Sunday, October 31, 2010

Colcannon

I’ve had this recipe from a Spilled Milk podcast pegged since St. Patrick’s Day, but it wasn’t until now that I ended up with the cabbage and potatoes to make it happen. That said, I made quite a few changes, mixing in this recipe as well. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 pound potatoes , diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small leek, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 3 T. butter

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, sauté cabbage in 2 T. butter until tender. Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
  2. While cabbage and potatoes are cooking (if you have enough pans), simmer leeks in milk, until they are soft.
  3. Add remaining butter and leeks to potatoes and mash well. Stir in cabbage and mix well.

Comments: Creamy, yet so much more flavorful than mashed potatoes (I love potatoes, but mashed have never been a favorite). I look forward to making this again.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Zucchini Pizza

To top my new pizza, I tried Jenna’s recipe. I followed her recipe perfectly, but wasn’t super impressed. It was lovely looking pizza, but I prefer my own combinations (sundried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, blue cheese, olives, etc.) See the link above, if you want to give it a try.

pizza

New Deep-Dish Pizza Crust

So, right around the time I came across King Arthur’s Chicago Style Pizza Crust, I found another recipe which also received great reviews. I knew I needed to compare the two before deciding on a new standard dough.

Ingredients

· 2 teaspoons sugar

· package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

· 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

· tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 12.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups), divided

· 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· Cooking spray

· Toppings of choice

Directions:

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into an 11 x 15–inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; press dough up sides of dish.

4. Preheat oven to 400°.

5. Top pizza with desired toppings.

6. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until crust browns and cheese bubbles. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Comments: I made two of these, as I was afraid one wouldn’t be enough to feed me and my hungry bf. I didn’t need to worry, one was still enough. The dough wasn’t quite as luxurious as the King Arthur’s recipe, but that made it feel better suited to become a regular player in the pizza game. It was also a lot easier, although I think the flavor was less developed due to the shorter rising times. I may play with it a bit, but I think I’ll continue with this new recipe for a while.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Ribollita

I saved this recipe ages ago, and decided to make it because it sounded “different".” After buying the necessary ingredients and cooking the beans, I started to get nervous at how different it was, with very few herbs in the broth and, well, soggy bread. Luckily, Heidi is a master with soups, I needn’t have worried.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • ½ fennel bulb, chopped
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots or equiv. winter squash, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can tomatoes
  • 1 T. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound greens (kale, chard) stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
  • 4 cups cooked white beans
  • 1/2 pound loaf of bread
  • 1 1/2+ teaspoons salt
  • zest of one lemon
  • lots of well-chopped oily black olives

Directions:

  1. In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, fennel, garlic, carrot, and onion. Cook for 10 -15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browning. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the greens, 3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a generous splash of water - until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20 - 30 minutes. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.
  3. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated, or "ribollita" meaning reboiled, the next day ladled into bowls. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil (optional) and some chopped olives.

    Comments: This recipe is extremely flexible, and undeniably delicious. I used plain white bread, with crusts and had no problems, although I’d probably try something heartier next time for a bit more nutrition. I’ll definitely be repeating this, despite it’s less-than-savory appearance.

    IMG_2442

    Tuesday, October 26, 2010

    Spinach Cake

    Sweet Amandine’s recipe for Spinach Cake sounded healthy and solid for a breakfast alternative—and the huge load of spinach I scored from the verduleria.

    Ingredients:

    • About 2 pounds of spinach, stemmed, washed, and more or less dried
    • 2 medium leeks
    • 2 T. butter
    • Freshly ground salt and black pepper
    • Several dashes – about ¼ tsp. nutmeg
    • 2 c. whole milk
    • 6 large eggs
    • A generous pinch of cayenne
    • About 2 T. of freshly grated Parmesan

    Directions:

    1. Over a medium flame, melt the butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the leeks, a few grinds of salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are tender but still green, about five minutes.
    2. Sprinkle the nutmeg over top, add a layer of spinach, and season with a few grinds of salt. Next, add another layer of spinach, a few more grinds of salt, and repeat until all of the spinach is in the pot. Turn up the heat slightly, cover the pot, and let the spinach steam over the leeks. Lift the lid to stir once or twice so that you get an even steam. You want the spinach to be just barely wilted, so the steaming should take no longer than two minutes. Allow leeks and spinach to cool.
    3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and butter a deep, 10-inch pie dish. When the spinach-leek mixture is cool, taste it and adjust the seasoning, as necessary. Remember that you are about to blend it with a lot of unseasoned eggs and milk, so if the spinach and leeks taste a little over-seasoned, that’s actually okay.
      In a blender, puree the vegetables with the milk and eggs in two batches. Add a few final grinds of salt and pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Add any remaining cooking juices from the pot to one of the batches before you puree.cake batter
    4. The batter will be thin and soupy. Pour it into the buttered pie dish, and grate about two tablespoons of Parmesan over the top. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is lightly browned. The cake will puff up and dome slightly in the oven and then collapse back onto itself as it cools. Serve at room temperature, or chilled.spinach cake

    Yield: 6 servings

    Comments: I subbed 4 egg whites plus 3 regular eggs, since I had egg whites I wanted to use up after my Challah experiment. I think my spinach was way too wet for the recipe, and adding the leftover liquid created a very wet cake. I let it cool and spend a day melding after cooking, as it is supposedly enjoyed best at room temperature after a day, but I still wasn’t impressed. It was a bit bland, and otherwise unexciting. (You’ll see in the photos that some of the egg sunk to the bottom, forming a lighter colored layer. Maybe I didn’t blend everything long enough.)

    Monday, October 25, 2010

    Whole Wheat Challah

    Quite a while ago, Bridget from The Way the Cookie Crumbles posted a rather complicated method of adapting any bread recipe to whole wheat. I immediately bookmarked it, and despite feeling pangs of guilt seeing it on my list from time to time, managed to avoid it for the next 5 months.

    Then she posted a subtle reminder in the form of a Whole Wheat Challah post, and finally, without having to create my own adaptation, I put the method to the test.

    Soaker:

    • 1¾ cups (8 ounces) whole wheat flour, preferably fine grind
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup water

    Biga:

    • 1¾ cups (8 ounces) whole wheat flour, preferably fine grind
    • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
    • ½ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 large egg
    • 4 large egg yolks

    Final dough:

    • the soaker
    • the biga
    • 7 tablespoons (2 ounces) whole wheat flour, plus more for adjustments
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
    • 1½ tablespoons honey
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    Toppings:

    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • pinch salt
    • poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

    Directions:

    1. For the soaker: In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. If the dough is refrigerated, leave it at room temperature for 2 hours before mixing the final dough.

    2. For the biga: In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Knead for 2 minutes; the dough will feel very tacky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Leave it at room temperature for 2 hours before mixing the final dough.

    3. For the final dough: Cut the soaker and biga into about 12 smaller pieces. Mix the pieces by hand in a large bowl and knead by hand for 6-8 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then resume kneading for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, until it is about 1½ times its original size.

    4. Gently transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 6 evenly sized pieces for 2 smaller loaves or 3 evenly sized pieces for 1 large loaf. Roll each portion of dough into a rope about 10 inches long, letting the dough rest for 5 minutes if it’s very elastic. Braid the ropes.

    5. Place the braid(s) on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or araw challah silicone mat. To make the egg wash, whisk the egg, water, and salt (listed above in Toppings) together. Brush the braids with the egg wash, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

    6. Brush the dough with the egg wash again, then top with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, if using. Leave the dough uncovered and let rise for 15 more minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

    7. Place the challah on the middle shelf, reduce the heat to 325 degrees, and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the loaf 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. Check the bread and rotate again if it is baking unevenly. Continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is a rich brown all around, sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and registers at least 195 degrees at the center.

    baked challah

    8. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

    Comments: This was quite tasty right out of the oven. I made one massive loaf, and would opt for the smaller loaves next time (and probably freeze one immediately). After a day or two the bread was drying out, so I’m looking at some bread pudding or maybe some baked French toast in the near future.

    slicedbread

    Sunday, October 24, 2010

    East Coast Enchiladas (?)

    Another recipe I marked, as I’m always trying to tempt myself to something healthier than cheese enchiladas, I didn’t notice how unconventional it was until I went to make them.

    Enchilada Ingredients:

    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
    • 4 carrots, finely diced
    • 2 celery, finely diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
    • Water to sauté veggies (between ¼ and ½ cup)
    • 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 12 tortillas (whole wheat recommended)
    • 14 ounces tomato sauce
    • Cumin, oregano, paprika and pepper for topping

    Fresh Salsa Ingredients:

    • 1 tomato, diced
    • 1 bell pepper, diced
    • ½ cup cucumber, diced
    • ½ cup cabbage, thinly julienned
    • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
    • 1 avocado, finely diced
    • Oregano, salt and pepper to taste

    Directions:

    1. Cook the rice and water and cool to approximately room temperature so that you can work with it.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    3. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in water until tender. Add the spices, rice and bean and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste the filling and add salt and pepper as desired.
    4. Fill each tortilla with 1 cup of the mixture and roll up. Place in a baking pan with the seam side down. Top the filled enchiladas with tomato sauce. Sprinkle the top with cumin, oregano, paprika and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the fillings are hot.
    5. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients and stir gently to not break up the avocado. Serve the salsa cold on the side of the enchiladas.

    Comments: While I can give up a bit of authenticity for health, these just didn’t fly. Rice in enchiladas? Why? Overall, I just found them lacking, the enchilada sauce was underdeveloped, and the vegetables in the enchiladas seemed quite European. Next time, I’d go with my Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas, and keep my rice and beans on the side.

    The salsa was interesting, although again…cucumber? Cabbage? I’d go for a more traditional pico de gallo here, as well, but the creativity was appreciated.

    Friday, October 22, 2010

    Lentil Squash Soup

    I had half a sqash left over from my Butternut Sqash and Carmelized Onion Galette, and decided to adapt Rachel’s Lentil Soup recipe for the occassion. Here’s what I did:

    Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 fennel bulb, chopped
    • 2 carrots, chopped
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 lb. winter squash
    • 1 cup of lentils, rinsed and picked over
    • 1/2 tbsp cumin
    • 1/2 tbsp curry
    • 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
    • 1/4 cup additional low-sodium vegetable broth or 1/4 cup of cream

    Directions:

    1. Heat the olive oil and add the carrots, fennel, and onions.
    1. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the veggies soften. Add the garlic, squash, lentils, cumin, and curry, and stir. Heat for another minute.
    1. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
    1. For the last 15 minutes, don’t stir at all; the veggies will rise to the top. Skim the veggies off the top and puree with the cream or extra broth.
    1. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot.

    Comments: I made this late at night (really late!), so it didn’t occur to me to add bullion to the water I subbed for broth, and perhaps this is why the soup came out a tad bland. Nothing that some hot sauce can’t cure, but I’ll probably stick to my Syrian Lentil and Chard soup next time around.

    The sad supermercado near me had no celery, which lead to the fennel substitution.

    Tuesday, October 19, 2010

    Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

    IMG_2440

    Still working my way through tart crusts, I landed on this recipe, also courtesy of Deb at Smitten Kitchen:

    Ingredients:

    • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used a ready made crust)
    • 2 T. butter (I used 1 T.)
    • 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped (I used 2 leeks)
    • 1 t. dried thyme
    • 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) (I used a whole bunch)
    • 1 1/4 cups whipping cream (I used 1/4 c. cream and one cup whole milk)
    • 3 large eggs (I used 4 eggs)
    • 2 large egg yolks (I skipped this, with the extra egg above)
    • 1 teaspoon salt (oops! Forgot this!)
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (uh…I think I put in 1 T.)
    • Pinch of ground nutmeg (and this was forgotten—this is why I need to cook without the distractions of great conversation)

    Directions:

      1. Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.
      2. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.
      3. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust.
      4. Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer (this took my oven about 10 minutes longer). Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

    IMG_2439

    Comments: This is the perfect example of why I usually cook alone. I was chatting with friends my whole way through this, and not referencing the recipe several times over. However, it seems like a solid recipe when you account for my errors. I’ll probably try this again when I’m in the mood for a tarta de verduras. It felt like it was missing cheese, but that may have just been something I needed to counteract my accidental pepper dump.

    Saturday, October 16, 2010

    Empanadas de Verdura, Cebolla, y Tomate con Queso

    I’ve been making a lot of white-flour dishes lately based on a pack of fresh foods I got—raviolis, tart crusts, fresh pasta, and empanada shells.

    I decided to keep things simple for the empanadas, although I also had to get my variety in, to keep things from getting boring. Here’s what I did:

    • Tomate con queso: Diced tomato, diced cheese, and a mix of provenzal herbs (parsley, garlic, and oregano).
    • Cebolla: Carmelized onions with more diced cheese.
    • Verdura: Chard sauteed with onions and garlic and a diced hard-boiled egg.

    Comments: I loved the simplicity of the cebolla and tomate con queso, however I definitely should have sought a recipe for the verdura empanadas. They were terribly bland. Many contain a white sauce, which can be good if it’s not too heavy.

    Here are the lovely empanadas my boyfriend made, unfortunately filled with meat:

    049

    Tuesday, October 12, 2010

    Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion Galette

    IMG_2437

    I tried a tart dough…but had no tart pan. Before than shelling out 30 pesos, I started browsing recipes, looking for inspiration, and…realized the existence of a galette! Deb, the mastermind of Smitten Kitchen opened my eyes to this wonderful galette recipe and a solution to my lack of pie pan.

    While it made for a tasty treat, I was really impressed at how simply it came together!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 pie crust dough
    • 1 lb. winter squash
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • Pinch of sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
    • 3/4 cup Gouda, grated
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if necessary. Set aside to cool slightly.
    2. While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.
    3. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.
    4. Roll out dough and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.
    5. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

    Comments: This was warm and savory. I think it would have been a tad bit better with the butternut squash, but I enjoyed it either way. Next time I’ll add a bit more cayenne.

    Monday, October 11, 2010

    Mississippi Mud Cookies

    Being from the West, I’d never heard of Mississippi mud cookies before Bianca mentioned them on her blog.

    Her pictures looked so tempting, I had to look up a recipe, and found a few similar ones such as this one here and this one.

    I love that AllRecipes offers comments on the recipes, but unfortunately didn’t find their recipe until after the fact, so here’s how things went down:IMG_2436

    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 3 cups rolled oats
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Directions

    1. Wipe 1" wide band of butter around the rim of a 3 quart pan to prevent boil-over.
    2. Combine milk, sugar, cocoa, butter and peanut butter.
    3. Stir and bring to boil over medium heat. Let boil for 1 1/2 minutes, do not stir.
    4. Remove from heat. Stir in oats and vanilla. Stir until oats evenly distributed.
    5. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper. Cool. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

    closeup

    Comments: So, these never set up…it seems that I didn’t boil the mix long enough? Fail. =(

    Sunday, October 10, 2010

    Creamy Mushroom Pizza

    I whipped up some Chicago-style pizza dough the other night, as my boyfriend loved it last time, and decided to try Bittman’s Creamy mushroom sauce for some added interest to my portion.

    Here’s what I did:

    • 200 g. mushrooms, thinly sliced
    • 2 shallots (or 1 small leek)
    • 2 T. Butter
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1/2 c. heavy cream
    • cheese (gruyere or fontina recommended, I used Gouda)
    Saute thinly sliced shallots or the white of a small leek in butter until soft, then add the mushrooms and probably some more butter and certainly generous salt and pepper. Over medium heat, toss or stir until the mushrooms are just about cooked and much of their moisture has been exuded, then evaporated — but let them not be dry or burnt. Then add a moderate amount of heavy cream, let it bubble and reduce for a minute or so, remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool and thicken. You can do this well in advance and store the mixture in the refrigerator.

    Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Stretch or roll out the pizza dough (recommended thin, but as I was preparing a thick crust, I skipped this part) and put it onto a sheet pan. Let it rise for five or ten minutes if you like, then spread on the mushroom-cream mixture, having tasted it once more for seasoning. Top with a very little bit of cheese – just a sparse sprinkling, or even none — and bake as long as it takes your oven to cook it.

    Comments: Well…I love mushrooms, so this pizza made me happy, yet…I think sauteed mushrooms would have been equally tasty without the added guilt of cream. (Note: the quantities given covered about half of a large pizza.)

    Saturday, October 9, 2010

    Low-Fat Caponata

    While it was a small, oil soaked, and highly rewarding meal, I was left craving something healthy after my fried rice dinner. So, I turned to the ever-reliable VeganEpicurean for something to absolve me of my dietary sins. And it really did make me forget about the oily goodness of fried rice! Here’s what I did:

    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ fennel bulb, chopped
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
    • 1 eggplant, diced small into small bite size pieces
    • 1 zucchini, diced small into small bite size pieces
    • 2 cups tomatoes, diced into small bite size pieces
    • ½ cup golden raisins
    • ¼ cup pine nuts
    • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
    • 2 T. sugar
    • 1/3 c. olives, chopped


    Directions:
    Heat the pan with the water on high until it comes to a boil. Add the onions, garlic and fennel and cook, stirring often until they have begun to wilt.

    Add the remaining ingredients, except the sugar and cook until the eggplant and zucchini have softened. If you want the caponata to be saucier add as much tomato sauce as you think is necessary. Next add sugar until the caponata is as sweet as you like. You want the caponata to have a sweet and sour flavor. Garnish with fresh parsley or torn basil leaves (if desired) and serve at room temperature or cold.

    Comments: I was a little nervous at omitting oil from this recipe, as it is so traditional, but it actually worked fine! That said, I would probably use a tablespoon next time, and sub a cup of garbanzos for the pine nuts to get more protein. The nuts didn’t have much of a crunch, and felt like a waste. My picture isn’t great, but I ate this with quinoa the first day, and afterwards scooped up on crackers, for that added crunch.

    caponata

    Friday, October 8, 2010

    Ginger Fried Rice

    I’ve started some menu planning in an attempt to work through my ever-growing TBD File, and it’s been quite successful (as you will soon see), though not necessarily the lowest-fat week of my life!

    I started with Smitten Kitchen’s Ginger Fried Rice, which I collected during a fried-rice spree I was on a few months ago. Unfortunately, after roaming my suburban Mar del Plata neighborhood for several hours on a Sunday afternoon, I finally conceded fresh ginger wasn’t going to be had. So, here’s what I did:

    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    2 tablespoons minced garlic
    1 tablespoon ground ginger
    Salt
    2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
    4 cups cooked rice
    4 large eggs
    2 teaspoons sesame oil
    4 teaspoons soy sauce

    gingerrice

    In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly.

    Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Add ginger and season lightly with salt.

    Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through.

    Season to taste with salt.

    In a nonstick skillet fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny.

    Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Sprinkle crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.

    Comments: While I love the ability of fried rice to accommodate whatever random vegetables I have hanging around, this was lacking nothing. It was delicious, and while I would love to try it with fresh ginger (and recommend following Deb’s recipe), it worked well with my adaptation.