basil pineapple fried rice

what i really want to call this is basil pineapple cashew sesame fried rice but that seems just a tad long for a title. anyway, this is an easy fried rice recipe that we whipped up tonight (i know! i can still taste it! such fast blogging i'm amazing myself). this is one of those recipes where you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and i'm sure it will be delicious with whatever you choose. also fried rice works best with rice that sits in the fridge overnight. i know this, but i didn't do it.




ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice
4 bunches baby bok choy
1 zuccini
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
ginger (1-2 inch piece) peeled and finely chopped
1 hot little pepper, finely chopped
1 can pineapple (make sure it's in it's own juice not gross syrupy stuff)
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1 bunch basil (bonus if it's thai basil)
soy sauce or tamari
chili sesame oil
regular sesame oil
sesame seeds
peanut oil for frying

cook the rice according to package instructions. let cool for a few minutes when it's done.

finely chop the garlic, ginger and pepper. chop the bok choy and onion into 1/2 inch-ish pieces. slice the zuccini

heat a little peanut oil in a wok. throw in the rice for 5-10 minutes to let it get a little crispy (don't stir too much). put the rice in a bowl.

heat a little more peanut oil if needed. cook the garlic, ginger, pepper and onion until the onion softens. add the zuccini and bok choy and cook a few more minutes until they are cooked through.

add the rice back to the wok and season with a couple of splashes each of soy sauce, chili sesame oil and sesame oil. taste and add more as you like. add the basil and stir until wilted. add the pineapple and cashews and cook a few minutes longer. sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

-d

panang tofu curry

a couple of days ago we were trying to decide what to make for dinner. i don't know what put the idea in his head but kris said "we should make a curry!" i was flipping through the latest bon appetit and - ta da! - panang tofu curry greeted me on page 82. it was meant to be. it was an easy recipe to make, a just-some-chopping-throw-it-in-a-pot-let-it-do-it's-thing kind of recipe. we made a few little tweaks that i've noted below.





panang tofu curry
(from bon appetit, february 2009)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot chili paste*
1 cup water
1 can light coconut milk (14-ish ounces)
3 kaffir lime leaves or 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel (we went the lime juice/peel route)
1 tablespoon (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups thick carrot slices**
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. add shallots, ginger and garlic; cook until shallots are tender (about 6 minutes).

add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste, stir until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes).

whisk in 1 cup water then coconut milk, lime leaves/juice/peel, and brown sugar and bring to simmer. season with salt.

add tofu, carrots/eggplant and bell pepper; simmer over medium heat until carrots/eggplant are tender, adjusting heat to medium-low if beginning to boil and occasionally stirring gently, about 20 minutes. season to taste with salt.

the magazine photo has this served over rice but we had already had a very rice-y week and decided to plop in on top of a bed of steamed kale instead. it was a yummy, slightly lighter, way to enjoy.

*we didn't, or thought we didn't, have any chili paste and didn't see any at the grocery store so we just used red curry paste and added a pinch cayenne for heat. a couple days later while searching for something in the fridge we found a big ol' tub of chili paste that our neighbors gave us when they moved. perhaps we should organize the fridge more often. perhaps i shouldn't mess it up when kris does organize it so nicely.
**i am not a fan of cooked carrots and used one chinese eggplant instead. sliced. delicious.

-d

christmas squash

happy new year! kris and i did a lot of traveling over the holidays and i have gotten very behind in posting. however, i did take pictures of food along the way and now that they are off of my camera and on the computer i have no excuse...it's catch up time! and in order to stretch out the holiday spirit just a wee bit longer i'll start with the most recent recipe i have which happens to be our christmas recipe (and maybe just maybe it's still fresh enough in my mind so i can actually remember what went into it*).

for christmas we traveled to louisville to spend the holiday at kris's dad's house. he always makes a big christmas dinner so kris and i put ourselves in charge of making ourselves a delicious vegetarian entree (among other things like real mashed potatoes and easy bread). we winged it with a wild rice stuffed squash that turned out to be quite delicious!

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
1 large onion
1 fennel bulb
1 cup wild rice (maybe less, we had a lot leftover. but i'm sure you could find a use for it)
spices/herbs (*nope, guess i don't remember. i know i know....)
olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

heat oven to 350 and start cooking rice according to the package instructions.

cut the squash in half lenthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. drizzle with a little olive oil and place face down on a baking sheet.

cut the onion and fennel bulb into large chunks. toss with olive oil to coat and sprinkle with a couple pinches salt and pepper. place on a baking sheet (if you have room, you can just stick it on the same one with the squash).

roast squash, fennel and onion until squash is soft, about 30 minutes (our squash actually came with a sticker with cooking instructions....i think it said 30 minutes). at this point the onion and fennel bulb should be done too.

once the onion and fennel have cooled off a bit cut them into smaller pieces and mix in with the finished rice. add spices to taste. since we were not in our stocked kitchen our options were limited. i recall throwing in a bit of dried rosemary but i really don't remember what else. i think some sage would have been yummy. or maybe you want to toss in a few red pepper flakes for a little kick. anyway, season to your liking.

fill the squash with the rice filling. before serving heat up in the oven again. garnish with some chopped up fennel fronds and dig in!

kris's dad has a fabulous, big kitchen and it was such a treat to cook in it instead of our teeny tiny one. but the best part? the garbage disposal! later fennel fronds!




-d

30 minutes (really)

i am back with another 30 minute recipe. and unlike my last attempt in which i cheated a bit, this one really is 30 minutes or less.

earlier this week kris and i were trying to decide what to make for dinner. i wanted something cheap and easy. something that did not require a trip to safeway (because i always get distracted and wander around and buy things that we don't need). i knew we had half a package of spaghetti at home so a quick trip to the corner store for a can of artichoke hearts and i was set! it didn't even occur to me until after that this is a 30 minute meal with 5 ingredients that i turn to a lot.

pasta with artichokes

1/2 package of pasta

1 can artichoke hearts

a few cloves of garlic, minced
crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil, salt and pepper



while your pasta is cooking, heat some oil in a pan and cook garlic for a few minutes. drain artichokes and add to garlic (i like to cut the artichokes in half or thirds but you don't have to). season with salt and pepper and chili flakes. cook until the artichokes get a little brown (or until the pasta is done). when pasta is finished cooking, drain noodles and add to the artichoke pan. add a splash more olive oil and salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste. toss and serve!

-d.

30 minutes (ish)

when erin suggested the 30 minute challenge to me i was excited and didn't think it would be too difficult. but then the five ingredient factor was introduced and i was a bit stumped. but i think i've got a good one!

wild rice bowl

one box wild rice (not the pre-seasoned stuff)
one package grape tomatoes
one onion (i like vidalia or a similar sweet onion)
one bunch asparagus
olive oil, salt and pepper (those can count as one ingredient, right?)

heat oven to 375
cook the rice according to the instructions on the box*
chop the onion into large chunks and the asparagus into thirds.
toss the onion, asparagus and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet.
roast the veggies until they brown and the tomatoes start to ooze.
when the rice is done, divide among bowls and top with veggies.

*this may put a damper on the 30 minute rule as wild rice sometimes takes a long time to cook. however since you don't have to do anything once the rice is going and the veggies are in the oven you have lots of time to do something while you wait. it's really very efficient!

i love the flavor and texture of wild rice and combined with the flavors that roasting brings out of the veggies this meal requires very little seasoning. easy easy!

-d.

for rachel

We agreed to a little December challenge. Everyone is busy with holiday shopping and parties, end of year work stuff, getting engaged . . . so we decided that in December, we would attempt a few time-saving dishes. The rules are simple: five ingredients or less, prepared in thirty minutes or less. I am always up for a challenge (as is my compatriot) and since I love nothing more than spending several hours in the kitchen, 30-minute dishes (and please, no comparisons to Rachel Ray!) really are a challenge for me! So bring it on.

Here is an adaptation of Chicken Piccata, without the capers. Unfortunately there is not a veggie version of this. I served it with broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil with lemon zest.

Lemon Chicken

2 boneless chicken cutlets
¼ c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

Juice of one lemon
½ c. white wine
1 tbsp butter

Dredge cutlets in seasoned flour.

Heat olive oil in pan over med high heat. Add cutlets, cooking until browned on both sides and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter or plate, tent with foil.

Deglaze pan with white wine and lemon juice, and bring to boil. Boil approx 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Whisk in butter. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve!

* while this would put the ingredient total over 5 items, you could also add sliced mushrooms to this dish. You know, if you happen to have them in the refrigerator.

- e

a little thanksgiving recap

Our apologies for not posting for more than a week, but some of us have been busy! (Well, some more than others. wink wink.) I can say it was lovely being home for Thanksgiving, cooking and spending time with family. I grew up watching and helping my mother cook, and she continues to teach and inspire me. So we made a few classics for Turkey Day, and spiced up a few old recipes. So to start, I would like to share Tina’s Cranberry Sauce, a blending of several recipes into one sweet, tart and delicious turkey topper!

Tina’s Cranberry Sauce
1 lb. fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups sugar
½ cup orange juice
6 ounces orange marmalade
1 cup coconut
1 cup sliced almonds

Stir sugar into orange juice in a 4 quart saucepan to dissolve sugar.

Add cranberries to pot. Cook over medium heat until cranberries start to pop – they actually make tiny squeaking noises! – approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

Stir in almonds and coconut. Let cool completely before serving.

* We made this the night before Thanksgiving, refridgerated the sauce, and let it come to room temperature before serving. Leftovers keep for about two weeks.

- e