Mussel Chowder

I was inspired by the delicious chicken chowder pit stop we made in Idaho a few weeks ago. This is a hybrid version of a few different recipes. This would be utterly amazing in a freshly baked bread bowl.... just throwing that out there. 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 TBS butter
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 3 TBS beef broth powder
• 1 butternut squash, pealed and cubed
• 1 can sweat corn
• 16 oz boiling water
• 2 cans mussel meat
• 16 oz milk
• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar, grated 
• sea salt and black pepper
• ground bay leaves 
• ground thyme
• ground sage
• garlic powder

What to do:

• heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy based pot or big ass skillet
• add the onion, leek, garlic, carrot and celery and cook until soft (about 5 minutes)
• push veggies off to one side of the skillet; add the bacon strips and cook for 5 more minutes
• add the canned corn and squash
• in the mean time bring water to a boil and dissolve beef powder
• once bacon is browned remove from skilled, slice into small pieces and return to skillet; add spices to veggie bacon mixture
• add the broth, bring to a boil for a few minutes and then allow to simmer for about 15 minutes on a low heat and until squash is tender
• gently mash the squash with a potato masher
• add the mussels and the milk and bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
• adjust the seasonings and add cheddar cheese 

for your listening pleasure

....and more

Wallnut Stuffed Eggplant

Recipe from Vegetarian Magazine

3 medium eggplants 

2 Tbs olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 1/2 pt grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 c walnut pieces

2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 c bread crumbs

2/3 c crumbled feta cheese

lemon wedges, optional

1. Halve eggplants lengthwise, and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/2 inch thick edges on eggplant shells. Cut scoops into 1/2 inch pieces and set in a colander. Sprinkle eggplant pieces and inside eggplant shells with salt. Let stand 25-30 minutes.
2. Bring large pot of water to a boil, drop eggplant shells in, simmer 5-8 minutes, until barely  tender. Drain, cool, pat dry.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet, saute onions 3 minutes. Add eggplant pieces, tomatoes, walnuts, cinn, oregano, and 1/4 c water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 8 minutes, stir often. Add breadcrumbs.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Divide bread crumb eggplant mixture into shells. Sprinkle with feta. Bake 15-20 minutes, until brown.

spicy moroccan chickpea and lentil soup

recipe from The New Glucose Revolution Vegetarian Cookbook

Serves 6, prep time 20,  cook time 50

1 TBS olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 in piece fresh ginger, finely grated

3 tsp ground cilantro

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp saffron threads soaked in 2 TBS boiling water (Saffron threads are apparently "the most expensive spice in the world", $9 for a stack of 15-20 tiny threads. I decided to pass on this and just amped up the other spices and that turned out fine, still and had an awesome flavor.)

14 oz can Italian chopped tomatoes

4 c veg stock (or chicken if you're not a vegetarian) 

1 c red lentils

2 2/3 c cooked chickpeas, drained

1/3 c chopped cilantro

1/3 c chopped flat leaf parsley 

salt and pepper

low fat yogurt, to serve

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over med heat. Add onions and cook 607 min, until soft. Add garlic, ginger, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add saffron with its soaking water, tomatoes, stock, lentils and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30 min. Add chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and parsley. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Roasted Polyface Chicken

Finally cooked my Polyface broiler today. Used Jamie's trusty roasted chicken recipe. My parents have made this recipe a few times but this was the first time I tried it on my own...my first gravy from scratch experience too. Very exiting. Joel didn't let me down. The chicken was amazing--every single part of it.

Jamie Oliver's Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt

Another recipe from Jamie Oliver. This is really easy and quick...as long as you have time to buy all the fresh ingredients (key to success).

• Preheat your oven to 225°F
• Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through
• Halve, deseed and finely chop your chilli
• Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds
• Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl
• Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl
• Add the yoghurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chilli
• Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side




• Slice each salmon fillet across lengthways into three 1.5cm wide slices
• Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!)
• Heat a large frying pan over a high heat
• Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through




• Place a warmed naan bread on each plate
• Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yoghurt and 3 pieces of salmon
• Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chilli and coriander leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice



I love you Jamie!

Turkey pot pie (w/ rice crust)

Much to Ryan's dismay this was a "healthy" pot pie. A traditional pastry pot pie requires a lot of work and is too heavy in my opinion (it might not be heavy in moderation but I can never eat anything that resembles pastry in moderation). I tweaked this recipe from cleaning eating magazine (http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.htm). Sometimes they thoroughly take all the fun out of recipes, this is one of them. I think I saved it though! They have this irrational opposition to all fats. I am not a fat hater. I am a firm believer in real butter and whole milk. They have good intentions though, so I forgive them and continue to read their magazine. I do approve of their substitute for half and half--plain yogurt. They call for fat free of course, but i used brown cow cream top (the best yogurt in the world). It gave the pot pie filling a good thickness without weighing it down. I also didn't have any fresh herbs which seriously hurt the flavor. But we can't have fresh herbs all the time. It's not summer yet grr!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked long grain brown rice (I used a wild rice mix, but brown rice probably makes for a nicer fluffier crust)
2 TBSP butter
3 oz parmigiano (didn't have any so I used aged Dubliner cheese from costco, better choice!)
sea salt and black pepper to taste (always heavy on the pepper)
12 oz boneless, skinless turkey breast cut into one inch cubes
2 carrots sliced
1 white turnip peeled, cubed
1 leek, sliced up through the light green part
half a red onion, diced
3 TBSP whole wheat flour
1/3 c plain yogurt
2 c chicken broth
2 TBSP parsley
2 TBSP sage



Instructions:
preheat oven to 375. combine rice, cheese, s n' p in bowl, set aside. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp butter, cook turkey till brown but not cooked through (~5 minutes), set aside. Heat 2 tbsp butter and cook veggies until softened (~5 minutes). Add flour, stir for 30 sec. Add broth, stir until simmering. Add yogurt and mix well. Add turkey, parsley, and sage. Season with s n' p. Grease a baking dish, add turkey mixture and top with rice mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, until filling is bubbling and rice is golden brown. let stand 5 min. Bon appetit

Black Bean Pumpkin Chili with Pumpkin Cornbread

OOooh this was good. And incredibly easy. Pumpkin puree is my favorite. The cornbread is the deal maker. you must make the bread to go along with the chili. In the future I'll probably use a whole can of puree in the chili to pick up more of that pumpkin flavor. I didn't have any chicken broth so instead I poured in about half the bottle of beer I was drinking at the time. Worked well I think.

Chili:
1 Tbls canola oil
1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red, yellow, or green bell pepper (I used all three)
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp chili powder
1 heaping tsp cumin
dash of oregano
pepper and salt to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth
toppings- greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, green pepper, and zucchini. Cook for a few minutes, until veggies are tender and meat is browned.
Add garlic and cook for additional minute.
Add tomatoes, black beans, pumpkin puree and spices. Add enough chicken broth to loosen it up a little bit, but not too much.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and cilantro.

Cornbread:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 Tbs molasses

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.

3. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.

4. Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes (just until blended- don’t overmix).

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.

Servings: 8

(from Recipe Girl http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/10/01/pumpkin-cornbread/)

Ham and Bean Soup

Recipe from Runner's World magazine. I altered this recipe slightly...not a good idea. MOM's didn't have any cabbage left, but they did have radicchio. I assumed this would work just fine as a substitute (cabbage and radicchio sit next to each other in the produce isle, that makes them pretty similar right?). Unfortunately not so much. The radicchio has a distinct bitterness which I discovered is due to intybin, a substance that has a sedative and analgesic effect, acting on the central nervous system. It also stimulates the appetite and digestive system, and acts as a tonic for the blood and liver. The bitterness tainted the flavor of the soup, leaving me feeling like a failure. But the soup had a second coming! The leftovers that sat in the frig for a day or so neutralized the bitterness. The later in the week, the better the soup got. So valuable lesson learned: radicchio does not = cabbage!


Ingredients:
olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
2 large carrots, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
1/2 cabbage, shredded
12 oz ham steak, diced
1 quart chicken broth
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz white beans, undrained
15 oz kidney beans, undrained
2 tbsp fresh parsley

Heat oil in soup kettle. Add onions, saute until soft, 5 min. Add seasoning, saute 1 min. Add remaining ingredients, bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, simmer gently for about 15 min. Serves six. Per serving: 270 cals, 32g carbs, 22g protein, 6g fat.

Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Apples, and Golden Raisins

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I made a feast for the roomies. The menu consisted of roasted chicken, gravy, stuffing, baked yams, green beans in lemon sauce, ginger cranberries, rolls and eggnog for dessert. Needless to say it was a very delicious evening. This was the first time I've ever made stuffing. It was pretty easy and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I used a really nice loaf of sour dough from trader joes which I think is crucial. The better the bread the better the stuffing. I really like this recipe because the apples and raisins give the stuffing a natural sweetness without over doing it.

Stuffing with Sausage, Apples, and Golden Raisins (from bon appétit)
1 ½ lb loaf sourdough bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 lbs pork breakfast sausage
2 large onions, chopped
2 c chopped celery
4 tbsp butter
6 c ½ inch cubes Granny Smith apples (about 4 large apples)
¾ c golden raisins
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 ½ c low sodium chicken broth (I used 4 c)
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread cubes in single layer on baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes. Transfer into large bowl. Sauté sausage in skillet, break up into small pieces, 8-10 minutes. Use slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with bread. Add onions and celery to skillet with drippings. Sauté until golden brown, 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread and sausage. Melt 2 tbsp butter, add apples. Sauté until tender, 10 minutes, add raisins. Add to bowl with bread mixture. Melt 2 tbsp butter over low heat. Add sage, stir 30 seconds. Add to mixture, toss well. Whisk together broth and eggs. Poor over bread mixture. Transfer mixture into buttered 15X10X2 glass baking dish. Bake uncovered until top is crisp, 45 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes. 16 servings

Tips: You need a HUGE bowl to make this. I was not well equip and ended up dividing all the stuffing between three large tupperware bowls. I also used a bit more chicken broth that the recipe called for. I poured extra broth over the bread after I took it out of the oven to make sure it was moist enough.

Chicken Coconut Soup

I found this recipe this summer in Clean Eating magazine. Despite the magazine's unappetizing title, it has a lot of really cool recipes and articles. This soup is a healthier version of most coconut soups which are heavy in fat. It uses half coconut milk half skim milk, giving it a lighter consistency but just as yummy!

Here's the Clean Eating recipe with a few of my own adjustments:

2 TBS evoo
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped 1/2 in pieces
2-3 small white or red potatoes, 1/2 in pieces (I used both)
salt n pepper
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 c skim milk
1 c coconut milk
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c snow peas
juice from half a lemon
3/4 tsp chile powder
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 TBS cilantro

Heat oil in pot, add garlic onions carrots potatoes. Season w/ salt n pepper, saute. Add broth and milks bring to boil. Add chicken (I used the George Foreman to brown them before adding to the soup. Didn't cook them all the way through). Cover, simmer, for 10-15 minutes on low heat. Remove chicken, set aside. Add peas, chile powder, red pepper flakes. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Slice chicken and add to soup. Add lemon juice, sprinkle with cilantro. (~300 cals per serving, makes 4)


Used fresh cilantro from my backyard garden.


Served in my pretty flowered dishes from Thailand. Love them!


My lovely cooking assistant/brother demonstrating how to eat like a real adult.