Twilight: Veggie Bites

Vampires.  They have nothing to do with this post about fresh vegetarian snacks.  However, you could use garlic in both dishes, making these snacks the perfect herbaceous dishes for keeping vampires away, should you find a need.  (Use on bad vampires only)

Vegetables don't have to be boring, and for those vegetarians out there, veggies often need a new look, as it's easy to get in a rut with herbivore dishes.  This week I made two interesting veggie combos that would be great as a lunch, snack, side dish, or in mass quantities as party bites.  Both of these snacks can be made with ANY garden food you have on hand.

Kitchen Sink Dumplings

Chop and steam all veg

(I chose red cabbage, sweet potatoes, celery, red onion, green onion, cilantro)

Mix all chopped veg

Add sauce

(I used soy, lime, hoisin)

Spoon mixture into dumplings

Put water on fingers and seal dumplings 

Heat oil in a pan

(I used sesame)

Sear one side of dumpling

Add splash of water to hot pan

(watch out for splash of hot oil)

Cover immediately and cook until clear

One side of the dumpling will be brown and crispy

The face up side will be clear and steamed

Serve with dipping sauce

(I used soy, sriracha, lime, cilantro)

Kitchen Sink Croquettes

Grate veggies into strands

(I chose squash and carrots)

Add chopped onions

(I chose red)

Add chopped herbs

(I chose parsley)

Add crushed crackers

(I used whole wheat saltines)

Mix with one egg

S&P

Make small balls with hands

Heat oil in pan

(I chose olive oil)

Press balls flat in pan

Flip when brown on edges

When I made these croquettes I used them as a side dish (sorry plant-eaters) and served alongside an apple spiced pork tenderloin.  Croquettes work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and are great with any dipping sauce you can create.

Sink your teeth in!

This Is Some BS!

Wondering what veggie to cook tonight?  Try cooking up a bunch of BS!  Brussels Sprouts rule our kitchen as the favorite vegetable side.  I know there are some faces turning inside out at the thought of this kid-unfriendly dish, but I've converted a lot of disbelievers.  B-sprouts, when prepared well, are divine.

It's all about finding the taste that appeals to you, as these little garden bites are so great at soaking up flavor, it's like they were built for it.

As they are green in color, I use the old saying "if it's green, it needs lemon or it won't taste as good"... All green veggies rock when lemon-ized.

I've seen a ton of recipes with bacon, and while I'm sure it's good, I'm of the opinion that this dish can stay vegetarian, and taste even better, mouth-watering and alive.

Sprout On The Town

Cut BS stems off

Slice BS in half

Heat oil in a pan

(I chose olive oil)

Add garlic

Add onions

(I chose red)

Add nuts

(I chose walnuts)

Place BS face down in pan

Squeeze citrus on top

(I chose lemon)

When faces are brown, flip

Stir around, add more lemon

You could try an Asian version, choose sesame for your oil, orange for your citrus, almonds for your nuts.  A sweet version could involve grapefruit, ginger, and pecans... anything you can find, as usual.

Brussels sprouts arrived in America when french settlers brought them in to Louisiana.  Maybe a cajun version would be in order - creole spices!

Get sprout of the closet, let these veggies express themselves!

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Because he didn't want to be fried and there was an oven on the other side.

Faux fried chicken (and it's super healthy accompanying dishes) took such a short time, this was literally a last minute dinner...of delectable goodness.

I wanted lean protein, and nutrient packed veggies (of course) but was craving something a bit more sinful and this oven baked chicken did the trick, without all the sin.

Chix On Hash

Pour cereal in ziplock
(I chose Special K)

Add spices to ziplock

(I chose lemon/pepper)

Crush mix up 

Spread mix on pan/foil

Roll raw chicken pieces in mix

Cook in oven, 350-ish for 30 min-ish

Cube potatoes

(I chose sweet potatoes)

Brush olive oil/season

Cook in oven 30 min

Olive oil in a pan

Add tomatoes

Add onions

(I chose white)

Add cooked potatoes

In a separate pan:

Saute leeks in olive oil and lemon

A potato hash is very open to inventiveness - add any type of veggie you have.  This kind of oven baked chicken is great for parties as well, as it's easy to make a ton of.

Everyone will cross the road for your version of oven baked greatness.

This Little Piggy Went To Cuba

Cuban night!  Pork is not only the other white meat, but the more delicious white meat as well.  Cooking for carnivores may seem a little more advanced, and harder without a recipe, but after a little practice, gourmet inspired meaty meals are a cinch.

But, savory goodness isn't all pork has to offer - miss piggy is a cheaper date than her artery clogging farm pal, brown cow.  Remember, it's not bacon, it's lean white meat.  This entire meal served 6, and cost a whopping 20 bucks, all included.

It is of course nutritious - a lean protein dish is the perfect meal following a muscle building workout, and served along with something fresh and green, it can't be beat.

Pork and Knife Sandwiches

In a dutch oven, heat a swish of oil

(or cast iron skillet with lid)

Toss in your spices

(I used ginger and serrano peppers)

Add onions and cook down

(I used red onions)

Brown pork ribs

(I chose boneless, lean cuts)

(*browning is on high heat, short time)

Turn heat down to a simmer

Squeeze oranges in the pot

S&P

Let simmer for 2 hours covered

Take lid off and pull apart pork with tongs - it will then soak up all of the juices it cooked in

Toast a healthy whole grain slice of bread

Top with sauteed red cabbage if you like

Add juicy pork to sandwich

I served this Pork And Knife Sandwich with steamed swiss chard (a yummy green) with lemon on it, and whole grain rice, as well as a relish for the sandwich.

There are so many great options for relishes that can spice up any type of dish - here are 3 options I came up with for cuban night (you really only need just one!)


Relish Trio

Slice up ingredients and mix:

(or throw them in a food processor if you are rich)

(I sliced everything by hand, with one great knife)

Jicama, Orange, Pistachio, Mint

Avacado, Jalapeno, Onion, Lime

Mango, Tomato, Onion, Cilantro

Relishes are a great way to experiment with food pairings and combos, as they can be added (or not) by your guests.

Viva Cuba!  Swine flu be damned!

Why Learning To Cook Matters

More clever and fun ideas coming soon, but on a serious note - there is no better reason to try to learn to cook than explained here by Jamie Oliver. If you don't have the 20 minutes to watch, here's a great thought:

If you teach three people how to cook, and they teach three people, when repeated 25 times that would reach everyone in America. As he says, it's a romantic idea - but imagine what it could do for our combined health as a country...



Food is the fuel that runs our bodies, let's spread the word on learning how to cook fresh food to live better!

And to lighten the air - I leave you with this... a few shots of our gravy boat collection... for gravy only, like it says:

These Lettuce Wraps Are Radicchio!

Lettuce discuss a better wrap for this awesome Asian lunch - Iceberg can be pretty thin, and the yummy insides end up in a pile on your plate (or lap), so I chose a heartier wrapper, colorful and crunchy radicchio leaves.

Lettuce wraps are often offered at restaurants in the chicken variety, but I liked the way ground turkey absorbed all of the distinct and savory flavors.  This dish is so open to inventiveness - try making a mixture of whatever you have on hand.

Rad Turkey Wraps

Heat oil in pan

(I chose sesame oil)

Add finely chopped ginger

Add onions

(I chose red)

Add ground turkey

Break turkey up in pan while cooking

Add a splash of lite soy sauce

(I also used a squeeze of hoisin)

Add cilantro

Add S&P

Add green onions

Add bean sprouts

Squeeze of lime

Peel leaves from radicchio

Spoon turkey mixture into each leaf

Top with pickled ginger

Cucumber salad

Slice cucumbers

(I chose Japanese cucumbers)

(They are smaller and skinnier) 

Splash rice wine vinegar

(you could use ponzu or just lemon)

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top

This lunch was quick, the presentation is guest worthy, and of course, it's healthy and lite - making it a tasteful afternoon dish.

Sir Salmon Rushdie

There will be no assassination attempts on this salmon - it's too delicious. I love a grilled salmon, or salmon fired on a cedar plank, but when low on resources and time, this is the perfect, delectable fish dish.

We all hear about getting fish oils in our supplements, and how important omega-3's are to our diet, I find the easiest way to go about ensuring my intake is to eat "delicious fishes" every week, which for me include salmon, tuna, red snapper, and orange roughy. Salmon is a great choice for those looking to have a "less fishy" fish.

Salmon Rushdie

Heat oven high, 450-ish
Spread sliced shallots on pan
(any onions would do)
Place fresh Salmon filet over shallots
Sprinkle with S&P to taste
(I used celery salt)
Cover Salmon with herbs
(I used parsley, dill is great)
Add a few capers
Cover with sliced whole lemon

Cook for 10 minutes in oven
Cool under a foil tent for 10 more minutes

This salmon is so good you'll be writing controversial and award winning novels about it in no time.


What's that next to the salmon? That is flowering kale, which is an awesome "green" although it's purple. I serve something green with every meal I cook. This was prepared by chopping, steaming, and adding some lemon. You'll be amazed how good that tastes compared to frozen spinach!

Toast points made with whole grain bread, smoked cheddar, and fresh tomato grilled in the oven finish this salmon dish off beautifully.

This meal was made in under 30 minutes!

Veggielaya

Need superbowl snack ideas? Want to ruin your husband's day and cook something healthy? Well, you've come to the right spot! Don't worry men, I'm linking you all up to some of my friends' decadent football recipes as well!

This Louisiana veggie bowl will be spicy, colorful, filling, and delicious. You could try to perfect a real jambalaya or gumbo on a first try - that would be awesome, but for those non-recipe type, combining some Cajun staples might be your best bet for southern flair among your snacks.

Veggielaya

Soak red beans overnight
Cook beans per package

In a dutch oven, or pot:
Swish of olive oil, medium heat
Finely chopped garlic
Shallots
Fresh hot peppers

Once crackling up:
add red/white onions
add sliced okra
add tomatoes
add mostly cooked red beans
Squeeze of lemon
cayenne
S&P
Stir, simmer
Decide done-ness per okra

Serve over brown rice
or mix in cooked brown rice

If this is all too healthy for you, please check out my good friends' links below for many great superbowl snacks!

www.gamedayeats.com

www.pardonmycrumbs.com

Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give A Yam

Sweet Potato Fries taste better than french fries. Fact. This southern cousin of the potato is the perfect super bowl snack for your Louisiana relatives and Saints bandwagoners alike.

Sweet potatoes are absolutely packed with nutrients. Vitamins A, C, and B6, potassium, iron, and fiber will keep you in tip-top emotional and physical shape for the big game. What a sneaky way to add some nutrition to your snacks.

Go Saints!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Leave the skin on!
(It's packed with nutrients)
Slice sweet potatoes into fry shapes
(I've gone with classic fry shape)
Spread your raw fries out on a pan
(I chose a cookie sheet with foil)
Paint your fries with olive oil
Sprinkle on Sea Salt
Squeeze a little lemon on it all
Cajun it up with some Cayenne

Place in the oven
I cook 350 for about 40 min
Test a fry - crunchier, longer

Enjoy!

note: Yams are not Sweet Potatoes, more on that in the future, but for now, just don't give a yam

In Living Color: RED

Cooking by color is the simplest way to ensure a healthy meal. When it comes to fresh produce, the brighter the color, the better. Color can serve as a great cooking guide - when your vegetables start to lose color, they are also losing their nutrients. Therefore presentation is not just aesthetic, it's an indication of how healthy your meal is.

When I see tomatoes on my plate I say "red - mmm.... lycopene" and that powers up my x-ray vision. Ok. Maybe not right away - but red fruits and veggies contain the highest amount of lycopene, which you'll hear is great for its cancer preventing properties. The CDC says that red fruits and veggies are also packed with vitamins C and A, which are powerful antioxidants (or as my niece says "anti-oxygen").

We all know what an apple-a-day can do for us, but did you know it contains up to 4 grams of fiber? Strawberries can help regulate blood sugar, cherries contain melatonin, watermelon is packed with potassium and folic acid, raspberries are among the highest antioxidants, and tomatoes contain more than 20 nutrients - just to name a few. Mmm...lycopene.


Sprinkle some raspberries or strawberries on your next bowl of cereal. Brighten up a stew with fresh cooked tomatoes. Throw red bell peppers in your stir fry, add some beets to your salad, and set a bowl of cherries out for everyone to snack on.

I use cherries where my citrus would usually go in cooking meats. I glazed these pork ribs with fresh sliced cherries and cooked them in the oven - fall off the bone meat with a fantastic tart flavor!


What's red in your kitchen?

Stir Fry, or Not Stir Fry...That is the Question

Scared to try recipe-less cooking? Mistakes can be awesome, but if you want a safety net, start out with a stir fry. It's the easiest way to get rocking on improvisational cooking with low consequence.

Stir fry may bring to mind the act of opening a frozen bag of Asian vegetables and heating them, but let's never speak of that again. Stir fry doesn't need to be Asian at all, and is best when experimental. How about Spicy Shrimp with Mango, or Chicken and Black Bean, or Crab with Asparagus and Corn. I just made those up - so what's in your kitchen that looks good together?

Remember to cook meat first, or in a separate pan, and season the meat to match your other ingredients. (Say... lemon on the chicken for a tangy citrus themed stir fry, cayenne for spicy, just s&p on your meat to match a garlic theme)


I like to add veggies according to their perceived crunchiness factor (the pcf). You'll learn through trial and error how much longer a bamboo shoot will need compared to a bean sprout, but using the pcf scale can be a great start, as well as a good reason to abbreviate complete nonsense.

We have at least one night a week of vegetarian cooking, and tonight was that night, as we were also very low on groceries. I love to stir fry when I think I'm out of food. You can always squeeze out one more meal, even if you think your kitchen is bare. (more on this in the future!)

This would work great as a side dish as well, and yes, it is an Asian theme, it's just what we had...

Stir Fry Basics, Sugar Snap Pea Style

Splash oil in wok or skillet
(I chose hot sesame oil)
Spices go in first until crackling
(I chose ginger)
Throw in onions
(I went with red, and a little green)
Carrots next
(highest pcf)
Water chestnuts
Sugar snap peas
Squeeze of lemon
Toss or stir to desired tenderness
(I kept it crunchy)

Serve on top of brown rice

We loved it along with a Ponzu Apple Bean Thread Salad:



Next time you are "out of groceries", invent a stir fry - even if it's awful, it was time for groceries anyway!

The Greatest Breakfast Of All Time

This was formerly known as "Amy's Oatmeal Surprise" but I'm really trying to get away from the "Amy's ______ Surprise" food naming format... not that it isn't awesome.

It's not so much cooking as it is combining products in this breakfast idea, but it's something we eat almost every day. When you have breakfast as great as this it really sets the foundation for what you will eat (and cook) for the rest of the day.

Cook plain oatmeal on the stove
Add flax seeds to be super healthy
Top with plain yogurt
Add almonds, walnuts, blueberries, and blackberries
Serve with an orange

Bam. The most heart-healthiest breakfast you could have. For those of you with high cholesterol, this incorporates almost everything on your "foods that lower cholesterol" list.

Enjoy!

Getting Started - A Stocked Kitchen

I'm all about simple. The great chef Marco Pierre White says that great dishes come from simplicity. What an easy concept to translate to home cooking! I love simple.

So here are my basics - you will choose your own flavors and brands etc, but this is a good example of the type of stocked kitchen that you will need for cooking any and every type of cuisine.

FRESH SPICES:

Fresh spices are tastier, healthier, and cheaper than their packaged, processed cousins and keeping these spices on hand is just as convenient.

Garlic and ginger are both incredibly good for you, and in addition to their natural health value, you won't need to use salt to flavor any dishes spiced with these power roots.

Like it spicy? Find some peppers with the amount of heat that you prefer - we cook very spicy here, most commonly with red jalapenos and green thai chilis.

Herb gardens are the way to go for all greens - forget dried green flakes from a jar - it's cheaper, healthier and more fun from your own pot! We grow cilantro, parsley, italian parsley, and mint to name a few.


CITRUS:

I throw a little citrus in just about everything. Appetizers, main courses, soups, salads, deserts - all better with a little citrus. This is a personal choice, but again, saves on salt and the health benefits are fantastic... especially if you have scurvy.




ONIONS:

I use white, red, and green onions in many dishes, so they are always on hand. We can up the ante later with scallions, leeks, and other varieties.


PANTRY ITEMS:

Remembering to keep it simple, you should have minimal items in your pantry. I like to use produce for everything, but there are a few necessities for the pantry or cabinet.


Oils are an absolute must - and olive oil is a great choice for heart-healthy cooking.
Sea Salt, coarse or fine, adds incredible flavor using less salt, iodized salt is in the back just in case, but Sea Salt is used most often.
Various Peppers - whole peppercorns to grind is the best option, then cayenne, lemon etc...
The Soy and Sriracha are must haves for asian cooking (more on that to come)

Check to see what you have on hand, and make yourself a small list of the spices, citrus, and onions you'd like to pick up at the store - then just go and see what looks good that day!

Getting Started - Basic Tools

Kitchen gadgets are so much fun - but for those of you new to cooking I've pared it down to the absolute basics.


A GOOD KNIFE

A necessity. I hated chopping before I got a good knife. It's like the difference between coach and first class. If there is any one item in your kitchen to invest in - it's a great knife.

It's a zen experience at this point. I look forward to cooking everyday for the time I get to prep - chop, slice, dice and relax.

This all purpose chef's knife by Shun was a wedding gift and I use it all day every day. It helps to have a good chopping board as well. We have a food processor, but when I have the time, I make every cut myself - even for salsas!



TOOLS

Prep bowls can be any sort of bowl. Use what you have - tupperware, old china, anything - but find a range of sizes. I use small prep dishes every day and medium to large prep bowls depending on what I'm cooking.

Tongs. They work like your hands, but you can't put your hands in a heated skillet... well you can... but they won't taste very good.

A peeler helps, but your very great knife could take on this task if you don't have one yet. There are many tools I love, but the most used are photographed here.


POTS AND PANS

Again, there are so many great vessels for cooking, but we want to stick to basics here. A skillet, a sauce pan, a steamer basket, a pot, and a cookie sheet would be a great start.

I'd like to purpose that with a knife, a few bowls, and a skillet, you should be able to prepare a high quality, gourmet meal. Now it's time for me to prove it.