Caldo Verde Minus the Caldo

Vegetarian caldo verde is one one of my favorite dishes, and is surprisingly a hit among my hard core meat eating family. Along with the warmer weather, however, comes a desire for lighter dishes that don't require a long time at the stove. Think of this as caldo verde lite. It's every bit as satisfying and healthy but comes together quickly with few ingredients. And yes, I used real sausage this time. (It was on sale so it doesn't count.)

Ingredients

A few big handfuls kale, washed and chopped with the stems removed
Half a white or yellow onion, diced
2 links of mexican chorizo or hot italian sausage (or the veg version)
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1/2 can of white, black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup white wine or chicken stock
Drizzle olive oil

If you're using sausage (real or veg) that comes in a casing, remove from the casing and crumble into a large skillet heated over medium heat. Add just a touch of olive oil along with the diced onion and the beans. Stir and watch carefully. Most chorizo is highly seasoned but if yours is bland add some salt and pepper now.

When the sausage and onions start to brown add the rest of the ingredients except for the corn and turn the heat up to medium high.

Stir and wait for the liquid to evaporate. When the liquid has completely evaporated turn the heat back down to medium and add the corn. Keep cooking for another few minutes until the corn is heated through. Serve plain or over rice or polenta.

To really knock your socks off, heat up the leftovers the next morning and serve over toast with a poached egg.

New Mexican Chile

Mexican food is just about my favorite cuisine if you can't tell from the picture above. I adore its rich history and connection to culture, and its complex, bold flavors. I think Rick Bayless makes some of the most beautiful and inspired food around. But I can also readily admit that the only Mexican food I've eaten bears little resemblance to the real thing. Without my favorite food and travel shows, and Anthony Bourdain to describe it, I could easily go through life thinking that Mexican cuisine equals greasy tacos and mountains of cheese covered enchiladas. Even when I try to cook "Mexican" all I'm really doing is adding some red stuff to my rice, and putting some food in a tortilla. If I'm feeling really fancy I might mix up some trusty guacamole and call it a day.

Ok so New Mexican cuisine isn't exactly the same thing. (If anything it's a little bit more interesting with the influence of the Native Americans.) But when my dad came back from a recent trip to New Mexico with a stash of dried New Mexican chiles, I jumped at the chance to try something truly authentic. And they're just so pretty. Naturally pretty food almost always tastes good in my experience.

If you ever have the opportunity to get your hands on some (I'm sure you can get them at specialty stores or online) they are fun to experiment with. If you need a crash course in how to use them, here's a good link. I would add a few things though. Before soaking them in water, toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes watching carefully. They should smell toasted and become slightly darker but shouldn't turn black at all. You can turn them occasionally too. Let cool. Break them apart and set the seeds aside. Store the seeds in a jar and use just like regular hot pepper flakes. Then soak the peppers in hot water for at least an hour. Spoon the peppers out of the water and put in the food processor. As you process them, add a little bit of the liquid as needed along with any number of other ingredients. Here's a sample recipe that I used to make a sort of all purpose hot sauce. It can be adjusted to taste:

8-10 rehydrated chiles
A few tablespoons olive oil
A few tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Half of a large can of plain crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes
A few (or more) cloves roasted garlic
Salt
Honey (optional)
Chile soaking liquid if you prefer a thinner sauce

Process everything except for the last few ingredients and taste. The last three ingredients are used to adjust to your liking. If you're an amateur and can't handle the heat, that's what the honey is for.

Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge. Add to anything that needs some zip. We used it in a paella. I highly recommend mixing it into some mayo, or greek yogurt if you're a health nut, and dipping some french fries in it. I cut some sweet potatoes into wedges, roasted them, and used them as vehicles to scoop up the wonderfully spicy mayo. I'm pretty sure when the potatoes were gone I just used my finger. I can also attest to its deliciousness as a sandwich spread and as a dressing for coleslaw. Add a spoonful to some eggs. Or to make that aforementioned "Mexican" rice, just add it into some plain white rice to make your next taco night a little more interesting. If you're going this last route, I also recommend adding some chopped fresh cilantro and maybe some beans to make a really substantial side dish. You get the picture.

In Case You Were Wondering...

Avocado and grapefruit do not taste good together, I don't care what Ina Garten says.

So here's the story. (Because there's always a story...) Inspired by a recent shipment of those heavenly grapefruits I told you about a while back, I decided to get creative. There's only so many grapefruits a girl can eat for breakfast you know.

So there I was at the local market with grapefruit and avocado on the brain when I spotted some jicama. Don't ask me what I was thinking. It had been a long week.

What is jicama you ask? If you've never watched Food Network before it's basically like eating a raw potato with a hint of apple. Yum.

Surprisingly the jicama wasn't the problem here. It was my first time eating it, and I have to say I kind of like it. Which is good since I now have half a jicama sitting in my fridge. The jicama and the grapefruit are a welcome combo. Together they make a salad that is fresh, not too sweet, with a bit of crunch. Perfect after the winter doldrums of potatoes and greens.

You'd think the creamy mild avocado might lend something here. I'm still trying to pinpoint what that is, but it wasn't good. But I'll include some pics and the recipe anyways because it's just so darn pretty and healthy! I tried really hard to like it, and maybe the avocado I used was a little bland and overripe. (Also, I think people should share more of their failed experiments so that we could all learn from them and have a good laugh while we're at it. I'd love to see a blog devoted to that. In fact I already have more than a few good entries in mind.)

Ingredients

1 large grapefruit, peeled and segmented, with its juice
Half a jicama, peeled and diced (save the rest for slaw)
1 avocado, diced
Coarsely ground sea salt to taste
Splash of lime juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.Oooh and aah for a bit. Taste. Order some pizza instead.

3 Ingredient Fix

I guess I understand the concept behind that show "5 Ingredient Fix" on the Food Network. I just think it's misguided. Every time I watch it I think, man a 6th ingredient might make it taste a lot better.

And most times I find that I cook with minimal ingredients anyways, mostly out of necessity. Last summer while taking part in the One Local Summer Challenge, I realized that eating locally also forces you to cook minimally. You are dependent on what is available, but you are also able to center meals around a few ingredients because they taste so darn good. Eating this way is good for your wallet too. Every time I go to the farmer's market I come in under budget, no coupons or sales necessary. Try that at your local supermarket, especially if you buy organic.

Even with the availability of local produce, some nights it just seems harder than others to come up with a dinner plan without resorting to the convenience of takeout or a local restaurant. It has to be fast, cheap, healthy and satisfying. Then try throwing vegetarian, local and organic into the mix. Every time I pull off a dinner that meets all of the above requirements I amaze even myself. I can't imagine how those of you with crazy stressful jobs let alone families deal with it. I won't pretend to offer advice on that one. (Although I do have to say that I would imagine this meal is kid friendly.)

Ingredients

Fingerling or yukon gold potatoes (These are always available at my market but use what you have)
Fresh broccoli
Cheese (Any kind that melts)
Olive oil

Clean and slice the potatoes into thin rounds. Layer into the bottom of a shallow baking dish.

Break off a few broccoli florets. Cut them into fairly small chunks and layer on top of the potatoes.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season liberally wth salt and pepper. Add a few splashes of water which will ensure more even cooking. You can add a few red pepper flakes here if you like heat. Or consider using a pepperjack cheese.

Pop in a 350 degree oven uncovered, and check after about 30 minutes. Perfect time to see what's on tv and grab a cold beer.

You might have to give it a little stir if the pieces on top get too browned, but keep in mind that a little bit of brown on the broccoli is a good thing. If you've never had it roasted before it's glorious. Beats the heck out of mushy steamed broccoli any day. (As a side note, I've recently discovered that broccoli cooked on a grill plan is delicious as well.)

Grate, or thinly slice if you're as lazy as I am, your cheese. When your potatoes are tender, which like I said should take a half hour or so, remove and layer some cheese on top. Pop back in. If you're as impatient as I am, crank your oven, or toaster oven in my case, up a few degrees. You might be seeing a pattern in my cooking style here.

When the cheese is sufficiently melted, grab a fork.

I won't tell anyone if you don't even bother with a plate.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I know what you are thinking. Ok that's not entirely true. But you might be thinking "Butternut Squash? In June? From someone who advocates eating seasonally?"

You'll have to forgive my slight transgression when you hear why. It's been a struggle for me to wrap my head around the fact that I will be gone in a few days. My small studio apartment is my sanctuary and my kitchen is usually stocked with all manner of ingredients. Lately, I've had to keep reminding myself not to keep buying food. I can't buy a can of this or a jar of that knowing that I'll discover it in my pantry a few months later and use it to create something really special. I can't keep stocking up on cans of beans just because they are on sale.

Emptying out my freezer has been an amusing process. In it you'll find an odd assortment of leftover bits and pieces. Everything from tofu to a ham hock. They should make an episode of "Chopped" with what's in there. So anyways, one of my finds was a container of leftover ravioli filling that I made months ago.

So out of the freezer it came, as I racked my brain and my cupboards looking for a suitable partner. None of my regular starches seemed like a good match especially on a warm night, until I spied a forgotten box of risotto. And the stars aligned in the form of an open bottle of white wine. Open bottles of wine don't last very long around my house so it was a sign.

Ingredients

About a cup and a half of cooked butternut squash (assuming you are feeding 2 people with leftovers)

Handful blue cheese, to taste

Handful dried cranberries, to taste

Arborio rice (see package for measurements and servings sizes)

Healthy splash of white wine

1 small or medium onion, diced

A few cloves of minced garlic

Butter and olive oil

Optional vegetable stock

Optional fresh lemon

In a large sauce pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and season liberally with salt and pepper. Satuee until the onion starts to get some color, but don't let it get too brown.

At this point you can prepare a sauce pan with some stock and heat over medium low heat. A full disclaimer that I used water and it turned out just fine. I used pretty strongly flavored ingredients in this one, but when I'm making something plainer I do use stock. Regardless, heat some liquid in a saucepan next to your risotto. It should simmer but not boil.

Add the garlic and uncooked rice and stir so that the rice starts to absorb some of the butter and oil. Stir constantly while it toasts slightly. After a few minutes and when you see the rice starting to get a little toasty, add the white wine. You want a good amount (I added about 2 cups) because this will add a lot of flavor. You could add some lemon juice right now also.

Stir the risotto until it absorbs all of the liquid. The usual risotto technique is to watch constantly, add a little warm liquid at a time, and wait until it absorbs all of it before adding some more. I turn the heat down to low, add about a cup of liquid at a time, stir well, put the lid on, and watch some tv. During the commercial break I'll check it again. I've never had any complaints about my risotto. There are so many commercials nowadays that you end up checking it pretty often this way.

When it had a good deal of liquid added to it but wasn't quite done, I dumped in my sqaush, blue cheese and cranberry mix and stirred well to incorporate. You might want to reseason at this point with salt and pepper.

Watch the magic happen... and enjoy.

PS: When I went back and read the ravioli recipe I had made a note about saving the filling to make risotto. The idea must have been tucked away in the back of my mind for a while. I wonder what else is lurking back there?

Wilma's Tasty Tortilla Chips

I hate waste. Which is tough when you love food as much as I do. I couldn't resist buying real tortillas recently for the Lost finale party. By real I mean not the kind from the grocery store but the made by hand variety from the mexican grocer at Reading Terminal.

Definitely worth it for the taste alone, but when they are dirt cheap you really can't go wrong.

Until you realize that you have about 30 leftover. And you are one little person who can only eat so many tacos.

If you are anything like me you are inspired to whip up a batch of homemade tortilla chips for your next office meeting and trust that somebody will bring some sort of dip if you ask nicely. See Betty's salsa below.

Ingredients

Fresh flour or corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Salt

A cast iron dutch oven works perfectly for frying. Luckily, I have my trusty Lodge that I pull out for just such occasions. Heat some oil over medium high heat. You don't need a ton because tortilla chips are thin.

While the oil is heating, slice your tortillas into chip size wedges and line a plate with paper towels.

Test the oil by dropping a small piece of tortilla or bread in. When it sizzles immediately it's ready, but if it browns immediately it's too hot.

Drop them in a few at a time. You don't want any overlap.

Watch carefully and flip when you see brown around the edges. When they are lightly golden brown remove with a spider or even tongs will do. Be careful not to splash yourself, but shake gently to remove as much excess oil as possible.

Place on the paper towel lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. I'm sure you can play around with some spices here. Cumin, chili powder and lime come to mind, but maybe some cinnamon sugar??

Store in an airtight container until ready to eat.

For such a simple food, I was surprised at how taken aback people were that I actually made them. I guess it is relatively labor intensive for something that you can buy pretty inexpensively at the store, but it will impress the next time you entertain. And you won't have to tell anyone that it cost you next to nothing.

Betty's Desktop Salsa

Maybe you will be smart enough to prepare this ahead of time. I'm not sure most offices offices besides ours come equipped with knives sharp enough to cut a whole pineapple. Sometimes in my office, it's best not to ask questions.

And you should get a whole pineapple for this, none of that expensive pre-cut kind. Make sure it's ripe by smelling it. If you don't smell pineapple it's not ready.

The recipe is taken from Whole Foods.

Makes about 2 cups
The tropical flavors of pineapple and lime combine with red onion, cilantro and serrano pepper for a salsa that's great with grilled pork, skirt steak, shrimp or tofu. It's also delicious with tortilla chips or spooned over tacos. For the best flavor, make at least 30 minutes ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle.

Ingredients
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Method
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to use.

To really impress your co-workers, serve with the top.

It's All Coming to an End (Part 3)

Third Course: Coconut Shrimp

I had much more sucess, and experience making my next dish. The first time was an experiment that went very right. I would make it more often if not for the high price of shrimp and the fact that most shrimp is not sustainably harvested. When the occasion calls for it though, you have to live a little. And given the current state of affairs maybe we should all be stocking up on seafood while we still can.

Ingredients

Raw shrimp* (1/4 per person)

Coconut flakes

Panko

Eggs (2 is enough for 4 servings)

Canola oil

*Go to a reputable fish market (Reading Terminal is the best place in Philly) where you will likely find unpeeled and undeveined shrimp for a decent price. It's worth it to peel and devein them yourself, or enlist some helping hands to do it. Oh, and don't be tempted to get the cooked variety at the supermarket, they just won't do.

Once your shrimp are all cleaned up, set up your breading station. Eggs go in one bowl and the coconut and panko go in another. The coconut and panko should be equal parts, and if your coconut came in large flakes like mine did you may have to crush them slightly. They should be about the same size and texture of the panko. Season this lightly with salt.

Coat the shrimp first in egg, then in panko/coconut and lay out on a baking sheet lined with foil. It makes for easier cleanup.

Drizzle carefully and lightly with some canola oil.

Pop in a 350 degree oven. These cook quickly, about 12 minutes. As soon as the coating gets a little browned you should pull them.

Dipping sauces are in order. Please ask Betty for the recipe she used this time. I have experimented with the sweet/sour/spicy combo before with good results.

It's All Coming to an End (Part 1)

I've already started to say my goodbyes. To the people and places that have made my time in Philly so special, but more (ok maybe not more) importantly to the greatest television show of my generation.

Insert groan *here* because I'm talking about Lost. Well, I won't actually talk about it here, I'll leave that to the rest of the geeks out there on the internet. I will however, talk about the finale feast cooked up by the WVE crew.

The First Course: Teriyaki Fish Tacos With Chipotle Lime Slaw

Ingredients

Firm white fish fillets (1/4 lb per person)

Teriyaki sauce or marinade

Optional fresh chile peppers

Tortillas, both flour and corn

Head of green or napa cabbage (1/2 head will be more than enough for 4 people)

A large carrot or 2

Scallion

Mayonaise

Small jar of chipotle peppers in adobo

Fresh Limes

Make sure that your fish fillets are completely bone free. Place in a baking dish and cover with teriyaki. You don't want it swimming in it, just enough to coat. You can add slices of chili if you want, seeds and all. Cover and place in the fridge. This should marinate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, cut your cabbage into large chunks and place in a large bowl. Cover with water and a large handful of salt. Swish around to make sure that the water gets into the crevices of the cabbage. This step is designed to clean any debri from the cabbage if it's straight from the farm and the salt acts to ensure maximum crunch in the final product. I learned this from making kimchi. The cabbage should sit in there for at least a half hour. Remove from the water and rinse under cold running water and dry thoroughly. Pat with a paper towel if need be.

Using your largest and sharpest knife, slice the cabbage into thin shreds. I kept mine somewhat wide, mostly out of laziness. I also like a nice bite of cabbage as opposed to the weird shred you sometimes see in prepared slaw. Place in your serving bowl.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the outer layer of carrot and discard. The peeler will then come in handy to peel nice juliennes of carrot right on top of your cabbage.

Slice some scallion on top as well.

In a small bowl, start with a small scoop of mayo. It will probably take less than you think to coat your slaw and it's best to err on the side of caution rather than go overboard. Pour in some of the adobo sauce from the chipotles. This is potent so be careful. Take a few chipotles out and dice before adding to the mayo. Add a squeeze of fresh lime. Taste and adjust as needed. Add to the cabbage mixture and toss. Set aside in the fridge for a while so the flavors can marry.

Your fish should be marinated by this time so pop it in a 350 degree oven, uncovered. I left the teriyaki right in the baking dish because I hadn't added a ton to begin with. Remove any chilis you may have added.

The fish should take about 20 minutes to cook all the way through. It should be completely opaque and flake with a fork when you poke it.

Right before serving, heat up your tortillas breifly in the oven or in the microwave. I would recommend seeking out a Mexican grocer for dirt cheap but high quality tortillas. They can easily be found at Reading Terminal, which of course also happens to be the best place to buy the fish. Keep the tortillas covered so they stay warm. Prepare your table setting with the tortillas, lime wedges, and slaw.

Best consumed with a cold tropical beverage.

Zeke's Artichoke Surprise

This is my first blog post on the appropriately named “Worst Vegetarian Ever” site, so bear with me…

This is very simple recipe for everyone’s favorite happy hour treat – Artichoke Dip. There are lots of variations of the classic tortilla chip dipping food. But I got this one mix by watching an old man whip it up in all of 4 minutes before a BBQ. I thought, hell, I can do that. I made it a week later for family and friends – including Wilma – and it was a hit. The old man didn’t use measurements so neither did I. The best recipes are ones that are made with the eye and can evolve with each time out. Keep that in mind when making the dip. Here’s the recipe…

Zeke’s Artichoke Surprise

What you need:
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can black olives
1 spoon full of minced garlic from a jar
1 bag of 4 cheese blend (bigger the better)
1 heavy pour from a bag or can of grated parmesan cheese
6 healthy turns of fresh ground pepper (or more)
3 solid scoops of mayonnaise
· Optional Hot sauce

What you do:

Chop up the artichoke hearts in a few pieces. You don’t need to dice these too much because they will break down in the oven, but get them into sizes you would want to see on your chip and add to a large mixing bowl.

Then cut up olives into 3-4 slices per olive and toss them in the bowl. If you used pre-diced olives you can just throw them in the bowl as is, minus that nasty grey water they keep them in.
Add garlic and mix up current ingredients.

Now add the cheeses and mayo. You don’t want the mix to be soupy, however you want a good amount of mayo so that you aren’t dipping into a solid gooey cheese bowl, as appetizing as that sounds.

Add the pepper and any other spices you think will make it taste good. You won’t need any extra salt because the olives and artichokes will have enough in them already.

I personally like to add some chili powder or hot sauce just to give it a small kick

Mix the whole thing up and then put in a casserole dish ready for baking, evenly spreading out the top like a batch of brownies.

Place dish in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the top turns golden. You can also cook for 30 and then broil the top for a few minutes for a crunchy top.

Crack a beer and wait.

When dip is done, finish your beer, crack another and grab chips. Eat.

Beets are Back

I'm not sure if they ever actually go away because it always seems to be beet season. They are are a constant presence at the farmer's market and in CSA shares everywhere. While I love their beautiful color and sweet flavor, I had an unfortunate incident with a roasted beet last year. I'll spare you the details.

Long story short, it's going to take me a long time to trust beets again. Ironically, I'll eat the canned variety or the ones you find at salad bars but the thought of a fresh beet frightens me. When I spied a jar of pickled beets at my farmer's market I decided that it would be the perfect way to enjoy the flavor of fresh local beets without the panic attack. I was not disappointed. The beets were delicious and sweet without being overpowering. There was just a hint of tang, but mostly fresh beet taste. Fred and I have been eating the leftovers right out of the jar. This salad made good use of some local arugula as well.

Ingredients

Arugula, washed and with any long stems removed

Pickled beets, sliced

Handful feta cheese

Handful walnuts, toasted and chopped

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress the salad

Finding My Inner Lady Baker

Unlike Holly Flax from The Office I'm pretty sure I have not baked on a professional level.

If you've ever tasted my baking you would understand why. Once I tried to make cookies in a toaster oven - and not my industrial size all purpose convection toaster oven that I own now. When I realized how little dough my puny store bought mix of cookie dough made I then decided it was a good idea to throw in some peanut butter for good measure. Make that soynut butter. That's all I had. Then I figured I'd better throw some extra flour in there to make it the right texture. And some more baking soda to make up for the extra flour. You get the picture.

I hope that I never have children who demand fresh chocolate chip cookies hot out of the oven because they will be sorely disappointed. I'm hoping that my chicken pot pie will be enough to make up for my lack of baking skills.

In an ideal world, however, I would have the time and the equipment to turn out freshly baked loaves of bread. We had a bread machine growing up and it was one of the most under rated pieces of kitchen equipment we owned. Long story short, I've been forever searching for a bread recipe that is manageable. Anything requiring use of a stand mixer is out as are most yeast breads. By chance, I stumbled across a blog that featured a lovely "Black Pepper Rosemary Soda Bread." I'd always thought that irish soda breads might be the answer to my baking woes, and all I needed was an inspired recipe to get me started.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup oats

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup butter

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

In a large saucepan melt butter on medium heat until it's browned.

Stir into the dry mixture along with the buttermilk.

Turn out onto a well floured surface. Divide dough in half and shape into round loaves.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The texture was a little dry. I would describe this as a giant but delicious scone. I'll maybe experiment with some other soda bread recipes until I find one that's a little less dense. I'm also imagining all sorts of add ins like olives or sun dried tomatoes.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Fabulous Farm Fresh Frittata

After a cold winter filled with more pizza deliveries and chinese takeout than I'd care to admit, the season for eating locally can't come soon enough. I know in the middle of the summer I'll be overdosing on vegetables and lamenting about having to eat zucchini at every meal, so I'll enjoy the arrival of springtime veggies while it lasts. I participated in an "Eat Local" challenge last summer and my CSA share and local farmer's market provided more than enough inspiration to create many entirely local meals. I've already switched into that mode now that there's more variety at the market and that my job is such that I have more free time.

Eggs, potatoes, and cheese are local staples for any time of the year, but you can liven them up with seasonal ingredients. Leeks are a new favorite of mine, but asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, spinach... etc would all be great additions.

Ingredients


6-8 eggs depending on the size of your baking dish
Pint of potatoes - yukon gold or fingerling
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 cup - cup of shredded cheese, any variety but I used farmer's
1 leek, washed and sliced
Olive oil

If you don't know how to wash leeks, there are good instructions here.

Slice your potatoes as thin as possible and dice your onion pretty finely. In a rectangular baking dish, layer the sliced leeks, followed by the potatoes and onions. It's important that the leeks are on the bottom so that they don't burn. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. I actually added a few splashes of water to ensure that nothing burned. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. The thinner they are sliced, the less time they will take to cook.

Take out and place on a cooling rack. While it is cooling, beat your eggs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add your shredded cheese along with a splash of water.

Once the potato leek mixture is room temperature, pour the egg mixture into the baking dish. It should cover the potatoes and leeks, but keep in mind that this mixture will rise in the oven so it doesn't have to come to the top of the baking dish.

Cover loosely with foil and place back in the 350 degree oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 5 to let the top get slightly brown and bubbly. Watch carefully, because you want to make the sure the eggs are fully set but not overcooked at which point they will become tough.

Let cool and enjoy! It's great for brunch, or even lunch or dinner with a green salad.

"It's Almost Spring" Rolls

On a recent trip to Reading Terminal and Chinatown I realized very quickly that I should have brought luggage. I did get a workout though while juggling a potted hydrangea, a 10 lb sack of rice, and enough produce to feed a family of four for a couple weeks. Among my finds though was a pack of spring roll wrappers - 50 for a little more than a dollar. At least I guessed they were spring roll wrappers from the pictures on the back of the package. Lest you think that I have been falling off the vegetarian wagon what with the chicken pot pie and all you will be happy to see that these are in fact devoid of meat. Ok so they are also deep fried. Guess you can't please all of the food gods at the same time.

Ingredients
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed into small pieces
1 stalk (is that the right terminology?) bok choy, finely diced
1 scallion, white and green parts sliced
1 package mushrooms, finely diced
Soy Sauce
Sesame oil
A tsp or so of grated ginger
Canola oil
1 package spring roll wrappers
Dipping sauce of your choice

In a large, non stick skillet or wok, heat a small amount of canola oil over medium low heat. Once it's hot add your tofu. Flip occasionally so they don't burn. You don't have to be too gentle because it's ok if it gets broken up a little. Let them sautee for about 3 minutes before adding the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms start to brown add the scallions, ginger, and a splash each of the soy sauce and sesame oil. You may want to add more to taste. You don't need to add salt unless you are using low sodium soy sauce. Let this mixture cook together and stir occasionally. You should turn down the heat if anything seems like it is browning too much. This mixture should give off almost all of it's moisture. Once it's pretty dry, turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a bowl.

Prepare your work station with the wrappers (kept under a damp paper towel), filling, a plate to keep the stuffed rolls, and a plate lined with paper towels to drain the fried rolls.

This is the method I used to stuff them, which seemed to work pretty well. The wrappers were not as fragile as other dumpling wrappers I've used which made the process much easier.

Once you have them all wrapped, start heating your vegetable oil. I used my cast iron dutch oven. You want enough so that the spring rolls will be submerged, but you don't need a ton of oil especially for small spring rolls. Heat it over medium heat, and keep some small bits of tofu or bread to test the heat. When you drop something in and it immediately sizzles and begins to brown, it's ready. If it browns and burns very quickly, turn the heat down a bit.

Carefully drop them in a few at a time and keep a close eye on them. Flip them once you can see brown around the edges. A spider is a very handy tool to have. If you don't have one, it's worth the $1 at your local asian grocer. Take them out and let sit on paper towels for a few minutes before dipping in your favorite sauce and enjoying.



As with all labor intensive foods, make enough to freeze. Don't make the same mistake I did of freezing them together in one container. Freeze them in batches being careful not to let them touch before placing the individual frozen spring rolls in a bag or tupperware.

Puff Pastry Pizza

After my first experience using frozen puff pastry turned out to be such a smashing success I knew I had to think of a way to utilize the leftovers. Rather than sacrifice it to the freezer gods who would likely forget about it for several months I decided to put it to good use as a vessel for some veggies that had been lurking in my fridge for a few days. It's only March and I'm already entering "I bought too much produce at the farmer's market because it looked so good but how much spinach can one person eat" season. I need to learn to pace myself.

Ingredients

Package of frozen puff pastry, thawed - won't need the whole thing and cut to size depending on desired servings

Handful fresh spinach

Handful fresh cherry tomatoes

Handful mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small package goat cheese, flavored is fine

Olive oil

Start sauteeing the onions over medium low heat in a small amount of olive oil. These will need to cook the longest because you want them to be caremalized. Stir and watch carefully for about 5 minutes then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms begin to brown add the spinach, garlic, and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir the veggies occasionally and cook until the spinach is all wilted, the tomatoes have burst open, and the mushrooms and onions are soft and have some color on them. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile prep your puff pastry on a baking sheet. I eyeballed a single portion in the shape of a rectangle, being pretty generous. Slice thin strips off of each side which will be your outer crust. Lay these around the edges like so:

Spread your veggies on your puff pastry in an even layer and dot with a few pieces of goat cheese. A little bit of goat cheese will go a long way.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the crust is slightly brown. Check occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn.

You'll probably end up with leftover veggies. Save for a sandwich, omelette, pasta salad....

Wilma's Pot Pie

I remember when my mom - in a perhaps ill conceived effort to rethink the traditional Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie - took a survey of my families favorite pies. Without hesitation I replied "chicken pot, or maybe shepards." Seeing as how the only pot pies I've tasted are of the pre-made variety I figured it's about time I make one myself. It seems like one of those meals that you probably don't eat too often but when you do, it should be homemade. And sorry, it should include chicken. I think when almost every ingredient is grown locally and it utilizes the entire chicken it's ok to live a little. I even shelled my own peas for pete's sake. That's gotta count for something right? If I ever try my hand at a veggie pot pie I'll let you know how it goes. Don't hold your breath though.

Ingredients

Chicken stock - about a pint

Chicken meat, cooked

Handful peas - Mine were local and yes I shelled them myself

1 large carrot, cut into bite size pieces

Handful sliced mushrooms

Handful of yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, cubed

1 small onion, diced

3 tbsp flour

3 tbs butter

1 cups of milk, low fat is fine

Olive oil

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed - I used Pepperidge Farm

Start by sauteeing the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. The potatoes should go in first because they will take the longest followed by the carrots. Once these have both started to soften slightly add the mushrooms and onions. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Pepper especially is an essential part of this dish. It's ok if the potatoes and carrots aren't completely cooked through as they will finish in the gravy and in the oven. You do, however, want a nice brown on the mushrooms and onions. Once they are caramelized add the butter and flour. Stir to coat the veggies completely and dissolve the flour. Then add the chicken stock and the milk. Stir occasionally and turn the heat down to medium low. This should take maybe about 5 minutes to start thickening. Once it starts to thicken add the chicken and peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until it is a nice gracy like consistency. If it's not thick enough you may want to make a slurry out of flour or cornstarch.

Prepare the vessels of your choice. I like individual sized baking dishes. To prepare, slice the puff pastry to fit your vessels. A little bit of overhang around the edges is fine.

Pour the filling into the vessels so that it almost comes up to the top. You want them full but not overflowing. Place your puff pastry over the top - warning that you need to do this step quickly and get them into the oven because the gravy will start warming up the pastry - and cut a few slits in the middle. Pop them into the oven with a baking dish or foil underneath to catch the inevitable gravy drips. Bake at 350 degrees until the pastry is nice and golden brown. This should take about 12 minutes but watch carefully. Take out. Inhale deeply. Get ready to burn your mouth because you will not be able to resist it's flaky crust and creamy chickeny goodness.

Mmm Mmm good.

Wilma's Toasted Chicken Adventure

My Saturday morning ritual, made even nicer when the weather cooperates, is to mosey on down to the Fitler Square farmer's market that is a block from my house. I always have a firm budget, and the prices are so good that I am usually able to stock up on fresh goodies for the entire week. Last Saturday it began as usual. I grabbed my staples plus some veggies that caught my eye. Upon paying I realized I had come in under budget. Armed with a few extra dollars I suddenly found myself grabbing a whole chicken. Shocking I know.

So I walked home thinking of the delicious homemade chicken stock and pot pie I could make with the adorable little free range, organic, locally grown chicken tucked in my bag, happy as a clam. I promptly shoved the thing in my fridge where I figured it would be safe for a day. So I went about my weekend, with the images of a roasted chicken with golden crispy skin dancing in my head.

Skip forward to Sunday afternoon. I opened my fridge to find that despite my best efforts the sucker had leaked some unsavory juices all over the place. The first sign that this was yet another experiment gone horribly wrong. And as Slagheap says, this is a benefit of being vegetarian. You don't have to disinfect your entire kitchen after opening up a package of tofu. Not to be deterred I scrubbed my hands, the floor, my fridge etc obsessively and vowed to be more careful in the future.

It was not until I got the thing on a plate that I realized what I had gotten myself into. Let's look a little more closely at this situation. My oven does not work. If I turn it on, it will immediately heat up to 500 degrees and set off my smoke alarm. Usually it is not a problem. My trusty toaster oven has served me well turning out everything from lasagna to duck breast. Well, I stood there for quite some time, staring at the chicken, then at my toaster oven. I wish you could have been inside my head at that moment as I pictured every possible angle at which I could shove the dumb bird in there, convinced it would work. The cooking shows I had on in the background mocked me with images of beautiful roasted chickens, pulled whole out of the oven and browned to perfection.

After putting up a a good fight I grabbed my butcher knife, ready to carve the thing manageable pieces. It might not be as pretty carved up, but I was having a my golden brown chicken one way or another. Well let me tell you something about a whole raw chicken. I'm no animal lover (I mean I like animals as much as the next person) but this thing just looked pathetic. It looked enough like a dead animal that I had visions of the poor little guy getting up on his chicken legs and walking around. I not so gingerly tried to just hack into it, hoping that my knife would be sharp enough to quickly break it down into something that no longer resembled Chicken Little. Well it took me so long that I had to keep taking breaks to wash my hands and gather my thoughts. The skin and bones were just a little too much for me. I finally got through the top layer at which point I frantically called my dad to ask him why there was a bag in my chicken and what was in it. Unfortunately for me he was not there.

Long story short I took a deep breath, tried to ignore the little ribs poking out and just went for it. I could not have been happier when that thing was in the oven, safely on it's way to becoming food.

Meanwhile, the easy part began. I chopped up some veggies and other ingredients:

2 large carrots, sliced into big chunks
1 onions peeled and sliced into wedges
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 bulb fennel, sliced in half and including the fronds
Top and core of a bell pepper (Save the good parts for another dish)
2 bay leaves, whole

Then I sauteed them briefly in my cast iron dutch oven with a drizzle of olive oil. (Any large stock pot would work.) Before they start softening or browning pour water over them enough to cover them plus a few inches depending on how big your pot is. Unless you have magically clean tasting tap water I think it's worth the extra step if you have a filter to use filtered water. Simmer on medium low heat stirring occasionally. You should also liberally salt and pepper the stock at this point. Let simmer for at least 30 mins while the chicken is toasting.

When the chicken is done and nicely golden brown, let it cool slightly. Pull off the useable meat and set aside. Throw the remaining bits (should be mostly bone and cartilage, you can discard most of the skin) into the stock pot. Make sure that the water does not come a rolling boil, and in fact I turned the heat down to low. It should simmer steadily. Add more liquid as it evaporates and stir occasionally.

This should simmer for about an hour and a half. If it doesn't smell rich and flavorful and turn a nice rich brown color then it is not done. If you use the whole fennel like I did then it might be tinged green which is perfectly normal. After about an hour and a half turn the heat off so that it can cool. You do not want it to burn you. There are several methods you can use to strain it. Lacking fancy equipment I used a spider (a slotted spoon might work) to fish out all of the solid materials. Normal human beings would probably want to strain it through some sort of sieve. I would recommend that if you go through all this trouble that you make as much as you can in one batch and freeze the leftovers. My chicken pot pie recipe using this stock will follow.

Coq au Vin Wilma Style

I'm lucky enough to have access to free range chickens from my farmer's market. I'm very good at rationalizing my meat consumption so I say that buying it locally from a small farm cancels out any bad karma or pollution that might be caused. This whole one pot meal can be made using local ingredients that are available year around so if you really think about it... Ok I could keep going around in circles trying to convince myself that eating some chicken every once in a while isn't the end of the world. Digging into a hot satisfying meal when it's cold out is one of the best feelings in the world in my opinion and sometimes vegetables alone just won't cut it.

Ingredients

A couple pieces of bone-in, skin on chicken legs or thighs
Handful potatoes diced, small thin skinned work best
1 or 2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 container mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of flour
A few cloves of garlic, sliced
1 bottle white wine
Pinch of dried rosemary
1 Vegetable bullion cube
Olive oil

Start with a large pot, a dutch oven would be ideal. Sear the chicken over medium high heat, skin side down until the skin is brown and crisp. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Turn down the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the carrots, onion, and mushrooms along with plenty of salt and pepper and sautee until the onions are soft. Add the chicken back into the pot along with the flour. Stir to coat the chicken and veggies.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and bullion. Stir to dissolve the bullion then add enough wine to just cover the chicken and veggies. Simmer over low heat for about a half hour until everything is cooked through.

Serve piping hot with fresh bread.

What Do You Get...

when you combine cranberries, orange rinds, walnuts and celery? I'm reminded of that friend's episode where Rachel makes the traditional english trifle. My mom's cranberry "salad" isn't far off, and my brothers and I are convinced that she somehow mixed up or misread the recipe. I'm pretty sure that orange rinds are not safe for human consumption. All I can say is, thank you mom for only making this once a year, however, for the sake of posterity and since it was handed down by her mom I think it's worth preserving. So I present to you, Grandma Slaghoople's Cranberry Orange Salad.

Ingredients

1 package cherry jello

1 Cup hot water

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Cup pineapple syrup/juice

1 Cup ground cranberries

1 Orange ground, peel and all

1 C drained, crushed pineapple

1 Cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve jello in water. Add sugar, lemon juice and pineapple juice. Stir until dissolved. Chill until partially set. Add rest. Chill in oiled pan or individual molds.

Apple Socks

Well I couldn't think of a word to describe what these are so they've been dubbed "apple socks." It's fitting because blue cheese kind of smells like feet.

Ingredients

1 package phyllo dough - although you'll only need a few sheets so keep the rest in the freezer

1 apple, cored and chopped

1 small package or chunk of blue cheese

1 small package or chunk of goat cheese

Handful chopped toasted walnuts

Honey for dipping or drizzling

Butter, melted

Phyllo dough is if possible even more finicky than wonton wrappers. I keep mine in the freezer and thaw as needed. Some people say that covering it with a damp towel will make it easier to work with but I think you just need to work with it as quickly as possible. Either way they'll flake on you.

Anyways, in a bowl mix the apple, goat cheese, blue cheese, and walnuts in a bowl. With a knife carefully cut squares of phyllo dough a copy of layers deep. Working quickly, spoon some filling into the middle of each square. Unlike the ravioli, you don't need to be as worried about overfilling them.

Carefully pinch the corners of each phyllo square together and kind of fold them onto each other to seal the filling inside. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, brush some butter over the top which should help it seal and will help it brown.

Pop in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes until the tops are nice and brown. Before serving, drizzle with honey or put on the side for dippling.