A Little Vegetarian...Roasted Veggie Curry

Photo from Elizadomestica.com

A vegetarian dish that fits my rules: easy prep, works well with whatever I have in my fridge, and my family likes it. Feel free to adapt the veggie list to what you have. I keep coconut milk stocked with my pantry staples for dishes like this. Leftovers are great for lunch.

Roasted Veggie Curry

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

serves 4-6

cooked rice

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 in thick rounds

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated ginger root

2 Tablespoons Curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can coconut milk

1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or one or two fresh tomatoes diced)

1 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 450. Start your rice cooking. (I prefer short grain brown rice.)

Toss sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, and onion with oil and salt. Spread veggies in single layer on a baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes.

As soon as .you get the veggies in the oven, whisk together in a bowl the ginger, coconut milk, curry, and salt. Stir in tomatoes and chickpeas.

After veggies roast for 20 minutes, pour the coconut milk mixture over the veggies and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve over rice, topped with cilantro and a dollop of yogurt.

A quick shoutout for my fave vegetarian cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. Quick meals, nothing too unfamiliar since it uses mainly pantry staples, and it makes it easy for Meatless Mondays.

A Little Easter Lunch Menu

Easter food traditions? Yeah, I got 'em, too. Surprisingly, none of them are from my family or Mr. Wonderful's. Not even traditional recipes. Just the same food ideas that are prepared differently every year according to my whims. This time I found one magazine article that made me think "aha, this is the menu". Southern Living Magazine won the entire spread (except for dessert, which will be explained later.) As usual, photos are from their respective websites.

Start with the usual deviled eggs and add to the menu......

Cat Cora's Feta Spread (Htipiti) as featured in Southern Living. I love to have olives and something on hand for nibbles when guests come. I'm excited to try this. Another recipe in the same article was pefect for the usual main dish...

Roast Leg of Lamb. It is the only time of year I make something like this. I'm looking forward to trying Cat's recipe. She hasn't steered me wrong so far. If you can't find lamb in your area, she suggests a Boston Pork Butt.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes. It also got an outstanding review by home cooks on Southern Living's website. Don't they look gorgeous?

Oregano Green Beans. Olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon, and feta. Yes, please!

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries from Chow.com. Pavlova is a traditional dessert for Easter in my house - a nod to Mr. Wonderful's New Zealand heritage (It is the national dessert of New Zealand). I make individual pavlovas, with a depression molded in the middle to hold the lemon curd and berries. Nice, light, and refreshing. Easy for entertaining because the merengues and the lemon curd can be made ahead.

Happy Easter!

A Little ....Serious Chocolate

Simply So Good's Mint Brownies and showing off her mad photog skills

This is a dessert you do not want to have around your house when you are alone. This is a call-your-chocoholic-girlfriends-over treat. Serious chocolate. Why the warnings?

Because this involves 7 1/2 sticks of butter.

Pick your jaw up off the floor. It is okay. These brownies will totally satisfy in a little 2" square. You don't need more. You won't want more. Seriously rich.

From Simply So Good. Check out the rest of her blog. I am seriously impressed.

Click here for Simply So Good's Mint Chocolate Brownies.

Chocolate Mint Brownies
4 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 cups cocoa (dutch process)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 sticks (2 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, melted
8 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla

Grease and flour a 12 x 18-inch baking sheet. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, flour and cocoa. Mix ingredients. Pour in the melted butter and beat just until blended then add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.


Mint Layer:

2 sticks (1 cups) butter, softened
4 cups powder sugar
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Few drops of food coloring (pink or green)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and spread over cooled brownies.


Chocolate layer:
12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter

Put chocolate chips and butter in a bowl and microwave for 70 seconds. Stir to blend. Spread over mint layer. Refrigerate until set.

A Little Food...Four Keeper Recipes!

This year one of my goals has been to get out of my recipe rut.  So I have been faithful over the last 12 weeks in making anywhere from one to four new recipes each week.  Some have been revolting, some so-so, but others have been great.  I thought I would share my four favorites in case you need a push out of your own same ol' same ol' routine!  Click the title for the full recipe if it isn't listed :)

Tortellini Gratinata with Mushrooms and Parsnip “Bechamel”

This recipes sounds like a doozy and it is has a lot going on so it takes awhile but it is WORTH IT!  It took about 2 hours start to finish, including baking and cooling time.  I was a little worried about the parsnip 'bechamel' because parsnips are so sweet and sometimes make a savory dish a little weird for me.  It ended up being great at cutting the strong flavors from the Gorgonzola.  (I used normal Gorgonzola instead of Gorgonzola Dolce because I'm normal and shop at regular grocery stores!)

Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

This is really simple and you can throw it together in a few minutes if you have everything on hand.  I didn't measure, just started mixing and eyeballing it until is looked and tasted right!

Romaine Lettuce
Croutons, Cut in Half
Caesar Dressing
Bacon Bits
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Cooked, Cubed Chicken
Tortillas, Pitas or Wraps

Mix the lettuce through chicken in a bowl.  Spoon into tortillas, pitas or wraps.  Enjoy!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

MAKE THESE.  They are delicious.  I half-heartedly looked for fleur de sel (see recipe) but didn't see it so I just served these up with my sea salt grinder.  These are really good with that tiny bit of salt but also fine without it...the next day for breakfast. 

I did a water bath when I baked mine.  The recipe doesn't say to but I've heard it really helps with even baking.  I placed a large dish towel in a jelly roll pan, placed my unbaked cheesecake on it then slowly filled the jelly roll pan about half full with water.  Be careful not to get any water into your cheesecake.  I also rotated the pan several times while it baked.  Again, I've heard it helps with even baking so I figured, why not try it?  I baked it for 10 minutes, 1/2 turn, 10 minutes, 1/2 turn, 9 minutes, 1/2 turn, 9 minutes, done!  I didn't have a single crack and it was perfectly creamy.

Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding

My favorite thing about it is the toffee sauce.  It is perfectly caramelized and brown and buttery.  It would be heaven on vanilla ice cream...

Do you have any keepers you'd be willing to share?  Leave them in the comments!

A Little Cuisine ... a week worth of dinner plans

I've been really lax about meal planning lately. School has gotten to me. You think I'd learn that menu planning is what saves my sanity. Lesson learned again, I planned a week's worth of dinner menus (with enough leftovers for my lunches). Since I try to cook vegetarian every other day or so, this menu reflects that. As always, photos are from the respective websites.

First off, I've been craving Swedish comfort food. So Sunday dinner will be Swedish Meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy, and pickled cukes from My Adventures In Food. She blends Alton Brown's recipe with Cook's Illustrated. It's gotta be good, right?

Monday is meatless at my house. I need a slow cooker recipe since I have school right up until dinnertime. So Monday's meal will be African Eggplant and Chickpea Stew over quinoa from Eating Well Magazine. Monday=Family Night=dessert night at our house, so as long as the kids try three bites of this, they can stuff themselves with banana splits later. Just means more leftovers for my lunches.

Tuesday night will make my carnivores happy. Philly Cheesesteaks recipe is from Eating Well Magazine, too. I'm serving this with sweet potato oven fries.

Wednesday night is always some form of spaghetti night at my house. This time it will be Martha Stewart's Tuna Spaghetti with Lemon and Breadcrumbs. All I need is a green salad and homemade focaccia and I'm good to go.

Thursday night is another night I need to put my slow cooker to work. I'm making cornbread and Smoked Turkey and Lentil Soup from MyRecipes.com

Friday night is my time to enjoy cooking in my kitchen. I love to keep miso paste on hand for Cooking Light's Miso Glazed Salmon. Smashed potatoes and greens. Date night food.

Saturday night is another night I like to eat vegetarian, but don't make my family join me. So I'm going to make Ina Garten's Herbed Baked Eggs. Unfortunately, Ina didn't have a picture of them on Foodnetwork.com, but Shutterbean's blog did. Mr. Wonderful and the boys can fry up bacon to go with it. All I need is some seeded whole wheat toast and fresh fruit.

There you go, a week worth of dinner menus. I have my shopping list ready to go and I'm feeling like I'm in control again. Don't forget to leave a comment with your dinner ideas. I'd love to try them.

A Little Sweet - Valentine Treats

Love, love, LOVE researching for holiday treats! My favorite holiday for treats? Valentines Day of course. Here is what I'm looking to make this year. (Again, picture are thanks to their respective blogs and websites)

Darla at Bakingdom came up with these darling raspberry meringues filled with chocolate. I love the color and tiny size. I am planning on making these to fill cellophane bags for teachers and friends. And a bowl for me. Wouldn't these be great for a bridal or baby shower party anytime? So darn cute!

Sugar Cooking who loves sugar AND cooking (heh!) baked up Red Velvet Cupcakes. My Firstborn loves red velvet cake and his birthday is the first week of February. I'm going to bake a batch of these and secretly invite his friends over. He'll love it.

I found this recipe for Strawberry Napoleons over at Cinemon Girl. I've been making these for years. Its my go-to dessert when I have unexpected guests during the summer. I always keep strawberries (or blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and puff pastry on hand. The one thing I do differently: I drizzle chocolate on the bottom pastry, top with berries and cream, then drizzle the top pastry layer with more chocolate.

Okay, I will admit that America's Test Kitchens recipe for Triple Chocolate Mousse Torte is a little bit labor intensive. Sooooo worth it! It makes a gorgeous presentation that just begs for a dinner party. Do not be intimidated. It isn't hard, just takes effort.

A Little Cuisine: Shrimp and Grits

This is an easy dinner, something beyond the usual, and around here it's called comfort food. This is not the usual cream-laden version. I like serving this with a green salad with fruit (think spinach with pear/apple/pomegranate and a light vinaigrette). I changed the ingredients somewhat to fit my family's tastes. If you are a vegetarian who eats fish, omit bacon and sub vegetable broth for a vegetarian version. Try subbing polenta for the grits.

Shrimp and Grits
adapted from Southern Living

Servings: 6
2 slices bacon

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 Cup flour
2 Cups sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 Cup chopped green onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For Grits:

1 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth
1 Cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup uncooked quick-cooking grits (find in the oatmeal section of your grocery)
3/4 Cup shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook bacon in cast iron pan until crisp. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Reserve 1 teaspoon of bacon drippings in pan.

Peel shrimp; devein if necessary. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; dredge in flour.

Saute mushrooms in hot drippings with oil in pan 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions and saute 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, saute 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly browned. stir in broth and lemon juice and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to deglaze bottom of skillet. Spoon shrimp mixture over Cheese grits, sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve.

For Cheese Grits: Bring 3 first ingredients plus 1 1/3 Cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheeses and pepper and serve.

A Little Cuisine - New Years Day Supper

News Years Day at my house has specific food traditions. From my southern Georgia grandmother, the tradition is black eyed peas for good luck and collard greens for prosperity. For me its just an opportunity to whip up some traditional Southern food. This is great for New Years day or any time. Here are some recipes to get you started. Hoppin' John recipe from She Wears Many Hats. Just like my recipe except her pictures are better than mine. Also, I use the leftover ham in my freezer from Christmas. Sundays at Moosewood has a fabulous vegetarian version of this. I like the toppings they suggest and use those along with my meat version, too. Be sure to pass around Tabasco at the table.

A simple winter fruit salad. I like to use the best fruit I can find at the grocery. Usually it contains most or all of these fruits along with a simple syrup. Pomegranates are a must. Isn't the color of this salad gorgeous? Make leftovers as it's great over yogurt and granola for breakfast the next morning.

Collard Greens from Paula Deen. Don't 'dis them til' you try them. Or, here is a recipe for Vegetarian Southen Style Collard Greens. Be brave and count this as towards your resolution to try new veggies in 2011.

Not pictured but essential at my house: Scarehaircare's Cheese Biscuit (yes, my nickname is Scarehaircare....I'll tell you later.) Whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Use your fingers to smash 6 Tablespoons butter into the flour mixture (or pulse butter and flour mix in your cuisinart until butter is size of peas). Add 1 cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (I've been known to up that amount) and then stir in 1 cup of buttermilk until barely mixed (do not over mix). Either drop onto cookie sheet or roll and cut with a biscuit cutter and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 14-18 minutes. Serve warm.

For dessert (and new to me this year) is this Frozen Key Lime
Mousse Pie. You have to admit, this sounds divine.

There you have it, my traditional Southern New Years Day supper. Do you have New Years food traditions?

A Little Cuisine - How I got my kids to try kale (aka Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale)

Chicken Stew.

The concept seemed relatively safe for a recipe to try on my family. But chicken stew with kale? Would they try kale?

I showed my kids the recipe in 2006 when my Cooking Light issue came in the mail. Leafy green veggies are not popular at this house. But they were willing to try. We shopped for the ingredients together. We chopped the ingredients together. I subbed Yukon potatoes and used only chicken breasts because that is what I already had on hand. Left out the wine in favor of more chicken broth. The kids banged away at the food chopper to mince the garlic. I showed them how to swirl the slices of leek in a big bowl of cold water to make sure all the sand was out. Firstborn taught Secondborn how to use measuring cups and spoons. Everyone tore the ribs off the kale and tore up the leaves.

The kids were in the kitchen with me from beginning to end. We talked about our individual days, what books were currently being read, and plans for the weekend. The Love Magnet set the table with the help of Thirdborn. The only person who had to be called to the table was Mr. Wonderful.

My kids ate kale. That bears repeating from the rooftops: MY KIDS ATE KALE! Being involved for the entire process of putting a meal together gave them a sense of being investors in the meal. Everyone pointed out their contributions to Mr. Wonderful : "Dad, I added the spices.", "I cooked on the stove!", "I tore up the kale, that's a new vegetable.", "Hey, I tore up the kale, too!".

They liked the Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale enough to ask for it to be put on regular rotation at our house. Click on the link and let me introduce you to a regular comfort-food recipe made at my house in the fall.

A Little Cuisine - homemade holiday treats for your neighbors

It's that time of year when I panic as I think "What am I going to give the neighbors?!" Since I've gone back to school, my Decembers are more about Finals Week than baking. So, for the past few years, I've hunted online every holiday for easy holiday treats. Here is what I am looking at this year:

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies from Recipe Girl. What's not to like? Cookie layer with chocolate and peppermint has to be a winner. It looks easy enough that I am going to let my 14 year old wannabe chef loose in my kitchen. (As long as he cleans up afterwards). He'll be thrilled to have the bragging rights that he made these for our neighbors.

Christmas Crack aka Christmas Toffee Crackers from Smitten Kitchen. My neighbor used to make this every year. Every year the goodies were hidden in my room by me. Let the kids eat something else. Yes, I feel guilt every time I call it Crack, but ohmyheavens it is ADDICTING! Huge bonus: it's super easy to make.

Aren't these absolutely cute? Candy Cane Marshmallows from the Martha Stewart website. BTW, The current issue of Martha Stewart Living has the cutest salt dough ornaments with instructions to make your own. It's on my to-do list.

A Little Cuisine... Holiday Food Traditions #1: Gingerbread

Food traditions abound at our house. Smells and tastes combined with family activities just seem to make them more celebratory. When we decorate the tree, I always pop in a pan of Gingerbread to bake. The spicy-sweet smell permeates the house. When the tree is done, we gather round for gingerbread topped with bananas and whipped cream. Our advent calendar is a stack a books: One Christmas book for every night until Christmas. I read the books by the light of the tree while the kids snuggle in quilts.

Christmas tree light, sleepy kids in quilts, and the smell of gingerbread.

Sounds perfect doesn't it?

Lion House Gingerbread

from Lion House Classics cookbook (2004)

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1 Cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 Cup very hot water

Bananas and whipped cream

Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg and molasses; beat well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Add hot water and beat until smooth. (Batter will be very thin.)

Pour into well-greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve warm or cold with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

A Little Cuisine: My go-to Thanksgiving/Christmas recipe

Oh side-dish that tastes like sweet potato pie;

that elicits anticipation of delight and makes me sigh.

Some guests look at you and simply try to ignore

not knowing or understanding how much I adore

your simplicity. I smile with glee

knowing what they pass up means more for me.

Thank goodness you've no marshmallows on top

or stick of butter or other glop

that ruins the best of Thanksgiving flavor.

Your maple syrup and pecans give much to savor.

Now, a poet I'm not. This is meant to seem droll.

Hopefully it gets to you try Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole.

Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas!

A Little Cuisine... My Favorite Banana Bread Recipes

I love making banana bread on cold rainy days. It's perfect for the kids' after-school snack paired with a steamer ( I always keep coconut, hazelnut, pumpkin pie, and caramel syrups on hand for steamers).

I've been making these recipes from Cooking Light since they came out in the same September 2003 article. I've tried other, but they just aren't the same. Let's get started!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze. I use coconut and rum flavorings instead of rum in the batter and grate lime zest into the glaze. I've also been known to sprinkle some toasted macadamia nuts over the glaze.

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread. I always slip and add more chocolate than called for. Admit it, you would intentionally slip and add extra chocolate, too. So incredibly good. Use the Guittard extra-dark chocolate chips if you can find them in your local grocery.

Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachios. This one is a bit unusual, mainly because cardamom is not a spice people keep on hand (unless they are into Swedish cooking). I like to double the cardamom. I read that others who have made this one also add a bit of cinnamon. I prefer just to let the cardamom flavor shine.

If you must slather a condiment onto your slice of banana bread, try lemon curd or a honey-sweetened cream cheese. Mmmmmmm.

Now, if I could just keep the bananas on my counter long enough to ripen for banana bread. Bananas at my house disappear fast.

A Little Cuisine... The best apple cider ever!

So, since it is Halloween, and since Thanksgiving is around the corner, I am here to share with you the BEST cider recipe.  EVER!  It has a tangy zip to it due to all the citrus juices involved.  Believe me you will impress.  Sometimes I hand this out in little throwaway cups on "All Hallow's Eve" to the adults in my neighborhood accompanying their darling trick-or-treaters.  You can even garnish it up with a cinnamon stick or an orange slice.  It makes a great accompaniment on Thanksgiving as well.  No matter when you make it, the whole house will smell heavenly. 

Corinne's Favorite Apple Cider... (This recipe is HUGE - I usually half it and it still makes more than you could ever drink)
2 cups sugar
5 cups water
12 cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
4 allspice berries (or about 1/4 tsp. ground allspice)
1 T. fresh or crystallized ginger
1/2 - 1 gallon apple cider
1/2 gallon orange juice
1 cup lemon juice

Simmer sugar and spices with water for 10 minutes or so and then take out spices.  Add juices and heat.  Can also stick in a crock pot to keep warm for hours.

Enjoy!

A Little Cuisine... My Favorite Potato Cheese Soup Recipe

My husband printed out this potato cheese soup recipe, and it quickly became a family favorite.

This soup is not as heavy as some potato cheese soups, and has GREAT flavor - the key is the swiss cheese (added last) and the pepper.

One change I would make:  use 1/2 tsp instead of 1 tsp. of pepper. Also, once I used whole milk (because it was all I had at home) and it made it creamier but less flavorful overall. I prefer to use skim milk - it brings out the flavor and it is less fattening!  Win, win.

Serve with crusty rolls and you have a quick and easy dinner to keep you warm on a Halloween (or winter) night.

Yum.  Enjoy!

Recipe reposted here for easy viewing:

Ingredients
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender. Do not rinse: mash mixture slightly. Stir in milk.
In a small mixing bowl, blend butter, flour, parsley, and pepper; stir into potato mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Remove from heat: add cheese and stir until cheese is almost melted. Let soup stand for 5 minutes.