Chickpea & Quinoa Stew

Kim made this for her triumphant return to Book Group after living in London for three years. It's adapted and converted from Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Woodward. 

Original recipe or
How I made it:

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, trimmed and cubed in 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t. ground turmeric (original recipe calls for 3 t. but I found that a bit much.)
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground of fresh ginger
1/2 t. Aleppo pepper
1 14 oz can lite coconut milk
1 T. tomato paste
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bag pre-washed spinach (7-8 oz., more if you like)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast butternut squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment, drizzled with olive oil and salt, for approximately 30 minutes or until just tender.
2. In a large dutch oven, add garlic, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, Aleppo pepper, ginger, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Heat through and add butternut squash.
3. Add the rinsed quinoa and boiling water. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
4. Add chickpeas. Simmer on low for 15 more minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked and plumped. 
5. Add spinach and simmer on low until wilted, about 5-10 minutes.
6. Season to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and naan. 

Birthday Dinner, Part Three: Molten Chocolate Cakes

So last but not least, Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes. Hate on them all you want, but seriously, who doesn't love a cake that basically makes its own hot fudge sauce? This recipe comes to me by way of Natalie Bortoli from Food and Wine. These were delicious, if a little over "greased and floured", and they really are super, super easy. Make them soon and make someone very happy. 

Pre-lava action.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cakes-vongerichten  

Note: The recipe calls for 4 6-oz ramekins, but I think you can easily stretch to make 5 or 6. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time down.

Zucchini Pie for Zucchini Haters

When I was in fifth grade, my mother made me eat a bite of zucchini. Really-gross-stewed-to-death-like-the-Italians-like-it zucchini. "I don't like it." "Just one bite." "I really hate it." "You have to eat one bite." "I really hate it and I won't eat it." So after a bit of this back and forth, I took a bite but refused to chew it or swallow it. I sat at the table for a while until she needed to go downtown so into the car we went, me still with the zucchini in tow. Once on foot, we saw her banker heading towards us and my mom realized how embarrassing it would be to have an eleven year old with a mouth full of food, unable to say hello. "Okay, you can... Spit. It. Out," she said, under her breath. So I spit it in the gutter and never looked back. No zucchini. Ever. (BTW, that was very therapeutic. Stay with me for the actual recipe...)

And then, a couple of years ago, after 30 years of avoiding the stuff, I had dinner at the lovely home of Michael and Staci, and Staci made a fantastic quiche-like dish called zucchini pie and it was so delicious that I was loath to believe it was, in fact, zucchini. Since then, I've tried. Really I have. Grilled. Raw, shaved onto a salad with lemon and chives. In tempura batter. Not horrible.

But every summer, there it is. A friend has a bumper crop, or it shows up week after week in your farm box, or Nancy Essex shows up with a gift of a giant zucchini in a wine bag and it sits on the counter begging to be eaten. And I wanted to be able to really like it. Here's the best recipe for those times. Even a zucchini hater like me will eat two pieces. I've adapted it only a wee tiny bit from the original Real Simple recipe.

Zucchini pie that would have photographed better with a little green salad or a wedge of fruit.

3 cups zucchini, grated (and peeled and seeded, too, if you really hate the stuff)
1 onion, grated and sauteed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup grated smoked gouda
3 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil (maybe could get away with less)
2 T. pecorino romano cheese
2 t. good pesto
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
hearty dash of cayenne


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a well greased ceramic pie pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are the best, especially for a summer party. My Grandma Eulie made great ones but I've added balsamic and truffle salt, two ingredients not too likely to be found in mid-70s Paw Paw, Michigan. Here's the recipe my friend Lydia goes crazy for...

Vintage egg plates make a difference

18 eggs, hard-boiled
1/2-3/4 c. mayo
2 T. yellow mustard
splash of the very best, sweetest balsamic vinegar
1/4 t. truffle salt
Cayenne to taste
White pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Paprika, for the classic garnish. Hot paprika, chives, fancy grey or red salts, black sesame seeds, what-evah... also fun.


Boil the eggs. Cool and peel under cold water. Chill.


Cut eggs in half the long way and throw the yolks in your Kitchen-Aid with the whisk attachment. Add your mustard, balsamic, and half cup mayo. Start on low and eventually work up to your highest speed, adding the remaining mayo to desired creaminess. Stop and season to taste. Whip until very smooth and fluffy.


Using a pastry bag or gallon ZipLoc with the corner cut off, fill the whites in a pretty, swirly pattern. Garnish. Serve, preferably with a cold cocktail.

Chilaquile Casserole

It's Mother's Day and that means one thing: brunch. Amy Spar, domestic goddess and queen of Lunch Bunch and other fabulous things, turned me on to this brunch gem in 2006 and happy people have been inhaling it ever since. It's maybe the most adaptable recipe ever since there are infinite combinations of things to put in and on it, and can be eaten around the clock. It's become a staple for our post-triathlon brunch and Christmas Day breakfast, too. It's also worth noting that this is Amy's go-to-dish whenever someone has a baby and she brings them dinner. I think you're getting the picture. Amy got the recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Still Life with Menu.  

12 corn tortillas

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

2-3 c. jack cheese

6 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

salt & pepper

Optional fillings: mushrooms, peppers, beans, spinach, tofu etc.

Optional toppings: enchilada sauce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, bean & corn salad, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 9x13 pan.
2. Tear 6 tortillas into bite-sized pieces and spread them in pan.
3. Spread ½ the cheese and ½ the chiles over the tortillas, as well as any additional fillings.
4. Tear the other 6 tortillas and spread them on top.  Follow with remaining chiles and cheese.
5. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and salt and pepper.  Pour over casserole evenly.
6. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
7. Serve hot or warm with toppings.

Bill’s Famous Chicken Tenders

You all know I'm a vegetarian. I have been for 30 plus years. And as a vegetarian/cook/parent I'm having good veggie success with the girl child but the boy loves meat. In fact, he loves it so much that he was begging for it when he went to people's houses (literally, "Do you think you could you make me a bacon grilled cheese?") or ordering super-sized burgers and nuggets with great zeal when people would take him to lunch. At home, we continued to eat a vegetarian diet, supplemented with more and more fake "meat." But it was the idea of real meat of poor quality that grossed me out. I had to do something. So we agreed that his occasionally-meat-eating-but-surely-willing-to-at-least-touch-meat-father would make him these homemade chicken cutlets/tenders/nuggets with chicken breasts from Whole Foods or the farmer's market so at least I could have some modicum of control. He makes a double batch, bakes 'til just done, then freezes for easy re-heating by this veggie mama. It's not perfect, but it works.

This recipe is from my dear friends Bill and Maureen. It's apparently some sort of South Beach adaptation and Bill has become famous throughout all of Oak Park for its crispy goodness.

1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs (and maybe throw in some flax seed for good measure)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c. finely chopped almonds 

2 tbs. chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

ground black pepper

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 " thickness and cut into 12 pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, almonds, parsley, garlic, thyme and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.
Place oil in a shallow dish.  Dip chicken first in oil, then dredge in crumb mixture.  Place chicken in a shallow baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until done (do not turn chicken during cooking)

Makes 6 servings.

Birthday Dinner, Part Two: Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Vi knows that I'm an at-least-two-vegetable-side-dish kind of woman so naturally, she chose a veggie side dish to go along with the main course. And a cheese pizza dinner wouldn't be complete without -- what else? -- broccoli casserole. I originally got this recipe from Amy Spar who maybe definitely got it from Cooking Light, circa February 2007.  Either way, I've changed it up a little bit.

All good casseroles have something crunchy on top.

8 c. (~2 lbs) broccoli florets

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. black pepper

1 1/2 c. milk (warm)

3/4-1 c. vegetable broth (warm)

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan, divided

12 garlic melba toast rounds (I'm sure you could also used bread crumbs but the original called for these and Vi really likes it this way.)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes - crisp! Drain.
3. Place flour, salt, and dry mustard in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the milk and broth and whisk until blended. Cook for approximately 8 minutes or until thick.  Whisk constantly.
4. Remove from heat. Add cheddar and half of parmesan. Stir until melted.
5. Add broccoli. Toss to coat.
6. Put the broccoli mixture into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan.
7. Use the food processor to crush the melba rounds (pulse about 10 times) and add the remaining cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
8. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Suzanne's Popcorn Cauliflower

I first had this at Suzanne's house for book group during summer 2010 and immediately became obsessed with it. Since then, I've made it probably ten times, tweaking the spices to suit whatever I'm having for dinner that night. A couple of things: 1. Don't be scared off by garlic powder and onion powder. There's a time and place for everything and here, it works. 2. I usually double this recipe. If not, you run the risk of eating all of the crispy pieces off of the cookies sheet and will barely have enough for dinner. It's that delicious.

Preheat oven to 450.

1 large head of cauliflower, in smallish florets

Combine in a large bowl:  

1/4-1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp paprika (try Spanish paprika, too)

2 tbsp sugar (honey works, too)

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

~6 tbsp olive oil, or less but enough to generously coat the cauliflower

1. Toss the cauliflower with the spice mixture. The florets should be covered and looking a bit like caramel popcorn in color.
2. Lay cauliflower on a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment paper.
3. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, or until the florets are soft. Don't be afraid to let them get a bit more cooked and even a bit black on the edges of some pieces.

Chocolate Fantasy Brownie Bites from food52

I made these Chocolate Fantasy Brownie Bites this weekend after seeing them in my friend Jennifer's blog on food52. (The original contributor is a woman named drbabs and she has loads of recipes on food52. While you're there, do please check out the foodpickle feature. I had a question about whether I could use mini-muffin tin paper liners, so I posted it there and who should answer me but drbabs herself!  Pretty cool.) Anyways, these are pretty fan-frickin'-tastic so next time you're looking for something super chocolate-y and a little salty, make these. I put a Junior Mint into the center of each one, per the suggestion of a commenter on Jennifer's blog. It was a not a mistake. The fact that these remained in the house for three days was nothing short of a miracle. They aged well, too.

Another view. Experimenting with food photography. Not so easy.

Puerto Rican Beans

It's a cold and nasty day in Chicago.  A perfect day to have a big pot of something on the stove...


From a recipe for "Sunday Beans" in the NYT mag that started with slab bacon, I veggie-ized this with the good counsel of Alex, the most awesome Puerto Greekanish cook you could ever meet, and the results garnered this compliment: "You would make any Puerto Rican abuela proud!" They are that delish.


The original recipe called for canned beans, but I subsequently made with dried beans with great results.

2 T olive oil
1 T annato seeds
1 med onion, peeled and diced
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 med red pepper, seeded and diced
2 large carrots, scrubbed and diced
2 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
juice of one large orange, plus enough pineapple juice to equal 1.5 cups total juice
2 T tomato paste
2 14-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 14-oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
optional: dash of liquid smoke for bacon-ness without the bacon
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large pot. Sautee the annato seeds until the oil turns a deep red. Remove the seeds and add the vegetables. Cook until they have softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the juice and tomato paste. Raise the heat until it reaches a simmer then lower the heat and reduce the liquid to 1/2 its volume. Add the beans, liquid smoke (if desired) and enough water to simmer, if necessary. Simmer for at LEAST 30 minutes, preferably for a couple of hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

Terrible picture but those are the beans at 9 o'clock.

Fauxstess Cupcakes

Originally known as Six Minute Chocolate Cake from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

Barbara served these yummy cupcakes at Book Group and we were blown away by how delicious and "Hostess-cupcake-like" they were! I took it a step further and have experimented with stuffing them with a bit of buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or (gulp) some Marshmallow Fluff for true Hostess-y goodness.

Please note that the cake is vegan and the ganache can be, too. This recipe only makes 12 cupcakes, which is kind of nice/appropriate, unlike lots of recipes that make 24.

 Next time I make these, I am for sure going to pipe on the little loop-de-loops.

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup cold water or coffee (I keep "high-quality" instant coffee granules in the house for recipes)

2 tsp vanilla

2 tbs vinegar

Preheat oven at 375.

• Sift together dry ingredients into a bowl.
• Combine liquid ingredients (except for vinegar) in 2 cup measuring cup and pour into dry ingredients mixing with a fork or small whisk. When batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly until evenly distributed.
• Distribute evenly into a 12-cupcake pan, lined with cupcake papers.
• Bake 20 minutes.  (If you're out of cupcake papers and desperate for chocolate and need to make this as a cake, bake for 25-30 minutes in an ungreased 9x9 or 9 in round pan.)
• Optional, but really very important, step: Cool cupcakes completely. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out a little depression in the top of each cupcake. Fill with Fluff or frosting of your choice. Cover with icing.

Icing:
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup hot water, milk or 1/2 and 1/2

1/2 tsp vanilla

For the icing just put all the ingredients together into a measuring cup and heat in in the microwave until you can whisk them together to make a smooth glaze. Spoon it over the cooled cupcakes and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Magical Spinach-Broccoli Soup

This is an adaptation of some yummy soup made by Alison. I have made it a hundred times and I think it keeps away the flu bug.

Saute in olive oil:
1/2 onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped

Cover with 3-3 1/2 c vegetable broth. Simmer 10-15 minutes.

Add 1 head broccoli, washed, trimmed, and chopped. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add 1 bag/large bunch spinach, washed and sorted. I add some lemon juice, too, maybe a tablespoon. Stir.

Remove from heat. Puree with immersion blender.

Season with curry powder, salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne. All to taste.

Stir in 1 cup of sour cream (you can use low fat or even plain yogurt.) Return to heat and warm but do not bring to a boil or the soup will curdle.

Yum. About 4 generous servings.

Curried Veggie Stew

"I can vouch for the deliciousness of this dish, and the spicy drizzle is so good I want to try it on pancakes." ~ Nancy, book group

Serving hungry friends since 2004, thanks to Amy Sieben.  

I always imagine that this is Moroccan-ish but truth be told, have no idea of it's origins. Vegetarian, vegan without the yogurt.


Serves 6-8ish. All quantities are estimates. It can easily expand or contract based on what you have available. Make sure to adjust the cinnamon and coriander if you make a larger batch.


Heat oil and saute veggies and spices about 15 minutes:
2 T. olive or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 carrots, sliced
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. cinnamon

Add:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes
2 large tomatoes or a 14-oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. cooked garbanzos or 1 14 oz-can garbanzos, drained
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. cashews

Add enough water or vegetable broth to cover. Simmer for a good couple of hours. (Can sit on the stove for hours or reheats well.)

Serve over cous cous (I prefer whole wheat) with fresh parsley, plain yogurt, and spicy drizzle (recipe below.)

Spicy drizzle - Combine in small sauce pan.:
1/2 c olive oil
1 T. soy sauce
2 1/2 t. cayenne
1 1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. salt
1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook over very low heat. Drizzle over the stew at the table.