Roasted, Stuffed and Baked Poblano Peppers November 14, 2009

I made these roasted, stuff poblanos several weeks ago. I *thought* I saved a link to the base recipe I used as a starter, but I failed! I can tell you what I remember though and post some links of some similar recipes to go from.

Start by roasting 5-6 poblano peppers. I do this on the gas burners, roasting each until the skin is black. Then toss them all in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to basically steam the skins off. Gently peel the charred skin off and cut out the center and seeds. Set these aside. Then make the stuffing. I know sauted a can of black beans, onions, garlic, some leftover shredded chicken and spices (cayenne and cumin for sure). Stuff each pepper with the sauted mixture and cover with some shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or so in a dish. I served mine on a bed of spinach topped with fresh salsa, cilantro and tomatoes. This recipe looks pretty good too!

Potato and Green Bean Salad September 4, 2009

I adjusted this recipe just a bit as I didn’t have any arugula around and I ended up burning two rounds of walnuts so switched to pine nuts. Another gem from smitten kitchen.

• 1 ounce walnuts/pine nuts (about 1/3cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 6 ounces haricots, verts, or other green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
• 2 tablespoons white wine or other mild vinegar
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• 3 ounces baby arugula (or sliced up napa cabbage, which is what I used)

Preheat oven to 375°. Place walnuts (pine nuts) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop and set aside.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a colander to drain and cool. Set aside.

Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Return pan of water to a boil. Add green beans, and cook until tender and bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Drain.

Whisk together vinegar, yogurt, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Set dressing aside.

Arrange arugula, potatoes, and green beans on a platter. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with toasted walnuts; toss to coat.

Black Bean and Feta Tacos August 25, 2009

I made this (from Smitten Kitchen)! It was good and fast and vegetarian. The side of green beans, sauted with a little olive oil and red pepper flakes, was a perfect match. The meal was a bit spicy, but in a good way! I followed the recipe exactly, except for the homemade tortillas. Enjoy!

Iced Latte July 23, 2009

Oooo! Coffee! I drink it every morning and in the summer I hate having to drink the hot brewed coffee. I borrowed my sister-in-law’s brother’s Toddy Coffee Maker. I drank amazing iced lattes all week! This thing makes super condensed cold-brewed coffee that I then just mixed with ice and milk and BAM. Iced latte that didn’t cost $4!

Curried Sweet Potato and Lentils July 22, 2009

So I made this dish. It has sweet potatoes and lentils, that I know. Definitely a lot of spices too… I cooked this weeks ago people. I used this recipe! You should save this and make it this fall, or maybe on some bizarrely cold summer evening.  That’s all I’ve got. I’m not even posting the recipe (beyond the link) because I have no idea how I changed it. Oops!

Mahi Mahi with Pesto June 26, 2009

I’ve made many kinds of pesto before, always with whatever herb or green I’ve got on hand. Broccoli (after a quick parboil), parsley, basil, spinach, it doesn’t really matter to me. As long as it’s got a bit of parmesan, a hand full of walnuts or pine nuts, and a healthy glug or two of olive oil, it’s perfect.

I found a bag of mixed greens in the fridge, just on the verge of being too old. Into the food processor they went, along with some nicely toasted pine nuts. It made for the perfect topping for some Trader Joe’s Mahi Mahi. Served with a bit of broccoli and we had a very delicious and pretty healthy meal. I found the original recipe that I modified here.

• 1 T. paprika
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. cayenne powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. black pepper

Mix these together in a small bowl to us as a rub for the fish.

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 T. toasted pine nuts
• 1.5 C. saute greens
• 2 T. grated Parmesan
• 1/4 C. olive oil
• salt and pepper

• 2 pieced of Mahi Mahi and a bit of oil

1. Combine all the ingredients for the rub and set aside.

2. Roast the red pepper underneath the broiler (or on a gas burner) for a few minutes on each side until blackened all over. Wrap up in a plastic bag and let steam for 15 minutes. Then remove the skin, stem, and seeds. Chop haphazardly into 1-inch pieces and then toss in a food processor along with the garlic, pine nuts, and greens. Process until smooth. Then, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. When all of it is incorporated, turn the processor off and stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper

3. Preheat the grill pan. Rub each fillet 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the rub onto each side of the fillet. Grill fish for about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with the pesto.

Notes: A nice change for us as we normally have fish with some sort of soy sauce base. Pesto is perfect for using up summertime greens too.

Servings: 2 main entrees

How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian November 20, 2008

I got a new cookbook. I don’t use cookbooks that often. I love Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking, for the recipes as well as the beautiful book and pictures. Beyond that, I find recipes from cooking blogs or websites. One of the sites I follow is Mark Bittman’s from the NYTimes.com. Bitten. I also got into the PBS show, On The Road Again, where Bittman, Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow and some attractive Spanish actor named Claudia Bassols drive all over Spain and eat and talk about food.

So, I decided to buy a Mark Bittman cookbook. The one that interested me the most was the vegetarian cookbook. I really do try to limit the amount of meat I cook for many reasons. I’ve recently read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma and am now reading In Defense of Food. All of these things are just pointing me towards more whole foods and less meat. This new cookbook covers everything! I am actually sitting down and just reading the cookbook. He has so much information on the basics of food. And it will be perfect for next summer’s CSA. When I get some random vegetable that I really don’t know what to do with, I’ll just go to the back of the book and find 5-10 great recipes.

This book is a tomb. That’s the only reason for this picture. It’s giant. I’m already marking recipes I want to try and have made 5 out of this thing already. Hurray for new cookbooks!

Go Vote for Obama! November 3, 2008

I have Type 1 diabetes. I voted for Obama for many reasons, but one of the big ones is his health care policy. I have a pre-existing condition. When an insurance company looks at me all they see is how much it’s going to cost them. Currently, our government allows them to deny me coverage. I can never go without group health coverage through a job, which is the only kind that will take me (though some make me wait several months, which means I pay big bucks to a COBRA plan). It does not matter that I eat healthy, check my blood sugar 10+ times a day and maintain a great A1c below 6%, stay in shape and just ran a 10 mile race, and keep my cholesterol in line. Barack Obama believes that insurance companies should not deny coverage for pre-exisiting conditions. Go vote for Obama!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote June 22, 2008

I found this recipe in Bon Appeite and was looking forward to rhubarb in my CSA so I could make it. I made this on Father’s Day with baked french toast. YUM.

3 cups rhubarb – chopped
1 pint strawberries – halved
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup splenda
1/4 cup water
3 T. mint

Cook rhubarb with sugar, splenda and water in a nonstick skillet for 7-10 minutes or until rhubarb cooks down. Add strawberries for another few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix in mint. Serve with french toast.

Notes: I really enjoyed this compote and loved the fresh mint.

Servings: 6+

Maui. Still enjoying the sun. June 6, 2008