Florida Adventures, part 2

After an afternoon organizing old pictures and sorting through a couple boxes of childhood memories, my mom and I made an old favorite for dinner. This (thought to originally hail from Gourmet) Szechwan-Style Eggplant recipe was originally intended to be a dip, served with pita bread (?). Quite odd really, so we chop the pieces a little bit bigger and turn it into a main dish kind of recipe. It seems lengthy, however when the sauce is prepared first (and this is key - right Mom? :) ), it comes together quite quickly and is not as involved as it might seem. And the results are divine - if you're a fan of the glossy eggplant and garlic sauce found at most Chinese establishments, you'll be thrilled with the taste of this dish. The addition of cornstarch to the sauce gives it that glossy restaurant mouthfeel, and the components of the sauce provide enough heat to make the dish seem more impressive then the sum of its parts.

To accompany the eggplant, my mom used up some old veggies lying around to create veggie dumplings. I introduced her to my favorite Sesame Dipping Sauce and we had some steamed edamame, and a couple baked veggie spring rolls on the side. Altogether, the meal was delightful and just as tasty as having called in a delivery order. And, with the dumpling making, it was a lot more fun!













Szechwan-Style Eggplant
adapted from Gourmet (?)

My Notes -Mise en place is key. Putting all the sauces in little bowls is such a time saver as actual cooking time is very small.
This is supposed to be an appetizer served with pita wedges (?!?!). If doing main course style - small chopping isn't really necessary and larger pieces would be better. The recipe is somewhat flexible - we added chopped water chestnuts which added a nice contrasting crunch to the otherwise smooth textured dish.


1/4 cup vegetable oil (we used cooking spray with water, sometimes I use a tablespoon of oil and extra broth, whatever works for your dietary preferences)
1 1/4 lb eggplant (peeled if deisred, cut into 1/2 inch cubes - about 6 cups)
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable broth (recipe calls for chicken but I use veggie)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
2-3 tsp Szechwan chili paste (or to taste - I recommend 2 as that's what I used and it was pretty spicy)
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sherry
3 scallions sliced thin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar packed (I used 2 packets of Splenda I think ... out of brown sugar)
1 red bell pepper minced (or chopped in small chunks)
1/2 tsp oriental sesame oil to taste

In wok or large skillet heat the veg. oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Stir-fry eggplant over moderately high heat for 3-5 minutes or until tender and browned. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the broth. To the wok add the garlic, the gingerroot, the chilil paste, the hoisin sauce, the vinegar, and the sherry and stirfry misture for 30 seconds. Add scallions and stirfry for 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch mixture (stirred), the bell pepper and the eggplant and stirfry for 1 mintue until eggplant absorbs most liquid. Remove wok from heat, add sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss mixture well.

Technorati Tags: vegan, vegetarian, eggplant, Szechwan

Florida Adventures part 1

Well, here I am in the wilds of Coral Springs, Florida. It's really not wild at all. Just lots of straight roads, flat roads and housing developments as far as the eye can see. Yes Toto, we're not in Brooklyn anymore.

Not too much has been happening. I managed to arrive the day before all air travel descended into chaos, so that was a definite plus. Granted I had a horrific experience with Delta just getting on to my plane - it was apparently time for a shift change when checking in so the women behind the desk ignored the growing line full of desperate people twenty minutes away from missing their flight. Good times, good times. But then as a reward for my anguish and having to pull my determined New Yorker personality out of the back-pocket where I tend to keep it behind good manners ("Ma'am, my plane leaves in twenty minutes. I need to be checked in now. And I'll stand right here until that happens. Thank you. And no sir, I'm very sorry that you arrived at the airport just as your minor daughter's flight arrived instead of arriving early. But you may not cut in front of me to get your permission slip because I've just waited on line for an hour, and I'm not missing my flight when the check-in lady just assured you your daughter would be taken care of.") But at least I was rewarded by discovering that the actual plane was a Song plane, so I got to watch TV on my way to Florida. And, they actually passed out free snacks! I didn't think anyone did that anymore. Watching TV, eating a snack-sized bag of Sunchips - life was good once I got on the plane.

And now I'm here. I've watched the birds visit my parents' bird-feeder, I've watched the ducklings clamber through the fence and come up and demand bird seed while Mama duck watches anxiously. My mom and I went shopping at our favorite outlet mall yesterday, where I managed to find some clothes that will help me start the school year in New York. It always amazes me that I do well shopping for reasonably priced fall clothes for NY in FLA, but hey - whatever works.









As part of my love of cooking, I always try to introduce my mom to recipes I've tried and liked. Tonight, I tried to introduce my mom to an "oldie", but one I remembered being a "goodie". I haven't made Corn and Poblano Empanadas in a while, and remembered the recipe as being impressive and fairly easy. Last night we had black beans and rice to eat up and I thought they'd add something special to an otherwise "leftover" to meal nicely. And they would have, except that the masa flour I used was unexpectedly greedy and moisture grabbing. So the dough was way too dry, and unable to be used for making empanadas. So, my mom saved the day by turning it into a Corn and Poblano Tamale Pie. She put the filling in a pie plate, managed (after adding a ton of water) to roll out the dough into a circle big enough to cover the pie plate. We brushed it with the egg and water that the recipe called for, and then baked for about 30-35 minutes. And it was quite tasty! The cheesy-corny filling is addictive, and despite the changed appearance of the dish, it was a success that we couldn't stop stealing pieces of filling from long after we weren't really hungry anymore.


Corn and Poblano Empanadas

Cooking Light's Notes -Masa harina--used to make corn tortillas and tamales--yields a more richly flavored and textured dough than that made with flour alone.

My notes - although the recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, I made it with half 2% cheddar and half mozzarella and found that combination especially flavorful and tasty.


3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup masa harina
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 poblano peppers
Cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 500°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, masa harina, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and chili powder in a food processor; pulse 3 times. Add water and butter; pulse until mixture forms a loose ball. Remove from processor; knead until ball completely forms. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each dough portion into a ball; flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Stack dough portions between pieces of wax paper.)

Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 500° for 20 minutes or until brown and blistered, turning once. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel poblanos; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes, and finely chop. Place in a medium bowl.

Reduce oven temperature to 425°.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add to poblanos; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cheese.

Roll each dough portion into a (5-inch) circle. Working with 1 circle at a time (cover remaining circles with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon 3 level tablespoons corn filling into center of each circle. Moisten edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling. Press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal. Place empanadas on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly coat tops of empanadas with egg mixture. Pierce top of dough with a fork. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 empanada)

CALORIES 156(27% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 2.5g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 5.2g; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 58mg; SODIUM 277mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.8g
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003

Technorati Tags: vegetarian, corn, poblano, empanadas, Cooking Light Magazine

Hominy-Pinto Burgers with Roasted Poblano Peppers

This was dinner tonight (along with corn, baked sweet potato fries and sauteed vegetables). Overall, we were pretty unimpressed. I was excited to use hominy - I've never used it before and bought a can specifically at Whole Foods just to try. But this recipe just seemed dry, and somewhat tasteless. Even with the creamy sauce and roasted chile, it just lacked zip for us. We ended up sprinkling salt on the burgers and that made them a little better but overall this recipe will not warrant repeating in this household.

The plus side -the burgers came together pretty quickly. They didn't fall apart while cooking, and resembled Cooking Light's photograph quite closely. When not cooking tons of vegetables on the side in preparation for upcoming trip, this recipe would have come together very quickly indeed.

The down side - we just didn't think this recipe was a winner. The taste was lacking for us, and as a result the meal just seemed a little blah. Overall, this was a disappointment.


It is late, and I'm feeling quite tired. So, I'm not going to post the recipe here. But if my less than raving review hasn't put you off trying these vegetarian burgers, you can find the recipe on the Cooking Light website here.

I'm off to Florida, but will do my best to remember my Blogger password and id so that I can post from there! Stay tuned... Florida adventures are coming soon.

Technorati Tags: vegetarian, Cooking Light Magazine, poblano peppers, hominy, pinto beans

CSA overdrive - part 2.

Each peach, pear, plum ... I spy Tom Thumb!

This quote is from a children's book that I used to love when my brother was little. I don't think he ever cared for it overly much, but I thought it was the cutest. This week CSA share is lacking in the pear, but otherwise we're doing pretty well!

So here's our weekly roundup from the CSA. I took single pictures where appropriate (like fruit) so as not to have to organize 2 pounds of plums for example. And, I can't promise food photography genius as all this produce is still waiting to be put away and/or used to make dinner. But, here ya go anways...









First up, a lovely bunch of fennel. Not my favorite flavor at all, but since I'm off to Florida tomorrow that will be M.'s problem to deal with. :)

















Next, a bunch of scallions.














Followed by yellow beans.















And beautiful baby lettuces.














And, one green pepper and one purple pepper.
















And, two roly poly summer squash.














And one lonely and blurry cucumber.


Next up was the fruit. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit. But lugging home 10 pounds (yes, we foolishly bought a double share - although we do seem to eat it all so I guess it wasn't that foolish after all) of fruit is no fun in any shape kind or form. Plus veggies, plus whatever I've picked up in order to make dinner. Today I had 6 shopping bags (consolidated and such but still - 6!).







This week we had three pounds of nectarines...














Three pounds of peaches...












4 pounds of plums (although I'm now thinking I only took 2 - oops!) Its actually quite annoying and painstaking measuring out the fruit. They have big boxes, and small scales. So you have to sit there and add a plum, remove a plum to get to the desired amount. Plus there are about five other people trying to do this simultaneously. And, since we bought a double share, I have to remember to double whatever the sign says (which I apparently didn't do in this case). And did I mention its hot and stuffy? :)





And 2 pounds of apples. Aren't they cute? I included a pepper for a reference as to how cute and tiny these guys are.











So, wish M. luck as he attempts to get through this feast of produce. I'll be back next Tuesday, just in time to get MORE produce! Yay! But check back because cooking is planned for this evening if I ever finish this long post.

Sweet Corn and Parmesan Flans

There is no really good reason as to why there was no post yesterday. I just totally lost all motivation. I wheedled M. into making me brunch (which turned into lunch by the 3 o'clock hour when we finally ate) and we ordered Chinese food for dinner. Today, however, I am back in action and have concocted a feast worthy of luring M. home from the office in time for a late dinner and the second-to-last Hell's Kitchen episode. What will Monday nights be like when the season ends next week? Tragic.

Anyways, I planned my meal around the recipe for Sweet Corn and Parmesan Flans which was a recipe featured in June's Cooking Light magazine. I thought a veggie-heavy meal would complement what I anticipated to be a creamy/eggy dish, and I was pleased to see I was correct. After putting the flans into the oven, I concocted a quick quinoa pilaf, glazed some sliced portabello mushrooms in a basalmic glaze and then braised some yellow beans in a vegetable broth/light butter sauce. Served with a chilled Pinot Grigio, the meal was pleasing and leftovers are eagerly anticipated by us both.

M.'s plate (which was considered most photogenic) shows quinoa pilaf, yellow beans, sliced tomato, sweet corn and parmesan flan, and basalmic glazed portabello mushrooms.

Sweet Corn and Parmesan Flans

Cooking Light’s Notes -For a pretty presentation, use a combination of red, orange, and yellow tear-drop tomatoes.

My notes – This dish was surprisingly easy to prepare, once the corn kernels were removed from the cob. Even with my corn zipper, it was surprisingly annoying as kernels popped out of the bowl almost as quickly as they were dropped in. Still, the dish is delicious and the corn battles are completely worth it!

Cooking spray

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)

1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

18 small tear-drop cherry tomatoes (pear-shaped), halved

2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 cup corn kernels.

Place remaining corn in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarsely chopped. Add milk and next 5 ingredients (through eggs) to food processor; pulse 4 times or until combined.

Pour about 1/2 cup corn mixture into each of 6 (6-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Place ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until the center barely moves when ramekins are touched. Remove ramekins from pan; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Invert flans onto each of 6 plates. Garnish each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons corn kernels, 6 tomato halves, and 1 teaspoon basil.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 152(35% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 2.2g,mono 2g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 9.8g; CHOLESTEROL 147mg; CALCIUM 125mg; SODIUM 344mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17g

Quinoa Pilaf

Serves 4

My notes - This recipe represents what I had ready access to, and what was lying around my kitchen. Substitutions welcome. And, as a presentation note, this particular combination was particularly "molding" friendly meaning that the pilaf retained the shape of the utensil by which it was served (spoon, glass or measuring cup etc).

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup quinoa (rinsed in a sieve)

1 orange pepper (rough chopped)

2 tablespoons thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/3 cup edamame beans (shelled soybeans)

Add all ingredients, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has disappeared. Serve.

Basalmic Glazed Portabello Mushrooms

serves 2 with generous portions (4 with small portions)

1 package sliced portabello mushrooms

Cooking spray

1 garlic clove chopped

2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon light butter (optional)

Coat cooking pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and garlic clove to pan heated to high heat. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and light butter. Stir vigorously for a moment to allow all ingredients to mix (mushroom slices should be well coated with basalmic vinegar). Turn heat down to medium high, and allow mushrooms to cook stirring every two to three minutes. In five to ten minutes, the basalmic glaze will thicken and mushrooms will cook down creating a sauce. Turn off heat, and serve.

Braised Yellow Beans

serves 4

Yellow beans (approximately 3/4 of a pound)

Cooking spray

1 garlic clove chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon light butter

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Coat pan with cooking spray and heat on high heat. Add beans, and cook for two-three minutes. Add garlic, and other ingredients through butter. Cook for three minutes, and add broth. Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook stirring frequently until broth reduces and beans are tender. Serve immediately.

Technorati Tags: vegan, vegetarian, quinoa, yellow beans, portabello mushrooms, Cooking Light Magazine, corn, parmesan, flan

The kitchen is closed.

For the third night in a row I have a social engagement to attend to. This is quite unusual for me, however I admit enjoying the feeling of "having plans" as much as I'm missing thinking about what to make for dinner. Don't misunderstand me, I love going out and seeing friends as much as the next person. But, being somewhat of a homebody as well, I am equally as happy at home trying a new recipe followed by reading a good book, or watching a new Netflix. So, to have three social engagements in a row is quite unusual for me, but I delight in the change of routine. At least this time M. will be joining me - he's been working late the past two nights. Newly-engaged friends of ours are in town from Boston, so the college gang is getting together for dinner and who knows what afterwards.

This morning, I ventured out to my local Farmer's Market in order to spice up our lunchtime salads. I found some corn, heirloom tomatoes, two baby cantalopes, nectarines and luscious looking blackberries. It was so lovely to walk to the Farmer's Market now that the oppressive heat from this week has lifted, and life seems so much more enjoyable as a result. I'm really not a fan of summer, and cannot wait for the cooler autumn months coming up. Fall is my favorite season, and it is only the delicious anticipation of it that keeps me going through these sticky summer months. That, and contemplating new ways to use the wonderful bounty of fresh produce available during the summer.





My beautiful, if slightly blurry, blackberries.










This bounty of fresh fruit got M.'s mind working. It began when he cut up two mangoes while I prepared our lunch salads. I commented that the juicy mango was begging to be made into a daquiri, and then thought no more of it. Several hours later, M. announced he was going to create a Mango-Nectarine Daquiri. He set to work, and behold the beautiful result!

M.'s Mango-Nectarine Daquiri
serves 1

My notes - I added a packet of Splenda to my daquiri as I wanted it just a little bit sweeter, but that is entirely dependent on taste.

3oz fresh mango/nectarine puree (approximately one quarter cup diced mango and 1 nectarine peeled and diced, and blended in a blender until liquid)
1 - 11/2 oz of rum (depending on taste)
1/4 oz Grand Marnier

Add to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, and pour into martini glass. Enjoy!

Another night on the town...

... and so once again this veggie kitchen is closed. But, I was browsing blogs I love to read, and a chocolate-chip oatmeal cookie recipe caught my eye. Now, I am still determined to keep my diet light and veggie-heavy into the near future, but the girlfriends I'm meeting for dinner are under no such restrictions. And one of them is moving to Virginia in a couple days. Perhaps some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies might aid the stress in that mighty endeavor. So, on the spur of the moment I decided to whip up a half batch of cookies to take to them.

The original recipe came from Nic at bakingsheet. Something about her tantalizing description of the cookies made me want to try them, even if I wouldn't be enjoying them myself. Althought I did freeze a few lumps of dough for ready-made cookies at the drop of a hat .... for when this pesky healthy phase passes!

And I must report that the occasional chocolate chip that wandered away from the bowl wearing a coat of cookie dough that I had to rescue tasted absolutely delicious! :)


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy of Nic at Bakingsheet

My notes: I halved this recipe quite successfully. And I must have a tiny cookie scoop, because I got three- dozen cookies after halving the recipe! I used regular Old-Fashioned Quaker oats because I had them on hand.

Nic’s Notes:
- If you chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking, you will have a slightly puffier cookie.
- You can substitute raisins for the chocolate chips.
- You can add up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts in addition to raisins or chocolate chips. You might want to make the cookies slightly larger if this is the case.

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen.

Technorati Tags: baking, vegetarian, oatmeal, cookie, chocolate chip

It's STILL so hot in NYC....

... but they say it'll be better tomorrow. We shall see. I'm not sure it could get any worse.

So, not much cooking happening here today. Leftovers for lunch, brief sojourn into the blistering heat for a manicure and a pedicure, and in a little bit I'm off to meet my assistant for this next school year for something fun before the hard work starts. I'm totally excited to work with her, I think we have compatible personalities and I look forward to sharing my classroom with a friend as well as with a co-worker. So, the kitchen is closed. But here's a picture of some of our CSA goodies this week to keep my readers happy! M. and I have enjoyed these little plums greatly. I personally have never counted plums as one of my favorite fruits - just doesn't do it for me. But these little guys (besides being cute) are really tasty and a delight to eat. Which is good, because we have four pounds of them. And this peach (which became an afternoon snack) was very sweet indeed. And, I'm a sucker for produce with the leaf still attached.

So, stay cool everyone and hasta la vista!

It is so hot in NYC ....

... the only good thing about it is that for the first time, I'm not teaching summer camp! Several summers ago, New York City had a similar heat wave to the one we're suffering now, but I was teaching at an outdoors camp from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. That was misery. I feel for all those who are not as privileged as I, and who are working (especially outdoors) through this stinking heat. I just checked weather.com, and it says the temperature in my area of Brooklyn is 91 degrees. But because of the heat index, it feels like 100. It's almost 9 pm at night folks! That's hot.

Anyways, I soldiered on and actually cooked this evening (thank goodness for air conditioning). I didn't do a CSA post this week (much to M.'s disappointment), but I can't resist sharing this picture of a beautiful bunch of rainbow chard. It came in our CSA share, and I felt like a child at Christmas. For some reason, even though M. and I are big fans of swiss chard, I've never gotten rainbow. And its just so pretty! Hope you all enjoy the peek into our neighborhood behind the chard. We have one ledge in our apartment that provides the best natural light, so we keep using it for pictures. That's apartment living in downtown Brooklyn for you!

So, the rainbow chard was the featured ingredient of this evening's meal. I surfed Cooking Light's website, and found a recipe for Tofu and Swiss Chard Stacks. It seemed pretty straightforward, so I decided to give it a try. I served the Tofu and Swiss Chard Stacks with a little leftover chard, a scoop of brown rice from a pouch of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, a variation on my Mirin-Soy Glazed Green Beans and some frozen dumplings. I did make a couple of changes to the Tofu and Swiss Chard Stacks, namely increasing the yield from two servings to three by slicing the tofu into 6 slices, not 4. I also subbed cremini mushrooms for the shitaake mushrooms because I really don't care for the taste of shitaakes (no matter how many times I try them). And while entering the recipe, I realized I totally forgot the sesame seeds! Oh well.

Overall, I enjoyed this dish. I wanted a different swiss chard presentation, since I always do the same thing with it. Typically I just sautee the chard until wilted with garlic, salt/pepper and lemon juice. While that's very tasty, I wanted something slightly different. This recipe added an Asian element to the dish with the marinated tofu and the addition of soy sauce to the greens just before serving. Would I make it again - maybe. There were many other swiss chard recipes that appealed to me when I used the Cooking Light website search engine, I'd probably dive into some of those before repeating this one. But it was pretty quick and easy, and come September it would definitely be something I'd make after a long day at school.


Tofu and Swiss Chard Stacks

Cooking Light's notes- Marinated, broiled tofu and a spicy chard mixture are layered for free-form individual lasagnas. Use water-packed tofu; its firm texture holds up well. Serve with fried rice that's been tossed with steamed edamame.

My notes - This recipe was said to serve 2. I cut the tofu into six pieces (instead of four) and we'll get three meals out of it easily. I subbed baby portabello mushrooms for shitaake, because I don't care for the taste of shitaake mushrooms. And I totally forgot the sesame seeds!

Tofu:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 (12.3-ounce) package water-packed reduced-fat firm tofu, drained
Cooking spray

Greens:
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

To prepare tofu, combine the first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 equal slices. Carefully place tofu in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Pour the soy sauce mixture over tofu. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, carefully turning once.

Preheat broiler.

Remove tofu from dish; discard marinade. Place tofu on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 10 minutes on each side or until tofu is lightly browned.

To prepare greens, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, ginger, pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chard and sesame seeds; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 teaspoons soy sauce.

Place 1/4 cup chard mixture on each of 2 plates; top each serving with 1 tofu slice. Repeat layers with remaining chard and tofu.

Yield: 2 servings

CALORIES 155(29% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 2.8g); PROTEIN 13.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 130mg; SODIUM 754mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.4g

Technorati Tags: vegan, vegetarian, Cooking Light, swiss chard, tofu

Corn and Barley Salad

When I found this recipe in a new-to-me cookbook I got for the grand price of $0.58, I knew it was just the kind of dish that would make M.'s eyes light up. Sure enough, he walked in the door last night just as I was finishing it up and instantly grabbed a spoon to sample on the spot. So I knew I had a winner, and that was definitely confirmed when I sampled a real portion for lunch today.

This salad was easy, quick to throw together and just so wholesome. Barley, corn, parsley, a hint of flavor from the chopped chile, chunks of tomato - what's not to like? The dressing mixed up easily, and seemed to be quite forgiving. I used some basalmic vinegar in addition to red wine vinegar as I didn't have white wine vinegar to no ill effect. And, as I added the dressing to the salad, I thought there was no way this little bit of dressing would dress the whole salad. But it did. It is a lightly dressed salad, definitely not drenched but the touches of vinegar add a refreshing quality to the overall taste of the dish.


Corn and Barley Salad
Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet
4-6 side salad servings (I think we'll get 4 - 6 main course salad servings out of this generous recipe!)

Jane's notes - All tasters agreed that this easily prepared salad was a winner. It's a nice salad to make when you have some leftover ears of cooked corn.

Jane's preparation tips - Cooking the garlic takes the bitter edge off of it, but you can skip this step if you wish. You can make the salad 1 day ahead, adding the cilantro or parsley just before serving time.

My notes - I cooked the garlic in a glass bowl covered with water for 2 minutes in the microwave and that worked pretty well. I used parsley, not cilantro. I didn't measure the corn, but used three and a half ears. I used one chili, didn't seed and might use two when repeating the salad as the heat was lost in the bulk of the salad (and we like things flavorful, but not too spicy). I also used red wine vinegar and basalmic vinegar, and was pleased with the results. And I just tossed the parsley into the salad - no waiting one hour before serving here! I will definitely will be repeating this salad!

Salad
3 cups of water
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup barley
2 cups cooked corn kernels, fresh if available or frozen and thawed
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 - 2 fresh hot green chilies or jalepenos, seeded and minced

1/4 cup minced cilantro or fresh parsley, or to taste

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, cooked ten minutes in boiling water and peeled
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. To prepare the salad, in a large saucepan bring the water and salt (if desired) to a boil. Add barley and cook stirring often for 30 minutes (pearled barley)/40 minutes (unpearled barley). Do not overcook the barley. Drain barley in a colander, rinse under cold water and let drain until cool.
2. Transfer the cooled barley to a large bowl. Add the corn, scallions, tomato, chilies or jalepenos, and toss ingredients well.
3. To make dressing, put dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender and process. Pour dressing over salad, and toss well to combine ingredients thoroughly. Cover bowl, and chill the salad.
4. One hour before serving, stir in cilantro or parsley, and allow salad to come to room temperature.

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