What to do with 7 egg yolks?

After you've made your cake, what do you do with the leftover egg yolks?

Orecchiette Carbonara with Charred Brussels Sprouts (2 yolks)

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (4 yolks)

Vanilla Ice Cream (5 yolks)

The Silkiest Carbonara (7 yolks)

Vegetarian Entrees & Pasta Dishes

Main Dishes
- Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers (contains egg)
- Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas (contains nightshade)
- Caramelized Cauliflower & Mushroom Casserole (contains egg, gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Chickpea Curry-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (vegan)
- Crispy Quinoa Bake (make with veggie stock, gluten-free)
- Garlic & Thyme Quinoa Patties (contains egg)
- Gnocchi with Roasted Cauliflower
- Grits with Creamed Cashews (vegan)
- Hawaiian Sloppy Joe's (vegan)
- Lentils with Egg and Greens (contains egg)
- Lentil Loaf with Balsamic Glaze (vegan, gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Loaded Quinoa Veggie Burgers (vegan)
- Mushroom Turnovers with Sour Cream
- Parmesan Spinach Quinoa with Pine Nuts
- Red Quinoa Bowl with Swiss Chard & Egg (contains egg, gluten-free)
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash (gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Spring Vegetable Farrotto (make with veggie stock)
- Vegetable Tamale Pies (gluten-free)

Pasta Dishes
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (skip the bacon)
- Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese with Golden Bread Crumbs
- Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake (skip the bacon)
- Miso Walnut Soba Noodles (vegan, gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Mushroom Pasta Sauce (make with veggie stock instead of chicken)
- No Tomato Sauce for Pasta (vegan, gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Quinoa Spinach Mac & Cheese
- Sweet Potato Surprise (vegan, can be made gluten-free)

For more a more vegetarian recipes, look HERE

Vegetarian Recipe List

In an attempt to organize some of my recipe pins on Pinterest, I'm creating a 'table of contents' with links to the original recipe sites. In some cases I've noted that a recipe is gluten-free but many are gluten-free and not labeled.

Salads
- Alice Water's Lentil Salad (vegan)
- Avocado, Grapefruit & Shiso Salad (vegan)
- The Best Lentil Salad, Ever (vegan, gluten-free)
- Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette (vegan)
- Corsican Quinoa Salad (vegan, gluten-free)
- Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing (vegan, gluten-free)
- French Lentil Salad (vegan, gluten-free)
- Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
- Lentil Salad (vegan, gluten-free)
- Panzanella Caprese Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower & Mushroom Quinoa Salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette 
- Salted Edamame with Roasted Garlic & Herbs
- Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich (vegan, gluten-free)
- Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado, & Goat Cheese (gluten-free)
- Smoky Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Peach Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette (skip the bacon)
- Wheat Berry Gazpacho Salad

Sides & Snacks
- Applesauce Muffins
- Baked Zucchini Sticks with Onion Dip
- Caramelized Onion & Carrot Stuffing (make with veggie stock)
- Cauliflower Fried Rice (contains egg, gluten-free, nightshade-free)
- Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" (gluten-free)
- Cheesy Quinoa (gluten-free)
- Cottage Cheese Bisquits
- Crispy Edamame (gluten-free)
- Eggnog Muffins 
- Marinated Summer Vegetables (vegan)
- Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Crostini
- Salted Coconut Sweet Potato Bites (vegan)
- Spaghetti Squash au Gratin (gluten-free)
- Spicy Pickled Vegetables (vegan)
- Spicy Sichuan Style Green Beans (vegan)
- Tandoori Gobhi (Cauliflower)
- Wok-Fried Edamame with Garlic (contains oyster sauce)
- White Bean Tapenade (vegan)

Soups
- Cauliflower-Apple Soup with Apple Cider Reduction (make with veggie stock)
- Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil & Parmesan (make with veggie stock)
- Fat Burning Soup (vegan)
- Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger (gluten-free)
- Sweet Potato Corn Chowder (vegan, gluten-free)
A List of Vegetarian Entrees & Pasta Dishes can be found HERE

YUM - Pistachio-crusted Halibut

I'm not much of a cook. To be clear, I can cook, and pretty well; I just don't do it but once a month or so. I don't like to mess up my kitchen, I'm the clean-as-you-go-type. I worry about everything being ready at the same time. I worry about everything being perfect. My husband and child are loathe to eat leftovers and I'm loathe to waste food. The combinations just don't work out well.

Anyway, I've been Pinning, you know, as in @Pinterest, like half the population, and food is a part of that. I've Pinned so many yummy looking recipes that I have actually succumbed to cooking on occasion.

Tonight was one of those occasions.

I'll definitely be making this halibut recipe again. Super easy, super quick and absolutely amazing.

The Pin / recipe came from the blog: Tartine and Apron Strings . I highly recommend you check it out, great pictures, great recipes and all sorts of dietary information (for instance, this recipe is Paleo-friendly).

Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Fennel Balsamic Gastrique
I'm just posting the (modified -- see link above for original) halibut recipe because I wasn't all that enthusiastic about the fennel / tomato portion, although the shallots and balsamic reduction were amazing.  

Pistachio Crusted Halibut

1 1/2 pounds of halibut, cut into 3rds (fish monger will do this for you, if you ask)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 c pistachios, crushed or coarsely ground.

Wash and pat dry, with paper towels, halibut fillets. 
Whisk together oil & vinegar and pour on top of halibut in oven-safe dish. I turned the fillets over a couple of times in the dish to make sure they were sufficiently 'dipped' in oil. Marinate in 'fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400-415 degrees.
While pre-heating, remove halibut from 'fridge and coat topside generously with ground pistachios, pressing into fish.
Cook. The original recipe called for 8 minutes but I found that to be not nearly enough. Perhaps the filets I had were dramatically thicker; I'm not sure but I ended up cooking the dish for at least 20 minutes or so. Prior to serving, check thickest point with fork. You don't want to overcook but the fish should be opaque and flaky, not translucent.

Notes: 

- I had the halibut cut into 3rds since our family is one of 3, not 4.

- Somehow I missed reading the skinned part of the original recipe and finished the recipe with the skin on. It didn't make a huge difference, although I did press the pistachios into the other side, NOT the skin side, of the halibut.

- The original recipe calls for raw pistachios, crushed with a mortar and pestle. I couldn't find raw pistachios at my local grocer, so I went with salted and roasted shelled pistachios. To compensate, I skipped adding the sea salt mentioned in the original recipe. This was definitely the way to go; any additional salt would have been too much. I also, managed to break my mortar when grinding the pistachios, so I ended up throwing the pistachios into my Cuisinart for a coarse chop. 

-  None of the above changes hurt the end product.

First shot at the crockpot - Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

When I got engaged, it was suggested that I go out and register. Kitchen items seemed to be the right thing to register for since they come in all price ranges and sizes. One of the items I registered for was a crockpot. Lucky me, I got one (along not one, not two but, THREE panini makers -- can we declare panini makers the new toaster?). The next question became, 'what do I do with this thing?'

I know, I know, the obvious answer is cook with it. Not much of a cooking goddess, the idea of a crockpot scared me. Silly? Probably but, my family always used Dutch ovens and the thought of plugging something in and leaving it cooking all day seemed a bit dangerous. What if I burn the house down? So, the crockpot sat. And sat. And sat, for well over 5 years, running up to nearly 10.

Along comes Pinterest, muddling my already busy life with another digital habit that I don't need or have time for, and I start discovering crockpot recipes that look easy, recipes that I might actually eat. I start a crockpot pin board. I start thinking, 'I may actually want to USE this thing'. Today, I did.

The recipe I'm trying came from Mommy Savers, whatever that means; as I said, I found it on Pinterest.

The recipe requires 3 ingredients:
* 4-6 chicken breasts (I used organic, free range)
* a specific brand of Hawaiian BBQ Sauce
* a 20oz can of pineapple.

Pretty simple, right? Mostly, except that I couldn't find Archer-whatever BBQ Sauce so I had to find a substitute. Easier said than done but I did find one BBQ sauce that seemed to fit the bill, at my grocer: World Harbors Tropical Honey Mango BBQ Sauce; I bought two bottles since they were smaller than other BBQ sauce bottles.

I'll update after dinner.

...

It turned out all right. The sauce isn't my favorite but it worked with the chicken and pineapple; it also had a bit of kick to it that some people might prefer. The texture of the meat came out great; it shredded easily when cut, definitely something I'll try next time I make Mexican food (cooking the chicken in salsa).

I served it over last night's leftover rice and that worked really well. I'd hoped to find coconut rice at the grocer but the ones they had in stock contained ingredients I didn't think would sell well to the small child.

Next time, I think I'll try it with a teriyaki sauce and two cans of pineapple, instead of one, and see if I like it better. Once I find a sauce that I like, this recipe will work for my family.

The Princess and The Pea Tea Party

This year, for my daughter's birthday, I decided to get a little creative. I've always loved the story, "The Princess and The Pea" and a tea party seemed the perfect thing so I combined the two into my theme.

The weather cooperated and we were able to have the party outside.

I found mis-matched tea cups and accessories at Goodwill; each child was able to pick their own tea cup to use and take home. The teapot ended up being wildly popular among the kids, they all took turns pouring a "tea" of raspberry lemonade.

Lunch included various cheeses & crackers, a caesar salad, assorted veggies with dip and three types of tea sandwiches (salmon, chicken salad and cucumber). I gave the moms the option of dropping off but there was plenty of food for everyone and champagne for the moms.

A friend gave me a delicious cupcake recipe (below).

Elissa Strauss' Vanilla Cake, Confetti Cakes, New York
2 c cake flour*
1 3/4 c plus 1 1/2 tsp all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
1 c (8 oz; 7 about 7 eggs) egg whites or 100% pasturized liquid egg whites
1 1/2 c milk
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the salt and vanilla.

Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.

Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thoroughly combined. set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape sides of the bowl.

Divide the batter evenly between paper-lined muffin tins and bake 20 to 25 min.

Allow the cake to cool for 20min. once the cake is cool, release it from the pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan.

The recipe makes approximately 26-28 cupcakes. *You can make your own cake flour using all-purpose flour & a bit of corn starch, if you don't want to purchase additional flour to store.

Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting and top with a "pea" (in this case, I used green Holland Mints).
1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 + 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Double the above if you like heavily frosted cupcakes. The cupcake recipe above is fairly sweet and moist so you don't need a lot of frosting to make them good.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth.

In addition to a tea cup, each child took home a paper crown and bag of Holland mints with stickers.

What to do with 7 egg yolks?

Coconut Cake

For the 2nd time in my life, I decided to bake a cake from scratch. The first, was a chocolate cake. This one, for my husband's birthday, was coconut.

It turned out well, moist and coconut-y, albeit a bit dense for my personal taste. The frosting was definitely a keeper; my mother-in-law has mentioned to me, numerous times how much she liked it (yay!).

I made the cake & frosted it on a Friday, refrigerated it overnight and served it Saturday evening and it was not dry at all, although the refrigeration may have contributed to the density. I think the quantity of butter also was a factor; don't get me wrong, it wasn't overwhelmingly dense, just moreso than I was hoping for. Even after cutting into the cake, it wasn't dry, despite refrigeration 2 nights in a row.

I adapted a recipe from Ina Garten, that I found on The Food Network website.

Coconut Cake

3/4 lb (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans

2 c sugar

5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

3 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 c milk

3/4 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed*

For the frosting:

1 pound (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

3 - 3 1/2 confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a bowl, using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 - 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl while mixing. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter. Mix until just combined and mix in coconut.

Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

Frosting: In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth.

Assembly: Place 1 layer on a flat serving plate and spread with frosting. Sprinkle frosting with coconut. Add second layer and frost the entire cake. Finish by covering with coconut. Serve room temperature.

* My favorite unsweetened coconut is by Bob's Red Mill; the original recipe called for 100% sweetened coconut but I was afraid that would lead to an overly sweet cake. The combination of unsweetened and sweetened provided the right balance with the cake and frosting.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Cake

I've never made a cake from scratch before; partly because I might eat the whole thing and partly because the ease of cake mixes convinced me that making a scratch cake might be more difficult than it was worth. I made my first scratch cake tonight and not only was it easy but it was worth it. I did learn some things along the way.

First, the recipe:

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

2 eggs
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening
1 1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 8-oz carton dairy sour cream
1 c milk
1 recipe Fudgy Frosting

Fudgy Frosting: In large pan over low heat melt and stir one 12-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in 8-oz. carton sour cream. Stir in 4-1/2 cups (1 lb.) sifted powdered sugar; stir until smooth. Makes 4 cups.
**I used about 1 cup LESS sugar than called for in the recipe and didn't miss it.

Let eggs stand at room temp 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, beat shortening and sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and milk; beat on low after each addition until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pans.

Bake 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool.

Prepare Fudgy Frosting. Place one layer flat side down on plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Stack second layer flat side down. Spread with remaining frosting.

From Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Feb 2008

******

A bit of research told me NOT to substitute dark chocolate for the bittersweet in the recipe, due to the makeup but some websites say that you CAN use semi- or sweet chocolate interchangeably with bittersweet. Since this was my first scratch cake and therefore my first time making this recipe, I used bittersweet where called for but now that I've tasted the cake, I think it would be all right to use either in this particular recipe.

A quick alternative to melting the chocolate over the stovetop is to use the microwave. Simply put the chocolate into a microwave-save container (Pyrex is great for this -- you want a container that will not get hot). Heat in microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring between each increment.

Take care not to overcook the cake. Scratch cakes frequently create smaller layers than boxed and many contain less oil, therefore can dry out more easily.

I made the frosting while the cake was in the oven. A productive use of time, it created another problem I hadn't considered. I refrigerated the frosting while waiting for the cakes to cool and it hardened to a pretty solid state. I had to stir the frosting pretty vigorously to get it to a spreadable but, still stiff, state. In the future, if I make this recipe, I'll make the frosting right before I plan to frost the cake so that it's easier to frost the cake.

Taste test: The cake turned out well. I used about half of the frosting to frost the cake because I don't care for a lot of frosting and still, the frosting was a bit overwhelming, IMO, not because it was too heavy but the sweetness of the frosting overwhelmed the more bittersweet, cocoa flavor of the cake. I think the cake would have been better complimented by a richer, more bittersweet, chocolate flavor. That said, the frosting was excellent and received a number of compliments from the tasters. The sour cream in the frosting created a divine texture.

Final verdict: I'd like to try additional recipes to see how they compare but I'll keep this one in my database for the future and perhaps, try different frosting recipes with the cake; the frosting would be great for cupcakes.

Salmon and Fennel

Simple and delicious...

My new find:

Wash and cut fennel bulb into quarters or eighths, depending on size. Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Throw into grilling basket and place on heated barbecue while preparing salmon.

Create a "boat" out of aluminum foil and place salmon inside. Brush wild salmon fillet generously with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill on barbecue until nearly done, brush with Vineyard Pantry Cherry Zinfandel Grilling Glaze and remove from grill while still not quite done in the middle (it will continue cooking after taken off grill).

Serve with extra sauce on the side and a baguette.

Gazpacho

I love gazpacho. It's perfect on a warm day, cool, crisp & light. Add some crusty bread and it can be a meal.

We like chunkier gazpacho in our household; the pureed kind is good but we prefer some texture. After a too-long wait due to weather, tomatoes are looking great at the farmer's market and I stocked up on most of my necessary gazpacho ingredients Sunday for tonight's dinner. Mmmm.

Here's my favorite recipe:

Chunky Gazpacho

6+ c coarsely chopped tomato (about 3+ lb, I like to use a mix of heirlooms, diff colors)

1 (32-oz) bottle low-sodium tomato juice (I use RW Knudsen Very Veggie, Organic, Low-Sodium)
2 c coarsely chopped & peeled cucumber (about 2 medium)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion or red onion
1 c finely chopped celery (approx 1-2 ribs)
1 T olive oil
Balsamic vinegar to taste
1 T sherry vinegar, optional
1 T rice vinegar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp hot sauce, optional
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used a few tsp of crushed garlic)

Oregon pink shrimp
Avocado, halved and sliced
Baby yellow tomatoes, quartered

Combine all ingredients except shrimp, avocado and yellow tomatoes in a large non-reactive bowl**, stir well. Puree a bit to thicken with a handheld blender (stick blender) or put a portion into a regular blender and puree slightly, then mix back into the larger portion.

Cover and chill.

Serve with shimp, avocado slices and quartered baby yellow tomatoes with crusty bread on the side with additional hot sauce and balsamic vinegar, to add to taste.

* If available, I like to substitute 1-2 lemon cucumbers for one of the green cucumbers.
** If you like to add more "good stuff" like tomatoes, mult kinds of cucumbers & peppers, make that a very large bowl.

Quinoa with Dried Cranberries, Apricots, and Pecans

I'm in love with quinoa (pronounce keen-wa). It's healthy, gluten-free, it has protein, it's delicious and it's EASY to make.

This recipe is done in the time it takes to cook the quinoa, barely anytime at all. I don't remember where I found it but it's become a favorite.

Quinoa with Dried Cranberries, Apricots, and Pecans

Yield: 6 servings

2 c fat-free, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water (I've used both homemade chicken broth and water and haven't found there to be a substantial difference so use what's convenient for you)

1 c quinoa, thoroughly rinsed and drained

Pinch of salt, optional

1/4 c dried cranberries*

1/4 c diced dried apricots

2 T minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 c finely chopped toasted pecans

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the quinoa and salt. 

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir the cranberries, apricots and thyme into the hot quinoa. Top with pecans and serve hot or cold. **

Notes: It is important to rinse quinoa very thoroughly before cooking it to avoid a bitter flavor.

To toast the pecans, put them in a small skillet over med-high heat and stir frequently for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Immediately transfer the nuts to a small dish and cool.

Toasting the nuts adds a great dimension to the dish but if you're short on time or simply lazy, it tastes great without toasting the nuts first.

* The last time I made this, I realized too late that I didn't have dried cranberries on hand so I substituted dried cherries; terrific!

** I often chop & measure the apricots, cranberries & pecans ahead of time and store in a container. Once the quinoa is done, I empty the container into the cooking pan, add the fresh thyme, stir and put into a serving dish.

Beer-Basted Baby Back Ribs

Some friends of ours have a rib-off every year and since the weather has been warm lately, it seemed a fun idea to try our hands at making ribs. We won the rib-off last year but we purchased our ribs from Russell Street BBQ, so we can't really take credit for them.

Incredibly easy and not time-consuming, here's the recipe we used tonight:

Beer-Basted Baby Back Ribs

6 c beer (I used a combination of Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and one Corona)
2 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1 T dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
8 lb baby back pork ribs, cut into 4 rib sections (I asked the guy at Phil's Meat Market for enough for 3 people, next time I'll get enough for 4 since we could have eaten more)

Bring first 9 ingredients to boil in very large pot. Reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute to blend flavors. Add half of ribs to sauce.

Cover pot and simmer until ribs are tender, turning frequently, about 25 minutes. Transfer ribs to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ribs.

After boiling.

Boil barbecue sauce until reduced to 3 cups, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover ribs and sauce separately and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing).

Sauce.

Prepare barbecue to medium heat. Brush ribs with some sauce; sprinkle with salt. Grill ribs until heated through, brown and well glazed, brushing occasionally with sauce, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to platter. Serve with remaining sauce.

Ready to eat.

------
I made a few modifications because I wanted to make sure they weren't too spicy for our four-year-old. I cut the chili powder from 1 1/2 T to 1 T and skipped the red pepper flakes all together. It worked but in the future, I will use the full amount of chili powder and at least 1/2 of the red pepper flakes, if not more. The sauce was sweet and needed a bit of spice to add dimension.

We rounded out dinner with brussel sprouts, cooked on the grill and a Rustic Baguette.

We're going to try more rib recipes in the future as this one isn't likely a Rib-off winner but, this one was voted a "YES" by the family for a make-again.

6/30/11 NOTE: This sauce is incredible on salmon. I poached a good-sized fillet in leftover sauce for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees but it would also work well on the barbecue.

Fresh Asparagus Soup

For a while now, I've been planning to make asparagus soup and last night, I made my first batch.

Over the years, I've collected a number of asparagus soup recipes and picked the first in my collection.

Fresh Asparagus Soup
3/4 lb fresh asparagus (I used slightly over a pound)
5 c water
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c chicken broth (I used homemade stock)
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of cayenne (omitted because I figured my 4 yr old wouldn't appreciate it)
2 T plain yogurt (I used Nancy's organic, nonfat)

Break ends off asparagus. Cut remainder into 1-inch pieces. In saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus, cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid. Puree asparagus and reserved liquid in food processor until smooth. Pour puree into saucepan and stir in broth, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.

To accompany the soup, I made Parmesan croutons using the baguette from the night before. I finely shredded Parmesan using my Zyliss shredder, topped thin slices of the baguette and threw them in the toaster for a bit.

This recipe is incredibly easy and tasty although, it's more of a starter than a main dish, even with a healthy serving of Parmesan croutons. It's a bit of a thin soup but it has a nice flavor, particularly with the croutons; I don't think I'd serve it without them.

One note, I tried my immersion blender to puree the asparagus but found that it was insufficient and had to use my food processor.

Taco Night

The other night I made fish tacos, kind of a combination of traditional meat-based tacos (without the meat) and fish-tacos. I realized as I was putting everything together, that I'm not much of a recipe person. I sometimes start out with a recipe for ideas but then nearly always, run astray, adding or subtracting things, a little more or less of this and that and somehow end up with something I like. I've had a few things end up in the trash, like the cookies I made back in junior high, that had EVERY type of chip I could find-- mint, butterscotch, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, peanut butter and more do NOT work well in the same cookies. Usually, what I create, works out all right.

Based on the above, I hope you'll forgive me that I don't have exact measurements for the meal below. If there isn't an amount, "to taste" is implied because that's how I cook.

I made these with the crunchy taco shells I remember from childhood. If you prefer soft shells, go ahead and use tortillas.

I served three people, including one 4-year-old and had leftover beans & coleslaw. My husband and I each had 2 tacos (maybe 3 for my husband) and Q had 1 + 2 empty shells.

What you'll need:
Taco shells

1 bag of cole slaw, the shredded stuff you find in the produce dept, not pre-made with the sauce
2-3 T light mayonnaise
apple cider vinegar
celery salt
a sprinkling of sugar
poppy seeds

2 cans black beans, preferably organic
about 2 T canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (I use yellow but white or sweet works too)
minced or crushed garlic
more apple cider vinegar
cayenne pepper

dover sole, figure at least 1 fillet per person, 2 if you have big eaters
Italian dressing (not creamy)

1 avocado
cumin
salsa

Start by making the coleslaw. In a medium or large bowl (no need to use the whole bag if you don't think you'll eat it all), combine the coleslaw shreds with 1-3 T of mayonnaise. Stir in a bit of cider vinegar until you get a consistency you like. I don't want it runny but I also don't like dressing that's too mayonnaise-y. Season to taste with sugar and celery salt. Sprinkle poppy seeds, as desired. I like quite a few poppy seeds because I like the texture it gives. If you want though, just use them for appearance. Paprika might work well here too, although I haven't tried it. Cover and place in the fridge until serving time.

Next, make the "refried" beans. In a large nonstick skillet, saute onions and garlic in 1-2 T of canola oil until soft and slightly browned. If you find the onions are getting dry, add a T of oil, water or chicken broth to add some moisture. I don't like a lot of oil in my food and I've found that adding water works well. Do take care when adding liquid to a hot skillet, so that you don't burn yourself if it splatters.
While the onion & garlic are sauteeing, drain and rinse the black beans. Add them when the onions are soft & slightly browned. Cook until they begin to soften and you can mash them with a spoon or spatula. Add a few splashes of cider vinegar, continue to stir and mash and then add cayenne to taste. Leave on low heat, stirring occasionally until serving time.
If you don't want to go to this much work, you can sub pre-made canned refried beans but they don't taste as good IMO, and this recipe takes all of 15 minutes so how lazy do you want to be?

In another non-stick skillet, place the sole fillets and drizzle / cover with Italian salad dressing and cook until flaky. This won't take long as sole fillets tend to be thin so keep an eye on them.

Slice the avocado in two and using a knife* remove the pit. Scoop avocado out of shell and into a small bowl. Sprinkle with cumin (I sometimes add sea salt, onion powder & garlic too) and add 2-3 T of salsa. Mash with a fork. I like my guacamole on the chunky side so try to find avocados that have some give but aren't too soft in the grocery store and they tend to give me the right texture.

Remove the coleslaw from the fridge and you're ready to start assembly. Starting with an empty taco shell, add a layer of beans followed by the fish. Next add the guacamole and top with some coleslaw. You can also add shredded cheese, salsa and some other things but I've found the shells are too full for much more at this point.

This recipe is dairy-free, assuming you can eat eggs (although you can substitute vegan mayo and it will be egg-free too) and skip the cheese. It's gluten-free as long as you use corn tortillas or regular taco shells instead of flour.

* I take no responsibility for injury so if you don't know how to do this properly, find another way to remove the pit.

Pumpkin-Coconut Bisque

Another dairy-free, gluten-free soup. I made this the other night and it turned out nicely. Like usual, I couldn't leave well-enough alone and doctored it quite a bit.

Pumpkin-Coconut Bisque

Yield: 6 servings.

2 T butter or alternative (Earth Balance, olive oil, etc)
1 c chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced (shortcut - use 2-4 tsp minced or crushed garlic from a jar)
2 cans, solid pack pumpkin (make sure it's not the stuff with spices added)
2 c chicken broth or stock (if you're dairy- or gluten-free and you buy broth, check the label, some contain dairy/gluten)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper, or more depending on personal taste (1/2 tsp adds flavor but not bite)
1 can, unsweetened coconut milk
ground nutmeg, to taste
curry, to taste
unsweetened, shredded coconut for garnish

Over medium heat, in large heavy pot, heat butter or substitute and saute onion and garlic until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add pumpkin, broth, sugar, allspice, crushed red pepper and plenty of curry powder. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, get to work, otherwise, working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. IMO, if you're going to make pureed soups, an immersion blender is a necessity. Besides the mess, moving hot soup around and pureeing in a blender can be dangerous.*

Bring soup to simmer, thinning with coconut milk or water, to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more curry. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with nutmeg and coconut and serve.


* Here's a review from America's Test Kitchen on which immersion blenders. Sorry, you have to sign up for a 14 day free trial and they get your email address, in order to read it. I had the information somewhere but can't find it anymore. I have a Cuisinart immersion blender and it's all right; there's got to be better out there.

Vegan Curried Lentil Soup

Wildly easy but in need of flavor, I made Vegan Curried Lentil Soup tonight.

Curried Lentil Soup

1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
8 cups water
1/2 cup couscous (or white basmati rice)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/ 8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Bring the lentils, onion, celery, garlic, cumin seed, and water to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 50 minutes.

Stir in the couscous, chopped tomatoes, curry powder, and pepper. Continue cooking until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

***

I ended up adding cayenne pepper and parsley. If I make it in the future, I'll use either vegetable stock or chicken stock (which will negate the vegan part of the dish) to add flavor right out of the gate. I think carrots, chopped kale and coconut might work as well. Once the dish was made, I found it screaming for something green, which is why I added parsley at the last minute but I'd like to see more green than the parsley added.

****

The day after, I ate leftover soup for lunch and added unsweetened, shredded coconut to the dish and it was fabulous.



*****
4/7/2011 update:
I added finely chopped kale (remove stem first) & 2 cups of homemade chicken stock when heating up the frozen leftovers. The kale was a great addition, adding just the right amount of green and the chicken stock gave it a more soup-like, vs stew, texture with some additional flavor. A win.

Substitutes

I haven't tried any of these yet but I want to keep the recipes handy for the future...

Dairy-free substitutes (casein-free)...

1 cup Buttermilk =
2 T lemon juice + 1 c milk substitute

Sour Cream =
Soft silken tofu pureed + a bit of lemon juice to add tartness

1 cup Light Cream =
3/4 cup milk substitute + 1/4 cup butter substitute, melted

1 cup Heavy Cream =
2/3 cup milk substitute + 1/3 cup butter substitute, melted

1 cup Cottage Cheese =
1 cup crumbled tofu

Not sure how accurate this is but I'm reading that Gingko contains nuts. Maybe it is a nut? Gianduja (whatever that is), Loramine wax, Mandelonas (?) too.

Paprika-Rubbed Garlic Chicken

I made this about a month ago (just found the pic on my iPhone). It turned out really well.

This recipe from Martha Stewart gave me the idea.

I used my basic roast chicken recipe, which I'll have to post later, but incorporated Martha's paprika rub with extra garlic (add to taste, we love garlic so I added a fair amount) and added the cut garlic bulbs to the dish.

In the cavity, I placed 1/2 a lemon and 2 garlic heads. I thinly sliced some fresh garlic and shoved the slices between the skin and the breast for added flavor then I secured the legs by snipping a hole in the skin and putting the end of the leg into the hole; I did this for both legs. I find it preferable to using twine since there's no waste and I don't have to dig around for the twine. Once that was done, I rubbed the skin with butter and followed with Martha's paprika + extra garlic mixture. Martha's recipe calls for two roast chickens but I only wanted one and used the entire rub mixture for two on the one chicken since I'd already made it and wasn't interested in saving it.

I forgot to baste until the chicken was well into the allotted cooking time but when I did baste, I used my usual baste of a bit of butter, a splash of wine, chopped garlic and the lemon juice from the remaining half of the lemon that went into the chicken.

The recipe turned out great. A nice alternative to my regular roast chicken recipe and I'll likely start incorporating parts of this recipe into my usual. The whole family loved the roasted garlic as an addition to the chicken and it made fabulous leftovers too.

I'll post my regular roast chicken recipe later & provide links in this post.

Dinner!

Before tonight, I'd never made spaghetti squash before. I'd heard that it is easy to make and how great it is but I was afraid a) I wouldn't like it and b) it wouldn't be easy and I'd mess it up.

I bought a spaghetti squash last week and finally got around to making it. Husband loved it and it WAS easy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stab the squash a number of times to prevent any explosive oven mishaps. This is also a great way to get rid of any pent-up aggression.

Place in an oven-proof dish.

Set the timer. Every recipe I found said an hour but I think a bit longer wouldn't hurt.

Using hot pads, carefully cut in half.

After scooping out pulp and seeds, use a fork to scrape out "spaghetti".

I used a jarred sauce but thought it tasted pretty good with just a bit of salt, as well. It has a bit of a crunchy texture that pasta doesn't have. Nutritionally, it's got fiber and vitamin C.

Our daughter liked it well enough to finish her dinner, with a bribe. I toasted the squash seeds and she loved them and if she wanted more, she had to finish her dinner.