has hearty peasant foods like the thick cassoulet style soup I made the other evening.  I guess you could say I'm practicing all these French inspired dishes, albeit this soup has Roman influences.  

The white (Northern) beans I used were of the dry variety.  I used the quick pretreated method:  Put one cup of beans into a pot (after inspecting for debris, etc)  Pour 3 cups of water and bring to a boil cooking for about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cover and let them sit for at least 3 hours.  Or you can soak them overnight without boiling.  Or you can always used well drained  and rinsed canned variety.

The sausage I used was Italian chicken links which I precooked beforehand.  The acorn squash I microwaved in a glass dish with a small amount of water until done. (about 5-6 minutes)  Then I assembled it all to cook.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried white beans (pretreated, yielded about 1 1/2 cups cooked)

1 acorn squash cooked and cut into cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Italian sausages, precooked

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups, loosely packed spinach, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

Start with the oil and saute the onion in a large soup pot. Add the squash and garlic, stirring as you go.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, covered for at least 2 hours.  Mixture will be thick, you can add more water or broth if the liquid evaporates too much.  Serve with a salad or crusty French bread!  Also, great leftover.

Glazed Carrots

This was a side dish I prepared for our good friends and traveling buddies.  We were invited to spend a lovely evening at at their home Saturday.  I've always been taught to never arrive without a bottle of wine or at least to make a contribution to the meal.  It was suggested I bring something to go with steak.  What goes well with steak without being filling or fattening? I steered away from potatoes or orzo and decided on a new recipe for glazed carrots, hoping it would turn out.  (not a good time to experiment, but these friends are like family and you can test recipes on family, right?)

The inspiration came from Williams Sonoma and it's a side dish I'll make again.  I followed the recipe to the letter which is pretty hard for me to do.  I like to "shake it up" most of the time.  Carrots are difficult to mess up and these were no exception.  Simple and delicious with just enough flavor so as not to distract from their scrumptious barbecued steaks.  Yum...Thanks P & C for a nice time with friends!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

about 2 lbs of carrots, sliced into "sticks"  You could probably use baby carrots, too.

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Madeira wine (or dry sherry)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the carrots, coating well with the butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the Madeira wine and broth.  Increase the heat to med-high and bring to a simmer.  Loosely cover the pan and simmer until the carrots are tender.  About 8 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add the sugar and continue to stir, occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are glazed.  About 6-7 minutes more.  Place in a baking/serving dish and either serve immediately with parsley topping or transport them, covered.  Microwave at your destination for 3 minutes until warmed through.

Pumpkin Gnocchi Perfection - Pasta of the Month

This is one awesome recipe I can't take credit for.  Well, maybe just a little.  My talented son, Jeremy, was the chef who whipped this up for his jetlagged and weary parents.  We had just returned from our vacation in Hawaii bearing gifts of Kona coffee and cookies and welcomed the chance to see him and his lovely girlfriend, Leilani.

My son can make a gourmet meal from literally nothing or a few items he may find lurking in the pantry or refrigerator.  He's had the "restaurant background" from his past waiter jobs, and puts his expertise into action over my stovetop.  Guaranteed, he would be a worthy contender on that food network show where they give you 3-4 unrelated ingredients and you must transform them into something edible!

So, the pastas of the month for January is (drumroll, please) Pumpkin Gnocchi ala J.D.

Ingredients:

3 Italian sausage links, removed from casing and crumbled

4 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil, about 1-2 Tbsp

1 acorn squash, roasted and cubed

heavy cream , 1/8 - 1/4 cup

parmesan cheese, handful

pumpkin gnocchi, 1 package = four adult servings.  Or you can use plain gnocchi or even make your own.

pinenuts for garnish

In a large skillet, brown the sausage in the oil and remove when done.  Add the garlic and acorn squash and saute for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil (for the gnocchi).  Cook the gnocchi according to direction.  They are done when they rise to the surface (not very long). 

To the skillet, add the sausage back in and then the heavy cream, stirring.  Add the gnocchi and parmesan.  Mix and plate, garnishing with the pine nuts.  A simple dish with earthy goodness!  Thanks, my wonderful son!

a closeup of perfection

Beef With Orzo Soup

Are you ready for more Winter comfort food?    I don't usually eat an abundance of beef, but I wasn't going to let the leftovers go to waste, especially when it's prime rib!  After a day or so of prime rib sandwiches I decided to throw the rest of the meat into a hearty soup.  This beefy orzo soup will be made again and again, it was so good!

You can probably get away with a less expensive cut of roast meat.  I'll try it next time and let you know.

Serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, roughly diced

1 shallot, sliced

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

4 cups beef broth or stock (I used fat free, organic)

1 cup water

2 cups roast meat (mine was precooked)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup orzo (before cooking)

In a large pot, begin to heat the oil, throwing in the carrots, celery, shallots, thyme and bay leaf.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the broth, water, meat, salt, bringing to a boil while stirring.  Cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30-35 minutes.  Turn the heat up again to almost boiling and add the orzo.  Cook together for another 10 minutes or until the orzo is done.



Just add broth, water and orzo to this. 

 You can serve immediately or refrigerate for later use and reheat.  Very comforting on a cold snowy day!  Now we just need some  snow!

NOTE:  No picture of the completed dish.  I guess we were hungry that night!  Also, the above picture was our only snow storm back on November 3rd.  We are overdue!

The Best of the Big Island - Part 3

This last "installment" of the Best of the Hawaii, the Big Island has been percolating in my mind for over a month now.  With Christmas and all, it seemed out of place with all those blogging about cookies, cakes and sweets.  But, I'm ready to divulge the BEST with a day trip to volcano country.  Off to Kilauea we go.

Madame Pelee was in a very good mood that day.  The lava was not flowing like you see in all the pictures, however it was spewing a bit of ash and smoke.  If we had gone another 1.5 hours drive toward the ocean we might have been able to view the lava flowing into the ocean.  Maybe next time.  On this trip we hiked the edge of the crater. (I think it was a 4 mile round trip)  Destination, Jaggar Museum, (hoping to see Mick there, ha ha, but all we saw were displays of history and seismic activity graphs, etc)


Hope this doesn't erupt, now!


The volcano is a "must see" and being a "foodie"  I was more than eager as we veered into a rest stop/bakery on the way and BACK (It was that good!) for lunch and a snack.  One minor problem was that I was "in maintenance" on my diet plan and what appeared before me was definitely not on the plan.  I snapped a few pictures and triumphantly stepped away from the display case, empty handed.  How was I to know that my hubby was experiencing a sweet tooth meltdown!  What he chose, I would not have chosen, but, he needed help so I took a bite or two of his blueberry turnover!  Amazing!



Can I have one of each?!!



If you're ever in the area you need to stop at the Punalua Bake Shop which is the southernmost bakery in the USA.  It warranted a second visit on the return trip!

Making it back to our friend's condo in Kailua-Kona area, we stopped briefly, shared some libation on the deck overlooking the ocean and then set off for the return trip North to our hotel.  The sun was beginning to show its colors as it sank into the ocean.  Another beautiful finish to an adventurous day!

But wait!  On the way back we happened upon an eating place that served some of the best fish tacos I've had in a long time.  It was an unassuming place on the harbor just south of the airport. "Bite Me"  was the name of the place!   It looked like some one's backyard with red picnic tables scattered around the area.  Not much ambiance but my tacos made up for it.   If you're looking for great fish tacos at a more than reasonable price ($2.50 each!) check this place out.

After a days "rest" with only beach activities, walking, snorkeling, swimming with turtles, we headed back out in a different direction, this time to Hilo.  More in Part 4 of the BEST of the Big Island!  

Roasted Honey Red Onions

If you're looking for that perfect accompaniment for a roast, sandwich, soup or pasta, try this.  I found it on the food network while searching for ways to enhance a prime rib roast.  Not that it needs any help, but I wanted my prime rib roast to be "special" for the Christmas dinner.  This is where Tyler Florence came to the rescue.

After gathering up all the ingredients, I realized most were already in my pantry.  What luck!  I observed a few raised eyebrows  when I began to prepare the onion side dish.  All I could say was "trust me".  Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them.  The flavors are intensified, much better than steaming or microwaving.  And how can any vegetable taste bad smothered in butter and honey?

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used pomegranate infused)

1/2 cup honey

several stocks of fresh thyme, leaves removed

salt and pepper

3 - 4 red onions, halved and some quartered (I used 3, but they were quite large)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, combine the butter, vinegar, honey, thyme, salt and pepper, on medium heat.  Bring to a quick boil and then reduce after simmering for a minute.  Have the cut up onions ready in a baking dish (single layer).  Drizzle the butter honey mixture over the onions and roast until caramelized, about 45 - 50 minutes, basting throughout the roasting time.   Delicious!   I had leftovers that went into prime rib/avocado sandwiches and my shepherd's pie from a previous post.

Thanks, Tyler Florence, your prime rib roast and side dishes rocked!

Ring in the New Year!!

I was reminded yesterday that there's only 347 days until Christmas!  What was my reply?  Let's sock away money for a Christmas vacation next year.  Rome, Prague, or sunny Mexico, Belize?  While this past Christmas was certainly a blessing in many ways, there's just something very appealing about celebrating in a different country, learning about new customs, etc.   Maybe it's the simplicity of it all.  Maybe, it's great to be on a beach as it's dumping snow back home!  (That sounds likely.)

I yearn for the simplicity of Christmas.  No shopping or presents.  Decorating is fun but I don't go "over the top".  The only area where I may splurge is in the meal preparation and the baking scene!  To me it's a labor of love, and I enjoy creating something sumptuous for my family.  This year was no different.  So, now, on to the New Year!

This is the time I start to list my goals, aspirations, dreams, and ideas, no matter how lofty they may sound.  I get them down on paper, for myself, alone, to view.  Last year I achieved several goals and dreams.  Some of those were education based as I completed classes on culinary sanitation (exciting stuff!), real estate law (You never know when I'll be able to use that), Introduction to Wordpress (a new website and blog in the works), drawing (a waste of time, for me.  I have no talent in this area)  and finally "write and publish a non-fiction book".   (most beneficial)

Another "ongoing" goal is to conquer the "battle of the bulge".   I'm learning what "works for me" to achieve and maintain weight loss goals.  Enough on that subject!

Travel is ALWAYS  included in my dreams and goals!  For me, it's the stimulus for many achievements to follow.  Yes, I do have a plan!  Travel is my passion.  "Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind" - Seneca.  This past year I was able to meet up with a fellow San Pedro gal in, of all places, Loreto, Mexico.  I met her for the first time after following her blog called, "Sue's Life in Balance".  We had so much in common it was creepy!  It was a joy to meet her at her lovely home in the Baja.

Loreto

Any ideas of travel during the Summer months was "put on the backburner' because of our beautiful kitchen remodel.  Pricey, but priceless after completion.  We picked up the travel pace with a brief and balmy trip to the Big Island of Hawaii!  Such beauty, and a great way to de-stress before the Holidays begin!

Our Big Island view

Of course, my biggest joy is my family.  I aspire to make each year their best, sometimes falling short, but always looking for ways to make their time on this Earth a pleasant one.  Thanks to all my friends, family and readers during 2011.  My hope is for everyone to experience the best life has to offer in the coming year of 2012.  I know it will be a great one!  Cheers and God Bless you all!