Hope everyone is enjoying a day off of work, I know I am. Does this mean no cooking? Of course not, it just means that I'm whipping up a of baked pears for my friends and family. These go great in the cheese course or the desert course. Feliz Navidad!
Baked Pears
Serves 12
Ingredients:
12 bose pears (or other good baking pear), peeled cored and chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
4 Tbs butter, chopped
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large deep baking dish, coat pears with spices, dot with butter.
3. Bake pears until soft, about 2 hours, mixing every 15 minutes to coat with juices.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Asparagus Chicken and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This morning I was feeling like something warming and a bit on the healthy side. I was also really tired of rice. This lead me to make a sauteed chicken and asparagus dish with mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute fresh peas or broccoli florets for the asparagus to change up the chicken dish. To do a twist on the expected, try a different kind of potato, like purple potatoes or sweet potatoes, and add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Asparagus Chicken
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Potato Pancakes with Apple Sauce and Sour Creme, Bratwurst, Bockwurst, Sauerkraut
Germany is one of my favorite places that I have lived and I thought that I would share the typical german lunch with you. Kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus is the german name for potato pancakes with apple sauce and they were my favorite thing to eat. Bratwurst and bockwurst are commonly served with sauerkraut and a potato side, simple and hearty traditional food, just what I was in the mood for. For those who are eating kosher, try a kosher jumbo frank instead of the sausages.
Potato Pancakes
Makes about 6 latkas, I made 2 batches gluten free and 3 batches with regular flour
Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg
1/2 sweet onion, shredded
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose gluten free flour + 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
(or 1/2 cup flour to make with gluten)
Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Drain shredded potatoes and shredded onion, squeeze out as much liquid as possible either using your hands and a sieve or cheese cloth.
2. Combine potatoes, egg, onion, salt, baking powder, and flour (with xanthan gum) in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high flame.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, checking often to avoid burning.
5. Serve warm with sour cream (lactose free sour cream if you're lactose intolerant) and apple sauce.
*Always remember that when cooking with large amounts of oil to have a fire extinguisher that is compatible with grease fires at the ready.
Potato Pancakes
Makes about 6 latkas, I made 2 batches gluten free and 3 batches with regular flour
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg
1/2 sweet onion, shredded
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose gluten free flour + 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
(or 1/2 cup flour to make with gluten)
Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Drain shredded potatoes and shredded onion, squeeze out as much liquid as possible either using your hands and a sieve or cheese cloth.
2. Combine potatoes, egg, onion, salt, baking powder, and flour (with xanthan gum) in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high flame.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, checking often to avoid burning.
5. Serve warm with sour cream (lactose free sour cream if you're lactose intolerant) and apple sauce.
*Always remember that when cooking with large amounts of oil to have a fire extinguisher that is compatible with grease fires at the ready.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Ratatouille over Brown Rice with Heart Salad
Last night I had a dream that had a rat running around the kitchen in it and when I woke up I was inspired by the Disney movie involving an adorable rat who loves to cook. I went for one that has a bit more cohesion than some of the super stewed versions because that was what I was in the mood for. The thing I really like about ratatouille is that it is a one pot meal, plus a large bowl, and you just keep reusing the pot over and over. Be prepared to do quite a bit of chopping to prepare this dish on your own. At the store I decided that there needed to be some sort of side salad in case someone didn't like ratatouille, so I made a heart salad.
Ratatouille over Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.
Heart Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.
Heart Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Sausages with Veggies, Sunflower Seed Rice, Steamed Green Beans, Crunchy Roasted Carrots
Sausages with Veggies
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 packages mini sausages
2 packages cremini mushrooms
3 ears of corn
1 bag of super greens minus 1 large handful
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup water
Preparation:
1.
Chicken Meatballs with Veggies
(gluten free, kosher, dairy free, no onions)
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
Sunflower Seed Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 cups brown rice
1 package roasted shelled sunflower seeds
Preparation:
1.
Steamed Green Beans
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 packages of green beans in steaming bags
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Follow directions on the package for steaming the beans in the microwave or steam in a large pot with 2 inches of water at the bottom until the beans turn an emerald green and become fragrant.
2. Salt and pepper to taste.
Crunchy Roasted Carrots
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large bag of baby carrots
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put all ingredients in a plastic bag, shake to evenly coat.
3. Place carrots on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and bake until able to be easily pierced by a fork, about 1 hour.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Black Bean Soup, Pomegranate Salad
Another gross and rainy day leaves me feeling under the weather. That means soup. There are two kings of soup: chicken wild rice and black bean. The black bean has a little kick and the chicken and wild rice is a little heartier by virtue of being a bit thicker. Soup is so yummy and easy, I love it. To make a meal out of soup, sop it up with some french bread and pair it with a salad. Those gray skies don't stand a chance.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Makes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
Black Bean Soup
Makes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pomegranate Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 carton grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 large box spring mix
1 handful chopped walnuts
shredded parmesan cheese
raspberry vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens to lightly coat each leaf.
2. Layer the heavy items on top of the greens so they don't fall to the bottom.
Chicken Wild Rice SoupMakes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
Black Bean Soup
Makes 8 cupsIngredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pomegranate Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 carton grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 large box spring mix
1 handful chopped walnuts
shredded parmesan cheese
raspberry vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens to lightly coat each leaf.
2. Layer the heavy items on top of the greens so they don't fall to the bottom.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit, Baby Kale Salad, Egg Cocottes
Breakfast is the name of the game this chilly Friday morning. This is something that was actually quite easy to make, the most difficult part was cracking eggs into the makeshift ramekins (tinfoil making cups). Healthy and delicious, what more you want in meal?
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12
Ingredients:
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.
Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings
Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.
Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12
Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.
Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings
Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.
Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12
Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.
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