She's Cookin' | from the heart » Veggies

Curry Cauliflower Dip

Priscilla — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:47:48 +0000

Memorial Weekend marks the beginning of summer and I am ready! We don’t have any plans for the three-day weekend, except waking up at 6:00 a.m. to greet the early birds at our everything-must-go moving sale on Saturday – oh joy Whether you’re just kicking back to enjoy an extra day off or rounding up the kids to initiate summer with a little beach time, backyard camping, or throwing the first pool party of the season; simple foods that require a minimum of time spent inside are in order. And, it’s the best time of year to eat the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, purple, blue, and green – take advantage of the season’s bounty of fresh fruits and veggies!

Finally, there’s a moniker for “eat more fruits and vegetables” that sounds appealing. To quote Eating Well, it’s easy to identify foods with the highest levels of antioxidants—they’re often the most colorful. Carrots and sweet potatoes have plenty of beta carotene; bell peppers, strawberries and tomatoes contain vitamin C; tomatoes and watermelon have lycopene; and dark leafy greens like spinach contain lutein. Blueberries have anthocyanins. Red grapes have resveratrol. And the list goes on!

But wait, white is the absence of color, but it counts, too. White fruits and vegetables such as cauliflower are colored by pigments called “anthoxanthins” and also may contain health-promoting chemicals. Cauliflower is high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K (source: Whole Foods.org) Other white foods like bananas and potatoes are a good source of potassium, too.

Inspired by a recipe that I cut out of an Oprah magazine which they adapted from Skinny Dips, by Diane Morgan, today’s recipe is a chunky, chilled dip combining steamed cauliflower with warm Indian flavors that won’t have you in the kitchen very long. It’s satisfying and healthy, especially when served with the colors of the rainbow veggie dippers in lieu of crackers or chips. Like raita, tzatziki, and other sour cream and yogurt dips, it has a cool, lingering taste that’s so refreshing.

Curry Cauliflower Dip

A chunky, chilled dip of cauliflower with warm Indian flavors. Like raita, tzatziki, and other sour cream and yogurt dips, it has a cool, lingering taste that’s so refreshing. Satisfying and healthy, especially when served with the colors of the rainbow veggie dippers in lieu of crackers or chips.

2 cups of cauliflower florets (about 1/2 of a head of cauliflower)

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil

1 small sweet or yellow onion, diced

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt*

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

*eliminate for low-sodium diets

Yield: about 2 1/4 cups

1. Cut the cauliflower head in half, break into small florets to equal about 2 cups. Place in a microwave-safe container, add a tablespoon of water, cover and heat on high for approximately 3 – 4 minutes (depending on the power of your microwave) until fork tender, but not mushy. I like cauliflower to still have a bit of crunch, but you may like it softer. Drain the water and, using a fork or potato masher, coarsely mash the cauliflower.

2. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast for 1 minute. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Heat the avocado oil and sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add curry and salt to the onions and cook for another minute, until fragrant.

3. Add the sesame seeds and onion mixture to the mashed cauliflower. Remove and add to the cauliflower along with the yogurt, sour cream, honey, balsamic, cayenne, nutmeg, and cilantro. Mix well. Chill.

Serve with assorted crudités of your choice for a colorful and healthy appetizer, snack, or light lunch. Shown here served with sliced red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, blanched fresh green beans, and radishes.

Enjoy

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SOL’s Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taco

Priscilla — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:44:05 +0000

In February, I attended a party at SOL COCINA to celebrate Chef Deborah Schneider and her Baja-style tacos being featured in Oprah’s O Magazine! (February issue).

Writer Julie Powell declares a Taco Fiesta: the Easiest Dinner Party You’ll Ever Throw; there’s no argument from me that a taco bar with an array of fillings and toppings is a quick, easy, and fun way to entertain, and an excellent way to satisfy the dietary needs of your friends and family, whether it be vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, etc.

Now, the vegetarian taco, one of Chef Deb’s featured recipes from Oprah’s O Magazine, and a big hit at the recent Share Our Selves 19th Annual Wild & Crazy Taco Night, has been added to SOL’s seasonal menu, along with tacones, shrimp salad ‘esquites‘, and an ultimate burrito ‘Mar y Tierra‘. The mouthwatering taco is a delicious tangle of caramelized onion, roasted poblano chile, roasted sweet potato and black beans served on a corn tortilla with melted Oaxacan cheese, a drizzle of spicy chipotle salsa and pico de gallo. The Sweet Potato and Black Bean taco is Vegetarian and Wheat-Free and can be made Vegan without cheese and chipotle salsa. Shown as made by Chef Deborah (above) and my homemade version (below).

I like to call SOL my office – it’s quintessentially Newport Beach and there’s no better place to discuss a little business while sipping SOL’s refreshing Skinny Margarita But, in case you’re not in the OC, you’ve lucked out today because I’m sharing the recipe right here on She’s Cookin’!

As a lover of the nutritious, sweet orange flesh of the sweet potato and the mild smokiness of poblano chiles (also called Pasilla) , this just may be my new favorite veggie taco – until now, it was grilled portabello with peppers and onions, but that’s what’s so great about tacos – they’re versatile. You can pack about anything between a tortilla, and it’s delicious! Of course, you can save time by serving your favorite prepared salsas. Same with the chipotle sauce, but you can make your own by blending one chipotle pepper (found in the Latin aisle at the store) with about a 1/2 cup of sour cream until smooth.

This taco is prepared dorado-style where the cheese-topped tortillas are grilled in a skillet (cast iron if you have one) before serving. You can try it with any kind of filling - so, let’s get this party started!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Recipe created by Deborah Schneider

Serves 6 (Makes 12 tacos)

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes:

1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 white onion, diced
1 large poblano chili or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 medium orange sweet potato, cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

To serve:

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese
Chipotle sauce
Pico de gallo (optional, recipe below)

Directions

Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a heavy ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to pan, then onion and poblano chili or green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and 1 tsp. salt.In a medium bowl, toss sweet potato with remaining ½ Tbsp. oil and ½ tsp. salt. Add to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then place pan in oven and roast 15 minutes.Meanwhile, prepare tortillas dorado: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush 1 side of a tortilla lightly with oil and place oil side down in pan. Scatter a generous spoonful of cheese over center of tortilla and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly golden on the underside but still flexible. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. When finished, lightly oil a piece of foil and use it to cover tortillas.Remove skillet from oven and stir in black beans and black pepper (beans will warm through from the heat of the pan). Top each tortilla with sweet potato mixture, a drizzle of chipotle sauce, and a spoonful of pico de gallo (if using).

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

4 seeded and diced Roma tomatoes
½ cup diced red onion
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave in some seeds if you like it spicier)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Directions

In a bowl, combine the Roma tomatoes, diced red onion, kosher salt, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.

From the February 2012 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Make it yourself, or let Chef Deborah prepare it for you Either way, Enjoy!

SOL Cocina

251 E. Pacific Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA

(949) 675-9800

Two photos from the SOL celebration courtesy of Albert Evangelista Photography

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Chinese Medicine and Radishes

Priscilla — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:00:57 +0000

I’ve been MIA for a couple of days because of some major happenings on the home front. Yesterday, after going back and forth a few times, we accepted a buyer’s offer and sold our home of 15 years – making our move to the beach a done deal. A huge inner sigh of relief was followed by a surge of mixed feelings – joy for the new lifestyle awaiting us, sadness at leaving the only home that our College Girl and two fur kids have known, and dread at the thought of weeding through, discarding, and packing our lives up into brown boxes.

But it’s all good! Just need some time to process With everything going on, I haven’t had the chance to share my adventures in Hong Kong, except for a rundown of my Asian breakfast exploration, until today.

Without a doubt, the most culturally authentic experience I had was visiting a Chinese herbalist. Hong Kong, with direct access to mainland China’s vast herbal cornucopia, has the most flourishing herbal medicine trade in the Far East. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the rows of orange labeled jars filled with mysterious dried shapes, I gestured to my guide and entered without a moment of hesitation. I watched as his wife gathered herbs to fill a prescription and he studied the pulse of an elderly gentleman. Seeing Chinese medicine practiced was something I knew I wanted to do, and without Jeannie, my guide for the afternoon, I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with the herbalist. Unless you speak or write Chinese, you should always visit Chinese herbal emporiums with someone who knows the language.

For 80 HKD, he analyzed my “chi” through careful measurement of my pulse and accurately described my ailments. With Jeannie translating, I listened intently as he provided some general medical advice, then proceeded with my herbal prescription by writing characters on a track pad which were converted to an herbal prescription. He printed it out for me and asked if I wanted to have the tonic that day. For 40 more HKD he would prepare the tonic – just give him 2 hours.

We left and continued to the SoHo area – here that stands for “South of Hollywood Road” – a happening place with a wide range of international restaurants and bars accessible by the Mid-Levels Escalator – the world’s longest covered escalator.

Colorful stalls of Li Yuen Street East and West Market

Wandering through the wet market where vendors sell their live seafood and fresh meat in the open air as they have done for hundreds of years.

Taking respite in a tranquil tea store.

Marveling at the displays of animal, plant, marine, and mineral displays at another herbalist with a more modern storefront.

After a pit stop at a hip coffee and cheese cafe called Classified, it was time to head back to imbibe in my personalized herbal remedy. Just as before, it was me and the ancient Chinese man. And again, I took my cues from him to see how you were supposed to drink the bowl of steaming murky brown liquid.

In the West, Chinese herbalists can often be found practicing their ancient arts in the Chinatowns of major cities – I should be able to “fill” my prescription in Little Saigon when I choose to brave the bitter tonic again. Someone asked me if I’d seen the episode where Andrew Zimmern (of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods fame) sampled a Chinese tonic and discarded it after a few sips (I haven’t) … proud to say I finished mine!

How do radishes tie in? Actually, they are a loose reference to both the sale of our house and Chinese medicine.

Turns out that radishes were first cultivated thousands of years ago in China, then in Egypt and Greece. In fact, radishes were so highly regarded in Greece that gold replicas were made – hmm, there has to be an interesting story there. The radish did not make its way to England until approximately 1548 and by 1629 they were being cultivated in Massachusetts. (source: CDC: fruits & veggies matter) Radishes are also known for the detoxifying and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Hubs planted two varieties of radishes this year: per my request, French breakfast radishes – an heirloom variety, crisp and mildly pungent when young and Fire ‘N Ice – hailed as a Burpee Exclusive, a brightly colored beauty 3-4″ with an extra-crisp texture and a mild, delicately sweet flavor and a little bite on the finish. Like many Americans, I really only thought of radishes as a colorful addition to a green salad, until last year when I came across several simple radish salads accompanied by ravishing photographs.

As for the sale of our house…we will sorely miss our garden, but I’ll be able to walk to the downtown Huntington Beach farmers market and we felt a connection to the young couple who are expecting their first child and liked our home for all the same reasons that we did fifteen years ago. Just like Don, the husband was from upstate New York and desired a sanctuary among the masses and they sincerely appreciated what we’ve done over the years to the interior and landscaping and plan to maintain the garden to nurture their family – and we are happy to pass it on to them. *sniffle*

With this salad, I have a chance to show my dragons – anyone else love the Mother of Dragons on Game of Thrones? – as well as highlight the under-appreciated radish and organic Jade Pearl Rice from Lotus Foods:

“One of our most exemplary rices, both for its nutritional and flavor profile, we infuse our California grown organic pearled rice with wildcrafted BamBoom!™ extract, made from the Moso species of bamboo that grows in the virgin highland forest of south central China.

The oldest living peoples of the world eat a staple of rice mixed with a unique, edible species of Bamboo leaf and stem for its good nutritional profile. They consider this warm mountain-grown bamboo the true tree of life.

When cooked, this beautiful jade-colored rice produces the aroma of a bamboo forest, a light vanilla taste, and an explosion of health-giving nutrients.”

Very simple, just mix together 2 tablespoons each of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and mirin and a half teaspoon of black sesame seeds, shake in a jar or whisk until emulsified, mix half into a cup of cooked Jade Pearl Rice and toss radishes with the remainder. Sprinkle rice with Eden Organic Black & Tan Gomasio (black and tan sesame seeds & sea salt), if desired. Most Asian style vinaigrettes include soy sauce, but if you’re watching your sodium intake – soy sauce, even the low-sodium variety, is out.

Dragon!

Hope you enjoyed this brief sojourn with me Enjoy your weekend!

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Cristina Ferrare + Joy the Baker!

Priscilla — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:32:34 +0000

When you’re invited to an afternoon with Cristina Ferrare and Joy the Baker at the studio/kitchen of Diane Cu and Todd Porter – the White on Rice Couple – c0-hosted by Kitchen Aid, you know you’re in for a deliciously fun time! Throw in meeting many of the talented and creative food bloggers from LA, San Diego, and Orange County that I’ve only known online and the result is a truly memorable experience of mixing, mingling, and munching.

Mixing and mingling were fueled with mimosas and fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice delivered with lightning speed at the hands of @JenJenK and Diane and the Kitchen Aid juicer.

Todd and Diane brought tears to our eyes and inspiration in our hearts while sharing their journey in food and photography through photos, video and their deeply personal, heartfelt stories. The team posed for pictures before Cristina’s cooking demonstration, pictured above from left to right: Todd Porter, Joy the Baker, Cristina Ferrare, Diane Cu, Rachel Barbarotta, and Alex Ferrare.

Everyone that meets Cristina must fall in love with her – she’s approachable, friendly, and down-to-earth, and her daughter Alex is the same way. Being a genuine and fun person who’s also a great cook must run in the family! Cristina prepared a simple, but impressive appetizer of thinly sliced baked potatoes she calls “potato plates” topped with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and herbs, and Alex put the finishing touches on this beautiful, light and healthy cucumber and zucchini salad. Cristina makes this salad often especially in the summer months when there is an over abundance of cucumbers, zucchini and fresh herbs. “It’s light and full of fresh flavor; it’s also very beautiful and appetizing to look at when presented this way. I love when food not only taste great but looks beautiful and has eye appeal. After all you eat with your eyes first!” Both recipes are in Cristina’s cookbook Big Bowl of Love published last year by Sterling Publishing Co. and including the stunning food photography of Todd and Diane.

Cucumber and Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

from Big Bowl of Love by Cristina Ferrare

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley

2 zucchini, sliced paper-thin

2 cucumbers, sliced paper-thin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup finely chopped roasted walnuts

Freshly cracked pepper

In a glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mint, dill, and parsley. Set aside.

Slice the vegetables on a mandolin or a vegetable slicer that can slice paper-thin. Arrange the zucchini and cucumbers alternately on a large platter. Sprinkle lightly all over with kosher salt. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the top, add the crumbled feta, and sprinkle with walnuts and cracked pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Note: If you’re not going to use the salad right away, do not add the vinaigrette; instead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Unfortunately, I had to leave to meet the Time Warner cable guy; all my efforts to restore my internet connection at home had failed and two days without internet on my desktop took precedence over cupcakes, so I missed Joy’s demonstration on how to make marshmallow meringue! But I did get to talk to Joy and have her sign my copy of her new book Joy the Baker Cookbook and she definitely makes baking a joy, check out the video to see for yourself. Thanks to all the amazing bloggers real-time Instagram and Twitter updates, it was if I was there oohing and aahing and swooning over those meringue topped cupcakes And you can too, courtesy of my friend Shelby Barone’s video and photo included here.

The day ended with a raffle of Kitchen Aid goodies and, WAIT…. my name was drawn as the winner of the grand prize: the new 7 Qt. Kitchen Aid stand mixer in Candy Apple Red, so totally HOT and my favorite color! I found out on Twitter – how awesome is that And, my internet was up and running! My plans for this beauty: buy the grinder attachment and make homemade sausage – one of the foods we’ve sorely missed since hubs low-sodium mandate.

Thanks again to Todd, Diane, Cristina, Joy, and Kitchen Aid for an exceptionally amazing day ♥

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5 Star Makeover: Beets

Priscilla — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:27:39 +0000

This month’s 5 Star Makeover Challenge is BEETS. Beets are at peak season in the winter months and our challenge is to make them shine in ways you may never have considered. Five Star Makeover is hosted by the lovely and talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Laz, the creative mastermind behind Lazaro Cooks. I’m honored to be a part of this inspiring group of culinary artists and each month I strive to rise to the challenge and still bring you a heart healthy recipe that you can make at home without spending half the day in the kitchen!

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

As soon as the challenge is announced my mind begins churning, and this month found me trying all sorts of different things with beets. Fortunately, we both like beets – beets can be very polarizing, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. My first idea was to put a Russian spin on it – red beets are especially appreciated in Slavic countries – take borscht for instance. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, the Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. But I’ve already posted a borscht – wonderful earthy, sweet flavors from roasted beets with a creative twist (horseradish feta cream). I had to come up with something more original! An article about Muscovites spending summer weekends at their cottages called dachas in the countryside and the foods for a dacha grilling party led to vodka which led to my mulling a jar of beet infused vodka on my countertop. Easy to make – but definitely an acquired taste. I’ll be concocting a cocktail soon… can’t let good vodka go to waste.

I really wanted to make the most gorgeous beet ravioli that I saw on the Italian Dish for Valentine’s Day, but I don’t have a pasta maker (more experienced pasta makers would roll it out by hand) and I kind of ran out of time – February is a really short month! So I pinned it on my Eat Drink Love board for future inspiration – maybe next Valentine’s Day

In the end I decided to change up the ubiquitous beet and goat cheese salad and give you not one, but two, twists on it that are simple + seasonal, full of flavor, easy to make, and heart healthy – they’re both gluten free, too. I’m all about seasonal, farm to table, and buying local and I write about/support/promote restaurants that practice this, but it means that I’ve eaten and photographed a lot of beets on a bed of greens lately. Inspiration for the elegant presentation for my 5 Star Beet Salad goes to That Jew Can Cook - I spied his photograph on one of those food porn sites and found his name amusing. This elegant dish received a call back for my intimate Oscar party for 2

5 Star Beet Salad

3 medium beets, peeled and roasted

crumbled goat or feta cheese

1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar, reduced

1 tablespoon walnut halves or pieces, toasted

fresh thyme leaves and flowers of purple basil or other herb

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Cut tops from beets, reserve for another use. Scrub and peel. Wrap in tin foil, place in an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over med-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons and is thick enough to coat a spoon, but not so thick that it can’t be drizzled. Watch carefully so that the sauce does not burn.

3. Using a sharp Sudoku or chef’s knife, cut the sides off each beet, forming a square of about 1 inch. Use the sides to form smaller squares. Sprinkle thyme leaves into the cheese. Place beets on appetizer-size plates topped with a pinch of crumbled cheese, a few nut pieces, and drizzle with balsamic.

Yield: 2 petite appetizer/salad portions

Living in California, we’re fortunate to have an abundance of fruits, including tropical varieties, and vegetables available year-round – but that’s not the case for a lot of people. Root vegetables and citrus are more accessible and, while warming soups, stews, roasted and braised meats, and comfort foods are the order of the day for those in wintry climes, it’s also a nice change of pace to add a spark of sunshine with a vibrant salsa that dances on your tongue and reassures you that Spring is on the way! Here I combined mellow roasted yellow beets with blood oranges that will put a spring in your step.

Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Salsa

2 yellow beets, peeled and roasted

1 blood orange, supremed*

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 T. champagne vinegar

1 T. blood orange juice

1 T. honey

1 t. blood orange zest

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cut tops from beets, reserve for another use. Scrub and peel. Wrap in tin foil, place in an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. While the beets are roasting, supreme* (the French term for sectioning citrus) the blood orange – do this on a plate to retain the sweet juice for use in the vinaigrette. Slice off the top and bottom of the orange so that it’s stable on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife or fillet knife cut down along the sides to remove the skin and pith. Use your knife to carefully release each segment from the membrane.

3. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Slice the beets lengthwise and then crosswise to form small cubes. Add the orange segments and gently toss with the vinaigrette. Refrigerate for 30 minute to allow the flavors to meld.

Wonderful served in endive leaves as a salad or paired with fish or chicken as a unique winter salsa.

Yield: 2 cups – 2 to 4 servings as a salad or salsa

All the awe-inspiring beet makeovers will be posted on 5 Star Foodie’s website on Friday, February 24th – take a few minutes to check them out, I guarantee you’ll never look at beets in the same way!

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Mushroom, Apple and Sage Stuffed Red Onions

Priscilla — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

While everyone’s been baking their little hearts out; tempting readers with homey gingerbread cakes, elegant pavlovas, and every deletable cookie imaginable, I’ve been busy experimenting with low-sodium, heart healthy, savory side dishes that will flatter the main attraction at your holiday table.

Always mindful of making meals that delight your taste buds while nurturing your body, this is the first time I’ve had to prepare a holiday dinner that doesn’t include sausage, bacon, pancetta, or cheese. I know we’re not alone in our gustatory passion for cured pork delicacies, unfortunately, these foods have no place in a low-sodium diet! And cheese - it’s practically a food group in itself! Rarely have we met a cheese we didn’t like - whether goat, sheep, or cow’s milk, fresh, aged, brined, herbed, rolled in nuts, or sprinkled with berries - and all have been sorely missed as I master the art of flavorful, low-sodium cooking to keep my man ticking.

Baking is a real challenge as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and baking powder (calcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate) are essential. But, together, we’ve found a number of low-sodium products at Trader Joes (including no salt added chips that aren’t half bad) and online, including baking powder and baking soda that contain no sodium, but rather potassium as the active ingredient, and many other products that I’ll talk about in future posts.

Bread has a surprising amount of sodium, anywhere from 160 mg in a slice of whole wheat to 320 mg or more in a piece of cornbread, focaccia, pretzel bread, etc. Naturally, so do bread crumbs, even if homemade. Fortunately, I’ve always preferred Japanese-style panko for a crisp coating on my coconut shrimp or baked chicken and I was thrilled that the sodium content of Kikkoman’s Panko bread crumbs is only 40 mg per 1/2 cup serving. Other brand name bread crumbs had to be tossed, but the panko is here to stay

Which brings us to this earthy mushroom, tart green apple “stuffing” made with panko bread crumbs that I’ve served up several ways. Brimming with seasonal flavors, it takes succulent baked stuffed pork chops to another level and has garnered rave reviews when presented as vegetarian stuffed mushroom appetizers, redolent with umami, it was easy to forget the sausage Here, I stole the idea of stuffing red onions, instead of mushrooms, that I spied in November’s Martha Stewarts Living.

Mushroom, Apple and Sage Stuffed Red Onions

Yield: 8 servings

8 small-to-medium red onions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 portobello mushroom, chopped
1 red cherry chile pepper, minced
1/2 cup Kikkoman panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Granny Smith apple, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Slice off tops and bottoms of onions, leave peel on. Using a melon baller or a spoon, scoop out the center of each onion about 2/3 way down. Sprinkle with salt if desired (I use no additional salt). Transfer onions to a prepared baking dish and cover with parchment, then foil. Bake until just starting to soften, about 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, apple and fennel seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes until apples are softened. Add garlic and red cherry chile, cook for one minute. Remove from heat, stir in panko bread crumbs, sage, parsley and 1/4 cup of Gruyere. Let cool.

3. Using the melon baller or a tablespoon measure, fill onions with stuffing and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of Gruyere. Bake until tops are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes more.

Whether your traditions are centered on brisket and latkes, ham, prime rib, pork roast, seafood, or turkey – the sweetness of roasted stuffed onions in their garnet coats will make a delightful addition to your celebratory dinner.

Enjoy

Ours is an intimate Christmas dinner - just the three of us this year, no travel to visit relatives in blustery environs with hopes for a White Christmas or escape-the-madness golf weekend in sunny Palm Springs… and I’m not disappointed in the least. It’s been a virtually stress-free holiday season for me and I’m ecstatic!

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Recipe for Carrot Pumpkin; Sauce or Soup

Priscilla — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:50:38 +0000

Happy Halloween !!!

From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us! … Scottish saying

Whatever you feel about the “holiday” – love it or hate it, costume or not, lights on or lights off – it’s an opportunity to revel in the pumpkin. Autumn is most definitely my favorite season: all apples, cinnamon and pumpkins, brisk mornings, cozy fires, and Halloween excitement. Last night I returned from a trip to Paris with pit stops in Pittsburgh and Boston. I was thrilled to witness the hills dotted with hints of the brilliant colors to come – that is, before the unexpected October nor’easter that blew in on Saturday with it’s heavy shroud of white.

With the first signs of fall comes a bounty of delectable pumpkin baked goodies to tempt us – I indulge vicariously and struggle to stick to my healthy regimen. So here is the recipe I promised earlier this month for a delicious, but also healthy and nutritious pumpkin recipe that’s a perfect buffer for all the chocolate, candy, and baked treats! I’ve added it to the parade of pumpkin recipes that Lora at Cake Duchess has in celebration of All Hallow’s Eve.

Carrot Pumpkin Dipping Sauce

Pure essence of carrot and pumpkin with luscious coconut and bright notes of citrus and ginger creates a deliciously light, nutritious dipping sauce for crudites, bread sticks, or pita chips. Add more coconut milk for a creamy, silken soup with a tropical flair.

2 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil

1/3 cup chopped shallots

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red cherry pepper*

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest

1 cup organic pumpkin

3 large carrots, small chop

2 stalks chopped celery

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 -2 cups coconut milk*

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté carrots for 5 minutes. Add shallots and celery, cook for 5 more minutes. Add garlic, red cherry pepper, ginger and lemon zest. Cook another minute or so to meld the flavors. Add the wine, stir to blend and simmer until liquid is reduced in half – about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture. Or puree the vegetable mixture in a regular blender or food processor. Add more wine (I added about 1/4 cup) to get the consistency you desire.

Return mixture to pot and add the pumpkin. Bring to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and heat sauce through. Adjust seasonings as needed.

*For soup, increase the amount of coconut milk to 2 cups.

Vegetarian, gluten free, dairy-free, heart-healthy, low sodium.

“Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.” William Shakespeare

Better than eye of newt and toe of frog

Bring forth the raisins and the nuts- Tonight All-Hallows’ Specter struts Along the moonlit
way.
- – -John Kendrick Bangs

Carrot Pumpkin; Sauce or Soup Are you as thrilled as I am that fall has...
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Carrot Pumpkin; Sauce or Soup

Priscilla — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:46:47 +0000

Are you as thrilled as I am that fall has arrived? All apples, cinnamon and pumpkins, brisk mornings, cozy fires, Halloween excitement, the hills dotted with hints of the brilliant colors to come…

This past weekend I made a batch of sweet and savory baked apples for a little harvest party at Rustic Garden Bistro‘s patch of paradise to celebrate the completion of their kitchen remodel. Seated around their weathered farm table overflowing with everyone’s seasonal creations, gazing out over the hills of Orange; chatting, sipping, and supping with friends old and new, the hours slipped away.

The apples were Gravensteins, which I had been searching for since reading an LA Times article about their precarious future, and finally found at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo. Naturally, apple pie is the first thing that pops into your head, but not being a confident baker or having the desire to peel a bunch of apples, I thought baked apples were perfect for the season and, happily, the choice validated with hungry enthusiasm and stories of childhood memories of baked apples.

But, you’re probably confused as the lead-in photo is obviously not one of baked apples. I will be sharing my simple recipe for baked apples soon, but today the seasonal fare involves that other autumn favorite: Pumpkin. And not just pumpkin bread or muffins, but pumpkin combined with layers of flavor from sweet carrots, luscious coconut milk, and hints of citrus and ginger. Please hop, skip,and jump over to see this versatile sauce to soup ode to autumn on my friend Lazaro’s site; Lazaro Cooks.

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Classic Pairing for Gruner Veltliner

Priscilla — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:12:21 +0000

With the heat of summer behind us, we welcome the balmy days and cool nights of autumn and harvest season! And, what better theme for September’s 5 Star Makeover Challenge and this beautiful time of year than cooking with wine!

But, I cannot tell a lie – somehow, over the past month, I got it in my head that the theme was a wine pairing dinner – don’t know exactly how that happened – maybe it was the wine tasting we did in Paso Robles on the way back from dropping College Girl off in Santa Cruz or the Girls Day Out in Temecula wine country that has been in the works for the past month, but it happened and I never thought to refer back to Lazaro’s email (or Facebook) to double check.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

So allow me to introduce you to my new favorite wine: Grüner Veltliner [GROO-ner Felt-lih-ner] is a white-wine grape grown principally in Austria and is their most widely planted variety. This grape produces pale, crisp, light to medium-bodied, slightly spicy wines of good to very good quality. It can be fresh and lively to concentrated and intense and typically shows nuances of grapefruit and citrus, with a touch of fresh cracked pepper.

In my online reading, Grüner Veltliner was referred to as THE hip wine (a blog post from 2007) and my Total Wine Guide to Wine and Spirits noted that Austrian white wines have become the darling of sommelier’s across the country. Years ago a few sommeliers thought to offer it as a creative pairing with Asian cuisine – it’s now considered a classic pairing. Dr. Vinny at Wine Spectator says, “Grüner Veltliner’s bright acidity and appealing spicy quality pair it very well with all types of food. The most eye-popping match is how well it goes with Asian food—anything from Vietnamese to Thai to spicy Chinese flavors. Next, try it with seafood. Grüners also go very well with bitter greens and salads. Then have your favorite pork tenderloin dish. And finally, enjoy how that acidity can cut through salt and fat, like in a smoked ham.”

While there are many expert tips on pairing food with wine, a good basic rule that I’ve learned in various wine classes is that the wine of a particular region pairs well with the foods of the region. Sure there are other pairings that are more inspired and exciting because they bring together more unusual tastes, but if you’re a bit tenuous and still learning about the characteristics of wine, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to the classics.

As Ray Isles states in An Expert’s Pairing Advice: “there’s a kind of default logic at work here: The wines of a certain region go well with the foods of a certain region because they’ re both from the region and everyone has always eaten and drunk them together. That said, climate and culture do seem to work together to create felicitous food-and-wine combinations; the rosé wines of Provence do taste awfully good with bouillabaisse, and Tuscany’s arista di maiale(pork loin roasted with rosemary and garlic) is a natural with Chianti Classico—the wine’s firm tannins and slightly herbal character just seem to go naturally with the herby roasted meat.

In part this is because these are regions that have hundreds of years of culinary and viticultural history, where the cuisine and the wine have grown up together, in a sense. Saying that the wines of Napa Valley are particularly suited to the cuisine of the Bay Area is, on the other hand, probably a bit more of a reach. But in general, it’s hard to go too wrong matching the wines of a region to the cuisine of that region.

Although, I’ve been enjoying Gruner Veltliner since tasting several in the Wines of the World Class I took at UCI last winter, I decided to cook a classic Austrian dinner of Wiener Schnitzel to pair with a bottle of Heidel 2009 Grüner Veltliner which was included in a wine tasting of German Rieslings at Wine Lab Newport. For the makeover I served classic Wiener Schnitzel with a warm potato salad and a fresh, seasonal (apples) take on sauerkraut which added a bright acidity and lovely crisp freshness to each bite

Crispy Wiener Schnitzel
(Wolfgang Puck recipe at Food & Wine)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs*
4 thinly pounded veal cutlets, about 4 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground white pepper*

Canola oil, for frying

Ligonberry preserves for serving*

1. Put the flour, eggs and bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Season the veal with salt and white pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour, then dip in the egg and coat with the bread crumbs; press to help the crumbs adhere.
2. In a very large skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the cutlets and fry over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve the Wiener schnitzel with lingonberry preserves.

* Note: I adapted this to serve 2 and used panko in lieu of bread crumbs and a combination of dried cranberries, currants, cherries, and pomegranate seeds steeped in hot water (to plump) as garnish and a condiment since I didn’t have ligonberry preserves. Also, as always I don’t add salt due to Don’s sodium restriction and used mixed peppercorns instead of white pepper. With very little saturated fat (canola oil and olive oil are both monounsaturated fats) in the two sides and a lean protein, our wine pairing dinner was heart healthy, as well as low-sodium.

Potato Salad with Champagne Vinegar

1 pound fingerling or Dutch yellow potatoes
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parlsey
1 shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1/4-inch coins.
2. In a bowl, whisk the Champagne vinegar with the mustard. Gradually add the oil, whisking until smooth. Add the scallions and the shallot and season the dressing with salt and white pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead: The potato salad can be refrigerated overnight.

Apples and Cabbage Slaw with Caraway

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
half red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 small Gravenstein, (or Pink Lady or Granny Smith) apples, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place cabbage and apples in a glass bowl. Toast caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Whisk oil, salt and pepper, thyme, and apple cider vinegar together in a glass bowl. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the cabbage and apples and toss to coat, add caraway seeds and toss again.

Enjoy Thank you for visiting and don’t forget to check out all of the other cooking with wine creations done by the group by clicking the 5 Star Makeover link above.

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Tomato Mango Ketchup

Priscilla — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:49:32 +0000

Since I started writing about food and cooking almost two years ago, I’ve only used what’s referred to as a P&S (point and shoot) camera – a Canon PowerShot SX200IS to be specific – and was damn proud of the photos I produced with my cute blue camera. I’ve always been a tiny bit envious of the sharp macro images and dreamy depth of field of images on other blogs, but was happy being the rebel

Well no more! For my birthday, the Don gifted me with the Canon Rebel T2i with a Tamron macro lens. I’m excited, but apprehensive about the learning curve. I’m trying not to wimp out and resort to Old Faithful, but it is a little exasperating, here you are witness to my first attempts. *sigh* Please, if you have any helpful tips, leave me a comment, I would really appreciate it!

Let’s get to the recipe for today: homemade ketchup. It may not sound very exciting, but making your own special recipe ketchup is all the rage now. Ketchup is the quintessential American condiment and, while there are some foods that my family must eat with ketchup – like the typical burger, hot dog or fries; we’re certainly not one of those people who like ketchup slathered on everything. Two things inspired me – actually three – to concoct a gourmet ketchup. (1) an abundance of tomatoes* – of the three varieties we have, I thought the yellow Tangerine tomatoes would be perfect because of their natural sweetness and low acidity, (2) Don loves ketchup and even the organic brand I was buying had more sodium than he wanted, and (3) an LA Times Food feature with a recipe for homemade peach ketchup from Sang Yoon of Father’s Office – notorious for not serving ketchup with their famous burgers.

I decided to impart a tropical twist by adding roasted mango, some heat with the red peppers we have growing, and a touch of the exotic with crushed cardamom seed. And, as the mixture was cooking down I decided that a sauce might be more versatile – that’s how I roll, subject to change at any moment The ketchup turned Tomato Mango Sauce has proven to be very versatile – terrific as a marinade for pork tenderloin and chicken, drizzled on salads, and as a dipping sauce – and, most importantly, Don loves it and is asking for more!

Tomato Mango Sauce/Ketchup

8 medium sized yellow tomatoes
1 mango
6 clove garlic
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom seed
1 red hot cherry pepper, minced
salt to taste

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tomatoes and mango in half, leaving the skin on.

2. Place tomatoes and mango cut side down on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment. Wrap the garlic cloves in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the skin is crinkly.

3. Set aside to cool, then peel the tomatoes and, using a spoon, scrape the mango flesh from the peel and the seed, discard the seed. Remove the garlic cloves from their skins. Pour the pan juices into a blender or food processor, add the peeled tomatoes, mango, and garlic. Puree until smooth.

4. In a large sauce pan, combine the sugar and vinegar. Whisk the mixture over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cardamom, ginger, and minced pepper, whisk to combine. Stir in the tomato mango puree, stir to blend. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for about 30 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally. For ketchup, cook for another hour or so until desired consistency is achieved.

Enjoy

* Ketchup does not have to be tomato based, actually ketchup (or catsup) was brought to Britain in the 1600s by traders from China and Malaysia where the brine from pickled fish was used as a dipping sauce. Affluent Brits were served dishes with the rich brines from pickled walnut and mushrooms. Eventually, they began bottling these condiments, calling them catsup. Catsup came with British settlers to Colonial America and it wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that entrepreneurs began tinkering with the recipe to suit the American taste for sweet foods and sold catsup made with tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Its popularity took off when Heinz company added tomato catsup to their condiment line in the 1870s – so there you have your history of ketchup.

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