Cooking Fresh NW Crab

Plop crab directly into large pot of boiling water.
When bright pink/orange - it is done - move into bowl.
Dig in and enjoy with an ice cold beer!
photo credit: Cayenne 04.26.09

Quick Dinner: Steamed Artichokes

My childhood friend's dad gave me some tips on cooking artichokes when I was up in Alaska. Artichokes were in season in May so I went directly to the local Fred Meyers to pick up some of these large green domes. First I picked out 2 fresh green stocks. At home I took some kitchen scissors and cut the pointy tips off before slices them in half length-wise. I laid these face up on a steaming platform in a shallow wide pan that had a lid.
Bring the water to a boil and added big dollops of salted butter. I skimped on the butter and ended up adding another round similar to that pictured above, near the end of the cooking process. Then you cover these pretty ladies, turn down the heat, and let them steam for about 50 minutes. Once the leaves come off with a gentle tug, dinner is served. Add a big garden salad and you have one easy quick dinner, plus lunch for the next day.

photo credit: Cayenne 05.25.09

Quick Dinner: Mom's Stirfry with Cheese

I eat weird food and this mostly comes from the fact that mom cooks us all kinds of strange stuff when we were growing up. Last night she made stir fry, which was excellent, and included her own little twist - adding Tillamook cheese on the top. Apparently, I only vaguely remember this, we used to love cheesy stir fry as kids. She used to plate the stir fry up on brown rice, top with yellow cheese and soy sauce, then cover it for a few minutes so the cheese gets all melty.

Mom's Cheesy Stir Fry

Sesame oil
Sunflower oil
Chopped green onions
Broccoli florets and chopped stems
Sliced baby carrots
Chopped asparagus
1 can chickpeas
Sliced yellow squash
Pine nuts
Grated yellow cheese
Soy sauce

This recipe does not need measurements and the ingredients are very flexible - just look in your fridge and grab the veggies already in there. Alter your amounts of oil as you go and depending on how many veggies you have. Prep all the veggies before heating up your pan. Things go fast once you start stirring in veggies.

1. Start by heating a few tbsp of sunflower oil and sesame oil in a skillet or wok
2. Once hot, add the onions, cook for a few minutes
3. Stir in the broccoli and carrots
4. Once the broccoli and carrots are al dente, add the asparagus and chickpeas
5. Add the squash when the asparagus is almost done (if the skillet looks dry add a bit more sesame oil)
6. Stir in the pine nuts and drizzle with soy sauce, turn off heat, leave pan on burner
7. Grate cheese

Plate first with brown rice, then a pile of veggies. Top with grated cheese and cover for 1 minute.

Thanks Mom for teaching me that cooking is fun and an adventure. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.

photo credit: Cayenne 05.10.09

Sausage, Pesto, and Pasta Birdsnest

Before we jet off to Seattle for a long weekend, I am leaving you with my most recent masterpiece: the Sausage, Pesto, and Pasta Birdsnest. As so named by TEB and quite appropriate I do think, see the Beijing Olympic Stadium here. I tackled this recipe that definitely does not fall within the quick dinner category but since it is excellent cold you can eat it for lunch and make all your co-workers jealous. Up top is the finished "birdsnest."

Sausage, Pesto, and Pasta Birdsnest (AKA Capellini Gratin)
from: Cook & Eat

1 lb capellini or whatever you have (in my case spaghetti but I recommend the thinner pasta)

Filling:
fridge/freezer finds (in my case this was some sweet italian sausage and pesto)
3/4 cup soy milk (or heavy cream if you are following the Cook & Eat recipe)
1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmasean cheese
1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of paprika
pinch of cayenne
sea salt
black pepper

preheat the oven to 425F and get out your muffin tin. I found there was no need to butter the tin since I had a nonstick muffin tin)

Cook the pasta until al dente (this is important - must be pretty firm).

I browned my italian sausage next and I recommend that you slightly cook any vegetables you will be stuffing in those pasta nests. Mushrooms and leeks would be delicious. Really just see what you can find in your fridge. Set aside for later.

In another saucepan stir together the soymilk, half of the grated cheese, and the spices. When nice and hot, scoop the pasta out of the water and into the "cream" mixture. Stir it up. If too dry, add in a bit of the pasta water. Remove from heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Transfer the pasta to your muffin tin. Fill each almost to the top with spirals of bunches of pasta. Use up any remaining liquid by filling the muffin tins. I stuffed my golden sausage down into the middle of each pasta "muffin." Then I added a dollop of watercress and spinach pesto to the top (freezer find).

Bake until the top is golden and bubbly. Let the gratin cool for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up before serving. Yummy cold.

photo credit: Cayenne 03.05.09

Quick Dinner: Potato, Leek and Bacon Soup

Potato Leek Soup
from: The Kitchn, go check out their post for a nicely styled picture.

cube 3-4 russet potatoes
2 1/2 cups of sliced leeks
enough water to cover potatoes and leeks

Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool blend the entire mixture and top with fresh, crispy bacon or thyme.

Variation:
Saute 3-4 slices of bacon, remove the bacon from the pan and dump in the potatoes and leeks (follow recipe as above). Give a quick saute and near the end throw in a few tablespoons of freshly chopped sage. Follow directions as above.

photo credit: Cayenne 03.11.09

Detox: Broccoli and Arugula Soup

Another keeper from the detox recipe box was the broccoli arugula soup. I made a double recipe, ate it several times during the week, and there was enough for TEB to have some too. This soup freezes well so consider keeping a few containers on-hand for those tired, long days.

Broccoli and Arugula Soup
from GOOP Detox

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, roughly diced
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2/3 pound)

2 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup arugula
1/2 lemon

Warm the olive oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and then add the garlic and onion. Sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for four minutes or until bright green. Add the water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer until broccoli can be easily pierced with a fork.

Uncover and remove from heat to cool until just warm. Puree with the arugula until quite smooth. I used a blender and had to mix in batches. This actually took longer than cooking the soup and at one point there were florescent green drops of soup all over the white walls - be careful!

photo credit: Cream-o-Broccoli Soup! by No Whey, Jose!

Quick Dinner: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

My CSA, J.R. Organics, provided the recipe and the squash for my first stab at a squash soup. The final product was tasty and I'm looking forward to the 3 servings I stowed in the freezer. 1 pot = 3 dinners! Check out the recipe on the CSA website.

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
adapted (twice-removed) from the Silver Palate cookbook

3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sliced leeks*
4 Teaspoons curry marsala powder
3 pounds butternut squash* (~2 medium-sized squash)
2 sweet apples*, cored and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I used no-chicken broth)
salt and pepper, to taste cayenne pepper, to taste

1. Cook the onion and leek in the butter over a low heat until tender
2. Add the curry powder, cook for a minute (might need to add a splash of broth)
3. Add the stock, squash, and apples
4. Cover and bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, covered, until the squash is tender
6. Puree by your favorite method and return to the pan
7. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper
*items from biweekly CSA

photo credit: Cayenne 01.15.09

Quick Dinner: Sauted Sage, Squash, and Shitake Mushrooms

I knew one day soon I would start writing a post and think "maybe I have already posted this recipe." Well, it happened today. I posted Squash Pasta 01.21.08 and now I have a little update with pictures! Here is a recap of the ingredients, see link above for more detailed recipe: 12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine pasta; 2/3 stick butter, divided; 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes butternut squash; 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced; 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage; 1 5- to 6-ounce package baby spinach; 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided.

I want to highlight a substitution using an ingredient that came in our CSA box last week - tatsoi the leafy green pictured above. The leaves are similar to bok choy but a quick google search revealed that it was an Asian salad green that is often eaten raw. Since there were a few notes saying that it tasted like bok choy I decided to use it in place of the spinach (I often substitute spinach with kale). I also added a few fresh, organic items from my local farmers' market, like the sage and shiitake mushrooms.

I threw the entire saute over a pile of Harvest Grains Israeli Cousous (for something else with HGIC see the Fig, Chicken and Israeli Cousous recipe here). The fall colors really make this plate up beautifuly and it is easy.

photo credit: Cayenne 11.16.09

Quick Dinner: Vegetarian Chili

These are the perfect beans for the navajo taco recipe I posted a few weeks ago.

Chili Sin Carne
adapted slightly from 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, 2nd Edition by Sue Spitler

12 ounces frozen vegetable protein crumbles
1.5 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (red pepper works just fine too)
2 cloves garlic, minced (double the garlic)
1-2 tbsp (ancho) chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cans (14.5 ounces) of chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) reduced-sodium tomato paste
3/4 cup dark beer (or water but the beer makes it 100x better)
1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
2-3 tsp unsweetened cocoa (or mexican cocoa)
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans (or black beans), rinsed, drained
Salt, black and cayenne pepper to taste

Optional Toppings: cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream

1. Saute veggie grounds, onions, bell pepper, and garlic with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil until veggies are tender.

2. Add ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Cook a few minutes longer or until fragrant.

3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beer, brown sugar, and cocoa to soup mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour.

4. Stir in beans. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls or on navajo fry bread, added toppings.

**Make a double or triple batch and freeze the left-overs in plastic freezer bags or tupperware. TEB made a 6x recipe and we ate chili out of the freezer for the next 8 months.

photo credit: TEB 11.10.08

Navajo Fry Bread: TACOS

My love of Navajo tacos started some 25 years ago when a Navajo taco stand showed up at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds. Every year since then I would save up my change to buy their wonderful tacos and fry bread smothered in honey. On my trip to Moab, UT, I was able to order a Navajo taco. It did not meet my high expectations but that just motivated me to finally learn how to make fry bread. I think it takes a lot of practice to get the dough just right. The recipe below worked well on the first try, which says a lot, and I learned more about the history of Indian fry bread.

Navajo Fry Bread Recipe
by Cynthia Detterick-Pineda on What's Cooking America

Mix in medium sized bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour (go with the standard white stuff)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp powdered milk (seriously, don't leave this out)
1 tsp baking powder

Pour 1/2 cup water over the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until it forms a large ball that is well floured on the outside and sticky on the inside. I ended up adding a lot of extra flour and my dough was really sticky. Cut dough into 4 equal portions.

Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet. Flatten dough into round-ish 5 inch diameter cakes. This was the hardest part for me. I could not get the dough an even thickness and it was so sticky that the cooked fry bread had pointy peaks on it instead of being flat. It tasted perfect so I just need to work on how it looks.

As I remember you can eat this fry bread as a dessert or as a main course when you pile on beans, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. The other day I replaced the beans with spanish-style rice. The next recipe I will post is for vegetarian chili which freezes well and would be another good replacement for the beans.

The more traditional, in my opinion, way of eating dessert fry bread is to drizzle honey over the top and just tear pieces off with your fingers. Lately, I have seen it covered with powdered sugar.

photo credit: Navajo Taco with spanish-style rice by TEB

Quick Dinner: Rabbit Pasta

I have been eating Annie's "rabbit" pasta since middle school. It was one of those easy-to-prepare foods that my mom let us cook when we were home alone. It sustained me through my high school swim team days and I turn to it now when I need something quick to cook.

All I do it follow the instructions on the box, substituting the milk for soymilk, and make sure to add in some additional ingredients to make it seem like my dinner did not come out of a box. Here are my favorites: Peace Pasta, Shells & White Cheddar, Shells and Real Aged Cheddar, and Alfredo Shells & Cheddar. See a full list of all Annie's Homegrown products here.

Now these are not dairy-free and Annie's does not have any vegan products, but substituting soymilk definitely helps on keeping the dairy levels low. I have a couple of favorite combos that all start with any of the above pastas.

1. broccoli and peas (fresh or frozen) - I always keep frozen veggies expressly for this purpose

2. tuna and broccoli - tuna can be a life-saver so I keep a couple of cans of chunked tuna in water in the pantry

3. chopped kale (or spinach) and edamame succotash - fall and winter months bring loads of kale in my CSA box. Since I cannot consume all of it fresh I braise or steam it, package it in plastic sandwich bags, and throw it in the freezer. Edamame succotash is a mix of edamame beans, corn, and roasted red peppers (pick some up at Whole Foods or Trader Joes).

N.B. I tried an Annie's SKILLET pasta mix the other day. Even with some serious tweaking - cooking up some onions, green peppers, and vegan protein ground meat - it was terrible. So bad in fact that TEB said even he would not even taste it. I was more willing to give it a try, probably b/c I put time into making it. It was bland and mushy. I ended up throwing the whole thing out.

Quick Dinner: Fig, Chicken, and Israeli Couscous Salad

I picked up the September Martha Steward Living magazine at the airport the other day, after I had read all the old New Yorker magazines I had brought along. We tried the Fig, Chicken, and Barley recipe this week and it was delicious despite the fact that we had to tweak the recipe to what was in the pantry. I balked at the idea of simmering the barley in the chicken stock for 40 minutes, which does not follow my quick dinner rules. I used Harvest Grains Israeli couscous from Trader Joe's. It is a new favorite and contains a base of large pearl couscous mixed with orzo, dried garbonzos, and quinoa.

Add 6 cups water, some chopped onion, sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 halved seeded spicy chile, 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, and 2-4 crush fresh garlic cloves to a medium, yet deep, pan. Bring contents to a boil.

While waiting for the stock water to boil get the couscous going on another burner. Follow the directions on the back of the Harvest Grains package, cooking time is ~10 minutes. You should end up with about 3 cups of whatever whole grain you choose to use.

When the stock water is boiling, add 1 package organic, free-range, vegetarian-fed chicken (I am still working on a good vegetarian substitute). Cook for ~8 minutes. Slice through the fattest piece to make sure the inside is not pink. Place all pieces of chicken in a bowl and put in the freezer to cool or if you live in Alaska put outside for ~10 minutes.

The salad: In a medium bowl add the couscous, 1/4 cup fig-balsamic vinegar (I used regular balsamic but recommend using the fig), 4 scallions or green onions chopped, 2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper. Take the chicken out of the freezer. If cool enough pull apart into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl, mix well. Add 1 pint of fresh, quartered figs. Good for dinner and for lunch the next day.

Quick Dinner: Pasta with Raw Tomato Sauce

The farmers' market was full of heirloom tomatoes. I bought a pint of baby heirlooms just so that I could make raw tomato sauce with them. This is my favorite quick dinner and even though I have been making it all summer I was reminded to blog about it in the August 2008 Domino magazine. I boil up some penne rigatoni (the kind with the small ridges because the cheese sticks well to it) and then I dress it with extra virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper, and fresh torn basil from my patio planters. I then either chop up some roma tomatoes or if heirlooms are in season then use the baby ones cut in half. I normally make this per plate so I can add as many tomatoes as I like. Then I shave off (using a good potato peeler) big hunks of fresh, block parmesan over the whole thing. Picture above from Domino Magazine, see recipe here.

Cream of Roasted Red Pepper Soup

One of the things I can do on the weekend to make the week less hectic, is to make a large pot of soup or casserole. I then save the left-overs for a weekday dinner and freeze the rest for later. We have been eating out of the freezer for the past week. One of things that came out was a red pepper soup that I made last fall. It was still good and the basil-spinach puree garnish, also frozen, I used on some fresh pasta that was sprinkled with cheese.

Cream of Roaster Red Pepper Soup with Basil-Spinach Puree from The Vegan Chef Click on over to The Vegan Chef to see the entire cream of red pepper soup recipe that I followed exactly.

At the time I had a freezer full of roasted peppers that we had picked up in New Mexico so I used those. I had no idea that they were super spicy so had to thin out the soup with more potatoes and ended up using it more as a dip for flat bread than as a soup. I recommend making a combination of 6 red bell peppers and 2 of the spicy New Mexico Chiles.

Basil-Spinach Puree:
This puree was pretty as a garnish but even better used as a sauce.
3 cups packed spinach leaves, triple washed, destemmed, and patted dry
1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves, washed well, and patted dry
3/4 cup packed parsley leaves, washed well, and patted dry
1/2 cup olive oil 3 T. water
1 1/2 T. nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
1 1/2 t. garlic, minced

In a blender or food processor, place all of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Thin with a bit of water, if needed.

photo credit: five x two by trAvelpig

Quick Dinner: Squash Pasta

If you are looking for a colorful dinner this is the recipe for you. I was tipped off to this recipe from a post on one of my favorite blogs EmilyStyle. Break this out of your recipe box for a dinner party or when you need a warm belly on a chilly winter day.

Pappardelle with Squash, Mushrooms, and Spinach
from Bon Apetite, November 2007

12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine pasta

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes butternut squash (from 1-pound squash)
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 5- to 6-ounce package baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, sage, and remaining 1/4 cup butter; sauté until mushrooms are soft and squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Add spinach; stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to sauce in skillet. Toss to coat, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.