I have a hard time knowing what to do with vegetables. As in, how to prepare them. Beyond the basics (steaming, roasting) I have no idea. I've spent a lot of time over the years searching for good veggie recipes that don't involve slathering the veggies in cream or cheese or mushroom soup and thus dislodging any health benefits of said veg. And I've collected maybe two recipes. Total, that is...not two per vegetable. That's pathetic.
Last night, in despair, I made up my own recipe for broccoli. I had a bag of prewashed florets in the fridge and I wasn't about to let them go bad (that happens more often than I'd like to admit). It ended up being very easy and quick and most importantly, delicious. I could tell I was eating broccoli, but the flavors of the recipe augmented the veg nicely.
Essentially, I dumped half the bag into a bowl and microwave-steamed the broccoli for a minute. Then I melted a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, added some orange zest, dumped the broccoli in the pan, and squeezed half the orange over top. Another minute or two in the pan (not too much, nothing worse than soggy broccoli) and it was ready.
The results:
Jana: This is the easiest recipe ever and it tastes good. Hallelujah.
Jeff: He actually ATE BROCCOLI THAT WAS COOKED. This is a miracle.
Charlotte: Ate about half of what I gave her, which seems pretty good to me.
The verdict: Make it again!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Salmon Chowder
This chowder is one of those happy accidents that came together entirely without planning or even a recipe. It was cold, I felt like soup, I looked in the freezer and found this package of frozen salmon fillets that I'd been meaning to use...et voila!
When I cook like this, I'm terrible about measuring (meaning I don't measure). I just throw stuff together. But here's my best approximation of what went into this dish:
1 T each olive oil and butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 t. salt (possibly more)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 t. dill weed
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth
A couple good-sized salmon fillets
1 cup corn
1-2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Put the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add celery and carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and dill and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Sprinkle flour over everything and stir for a minute. Then add broth and stir to mix. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about ten minutes.
At this point, I dumped everything from the pan into the crock pot, added the salmon fillets(uncooked, but defrosted) and the corn, and turned it on high for a couple hours. When that time was up, I broke up the salmon with a spoon into chunks, added the milk, and turned the heat off. And that's it!
This was really yummy, very easy, and didn't taste as "fishy" as I was worried it would. I didn't have potatoes, but I think a couple potatoes diced would be good in this, too.
The results:
Jana: Delish!
Jeff: Ditto!
Charlotte: Took a bite of Jeff's, then asked for her own bowl.
Verdict:
Make it again!
When I cook like this, I'm terrible about measuring (meaning I don't measure). I just throw stuff together. But here's my best approximation of what went into this dish:
1 T each olive oil and butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 t. salt (possibly more)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 t. dill weed
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth
A couple good-sized salmon fillets
1 cup corn
1-2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Put the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add celery and carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and dill and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Sprinkle flour over everything and stir for a minute. Then add broth and stir to mix. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about ten minutes.
At this point, I dumped everything from the pan into the crock pot, added the salmon fillets(uncooked, but defrosted) and the corn, and turned it on high for a couple hours. When that time was up, I broke up the salmon with a spoon into chunks, added the milk, and turned the heat off. And that's it!
This was really yummy, very easy, and didn't taste as "fishy" as I was worried it would. I didn't have potatoes, but I think a couple potatoes diced would be good in this, too.
The results:
Jana: Delish!
Jeff: Ditto!
Charlotte: Took a bite of Jeff's, then asked for her own bowl.
Verdict:
Make it again!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Chicken Rice Casserole
There are a thousand manifestations and variations of this recipe out there, but I've been looking for one for awhile that seems to match the one I remember from my childhood. When I was a kid, this is the dish I would request my Grandma Deur make every year for my birthday dinner. The chicken part is good, but it's the flavor of the rice that I remember particularly. I love the bits around the edge of the dish that get a little bit more done. Mmm.
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups minute rice
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup water or chicken broth
Four chicken breasts (split) or eight chicken thighs or mixture (boneless skinless is okay, but bone-in skin-on is more flavorful)
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 additional cup water or chicken broth
Place uncooked rice in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle soup mix over top, then pour 1 cup of water or broth on top of that. Place chicken on top of rice. In a bowl, mix the soup and the water/broth, then pour over everything.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours (check chicken for doneness at 1 hour; add additional time if necessary).
One of my friends on facebook described this recipe as "Dutch yummy," which I think is particularly apt. Another term might be "midwestern comfort food." These days I tend to shy away from most casseroles, and particularly those that include cream of whatever soup, velveeta cheese, and/or a topping of those fried onions that come in a can. However, many of my favorite recipes from my childhood could be described as "Dutch yummy," featuring one or all of those ingredients. Green bean casserole? Stove top stuffing? I mean, who can begrudge me my memories?
Results:
Jana: Tasted just like I remembered, and that was good.
Jeff: I didn't think he'd like this one, but he went back for seconds.
Charlotte: Ate all of the chicken I gave her, avoiding the rice. I encouraged her to try the rice, and when she did she said "Mmmmm!" loudly, and finished most of that.
The verdict:
Make it again!
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups minute rice
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup water or chicken broth
Four chicken breasts (split) or eight chicken thighs or mixture (boneless skinless is okay, but bone-in skin-on is more flavorful)
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 additional cup water or chicken broth
Place uncooked rice in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle soup mix over top, then pour 1 cup of water or broth on top of that. Place chicken on top of rice. In a bowl, mix the soup and the water/broth, then pour over everything.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours (check chicken for doneness at 1 hour; add additional time if necessary).
One of my friends on facebook described this recipe as "Dutch yummy," which I think is particularly apt. Another term might be "midwestern comfort food." These days I tend to shy away from most casseroles, and particularly those that include cream of whatever soup, velveeta cheese, and/or a topping of those fried onions that come in a can. However, many of my favorite recipes from my childhood could be described as "Dutch yummy," featuring one or all of those ingredients. Green bean casserole? Stove top stuffing? I mean, who can begrudge me my memories?
Results:
Jana: Tasted just like I remembered, and that was good.
Jeff: I didn't think he'd like this one, but he went back for seconds.
Charlotte: Ate all of the chicken I gave her, avoiding the rice. I encouraged her to try the rice, and when she did she said "Mmmmm!" loudly, and finished most of that.
The verdict:
Make it again!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
My Favorite Salad
I have a couple of other recipes I want to review on here soon, but I'm putting this one up first because it really deserves a place of honor on this site. I am obsessed with this salad. I never tire of it, and I eat it frequently--sometimes more than once a week. It's really simple and is, ultimately, just a boring salad but something about the mingling of flavors is perfect in my book. It's composed of: romaine lettuce, shredded swiss cheese, dried cherries, mandarin oranges, chopped pecans (although I sometimes use those roasted flavored almond slices in the bag instead), and poppyseed dressing. That's it. To make it an entree salad, I add sliced chicken breast.
I'm eating this salad right now.
My favorite dressing for this salad is the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Fat Free Poppyseed. It has nothing to do with the fact that it's fat-free; that's just a happy coincidence. It's the perfect balance of tangy and sweet and doesn't overpower the rest of the ingredients.
I am such an evangelist for this salad that I encourage each and every one of you (all four of you who read this blog) to make this salad this very week and report back to me how much you love it. DO IT!
I'm eating this salad right now.
My favorite dressing for this salad is the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Fat Free Poppyseed. It has nothing to do with the fact that it's fat-free; that's just a happy coincidence. It's the perfect balance of tangy and sweet and doesn't overpower the rest of the ingredients.
I am such an evangelist for this salad that I encourage each and every one of you (all four of you who read this blog) to make this salad this very week and report back to me how much you love it. DO IT!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thai Chicken Pizza
Well, some things have changed around here since the last post. My bout with dairy-free has ended, but not before I was also everything else-free for a while. Oh, what horrible memories that brings back. But we've determined that Sam's fussiness is not dietary, so I'm back in the saddle again.
Last night I made Thai Chicken Pizza, which is so embarrassingly easy I feel ridiculous posting a recipes. It's mostly prepackaged ingredients, hardly any prep or cooking involved. But we're all about convenience around here these days, so I'll post it anyway.
All it takes is one prepackaged pizza crust (like Boboli); 1/2 c. Thai peanut sauce; 1 c. broccoli, finely chopped; 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped; 1 6-oz package grilled chicken breast strips, chopped; 1 c. shredded Italian or pizza blend cheese. Bake according to the crust package's directions.
The Thai peanut sauce is a little too fiery for Charlotte, so I just fixed her a plate of broccoli and chicken, which she rejected in favor of yogurt. Jeff and I, however, demolished the pizza without her help.
The results:
Jana: I like it, especially considering how easy it is to make. I think this would also be good with other veggies, like mushrooms or onions, and possibly with shrimp instead of chicken. Ooh, or beef.
Jeff: Thai? Anything Thai and peanut sauce is alright in Jeff's book.
The verdict: Make it again!
Last night I made Thai Chicken Pizza, which is so embarrassingly easy I feel ridiculous posting a recipes. It's mostly prepackaged ingredients, hardly any prep or cooking involved. But we're all about convenience around here these days, so I'll post it anyway.
All it takes is one prepackaged pizza crust (like Boboli); 1/2 c. Thai peanut sauce; 1 c. broccoli, finely chopped; 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped; 1 6-oz package grilled chicken breast strips, chopped; 1 c. shredded Italian or pizza blend cheese. Bake according to the crust package's directions.
The Thai peanut sauce is a little too fiery for Charlotte, so I just fixed her a plate of broccoli and chicken, which she rejected in favor of yogurt. Jeff and I, however, demolished the pizza without her help.
The results:
Jana: I like it, especially considering how easy it is to make. I think this would also be good with other veggies, like mushrooms or onions, and possibly with shrimp instead of chicken. Ooh, or beef.
Jeff: Thai? Anything Thai and peanut sauce is alright in Jeff's book.
The verdict: Make it again!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Cowboy Caviar
So, I'm swearing off dairy for a few weeks in hopes of solving Sam's gas issues. As a result, I've had to scramble to find things to make that don't include dairy. This has proved more of an issue than I anticipated, but I'm rising to the challenge. The first entry is something I've been craving anyway: Cowboy Caviar!
There are a number of variations of this recipe (as you'll discover if you Google it), but mine is a can of black beans, a bag of frozen corn kernels defrosted (I like to spring for the white and yellow sweet corn mix as the corn tends to be less chewy), a thing of fresh salsa (in the summer I use diced fresh tomatoes and onions), a whole bunch of chopped cilantro, a couple diced avocadoes, and salt. Stir and eat with tortilla chips, on tacos, over huevos rancheros.
The only thing that would make this better is cheese. Sigh.
There are a number of variations of this recipe (as you'll discover if you Google it), but mine is a can of black beans, a bag of frozen corn kernels defrosted (I like to spring for the white and yellow sweet corn mix as the corn tends to be less chewy), a thing of fresh salsa (in the summer I use diced fresh tomatoes and onions), a whole bunch of chopped cilantro, a couple diced avocadoes, and salt. Stir and eat with tortilla chips, on tacos, over huevos rancheros.
The only thing that would make this better is cheese. Sigh.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Dutch Spice Cookies
The title of this post should tip you off: I still haven't been cooking much lately. That has as much to do with lingering iron-supplement nausea as it does with my insane end-of-semester busyness. I promise you we're eating more than just cookies around here, although if Charlotte had her way, it would be nothing but cookies morning, noon, and night. And so far this family recipe is her favorite cookie. She actually eats the entire thing instead of just nibbling a few bites and then leaving it somewhere for me to find later.
This is a family recipe, which I believe came from my grandma Terlouw (my mom's mom).
Dutch Spice Cookies (makes about four dozen)
1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt (more if you're using unsalted butter)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. each nutmeg, allspice, cloves
Additional sugar and cinnamon for coating
Blend the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. Add vanilla and mix.
Now, here's where I break the baking rules a bit: I don't sift together my dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding to the wet ingredients. I just dump them in on top of the wet ingredients and mix them around a little bit. And my cookies always turn out okay. So, you can be a slacker like me, and your cookies will still be smaak lekker. (Is that right, dad? I'm forgetting the little Dutch I do know.)
Anyway, dump all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and blend away. If the mixture seems too wet, don't add more flour, just chill it in the fridge for an hour. Once the dough is firm enough to handle, roll into balls (about a tablespoon's worth) and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes. I like to err on the side of underbaking these, because they're really tasty when they're soft. Remove from pan to cool. Eat, enjoy, repeat.
This is a family recipe, which I believe came from my grandma Terlouw (my mom's mom).
Dutch Spice Cookies (makes about four dozen)
1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt (more if you're using unsalted butter)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. each nutmeg, allspice, cloves
Additional sugar and cinnamon for coating
Blend the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. Add vanilla and mix.
Now, here's where I break the baking rules a bit: I don't sift together my dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding to the wet ingredients. I just dump them in on top of the wet ingredients and mix them around a little bit. And my cookies always turn out okay. So, you can be a slacker like me, and your cookies will still be smaak lekker. (Is that right, dad? I'm forgetting the little Dutch I do know.)
Anyway, dump all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and blend away. If the mixture seems too wet, don't add more flour, just chill it in the fridge for an hour. Once the dough is firm enough to handle, roll into balls (about a tablespoon's worth) and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes. I like to err on the side of underbaking these, because they're really tasty when they're soft. Remove from pan to cool. Eat, enjoy, repeat.
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