Oh yes, family. As we all know, summertime is a white wine season. Seizing the opportunity to incorporate that adage into my cooking (okay, I'll admit part of the inspiration came from drinking wine while deciding what to make for dinner), I came up with this. For lack of a real name, I'll call it Greek white beans and vegetables in sherry reduction.
No cup-for-cup recipe, but here's the general idea:
A pound of white beans (I used cannellini, chickpeas and blackeyed peas)
A bunch of greens (kale, chard, spinach, whatever you've got)
A couple of carrots, a few stalks of celery, a bit of garlic, a big chopped tomato, a red pepper
A generous pour of sherry cooking wine and a less generous pour of white drinking wine (probably 1/2 to 2/3 cups total)
Probably 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar and a tablespoon of lemon juice
A generous sprinkling of Greek spice mix
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the beans, reserving a little water afterward. Pour in the wine and spice, and throw in all the veggies except the greens. When that's all cooked, turn off the flame and throw in the greens. Wait 'til they wilt, then enjoy! I ate it plain, but it'd be good over a bed of pasta as well. No photos because we ate it all in one sitting.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
In love with beets
Beets--I just can't get enough of them lately. Here is a simple, yet tasty recipe I've been enjoying:
Beets, Quinoa, and Goat Cheese Salad
3-5 beets, including green tops
oil
garlic
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup goat cheese
1. Remove green tops and wash beets. Cover beets in water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until beets can be pierced with a fork. Once beets are cooked, peel skins and dice into bit-size pieces.
2. Wash and chop about 1/3 cup of beet greens to saute.
3. Saute oil, garlic, and greens until wilted. Remove from heat. Add diced beets, quinoa, and cheese. Toss and serve.
Beets, Quinoa, and Goat Cheese Salad
3-5 beets, including green tops
oil
garlic
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup goat cheese
1. Remove green tops and wash beets. Cover beets in water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until beets can be pierced with a fork. Once beets are cooked, peel skins and dice into bit-size pieces.
2. Wash and chop about 1/3 cup of beet greens to saute.
3. Saute oil, garlic, and greens until wilted. Remove from heat. Add diced beets, quinoa, and cheese. Toss and serve.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Foraging; and an ode to egg salad
Hello family!
As of late, I've been getting into foraging. It started with a conversation with a coworker who'd experienced the unheard-of: Being let in on an acquaintence's secret morel location. We got to talking about morels (I hadn't known you could hunt them in Oregon), which segued into the topic of fiddleheads, and again onto dandelion greens and nettles.
The fiddleheads are no more, but there are plenty of nettles and dandelion greens in the park by my house. Last week, I brought some twine up to the park with me, and came back down with two big bunches of greens. I brought them home, checked the cupboard for whatever legume was on hand (in this case, it was split yellow peas) and threw them into a pot with some herbs fresh from my back yard. A true forager's feast! The tomatoes, I'll admit, came from a can.
On an unrelated note, a friend and I impulsively bought some Easter egg-dyeing kits (on clearance, of course) with the hope of using them for a rapture party. The party plans took off, but not the egg portion. As a result, I was left with a couple dozen hard boileds and zero motivation to use that egg dye. Solution: Egg salad! I can't remember the last time I had this, but I'm going to make a point to get into the habit.
Happy spring!
As of late, I've been getting into foraging. It started with a conversation with a coworker who'd experienced the unheard-of: Being let in on an acquaintence's secret morel location. We got to talking about morels (I hadn't known you could hunt them in Oregon), which segued into the topic of fiddleheads, and again onto dandelion greens and nettles.
The fiddleheads are no more, but there are plenty of nettles and dandelion greens in the park by my house. Last week, I brought some twine up to the park with me, and came back down with two big bunches of greens. I brought them home, checked the cupboard for whatever legume was on hand (in this case, it was split yellow peas) and threw them into a pot with some herbs fresh from my back yard. A true forager's feast! The tomatoes, I'll admit, came from a can.
On an unrelated note, a friend and I impulsively bought some Easter egg-dyeing kits (on clearance, of course) with the hope of using them for a rapture party. The party plans took off, but not the egg portion. As a result, I was left with a couple dozen hard boileds and zero motivation to use that egg dye. Solution: Egg salad! I can't remember the last time I had this, but I'm going to make a point to get into the habit.
Happy spring!
Friday, May 6, 2011
First barbecue of springtime!
Last week, my college roommate and her boyfriend came to visit for a few days.
True to form, we ran ourselves ragged around Portland, ate at all my favorite places (Lindsey, a once-a-day waffle eater, said Waffle Window was the best she's ever had. Dave, a dude who's eaten his fair share of pizzas, said the radicchio pie from Ken's was the best he's ever had. I, a former groupie of Ken's olive pizza, have to agree with him.), drank at all my favorite bars (as various other public and private places throughout Western Oregon), attempted and failed to get into a show at the Doug (still went to the upstairs bar), drank coffee, took hikes and watched sunsets.
It was a quality few days with good people I haven't seen in quite some time. They left town at 5 a.m. on Monday, but not before one last hurrah. After a full day at the beach, we capped off a rare cloud-free day in Portland with a backyard barbecue (I'm in love with my back yard) and a few Portland friends. Most of them were meat-eaters and brought brats and burgers, making me miss a more familiar back porch -- that of Van Stone Drive. Especially since many of the Haack clan were likely gathered on that very porch at the very same time, celebrating the one and only Reyn Haack.
All told, the bbq was a success. We scrambled home just before the guests arrived and whipped up some cole slaw (mom's recipe), a balsamic-dijon pasta salad, dilly roasted potatoes and veggies, and a killer tzatziki dip made with herbs from our backyard (did I mention we have herbs in our backyard?!) There was apricot beer, laughter, breaking news (Osama), a new leftie-stringed guitar for yours truly, and many instances of over-sharing as Linds, Dave and I related our college adventures to the group.
I'll track down photos from a friend who has a good camera and was snapping up a storm at the bbq. In the meantime, sorry for the semi-irrelevant post, and here's to the return of porch sitting, flame grilling and bonfire singalongs. Much love to all.
 |
| This isn't the bbq, but it's Linds. Stuffing her face on a farmer's market breakfast burrito. |
True to form, we ran ourselves ragged around Portland, ate at all my favorite places (Lindsey, a once-a-day waffle eater, said Waffle Window was the best she's ever had. Dave, a dude who's eaten his fair share of pizzas, said the radicchio pie from Ken's was the best he's ever had. I, a former groupie of Ken's olive pizza, have to agree with him.), drank at all my favorite bars (as various other public and private places throughout Western Oregon), attempted and failed to get into a show at the Doug (still went to the upstairs bar), drank coffee, took hikes and watched sunsets.
 |
| Ken's! The pictured pizza (olive) is the bomb dig. But nothing compared to the newly-discovered radicchio. |
It was a quality few days with good people I haven't seen in quite some time. They left town at 5 a.m. on Monday, but not before one last hurrah. After a full day at the beach, we capped off a rare cloud-free day in Portland with a backyard barbecue (I'm in love with my back yard) and a few Portland friends. Most of them were meat-eaters and brought brats and burgers, making me miss a more familiar back porch -- that of Van Stone Drive. Especially since many of the Haack clan were likely gathered on that very porch at the very same time, celebrating the one and only Reyn Haack.
 | |||
| Also not the bbq, but earlier this week we had our first picnic of the year on Mt. Tabor! Dom and I kicked it off with happy hour on my front porch. |
All told, the bbq was a success. We scrambled home just before the guests arrived and whipped up some cole slaw (mom's recipe), a balsamic-dijon pasta salad, dilly roasted potatoes and veggies, and a killer tzatziki dip made with herbs from our backyard (did I mention we have herbs in our backyard?!) There was apricot beer, laughter, breaking news (Osama), a new leftie-stringed guitar for yours truly, and many instances of over-sharing as Linds, Dave and I related our college adventures to the group.
 | |
| This guy makes about 500 burritos every Saturday. I probably annoyed him with my incessant chitchat, but I got some good info. He can crack 1,000 eggs in under 40 minutes, the green stuff is chili, not tomatillo, and he'll start selling in the NE Portland market when it opens. Oh, and those other hawkers are his kids. Precious. |
I'll track down photos from a friend who has a good camera and was snapping up a storm at the bbq. In the meantime, sorry for the semi-irrelevant post, and here's to the return of porch sitting, flame grilling and bonfire singalongs. Much love to all.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Gotta post this one, since it's all I've been talking about for days...
At first, I was skeptical. "Mock" tuna salad? That just sounds impossible. How can the humble chickpea possibly stand up to the sinewy, squeeky goodness of real tuna? What the heck is nutritional yeast, and how could it ever produce the same salty, fishy taste of albacore? And soy sauce in tuna salad? Now you're just talking crazy.
But I'm happy to say I was wrong. Mock tuna salad, folks. Not half-assed, lackluster, only-sort-of-similar-tasting mock tuna salad. Full-fledged taste and texture spot-on tuna salad. The best part: Veg-friendly, sustainable and mercury-free! Try it, folks.
The recipe:
15 oz. can chickpeas, or about two cups of cooked dry beans, with a little of the cook water leftover
2 celery stalks (however much crunch you like, really)
2T dill relish, or just food process some spears
half of an onion
2 t. nutritional yeast
1 T mayo (adjust to your liking)
1 t. soy sauce
lemon juice to taste
I added some olives because I like 'em.
Squish up the chickpeas with a fork, or food process them lightly. You're not looking for a paste here. Just a good smoosh with the texture intact. Add in the remaining ingredients, give it a good stir, and you're golden! Enjoy on some rice crackers, a sandwich, a bed of cold grains, whatever.
You'd best believe I'm making this at the next Haack family gathering, when we need a little snack before the main event at Gramps' house.
But I'm happy to say I was wrong. Mock tuna salad, folks. Not half-assed, lackluster, only-sort-of-similar-tasting mock tuna salad. Full-fledged taste and texture spot-on tuna salad. The best part: Veg-friendly, sustainable and mercury-free! Try it, folks.
The recipe:
15 oz. can chickpeas, or about two cups of cooked dry beans, with a little of the cook water leftover
2 celery stalks (however much crunch you like, really)
2T dill relish, or just food process some spears
half of an onion
2 t. nutritional yeast
1 T mayo (adjust to your liking)
1 t. soy sauce
lemon juice to taste
I added some olives because I like 'em.
Squish up the chickpeas with a fork, or food process them lightly. You're not looking for a paste here. Just a good smoosh with the texture intact. Add in the remaining ingredients, give it a good stir, and you're golden! Enjoy on some rice crackers, a sandwich, a bed of cold grains, whatever.
You'd best believe I'm making this at the next Haack family gathering, when we need a little snack before the main event at Gramps' house.
Adobo sauce is the greatest thing since the chickpea
SHOOT! Meant to take a photo, but I ate it all before I could remember! Anyway...
So I've been on a bit of an adobo kick lately. My roommate's brother made homemade adobo for us a few weeks ago and, while I can't claim to have the ambition to make my own, I've been buying the stuff like crazy.
The other day I made another stew sans measuring cups, and it turned out awesome! I'm calling it intercontinental stew, because the other main broth ingredient was Turkish ajvar (paprika-eggplant sauce). The results were awesome, so I'll try to replicate the general recipe here.
-About a pound and a half of whatever beans you have on hand. For me, it was pintos, white beans, black mungs, lentils and chickpeas.
-one small can of chipotles in adobo sauce
-about 2/3 cup of ajvar
-salt and pepper to taste
-3 cloves minced garlic
-one medium onion
-carrots to your liking
-one bunch of spinach
-a sprinkling of dried red peppers
-a dash of sugar
-Soak the beans overnight or do the quick soak method, then cook them fully in 3x the amount of water-to-beans. Once they're done, throw in the remaining ingredients, adding more water if it's too thick. Let it bubble for a bit until the onions are cooked, then add the spinach until it wilts. I served mine over a bed of wheat spaghetti with a dollop of yogurt on top.
So I've been on a bit of an adobo kick lately. My roommate's brother made homemade adobo for us a few weeks ago and, while I can't claim to have the ambition to make my own, I've been buying the stuff like crazy.
The other day I made another stew sans measuring cups, and it turned out awesome! I'm calling it intercontinental stew, because the other main broth ingredient was Turkish ajvar (paprika-eggplant sauce). The results were awesome, so I'll try to replicate the general recipe here.
-About a pound and a half of whatever beans you have on hand. For me, it was pintos, white beans, black mungs, lentils and chickpeas.
-one small can of chipotles in adobo sauce
-about 2/3 cup of ajvar
-salt and pepper to taste
-3 cloves minced garlic
-one medium onion
-carrots to your liking
-one bunch of spinach
-a sprinkling of dried red peppers
-a dash of sugar
-Soak the beans overnight or do the quick soak method, then cook them fully in 3x the amount of water-to-beans. Once they're done, throw in the remaining ingredients, adding more water if it's too thick. Let it bubble for a bit until the onions are cooked, then add the spinach until it wilts. I served mine over a bed of wheat spaghetti with a dollop of yogurt on top.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Last yam post, I promise...
This blog done died.
Time to revive!
In case you couldn't tell, I'm obsessed with yams. Here's a recipe that garnered a handful of compliments and recipe requests the last time I prepared it for a group of friends.
Enjoy!
3 medium yams, well scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup peanut butter
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1.Place potatoes in microwave-safe dish and microwave on high until fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
2.In saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter until blended; heat to boiling and cook for 1 minute.
3.Reduce heat to medium-low; add sweet potatoes and simmer briefly. Stir in cilantro.
I usually add more spices and peanut butter than the recipe calls for—add and subtract to your liking!
Time to revive!
In case you couldn't tell, I'm obsessed with yams. Here's a recipe that garnered a handful of compliments and recipe requests the last time I prepared it for a group of friends.
Enjoy!
3 medium yams, well scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup peanut butter
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1.Place potatoes in microwave-safe dish and microwave on high until fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
2.In saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter until blended; heat to boiling and cook for 1 minute.
3.Reduce heat to medium-low; add sweet potatoes and simmer briefly. Stir in cilantro.
I usually add more spices and peanut butter than the recipe calls for—add and subtract to your liking!
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