Category — Recipes

I know it’s not local, but of all the citrus fruits, my favorite is grapefruit. Every winter, I look forward to seeing the first grapefruit at the market, and I eat a grapefruit every day.  I love it at breakfast time, for an afternoon snack or as dessert after dinner.  This girl cannot live by root vegetables alone.  Especially since I’m still makin’ my way through my all-local Moroccan Veggie Stew . . . .

Grapefruit has a lot of vitamins C and A. The pink and red kinds have more phytonutrients than the white – they’ve got lycopene, which may help to protect against certain forms of cancer (see also, tomatoes and watermelon).  Both blond and red grapefruit can reduce blood levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and a recent study showed that red grapefruit can lower triglycerides too.  And at about 50 calories per half grapefruit, it’s a great way to eat for your health.

Is there a downside to grapefruit?  Yes, grapefruit and/or its juice may interact with certain medications (statins among them), so if you eat the fruit or drink the juice regularly be sure to ask your doc if it could affect any medications you are taking.  And also concerning:  A 2007 study suggested a link between grapefruit consumption and breast cancer in post-menopausal women.  There’s conflicting evidence on this, though – in ’08, the Nurses’ Health Study found the opposite. 

Ways to eat your grapefruit:

• Plain
• With a sprinkle of granulated sugar or a drizzle of honey on top
• On a green or spinach salad
• Juice in a juicer
• Add a little to perk up your green monster smoothie – a green apple, a few handfuls of spinach, and some grapefruit is  really refreshing
• Dip it in melted dark chocolate
• Add it to fruit salads
• Squeeze a wedge into a glass of water for a refreshing hydrator
• Blend with olive oil, herbs and spices for a delicious salad dressing
• Combine with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper as a marinade for chicken
• Top grapefruit halves with a little cinnamon and honey and broil for a couple of minutes

For a regional citrus resource – check out this post from Eat Local, Boston about a winter citrus CSA share comin’ up the East Coast versus from overseas or the West Coast . . . . orders have to be in by the 14th of this month – and if you choose to partake, let me know what you think, will you?

I leave you with grapefruit trivia:  Do you why a grapefruit is called grapefruit?  I just learned this – maybe I’m the last to know!? 

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We’re all over the world this week, and it’s only Tuesday!?  As I mentioned, I got the second of my two winter CSA shares on Saturday, and I found myself with even more carrots and parsnips . . . now, I will admit to you that while I like carrots, upwards of 8 lbs. of carrots is a bit much for me.  And parsnips?  I really want to like parsnips, but I just don’t.  I’ll admit it.  They’re a little licorice-y or something on their own.  But as I have also said, I hate to waste food.  So I went looking for inspiration on the ‘net – and I came up with a flavorful way to use up a boatload of root vegetables (and a butternut squash . . . ’cause I now have 7 of them). 

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Heat the oil in a very large, heavy pot over medium-high heat (I used my 7 1/4-in. Dutch oven).  Add onion to the pot and saute until golden, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add the curry powder, cumin and cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the squash, parsnips, carrots turnips, rutabaga, broth and currants.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and beans to pot. Simmer until flavors blend, at least 10 minutes longer (but this can simmer for much longer and the flavors will deepen). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves an army.  In fact, I’m taking the rest of the week off from posting, ’cause this is what I’m going to be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s so much of it.  Just kidding.  But seriously, if you’re in the ‘hood with a Tupperware, stop by for a schmeck.  It’s good stuff.  You can fool around and add whatever veggies you have on hand – and sweet potatoes would be good in lieu of the squash.  If you like, you could serve this over whole wheat couscous and it’d be super.  But it’s great straight-up.

A note on butternut squash.  I officially conquered my fear of preparing a butternut squash on Sunday.  Mark it on your calendar.  Yes, you read correctly – survived cancer but freaked by a gourd.  And you’ll never guess who helped me through?  The oil-burner guy.  I wish I remembered his name, but he was here a couple weeks ago and he gave me great advice (he noticed my CSA stash in the basement, in case you’re wondering how the heck this subject came up).  Mr. Burner Guy said:  Cut a little off the top and bottom of the squash.  Then stand it up on its big end and cut it vertically down the middle.  Then cut each half into a few wide, horizontal slices.  Stand each slice on its widest end, and carefully cut the peel off the outside of each slice by running your knife between the peel and the squash – this is very similar to the method used to segment a citrus fruit. Then slice and/or cube the squash according to your recipe directions.  Looks beautiful, and no severed digits!  Works like a dream . . . as does my burner.

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In anticipation of picking up my last CSA distribution on Saturday, I was trying to clean out my stock of root and leafy veggies.  We got notice that because of the warm weather, there would actually be some green leafies in Saturday’s distribution – so I needed to clear the decks.  This sweet/spicy soup is colorful, nutritious and a nice departure from the ordinary.  Bright chunks of sweet potato swim with lovely purple kale in a milky bath of chicken broth and coconut milk.  And to top it off, I killed the last of my stock of sweet potatoes and a beautiful head of purple kale, making room for lots more goodies!

Caribbean Kale & Sweet Potato Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally until translucent about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the kale sweet potatoes broth and salt and bring to a boil.  Sprinkle the cayenne pepper to taste.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and just heat through.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, prepare your rice.  Put a mound of rice in the center of each of 4 bowls and ladle the soup around the rice.

Serves 4.

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I grew up in a ruthlessly frugal household.  My parents were the economizers-in-chief of all things, and food was no exception.  Apple 3/4 of the way rotten?  Still 1/4 left to eat!  Limp veggies? Perk ‘em up in ice water!  Don’t know what to make for dinner and don’t have much in the house?  Get take-out?  Nooo!  We’ll raid the fridge staples for green peppers and eggs (I’m sure that my almost pathological dislike of cooked green peppers comes from having been fed this meal one too many times).

I am admittedly far less of a tightwad, but I do hate to waste food.  Sometimes, I find that all it takes to whip up a quick, cheap meal is a moment or two of opening my mind and foraging in my pantry.

Case in point:  I had a lot of leftover cooked whole wheat linguine (I’d say around 4 cups), which L. spontaneously decided she “hates.”  I had frozen peas that were gettin’ a little iced-over.  I had some whole milk ricotta that didn’t get used for a recipe.  And I had some shredded Italian 4-cheese blend threatening to mold.  Here’s what I did.  [Read more →]

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We’re officially in December, folks!  Can you believe it?  Here at our house we have a kinda-crazy-mini-United-Nations-thing going on and yes, we celebrate Christmas.  I know, I know, throws some of your for a loop – just keeping on your toes . . . .

So I don’t know about you, but my joy of the season always comes with a side of pure panic.  Especially this year – our schedule is very hectic leading up to Christmas, and frankly, I’m not sure how I’m going to pull it all off.  I know it’ll happen, somehow, but I’m also anticipating some late nights and close calls.  I’m going to re-frame it as EXCITING!

I know for sure that this is the time of year when I start to feel run-down and over-fed.  There are so many lovely parties, fun get-togethers with friends, etc. and with those comes rich, special holiday food.  And then there is my penchant for baking (stay tuned for cookie-palooza ’09).  So where I can, I economize – I strive to eat uber-healthy in the off-time, and when I can, I contribute healthy, but delicious foods to the mix.  There are lots of people in my life who are NOT excited to eat the way I do, and I’m not looking to alienate anyone . . . .

This dip is a good compromise.  It looks pretty, tastes great, is easy to prepare, and SURPRISE! It’s not awful for you.  It’s in my regular rotation of items to bring to parties, and I’ve found that all but the staunchest I-like-cheese-on-top-of-my-meat-and-potatoes people likes it.  Seriously. 

Edamame Dip With Feta Cheese

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Add edamame and garlic and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the edamame is tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1/2 c. cooking liquid.

Place edamame, garlic, 1/4 c. cooking liquid, feta, lemon juice, oil, a pinch or two of salt and a few cranks of pepper in the bowl of a food processor.  Puree, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is completely smooth.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary – remember, feta is salty, so don’t add too much salt before you whirl it up and give it a taste.

Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.  Thin with additional coking liquid if desired.  Serve at room temperature.

This makes 1 3/4 c. of dip.  It’s great with store-bought pita chips and/or crudites.

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I dunno about you, but I’m always on the hunt for easy, fun munchies to put out for the holidays.  Or to wrap up and take as a hostess gift.  This mix is Chex Mix for the new millennium.  It’s got an Asian twist, is sweet, salty, crunchy and a just a little bit spicy.  Perfect with a nice glass of wine or a beer. 

FYI, Trader Joe’s is a great place to find the components for this recipe.  And when you’re done, find some gifty little glass containers or tins (for those of you around Boston, China Fair is a great spot to find these), fill ‘em up, wrap ‘em with a bow, and off you go!

Sarah’s Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  In a large bowl (needs to be huge! or else use 2 large bowls), combine the cereal with the nuts, rice cracker mix, sesame sticks and pretzels. 

Combine the butter, maple syrup, soy sauce and curry paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the curry paste.  Pour the mixture over the snack mix and toss to coat.  Season generously (do not be timid – it’s snack mix, it’s supposed to be salty!) with salt and pepper and spread on 2 large rimmed baking sheets.  Bake for approximately 1 hour, stirring frequently (every 10-15 minutes), until nearly dry and toasted.  Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.

This makes 27 cups!  Enough for a big party or several gifts/get-togethers.  If you want to make this ahead of time, store in airtight containers – it’ll keep at least a couple of weeks.  If you need to recrisp the mix, throw it on a baking sheet and bake at 275 for a bit, stirring occasionally.

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I came across a recipe for Greek Stuffed Peppers in Ellie Krieger’s book, The Food You Crave.  I got this out of the library for inspiration and these caught my eye.  I, of course, tweaked the original recipe.  They’re beautiful – red and green and sprinkled with bright white feta.  My iPhone snap above doesn’t do them justice. 

Know up front that these need to bake for a while, but the prep time is very short – so at least you can get stuff done while they’re in the oven.  Try these for a touch of comfort food, healthied up!

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, onion, bulgur, egg, oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly until combined (hands are best for this!).  Arrange the pepper halves cut-side-up in a 9×13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture.  Pour the tomatoes with their juice over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the filling is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 45 minutes longer.

These serve 4, generously.  Serve them with some orzo (which for L., is a main course) and some steamed broccoli on the side.

A couple of notes.  One, rice was always the filler in the stuffed peppers of my youth – so why the switch to bulgur here?  Did you know that bulgur has twice the fiber of brown rice?  ’Nuf said.  Next, I know that the pre-crumbled feta is a draw . . . so convenient, right?  Really, though, the flavor is sub-par and let’s be real, how hard is it to crumble cheese?  You could even get your kids to do it – L. clamors to crumble!

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I love Thanksgiving ’cause it’s all about food and friends and family.  None of the gift pressure, less of the scrambling to get ready.  I look forward to the special foods we eat once a year . . . and then I know that afterwards, I need to rein it in again.

Friday night, we were all back on the sick train.  This reinforced my theory that we’ve had H1N1-lite – classic feeling better/thinking we’re out of the woods then wham-o back down for the count.  In any case, D. and I wanted something clean, healthful and tasty for dinner, and this salad fit the bill.  It’s adapted from a Ken Oringer recipe in the December Food & Wine. 

I used dried beans for this, so it’s a more time-consuming process.  You could easily sub a couple of cans of beans for this – just rinse and drain them before you add them to the mix.   If you do want to use dry beans (they are cheap and far tastier than canned, and then you avoid the BPA headache), you could do as I did and prep the beans in the morning.  After they cooled, I put them in the fridge for later.  I let them come up to room temperature while I prepared the quinoa and chopped the veggies, then combined them all at the last minute. 

Whichever way you make it, this salad is colorful, warm, crunchy and smoky and a 180-degree difference from the rich, starchy, sweet deliciously-fattening goodness most of us enjoyed on Thursday . . . .

Warm Bean & Quinoa Salad

 In a large saucepan, cover the beans with cold water and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain the beans.  Return them to the pot and cover with 3 inches of water.  Bring them to a boil and simmer over low heat until tender, about an hour.  Drain.

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

Place 2 T. of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet.  Add the onions and saute over low heat until translucent.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice and chipotle.  Add the olive oil, whisking until blended.  Add the beans, quinoa, scallions, red onion, yellow pepper and cilantro.  Toss to combine, then season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, tossing to combine again.

Serves 4 as a main-dish, generously.

This is one of those recipes that’s even better day 2, after the flavors have blended.  It serves up nicely chilled from the fridge, making it a strong contender for next day lunches.

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