Morrocan Chicken Over Couscous

March 17, 2009 · by ·

Someone recently shared with me a Moroccan chicken dish recipe that is cooked in the crockpot. It sounded good, but I am not so big on crockpot cooking (even though I secretly want to be). I decided to adapt the recipe to make it on the stove and also upped the spice ante a bit as well. I was very happy with how easy it was and how well it turned out. Even my 7-year-old asked for second helpings. She ate the chicken and didn’t just pick out the olives! She never asks for second helpings, unless its mac and cheese. So this was the ultimate compliment a mom could get.

Morrocan Chicken Over Couscous
Ingredients:

1 cut up chicken
salt
pepper
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
2 carrots, chopped, or a good handful or baby carrots, cut up
rind of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup of white wine
handful of green olives
In a large pan or dutch oven, heat up some olive oil. Add in the ginger. Saute 1 minute.
Dust your chicken with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken to the pot and brown on both sides for 5-10 minutes per side.

Add in the onions and the garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add in the spices.

Add the lemon rind and the lemon juice. Add in the carrots.

Add the broth and the wine. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, cook up the couscous. Couscous is super easy. Put the desired amount of couscous in a bowl, and the same amount of boiling water, and cover and let sit for 5-7 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

About 3 minutes before serving the chicken, toss in the olives.

Serve the chicken over the couscous. Enjoy!
Filed Under: chicken, Dinner · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Seitan Ribs

March 17, 2009 · by ·

I like fake meat products. I actually prefer the fake meat to the real stuff. Aside from using crumbled bits of the products in recipes, I haven’t played around with them much. I definitely had never tried to make my own.

I enjoy seitan when it’s made right. I used to buy the prepacked seitan, but the store stopped carrying the kind I liked. The only kind available was not the right texture and didn’t absorb flavor the way I wanted it to. So I went on a seitan hiatus, unless I was in a restaurant that served it.

I have been wandering around on all sorts of vegan/vegetarian blogs recently. I noticed that many people out there are making their own seitan. It looked so easy. Some vital wheat gluten, water, and flavor, and you are good to go! There was no reason I should be paying five dollars for a small container of the stuff, when it costs maybe $2 to make a good sized batch. A few blogs mentioned making seitan ribs. I decided to start there.

Before I share the recipe, I will let you know that I did enjoy it, though the rest of the family was not blown away. I will not give up though. I do intend to play around with the seitan and am determined to get my family to eat it and like it.

Ingredients:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tahini or other nut butter
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
about 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with canola oil. Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the water with the nut butter, Liquid Smoke, and soy sauce and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well and then knead lightly in the bowl for a couple of minutes.Put the dough into the baking dish and flatten it so that it evenly fills the pan. Take a sharp knife and cut it into 8 strips; then turn the pan and cut those strips in half to form 16 pieces:


Put it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. While it’s cooking prepare your grill.Remove it from the oven and carefully re-cut each strip, going over each cut to make sure that the ribz will pull apart easily later. Generously brush the top with barbecue sauce. Take it to the grill and invert the whole baking dish onto the grill (or use a large spatula to lift the seitan out, placing it sauce-side down on the grill). Brush the top of the seitan with more sauce:

Watch it closely to make sure that it doesn’t burn. When it’s sufficiently brown on one side, turn over and cook the other side, adding more sauce, if necessary. When done, remove to a platter and cut or pull apart the individual ribs to serve.

Filed Under: Main Course, seitan, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , ,

Aloo Gobi Masala

February 24, 2009 · by ·
I may have already mentioned this, but I love Indian food. My love affair with Indian cuisine began when I was in college. I don’t remember eating much of it growing up in the midwest, but I dove in once in New York. My dorm was right in the center of an Indian neighborhood. I had about 6 vegetarian Indian restaurants and several spice stores to choose from. I even had a sari store or two, but I am not brave enough to figure out how to wear one properly. They are beautiful though.

I do remember the first dish I tried. It was Aloo Mutter. Since then, I have sampled many dishes, and have also had the opportunity to cook many of my favorites and play around a bit in the kitchen.

I wasn’t planning on Indian food tonight. In fact, I had nothing planned for dinner. The menu popped into my as I was headed home to pick up my car, which was perfectly parked right next door to the Indian grocery store. This wonderful little store has everything I need, and they are wonderful to me. They don’t mind my questions when I ask them to identify things, and they are very helpful about figuring out what is kosher around the store. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only Jewish observant person that shops in the store.

On the menu tonight was Aloo Gobi Masala, which is a curry of cauliflower, potatoes, and peas. It was so good. Lucky for me, there are tasty leftovers for me to take for lunch tomorrow. Well…lucky me, but maybe not so lucky coworkers. They have to smell my yummy lunch. Should we thank the open office floor plan gods now? On to the recipe.
Aloo Gobi Masala

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 overflowing tablespoon garlic paste
1 heaping tablespoon ginger paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small green chile, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 head of cauliflower, cut up into florets
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 potato, cubed and boiled
1/2 cup of peas
1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup half and half
Methi Leaves, for garnish

Saute the onions in oil – for around 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic and ginger paste. Saute a few more minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add in the spices. Stir the mixture and cook a few minutes. Add in the cauliflower and the broth.
After 5 minutes, add in the potatoes and the peas. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Stir in the half and half and the optional cilantro.

Serve over some rice. Garnish with the methi leaves.

Filed Under: curry, Dinner, indian, vegetables, Vegetarian · Tagged: ,

Call it Hummus or Call it Sauce

February 18, 2009 · by ·

I regret not making more of this tasty dish. Today was another day where I came home later than expected. Rainy day, bad traffic, made for Late Mom. When I got home, I needed to come up with someone fast for dinner. Those dinner alarm bells were ringing in my kids heads, smoke pouring out their ears. I had to come up with something that would take mere minutes. I had to restrain myself from running to the nearest pizza store on the way home.

I put some water on to boil…I literally threw it on the stove, water puddling on the floor. I always have some type of pasta in the pantry. What to serve with the pasta to up the healthy factor. Chopped up salad veggies are fine on the side. What to put on the pasta though. I wanted some protein for them, and had no time to cook up some chicken.

As I was eyeing my mini cuisinart, I decided on a white bean puree. This puree would also be good turned into a Hummus. Just omit the vegetable broth if you want to serve it as a dip.


White Bean Puree or Hummus

1 can of white beans
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup shredded parmesean (optional)

Process the entire mixture in a food processor. Toss with warm pasta.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Side Dish · Tagged: , ,

Parmesean Crusted Tilapia

February 13, 2009 · by ·

When I am craving protein in the middle of the week, we usually turn to fish. We have been buying fish at some of the local Korean and Japanese markets. We find the fish to be freshest and pretty cheap. This week I had some tilapia that I wanted to use up. My only regret, was that since we bought it whole, it wasn’t cut properly. I can’t debone or fillet a fish for the life me. Our dinner was still tasty, but we had to eat around the bones. Next time I will buy the fillets. So much for saving a buck.

Parmesean Crusted Tilapia
Ingredients:

3/4 cup grated parmesean
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter – softened
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
One lemon, sliced thinly
4 tilapia fillets


Preheat the oven to 425.

Mix everything except for the fish and lemon slices in a small bowl. Grease a baking pan.

Lay the lemon slices on the pan. Lay the fish over the lemon. Spread the cheese mixture over the fish.

Bake 15 minutes, or until done.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Dinner, fish, Main Course · Tagged: , , , ,

Soy Chorizo and Bean Saute

February 5, 2009 · by ·

While wandering a grocery store a couple months ago, I was delighted to come across some soy chorizo. I am always seeing some interesting recipes that call for the real thing, so I was intrigued and bought a package. Having never tried the real thing, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I do know that it is supposed to be a crumbled, oily, and spicy sausage treat. I dove in and decided to test the waters. I didn’t use a recipe, I just worked with what I had in the pantry. It came out excellent. It was one of those dishes that I actually fight with my husband over the leftovers to take to work the next day. I almost always let him take the leftovers. So you know it’s good.

Soy Chorizo Saute
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
Soy Chorizo or the real stuff
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes (I like the kind that has added flavor, jalapenos or otherwise)
salt
pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup veggie broth

In a large cast iron pan or skillet, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 7 minutes.

Remove the chorizo from the casing and crumble into the pan. Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Add in the white beans and tomatoes. Stir into the chorizo mixture.

Add in the spices. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

Stir in the veggie broth. Let the dish simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice. Yum! I will not say, “Yum-O,” because that would be lame. It is good though, and it is a super easy meal for a crazy weeknight.

Filed Under: Dinner, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , ,

Potato Leek Soup

February 4, 2009 · by ·
Last week I picked up my younger daughter from daycare and was informed that there were some issues with her food and eating. I got all nervous. I couldn’t imagine what the problem could be. I prepare her lunches. I send it to daycare. She is fed. End of story, right? Well, I was wrong. Apparently, her well-meaning teacher is concerned. She doesn’t like that my daughter gets the same rendition of food each week. There is some variety, but I do admit, it is pretty predictable. The teacher was concerned that we were depriving her and decided to take matters in to her own hands. She fed my daughter some of the non-kosher, sodium-filled, school served chicken soup. There was a meeting after school discussing the events of the day. I went home with some guilty-parent syndrome. Maybe I do need to start sending some new lunch options, but what will she eat? So I am on the road to becoming a super-duper lunch maker. For the younger daughter only. The older daughter still insists on peanut butter sandwiches, cream cheese sandwiches, or pasta in a thermos. Ah Well.

Potato Leek Soup is a wonderful hearty and warm soup. It is perfect for chilly winter nights along with a salad. This soup only works when you stick to the recipe. You should never skimp by substituting the butter, or anything else for that matter. It is a very simple soup and comes together in minutes.

Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients:

4 leeks, only the whites, halved, washed, and sliced (Leeks are very sandy – wash carefully)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
5 medium potatoes, diced
1 carton of veggie broth, or 4-5 cups
4 cups of water
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons of marjoram

In a large pot, saute the leeks, onions, and garlic in the butter. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Add in the diced potatoes. Stir to coat the potatoe in some of that yummy butter.

Add in the broth, water, and seasonings.

After the soup comes to a boil, turn it to medium-low. Let it simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, mash the potatoes and stir, or blend with an immersion blender to your desired consistency. I prefer the blender method.

In crafty news, I knit my first hat!

Filed Under: Soups, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , ,

Vegetarian Jucy Lucy Hamburger

January 22, 2009 · by ·

Growing up in Minnesota, I always heard about this amazing barfood called the Jucy Lucy. I was curious about this delicacy. During my treife (non-kosher) days, I was a vegetarian, so I didn’t have so much interest. Now that I keep kosher, the Jucy Lucy’s at Matt’s Bar in Minneapolis are off limits. They still look tempting. Click here for the wikipedia on the infamous Jucy Lucy.

I decided to try to kosherize it. I knew I didn’t want to use soy cheese, since that stuff is pretty crappy. I decided to replace the meat. I was a bit concerned, as soy meat is a completely different consistence than real meat, and it comes very differently. It came out pretty good, I will make some fixes next time. I need to make the patties a bit thinner, and I need to slice the cheese thinner. Otherwise, it was pretty tasty.

Below is my recipe for these tasty treats.


Jucy Lucy – Vegetarian and KosherRecipe made 5 patties

1 package of “ground” veggie meat (I use the Lightlife)
1/2 package of veggie ground sausage (Also used Lightlife)
1 onion, chopped fine
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 slice of cheese for each patty – American Cheese is the most authentic

Have some toothpicks handy.

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except for the cheese.

Form into 10 thin patties.

Place the cheese on top of the patties, fold up the cheese so that there is “meat” space around the cheese. Place another patty on top of the cheese up patty. Crimp the edges.

In a cast iron skillet, on medium heat, put your patties in. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip the burgers over, poke a toothpick through to allow for steam to escape, and ensure that the cheese doesn’t make the burger explode before eating. Cook another 6-7 minutes.

Serve on a bun, dress the burger as you like it. Enjoy!

Back in my college days, I remember some Jucy Lucy eating contests. I remember people boasting about how many they could eat. So…how many did you eat? Hope you enjoyed!




Filed Under: Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

January 21, 2009 · by ·

I finally figured out a “recipe” that is a more than adequate stand-in for a boxed macaroni and cheese.

My dear elder daughter, who I love so much, is not my biggest fan. She likes foods that are not so “oomphed” up. She would be more than happy with a simple pasta with butter and “sprinkle” cheese. My mom tells me that I was just as picky at her age. We did love some Kraft Dinner back in those days. I do wish she would start liking sushi and Vietnamese food though. Soon, please. I want to be able to take her to a restaurant that doesn’t offer a kids’ menu.

Anyhow, yesterday we had a special day together. I had off from work and she had off from school in honor of MLK day. I promised her a day that went her way. We went to a movie. “Hotel for Dogs” is perfect for the age 5-8 set. After the movie, it was time for lunch. We don’t have any kosher mac and cheese options in my neighborhood. We had eaten pizza the night before. So we decided to pick up some Carvel Sundaes to take home for dessert and make Mac and Cheese at home.

Much to our horror, especially hers, we found that there were no boxes of Wacky Mac around. So I improvised. I am proud to say that she loved it. She said that the homemade mac and cheese was much better than the boxed kind. She was a bit disturbed that her new macaroni was not that scary neon orange color. So we had a bit of a chat and she came around.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 Box of Macaroni Pasta
3/4 cup of milk (I used whole)
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 stick of butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 cup parmesean – plus more for dusting
3/4 cup of cheddar – try the orange kind.

Cook your macaroni in a pot of salted water. Cook it to al dente. You do not want it completely cooked or overcooked because it will cook in the cheese sauce. Drain your pasta and rinse with cold water.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add in the milk. Stir. Do not let the milk boil.
Slowly stir in the flour. This is the beginning of a yummy white sauce. Keep stirring.
Slowly pour in the parmesean, while still stirring. Add in your seasonings.
Add the cheddar. Keep stirring.
Slowly incorporate the pasta.

Serve onto a plate. Lunch was served with some steamed broccoli, which she approved of.

Next time I make this, I will try adding some toasted bread crumbs and bake a bit…maybe even add some spice to it, like jalapenos. I can play with this.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, pasta · Tagged: , , ,

Homemade Pizza

January 19, 2009 · by ·

There once was a man named Joe. Trader Joe.

Have I ever shared with you my love for Trader Joe’s? I probably have…

Trader Joe’s makes my life much easier. We shop at Trader Joe’s every other week or so. Lately, it is about half of our groceries. The other half is made up of the vegetable market, the kosher store, and occasionally a run to a big name place for odds and ends.
Trader Joe’s supplies us with many yummy, healthier, and kosher ingredients that are much cheaper than the counterparts at mainstream places.
Sundays in our home are pretty busy. Errand to errand, playdate to playdate. When I come home, I need to resist the urge to buy takeout. Trader Joe’s made my life easier tonight.
Tonight I made some semi-homemade pizza that I served with a salad. I say “semi-homemade” only because the dough and sauce came premade from Trader Joe’s.
The pizza dough, which is enough for a 12″ pizza, is only 99 cents.
The jar of sauce, only needs to be spiced up a bit, and is under $2.
Sunday Night Pizza
Ingredients:
1 package of pizza dough – or make your own
1 ladle or so of tomato sauce – use your favorite kind
8 oz. shredded mozarella cheese
A few cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 package of Lightlife or other soy “pepperoni”
1/2 cup parmesean, shredded
red pepper flakes, optional or to taste
a sprinkle of olive oil
Preheat your oven to 425
Let the dough sit on the counter as per the instructions, for a half hour.
Sprinkle some flour on the dough.
Either using a rolling pin, or your hands, stretch the dough to fit a 12″ pan, or toss into desired size and thickness, and arrange on your pizza peel or pizza pan.
Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Let the crust rest a bit to cool down.
Pour a ladle full of sauce on your crust. Spread with a spatula. Do not make your pizza too saucy.
Arrange the cheese and then the toppings in the order I suggest on top of the pizza. I like a sprinkle of olive oil to finish it off as well as some red pepper flakes.
Place back in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes or so, until the cheese looks nice and ready and the crust should have some browning on it.

In the picture, you will see a plain jane area of the pizza. That space is reserved for my daughter. She doesn’t like the frills. Enjoy!
Filed Under: Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »
1 2