Yesterday was day 1 of a collaboration Vanessa & I are working on.  I won’t talk about it much until it’s close to being finished but we are both extremely excited to be working on a food book together.  We will be keeping actual project-related photos to ourselves so this is a little teaser/”amuse  yeux”.

I will post the recipe to this later, it’s nothing special and a very familiar dish to most people.  I prepare the chicken differently, make my own mayonnaise and toast chopped pecans- that’s probably all I do to make it a new variation of a classic.

Kale is a notoriously nutrient-dense, antioxidant packed, high fiber green. For more on that: http://home.howstuffworks.com/kale3.htm.  It is also usually over-looked because people have either never tried it, or never had it prepared well.  I love pesto and this is a variation on it, using this seasonal green in place of basil.

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

24 oz. (1 1/2  lbs.) whole wheat Rotini pasta

1 large bunch of kale

6 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 C Toasted walnuts

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2/3 c + 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil

15 oz. container part skim Ricotta cheese

1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Start a large pot of water for the pasta, add salt and oil.

2.  Toast the walnuts if you bought them raw for about 5-7 min in the oven at 375-400 F.  Remove and cool.

3. Mince garlic and sweat them in about a Tbl. of olive oil til tender (not browned).  Set aside.

4.  Clean and dry the kale thoroughly.  remove thick stems and finely chop.

5. Add the garlic  finely chopped walnuts, and salt and pepper  in a blender or food processor, pulse.  Add 1/2 of the kale, pulse and add  the rest of the greens, pulse until blended but still somewhat coarse.

6.  Transfer to a bowl/container and add Parmesan, mixing with a wooden spoon- you can add additional olive oil at this point if desired.

7.  When pasta is cooked and strained, toss with the Ricotta.

8.  Serve one cup of pasta with a heaping Tbl of pesto and sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh craked black pepper.

* I reseved some kale when I washed mine and sauteed it with a little olive oil and some grape tomatoes and a pinch of salt to serve on top of my pasta.

Yields: 8 servings (but I made double this recipe so I could literally have soup for days- it’s a really easy lunch to pack.)

Ingredients:

4 oz Turkey bacon, diced 2 large carrots, 1/4″ dice

1 large sweet onion, 1/4″ dice 1-2 celery ribs, 1/4″ dice

1 large red bell pepper, deseeded, membrane removed and small dice

2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes, peeled and 1/4″ dice

1 large sweet potato (or yam), peeled and 1/4″ dice

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 fresh sprigs of thyme 6 ears of corn (kernels only)

2 cups fat free half & half

2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl flour Chives for garnish

1.  Preheat overn to 400F and roast 1/3 of the corn.

2. Cook the bacon in a heavy pot, with a drizzle of olive oil (since turkey bacon is so lean) until very crisp but not burned, remove from pan to a paper-lined plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan (with whatever remaining fat/oil there is) add the carrots, celery, onion and bell pepper . Cook over medium high heat for about 8 minutes, til onions are tender.

4.  Add both potatoes, broth and thyme.  Cover and simmer on med-low heat until the potatoes are tender (approximately 15 minutes.

5. In the meantime puree 1/3 raw corn with 1/3 roasted corn in a blender until smooth, add a bit of the half & half if you need to.

6.  When potatoes are tender add the remaining 1/3 of corn and the pureed corn and 1 1/2 c of the half & half and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.

7.  Make a blonde roux with the butter and flour,  and add the 1/2 c half and half, stir til thick- add this to the chowder and stir.  Simmer for 5 min and check the consistency.  If you feel you want it thicker make more roux in the same manner.

8.  Serve with chives and more fresh ground black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 F

1 1/3 C Whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Baking powder

——–

2 Tbl Canola oil

1/2 C Silken tofu

2 very ripe Bananas

2/3 C Sugar

1. Sift together all dry ingredients   (Flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder) in a bowl and set aside.

2.  Combine the oil, tofu and banana in a bowl and mash until it’s well blended and smooth ( a few small chunks of banana are fine).

3. Add sugar to wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold in until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

5. Put mixture into a 9″ loaf pan and bake for 30-35 min.  Closer to 30 for a moister bread and 35 min+ for more of a crumb.

This recipe is vegan and great for those who are lactose intolerant.

*I served mine with a homemade apple compote.

1 Apple, Small dice

4 Tbl Water

2 Tbl lemon juice

4 Tbl honey

——-

plus 1 Tbl Honey  and 1 tsp lemon juice  (set aside)

1. In a saucepan on med-high cook the diced apple in water until soft.

2. Add lemon juice and cook for 30 sec. Add honey and stir until it starts to bubble.

3. Take off the heat and add 2nd amounts of  honey and lemon juice.

Let cool and serve on banana bread.

I like to make vegan desserts to challenge myself.  I wanted to figure out a recipe that did not call for vegan margarine.

1) I don’t ever eat margarine so why would I feed it to my family/friends.

2) Vegan margarine is pricey.

I used canola oil, which is low in saturated fat.  It also trumps margarine because it’s natural. And don’t be put off by the tofu!  It’s the protein (replacing the egg) that gives the cookie structure.  I had my coworkers (who bake for a living) give me brutally honest feedback and it got their approval.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C AP flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2/3 c Sugar

1/2 c Canola oil

Zest of 4 lg lemons or approx. 1/3 c

1/4 c Silken tofu

3 tbl. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F

1. Sift all dry ingredients together.

2. Beat sugar oil & zest until blended.

3. Add lemon juice, beat until blended.

4. Mash/whisk tofu to break it up, add to wet ingredients and mix well.

5. Add dry ingredients in 2 parts. Scraping down between additions.

6. You can either take 1″ balls, roll them in sugar and flatten (slightly) by hand or with a fork (for markings) OR Roll dough out and cut into shapes (1/4″ thick).

Bake for approx 10 minutes, rotating your sheet pans after the first 5 minutes.

I baked mine both ways- plain with white sugar and fork marks, and decorated the rolled ones with royal icing (which is not vegan) and colored regular granulated sugar yellow for borders and detail.  I also made a vegan ice cream sandwich with vanilla soy ice cream.

*variation- replace lemon juice and zest with orange juice and zest for orange cookies.

Really, I do.  If you have one you know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t, go buy yourself one, or put it on a wish list.

Besides just zesting citrus you can use it for ground nutmeg and other spices, ginger, to finely grate hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Gruyère.

Cà phê sữa đá or Vietnamese iced coffee.  If you’ve heard of it/had it you know it’s a great indulgence.

I am sure everyone uses different coffee, but I always use is Café du Monde brand ‘Coffee and Chicory’.  Chicory is what gives this dark French roast coffee it’s distinct flavor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory I had no idea they made decaf until recently- something for those watching their caffeine intake.

You can find it at Asian supermarkets (cheapest).  World market also carries it, and they sell it online too.  http://shop.cafedumonde.com/coffee.html

There is no real recipe because it depends on how strong or sweet you like your coffee.   For myself (I like it strong) I would do:

2 rounded Tbl

6 oz. water

2 generous Tbl sweetened condensed milk

1. Brew coffee in a coffee maker.*

2. Add condensed milk and stir to dissolve.

3.  Fill a glass with crushed ice (preferably, but cubes are fine too) and shake/stir it up, throw a straw in it, let some ice dissolve & enjoy.

*This is a short cut I feel works just fine.  Traditionally it’s brewed with a coffee press.

This is my “no thank you” to Lee’s Sandwiches and their $2-$3 coffees.

This vegetarian meal is rich with brown rice, sweet peppers, bold Mexican flavors and a tangy cilantro infused salad.

Chipotle Rice

Ingredients:

2 Tbl. veg oil

1 c Long grain brown rice

½ Yellow onion, small/medium dice

1 Garlic clove

½ tsp. Ground cumin

2 Roma tomatoes

2 C Vegetable broth

2 Tbl. of adobo sauce from a can of Embasa chipotle peppers**

**I couldn’t find achiote seeds I wanted for authentic Mexican rice, so I decided to create a recipe using this for color & flavor.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan on high. Add garlic sautee for 30 sec
2. Add diced onions and sautee until translucent.
3. Add chipotle/adobo sauce and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add rice  and cook for at least 1 minute.
5. Add tomatoes and cook for 30 sec.
6. Add broth and bring to a boil.
7. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for approx 30-35 min. (It’s a good idea to check at 20 min)

Peppers

-You will need 4-6 large peppers or 8-10 med/small peppers (of your choice- I used an array of organic peppers I harvested from a relative’s garden).

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F
2. Slice the tops of the peppers off and slice in half.  Use a knife to remove all seeds and as much membrane as you can without cutting up the pepper.
3. Line a sheet tray with foil and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Lay the pepper halves on the tray and bake for 15-25 minutes.
5. Remove and set aside once they seem soft. (but not too soft/browned)
6. Scoop the rice into the peppers and top with a few Tbl of Cotijo cheese to top the peppers (or queso fresco if you prefer a milder cheese).
7. Bake for about 7 min, and then broil for 1 minute to brown the tops.
8. You can serve this with extra adobo sauce and or crema.

Cilantro Dressing

I accidentally grabbed HONEY Greek yogurt instead of Plain Greek yogurt at the store!  So I had to figure out if it would be able to balance out the sweetness and it turned out great.  I will also post what would have been the real recipe too.

Yields 14 oz of dressing

Ingredients:

1 ½ C Honey Greek yogurt

1 Jalepeno, de-seeded, small dice

1 ½ Bunch Cilantro, fine chop

¼ Veg oil

¼ Olive oil

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ t apple cider vinegar

¼ C Heavy cream

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 limes- limes would taste great I used lemon because my neighbor has a tree)

Directions:

1. Chop the cilantro.  Squeeze out the lemon juice.
2. Add all ingredients but heavy cream in a blender.  Blend on high until creamy and incorporated.
3. Add cream.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Serve with romaine, sliced red onion and cherry tomatoes and some Cotijo or queso fresco.

Original recipe:

Ingredients:

1 ½ C PLAIN Honey Greek yogurt

½  Jalepeno, de-seeded, small dice

1 ½ Bunch Cilantro, fine chop

¼ Veg oil

¼ Olive oil

1/8 tsp. salt

1 t apple cider vinegar

2 tsp of honey

Juice of ½ lemon (or 1 lime)

Eggplant “meatballs”

I was really craving some pasta with marina sauce.  I had some organic eggplants but didn’t feel like just having eggplant with my pasta.  I know that meatballs usually have egg as a binder and some cheese- but I had neither and didn’t feel like going out.  So it worked in my favor, because I was able to improvise a new vegan recipe to share.

I served mine with whole wheat spaghetti and marinara sauce with sautéed mushrooms.

Yields: approx 22 Eggplant balls

Ingredients:

1 ½ -2 medium sized eggplants

1 C bread crumbs, plus additional for shaping

3 Tbl. olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic

1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar

1-2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 oz water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Clean and dry eggplants thoroughly.
2. Slice them in half and into small chunks- does not have to be precise, just make sure they are all roughly the same size.  Toss with a pinch of salt.
3. Heat a pan or wok on high with 1 T olive oil.  Add garlic and sautee until soft.
4. Add eggplant and sautee for about 1-2 min until they start to soften.
5. Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for 30 sec
6. Add water and cover, cooking for about another 1-2 minutes (you are essentially steaming the eggplant to further soften).
7. Take cover off, making sure to cook off the excess water and that the texture of the eggplant is nice and tender.
8. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.  Preheat oven to 350˚F
9. Once it cools down, add the eggplant mixture and 3T of olive oil into a blender. And puree until smooth, scraping down sides at least twice.  I left mind with small visible chunks of eggplant.  Put mixture back in bowl.
10. Add breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and salt and pepper.  Mix and make sure the mixture is moldable, not too dry and not sticky.  You may need to roll a ball and see if it may need a little more breadcrumbs.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning (since there is no raw eggs or meat, you can taste the mixture and adjust accordingly).
12. Roll out 20-22 balls and place them on sheet tray lined with foil.  Bake for approx 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes.

COMFORT. DISH. This is a decidedly French stew; it’s rustic and hearty yet still healthy.  This is great for a big dinner party OR as the one meal you cook for the week because you’ll have  leftovers for lunch and dinner the rest of the week.

Yields approx 8-10 servings.

Ingredients:

4# Chicken thighs (or breasts if you like white meat), Organic, free-range.

6 Sweet onions, quartered (halved, quartered, sliced- just depends on how thick you like your onions- keep in mind they cook down considerably anyway)

10-12 fresh tomatoes, peeled*

1 Tbl. Fresh thyme (or ½ t. dried thyme)

2 Bay leaves

3 Tbl.  Coarse ground Dijon (it’s subtler than and cheaper than whole seed Dijon)

1-2 heads garlic, roasted**

1/3 cup Red wine (or white if you prefer)

3 Tbl. olive oil + some for sauteeing

3 Tbl. salt

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

additional salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F and roast garlic** for approx. 30 min, until soft.
2. While the garlic is roasting, rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Cut chicken into smaller pieces (breasts into quarters or thighs into thirds/halves.)
3. Season in a bowl with S&P and olive oil.
4. Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil on high heat.  Pan sear the chicken until brown on each side.  Do this in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan.  Add seared chicken pieces to the final stewing pot you will be using.
5. In the same pan as you used to sear the chicken, cook onions until soft and light brown.  Add all of the onions into the pot with the chicken.
6. Transfer pot with chicken to stove, on med-high.
7. Add tomatoes, thyme, and wine and bring to a simmer.
8. Cover and cook on med-low for approximately 35 min.
9. Add mustard and cook uncovered on high heat for 10 more minutes or until sauce has reduced/thickened, checking for tenderness of the chicken.
10. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and dijon to suit your taste.
11. Chop garlic until very fine and almost a paste consistency, season with S&P and use as a condiment.

Serve over brown rice.  I served it with my favorite brown and wild rice blend (Bob’s Red Mill, pictured below).  I also served my chicken with a side spinach salad, with red onions, goat cheese and an orange vinaigrette.  I will post the recipe for the vinaigrette soon.

*Tomatoes: bring water to a boil in a pot, Meanwhile remove the tough part where the stem used to be by using the tip of a paring knife to carve a small cone-shaped piece out of the stem end.  Next turn the tomato over, and on the other end mark a small cross in the skin with the knife.  When the water returns to a boil, allow them to cook about a minute longer and then remove them using a slotted spoon.  Let them cool and peel.

TIP:  Tomatoes taste their best in the peak of their growing season. If good, in-season tomatoes are not available you can substitute them with a 32 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes.

** How to roast garlic: http://www.wikihow.com/Roast-Garlic