I made a Spinach and Lentil dish (aka Palak Dal) on Monday night this week. I found the recipe from a Google search when I knew we were both in the mood for Indian food and I had some chard to eat up. It turned out lovely! I followed the recipe fairly closely, my only substitutions were that I used red lentils, chard instead of spinach, and low-fat sour cream that I had on hand instead of the heavy cream.
Picture to come... :)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Week in Review
Monday we had Lasagna!
Tuesday we had leftover Pizza and some lasagna.
Wednesday I made Chiliquiles - post coming soon!
Thursday we had Chinese take-out. I tried something new (steamed veggies and tofu) and liked it. It didn't taste like everything else on the menu. At first when I dished out the veggies and tofu, I was a little worried. As much as I want to be healthy, it just seemed too bland, but then I found the sauce that was supposed to go on top. It was from the "Lighter Side" menu, so I'm guessing they don't put the sauce on because people want to control how much salt/sugar/oil they are adding with the sauce - and control I did.
What to cook tonight...? I feel something soupy coming on.
Tuesday we had leftover Pizza and some lasagna.
Wednesday I made Chiliquiles - post coming soon!
Thursday we had Chinese take-out. I tried something new (steamed veggies and tofu) and liked it. It didn't taste like everything else on the menu. At first when I dished out the veggies and tofu, I was a little worried. As much as I want to be healthy, it just seemed too bland, but then I found the sauce that was supposed to go on top. It was from the "Lighter Side" menu, so I'm guessing they don't put the sauce on because people want to control how much salt/sugar/oil they are adding with the sauce - and control I did.
What to cook tonight...? I feel something soupy coming on.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Lasagna!
So, I've mentioned the Lasagna I make before. Last night it was on the menu - freshly made, no leftovers. I started making the recipe from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin
when I first got the cookbook. I liked that the noodles didn't need to be boiled/pre-cooked, because, you know, I'm lazy!
Tonight's version had Trader Joe's soy chorizo in the sauce:
32oz can of crushed tomatoes (Cento Brand)
1/2 cup of red wine - I didn't measure it, but poured in the last of a bottle, so it was probably closer to 3/4 cup - I love my food with alcohol!
1-1/2 cup water
package of Trader Joe's soy chorizo
1 teaspoon oregano
3 cloves of garlic chopped
I also chopped up all of the ripened tomatoes that I had (from clearing out all the green tomatoes in the garden).
to prepare the ricotta mixture, mix together:
2 cups ricotta (I used whole milk this time, but usually I use skim/low fat)
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
When my mom made lasagna growing up, she used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I liked it but I've since converted to the more traditional. I've also discovered that I really like the results when I use Trader Joe's lasagna noodles. I didn't have them for this one, and I can tell the difference. This particular recipe uses about 16 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese and I put Ebon to work shredding a block that we got at the market - all the shredded mozzarella cheese was sold out - womp womp.
Now the layering begins:
Pour enough sauce in a 9"x13" casserole dish to cover the bottom, add first layer of noodles. Spread on ricotta mixture on the noodles, then add more sauce to cover the layer. Add cheese.
Noodles
ricotta
sauce
mozzarella cheese
Noodles
ricotta
sauce
mozzarella cheese
Noodle
Sauce
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put into a pre-heated 350degF oven for about 50-60 minutes, then cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes more. Here's where I put the last layer of cheese on it because I've found if I add it before putting the foil on, the cheese just gets stuck to the foil - no fun! So bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
This is what happens when you don't let it sit after taking it out of the oven (a lot of oozing of sauce going on at the left):
So be patient and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so. You'll thank me later.
What's your favorite lasagna recipe? Are you a cottage cheese or ricotta cheese devotee?
when I first got the cookbook. I liked that the noodles didn't need to be boiled/pre-cooked, because, you know, I'm lazy!Tonight's version had Trader Joe's soy chorizo in the sauce:
32oz can of crushed tomatoes (Cento Brand)
1/2 cup of red wine - I didn't measure it, but poured in the last of a bottle, so it was probably closer to 3/4 cup - I love my food with alcohol!
1-1/2 cup water
package of Trader Joe's soy chorizo
1 teaspoon oregano
3 cloves of garlic chopped
I also chopped up all of the ripened tomatoes that I had (from clearing out all the green tomatoes in the garden).
to prepare the ricotta mixture, mix together:
2 cups ricotta (I used whole milk this time, but usually I use skim/low fat)
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
When my mom made lasagna growing up, she used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I liked it but I've since converted to the more traditional. I've also discovered that I really like the results when I use Trader Joe's lasagna noodles. I didn't have them for this one, and I can tell the difference. This particular recipe uses about 16 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese and I put Ebon to work shredding a block that we got at the market - all the shredded mozzarella cheese was sold out - womp womp.
Now the layering begins:
Pour enough sauce in a 9"x13" casserole dish to cover the bottom, add first layer of noodles. Spread on ricotta mixture on the noodles, then add more sauce to cover the layer. Add cheese.
Noodles
ricotta
sauce
mozzarella cheese
Noodles
ricotta
sauce
mozzarella cheese
Noodle
Sauce
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put into a pre-heated 350degF oven for about 50-60 minutes, then cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes more. Here's where I put the last layer of cheese on it because I've found if I add it before putting the foil on, the cheese just gets stuck to the foil - no fun! So bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
This is what happens when you don't let it sit after taking it out of the oven (a lot of oozing of sauce going on at the left):
So be patient and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so. You'll thank me later.
What's your favorite lasagna recipe? Are you a cottage cheese or ricotta cheese devotee?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Home made pizza - sorta
Last night I made pizza using our pizza stone for the first time.
I used a crust we purchased and here's Ebon's handy work for the first pizza:
Our go-to toppings are green peppers and onions, so that was one of the pizzas. The second was a margherita of sorts - I used defrosted basil cubes (from the garden) and tomatoes.
It was about 1/4 of a large yellow onion and about 1/4 to 1/2 of a green pepper. In this case it was frozen from the CSA earlier this season. Ebon wasn't a fan of how it tasted, but I couldn't tell the difference.
Here are the leftovers!
The stone definitely helped - it was pre-heated about 30 minutes before using it. The margherita pizza was a bit soggy in the middle because the basil cubes had a lot of water in them, the tomatoes exuded some water, and I added a drizzling of olive oil, which I'm sure didn't help. However, it was still quite tasty!
They baked at 450degF for about 10-20 min - I just watched to make sure the cheese was bubbly and getting brown.
I used a crust we purchased and here's Ebon's handy work for the first pizza:
Our go-to toppings are green peppers and onions, so that was one of the pizzas. The second was a margherita of sorts - I used defrosted basil cubes (from the garden) and tomatoes.
Here are the leftovers!
They baked at 450degF for about 10-20 min - I just watched to make sure the cheese was bubbly and getting brown.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Leftover soup - with a pic
Ok, the weekend seems much easier to take pictures, so here is what I had for dinner last night, the Lentil and Chard soup with Barley we had earlier this week:
It was still good heated up on the stove!
It was still good heated up on the stove!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
True Belgian Waffle attempt
After our visit to the Food Truck Throwdown, Ebon found a recipe for one kind of the waffles we had: Gaufres de Liege. This time I followed the recipe to the letter.
I would say they turned out decently. They were crunchy on the outside and mostly soft inside and the turbinado sugar helped with some of the crunch. For the effort, though, I probably won't be making them again. My tried and true waffle recipe - which is really a pancake batter - from miss Betty Crocker works well enough and whips up in less than 5 minutes, and I have it memorized by now!
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
combine in a bowl
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
beat the egg into the wet ingredients and combine with the dry ingredients
What's your favorite breakfast food? Do you have a tried and true pancake or waffle recipe?
I would say they turned out decently. They were crunchy on the outside and mostly soft inside and the turbinado sugar helped with some of the crunch. For the effort, though, I probably won't be making them again. My tried and true waffle recipe - which is really a pancake batter - from miss Betty Crocker works well enough and whips up in less than 5 minutes, and I have it memorized by now!
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
combine in a bowl
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
beat the egg into the wet ingredients and combine with the dry ingredients
What's your favorite breakfast food? Do you have a tried and true pancake or waffle recipe?
Chickin Nuggets and leftovers
Last night we had a simple, quick meal of rice, "Chickin" nuggets and warmed up leftover Thai food.
Although I am trying to avoid as much processed/frozen food as possible, we both really like the Morningstar Farms Chik'n Nuggets and especially the Buffalo Wing flavor:
I've attempted making non-meatloaf and seitan Chickin Fried Steak, but they don't compare to the nuggets. Maybe I'll try to make them out of seitan some day...
What is your favorite non-meat?
Although I am trying to avoid as much processed/frozen food as possible, we both really like the Morningstar Farms Chik'n Nuggets and especially the Buffalo Wing flavor:
I've attempted making non-meatloaf and seitan Chickin Fried Steak, but they don't compare to the nuggets. Maybe I'll try to make them out of seitan some day...
What is your favorite non-meat?
Friday, November 9, 2012
Pesto Risotto with Peas
I've been wanting to make risotto for a while, and I finally got the chance last night. I had no idea what risotto was until about 6 or 7 years ago when my roommate made it for her parents.I thought it looked fairly interesting and mostly easy to make.It wasn't until I happened upon the Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition 
or at least I think that's the right edition, that another roommate had, that I tried making it myself. Although it takes some time/babysitting in terms of stirring, I like that for the most part, it is a one-dish kind of meal, at least I make it so that it's a complete meal.
Heat up 3-4 cups of water (or stock) in a saucepan. In my case, I used our handy water kettle, very similar to this Cordless Electric Kettle
. Using the kettle is an energy-saving tip I learned from Alton Brown on Good Eats. I miss that show!
In a large skillet:
~2 tablespoons olive oil
~1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
After the onions are soft toast the rice for a little bit.
1 cup arborio rice
Then add the wine
~3/4 cup white wine
As the liquid is absorbed, add water in 1/2cup to 1 cup increments, stirring frequently.
I had some basil cubes I had frozen previously (from my garden), that I added about halfway through to make it a "pesto" flavor.
On the last ladle of water, or just before the rice is done - al dente - I added the peas.
1 cup frozen green peas
It turned out great (pictures would be nice, huh? I get hungry and pictures are the last thing on my mind...)! We had some fresh Italian bread with it.
What are some foods that you discovered late in life?
or at least I think that's the right edition, that another roommate had, that I tried making it myself. Although it takes some time/babysitting in terms of stirring, I like that for the most part, it is a one-dish kind of meal, at least I make it so that it's a complete meal.Heat up 3-4 cups of water (or stock) in a saucepan. In my case, I used our handy water kettle, very similar to this Cordless Electric Kettle
. Using the kettle is an energy-saving tip I learned from Alton Brown on Good Eats. I miss that show!In a large skillet:
~2 tablespoons olive oil
~1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
After the onions are soft toast the rice for a little bit.
1 cup arborio rice
Then add the wine
~3/4 cup white wine
As the liquid is absorbed, add water in 1/2cup to 1 cup increments, stirring frequently.
I had some basil cubes I had frozen previously (from my garden), that I added about halfway through to make it a "pesto" flavor.
On the last ladle of water, or just before the rice is done - al dente - I added the peas.
1 cup frozen green peas
It turned out great (pictures would be nice, huh? I get hungry and pictures are the last thing on my mind...)! We had some fresh Italian bread with it.
What are some foods that you discovered late in life?
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Busy post-work
The last couple of days have been kinda busy after work, so we've ordered in. Thai on Tuesday and pizza (can you tell Ebon likes pizza!) last night.
On Tuesday morning, I walked to the polling place to find the line out the door and down the block, so I opted to not be late to work and vote afterwards. As I was walking to polling place after work, I spotted another polling place with a line down the block and around the corner for quite a ways and I was worried that I would meet the same fate. Fortunately, the line I had to stand in didn't go around the corner. I did have to wait in line for about an hour before attending to my democratic duty. Because of that and I had to meet up with the end of rugby practice to attend to my rugby treasurer duties, Ebon ordered Thai food. I tried to go with something a little different and asked if one of their chicken dishes could be made vegetarian by using tofu instead - they agreed and I had Cashew Tofu. I'd say it was decent, it probably would have been better if it was hot, but rugby practice delayed my return to home. Ebon got Sweet and Sour Tofu and the staple Crispy Tofu Basil which is always yummy.
Last night I went to my first book signing (at least that I can remember) for my favorite blog, Young House Love and go buy their book: Young House Love, the Book!
. I went with a friend from work and as we drove the Nor'easter that was predicted started dumping and blowing snow everywhere, so that made for an interesting drive into Boston from Chelmsford. The signing was at West Elm near Fenway Park. After waiting in line for about three hours we spent a very short amount of time chatting with John and Sherry, they signed my friend's book and my bookplate, and then we took the obligatory picture.
The employees snaked the line around the whole store, which I thought was ingenious for them because it forced people to look at all the stuff they had in stock. Forced window-shopping was definitely way better than the alternative of standing outside in the blowing snow. It was fun- as fun as waiting in line for the second day in a row can be- they gave us cookies and hot chocolate, we made line friends with some of the people standing close to us, and I got a couple ideas for "re-doing" our bedroom. We need a new duvet cover and I have been thinking about getting or making new drapes/curtains for a while since the ones I have are probably 9 years old and getting a little drab. This morning while I was getting ready for work, I looked at our room I thought that it might work better if I re-arrange the room a bit. My design wheels are turning!
Soooo, after getting home at about 9:30pm, Ebon had ordered some pizza which I think he got for free from Papa John's. After that I was beat, so I went to bed after a little TV and internet browsing (I heart the Daily Show!).
Have you ever been to a book signing? What was it like? Do you ever get sick of pizza? Ebon doesn't!
On Tuesday morning, I walked to the polling place to find the line out the door and down the block, so I opted to not be late to work and vote afterwards. As I was walking to polling place after work, I spotted another polling place with a line down the block and around the corner for quite a ways and I was worried that I would meet the same fate. Fortunately, the line I had to stand in didn't go around the corner. I did have to wait in line for about an hour before attending to my democratic duty. Because of that and I had to meet up with the end of rugby practice to attend to my rugby treasurer duties, Ebon ordered Thai food. I tried to go with something a little different and asked if one of their chicken dishes could be made vegetarian by using tofu instead - they agreed and I had Cashew Tofu. I'd say it was decent, it probably would have been better if it was hot, but rugby practice delayed my return to home. Ebon got Sweet and Sour Tofu and the staple Crispy Tofu Basil which is always yummy.
Last night I went to my first book signing (at least that I can remember) for my favorite blog, Young House Love and go buy their book: Young House Love, the Book!
. I went with a friend from work and as we drove the Nor'easter that was predicted started dumping and blowing snow everywhere, so that made for an interesting drive into Boston from Chelmsford. The signing was at West Elm near Fenway Park. After waiting in line for about three hours we spent a very short amount of time chatting with John and Sherry, they signed my friend's book and my bookplate, and then we took the obligatory picture.Soooo, after getting home at about 9:30pm, Ebon had ordered some pizza which I think he got for free from Papa John's. After that I was beat, so I went to bed after a little TV and internet browsing (I heart the Daily Show!).
Have you ever been to a book signing? What was it like? Do you ever get sick of pizza? Ebon doesn't!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Lentil and Chard Soup with Barley
Last night I whipped up some Lentil and Chard soup using this recipe as inspiration. As usual, I deviated from the recipe a bit. To avoid making more pots and pans dirty, I nixed caramelizing the onions and declined to toast the cumin seeds. Instead, I opted to throw everything into a big dutch oven after I cooked the onions and garlic. I had lots of chard from the garden, so that was the only vegetable that went into the soup.
Erika's version :)
~2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium onions chopped (I had one yellow and one red from the last CSA share)
3 cloves of garlic diced (from my garden)
Once those were soft I added
1 cup brown lentils (rinsed and picked through)
1/2 cup pearled barley
6 cups of water
3 tablespoons of vegetable stock powder (from the Korean market) I need to work on translating the label!
chard stalks chopped (about 2 bunches worth of chard, from my garden)
I let this simmer until the lentils and barley were soft ~20 minutes, then I added the chopped chard leaves
1/2 jalapeno diced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
ground black pepper
I also added about 1 more cup of water when I added the chard leaves. Bring this up to a simmer and cook for a few minutes longer.
I sprinkled Parmesan cheese in the bowl and served this with garlic toast and some homemade cheese crackers. I pulled the cracker dough out of the freezer, which I made a while ago, so I'm not sure of the recipe for the crackers.
I thought the spices added that extra layer of flavor and I really enjoyed it. Even though he won't admit it, I think Ebon enjoyed the meal too. He doesn't like the idea of eating something that is leafy and green, like chard. However, everything I've made with it, he's eaten without too many complaints.
On the agenda coming up - Plant Garlic for next spring!!!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Coffee Cake
It takes me quite a while to finish my post when I have to upload photos - not so great ones at that...Anyway, this post is from a few weeks ago!
When I want to procrastinate or am bored, I'll often bake. Such was the case on this rainy Sunday morning. I have a ton of work to do and the house is a huge mess, so I'll make a coffee cake instead. Sounds like a perfect idea to me! I made THIS coffee cake with a few variations - of course.
I added about 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the struesel and instead of putting all the streusel on top of the cake, I layered the batter and the streusel so there would be the yummy surprise inside! I also used an angel food/bundt pan, only because there is still lasagna in my large baking dish :)
Here are some pics of the results:
As far as taste goes, I would say that it is OK. I think I was expecting a little more of a pumpkin flavor, but that may also point to the pumpkin I used. The oatmeal made it hearty and moist, but maybe a little bit too chewy.
We had pizza from Domino's for dinner - exciting!
When I want to procrastinate or am bored, I'll often bake. Such was the case on this rainy Sunday morning. I have a ton of work to do and the house is a huge mess, so I'll make a coffee cake instead. Sounds like a perfect idea to me! I made THIS coffee cake with a few variations - of course.
I added about 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the struesel and instead of putting all the streusel on top of the cake, I layered the batter and the streusel so there would be the yummy surprise inside! I also used an angel food/bundt pan, only because there is still lasagna in my large baking dish :)
Here are some pics of the results:
As far as taste goes, I would say that it is OK. I think I was expecting a little more of a pumpkin flavor, but that may also point to the pumpkin I used. The oatmeal made it hearty and moist, but maybe a little bit too chewy.
We had pizza from Domino's for dinner - exciting!
Not very exciting weekend - food-wise
This is from last weekend, I'm a little behind - it took me some time to transcribe the recipe.
Friday night we ordered pizza from Pizza Days.
After a gorgeous day working in the garden and another hike to the Middlesex Fells, Saturday we had leftover pizza. I did make pumpkin bars, though. When I was in grade school, we would bring treats to share with our class on our birthdays and I would request these all the time:
Recipe pending
1-1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
16oz pureed pumpkin (2 cups)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix ingredients together and pour into a greased and floured jelly roll pan (I used a 9x13 pan) and bake at 350degF for 25-30 min or until a tester in the middle comes out clean (I think it took about 40-50 min in the smaller pan).
Frosting
One 8oz package of reduced fat cream cheese/neufchatel cheese - room temperature
4 tablespoons butter or half a stick of butter - I used unsalted - room temperature
2 cups powdered sifted sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk
cream the cheese and butter together, then add in the sugar and vanilla, blend until smooth.
This frosting is a bit on the runny side, so the milk might not be necessary.
Sunday I had pizza again at a rugby "social" in Newport, RI before it started raining and blowing and Ebon ate leftover Chinese.
Way too much pizza for my own good, but I did get a lot done in the garden and was able to salvage some green tomatoes and some basil is still going at one garden. I also transplanted one rhubarb plant and there were some stalks left. I'll try using all of them, but I'm not sure how it will all turn out.
I also made some hot chocolate and Ebon made a special treat - "hard rice." Also known as 누룽지 or "noo-roong-ji".
I found a good tutorial at this blog, but we don't soak it. Basically it's pan-toasted cooked rice. It's kind of like Korean popcorn only with a "ricey" taste!
What are your favorite fall treats?
Friday night we ordered pizza from Pizza Days.
After a gorgeous day working in the garden and another hike to the Middlesex Fells, Saturday we had leftover pizza. I did make pumpkin bars, though. When I was in grade school, we would bring treats to share with our class on our birthdays and I would request these all the time:
Recipe pending
1-1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
16oz pureed pumpkin (2 cups)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix ingredients together and pour into a greased and floured jelly roll pan (I used a 9x13 pan) and bake at 350degF for 25-30 min or until a tester in the middle comes out clean (I think it took about 40-50 min in the smaller pan).
Frosting
One 8oz package of reduced fat cream cheese/neufchatel cheese - room temperature
4 tablespoons butter or half a stick of butter - I used unsalted - room temperature
2 cups powdered sifted sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk
cream the cheese and butter together, then add in the sugar and vanilla, blend until smooth.
This frosting is a bit on the runny side, so the milk might not be necessary.
Sunday I had pizza again at a rugby "social" in Newport, RI before it started raining and blowing and Ebon ate leftover Chinese.
Way too much pizza for my own good, but I did get a lot done in the garden and was able to salvage some green tomatoes and some basil is still going at one garden. I also transplanted one rhubarb plant and there were some stalks left. I'll try using all of them, but I'm not sure how it will all turn out.
I also made some hot chocolate and Ebon made a special treat - "hard rice." Also known as 누룽지 or "noo-roong-ji".
I found a good tutorial at this blog, but we don't soak it. Basically it's pan-toasted cooked rice. It's kind of like Korean popcorn only with a "ricey" taste!
What are your favorite fall treats?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Dumplings
It was Halloween, so last night we had dumplings for dinner. When I was younger, for some reason I remember asking my mom to make "crep milk" for Halloween dinner - it's either Norwegian or German, I can't remember for sure. It is warm milk with butter and sugar and cinnamon with flour dumplings - nothing like what we had for dinner. So with a slight nod to my usual request for dumplings on Halloween I pan-fried up some store-bought soy/vegetable filled dumplings that we got at the Reliable Market (Korean). I think the brand we got is Assi, but the key is to find the ones without MSG.
I served up the dumplings with white rice (Ebon was much happier), laver/seaweed, and steamed carrots. We also usually dip them in some soy sauce mixed with a little vinegar for some saltiness.
We only had 7 trick-or-treaters, so we have plenty of candy that needs to be hidden from me so I don't eat it all.
Do you have a favorite meal for Halloween?
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