the dreaded Brussels sprout

My first cooking demo was last Saturday, and it was Brussels sprouts.  When doing an actual cooking demo, the rule is that you have to do the veggie chosen by the produce manager, but you can cook it any way you want.  When I told Jim I was doing Brussels sprouts he felt sorry for me.  And he told me that there was no way to make a Brussels sprout taste good.  The gauntlet was down.  Honeycrisp apples were on sale.  So I decided to make a warm sprout and apple slaw with lemon and walnuts.  At the store, I wanted to keep the dish vegan, so I used walnut oil, but tonight I used butter.  And guess what.  Jim ate them.  Two helpings.  So if you have a Brussels sprout hater in the family, give this recipe a try.

First, I took the zest off of one lemon, I used a Meyer lemon but any lemon will do, and squeezed the juice into the processor bowl.

putting the juice and the zest right into the processor

will keep the apple from turning brown

the apples are shredded on a medium shredding disc here,

but you can cut them into sticks by hand, as well

The brussels sprouts are then shredded on the finest slicing disc, but they are fairly easy to slice fine by hand as well.  I also cut up a shallot into thin strips, then toasted some walnuts in butter and salt, and added in the shallots.

the walnuts and shallots are cooked together in advance,

because they cook longer than the slaw

Once the walnuts are toasted and the shallots are nice and soft, remove them to a dish, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in the pan, and add in the apples and Brussels sprouts.

the shredded sprouts and apples are sauteed just until 

slightly wilted, and beautiful bright green, about two minutes

Add in the walnuts and shallots, adjust for salt, and serve.  

a fantastic and quick way to serve Brussels sprouts,

served here with crispy chicken and spaetzle with mushrooms

going green

I did my first full-on cooking demo at Whole Foods, and I will blog about what I cooked in a post this week, but a conversation with a customer during that demo gave me an idea for a cooking class I hope to give at the store.  The produce department is simply awash with different varities of greens, and many are unfamiliar to the average cook.  They can be a bit intimidating.

So I am going to experiment with ways to cook greens that are simple, delicious, and go beyond the Southern tradition of throwing them in a pot of water with some fat back and cooking the snot out of them.

We were having lamb tonight, so I went with a Middle Eastern take on greens, built on lacinato kale, which is a very dark green kale with pebbly-textured leaves. 

mise en place for a Middle Eastern flavored kale

The dish is simple.  Kale, with the center rib removed is torn into smaller pieces, and sauteed with grated ginger, minced serrano peppers, garlic, sweet red pepper, shallots, and a little salt.  The shallots and red peppers are sliced, the garlic and chile minced, and the ginger grated.  Ginger and lemon grass both freeze very well, and can easily be run over a microplane grater, fully frozen, to create a sort of fine snow.   

I started by sauteeing the sliced shallots and red pepper in a little neutral oil.  Once the vegetables had started to caramelize, I added in the garlic, hot peppers, and ginger.

the mixture is wonderfully fragrant

the kale goes in the pot, along with any water

clinging to the leaves

Once the kale was fully wilted, but still a nice deep green, I tasted, and added a bit of kosher salt to bring out all of the intense flavors.

a flavorful, healthy, and pretty side dish 

Served with lamb chops coated in a bit of curry powder, and some steamed rice, these greens are a delicious centerpiece of vegetables loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.

keeping with the holiday theme

One welcome addition at any holiday cocktail party is a bowl of delicious nuts.  Spicing pecans is a great way to add depth of flavor and interest to simple, tasty pecans.  I usually make a 2 pound bag of these nuts.  They make a great little party favor, wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with a pretty ribbon.

If you have a little mini chopper or food processor, it is quick work to make the spice mixture.  If you don't, no worries, the only thing that must be minced up is some fresh rosemary.  The spice mixture is listed below.  Note that the paprika is smoked.  It used to be difficult to find smoked paprika, but it is becoming much more common.  One easy place to order it is Penzey's.  It lends a unique smoky flavor to these nuts, and well as to the brisket I blogged about earlier.  If you have it, you'll find uses for it.

Spice mixture:
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS minced rosemary (don't use dried -- it will burn)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp tabasco
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

I like my pecans nice and spicy, so I tend to be generous with the measurements.  You'll also need 1 1/2 pounds to 2 pounds of pecan halves and 4 tablespoons of butter.

Heat your oven to 325.  Heat the butter in a pan over medium high heat.  As soon as it begins to foam, dump in the pecans.

toasting the pecans in the butter for five minutes

brings out the aroma and crisp texture of the nuts

The spice mixture is then added to the pan, and tossed with the pecans to coat.

If you are having trouble getting the spice mixture to distribute evenly, just add in a quarter cup of water and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.  Spread the coated nuts on a cookie sheet, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes if you did not add the water.  

 a quick spin in the oven insures golden, crunchy nuts

If you did add the water, bake the nuts for about 35 minutes.   Take the pan out of the oven and allow the nuts to cool completely.  Store them in plastic containers or plastic bags.  If they are not crispy enough, give them another 15 minutes in the oven, but be patient.  Let them cool first.  They crisp up as they cool.

a bowl of spicy nuts is a nice addition

on any appetizer table

make ahead party favorite

This is the time of year for it.  Holiday parties, football parties, office parties....

And you want food that is easy to prepare, minimal to clean-up, and well....a big fat hit.  What could be better than a spread of finger foods and salads with sliders as the centerpiece?  Sliders are great on several levels.  They are a one-handed sandwich, they are cute, easy to dress with a variety of toppings, and they are trendy.

But who on earth wants to be married to the grill in December, or hunched over a greasy frying pan in the kitchen, while everyone else is in the den, high-fiving touchdowns?

Enter: the mighty brisket.  It is a tough, relatively inexpensive cut of beef that benefits from hours of neglect in the oven, tastes better when it sits, cooked, in the fridge for a day or two, and tastes sublimely of good beefy flavor.

Oh, and it takes well to a few hours marinade in a dry rub.  Buy a commercial rub if you are short on time, but consider adding a tablespoon or two of brown sugar, which will help brown things up a bit.  Here is a simple rub for a 3 pound brisket, which will make 18--22 sliders.

2 TBS chili powder
1 1/2 TBS salt (go kosher)
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS ground black pepper
1 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper (optional)
the last two ingredients will add smokiness to the rub, but the rub is great without them.

just mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl

Massage the rub into the brisket, wrap it in a plastic bag, and set it in a bowl in the fridge.  Now forget about it for a few hours, or a day.  When you are ready to cook it, heat the oven to 350.  Drop it into a roasting pan or a dutch oven, and roast it, uncovered, for 1 hour.  Take it out of the oven and reduce the oven heat to 300.

I had frozen beef stock in the freezer,

which I just chucked in the pan still frozen

If you want, add a coursely chopped onion and a couple of smashed garlic cloves to the pan, for a little additional flavor.  Don't even worry about removing the skins -- they will be strained out of the broth.  Add a cup of beef broth and a cup of water, cover the pot with a lid or a sheet of foil, and slide it back in the oven.  Go about your business for 3 hours.

Good for you if you cooked this a day or two ahead of the party.  It will be even better.  Just cool it in its broth, and stash it, covered, in the fridge.  On the day of the party, remove the meat to a cutting board, and strain the broth into a sauce pan, reducing it by half at a boil, which will take about 15-20 minutes.

In the mean time, slice the brisket into thin strips, against the grain (you can see the long fibers on the meat -- slice perpendicular to those.  It is important to having tender meat.)  Wrap it in foil, and heat it in a 325 degree oven.

 these tender, beefy morsels make awesome sliders

Those little potato rolls hanging out in nearly every grocery store bakery make awesome slider rolls, and add a slight counterpoint of sweetness to the spicy beef.  Just wrap them up in foil and heat them right along with the beef.  Served with a side of your favorite cole slaw (just fine if it is from the deli section), the reduced sauce for moistening the meat, and your other favorite party snacks, these little beauties will be the hit of the party.  And you'll be out of the kitchen, watching the game.

sliders are made for parties-- everyone can have as much 

or as little to eat as their hearts desire

great, fast sides for a Friday night steak

A nice grilled steak can be a great treat, and a nice way to kick off the weekend.  I prepare our steaks quite simply, with just a dusting of salt and fresh black pepper.  So I really want to have some tasty sides to go along for the party.  And if it's a Friday night, they need to be quick and simple to prepare.

Two great ones combine the flavors of traditional steak house sides, but with a lighter, and more modern twist.  The first, which are cheesy potatoes, assemble in about 10 minutes, and can bake while the rest of the meal comes together.  They start with a simple white sauce, ready in just a couple of minutes.  A tablespoon and a half of butter is melted on the stove, then an equal amount of flour goes in, and the whole gets cooked for just a minute or two, to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Off the heat, stir in about about a cup of milk -- whole or even 2% will work, but I don't recommend skim milk.  It is easier to combine with the roux if you nuke it for a minute or so in the microwave.  Warming it up makes it easier to avoid lumps.  Boil the mixture until it just thickens.  You want a fairly light white sauce, because the cheese will thicken it, as will the starch from the potatoes.  Add in just a half a cup of cheese, or about 4 ounces by weight.  The trick is to use a very sharp cheddar, which will bring more flavor to the sauce, without requiring a lot of cheese.  No need to grate it.  Just chunk it up, and stir it into the sauce over medium low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste -- remember there are going to be potatoes as well, so don't be too shy.  A nice, but not necessary addition is a bit of freshly grated nutmeg.  It offers an earthy counterpoint to the sharp flavor of the cheese.

white sauce is one of the simplest and fastest

of the mother sauces

Next come the potatoes.  One of my favorite time savers is the pre-shredded potatoes available in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.  They are not frozen, and usually hang out somewhere near the eggs.  About a half a bag will make enough for two to four people.  Just stir them into the sauce, and pour the whole into a small baking dish.  They will be cooked, brown and bubbly in about 20 -- 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

A creamy, delicious side within a half an hour

The second side is an updated version of the creamed spinach side and mushroom side so common to an old school steak house.  This dish combines the two, and lightens the whole by omitting the cream.  It takes longer to chop than it does to cook.  The combination of greens, mushrooms, shallots or onions, and garlic is a nutritional powerhouse packed with flavor.  It starts with a big pile of greens.  Spinach will work.  Tonight I used arugula.  Kale works, as does chicory or mustard greens.  Collards will work, but I think they are a bit to tough and bitter, and really benefit from a bit of a braise in some chicken or vegetable stock.  The one thing that really doesn't work is "baby" anything.  No baby spinach or arugula, which simply turn to slimy mush.   Buy the substantial bundles of mature greens, and wash them well.  I love this little salad spinner.  I had to wash the arugula in a couple of batches, but this little baby is effective, easy to store, and works quite well when you are cooking for one or two.

mature greens can be quite gritty, so give them 

a good soak and a spin

 This big pile of greens was enough for just two or three servings.  

It is astounding how much greens wilt down, so be prepared.

The basic ingredients for wilted greens and mushrooms are sliced mushrooms, sliced shallot or onion, one or two cloves of garlic (optional, but I love the taste of it with steak), and lemon zest and juice.  Salt and pepper, of course, and an optional little grate of nutmeg.  Nutmeg is a natural partner for both greens and mushrooms, as well as cheese.  I am a big fan, but add it or leave it out as you please.

I slice my own mushrooms and onions, but if you really want to make quick work of this, buy pre-sliced mushrooms and sliced or chopped onions.  Nearly every decent-sized grocery carries them both, as well as jarred chopped garlic.  Start with a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium high heat.  When it is hot, add the onions and sweat them until they are beginning to turn translucent and soft.

the basics, assembled in just a few minutes

Add in the mushrooms, a bit of salt and pepper, and cook for two minutes, then add in the garlic.  As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add in the washed greens, and begin to toss with a pair of tongs or two wooden spoons.  They will wilt in under a minute.

use a pan large enough to accommodate the

veggies and the fresh greens

As the greens wilt, grate on a bit of the lemon zest.  Take the wilted greens off the heat, and squeeze on the juice of half a lemon.  Taste for seasoning, and if they need it, add a bit more salt and pepper, and a little more lemon juice.  Quick, healthy, and full of interesting flavors and textures.

a quick, beautiful, and modern riff on the old

classics -- creamed spinach and sauteed mushrooms

In the interest of full disclosure, I want to let you know that I started a part time job this week at Whole Foods, doing product demos -- some cooking, and some not.  It's a store I shop at often, and I sometimes mention products I get there, which I will continue to do.  I am not shilling for Whole Foods, and the only people there even aware of my blog are the two women who interviewed me.  I doubt they continue to visit.  So, if I mention something specific I like from Whole Foods, it will be because it is something I really like, that I haven't come across elsewhere.  Wish me luck -- I am going to try to get them to let me do cooking classes there, and they have already expressed some interest in seeing a proposal.

lush and delicious twist on apple pie

Jim is a big fan of apple pie, which is not my favorite, but I do love caramel apples, so I decided to try my hand at creating a caramel apple pie.  Well -- not a pie per se -- I have taken to creating rustic tarts rather than pies.  They are so simple to form, and in my opinion, more interesting to look at.  On top of that, there is no question that they are home made...

Earlier in the week, I made the caramel sauce.  It was an interesting and fun experiment, with excellent results, but if you don't want to fuss with making caramel, you could certainly use any good quality caramel sauce on the market.  The process of caramelizing sugar is a matter of zen-like patience followed by quick and decisive action.

sugar, just beginning to color

To two and half cups of sugar in a deep sauce pan, add a couple of tablespoons of white corn syrup, and a quarter cup of water.  The corn syrup isn't absolutely necessary, but from what I read, it will prevent the sugar from "seizing", which is when the melted sugar instantly turns into a crystalline mass, and you must toss it out and start over.  From what I read on the net, this is an all too common problem, so in went the corn syrup, and I had no problems. 

Beware, caramelizing sugar is a lava-like substance, capable of trip-to-the-hospital, disfiguring burns.  Hence, the deep pot, and great care to keep the handle on the pan turned away from the edge of the stove.  While the sugar dissolves and begins to heat up and boil, you really need to do very little, besides give the pan a gentle little swirl on occasion, to be sure the sugar is melting evenly.  Patience is rewarded.  My sugar stayed utterly clear, with no signs of caramelizing until it was over 300 degrees.  Once it started to brown, it darkened very quickly.

for deep caramel flavor, the trick is to take the sugar

to a deep shade of brown, and get it off the heat

before it goes from dark brown to burnt

Now comes the fun part.  With the sugar off of the heat, pour a generous cup of cream down the side of the pan, and watch the action.

the sugar boils violently with the addition of the cream,

but no worries -- all that action stays

in the bottom of the pot

Once the cream mixture has calmed down a bit, put it back on low heat, and stir gently, until the sugar and cream have fully integrated into a soft sauce.

swirling in a couple of tablespoons of butter

adds richness and gloss

Butter is optional, but just a couple of tablespoons really does add to the caramel.  Same goes with a generous pinch of salt, which adds balance to all that sweetness.  Once it has cooled completely, it is simple to incorporate into an apple pie.  Or just to simply dip into with some crunchy apple slices, for that matter...

For the pie, I used a couple of granny smiths, along with a honeycrisp, for a little flavor variation.  I used a mandoline to slice them very thin, spritzed them with a bit of lemon juice, and coated them with the caramel, and a couple of tablespoons of tapioca flour that I found in the international foods at whole foods -- it makes a great thickener for fruit pies.

 caramel and apples -- one of those perfect marriages

The apples exuded quite a bit of water, which watered down the caramel a bit.  If I make this pie again, I will strain the excess sauce off of the apple slices, and boil it down to a syrup before adding it back to the apples.  I suppose you could precook the apples in the syrup, but I don't care for the very soft texture that lends the apples in the baked pie.  At any rate, the free form tart turned lovely and luscious, served with a little extra caramel drizzle on top.

savory bread pudding for Thanksgiving

When I cook a turkey, I usually stuff it with herbs and a few chunks of citrus, rather than a bread or rice mixture.  I know, though, that a good dressing is an essential part of the Thanksgiving table, and my favorite part of a stuffing, or dressing, is the crispy part.  Baking it in a pan yields more crispy crust than stuffing it into the bird, and it is also safer, since it will reach a safe temperature independent of the bird.  So I consider the dressing a side dish, and cook it on its own.  This recipe is an especially rich and savory version of traditional dressing, which is lovely served with simple reduced gravy, made with the defatted pan drippings, a dollop of wine, and a bit of corn or potato starch to thicken. 

Toasting pecan pieces is as simple as putting the chopped pecans into a dry skillet over medium heat, and stirring them until they begin to brown and give off a warm fragrance.  They will go from toasted to burned in a few seconds, so as soon as they are toasty and fragrant, take them off of the heat and toss them into a cool bowl.  I like to toast more pecans than I need, toss the remainder in a bag, and put them in the freezer.  Then you will have toasted pecans on hand to add to dressings, salads, and desserts.  Don't think toasting makes a difference?  Taste an untoasted pecan, then a toasted one.  The flavor really develops with toasting.

If you have whole pecans, toast before chopping --

that way you have less chance of burning the pieces

Serves 8:

1 loaf challah Bread, very lightly toasted and cubed

5 TBLS butter

3 shallots, roughly chopped, or one small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup Madeira or Brandy

1 cup mixed wild mushrooms, hydrated if dried, then drained and squeezed dry.

4 cups half and half

4 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 TBS fresh thyme, or 1 TBS dried

2 TBS chopped chives, optional

6 leaves fresh sage, chopped, or 1 TBS dried

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix herbs, bread cubes, and pecan pieces in a bowl and set aside

Place two TBS butter in a sauté pan over low heat.  When butter foams, add shallots and, cook, stirring, until they are golden.  Add garlic, and continue cooking, until garlic is softened.  Add mushrooms, and sauté until tender.  Add Madeira or brandy, and increase the heat, cooking until liquid is reduced to syrup.  Turn off heat, add remaining butter, and swirl to melt.  While vegetables are sautéing, break the eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and whisk to combine.  Add the vegetable mixture to bread cubes, and toss to combine.  Pour in the egg mixture, and stir thoroughly.  Refrigerate for about two hours, until bread has absorbed all of the liquid mixture.  Place in a well buttered casserole to bake.

 the dressing is a rich, crispy, creamy addition to

the holiday table

The dressing can be made a day ahead, and refrigerated, covered with foil.  Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the top is brown and crispy.  The oven temp is not terribly important.  Use the temperature recommended for whatever else you have in the oven at the same time.  Anything between about 325 and 425 will work.  Just adjust your cooking times a little for ovens at higher temperatures.

easy entertaining

Lasagna is a great dish to entertain with.  It can be assembled a day or two ahead, and while it bakes you can toss together a salad and make some garlic bread, and you have a clean kitchen, and plenty of time to relax with your guests.

The tomato sauce is a great place to add in

a variety of veggies

For the base sauce, I sauteed a couple of links of hot Italian sausage, and a couple of links of sweet Italian sausage, then drained away the fat, to prevent a greasy sauce.  I then add back just a tablespoon of the fat, and sauteed a variety of vegetables.  This time I used a leek, cut into julienne, a couple of shallots, sliced mushrooms, and julienned sweet red peppers.  Once the veggies were soft, and had given up most of their moisture, I added a cup of white wine, and cooked that until it had reduced by half.  Then I added a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, two cans of whole fire roasted tomatoes crushed up, and the cooked sausage.  That mixture can simmer as little as 20 minutes.  In the mean time, I combined a large container of ricotta cheese, two cups of shredded parmesan (with an extra cup reserved for assembly),  a couple of teaspoons of freshly grated nutmeg, and two cups of fresh basil.

the ricotta mixture can be made in a food processor,

or simply combined by hand, cutting the basil into a chiffonade

Taste both the sauce and the ricotta, and adjust to your taste for both salt and pepper.  Grate a large ball of mozzarella cheese, and get ready for assembly.

Barilla's "no boil" lasagna sheets can go straight in the pan,

and cook up with a texture and appearance very

similar to home made pasta

Assembly is easy.  A couple of ladles of  the sauce go into the bottom of the pan, then a layer of noodles, a layer of ricotta, and a layer of mozzeralla.  Repeat twice, ending with a final layer of sauce, mozzarella, and the reserved parmesan.

just cover the finished lasagna with foil, 

and store it in the fridge

The lasagna takes about an hour to bake in a 350 oven, with the foil removed for the final 20 minutes.  It is done when the edges are bubbling, and the cheese is light golden brown.  Paired with a salad and crusty garlic bread, it makes a satisfying and hardy meal that is both easy and impressive.

the layers of savory sauce, noodles, and creamy cheese

make a delicious and simple meal with a minimum of clean up

before your guests arrive

grown up sides for Turkey day

Are you tired of the canned cranberry stuff?  Well, I have been for years, but some traditions are sacred, and that means my T-day table will always be graced by a few slices of the jiggly stuff for those who must have it.  But there will also be a bracing little bowl of cranberry relish.   A food processor is required for this recipe -- I suppose you could chop all of this stuff by hand, but that would make a 10 minute recipe a 3 hour endeavor.   This relish has a sweet-tart flavor, with just a tiny bit of heat from some candied ginger.  Make it a day or two ahead, and it will turn a gorgeous shade of ruby red.

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 orange

1 apple, such as fuji or gala

6 pieces candied ginger

2 TBS honey

everything gets chunked up, and tossed in the food processor;

I am using a blood orange here, because I had one on hand --

a regular orange works just fine

The original recipe, cadged from I know not where, simply quartered the orange and tossed it in, peel and all.  I find that the rind, especially if it is a bit thick, can be bitter, as can the seeds.  I take the two minutes required, and use a vegetable peeler to take the zest off of the orange, then peel away the rind, seed the segments, and toss everything in.  Process the candied ginger first, to grind it up a bit.  Don't worry if it sticks to the blade.  It will come loose and chop into smaller pieces when you add the fruit.

  the ginger adds a little sweet heat to the mix

After chopping the ginger up a little, everything else goes in the pool.  Quarter the apple and remove the core, but it is fine to leave the peel on.  Then, just chop the bejeezus out of everything and store it in the fridge until the big day.  I made this a bit early, for a newspaper article on Thanksgiving that will run next week.  So, I am going to experiment, and see if it will freeze, so I don't have to make it again.  I can't imagine why it wouldn't, but I'll report back at Thanksgiving.

relish with just enough bite to cut through

the traditional rich dishes of the day

Another favorite side dish, which I saw in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago, is a sweet potato dish made with coconut milk.  It has a subtle flavor, and a more grown up taste than the marshmallow thingy.  I haven't made it yet, so no pictures.

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 65 to 80 minutes

8 medium sweet potatoes
2 cups coconut milk, approximately
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes, set them on a cookie sheet, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  They are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork all the way through their thickest part.  Let them cool, and then peel.  Either pass them through a food mill or a ricer, or mash with a fork or potato masher.

Bring the coconut milk to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the cinnamon stick  Remove the cinnamon stick,  and whisk into the sweet potato purée.   Add the coconut milk a cup at a time until you get the consistency you like.  I use the whole amount, which yields a light purée.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and reheat just before serving.

cooking scallops

Haven't made scallops for ages, and I'm not sure why.  May be remnants of memories of water injected scallops.  Yuck!  But these days, more often than not, even plain old grocery store scallops are dry, which means they will sear, and taste sweet and tender, not waterlogged and tough.  The trick to good scallops is to be sure and not overcook them.  In fact, I slightly undercook them, take them off the heat, and let the carryover heat finish the job.

it takes just a couple of minutes to get a sear

on scallops -- patting them dry with a paper towel helps

scallops, cooked just until they are golden brown

I was hankering for some Asian flavors last night, so I decided to serve the scallops over rice, with a coconut curry sauce.  I kept things simple.  I grated a bit of ginger and lemongrass, minced some serrano pepper and scallions, and chopped a bit of cilantro.  I contemplated grating some garlic, but decided that the flavor might overwhelm the delicate scallops.

left to right: minced serrano chiles, sliced scallion, 

chopperd cilantro, and grated ginger and lemongrass

everything but the cilantro gets a quick saute in 

the scallop pan in just a dollop of peanut oil

Then in goes a can of coconut milk.  Try the Thai Kitchen brand.  It is especially thick and creamy.  That gets simmered for just a few minutes with the aromatics.  At the last minute, toss in cilantro, adjust for salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over good basmati rice.  Dot on the golden scallops, and dinner is served.

the sauce can be a little runny -- no matter --

the rice just soaks up all that coconut goodness

where's the beef?

One way that I try to eat a little healthier, and stretch the grocery budget a bit, is to prepare a vegetarian meal once or twice a week.  Jim has a great appetite, and what I prepare needs to taste and look good, as well as be fairly hardy.  My go to?  Pasta, of course.  And I like using ingredients that can add a meaty flavor and texture to a good pasta sauce.  Mushrooms do a great job of that, as does eggplant.

Today, I'm focused on mushrooms.   I use crimini mushrooms for just about everything I make with mushrooms, because they are only slightly more expensive than white button mushrooms, and I think they have a lot more flavor.  When I want them to bring some texture to a recipe, I slice them in little wedges, rather than slices, but pre-sliced mushrooms would work just fine, and will save some time.

As usual, I am fixated on slicing my garlic wafer thin, about four cloves, but a tablespoon of chopped garlic will work just fine.  One thing I do when I slice garlic, is toss the little ends that I hang on to while slicing into a few tablespoons of olive oil, to infuse the oil with garlic.  That makes a simple and delicious garlic bread.  Just toast slices of crusty bread, and brush them with the infused oil. 

For a quick, tasty marinara sauce, simply heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium heat, and toss in your garlic.

you want the garlic soft and fragrant,

but you don't want it to brown much

Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to the oil as well, and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.  Add 8 ounces of cut mushrooms, and cook with the garlic mixture, until the mushrooms begin to color.

with this kind of flavor and texture,

who misses the meat?

Once the mushrooms have colored a bit, add about a cup of wine and a tablespoon of dried onion flakes, and simmer for about five minutes, to reduce the liquid a bit.  Now it the time to introduce tomatoes to the party.  I've used whole canned tomatoes, as well as diced tomatoes.  If you are using a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, get in there and squish them up with your fingers before adding them to the pan.   I really love Muir Glen's fire roasted tomatoes with no added salt, and my store does not carry them as whole tomatoes, so I used two smaller cans of diced tomatoes.

I like the roasted flavor of these tomatoes,

as well as the fact that I can control the salt content

Once the tomatoes are in, I simply let the sauce simmer, while I bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the spaghetti.  

the sauce is full of texture and flavor,

and only needs to simmer for about 20 minutes

By the time I have cooked the noodles the sauce has reduced a bit, and the flavors have mellowed.  If it gets a bit too thick, I simply thin it with a bit of water.  Just before tossing it with the drained noodles, I throw in a little handful of minced parsley, which adds color, and a bright green flavor.  Topped with a bit of grated Parmesan, and served with some crunchy garlic bread and a salad, who needs meat?

 I like the noodles gently coated with the sauce,

rather than drowning in a big pile of sauce

I like to up the ante a little by using noodles that are a little higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates, but I am not a fan of the brown color and weird texture of whole wheat pasta.  So I was really glad when pasta companies started coming out with pasta that looks and tastes like the old standby, but has fewer carbs, whole grains, and more fiber.  My favorite is pasta made by Dreamfields, but Barilla's Plus, and Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest are quite good, too.