February 9, 2014 by stevesacooking

Fennel + Thyme Crusted Cod with Meyer Lemon, Oil-Cured Olives & Black Forbidden Rice

Wholefoods had cod on sale so Lyn grabbed a nice piece and a searching we did go. Search for a nice recipe and we found one on gogee.com We did not have all the ingredients so we substitutes as needed I kept their recipe as is because this is definitely one we plan to revisit. I give the credit of this meal to Lyn she made the whole thing I was the helper.

see below

Ingredients

1 pound wild true cod, bones removed and sliced into equal portion size
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried fennel seed, roughly crushed
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 meyer lemon (organic lemon or orange may be used, if not available) – Steve: had only fresh squeeze citrus juice no lemon or oranges around. I know Lyn without Meyer lemons hard to believe right?
1 teaspoon honey
6-8 black oil-cured olives, pits removed + roughly chopped – Steve: We had only sliced olives
1 cup cooked black rice – Steve: did not have used wild rice instead
1 cup cooked barley
1/2 cup baby spinach
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How

Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over cod. Sprinkle crushed fennel, thyme, sea salt and pepper over each. Rub to coat evenly and set aside.

In a small ramekin, combine the juice of the meyer lemon, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, honey, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, place cod in the skillet. Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, depending upon size, until slightly firm to the touch. Remove from heat and tent with foil.

To plate, combine the warm barley, black rice and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and allow the spinach to lightly wilt.

Place a couple spoonfuls on each plate and top with a piece of fish. – Steve: I sprayed a 1 cup measuring cup for me and a ramekin with a little oil and fill with rice mixture it formed a nice mound on plate.

Drizzle a spoonful or two of the meyer lemon mixture over top and garnish with black olives and thyme leaves, if desired.

Gogee Version – you can see why we choose this receipe

Our Version

our version

Serve immediately + enjoy!

February 9, 2014 by stevesacooking

Tuna Fish made with Hummus Poppers

Its funny how over the years food shopping have turned us in a Pavlov dog experiment. It does not matter what time we go shopping when we come back, after the groceries are put away we as starving. Must Eat!!

Yesterday I did my typical roaming from the pantry to the frig looking for inspiration. Lyn said why don’t you make some of Mikie’s (our son) hummus tuna fish. He turned us onto replacing mayo with hummus. Anway…..

This is what I came up with

Make or buy your hummas how you like it. Lyn had made some the day before.

Cut the top off a mini pita round an set aside. Lyn also had picked some of those whole wheat mini pita rounds, although today we both admitted that the plain are better wheat seemd too dry – healthier but dry.

1 can of tuna – make how you normally like it except use hummus instead of mayo

Stuff the pita with the tuna and plate and start popping

After the first one I decide that a sprinkle of paprika would be a good touch- I was right

February 9, 2014 by stevesacooking

Dairy Free- Pumpkin Coconut Pie – coud have been Gluten-Free

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t bake too exact of a science for me but it was a snowy day and I got cabin fever so I gave this a shot. Glad I did!

From www.LivingWithout.com

This delicious pumpkin pie is a classic family favorite re-created with your special dietary needs in mind. Coconut flour is an aromatic gluten-free option that adds extra nutrition and fiber. Don’t like coconut? Use the substitution provided. This recipe can be made with egg replacement with good results.

Crust – I used Mrs. Smiths frozen pie crust (not gluten free hence could have been in title) but if you like to make crust here ya go. Remember I don’t bake that is Lyn’s thing.

1¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend of choice ¼ cup coconut flour*** 1 teaspoon xanthan gum ¾ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon agar powder*, optional 6 tablespoons cold butter or non-dairy substitute, cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons shortening 3-4 tablespoons cold water, divided 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1. To make crust, place the first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to combine. (If you don’t use agar powder, increase xanthan gum to 2 teaspoons.) 2. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. 3. Add half the water and all the vinegar and process. Add remaining water, a little at a time, until dough forms into a ball. 4. Remove dough from the bowl and pat it into a disk between two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll it into a 12-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and gently turn the crust over onto a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan. It may crack or break in places but it will easily pat back into place. Form and press the dough into a pie shell and crimp the edges so that they are slightly higher than the pan. To bolster the height of the crust and to prevent over-browning, make a collar around the pie rim with aluminum foil. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 375 degrees. 5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set the pie crust on the baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase temperature to 425 degrees to bake the pie.

Filling

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs**
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk***
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut***, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped in a food processor ( I did not use this)

To make filling,

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices.
In a separate bowl, beat together eggs and coconut milk. Add pumpkin and beat well
Add sugar mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.
Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon flaked coconut over the bottom of the par-baked crust.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell.
Bake the pie in preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle remaining coconut over the top. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve or refrigerate for later use.

This was after 2 hours it was great but after it was refrigerated it was much better I liked the consistency and texture much better.

*TIP Agar, also called agar agar, is available in flake and powder form at natural food stores. Use agar powder for this recipe. **TIP For egg-free filling, replace the eggs with ¾ cup pureed silken tofu (about 7 ounces or half a package); increase the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons and reduce the coconut milk by ¼ cup. Proceed with the recipe as instructed. ***TIP Don’t like coconut? Use 1¾ cups heavy cream or milk of choice (soy, rice, nut) in place of the coconut milk and omit the toasted coconut. Omit the coconut flour in the crust and increase all-purpose gluten-free flour blend by ¼ cup.

February 4, 2014 by stevesacooking

A Sweet And Tangy Kale Slaw From The Famed Moosewood Restaurant

Thanks Nicole!!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by consumers

The famed Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y., celebrated its 40^thanniversary last year. The natural foods eatery has generated a dozen cookbooks. Dishes like the colorful kale slaw featured here have kept Moosewood going through the decades. (Click here to see the recipe.)

This fresh vegetarian dish – which can be pulled together in about 30 minutes – is both sweet and tangy. It combines several foods that are good for you: kale, apples, greens, carrots, and celery.

Our fruity Arbequina would be perfect for preparing the fresh orange and lemon juice dressing, which also features apple cider vinegar.

The recipe appears in Moosewood’s latest cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Favorites (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013). The book walks you through the steps for prepping the slaw.

“Several of the vegetables are described as shredded, by the that sometimes we mean shredded with a hand grater and sometimes shredded with a sharp knife,” the book notes. “It could get confusing, so we give you specific instructions for prepping the vegetables.” (Click here to see the recipe.)

The slaw can be served immediately. Letting it sit “intensifies” the sweetness. The dish will keep in the fridge two or three days.

Bon appétit, California Olive Ranch Master Miller Bob Singletary

Salads and Dressings

Confetti Kale Slaw

Recipe courtesy of Moosewood Restaurant Favorites (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013), by the Moosewood Collective

Ingredients

½ cup orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 large ﬁrm apple, shredded (1-2 cups)
1 cup shredded green or red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup minced celery
¼ cup minced scallions
3 cups shredded kale, packed

Directions

To make dressing: Whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Prepare apple and vegetables and place them in the bowl as you go: Peel the apple or don’t, and shred it on large-holed side of a hand grater. To prevent apples from discoloring, toss well with dressing.
Thinly slice cabbage and cut across the slices about every inch. Peel carrots and shred on large-holed side of a hand grater. Mince celery. Mince scallions.
To shred kale: Rinse kale leaves and shake off excess water. Strip leaves from large stems and pile on a chopping board. Gather kale into a compact mass and thinly slice it. Then cut down across slices, chopping kale into 1- to 2- inch pieces. Go after larger pieces of kale that got away from you when you were slicing it.
Add shredded kale to bowl and toss well. Delicious served right away, but the sweetness intensifies as it sits. This slaw will keep in the refrigerator two to three.

February 2, 2014 by stevesacooking

Mut Jup Mun Gai Yik or Honey Soy Braised Chicken Wings

: I forgot to add wine to picture

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I already made the ribs I was going to make hot wings or maybe five spice wings but then I remembered something I have not made in about 13 years since Yale Drive – Mut Jup Mun Gai Yik or Honey Soy Braised Chicken wings. Hey it is Chinese New Year after all. I used to love cooking Asian and have this great book The complete Asian Cookbook its pages well my favorites all stained with this or that sauce. All I can say is good choices……we could not wait even had some of the stuffed eggplant that Lyn made double mmmm.

Ingredient

About 2 lbs chicken wings
2 tablespoon peanut oil (or cooking oil)
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon Chinese wine or 2 tablespoon dry sherry
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

I forgot to add wine to picture

How

Cut each chicken wing into 3 pieces. Discard wing tips or reserve for stock.

Heat oil in wok or skillet and fry joints on high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until browned.

Add soy, honey, wine or sherry, garlic and ginger, stir well.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender.

Stir frequently towards end of cooking and make sure the sweet does not burn.

Serve warm or room temperature

Lyn’s stuffed eggplant – I will get the recipe out of her.

February 2, 2014 by stevesacooking

Ratatouille Frittata

Frittatas – so much you can do with them and I like to cut up left overs into single servings so I can pop out of the Freezer and into the microwave for a quick meal.

You need a 10” oven proof nonstick skillet and a little time.

Ingredients

medium potato cute into ½ inch cubes
6 large eggs
5 Egg whites – I used packaged
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt divided in two
1 egg plant or 2 small Italian eggplants – cube in ½ inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes cube in 1/2″ inch pieces
1 medium zucchini cube in ½ inch pieces
2-3 tablespoons slice black olives
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Small handful of grated pizza cheese – or cheddar
About 1 tablespoon or less of olive oil

How

Preheat oven to 350

In a steamer cook the potatoes about 5-7 minutes until fork tender

Meanwhile in blender combine eggs, tarragon, pepper, half the salt – Using the blender made a fluffier airier frittata.

In a large nonstick oven proof skillet heat oil over medium heat

Add zucchini cook about 2 minutes until it begins to soften

Add eggplant and the remaining salt cook about 3 minutes

Add the tomatoes and olives stir to combine cover and cook about 3 minutes until the eggplant is mostly tender and the tomatoes have given some liquid.

Add potatoes and toss to combine

Add the egg mixture (I gave it a very short quick pulse to combine again) and cook about 2 minutes or until the edges start to set.

sprinkle with cheeses

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the frittata is set, puffed and browned.

Let set for 3-4 minutes before serving

February 2, 2014 by stevesacooking

Got a AeroGrow for Christmas from Mike

Every year we plant our herbs in the garden and on the deck some from seeds, some from seedlings bought and others like the Thyme, oregano, chives etc. just keep coming back . The start of February always bring thoughts of better start so if I want to have plants ready transplant.

It’s not just herbs for me no there was the one year that Lyn lost her dinette area I decided to start Lillies from seed all summer and fall where ever I went I inspected pods to see if they were ready to gift their gift of seeds. I walk a lot – 2 miles every work day at lunch- and on my journey whether from neighbor’s house, CVS or the local mall I inspected and collected many seeds. I had some great success and now the plants are here and there in the yard across the street…. It was a one year thing but a lot of fun for me. I even tied cross pollination to create my own breed but I think the bees did a better job than I did. Anyway………

Growing fresh food and flowers lifts the spirit and nurtures the soul. But for most people, the nurturing ends when winter begins. AeroGrow founder Michael Bissonnette said, “Wouldn’t it be great to have fresh herbs, flowers and veggies growing in your home, any time of year?”. So he and a group of like-minded innovators married that notion to aeroponics, a highly efficient gardening technology in which plants grow in water, nutrients and air.

Here is our progress so far in about a month – thanks Mikie already and basil on pizza and chives on the baked potato and parsley on the frittata!