Edamame Hummus and Pea Shoots Wrap

My new favorite quick meal.

Edamame Hummus and Pea Shoots Wrap

1 whole wheat tortilla wrap
3-4 tbsp edamame hummus
1/4 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 inches cucumber, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced lengthwise
1 c pea shoots
3 slices sharp cheddar

Heat tortilla wrap for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Spread hummus down the middle 1/3 of the wrap.
Layer pepper, cucumber, pea shoots and cheddar on top.
Fold over each side.
Eat.

Early Spring Salad

Do you ever have one of those days where dinnertime rolls around and all you can think to yourself is, "I want a giant bowl of vegetables and fruit?" I do. Typically it follows a couple days of needing to go shopping and living off of those staples that I keep around but don't eat in large quantities (like nuts, dried fruit, and frozen english muffins... not necessarily together). I went to the store with a mission to buy spinach, but for the life of me I couldn't find any. So, I ended up with frisee and arugula. I nabbed a fennel bulb to add a little complexity to the salad mix. Since citrus season is fast falling behind us, I also grabbed a sumo tangerine. The asian pears next to them looked so tasty that I grabbed one of those too. Finally, I picked up some garlic and black pepper goat cheese, since I thought that would go nicely with the greens and fruit. I decided to use my staple dressing, mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, since it seems to go with so many things. The resulting salad is a lovely blend of sweet, spicy, and pungent. It's definitely a satisfying end to my day.

Early Spring Salad

2 c frisee, torn into pieces
2 c arugula, torn into pieces
1/4 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
1/2 asian pear, cored and chopped
1/2 sumo tangerine, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
wedge of garlic and black pepper goat cheese

Wash and thoroughly dry the frisee, arugula and fennel and then place on a large plate.
Top with the pear and tangerine.
Put mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a sealable container and shake until blended; pour over the salad.
Place cheese on the side and serve.

Open-Faced Vegetable Melt

After eating shepherd's pie for lunch* I wanted something lighter for dinner. I also have been browsing pinterest too often and there is an oddly high number of grilled cheese sandwich photos. Talk about getting a craving! I wanted to make this staple comfort food healthier with lots of vegetables, thus the Open-Faced Vegetable Melt was born. Make and enjoy!

Open-Faced Vegetable Melt

1 english muffin
4 tbsp edamame hummus
2 thick slices tomato
6 slices avocado
1/3 c baby spinach
2 slices English Cheddar with Caramelized Onions (or another sharp cheese that you like)

Turn the oven to broil.
While the oven is warming up, cut the English muffin in half and place on a baking sheet.
Spread on the edamame hummus, then top each half with half of the the tomato, avocado, spinach, and cheese.
Slide pan under the broiler and, leaving the door ajar, broil until the cheese melts and starts to brown just a little bit.
Remove from the oven and serve.


*I will try to post the recipe for that in the future, I was replacing the Worcestershire sauce with substitutes, which took some "dash of this, pinch of that, drizzle of this" and ended up with me not know how much of anything I ended up putting in it.

All Apologies

Things have been a little crazy in my life lately. Well, not crazy busy, just crazy in a draining sort of way. My pups recently ruptured a disk in his spine. Oh yea, my dog went beyond normal dog problems to major surgery. I was an absolute wreck for a few days. There were all sort of crazy scenarios going through my head, the worst being "what if they can't fix him and I have to put him down." I now know that when he actually does die, I'll need to take at least a week of vacation so that people at work aren't subjected to my persistent sobbing. It will not be fun. Luckily, they were able to fix him. And, while he'll be spending a long two months in his kennel all the time while his disk scars over even though he feels just fine and has no idea why I keep telling him he can't jump on anything or walk up and down the stairs on his own, he should eventually recover the strength and nerve response in his hind legs. I can only imagine what I'll be like at the end of all this. He's already driving me nuts barking at everyone outside and trying to run around. He needs exercise. I think the animal hospital should throw in free dogging swimming sessions so that he can work out his energy.

Anyways, back to the real purpose of this blog. Food! The CSA is ramping up. I didn't write down everything I received the last few shares, but let's just say there have been green beans, carrots galore, napa cabbage, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, kale, herbs, fresh cut flowers, and so on. It's been delicious. I have also purchased some local, healthy meats (the maple sausage was delicious), eggs, and organic blueberries (with cream, to die for). I recently made a great salad: a giant mound of greens, bacon, boiled egg, and a warm maple-mustard-bacon grease dressing. So delicious. I would provide a recipe, but can't tell you the exact measurements for the dressing. It was more like, okay, I have some warm bacon grease in that pan; whisk in a giant scoop of maple-mustard; whisk in some rice vinegar, pour into a bowl to be spooned over salad.

Also, I've shared the Chilled Ginger-Carrot Soup and the Curried Quinoa with Vegetables. Well, a friend came over for dinner recently and I made both for our meal. It was the perfect combination. We also drank Vin D'Alsace Pinot Blanc 2007 with it. Sometimes meals are a complete bust (like the salt overload meal I made for one friend once, what a disaster), but sometimes they are exquisite. This was the latter. You must try it (but maybe don't add quite as much ginger as I did. Spicy!).

Last night I made up a layered vegetable dish that was absolutely wonderful, though a bit salty. I'm going to try reducing the salt for you guys, but you may want to be careful when salting the vegetables for weeping. I think that's what pushed this one over the top. But, salting the vegetables is essential to reducing the amount of water in your dish.

Baked and Layered Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato

2 Asian eggplants, ends trimmed and sliced thin vertically
3 small zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced thin vertically
salt
2 tbsp basil olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c fresh oregano leaves
1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
3 tbsp chopped kalamata olives
2 medium tomatoes, cored and sliced thin
fresh mozzarella slices
2 tbsp grated Parmesan

Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Place eggplant and zucchini slices on a cooling rack over your sink and salt. Allow to sit. Once water has collected on one side, flip and salt again.
While those are weeping, heat olive oil is a heavy skillet over medium heat.
When oil is hot, add onion and garlic and cook until onion is transparent.
Add canned tomatoes and oregano and cook until most of the liquid is cooked off, remove from heat.
Rinse eggplant and zucchini well, then press between sheets of paper towel to remove excess moisture. (Lean down on your hands, but not so hard as to squash the vegetables.)
Pour a little olive oil in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch cake pan and spread evenly.
Lay eggplant down in pan to create a layer.
Put a layer of prosciutto over the eggplant.
Layer the zucchini slices over the prosciutto.
Sprinkle the olives over the zucchini.
Layer tomato slices over the olives.
Evenly spread cooked tomato sauce over fresh tomatoes.
Layer mozzarella slices over sauce.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
If there is any leftover prosciutto, chopped and sprinkle over the top.
Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil if cheese is browning too much for your taste.
Slice and serve warm.

I'm Sure This Has a Fancy Name; I Just Call It Delicious

Wanting to use up the small, tender zucchini I received in last week's share, I decided to experiment. Shredded zucchini, finely chopped kale, ricotta, and eggs and I found myself enjoying something between a frittata and that spinach and artichoke dip every restaurant now makes (from a can, I suspect). I ate it with some whole grain bread, but it stands up pretty well once slightly cool. I'm thinking I'm going to try it again and use it in a sandwich, maybe with some fresh tomatoes and basil. (I just ate lunch and am hungry just thinking of this).

Zucchini and Kale "Frittata"

3 small zucchini, shredded
salt
1 tbsp bacon grease (or olive oil)
6 c finely chopped kale
2 eggs
1 c ricotta
1/4 c green onion, sliced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
large pinch each of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss shredded zucchini with a sprinkle of salt and let stand in a sieve.
Melt bacon grease in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add kale and cook until wilted and not watery; remove from heat.
In a bowl, beat eggs well, then mix in ricotta, green onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.
Squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini, then mix into the egg and cheese mixture.
Add kale to bowl, mix, then pour ingredients back into the skillet and spread evenly across the bottom.
Place skillet in oven and let bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until set and starting to just brown on the edges.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Bonus Day

I have tomorrow off, so I thought I would post two things today (ooo). Last night I had breakfast for dinner, but without any syrup requiring breads (I don't have any syrup at the moment, bummer). Instead I made an omelet and a potato-kale scramble. Do you call it a scramble if it doesn't include eggs? Hmm... Anyways, it was delicious and accomplished 2 goals: finish the last of the spinach from the share the week before last and knock down one bag of kale from last week's share. I didn't have any bread for toast (should probably go shopping), but I found a large boiled Yukon Gold potato in my refrigerator. Ah leftovers, how you save the day more often than not.

Spinach and Cheddar Omelet with Potato-Kale Scramble

2 tsp butter, divided
3 eggs
3 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
1/2 c spinach, washed and chopped
1 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 c cubed cooked potato (cold)
3 c kale, washed and torn into pieces
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter.
In a bowl, beat eggs well.
Mix green onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper into the eggs.
Spread butter in pan evenly, then pour in eggs.
Once the eggs are well set, but still slightly wet on the top, use a spatula to flip.
Sprinkle spinach and cheese on one half of the omelet, then turn other half over to cover. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Place 1 tsp butter in the same pan and add garlic.
Once garlic is fragrant, add potato and kale.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir while cooking (using spatula to scrape any browned potato from the bottom of the pan).
Once potato is hot and kale is wilted, transfer to plate and eat while warm.

I think I also mentioned that I was going to make some coleslaw with all the cabbage I had left from two weeks ago. I researched a variety of recipes in my old cookbooks. I find, when you're looking for something classic, the old cookbooks are always the best. Too many cookbooks today try to make things less fat (eat less) or time (I enjoy cooking, so I don't necessarily need all my meals done in 10 minutes) or are trying to reinvent recipes (which I have no problem with, I do that a lot, but again, looking for classic). Also, if I'm looking to experiment myself, I like to know how people typically make something and to think of variations all on my lonesome.

After digging around, I found that a "boiled dressing" was a classic for coleslaw. It's not actually boiled, but it is cooked in a pan and then allowed to cool before dressing the vegetables. I took ideas from a few different recipes and settled upon adding mustard seeds and celery seeds to the dressing. For the vegetables, I added shredded zucchini, kohlrabi, and carrots. I also met someone once who salted the vegetables and allowed them to weep before adding the dressing, so I also did that. After a few days, it's gotten a bit watery, but the first couple days it was delicious. Eaten with some cold cooked chicken, it was a nice summery meal.

Classic Coleslaw

6 c finely shredded cabbage (mixture of green and napa cabbages)
2 zucchini, shredded with a grater
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and then shredded with a grater
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
3/4 c half and half
1/4 c vinegar
1 c onion, sliced paper thin
2 c carrot, shredded with a grater

Place cabbage, zucchini, a kohlrabi in a salad spinner and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and toss.
While vegetables are sitting, place other 1/2 tsp salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar and flour in a sauce pan and whisk together.
Add egg yolks to seasonings and mix well with a whisk.
Slowly add half and half, whisking smooth.
Add butter and vinegar, then turn on heat to medium-low.
Stirring constantly, cook dressing until it starts to thicken.
Remove from heat, then pour into a Pyrex measuring cup and put in the refrigerator to cool.
When dressing is cool, rinse the vegetables with water and spin dry.
In a large mixing bowl, combine these vegetables with the onion and carrots. Stir well.
Pour dressing over the vegetables and mix well.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

The Goodness of Garlic

I was pretty much famished by the time I got down to making dinner last night. Due to some exercise related protesting from my legs, I decided to take it easy last night. So instead of the planned bike ride, I took my pups for a long, leisurely walk (read: I was in too much pain to walk fast). While this did result in a great deal less pain today, it also meant it was late when I got home. Whilst on the walk, I was dreaming of pizza and wine (having to walk by a pizza parlor did not help). Knowing the state of the vegetables in my refrigerator (many), I passed up pizza and instead made pasta. I whipped up a garlic cream sauce, sauteed some kale and parboiled some pea pods, mixed it all, and topped it with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese before eating. It definitely hit the spot and made me happy that I didn't cave to the enticing pizza perfume.

Pasta with Garlic Cream Sauce and Vegetables

2 c pea pods, washed, cut in half
1 tsp oil (I used a basil olive oil)
1 1/2 c kale, washed and chopped
2 oz pasta (I used dried because I didn't have any fresh)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil (again, I used the basil olive oil)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tsp flour (this is a reduction, I actually used 5)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c milk
cheddar cheese, shredded

Put pea pods in a pot, cover with water and place over high heat.
Bring to a boil, cook for about 2 minutes, then drain.
In the same pot, put a generous amount of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add a large pinch of salt, stir, then add the pasta to cook. Cook to al dente as directed on the package.
While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tsp oil.
When oil is shimmering, add kale and stir fry until wilted, then remove from heat.
Once pasta is done cooking, pour into a sieve and let drain.
Place that same pot over medium low heat and add butter and 1 tbsp oil.
Once the butter has melted and is crackling, add garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic just starts to turn golden.
Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Let this bubble, stirring, for about a minute.
Slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth.
Cook until sauce thickens, then add the pea pods, kale, and pasta and toss.
Before serving warm, top with cheddar cheese.

Mango-Goat Cheese Salad

I'll admit it, I cheated and bought tomatoes from the grocery store. But, they were Maine-grown tomatoes. Unlike the mango I bought, which is most certainly not grown in Maine. I'm pretty sure tropical fruit-producing plants like that wither up and die when they cross the boarder into Maine (sort of like a wicked witch). Luckily, we can still get the fruit. It may not be entirely eco-friendly, but I enjoy the variety that global food distribution provides. But this takes us into territory that makes me uncomfortable, debates over responsible eating habits. Where exactly does one draw the line? I've joined an organic CSA, but I have to drive 25 minutes one way to pick it up; good or bad? I eat very few pre-packaged foods, but purchase things like bananas from South America, oranges from Florida, and apples from Washington; good or bad? I figure as long as I'm making mostly good choices, that's enough. I mean, the conversation could go so far, into the larger, worldwide ramifications of food monoculture and the attack on cultural food diversity. So, back to what I ate for dinner last night and again for lunch today!

Mango-Goat Cheese Salad (recipe for two meals, with lunch packing directions)

1/2 c quinoa
1 c water
1/2 tsp adobo
1/4 tsp sazon
large pinch oregano leaves
pinch cumin seeds
5 cups washed lettuce/salad greens, torn into bite sized pieces
2 green onions, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 mango, peeled and chopped
2 oz goat cheese

In a pan (with lid), mix quinoa, water, adobo, sazon, oregano, and cumin seeds.
Put over high heat and bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and cover.
Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables and fruit.
Put half the tomato, green onion, mango, and goat cheese in a sealable container for the next meal and half in a bowl.
When quinoa is done, put half in a sealable container for the next meal and the other half in the bowl with the vegetables/fruit; mix.
Place 1/2 the lettuce in a sealable container for the next meal and half in a circle on a dinner plate.
Put the quinoa mixture in the center of the plate and serve.
(All prepared containers should go into the refrigerator until you're ready to eat. To prepare the leftovers, heat the quinoa for about a minute in the microwave, then mix with the vegetable/fruit, then combine with remaining lettuce to serve).

Oh internet

So, apparently there is a conspiracy to prevent me from updating my blog on a daily basis. Enter "loss of Internet for the weekend." Well, despite the inability to post, I did not fast over the weekend, far from it. I have too many vegetables to eat! So many, in fact, that I incorporated them into my breakfast. Enter "the breakfast sandwich." It's oh so delicious and envied by other breakfast sandwiches that lack its vitamin richness. Or so we can imagine in our little world of walking-talking breakfast sandwiches. I imagine those fast food ones would be the kids getting picked on. Or, maybe I have it backwards and they're actually the popular kids and my little guy is the outcast. Good thing it's all in our imaginations. Except the sandwich; it really is tasty!

Egg and Kale Breakfast Sandwich

2 slices hearty whole grain bread, toasted
1 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp black pepper olive oil
6 medium to small kale leaves, washed and torn in half
salt and pepper to taste

Once bread is toasted, spread 1/2 tbsp cream cheese on each slice.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add butter.
At the same time, heat a small cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
Once the butter is melted and sizzling, tilt pan to spread and then crack the eggs into the pan. Break the yolks and salt and pepper "to taste."
Once the oil is shimmering in the other pan, tilt pan to spread and then add kale.
While your eggs are cooking, occasionally stir the kale until wilted. Remove from heat.
When eggs are mostly done, flip and cook the rest of the way.
When eggs are done, put kale on one slice of the bread, top with eggs and then the second piece of bread.
Eat while hot.

My fingers are green

My fingers are green from picking snow peas and snap peas. After a few years of meaning to, I've finally joined a CSA. I usually remember about wanting to join after they've all closed. This year I found one that was still open and willing to accept a choose-your-own payment plan. So, I went last week to pay my first installment and pick up my first veggies. As I live in Maine, the CSA had only started the week before I joined, thus not a ton of vegetables last week, but definitely enough to get me through the week.

Each CSA has a different method, but the one I joined does a lot of mix-and-match, which is great if you don't like one of the options. I like experimenting, so I take a little bit of everything. Last week was mixed salad greens, mixed cooking greens and broccoli. This week there was a lot more to pick up and their pick your own field was open with peas. Since I don't have my own garden, I enjoyed picking peas amidst kids hunting for peas, exclaiming that they found a really great one, and munching on half the ones they picked. I started to leave when I thought I had enough, but was stopped by the gentleman overseeing the field. He exclaimed, "That's not nearly enough! Go take more! Eat more!" As I slowly wound my way back out of the plants, one hand covering the basket so my extra peas wouldn't fall out he said, "That's more like it! That's what we like to see!" You have to love a place that tells you to take more.

So, now I have a new goal for this blog. I bought a whole share, which means I'm going to have a lot of vegetables. I figured I'd share my attempts at eating enough vegetables to feed two vegetarians with you. I'm also going to attempt to freeze or can whatever I don't manage to ingest. Each day I'll share at least one meal that involved my CSA produce. (Disclaimer: this is a goal and given my atrocious ability to regularly update my blog, a goal I can't guarantee; but I'll give it my best effort). So, first, the run down of this week's share (and then a recipe):

(measurements are approximate, given that they put out big and medium sized bowls that you measure the loose leaves into)
1 head of red leaf lettuce
mixed baby lettuce leaves (about 1 or 2 full heads worth)
mixed salad greens (about 1 head of lettuce)
mixed cooking greens (bok choy, kale, Swiss chard) (about 1 1/2 heads)
2 bunches scallions
1 purple kohlrabi
1 quart mixed snow and snap peas

My lunch today consisted of this salad and a French roll from the local bakery. I ate it while enjoying a sunny day and watching a seal swim near the pier. Practically perfect.

Salad with nectarines and cheese (directions are for transport to work)

2 cups young salad greens, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 nectarine, pitted and chopped
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
2 oz apricot-ginger white cheese

Put salad greens in a small, sealable plastic bag.
In a small, sealable container, put the chopped nectarine and pour in vinegar and syrup.
Put cheese in a separate bag.
When ready to eat, put greens on a plate, top with nectarine/dressing, and crumble the cheese over all of it.
Lightly toss before eating.

Pepperoni, Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella Pizza with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

There are certain dishes that I rarely use a strict recipe for. My pizza sauces fall into this category. I do use a crust recipe, since I've found one that I love. Why mess with perfection? Well, I suppose that's too much of a simplification. It did take me a few tries before I realized that I needed to reduce my oven temperature, since it runs high. I also discovered that 5 minutes of pre-baking the crust means that I can take the pizza out of the oven as soon as the cheese is melted without the crust being undone. Returning to my sauces, though, I use a rough approximation of a recipe, but I almost never make it the same way twice. I suppose this does mean that pizza can be a little hit or miss, but it's usually a hit. This is probably why I don't bother with following recipes, even if I do write them down. This becomes a problem when friends and family request my sauce recipe. Most of them don't like "add a little this" and "just a bit of that." So, I'm going to provide the specific recipe I followed for a pizza I made earlier this week for a couple friends.

Pepperoni, Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella Pizza with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

2 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 portabella mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 whole cloves
5 dried rosemary leaves
1 red bell pepper
1 8 inch link pepperoni, sliced thin
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c water
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
butter or shortening for greasing
1 baseball sized ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into about 12 pieces

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (or less if your oven runs hot).
Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until it just starts to brown.
Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are glistening and have released juice.
Add tomatoes, basil, cinnamon, cloves, and rosemary leaves.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until reduces to a good spreading consistency. You don't want the sauce to be watery, since that will make your crust soggy. Turn off the sauce once it has reached the consistency you want.
While the sauce is simmering, blacken the skin of the bell pepper. To do this with an electric stove, turn a burner to high. Using an oven mitt to grasp a long pair of metal tongs, hold the bell pepper over the burner (about 1 to 2 inches from the burner). As each side blackens, set the bell pepper down and adjust the tongs grip on the pepper to expose an unblackened side.
Once the entire bell pepper is blackened, set aside to cool.
Once bell pepper is cool, cut off the stem end, slice in half lengthwise; remove seeds and slice into strips.
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Add pepperoni slices in one layer.
Cook until pepperoni starts to curve, then flip over.
Cook on other side for 30 seconds, then remove pan from heat.
Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
In a microwavable measuring cup, heat the water for 2 1/2 minutes.
Be careful when removing water from the microwave, as it may be at boiling point and can boil over.
Add sugar to hot water and stir.
Add yeast to sugar water and stir.
Allow yeast mixture to sit for 8 minutes.
As yeast mixture is sitting, grease a jellyroll pan with butter or shortening.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and press down.
Use more butter or shortening to grease the top of the parchment paper.
Stir yeast mixture, and then pour into flour mixture.
Stir with a fork until just mixed.
Use your hand to finish mixing (you want to remove the dry parts but not over-knead the dough).
Roll dough between your hands to create a log the width of your jellyroll pan.
Place in the center of the jellyroll pan and use your finger tips to slowly and gently press the dough evenly all the way to the ends.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven, spread with sauce. Top with pepperoni, bell pepper and cheese.
Put pizza back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Slice and serve hot.

Breakfast Sandwiches

I assume that most everyone has had either one of those chain breakfast sandwiches or something similar. Well, my sister-in-law made her own version the other morning. When I saw her choice of meat I wondered... hard salami on a breakfast sandwich? But it was tasty. This morning, looking for a quick breakfast and seeing the fresh French bread sitting on the counter, I made a goat cheese and egg version. Breakfast sandwiches are fun and easy to be creative with, so get out your eggs, find your favorite bread, and start creating!

Jen's Egg Sandwich

1 egg
1 tsp butter or butter substitute
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice hard salami
1 English muffin
butter for muffin

Heat the teaspoon of butter in a pan.
Add egg, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover pan and fry until the egg is cooked to your desired firmness.
Toast English muffin while egg is frying.
Butter muffin.
Once egg is cooked, place on the muffin.
Place the slice of hard salami in the hot pan and fry quickly on both sides.
Place salami on the egg, top with other half of muffin and serve hot.

Goat Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

5 inches of French bread, sliced in half
1 tsp butter or butter substitute
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp goat cheese

Heat butter in a frying pan.
Add eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
When eggs are mostly cooked, flip over and cook until yolk is your desired firmness.
While eggs are cooking, spread goat cheese on the bottom half of the French bread.
When eggs are done, cut in half and place length wise on the bottom half of the bread.
Replace top half of the bread and serve hot.

You could easily add fresh basil and thinly sliced tomatoes to this sandwich. Or maybe mix some dill weed into the goat cheese before spreading on the bread. Or if you'd like to add meat, what about pan frying some prosciutto a little? Eggs go well with mustard, so you could put a thin layer of mustard on your bread, under the goat cheese. The best way to approach your kitchen is to keep an open mind. When you have an ingredient you want to use, look through your refrigerator and cupboard for the things that might go well with it. Don't be afraid to break with tradition and you'll have the culinary variety needed to expand your cooking repertoire and to keep cooking fun.

Mushroom Pizza

Sunset from my back window

My friend came over yesterday for an evening of cooking and knitting. The food was good (a Thai curry), but would have been better if I had remember correctly and told her to buy the fish sauce. I guess I didn't have any in the house after all... but the dish didn't suffer too much from the absence of the fish sauce, so all was well. The recipe called for shitake mushrooms, stems removed. Instead of letting those stems go to waste, we saved them and tonight I made a mushroom pizza. I heated my pan and then added my oil and let it heat up as well. That way, the shitake mushroom stems didn't absorb too much oil, but did give the oil a strong mushroom flavor. I added to that garlic and rosemary. Once the garlic was starting to brown, I removed the mushroom stems, garlic and rosemary. I then turned down the heat and once the oil had cooled a bit, I added about one cup of chopped portabella mushroom. This I cooked slowly, allowing the mushrooms to wilt and absorb the flavored oil. Once it had cooked a while, I added some flour and then some milk. I combined the sauce with sharp cheddar cheese to top the pizza. I was very pleased with the results. I hope you enjoy it too.

Mushroom Pizza

pizza crust (see Rockin' Homemade Pizza)
1/4 c olive oil
stems from 5 oz of fresh shitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 large portabella mushroom, chopped fine (yields approximately one cup)
1 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz milk
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Heat a 2 quart sauce pan over medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil.
Once oil is bubbling, add the shitake mushrooms and cook, stirring, until slightly browned.
Add garlic and rosemary and cook until the garlic just turns golden brown.
With a slotted spoon, remove the mushroom stems, garlic and rosemary.
Turn down heat to medium low and add the portabella mushrooms.
Allow the mushrooms to cook slowly for 5 to 10 minutes, until wilted and only a little oil is still visible in the pan.
Add the flour, salt and pepper and cook for one minute.
Slowly stir in the milk.
Once the mixture is smooth (except for the mushroom pieces), remove from heat.
Prepare your pizza crust and prebake for 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pizza crust from the oven and spread evenly with the mushroom sauce and cheese.
Bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.
Remove from oven, slide from the pan onto a cutting board; cut and serve.


Someone got a haircut...

Rockin' Homemade Pizza

I have come to learn that you can learn good recipes from even the most unexpected sources. Recently I discovered that my younger brother has become quite a good cook. I don’t think he gets into quite as much experimentation as I do, but he cooks everyday. (I think it’s cool that both of my brothers have become the main cooks of their relationships, rather than falling into the gender roles that would put the “burden” of cooking on their significant others). He shared a recipe for Thai Chicken Pizza with the family, and I must say it’s pretty tasty. Our only disappointment in making it was our inability to find a decent crust.

Actually, a decent homemade pizza crust has been the holy grail of my family’s cooking adventures; it was always out of reach and sought for. As it turns out, my younger brother had found a great pizza crust recipe and I have it in my possession now. I will now add the disclaimer that my family likes thin, cracker-like crusts. That way, the toppings take the front seat in the flavor-mobile and the crust doesn’t sit in your stomach like a lump of clay.

With the new crust recipe in hand, I embarked on the adventure of making a great pizza. I winged the sauce recipe, knowing that too much of a good thing (oregano) can make for a bitter sauce, that I like sauce that is just a touch sweet and with a slight sting, and that onions and whole tomatoes were a must. We also decided to slightly cook the pepperoni in a skillet before placing on the pizza. This allowed the pepperoni to release some of its oil and increased the likelihood that it would crisp on the pizza, despite the short baking time. I venture to say that the resulting pizza was practically perfect in every way.

Rockin’ Homemade Pizza

1 pizza crust for a 9x13 inch jellyroll pan
pizza sauce (below)
½ c sliced black olives
1 ½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
enough pepperoni to cover pizza to taste

Sauce:
¼ c olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 rounded teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 rounded tablespoon oregano
1 c portabella mushrooms, finely diced
16 oz canned whole tomatoes, with juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot.
Add olive oil.
When oil is hot, add onion and sauté until soft and slightly golden.
Add garlic, red pepper, and oregano and cook until fragrant.
Add portabella mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have shrunk to half their original size.
Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar and cook, stirring, until reduced to a good sauce consistency.
*You don’t want the sauce to watery, or it will make your crust soggy.

Crust:
1 ¾ c flour
½ tsp salt
¾ c water
¼ tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the water in a microwaveable dish for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot but not boiling.
Add sugar to the water and stir until dissolved.
Add yeast to the water mixture, stir, and let sit for 8 minutes.
Pour ½ of the water mixture into the flour and stir.
Add remaining water mixture and stir until just combined (you can use your hands to finish the mixing).

To prepare the pepperoni:
Starting with a cold cast iron pan, add pepperoni in a single layer to the pan.
Turn burner to medium heat.
Once the pepperoni has bubbled up, remove from pan.
If you still have more pepperoni to prep, add another single layer and cook until bubbled up.
Repeat until all pepperoni has been precooked.
Drain pepperoni on paper towel until ready to use.

Pizza assembly:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Oil a 9x13 inch jellyroll pan and place pizza dough in the center.
Using your fingertips or a small rolling pin, gently press or roll the dough to fit the pan.
Pre-bake the crust for 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove crust from the oven and spread with pizza sauce.
Add olives, cheese, and top with pepperoni slices.
Place bake in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and slide the pizza out of the pan onto a cutting board.
Cut into pieces and serve.

Internet can be an annoying thing

I've tried posting quite a few times between my last post and this one. Everytime I get it all typed up, my internet connection disappears. I wrote this a while ago, but here it is for you pleasure:

I am in heaven, or what I might imagine it to be like, if I believed in it. My kitchen is once again functioning. I am once again cooking for myself (not just having raisins and popcorn for dinner - yes, there are times when I consider that dinner). I went grocery shopping this weekend and bought a lot of staples and a few things to try.

A few weekends ago I went to my brother and sister-in-law's for the weekend and she made this awesome marinara sauce. I asked her for the "recipe" and sucessfully made that Sunday night, but I embellished the meal a bit.

Marinara Sauce

a good amoung of olive oil
1/2 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Once oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until starting to brown.
Add the whole can of tomatoes (juice and all) and stir.
Turn to medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for a half hour.
Add black pepper and stir.

To serve:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook enough fresh pasta to feed the number of people eating (obviously assuming you made enough marinara to cover said servings of pasta).
Drain pasta, divide into serving dishes.
Spoon marinara sauce over the pasta.
Serve with fresh basil, allowing each person to tear off as much basil as they would like.

I added a good scoop of ricotta cheese to mine as well (who can pass up a chance to add cheese?)\

[ETA: I used this base and made a spicy version the other night, cooking real pepperoni, sliced, in the oil for a bit with some ground black pepper and crushed red pepper before adding the garlic. It was good!)

Last night I made Indian food. Dal and curried eggplant. It was perfect. I'll also admit here that when I make ghee (very simple to do), I use salted butter. I'm a bit of a salt addict and I prefer the taste of this to the unsalted ghee. I will probably face further shame when I admit that I also spread the browned bits at the bottom of the pan on bread. It very salty and very tasty and I don't really care how bad it is for me; it's fabulous.

Tonight I made cajun salmon. (First time ever that I successfully cooked fish without overcooking it. I'm very proud of myself.) I also attempted to make cornbread (sweet version), but discovered that I must not have cleaned all of the oven cleaner off the heating elements in the oven. The fumes were horrible. I gave up (must fix that problem; first my oven was filthy - honestly why do people live like pigs and leave the next tenants to clean up after them? - now it's a cess pool of chemicals). Instead, I cooked the batter like pancakes. It worked very well for a last minute fix. I also made fiddlehead ferns for the first time ever. I'm in Maine now, and it's the season. I followed my lovely guide to produce's advice and cleaned the ferns, boiled them in salted water for five minutes, drained and seasoned with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper. I must say, I like ferns. They're yummy.

I love having my kitchen back.

Irish Soda Bread

I love (and I don't use that term lightly... at least here) the New York Times food section. They have provided me with some absolutely delicious recipes, and the Irish Soda Bread that was featured recently is no exception. It's a basic, slightly sweet buttermilk quick bread flavored with a healthy dose of currants and some caraway seeds. It's no longer on their website, but I don't feel comfortable copying it here. (But if you asked me, I would be okay sharing via email.) Instead, I'll give you the recipe for a light cream of potato soup which we ate with the soda bread, sharp cheddar cheese and thinly sliced tart apples. By light, I do not mean light on calories (though it may be, I haven't checked), but less dense, through the use of more chicken broth than milk and less flour in the roux.

Potato Soup

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp flour
salt and pepper, to taste
2 c chicken broth
1 c milk (I used 1%)
3/4 c diced ham

Place potatoes in a soup pan, cover with water, and boil until tender.
Drain potatoes in the sink while preparing the sauce.
Melt butter in the pan.
Add the onion and cook until starting to brown (better flavor).
Stir in the flour, making sure to get rid of lumps, and allow to bubble for one minute.
Add salt and pepper. (I did not add salt to mine because I thought the ham and chicken broth would lend enough. They did.)
Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps.
Add the milk.
Heat this mixture to boiling.
Add ham and potatoes and heat through.