Citrus Kale Salad

Always on a quest to use kale in everything. I made this sweet salad to compliment a savory soup.

Ingredients
Serves Two

2 cups finely chopped kale, no stems
1 segment of a red pepper, diced
1 half carrot cut into matchsticks
1/2 cups mandarin orange segment's (I used canned ones)
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
rice vinegar
olive oil
juice from 1/2 ruby red grapefruit

After making sure your kale is washed thoroughly shake of excess water and/or pat dry. Remove the tough stems leaving just the leafy green. Roll several leaves into a log and chiffonade until they are in thin strips. Place into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Using your hand wilt the kale until it is soft and fluffy. Once the kale is soft enough you can add your carrots and red pepper.

Sprinkle the mixture with olive oil and rice vinegar. I used probably about 1 tsp each, you do not need much. Then sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder. Finish by squeezing 1/2 of a grapefruit's juice over everything. Mix to combine flavors. Add the mandarin orange segments last so they remain whole.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Warm Chickpea and Spinach Salad

This is the most delicious thing I have made in ages. I could eat it everyday! Thanks to the many people who had various versions of this on the web. I made it my own, and I made it delicious!


Ingredients
Serves 4

1 can chickpeas, drained
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch spinach, washed, stems chopped off
3 baby lemons, juiced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
oregano, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
paprika, to taste
olive oil

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until the onions are soft. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes along with red pepper flakes, paprika, and oregano. Cook covered for about 18 minutes, stir on occasion. Then add one bunch of fresh spinach and cook for another 7 minutes. Finish with salt and pepper and the juice of fresh lemons.

Garnish with chilled and segmented roma tomatoes. 

Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad

This is a quick and easily modifiable creamy summer fruit salad..Any excuse to eat Greek Yogurt!

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

1 nectarine, diced
1/2 mango, diced
1/2 green apple, diced
raspberries, handful
blueberries, handful
blackberries, handful
6 strawberries, halved
1 container Greek Goddess Honey Flavored Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
juice from one lime wedge

Combine and chill. Serve with brunch, a side dish to a summer BBQ, or as dessert on a hot day!

Channa Masala & Curried Potatoes

I love Indian food and have been experimenting in my kitchen with my own take on some of my favorite dishes...While not always a success from the beginning I think I have finally mastered Channa Masala...Sure its not cooked by someone one's Indian grandmother, but this is my take, and its pretty delicious!

Channa Masala
Ingredients
Serves 4-6

1 large white onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tomato segmented and set aside for final presentation
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 lime
garlic paste
olive oil
cumin
turmeric
coriander
paprika
salt
garam masala
dried mango powder
grated fresh ginger
hot chili powder
bay leafs1/2 cup water


In a large pot, on medium heat,  brown your chopped onion with olive oil and garlic paste (I used 1 heaping tablespoon, use your own judgement with the garlic and all the spices in this dish). Once the onions are browned add all of the spices, except the bay leaves. I would start off with a small amount of each spice if you are not familiar with the flavors, about 1/4-1/2 tsp. You can always add more of a flavor you prefer, but you can't back peddle and take them out. Combine spices and onions, the onions should be a dark yellow to orange color at this point. Now add your two chopped tomatoes and stir.

Onions, tomatoes, and spices!

While your tomatoes and onions are cooking on medium heat you can prepare your garbanzo beans. I cheated and used canned ones because its much quicker. If you have time or a pressure cooker than use dried ones..They always taste better. Open the can and remove about 1/3 of the beans (do not drain) and either blend them with your immersion blender or mash them until they are soft (I find this helps make the dish a little more saucy). Add the mashed beans to the tomatoes and onions and stir, then add the rest of the can of beans. At this time you can also add a 1/2 cup of water. Stir everything well and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Once the pot comes to a light boil turn down the heat and add 2 bay leafs. Cover your pot and cook on medium to low heat for 30-40 minutes. Stirring occasionally. It's at this point that its a good time to taste your Channa Masala and see if you need to add anymore spices. I tend to go heavy with the garlic, cumin, and mango powder (which adds a slight tang). If you like your curry hot add some more chili powder. At the very end of the cooking cycle I like to add the juice of 1 lime. This combination of spice, heat, and tang is very satisfying! Pour into a serving dish and garnish with a raw segmented tomato. Serve over Basmati rice.

The final product, with raw segmented tomatoes as a garnish!

Basmati Rice with Green Peas
Serves 4-6

1 cup Basmati rice
1 cup frozen sweet peas

The ratio for Basmati rice is one cup rice to two cups water..This will make plenty of rice to compliment your Channa Masala. Combine rice and water and bring to a boil. Once water has came to a boil cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, stir as needed. Once the rice is cooked remove from heat and add one cup of thawed green peas. I generally just dump them on top of the rice and cover with a lid. The steam from the rice cooks the peas while you finish up the final touches on your dinner. Adding green peas to the rice adds a nice pop of color and adds texture and sweetness to the rice. It's one of my favorite combinations!

Basmati Rice and Green Peas

Curried Potatoes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

3 peeled red potatoes, boiled and diced
1/2 onion, dices
mustard seeds
olive oil
cumin
turmeric
garlic

Peel three red potatoes and boil until soft enough to put a fork through. Do not boil them too long or they will get mushy. Drain water and set aside.

Place skillet on high heat and let the pan get hot adding a few Tbs of oil, enough to cover the pan. Add the mustard seeds and stir them constantly allowing them to toast. Now add your spices and stir into the olive oil and mustard seeds to create a spice paste, once it starts to bubble add your onions and turn down the heat. Cook the onions until they soften and then add your potatoes. Combine until all the potatoes are coated and then allow them to cook as you would hash browns. Flipping once our twice until they begin to crisp. Serve along side your Channa Masala and Basmati Rice.

Curried Potatoes

Timing is everything when cooking multiple dishes. I started both the rice and potatoes about half way through the last 30 minutes of the Channa Masala cook time, and they both took about 15-20 minutes to complete.
I served these dishes with Trader Joe's Samosa's and Garlic Naan, both which require about a 10 minute cook time in your oven...I plan to attempt homemade Samosa's next time around. However Trader Joe's will do in a pinch.

My attempt at an Indian Fest!

Gandules Salad

This recipe is based on my favorite appetizer from La Isla,, a Puerto Rican  restaurant in Ballard. This simple yet robust salad can be used as a side dish or a garnish. La Isla serves it as a garnish to plantain cups. I recently took it to a party and served it with tortilla chips as you would a salsa. I think it would be great as a side dish for pork or as a chilled summer salad.

The base of this is Gandules also known as Pigeon Peas. Gandules are a high protein legume and also contain many amino acids. You can usually find them in the Latin Foods section of your grocery store.

Ingredients

1 15oz can gandules, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
juice from one lime
sea salt, chopped garlic, and fresh black pepper, to taste
white vinegar
olive oil

Combine all of the vegetables and lime juice into a bowl. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup white vinegar, mix well. Once well combined add your spices. You may want to play around with the vinegar and olive oil ratio to get it to a point that you like. I prefer a little more vinegar for a more tart taste. Starting with 1/4 cup of each though is a great start.

Chill until ready to serve

http://www.laislaseattle.com/menu.aspx

Quick Mac & Cheese

In a pinch I made this quick Mac & Cheese as a last minute side dish for a BBQ this past weekend. I didn't really measure much but I have the rough estimates below. I mean could you really add too much cheese anyways?

Ingredients
Serve 2-4

1/2 box penne pasta
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cups skim milk
garlic, black pepper, and paprika to taste
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs

Boil the pasta and strain. Pour hot pasta back into pan add add all ingredients except the bread crumbs. Stir until all the butter and cheese have melted. This took about 5 minutes on low heat. Once everything is combined pour into a baking pan. Top with bread crumbs and sprinkle with a little bit more cheese. Bake on 375 for about 10-15 minutes, until the top is crisp.

This was quick and easy and allowed me to use a lot of odds and ends I had in my fridge and freezer. Try it out, make it yours, and add whatever else you need to use up...

Vinegar Salad

This is a salad that lots of people in my family make. It has it roots in Eastern Europe and is a great cool treat on a hot summer day! If you have a Mandolin slicer this will be your best friend when making this salad.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1/2 cucumber, sliced very thin
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced very thin
1/3 red onion, sliced very thin
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
white sugar, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon

Mix vinegar and water and add sugar to taste. Start with 1 tablespoon and taste to see if the taste works for you. You essentially want to use 1 part water to 1 part vinegar. However if the taste is too strong you can add a little more water and sugar to balance the taste. I personally like mine to have a string vinegar taste. I then add a dash of fresh ground pepper and about a tablespoon of chopped garlic.

Once the vinegar/ water meets your tastes add the veggies and chill. Serve as a side dish with you favorite summer meal!

Party Potatos

There are many versions of this party pleaser. I modified my sister Stephenie's version to my personal tastes. The variations are endless with this one, have fun and experiment.

Ingredients
Serves 8-12

1 bag cubed frozen hash browns
1 stick butter, melted
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1 bunch green onions, chopped
garlic powder, to taste
paprika, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients into a suitable baking dish, mixing evenly. Bake on 400 until the top of the potatoes looks brown and slightly crispy. Serve warm.

*I live in a studio, which includes on powerful but tiny, mini stove. I can only bake one item at a time unfortunately. In a pinch since I was also baking off my bean dip, I cooked the one from yesterday in the microwave (cheating I know). I cooked this on high for about 6 minutes, stirred and then cooked again for another 6 minutes. While it did not come out of the oven golden brown and beautiful, it was a definite BBQ favorite...You can always modify and tweak the recipes and process as you see fit...

The Tiny but Mighty Stove!

Bean Dip

Using chili beans that you can only buy in the Midwest ( My mom mailed me an entire box of Brooks Hot Chili Bans) I resurrected this party time favorite for my Seattle friends...It is always a hit, and so simple to prepare.

Ingredients
Servings 8-20

1 16oz can hot chili beans
1 32oz can re-fried beans
1 16oz jar Pace Picante Salsa, or your favorite salsa
1 bunch green onion
1bag shredded cheese. I prefer cheddar

Spread re-fried beans into the bottom of rectangular baking pan. Top re-fried beans with chili beans and salsa, evenly spreading the two. Finish off with shredded cheddar (or your favorite cheese) and diced green onions to taste. Personally I think the more the better when it comes to green onions.

Bake on 400 for approx 15-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve warm with tortilla chips...And hopefully a Margarita!

Picnic Pasta Salad

This version of pasta salad was a staple of family get BBQ's when I was growing up. Ingredients can vary but the back bone of rainbow pasta, salad seasoning, and your favorite Italian salad dressing always tied it together. Use my version as a base to create your own Picnic Pasta Salad.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1/2 box rainbow Rotini, cooked and chilled
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 orange bell pepper, diced
1/3 cucumber, peeled and diced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 small head of broccoli, segmented into tiny florets
Kraft Italian Red Pepper Vinnegrette, or your favorite Italian style dressing, to taste
Johnny's Salad Elegance Seasoning, to taste

Combine all ingredients in to a large bowl and combine. I always start modestly with both the dressing and the salad seasoning, you can always add more. Once combined chill until serving. The dressing normally settles at the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to stir the salad before serving.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is a common Italian soup made with fresh seasonal vegetable along with the addition of beans and pasta. This soup can be made a variety of ways to suit each persons tastes. It is simple yet hearty. My version is always vegetarian and varies with the seasons.

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

32oz box of your favorite stock/ broth. I prefer to use a vegetarian "No Chicken, Chicken Stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Handful of frozen corn
Handful of frozen peas
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1 cup cooked Ditalini pasta, or whatever you prefer
1/2 small white onion diced
2-3 kale leafs, chopped thin


Spices to taste:
paprika
parsley
black pepper
garlic paste
onion powder
thyme
sea salt
1 generous squirt of ketchup (trust me on this one)

Combine all ingredients with the exception of the pasta and heat until it comes to a boil. Once it boils turn down to a simmer for about 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add pasta before serving so they do not become overly starchy in the soup. 

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Who doesn't love a cinnamon roll? I have experimented with various recipes and had one kitchen fire to put together my version of this brunch time favorite. 

Dough
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package quick rise yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Filling 
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Cream Cheese Icing 
1/4 cup, 1 stick, softened butter 
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
1 tsp of pure vanilla or vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Heat the milk on medium heat until it bubbles, remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

Combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add water,egg and milk; combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When combined turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.If the dough is too sticky sprinkle lightly with flour to help absorb excess moisture. 

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise for 10 minutes. Use this time to mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened margarine; set aside. 

Roll dough into an approx.12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough evenly with filling. Roll dough into a tube and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size pieces and place into a lightly greased muffin tin. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. 

Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin tins to cool. Rolls can be iced while they are still warm, or you can wait until they are completely cooled. 

For the Cream Cheese Icing combine on high-medium speed butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Once combine and smooth slowly start to add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until everything is incorporated. Any extra icing can be stored in the fridge for about a week. 

The dough can be made in advance and frozen for future use. Once the dough has been cut into individual pieces place into a waxed paper lined tray or container.  Cover the top of the pieces with waxed paper as well. Seal try or container well with plastic wrap and freeze. When you are are ready to bake pull from freezer and let thaw and rise for about 30-40 minutes or until they are soft to the touch. They are now ready to bake.

Disclaimer: I baked the first batch off while still slightly frozen and got burned bottoms. If baking them off while frozen I would lower the temp to allow for a longer bake time. 

Key Lime Tart, as adapted from Grayston Bakery Cookbook

The Greyston Cookbook has provided me with amazing recipes and plenty of inspiration ever since it was given to me as a gift several years ago. I made the Key Lime Tar for the first time last night and it was amazing!

Serves 8-10

For the Crust

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 10 whole grahams

¼ cup shaved almonds

2 tbs sugar

¼ tsp salt

6 tbs melted butter

For the Filling

3, eggs separated

1 can, 14oz, sweetened condensed milk

2/3 fresh squeeze lime juice

1 tbs grated lime zest

Pinch of salt

Preparing the Crust

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine all dry ingredients in food processor. Add melted butter and combing until mixture is moist. 

Transfer mixture into a 9" tart pan with removable bottom. Firmly and evenly press mixture onto bottom of pan, and up the sides. 

Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Preparing the Filling

Beat egg yolks until thick. Add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and zest. Mix until well combined. 

In a separate bowl beat egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Carefully fold mixture in batches into the lime batter. Take your time so you do not loose the fluffy nature of the egg whites.  

Transfer mixture into the crust and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is barely set. Remove from oven to cool. Then transfer to fridge until the tart is ready to be served. 

I decorated this tart with fresh raspberries for a nice contrast of flavors and colors. 

Chilled Quinoa Salad

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is an ancient Inca crop typically thought of as a grain. However it is the seed of a leafy plant related to Beets, Spinach, or Chard. It has a fluffy texture and a nutty taste. It is a great high protein option, and a perfect substitute for rice.It is also Gluten Free. Quinoa is becoming ever more popular for its versatility in cooking. It can be used to create everything from breakfast porridge's to tasty chilled salads. I have experimented with it to various results, and find this chilled Quinoa Salad based on one I had from PCC Natural Market to be my favorite. Quinoa’s nutty yet subtle flavor lends itself as a great pallet for flavor experimentation in your kitchen. It can be found in most “health” stores in the bulk aisle, and in many traditional markets next to the rice and couscous options. The options for this protein packed seed are endless. 

 

Chilled Quinoa Salad
Serves 4-8 


Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup quinoa, cooked.
red, yellow, & green bell peppers-diced, about a quarter cup each

green onions-chopped, to taste

corn kernels, 1/4 cup

pinto beans-cooked and chilled, 1/4 cup

10-20 halved cherry tomatos

garlic, cumin, oregano, sea salt, pepper, adobo powder, paprika, fresh cilantro, to taste

lemon or lime juice to taste
olive oil

Quinoa is cooked just like rice. 2 parts boiling water to 1 part quinoa and a little olive oil. Generally 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. This will go a long way, so if this is just for one to two people I would start with 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water.

Once quinoa is cooked, place into fridge to cool. Once cooled add spices and veggies and combine. Add lemon or lime juice to taste. Add olive oil until the salad is moist, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons and add as needed. Place in fridge to chill until serving. The quinoa may absorb the citrus juice and olive oil while it chills and may need on or both added before serving.

           Mix well and chill. A great side dish or light lunch option.