New Year, More Posts?

I hate New Years Resolutions. I usually don't even think to make any until after the New Year and by then it seems as though there is no point. Same thing happened this year, and so I have no substantive or well-throughout plans to better myself throughout 2011.

I, surprisingly, have enjoyed my time at home. I've relaxed, slept late, tried to overhaul some of the horrible eating that occurs at my parents' home (fries and chicken wings for breakfast, chips for breakfast and waffles for lunch and dinner -- some of the more incriminating occurrences). Now I think it's time to get back on that blogging tip.

I am heading into this last semester with no meal plan and a goal to overhaul my grocery budget. And so there is lots to look forward to for this new year. I've got more recipes in development, shortcuts for cooking, tips for shopping and menu planning, and more.

On that note, let's hope for more willpower this year and happy new year,!

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

I had a spaghetti squash sitting on one of the shelves in my dining room for about a month (embarrassingly enough). Eventually I figured it was time to cook it, praying that it hadn't gone bad. Luckily, after an hour of baking, it shredded into perfect strands, which I promptly threw into a Pyrex bowl. I spent the next few days trying to think of a couple methods of preparation. I settled on a gratin after seeing a recipe for spaghetti squash gratin with basil in the Recipes for Health column of the New York times.


Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Basil


 In this image, the squash was cute width-wise, rather than length-wise, which I prefer.Image via Wikipedia

Ingredients:
4 C spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup non-fat milk

4 T basil leaves, diced

1/2 cup gruyere and swiss cheese blend (I got this blend from Trader Joe's, Gruyère on its own would be fine)

2 T grated Parmesan










Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Bake for one hour. Remove from heat and let it cool. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the strands. Measure out 4 cups and then chop it coarsely.

Image via Wikipedia

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and salt. Cook until fragrant, then add the squash. Continue to cook until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks, add milk, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Pour the mixture into a well oiled baking dish (I used an 8-cup Pyrex bowl). Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.

Image via Wikipedia

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until browned. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve as either a side or main dish.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 196 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  194 Calories from Fat  113

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  12.5g 19%

Saturated Fat  4.8g 24%

Cholesterol  175mg 58%

Sodium  703mg 29%

Total Carbohydrates  12.6g 4%

Dietary Fiber  0.7g 3%

Sugars  2.9g

Protein  9.2g

Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 26% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Related articles

• Simple Cooking: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti (chicagoist.com)
• Learn to Cook, Learn to Save: Spaghetti Squash (wholefoodsmarket.com)
• Winter Squash Buying Guide (eatdrinkbetter.com)
• Quinoa and Squash Gratin (nytimes.com)

Quick and Easy Udon Noodle Soup with Fried Bean Curd Sticks

Soup is one of my favorite dishes to eat, particularly in the winter when you want a hearty meal done quickly, so you can go back to your couch and comforter as soon as possible. I had lots of bean curd sticks (basically, they are the dried skins off the top of soy milk) and wanted to find a way to apply them in a soup. I chose a Japanese Udon soup, as I felt Asian flavors would be the best compliment to the bean curd, and from there it was simple, thinly slicing and chopping whatever vegetables I had in my fridge. And the result is this highly customizable noodle soup.

 

Udon Noodle Soup with Fried Bean Curd Sticks 

Serves 1 (simply multiply each ingredient by 4 to determine the individual yields) 

Ingredients:  

1 oz bean curd sticks (I soaked mine for 20 minutes, but they can be fried as is) (can be replaced with 1/2 a serving of any other kind of protein)

1 C canola or peanut oil (or enough to cover 1/2 in of the bottom of a shallow pan)

2 oz Udon Noodles 

1 C (Vegetable/Chicken/Fish) Stock 

1 T miso 

1 t mirin 

1 T soy sauce

1/2 carrot, sliced 

1/2 C broccoli, chopped 

1/4 C leeks, sliced

1/4 cup cubed tofu 

Method:  

Heat the oil over medium heat until just before it smokes. Add the bean curd sticks and fry on either side until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels to drain the oil.

Cook the udon noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. In the same pot add the stock, miso, mirin and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes, just enough so that they are still slightly raw and crunchy.

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour the stock and vegetables over them. Top with the bean curd sticks, serve, and enjoy.

  

Vanilla Sugar-glazed Oatmeal Yogurt Scuffins (or Mones)

 

I found this recipe for Oatmeal Yogurt Scones on a blog that I have enjoyed reading before. The recipe just happened to be featured on Fitsugar. The recipe is actually modified from one for quick bread, and the result is something much moister, and less flaky than a traditional scone. what this means for my adaptation is that it lies somewhere in between scone and muffin. Jarrett and Mike coined the terms Scuffin and Mones as a label for this creation. Whatever it is, here is a petite, yet filling (thanks to all the fiber) snack with just enough sweetness and substance to be a snack or part of a meal.

Vanilla Sugar-Glazed Oatmeal Yogurt Scuffins (or Mones)

Ingredients:

Image via Wikipedia

1 C oatmeal

1 1/3 C whole wheat flour

4 T flax meal

1 t baking soda

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground nutmeg 
1/4 C brown sugar 
1/4 t salt 

3/4 C Greek yogurt

1/4 C non fat milk

3 egg whites

1 t vanilla extract

1 T walnut oil 

Image via Wikipedia 
For The Vanilla Simple Sugar: 

2 T sugar 

2 T water 

1 t vanilla extract 

Combine and microwave until the sugar is dissolved 

Method:  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Stir together the yogurt, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until combined. Mix together the flour, oats, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and flax meal. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the mixture of the wet ingredients. Mix well until a sticky dough is formed. 


Divide into 9 portions and roll into balls. Flatten the balls and place on a baking sheet with a greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Glaze the top of each ball with simple sugar and bake for another 2 minutes. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before eating, if you can resist.


 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 76 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  170 Calories from Fat  26

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.9g 4%

Saturated Fat  0.5g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  1mg 0%

Sodium  236mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates  29.6g 10%

Dietary Fiber  2.6g 10%

Sugars  8.2g

Protein  7.1g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 4% • Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Clafoutis d'onigons

Clafoutis, similar to a flaugnarde, is a French dessert, in which pieces of fruit are covered with a rich, flan-like batter and baked. Traditionally it is made with cherries (pits included, for added flavor) and it is a sweet, custardy dish. But flirting with sweet and savory is a fun way of developing new dishes and expanding one's palate. And so the cherries and sugar were replaced with onions and Parmesan. 

The original  recipe that I referenced was twice the yield of this recipe, and used Gruyere, rather than the Parmesan cheese I used (note: It was all I had in the fridge and still came out, which is a testament to the flexibility of recipes and the power of substitutions). I see lots more clafoutis in my future and will have to do a little more experimentation to discover even more great flavor combinations, and perhaps a lower fat version (substituting part of the heavy cream for whole milk, or even skim). For those of you on a low glycemic index diet, this is a great side dish, and could be replicated with any number of vegetables.

Clafoutis d'oignons

Serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 chopped onions

2 egg yolks, plus 1 large egg

5 oz heavy cream

3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese (or other firm cheese)

Method:

Place a pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and onions. Saute until transparent, about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir periodically in order to prevent burning.

In a bowl, add the egg yolks and egg, heavy cream and the Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add the sautéed onions to the mixture. When all of the onions have been well incorporated, pour the mixture into an oiled baking dish or back into the saute pan (only if it is oven safe), and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350.

Serve warm or cold, with a side salad or soup.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 84 g (1/8 Clafoutis)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 122

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.6g 21%

Saturated Fat 7.1g 35%

Cholesterol 114mg 38%

Sodium 209mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 5.0g 2%

Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3%

Sugars 1.9g

Protein 7.0g

Vitamin A 8% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 17% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B-

Quick and Comforting Meals: Eggplant Parmesan

As the temperature begins to dip, the days get a little shorter, and the nights a little darker, there is nothing more I want to do than retreat to a warm meal that will comfort my stomach like a cashmere sweater for my deepest gastronomic sensibilities. These meals tend to be fattening, expensive and time-consuming, but I knew there had to be a better way. And so I developed this cheaper, quicker, healthier version of a classic.

The eggplant is baked, instead of fried, and the only oil used is in oiling the aluminum foil on the baking sheet and the inside of the baking dish. Eggplant is very standard, but I can imagine the addition of more vegetables would make this even more filing, and that much healthier.

Eggplant Parmesan

4-6 Servings (Nutrition Information is for 6)

Ingredients:

1/2 eggplant, sliced (skin is option, but provides more vitamins if left on)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs, spread onto a plate or in a bowl

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

2/3 jar (18 oz) tomato sauce

3/4 C Four Cheese Italian Blend (about 1/4 C per layer)

Method:

Cut the eggplant in half and slice width-wise (making circular slices). Salt each side of the eggplant and let it rest in a colander for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Heat the (toaster) oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, beat the one egg. In a separate bowl or plate, spread out the breadcrumbs, adding salt and pepper.

Dip the eggplant into the egg with one hand, drop it into the breadcrumbs and use the other hand to bread. Place the breaded eggplant onto an oiled baking sheet. Repeat for all slices. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Oil the inside of an oven-safe baking dish (I used a 4-Cup glass Pyrex bowl, as it lends hand to easy storage). Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish, just a sprinkle of cheese, then begin layering the eggplant. Alternate tomato sauce, cheese and eggplant, ending with a top layer of cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Eat immediately, or portion and freeze for later.

No Nonsense Meals: Tortilla Soup

I developed this soup by accident. I had been craving shrimp fajitas, but I wanted to precede that meal with something warm, fragrant and full of flavor and in the genre.

Basic Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic

2 C stock (1/2 vegetable, 1/2 chicken; or any kind of combination)
2 C water
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup beans (pinto, black, cannellinni, or whatever you enjoy) (optional)
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen) (optional)
1 diced jalapeño pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt
Cilantro
Avocado
Queso Fresco (or other cheese)

Method:
Heat the pot over medium heat, then add the olive oil. Saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic.

When fragrant, add the stock, tomatoes, beans, corn, jalapeño. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Serve warm, garnish to your discretion, and enjoy.

Note: If you would like a creamier soup without the cream, you can add cannellini (white) beans and blend either the entire soup, or half of it for a thicker, chunkier consistency.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 223 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  143 Calories from Fat  26

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.9g 4%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  276mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates  22.6g 8%

Dietary Fiber  8.3g 33%

Sugars  2.0g

Protein  8.1g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 6% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade A

Crêpes, It's What's For Breakfast

I have reformed my ways. Growing up, I hated eating breakfast. There was no way for me to work up significant enough of an appetite to justify eating in the morning. But since I left home for college, the threat of the "Freshman Fifteen", a condition that afflicts those recently matriculated students with poor eating habits, has encouraged me to get better about nutrition and diet, and it started with starting my day off the right way.

Fast forward to 2010 and I love breakfast. It can sometimes be a struggle to eat (particularly if I'm up at 7 in the morning), but I've amassed a number of recipes that are sweet, savory, can be made ahead, but most importantly, get you going in the morning.

One such recipe is my ratio for the basic crêpe. You can fill this thin, French pancake with any number of ingredients. Thus, the crêpe is simple as a pancake, but much more versatile and far reaching.

Basic Crêpe Ratio

1 liquid

1 egg

1/2 flour

Melted butter

Alternative additions:

Salt

Black Pepper

Cinnamon and Nutmeg

(White/Brown) Sugar

Vanilla/Almond/Lemon/Orange Extracts

Herbes de Provence

Chives

Rosemary and Thyme

I make a big batch of the batter so that I can have it ready so I can cook quickly on a weekday morning or sleep a little longer on the weekend.

Like I said earlier, you can fill these crepes with virtually anything. The dressing can be as simple as butter and sugar, classic as strawberries and nutella, or as extravagant as eggs and bacon and ham and gruyere cheese and spinach, or even mac and cheese! The point being, this basic recipe can be the base for any number of flavor combinations. Go crazy!

Red Quinoa-Oatmeal Porridge with Peach and Golden Raspberries

I love the bulk bins at Whole Foods. The prices are the most competitive I've seen and I can stock up my pantry well enough to go in any direction I wish on a whim. This is great for two reasons: I am in college (read: poor), and I don't have to fall into the rut of variations on a theme of pasta dishes that would make Chef Boyardi beg for mercy.

I've had quinoa before, but this time I decided to go for the more exotic-looking red quinoa. Of course it sat in my pantry for a few weeks before I stumbled across this recipe for a red quinoa porridge with peach and white tea syrup. Then this past Sunday I found myself with all of the necessary ingredients, as well as a few extras for my personal embellishment, and decided to dig in.

My recipe is essentially the same as the original, expect I've added half a cup of golden raspberries in place of one of the peaches and doubled the amount of oatmeal. There may be some other amendments that I made on a whim, and I'll account for those in the recipe posted below. Also, I used extra thick oats, for more substance and because I like my oatmeal thick!

Red Quinoa-Oatmeal Porridge with Peach and Golden Raspberries


Ingredients:
1 peach, peeled and diced
1/2 C raspberries
1 1/2 C water
1/2 cup milk
2 tT agave nectar (optional)
1/4 cup red quinoa
1/2 C extra-thick rolled oats


Method:
Place the quinoa, peaches, raspberries and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cooking for 30 minutes, then add the oatmeal, milk and agave nectar.


Cook until the oats are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm, topped with fresh peaches and raspberries, if desired, and a side of greek yogurt topped with honey or fresh fruit.

Quick and Easy Wonton soup

It was about an hour before I had to go to work when I realized that I didn't have anything to eat for lunch. With the weather being a little cooler in DC, I wanted something warm and comforting. Not only would it warm my body, but also help to erase the drabness of my current occupation, which had experienced a whirlwind of a 3 days (more on that story later). My fridge and freezer lacked the bounty of ingredients that normally defined them, however, it had just the right combination of ingredients for a soup.

Soup is one of the quintessential fridge-clearing recipes, and can range from the rustic to the refined. It can be a thick, stew-like soup or a consommé, in it's brothy-glory. I chose something in between, a broth-based soup, brimming with fresh, untampered ingredients, and a light flavor. The result was a 20 minute wonton soup. Perfect for beginning-of-Fall coolness, and deep Winter chills alike.

Wonton Soup

Approximately 3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 t ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T peanut oil

1 t sesame oil

2 T soy sauce

1 T mirin or white rice vinegar

1 C scallions, sliced crosswise

1/2 C red onions, sliced

2 C vegetable stock (I made some from left over vegetable scraps a week or so ago)

1 1/2 C chicken stock

1/2 C water

2 Chinese Sausages (Lop Cheong in Cantonese; you can get these at an Asian Food Market, or probably on Amazon)

1/2 bag Trader Joe's  Wontons (I used Chicken Cilantro; you could easily use any kind of potstickers, dumplings, wontons on hand, because everyone has those in the freezer, right?)

Method:

Add the peanut oil to a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot (not smoking), add the ginger and garlic and saute. When fragrant add the red onions. 

When the onions become translucent add the soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar and let it sit for a minute. Then add the vegetable stock, chicken stock, water, and the  and bring to a boil.

When the water comes to a boil, add the sausage and the wontons and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with scallions or sesame seeds.

Notes:

Really anything could go into this soup. You could replace the wontons with meat, and just sear the meat then add to the soup in small pieces and cook a little longer to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly. Other vegetables to consider would be carrots, peas, snow peas, green beans, boy choy, chinese broccoli, etc.


Approximate Cost:
Wontons - $1.65
Chinese Sausage - $0.50
Scallions - $0.15
Red Onions - $0.19
Chicken Stock - $0.62
Vegetable Stock - $0.00
Water - $0.00
Peanut Oil - $0.09
Sesame Oil - $ 0.10
Soy Sauce - $0.19
Mirin - $0.30
Total - $3.79; ~$1.26/serving

Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Peach Coulis and Sea Salt

This may be my longest lapse in posting yet. Thankfully, I have a sweet post to get everyone back at the table. I have a recipe for chocolate mousse that I made back in February or March. It was sweet, creamy, rich and dense, and after a day in the fridge it developed this great, complex flavor that made it that much more irresistible. However, while the dense-ness of the dessert was nice in the fall, I needed something a little lighter as we entered deep summer in DC. The tweaks I've made are small, but they result in a nice, smooth consistency and a fluffiness that feels as though you are eating a cloud spiked with chocolate. As for the coulis, it was my first time doing anything of that sort. It came out great, but I need a squirt bottle before my plating looks more like art than someone just spooning some syrup onto a plate.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Peach Coulis

Ingredients:

2 eggs, whites and yolks separated

3/4 C milk

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 C olive oil

3 T dark-roast coffee

1 T maple syrup
1 t vanilla extract

Method:
Separate the yolks and the whites. Whisk the egg yolks and the milk together, then pour into a sauce pan over medium heat, mixing in order to prevent the milk from scalding. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add to the yolk-milk mixture. Heat until it reaches 160 degrees, then remove from heat. Pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bit of egg that may have formed from the heat in order to create a smoother consistency.

Melt the chocolate in a separate sauce pan over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from burning. When melted, take off the heat, stir in the coffee, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and the olive oil.

Add the milk and egg mixture to a blender or food processor. Slowly, pour in the chocolate mixture until well combined, and frothy. Pour the mixture into your serving glasses or a large glass bowl (I used my 4-cup pyrex bowl) and refrigerate. Depending on the size of the containers it will take anywhere from 30 minutes (2 ounce serving glasses) to 3 hours (my 4-cup pyrex bowl) to set.

Serve with the coulis drizzled on the plate, a pinch of salt on the mousse, and a dollop of whipped cream.

The blobs on either side of the plates are the unstrained raspberry coulis and peach coulis.

For the coulis:

(I didn't measure anything out so here are some approximations.)

Ingredients:
1 handful of raspberries or one peach, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 t brown sugar
1 t lemon juice

Method:
Allow to steep in a small bowl in the refrigerator for one hour. Mash with the back of a fork, then strain using a fine mesh sieve (straining is optional, though I like the results). Reserve the pulp or seeds (still tastes good and some people like it). Use the strained coulis to garnish.