Pretty Pickled Peppers

You don't want to know how long these have been in my fridge, but i think they get better with time.  Isn't pickling... like a fine wine?  Ok... June 13th.  And i'm sure my mother is asking "of what year?"  I had everything ready to go for this post, then i had my nasty fall and never got around to posting this.  I just re-discovered a jar of these in my refrigerator and was surprised at how tasty they were and i thought i should share with you!

As a kid i thoroughly loved raw green bell peppers.  Then, at 7, i had my tonsils removed and, ever since, you couldn't pay me to eat a bell pepper.  Whether green, orange, yellow, red or purple - i won't get near them with a 10 foot pole.  Then, on the evening of Tuesday, February 22, 2011, the stars must have aligned in a way that amazed me... i watched a little boy eat a baby orange bell pepper, and you could see how much he enjoyed it, while at the same time it emitted an aroma that i thought was so fresh.  I got up and got one of those same orange peppers, and LOVED it!  In fact, i ate two more -- one yellow and one red, and the entire time i kept thinking "i can't wait to call mom and tell her that i now eat bell peppers, albeit, not green"!

So now that i love these little sweeties, i'm finding a lot of goodies to incorporate them in, but the first thing is some pickled sweet peppers...

Ingredients:

• Mixed baby peppers (whatever colors you like)  
• 1-1/2 c. white taragon vinegar
• 2 T. pickling spices
• 1/4 c. sugar
• herbs are optional (dill, taragon, almost anything)

Wash the peppers and stick each one with a fork so that they don't pop or burst when you boil them.Place the uncooked peppers in a pot of boiling water for just a few minutes.  You don't want them too soft; it's nice if they have a little snap when you bite into it.
Remove the peppers from the pot of boiling water and let them cool.
Meantime, boil the vinegar, pickling spice and sugar for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
Stack the peppers in a canning jar any way you like.  I lined mine all vertically and alternated colors.
Pour the cooked vinegar mixture over the peppers to fill the jars.

 Voila! 

Healthy Kale Soup with Brown Rice Medley

My friend Lovey and I have been on a "kale" kick.  Aside from the nutritional values, it's delicious and makes you feel good.  This is my spin on a healthy kale soup --

Ingredients --

• 5 cups of chicken broth
• Juice of 1 meyer lemon
• 1 T of zest from meyer lemon
• 1 T of horseradish

• 1 bunch of kale
• sliced white mushrooms
• handful of snow peas
• 1 large sliced carrot
• 1 bunch of sliced scallions (i use whites only)
• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes

• Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley (or any kind of brown rice will work well.  But this mix is so interesting.  It's an unusual combination of long-grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds. )

I put the chicken broth together in a large stock pot and added the lemon juice, zest and horseradish.
Then i added the carrots and let them cook for about 10 minutes. 
Next i added all of the other vegetables other than the cherry tomatoes and let everything simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the brown rice was ready.  Just before you're ready to serve, you can add the tomatoes.

While the veggies were simmering, i made the brown rice medley. 

Spoon some of the rice in a bowl, and ladle over the soup.

This would also be delicious with steamed shellfish.  Oh well... next time!

Buon appetito!

Mom's Cucumber & Onion Salad

I picked up a couple pounds of meyer lemons and was planning on making lemon bars or lemon & rosemary jam.  Unfortunately, i just haven't felt like cooking.  But i have felt like some of my mom's delicious cucumber & onion salad.  It's similar to Factor's, but it's even better because we use the persian cucumbers and slice them paper thin.   Plus, i use Splenda sugar instead of the real thing, so at least i don't have to feel guilty when i eat a cucumber salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1 cup of sugar (or splenda)
• 1-1/2 cups of water
• 1 sweet onion
• Dill
• 12 Persian cucumbers.

Heat the vinegar, water and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
(To make it super easy, i just add all 3 ingredients to a 4 cup pyrex measuring bowl and then heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes.)
Let the mixture cool, either in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Slice the cucumbers and onion as thin as paper.  I use a mandolin which does the job perfectly and in a flash!
After the mixture has cooled, pour over the cucumber and onions. 
Add the dill.

Buon appetito!

Crunchy Pumpkin Granola

My new friend Becky told me about her new way of eating and how she basically eliminated sodium from her diet and, without trying, dropped a lot of weight.  I was so fascinated by her new "lifestyle", and i asked her for some of her pointers and tips.  Meantime, that evening we were at Beth's, and Beth told me to try this delicious granola that Becky makes.  I've always liked granola, but never thought about making it.  In fact, i rarely buy it because i find it's usually very high in calories.  Let me tell you, Becky's granola is delicious!  Not too sweet and contains no salt, so how bad could it be for you?  I'm now addicted to it and I've been eating it in my yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit mixture just about every morning.  I LOVE IT!!! And each time i've made it i do a little something different - whether it's the variety of dried fruit, or adding some extra grain.  The last batch i added flax seed, which added a nice dimension.  Anyway, you can't go wrong with this.  Oh... my friend Kevin tried it and thought it was delicious, so the next time i made it i doubled the batch and brought some in for just about everyone.  It's been a hit!

 

Ingredients -
4 C Oats
1/2 C Sliced unsalted Almonds
1/3 C Pepitas (raw)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon (add more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice if you like)
1 heaping tsp Raw sugar
1/3 C Organic canned pumpkin- Trader Joe's
1/4 C Honey
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

Extra Honey if needed

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients except raw sugar (first 5), together in a large bowl and put aside. Combine wet ingredients and raw sugar in a small bowl then combine dry and wet ingredients. Spread on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook at 300 degrees for about 40 min. turning every ten minutes or so until medium brown. Taste granola, if it isn't sweet enough drizzle some honey over hot granola. Let cool. Note- finished granola will be slightly sweeter with the dried fruit. Usually, it is sweet enough.

When cool, add in
10 chopped apricots
1/3 C raisins
1/2 C of any other dried fruit you would like- I used cherries, cranberries and blueberries but apples would be good and if you can find dried sweet pumpkin that would be good, too.

I love mine in the morning with yogurt and chopped fruit.  Here i've used chopped persimmon and dried figs.  Yummy in the tummy!

Chicken apple butternut squash filled pumpkin

 The culprits - my beautiful pumpkins

 

 

Last week i stopped at the pumpkin patch (no cameras allowed because g-d forbid we see someone famous without their hair and makeup done this is Beverly Hills) and found the prettiest little pumpkins.  I wasn't sure what i'd do with them, but i knew i would find something.  These pumpkins were larger than those baby pumpkins that you see in markets, but not as big as the good, carving pumpkins.  

I decided to bake the pumpkins and save the pumpkin meat for something i'll use later, but i'll use the pumpkin shell to stuff with my own concoction.  It turned out yummy!  Healthy, yummy, and easy.  What more could you ask for?

Ingredients

•  4 small pumpkin to your liking
• 1 red apple, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 butternut squash, chopped
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 package (4 or 5) of chicken-apple sausages, chopped
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins and/or cranberries
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock or apple juice

Slice off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds.  (I later roasted my seeds and they were delicious - not very meaty, but had good crunch.)
Bake the pumpkin bowl, lid and butternut squash in a 350°F. oven until it's al dente, or just tender.  The butternut squash should be easy to slice, but not too easy otherwise it will not hold it's shape when you chop it.  When finished baking, allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator.

Spray a pan with olive oil and saute the chopped apple and chopped onion, gradually adding some of the liquid stock or juice.  
When the onions are starting to brown, add the mushrooms, chopped sausages and butternut squash. (I tried chopping all of the ingredients to be pretty much the same size.)
Add more of the liquid, if necessary.
Add the raisins and/or crandberries.
Continue cooking until you can't take it any more.

 Bon appetito!

Delicious wild rice medley with just about everything but the kitchen sink

Wild Rice Medley with Everything but the Kitchen Sink

I've started attending a support group for those of us that have gone through weight loss surgery and I met some wonderful people.  I really appreciated the wisdom and openness from everyone.  We seem to have a lot of the same issues, fears and of course desires, which all revolve around food.

One particular woman appeared to be the envy of all.  Women wanted to be her, and men... well, you know the rest.  The woman leading the group was quick to point out that both this wise blond and I love to cook, so after the group she i started talking.  She told me about a rice dish she made, based on the wild rice salad served at Gulfstream in Century City.  I know this rice salad well and it is delicious, but i haven't ventured near rice since my surgery - one year ago.  I know i'm "safe" with brown rice; it's hard to overeat that nutty nice.  On the other hand, sticky white rice could be another story.

Dawn said that Trader Joe's has a brown rice medley that contains long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds.  She suggested adding freshly shaved white corn, sliced almonds, jicama, carrots and onions.  Well, i think i went overboard.  I felt as though i needed a nap after all the chopping i did.  Although i must say this rice medley was delicious without adding anything to it.  It will definitely become a staple.

TJ's Wild Rice Medley, Cooked

Some of the goodies that i added to the rice...

My rice came out delicious, although i don't know that i would add quite this many ingredients.  Especially since i googled this dish and found the recipe and there's really not nearly as much in it as i thought.  Either way, my dish came out delicious and made enough to feed an army or two.

Ingredients -

• 1 16 oz. bag of TJ's Brown Rice Medley
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of butter
• 1 large carrot
• 1 piece of jicama
• 1/2 cup of diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup of diced dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins
• 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas
• 1 bunch of green onion tops, sliced thin
• 1 cup of edamame, shelled
• 1 cup of baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup of Lucini's Fig & Walnut Savory Artisan Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Sliced almonds

Make the rice separately by bringing 5 cups of stock to a boil.
Add the butter and then add the bag of rice.
Bring back to a boil and reduce the heat.  Let simmer covered for 35 minutes.
Remove from the stove and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the vinaigrette and toss well.
Add the dried fruit and then refrigerate.

After the rice has cooled down, add the other ingredients, and toss well.
I forgot to add the sliced almonds, but can still do it.  I also felt as though mine needed a little olive oil which i drizzed on top and then tossed again.

This dish was delicious and filling!  What a treat.  A healthy and delicious brown rice dish with a lot of healthy goodies.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Yummm!

APPLE OATMEAL CRISP not quite sweet enough for Rosh Hashanah

A good apple crumble... just a bit too tart to start off the new year.

Monday i was thinking about Rosh Hashanah and decided it would be nice to make something a little different (or "different" insofar as the holidays are concerned).  I've already offered to bring a round challah,  so now i want to think of a sweet apple dish.  Well, i guess i wasn't in the mood to think too hard.  I found what looked like a simple recipe for an apple crisp.  This recipe came from the Cafe Beaujolais cookbook which I've had for over 20 years and can tell you it's provided me with some wonderful dishes and stories that i will never forget to go along with those dishes.  This recipe (and probably most recipes that call for apple slices) called for soaking the apple slices in lemon juice.  I get the idea of not wanting the apples to oxidize so you keep them in an acidulous bath, but... Rosh Hashanah is supposed to be sweet, sweet, sweet.  No tart.  No sour.  We want to start the year out on the sweetest note possible.  So why did i use the lemon?  In fact, i also used granny smith apples which tend to be tart.  Next round i'm using golden delicious (sorry, Rosa.  I'm aiming for sweet on the second version).  I made the apple crumble (which smelled delicious as it was cooking) and brought it to my office on Tuesday.  The RPD taste testers seemed to like the dish, although some commented on how tart it was.  In fact, my sister said it reminded her of a lemon meringue pie.  Not a good sign, especially for Rosh Hashanah. 

Apples bathing in lemon juice and zest.  Bound to be more tart than sweet.
What was i thinking?!?!

 I decided that the second apple crisp would be made with apple juice, honey and a splash of lemon juice, and i would try golden delicious apples.  Yes, the honey and golden delicious apples should make a tremendous difference, and hopefully this dish will be perfect for the holiday! 

Although the pictures in this posting are from the tart apple crumble made on Monday (with the lemon juice and lemon zest), as i write this post i'm in the process of baking a new, revised crumble using the apple juice/honey/splash of lemon juice mixture along with golden delicious apples.  I'll have to post tomorrow after our Rosh Hashanah lunch to let you know the consensus.  I have a feeling this one will be a lot less tart.

Assembled and ready to bake

Fresh out of the oven and smelling delicious!

Recipe is adapted from Margaret Fox's Cafe Beaujolais, Mendocino, California

When i refer to "my first crumble", it's the tart version; "the second version" is the one i'm hoping turns out much sweeter.

Ingredients -

• 6 firm apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch slices (my first crumble i used granny smith; the second one i used golden delicious) 
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon (i omitted the zest on the second version)
• 1/4 cup of apple juice
• 1/4 cup of honey (this became an afterthought that i used in the second version only)
• 1 teaspoon of cinammon
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground ginger
• 3/4 cup of flour
• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar (I used 3/4 cup of demerara plus 1/4 cup of golden brown sugar for a little extra sweetness)
• 1/2 cup of regular oats
• 1/4 cup of slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• optional toppings:  vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or vanilla custard sauce

Mix together the apple slices, lemon juice, lemon rind and apple juice (or brandy, water or Calvados).  Place in a buttered 9-inch round cake pan.
Using an electric mixer at slow speed, blend the sugar, butter, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until crumbly.  
Mix in the slivered almonds.
Scatter evenly on top of apples.
Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour.
Serve warm.

And enjoy this dessert knowing i send you best wishes for a new year filled with an abundance of health, happiness and peace.

One bean, two bean, three bean, four!

Three bean, four bean, five bean and tomato salad

I've had such a craving for legumes lately.  Clean, satisfying proteins.  I decided between fresh beans/peas and the delicious heirloom tomatoes, i would make a bean and tomato salad.

When i was at the farmer's market i bought a variety of beans -- blackeyed peas, some kind of a bean in a purple hull, and fava beans (one of my favorites).  They're all so beautiful in their raw state.  It's a shame they lose their vibrant color when you cook them.  And i also had chickpeas that i had cooked up and froze, although not quite sure what i plan to do with all of them.  Fava beans are interesting -- they're in a thick and padded hull.  The inside of the hull has almost a cotton-like padding.  And still, with this thick hull, the beans are in yet another shell-like compartment.  Once you cook them out of the hull, you have to yet again take off the outside layer of the bean.  I've heard people say that, to cook fava beans, is a labor of love, and i agree.  They're time consuming, but in my opinion, well worth the effort. 

Fava beans, blackeyed peas, and purple-hulled beans.

The well-protected fava bean.

Beautiful beans.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, so i took all the beans out of their pods or hulls and boiled them

A beany jacuzzi

Once the beans were cook, i drained them and immediately put them in an ice bath so that they would keep their colors.  I then marinated them in olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh oregano, a sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. 

 I then sliced a delicious heirloom tomato and spooned the bean mixture over the tomato slices.

Voila! 

A healthy Saturday lunch...

I had Rho and Izzy over for lunch and immediately knew what i wanted to make -- the vegetable torte posted by both Stacey Snacks and Proud Italian Cook.  It sounded easy and healthy, while at the same time is apparently quite a presentation.  I was at the Century City farmers market on Thursday and picked up eggplants, squash and tomatoes, and then went to the market and got broccoli, red peppers, zucchini, shallots and whatever else looked good to be grilled.  Let me tell you, it does come out beautiful (although Stacey's topping looks much more delicious than mine.  I didn't both drizzling olive oil on top of the breadcrumbs -- i thought there was enough oil in the dish.  My mistake.), but is definitely a time consuming project.

I picked up Parmigiano Reggiano which i put into a middle layer, and on top -- just beneath the breadcrumbs.  Rho & Izzy thought it was very good, but they both thought it could have used more layers of cheese, which might also hold it together a little better.  For me, this meant it was healthier than it could have been.

I found the breadcrumbs got a bit lost among all those vegetables, but they did add a nice crunch.  I also enjoyed the tomatoes not being grilled, but just cooked into the dish.  Added a slightly different texture.

An assortment of fresh veggies

Ingredients -

• 2 large italian eggplant
• Vegetables
• More vegetables
• and even more vegetables
• 1 cup of caramelized onions
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano
• 1 cup of fresh ricotta cheese or mozzarella*
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 4 Roma tomatoes (not grilled)
• fresh basil leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

*Although i didn't use ricotta or mozzarella when i made this dish, i would definitely use it next time around.  I would combine it with the parmigiano on probably 2 or 3 separate layers.  I grilled all of the vegetables separately the night before.  While grilling, i seasoned the vegetables with salt & pepper and fresh chopped basil.

I then layered everything in a 9" spring form pan.  As you can see, my veggies didn't layer quite as neatly as Stacey's or Marie's.  Perhaps i grilled the veggies a bit too long.  One piece of advice is to use the eggplant on the bottom and top layer.  The only thing i put on top of the top layer of eggplant were grilled shallots, grated Parmigiano and the breadcrumbs.  Oh, and a drizzle of olive oil will make the breadcrumbs golden brown.

Bake in a 350°F. oven for about 45 minutes. 
Let cool for about 15 minutes before removing the side of the pan.  It will be much easier to cut.  Oh... and use a serrated knife!

The ultimate protein 
   (part chicken, turkey, dinosaur)...

I wanted to serve a protein with the vegetable torte.  I was tempted to make grilled shrimps, but after seeing Marie's roasted chicken, i just had to give my hand at this one.  I had never made a roasted chicken, and i figured we could have roasted chicken served room temperature.  I bought what i'm thinking was a cross between a chicken and a turkey, or maybe some kind of prehistoric dinosaur.  This chicken was enormous!  Unfortunately, i forgot to see how much it weighed, but it took just over 3 hours to cook.  When i took the chicken out of the oven, Rho commented that she was surprised i cooked it breast side down.  Much to my surprise, i somehow mistook the chicken's "rump" for the breasts.  Unfortunately, the very crispy skin was the underside of the chicken.  Oh well, once you cut it apart, nobody would know the difference.

Crispy and filled with aroma, but cooked upside down.

 I slathered it with olive oil that i infused with lemon zest and chopped rosemary, and then seasoned with kosher salt and pepper.  I then stuffed the cavity with a couple lemon halves, a head of garlic and some rosemary.  Rarely have i had a chicken where i taste much flavor; i sometimes think it's more of the aromas that surround the chicken.  I was hoping to have plenty of "aromas" surrounding my chick-turk-asaurous.   I think it was good, but not outrageously delicious.  (But is any roasted chicken outrageously delicious?)

Side note -- i've now been back to the market and i think the chicken/turkey/dinosaur weighed about 7.5 pounds.  (Not 75 pounds; 7 and one-half pounds.)

Fresh Fruit for dessert --

For dessert, i served green muscato grapes, white figs that i lightly sauteed in a balsamic, and blackberries.  I'm just learning to enjoy figs.  I LOVE the dried variety, and fig jams too, but the raw figs -- not so much.  

Green muscato grapes, blackberries, and white figs sauteed in balsamic.

Unfortunately the foods didn't turn out quite as delicious as i had hoped.  Maybe this is a sign i should have done "summer salads" or something chilled.  But regardless, we had a great afternoon.