May 10, 2013 · 9:45 pm

Something Borrowed

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Whenever I run to the grocery store to do my weekly food pick-up, I skim through my favorite blogs to see if there are any recipes that inspire me.  This week I was looking for something that was going to be heavy on flavor and comfort but light on the carbs.  I stumbled upon SmittenKitchen’s “Alex’s Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage.”

Cabbage isn’t really normally part of my cooking repertoire but that’s silly because it is such a versatile ingredient and is chock-full of nutrients. You might be surprised to know that a half cup of raw cabbage contains as much as 30% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

With all this in mind, I decided to try out the stuffed cabbage idea.  I did not use any rice or vegetables typically seen in the filling of an old world  stuffed cabbage dish, rather I created a much more Italian inspired, cabbage-wrapped meatball concoction.  Why not use inspiration to create something new out of something traditional?

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My version of a stuffed cabbage is a great for those of us cutting down on carbs in anticipation of bathing suit season but don’t want to miss out on a filling meal.  It also brings a whole lot of protein to the table while staying low-fat.  I used ground turkey meat instead of beef (buffalo is also leaner than beef if you’re looking to stick with red meat). Finally, I used low-fat ricotta and Parmesan cheeses to keep the fat count down.  This dish also keeps really well if you want to nosh on it over the course of a week.

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You could make my hybrid recipe as is or you could make a twist of your own. Maybe a toothpick grabbing mini stuffed cabbages as appetizer? Or just make meatballs and nix the cabbage altogether.  You could also come up with a different sauce (maybe  something creamy) or a different filling.

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Check out the recipe below, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. And it makes the house smell fantastic.

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Stuffed Cabbage:

INGREDIENTS:

1lb ground turkey

1 savoy cabbage

1 egg

1/2 cup low-fat ricotta

1/2 cup low-fat Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup panko or bread crumbs (I used gluten-free)

2 garlic cloves minced

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

1/2-3/4 cup of red wine

3-8 tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. fill a 3-Quart or large pot 2/3 with water and let it boil. Meanwhile cut out the heart of the cabbage. If you are not sure how to do this, reference this site.
  2. When water is boiling, place whole savoy cabbage in the pot, let sit for 10 minutes or until pliable–you will be using the leaves to wrap
  3. lay out a large cooking sheet with paper towels and place cabbage leaves out on the cooking sheet to dry after removing from the water. Set aside.
  4. Meanwhile in a large bowl combine: ground turkey, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, panko/bread crumbs, minced garlic, dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once combined roll into 1 -1 1/2 inch balls. Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
  5. Once meatballs have chilled, take an individual, dried cabbage leaf and place one meatball an inch from the base (closest to your body).  roll leaf away from your body, halfway down the leaf fold left and right side into center of leaf, finish rolling to the end of the leaf.  Repeat  this process for each meatball and set aside.
  6. Heat a large pot to medium high heat.  Once hot, place 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil, then after the oil has heated all the way through add the stuffed cabbages.  Be sure to give the cabbages enough room in the pot, you do not want the cabbages touching one another or that will affect the cabbage’s ability to brown.
  7. Flip the cabbages once they have browned then remove from the pot.  Repeat this process until all of the cabbages have browned, adding more oil between batches.
  8. Once all the cabbages have browned, keeping the heat on, add the red wine and deglaze the pot.
  9. After a minute, add the jar of tomato sauce and a 1/3 cup of water as the sauce will reduce.
  10. Add cabbages back to the pot and bring up to a simmer.
  11. Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour.
  12. Eat, enjoy!

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Link

Fun drinks with an attitude

Love how much fun this site Thug Kitchen has.  I’ll definitely be trying the lavender lemonade soon!

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May 10, 2013 · 4:09 pm
April 22, 2013 · 10:40 pm

Where Have I Been?

Hi everyone!

I know I haven’t posted in a hot minute and I’m sorry. Now is probably the best time to fill you in on my life happenings i.e. my distractions from writing and cooking.

In the beginning of December my mom started her fight against cancer.  Additionally, I have been studying for the GRE so I can go back to school and get a Masters in Public Health, joined a community garden and am about to start volunteering at the Columbia Heights farmers market.  All of these events have only reinforced my passion for food and the belief that the right combination of whole foods can serve as our first line of defense; whole foods not only give us more energy but also boosts our immune systems and fight against all kinds of diseases and “symptoms” of growing older.  I have been very distracted over the last several months but all is well, just a slight imbalance of time and energy. Sorry to have put the blog towards the bottom of the list, hopefully I will resume posting routinely in the near future but in the meantime, you’ll just have to  sit tight.

When I found out about my mom, I wasn’t sure what I could do or how I could help.  My good friend introduced me to this fantastic book called The Cancer Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz.  I love this book because Rebecca Katz is an Registered Dietitian who, in creating this book, interviewed a number of different oncologists, cancer wellness professionals, and patients to develop delicious, seasonal recipes that can help folks recovering from cancer-fighting treatments feel more comfortable with common side effects such as nausea, metallic sense of taste, constipation and fatigue, as well as giving the body nutritious rich meals that will help boost the body’s immune system.  Rebecca Katz  refers to this as the “power of yum.”

Of course I’m more excited about this kind of stuff than my mom, who I found out recently requested pizza during her chemotherapy treatments on the regular (can you blame her?).  It was a very exciting food discovery for me, I’m looking forward to borrowing the book for myself as the recipes are fresh, colorful and really very delicious.

Also, a quick update on my green thumb.  In collaboration with my interest for eating seasonally and locally, my roommates and I are gardening at the Bruce Monroe Park Community Garden up in Columbia Heights off of Columbia Road.  Over the last two weeks we have started our seeds, turned the soil of our personal plot and planted some vegetables in the community plot.  So far it is going really well.

Here’s our plot, looks a little naked now but come next month it will be very green and happy.

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The seedlings that we planted at home just two weeks ago are also really starting to take off.  We decided to start indoors as it is a more controlled environment and it has been a little cold over the last month.  We decided to get the plants nice and strong before transplanting them into a more unforgiving environment.  The plants we are growing include spinach, edamame, peppers, carrots, sunflowers and beets.  In the community plot we just recently planted broccoli, lettuce, green beans and chard as they do better in slightly cooler environments.

Here’s a sneak peek at our little seedlings; you’ll notice that the seeds are hanging out on my dresser, it happens to get some of the best light in our house so we placed them there. We used a Jiffy Greenhouse kit, which included starter soil “pellets” and a dome to cover the seeds.  It was super simple and fairly mistake proof.

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Higher resolution pictures soon to come.  I will be sure to document every step of this gardening process as it is my first attempt at sustainable living.  I’d also appreciate any gardening tips you all have.

Thanks everyone! Talk soon!

 

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March 1, 2013 · 9:11 pm

The Lazy Weekend Stew

Spring is right around the corner.  But while many of us are counting down the days to warmer weather, we aren’t out of the woods yet.  There are still some cold days ahead of us, which is why I’m making a stew.  Sometimes there’s nothing like a hearty stew to warm the soul (especially when the weather isn’t doing the trick).  Now I’m calling this the lazy man’s stew is because there is very little preparation involved in putting this dish together.  If you have a dutch oven or a crock pot, all you need to do is cut up the vegetables/meat and let time do all the work for you.

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This weekend I’m making a beef stew with all the vegetables I have lying around in my fridge: shallots, yellow onion, carrots, potatoes, garlic, and fresh rosemary.  The great thing about making stews is that they are pretty fool proof so don’t be afraid to just throw in whatever you have lying around: red meat, chicken, root vegetables, leafy greens, canned foods, beans, barley, dried herbs, you name it.  The rule of thumb to slow cooking is to not being shy with using cooking liquid (like broth, wine, vermouth, water, tomato puree) and to making sure all your ingredients cook in roughly the same amount of time.  When slow cooking, you need to be aware of how long each of your ingredients takes to cook. For example if you put tomatoes and potatoes into your stew, be prepared for your tomatoes to break down after a couple of hours while your potatoes possibly still being under-cooked.  So, make sure you give yourself enough cooking time with a stew or add ingredients after some time has gone by.

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The second most important thing to keep in mind when you slow cook is to cut your ingredients the right size.  This goes back to cooking time.  You want to make sure that the potatoes and other dense vegetables are cut small enough so they cook all the way through in the same amount of time as the other ingredients take to cook.

After about 4 hours of leaving your stew to cook and develop flavor, you might want to come back to it and make sure the flavors are right.  One thing you might want to ticker with is the thickness of the liquid–this will happen when you are at the end of your cooking time.  You might notice that the liquid is a little runny.  There are  several ways to address this and thicken your stew.  One technique is to take about 1-2 cups of liquid and vegetables, puree it, and return back to the stew.  Another technique would be to remove about 3-5 Tbsp of liquid and combine with about 3 Tbsp of instant flour.  You can then incorporate that newly-made paste into your stew.  A third technique that I use is to combine equal parts softened butter with flour and then incorporate this paste one Tbsp at a time into your stew.

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For the beef stew I prefer to use the third technique.  The butter adds a nice richness to the stew.  When you are done cooking you can also add fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, you can  eat the stew on its own but I prefer to put my stew over something that is going to soak up the juices.  You can use polenta (hard or soft), mashed potatoes (if you haven’t already used them in your stew) or even over a bed of egg noodles, tossed in butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  I chose the third option–a play on beef stroganoff.

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below are links to some of my favorite stews and the recipe to what I made above. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

3 shallots, sliced

1-2 cups sliced white button mushrooms

1-2 cups carrot, chopped

12-16 oz. serloin steak,  cut in 1/2-1 inch cubes

1-2 tbsp dried tyme

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves minced

1-2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)

2 cups beef broth

2 cups red wine

1 cup water

10-12 oz egg noodles

7-9 tbsp butter

3-4 tbsp unbleached white flour

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:

  1. Heat a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, place about 1 tbsp of butter in the pan and let melt.  Add the chopped steak to the pan to brown, not cook.  flip pieces once browned on one side.  Remove beef once both sides have browned and set aside.
  2. With the burner still on, add 1/2-1 cup of wine to pan and with a spatula scrape off steak bits from the bottom of the pan.  Once the pan is deglazed, place liquid in a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a dutch oven or crock pot combine all ingredients except noodles, butter, flour and cheese.
  4. Cook for 4-6 hours on low to medium heat (check instructions of crock pot to decide on the temperature and time).
  5. After 4-6 hours, check on stew.  Add flour/butter paste. let cook a little longer, 20 minutes, then turn off heat.
  6. Meanwhile cook egg noodles, drain, mix in a few tbsp of butter, grated Parigiano-Reggiano cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Pour stew  over noodles and serve.  Serves 4 people.

Other great recipes:

  1. Emril Lagasse’s beef stew with creole seasoning
  2. Sausage and poblano chili
  3. Lentil soup with Kielbasa

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January 2, 2013 · 2:32 am

20-minute Mac’n'Cheese

Happy New Year everyone!!  Some of us in the new year make resolutions–to travel more, make more time for friends, change jobs, exercise more or just continue to kick butt.  Either way, I’m guessing nobody is looking to spend more time getting dinner on the table, which is why today I’m sharing 20-minute Mac’n'Cheese.  This dish is easy to make and frees up your time so you can focus on the things that are important to you in 2013.

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In the amount of time it takes to boil water and cook pasta, you will have a creamy, rich and delicious homemade meal.  This dish trumps jarred marinara any day.  This dish can easily be modified to suit your tastes or the occasion–you can add veggies like mushrooms and broccoli or a protein like chicken to make the dish more nutritious and filling.

Because you guys deserve to spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing things in 2013, use this recipe on hand.

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White Cheddar Mac’n'Cheese

Ingredients:

1 lb. large shell pasta (one whole package cooked according to package instructions)

4 tbsp butter (unsalted or salted both work)

4 tbsp flour

3 cups 2% milk

3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1 8.5oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drain)

1/8 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

optional crunchy topping: smashed Ritz crackers or smashed Cheez-its.

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside. Additionally, drain the jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil and set aside.

In a large sauce, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat.  When melted add 4 tablespoons of flour and whisk together.  Allow butter and flour mixture about 30-40 seconds to cook and bubble (this allows the flour flavor to cook off).  Slowly begin incorporating the milk one cup at a time.  Whisk each cup of milk so it is completely incorporated with the butter and flour mixture–you do not want any clumps.  Once all of the milk is fully incorporated continue to whisk for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened.

To test for the proper thickness, dunk a spoon in the mixture and when taking out look at the back of the spoon.  You want there to be a a thick layer stuck on the back of the spoon.  If the mixture is too thin, let cook a little longer.  Once thick, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Then begin adding the shredded cheddar cheese one handful at a time.  Finally, add the drained sun-dried tomatoes and fully cooked, drained pasta.

Once you have mixed all the ingredients together, let sit for ten minutes so the cheese can thicken up.

Optional, serve dish topped with crushed Cheez-its or Ritz crackers to add a little crunch to your 20-minute mac’n'cheese.  Enjoy!

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November 5, 2012 · 2:56 am

Cold Front

Fall has settled in.  The leaves have changed colors and falling off the trees, the air has gotten crisp and I have just gone crazy in the kitchen cooking up comfort foods.  After getting knocked on my butt with a flu/cold for the better part of a week and being suck inside while hurricane sandy passed by, I’ve cooked up a storm.  The two dishes I’ll share with you today, while not the healthiest of dishes I’ve ever made, are cozy and sure to warm your belly on these cool fall evenings.

The first dish is an enchilada casserole– a dish that incorporates all the Mexican flavors you love with the  added convenience and richness of a casserole.

The second is tomato soup–a versatile dish that can either shine as a main dish if topped with chunks of fresh chicken breast and a dollop of sour cream, maybe even some cheesy croutons or served as a a complimentary side to the classic grilled cheese.

If you are making either of these dishes to feed one person instead of an entire family, I would recommend putting half of the yield from both of these dishes in the freezer–save them for when you just don’t feel like cooking but want to eat something homemade–these two dishes can easily be enough food for a week’s worth of meals. Let’s get started.

Now the inspiration for this enchilada casserole stemmed from one ingredient that I’ve been holding onto for months now but have yet to make good use of it–celebrity chef Rick Bayless’s red chile enchilada sauce which I picked up at the grocery store.


What I did was create 3 different layers of flavors and textures.  The first layer is a mixture of sauteed onions, green peppers and white beans.

The second layer is a mixture of diced or shredded chicken, the red chile enchilada sauce I bought, canned green chilies, and if you like–a little sour cream.

The third layer is spicy shredded cheese.  You can you pepper jack, but I only had shredded Mexican cheese blend on hand.

Now I was bad and forgot to put down a soft corn tortilla between these layers, but you’ll be smarter than I was and remember.  Put a tortilla down on the bottom of the pan then again between the chicken and the cheese layers.

The result is a gooey, cheesy and saucy Mexican casserole.  You can also omit the tortillas altogether and layer these flavors over a bed of tortilla chips to create the meanest nachos of all time (maybe for football watch party??).

This casserole is the ultimate comfort dish.

If instead you want to eat something that reminds you of your childhood, what’s better than a grilled cheese with tomato soup.  This tomato soup recipe could not be more simple–takes about 5 minutes to make.  This recipe is also good, but the one I made produces an absolute classic soup.  All you do is blend some garlic, shallot, canned whole stewed tomatoes and cream (or you can substitute almond or coconut milk).  Add some seasonings, maybe a little white wine, heat over the stove and boom you’re done-it is that easy.

I put a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of thyme to garnish; you can also top the soup with cheesy croutons and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.  Your friends will be so impressed–no longer are you a ten year old kid with skinned knees and a couple of loose baby teeth.

Below you’ll find recipes for both these cozy dishes, I hope they keep you warm this fall.

Enchilada casserole
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 15oz. can of white beans
  • 1 4oz. can diced green chilies
  • 8 oz. green or red enchilada sauce
  • one yellow onion, diced
  • one green pepper, diced
  • 2 cups chopped chicken
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheese (Pepper jack or otherwise)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream (optional) plus more for garnish
  • medium-sized soft corn tortillas
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • nonstick spray
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Heat a medium-sized saucepan to medium-high heat.  Add the vegetable oil and saute onion and pepper until onion is translucent in color.  Take off the heat and add thoroughly rinsed beans to vegetables.  Set aside.
  3. In a bowl combine chopped or shredded chicken with green chilies, enchilada sauce and sour cream. Mix and set aside.
  4. Spray some nonstick spray in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  5. First put down a layer of corn tortillas.  Then a layer of the bean and sauteed veggies.  Next put down a layer of the chicken mixture.  Place another tortilla layer and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat  the veggie, chicken, tortilla and cheese layers.  Finish with the cheese on top.
  6. Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 40 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
  7. Remove, let cool.  Garnish with sour cream and your favorite hot sauce.

Tomato Soup
yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 large shallot
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 28oz. cans stewed whole tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can of stewed whole tomatoes
  • 1 cup coconut milk, almond milk or cream
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh or dried thyme plus a little extra for garnish
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparations:

  1. Slice up the shallot and garlic.
  2. Either with a blender or a mix stick blend whole tomatoes with juice, sliced garlic and shallot.
  3. Place all ingredients in a large pot and place on medium heat until thoroughly heated.
  4. Serve. enjoy.

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October 1, 2012 · 9:51 pm

Weeknight Surprise

Last week my boyfriend and I decided to make dinner together.  It was a weeknight, so we weren’t putting too much thought into the meal but somehow it turned out to be one of the most delicious dinners we’ve ever made together.  Especially for a weeknight meal, where there is emphasis placed on making a dinner is both quick and efficient, this dinner took ten minutes of preparation time and was packed with tons of flavor.  I knew from the moment we tasted this dish, that I would have to blog about it.

Now, for this weeknight dinner we made chicken, it can’t get much more basic than chicken…or can it?  This main dish only requires 3 ingredients to turn a Plain Jane protein into a winning dish.  Get your pots and pans out because tonight we are making  goat cheese stuffed chicken wrapped in prosciutto.  Let’s get started.

From my experience, stuffing chicken or wrapping chicken with something turns a plain, boring chicken option into a sophisticated and flavorful chicken option.  PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT GENTLEMEN: women will be impressed with your cooking skills if you make this or any dish inspired by the stuffing/wrapping technique.

Like I said before, this dish is easy to make, doesn’t require a lot of preparation time or ingredients.  Stuffing or wrapping meat and vegetables can be a great way to infuse flavors into whatever you’re cooking, just think of bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed turkey at Thanksgiving or feta stuffed olives–all those flavors get happy and marry with one another.  In the case of this chicken dish, the salty, rich flavors of the prosciutto melt into the chicken while cooking making the chicken meat juicy and flavorful.  Then there is an added surprise of creamy goat cheese pouring out when you cut into the chicken.  What my boyfriend and I did was make a side of asparagus, but I think that it would also be delicious if you stuff the chicken with both sautéed asparagus and the goat cheese together.  Finally, this stuffing technique is good for deconstructing classic dishes like chicken/veal parmesan or saltimbocca.

Ingredients:

  • skinless chicken breasts (however many you decide to make)
  • plain or seasoned goat cheese, 1-3 tablespoons per breast depending on the size
  • 2 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto per chicken breast
  • seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, whatever your heart desires)
  • 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking


Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.
  2. butterfly skinless chicken breasts.
  3. Season butterflied breasts with salt, pepper and whatever seasonings you prefer.  I seasoned my chicken with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dill.  Oregano, thyme and basil would also work well.
  4. Place 1-2 tablespoons of soft goat cheese in the center of each butterflied breast.  Be careful to not overstuff, or the cheese will ooze out while cooking and not stay in the center of the chicken where it is supposed to be.
  5. Fold breasts closed longways so they look as they were before being butterflied.
  6. Wrap each breast horizontally with 1-2 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto so as to seal the slit made from butterflying and stuffing the chicken
  7. Heat skillet on medium to medium-high heat.
  8. Add olive oil and when the oil slightly smokes you know that the skillet is hot.
  9. Place chicken breasts in skillet, about 3 minutes per side.  This step is to get the prosciutto crispy not to cook the chicken thoroughly, so don’t worry about that yet.
  10. Once the chicken has cooked on both sides, place in an oven-safe baking dish like a Pyrex.
  11. Cook chicken in the oven for an additional 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of chicken breasts used.  I used huge chicken breasts, so I had to bake them a bit longer.  If you are unsure if your chicken is done simply use a knife to cut a small slit in the thickest part of the breast, you don’t want to see pink, stringy meat.  You can also use a meat thermometer to check the chicken’s internal temperature.  Be sure not to read the temperature of the cheese stuffing though.  You want your chicken to be at 165 degrees F.   NOTE: since you’ve sliced the chicken in half and stuffed it, the cooking time will be shorter than baking an intact chicken breast.  
  12. remove chicken from oven and let sit for 10 minutes–or as long as you can possibly control yourself–to allow juices to absorb back into chicken meat. Eat and enjoy!

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