Hello Spring

We know it is spring when we start to get strawberries in our weekly box.

I couldn't resist taking this picture after I came home from our CSA last night.  The beets were giant and were topped with a huge amount of greens (which we sauteed and ate last night.)  Doesn't looking at this make you hungry?
 

Simple Soup

When my parents were visiting us last week, I decided to prepare a Tortilla Soup for them.  This soup recipe came from a supper club that we were a part of a couple years ago.  It is simple and delicious.

Tortilla Soup
1 yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
Salt, Pepper
Olive oil
2 16 oz cans tomatos (diced in juice)
3 qts chicken stock
12 corn tortilla shells

 

- Bake corn tort shells in oven @ 350deg until golden brown
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil
- Add dry herbs and simmer chicken stock, tomatoes, onions, and garlic ~30 min
- Add tortillas after 30min and cook for another 30min
- Puree all ingredients in soup in blender until smooth

- Garnish w/ sour cream, cilantro, etc, if desired

I used an immersion blender rather than moving everything to our blender (which barely works anyway) to puree the soup.  I have made this with prepared taco shells and with corn tortillas.  It works either way.  If you use fresh corn tortillas, you need to brown them a bit longer in the oven than you do the taco shells.

The Wine Hunt

As I said before, Blonde Girl's father is always looking for wine that has a great taste but not a big price tag, and he has found another one that he wants to share. It is Marquis/Philips, which is a collaboration between American Dan Phillips and Australian wine makers. This big red wine contains shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc grapes. It is a full bodied fruit bomb with a long, long finish. It received a 91 from Parker's. The only negative is the high alcohol content of 16 per cent. The retail price is $17 a bottle, and in Baltimore, we have found it for $13.

Quesadilla means "quick and tasty"

It's been a while since this blog has seen a post. Sub Duck and I made a really tasty supper with Quesadillas and a green salad featuring oranges and pineapple. The Qs were a departure from some of the classic Mexican recipes. They featured mushrooms, onion, garlic, arugula and prosciutto with Gruyere cheese. (Swiss Miss Quesadillas ?)

The photo shows Duck 1 at the table. We had a bottle of Las Rocas Garnacha to accompany the meal. (thanks to the Baltimore cooks for the introduction to this tasty and inexpensive wine)

The Q's were from Everyday Food. This is yet another source of good quick meals. Even those of us who have time to spend in the kitchen appreciate quick, tasty and healthy options.

Here is how we did them:

We used 1/2 a cup of red onion, 2 cloves of garlic and a package (10 oz) of white mushrooms sliced. These were sauteed in olive oil till tender and staring to brown. This mixture was put aside in a bowel and tossed with a teaspoon of lemon juice.

We grated 1/4 pound of Gruyere and sliced 1/4 pound of the Prosciutto into thin strips.

We then put the ingredients on one half of a ten inch flour tortilla. in layers with the mix then the ham and then the cheese and topped each with the arugula leaves. The tortilla is then folded over and cooked in a fry pan with a bit of olive oil. Turn them with the sealed side down and you wont lose any of the filling.

Cut the resulting half circle into two quarter circles and serve pronto.

We dressed the salad with mint vinegar.

Week Three of our Kitchen Renovation

If you do not have the cookbook "Let the Flames Begin," run to your computer or local bookstore and buy it. Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby have the most interesting recipes, many of which are quite easy to prepare. A good example is this recipe for hoisin-glazed grilled thin pork chops with thai-style power pack. (Page 168, if you have the book.)

For the vegetarians or non pork eaters in our family or followers, shrimp is also delicious. In fact if you do not have a grill, the pork or shrimp can be sauteed with the sauce added at the end.

For the glaze:

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

For the power pack:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 jalapenos or other chile peppers, minced

3 Tablespoons peel and minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup scallions, white and green, chopped

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

8 thin (1/2 inch or less) loin pork chops

1. Mix hoisin sauce and lime juice in bowl and set aside.

2. Mix power pack ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

3. Put chops on the grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side.

4. Brush the chops with the hoisin mixture during the last 30 seconds of cooking each side.

5. Arrange the glazed chops on a platter, sprinkle the power pack over them and serve -- pass the remaining glaze on the side.

The prep time is minimal and the cooking time is very short. Perfect when one is kitchenless!

We ate the dish on Monday night and then tried it with shrimp on Tuesday. Serve with it rice, vegetable, and salad. A delicious dinner.

Ohhhhh I love dinner!

Since I have had the whole week off (thank you to my employer and a train load of snow) I have had lots of time to do whatever I want! Today I deep cleaned the kitchen and spent the day crating things out of items I already had. I made Granola, some chocolate cookies and the most tasty dinner! We had Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce (Cooking Light), Green Rice (Simple Suppers) and Roasted Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette (Eating Well). If you have not roasted cauliflower before it is super easy and it my new favorite way to eat cauliflower- YOU MUST TRY THIS! I was skeptical if all the flavors would meld together but the vinaigrette tied the whole dish together. Leafy Greens loved the mango sauce on the rice. The recipe called for a scotch bonnet pepper- I did not have one so had to use a jalapeno (worked in a pinch but needed more heat) . So very tasty I was literally sad when dinner was over!

Chili for a very chilly day!

Last night we had a few neighbors over to help us enjoy a big pot of veggie chili! It was the perfect night for it- with feet of snow outside we were looking for something to warm our tummies. I used a recipe from Cooking Light but made some many changes that I think I can now take credit for this one. I also made jalapeno cornmeal pancakes (Joy of Cooking) to dip in our chili. I suggest making this a night ahead or make it first thing in the morning so the flavors have time to meld. Our friends loved it and we all topped it with our favorite things: sharp cheddar, scallions, sour cream, and Walla Walla Sweet Onion Sausage (for the meat eaters). Sorry about the photo- it smelled so good that we ate it all before i could take a photo! Below is the chili recipe- enjoy!

Yummy Veggie Chili!
2 red bell peppers
3 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 TBSP ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder (I like ancho)
1 tsp paprika
1 TBSP oregano
1 Chili in Adobo sauce- finely chopped (if you are afraid of the heat do not add this)
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
3 cups veg broth
1 can tomato paste
2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 (28 oz) can tomatoes- undrained and chopped
1 can pinto beans- rinsed
1 can kidney beans-rinsed
1 can black beans-rinsed
1 can cannelloni beans-rinsed
Toppings of your choice!

1) Preheat Broiler
2) Cut peppers in half remove seeds and membranes and place cut side down on a oiled baking sheet and roast until blackened. Remove from oven and place in sealed paper-bag for 15 minutes. Remove from bag and peel away skin. Chop peppers.
3) Heat in a large pot over medium heat oil add onion and cook for 15 minutes until wilted. Stir in spices and garlic and cook 1 minute to combine. Add peppers, squash, broth, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes. Add beans cook another 25 minutes until slightly thickened.