You-Can't-Believe-It's-This-Good-Kale-Salad

I hate kale. Or, at least I thought I did until my husband made me this salad. I also thought that I'd never be able to eat salad without salad dressing, but his simplified tossing with lemon juice and olive oil really allows you to fall in love with all the veggie flavors. The key to this salad is having homegrown - or close to it - veggies. Marginal produce is going to result in a marginal salad.

Hubby's Kale Salad

4-6 leaves of kale, cut into strips.
1 artisan carrot, cut into narrow rounds
10-12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/5 of a red onion, cut into fine/thin smiles
1/4 cup walnuts
juice of 1/2 a lemon (fresh!)
3-4 Tablespoons quality olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (more if you're a salt lover)
pinch of finishing salt to garnish

1.) Mix all together in a big bowl!

Butternut Squash Risotto

It has been an absolutely beautiful Autumn in Minnesota! The leaves are gorgeous, turning yellow, orange, and red. I love the smell of their decay as I walk over them with a crunch. The weather, though, seems anything but Fall: 70s/80s with bright blue skies lacking any clouds. It's more like summertime. So, I'm torn between wanting to make strawberry yogurt popsicles (a new discovery that I just can't live without) and more fall harvest foods. Since the hubs was a prolific gardener this summer - which if you stop over at his place you will see as he has harvest food and gardening things everywhere - I decided to use some of his "squmpkins" (i.e. butternut squash that is shaped like a pumpkin) to make this delicious risotto. Since the hubs is vegan, I made it vegan, but I'm sure that it will taste even better with butter, chicken broth, and a nice handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


Butternut Squash Risotto
My own rendition

1 large butternut squash
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/3 cup white wine of your liking
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (omit if making vegan)
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Bake the butternut squash: Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the butternut squash down the length of it and pry open. Scoop out the 'guts' and seeds and discard them. Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side down, and put into the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the skins on the outside are slightly browned and a fork can be easily inserted into the squash through the skins. Once cooked, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2.) In a saucepan, pour the vegetable or chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Maintain the simmer while cooking the risotto.
3.) In a large pot, heat the oil and onions over medium heat. Cook the onions until they soften some and then add in the garlic and rosemary. Heat the garlic until it's fragrant. Then, add in the risotto rice, stirring for a minute or two as it absorbs the excess oil. Then, add in the white wine, stirring constantly as the wine sizzles. Once the rice has absorbed all of the wine, add in a ladle or two of the broth, stirring intermittently. Once the rice seems to have absorbed almost all of the liquid, add another ladle or two full of broth to the rice, again stirring. Keep repeating this until all the broth has been added or the rice is soft and creamy but not mushy.
4.) Once the rice is of the right consistency, scoop out pieces of the butternut squash flesh (leaving the skins) and add it to the rice. You can also add the Parmesan cheese at this time if you're using that. Stir gently to break up the pieces of the squash and incorporate them into the risotto.
5.) Garnish with freshly cracked pepper and fresh cheese.

Quinoa Tostadas

This quick and easy recipe was inspired by a fabulous lunch at the Chicago Diner, an award winning vegetarian restaurant that hubby, CD, and I have visited twice now during our visits to Chicago. It's a fun atmosphere with many vegan friendly foods. I'd definitely recommend it if you heart vegetarian fare, but be prepared for a wait if you hit peak dinner times.

Quinoa Toastadas
My own interpretation of the Chicago Diner's meal

1 package corn tostadas or if you want make it more of a fajita salad, use broken-up tortilla chips
1 cup of vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you're not going vegan/vegetarian)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4-1/2 of a lime, freshly squeezed
3/4 cup quinoa
1 tomato, chopped/diced
1/8 of an onion, minutely chopped
guacamole (see recipe below)
sour cream (if you're not going vegan)

1.) In a medium sized saucepan, combine the broth, cumin, granulated garlic, lime juice, and quinoa. Bring to a boil and then let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked through and its germ has poked out.
2.) Assemble guacamole (see below)
3.) Chop the veggies.
4.) Assemble the toastada: corn toastada followed by quinoa, tomato, onion, guacamole, sour cream, and any other toppings that you'd like.
5.) Enjoy!!


My favorite guacamole

1 avocado
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 of a lemon, juiced

1.) Split the avocado in half, remove the pit, and peel away the skin. Place the creamy flesh in a medium bowl. Add the garlic, salt, and lemon juice. With a fork, smush the avocado, garlic, salt, and lemon juice together until creamy. Use/serve immediately.

Carmelized Onion Dal and Fabulous and Delicious Indian Rice Recipes

I've been experimenting with many new savory dishes lately, although I've been very bad about posting them onto the blog. I think part of it stems from the fact that my photography skills are not-so-hot, and I'm much more invested in the food than in the photography. But, I also know that when I look at other people's blogs, the photographs are what I adore. So, I will try harder. I've often been tempted to just post the recipes without any pictures, but really, who wants that?

Otherwise, Spring has sprung here in Minnesota, and the hubby and I are excited to see all the fresh produce at the farmers' marker. This week we picked up some wild onions, wild watercress, and fresh chocolate mint, which I popped into my french press this morning for some lovely mint coffee.

We're still figuring out how exactly we want to use the watercress and wild onions. So, in the meantime, we decided to make dal for a late lunch / early dinner. Dal, a red lentil dish, is one of our favorite Indian meals. It's a great because it's not only easy to make, but is also super healthy while still full of flavor. You can eat as much of it as you want practically guilt free!

This is my own personal recipe for dal. I love the mixture of savory spices and caramelized onions that give the dish such a wonderful flavor. I keep it light on the hot spices, though. You of course, can add more or less spice to your liking. I hope that you enjoy!


Caramelized Onion Dal
Created by me!

1.5 cups red lentils
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion sliced into smiles
1 large carrot cut in half lengthwise and then cut into chunks
3 Tablespoons red wine
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon red hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon garam malasa
2 Tablespoons lime juice (or lemon juice)
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

1. In a medium stock pot, cook the lentils in the vegetable broth over medium heat until they are mushy. About 20 minutes.
2. In a larger pot or dutch oven place the oil, onions, and carrots. Cook slowly over low/medium heat until the onions start to brown/caramelize.
3. Add the garlic and red hot chile flakes and allow them to cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. Then, add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Add the spices and stir for a minute or so until they become fragrant but aren't burning.
4. Add the mushy lentils and lime juice to the onion mixture and stir. Add the peas and stir.
5. Once the peas are no longer frozen, the dal is ready to eat. If it looks like it's drying out a bit, just add 1/8 cup of water or so and stir.
6. Serve with my fabulous and delicious Indian rice. (Recipe below).


Fabulous and Delicious Indian Rice

1.5 cups basmati or jasmine rice
3 cups vegetable broth
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Place all ingredients in a medium stock pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Once done, fluff the rice with a fork.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Yay! The first post in a long while!! It's sad how long it's been since my last post, but life has been busy and I've been basically away from my own kitchen since August. That's not to say that I haven't been cooking delicious things, but I didn't quite have the time to photo (even though I know my photo skills are lacking) and then write up a proper post. No more of that, though!! Time to get back into discovering new foods and cooking skills and putting them up on the web!

The hubby and I have been working hard to make as many things from scratch. We're having fun exploring new techniques and foods, and finding that in general our homemade goods taste better than the store bought versions. They do take a little more time, but the results are definitely worth it!

A few months ago we started making homemade flour tortillas (will post recipe soon). We had thought about making corn tortillas, but learned that you really need a proper tortilla press for that. I did a little searching and learned that there's a few different kinds of tortilla presses: Cast iron, aluminum coated cast iron, wooden, and high tech. I decided to go with the cast iron since it had good reviews, and I thought the weight of it would help press out the tortillas. I bought it for Valentine's Day for the hubby, and he was very excited to try it. It worked like a charm, and I definitely have no complaints. Just make sure that you line it with parchment paper so that the tortillas are easy to remove once they've been pressed.

These tortillas go great with my Beer Braised Turkey Tacos, guacamole, a little yellow onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Mmm.


Homemade Corn Tortillas
Based on cookingmexicanrecipes.com - great pictures here!

2 cups masa harina (corn flour NOT corn meal)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water plus a few Tablespoons
1 teaspoon coconut oil

In a large bowl, combine the masa and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix the coconut oil and boiling water, stirring until the coconut oil is dissolved. Then, pour the water mixture into the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until combined. When it's cool enough to handle, knead the dough until to comes together. It should be moist but not sticky or wet.

Take a golf ball sized amount, roll it into a ball in your hands, and place the ball between two sheets of parchment paper lining the tortilla press. Press the tortilla in a tortilla press or, alternatively, roll out the tortilla between two sheets of parchment with a rolling pin.

Heat a cast iron skillet and lightly oil it (just a teaspoon or so of oil). Place the tortilla on the skillet and cook each side for about 45 seconds or until it becomes slightly golden in spots and the edges seem dry. I didn't not re-oil the pan between tortillas. I just oiled it a little in the beginning.

Keep the tortillas covered so they'll stay warm until serving.

It's important to keep the pre-cooked dough moist between the pressing, so make sure you wrap the dough bowl with plastic so it doesn't dry out.

Brushetta - by my sister!

It's been forever since I've been able to post!! I've been travelling a ton and for the most part not cooking anything exciting. Although, I'm back in y hometown for a few weeks and have been experimenting on my parents. So, I'll have a few exciting recipes soon to share.

This is my sister's recipe for brushetta, which she has mastered. It's got the right balance of onion, basil, vinegar, and garlic. We inhaled this and I had to beg them to stop eating so I could take a few pictures of it for the blog. Seriously, this is so good.

As with all things, using the freshest, ripest, tastiest ingredients is key. Any 'substitutions' will give an inferior result. This is a healthy, raw alternative to classic chips and dip, and really doesn't take much time to whip together. Think about it as an appetizer for your next dinner party. You could also serve it over roasted chicken, put it in paninis, toss it on some pasta

Bruschetta

By my sister, Lynnie

6 small-medium sized tomatoes (she used on the vine tomatoes since those are generally fresher out-of-season)

1 thick slice of a large yellow onion

2 - 2.5 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (must be fresh)

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic infused oil (alternatively you could use 3 large cloves of fresh garlic)

1 1/2 Tablespoons quality olive oil

3 Tablespoons balsalmic vinegar (buy the good stuff)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper, feshly ground

1.) Chop the tomatoes up as small as possible. Place them in a medium sized bowl.

2.) Take the onion slice and place it in a small chopper or food processer and pulse until the pieces are milimeters in size. Add the fresh basil and pulse a few more times. (If you're using fresh garlic, add that in now).

3.) Add the onion/basil mixture and all the other ingredients to the tomatoes. Mix well. Adjust the flavors as necessary. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

One evening recently, I was listening to NPR's "The Story" and became enthralled during a segment about a woman who had taken over the family tradition of competing in barbeque contests (generally a male-dominated type of cooking contest). I was especially fascinated by the super secret sauce recipe, which had been passed down through the generations and had won many a competition. I wondered what exactly went into an award winning recipe - or into barbeque sauce in general - and so I started to do a little internet searching.

The internet search yielded some good tips on how to make general barbeque sauce, but nothing along the lines of coveted family secrets. Interestingly, I did learn that there are many different varieties of barbeque sauce. North Carolina is known for a more vinegar based sauce, South Carolina for a mustard-based sauce, Texas for spicy recipes, and Kansas City for tomato-based sauce recipes. Alabama even has a mayonnaise version. I found a website that had basic recipes for three of the main sauce types. I decided that since I'm more of a tomato lover, I'd focus on creating my own version of a Kansas City style sauce.

Lucky for me, soon after deciding that I wanted to try to make my own barbeque sauce, the hubby and I actually visited Kansas City, Missouri. I was amazed when we visited a grocery store and I saw just how many different types of barbeque sauce were available. Our selection in the North is pitiful by comparison. I looked at many ingredient lists and was somewhat shocked and saddened that for many the second ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Boo to that. Others were a little more wholesome, though; some even hinted at special ingredients like pineapple juice. So, I took some mental notes to try in my own sauce.

This past week I finally got the time to settle in and work on the recipe. We decided to have friends over for Barbeque Beef Sandwiches, and I wanted to use my own sauce for the beef. I dabbled around and finally got the flavorings to come together nicely. This recipe is somewhat sweet, somewhat zesty, somewhat spicy. It has that nice tomato based flavor, but many subtleties to it as well. I really like this version and hope that you will, too!

Kansas City Style Barbeque Sauce

A Fabulous and Delicious Original!

1 yellow onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, sliced

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup hot water

2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon raw sugar or brown sugar

3 dried chipotle chiles, chopped into small pieces

2 Tablespoons dark molasses

20 ounces organic ketchup

1 can tomato paste

1 1/2 cup tomato puree (fresh tomatoes blended or from a can)

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon balsalmic vinegar

1 teaspoon tumeric

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper

3-4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 Tablespoon paprika

2 Tablespoons dry mustard or fresh mustard

1/4 cup dark beer

1.) In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over low heat until the onions are cooked (translucent but not brown). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the hot water.

2.) When the onions are done, put in the chipotle chiles and allow them to cook a little in the oil - no more than a minute. Then, pour in the sugar water mixture. Stir. Then, add all the other ingredients, stirring as you add them.

3.) Allow all the ingredients to simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. If you'd like, you can then use an immersion blender or place the sauce in a regular blender to smooth out the consistency. Use immediately in cooking or store in your fridge for up to 7 to 10 days.

Gaspacho

Hello blog readers! Fear not; I haven't forgotten about you. Life has just been busy in our household. Last week we moved into a super cute house - with a real sized kitchen! Our first evening was spent unpacking all of our kitchen supplies. Boy, do we have a lot of them! We've taken over every cupboard, our hutch, and then had to put up a bookshelf to house the actual food! We have not-so-often used kitchen gadgets (e.g. the waffle maker and slow cooker) in the coat closet; cookbooks are currently housed in the den. I guess that's what happens when you have a husband and wife pair that like to cook and bake. :)

In addition to our lovely new kitchen, our garden is thriving. We have so many cherry tomatoes ripening every day, cucumbers constantly begging to be picked, and beautiful peppers lounging from their branches. So, what does this all this mean? That it's *finally* gaspacho season!!!!!! I started craving gaspacho in April, but alas it is one of those foods that you can enjoy only when the vegetables are seasonally ripe. Otherwise, the soup just a pitiful mirage of its former self. Similarly, using poor quality olive oils or vinegar will not yield the same exceptional taste.

If you're not familiar with gaspacho, it is a cold summer soup that originated in Spain. Personal recipes vary, but basically it tastes like the soup form of a perfect tomato sandwich. (Quite literally as the recipe includes bread.) If you're familiar with gaspacho and hate it, well, then you haven't tried *this* gaspacho, which is delicious!!!

Similar to all perfect summer recipes, it doesn't require turning on your oven (unless you're going to use that to make bread). We've been eating it at least twice a week while we can. My hope is to eat so much of it that I'm satisfied until next Spring when I'll start to crave gaspacho again! Enjoy!

Gaspacho

The hubby's recipe, adapted from a segment heard on NPR

1 thick slice of fresh homemade bread (the Wonder Bread varieties really won't work...)

1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes from the garden

1/4 large sweet yellow onion

1/4 large cucumber

1 green bell pepper

1/4 cup Spanish olive oil (or high quality version of your liking. We use a brand from California)

scant Tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar (or high quality balsalmic if you're desperate)

salt and pepper to taste

1.) Wash and rinse all veggies.

2.) Put everything into a hearty blender. (We use a Vitamix.)

3.) Turn on the blender to medium-high and blend until there is a creamy texture and everything is pink. Salt and pepper to taste.

4.) Serve immediately and enjoy.

Green Beans with Shallots and Homemade Breadcrumbs

Life is plugging along here in Minnesota. The summer weather has been perfect: warm temperatures without being too hot, light breezes, and sunshine. There have been so many thunderstorms at night, though. I'm slowly getting used to the Midwest thunderstorms; they are very different from the Northeast. Firstly, they seem to be much more dangerous with really damaging winds (blowing away all sorts of outdoor furniture and bringing down tree branches), un-ending dramatic lightening, and more frequently than I'm comfortable with, tornadoes. I'm starting to not go into panic mode every time the radio breaks to say that there is a tornado warning for a part of Minnesota, but I still do close a lot of the doors to keep the cat near me in case I hear that the warning has spread to our county. That way, I figure I can grab the cat and head down to the basement. Thunderstorms in the Northeast were much louder, though. I miss the thunder that makes the windows shake. Here, there seems to be more lightening, less thunder.

Since coming back from vacation, the hubby and I have been trying to eat as many vegetables from our garden as possible. This week the green beans and shallots were ready. I found this recipe online almost a year ago on Martha Stewart for green beans, shallots, and bread crumbs. I had wanted to make it for Thanksgiving, but ended up not and opting instead for the classic Campbell's green bean casserole. The Martha Stewart recipe has many of the fabulous flavors of the Campbell's recipe, but without the creaminess (and calories) from the cream of mushroom soup. The Martha recipe is overall nicer because it's healthier, hightling olive oil instead of cream, and easier to make. Plus, you don't have to turn on your oven - which, if you're like me and don't own an air conditioner, is a big plus in the summertime.


So, we'll continue to enjoy this recipe until our green beans stop producing, which will all this nice daytime sunshine and nighttime rain, will hopefully be months away!



Green Beans with Shallots and Homemade Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 pounds green beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs (see below for homemade ingredients)
salt and pepper to taste

For homemade breadcrumbs
3 medium slices of homemade bread (your recipe of choice - I use a bread machine)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (combination of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1.) To make breadcrumbs, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, take the 3 slices of bread and toast them in a toaster or toaster oven until golden (medium). Then, cut them into 1/2 inch squares. Place the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly the olive oil and add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Once the oven is heated, place the breadcrumbs in the oven for about 5 minutes (to dry them out further). Avoid letting them burn in the oven.
2.) Blanch the beans: Rinse the beans well. Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, toss in the beans and cook for 2 minutes (no more than 2.5 minutes). The beans should be bright green. Immediately, drain the beans and run them under cold water. The cold water stops the beans from cooking and prevents them from becoming mushy. (Alternatively, you could prepare an ice bath and then place the drained beans in that instead of running them under cold water). Drain again and pat the beans dry.
3.) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occassionally, until they are golden (about 5 minutes). Add in the green beans and breadcrumbs. Stir. Cook a couple minutes more just to heat the green beans a little.
4.) Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve.

Blueberry Smush

Hello blog readers! Sorry for the long dry spell! I've been traveling extensively all over the east coast visiting family and eating my little heart out. (Hello potato chips and Hoffman hot dogs - how I missed you!!). There were lots of delicious drinks enjoyed, including pomegranate martinis (and margaritas), lemon drop martinis, mojitos, monarchs, and copious wine. It was lovely.

I couldn't completely take a break from cooking, though. One morning on the lake, I baked up some Pannekoekens to everyone's delight. Also, one night I opted to provide dessert for a family dinner. After a day of hiking in the sun through water-filled gorges and a dinner filled with tender grilled steaks, I thought we could use something light(ish) for dessert. I wanted something summery, but didn't want to go the classic Strawberry Shortcake route. So, settled on my grandmother's Blueberry Smush.

My mom said that my grandmother used to make Blueberry Smush all the time when she was a kid. They would often camp in the Adirondacks during the summer, where there were bushes filled with wild blueberries. My grandmother would cook them with some water and sugar in a pot over a campfire. Once the blueberries burst and a sauce was created, she would drop in the biscuits, let them cook, and voila! Delicious camp dessert. My mom has many happy memories of having her face and teeth stained from eating blueberry smush.

Despite these happy memories, my mom never made us this dessert until about two years ago!! My sister and I ate every bite and couldn't believe that she hadn't made it for us sooner.

In any case, I thought with blueberries being ripe in the northeast, it was fitting to highlight them for dessert and introduce my dad's family to this deliciousness. The soft drop biscuits smothered in a sweet blueberry sauce are just to die for.

Oh, and another plus of this summer dessert: it doesn't involve turning on the oven! It's all done on the stove top.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Smush

From Grandma (via Mom)

For blueberry sauce:

1 quart fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar (more if you'd like)

2 cups water

2-3 Tablespoons cornstarch

For biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup rice milk (or for non-vegan, buttermilk)

4 Tablespoons coconut oil (or for non-vegan, butter)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1.) In a large, wide pan, cook (without rapidly boiling) the blueberries, water, and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook until the blueberries burst and you have a thin sauce. Turn heat to medium-low. Add the cornstarch and stir until the sauce thickens to coat a spoon (not quite to the thickness of a gravy).

2.) While the blueberries are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the biscuits.

3.) Once the sauce is ready, drop the biscuit batter in Tablespoon amounts into the sauce. Once all the biscuit batter has been added, cover the pan and allow the biscuits to cook for roughly 10 minutes.

4.) Plate the biscuits and cover in blueberry sauce. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Zucchini Curry and Basmati Rice

Sunday was an Indian food day here in our household. We had promised a friend that we would have him over for dinner, and he could pick the menu theme. He settled on Indian, which we were delighted about.

Indian food is probably one of our favorite foods to make. It was challenging in the beginning because the combinations of spices are so different from what we are used to in Western cooking. Fortunately, the hubby found a classic Indian cookbook for $1 at a garage sale a few years back, and that has been a great guide to the foundations of Indian cooking. Luckily, my husband has an amazing palatte and sense for spices, so he can adjust recipes to mimic those we've had in restaurants. I love it.

The internet is also an amazing source of delicious (and free!) recipes. In addition to our fabulous and delicious samosas, we decided to highlight the zucchini we've been harvesting from the garden farmette everyday, and decided to try to make a zucchini curry. We found an awesome tutorial on YouTube by Currysutra on how to make Ghiya (zucchini curry), and copied it almost exactly. The tutorial is really easy to follow and would be great for beginner Indian home chefs. I've included all the ingredients and directions (with our changes) below, but definitely check out the tutorial as well. Enjoy!

Ghiya - Zucchini Curry

Adapted from Currysutra

Yield: Feeds roughly 4 people

2 medium to large zucchini, cubed

1 Tablespoon canola or sunflower oil

1 small can tomato paste (6 ounces)

1 1/4 cup potato water*

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 cube salted veggie bouillon (we use the Rapunzel brand)

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon corriander

1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1.) Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium-low heat, add cumin, garlic, and onion and saute until the onions begin to cook (look translucent). Try to avoid having the veggies brown by keeping the heat low.

2.) Add in 1/4 cup of potato water* and spices: veggie bouillon, tumeric, ground cumin, curry powder, corriander, chili powder, garam masala, crushed red pepper.

3.) Add in tomato paste. Stir.

4.) Add in zucchini & stir. You may taste now to see if spices are alright. Then, add 1 cup of potato water*

5.) Put lid on pressure cooker and being to cook, according to your pressure cooker's directions, to max pressure (about 5-8 minutes).

6.) Then turn off heat and let the pressure cooker slowly let go to room pressure (about 20 minutes).

7.) Carefully, open pressure cooker (read manufacturer's instructions), and the curry is ready to serve over basmati rice (see rice recipe below).

* Potato water refers to the leftover water from boiling potatoes. Because we were also making samosas, we had boiled potatoes on the stove, and therefore saved the water to use in this dish. The potato water adds a bit more flavor and also can help thicken with the starch. If you're not making potatoes, just substitute regular water.

Basmati Rice

Yield: 4-6 cups rice

4 cups water

2 cups basmati rice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1.) Place water, olive oil, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves in a medium sized pot on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.

2.) Place rice in the boiling water, stir a bit. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.

3.) Stir rice and serve.

4.) Note that rice will double to triple in amount. So, if place one cup of dried rice in a pot, you'll end up with 2-3 cups of cooked rice. Therefore, adjust the recipe above to your needs by halving (or doubling!) it if necessary.

Basil-Spinach Pesto

It's World Cup Saturday, USA versus England, and I'm trying to type up this post during half-time. I definitely don't know too much about soccer, but World Cup is just so exciting that I can't help buy try to get involved. It's so much more engaging (and the players are much more handsome) than American football. Plus, I love the constant play and no commercials! It's so refreshing. Although the South African horns that are constantly being tooted during the game have this annoying sound like a mosquito. I'd rather hear roaring soccer chants.

Anyway, before the game started, I was trying to decide what I fancied for lunch. We had a big container of organic baby spinach in the fridge, so I though I would whip up some pesto to serve over linguine. I seriously love pesto, although I don't make it too much. Pesto is classically made with basil, although I find pure basil pesto to be too strong. So, I do a mixture of basil and spinach to temper that strong taste. This recipe can easily be made vegan, too, by omitting the cheese and adding in a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt instead, without compromising the deliciousness.

Pesto is delicious with pasta, although one of my favorite ways eat it is with a baguette and brie. So good. So crazy good. Served this way, pesto would make a great snack or appetizer. Maybe you could make them for your own World Cup party when the US makes it to the finals. :)

Basil-Spinach Pesto

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

1 cup fresh basil (must be fresh), packed

2 cups baby spinach, packed

3-4 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts (toasting optional)*

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (omit if making this vegan)

1.) In a small chopper or food processor, chop the basil, spinach, and garlic.

2.) Add in the pine nuts and pulse until they are well chopped.

3.) Slowly add in the olive oil until the mixture forms a nice paste. If you have what seems to be excess oil, add in a handful of spinach until it is absorbed.

4.) If adding cheese, stir this in by hand. Then serve!

* To toast pine nuts, place pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir intermittently. Once the nuts starts to exude a nutty scent or you notice they are golden, take them off the heat immediately. They are toasted. Going past this will point they will burn easily, and you will have to start again.

Pita Puffs

Yesterday was a lazy Sunday morning, but busy baking/cooking Sunday afternoon. The morning was spent lounging, playing with our cat, Chuck, chatting with friends online who live far away. The afternoon picked up, though, and while the hubby was at work, I whipped up some homemade falafel, tried a recipe for chocolate pots de creme, baked blueberry muffins, and made these pita puffs. Plus, I managed to get in a 3-mile run (pretty good for me). Whew!

These pita puffs are really fun in that they truly do puff up, almost magically, revealing a beautiful (and durable) pocket in which you can stuff just about anything. I've been making them more and more since they're quite easy, and pita from the store can be expensive. The only disadvantage is that you have to heat your oven to 500, which in the summer may be insufferable. They're great for us, too, because again, we know what's going into our food, which is important with the hubby being vegan. Try them out and let me know how it goes!

Pita Puffs

Recipe given to me by Annie, originally from King Arthur Baking Companion

Yield: 8 pita puffs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water (room-temperature)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1.) Knead all the ingredients by hand for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for an hour.

2.) Turn dough onto a lightly oiled (or floured) work surface (dough will be somewhat sticky). Divide it into 8 pieces. Roll out the pieces into 6 inch circles. Allow the circles to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3.) Place dough in oven on the lowest rack and bake for 5 minutes; they should puff up. (If they haven't wait a minute or so longer and raise the heat for the next batch). Transfer baking sheet to the oven's middle-to-top rack and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until pitas have bronwed.

4.) Remove pitas from oven. (Can optionally wrap them in a dishtowl to keep them warm).

5.) Store in airtight container or plastic bag.

Orzo Salad with Pine Nuts and Sundried Tomatoes

It was delightfully hot today in Minnesota - reaching 90 degrees! These are the days I miss living in the country and being able to easily transition between indoors and outdoors. Living in an apartment complex just seems to make getting outdoors harder. There's just nothing like being able to lounge in the comfort of your own yard... Anyway, the hubby and I did get a lot of sunlight today watering and weeding our community garden plots. This originally was supposed to be his little hobby for the summer,but now I find myself assuming greater responsibilities. It is kind of fun to see the little plants grow and excel with sunshine and water. Plus, I'm excited to find ways to use the crops in the kitchen come harvest time.

With all the heat of the day, I really started craving my husband's orzo salad. It's a pasta dish filled with veggies, and unlike traditional macaroni salad which has a mayonnaise dressing, this dish uses olive oil, which is much lighter. That lightness is so nice when it's extremely hot. So, I decided to whip up a batch for us to enjoy when we returned from gardening. It totally hit the spot.

Orzo Salad

From my hubby

1 1/2 cup orzo pasta

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar

1 cucumber, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

2-3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

Other options: artichoke hearts, olives, fresh mozzarella, dill

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.) Cook orzo pasta in boiling, salted water until it is cooked through. Strain and rinse with cold water.

2.) While the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts by placing them in a dry pan and turning the heat to medium. Allow them to cook on the stove, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant or start to slightly darken/become golden (usually about 5 minutes). Remove the pine nuts from the heat.

3.) Place pasta, pine-nuts, and veggies in a salad bowl. Toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4.) Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.

Fresh Tomato Risotto

I'd call this one of my staple recipes -- especially good for entertaining. It's quite easy to make, but since people generally don't have the patience for risotto, it's a nice treat for guests. I find the trick is not to rush this dish. Keep your the liquid stock you're adding to the rice hot (simmering) and add it slowly (like a fourth cup at a time). Let the rice fully soak up what you've added before you give it more liquid.

Amazingly, the dish can be made vegan very easily without any compromise in taste - just omit the butter and cheese. (Although I will admit that without the cheese the dish does lack a certain depth, but you also don't leave the table feeling that heaviness).

The original recipe can be found on cookingfriend. I will write the vegan version below. Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Risotto

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 cups vegan vegetable broth of your choosing

salt to taste

2 cups tomato sauce

2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup white (or red) wine

1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil

1.) Saute the onion in the olive oil over low-medium heat until it is soft.

2.) Heat the broth and the sauce in two separate pans until they are simmering. Try to keep them almost simmering the whole time while cooking. The key to a good risotto is a hot broth, fairly constant stirring, and having patience.

3.) Add in the rice to the onions and olive oil. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes.

4.) Add the white wine, continuing to stir for additional minute.

5.) Pour in a ladle of broth into the rice mixture (about 1/4 cup of broth). Stir intermittently until it is fully absorbed.

6.) Then, pour in a full ladle of tomato broth. Stir intermittently until this is fully absorbed.

7.) Alternate between adding the broth and tomato sauce (waiting until each is absorbed before adding the other) until the tomato sauce is gone. Then, continue to add the remaining broth slowly 1/4 cup at a time. This will probably take 30-45 minutes. The rice should no longer be tough, but very soft and creamy.

8.) Add in the fresh herbs and cheese. Stir and serve immediately.

Falafel & Tahini Dressing

After dropping $6 for six balls of falafel at our local food co-op, I decided to try to attempt to make it at home, especially since it's vegan and tasty. I happened upon TasteSpotting and FoodGawker, which by the way I am newly addicted to, and found some beautiful pictures of falafel and a recipe from the blog Use Real Butter. So, I decided to use both his recipe and that of the New York Times to create my own recipe. It turned out delicious: classic falafel flavor with a crunchy outside revealing a soft interior. My talented husband created the Tahini sauce, which was perfect. The recipe does require a little bit of preparation as you must soak the dried chick peas for 24 hours. Once that's done, though, you just pop everything into the food processor, roll the balls, and start frying! Mmm. I hope that you enjoy!

Falafel

Note: You must soak the beans for 24 hours before starting the rest of this recipe.

Helpful tips from the New York Times before we start:

First, keep the amount of water you use when grinding the beans to an absolute minimum. More water makes grinding easier, but it also virtually guarantees that the batter will fall apart when it hits the hot oil. If this happens, bind the remaining mixture by stirring in a little flour.

The second essential step is to get the oil hot enough: 350 degrees or a little higher. If you don't have a thermometer, just wait until the oil shimmers and then add a pinch of the batter. When it sizzles immediately, sinks about halfway to the bottom, then rises to the top, the oil is ready. If it sinks and stays down, the oil is too cold; if it doesn't sink at all, the oil is too hot.

1 3/4 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

4 cloves garlic

1 small onion

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-2 Tablespoons corriander

1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 cup parsley

1.5 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

6 Tablespoons flour

canola oil for frying

1.) Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water until they are covered by 3-4 inches of water. Soak for 24 hours. Add more water if necessary. You may want to change the water after 12 hours, but that is optional.

2.) Drain the beans well and transfer them to the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (not the oil!) until all the ingredients are ground but not to the point where it's all a paste.

3.) Roll the mixture into balls - a little smaller than a golf ball.

4.) Put oil into a pan or wok so that there's 2-3 inches of oil in it (enough to cover the falafels 3/4 of the way at least). Turn the heat to medium. The New York Times article gives some good tips as to when the oil is ready. I generally just flick a little water off my fingers into the oil and when it sizzles, I call the oil ready, although this is quite an inexact science.

5.) Fry the balls in batches until they are golden in color - roughly 4 minutes. Place the falafel on paper towels or on wire racks to drain. You can stop the frying now if you'd like and dig in, but if you are looking for that crispy outside, re-fry all the falafel balls for about 2 minutes. They should not really change color. Again, place them on paper towels or wire racks to drain.

6.) Serve with tahini dressing and cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, or other veggies of your choice.

Tahini Dressing

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup quality olive oil

1/4 cup water OR alternatively, 1/2 of a peeled cucumber

juice of 2 lemons

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.) Place all into the food processor and pulse until smooth.

Homemade Tomato Soup

After a long day of cleaning, gardening, and running (3 miles!), the hubs and I came home and wanted something comforting for dinner, so I thought of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Mmm.

Two of my best girlfriends and I had a virtual dinner a few months ago (since we all live in different time zones), and we all made cream of tomato soup, grilled cheese, and 'wedding' salad. I immediately thought of this soup as the one I wanted to make tonight, but since hubby is vegan the soup had to be altered. It turned out fabulously - and less heavy than the creamy version, which was nice. Unfortunately, vegan cheese just cannot compare to the real stuff, so only I ate the grilled cheese filled with Irish Cheddar. Maybe some day there will be a better vegan cheese product... :)

Overall, this recipe is very tasty and easy to whip up, so please give it (or the creamy version) a try! Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Soup

3-4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced (or half of those mega onions)

2 carrots, diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons flour

1 28-ounce can crushed organic tomatoes (or 2 pounds fresh (in season!), peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes)

2 cups vegetable broth (I used 2 vegan (no salt) bouillon cubes and water)

1 Tablespoon tomato paste (but you can do without it if you have to)

1 teaspoon fresh or dried basil

salt and pepper

1.) Sauté the onions and carrots with the olive oil over low heat until they just start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook that until you just start to notice its fragrance (a minute or two).

2.) Add the flour and stir for about 20 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste, and bring to a boil.

3.) Reduce heat, and let simmer for roughly 15 minutes.

4.) Leave the soup as is if you like it chunky; alternatively, you can use an immersion blender or pour parts into a regular blender to smooth the soup, which is how we prefer it.

5.) Add basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Perfect Pizza Pie

So sorry that it's been so long since I blogged!!! I baked so many delicious things for Easter, but in the craziness, I totally forgot to take pictures and notes... So, that was a waste. Then, it was a two week road trip around the western United States. (I know, such a hard life...)

Finally, I got back home and wanted to start baking. I found some new recipes to try, but I didn't find them pleasing - definitely not blog-worthy. So, there's been a dry spell, but today I have one of my favorite recipes for you: pizza dough and the recipe to make a perfect pizza! With the hubby being vegan, it's sometimes hard for us to find recipes that we can mutually enjoy. Making pizza, though, is perfect because we get to customize our own pies. I prefer a 'plain pizza' topped with homemade sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a few scattered onions. The hubs enjoys any assortment of veggies. Hawaiian pizza with sauce, ham, and crushed pineapple is also delicious. (Believe it or not). It's a fun way to make dinner and great when friends are over, too. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 2/3 cups warm (but not hot) water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons raw sugar (or white if that's all you have)

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1.) Combine water, oil, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add in flour and yeast and knead until smooth (about 10 minutes).

2.) Cover bowl, place in warm area, and let dough rest until it doubles in size (approximately 1 hour).

Alternatively, you can put the ingredients into your bread machine and place it on the 'dough' cycle (which is what I do :) ).

Perfect Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 large can crushed organic tomatoes (I prefer the Tree of Life brand)

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1 teaspoon (or more!) fresh chopped or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.) Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. (Sometimes adding a little sugar helps with the acidity).

Crust Enhancing Oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh chopped or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.) Place all in a small bowl and mix. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow oil to soak up the flavors.

Making The Pizza

1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven (or work according to its instructions).

2.) Now that the dough has risen, transfer it to a large surface where you can easily roll it out - a counter top or board works well. Gently separate the dough into 4 pieces. Lightly flour your surface and roll out each piece into a circle, roughly 1/4" thick. (I highly recommend a French rolling pin for this task). You want the dough to be thin, but not so thin that it will rip as you transfer it to your pizza pan or stone.

3.) Transfer one of your rolled out pieces of dough to your pizza pan or pizza stone. We use Martha Stewart's 13" pizza pan and love it, but some people swear by pizza stones. Fold over any excess dough to create the crust. I like very little crust, so I try to make a smaller circle than my pan, and then only fold over about 1/2".

4.) Place the dough in the oven for five minutes. This first baking allows the dough to bake enough so that when you add the sauce it doesn't make the dough all soupy/soggy.

5.) Take the pie out of the oven. Brush the Crust Enhancing Oil along the crust edge. Take roughly 3/4 cup of pizza sauce and fill the center of the pizza pie with it. (More or less to your liking). Top with your favorite toppings!

6.) Place the pizza back in the oven for about 7-8 minutes until the crust starts to become golden and your cheese (if you're using it) is melted. The bottom of the crust should be crispy.

7.) Similarly bake the other 3 pizza dough crusts.

8.) Enjoy!