Slutty Brownies

Let’s take a break from the healthy food and dig into this recipe that I found on Pinterest th

Miso Soup

I fully admit, for me this was a recipe of oppportunity. I had all these ingredients on hand and was

Fenugreek Spiced Chicken

Fresh and herby fenugreek has never crossed my path before. Which really is a shame because it fun t

 

CSA Week of January 21

January 22, 2012 in CSA

I think we are officially settling into life in Texas now that we have found a new CSA!

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. I’ll post more about CSAs soon, but if you are not familiar, it is a way to buy produce directly from a farm. Your support their growing season and share in the production from the farm. It is an amazing way to get truly fresh produce, as well as support local agriculture. Another benefit is that you often get to try produce you have not encountered before. So it helps you to be a more adventurous eater which Brad and I enjoy!

We decided to join Cold Springs Farm CSA. The farm is located in Weatherford (west of Ft. Worth) the owner, Beverly Thomas, has developed a really great distribution method. She sets up a food “drop” in Ft. Worth each Saturday. You show up to gather your produce – Beverly gives everyone the first 5 same items then you get to pick the next 5 items you want. It’s really a great idea!

Yesterday we went to pick up our first batch of veggies for the winter season. What a haul!!

CSA Veggies - January 21, 2012

click image to see full size

Here is the list of items we picked up yesterday – the first 5 are the ones Beverly chose:

 

  • Green Garlic
  • Baby bok choy
  • Taku choy
  • Chinese celery
  • Fenugreek – fresh!
  • Purple potatoes
  • Celeriac (Celery Root)
  • Garlic
  • Japanese sweet potato
  • Dried Anasazi Beans

 

 

There was also had a table full of fresh fruits from south Texas, preserves & honey for sale, and a Texas lamb rancher representative (more on this later), and great local bakery selling a few goodies. This is such a cool way to run a CSA and we are really excited about the seasons to come.

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Tuna & Tomato Pasta Sauce

January 19, 2012 in fish, pasta

Tuna & Tomato Pasta Sauce

Tuna & Tomato Pasta Sauce

Not only is this pasta sauce adult & kid friendly, but it’s a great way to get healthy fish into anyone’s diet! In addition, it can be made almost entirely with pantry staples. Plus it’s quick and simple to prepare – so add this one to your list of good fall back options for weeknight dinners.

The most important thing about this recipe is using the best tuna you can find – that doesn’t mean the most expensive – but the most delicious. Tuna in olive oil tends to be of a higher quality and that is what I prefer to buy and use. No matter what type or style of tuna you decide to use, adjust the seasonings at the end and enjoy a delicious pasta dish!

A note on quantity – this recipe will make about 2 cups of sauce. Feel free to double the recipe and play with ratios, it is a fairly forgiving recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 small chopped onion
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 can of chopped or diced tomatoes (plain, fire roasted, with garlic, etc. anything goes but avoid green chile type additions)
  • 1 T tomato paste
  • 1/2 t balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 t sugar (optional)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 t mixed herbs (mixed italian spices, thyme, herbs de provence, etc.)
  • 2/3 can of tuna (preferably tuna in olive oil) drained & flaked
  • 2 T cream cheese
  1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium to med-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes until soft.
  2. Add all other ingredients except tuna and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat uncovered for about 12 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add flaked tuna and heat through.
  4. Stir in cream cheese until melted, remove from heat.

This sauce keeps very nicely for a few days in the fridge. I have also frozen it in cubes for the baby with no problem.

Based on a recipe from First Meals by Annabel Karmel.

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Swiss Chard Polenta

October 29, 2009 in kid friendly

The photos will be fewer and far between, but I really want to get back to posting here more often.  I not only miss it, but I want to remember some of the fun foods I am making for the baby & for adults. :-)

Yesterday we traveled to Portland and after landing I had my brother take us by New Seasons which is a fabulous grocer in the Portland area.  I picked up a bunch of fruits & veggies so I could make Margaux some food.  She tends to really enjoy Swiss Chard, so last night she got to try polenta & I added swiss chard to it.  She was a huge fan! The best thing about this recipe is its perfect for old & young alike, a great way to eat polenta & get more greens!

Swiss Chard Recipe:

  • Wash & trim the leaves off one bunch of swiss chard.  Tear or chop the leaves and place into a glass container with a lid.  Add about 2 tablespoons water.  Cover and microwave for ~3 minutes.  Stir and microwave 1 more minute if needed.
  • Remove and add everything to a blender.  Blend until finely chopped and smooth.
  • For Margaux I add this puree directly to many dishes.  You can also freeze it if you do not want to use it all at once.  This can be added to adult dishes as well.  You will be shocked at what a small amount of puree this makes from such a big bunch of leaves!

Polenta:

  • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add a generous pinch of salt.  Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of polenta.  Stir constantly and lower heat to low/med-low.
  • Keep stirring and keep heat high enough to gently simmer the polenta.
  • Polenta will cook in approximately 20 minutes – give or take.  It is best to stir nearly constantly.
  • Remove from heat and mix in desired seasonings.  Good choices are: salt, pepper, butter, Parmesan cheese, spices, etc.
  • For Margaux I added a small amount of salt, pepper, and a pat of butter.  Then I spooned out her portion and added a big tablespoon of swiss chard puree.

Perfect for kids of all ages!

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Lamb Chops with Fresh Figs

August 25, 2009 in meat

Lamb chops may not be the first thing you think of  in the summer, but perhaps they should be. They are delicious & simple to make!  And so much of summer accents the meat just perfectly: fresh herbs, fresh fruit, lush veggies.  This recipe comes via Bon Apetit Magazine.  I made only negligable changes but if prefer to see their version, check it out here.

I’ve never roasted figs in this manner but I give it a huge thumbs up. They were fantastic with the lamb and made all the flavors melt together.  We served with mashed potatoes and grilled veggies, all in all a lovely dinner.  Perfect for a romantic dinner at home or entertaining friends!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
  • 2 2-pound racks of lamb, trimmed of fat and sinew (frenched)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 12 ripe purlple figs, halved lengthwise
  • 16 sprigs thyme
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  1. Combine all herbs in small bowl except the extra sprigs of thyme. Rub lamb with 2 tablespoons olive oil, half of chopped herbs, and garlic; cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; sear until brown on both sides, 5 minutes total. Transfer lamb to large rimmed baking sheet; roast to desired doneness, about 20 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to cutting board; let rest 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Place figs and thyme sprigs on baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Roast in oven at 425°F for 10 minutes.
  4. Cut lamb racks into individual chops; arrange on plates and place figs alongside.

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Recipe: Easiest Banana Bread

January 28, 2009 in bread, breakfast

My pregnancy is approaching its end – and I have hope that even in the sleep deprived early weeks of motherhood I will want to cook *something*!  Until then however, my doctor has required me to just rest and do as little as possible – even cooking.  So when I just needed a baked goodie today, and 3 bananas were ready to be mashed up, I knew I needed a super quick and simple recipe to satisfy both myself and my doctor! :-)

This recipe is a great jumping off point for banana bread – add chocolate chips or blueberries, mix up the spices, just make it your own.  And enjoy!  The hard part is waiting an hour for it to bake…

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 ripe bananas
  • 1/4 c melted butter
  • 1 c sugar (I used 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white)
  • 1 1/2 c flour (this is a great place to sub in a 1/2 c. of spelt or other different flour)
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 t baking soda
  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prep a bread pan baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Place bananas in a medium mixing bowl and smash with a fork or potato masher.  The more smooshy and smooth the better.
  3. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and combine.
  4. Transfer batter to the bread baking dish and into the oven.
  5. Cook about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool several minutes then remove from pan and allow to continue cooling.  Bread is delicious warm but try not to burn yourself!

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Recipe: Best-Ever Nut Brittle

January 8, 2009 in dessert, recipe

Though a little late for holiday cookies, this is a fantastic nut brittle recipe that I had to share!  It isn’t health food but it is delicious and a fun splurge.  I had never made candy before but this year decided to splurge and gifted a bunch of brittle to friends and family.

The primary things to keep in mind to make this recipe are: you need a candy thermometer and the salt (use a specialty salt if you can!) added at the end really does add that extra punch to the brittle!  You can use any type of nut you would like, this year I made the brittle with cashews but almonds, peanuts, anything would be wonderful.  Be sure to spread the brittle as quickly as possible as you poor onto the parchment or other pan – it begins to harden more quickly than you expect. :-)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 ounces roasted salted peanuts, cashews, pistachios and/or pecans
  • Fleur de sel or crushed Maldon sea salt
  1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and registers 300° on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture may bubble. Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto a large rimmed, nonstick baking sheet (or other baking sheet lined with parchment paper).
  3. Using the back of a large spoon (oil it lightly if it sticks), spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with salt.
  4. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break the brittle into large shards.

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