A Note On Roasting Red Peppers
While you can do this on a gas burner, turning the pepper with tongs over and over in the flame until the skin blackens, I do mine in the broiler. When they're charred, I place them in a paper bag for a few minutes as they cool. This causes the skin to steam away from the flesh, making it easy to remove under some cool water.
If you're not going to use the pepper right away, you can store it in a jar with olive oil and a few cloves of garlic. Amazing on pasta, or a sandwich, or in salad, or eaten from the jar, cold, at 3 AM, with fingers or a fork.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Cilantro Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
3/4 cup reduced-fat (or fat free) mayo
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 or 2 small cloves of garlic
Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lemon/lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
***
I had this last week at a Solstice gathering and swooned. It is the best thing I've discovered in ages. Apparently it is from the South Beach diet cookbook. I will be making potato salad with it very, very soon.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup reduced-fat (or fat free) mayo
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 or 2 small cloves of garlic
Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lemon/lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
***
I had this last week at a Solstice gathering and swooned. It is the best thing I've discovered in ages. Apparently it is from the South Beach diet cookbook. I will be making potato salad with it very, very soon.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Best Breakfasts
When I was a tiny poet, my grandmother used to make fresh squeezed orange juice for me in the morning. She'd slice a big orange in half and squeeze it with an old-fashioned glass juicer, which I now have. The juice was warm and sweet and very acidic; delicious. Then she'd make bacon and french toast (the best!) in the electric frypan on the kitchen table (which I also now have). After we ate, she'd drain the bacon grease into a coffeecan--she used it to make huge batches of party mix at holiday time (the best!).
A Carriage Trade Pastries cheddar scone, toasted in the oven and slathered with soft butter.
Homemade (Lame No More!) granola and yogurt--either Stoneyfield Farms Vanilla or Brown Cow Maple Vanilla.
Leftover apple pie.
Peanut butter toast.
When I was a tiny poet, my grandmother used to make fresh squeezed orange juice for me in the morning. She'd slice a big orange in half and squeeze it with an old-fashioned glass juicer, which I now have. The juice was warm and sweet and very acidic; delicious. Then she'd make bacon and french toast (the best!) in the electric frypan on the kitchen table (which I also now have). After we ate, she'd drain the bacon grease into a coffeecan--she used it to make huge batches of party mix at holiday time (the best!).
A Carriage Trade Pastries cheddar scone, toasted in the oven and slathered with soft butter.
Homemade (Lame No More!) granola and yogurt--either Stoneyfield Farms Vanilla or Brown Cow Maple Vanilla.
Leftover apple pie.
Peanut butter toast.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Spring and a Poet's Thoughts Turn to Salad....
I have Salad-Making Resistance. I like to eat the stuff, but the machinations of preparing it somehow bore me. But I do have salad mix, baby carrots and other things about, and when there is no Annie's Cowgirl Ranch Dressing to motivate me, there is:
Lemon-Sesame Dressing (from the Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup light vegetable oil
Juice of two lemons
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tb tamari or soy sauce
I cup lightly packed fresh green herbs (chives, scallions, parseley, basil, dill)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp dried thyme or finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp dried or fresh whole rosemary.
Toast the sesame seeds over low heat in a frying pan until they're lightly browned. They burn easily!
Measure everything, including seeds, into blender and blend until smooth.
I have Salad-Making Resistance. I like to eat the stuff, but the machinations of preparing it somehow bore me. But I do have salad mix, baby carrots and other things about, and when there is no Annie's Cowgirl Ranch Dressing to motivate me, there is:
Lemon-Sesame Dressing (from the Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup light vegetable oil
Juice of two lemons
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tb tamari or soy sauce
I cup lightly packed fresh green herbs (chives, scallions, parseley, basil, dill)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp dried thyme or finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp dried or fresh whole rosemary.
Toast the sesame seeds over low heat in a frying pan until they're lightly browned. They burn easily!
Measure everything, including seeds, into blender and blend until smooth.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
This winter's best soup, hands down...
Red Lentil Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup red lentils
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (1 cup)
14-oz. can light coconut milk (you can use regular, but I'm always looking to cut out fat/calories)
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder, preferably hot
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
In medium saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, lentils, carrots, coconut milk, 1 tsp. salt and bay leaf. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and cilantro. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add to soup.
Remove bay leaf. In food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth, or use immersion blender. Taste, and add a bit more salt if desired. Serve hot.
Red Lentil Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup red lentils
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (1 cup)
14-oz. can light coconut milk (you can use regular, but I'm always looking to cut out fat/calories)
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder, preferably hot
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
In medium saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, lentils, carrots, coconut milk, 1 tsp. salt and bay leaf. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and cilantro. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add to soup.
Remove bay leaf. In food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth, or use immersion blender. Taste, and add a bit more salt if desired. Serve hot.
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Vitamin A Indulgences
Been cooking often; probably due to the recent purchase of a Cuisinart. Exquisite thing...
Carrots and Garlic
(a modified crockpot recipe)
A bunch of carrots, sliced thinly
A few cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
some olive oil
some orange juice
Throw all ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat briefly on moderate heat, till the mixture steams. Lower flame, place pot on flame timer. Stir occasionally. If the bottom gets sticky, add a bit more orange juice.
This takes almost no effort, is meltingly good, and nutritious to boot.
Dandelion Greens
I read in The Herb Book today that dandelion greens are one of the most nutitrious foods there is. They're on the bitter side, but distinctively good. After they've enjoyed a good soak in cold water, I chop them finely and saute them in a pan with onion, perhaps with a little bacon fat base. Delicious with sweet potato or buttery pasta.
Been cooking often; probably due to the recent purchase of a Cuisinart. Exquisite thing...
Carrots and Garlic
(a modified crockpot recipe)
A bunch of carrots, sliced thinly
A few cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
some olive oil
some orange juice
Throw all ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat briefly on moderate heat, till the mixture steams. Lower flame, place pot on flame timer. Stir occasionally. If the bottom gets sticky, add a bit more orange juice.
This takes almost no effort, is meltingly good, and nutritious to boot.
Dandelion Greens
I read in The Herb Book today that dandelion greens are one of the most nutitrious foods there is. They're on the bitter side, but distinctively good. After they've enjoyed a good soak in cold water, I chop them finely and saute them in a pan with onion, perhaps with a little bacon fat base. Delicious with sweet potato or buttery pasta.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
CUBAN SWEET POTATOES (WITH GARLIC & CILANTRO)
Put a heavy-duty baking sheet into the oven and preheat (oven and baking sheet) to 450º.
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic - or more!
1/3 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut into half-circle shaped slices about 1/2-inch thick. Put them in a big bowl, add the olive oil and stir to coat well, then season with salt and toss again.
By this time, the baking sheet should be nice and HOT. Take it carefully out of the oven and pour the sweet potatoes onto it - they should really sizzle. Spread them out so they're all flat and in a single layer - there shouldn't be any pieces on top of each other. Put them back into the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes - don't wash the bowl.
Peel the garlic and chop it very finely. Take the leaves of the cilantro off of the stems and chop roughly. (Sometimes I don't chop them at all.) Put the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice into the bowl you used for the sweet potatoes.
When the timer goes off, check to see if the sweet potatoes are browned on the bottom. If they are, turn them over. If they're not, put them back in for 5 more minutes.
An aside about cooking in a hot oven: Cooking in a 450º oven makes this a quick dish to make, and gives you nice and brown potatoes. However, there's a fine line between "brown" and "burnt beyond repair." Use a timer, pay attention, and don't drink any wine until the sweet potatoes are safely out of the oven! Learn from my mistakes...
After the sweet potatoes are turned over, put them back into the oven to get brown on the other side. This will take a little less time than it took for the first side. Total cooking time should be less than 30 minutes - more like 20.
When the sweet potatoes ARE brown on both sides, take them out and immediately toss THEM in the bowl with the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with a little more salt and a nice dose of freshly ground black pepper.
NOTES: Yes, the garlic is raw. It gets warmed up by the hot sweet potatoes, but it doesn't get cooked.
Put a heavy-duty baking sheet into the oven and preheat (oven and baking sheet) to 450º.
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic - or more!
1/3 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut into half-circle shaped slices about 1/2-inch thick. Put them in a big bowl, add the olive oil and stir to coat well, then season with salt and toss again.
By this time, the baking sheet should be nice and HOT. Take it carefully out of the oven and pour the sweet potatoes onto it - they should really sizzle. Spread them out so they're all flat and in a single layer - there shouldn't be any pieces on top of each other. Put them back into the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes - don't wash the bowl.
Peel the garlic and chop it very finely. Take the leaves of the cilantro off of the stems and chop roughly. (Sometimes I don't chop them at all.) Put the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice into the bowl you used for the sweet potatoes.
When the timer goes off, check to see if the sweet potatoes are browned on the bottom. If they are, turn them over. If they're not, put them back in for 5 more minutes.
An aside about cooking in a hot oven: Cooking in a 450º oven makes this a quick dish to make, and gives you nice and brown potatoes. However, there's a fine line between "brown" and "burnt beyond repair." Use a timer, pay attention, and don't drink any wine until the sweet potatoes are safely out of the oven! Learn from my mistakes...
After the sweet potatoes are turned over, put them back into the oven to get brown on the other side. This will take a little less time than it took for the first side. Total cooking time should be less than 30 minutes - more like 20.
When the sweet potatoes ARE brown on both sides, take them out and immediately toss THEM in the bowl with the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with a little more salt and a nice dose of freshly ground black pepper.
NOTES: Yes, the garlic is raw. It gets warmed up by the hot sweet potatoes, but it doesn't get cooked.
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