Lentil Veggie Chili
Posted: May 29, 2012 Filed under: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: avocado, brown rice, carrots, corn, green lentils, kale, lentil chili, lentil veggie chili, lentils, soup, vegan, vegan chili 4 Comments
Lentil & Veggie Chili over brown rice, a delicious, healthy, economical twist on an American favorite.
I think any of our regular readers know my affections for kale at this point. I do love that cruciferous veggie (in fact, this recipe sneaks in two cups of it), but I’ve been keeping quiet about another favorite food of mine. Possibly the the humblest legume out there, the lentil.
I don’t have a funny or inspiring story to tie into this recipe, so I’m just going to indulge in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, talking geeky about health food.
“What’s a lentil?” You ask. Well, I didn’t know either until about two years ago when I started eating a plant-based diet. I wish I had known about them when I was a college student trying to eat healthy on a tight budget. A pound of lentils costs less than $1.00 and will yield 5 cups of cooked lentils. Each cup boasts a whopping 17 grams of protein, 16 grams of fiber, folate (90% RDV), iron (35% RDV), magnesium, and much more, yet only has 1 gram of fat and 230 calories. All that, and they cook in 30 minutes (versus 4+ hours for most dry beans) with no soaking required.
Like most legumes, lentils aren’t a powerhouse of flavor on their own, but they pick up the flavors of whatever they are cooked in nicely. I use them in soups and spaghetti sauce all the time. This week, I discovered a new use for them. Instead of using canned beans or slow cooking kidney and black beans for my usual veggie chili recipe, I used lentils.
I know it’s warming up and, for some, chili is a winter dish, but I love any quick one-pot meal in the summer that doesn’t require turning on the oven or hovering over the stove for long. You can make a lot at once, and then take the next night off or easily pack up the leftovers for lunch at the office. And if you top it with a hit of diced avocado, some cilantro, and a squeeze of lime , it really brightens up the flavors and brings a bit of summer color to this warm dish.
What’s your favorite under-the-radar ingredient or food that you love to tell your friends about?
Lentil Chili served over brown rice and topped with avocado, cilantro, and lime.
Rachel’s Lentil Veggie Chili
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. grated ginger
1 T. cumin
1 t. cayenne
1 t. salt
2 serrano chilies, whole
1 sweet potato, chopped
14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup (1/2 lb) dry green lentils, sorted for dirt & rocks* & rinsed
6 cups water
2 cups of frozen corn, thawed
2 cups kale, removed from stem
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional for an extra spicy kick)
Other: Brown Rice and/or crackers, avocado, cilantro, & lime
Directions
In a large pot, heat a little bit of olive oil and saute onions and carrots with a pinch of salt on medium heat until soft. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in cumin, cayenne, and salt. Add serrano chilies, sweet potato, tomatoes, lentil, and water. Cover and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer for 30 minutes with the lid tilted, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid. Add corn and kale & optional red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 more minutes. If you want a thicker soup, continue to simmer uncovered until you reach the desired consistency.
Serve over brown rice or with crackers. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
*Before cooking any dried legumes, pour them onto a solid surface, like a paper towel and sort through them looking for sticks, little rocks, or clumps of dirt. Please don’t skip this step. I find something in probably 50% of my dried beans. You don’t want you or your guests to bite into a rock!
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Lentil Veggie Chili
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-lR
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
“Band of Brothers” MOIST Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Loin
Posted: May 25, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Pork, Uncategorized | Tags: Band of Brothers, bourbon, brown sugar, Buck Compton, butter, Call of Duty, Don Malarkey, Easy Company, Easy Company Soldier, Marcus Brotherton, Memorial Day, moist, pork loin, pork tenderloin, We Who Are Alive and Remain Leave a comment
My husband Greg (Right) with Buck Compton (center) and Don Malarkey (left) two WW2 heroes portrayed in Band of Brothers. This was taken in Bastogne.
For those of you who have seen the HBO miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” you may recall the choking-back-tears comment from Don Malarkey as he described his comrades of the 101st Airborne, many decades after WW2. “Brave, so brave… it was unbelievable.” Greg and I had the privilege of a lifetime 4 years ago, when we got to spend 2 weeks in Europe with Buck Compton and Don Malarkey, two of the paratroopers portrayed in Band of Brothers.
We stood at the sea of white crosses in Normandy as a friend played taps. Don, Irish and emotional, wept openly as Buck wiped away a tear and swallowed. We walked with these old soldiers through the Bastogne forest where they once nearly froze and starved in foxholes to protect our freedom in the Battle of the Bulge. They remember their dear friends whose legs were blown off in this lovely green forest, once white with snow and red with blood and lit up with terrible fire and noise of war. I gathered pine cones on that misty summer day, to give to my children and grandchildren. To help me remember the sacrifice so many made to secure our freedom.
We visited with a family whose parents/grandparents were liberated from their own home by Easy Company soldiers. The family showed us a room with a red stain on the floor. It was were a Nazi was shot and killed. They looked at Don and Buck with such admiration and gratitude.
Everywhere we went these two vets were instantly surrounded when people heard that there were American paratroopers among us. They are rock stars in Europe where children grew up hearing of the “angels coming out of the sky” in parachutes to save them from the German soldiers.
They are rock stars to me.
Greg and I had lunch with Don this year as he was passing through town with a friend. He’s had to give up his beloved nightly nip of Johnny Walker for his health now that he is 90. His hearing is going, but he seemed awfully pleased when I kissed him on the cheek.
A kiss for a hero, Don Malarkey of “Easy Company” portrayed in the Band of Brothers.
Buck, dear Buck, that gentle brilliant kind soul passed away in January. (Click here to read one of many tributes to this brave, humble man who eventually became a judge. )
I doubt there will ever be a Memorial Day when I don’t think of that trip and those heart-tugging experiences, and of these men.
Thank you to Don & Buck for sharing your stories (see information on their biographies below) and for risking your lives for our freedom.
Since Don can’t toast Memorial Day with a glass of scotch anymore, I’m dedicating this Bourbon Pork Loin recipe to him and all the Easy Company men. (The recipe is also “easy for company.”) Since the alcohol burns off, it’s safe to serve to the whole family. It is one of Greg’s absolute favorite meals, and every man I’ve served it to looks heavenward with joy after they take a bite.
“Band of Brothers” Bourbon Pork Loin
Oven 350
Brown Sugar, Bourbon, Tony’s, Butter — 4 ingredients to sublime pork loin
Call of Duty by Buck Compton http://tinyurl.com/m6ld3t
http://www.marcusbrotherton.com/(Marcus is the collaborator and has fabulous video/pictures relating to Buck’s book)
Recently Marcus Brotherton interviewed and collected stories from the 101st airborne (Easy Company) into a book called: We Who Are Alive and Remain:Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers by Marcus Brotherton.
http://tinyurl.com/ox69nx
http://www.bandofbrothersbooks.com/(website with video)
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Loin
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-kL
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Jalapeno Margaritas
Posted: May 22, 2012 Filed under: Cocktails, Main Dishes | Tags: cocktails, infused simple syrup, jalapeno margaritas, jalapeno simple syrup, margaritas, tequila 2 Comments
Jalapeno Margaritas, the adult equivalent to the childhood thrill of hopping back and forth between a hot tub and a cold swimming pool.
(Rachel)
When my little brother Gabe and I were pre-teens my parents would often take us to a timeshare resort in East Texas for the weekend. Most of the time, we’d each bring a friend along. My girlfriend and I would spend our afternoons lounging poolside or goofing off playing putt putt, while Gabe and his friends would spend the day fishing or schooling all the other kids in kickball.
At night, when the sun set and all the activities quieted down, we’d finally hull up on the cabin patio together with the tall pines towering above us and eat grilled burgers or barbeque chicken and fresh seasonal fruit. In the Spring months, the cool night air would drift in, and one of us inevitably would make the challenge.
“Let’s go jump in the pool.”
“It’s too cold,” another would whine.
“We can get in the hot tub afterwards. Come on it will be fun. Don’t be a wuss!”
To that, we’d all shimmy on our cold swim suits, still wet from the afternoon and chaise each other down to the pool. “Last one there has to jump in first,” the lead would holler back.
The older teenagers in the adjoining hot tub looked with disdain, as one by one we jumped in and splashed on their make-out parade. Our heads popping out of the water, screaming and laughing.
Covered in goosebumps, we’d jump straight from the cold pool into the steaming hot tub, ignoring the make-out couple’s grumbles as they climbed out and headed for some privacy on the lake shore. We’d stay in the hot tub until beads of sweat mingled with the chlorine water droplets on our face.
Then back into the cold water. This time, the cold shock was a welcome refreshment. And we’d swim around until our lips quivered and turned blue. Back and forth we’d go, until our parents hollered for us to come in, dry off, and get to bed.
These jalapeno margaritas are like an adult version of that childhood thrill. The first sip cools you off, then a punch of heat hits the back of your throat and you start to sweat just a little, but the lime zest sugar from the rim of the glass quickly counters the spice with a tangy sweet sensation. And back you go for another cooling sip, again and again…until your mom tells you you’ve had enough fun for the night. 🙂
Rachel’s Jalapeno Margarita’s
Makes 4 Margaritas
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 jalapenos (cut in half length wise, remove seeds if desired, but we like the thrill of the heat)
4 oz silver Tequila
juice of 6 limes
ice
Garnishes
3 T. sugar, lime zest, slices of lime & jalapeno
Directions
In a sauce pan, make infused simple syrup: combine sugar & water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add jalapenos. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the jalapenos and seeds (if used). Let cool in the refrigerator.
In a pitcher, combine lime juice, tequila, and simple syrup and stir. Garnish the glasses and either pour the jalapeno margarita over ice or shake it in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into the glass.
Garnishes
Combine 3 T. sugar with the zest of a lime on a small plate. Run a slice of lime along the edge of the glass and dip the glass upside down into the lime sugar. Stick a slice of lime and a slice of seeded jalapeno on the edge of the glass.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Jalapeno Margaritas
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/22/jalapeno-margaritas/
Momma’s Messy Greek Sandwiches
Posted: May 13, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Sandwiches, Vegan, Veggies | Tags: avocado, bell peppers, eggplant, eggplant sandwich, greek sandwich, messy greek sandwich, mother daughter relationships, mother's day, olives, onions 3 Comments
Happy Mother’s Day to each one of you, whether a mother, a daughter, a son, or even a husband. We all have someone’s life to celebrate today. My mom and I both have a special place in our hearts for those whose moms aren’t with them anymore or for those with difficult mom relationships. Today can be a tough day for some, we know.
I don’t ever take for granted how blessed I am to have a relationship that is based on love, acceptance, trust, and laughter with my mom. I think the reason I don’t take it for granted is that I’ve watched her use her mothering and nurturing gifts (truly her spiritual gifts) beyond our family. She often spends her afternoons cooking up lunch for 20-somethings and their little chicks on her patio, many of whom are learning for the first time what motherly love should look like.
Several of these young women have become like sisters to me, a bonus to having a mom that girls my age love to hang out with. When we get together at mom’s house, we all know to expect it to look a bit like a monkey on speed was cooking in the kitchen. Literally, the way this woman cooks boggles my neat freak mind. Last time I visited, I watched her use 13 utensils to make one cake. But, she’s quick in the kitchen, which gives her more time to focus on her chickadees. So we don’t complain and we all pitch in after lunch to try and piece her kitchen back together.
This Messy Greek Sandwich is one of the typical lunches she whips up for “her girls” on the fly. She’s made it for me several times and it’s always a hit. It’s one of those sandwiches you really want to enjoy in the company of those you don’t have to try and impress. It’s big, it’s messy, and it’s delicious. Mom always laughs when she serves me this, because I vocalize my approval with each bite. “Mmmmm mmmmm mmmmmm.”
Happy Mother’s Day Momma! Thank you for teaching me mothering is not just for mothers, if you cook good food, guests will overlook a messy kitchen (and even help you clean it), and when all else fails, laugh…or write it down and hope you’ll laugh later.
Momma’s Messy Greek Sandwiches
(Rachel’s Variation)
Serves 2 big messy sandwiches
Ingredients
Two Hoagie Rolls (or other hearty bread)
olive oil
garlic powder
salt
8 1/4 inch slices of eggplant
1/2 a bell pepper (any color of mix of colors), sliced
1/4 medium onion, sliced
4 T. Spicy Pepper & Olive Mix (a mix of green & black olives, pepperocinis, & jalapenos)
1 Avocado
4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of Baby Kale or Spinach
2 T. Sundried Tomatoes
Directions
Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat (an iron skillet works well for browning veggies), add eggplant to the skillet, trying not to overlap too much, sprinkle with just a little salt. Let brown on one side, then turn over, sprinkle with a dash more salt and add a little more oil to the pan if needed. Once both sides are golden, set on a paper towel lined plate. Add onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Don’t add salt yet and try not to stir too much. You want the mushrooms and onions to get nice and golden. Once the onions are soft, add in the kale, sprinkle with a drizzle more of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.
Coat the inside of the hoagie rolls with olive oil and garlic powder and toast under the broiler until golden.
Now pile on the ingredients: avocado slices, eggplant, onions, peppers, mushrooms, greens, sundried tomatoes and the spicy olive & pepper mix. You might want to tackle these with a knife and fork, or if you’re brave and don’t mind a mess just pick it up with both hands and go for it. As the old saying goes, Eat Like Nobody’s Watching (or something like that!)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Momma’s Messy Greek Sandwiches
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/12/mommas-messy-greek-sandwiches/
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Vegan, Veggies | Tags: black beans, enchilada sauce recipe, enchiladas, Mexican Food, sweet potato & black bean enchiladas, sweet potatoes, vegan, vegan enchiladas 3 CommentsWhen it comes to delicious crave-worthy foods, I’m a hoover and Jared is a hoarder.
Jared saves his favorite foods for when he really really wants them. I admire this in some ways, except that he tends to save them for so long they’re no longer edible by the time he decides to indulge. I’ve tossed out countless cupcakes or cookies that have gone bad while Jared was waiting for the perfect moment to eat them. If he’s not going to eat it before it sprouts eyes and a mohawk, he should at least release his dibs, right? His hoarding tortures me!
Though I will admit his patience comes in awfully handy as the husband to, well, me.
I grew up in a home with three hungry boys and when our mom went grocery shopping, we all immediately raided the refrigerator, battling it out for our favorite snacks. If you wanted that breakfast strudel, you grabbed it before it was gone; there were no guarantees it would still be waiting for you in the morning. Apparently, this is still engrained in my brain.
If something is delicious, I eat it all as soon as possible. Monday night I made these Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas for dinner. They were so good, I woke up the next morning thinking of them. So of course, instead of waiting for lunch or dinner, I ate the rest first thing in the morning (saving two for Mr. Patient’s dinner).
I couldn’t help it! Though the picture isn’t the greatest, these enchiladas are out of this world. The sweet and spicy homemade enchilada sauce with just a hint of cinnamon is like a warm hug wrapped around the always delicious combination of black beans and sweet potatoes. These are definitely going to become a go-to meal around here.
Rachel’s Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Filling
1/2 large onion
1 bell pepper (any color but orange or yellow are nice in this dish)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into chunks
olive oil
1 t. Salt
1 16oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Sauce
1 16oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (I’m sure crushed tomatoes would work too, but this is what I had on hand)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. oregano
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 t. brown sugar
1 t. red chili flakes
1 T. jarred salsa (or one chipotle in adobo sauce)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water in a medium sauce pan to a boil and boil chopped sweet potatoes for five minutes, or until the potatoes are just barely fork tender. Drain.
While the potatoes are boiling, heat about 1 T. of olive oil on medium heat in a large saute pan. Add onions, bell pepper, and salt and cook until onions are translucent. Turn off heat and gently toss in the sweet potatoes and black beans.
In a blender or food processor, mix all of the sauce ingredients until the tomatoes are pureed and the spices are all blended.
Coat an 8×10 baking dish with 1 T. of olive oil, then ladle in a little enchilada sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Dip each tortilla into the enchilada sauce coating both sides. Add sweet potato filling and roll tightly into a tube. Place in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all the tortillas and filling are used, packing the enchiladas into the dish side by side. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with Spanish rice (add a sprinkle of taco seasoning in with your rice while it’s cooking for a really quick & easy version) and avocado slices or guacamole.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/10/sweet-potato-black-bean-enchiladas/
Spicy Hominy, Kale & Butter Bean Veggie Bowl
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Sides, Soups, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: butter beans, hominy, kale, tomatoes, veggie bowl 1 Comment
Spicy Hominy, Kale and Butter Bean Veggie Bowl
Jackson has it made in the shade
Hominy, Kale and Butter Bean Veggie Bowl Simmering in the Skillet
Spicy Hominy, Kale & Butter Bean Veggie Bowl
Veggie Bowl with crushed tortilla chips. Mmmm… mmmm…
Peachy Balsamic Chicken
Posted: May 4, 2012 Filed under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: apricot, balsamic vinegar, chicken 3 Comments
My daughter Rachel posted a story about her “nesting instinct” gone wild in the kitchen this week. I am now close to menopause but my husband would swear that I have the strongest nesting instinct of any woman who has ever lived. And the most quirky one. The thing is, my nesting instinct is to make a literal ‘pack rat’s nest’ out of our bed.
Every night Greg climbs into bed and hands me various and sundry items he finds on and under the bedspread. Last night it was a camera. (Before you get the wrong idea: I was posting pics of food on my blog.) There is always the standard computer, books, paper and pen, eye glasses, but other items that have made their way into our bed-nest include, but are not limited to: earrings, scissors, credit cards, clocks, various food stuffs, Legos, lost keys and checks. Greg actually loves to find things: looking for lost golf balls and coins makes him happy. I am sure he was a champion Easter Egg hunter as a little boy. So he rather gets a kick out of what unusual items he finds each night, nestled among the sheets and blankets.
Last night I was in the bathtub when I heard Greg shout, with a Eureka!-like tone in his voice: “I just found your running shoe under the covers a the bottom of the bed!”
When I happened upon this recipe, a variation of one that Rachael Ray made on her show, I was almost as thrilled as Greg was to find my missing shoe in the bed. It’s definitely a “Eureka!” dish. Very few ingredients, very little time, very inexpensive and the sauce is so scrumptious, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. I made this twice for two different groups of girlfriends, serving it alongside risotto and a a crisp salad. They lapped it up! Another of my best “go-to” recipes, this one yields lots of praise and requests for the recipe, for so little effort on the cook’s part.
Peachy-Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Becky’s Peachy Balsamic Chicken
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
6-7 boneless chicken thighs
grill or steak seasoning (or your favorite seasoned salt)
1/2 c. chicken or vegie broth
1/4 c. aged balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. peach preserves or jam (or try orange marmalade, cherry or apricot jam/ preserves if you prefer)
1 T. grainy mustard (or hot Chinese mustard)
1/3 c. chopped green onions for garnish
Lightly season both sides of chicken pieces with your favorite seasoned salt. In a hot large skillet with about 2 T. olive oil, saute and brown boneless chicken pieces on high heat until both sides are golden brown and chicken is cooked through. (You may want to turn down heat and cook with a lid on top if the chicken doesn’t get done in the middle, after the searing.) Remove pieces at this stage on to a platter and cover to keep warm.
In same skillet, pour in chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and peach preserves and mustard, stirring to loosen all the good bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium high. When the sauce is reduced and syrupy, add chicken pieces in, coating both sides as you lay them in the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickened a bit more and chicken is hot. Garnish with chopped green onions. (Apologies — no green onions on hand, so none in this picture. But they are truly wonderful, so add them if you’ve got them!)
Vegan Variations: This glaze, above, is fabulous drizzled over a dish of roasted butternut squash and walnuts or sauteed tofu. Just sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Peachy Balsamic Chicken
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/04/apricot-balsamic-glazed-chicken
Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Pork, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: apple, bacon, brown sugar, salad, salads 2 Comments
Becky's Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing
Here is my Facebook status from last night, which drew a crowd of friends volunteering to join the experiment:
“I really do think I could live the vacation life all year long. Sleep late, coffee & toast, to pool to read and swim, lunch, check email, etc., more pool reading and swimming. Happy Hour. Cook dinner or go out to eat. Relax some more. Bedtime. Repeat. Why aren’t we all on this schedule all the time? The world would be such a happy place if it were. I think it might even wipe out PMS.”
I’m on the sixth day of this schedule and I can tell you the world seems brighter, my heart seems happier and people, in general, of all shapes and sizes and ages seem especially adorable. I think I may have discovered the cure for world peace. Yesterday at the pool, with some sort of soft jazz playing in the background I looked up into a blue cloudless sky and, I kid you not, someone was sky-writing, “God loves you. Jesus forgives you.” I started wondering if perhaps I had stepped into the Christian version of the Truman Show. But I’m going with it.
I have come to the conlusion that the cure for World Peace is for all of us to be on perpetual vacation. Well, that, and bacon.
I cooked up a mess of bacon from the remaining contents of our condo fridge this morning. Bacon alone makes my normally laid-back husband want to dance me around the kitchen. But I needed to make something lunch-worthy out of it. I spied an apple. Lettuce. Italian Dressing. Brown Sugar. Voila! Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing. Seriously, how could this not be amazing? Let me assure you it is!
And in keeping with keeping me out of the kitchen and at the swimming pool, it is also easy. Enjoy it and visualize, “World Peace. God loves you. Jesus forgives you. Bacon is good stuff.”
Becky's Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing
Becky’s Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 small head of lettuce or spinach, chopped (1 to 1 1/2 cups per person)
1 large apple, cored and sliced thin
6 pieces of bacon, cut in small pieces and “stir-fried”
1 t. bacon drippings
1/3 c. your favorite Italian Dressing
1 T. brown sugar
Directions
Divide lettuce into two salad bowls. Arrange apple slices over each. Top with crumbled bacon, dividing evenly. In small skillet put 1 t. bacon drippings, Italian dressing and 1 T. brown sugar. Warm just until brown sugar melts, cool slightly then drizzle desired amount over each salad.
Variations: Try this vegan version of baconmade with wide pieces of coconut, liquid smoke, and soy sauce. Add avocados, dried fruit or use crisp pears instead.
This was printed from:
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Bacon Apple Salad with Brown Sugar Dressing
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-eS
Seductive Puttanesca Sauce
Posted: April 25, 2012 Filed under: Beef, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: capers, chick peas, garbanzo beans, marinara, olives, Papperdelle, pasta, pepperocinis, Puttanesca, spaghetti squash, Vegan Pastas 1 Comment
Becky’s Seductive Puttanesca Meat Sauce over Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle
Now and then I get a hankering for something that tempts all the senses: salty/briny, sweet, garlicky, rich and tomato-y. And when I do there there’s nothing like Puttanesca sauce to satisfy.
There are hundreds of variations on Puttanesca, but basically, it is a rich marinara sauce with a touch of something salty and briny (capers, olives, anchovies, artichoke hearts, and or pepperocinis) to give it an extra tangy zip. I also like to balance the zip with something sweet — chopped sun-dried tomatoes and/or brown sugar.
I recently served this dish, innocently, to a lovely group of female friends, many of them involved with some sort of Christian ministry. They loved it, scraped the skillet clean! In attendance that night was my good friend Lucille Zimmerman who is a writer and a therapist who loves to research little known facts with the passion of Curious George. She went right home and researched the meaning of the word, “Puttanesca.” She wrote to tell me that it means — oh, how shall I say this delicately? –“prostitute, whore, ladies of night, harlot,” just choose your favorite wanton woman term. Probably not a “word of the day” you’d choose to teach your kids over pasta.
Apparently the potent aroma of this dish from Italy was so powerful that the scent lured in potential customers off the street, serving as an appetizer for, well, the other “desserts” on the menu.
Oh, well. There’s nothing I can do about the origin of this dish, but I can tell you there is something powerfully seductive about it!
Below is how I make my Puttanesca, but don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list: it is what I had on hand in the fridge. Just pull out whatever you have in your fridge or pantry — and as long as you have something salty & briny, and something sweet, to balance the basic marinara, you’ll probably love the results.
Becky’s Seductive Puttanesca Sauce Over Pappardelle Lemon-Pepper Pasta
Becky’s Seductive Puttanesca Sauce
Into a medium high skillet (I love my cast iron for this) saute:
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 chopped onion in 2 T. olive oil
Throw in any mixture of the following that you have on hand, stirring after each addition. (I do highly recommend that you use the chopped artichoke hearts, to me they are the most essential ingredient!)
1/3 – 1/2 c. chopped marinated artichoke heart
1/2 c. to 1 cup, any roasted or left over vegies, diced.
1 T. capers
2 T. olives, chopped, any kind
2 T. pesto sauce (if you have it on hand… no worries if not)
2 T. chopped pepperocini peppers
2 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, preferably)
1 – 2 T. brown sugar (this will depend on your taste and also how many “sour” ingredients that you put in your sauce that will need balanced by sweet)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I like the ones with basil and garlic)
1 t. Italian seasoning or oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
Simmer until sauce is thick and chunky, then season with salt, pepper, and Italian spices to taste.
You can dress up the recipe from here and add some flavorful meat of your choice. It is delicious with ½ lb of ground beef sauteed with ½ pound Italian sausage (chicken or turkey sausage is great) tossed in. Or you can go vegan and roast garbanzo beans (see recipe below) and serve over your favorite pasta, or spaghetti squash (see instructions for this below as well). My daughter and I made this vegan version together (she suggested we try it with roasted garbanzos), and it was AWESOME.
I personally adore this sauce served over Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta (which is a wide ribbon-like pasta). I looked up the root meaning of “pappardelle” and to my great relief, it simply means “to gobble up.” Whew. Much better “Italian word of the day” for little ones.
A light sprinkle of Parmesan (Vegan Parm if you are going dairy-free) and it is ready to serve. The aroma should draw hungry folks to your kitchen in no time.
Roasted Garbanzo Beans ( Chick Peas )
Drain, rinse and pat dry a can of garbanzo beans. Pour them evenly on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with olive oil, then roll them around. Sprinkle with salt or your favorite spiced salt. Roast at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are browned and crisped. (Shake them once or twice while baking so they can brown on two sides.)
Spaghetti Squash
Take a spaghetti squash and cut it in half length wise. Scoop out seeds. Put 1/2 cup water in the bottom of a big microwave proof bowl. Put one of the squash halves in the bowl, hole side up. (If it wobbles, trim a thin piece of the squash off the bottom so that it sits more level in the bowl.) Put the other squash half on top of the squash in the bowl. Don’t cover it. Just put in microwave for 10 minutes. Test done-ness by squeezing the top squash with a pot holder. If it squeezes easily, it is done. Take a fork and scrape “strings” of squash in spaghetti-like fashion.
Lightly salt, then top with sauce and roasted garbanzo beans. (You can also serve leftover spaghetti squash with butter and pepper and nutmeg for a side dish.)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Seductive Puttanesca Sauce
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Salmon with Avocado-Mango-Lime Salsa
Posted: April 20, 2012 Filed under: Fish, Main Dishes, Uncategorized | Tags: avocado, fish, mango, salmon, salmon with avocado mango salsa, salsa, seared salmon 1 Comment
Becky's Salmon with Avocado-Mango-Lime Salsa
Growing up, the only salmon I knew personally came from a can. My mom would mix it with crackers and egg, fry it and serve it as salmon patties. Then we kids would drown these little fish-fried hockey pucks in as much ketchup as possible, picking at them, eating a little bit of the edges hoping this would satisfy our mom so we could simply move on from this so-called dinner, and get to dessert.
I never made a single salmon patty for my children. Never served them salmon at all. Felt that I was doing them a huge favor.
Then, eight years ago I married Greg, an Oregonian and Lover of All Things Salmon. It was then, in my forties, that he gently let me know I’d not only never eaten salmon the way it was intended to be served, but I’d mispronounced it all my life. Who know that there is such a thing as a silent “l” in the middle of a word? It took me a full year to stop saying “SaL-mon” and start saying “Sah-men” as they do in the Great Northwest. About that time my eldest son left Texas to hop on an Alaskan fishing boat and has been catching fresh salmon every summer ever since, living for 4 to 5 months at a time on a boat full of stinky sailors and fresh fish.
I figured, at this point, that I owed it to both my husband and son to learn how to cook salmon correctly. I stumbled along, trying out recipes, eating salmon at restaurants and just sort of tolerating it. Then one evening, I was out with a friend who encouraged me to order the salmon on the menu and let the chef cook it his way. I took one bite of this chef-prepared salmon and said, “Oh. My. Gosh. This is the best meat I’ve ever tasted! But it doesn’t taste like salmon. Or fish. It tastes like crispy butter, crunchy out the outside but moist flakes of soft yumminess on the inside. How did the chef make this?”
What the chef did was cook the salmon on a searing hot grill and left the middle of the fish still slightly moist and opaque. He did not roast it. He did not cook it to death. And this made all the difference. He also served it with a fabulous lime-garlic-tomato salsa.
Now, I hate to brag, but these days I make the best salmon you’ve ever tasted. You need to start with a good fresh piece of salmon, of the milder tasting variety. Since Denver is not near an ocean, the best catch of the day around here is at Whole Foods. The Norwegian salmon is the mildest. I like the fish guy to cut one big slab of it, enough for two to three people, and leave the skin on. But I’m getting ahead of myself! Here’s the recipe. You will love it!
Seared Salmon, crispy outside, moist and flaky inside. Perfection!
Becky’s Salmon with Avocado-Mango-Lime Salsa
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
Norwegian salmon, skin on, cut it one slab, enough to serve 2 to 3 people (Fresh wild caught salmon is also delicious, but not as mild as the Norwegian at Whole Foods)
1 -2 T. olive oil (enough to coat pan and keep fish sizzling)
1 – 2 t. grill or steak seasoning (enough to lightly sprinkle on both sides of your fish)
1 avocado
1 small mango
1 small tomato
1/2 clove garlic grated fine
1 T. fresh lime juice
dash salt
dash sugar
Directions:
Using a grill pan preferably (or a large flat skillet that will take high heat) pour olive oil to coat the bottom and let it get “screaming hot.” Put salmon skin down onto grill pan. In about 30 seconds the skin will start to loosen, turn the salmon over and remove the skin with flat spatula, scrapping off any of the grey stuff on top of the pink fish. (Toss the skin in the trash.) Sprinkle lightly with 1/2 t or so of grill seasoning. Flip back over and cook this side of the salmon on high heat until it is seared and beautiful rich golden brown. In the meantime, sprinkle the other side with 1/2 t. of grill seasoning. Flip and cook the other side on high heat until it is a rich golden brown. Remove from heat. Let sit a few minutes while you make the relish.
Dice tomato, mango and avocado and mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add lime juice, fresh grated garlic, a dash of salt and a pinch of sugar. Gently toss, taste seasonings.
Using two spatulas move fish to large serving plate (pour any pooled juices atop) and garnish with the avocado-mango-tomato salsa. I like to serve this family style, letting every one at the table gently pull of the amount of salmon they want with a big serving fork and spatula. Serve any remaining relish in a bowl and allow guests to add more if they like.
Variations: add minced red onion, chopped jalapenos, and/or chopped fresh herbs like cilantro or mint or flat leaf parsley or basil to the salsa
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Salmon with Avocado-Mango-Lime Salsa
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/04/20/avocado-mango-lime-salmon/
- Becky’s Salmon with Avocado-Mango-Lime Salsa
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 