No Time to Cook? So Don’t!

Repurposing ingredients for Mock Duck Burritos: Day 1, Burritos, Day 2, Burrito Bowls with Quesadillas, Day 3, Fried Rice with Salad

People always ask me how I have time to cook. The answer is simple, I don’t. I don’t really have time to cook while holding down a full-time job, so I only do it when I have time. Once I get home from an exhausting day in the classroom, the last thing I want to do is cook: I’m too tired, too wiped and too hungry.

Last summer while cooking up all the CSA veggies, I would cook in the mornings when I had energy, and either reheat or finish cooking before dinner. I found that I was excited to get up every morning to cook and I enjoyed the process so much more. I never felt rushed, and something changed in my thinking. Before this, I had this old-fashioned idea that making dinner meant cooking right before the meal, but times have changed. Now, I prepare all the food ahead of time and rarely cook before a meal. This shift has been so liberating.  Most of the time we have food ready to  reheat so that eating can take place within a few minutes. In fact, I don’t think it takes more than five minutes to get a meal on the table in my house with this process.

I like to cook in the morning, so once school started again, I began to cook on Saturday or Sunday. I can be in the kitchen for two or three hours one day a week and prepare at least two meals that can be enjoyed as leftovers or repurposed somehow. I also make sure we have fruit and veggies prepped for easy consumption.

As you know, soup is a great base. Once a pot of soup is made, it is easy to serve it with grilled sandwiches, quesadillas or a salad. We almost always have black beans and rice in the fridge so we can make stuffed burritos, beans and rice or quesadillas. Another easy-to-reheat dish is a casserole. I often make enchiladas, lasagna or some other one-dish-wonder that will last to the next couple of days.

We all like salad in our house, so I make sure there are greens ready at all times. If leafy greens are not consumed as salad, they’re stuffed into burritos, sandwiches or chopped on top of something. Max prefers Romaine, so there is always a big bowl of that ready to go, as well as chopped cilantro.

Sometimes I cook one week night and it’s always something really simple like a stir-fry or pasta dish. Those kinds of meals can be served with only twenty or thirty minutes of prep time. If the veggies get prepped on the weekend, it’s even less.

The most important time saver for me has been the Linden Hills Co-op. We moved a few years ago, and we only live three blocks from the shop. It’s a lovely little store that makes grocery shopping really easy. It never takes me more than ten minutes to get my shopping done. In fact, I can leave my house, do my shopping and be home in twelve minutes. In my old neighborhood I used to wait in line for the cashier sometimes for a half hour. It’s the little things in life that end up being the time savers. My advice: simplify your cooking routine and simplify your shopping.

 

Ginger Hop – A Restaurant Review

Not wanting to let any CSA veggie go to waste, we have hardly had a meal away from home in the last six months. Not only have we not eaten in many restaurants, but unlike me in my past life, I have no idea what is going on in the restaurant world any more.

Besides being inundated with veggies for many months and enjoying cooking every last morsel, there is really nothing out there in the restaurant world that really inspires me or drives me to visit. I think I have become desensitized to restaurants. That magic combination of variables needed for me to enjoy a restaurant experience has become rather illusive. I wonder if others feel this as well?

This last weekend I finally decided we needed a new restaurant experience. I perused the menus of Om, Bar La Grassa and Ginger Hop. The menu that looks the most appealing to me is Om, a contemporary Indian place downtown across from the Fine Line, but having to find parking, make reservations and possibly dress in anything other than comfy jeans and a sweater scared me away. I had such high hopes for Isaac Becker’s new digs, but alas, I cannot bear to order pasta in a restaurant. The idea just seems absurd. I can cook the stuff at home. It’s so easy, so cheap and so NOT interesting and remember…SO EIGHTIES. Please come up with something more interesting for vegetarians.

Ultimately, we were left with Ginger Hop. This is a sibling of Chang Mai Thai located in the beautiful space vacated by the old Times Bar and Cafe. The decor is fabulous: casual, stylish and comfortable. Style wise, it beats most of the Asian ethnic eateries in town.

We arrived without a reservation and were placed on a waiting list. The bar had seats available so we were able to enjoy a cocktail and peruse the menu while we waited. Immediately, I noticed that the menu items that are vegan friendly are marked with a big “V.” Thanks. The beer menu is not as extensive as I had hoped, but we found the server to be very knowledgable and was able to direct Jeff to a wheat beer from Stillwater – Lift Bridge Farm Girl to be exact. The service both in the bar and at our table was fantastic.

The food…well…not so fantastic. I will say, however, that the sweet potato fries were some of the best we ever had. I’m not sure why. They were crispy on the outside and tender in the middle and covered in flaky kosher salt. A dish of spicy ketchup which I believe was Sriracha and Ketchup mixed together was served on the side. We also ordered an Eggplant Satay, Caramelized Onion Cream Cheese Puffs and Tofu Spring Rolls. The Spring Rolls really surprised me because they were falling apart and tiny. I made spring rolls this summer and I learned how to soften the skins just the right amount so they don’t rip. If they sit in water too long, they start to turn to mush and fall apart. These were clearly made by a novice.

For our main meal, I had the Potsticker Soup which was satisfying and tasty, but not nearly as good as the Vegetarian Pho at Jasmine 26. Jeff had a Crispy Tofu Salad with rice vermicelli, but the Mock Duck Salad at Pho 79 knocks the socks off this dish. All this mediocre Asian food leaves me to question whether they have anybody in the kitchen who really knows how to prepare these dishes. On the other hand, the prices are similar to some of the very casual ethnic eateries in town.

Sorry, Ginger Hop. You have a beautiful space, you have kindly marked your menu items that are vegan, you have a lovely serving staff, and your prices are very reasonable. Your kitchen, however, needs some tweaking.

 

Two Bowls of Rice

You have just met my new secret weapon. It’s so good, I’m almost tempted to not share, but that wouldn’t be very nice because then you wouldn’t be able to make Jeff’s favorite meal of the decade, and if you want anything done around the house, you need this.

This is not just rice. This is short grain brown rice cooked with cardamom pods as is done to basmati in Indian cooking. This is cumin and coriander seeds dry toasted with jasmine rice then steamed to perfection. This is incredible rice two ways, and the flavors imparted with the Chipotle Mock Duck are to-die-for-delicious! Try it with black beans for a killer “Burrito Bowl.”

Brown Rice with Cardamom

• 2 cups short grain brown rice
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 cups water

Directions: Rinse the brown rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Put the rice, water, cardamom and salt in a rice cooker or stovetop pan. Cook on a low simmer until all water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove cardamom pods and fluff the rice with a fork.

Cumin and Coriander Toasted Jasmine

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seed
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 cups water

Directions: Rinse the rice in a colander under running water until the water runs clear. Next place the spices in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast them until they begin to brown and then add the rice. Toast together for a minute and then add the water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Make sure the pan is tightly covered. Cook in a simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. This can also be prepared in a rice cooker. Fluff with a fork to mix in the seeds and serve.

 

Dirty Guacamole

The avocado has so much potential. We’ve all had that killer bowl of guacamole somewhere in our lives, and once you’ve had a great one, the memory of it will linger. You will assume the next time you encounter a mashed avocado it will be equally as delicious as the last. However, I can’t count how many times I’ve waited patiently for a meal in a restaurant, anticipating a rich flavorful guacamole, but ended up feeling let down and disappointed. Instead of a “dirty” guacamole, I ended up with avocado “neat.”

We all like our guacamole a little different, so why don’t we give names to the different varieties like we do martinis?

Like martinis, there are three ways I like my guacamole: Dry with a twist, Dirty, and Stirred. Guacamole can be simply made with mashed avocado, lime juice and salt – that’s “Dry with a twist.” Mix it with lots of savory ingredients, including garlic, in order to enrich and layer the flavors, that’s “Dirty,” or the avocado can be left chunky with bits of jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, limejuice and salt. That’s what I refer to as “Stirred.” Replete with garlic, onions, chipotle peppers and lots of cilantro, today’s guacamole is of the “Dirty” persuasion.

Ingredients:

• 4 avocados, mashed
• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbs. finely diced red onion
• 1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• juice from one lime
• salt to taste

Directions:

In a food processor, chop the cilantro, garlic, onion and chipotle pepper. Mash the avocados in a bowl and gently mix in the cilantro mixture, salt and lime.

 

Smoky Chipotle Mock Duck Burrito

“That was the best meal I’ve had in a decade,” Jeff hailed with a quick kiss on the cheek before hauling a box of can lights up to the attic for the remodel. I smiled to myself as I thought, This is a meal for a woman who needs something done around the house! (Not that he wouldn’t do it anyway, but some guys may need a little extra push!) My husband, vegetarian for nearly seventeen years, still craves the satisfying texture and richness of protein, and despite not wanting to consume meat, he doesn’t mind the similarities to meat that plant protein substitutes like veggie burgers and mock duck have.

Burritos and Enchiladas have always been our favorite foods, and many years ago, when we were working on starting a restaurant, Mock Duck Stuffed Burritos were to be on the menu. The restaurant was to be in a quiet neighborhood in Minneapolis and would serve vegetarian Latino Fusion. The old corner store we were hoping to convert didn’t have any parking, and the neighbors didn’t want a restaurant in the location, so our plan died and so did the Mock Duck Stuffed Burrito…until today!

Mock duck prepared this way is a little like red chile stew made with slow cooked pork roast – a great meal to help prove to our fellow carnivores that vegetarian food isn’t hard to palate. Not only do these burritos have this amazingly flavorful mock duck, but I whipped up a batch of tomatillo salsa, some wicked delicious guacamole and a rice dish that will send you on a Soma holiday (Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, 1932)! This meal has many pieces and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

To prepare the burritos, we heat the tortillas on a skillet until they begin to toast slightly. As the tortilla warms, I like to add grated cheddar cheese first so it melts, then top it with rice and mock duck. Then I fold my burritos in half more like a quesadilla and toast them on both sides. Once it lands on the plate, the fun begins. I am all about the garnishes when it comes to Latin American food. I load on salsa, chopped cilantro, guacamole and some kind of cheese – either crema, cotija or crumbled feta. Oh, so satisfying!

Mock Duck Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced so onion breaks apart in half-circles
• 1/2 head roasted garlic, pureed in food processor
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, pureed in food processor
• 4 cans mock duck, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried chipotle powder

Directions:

Saute the onions in the oil on low heat until they begin to caramelize. Next add the mashed garlic and chipotles. Mix in the shredded mock duck and spices. Cook on low heat for just a few minutes until the flavors have combined. I have found that if you cook mock duck too long, it breaks down and gets soft and mushy, so you really want to simply warm it.

 

Curried White Bean and Potato Soup

Yes, it’s another soup – my ultimate comfort food. I never eat soup in restaurants or buy it from the co-op because it’s never as good as the pots that come from my hands! I find soup totally satisfying on so many levels. First, I love the layers of healthful ingredients like beans and veggies. The heat from soup makes it soothing to consume, and the ease of putting together a large quantity of reheatable food is a true de-stressor! One pot of soup in the fridge means we can easily nourish our bodies through our sixty plus hour workweek without much additional cooking.

The other thing I love about eating soup is that it’s a vehicle for crunchy tidbits and cheese. We almost always cut up chunks of cheddar and then eat the soup with our favorite tortilla chips. Sometimes our soup gets topped with croutons, and Jeff and Max also enjoy the provincial saltine cracker. This soup is a little spicy so it pairs well with sour cream and tortilla chips. One thing is for sure, I never eat a bowl of soup without a crunchy grain along side.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger piece, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 bunch collard greens, deveined and sliced into ribbons
• 2 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 6 red potatoes, diced
• 4 cups white beans, precooked
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 Tbs. curry powder

Directions:

Saute the onion in the oil until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and saute just until the aromatics are released. Next add the ribbons of collard greens, potatoes, brussel sprouts and enough water to cover the vegetables. Mix in the beans and spices and cook on a low simmer until the potatoes are tender. Of course, taste it before you serve it to make sure you have a spice combination you like. I often find myself adding a little more of this and that.

 

Alligator Pie

These are the eggs…and this is…the mama! Alligator disguised as a spinach, caramelized onion and goat cheese calzone!

A few years ago I started a new holiday tradition that, to the great sadness of my brother, Theo, only went into practice once. That tradition was making alligator pie for Christmas dinner. I remember my original alligator turned out a bit more detailed and not quite as puffy. I guess I am out of practice.

Today’s alligator crust was inspired by Cafe Amy’s Calzone dough. I used this recipe as the backbone, tripled it, added whole wheat flour and opted for honey instead of cane sugar. Here’s how my recipe ended up:

Alligator Pie Dough

• 3 cups warm water
• 2 Tbs. active dry yeast
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 3 Tbs. honey
• 6 cups white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water then add salt, honey and oil. Mix the liquid so all solids are dissolved. Begin to add the flour one cup at a time and mix until you have included all nine cups. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. In a lightly oiled bowl, let the dough rise covered for at least an hour.

Alligator Fillings:

• 1 Vidalia onion sliced into rings
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
• Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup hard goat milk cheese, grated
• Fresh spinach
• Red pepper, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Caramelize the onions in the oil on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. The garlic can be added the last five minutes of the process to mellow the flavor.

Prepare all the fillings and organize an assembly station area.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it briefly into another ball or log. Cut it into 24 chunks for individual Calzones. Let the dough sit for another few minutes to soften and rise a bit.

To make the Calzones, roll the dough out on an unfloured surface. You want the dough to stick to the counter so that it is easy to fill. I use a rolling-pin, but also help the dough along by stretching it and sticking it to the counter.

Once the circle is about seven or eight inches across, fill it with the toppings. Keep the toppings in the middle so you can fold the Calzone in half. Press the two sides together so the dough will stick. Once it is pressed together you can crimp it, pleat it or press it with a fork.

Place the Calzones on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned on the top. Remove from oven and brush again with olive oil.

Note: This photo was sent in a few days after I posted the Alligator Pie recipe by Karen Heimdahl. She tried the recipe, added pepperoni for her husband, and a few spicy peppers gave it a little kick. It looks great!

 

Coconut Almond Granola

For many years, Jeff and Max and I have vacationed on the Mexican Riviera. We have found that the “All Inclusive” is a great way to go for a vegetarian family. The all-inclusive hotels put out amazing spreads everyday, and there are always lots of options for the vegetarian. Max particularly loves the all-inclusive buffet because he can see what he is going to eat and everything is separate; something that is very important for kids.

Last year while we were in Akumal Jeff surprised me with his breakfast choice. He began to eat granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I don’t know why that surprised me other than the fact that  granola was never a thing we ate nor was yogurt ever added to the grocery list. When we returned to the states, granola and yogurt became staples in our house…and our food bill went up. There is some fantastic organic granola at the co-op, but by the time the bag is full, I have a ten-dollar item. After a few weeks of this, it suddenly dawned on me that I could probably make granola for a little less at home.

Rolled or steel-cut oats are inexpensive as is quinoa, flax seed and oil, but the nuts and sweetener can be expensive. To make a less expensive granola, I have had to resort to Costco bulk -  the almonds, and agave in plastic bottles from Costco, lessen the cost.

Note: Co-ops try to buy things like agave nectar and salad dressings in glass bottles for environmental and food safety purposes. Perhaps Surly will help usher in an increased awareness of aluminum as a better food packaging alternative.

Thanks to Heidi Swanson over at Cookbooks 101, I came to understand how granola is ridiculously easy to make, and once you get the hang of it, your granola will become more creative. Jeff loves the almond coconut combination, but doesn’t like dried fruit. If you are a dried fruit friend, add it to the granola after it is baked and cooled.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried coconut, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup whole flax seeds
• 8 cups rolled or steel-cut oats
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1 Tbs. Amaretto
• splash of water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a saucepan, heat the oil, agave nectar and Amaretto until it begins to simmer.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl and add the liquids. I use a splash of water so there will be a few big chunks of granola. It helps bind it together before it gets baked.

Spread the granola out onto two cookie sheets and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Hide the Beet

This is one of my favorite kitchen games as of late! How many different ways can I sneak these tuberous rubies into the food we eat? Most creative wins! This week we’ve had them in apple crisp – that was tasty – and now they are pureed and hanging out in the latest version of Black Bean Chile. All that manganese, folate and fiber are said to fight against colon cancer. Hopefully my game has a payoff.

Chile, or any soup for that matter, is a great hiding place for many veggies, and if you have a kid who likes soup, consider yourself lucky! Just think about all the vegetables that can be hidden when properly pureed or otherwise disguised. Max never guessed that there was a beet in the soup, but the first thing he said was, “It’s so red!”

You probably won’t be able to replicate this recipe unless your freezer looks like mine: pesto, homemade chile paste and corn, but remember, Chile is a great place for hiding nutrient rich tidbits! Last summer I took three or four huge bags of dried chiles (chipotle, guajillo and de arbol), reconstituted them and made them into a paste which I froze in a cake pan and then cut into squares for individual servings. I didn’t record the recipe and don’t remember how it was done…sorry.

The basics of the Chile recipe are here:

• 1 large onion, sauted in peanut oil
• 1 head of garlic, minced
• 1 pound black beans, precooked
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 4-6 tomatoes, pureed or diced
• 1 roasted beet, peeled and pureed
• 2-4 Tbs. Chile Powder (I used my paste)
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste

 

Rainbow Smashed Potatoes

Move over boring white whipped potatoes – here comes the new standard! Bring this beauty to Thanksgiving or any holiday party and you will never be short on invitations!

This concoction sports potatoes of the rainbow variety that I found at the co-op today. Included are Cranberry Reds, Blue Potatoes, New Reds and a Garnet Yam. I boiled them, let them cool, slipped the skins of, smashed them with a fork and infused the dish with Indian spices toasted in peanut oil with a simmer of tomato. Very simple and over-the-top yummy!

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 pound potatoes
• 3 fresh tomatoes, pureed
• 3/4 cup peanut oil
• 1 Tbs. brown mustard seed
• 1 Tbs. cumin seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
• 2 Tbs. curry powder ( I used Pensey’s Balti)
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes

Directions:

After the potatoes are boiled and skins removed, smash them with a ricer or fork. I like my potatoes a little chunky.

Heat the oil in a pan and add all the spices. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.

Mix the oil gently into the potato mixture and pour into a baking dish.

Note: I kept the sweet potato out of the other potato mixture. I added a little salt to the sweet potato and put it in a well in the middle of the colored potatoes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until warm and beginning to brown on top.

 

Chestnut Crabby Crisp

What a lovely little blushing princess is this! She’s called the Chestnut Crab, about the size of  a golf ball, just sweet and tart enough for a demure little nibble, with a finish reminiscent of childhood in the tree. The Chestnut is flying off the shelves of your local co-op because folks like Dan Walsh know their pleasures.

You may have met Dan and his family if you visited the Kingfield Farmer’s Market. The Walsh family spends their summer tending heirloom tomatoes, the early spring tapping maple trees and for a few Sundays in the summer, Kingfield can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Dan’s wife, Kathleen is a co-worker of mine – a fellow teacher extraordinaire!

Well, a few weeks back, Dan informed me that the Chestnuts had arrived and I had better hurry if I wanted to indulge. Chestnuts you say…what exactly is the chestnut? He explained simply that they are one of the only edible crab apples and are quite delicious little delicacies. Well, of course, being the (clear throat here) foodie that I am, I suddenly had an urgent need to acquire some Chestnut Crabs, so off to the co-op I went.

Lo and behold, Dan was right. There, amidst the apples was a small section with a tag labeled, “Chestnut Crabs,” but there were no tiny lovelies to be had, boo hoo. I immediately inquired as to their whereabouts and was quickly reassured that they were just coming out of the cooler! Whew. Once the box of little crabbies was wheeled to the produce section, I had my pick. I packaged my two pounds and off I went to make a pie…

Four weeks later…

Apple pie turned to apple crisp! It’s Wednesday after all, I have the math tests yet to correct this evening, report cards are waiting in the wings, and a mock-up of this week’s art lesson is pounding on the door – not to mention that I better get started thinking about next week, or I’ll be planning lessons all weekend.

Yes, I am busy, but not without a little creative energy. Tonight’s apple crisp has a few surprises. First and foremost it is sweetened entirely with the Walsh family maple syrup from the spring of 2009. The demure little Chestnut Crabs also share their quarters with a large diced beet, some blueberries from last summer, a little amaretto glaze and chopped almonds to top it off. Not your average crisp. This one is hearty and not too sweet.

Chestnut Crabby Crisp – Ingredients

Filling:

• 2 pounds Chestnut Crabs, cored and sliced
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup roasted beets, diced
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. Amaretto

Topping:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 6 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• pinch of salt

Coring the Chestnuts is a pain. I tried the old-fashioned method of quartering and cutting out the seeds, and figured that would have taken me until tomorrow. Next I tried the apple cutter, but the skins are too tough to break through. So, I ended up cutting the bottoms off the little apples and that way they went right through the apple slicer. Check it out.

Once you get all the fruit sliced, dump it into a 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle it with the amaretto and pour the maple syrup over the top.

Mix the crisp topping ingredients in a bowl. The oil and syrup should make the topping stick together slightly. Spread this out over the fruit and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. I found out that Chestnut Crabs remain pretty crunchy after baking and so this dish turns out to be pretty hearty – perhaps a good breakfast meal. Enjoy.

 

Max and Kate’s Decadent Adventure

Today our dear friend, Kate invited Max over for an ice cream making adventure. I sent the camera along for the ride and in the end, got to enjoy ice cream sundaes! I’ve mentioned Kate in this blog before – she is an amazing cook who can whip up some mean Indian dishes. She’s inspired me to understand Indian spices, buy into a CSA and eat organic. If I had it my way, she would be my personal chef! Now, I am going to pass the reins off to her as today’s guest blogger!

My two cents on the afternoon would be that Max was a huge help in making the ice cream and sauces, separating eggs like a pro, slicing the vanilla beans lengthwise to reveal the tiny seeds, assisting in the egg tempering by whisking as I poured the hot cream-milk mixture, dedicating himself to stirring the custard (which took a long time!), eyeballing the caramel to keep it from burning, and stirring, stirring, stirring some more.  He was an all around helpful co-ice cream chef!  He seemed quite curious and interested in the process – an absolute pleasure!

Here’s the Scoop – Sauces and Ice Cream Recipes

Hot Fudge Sauce-adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of the Silver Palate version – both New Yorkers!

• 4 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler, stirring frequently until combined. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.  Sauce can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave or a pan of hot water.

Double French Vanilla Ice Cream -adapted from the Food Network Kitchens.

• 8 large eggs yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• Pinch of fine salt
• 2 vanilla bean
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the yolks and half of the sugar. In a non-reactive saucepan combine the cream, 1 cup of the milk, the remaining sugar, and the salt.

Split the vanilla beans in half, lengthwise, to expose the tar-like seeds inside the pod. Scrape the seeds loose with a knife; add the bean and the seeds to the cream mixture along with the vanilla extract.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat until just at a boil. Remove from the heat. Gradually pour the hot liquid into the yolks, while whisking constantly. Return the cream-egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring the mixture constantly, with a wooden spoon in a figure-8 motion, until thickened, about 10 minutes. When the ice cream mixture is properly cooked it should coat the back of a spoon, be satiny thick, and be free of any bubbles on the surface. (If you taste the ice cream base it should have a slight egg-y taste.) When thickened, pour in the reserved milk to prevent the mixture from overcooking. Strain into a medium bowl. Add the cognac if desired.

Fill another bowl with ice. Set the bowl of ice cream base in the ice and stir until thoroughly chilled. Freeze the base in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Take care not to over churn the ice cream or it will get a grainy texture.) Transfer the ice cream to the freezer to set up for at least 1 hour. Serve.

Caramel Sauce -slightly adapted from Ina Garten with the use of organic sugar.  We had a hard time gauging the readiness of the caramel because the sugar was already a chestnut brown.  The caramel ended up being on the light side making the color not so nice, with pretty mild flavor.

• 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla. Don’t worry – the cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

 

Sweet Potato Zuppa, White Beans and Crust

Man is this delicious, or what! And so easy. The beauty of pureed soup? Very little prep as it all get’s pulverized in the end. Ready made were the white beans in the freezer from a big batch made a couple of weeks ago, the veggies came from last week’s CSA, and the bread a cinch. After all is said and done, the aromatics of the curry and ginger fill the house with an away-from-Minnesota smell and we end up with a beautiful and satisfying Minnesota winter soup. Oh, actually, it’s not winter yet. Would somebody please tell Mother Nature – not it!

Zuppa Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
• 4 Thai chiles
• 1 tsp. cumin seed
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 – 2 tsp. curry powder
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, diced
• 3-4 large carrots, diced
• 6-8 cups white beans, pre-cooked
• 3/4 cup condensed milk
• salt to taste

Directions:

1) Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and chiles in the oil.

2) Once the onions begin to caramelize, add the cumin seeds, garam masala and curry powder. The idea is to toast the spices for a few minutes on a low heat.

3) Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

4) Use a blender to puree the sweet potato and carrot mixture and return to the stock pot.

5) Add white beans and salt to taste. Allow the soup to simmer for at least five minutes to bring the flavors together.

Crusts:

1) Slice a loaf of chiabatta or peasant bread.

2) Cover a cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

3) Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

4) Place slices of bread into oil and rub around to collect some of the oil, salt and pepper. Flip the slices over and do the same to the other side. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.

5) Bake at 375 degrees just till the bread starts to brown on the edges. 7-10 minutes.

 

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Curly Kale Chips

Curly kale, curly kale, curly kale! Now that is something to celebrate! When I saw the bright green and purple leaves bubbling out of this week’s CSA it was like a giant edible ribbon on a birthday present. I’ve become a fiend for nutty crunchy kale chips – a highly palatable way to get calcium! Of course I did not make them the same as I did a few weeks ago; I have an incessant need to always change.

These were made on the same premise as my original recipe, but instead had an Asian flair with peanut oil, sesame seeds, ground ginger and rice vinegar. I also sprinkled the salt on them once they were on the cookie sheet as it’s easy to add too much. Paired with braised leeks and brussel sprouts, the surprise crunch topped the cake!

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Curly Kale Chips – Recipe

Brussel Sprouts – Ingredients:

• 1 pound Brussel sprouts, washed and halved
• peanut oil
• 2 small leeks, washed and sliced
• dash rice vinegar
• salt and pepper

Kale Chips – Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch kale, washed and deveined
• peanut oil
• ground ginger
• sesame seeds
• salt/pepper
• hot pepper flakes

Brussel Sprouts – Directions:

1) In a saute pan heat the peanut oil and toss in the leeks to caramelize.

2) Once the leeks begin to turn translucent, toss in the Brussel sprouts and cook on medium heat until they being to brown.

3) After the leeks and Brussel sprouts are well browned, deglaze the pan with a splash of rice vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Kale Chips – Directions:

1) Tear kale into small pieces after it is deveined.

2) In a bowl, toss kale with a little drizzle of peanut oil and a shake of rice vinegar. The kale should be lightly coated.

3) Next, place the kale chips in one layer on a cookie sheet or two.

4) Sprinkle the chips with sesame seeds, ground ginger, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

5) Bake at 375 degrees until the chips are crisp. It is important to use dry kale to make these otherwise they will steam, and it will take much longer to bake them. If they are dry, the baking time should be about seven minutes.

 

Jimmy’s Lentil Soup

I know we’re not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but what about soup? Last week my high school sweetheart died in the Arizona Sweatlodge Accident – an event that surprisingly rocked my world. I am devastated by this loss, saddened by the tragedy, angered by the senselessness, and in mourning over the separation of a father from his children, a husband from his wife, a son from his mother, a brother from his siblings and a friend from us all.

The last time I saw Jim was in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1995 when Jeff and I returned from the Peace Corps. Jeff and I decided to try life in the American Southwest, and my old friend from high school happened to be living there. Jim arranged for us to stay with a friend of his while we looked for an apartment, and on one hot desert summer evening we had a party. Jim made lentil soup.

I don’t really remember much from that night except for a few small details. I remember watching Jim cut the carrots with a big chef’s knife at the kitchen table. He was fastidious about his work. Each carrot was made to be the same size, and there was no hurry to get it done. I remember Jim explaining to me how the “Swamp Cooler” worked by using water vapor to cool homes in the desert, and I remember his hair was really short.

We shared three years together, and despite the fact that it didn’t work out, he extended kindness to me long after we broke up. He supported my boyfriend (now husband) and I in making a new beginning for ourselves. From this day forward I will not be able to eat lentil soup without remembering that night and James Scott Shore.

Jimmy’s Lentil Soup – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 pound lentils, washed
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 cups sweet potato, diced
• 5 medium tomatoes, pureed
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbs. cumin
• salt to taste
• 8-12 cups water

Directions:

1) Saute the onion until it becomes translucent then add the garlic and jalapeno. Saute just long enough to smell the garlic.

2) Add all the other ingredients except the cilantro and sweet potato.

3) Cook the soup until the lentils are almost soft then add the sweet potato. Cook just until the potato is tender and add the cilantro.