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.

Zucchini Fritters

Hello blogging world! I know that I've been terrible about putting up my recipes recently. Life's been pretty hectic, but that's no real excuse. Plus, it's not like I haven't been trying new recipes and tweaking them to my liking. I should be sharing all of my creations with you! For all of you prolific gardeners out there, I have a great recipe here to help you use up all that zucchini! Keep reading!

My hubby came to visit me in New York this weekend - where I'm living for the year during my internship - and brought me two huge (!) zucchini from his (our) garden. (I hesitantly put our as a descriptor for the garden as I generally have zero interest in gardening, despise weeding, and would much rather just spend the day at the farmers' market than manually harvesting anything. However, I did let those little plants sit in my guest bedroom as they grew from seeds in pots, and I did do a teeny bit of weeding before I left for New York. So, I feel that I am almost justified in qualifying the garden as ours, despite the fact that my husband does 99% of the work.)

While I have a great recipe for zucchini bread and definitely enjoy zucchini curry, I just wanted o try something different with these zucchinis. I saw a picture for delicious looking zucchini fritters, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give them a try. The result was definitely worth it: Crispy outsides with warm more meaty insides filled with veggie goodness! The only negative to this recipe is that you have to let the grated zucchini drain in a colander for an hour for the vegetable's natural water to drain so that the batter is not overly moist/watery. Otherwise, they are very easy to make - even if you don't have a food processor. I thought grating a whole HUGE zucchini would take forever, but in fact, they're quite easy to grate, which was a relief to both my busy schedule and my arms. The results are delicious, especially when paired with your favorite toppings, which for me was surprisingly a mango-tomato salsa. Delish! This recipe makes enough to feed 2-4.



Zucchini Fritters
My version of a recipe found in Organic Kitchen: Making the most of fresh and seasonal produce

1 huge zucchini or a few smaller ones (1.5-2 lbs), grated
2 scant cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt

canola oil for frying

1.) Grate the zucchini either in a food processor or by hand with a grater. Place the zucchini in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of salt. Allow the zucchini to sit in the colander for an hour and drain away their water. Mix/press on the grated zucchini to help the water out if you'd like. After an hour, pat the zucchini dry to the best of your ability with paper towels and set it aside.
2.) Put the flour in a separate clear large bowl and make a well in the center of the flour. In the well place the egg yolks, olive oil, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Start to mix the egg yolks, water, and olive oil together, slowly incorporating the flour into the mix until a softish ball has formed of 'dough'. Don't overmix.
3.) Add the zucchini and mix all together. You should have a fairly thick batter.
4.) In cast iron pan or another type of flat bottomed pan with steep sides, place 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium-high heat. You want the oil to heat up so you can fry the zucchini fritters, but not so hot that it's smoking. Smoking oil is baaaad. So, don't ever let the oil get that hot. You can know the oil is at approximately the right temperature when a.) it's not smoking, b.) when you put a little water on your fingers and flick the water off your fingers into the oil, that the oil sizzles, c.) the oil doesn't sound crazy mad sizzling when you flick in the water (if this happens, turn the heat down).
5.) Once the oil is at the right temperature, take 3/4 cup of the batter and pour it into the oil. Pat the batter into a fritter shape with a fork. Fry it up for about 2-3 minutes, until it's golden brown but not burnt.
6.) Remove the cooked fritter from the pan with a slotted spoon/spatula and place it on a plate covered in papertowels (which will soak up any extra oil). Continue frying the rest of the batter as described starting in step 5.
7.) Enjoy the fritters with a topping of your choice!

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.

Mandy's Mexican Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my ultimate comfort cookies. I love their texture: They lie in the crossroads between soft, crispy, and gooey. I love their flavor: The cinnamon and black pepper add complexity while making my taste buds buzz with delight. I love the memories they give me.

Whenever I make these cookies, I'm immediately taken back to my senior year of college. I was living in the attic of a run-down house with my best friend and our apartment-mate, Mandy. (And a huge cat, Charlie). Mandy had recently returned from a semester abroad in Chile, where she had tasted a dessert with chocolate and black pepper. We were always cooking and baking in our micro-kitchen, and one evening Mandy decided to re-invent the flavors she had tasted. What resulted from her experiment were these amazing cookies. We ate them immediately and made a batch almost weekly. They're lovely warm when the temperature heat can enhance the peppery heat in the cookies, and the cinnamon in the dough makes me always think of Mexican Hot Chocolate. mmm.

I hope that you'll enjoy this recipe and will make your own memories surrounding these delicious cookies!


Mandy's Mexican Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Original Recipe by my lovely friend, Mandy

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or more for your liking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper (optional)
1/4 pound, coarsely chopped good quality dark chocolate
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl set over simmering water (or double boiler), melt the chocolate and butter together. Let cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter/chocolate mixture with the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, add in the vanilla extract.
5. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Roll the dough into balls just a little larger than a golf ball. Place on the parchment paper, with 2-3 inches between the cookies.
7. Bake the cookies in the oven for 17 minutes. It is important to not over cook. Remove the cookies from the oven (they will be very soft), and slide the parchment paper (with cookies on it) onto a towel on the counter/table. Allow the cookies to slowly cool on the parchment for 10 minutes before attempting to remove them.
8. While the first batch of cookies are cooling, you can place another piece of parchment on the cookie sheet and put a second batch in the oven.

PS - Check out this awesome set up my best friend - and fellow Mexican Double Chocolate Chip Cookie lover - got me for Christmas! Now I can try to take more professional photos for the blog. :)

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.