Lemongrass chicken

Our dinner plans were waylaid for 2 nights in a row after I planned this meal, resulting in a 36 hour marinating time by the time we finally got around to eating this chicken. It probably doesn't need 36 hours, but holy cow, er, holy chicken, was it tender and flavorful!  The fresh lemongrass is amazing.  The caramel was a little tricky in that you need to watch it. I over did it the first time and had to start over- but it was a fun lesson in the properties of sugar. Adapted slightly from a recipe in Food & Wine's Chef Recipes Made Easy from Eric and Sophie Banh, who own Monsoon in Seattle.

Can't. Stop. Adding. Kale. To. Things.

Lemongrass Chicken

Smirking delicious chicken.

4-6 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 T Asian fish sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
6 T sugar
3 T canola oil
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, tender inner white part, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (may substitute a small red onion)
1 jalapeno, diced and seeded (may decrease or increase depending on taste)
1/3 c cilantro, chopped

Combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 2 T of sugar in a small bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.  Let it marinate for up to 36 hours if you have time, although you can also cook it immediately.
In a small skillet, mix the remaining sugar or honey with 3 T water and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T water.  Transfer the caramel to a small heatproof bowl.  Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil, and let it heat up. Add the lemongrass, shallot and jalapeno and stir-fry for a minute. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is slightly thickened- about 6-8 minutes depending on your chicken. Toss with cilantro and serve over rice.

Steamed Jasmine Rice with Kale and Scallions
A quickie side dish that I threw together just so I could add kale to our meal.  

4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup finely chopped kale with tough ribs removed
2 scallions
dash white pepper
1 tsp canola oil

Heat the canola oil in a large pan. Add the scallions and stir-fry for a minute. Add the kale and stir-fry for an additional minute, until it is a rich, dark green.  Toss the rice in and add a dash of white pepper. Toss until everything is mixed together. Serve.

Stir-fried Asparagus
My standard stir-fry that I make with just about any vegetable. Today it was asparagus.  Snap the tough ends off.  The asparagus will tell you where to snap it- it should be as close to the tough purple end as possible, but it should snap off easily. You really don't need to peel your asparagus. I have never understood why this is necessary- plus you lose all that fiber. Having grown up on an asparagus farm, I could think of about 50 more things to share about my absolute favorite vegetable.  For the haters who say it's too mushy, my response is that you are cooking it too long. Mushy asparagus is gross.  If you stir-fry it, it can still have a little texture. If you like it softer, just cook it a little longer.  And don't leave out the garlic. 

1 bunch of asparagus, about 1 lbs, with the ends snapped off, and cut on the diagonal
2-4 T water or chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 T canola oil

Heat the canola oil in a pan until it sizzles when you add a drop of water. Add the garlic and stir, but don't let it burn.  Add the asparagus and stir-fry until it is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Midway through, when the pan is  starting to get dry, add the chicken stock or water.  Add salt to taste.  If you like your asparagus on the tender side, turn the heat off and cover the pan for a minute or two.  (If you let this step last too long, your vegetable can get overdone. Don't say I didn't warn you.) Serve.

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Red and White Hearty Chili, Red Cabbage and Jicama Slaw, Greek Tomato Salad, and Classic Cornbread

Claire and I both had chili on our minds, with handfuls of veggies thrown in and turkey instead of beef.  We made two delicious versions, one white and one red. They both came together really quickly, which gave us time to come up with a few side dishes. Generally when Claire and I cook, we look through our refrigerators and our conversation goes something like  I've got red cabbage. I've got a lot of tomatoes.  I've got 1/2 a thing of jicama. We could make a red cabbage slaw.  Ok, what about tomato salad? That sounds good. I've got a little bit of feta cheese.  What about Greek tomato salad?  I have a recipe I've been meaning to try.  That will go great with chili.  Should we make cornbread too? I don't know if I'm a huge cornbread fan- the stuff from the box has that weird aftertaste. I have a from-scratch recipe.  Then we discuss our timing- this week for instance, we had a 1 1/2 hour window interrupted by various kid drop-offs and a teacher conference. So if the ingredients sometimes seem a little random, you might be onto something...

Served with Kale Chips. The phrase "Eat your colors!"
comes to mind, doesn't it?

Hearty Turkey Chili
Hearty and heart-healthy.  Unless you serve it with the homemade cornbread posted below, which you should.  Don't be nervous about the quantity of zucchini and mushrooms.  They cook down, and we didn't need to add water.  The mushrooms also gave the chili some depth, while the tomato paste also added a lot of flavor.  We chopped the carrots so finely that you couldn't even tell they were there.  I like putting carrots, pureed or diced into tomato-based soups/sauces because it adds a little sweetness and cuts the natural acidity of the tomatoes. 

1 lb ground turkey, browned
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c diced carrots (very fine)
2 c diced mushrooms
3 c diced zucchini
2 x14 oz cans of diced tomatoes

3 T tomato paste

1 T chicken base

1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T smoked or Hungarian paprika
2 T chili powder
1 T coriander
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 T honey
1/2 c frozen corn
2 cans white kidney beans, liquid included

Brown the meat, and add the garlic and onions.  Saute together, and add carrots.  Add the zucchini and mushrooms, saute and let them cook down for a few minutes.  During this time, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken base, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, honey, and spices.  Add the frozen corn and the beans. Salt to taste, let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro if desired. Serve with cornbread.  And hot sauce!

Hearty White Chicken Chili
This white chili, also known as stew, has three different types of meat in it, but it's PACKED with veggies and might even be, dare I say, healthy? Feel free to vary the vegetables.  I used a lot of what was leftover in my fridge from other meals- my baby carrots were on their last legs, and crying to be tossed in a soup. Top it with nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and don't forget the cilantro like I did.

1 lb. chicken sausage
4 slices turkey bacon
1 can white chicken breast, or 1 c leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cans white navy beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 c diced carrots
1/2 c frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 c spinach, chopped
3 c cabbage, shredded
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
6 c water or broth
(salt to taste, but the sausage and bacon may have plenty, so taste first)

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic and onions. Saute until translucent. Add the sausage and bacon, cook until the sausage is done.  Next add carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes, adding a little water if the pot starts to scorch. Add the canned or rotisserie chicken, followed by the cabbage, zucchini, and corn. Add the beans and the water, followed by the spices. Let the chili simmer on medium heat until it reduces, about 20 minutes. Add the spinach and red pepper about 10 minutes before serving.

Red Cabbage and Jicama Slaw
This is great as a stand-alone side dish, but also works well with pulled pork or BBQ chicken.  I had some on a slice of toast with Chevre cheese.  It was so tempting that a co-worker asked to try it.  Besides, how can you resist the beautiful color? Don't be worried about the quantity- it will reduce as the dressing sets in.

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced with mandoline (about 4-6 cups)
1 jicama, julienned (about 1 1/2 cups)

This is even more vibrant the next day.

4 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal.

Dressing:

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1/3 c olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T honey or agave nectar, or 2 tsp sugar

pinch of dried oregano

pinch of dried basil

sea salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 T water

1 T Dijon mustard

Toss the veggies with the dressing and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Greek Tomato Summer Salad
This was a huge hit with Claire's family.  She thinks the feta cheese was what roped them in.  The dressing has fantastic flavor and would be good on a regular salad if you're sick of balsamic and olive oil. 

4 c chopped tomatoes
1 chopped bell pepper
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
2 pinches dried oregano
6 basil leaves, sliced
1 T honey
salt and pepper to taste

Toss veggies with dressing, and let sit for 30-45 minutes. Add the feta cheese before serving.

Claire's Classic Cornbread
This is really good.  It is sweet, but not cloyingly so.  And it doesn't have that weird aftertaste that the box mix has. Claire had tried many different homemade cornbread recipes, and adapted this one from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, adding a little more moisture and frozen corn as well.  I agree that cornbread should have real corn in it for added texture and sweetness.  The kids loved it, especially the twins.

1/2 c unsalted melted butter
1 1/2 c lowfat buttermilk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 T sugar
1 1/2 c fine cornmeal
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c fresh or frozen corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter together with the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and corn. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.



Let us know if you try our recipes, what worked, what didn't... We love hearing your comments. 

Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders and Lemon Zucchini Noodles

Claire needed a week off, so Myndi, who has been taking care of my kids for nearly 5 years, helped me with this meal. The veggies are mixed in with the noodles, but I still like to serve it with a salad. It was a big hit with the twins, who kept asking for more "noo-noo" (noodles) and "bawk bawk" (chicken). Of course, it turns out that many of the noo-noo were ending up in hair and down shirts, but I'm pretty sure they got a good meal anyway. Bawk bawk!

That's homemade ranch dressing from the previous post.
You can use it as dip, too if you want.

Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders
This recipe was adapted from thefresh20.com. It's easy to make and delicious.  My son dipped his chicken in ketchup.  If you have any leftovers, they are also great for a quick lunch or sandwich the next day!

Prebaked...

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into palm-sized pieces of even thickness
1 egg
2 T Dijon mustard
3/4 c (whole wheat or panko) bread crumbs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and oregano in a small shallow bowl. Whisk the egg and mustard with 2 T water.  Dip the pieces of chicken into the egg/mustard mixture, and evenly coat with breadcrumbs.  Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Crunchy hot delicious!

Lemon Zucchini Noodles
I really love zucchini noodles, which is good because I still have a lot of zucchini.  When mixed with whole wheat spaghetti, which can sometimes taste like corrugated cardboard strips, it adds moisture and a lightness without adding significant calories. I used a whole lemon with the zest as well, and happened to score some lovely grape tomatoes from Nicole at work, so I threw those in too.  This would also be a great Meatless Monday main dish or side dish.

I had to include this prep picture because it was so tantalizing.

1/2 package of (whole wheat) spaghetti, about 8 oz
1 medium zucchini (do not peel)
1 c grape tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 c spinach, chopped
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the spaghetti noodles as directed on the package. While you are waiting, zest the entire zucchini until you have a pile of zucchini noodles (see picture). In a large pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic.  Stir and add zucchini, noodles, and lemon juice/zest. (The best cooking tool for this is a pair of long chopsticks, but failing that, try tongs.) Add the tomatoes and spinach, and toss in the pan for another minute until the spinach is wilted.

It looks like pasta and tastes like pasta, but it's half vegetables!

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Meatless Monday: Spinach Cheese Quesadillas, Easy Black Beans, and Spanish Rice

Quesadillas with beans and rice is almost a no-brainer, but the lack of green in the meal seems wrong to me. I will usually serve this with a little salad anyway, but adding the spinach and making the beans from scratch (although to make it quick, I used canned beans) really adds to the freshness and nutrition.  I also upped the health quotient by using whole grain tortillas and olive oil instead of butter.

I used non-fat Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of dill instead of sour cream.
This has the added benefit of increasing the protein content of the meal.

Spinach Cheese Quesadillas
I feel silly writing a recipe, but I do know at least one woman who did not know what a quesadilla was.  I explained that it was a grilled cheese sandwich, only instead of bread you use tortillas.  I buy my shredded cheddar in bulk, and then freeze it in small bags in 2 cup portions.  I also normally would add a little chopped mushroom to this, but mushrooms is on one of my kids' Don't Like List. Therefore, I'm not allowed to give him a hard time about it, so I leave them out for now. 

I used sprouted grain tortillas for these.

2 cups chopped spinach
(1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms, sauteed, optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 scallion chopped
10-12 medium tortillas
small amount of butter or olive oil

Butter or brush olive oil one side of a tortilla and put in a frying pan, with the heat on medium. Sprinkle cheese, spinach, sauteed mushroom, and a little scallion. Do the same with one side of another tortilla and layer on top, greased side up. When the quesadilla is brown on the bottom, carefully flip over and brown the second side. Makes 5-6 quesadillas.

Black Beans
Holy frijoles, these are yummy! My twins LOVE beans and rice.  Can't feed them fast enough. If this is the case for you, make a double batch and use the leftovers the next day for lunch. The flavors meld together overnight, so they're even better reheated. If you want to REALLY make it from scratch, soak the beans overnight and cook for 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how long you soaked the beans, etc.  Or you could use a pressure cooker or crock pot. It's really not difficult; just takes some planning.  

I added frozen roasted corn. So good.

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped or frozen corn
• 3 T chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T sherry or white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Saute the onion and garlic together in 1 tsp olive oil. Add red pepper, then beans.  Stir in balsamic, soy sauce, and sherry. Salt and cayenne to taste. Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in cilantro right before serving. 

Spanish Rice

I may have mentioned before that I cook all my rice in a rice cooker. It's an old rice cooker that I've been using for over 20 years. I add enough water so that my second knuckle is covered when I lay my hand over the surface of the rice. It works every time, but makes it difficult for me to estimate how much water to write down in a recipe. So, I'm adapting the following recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/best-spanish-rice/detail.aspx

I used short grain brown rice. Long grain rice would give it
a more traditional look. Oh, and I stirred in some chopped
spinach at the end. See Laura's List for more on that.

1 1/2 c white or brown rice, uncooked

2 c water or vegetable broth

1/4 c chopped onion

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dill weed

1 c salsa

Saute onion in olive oil until soft.  Add uncooked rice and saute.  Add oregano and dill weed. Mix in salsa. At this point, you can add the water and finish cooking on the stovetop, or transfer the whole mixture along with the liquids to a rice cooker to finish. Either way, it's ready in about 20 minutes.


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World's Best Turkey Burgers, Angel Hair Coleslaw, and Pear Chevre Salad with Cilantro Lime Tahini Dressing

We jazzed up Claire's amazing turkey burgers a little by adding more veggies to the burger mix, but absolutely no flavor was lost. Since I am on a little health kick, this works for me.  You may notice there is a little less fat in our recipes (at least for a few weeks) and that we have replaced refined grains and sugars with whole grain this and agave nectar. Don't worry-- we are not compromising on flavor, and the baked goods will be back soon enough.  We're already planning some great fall line-ups.  In the meantime, you won't be disappointed in this meal. And neither will your waistline.

It looks like melted cheese, doesn't it? It's roasted yellow pepper.
The cheese is IN the burger and oozes out when you bite in..

World's Best Turkey Burgers
Perhaps inspired by my spinach obsession, Claire has recently been trying to add more mushrooms to her daily fare.  So we've created a veggie-packed version of her original turkey burger by adding spinach, mushrooms, and carrots. The gouda and the scallions add such a great flavor that you won't need condiments. These burgers are moist and delicious! Served here with lettuce, tomato, and roasted yellow pepper.  This recipe yields about 6 burgers.  If you make a double batch, they freeze well for a quick meal later in the month.

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1/2 c grated gouda cheese
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 c dried whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 c Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 carrots, finely grated (optional)
1 -2 c spinach, chopped finely (optional)
3 mushrooms finely diced (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into six generous 1 inch patties.  Place on the hottest part of the grill and sear until browned, about 1-2 minutes on each side.  Move to a slightly cooler part of the grill and cook until done (5-10 minutes). Serve on whole wheat buns.

Angel Hair Coleslaw
We both independently bought bags of pre-shredded cabbage at the grocery, totally on impulse.  We had to laugh at each other.  I have to admit, I was a little jealous because Claire found angel hair pre-shredded cabbage.  I realize that you can just buy a cabbage and then shred it yourself, but if you're going to make an impulse purchase, isn't it better to buy a bag of cabbage than a new pair of shoes or lipstick? We are living life in the suburban fast lane.  The angel hair cabbage really reduced quickly.  This is an original dressing. It was wonderful with the burgers, and would even be a great garnish for the burgers or just serve it on the side.  This recipe makes twice as much dressing as you need, so you can try it both ways!

Dressing:
1/2 c white balsamic vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T honey or agave nectar
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of dried basil
smoked sea salt to taste (or regular sea salt)
pepper to taste
2 T water
1 T Dijon mustard

Reserve half the dressing, saving for later, and toss the other half with:
4 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 carrot, finely grated
1/2 spinach leaves, chopped (for color!)

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss with the cabbage, carrots, and spinach.

Cilantro Lime Tahini Dressing a.k.a Sauce
We are on a salad dressing kick.  Salad dressing is easy and quick to make at home, and after you get used to the lightness and fresh flavor of homemade dressings, it's hard to go back to the stuff in the bottles. This dressing is adapted from Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny, and would work great on grilled fish as well.  If you're wondering what to do with all that extra tahini, try the hummus from last week!

1/2 c water
1/2 c tahini
1/4 c lime juice (use the zest too if fresh squeezed)
1/8 c dark soy sauce or tamari
1 T chopped cilantro
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp agave nectar (or sugar) to taste

Whisk together until combined well.


Pear Chevre Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
We adapted the recipe for the dressing from Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny.  The cinnamon vinaigrette is a departure from the usual path, but it's such an interesting dressing that it's worth a try. This salad would also be great with candied pecans or walnuts, but we just used plain pecans today.  We thought this might also be good with bleu cheese crumbles or a sweet potato salad.

1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T lemon juice
1/3 c agave nectar or pure maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c canola oil

Whisk all ingredients together, except for the oil.  Slowly drizzle the oil in while whisking vigorously.  Serve over fresh lettuce, with pear slices, nuts, and cheese crumbles such as chevre or gorgonzola.

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Faux-fried Drumsticks, Zucchini Corn Cakes, Wheat Berry Salad, and Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

This is an amazing summer meal, with yet another way to use up zucchini.  We actually made one other complete meal, as well as several dessert items containing peaches, but you'll have to wait for those to post. In the meantime, here are some recipes to keep you from starving to death.

Faux-fried Chicken Drumsticks
Delicious.  The original recipe calls for 6 drumsticks, but we doubled it and added cornflakes for the extra crisp. Six drumsticks would be a joke for our family. A super funny joke that would end in people crying because there was no bawk-bawk left. So be sure to make enough. The ironic thing about this recipe is that it's oven-baked, but you dip the drumsticks in melted butter, so I kind of feel like something gets cancelled out. You could try olive oil or egg wash, but let's face it, butter adds such a great aroma and flavor.  I've never been tempted to leave it out. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,148166-231196,00.html

1 c flour
1/2 c cornflakes, finely crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
12 chicken drumsticks
1/2 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, cornflakes, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper in a bowl. Dip the drumsticks in butter and roll in flour to coat. Arrange on an ungreased baking pan.  Like with foil to easy clean-up.  Bake uncovered until done, about 50 minutes.

Zucchini Corn Cakes
Wow.  These were amazing. They are best served immediately.  We thought there should be a light dip that went with it, so we whipped one together.  Recipe follows. It was hard to stop snacking on them, and they were a hit with my kids.  The original recipe calls for only 1/2 c flour, and makes thinner pancakes. We like these- a little heartier and easier to handle.  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,142181-230206,00.html

4 large eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 c flour
1 small finely diced onion
4 c shredded zucchini
2 T fresh chopped basil
1/2 c corn
1/4 c chopped yellow pepper (for color)
salt and pepper
1-3 T each butter and salad oil

Beat eggs with a fork in a large bowl until well-blended, then beat in lemon juice, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, flour, and onion. Stir in zucchini until well-combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a 10-12 inch frying pan, heat 1 T each of butter and oil until butter melts. Drop 1 heaping T of zucchini mixture at a time into the pan, let it spread out slightly.  Cook until golden brown, and gently flip.

Basil Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce
You could just serve with sour cream and chives, or you could make this.  We used leftover stuff from all our other dishes. Fantastic!

1/3 c yogurt
2-3 basil leaves, chopped
smidge of minced garlic (scraped it off the cutting board)
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 T chopped cilantro

Whisk it all together.

Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella
Our friend Robi made this with us. Delicious and satisfying, with lots of protein. Substitute regular mozzarella if you must, but the smoked mozzarella flavor brings it all together. You may want to cut back on the red onion a little if you have little guys.  Or consider adding more if you don't want to be bothered with having to talk to people. Whatever works for you. From http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wheat-Berry-and-Barley-Salad-with-Smoked-Mozzarella-12251?mbid=ipapp

1 cup wheat berries
1 cup pearl barley
1 small red onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
6 scallions, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, diced fine
1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Into a kettle of salted boiling water stir wheat berries and cook at a slow boil 30 minutes. Stir in barley and cook grains at a slow boil
40 minutes
While grains are cooking, in a large bowl stir together onion, garlic paste, vinegar, and oil.
Drain grains well and add to onion mixture. Toss mixture well and cool. Add scallions, corn, mozzarella, tomatoes, chives, and salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Serve salad with parsley salad.



Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio Crust
This was also Robi's contribution.  We love when she joins us.  This was extremely popular with the kids, who did not pause to hear the answer to their question, "What's rhubarb?" http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Blueberry-Rhubarb-Crisp-with-Pistachio-Crust-101793?mbid=ipapp

1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 pound rhubarb
2 cups blueberries (about 11 ounces)

For topping
1/3 cup shelled natural pistachios
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
In a bowl stir together sugar and flour. Trim rhubarb and cut enough of stalks into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Add rhubarb and blueberries to sugar mixture, tossing well, and spread mixture in baking dish.

Make topping: Finely chop pistachios. In a bowl whisk together flour and sugars. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and with your fingers or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add pistachios and toss well.
Squeeze a handful of topping together and coarsely crumble in chunks over filling. Squeeze and evenly crumble remaining topping over filling in same manner. Bake crisp in upper third of oven until filling is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden, about 50 minutes.

Serve crisp warm or at room temperature.


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Peanut Chicken Kabobs, Cucumber Salad, Quinoa Pilaf, and Chocolate Pudding

It's still summer, so hopefully your grill is still out and feeling the love.  You can make just about everything here ahead of time, and reheat the quinoa at the last minute. We love your comments, whether they are in person, by email, or on Facebook.  Please leave us comments on the blog as well, as we want to know if things worked really well, or you tweaked the recipe, or it was a total flop.  It keeps us motivated!

Peanut Chicken Kabobs
These are so yummy on the grill. I used dark soy sauce to make them, so the marinade came out darker than usual.  I like to reserve some of the excess marinade, heat it over the stove, and use it as extra sauce. We usually serve it with rice, or in this case, Quinoa Pilaf, below.  It's also great with Ginger Noodles.  This was a huge hit with Claire's family. 

Before tossing them on the grill...

2-4 chicken breasts, cut into kabob-sized chunks
1 c peanuts
2 T coriander seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp red pepper
1 c green onions
3 T lemon juice
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c chicken broth

Place all ingredients (except the chicken) into a blender or food processor until the peanuts are ground to your liking. Do it in batches if necessary. In a mixing bowl, let the chicken sit in the marinade for a few minutes while you slice other ingredients for the kabobs, such as zucchini, onions, or peppers. Load the chicken onto pre-soaked wooden skewers (to prevent burning), alternating with whatever other ingredients you have. Grill until the chicken is tender.

Cucumber Salad
This gets better if it's allowed to sit for a few hours ahead of time to let the ingredients blend.  My daughter had 3 helpings.  My son loves the ginger.  It's a great, refreshing summer side dish.  The sesame oil and ginger give it an Asian flair, but it's not overwhelming, so you can pair it with non-Asian main courses as well. 

3-4 medium to large cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and then sliced into chunks.
2-3 radishes, julienned
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 scallions, chopped

1/3 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c canola oil (not olive oil)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste, about 1/2 to 1 tsp

In a small mixing bowl, add rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and salt. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Toss with the other ingredients.

Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa is high in protein, and has more flavor than couscous.  It's always good, but especially if you are tired of rice. Quinoa (keen-wah) is also a super fun word for kids to say. Nothing better than a silly meal.

Quinoa has a denser, chewier texture than couscous. 

1 1/2 c quinoa
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced zucchini
1/2 c chopped spinach
1/2 tsp salt
2 3/4 c total liquid, either water or chicken stock

I steam it all in a rice cooker.  You can also cook it on the stovetop.  Bring all ingredients to a boil.  Turn the heat down to simmer, and cover with a lid.  Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to sit another 5 minutes before removing lid and fluffing with a fork.

Easy Chocolate Pudding
I love chocolate pudding, but I really hate the stuff that comes out of a box.  It's got a weird aftertaste.  This pudding takes about 10 minutes- really.  Claire made it while I was still wrangling kabobs, and the next thing I knew it was done.  It takes almost as long to make the kind out of a box, and this is so much healthier. Okay, so maybe that's going a bit too far. But it tastes better, and it's from scratch.

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1/8 t salt
1/3 c warm water
1 oz semisweet chocolate chips
       (this is about half of a 1/3 c measure)
2 c (total) milk or half-and-half
3 T cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt together in heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in water, making a smooth runny paste.  Bring to a boil while stirring constantly over med heat, then remove from heat.  Whisk in semisweet chocolate chips, and stir in  1 3/4 c half-and-half or milk.  In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and 1/2 c milk or half-and-half.  Whisk this paste into the chocolate mixture.  Stir contantly over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Reduce heat and simmer for one minute. As mixture is cooling, add in vanilla. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

My Trusty Little Friend

Meet my trusty little friend, my Cuisinart Mini-Prep. I have had this for about 10 years.  I pull it out every time I need to blend or food process something because, quite frankly, my larger Cuisinart is too heavy and cumbersome, and I have burnt out more than one blender so I am always nervous about using the blender. I keep this in a drawer, and it serves me well. Claire thought I should take a picture of it and include it on the blog, because I pretty much use it every time we cook.

Cuisinart DLC-1 21-Ounce Mini-Prep Food Processor, White

Meatless Monday: Economical Spinach Pesto, Goat Cheese Croquettes, and S'mores Bars

My almost 9 year-old son asked whether or not vegans could wear wool.  I had to think about it, but it launched a whole conversation about vegetarianism, and I brought up the concept of Meatless Mondays. http://www.meatlessmonday.com/  The kids got really excited.  REALLY excited, to the point where it was almost disturbing. My son started talking about how we should do a whole meatless week at least once a year. My 5 year-old daughter was a little apprehensive about this, and asked, "But what about bacon???" I told her that we could probably live without bacon for a week. She's still skeptical. This week, coincidentally, Claire and I didn't really have any meat recipes anyway, so we decided to make it a meatless post. It's not a vegan post, so feel free to wear wool socks while you eat.

Goat Cheese Croquettes
I buy the cheese at Costco, where you can get a pound for about $6. These are unbelievably good. Freezing them for a bit before you fry them up helps them hold their shape a little better. Slice, dip, freeze, fry, eat.  That's really all there is to it.

With Balsamic Rooster Vinaigrette (recipe below).
I also added a few chopped scallions
and a handful of pistachios and ripe figs.

1-2 logs of Chevre cheese
1 - 2 cups bread crumbs, any type
canola oil for cooking

Slice the Chevre logs into 3/8 inch circles. Press each circle, front and back, into the bread crumbs and lay out on a plate. Put the plate in the freezer until you are just about ready to serve.   Heat enough oil in a small sautee pan so that the Chevre discs have enough to float. When the oil sizzles with a drop of water, carefully put the Chevre circles into the oil. Let them brown on one side, and flip after a few seconds.  You want the oil hot enough so that the cheese browns quickly. If you have it in the oil too long, it will melt and disintegrate. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Rooster Vinaigrette

Blanche, a co-worker who loves to cook, gave us this little hint for a nice variation from boring vinaigrette. The Rooster Sauce is easy to find in the Asian aisle, and just a few drops will not make the dressing spicy.  Keep this on file when you're tired of everything else, but once you've tried it it will become a go-to recipe.

1/3 c balsamic vinegar

2/3 c olive oil

1/2 tsp sugar or honey

2 squirts of Rooster sauce

1/4 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

Shake or whisk all ingredients until emulsified.

Spinach Basil Pesto
When my boyfriend, now husband, and I were just out of college, we had a lot of strategies for stretching our dollar. At that time, fresh basil and pine nuts were specialty items and tended to be on the expensive side.  They can still be pretty pricey especially when out of season, and so one way to make the basil stretch is to use mostly spinach.  I also substitute sunflower seeds for pine nuts, and the flavor is still wonderful.  The spinach gives it a more saucey consistency, so I am able to use proportionately less oil. I've made an occasional batch with a handful of pistachios, which adds a wonderful fullness to the sauce. You can eyeball the ingredients.  My kids love this, and it also makes great dip!  Claire's boys listed this as one of their top three dinners. No joke.

1 cup fresh basil leaves
6 cups spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 c sunflower seeds or pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
salt (don't skimp, but if the nuts are salted, don't overdo it)
freshly ground pepper

Chop the garlic finely in a food processor. Add the sunflower seeds or pine nuts and chop them with the garlic. You may need to add a little oil to get it to process well.  Take out half of the garlic/nut mixture and add in a handful or two of the spinach and basil leaves. Process in batches, adding oil as necessary, until the mixture is almost frothy. Salt and pepper to taste.  Drain and rinse your pasta, and put the pot back on the burner. Add the appropriate amount of pesto, and stir just for a minute before adding your cooked pasta and turning off the heat. Toss in fresh grated parmesan, and serve!

This is much lighter and less oily than traditional pesto.
It is more of a "sauce," yet retains that fresh basil nutty flavor.
I also like to use it as a pizza "sauce." The kids love it! 

Putting it together...

Tired of pasta?  Try these other tasty combinations... My recipe for Roasted Mini Sweet Peppers is on an earlier post, http://lomomacooking.blogspot.com/2011/04/verde-chicken-in-red.html.  I used regular sized red and yellow peppers this time.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich 

(with Spinach Pesto Spread)

Kale chips on the side!

Spinach Pesto and Roasted Sweet Pepper Pizza 
I added some pistachios and grated mozzarella cheese.  
This is also great with a combination of mozzarella and smoked Gruyere.

You can make your own dough, or in a pinch,
pre-made pizza dough is easily available at the grocery.

Kale Chips
You may find this hard to believe, but once you make these, it's hard to stop eating them.  They are crisp and light.  I like them just shy of burnt.  My kids LOVE them. My toddlers will jam fistfuls into their mouths. The basic premise is high heat, short time. My son reminded me to mention that it's better if you trim the stems, which don't crisp well.  And the flatter the kale, the better. 

I usually like them just a little more done than this.
The reason there are so few kale chips in the photo is
that we ate a lot of them between the oven and the table.

Wash and prepare kale by trimming off the stems and breaking the leaves into bite size pieces.  If you have Russian kale or another flat-leafed variety, you can use the whole leaf, but still trim the thick stem. Toss with a light drizzle of olive oil and arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 4-5 minutes, until they are dark green.  You can also broil on high for 4-5 minutes.


S'mores Cookie Bars
Claire found this recipe on another cooking blog, and we had to try them. You may want to just make two batches up front. http://www.lovintheoven.com/2008/12/day-11-smores-cookie-bars.html

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.  Makes 16 cookie bars.

Rooster sauce.