Quick and Easy Cioppino

Tags

fish, seafood

Take me out to an Italian restaurant and I don’t even need to look at the menu. I will predictably order Cioppino without fail. I have tried many many versions and this quick and easy one was so easy in fact, that I can’t believe I have never made it before, especially considering how mildly obsessed I am with it. I varied a recipe found on Epicurious.com with what I had on hand.

Enjoy!

Cioppino

Serves 4

• 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar plus a spoonful of sugar (sub a full bodied red wine if you have a bottle open)
• 4-ounces clam juice (for a $ saver, I just used the juice from the canned clams)
• 1 pound skinless fillets of thick white-fleshed fish such as halibut, hake, or pollack, cut into 2-inch chunks (I used hake)
• 12 oz. canned wild caught clams (because I didn’t want to mess with buying them shelled)

Pulse fennel, onion, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then stir in chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juice, water, wine, and clam juice and boil, covered, 20 minutes. Stir in seafood and cook, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through and any shellfish is open wide, 4 to 6 minutes (discard any that remain unopened after 6 minutes). Discard bay leaves.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quick-and-Easy-Cioppino-240279#ixzz1tw1k3CK6

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quick-and-Easy-Cioppino-240279#ixzz1tw0GWvZX

Quinoa Asian Sesame Salad

Tags

quinoa, Salad

Somewhere along the lines I read the words, “Quinoa Asian Salad” and without a description or photo I came up with a picture in my head of exactly what this salad would look {and taste} like. I took those three words and came up with something very easy and very tasty. It has worked well as a quick dinner and as a potluck dish to share. In the two or three times I have made this salad in the last two weeks, I regrettably did not take a photo. Sorry about that, you’ll have to trust me on this one.

Quinoa Asian Sesame Salad

Serves 3

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cucumber

2 carrots

2 or 3 green onions

1 Tbs. sesame seeds {black or blond}

1 Tbs. toasted sesame seed oil

2 tsp. tamari, soy sauce or braggs liquid aminos

1 clove chopped garlic

crushed red chili flakes, to taste

Rinse quinoa and place 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork when done and let set for another 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, julienne {I like to do this very quickly in a Cuisinart} the cucumber and carrots. Finely chop the green onions and garlic. Pour tamari, soy sauce or braggs, along with the sesame oil into a medium bowl and add the garlic. Combine julienned cucumber and carrot in the same bowl and toss. Add all of the cooked quinoa to the same bowl and sprinkle with red chili flakes and sesame seeds. Toss lightly to coat but to make sure to not mush the quinoa together. Taste once you have tossed and adjust any of the liquid or spice ingredients to your liking.

I have found that this dish keeps in the fridge for one day, but doubtful you’ll have much leftover anyhow.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup Obsession

Tags

butternut squash, Soup

Let me introduce you to my first Featured Friends blog guest: my sister Amy!  She decided to share a Thai Butternut Squash Soup that she just loves! I haven’t made it yet, but as soon as I get my hands on some squash {probably next week when the hubs is back from NYC} I’ll be givin this baby a try. I do have the ingredient fish sauce on hand so I’ll incorporate it as well. I bought it at my local Asian Market yesterday for a Green Curry recipe that I made tonight. I didn’t take blog pics but it turned out really tasty so I’ll share that recipe with you, sans pics, soon. Until then, enjoy this Thai culinary delight from my sista!!

I am in love with this soup. The first time I made it was with pumpkin. That’s what the original recipe called for. I find butternut squash to be easier to find, but as we move towards spring I haven’t been able to find it in stores. Because of this I opted for the pre-cut cubes from Costco this time. I have altered the original recipe some, just to make it easier, but I will list the ingredients I have omitted if you so choose to use them. I never make the same thing the same way twice. I’m always throwing a little more of this or that into the pot, so feel free to alter this recipe to your liking. I don’t think you can go wrong!

2 lbs. butternut squash cubed
2 tbs. olive oil

1 onion chopped

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tbs. powdered ginger, fresh if you have it

1 tbs. onion powder

2 tbs. lemongrass finely chopped (this, in my opinion is the key ingredient!)

1 can coconut milk

2 cups water

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (I use Mae Ploy… YUMM!)

a few sqiurts of Saracha to your spicy standards

a few squirts of Braggs Liquid Aminos
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ommited ingredents:

Cilantro (it mucked up my immersion blender)

Fish Sauce (I don’t keep this on hand)

Saute onion in olive oil in large soup pot for a few minuted until translucent. Add squash cubes, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, onion powder, salt, pepper. Cook for a few minutes stirring to heat up the squash and garlic. Add coconut milk, water, chili sauce, Saracha. Cook for 10-15 mins until squash is tender. Puree by your method of choice. I just bought an immersion blender which I love for the lack of mess! But any method will work. Serve right away.

Ladle extras into small freezer bags for a quick and easy single serving meal!

Thanks Amy for sharing this golden deliciousness!

Braggs-Roasted Seeds & Nuts

Tags

Nuts, snack

Hello again. It’s been a while. I’ve either been out of town, sick or uninspired, but I am feeling invigorated thanks to this yummy little nutty & seedy snack: Braggs-Roasted Seeds & Nuts!

This recipe was inspired by “Feeding the whole family” cookbook but I tweaked it a bit for my own touch of flare. I used Braggs Liquid Aminos as an alternative to tamari, soy sauce or shoyu. Braggs is a liquid protein concentrate. It worked well as a substitute and as a bonus we will get to enjoy the 16 Amino Acids it contains. You can buy it by the bottle or get as much or little of it as you want in bulk at your local health food store. Enjoy!

1 cup whole raw almonds {any nut}
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds {any seed}
1-2 Tbsp. Braggs liquid aminos {or tamari or shoyu}
1/2-1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2-1 tsp. ground coriander
Pinch cayenne {optional & delish}

•preheat oven to 300*F. Place nuts and seeds on cookie sheet.
•toast in oven until they give off a nutty aroma {10-12 mins}.
•mix Braggs and spices together.
•once nuts and seeds are toasted pour into a bowl and drizzle the spiced liquid over them. Toss to coat and return back to the cookie sheet.
•place cookie sheet back in oven {turn it off and make sure to keep the door closed} to dry for at least 5 more minutes. Once completely dry, store in a glass sealed jar.

Corn Chowder with a kick

2 cups frozen organic corn kernels
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion (7 to 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large red bell pepper (6 to 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1/2 teaspoon) {I used dried thyme because it was all I had on hand}
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric & cayenne {less cayenne if you want less spice}
2 large Yukon Gold, Red, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cups vegetable broth
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 cup 2% milk {original recipe calls for heavy cream but I decided to lower the calories and fat and use what I had on hand}

Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin, and turmeric and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onion and pepper are tender but not browned.

Add the corn kernels, potatoes, and stock, turn up the heat, cover, and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes. Some of the potatoes will have broken up, but most should retain their shape. Reduce the heat to medium and season the chowder with salt and pepper.

Carefully blend at least half the soup in a cuisinart or blender until smooth and return to the pot.

Stir the cornstarch mixture and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly. As soon as the chowder has come back to a boil and thickened slightly, remove from the heat and stir in the milk or cream. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’t let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls and sprinkle with the chopped chives if desired.

I served the soup with baking soda biscuits on the side,

but a hearty rustic bread would be wonderful as well.

Adapted from Corn Chowder Recipe | Leite’s Culinaria

Soft & Chewy Cookies

We like a chewy cookie around these parts. Not terribly a fan of crunchy or hard cookies. A little while back the hubs put me on a mission to make a “Toll House” style chocolate chip cookie. Basically what he wanted was a perfected thick and chewy cookie. I found that perfected cookie over at the Brown Eyed Baker’s blog. She has absolutely perfected the chocolate chip cookie, recreating the Toll House cookie in all it’s glory. She’s even got down the method to create that irresistible crinkly top that I thought only was available in store bought cookies. I HIGHLY encourage you to head over to her blog and try out her recipe. There’s simply nothing like it!

This blog actually isn’t about the Toll House cookie that the Brown Eyed Baker taught me to perfect but an easily added ingredient that I have found keeps my cookies soft and chewy….flaxseed meal or ground flaxseeds! They work amazingly well to keep cookies soft and you can use it in replace of the eggs called for. Sometimes I’ll use only one egg and substitute flaxseed meal or ground flaxseed for the second egg. I either buy flaxseed meal in a bag {Bob’s Red Mill brand makes a good one} or use my coffee bean grinder to grind whole flaxseeds that I buy in bulk.

What to do: In a small dish or cup measure one tablespoon of flaxmeal or ground flaxseed and add 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit a few minutes before adding. Add to the recipe when the eggs are called for. That’s it!

I would share one of my personal cookies recipes but I never follow directions with cookies {well, rarely} so every cookie I make is an estimate of this and a dash of that. I do however, love to use flax!! And how could I not?! Flaxseed is an excellent source of protein, fiber, and minerals such as magnesium and copper. It is also a great source of Omega-3′s and lignans.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Socca

Tags

dessert, dinner

Okay, do you remember going to Mexican restaurants as a child and if it was your birthday the server would bring a {for lack of a better description} giant tortilla chip with honey, cinnamon, powdered sugar and jam drizzled all over it? I think there were tufts of whip cream around it as well. This Socca that I made for dinner would make such a great alternative to that greasy old chip. But, before I get into that, let me tell you how good Socca is for dinner!

Socca is a French chickpea-flour type pancake {think healthy version of crepes, sort of}. It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan and high in healthy carbs and protein. When serving for dinner, you can arrange any number of toppings to create a delicious and hearty dinner. I laid out most everything I had laying around: arugula, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, pinto beans, salsa, sour cream, scrambled eggs, thin sliced onion, thin sliced red bell peppers, avocado… They are super easy to make and replace a tortilla or even pizza dough superbly! Try a breakfast burrito with Socca for a healthier take on eggs wrapped in tortilla. One thing I HATE about burritos is how soggy the tortilla gets. Bleh!! Not with Socca! Other toppings I imagine would be tasty are kalamata olives, sundries tomatoes, fresh basil, feta or Parmesan… The list could go on.

An alternative to dinner is to turn it into that Mexican restaurant birthday dessert treat. It’s like a glorified dessert crepe. I mocked up {and then devoured} a Socca just as I remembered the old greasy tortilla chip version.

Oh my, it was good! A dollop of vanilla frozen yogurt is on top in replace of whipped cream. Are you going to try this? Please let me know what you think!!

Homemade Socca

Serves 2 or 3 {makes about 3 seven inch soccas}

1 cup chickpea flour {also known as gram flour or garbanzo flour}
1/2 tsp salt
Big pinch cumin {if desired}
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/4 warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
Olive or coconut oil for pan {I used coconut}

•In a bowl combine chickpea flour, salt and pepper. Wisk in warm water and oil. Let sit covered at least 30 minutes, but as many hours as possible is best because it aids in digestion the longer it sits.
•Place a heavy skillet {preferably cast-iron} in the oven and preheat to 450*.
•Remove skillet and add a tad oil to hot pan. Pour Socca batter until it reaches the edges. Bake around 8 minutes, or until the edges are set.
•Either flip the Socca or set it under the broiler to brown the top side. {I flipped mine and it worked well}. Let cook a few minutes longer.
•Cut into wedges or leave whole. Fill with toppings of your choice.

Black bean & butternut soup

Tags

beans, butternut, Soup

Sprouted Kitchen just posted this delicious soup and after I tried it last night I just had to share it! I was a bit skeptical actually because it didn’t seem like anything about it would knock my socks off, but what was so surprising and unexpected about it was how nicely the cocoa and cumin played in the overall flavor. I halved the recipe and used both butternut squash and sweet potato as suggested as an option to solely using butternut. I did everything else as it said, including making to crispy tortilla strips, adding hunks of avocado and chopped cilantro.

Black bean and butternut soup

serves 4

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash {alternatively you can use sweet potato, or a mix as I did}

1/2 cup frozen corn {optional}

1 1/2 cups black beans

2 cups vegetable broth {low sodium preferable}

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cocoa powder {I used unsweetened baking cocoa}

pinch cayenne

salt to taste & crack some fresh pepper if you like

2-4 corn tortillas

1 avocado, cubed

small bunch cilantro, chopped

sour cream {optional}

• In a medium soup pot add chopped onion and saute in small amount of olive oil or coconut oil for a few minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and squash {&/or sweet potato} and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and put on the lid for about 10 minutes.
• Add black beans, corn, cumin, cocoa, cayenne. Stir and simmer a few minutes more.
• Add salt and fresh pepper to taste
• Ladle half of soup into a blender or food processor and pulse until somewhat smooth. {this step is optional, but will leave you with a thicker soup, vs a chunkier one. I don’t think you can go wrong with either!}
• Add blended soup back into the pot with the other half and stir.
• Cut corn tortillas into strips {cut directly across keeping the length of the entire tortilla}. Toss with a scant amount of oil and tiny pinch of salt. Lay on a baking sheet and heat in a 350* oven for just a few minutes. Keep you eye on them, or they will be burnt before you know it {as you can see, mine came close}. You want to remove them when they are crispy.
• Ladle soup into bowls & top with chopped cilantro, cubed avocado, sour cream {if desired} and crispy corn tortilla strips.

Ole!

{one with cilantro & one without}

Lentil “meatballs” with pesto

Tags

appetizer, dinner, Lentils

I made these as an appetizer for a Superbowl party but they could easily be paired with a bed of fresh or sautéed greens, noodles, hot and fresh marinara or pesto for a nice dinner. Pop them in the fridge as-is for a quick snack too! I am eating them the day after and they are still really good.

Lentil “meatballs” with pesto
As seen on Sprouted Kitchen {a fav of mine}.

2 Cups Cooked Lentils {I used black lentils}
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 Cup Ricotta {I bought fat free Ricotta from Trader Joes}
1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Large Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Fennel Seed, crushed {I used Aniseed because that is what I had on hand}
2 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
Hefty Pinch of Dried or Fresh Thyme
1 tsp. Each Sea Salt and Pepper
2/3 Cup Breadcrumbs {fresh or panko. I made mine fresh from sourdough bread}

In a food processor, pulverize the lentils into mush. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the beaten eggs, ricotta, parmesan, garlic, fennel seed, parlsey, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Stir in the breadcrumbs and let the mix sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400′. Check the lentil mix by rolling a 1” round ball between your palms, it should hold together fairly well. If it seems pretty wet and it falling apart, stir in another Tbsp. or two of breadcrumbs until the ball with stay together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the mix into balls and line them up on a baking sheet (they don’t need lots of space between, they won’t spread). If you like a bit more of a crust, brush them with olive oil.

Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes until the tops are golden brown, gently turning the balls over halfway through baking. Bake longer if they don’t have a slight crust on the outside. Remove to cool slightly.

Lemon Pesto Sauce

{I bought mine at Trader Joes because I didn’t have time to make it fresh. Fresh pesto, or marinara, would be ideal}

1 Clove Garlic
1/4 Cup Pinenuts
Zest and Juice of one Meyer Lemon
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Cup Packed Basil Leaves
1/4 – 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. Water to thin

For the pesto sauce, put the garlic, nuts, lemon zest and juice and salt in a food processor or blender and run until smooth. Add in the basil leaves and olive oil until you get a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Add water, oil or lemon juice to thin as desired. Stir in the parmesan and set aside. The sauce will keep covered in the fridge for about a week.

Smear pesto or marinara sauce, on a plate. Slightly roll meatballs in sauce {or what I should have done would be to thin the sauce slightly and pour some on the plate first, then drizzle the rest over top}. Stick with individual toothpicks to serve as an appetizer. Voila!

{these photos do not do them justice. they are really good!}

PB.C.C {&S} Cookies

Tags

Cookies

Yum! Peanut butter & chocolate chip coconut cookies {some with salt on top}!! These cookies turned out to be quite good considering the large combo of flavors battling each other head to head. Using coconut oil {Earth Balance Coconut Spread} in place of butter added a different demention to somewhat regular ol’ cookies. Adding coconut on top is what brought out the flavor even more. I omitted the coconut on top of some and replaced it with a course rock salt for a salty sweet combination.

The recipe is based on Bob’s Red Mill’s WOW cookies.

PB&C.C {& Salt}

1/2 cup Earth Balance Coconut Spread {or any coconut oil for baking}
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
3/8 cup milk {soy, rice, cow}
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour* use gf flours if desired
1 cup rolled quick oats* use gf oats if desired
1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder
1 cup mix of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
Shredded coconut
Course salt

•Cream together coconut spread, oil and sugar. Add in milk, vanilla and blend.
•In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking soda and powder.
•Stir dry ingredients into wet. When half blended add chocolate chips {chopped walnuts too if desired}.
•Mix until just blended but don’t over mix.
•Refrigerate 20 minutes.

•Gather a tablespoon’s worth and dip into loose shredded coconut and place coconut side up on a greased cookie sheet. Or alternatively, place cookie on sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of course salt.
Note: you may choose to flatten the cookies slightly before baking because they don’t spread much.
•Bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.