summer market pasta

aah, summer veggies. one of the best ways to use up all of my csa veggies (besides stir frying) is a giant batch of pasta. you can throw in almost anything, cook it down, serve with cheese, and it's sure to be a hit. also an easy way to feed a crowd. also much more fun if you take a walk around the market to select your veggies. be sure to supplement your walk with a market snack.

summer market pasta
serves 4 (we eat a lot)

• 1 lb brown rice pasta
• 3 shallots, chopped
  
• 2 squash (green and yellow), sliced
  
• 2 cobs worth of kernels of corn
  
• 1 large tomato, chopped
  
• 3 chicken sausage, sliced into pieces
  
• white wine
• parmesean cheese
  
• pesto
• salt and pepper
• arugula
  

• make the pasta
• while the pasta is cooking, start making the "sauce:" add olive oil, 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the shallots to a large pan. sautee squash until it's almost cooked through and slightly golden. add corn and tomatoes. cook until tomatoes have softened. simmer for a few minutes. remove and place into bowl.
  
• add more olive oil, remaining garlic and shallots to pan, once the shallots and garlic have softened, add the sausage and cook until cooked through and golden brown. remove and add to veggies.
• deglaze pan with white wine: pour a small amount of white wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the bits from the bottom. continue to stir and keep heating until it reduces and slightly thickens. add to bowl.
• stir in a few handfuls of arugula and stir to wilt. when the pasta is ready, add it to the bowl along with some pesto and parmesean cheese. if neccessary, sautee additional shallots and deglaze with more wine.
  

weeknight dinner: eggs in purgatory casserole

there are certain things that don't have immediate appeal to me. casseroles are one of these things. and it undoubtedly has to do with what was cooked in my house when i was growing up. (lots of spaghetti but never ever meatloaf. got it?)

so when i received my march issue of bon appetit and saw a casserole feature, i first flipped straight past. until the pictures distracted me and i realized how delicious they looked. these weren't your standard tuna noodle casserole (no, i've never had one). and although i wanted to make them all, there was one that particularly caught my eye: eggs in purgatory. a of all, it featured many things i like (eggs, artichokes and parmesean) and b of all, it seemed pretty straightforward. a perfect weeknight meal, if you will. or even better, a perfect roomie meal entree. this is exactly why i file away recipes for later use.

and even though this dish incorporated things i'm not so fond of (okay, one thing: potatoes) it allowed me to knock off some more of those csa potatoes. yes, they're still around. in a nutshell: comfort food at its finest. yum yum.

eggs in purgatory
from bon appetit

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• coarse kosher salt
• 1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
• 8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  

• heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. add onion, thyme, and red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
• meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. drain. add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. season to taste with coarse salt and pepper.
• preheat oven to 375°F. pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over and serve.
• serves 4 very hungry roomies
  

weeknight dinner: seared scallops with grapefruit sauce

subtitle: an i-deserve-it-and-oh-by-the-way-scallops-are-on-sale-at-whole-foods dinner

i love scallops. they're one of my favorite foods and yet i don't eat them too often, which makes them extra special. so after a couple of demanding weeks and eggs for dinner one too many nights, i decided i needed to make myself a special dinner. just my luck that scallops were on sale. say no more.

my vision (who knows why) was scallops with some sort of grapefruit component. so i did a few web searches to see what i could find. the most appealing sounding method of preparation was from eating well. since little goes better with grapefruit than avocado (just try to challenge me on this one), i decide to plop these suckers onto a simple salad. voila. actually, i admit this was the very first time i have made myself scallops and it was brilliant. i was impressed by my deliciously fancy (but easy!) dish.


seared scallops with grapefruit sauce
adapted from eating well

• 1/2-3/4 lb scallops
• 2 small grapefruits
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
  
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  
• avocado
• lettuce

• zest part of the grapefruit, lime and lemon to yield about a tablespoon of zest; or stop whenever you get tired
  
• segment the grapefruit and reserve all juice
• add lemon and lime juice to the grapefruit juice to yield 1/2 cup of citrus juice
• sear the scallops: first make sure they are dry by patting with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper. heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium high heat and when the oil is hot (don't jump ahead here!) add the scallops to the pan. brown on each side; this only takes a few minutes. remove from the pan and set aside.
• add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then the shallots. cook the shallots until soft.
• deglaze the pan: add chicken stock, wine, citrus juice and zest to the pan, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to release the scallop bits. allow this mixture to come to a boil and then reduce for a few minutes.
• add the mint and honey to the pan, stir, and add the scallops for a minute to warm.
• serve scallops on a bed of lettuce with avocado and grapefruit slices.
• serves 2
  

weeknight dinner: apricot chili glazed tofu

this is another one of those things i've had in the back of my head since i first saw the recipe. the original recipe was for chicken lettuce cups but it was the apricot sesame sambal sauce to go with them that had me. i finally decide to use the sauce with a stir-fry. since i didn't quite have the exact ingredients that the original recipe called for, my version is slightly modified. i also adjusted quantities depending on flavors that i prefer. the result is a classic combination: sweet and spicy. don't be scared by the fruit and spicy combo. i'm not sure why but several people i've mentioned this to have had an awkward reaction. just think duck sauce. (often apricot based).

apricot chili glazed tofu
(adapted from guy fieri's apricot sesame sambal sauce from the food network)

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• whatever asian hot chili sauce you have adjusted to taste; i only had thai chili sauce, so i used a drizzle
  
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon minced cilantro
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• tofu, diced
  

• mix all ingredients together thoroughly
  
• use part of the sauce to marinate the tofu
• sautee tofu in a skillet over high heat, turning every so often until browned
• add remaining sauce and stir fry for another minute
• stir fried some vegetables to add to the mix (i used string beans and baby bok choy) and serve over rice
  

guilty pleasure: velveeta macaroni and cheese

i think i can safely say this is not something my parents ever would have made for me. but it wasn't my parents who made it. it was my mom's friend who would come and hang out/babysit/cook for my brother and i occasionally if my mom was at work/somewhere else. of course, the neon orange substance known as velveeta was not something that was ever in my house, so when she introduced it to us, i must have been hesitant at first. until i tasted the mac and cheese. i dream of that mac and cheese and usually convince myself that during the rare times i cook mac and cheese it should be more official (read: real cheese). i don't know what i was thinking. and although the ooey gooey goodness emanates when it's hot, there's also something great about the cold leftovers. i can remember coming home from school and waiting to devour the leftovers of this cheesy mess.

velveeta macaroni and cheese

• 1 2 lb brick of velveeta "cheese"
  
• 1 bag/box shell pasta (larger is better)
• small-medium onion
• 1/4 cups milk
• salt and pepper
• breadcrumbs

• Preheat oven to 350.
• boil water and cook shells as directed
  
• while shells are cooking, cut up about 3/4 of the velveeta brick, chop up onion.
• grease large oven proof bowl
• pour cooked pasta in bowl, pour in chopped up cheese and onions. pour about 1/4c+ milk in. grind salt and pepper over top. mix thoroughly. cover top with bread crumbs.
• bake until cheese is melted, browned on top and very bubbly. About 45 mins - one hour

the incredible edible egg (polenta and eggs)

subtitle: when i fell in love with the nytimes dining section

i still have the nytimes clipping of the article shoved into a binder with recipe tear outs. these days, i generally browse the nytimes online but there was a time when i had a job where the best part was the nytimes daily delivery. this was my first formal, regular introduction to the wednesday dining section.

you may have heard of such books as alone in the kitchen with an eggplant or what we eat when we eat alone, where the entire concept rests on some secretive meal that we each have to make when we're on our own. now, i have made this particular meal for others but i'm just not sure if it's appreciated as well in a group versus curling up alone in a couch corner after an exhausting day.

everyone's heard of putting a fried egg on top of almost anything as an added bonus to a dish. however, when i read this article, i never had. it sounded so good that i decided to go home and make it that very night. with that, i concocted my own comfort food. by that i mean that this is not something my parents ever made for me when i was younger (i have some of those too but that's a different story). this is something i independently discovered, and have made my own. granted, i did have to be of age enough so that i could appreciate an over easy egg and how the runny yolk seamlessly combines with just about any other flavor and adds a comforting richness to it. once i discovered this, there really was no stopping the endless combinations and possibilities. and each one tastes just as good as the last.

the recipe below is the first one i saw using this concept (polenta, eggs and dark leafy green) but now i put eggs over almost anything: various grains (rice, quinoa, pasta) and any vegetable (don't stop with dark leafy greens). it's the ultimate meal: quick, easy, affordable, tasty and comforting.


polenta, greens and eggs for 1 (adapted from melissa clark, nytimes)

• 1-2 eggs (depending on how hungry you are. sometimes i make 2 eggs just so that i can have the two yolks)
• polenta
• lots of grated parmesean cheese
• dark greens (my favorite is spinach but above you might be able to see that i used csa bok choy)
• garlic
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• chicken stock
• butter

• i usually make the greens first since they can sit for a little bit without any trouble. heat olive oil in a pan, add lots of minced garlic and greens. cook over high heat until wilted. stir in red pepper flakes.
  
• make the polenta: contrary to nytimes advice, i use quick cooking polenta (not quite instant but not the slow cook kind). bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil, reduce heat and add polenta, start whisking. once the polenta has started to thicken, stir in salt and pepper, parmesean cheese, and some butter. keep whisking until the polenta starts to pull away from the pot. cover to keep warm.
• fry eggs in some olive oil. the olive oil helps the whites get all crispy. the runny yolks are downright necessary, so sunny side up or over-easy are best.
• spoon polenta into a shallow bowl, top with greens and eggs. top with additional parmesean cheese.
  

dried goodies from the golden state

i gotta say, there is one big thing i miss about living in southern california: produce come winter time. now, the csa has really brought up my produce standards and made me generally a much happier veggie and fruit munching person but here we are again: january.

when i was in santa monica the other week, i made it to the wednesday farmer's market (really, it's not to be missed). i say wednesday because there are multiple farmer's markets in santa monica all week long but this one is really la crème de la crème. lucky for me, i was there during peak persimmon season. although i didn't bring fresh ones back with me to ny, thanks to a gift from a lovely friend and my mom's willingness to give up said lovely gift, i found myself with some amazing freshly dried persimmons to bring home, as well as some other dried goodies. we're talking seriously high-quality (aka seriously expensive) items here. in addition to the remarkably sweet and flavorful dried persimmons, i had dried heirloom tomatoes and dried strawberries. dried whole, without any added sugar, the strawberries were like a sweet summer explosion in your mouth. the truth is that all of these things were so delicious, it was hard to imagine not snacking on them plain. however, it was the tomatoes that were really hounding me. i'm not usually one for dried tomatoes but i really wanted to incorporate these into something. it was hard to believe that their sweet concentrated flavor wouldn't benefit whatever they were cooked/mixed into.


while at the market, in between her fights with people that "no, they could not taste a dried perssimon, they cost $3 a piece!" i talked to the "fruit lady" about what one actually does with these amazingly precious tomatoes. after all, i didn't want to ruin the things by cooking them if i shouldn't. she explained a simple recipe: slice zucchini very thin and let it sit with some salt and lemon juice. the squash will sort of "cook" itself while marinating. then top the squash with the tomatoes, basil, olive oil and some garlic.

i went with yellow squash (the store was out of zucchini), parsley (i had some from the csa at home in the freezer) and couldn't help topping the mix with some parmesan cheese. i also let the garlic slowly saute in some olive oil on the stove, then briefly added the squash to the pan to warm it through, before mixing everything together. i placed the mixture on top of a bed of quinoa. yum yum yum. it doesn't get better (not to mention healthier) than this!

kogi inspired tacos (december csa)

what's a person to do with an entire savoy cabbage? make a spicy cabbage slaw, i say! but before we get ahead of ourselves here, let me back up a few steps.

i finally made it to the famed kogi taco truck on a recent la visit. and it was good. but you'll notice that it didn't quite make it on the blog. it's not because i didn't deem it blog-worthy, it's just that i was much more motivated by the kogi inspired recipe from serious eats. i had filed it away after first reading it, with plans to attempt it when the time was right. yes, you guessed it. december csa, 1 cabbage, and 1 serious eats recipe calling for said cabbage. so i made it. and it was deeeelicious. and even more delicious because i made it myself and EVEN MORE delicious because i got to enjoy leftovers for lunch all week long. i cook in big batches, ok?


kogi-inpsired almost bulgogi tacos with spicy slaw
adapted from serious eats (originally publishes by lillian cho, chile pepper magazine july 2009)

for the meat or meat-substitute

• 2 tblspns soy sauce
• 2 tspns sesame oil
• 2 tspns crushed garlic
• 1 tblspn brown sugar
• 1 tblspn mirin
• 1/2 tspn black pepper
• 1 pound meat of choice (original recipe calls for ground beef, i used chicken breast cutlets instead but imagine this would also be delicious with tofu or portobello mushrooms)
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

for the slaw

• 1 pound chinese, red or napa cabbage, thinly sliced (i used my savoy cabbage)
• 1 tblspn salt
• 2 tblspns fish sauce
• 2 tblspns white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tspns korean chile flakes or hot red pepper flakes (i used way less and it still came out significantly spicy)
• 1 tspn crushed garlic
• 1/2 tspn crushed ginger
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tspn sesame seeds
• tortillas, for serving

• sprinkle the salt on the cabbage and toss. let stand for 20 minutes.
• in a large mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, mirin and black pepper, and whisk. add the meat (or meat-substitute), onions and scallions then mix gently until the sauce is incorporated into the meat.
• for the slaw, mix the fish sauce, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions and sesame seeds in a bowl.
• bring a pan to medium-high heat, and cook the meat until done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
• rinse the cabbage under cold water, then squeeze the excess water out. in a bowl, toss the cabbage with the fish sauce mixture until well-coated.
• to assemble, spoon the meat down the center of each tortilla, and top with slaw.
  

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli (csa week 12)

the plan was simple: a lovely day full of cooking and baking at friend number two's house. it was also an excuse for me to get someone to help use the abundance of csa veggie's i was not so excited about. i.e., kale, broccoli, and lots of potatoes. our brainstorm yielded a curry. my immediate curry thoughts went to thai, friend number two's went to indian. we ended up with what i think is fair to call a hybrid of the two. another consideration was the ingredients that we already had. neither of us were dying to invest in a kitchen full of curry staples.

after some internet research, we decided to wing it. things were going great until a blood curdling scream came from friend number 2 as she peeled the sweet potatoes. okay, it wasn't blood curdling but there was definite panic involved. "what's wrong with these?!" i looked over my shoulder. the inside of the potato was almost white. "they're not sweet potatoes..." i said. "are they all like this?!" friend number two gasped as she grabbed a second potato and flung the peeler across its flesh. "they're yams," i answered. "who knows the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?!" friend number two demanded.


so for those of you who care to be enlightened, there is a difference between the two. for those of you who do not care, skip down to the next paragraph. a sweet potato is that yummy orange thing that you probably call a yam. a yam is a bit drier and starchier and is known to have slightly lower nutritional benefits. the important thing to note here is not to freak out if you accidentally buy one instead of the other, although i do prefer the texture of the orange sweet potato. who knows, it might just be the color.

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli

• 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, diced
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
  
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
  
• 1 apple, diced
  
• red curry paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1-2 chilies, minced
  
• chicken stock
• pepper
• salt
• cilantro, chopped

• brown the sweet potatoes in the bottom of a large pot. since they will take the longest time to cook, start seasoning as they begin to soften.
• add the curry paste, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. allow to cook for a few minutes and reseason to taste.
• after the sweet potates are almost cooked, add the onions and apples. cook for a few minutes, taste again. adjust seasoning if necessary.
• add broccoli, kale and chicken stock. you will need enough chicken stock to rise part way up all of the veggies. stir and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.
  

weeknight dinner: quinoa sweet potato salad a la bittman (csa week 11)

the only reason i doubted my tried and true idol was that this recipe seemed to have the potential to be quite bland. sadly, this is what i tend to think of late fall vegetables in general. this is certainly not one of the most flavorful dishes but instead let's the ingredients shine through. the quinoa's nutty texture and the creaminess of the sweet potatoes blend quite nicely and the flavor was surprisingly rich. good olive oil will go far here. i added a bit of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

bittman's sweet potato and quinoa salad

• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
• 1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
• salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

• if you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. drain in a strainer and rinse.
  
• meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
• toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  
• whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste.
  
• taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.

weeknight dinner: sausage, lentil and rapini stew (csa week 11)

those who know me and my food tastes know that i'm not so much of a stew person. so when a csa recipe popped up on my google reader that looked delicious and just happened to be a stew, i decided that i had to go for it. it also seemed like the perfect use for my giant bunch of broccoli rabe from csa.

my first instinct was that the recipe didn't have quite enough garlic, shallots and/or other flavor kickers. i almost wish i had supplemented but after a couple of days the stew developed more of its own flavor (as stews often do, i'm told). so here's to my first ever stew! next time, i still would sautee the greens with garlic before adding them...and might use chicken stock instead of the veggie stock.

greenpoint-williamsburg csa's sausage, lentil and rapini stew

• 1 lb. sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds (i used turkey sausage)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup lentils
• 2-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped, stems and leaves separate
• salt and pepper

• cook sausage in a large pot until browned, then remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pot, and set sausage aside.
• cook onion in the sausage fat until translucent. add sliced carrots and broccoli rabe stems, and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.
  
• add lentils and 2 cups vegetable broth, cover and lower heat.
  
• simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils and carrots are tender (add more vegetable broth if needed), then add sausage and the broccoli rabe leaves.
  
• cover and simmer about 5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted.
  
• season with salt and pepper to taste.

weeknight dinner: eggplant, two ways (csa week 5)

a beautiful eggplant sat in my fridge. this was enough to conjure up thoughts of the book alone in the kitchen with an eggplant (read it). the problem was, that after the last eggplant (baked eggplant parmesan), i wasn't quite sure what to do with it. i was feeling antsy enough that i didn't really want something italian and didn't just want to roast or grill it. better yet, i wanted it to be easy. do i even have to say his name anymore?

so what actually happened was that i was having a rough week and to make myself feel better, decided to hang out in my kitchen alone with my eggplant and cook it two different ways (dinner for different nights). i chose to do a simple eggplant stir-fry with some csa bok choy and mark bittman's microwaved honey eggplant. and then i made a cobbler.

first the stir fry: i briefly sauteed the eggplant in some canola oil (careful, it will absorb however much you throw in there) until it was slightly soft. then i sauteed the bok choy with lots of minced garlic and some ginger. then i thew the eggplant back in, mixed everything together, threw in some oyster sauce and let it all cook for a couple more minutes. voila, how's that for instant gratification?

then the bittman recipe. this one attracted me because it had a bunch of interesting ingredients that seemed like an easy mix as well as a bit of an unusual combination. basically, you slice and score the eggplant and then coat it with a mixture of chopped parsley, honey, olive oil, garlic, and breadcrumbs. yummmmm, right?! then you sprinkle lemon juice on top and if your bittman, serve with yogurt, if you're me, goat cheese and toast. instant gratification part II. if you haven't already, definitely take a look at the microwave minimalist column.

mark bittman's microwaved honey eggplant

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free)
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt
• 1 large eggplant
• lemon juice
  

• combine parsley, breadcrumbs, olive oil, honey, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
• cut eggplant crosswise into 1-inch slices; score the top of each. put slices in dish and spread breadcrumb mixture over eggplant tops, pressing it into slits.
• loosely cover with waxed paper and microwave on high power for about 5 minutes. remove paper and cook another 2 or 3 minutes, until very soft. sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with yogurt (or goat cheese!) on the side.
  

weeknight dinner: summer squash ribbons with pasta sauce (csa week 3)

i love love love summer squash so it was a tad difficult for me to imagine eating it any other way than sauteed with garlic. i realize it's a weird thing to not be able to get enough of but i literally could eat a whole giant bowl of it and be completely satisfied with life. thus i needed a dish where the squash was the star. enter squash ribbons. they're great because you still get to enjoy them sauteed with garlic (or whatever else) and in this case, they replaced a starch (pasta). so i really could eat a whole gigantic bowl and not feel the least bit guilty.


again, this is another method recipe. basically, you take the squash and slice them very thinly, or in my case, use a vegetable peeler to make thin slices. for those who are kitchen equipped, a mandolin would do quite nicely. then you sautee the ribbons in a little bit of oil, garlic, and salt and pepper for a few minutes, until they're your desired softness. you could eat them just like that or add some simple herbs. some lemon and parmesan cheese would be quite nice. i had just picked up some fresh DiPaola spicy turkey sausage from the farmer's market, so i added that to a simple tomato sauce with what i had on hand: some plain tomato sauce, a fresh tomato, a shallot, oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. then i threw the sauce on top of the squash and grated some cheese on top. voila!

csa week 1: when all else fails, stir-fry

subtitle: words to live by from go go

if you haven't learned this cooking rule by now, you really should. especially if you've ever found yourself with a fridge full of veggies that need to be used-helloooooo csa. this isn't the first time and certainly will not be the last time that a stir-fry saves the day.

some things to keep in mind when stir-frying:

1. you don't need a wok; a large pan will do
2. high heat is key. food cooks quickly yet retains color and flavor and doesn't turn to mush.
3. for veggies that take longer to cook i usually steam or boil them briefly first, drain them, and then give them a quick stir fry to get all of the moisture out.
4. you really can throw anything in there.

in this case, there was asparagus and pea shoots from the csa and mushrooms from the refrigerator.

this was my first adventure with pea shoots and there was an uh, issue, with some tough stems involved. so don't forget to trim your pea shoots! but otherwise, they seem to be rather user friendly. treat them as you would any other sort of green. (stir-fry, saute, eat raw, etc.) more ideas from my favorite pals at chowhound here. and if you're feeling super into the stir-fry thing you might want to do some rice reading.


pea shoot and other things stir-fry

• one bunch pea shoots, trimmed
• mushrooms
• small bunch asparagus, cut into small pieces
  
• couple cloves of garlic, minced
  
• one shallot, minced
  
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil (it does better than olive oil over high heat)
  

• put some olive oil in a large pan.
  
• once oil is heated, throw in garlic, shallot, mushrooms and asparagus.
• a few minutes later, add pea shoots.
• cook until slightly wilted. add salt and pepper.
• serve over rice.
  

csa week 1: leeks with ginger and shrimp

it sure seems like the majority of my csa recipes are going to come from mark bittman. my goal is to really enjoy the produce i'm getting. to me, this means not hiding the flavors of vegetables but cooking dishes that really feature them and bring out their flavors rather than downplay them. however, at the same time, i'm also trying to cook in a way that isn't just eating the vegetable plain (always a good option). bittman is undoubtedly the simple food/simple flavors master (the minimalist).

i always think of leeks as a winter food undoubtedly because of potato leek soup. and this is how i mostly use them. ok, 90% of the time, that's how i use them so it was quite exciting to get some last week and figure out a way to use them outside of soup. so back to bittman. his leeks with ginger and shrimp seemed like the perfect, simple recipe for my leeks and a weeknight dinner. i have to be honest in saying that i didn't actually cook this. i was going to be home late, etc, etc, etc, so the boy took over cooking as per my and bittman's instructions.

this dish turned out delicious. major props to the boy, bittman AND trader joe's jumbo frozen raw shrimp. seriously, they are going to be added to my regular grocery shopping list. the leeks got all crunchy and combined perfectly with the strong but not at all overwhelming ginger flavor. we ate it over toast, as per bittman's instructions.

mark bittman's leeks with ginger and shrimp

• 1/4 cup peanut or olive oil
• 4 large leeks (light green and white parts only), about 3 pounds, thoroughly washed and chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp
• 1/4 cup minced ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon good stock, dry sherry or soy sauce, optional (didn't do this)
  

• put half the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to high. when a bit of smoke appears, add the leeks, all at once. let sit for a couple of minutes, then cook, stirring only occasionally, for about 10 minutes. when the leeks dry out and begin to brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.
• with the heat still on high, add the remaining oil to the pan, immediately followed by the shrimp. sprinkle with the ginger. cook for about a minute, then stir. cook, stirring every minute or so, until the shrimp are almost all pink, about 5 minutes. add the leeks, along with some salt and pepper. when the shrimp are done (no traces of gray will remain), stir in the liquid if desired, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

weeknight dinner: tofu spinach soup

i was feeling a bit under the weather and was craving some comfort food. sadly, i don't have a restaurant in delivery distance with soup that gets the job done. hence my need to make this amazing healing comfort soup myself. the perfect solution? tofu and spinach soup! if your local chinese restaurant has it, i highly recommend it. the only chinese restaurants in local proximity here are scary, small, neon lit, greasy window ones. no thanks. this recipe is super simple and good but nothing crazy fancy. perfect for the "i'm feeling crappy and want something soothing to eat" feeling.




tofu and spinach soup

• 1 32-ounce container of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 pack firm tofu, cubed
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  
• piece of ginger, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• green onions, sliced
  
• a few big handfuls of spinach (i like baby spinach in this one)
  
• sesame oil and soy sauce for serving

• briefly heat sesame oil in the bottom of a pot.
• add tofu, garlic, and ginger and sautee for a few minutes.
• add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
• add spinach and allow to cook until wilted.
• add sesame oil and soy sauce as needed for serving.
  

weeknight dinner: 2 for 1!

two recipes recently struck my interest and luckily enough they were perfect to make back-to-back. the first recipe is shrimp in grits. the second is a polenta pizza that was recently featured in a breakfast pizza article in the new york times. the polenta recipes were slightly different, so i combined the two to use the same polenta for both recipes.

night 1: i've never actually eaten shrimp and grits before these ones. thus my basis for "genuine shrimp and grits" comparison is nil. i do know yummy food though and this was it. simple, easy and delicious. i tend to shy away from dairy so the grits probably could have used more cheese and butter.

night 2: oooohhhmygod. positively scrumptious. run and make this right now. for real. it doesn't even take long! take that rachel ray 30-minute fake meals!!!

the great thing about both of these recipes, in addition to being quick and simple, is that it's easy to substitute the ingredients. take a look around your kitchen, see what you have, and don't feel the need to run to the store to purchase every item.

part 1: shrimp and grits

adapted from bobby flay's food network recipe

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cup grits (i use quick cook--but not instant!--polenta) after all, "no self-respecting southerner uses instant grits"
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• bring water and milk to a boil. add salt and pepper. add grits and cook until water is absorbed (time depends on the product you are using). stir in oil.
  
• spoon half of the polenta onto a plate or baking sheet, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. this is your pizza "dough" for tomorrow morning/afternoon/night.
• stir butter and cheese into remaining polenta. cover.
• rinse shrimp and pat dry. fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. in grease, add shrimp. since this is turkey bacon, add a bit of oil if necessary. cook until shrimp turn pink. add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. saute for 3 minutes.
• spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. serve immediately.
  
• serves 1 extremely hungry person or 2 averagely hungry people.

part 2: polenta pizza a la ny times

the original ny times recipe can be found here. i changed some things around according to what i already had at home.

• your handy-dandy premade polenta pizza "dough"
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large shallot, chopped
  
• 2 pieces chicken sausage, removed from casing
  
• 1/2 pound spinach, washed, trimmed and dried
• 1/2 cup cheese, crumbled or grated (i used spreadable laughing cow light swiss)
  

• heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.
• put polenta on pan and bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. meanwhile, put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add shallots and sausage, break up sausage with a wooden spoon. cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and sausage is cooked through and nicely browned. use a slotted spoon to take onion and sausage out of pan; set aside. add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
• take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with cheese, then spread onion-sausage mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and sausage and vegetables are warmed through. cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
  

weeknight dinner: tofu shirataki

i spied this curious looking food (tofu shirataki) on a couple of trips to the grocery store and knew it was only a matter of time before it made it into my weekly dinner rotation. it's a food that seems too good to be true: tofu noodles. my thoughts immediately went to a plethora of guilt-free and gluten-free pasta dishes. i was quite excited to try a stir-fry noodle dish, since this is something i just can't find wheat-free in restaurants. my yakisoba and/or chow mein days are over.


definitely follow the prep directions on the package: rinse the noodles well, boil for 2-3 minutes, then dry. the package mentions an "authentic aroma," which i assumed would be slightly fermented soy smelling. not so. they smell awful, so don't skip the prep. to make mine yakisoba style, i heated up some vegetable oil in a large pan and then sauteed some celery, zucchini and onions. a few minutes later, i added the tofu shirataki and, as it says to do so on the house foods website, pressed the noodles down, to help them brown. after a couple of minutes, i added some homemade teriyaki sauce (garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin and oil) to the pan and let everything cook for an additional 2 minutes.

i was quite happy with the results. the noodles resist a greasy, fried feeling. the texture is a bit soft but not mushy. it definitely helps to have the vegetables with some crunch left to them. next time: tofu shirataki spaghetti style!

more tofu shirataki recipes are available on the house foods website.