Chicken, Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Green Bean Stew with Roasted Chicken

January 30, 2014

Green Bean Stew (no chicken)One of my favorite dishes is beans slowly cooked in tomato sauce and spices served with a scoop of brown rice and tender lettuces dressed in lemon juice and olive oil.  This particular recipe is adapted from  Turmeric & Saffrons Khoresh-e-Loobia Sabz – Persian Green Bean Stew with Chicken.  It’s very satisfying and leftovers are perfect for a work lunch.

Green Bean Stew with Chicken

Spices for Green Bean StewMy interest in Persian cuisine first developed when I came across a recipe for Jeweled Rice, a beautiful dish that includes ingredients such as cinnamon, cumin and turmeric, spices I love to cook with.  I also found another fantastic Persian rice recipe from Shanna at Curls and Carrots.  I’ve made Tah Dig many times now and it’s one of my favorite ways to prepare basmati rice.

Green Bean Stew IngredientsWith a very short list of ingredients, this green bean stew is delicious with or without chicken.  I found that using the tender meat from a good, supermarket roasted chicken works so well I now use it instead of cooking my own chicken.

Green Bean Stew

Green Bean Stew with Roasted Chicken

Adapted from Turmeric & Saffron blog

Serves 6

Ingredients  

1 pound green beans, washed, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

3 small garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped tomato, peeled and seeded

1 1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups rotisserie chicken breast, torn into large pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

Trim the green beans, rinse in a colander and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until soft and golden, about 6 minutes.  Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and pepper flakes.  Coat the onion mixture with the spices.  Add the green beans, chopped tomato, tomato sauce, and enough water to just cover the beans.  Add the salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Stir to combine all of the ingredients.  Cover the pan and simmer the beans for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.  Add the chicken to the pan and stir gently to combine.  Once the chicken is warm, taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Stir in lime juice and serve.

Appetizers, Mexican, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Guacamole ~ Alton Brown Style

January 24, 2014

Guacamole and ChipsOur two avocado trees, a Green Gold and Sharwil bear fruit in the winter and spring.  The trees are currently loaded with fruit so we are enjoying avocados in numerous ways: avocado on toast, avocado salad, and plenty of guacamole.  And, of course, the guacamole is a natural with all manner of Mexican dishes such as quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas and burritos.  We love all of these dishes!

Cilantro Guacamole is such an easy side dish to throw together.  If you have good, creamy avocados  as we do, you can simply mash them with salt and lime juice and slather it on a quesadilla.  Given a bit more time to chop up a few ingredients, this recipe from Alton Brown is excellent.  All the ingredients meld together beautifully and the end result is a fantastic guacamole.

Sharwil AvocadoSharwil avocado is rich and creamy, my favorite avocado.

Guacamole Alton Brown Style

Guacamole ~ Alton Brown Style

Adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe

2 generous servings

Ingredients

2 Sharwil or Haas avocados

1 lime, juiced

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons finely diced onion

3 rings of pickled jalapeño, minced (or more depending on how hot they are)

1/4 cup finely diced tomato

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1 small garlic clove, minced

Preparation

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat.  Use a potato masher, add salt, cumin and cayenne and mash.  Fold in the onions, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic.  Season to taste with extra lime juice.  Serve right away.

 

 

Breakfast, Eggs, Recipes

Balsamic Fried Eggs

January 18, 2014

Balsamic fried egg on toastMy favorite weekend breakfast is a poached or fried egg with a soft yolk served over toast or rice with a side of bacon and fresh fruit.  When eating my egg on rice, I like a dash of soy sauce over the egg and rice.  With toast, I sop up the yolk with the bread leaving nothing behind.  I regularly visit the San Francisco Chronicle web site (SF Gate) in particular their food section.  This terrific variation on a simple fried egg was described as a customer favorite brunch item at Foreign Cinema restaurant. I can certainly see why they are so popular.  They are simply delicious!

Balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Olive oil fried eggsThe recipe calls for two eggs however I snuck in a third so John could have two eggs.

Fresh picked arugulaPicked from the garden and washed, peppery arugula goes well with the balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic Fried Egg

Balsamic Fried Eggs

Adapted from the San Francisco Chronicle

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large or extra-large eggs

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 thick slices whole grain or sourdough bread, toasted and lightly buttered

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 small handfuls of arugula

Preparation

Add olive oil to an 8 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot (not at the smoking point), crack open the eggs, one at a time, letting each egg set; cook for about 25 seconds, keeping the heat at medium.

As the eggs puff up, season with salt and pepper.  Tilt the pan and baste the top of the yolks with the hot oil to help them cook.  Cook to desired doneness.

Meanwhile place a piece of lightly buttered toast on each plate and top with a fried egg.  Pour off and discard any excess oil.  Wipe pan to remove any oily residue.

Put pan back over medium heat.  Add the balsamic vinegar; let it sizzle for a moment or two, and drizzle over the eggs.  Scatter arugula around the toast and serve immediately.

 

 

Appetizers, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Renkon no Kinpira – Sautéed Lotus Root

January 13, 2014

Sautéed Lotus RootLotus root, or hasu as we call it in Hawaii, is a unique delicacy.  Once you peel and slice this rather homely root (or rhizome) you’ll see how beautiful it is.  Only available in Hawaii for a few months each year, I buy it as often as I can.  With its snowflake like appearance when sliced and its crunchy and delicate flavor, it is wonderful sautéed and served with  brown or white rice.  This is my favorite way to prepare it.

Lotus Root

Peeled and Sliced Lotus RootPeeled and sliced lotus root.  It’s crunchy with a mild flavor some say reminds them of jicama.

Lotus Root Sauce IngredientsA simple combination of a few ingredients will add just the right depth of flavor to sautéed lotus root.  Besides sautéing, lotus root can be used in soups, fried (crispy tempura), pickled or steamed.  Its crispy texture holds up very well regardless of how it is prepared.

Renkon no Kinpira - Sautéed Lotus Root

Renkon no Kinpira – Sautéed Lotus Root

Adapted from mmm-yoso!!!blog

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound lotus root, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 cups water

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 tablespoons sake

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

Ichimi Togarashi or cayenne pepper

Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Pour vinegar and water in to a large glass bowl.  Peel the lotus root, rinse and slice thinly.  Place in vinegar water.

Combine sake, soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Drain lotus root, place on paper towels and pat dry.

Heat sesame and canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Sauté lotus root for about 5 minutes,  Do not over cook.  Add soy sauce mixture and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates about 2 minutes.

Remove lotus root to a shallow bowl.  Sprinkle with Ichimi Togarashi (or cayenne pepper) and toasted sesame seeds.  Serve at room temperature.

Dinner, Potato Salad, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes

Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles

January 6, 2014

Eggy Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles“Will Drive For Food. ” That’s one of my mottos!  And that’s also the title of the article where I found this tasty potato salad recipe.  The May 2012 issue of Bon Appétit caught my attention because I for one, will definitely travel for food.  Anytime. In this particular article, the authors, Jenny Rosenstrach and Andy Ward, write of stopping at Sally Bell’s Kitchen in Richmond, Virginia, picking up their famous lunch boxes for their drive from New York to South Carolina.  Jenny and Andy describe the lunch boxes as consisting of a Smithfield-ham and iceberg sandwich, a deviled egg, a frosted cupcake, and best of all, eggy potato salad topped with a sweet pickle chip. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect afternoon road trip meal?

Hard Boiled Eggs for Potato SaladThe recipe calls for using only the egg yolks however I couldn’t waste those lovely egg whites so I included half of them in the salad.  The others we ate on the spot, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Yum!

Yukon Gold Potatoes for Eggy Potato SaladYukon Gold or red potatoes work well in this salad. I found some nice Yukon Golds so that’s what I used.

Crushed PotatoesThe potatoes are coarsely smashed instead of cubed.  This makes for a very creamy sort of potato salad.

Pickle JuiceThe pickle juice adds a sweet and tart flavor to the dressing.

Potato Salad Dressing

Eggy Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles

 Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles

Adapted from Bon Appétit May 2012

Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice plus  8 – 10 sweet-pickle chips

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large hard-boiled eggs, separated, egg yolks smashed finely plus two egg whites finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped red or Maui onion

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Paprika

Preparation

Place potatoes in a large pot.  Add water to cover by 2 inches, add 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes or so.  Drain.  Place potatoes in a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Using a large wooden spoon, coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some larger pieces mixed with some well mashed pieces.

Add dressing, egg yolks, egg whites to potatoes and a toss to coat. Add onion and parsley, gently mix to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill before serving.

Divide potato salad among small plates or bowls, dust with paprika and top with a sliced dill pickle chip or two.

 

Dessert, Fruit, Recipes, Vegetarian

Maui Gold Pineapple-Upside Down Cake

December 30, 2013

Maui Gold Pineapple Upside-Down CakeMaui Gold pineapples are extra sweet with low acidity.  It’s hard to resist perfectly chilled juicy wedges of this gorgeous fruit.  Grown right here on the Valley Isle, they are simply delicious.

Maui Gold PineappleMy step daughters, Katie from Seattle and Jessica from Portland, came to visit recently.  We had a birthday “wing ding” for Katie while she was here and Jessica made a scrumptious pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. Jessica is a wonderful cook and we always have such a good time planning out our next meal together.Sliced Maui Gold PineappleFresh, sweet slices of pineapple are the star attraction of this cake.  This recipe comes from Gourmet magazine.  We didn’t have any cardamom at the time so we used cinnamon instead and it was very good however next time I will definitely use cardamom.  My friend Shanna over at Curls & Carrots is a big cardamom fan and she recently sent me a bag of this intoxicating, warm, and exotic spice.  Mahalo Shanna!

Melted ButterButter is melted in a 10″ cast iron skillet before adding the brown sugar.

Melted Butter and Brown SugarAllow the butter and brown sugar mixture to bubble just a bit before you remove it from the heat.Layer PineappleLayer pineapple slices over the melted butter and sugar and pour batter over the pineapple.  Smooth the batter with a spatula.

Add Batter

Baked Maui Gold Pineapple Upside-Down CakeInvert a serving plate over the skillet and invert cake onto the plate.Jessica's Pineapple Upside-Down CakeJessica with her gorgeous Maui Gold Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

Maui Gold Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients

For Topping:

1/2 medium Maui Gold or other sweet pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored

3/4 stick unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, lactose free and vegan)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For Batter:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark rum

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 tablespoon dark rum for sprinkling over cake

Make Topping:

Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8 inch thick pieces.

Melt butter in skillet.  Add brown sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat.  Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.

Make Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla and rum.  Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended.  Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly.

Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together).  Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on rack.  Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.

***Cake is best served the day it is made though it may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

 

 

 

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