Saturday, February 28, 2009

New Look and New Polls

Just a bit of housekeeping:

First, enjoy the new easy to read template. There were some concerns of readability with the old dark and busy template. This one is a little more crisp and bright.

Secondly, while there are no new posts on the weekends, there will be a series of polls that will inspire and guide new blog postings. Be sure to vote by Saturday afternoon on the favorite fruit category poll and look forward to recipes, facts and demonstrations of the winning category in the following week.

Enjoy and take good care,
Elise 

Friday, February 27, 2009

Couscous: The Food So Nice They Named It Twice

It's a grain, it's a legume, oh just give it up - it is couscous - fun to eat and to say. Despite looking much like quinoa or other grains, couscous is actually small granules of the same hard durum semolina wheat used to make spaghetti and all other pastas. Couscous is very popular in Northern African and Middle Eastern cooking, and has the potential to be a college student staple because it requires no cooking. 

That's right, plain couscous (available in whole wheat and regular varieties) can be made in a coffee mug in the microwave. It takes a simple 1:1 ratio of cooking liquid to couscous, and once the liquid is brought to a boil, just add the couscous and either cover or leave in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and it is done. Note, though, that if making a large amount, allow for ample expansion; couscous swells to more than triple its size during cooking.

Couscous makes the perfect bed for any type of grilled fish or meat and can even be dressed up with fruits, honey and a bit of milk for a desert. It can become its own main dish, also, by adding in lots of vegetables and legumes like garbonzo beans. The possibilities are endless. Go ahead and even stuff button mushrooms with couscous mixed with bruschetta or a favorite dip and have the perfect appetizer bites.

A good tip, though, is not to make couscous with water. Try using vegetable broth or if making a sweet dish, try using milk or a fruit juice even. When working with a culinary "blank canvas" feel free to "go Jackson Pollack" in the kitchen - splashing flavor wherever possible.

Here is a recipe for a great vegetable couscous pilaf. From start to finish it only takes about 15 minutes at the most and can either be eaten by itself with some garbonzo beans added to the vegetables, or below some grilled fish.

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable broth - reduced sodium
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
salt and pepper to taste
1 sm. zucchini, grated or diced
1 sm. carrot, grated or diced
1 cup frozen peas or canned garbonzo beans 
1 cup of onion, grated or diced, or 3-4 green onions finely chopped
1 tbsp garam masala (or a mix of cumin, corriander, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom)
1 tbsp margarine or butter


Preparation
First place the vegetable broth into a microwave safe mug or measuring cup, microwave until boiling, add couscous and put back in the microwave. For those with no microwave, just bring liquid to boil in a kettle or saucepan, put couscous in a bowl, add hot liquid, cover and let sit until vegetables are done cooking.

In a small saute pan, heat butter and add onions and carrots. Saute over medium to medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper and spices. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, add the zucchini.  When everything looks just about done, add the frozen peas and stir to combine. Frozen peas take practically no time to cook and are best just warmed through. If using garbonzo beans, add with the zucchini. This collective step of the process may take 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the preferred "doneness" of the vegetables. Some people like their veggies crisper than others. Neither way is right or wrong. The beauty of cooking is there is no real perfection.

Once the vegetables are nice and cooked, just add to the couscous and combine. There are hundreds of combinations of vegetables and fruits to go into couscous so be creative and pick personal favorites. This can become an easy go-to side dish and a signature item to be known for. Switch it up and have fun with it! 

Have a good weekend and the Kitchen Sink will return on Monday with more dish and dishes.



Thursday, February 26, 2009

National Pistachio Day Festivities

So, Valentine's Day is over, St. Patrick's Day is still a ways off and Easter isn't until April this year, but thanks to bizarre food holidays, celebrating can continue today, Feb. 26, for National Pistachio Day.

Pistachios are high in calcium, thiamine, phosphorus and Vitamin A, which makes them worth the caloric load. There are many nostalgic images conjured up of digging through barrels of red shelled nuts, but in reality the shells of pistachios are not red at all - they're tan. The shells of pistachios were dyed red or blanched (put into boiling water) to make them turn white to make them easier to see when digging through bins of nuts. The green pistachio color is natural, though. The center, edible portion of the pistachio is called a "nutmeat." Many grocery stores have nutmeats already shelled and ready to eat and use in recipes. If buying pistachios in shell, however, be wary of shells that aren't open. They are harder to open and more importantly, it is a sign that the nutmeat is not fully ripe.

Pistachios have a buttery and creamy flavor and texture, unlike most nuts. This makes them great for savory dishes as well as many deserts. Crushed they can elevate breaded fish to a gourmet level. Pistachio crusted salmon is a great date-night meal - a less expensive option to going out to a fancy restaurant.

A great way to get a little bit of sweetness, though, comes in the perfect little bite of pistachio, dark chocolate and dried dark cherries. These are amazing, and are a great portion controlled dessert that is just the right amount of sweetness and doesn't taste too unhealthy.


Pistachio, Dark Cherry and Dark Chocolate Brittle Bites

Ingredients
1 cup of pistachio nutmeats - roughly chopped (use raw or roasted, salted or unsalted - whatever you're fond of)
1 cup of dried sweetened cherries
12-15 oz of dark chocolate (>60% chocolate)

This is one of the easiest recipes ever, and can be switched up with any chocolate, nut and fruit combination. First, melt the chocolate as seen in the video on the macaroon  blog. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the extras and then spoon out bite size amounts spaced out on cookie sheet lined with parchment. Place in a freezer until set and store in the refrigerator. Each brittle bite will have just the right portion of nuts, fruit and chocolate for nutritional benefits, and not too much sugar to cause a crash. Enjoy!

> Another great combination is to crush pretzels  and stir those into chocolate and sprinkle course salt on the top of the bites. Salt enhances the flavors in chocolate. Not decadent enough, try peanut butter-filled pretzels.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

DIY Hummus

There really isn't a bad thing to say about hummus. It is one of the most popular spreads in all of mediterranean cooking, and comes in dozens of different flavors from cilantro to horseradish. But for as popular as the spread is, people who work in grocery stores hear all the time from people that want to make their own the popular question, "What is it?"

Hummus is basically a paste made from some kind of legume. Edamame and white kindey beans are great, but most often the spead is made from chickpeas (or garbonzo beans). Canned beans work fine and save a lot of time in the end. The best reason to make hummus from scratch is to add different flavors, not to mention it is way more affordable to make than to buy. It can be lemony and fresh, spicy or classic and simple. The best way to add the flavor to the beans is to heat the beans in a saucepan (after draining) and add whatever spices and flavors happen to sound good that day. Good combinations and jumping off points are:
- juice of one lemon, sprinkle of dried oregano, thyme, salt and pepper
- 2 roasted red peppers, sprinkle of red chile flakes, garlic powder, corriander and salt
- a spoonful of sun dried tomatoes, black olives, garlic powder, basil and salt and pepper
- 2 green onions, garlic powder, ground ginger, white pepper (careful, it is more potent than black pepper) and soy sauce

Bring the beans and additions to a simmer and then take off the heat. Hummus can be made with tahini (a sesame paste) but doesn't have to be. To leave it out saves a lot of calories and fat.

Blending the hummus can be done with a blender, food processor or hand immersion blender. The best strategy is to get the mixture blended about 70 percent done, and start streaming in extra virgin olive oil slowly and continue blending. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil over the course of blending the spread. Hummus can be chunky or super smooth depending on personal tastes. Taste the dip at the very end to make sure seasonings are right, adding salt or pepper where necessary.

Serve in a dish with an extra drizzle of olive oil (optional). Hummus goes on wraps with sprouts and veggies, with pita or naan bread or fresh and crispy veggies.


> Curious about the nutrition of certain ingredients? This website is a fabulous resource that gives amazing information for those interested in the caloric breakdown of foods, glycemic indexes, etc. Just type in a food and start learning.

> Need to know what an ingredient is? The Food Lover's Companion is the best written guide, but epicurious.com's Food Dictionary is a sure-fire way to learn more about ingredients. They even have a wine dictionary for the best advice on pairings.

 

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Much Ado About Polenta

Polenta is often confused with American hominy grits, Mexican masa, and plain cornmeal. It is a pretty honest mistake, seeing as even reading the ingredients, they all just seem to be ground dried corn, with varying textures and coarseness. As a rule, polenta is usually yellow and coarser than cornmeal, which is why it would be a bad choice for cornbread (which needs finer texture to bake properly). It can be found in supermarkets uncooked or cooked. The later is usually packaged in a roll, which makes a great option for quick meals. Uncooked polenta looks much like grits, and the preparation (boiling in water or stock until it forms  porridge) is almost identical. The major difference is that "true" grits use something called hominy, which is made by soaking the dry corn kernels in a lye solution to remove the shell of the corn. This then often makes the corn appear white, which is why grits are often white as opposed to bright yellow polenta. The obvious answer is that polenta is a traditional Italian food, and grits was and still is a staple in southern U.S.

Polenta is great just with some butter, parmesan cheese, or marinara. It can also be topped with veggies like mushrooms or spinach. But polenta is great for those who avoid gluten, because it can replace typical pasta in common Italian favorites. One of the tastiest of those being lasagna.

Loaded Veggie Polenta Lasagna

Ingredients
1 large 24-32 oz jar or can of marinara
1 zucchini or summer squash
1 eggplant
8 oz of crimini or button mushrooms
2 packages of precooked, rolled polenta
3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 bags of mozzarella or parmesan cheese (can be made cheese-less, as well)
2-3 tbsp basil
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp red chile flakes

Preparation
Most lasagnas take a while to bake, but this one is pretty much just warmed through in the oven, and can be on the table in less than an hour with prep time included.

Thinly slice eggplant, mushrooms and  zucchini and sauté in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and red chile flakes. It should take about 10 minutes on medium heat to get the vegetables soft.

Get a baking dish out with nice deep sides and coat with cooking spray. start by putting a thin layer of marinara sauce down. Start with putting a layer of polenta circles, then vegetables and more sauce and a layer of cheese. Divide the vegetables, polenta, cheese and sauce into three portions. It may not take all of the second roll of polenta to get this to work out. It is good to save some extra cheese for the top layer. Once the assembly is done, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then uncover the dish and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Let cool and serve. 

This will serve anywhere from 3-5 people, depending on portion size.







Monday, February 23, 2009

All About Mangoes

One of the best books a culinary nerd could get is Baron's The Food Lover's Companion. Grocery shopping often raises more questions than answers, and shopping for produce or spices, there are often new vocabulary and unfamiliar ingredients. The Food Lover's Companion is the best place to go for definitions, history, uses, preparations and tips of how to buy certain ingredients. 

Just to show the range of information available in this perfect "foodpedia," mangoes will be the feature of this blog. A simple enough fruit, it is in many ethnic fare, is available most all year round in most markets, and perplexes many people because of its exotic reputation. 

Mangoes, like many other tropical fruits originated in India, where the tree that bears the fruit is regarded as sacred. Mangoes now are grown in many tropical areas and warm climates like Florida and California. Their peak season is May through September, but are available most of the year thanks to food globalization. When looking for mangoes it is best to look for unblemished skin with a color ranging anywhere between green and red. There are many varieties, but the most common start out green and turn orange or red when ripening. Mangoes are ripe when their skin yields to gentle pressure, like a pear. Because of this, it is important to think about when you want to use the fruit when buying it. Once ripe, mangoes will not last in a fruit bowl past a few days, while at the same time, unripe they are difficult to cut. The flesh needs to be soft to cut around the large flesh-colored seed that is in the middle of the mango. It is similar to the core of  a pineapple, in that it is hard to cut through but doesn't look like the seed of a stone fruit or an apple.

Mangoes are extremely high in vitamins A and C. It also has natural enzymes that make it great for tenderizing meat. The fruit is probably best known for its place in the popular Indian relish, chutney, but really has limitless uses. From smoothies, to fruit salads, salsas, and relishes to simply dicing and eating straight out of a dish. A great tip for hot summer days or sore scratchy throats is to keep some frozen mango chunks handy for lozenges. As long as the fruit was ripe when cut, it should soften quickly and not be too hard to chew. It is a great cool soothing treat, and the enzymes in the mango can help with throat drainage that comes with allergies or a cold. 

Tart, sweet mangoes pair well with all tropical fruits (pineapple, papaya, etc.) but also go extremely well with kiwi or tart berries. The combination is sweet, but not too sweet, and can accompany any meal from breakfast to dessert. Below is a great mango salsa recipe. Heat can be adjusted by taking out the seeds of the hot peppers, or adding more/hotter peppers.

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
1 mango, finely diced (see video below for tips)
1 jalapeno pepper (red or green)
1/2 of yellow or orange bell pepper
1/2 cup green onion, finely diced
drizzle honey
splash of white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Simply combine ingredients and let sit for 1-2 hours. For a more blended salsa, use a food processor. It is great on top of fish or chicken, or with chips.


Below is a helpful link for preparing mango:
How to  cut a mango into pieces, chunks or use a mango peeler/corer. 

Friday, February 20, 2009

The Best Macaroons Ever

The weekend is a time for spending a little extra time in the kitchen. A great way to spend time with friends or a loved one, even children, is to bake some cookies. This recipe is for extremely moist coconut & lime macaroons dipped in dark chocolate, and wind up being a perfect combination between a cookie and a candy. Great as gifts, for holidays or just for a sweet treat, this recipe will find its way into your collection and stay there for years.

A major complaint among most macaroons is either that they are filled with dairy or dry and lifeless. These are completely dairy free, and can be made gluten free by using rice flour in place of wheat. They taste just as good.

Ingredients
4 egg whites (can't subsitute quick whites because they won't whip up)
6 tbsp all-purpose OR rice flour
pinch of salt (1/4 teaspoon)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar OR 1/4 cup agave nectar (for those looking for lower gycemic levels)
Zest and juice of 1 lime OR 1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 12 oz bag of unsweetened shredded coconut (look for a brand that looks moist)
8-10 oz Dark Chocolate chips (or one dark chocolate bar broken into chunks)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Start by beating the egg whites on high until they form soft peaks. This is done best by starting with room temperature eggs in a cold bowl. Slowly add in the sugar and continue whipping until the eggs form stiff peaks. Essentually this is meringue at this point.

> Peaks are determined by lifting the beater out of the eggs and whether the eggs cling to the beater and form rounded or sharp peaks.

Mix and sift all the remaining dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder)

Use a technique professional bakers call "folding." It is best done with a spatula. Here is a video for making mousse that uses the same folding technique. It is best to pour the ingredients in slowly for this recipe and continue gently folding. This ensures that the air incorperated into the eggs does not deflate, and makes for lighter, moister cookies.

Now slowly sprinkle in the coconut following the same technique. If the coconut is moist, it is important to separate the shreds so nothing is too bulky. Zest one lime and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Fold one last time.

Spoon out cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. They will not spread very much, but keep them about an inch apart. Place on the center rack in the oven for about 15 mintues or until the coconut on top is golden brown, but not burnt.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, melt the chocolate in double broiler. To make a double broiler, fill a sauce pan with about an inch of water and boil. Find a bowl that will fit inside the pan but not touch the water, and drop the heat to medium. Pour in chocolate chips and stir until melted.

For a final touch, dip the macaroons in the dark chocoalte, coating the bottom and then place back on a cooling rack. These are best kept in the refrigeator, if they last long enough to keep past a day.

Enjoy! And a have a great weekend. This post will resume on Monday, February 23 and continue every Monday thru Friday from there on out.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Windy Days Call for Soup

Cold days in late winter seem more cruel than most. Often they come just as cruel as in December, but are sandwiched between ones that are often quite mild. The dance between the coat closet and back deciding to retire that winter coat for the year can make a person hungry. Add to that winds that seem to slice through even several layers of clothes, and soup is just the meal to patch up the seasonal conflict.

Many soups can be creamy and calorie-filled, but since it is getting closer and closer to spring time, broth-based soups rich in vegetables and lean protein deliver all the warmth without the extra pounds thick sweaters long for. Soups are often the true test of a great chef, but are often the most simple dish to make. They have pretty much no rules. They cook long enough that even ingredients a few days past their peak can be enjoyed, and are forgiving to mediocre chopping and all other kitchen woes.

The easiest way to take a soup to another level is by using stock or broth instead of water. Even vegetable juice can be used, just be careful to look for reduced sodium always. Salt creeps into dishes very easily when using help from the store and taking it out of a dish is something no expert can help with. Grocery stores often have most vegetables pre-chopped and frozen. This is a very economical option and often the vegetables are very fresh.

This is a good skeleton recipe for soup. With chicken and noodles this becomes chicken noodle soup, but can be adjusted for vegetarians and people avoiding gluten. It is fast and easy and needs nothing more than a cutting board, knife, stock pot, ingredients, a little patience and a lot of appetite.

Ingredients
6-8 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups of chopped onions (fresh or frozen)
3-4 ribs of diced celery
2 carrots, diced
2 portobello caps
2 potatoes, diced OR 4 oz of any pasta OR 1/2 cup of any rice
3 chicken breasts or 5 chicken tenderloins (poached and diced)
Salt & Pepper
2 cloves garlic (fresh or frozen)
Bay leaf (optional)
Basil (fresh or dried)
Parsley (fresh or dried)
2 tbsp ground corriander
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
slice of lemon (optional)

Preparation
First chop all the ingredients first. Have them ready to go into the pot like an assembly line. This prevents any further frustration.

Start by sweating onions in olive oil with salt and pepper and garlic. Sweating is done on medium low heat. The objective is to bring out the moisture in the onions and not to caramelize them. After about 5 minutes once the onions begin to soften, add the potatoes and about 1/2 cup of the broth. Keep the heat on about medium until the potatoes break down and get very soft. Add a little bit of broth if all of it evaporates and continue stirring often. This process builds the base of the soup and helps make it thick in the end.

After about 20 minutes, add the rest of the broth and vegetables and chicken (optional). A good option in place of chicken is lentils. They need no presoaking and soften in about 30 minutes. Also go ahead and add the herbs at this point as well. Bring to a simmer and cover for about 30-40 minutes... if you can wait that long. Remove the bay leaf (they aren't edible) and serve with a slice of lemon.

>If using pasta, add about 20 minutes into the cooking process. With rice, add as soon as the soup starts to simmer. 

>This is a great way to use up other vegetables, too. Zucchini is wonderful, so are canned tomatoes, etc. One of the best ways to add an extra vitamin boost is to open up a whole bag of baby spinach and wilt into the soup right before serving. It wilts down to a reasonable amount and makes soup almost like a salad - great for vegetarian options.

Feel free to comment on any recipes or a soup that you'd like to see recreated.




Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Case for Almond Butter

Due to some recent recalls on peanuts, there has been some rising tension surrounding the ingredient. Peanut butter is still available on store shelves, since the recall was targeting mainly commercial sources, but why not play around with some alternatives. Here are some great ways to have fun with recalls. Who knows, this very well may become the golden age of almond butter.

Never heard of almond butter? It is often pegged as one of those ingredients with a members only jacket from Whole Foods and other like markets, but it is often hiding in the "health foods" areas of major grocery stores (including Marsh and Kroger). It can come in roasted and raw, creamy or crunchy and salted and unsalted. It makes a great option for those looking for more vitamin E and A than peanut butter, not to mention great for those with peanut allergies, because it goes into old favorites with the same great tasting results.

Some important things to remember about most almond butters are similar the differences between regular and natural peanut butters. It may seem like there is a layer of oil on the top; stirring is essential to proper texture. It has a thicker texture, and the "mouthfeel" if you will is a lot stickier. The flavor, however, is so much richer. And just because it might seem more mature, that doesn't mean that one must stop eating all the childhood peanut butter favorites. Go ahead, head out and grab some almond butter - whichever one sounds good. Don't forget the celery and raisins for ants on a log or some good preserves for a shake up on an all-time staple (think: AB & J). It won't take long until a fork marks the top of an... almond butter cookie.

Here is a great on-the-go breakfast. Whether eaten at a desk, in a car, or on a bike, enjoy this super simple treat, perfect for rolling out of bed and going to class.

Banana Dogs

Ingredients:
Hot dog bun (whole wheat are great)
Banana
Almond butter
Honey (optional)

The preparation really isn't worth a step by step instruction. Think hot dog, with a banana instead. Spread the almond butter on each side (a thin layer will do) and a drizzle of honey down the center for some extra sweetness. A total one-handed delicious no brainer.

>Good Tip! When working with almond butter, spooning it out into a recipe is often hard because it sticks to spoons and other utensils. A quick spray of cooking spray makes it very easy, and this works with honey and lots of other gooey ingredients.

>While this blog represents a clear favor for almond butter, peanut butter will not fade because of a commercial food scare. Safe eating is good eating, so in that spirit there is a list of all recalled peanut products from the Food and Drug Administration.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Run for coconut water

Sports drinks have become more popular than ever. They gain popularity by having celebrity athlete spokespeople behind them, but often don't provide any real nutrition to active people. While they replace electrolytes, they also provide entirely too much sugar and preservatives. It seems like a great irony to do something good for the body, exercise, and as a reward fill it with artificial "glacier blast" whatever.

Short of just spiking a typical bottle of water with some lemon juice and salt, a great alternative in itself, coconut water is actually a fantastic rebound beverage from any workout. It is naturally sweet and is often blended with a bit of real fruit flavor to improve the taste even more. Coconut water is the juice from the inside of young coconuts. This is often mistaken for the milk. Also, while coconut flesh is high in fat, the water is fat free, and actually may help aide in weight loss. 

Coconut water is bottled and packaged under several brand names (thankfully, because getting into a coconut can prove to be workout enough)  and is becoming easier to find in grocery stores, but should be stocked in any health orientated grocery store. The major benefit to coconut water is that it has the perfect amounts of electrolytes and a ton of essential potassium, without adding a lot of calories. 

> Up for the coconut challenge, here is a video of how to open a coconut without slicing your hand off.


Chip off the Old Vegetable

Plain potato chips are as prosaic as a side could be. Sandwiches shouldn't always have to put up with their blandness, and they are extremely easy to make from just about any favorite vegetable in a few basic steps. These are sure to impress, and these are baked so they won't break your diet.

If starting with a root vegetable at all (sweet potato, yucca, parsnip, carrot, etc.) the first step is to parboil the vegetable. This means boiling them until a fork slides in easily, but stopping short of them turning to mush. Normally it is about 10 to 15 minutes on a high rolling bubble. When removing the potatoes, stick them in the freezer for a few minutes  just to stop the cooking process. At this point any other vegetables coming to the chip party can join in the fun (portobello mushrooms, zucchini or summer squash, etc). These vegetables don't need to be boiled if sliced thinly.

Slice all the vegetables that are going into the mix and place them on a baking sheet or a shallow baking dish. It works well to make thin disks or shoestring fry shapes. Make sure to either coat the baking sheet or dish with foil, parchment paper or some cooking spray to avoid sticking. From here let your taste buds guide you on seasonings. Salt and pepper are must-haves, as well as a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (for flavor and to allow them to crisp up). Herbs and spices are great to add as well, such as some thyme, rosemary, oregano, cumin, coriander, etc. This will become a signature side dish, so don't feel a need to follow any specific recipes for this one. Simply go with what smells good or pairs with the main dish.

Pop these into a 450-500 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the chips are crispy and golden. If there are a bunch, tossing them around after about 7 minutes is advisable. Once they're done the best thing to do is get some ketchup, hot sauce, mayonnaise, or any other dipping sauce and enjoy.

Reinventing a Classic Cob

Who doesn't enjoy a crunchy ear of sweet corn? Whether it is on the grill, in a camp fire or just boiled, corn on the cob is nothing short of an American staple. It goes well with just about any dish, and corn has totally overhauled the processed food movement. It is extremely hard to go a day and not eat some form of corn. That aside, corn doesn't always have to be a commonplace side dish. 

Herb butters (or margarines for those who are avoiding dairy) are great ways to add extra flavor to a dish that normally gets a pat of the typical sweet creamy spread. They are very simple to make with a food processor or a large bowl and a hand beater. Making this creation is like learning a formula; once it is learned, all it takes is a choice of variables and you always get an amazing answer. Start with cutting up herbs, shallots, garlic, or chilies. Then in a food processor or in a bowl add in pat by pat of butter, whipping continuously to incorporate air into the mixture. Once all the butter or margarine is in, then it is time to add any dry spice powders or the pre-chopped ingredients.

Here are a few starter recipes. Simply follow the above instructions and enjoy on freshly cooked corn. Both of these also go well with fish and chicken:

Classic Herb Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:
1 tsp rosemary or 1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp garlic (fresh, frozen, minced, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 stick butter or margarine


Spicy Chile Corn

Ingredients:
1 tsp chipotle chili powder (or chili powder of choice)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 stick butter or margarine

Hippy Pad Thai in 10 Minutes

The current group of college students are part of what might as well be called the takeout generation. For many reasons, to which this blog doesn't try to understand, food has become something that must be quick, easy and prepackaged. One of the benefits of takeout is being able to eat a variety of different ethnic foods without the trip overseas. Most of these dishes are extremely hard to create because they require rare ingredients only found in specialty markets. This, however, is one tasty exception to the rule.

A great benefit to make "takein" as opposed to takeout is that it is easy to see what you're eating. This particular recipe is great for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. This is a gluten free, dairy free and vegan meal.

Corina's (Trader Joe's employee) Hippy Pad Thai

Ingredients
1 package of rice stick noodles 
1 package extra firm tofu (about 12 oz)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce, plus more to taste
1/2 bag or about 1 cup of bean sprouts
1-2 tbsp light cooking oil (vegetable or grapeseed)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro and/or basil (fresh or frozen)
Sweet chili sauce or hot sauce to taste
Lime segments (optional)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

The meal is as easy as soaking the noodles in water until they're soft and pliable. Start by cutting the tofu into cubes and sautéing  the tofu in oil, soy sauce and garlic powder. After the tofu is cooked on the outside, remove the tofu, add the noodles with a little bit of the water they were soaking in, plus the bean sprouts. Cook all these together for about 3-4 minutes and add the tofu back into the skillet. Top with herbs, peanuts and a squeeze of limes and serve. People can "sauce up" their dish as they like.

>Real Thai would normally contain tamarind sauce, which is not part of the college student's pantry, plus fish sauce (which isn't vegan). This may not be the most authentic version of Pad Thai, but it is cheap and easy... and darn tasty.

>Not vegan? Try adding chicken, shrimp or steak to this dish in place of tofu. Numerous vegetables could be added, as well, vegan or not. 


Monday, February 16, 2009

Cooking Oils 101: Olive Oil

Before jumping into any recipe, a good working knowledge of cooking oils is essential.

Extra virgin olive oil has become very popular thanks to cooking shows and the ever-popular tag, "EVOO" coined by culinary personality Rachael Ray. The popularity has led to a great variety of olive oils to choose from in every basic grocery store. The "extra virgin" tag, though, is not to be ignored. Extra virgin olive oil, as opposed to virgin or just regular olive oil, is different because it is the first press of the olives. The resulting flavor is often pleasantly fruity, sometimes grassy or buttery, rarely even having spicy notes. All of these characteristics help to bring layers of flavor to many dishes. Any olive oil, though, is not good for all dishes, no matter how high in quality the oil is. Olive oils, including extra virgin, have a low smoke or flash point. This means that deep frying french fries in olive oil would result in the oil not getting hot enough to really give the food a "crunch factor." Also, because olive oils do have strong flavors, foods that are outside the realm of Mediterranean flavors, such as Indian, Mexican and Asian dishes tend to taste better with lighter more neutral flavored cooking oils such as grapeseed or vegetable oils. Works out better, anyway, because those dishes often require much higher cooking temperatures. Most salad dressings, dipping oils, and grilling/roasting dishes do great with olive oil, though. Here is a simple recipe for a nice lemon herb vinaigrette:

Ingredients

1-2 lemons
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced basil, tarragon, and/or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Squeeze lemon(s) into a bowl 2. Add salt, pepper & herbs
3. Whisk these ingredients together and stream in the olive oil until the dressing has come together

>QUICK TIP:  To avoid getting the salad all wet and shriveled, try mixing the dressing at the bottom of a large bowl before adding the salad, then toss just before serving. It will taste very fresh and crisp, while still allowing for making things ahead of time.

>This recipe can be varied hundreds of different ways. Essentially there needs to be an acid, the oil and flavorings. Any vinegar or juice could take the place of the lemon here, and anything from herbs and spices to fruits can go into the dressing as flavor enhancers.


****Fun Fact: Olives for oil are cultivated all over the world but most of the world's oil is processed in Spain

For more information about cooking oils in general, including fat content and smoke temperatures, check out this table.