My Favorite Stir-Fry November 4, 2009

Whenever I get to a point when I can’t think of any new recipes to try, I turn to a stir fry. It’s simple to make, and a great way to get in protein, vegetables, and carbs into one meal. It’s also incredibly affordable, as you can pretty much throw anything you have on hand into it.

The best stir fry recipe I have used so far is from my 5 A Day cookbook. It incorporates tons of vegetables, as well as fruits that are currently in season. Add chicken if you’d like, or thrown in some more veggies to the mix to make this very easy, yet tastefully complex meal.

Fig, Apple, and Chicken Stir-Fry

Sauce:
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth (veg heads: use vegetable broth instead)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Stir-Fry
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons canola oil (you can use vegetable oil, too)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized chunks
8 dried figs, chopped
1 medium red apple, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz. snow peas, trimmed
1 medium carrot, cut diagonally into slices
2 baby bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 scallion, sliced
hot cooked rice or noodles, for serving- optional

Fruits and Veggies gettin’ happy

To make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, water, cornstarch, and sugar until blended and smooth.

To make the stir fry: Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the chicken; stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet. Add the dried figs, apple, snow peas, and  carrot; stir fry for 3 minutes. Add to the chicken in the bowl. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, bok choy, and scallion to the skillet, stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the chicken mixture to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and boils. Serve with rice or noodles, if desired.

Fig, Apple, and Chicken Stir-Fry

I limited the amount of chicken that I used, since I am not a huge meat lover in all foods. I also didn’t have any bok choy, so omitted it. I also used frozen sugar snap peas, since my grocery store’s produce selection is extremely limited. I also used Thai jasmine rice because it cooks a lot faster than regular brown rice.

This is such a great meal. I never grow tired of the unique combination of the sweetness of the apple and fig, and the tangy snap peas and bok choy. Feel free to use any sort of veg/fruit mixture you please. Experiment, and enjoy.

 

The Best Breakfast I Ever Had November 3, 2009

This past weekend I ventured to Baltimore to celebrate Halloween in Fells Point. It was a great time and we went with a great group of people. One of the best parts though, was the breakfast meal that we got down on late Sunday morning.

Our hostess just so happens to be a divine cook and loves trying new recipes, especially for larger crowds. With six mouths to feed, she whipped up two amazing one-dish casseroles that satisfied the sweet and savory taste buds, perfect for curing our post-partying headaches.

Both recipes were from Southern Living magazine, which I have never heard of before, but may just starting turning to when it comes to impressive meals. Here is what she whipped up.

One Dish Blackberry French Toast

1  cup  blackberry jam
1  (12-oz.) French bread loaf, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1  (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
4  large eggs
2  cups  half-and-half
1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1/2  cup  firmly packed brown sugar

Toppings: maple syrup, whipped cream

Cook jam in a small saucepan over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring once.

Place half of bread cubes in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes, and drizzle with melted jam. Top with remaining bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients. Pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover tightly, and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bread is golden brown and mixture is set. Serve with desired toppings.

One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

This meal was extremely delicious and decadent and filled me right up. Our hostess also made a really great Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole, but I can’t find the recipe at this time.  After purusing the Southern Living website, I highly recommend that you check it out for awesome recipe tips, especially as the seasons change and the Holidays approach.

Fall Soup November 2, 2009

Squash are apleanty this time of year and with Halloween over and Thanksgiving approaching I am starting to shift my recipes toward the holiday season so I can plan what to serve for Thanksgiving dinner.

A great recipe from Eating Well In Season combines the taste of Fall squash with the sweetness of pears for a warm and yummy dinner, with plenty of left overs for lunch.

Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup with Crumbled Stilton

2 ripe pears, peeled, quartered and cored
2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 large leek, pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced, and washed thoroughly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth or reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
2/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue-veined cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives or scallion greens

Main Ingredients

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, striffing occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 40-55 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Roasted Veggies

Place half the vegetables and 2 cups broth in a blender or food processor, puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir in the remaining 1/4 tablespoon salt.

Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot, about 10 minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cheese and chives.

Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup

I followed this recipe pretty closely, using chicken broth because it was what I had on hand, and Gorgonzola cheese instead of Stilton, because it was more affordable. I didn’t puree to as smooth a texture as I think was suggested, but I enjoyed the chunks of pears and squash every few bites. Warm, sweet, and savory, this was a perfect Fall soup. I highly recommend serving it for an upcoming special occasion, or snuggling up on your own to enjoy it on a chilly autumn evening.

 

A Festive Holiday Meal, a little early October 29, 2009

Please note that pictures will not be featured in the next few posts, as my computer is currently out of service and I am updating from my work computer. Don’t tell my boss.

So I totally skipped out on mentioning how fantastic the October issue of Real Simple magazine is. (It’s the main source of most of my recipes lately, if you haven’t noticed.) That’s because they featured a month’s worth of simple and delicious meals. Five meals a week for four weeks with meat, fish, pasta, and vegetarian options. I didn’t use all of them, but a few made it into my own weeknight dinners. My favorite one was actually featured on the cover and featured a unique and seasonal combination of food.

Ravioli With Apples and Walnuts

1 pound cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 crisp apple (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

Apples, Walnuts, and Parsley

Add the apple, parsley, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts

 

This dish was incredibly simple to make, but very complex in flavor. There wasn’t much of a “sauce” for the pasta, so I would recommend adding a little bit of olive oil and a splash or two of vegetable broth so that the ravioli’s don’t stick together.

The combination of the apples and crisp walnuts reminded me of the Fall and the holidays coming up. The combination of the deep reds from the apple, green from the parsley, and brown from the walnut is perfect for Christmas time. This would make an excellent 2nd course meal before your main course, as it tastes great and looks even better plated. I will definitely be bringing this along to dinner parties and potlucks over the next few months! Yum!

My, my, Apple Pie! October 27, 2009

Last week a co-worker of mine was celebrating a birthday. She had sampled some of my various other baked goods that I now pawn off on my new co-workers, and asked me to bake her something for her special day. When I asked her what she was in the mood for, she said she would love an apple pie.

I couldn’t have been more thrilled, as I have been trying to find an excuse to give pie-baking a try. I was a little intimidated, but it’s actually incredibly easy and very fulfilling.

I used a recipe that I found on a friend’s blog that she used from the Food Network. It’s an Emeril Lagasse recipe and although it’s listed as intermediate, it’s pretty easy to tackle for anyone who has experience in baking.

The recipe is pretty lengthy, so I’ll just link it here.

Emeril's Double Crust Apple Pie

I was totally impressed with myself when I tasted it. It was a great crust, and the filling was awesome. I will totally make again around Thanksgiving, and will even experiment with other pies now that I know I have people who will eat them. It’s a great gift idea for others, and also really excellent to enjoy all on your own. Eat it room temp, outta the fridge, or heated up with a little vanilla ice cream- a la mode! Enjoy!

Let it Rain, and Clear it Out October 19, 2009

So if any of you reading this are from anywhere near the Northeast, you probably had to deal with the 4 or 5 days of nonstop rain and freezing temperatures that we here in Philadelphia had to endure this past weekend.

With temps in the 40s and rain and wind splattering all over my tightly closed windows, there was nothing I wanted more than to eat soup and drink tea. That desire carried over into this week, even though the skies have cleared and the temperatures have risen.

Tonight I made myself some Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s so easy to make, tasty, and perfect for weather like this- even if it isn’t rainy or snowy, it’s still chilly out! It’s also a great way to battle the sniffles of a cold, even before they begin.

I use a recipe from my original cookbook, Eating Well Through Cancer, which is what I used to cook for my family while my mom was sick and going through chemo. It basically taught me everything I know about cooking today. Which is sort of weird, but I’m grateful for it. Although alot of the recipes are built around side effects of chemo, there are some really great healthy recipes- packed with tons of vitamins, and essential for every day healthy eating. This soup is a pretty standard recipe, but a great one.

Chicken Noodle Soup (soda on the side, optional.)

4 quarts water
3 lbs. chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 16oz. package of baby carrots (or 1 cup chopped carrots)
1 turnip, chopped
2 cloves garlic, halved
4 chicken boullion cubes
3 bay leaves
6 sprigs of parsley
salt and pepper to taste
cooked rice or pasta, optional

Add all ingredients except rice or pasta into a large soup pot. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the rice or pasta toward the end and cook until heated through.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Yup, that’s it. It’s super easy and way tasty. I used elbow macaroni for my pasta, but you can use whatever suits you. A great variation would be some long grain brown rice, but I was totally in the mood for macaroni noodles. I did not have a turnip (curse you, Acme!), but you can’t really tell the difference. It was yummy and hearty and just what I needed. I now have a ton of left overs (the recipe makes 8-10 servings), so I put them into separate containers which will act as lunch and dinner for the remainder of the week. I also froze some so I can enjoy the soup later in the season without having to simmer for 45 minutes again. Perfect!

Do you have any excellent soup recipes to share? I plan on doing my fair share of hot one-pot meals this Fall and Winter, and I need suggestions. Post them in the comment section, and you just might see your favorite recipe featured in the future!

Pumpkin Everything! October 19, 2009

A huge thanks goes out to Nichole, who really did get me back into the swing of things with this blog. Not only have I been posting more often, but I have really been spending more time in the kitchen preparing fun Fall foods. This weekend I tried to incorporate pumpkin into almost everything I did!

To continue last week’s Pumpkin Bread kick, I made pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin pancakes, drank Southern Tier Pumking beer and Dunkin’ Donuts 99cent pumpkin lattes, and even bought a few pumpkins for carving next weekend!

First, the pumpkin cupcakes. I was going to a surprise party for a friend and didn’t want to show up empty handed. I remembered a recipe that I had seen in the October issue of Real Simple magazine. It’s super duper easy and the cupcakes turned out awesome!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This morning I was still feeling pumpkin-y so I decided pumpkin pancakes were completely necessary. I still had some pancake mix left over from Alton Brown’s Instant Pancake Mix, so I started searching for a pumpkin pancake recipe. I found one on a blog called We Are Not Martha. I tried to combine the two recipes, which ended up a little short of disastrous. Stu was a great sport and ate the pancakes- which had a great flavor, but were unbearable heavy and thick. Next time, I advise just sticking to one recipe, and not combining the two. But here is what I did:

Disastrous Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups “instant” pancake mix
2 cups milk/buttermilk (used regular milk. also, messed up here.)
2 eggs
8 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon into the instant pancake mix.

In another large bowl, mix the milk, eggs, and pumpkin puree. (Here is where I went wrong, using only 1 cup of milk as opposed to 2, because I thought the canned pumpkin would add more moisture to the mix. I also did not separate the eggs, like Alton Brown’s recipe calls for.)

Combine dry ingredients with wet ones, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. (I mixed until combined but it was thick and gloppy, not smooth like pancake batter. I had to add another cup of milk, therefore totally and completely overmixing, making my pancakes thick, heavy, and flat, and not light and fluffy.

Pumpkin Pancakes

The taste was definitely yummy but it was just not worth it to finish all of them. It did make for a nice little Fall Sunday morning breakfast spread. Hmprh.

More pumpkin and fall recipes to follow in the next few days!

Bubble, bubble pasta pot October 13, 2009

Three day weekends are great for a lot of things. Mini-vacations, shopping excursions, house-cleaning. But they are especially great when you have at least one day with absolutely nothing in particular to do. This past weekend, that day happened to be Monday. And I spent it like every good Italian girl should, making pasta sauce from scratch and letting it simmer for hours on end.

My paternal grandmother was from Italy and made the best pasta sauce I have ever had. Years have gone since she passed away and our family slowly and comfortably settled in to sodium-packed jarred sauces. Recently I’ve found myself somewhat disgusted at the fact that I allow myself to eat red sauce out of a jar so regularly, so I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to settle down and make my own.

I recently found what I think to be my grandmother’s recipe, written in only the way a “family recipe” can be recorded- scribbled down in my mother’s chicken scratch hand writing on a yellowed page out of a pocket note-book. No exact measurements, time frame, nothing. Just this:

2 cans chunk tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 really big can tomato puree
sugar
basil leaves?

It is too simple to be true, but I followed it as best I could. I also combined it with a marinara sauce recipe that I found in my mom’s recipe box, also hand-written, but much neater; most likely given to her by a friend. I did a combination of the two recipes and this is what I came up with:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato puree
1 small can tomato paste
handful of sugar
fresh basil leaves (what remained) from herb garden
dried basil
dried oregano
dried thyme
dried marjoram
salt/pepper

First I sauteed the onions and garlic in some olive oil. When they were super soft but not browned, I opened the cans  of tomatoes (still facing some guilt over this…) and dumped them in. I stirred it up good until everything was evenly combined, then took a handful of sugar and sprinkled it on top, mixing it in. I do not doubt that my grandmother actually used sugar (my dad later confirmed this for me),  as she liked everything sweet. Then, I ripped up some fresh basil leaves and threw them in.

Next, following the legible directions on the card, I sprinkled all of the dried herbs (heavy on the basil) on top of the sauce until there was a very fine layer covering it. I stirred it all up, brought it to a boil, then covered and simmered. I popped in a movie and spent the rest of the day relaxing until I was ready to eat my pasta!

The sauce was great. To my dismay, I can’t tell you if it tastes like my grandmother’s sauce. It’s been too long since I’ve tasted it. But the marinara definitely invokes some feeling of comfort and nostalgia, whether it’s my grandmother’s influence, or just the general feeling you get from sauce made with love, not sodium.

The rest of the sauce is now sitting in a freezer bag in my freezer, and I will surely save for a rainy/snowy day in the next few months.

In the meantime, my next goal is to make sauce using actual fresh, whole peeled tomatoes instead of canned, to cut back even more on sodium. Also, I am starting to get into the whole canning movement- so keep your eyes peeled for more on that to come within the next few months. And if you’re lucky, you might be getting your own jar of the Taylor Marinara in a few months!

Welcome Fall! October 12, 2009

Although it didn’t really start feeling quite like Fall until about today, Autumn is in full effect now. There are very little summer vegetables left in abundance and it’s time to start digging out the sweaters and leggings. Just recently I posted how excited I am to start Fall cooking and baking, and this weekend I did just that.

This weekend was spent in search of all things pumpkin and I took a trip down to Reading Terminal Market to do some birthday shopping for Stu’s mom. I ended up buying her some Pumpkin Spice coffee beans from Old City Coffee and some Pumpkin Butter spread from one of the Amish markets.  I thought that the perfect addition to the pumpkin equation would of course have to be some pumpkin bread!

I found a great recipe from All Recipes and made two loaves- one for Stu’s mom and one for myself! It smelled delicious in the oven and tasted even better. Very moist and delicious and I will definitely be making again soon!

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2 and 2/3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
3 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9×5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

The recipe that I found (here) actually makes three loaves as opposed to two. With All Recipes you can actually change the serving size and since I only needed two loaves this time, I scaled it down to the measurements listed above. If I were thinking more clearly, I would have made the three loaves and frozen one for later this month or for around Thanksgiving. I will more than likely be making this bread for Christmas gifts or at least as hostess gifts for upcoming holiday parties, so in the future I will definitely make all three loaves. It’s a great bread and totally worth making it in bigger batches!

Also, for other lovers of all things pumpkin, try out this quick little fix to make your own pumpkin spice coffee. When brewing your coffee, add some Pumpkin Pie Spice or your own mix of ground cloves, ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger over the dry coffee grounds before turning on your coffee pot. It adds a little kick of Fall flavor during the autumn months!

A Kickstart from a friend October 10, 2009

Well, Fall is here and I am way behind on updating. Life has gotten crazy with work, yoga, a more rigorous running routine, and an increased social life. I am still cooking but sometimes it is more haphazard than usual, and I haven’t had the time to upload any photos.

A good friend sent me a picture and a recipe today, nudging me to update and kickstarting my love for Fall cooking. Although I am sad that Summer is over, I am ready to get back into the swing of things with warm soups and stews, yummy quick breads, and lots of squash and apples.

Speaking of soups and stews, here is a recipe my friend Nichole sent me. I’ll be using it within the next few weeks, I’m sure.

Kale and Vegetable Soup
from retro cookbook Vegetarian Pleasures

1 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
10 cups vegetable stock
1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes with their juice
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
liberal seasoning freshly ground pepper
1 pound fresh kale (total weight with stems)
3 medium size potatos, unpeeled and diced
2 tablespoons butter

Step one involves cleaning, and soaking beans if dried.  You can use canned beans if you prefer, but make sure they are rinsed and drained.

In a large stockpot,  heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, and bay leaves, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and kidney beans and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook for 45 minutes,  stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile,  clean kale and discard of stems and ribs, if you choose. Add kale and potatoes to soup and cook additional 30 minutes or until beans and potatoes are tender.  If soup is too thick add additional stock.

Remove bay leaves and discard.  To give the soup a wonderful creamy consitency remove about 1 cups of it and puree it in the blender, return it to the pot.

Before serving add the 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to melt.

Nichole’s variations:

I only had 1 and half onion, and substituted white kidney (canellini) beans for red kidney beans.  I also substituted  squash for tomatoes, because I’m not a fan of those.  Mine came out pretty salty and that could be because my stock is buillon cubes and water.  So I’d adjust by easing up on the salt it requires.  I didn’t add the butter.  But I think it tastes great and i’m really happy with it!!!!!  yay!

Vegetable and Kale Soup

I actually made something similar to this a few weeks ago at Stu’s house. We were cooking for his parents and wanted something hearty and healthy on a chilly early Fall day. I found a recipe from Epicurious.com that had kale as well as potatoes and chorizo! Mmm. It was great and I would definitely make it again- but I’ll have to try this veggie version first!
Potato Soup with Kale and Chorizo