Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Springtime Vegetable Joy: Asparagus!

Published on April 28, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare and Side Dishes. 2 Comments Tags: , , .
Roasted Asparagus Salad

Roasted Asparagus Salad

Add one more reason to the long list of things to be grateful for from the Mediterranean: asparagus!

That’s right – it once grew wild there and was known as “sparrow grass.” But by any name, it is undisputedly in my list of Top Ten Vegetables. Its earthy goodness is one of the very best things about spring – right up there with Young Love and Tulips!

Kalyn of kalynskitchen food blog fame recently posted a delicious and simple way to cook asparagus with only three ingredients: asparagus, lemon and olive oil. This inspired me to keep it simple and let the asparagus shine. I love bread crumb crusted asparagus, but it is very time intensive, so I came up with a great solution: roast the asparagus to its ultimate deliciousness and then garnish with bread crumbs and Parmesan. You MUST try this recipe to believe me.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH PARMESAN CRUMB GARNISH

2 pounds asparagus, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
A little olive oil spray
Salt and pepper as desired
1 red bell pepper, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 bunch thin green onions, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 cup garlic or Caesar croutons, crushed
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss asparagus with garlic and spread on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spray with a little oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at top of oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in green onions and bell peppers. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until all vegetables are softened and lightly browned. Toss with balsamic vinaigrette and place in serving bowl.

Stir together the crouton crumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over asparagus salad. Serve warm, with extra crumb mixture for diners to add additional crumb mixture as desired.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

– posted by Donna

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Got 5 minutes? Then you can have homemade Grapefruit Gelato.

Published on April 19, 2009 in Desserts and Gluten Free. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

A friend of mine is moving to Florida next month, and will be lucky enough to have grapefruit trees right in her backyard. So I post this in her honor – what’s more frugal than picking fruit right off your own tree and whipping up a luscious dessert? (More on gardening to come in future posts.)

Grapefruit Gelato

I know it may sound a little weird, but trust us. We swear it will surprise you. Something about the way that the acid in the citrus combines with the fat in the cream (and yes, you must use heavy cream; we tried it with half & half and it just didn’t work texture-wise, though the flavor was still a total delight) creates a perfect dense, creamy texture that is so akin to ‘real’ gelato. It’s a revelation!

FIVE MINUTE GRAPEFRUIT GELATO

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice (Recommended: 1 Texas Rio Star. Ruby red would probably be fine too.)
zest of said grapefruit, finely grated
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk it all together, pour it into a nice Tupperware container, and freeze for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.  That’s IT. Yes, really!

It’s amazing how well the texture comes out without churning! So creamy & subtly tangy.

(Donna’s Note: This recipe is a result of kitchen synergy between Anne and I. The original recipe is from my friend Patty Ransom, who aksed me if I had ever heard of  “Five Minute Lemon Ice Cream.” I was thrilled and amazed after tasting it, and made it frequently. Then Anne and I were cooking together in January and decided the grapefruit flavor would be a great twist – It was even more amazing than lemon. Haven’t tried lime yet . . . Hmmmm . . . So, Patty – if you’re reading this – Thank You!)

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The Easter Bunny's Favorite Soup

Published on April 9, 2009 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare and Vegetarian Entrees. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

One of my restaurants of choice these days is a little avant garde place in downtown Provo, Utah – one of those places you just know is going to be different the minute you walk in the door.  The food is new, fresh, different and delicious – the kind of place that you can get excited about going to because you know you are going to have an adventure there. In case you are anywhere near driving distance to the middle of Utah, the restaurant is “Spark“. You won’t be disappointed!

I was lucky enough to go there recently and taste their soup du jour: a carrot soup that is refreshing and delicious. They were kind enough to share their recipe and I made it last night for my family. I did make a few changes and added a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce for just a hint of heat in the background.

CARROT GINGER SOUP

1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk, shaken
32 ounces chicken or vegetable stock*
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
A few dashes cayenne pepper sauce, to taste

In a large stock pot, saute the onion in butter over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add in carrots,  ginger and garlic and cook 15 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.

Add the coconut milk, stock and cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Blend mixture with an immersion blender or in a regular blender in batches. Add salt and cayenne pepper sauce to taste. Let simmer another 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve warm.

* I used Pacific Foods’ Vegetable Broth – it is earthy and mellow and has carrots as the first listed ingredient, so it was perfect for this soup!

– posted by Donna

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April Showers Bring Good Chowders

Published on April 8, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Spring being a little reluctant this year, and I felt like cooking up something that would make the best of the dreary weather outside. A good chowder always warms me inside and out, but I don’t have the money to spend on good clams. Using tofu is always a good way to save on proteins, and the kombu (just look in the Asian food section of your grocery store’s International Foods aisles) gives it both thickness and a nice ocean-y flavor. If you’re never tried it – fear not! This healthy version of chowder is also quite lowfat.

CONNECTICUT CHOWDAH

4 cups vegetable stock
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, chopped (an onion is fine if you don’t have a leek on hand)
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
3 inches kombu sea vegetable
1 1/2 teaspoon each salt and coarsely ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
16 ounces silken tofu
1 tablespoon mellow white miso paste
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped

Spray a large stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Using about two tablespoons of the stock, heat the celery and leek over medium heat until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add remaining stock, potatoes, bay leaves, kombu, salt, pepper, and Old Bay; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and kombu. In blender, combine tofu with 2 ½ cups of the simmered soup and puree. Pour pureed soup back into the stockpot. Dissolve the miso paste in 3 tablespoons of hot water and stir into soup. Heat a large skillet with cooking spray and sauté the mushrooms for 3 minutes, until soft. Add to stockpot. Serve with (what else?) oyster crackers.

– posted by Anne

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The recipe that will change your life: Ricotta Stuffed Crepes!

Published on April 5, 2009 in Desserts, Entrees, Healthy Fare and Side Dishes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .
ricotta stuffed crepes

Julia Child was right: the best recipes are often the simplest.

Case in point: crepes.

For years I shied away from crepes, thinking they were a too-fussy, too-demanding French food. All that changed a few days ago. I went to my friend Michelle’s house. Michelle was born and raised in France and still lives her life with a wonderful European flair. When we arrived at her house, she had set up a “crepe bar.” There was a pile of about 3 dozen thin-as-paper crepes, and then sliced fruits, whipped cream and a few sauces.  We took the crepes and folded them, made a pile of them on our plates and then added toppings. I was marveling at the elegant simplicity of this, and then she shared with me the secrets of crepes.

It turns out they are frugal, easy to make and store, and incredibly flexible.  Once every week or two, Michelle makes 5 dozen crepes and stacks them and stashes them covered in her fridge. Her family feasts on them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks in between! They sit patiently awaiting for up to two weeks in the fridge for some lucky hungry person to happen by. Wow! They DO NOT stick together, as I had thought they would, but just peel off one at a time from the pile. They can be folded with a little ricotta inside and then topped with a million different things- perfect for leftover bits of meat and cheeses and a drizzle of a pan sauce, or with sliced fruits for a quick delicious dessert. I especially like the folded presentation – rolling is more time intensive and fussy.

So, crepes will become a new standby at the Kellys’ – they are equally fabulous and frugal!!!

Crepes take only about a minute per crepe to cook – this recipe makes about 24. It is well worth the time to make a huge batch and then stash them in the fridge for almost instant meals!

I made a wonderful ricotta filling — it can be either sweet (I added a little powdered sugar) or savory (you could add a bit of garlic powder or other savory seasonings). It is fluffy and delicious!

RICOTTA-STUFFED FOLDED CREPES

2 cups 2 percent milk
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar*
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 large strawberries

Blend in blender the milk, eggs, salt, flour and butter. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into center of pan and then roll pan until bottom is evenly coated with batter. Cook about 1 minute, until top of crepe looks dry. Turn over and cook another minute or so until cooked through and lightly browned. Repeat for 24 total crepes.

Process in food processor all remaining ingredients except strawberries until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Hull the strawberries and then slice strawberries lengthwise into four slices.

To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture on one half of each crepe. Fold each crepe in half and then in half again. Place on a serving platter and then top the folded crepe with strawberry slices. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate sauce as a garnish if desired.

*Omit the powdered sugar for a savory filling

–posted by Donna

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