Chicken Pho - In the Crock Pot!

Do you love the Vietnamese noodle soup known as pho?  I do. I've perused a number recipes for this dish and found myself a bit intimidated by the all the seasonings and the meat bones that go into making the broth.  It seems to make good pho, you need to make a good broth. 

The other day I ran across a recipe on Pinterest for chicken pho, in the crock pot no less.  I thought that could be doable.  First because I never buy chicken pho, it's always beef, I thought I wouldn't get caught up in comparisons. Second, because it's made in the crock pot, how hard could it be!?  Turns out not hard at all.  The only item I didn't have on hand was the star anise which I found in the Badia spice section of my grocery store.

The original recipe Load & Go Spring Slow-Cooker Chicken Pho was posted on Shine food on Yahoo. As usual, I made few changes that I thought would work for me.  One thing I like about this recipe is that everyone in my house liked it, even my daughter who does not like traditional pho.  Also because of the condiments, you can easily personalize the heat in your own serving.

This was super simple and although it is not the same as traditional pho, I think now that I've used it to get my feet wet, I will need to give the traditional one a try.

Crock Pot Chicken Pho

adapted from Load & Go Spring Slow-Cooker Chicken Pho

Ingredients:
10 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 whole star anise
6 whole cloves
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 bone-in chicken breasts
10 ounces wide rice noodles
6 cups chopped bok choy

Garnishes and Condiments:
1 cups mung bean sprouts
1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha sauce

Combine broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cloves, ginger and cinnamon stick in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add chicken breasts, meat-side down. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours (or on Low for 8 hours).

Remove the chicken and let it cool. Also remove the spices and discard. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat with two forks. At this point the broth can simmer on low in the crock pot until you are about 30 minutes away from serving.  Refrigerate the chicken until needed.

When ready to resume, turn the slow cooker up to high and add noodles and bok choy. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes.

When the noodles are tender, stir in the shredded chicken and reheat. Serve the bowls of soup with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, peppers, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce and lime wedges on the side so everyone can add their own toppings.

Mapo Tofu

I love spicy dishes and this one fits the bill.  Not only is it spicy, it's complex.  There are layers of flavor that delight the senses.  This recipe came to me by a posting on Facebook, not a subscription but from an old friend who loves great food also. I have to confess I've never had this dish before, I didn't know what it was about.  But once I saw the recipe, I knew I had to try it.

The original recipe was published by Saveur. For the most part I followed their recipe with only a few small changes, including dialing the heat back a little bit.  Not because it would be too spicy for my daughter, because this dish in any form would not work for her, I made a hamburger for her out the extra ground beef. Given the amount of heat listed, I thought it would be too spicy for the hubby.  See, I am actually the only real heat lover in the family, so I always have to pull back. I walked a line keeping it edible for him, but hot enough to be true to the dish.

This dish has a few ingredients that the average American probably does not keep on hand, so making this dish will require a a trip to an Asian market.  Don't let that deter you, it will be worth the trip.  Plus once you make it, you'll want to make it again.  It's very easy, and once you have the ingredients on hand you'll be ready to roll for the next time.

Mapo Tofu

Adapted from Saveur magazine's Mapo Tofu (Sichuan Tofu and Ground Beef in Red Chile Sauce)

Ingredients:

1 14-oz. package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes

Kosher salt, to taste

½ cup Sichuan red chile oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons  ginger, peeled and minced

6 oz. ground beef

4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

1 jalapeno pepper,  stemmed and minced

2 ½ tbsp. Chinese red chile bean paste

1 tbsp. Chinese fermented black soybean paste

1¼ cups chicken stock

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

¼ cup cornstarch, mixed with 6 tbsp. water

Steamed rice, for serving

• Place tofu in a bowl with 3 cups boiling salted water; let sit 15 minutes. Drain and spread on paper towels to dry; set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
• Add beef; cook, stirring and breaking up meat, until browned, 4–6 minutes.
• Add scallions, chiles, paste, and beans; cook, stirring about 2 minutes.
• Add stock and tofu; bring to a boil, stirring gently, so as not to break up the tofu.
• Add sugar and soy; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
• While stirring, slowly add cornstarch mixture; cook until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes more.
• Garnish with scallions. Serve with rice.

Laylita's Shrimp Rice

So you may have figured out by now that I am a food geek. I am constantly thinking about recipes, cooking and trying new things.  This is partly because I make sure I keep great food ideas coming my way.  One way I manage this is to subscribe to my favorite recipe blogs, so that recipes just feed into my inbox.  This is the best way to make sure I don't miss anything, especially since facebook loves to arbitrarily filter things these days. 

One of my favorite recipe blogs is Laylita's Recipes. The other day Laylita's Arroz con Camerones ended up in my in box.  This is an Ecuadorian recipe for shrimp and rice cooked in shrimp broth. The picture sold me, and later as I was making it, the wafting scents sealed the deal. This dish smells heavenly.  Maybe one of the reasons I found the scent of this dish so tantalizing was that I got to use a new seasoning to make it.  The seasoning is annatto which is derived form the seeds of the achiote tree.  The taste is described as nutty and peppery. This new seasoning, plus the shrimp broth and wine are wondrous together.

Just to be clear, my posting here is not my recipe, I haven't really even changed it except for a few small changes due to what I had one hand. Therefore, I can take no credit for it; it is here almost word for word as Laylita posted it. But it is so good, I feel the need to share it with you. Plus I put my own twist on it by serving it with some of my favorites: Cuban black beans (that I had frozen and thawed), oven fried plantains (recipe below) and of course homemade salsa.

BTW, Just as I subscribe to Laylitas recipes, you can do the same with mine, just enter your email in the box on the right.

Arroz Con Camarones

(this is almost word for word from Laylita's recipes)

Ingredients:

1 lb raw shrimp, shells on

1 tsp cumin

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups uncooked rice

3 tbs butter

1 red onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, diced

3 tbs parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish

1 tsp ground achiote or annatto

½ cup of white wine

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Marinate the shrimp with salt, pepper, 1 tsp of cumin, and the crushed garlic, let rest for an hour.

Bring water to boil in a large pot, add the shrimp and boil for about 2 minutes.

Remove the shrimp from the water and reserve 2 ½ cups of the water they cooked in to prepare the rice.

Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp. Chop about half of the shrimp in half and leave the other half whole.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot, add the minced garlic, cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

Add the rice to the garlic and oil, mix well until the rice is coated with oil.

Add the 2 ½ cups of water that was used to boil the shrimp. Bring to boil, cover  and reduce heat to low.

In the meantime, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan; add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, ground achiote, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp of cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the white wine to the vegetable mix and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the onions and peppers are tender.

Mix in the sautéed vegetables and chopped shrimp with the rice, which should still be cooking, and cook on low heat until the rice is tender.

Add the remaining shrimp during the last minutes and mix well.

Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Oven Fried Plantains

2 ripe plantains
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel the plantains and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Coat with olive oil and spread evenly onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook for about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Cuban Black Beans

It's time to break out my Great Grandma Cooper's Club hammered aluminum pot.  I love this pot, it's old and it's beat, and it's a great piece of cookware. It's my go-to pot for certain recipes such as stuffed peppers, pot roast and dry beans. When I use this pot not only do I have the pleasure of making some wonderful slow cooked dish, but I also love to think of all the great things made in this pot generations before I was born.

Enough with the nostalgia though, today I want to talk about beans, specifically the use of dry beans.  Beans are a low calorie, low fat, super budget friendly source of many key nutrients that our bodies need.  So it's good to get more beans into your diet.  Some people have issues digesting beans, but there are things you can do while preparing beans that will help minimize these issues, such making sure your drain the soaking water.  Also as beans are gradually added to the diet, many people will find their bodies adjust to the consumption of beans. If you are not one of these people, it may be worth using a dietary supplement of digestive enzymes to allow you to get this nutrient rich food into your diet.

Many people walk down the bean isle of the store and never even consider buying the dried beans in the bag.  The process of soaking and cooking them seems to be very tedious and time consuming, especially when you can just pick up canned beans and be on your way.  I know how it is, but more and more I am taking the time for the dried beans. This is because the taste and texture are tremendously better. Plus it may seem that the process is time consuming, but really most of it is hands-off time, meaning you can soak beans overnight and not even feel the chunk of time.  Personally, I like the quick soak method which allows me to decide on beans in the morning and have them on the table at dinner time. A 1lb bag of dry beans makes a good amount of beans.  I have taken to making a batch and freezing half of it for future use.

One of my new favorite bean recipes is Cuban black beans.

Cuban Black Beans

1lb dry black beans
1 vidalia onion, diced (divided)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 green pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Thoroughly rinse the beans and look them over removing any small pebbles and/or shriveled beans. Put the beans in a large pot, add half of the diced onion and cover with 4 cups water.  Cover and heat to boiling, boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for at least on hour.  Drain all the water and keep the beans in the pot.

In a small frying pan, saute the remaining onion and green pepper in 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.  Add 1/2 the garlic and cook another minute or so.  Then add the onion mixture to the beans in the pot. Add enough water to cover the beans plus about and inch. Heat over medium high heat until the water begins to boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about an hour.

At this point, stir in the vinegar, olive oil, half the cilantro and the rest of the garlic. Continue to cook for another hour and a half, or until the beans are tender. Stir in the salt and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Mushroom Stroganoff

I love beef stroganoff.  So when I started cutting back on meat based dishes and adding in more vegetarian meals, a mushroom stroganoff recipe in the Forks Over Knives cookbook caught my attention. What I love about beef stroganoff is the mushrooms, the sour cream sauce and the noodles. The beef isn't really important to me.  I thought it was important for the flavor of the sauce, but as it turns out that's not true.

This recipe is not the Forks Over Knives version, I tried it once but it didn't have the right elements for me.  Also, I was not a fan of the homemade tofu sour cream. I use either real sour cream (since I am not worried about practicing veganism or Tofutti's Non-Hydrogenated Better Than Sour Cream (which is quite good.)  After trying the FOV version, I decided to revamp my beef stroganoff recipe into a mushroom stroganoff.  The result is a wonderful stroganoff that has forced beef stroganoff off the menu.  Okay, I will still make the beef version, but only if I need to use up leftover beef from another meal. 

Note: the lead picture for this post depicts linguini instead of the fettucini called for in this recipe.  I prefer the fettucini, but it's all I had in the pantry at the time.  Use whatever pasta you like, but if you want a vegan version make sure the pasta does not contain eggs.       

Mushroom Stroganoff
6 Servings

1/2  vidalia onion -- chopped
2 tablespoons  olive oil
3 garlic cloves -- pressed
2 Portobello mushrooms -- sliced
16 ounces white or baby bella mushrooms -- sliced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms -- sliced
12 ounces vegetable broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce - vegan or regular
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces tofu sour cream
16 oz fettucine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley -- minced

Cook fettucine in salted water according to the instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, over medium heat saute onions in oil until soft, add garlic and cook another minute.
Add the mushrooms and saute several minutes, adding a little vegetable broth during process to keep mushrooms moist.
Add the worchershire sauce, wine and any remaining broth. Simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in tofu sour cream,salt and pepper.
Add drained pasta to stroganoff mixture, toss and sprinkle with parsley.


Nutritional Analysis from Mastercook:
Per Serving: 562 Calories; 8g Fat (12.7% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 106g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 309mg Sodium.  

Slow Cooked Ribs in the Oven

I love good ribs.  They need to be flavorful, tender and moist.  I used to think  making good ribs at home wasn't possible and that the best way to do ribs was on the grill.  Maybe that's because I never had much luck with grilling ribs, although now I know that "grilling" ribs isn't really what you do. I also thought you needed a smoker.  Now, of course this is still probably the best way to go, but not an investment I am planning on making anytime soon. The truth of the matter is that you can make excellent ribs right in your own oven.

My mom makes great ribs, full proof every time.  I thought she must be doing something very complicated and have an innate talent for cooking.  Well actually she does have an innate talent for cooking, but the part about the ribs being complicated couldn't be further from the truth.  Here's what you need to know, good ribs need time to cook at their own pace, you can't rush them.  She cooks them at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes, covered for the first 90 minutes.  Pretty simple.  She doesn't even use a homemade barbecue sauce.

I have taken her method and added on to it, nothing fancy mind you, just a nice rub to get things started.  I still use barbecue sauce near the end, but I like the extra oomph you get from layering the flavors. One of these days, I'll concoct a nice barbecue sauce recipe so I can stop buying the bottled one with preservatives and other unnecessary additives.

If want to try these on the grill this summer, go right ahead, just use indirect heat and remember "low and slow."

Slow Cooked Ribs in the Oven

1 rack pork back ribs

Dry Rub:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less or more depending on your love for heat)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

barbecue sauce

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix dry rub ingredients and sprinkle it onto both sides of the ribs rubbing into the meat.  The more rub you put on the more intense the flavor, so adjust the amount to your personal taste. Place the ribs on a rack inside of a shallow roaster or broiler pan.   Cover with foil.  Roast for 45 minutes, then remove foil and brush with barbecue sauce. Cook for another 45-60 minutes, occasionally brushing with sauce until ribs are tender. Let set for about 10 minutes then slice and serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken

This one's for the working moms out there, well really everyone, but mostly the working moms. Sometimes with busy schedules it seems really hard to get a good healthy meal on the table and the result is sometimes something less than healthy such as take out, delivery or fast food. For this reason I turn to my slow cooker. I love my slow cooker, I use it several times a month.  One of my favorite things to cook in it is a whole chicken.  I have no problem roasting chicken in the oven, but I have to say I love the fall off the bone results with the slow cooker.  Plus when I put the chicken in the slow cooker in the morning I know, come pre-dinner time, my job is going to be really easy.

This chicken couldn't be easier. Put it in the slow cooker on top of a few old forks to make a makeshift rack, which keeps the chicken from sitting in too much liquid, and then brush some barbecue sauce over the top. I know this isn't the what you have come to expect from my blog, so let me assure you that I have many other slow cooker recipes that are a bit more complex, but this one is tasty and FAST and that's what crazy-busy moms need. Plus let's face it, even those of us who like to spend a lot of time dabbling in the kitchen have days when we just want it done so we can focus on something else, like blogging and such.

The key to rounding out this super easy, super fast meal is to keep healthy sides in your freezer.  My family loves oven baked sweet potato fries, so I keep a bag from Costco in my freezer at all times. Twenty-five minutes before dinner time, throw them in the oven sprinkled with a little extra seasonings such as seasoned salt, garlic salt or powder, kosher salt and pepper with a quick spray of Pam. Then 10 minutes before dinner time put some frozen broccoli florets (or fresh, it only takes a few minutes to prep) on the stove to steam.  Not only do you have a super simple meal, it's also nice and healthy.  Much better than delivery, fast food or even Stouffers, with only about 10 minutes total hands on time.  Get your hubby to do the dishes.

Slow Cooker BBQ'd Chicken

1 roasting chicken
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Put the chicken in the slow cooker, add water and brush sauce on the chicken.  Set on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5 hours.

Blueberry Pie

Usually my posts highlight a dish that I made, but not today.  The chef behind this wonderful blueberry pie is my nine year old daughter, Gigi.  Okay, yes it is my perfected recipe, but I cannot take credit for making the pie in these pictures.  What I love about blueberry pie, besides the luscious baked berry taste is the ease of this fresh fruit dessert.  There is no blanching, no peeling, no coring or seed removal, just look over your berries and rinse them and you are ready to go.

Now this being a cooking blog you would think we would make our own crust, but I have to confess, I find it much more trouble than it is worth.  I don't like the fact that store bought crust, and most homemade recipes for that matter, contain shortening which translates to trans fat, so maybe one day I'll work on a crust using coconut oil. But not today, the purpose of this post is talk about how fast and easy it is to get a semi-homemade fresh fruit pie into the oven, so using a store bought crust is perfect. 

The one thing we don't do is use frozen pie crust,the kind that comes in the aluminum pan, we like the type in the refrigerated section that you roll out into your own pan.  One, I don't think the frozen kind tastes as good and two, my glass pie plate is bigger, meaning more pie! This pie can go together in a matter of minutes, so get your ingredients together and put your nine year old to work!

Blueberry Pie
(adapted from Betty Crocker's Fresh Blueberry Pie)

1 package refrigerated ready made pie crusts
3/4 cup sugar (or a little less)
1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Unroll one pie crust and lay it into pie pan.  Press into the pan to fill the pan completely.

In large bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Pour into pie crust. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the blueberries. 

Unroll the second pie crust over the top.  Press top and bottom edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.  Using a knife make small slits all over the top crust.  Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
 

Cover edges with foil strips to prevent excessive browning. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours.

Veggie Rich Pasta Sauce

"Mom, why do you have to keep trying to get us to eat more veggies?"  This is the complaint that came with the serving of last night's dinner.  My husband and I decided that we screwed up on the eating thing when it comes to raising my daughter.  This is a shame, because as you see we eat good home cooked real food with lots of veggies. Okay, we did one thing right, she doesn't like McDonald's.  Well, except for the Sausage McMuffin that we have once or twice a year when we are at the airport and good food choices are slim. 



The Veggie Mix

My advice for all parents who have yet to dine out with their children is to never, EVER order off the children's menu.  The high fat, low nutrient value of these meals will ruin your child's palate.  This combined, of course with the pizza and chicken nuggets, etc that we all serve at birthday parties and such, because we know this is what children will actually eat. Yes, I know I am living in a fantasy world even considering that it would be possible to keep these types foods out of my child's reach or that this has caused the strife we sometimes have at the dinner table.  But I do think that maybe a little more vigilance on this effort would have at least made some difference.  Anyway there it is, one of maybe many things I would do differently in raising my child if I had a do over.


Served Over Cheese Ravioli

I shouldn't complain, my child does eat a fair amount veggies and even some unusual ones. The real deal with last night's dinner is that she doesn't like red sauce on pasta. I know this is usually a go-to meal for most mom's, kids love red sauce.  For those mom's if you make this recipe, you may want to grate most of the veggies in this dish or at least chop them smaller.  You may get some extra veggies in your kid without them knowing it.  Doesn't work for us, so I make the veggies the highlight of the sauce.

Anyway this is a pasta sauce chock full of veggies and I make it different each time. That's because you can use whatever you like or have on hand.  Make a large batch and freeze half for another meal.

Veggie Rich Pasta Sauce

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced (keep the seeds for spicier sauce)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 italian eggplant, chopped

6 cloves garlic, pressed

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 large carrot, grated

1/4 cup red wine

54 ounces crushed tomatoes

5-7 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.  Add in onions and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the jalapenos, green pepper and eggplant. Saute 2-3 minutes and then add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute until mushrooms are slightly softened. Add the carrots, cook 1 minute then add the red wine, crushed tomatoes, basil red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Serve over any type of pasta.

 

Time to sign up for your local CSA

This morning I signed up for our family's vegetable and fruit shares through our local CSA.  It feels good.  We know we will have a steady supply of locally grown and mostly, if not all, organic produce from mid-May to late October.

What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Members pay an annual fee which financially supports local farmers and in return receive a weekly share of the harvests.  It's a great way to support local farmers and at the same time feed your family real food that you can feel good about.

We are actually quite new to this process having just signed up for the first time this past fall.  It's funny, I just signed up on a whim.  I had come across a post from one of my favorite bloggers, Laurel on Health Food, encouraging people to sign up for a local CSA.  I didn't really know what CSA meant, but I followed her link and was intrigued.  It's one of those things, I was in the right mood for it. Some days I am too wired to investigate and commit to something like this, so it could have easily just slipped past my attention.  I am really glad it didn't.  The last delivery was in mid-December and since then I've been jonesing for the new season to start up. 

So why am I hooked on a box of veggies that I didn't even pick out? The quality of the veggies was awesome.  Things stayed fresh in my refrigerator much longer than anything from the grocery store.  Plus, we ended up trying veggies that I never buy.  That was one of the reasons I decided to go for it the first time around.  We were in a veggie rut.  Now there are lots of new veggies on my go to list such as celeriac and kohlrabi.  Who knew my daughter would request that I make "the mash," which happens to be a mash of turnips, romanesco cauliflower, and celeriac. I understand that some folks may not be into the more "adventurous" veggies, and if that is the case the Sandy Spring CSA offers a 65% box, which leaves those veggies out.

If you want to to give it a try, Sandy Spring CSA with pick up spots in the Montgomery County, MD area is a great organization with competitive pricing.  For those of you, outside the area you can check look for one in your area on Local Harvest. Happy eating!

Weekend Breakfast

Most days during the week I grab a whole wheat mini bagel with triangle of Laughing Cow cheese for breakfast. Nothing fancy, just fast and easy. I don't even have to think about it.  But then the weekend comes, and breakfast becomes more of an event.  I love the slow, easy mornings at the kitchen table sitting with my husband, reading the news, playing Words with Friends and enjoying a real meal.

This breakfast meal usually combines sauteed veggies and eggs in some form.  Sometimes it's an omelet, but I get bored with those.  More often these days it's a stacked event.  Veggies, eggs, and cheese.  Maybe potatoes, maybe not.  This weekend I had some lovely baby red potatoes in the pantry, so they played a part.

I also use these meals to get a decent dose of coconut oil in our systems.  This saturated fat laden oil is actually good for you, especially your digestive system.  What is amazing about this fat is that it doesn't get stored for later, it goes straight to the mitochondria and generates energy. What could be more perfect for breakfast?

Here are the versions I made this weekend.  Very similar but some good differences too.  The first one contains a scramble made mostly of tofu and the other utilizes poached eggs. These are just two versions, each weekend it's a bit different, depending on what we have on hand.

Tofu Scramble Topped with Veggies
Serves 2

1 tablespoon coconut oil
6 baby red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup water
1/2 green pepper, sliced in 2 inch thin slices
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 zucchini, halved and sliced
seasoned salt
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
10 ounces medium firm tofu, drained, lightly pressed and cubed
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon milk
sea salt
black pepper
2 slices Swiss cheese
fresh salsa or other salsa

Over medium high heat in a frying pan, brown the potatoes in coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, add 1/4 cup water and cover.  Cook on medium for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and add the green peppers and mushrooms, saute a few minutes and then add the zucchini slices.  Season with seasoned salt, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile over medium high heat, heat remaining coconut oil in a separate frying pan. Add the tofu and lightly brown, stirring and breaking up pieces as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper.  Lower heat to medium and beat the eggs with milk, add the eggs to the pan with the tofu and quickly scramble.

To plate this dish, put half of the tofu scramble on each plate, then top each with a slice of cheese.  Pile half the veggies over the cheese on each plate and top with salsa. Serve immediately.


Sauteed Veggies Topped with Poached Eggs
Serves 2

1 tablespoon coconut oil
8 baby red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup red onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 zucchini, halved and sliced
seasoned salt
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 eggs
sea salt
black pepper
2 slices provolone cheese
fresh salsa or other salsa

Put a medium sized pot of water on medium high heat.  Add vinegar to the water.

Over medium high heat in a frying pan, brown the potatoes in coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, add 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and add the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes to soften, then add the celery and mushrooms, saute a few minutes longer and then add zucchini slices. Season with seasoned salt, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile poach the eggs in the pot of water for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.

To plate this dish arrange half the veggies on each plate, top each with one slice of cheese.  Place two poached eggs on each stack and then top with salsa.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Salsa

There are quite a few things that Americans tend to buy pre-made at the grocery store that are not only full of preservatives and other unsavory ingredients, they also pale in contrast to the real thing.  It's a shame because some of these items are so simple to make that once you start, you'll never go back.  Salsa is one of these items. 

You're going to make some Mexican food, or you have a party and you want to set out some chips and salsa, what do you buy? Old El Paso, Pace, Newman's Own?  Well, Paul had it right, make your own.  He did and then started selling it, but that doesn't mean we have to buy it. The thing about salsa is that at almost any given moment you probably have the ingredients already in-house, you just need to whip out the food processor or blender and mix them up.

Salsa can be as simple or complex as you want to make it.  Tomatoes, chilies, garlic, onions, cilantro and some sort of acidic ingredient like lime juice or vinegar will make a lovely salsa. If you want to build on that and add more depth, then you can add some cumin and/or chili powder.  To really get something interesting happening you can start charring peppers.  In the winter I use canned tomatoes, but once tomato season is upon us, fresh homegrown tomatoes will just make it that much better. 

This is a recipe for a salsa with decent heat.  Super heat lovers may want to add a few more chilies, those sensitive to heat, may want to go with one or two chilies, no seeds.  Isn't that the beauty of making your own, you make it how You want it.  Give it a try, I bet you won't go back.

Homemade Salsa

2 jalapeno peppers, charred, then skinned and chopped with seeds
1 14 ounce can of tomatoes (I use diced, but it really doesn't matter)
1/4 - 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 additional chili peppers jalapeno or serrano, seed and chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime

Char the two jalapenos in the broiler.  Let set until cool enough to handle. Peel off skin and then chop roughly keeping the seeds.  Put the chopped peppers in a food processor or blender along with all the remaining ingredients.  Pulse until blended. Done.

Tavuk Izgara (Yogurt Marinated Chicken)

I've got chicken pieces, what can I do with them?  It's a constant issue.  I love this recipe because it has different flavors than all of my other chicken recipes.  Plus, when I mix up the marinade, the wafting scent is incredible.  The end result is crispy, super-flavor infused chicken.

Don't let the Turkish title fool you, as with many of my other marinate and roast recipes, this is super easy with very little hands on time. I use thighs but you could use whatever pieces you wish.

I found the original recipe on The Whole Foods site and now that I have gone back to find it, it is no longer there. Well it is, but with a new name and a few changes. Ha! it's gone from Turkish to Indian on their site.  Good thing I printed it! As usual, I have made a few small changes to the original recipe. The other thing is the original recipe only had grilling instructions and I can't see the point of only doing this on the grill, so I line a broiler pan with foil and set a rack on top and then roast it in my oven.

Tavuk Izgara (Yogurt Marinated Chicken)
Adapted from Whole Foods Market Indian Spiced Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

6 chicken thighs or other pieces

Marinade:
8-10 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 small onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, pressed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix the ingredients for the marinade.  Place chicken pieces in a large zip lock bag and pour in the marinade.  Make sure all the pieces are well covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Prepare a broiler pan and rack and preheat over to 450 degrees.  Place the chicken pieces, skin side up on the rack and discard the remaining marinade. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees and roast for 25 more minutes.

Shrimp and White Beans over Israeli Couscous

Sometimes I wonder why I am doing a food blog, I mean really, there are about ten billion of them out there.  Maybe I aspire to write a cookbook one day, but I also think cookbooks may be coming obsolete.  I like to look through a good cookbook, but mostly these days if I want to make something I rarely hit the cookbooks first, I am more likely to go to the internet and compare a number of recipes.  So why am writing this? I am realizing as it is starting to come together that maybe I am just trying a new method of organizing my recipes. 

I have the recipe card file, I have a folder of old favorites, I have a few three ring notebooks that are forever getting out of order.  When I need to find a recipe, I need to remember what form it is in and then search for it.  That's what happened with today's recipe.  I knew I wanted to make it and had to go through a number of places to find it.  I knew I could look it up on the internet, but I also knew that I had notations on my paper copy.

I guess that's the other thing, I make notations.  This happens as I cook and sometimes the notes are a bit illegible.  Sometimes I throw something together knowing I'll remember it, but of course a few weeks later I have the gist of it but not all nuances.  This process of cooking, making notes, taking pictures and then documenting it online so I can just pull my tablet out in the kitchen and look it up is really working for me, and if my friends discover a few new recipes in the process, well that's just a bonus.

Today's recipe is adapted from a recipe posted on Real Simple, called Lemony Shrimp with White Beans and Couscous.  It sounded great, so I made it.  I thought it was bland, made a few changes and now it is a favorite.  I kept the essence of the dish, but I upped the flavor by adding in veggie broth, veggies, and more garlic and onions.  I also upped the texture by using Israeli couscous; I love this stuff!  Wonderful little balls of pasta.  The other thing that I did which I know most of you won't, is I used dry beans instead of canned.  I made them the day before so they were ready and waiting in the refrigerator.  This recipe is quick and easy and if you want to use canned beans, it will be wonderful, the dry beans just up the texture and flavor one more step.

Shrimp and White Beans over Israeli Couscous

1 can vegetable broth plus enough water to equal 2 cups

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous

1 small zucchini, chopped (asparagus is good also)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 cups white beans or 1 15.5-ounce can white beans beans, rinsed

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons butter

Bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil. Stir in the couscous and zucchini. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes to soften a bit. Add the shrimp and garlic and cook, stirring, until the shrimp begin to turn pink. Stir in the beans, parsley, lemon juice, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over the couscous and veggies.