Recently, good friends of our hosted a gourmet German dinner party and I offered to bring a salad. I perused various German salad recipes but all were either too heavy, or just not appealing in the context of the dinner I knew we were having. So after reading a lot of them, I took various elements that I liked from many of them, combined them into one salad and, even if I do say so myself, it was delicious!
About 2 hours before serving, I combined the following in a large bowl:
1 bag of shredded cabbage
1 large cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 package of fresh dill, minced
I tossed it with the following dressing and let it marinate:
2 tbsp. sour cream
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
And then right before serving, I also tossed in 6 ounces of dark leafy green lettuce (anything on the darker side would work - -baby kale would be amazing)
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Beans and Rice
So simple . . .so comforting . . . so healthy. What's not to love? Here's how I make it.
1 pound bag of dried Goya pink beans
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 -3 slices of ham, chopped (optional -- can do without for a vegetarian version)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. salt
A few shakes of tobasco sauce
water
Simply put all these ingredients in a pot, cover with water (water should be about an inch over the ingredients), bring to a boil, cover the pot, put the heat on low, and simmer for 3 hours until the beans are thoroughly tender and creamy. After about 2 hours, make sure there's still enough water and add more if needed. Then take an old fashioned potato masher and smash up the beans -- you still want them to have a lot of texture, but be just broken up enough that the whole mixture becomes creamy, but still lumpy. When they're done, add a few shakes of tobasco sauce -- it won't make them too spicy -- it just wakes up the flavor. And add more salt if needed, but don't do so until they're done, because the salt you add at the start will concentrate as it cooks.
Serve over your favorite rice -- I like whole grain brown rice best of all.
1 pound bag of dried Goya pink beans
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 -3 slices of ham, chopped (optional -- can do without for a vegetarian version)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. salt
A few shakes of tobasco sauce
water
Simply put all these ingredients in a pot, cover with water (water should be about an inch over the ingredients), bring to a boil, cover the pot, put the heat on low, and simmer for 3 hours until the beans are thoroughly tender and creamy. After about 2 hours, make sure there's still enough water and add more if needed. Then take an old fashioned potato masher and smash up the beans -- you still want them to have a lot of texture, but be just broken up enough that the whole mixture becomes creamy, but still lumpy. When they're done, add a few shakes of tobasco sauce -- it won't make them too spicy -- it just wakes up the flavor. And add more salt if needed, but don't do so until they're done, because the salt you add at the start will concentrate as it cooks.
Serve over your favorite rice -- I like whole grain brown rice best of all.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Asian BBQ sauce
This is a sauce I use with game meat because it's pretty powerful and the game meat holds up well underneath it. But it could be used with anything, and indeed, with the omission of the last two ingredients, it pretty much becomes a basic BBQ sauce.
1 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
4 tablespoons each of of soy sauce and worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of Chinese Five Spice Powder
3 tablespoons of sriracha sauce (http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm)
Combine everything in a sauce pan, whisk thoroughly, and cook over medium heat until it thickens to your desired consistency.
This will stay fresh in your refrigerator for at least a month.
1 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
4 tablespoons each of of soy sauce and worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of Chinese Five Spice Powder
3 tablespoons of sriracha sauce (http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm)
Combine everything in a sauce pan, whisk thoroughly, and cook over medium heat until it thickens to your desired consistency.
This will stay fresh in your refrigerator for at least a month.
Barbecued Spare Ribs
So BBQ purists are going to lambaste me -- I'm not using a smoker (though I finally have one, though I've yet to break it in) and doing most of this in an oven, so I probably have no technical right to call them BBQ ribs. But I've got to tell you, these are GREAT - every time I make them, they're a huge hit. This is an easy cooking technique and if you've got a sauce you like, it's hard to go wrong.
Ingredients:
1 rack of baby back spare ribs
BBQ seasoning rub (I like the one from Tastefully Simple but anything will do)
1 orange, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (http://www.colgin.com/liquid-smoke.php)
BBQ sauce -- my hands down favorite comes from Pierce's BBQ Pit in Williamsburg, VA -- http://www.pierces.com/edibles.asp).
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Take a cookie sheet with a raised edge, and scatter the sliced onion and orange over it and sprinkle them with the liquid smoke.
Sprinkle both sides of the rack of ribs with the seasoning rub -- be generous -- and lay them down, meaty side up, over the onion and orange slices. Cover the whole cookie sheet tightly with foil, making sure it's airtight. Place it in the oven and cook for 4 hours. You can totally ignore the meat this whole time and even if you let it cook longer, it'll be fine as long as the foil is really tight around the pan.
At the end of the 4 hours, between the moisture you get from the onions and oranges, as well as the gentle heat of the oven, the ribs are fall apart tender. Let them sit for about 30 minutes and then you can transfer them to a grill or the broiler of your oven (the grill is better -- that little bit of char is nice). Slather the top with BBQ sauce and let it cook for about 5 minutes, turn it over and do the same for 5 more minutes. Flip once more, add a wee bit more sauce, cook for 2-3 more minutes and then slice and serve.
These will be so tender and flavorful that they'll just slide right now and pull right apart with a fork. Of course, eating ribs with your fingers is far more fun!
Ingredients:
1 rack of baby back spare ribs
BBQ seasoning rub (I like the one from Tastefully Simple but anything will do)
1 orange, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (http://www.colgin.com/liquid-smoke.php)
BBQ sauce -- my hands down favorite comes from Pierce's BBQ Pit in Williamsburg, VA -- http://www.pierces.com/edibles.asp).
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Take a cookie sheet with a raised edge, and scatter the sliced onion and orange over it and sprinkle them with the liquid smoke.
Sprinkle both sides of the rack of ribs with the seasoning rub -- be generous -- and lay them down, meaty side up, over the onion and orange slices. Cover the whole cookie sheet tightly with foil, making sure it's airtight. Place it in the oven and cook for 4 hours. You can totally ignore the meat this whole time and even if you let it cook longer, it'll be fine as long as the foil is really tight around the pan.
At the end of the 4 hours, between the moisture you get from the onions and oranges, as well as the gentle heat of the oven, the ribs are fall apart tender. Let them sit for about 30 minutes and then you can transfer them to a grill or the broiler of your oven (the grill is better -- that little bit of char is nice). Slather the top with BBQ sauce and let it cook for about 5 minutes, turn it over and do the same for 5 more minutes. Flip once more, add a wee bit more sauce, cook for 2-3 more minutes and then slice and serve.
These will be so tender and flavorful that they'll just slide right now and pull right apart with a fork. Of course, eating ribs with your fingers is far more fun!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Super Bowl '14 Chicken Wings
We have a standing date with close friends of our every Superbowl Sunday and the menu always includes yummy finger food. I do wings every year, and try to make up a new recipe each year -- something with bold taste, but healthier than fried food. I really liked the one I did this year and hope you will too.
Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of one lemon
1 heaping tablespoon of honey mustard
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
a pinch of red pepper flakes, crushed up a bit
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of honey
Whisk this all together, and pour it over 3 pounds of chicken wings, making sure they're all coated. Put them in an airtight container or ziploc bag, and marinate them for 4-6 hours.
Cook them on a grill on low heat so the skin can crisp without drying out the meat. They should be done after 15 minutes on each side.
Take the leftover marinade and boil it so it reduces to a very thick sauce. Use this sauce to baste the wings for the last 5 minutes they're on the grill.
Serve hot, warm or cold -- they're good at any temperature!
Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of one lemon
1 heaping tablespoon of honey mustard
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
a pinch of red pepper flakes, crushed up a bit
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of honey
Whisk this all together, and pour it over 3 pounds of chicken wings, making sure they're all coated. Put them in an airtight container or ziploc bag, and marinate them for 4-6 hours.
Cook them on a grill on low heat so the skin can crisp without drying out the meat. They should be done after 15 minutes on each side.
Take the leftover marinade and boil it so it reduces to a very thick sauce. Use this sauce to baste the wings for the last 5 minutes they're on the grill.
Serve hot, warm or cold -- they're good at any temperature!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Vegetarian Moussaka
This is a dish most traditionally made with ground lamb, beef, or a combination of the two, but tonight, I made a hearty vegetarian version for a work lunch I'm cooking for this week. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
3 cups of kale leaves (in place of the meat)
16 ounces of feta cheese
Herb garnish
3 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, and mint. Mix together thoroughly.
Tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of the herb mixture
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzanos are best)
In a small sauce pot, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until translucent. Then add the tomatoes, pepper and herbs. Stir, bring to a low boil, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour.
While the sauce is simmering, slice two large eggplants either into 1/4 inch circles or slices (don't bother peeling them, unless you really don't like eggplant peel). Saute the eggplant in a pan that's coated with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle the eggplant with the tiniest bit of kosher salt, so the moisture comes out of the eggplant while cooking and it doesn't burn. Cook over medium heat on each side for about 5 minutes.
Then cut up about 3 cups of kale into small pieces and crumble 16 ounces of feta into small chunks.
Bechamel sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. Let this cook for about 2 minutes, whisking gently so it doesn't burn. Then slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way). Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.
Now you're ready to assemble the moussaka.
Take a baking dish and line the bottom with 2 ladles full of sauce. Then put a layer of eggplant down, and half of the kale. Sprinkle this with 1/3 of the feta cheese and about a tablespoon of her herb mixture over the kale and then drizzle a ladle of sauce over this layer. Using a spoon, drizzle some bechamel sauce over this layer, just enough to make sure there's a taste of it in every bite. Repeat another layer of eggplant, kale, feta, herbs and sauces. Cover with one more layer of eggplant, and cover the eggplant generously with sauce. Then sprinkle another tablespoon of herbs, drizzle the top with bechamel, and sprinkle the remaining feta over the tops.
You can cover this loosely with foil and keep in the fridge for a few days before cooking, or cook right away.
Cook covered in a 350 degree oven for an hour, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and then use a large spoon or spatula to serve.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
3 cups of kale leaves (in place of the meat)
16 ounces of feta cheese
Herb garnish
3 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, and mint. Mix together thoroughly.
Tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of the herb mixture
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzanos are best)
In a small sauce pot, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until translucent. Then add the tomatoes, pepper and herbs. Stir, bring to a low boil, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour.
While the sauce is simmering, slice two large eggplants either into 1/4 inch circles or slices (don't bother peeling them, unless you really don't like eggplant peel). Saute the eggplant in a pan that's coated with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle the eggplant with the tiniest bit of kosher salt, so the moisture comes out of the eggplant while cooking and it doesn't burn. Cook over medium heat on each side for about 5 minutes.
Then cut up about 3 cups of kale into small pieces and crumble 16 ounces of feta into small chunks.
Bechamel sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. Let this cook for about 2 minutes, whisking gently so it doesn't burn. Then slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way). Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.
Now you're ready to assemble the moussaka.
Take a baking dish and line the bottom with 2 ladles full of sauce. Then put a layer of eggplant down, and half of the kale. Sprinkle this with 1/3 of the feta cheese and about a tablespoon of her herb mixture over the kale and then drizzle a ladle of sauce over this layer. Using a spoon, drizzle some bechamel sauce over this layer, just enough to make sure there's a taste of it in every bite. Repeat another layer of eggplant, kale, feta, herbs and sauces. Cover with one more layer of eggplant, and cover the eggplant generously with sauce. Then sprinkle another tablespoon of herbs, drizzle the top with bechamel, and sprinkle the remaining feta over the tops.
You can cover this loosely with foil and keep in the fridge for a few days before cooking, or cook right away.
Cook covered in a 350 degree oven for an hour, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and then use a large spoon or spatula to serve.
Enjoy!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Lemon-herb chicken stew
I made this easy stew this weekend in my crock pot, but you could also do this on the stove top, using very low heat. It was delicious, and great comfort food that was ready after I got home from a long day out with my daughters.
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of dry white wine
water
1 cup of chopped carrots
3 ribs of celery
3-4 large cloves of garlic
1 large onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1 large onion diced, 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped, and 3 ribs of celery, chopped. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to this mixture as you cook so it softens up without browning.
Add this to your crock pot, and then saute 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs in another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are gently browned on each side.
Then add this to the crock pot, turn up the heat under the skillet and add the wine and lemon juice. Cook this on high until it reduces by about 1/2. When it's reduced, add it to the crock pot as well, and then add just enough water so that it comes up to the top of all the ingredients.
Finally, add the herbs and pepper, stir gently, and cook for about 6 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, using 2 forks or a set of tongs, break up the chicken into chunks (it will fall apart very easily), and add the peas so they can warm through.
This can be served over noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, or anything else you'd like. It also could double as a very thick and chunky soup if you'd rather eat it that way.
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of dry white wine
water
1 cup of chopped carrots
3 ribs of celery
3-4 large cloves of garlic
1 large onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1 large onion diced, 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped, and 3 ribs of celery, chopped. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to this mixture as you cook so it softens up without browning.
Add this to your crock pot, and then saute 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs in another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are gently browned on each side.
Then add this to the crock pot, turn up the heat under the skillet and add the wine and lemon juice. Cook this on high until it reduces by about 1/2. When it's reduced, add it to the crock pot as well, and then add just enough water so that it comes up to the top of all the ingredients.
Finally, add the herbs and pepper, stir gently, and cook for about 6 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, using 2 forks or a set of tongs, break up the chicken into chunks (it will fall apart very easily), and add the peas so they can warm through.
This can be served over noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, or anything else you'd like. It also could double as a very thick and chunky soup if you'd rather eat it that way.
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