Recipes
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Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
One of my favorite inventions this summer has been this Carrot Tomato Soup. I started with the most basic ingredients- carrots, tomato sauce, water and salt. And then before I decided what to add next, I tasted it: perfect. Stop there!
Simple, tasty and healthy, it’s the perfect summer soup.
Carrot Tomato Soup
1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled and then diced
8oz tomato sauce (1 small can)
8oz water (could substitute milk or cream for a creamier soup)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Optional: olive oil to drizzle on top
1. Boil or steam carrots until tender. Let cool.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine carrots with tomato sauce, and water. Blend until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put in fridge if you’d like to serve a chilled soup, or reheat on stovetop for a warm soup. May also serve room temperature, as is my custom. You may choose to drizzle some olive oil on top of each portion before serving.
Posted in Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetables | No Responses »
Tags: carrots, pepper, recipe, salt, sea salt, simple, soup, tomato sauce, tomatoes
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
The Eat Clean Cookbook by Tosca Reno is full of healthful, delicious recipes. I enjoyed making many recipes in this cookbook, but there is one I return to again and again: Corn Muffins. (Often I make it as cornbread in a loaf pan.) Maybe it’s because I’m married to a southerner, but in our house, you can never have too much cornbread around.
Super Simple Corn Muffins by Tosca Reno
Dry Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 cups / 320 ml whole-wheat flour
1 1/3 cups / 320 ml cornmeal
1/3 cup / 80 ml skim milk powder
2 Tbsp / 30 ml Sucanat or rapadura sugar
2 tsp / 10 ml baking powder
2 tsp / 10 ml baking soda
1 tsp / 5 ml finely ground sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
½ cup / 120 ml unsweetened applesauce
2 cups / 480 ml skim milk, soured with 2 Tbsp / 30 ml lemon juice
2 Tbsp / 30 ml coconut oil, canola oil or melted butter
4 egg whites, beaten
1. Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C. Line a muffin tin with unbleached paper liners.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Place wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix together well.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until just golden on top.
—
A cool thing about this cookbook is that Tosca Reno has some signature ingredient blends that she incorporates into several recipes. Power Flour, for example, is a combination of various flours that can be used in place of regular or whole-wheat flours. She also has a recipe for Eat Clean Cooking Spray to use in place of PAM or the like.
Thanks to Rechelle for sending me a review copy of this cookbook. I’ll be using it for years to come.
Posted in Book Club, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks | No Responses »
Tags: cookbook, corn, cornbread, muffins, power flour, Tosca Reno
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis and Other Totally Green Cocktails is an awesome new collection of recipes by Paul Abercrombie, published by Harvard Common Press.
I had the pleasure of being asked to look at a copy of the book and give my take here on Smorgasbite- thanks Paul!
I enjoyed sampling several of the cocktail recipes -delicious- and I enjoyed drooling over the rest. The photography is exquisite and the ingredients- muddled blackberries, fresh mint, crystalized ginger- are, shall we say, top shelf. That said, not too many of the recipes can be made with ingredients just lying around the house (save you tropical island dwellers, perhaps) so it pays to plan and shop accordingly. Meanwhile, while the book calls for organic spirits (rum, tequila, etc) – regular will do.
I’m happy to be able to share with you a recipe.
Coming in Hot!
2 organic strawberries, hulled
4 slivers peeled and seeded organic jalapeno chile
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
1.5 ounces organic repasado tequila
1/2 ounce organic agave nectar
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries, 3 of the jalapeno slivers, and the lemon juice until well mashed. Add the tequila and agave nectar, and fill the shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously, then strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the remaining jalapeno sliver.
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Lastly, Paul writes a great blog about all things cocktail at, you guessed it, organicshakenandstirred.com
Posted in Beverages, Book Club, Happy Hour, Recipes | 2 Responses »
Tags: agave nectar, alcohol, blackberries, cocktails, ginger, jalapeno, mint, tequila
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
I had a small gathering of friends over on Friday night to watch some livestream of TED 2010 in Long Beach.
We decided on a potluck approach to the evening so, among other things, I whipped up a batch of some Honey-Oat Granola Bars from the Taste of Home Cookbook, Cooks Who Care edition (by the people who publish Taste of Home cooking magazine- free issue offer on the website).
This is a pretty new cookbook, and it’s enormous with over 1300 recipes in every category imaginable. A person’s name and hometown is associated with each recipe, which gives me that all-fuzzy-inside feeling. You know, if Marlys in Cincinnati loves this recipe, it must be good 
I’ve noticed the ingredients tend to be budget-friendly and many of the recipes could likely be made with staples you already have in the pantry.
The Taste of Home Cookbook also features 21 heart-warming stories of people helping others through food-related efforts. The Cooks Who Care cookbook ed. celebrates the recipes and charitable acts performed by Cooks Who Care. The hope is that these stories and recipes will hopefully inspire others to make a difference in their communities.
I added a meyer lemon glaze to the top of mine to add a bit of festivity.
Honey-Oat Granola Bars with Meyer Lemon Glaze
Bars
4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, peanuts, chocolate chips and sunflower kernels. Stir in the butter, honey and vanilla until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Press into a greased parchment paper-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack; cut into squares. Cool completely before removing from pan. Yield: 3 dozen.
Glaze
1 Meyer lemon (can substitute regular lemon)
1-1.5 cups powdered sugar
1. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Squeeze lemon over bowl so juice pours into bowl, being careful to catch any seeds. Whisk until combined and smooth.
2. Pour over honey-oat granola bars.
Thanks to Anjali for sending me this cookbook!
Posted in Book Club, Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets | No Responses »
Tags: book, butter, chocolate chips, cookbook, granola, honey, lemon, meyer lemon, oats, powdered sugar, Taste of Home
Friday, February 5th, 2010
Lately I’ve been missing being outside. Scurrying among buildings and subway stations in the cold does not count.
So this photograph is a lovely escape. I took it in September when we were in southern Vermont, visiting our good friends Emily and Ellen who had moved there from New York City two months prior.
The weekend was packed with beautiful sites, good conversation and delicious eats- including this table of appetizers one evening before dinner. Ridiculously rich gouda fondue, homemade croutons, organic apple slices from the orchard we’d visited that morning, green olives, and a full-bodied red wine.
All this we enjoyed around a fire in their backyard as their labradoodle, Scout, begged for samples. Aaaahh.
These days I’ve nearly forgotten what it’s like for daylight to stay past 5pm.
Posted in Appetizers, Wine | No Responses »
Tags: apples, autumn, cheese, croutons, fire, fondue, gouda, green, green olives, olives, orchard, red wine, Vermont, Wine
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
When I was in seventh grade my dad went on a business trip to Brazil and brought me back a t-shirt that said, “BRASIL.” Kids at school pointed to it and said, “Your shirt is spelled wrong. You’re supposed to spell it with a z, not an s.” Oh, the worldly intelligence of Midwestern preteens.
Anyhow, it’s happy hour! Leblon Cachaca is a delicious liquor that will help you forget all of your disturbing junior high memories. Cachaca (pronounced ca-SHA-sa) is a spirit distilled from sugar cane juice, made in Brasil as it’s spelled on its beautiful glass bottle. It is the third most consumed spirit in the world behind only vodka and soju/shochu.
Where has it been all my life? (…And what is soju/shochu…?)
Here’s a recipe for a delicious, classic caipirinha. (Step-by-step photo instructions here.)
The Leblon Caipirinha
- 2 oz Leblon Cachaca
- 1/2 Lime
- 2 tsp Superfine sugar or 1 oz Simple Syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
- Glass-Rocks
Cut the lime into four wedges. Muddle the lime and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.
The Leblon website has dozens of other recipes (mixed drinks, party drinks, frozen drinks) and some cool videos, too. Thanks to Matthew and Miranda for the sample and viva Brasil!
Posted in Beverages, Happy Hour, Products, Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: drink, drinks, lime, liquor, sugar cane
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
Chinese Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
From Simply Salads, a wonderful cookbook by Jennifer Chandler that builds on store-bought salad greens to make an incredible variety of healthy, tasty meal-sized salads!
Makes 4 dinner salads
Peanut butter lovers beware. The dressing in this colorful and tasty salad is addictive.
For the Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (if you use natural you may want to add a bit of sugar to sweeten)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad:
1/2 cup Peanut Dressing
1/2 cup fresh snow peas
1 bag (5 ounces) Spring Mix salad blend
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use supermarket rotisserie chicken)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a traditional grater
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 limes, quartered, for garnish
For the Peanut Dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, canola oil, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the salad:
Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add snow peas and cook until vibrant green and crisp tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain the peas and immerse in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain again and place in a large salad bowl.
Add the salad blend, chicken, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts and toss. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss to coat.
Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately.
Posted in Main Courses, Recipes, Vegetables | 1 Response »
Tags: carrots, chicken, cookbook, dressing, healthy, jennifer chandler, lettuce, salad, salad dressing
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
It’s been fruit, fruit, fruit and more fruit lately. I think I’m ready for spring and summer.
This Raspberry-Orange muffin recipe and photo come from Driscoll’s. They are quite orange-y tasting which set them apart from other orange muffins I’ve had in the past (which have tended to be more orange colored than orange flavored).
Raspberry – Orange Muffins
My oh-so-typical substitutions: Whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour; walnut oil instead of canola oil; plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
1 6 ounce package Driscoll’s raspberries
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup walnut oil
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
¼ cup orange juice
1 large egg
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
3. Rinse and drain berries. Pat dry with paper towel.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.
5. Combine sour cream, brown sugar, oil, zest, juice and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour until partially moistened. Add raspberries and stir in gently until evenly mixed. Do not over-stir.
6. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
7. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Serve warm or remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.
Posted in Breakfast, Fruit, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets | No Responses »
Tags: muffins, oranges, raspberries, walnut oil, whole wheat, yogurt
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
I consider most Saturday mornings productive if I get up, perk some coffee and read a few sections of the New York Times all before noon. Compared to many weekends during college, this is, after all, an improvement.
This morning, I forever raised the bar for Saturday Morning Productivity. I made homemade bagels. Yeast, water, sugar, salt, flour, kneading, resting, rising, shaping, boiling, and baking. They’re perfect and delicious.
I followed this recipe by Aimee of Under the High Chair and, gasp, I followed the recipe exactly. Double gasp, this included using white flour. I did keep the raw cane sugar for the sugar. And I did allow myself one creative flourish for a topping: dehydrated onions mixed with salt. (Poppy seeds and salt on the rest.)
Here’s the biggest shock, though. How does Aimee, a mother of two wee ones, manage to make homemade bagels? And how find time did she videotape herself shaping the dough for the helpful video tutorials? And how does she clean everything?
‘Cause I just glanced in my kitchen, and it looks like a flour mill and a poppy seed factory exploded simultaneously.
Good thing some productivity can be postponed until the late afternoon.
Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks | 12 Responses »
Tags: bagels, bread, homemade, onions, poppy seeds, salt
Monday, January 19th, 2009
Ground turkey, prunes, Swiss chard, and fresh herbs come together in a haute twist on meatloaf.
Turkey and Swiss Chard Terrine
Adapted from Clotilde’s Pork and Swiss Chard Terrine (via Big City, Little Kitchen)
What I Changed (Reflected Below) and Why: I substituted ground turkey because I had trouble finding ground pork and used 20oz instead of 14oz because that’s how much came in 1one package; I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour for nutrition; I left out the bread crumbs because I didn’t have any stale bread; I used chicken stock instead of milk because I didn’t have any milk; I doubled the amount of Swiss chard because it’s so nutritious and tasty I couldn’t help it
20 prunes (9 ounces), pitted
Butter, for greasing
4 eggs
1/2 c chicken stock (or milk)
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
20 ounces lean ground turkey
One small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 large leaves Swiss chard, stalks removed and finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
6 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped
1. Place prunes in bowl and pour over boiling water to cover; set aside and let them rehydrate.
2. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a four-cup loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and stock; sift in flour and whisk to combine. Add meat, onion, salt, and pepper, and mix with hand or wooden spoon until well-combined. Fold in chard, parsley, tarragon and sage.
4. Drain the prunes and pat dry. Pack one third of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan, and arrange half of the prunes over it. Spread another third of the meat mixture into the pan, layer it with the remaining prunes, and add the rest of the meat, using a spatula to flatten the top. Cover with foil and bake for one hour (after one hour, an instant-red thermometer inserted into the terrine’s center should read 160F); remove foil, switch oven to broiler setting, and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until the top is golden-brown.
4. Let terrine cool for at least 15 minutes, then unmold and slice. Serve slices with crusty bread and a green salad.
Posted in Main Courses, Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: eggs, parsley, prunes, sage, swiss chard, tarragon, turkey
