Just A Few of My Favorite Recipes from Others, Fall 2010- Fall 2011

Every now and then I'll attempt to update my recipe collection and remember all kinds of great finds that I've discovered or that have been passed on to me.  Unfortunately, I've been slacking on this lately, thinking "Oh, I'm never going to forget about THIS recipe."  Then I eventually forget and the blog entry might get deleted by its author and after remembering and frantically searching for the lost recipe my tastebuds begin to cry.

I'll always remember you, tasty noodles with peanut sauce recipe...

So anyway, here are just a few recipes that I'm entering into my files today.  Maybe you'll find something you like as well in this list:

Roasted Red Pepper Pita Pizzas - When I actually buy pita bread, this is part of a quick and fantastic meal.  The best part is the sauce.  I <3 this sauce!  It is sooooooo good.

Recipe: Snowballs! Most Certainly Not Just for Winter!

One August, about ten years ago, I traveled up north to visit my aunties and their families as well as my grandmother in the state of Washington. My trips up north were always so refreshing. I loved experiencing gardening and having fields of berries at my fingertips. Except for that one time that I dropped an entire flat of hand-picked raspberries in the dirt and wound up acting like a crybaby.  For the most part I loved the slower-paced lifestyle while gazing at the snow-capped Cascade mountains off in the distance. It was always a nice breather for me to get away and experience something a little different than the smog-filled, cement-covered place I called home. It was up there that I first learned about composting, and I think that was the first and only place I ever got to mow a lawn with a riding mower. Never mind the fact that I hit a tree and for years that immature fir tree grew at an 80 degree angle, compared to his other companions. (The tree is fine now, finally.  It seems I had some real coordination issues, doesn't it?)

On that particular trip up north, my aunts and I made our way over to a magical piece of land where someone had once planted and ran a U-pick blueberry farm. The man had since passed away and his heirs were not choosing to maintain it, leaving a delicious, antioxidant-filled gift for those who stumbled across it on their morning walk.  Of course, finding a bit of land such as this was unusual for this Los Angeles girl.

Sick Soup

1 T olive oil

1 large onion

A large handful baby carrots, sliced

2.5 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup of corn

1 can of roasted tomatoes (or other)

1 box of veggie stock (or water and bouillion)

About a cup of Trader Joe's "Mixed Grain" product - quinoa, garbanzos, orzo, and couscous

Saute onion and carrots in oil in your favorite soup pot until the onion starts to soften. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the grains are edible and lovely, about 30 minutes.

Garnish with a heavy sprinkling of chopped garlic and finely chopped parsley or spinach.

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

I have finally tried another recipe from Veganomicon and I did make a few twists with the seasonings/ingredients ratio. This is a wonderfully magical recipe. Your stomach will sing a song of gratitude once it gets to digest such a tasty creation! I plan on making this many more times. It's a sure keeper. If you don't really like lime, I'd stay away from this one. I'm going to recreate this using oyster mushrooms and other grilled veggies when I have another spare afternoon.




Enchilada Chile Sauce:
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1 onion, cut into small dice
3 large green chiles (such as Anaheim), roasted, seeded, peeled, and chopped coarsely
2-3 teaspoons chile powder, preferably ancho
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (not the kind with basil or other italian seasonings)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Kosher salt

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Puree with an immersion or regular blender until mixture is smooth and even.


Potato and Kale Filling:
1 pound potatoes
1/2 pound kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped finely (1/4 lb. works fine if you only want to make 10 enchiladas. That's the amount we had and used. We kept the seasonings as listed so if you use 1/2 lb of kale, please adjust the rest of your seasonings accordingly - taste your creation as you go to get the seasonings right!)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup water +1 or 2 T McKay's Chicken Seasoning-MSG free (to taste) OR 1/4 vegetable broth
3 T lime juice (I like about 4 T)
1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), plus additional for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
12-14 corn tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded, for the tops of the enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 375 F and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches.

Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook the oil and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned (be careful not to let it burn). Add the kale, sprinkle with a little sale, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic. Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, water, spices, and seasonings, lime juice, pumpkin seeds, and salt. use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Add more salt or lime juice to taste.

Create an enchilada assembly line:
Have ready a pie plate filled with about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a lightly greased, heated griddle or cast-iron pan (for softening the tortillas), and the potato and kale filling.

Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a tortilla, place it on the heated griddle for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla has become soft and pliable. Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side.
Now, place the tortilla either in the casserole dish, run the potato filling down the middle and roll it up. Continue with the rest of the tortillas, tightly packing enchiladas next to each other.



Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (reserving some for later), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas poking out of sauce look just a little browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Top individual serving with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly. Garnish with pepitas. Great served with black beans, chile rellenos, your favorite salad, or arroz con gandules.

Don't forget to stuff yourself up to your uvula with these enchiladas!


They look a little homely, I know. Sometimes ugly food tastes the best. Sometimes. :)

I'm Addicted.

To these.

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies


Ginger. Coconut oil. Walnuts. Carrots. Oats.



Good.

It's yet another one of Heidi Swanson's recipes, can you blame me? The woman is so inspiring! This recipe is free of sugar and eggs and is one I'm sure I'll make for years to come.

I made two necessary variations. First off, I didn't have the fragrant coconut oil, just the refined stuff. So I added a splash of coconut extract and this was so freaking delicious! The smell was intoxicating. I guess I'm just a coconut freak, can you tell? I also only had organic pastry flour, not the whole wheat stuff, so substituted that and I'm sure that made these cookies only more enjoyable!

I prefer them on the soft side. 9 minutes is perfect for my oven, at least. When we cooked these for the full 12 minutes they were way too dry.

I made these two days in a row and as soon as I get more maple syrup, I'm making more, baby! The dough is great, too.



They freeze great (cooked) and the best part of making them on the small side is that you can eat about 9 and it's the equivalent of one "regular-sized" store-bought cookie.

Please Don't Pour it in Your Loafers

Several months ago I tried Heidi's Split-Pea Soup recipe and we definitely enjoyed it. While I enjoy the flavors she suggests, I'm NOT a fan of cooking my lentils and split peas for only 20-30 minutes. That texture kills me. I also don't like having to take the extra step of blending, even though I have a hand blender and my awesome Vita-Mix. I'm just so tired, so if I can possibly eliminate the need to wash an extra dish or appliance, laziness will surely win in order to keep my kitchen sparkling.

A few days ago I made a crock pot variation of her pea soup that has been a wonderfully easy recipe to prepare while the boys are eating their breakfast or snacks. This is ultra-fast, at least in preparation, but not the cook time. Luke and I have been making this together at least once a week, along with Chuck Williams' Country French Bread in our bread machine for a delicious dinner!

Mmmmm.....so good.


Place in crock pot:
One onion, chopped
Approximately two cups of green split peas, rinsed and picked over
One handful of baby carrots
About twice the amount of water as there are ingredients

Cook on high for 4-5 hours (I think that's right. You know how these crock pot recipes are!).

Salt and pepper to taste. Top with drizzle of good-quality olive oil, a good dash of paprika, and chopped scallions. Lemon juice and zest is great, too.

Here it is with a slice of Panera's Tomato Basil bread. I had half a loaf in the freezer, so it was pulled for the occasion. That Sweet Streusel topping keeps me coming back for more!