Broccoli Slaw

Occasionally, I pick up a bag of broccoli slaw.  It is a nice change from the more traditional cabbage slaw.  Seeing this recipe on Smitten Kitchen helped me make a yummy recipe.

Broccoli Slaw  (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 bag of cabbage slaw

1 carrot, sliced thin

1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

 Dressing
1/3 cup Tofutti sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Toss the sliced broccoli with the carrots,  almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well.

Summer Salad Sundays     See Ya in the Gumbo     Yummy  Inspirations Breakfast     My Meatless Monday  Mop it Up Mondays    Mix it up Monday     Mealtime Monday Recipe Link  Makin’ You Crave Monday    Melt in Your Mouth Mondays      Mangia Mondays      On the Menu Monday

Power Foods – Asparagus

You might remember, last week, I learned how to handle an artichoke, a brand new vegetable, to me.  This week, I learned how to  hide asparagus, in a recipe so that my husband, who has refused to eat it, since he was a child, wouldn’t know it was there.  When, we married, there were three foods, he would not eat, tuna, chicken and yes, asparagus.  Twice, I tried to have him see the light and made asparagus, the first as a newlywed and the second. twenty years later.  Both times, he soundly rejected the asparagus with moans and groans and a matching facial expression.

I knew, this was going to be a challenge.  I made a stir-fry, hoping to camouflage the asparagus, in the midst of other delicious vegetables. 

Camouflage Stir Fry  – done in great trepidation

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 thin asparagus spears, cut into small pieces (about an inch in length)

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup carrot slices

1/4 cup sliced mini orange peppers

1/4 cup onion slices

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh is best)

2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

Procedure:

Combine, in a small bowl, soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar or honey.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add vegetables to skillet and cook for 4 minutes.  You can add the asparagus for just the last minute, if you would like it to retain a slight crispness.

Add soy sauce combination to skillet and mix in with the vegetables.  Cook, stirring for an additional two  minutes.

*** I didn’t tell my husband, there was asparagus in the stir-fry but I figured, he would recognize it.  He didn’t.  He cleaned his plate completely.  I have to add that the soy sauce did camouflage the asparagus taste so that he ate with relish.  Can you imagine?  He was not perturbed when I told him those green “sticks” are asparagus.  He just kept eating.  Does that mean, he will eat asparagus, in the future?  I doubt it.   It is deeply ingrained in him that he despises it.

You are entitled to a giggle.  I made him this, the following night and he ate it.  Recipe at a later date…

 

Please check the following blog to see what they did with the asparagus.

Second Course: Asparagus with Morels (Photo credit: ulterior epicure)

Alyce – MoreTimeAtTheTable.blogspot.com afmorgan53@yahoo.com

Ansh – SpiceRoots.com  ansh@spiceroots.com

Casey – bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com Bookcasefoodie@yahoo.com

Jeanette – JeanettesHealthyLiving.com Jeanette@Jeanetteshealthyliving.com

Jill – SaucyCooks 2girls@saucycooks.com

Martha – Simple-Nourished-Living.com MarthaMcKinnon@mac.com

Mireya – MyHealthyEatingHabits.com Mireya@MyHealthyEatingHabits.com

Sarah – Everythinginthekitchensink sarah.toskanoski@gmail.com

Fruit and Veggie Muffins

I have done little baking here and I must add some recipes.  I made these wonderful muffins, using my food processor to do the chopping, making this an easy recipe to achieve.  I debated making mini muffins because they are so cute  but there is so much goodness in these, I decided on the full size.  

Pears and carrots may sound odd together but they are not.  They went together like peanut butter and jelly and were much more delicious.

Making muffins always presents a problem for me.  There are so many muffins, I want to make, with a multitude of combinations of ingredients.  When, I decide to make one, I can’t make a decision.  I really wanted to make a cheesy muffin and owe myself that opportunity.

Fruit and Veggie Muffins  (adapted from Recipe for Living)

Ingredients

• 2 cups. shredded cored, peeled pears
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup chopped cranberries  (the food processor did not do a great job chopping these but it makes no difference)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2-1/2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Canola oil

Method:

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix pears, cranberries, carrots, and nuts  Stir gently to combine.

Sift dry ingredients.  Add to sugar mixture and stir well.

Stir in eggs and oil and mix gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove to wire rack.

 Makes 12 large muffins.

This is linked to Hearth and Soul with Alea    Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays with Amy

Passover Turkey Meatballs in Carrot Sauce

I copied this recipe from My Sweet and Savory.  I am fascinated by such a thing as carrot sauce and know I want to make it.  I wish, I had seen this before I made sweet and sour meatballs.

Cooking is marathon like, at this time of year.  I find myself, making up to 4 food dishes, at one time.  Brownies in the oven, soup on the stove, Mashed Potatoes being added to chopped beef for a Shepherd’s Pie and boiling eggs for the seder table.  As one dish is done, another starts so the kitchen is continually being utilized  It would make a good video, considering the mistakes I make and the challenges that pop up.

As an example, there was no hot water, when I first turned the faucet.  I have dirty dishes constantly that have to be handwashed and often are used, again.  I didn’t even ask myself, “what am I going to do?”   What about at least one shower before the holiday?”  Nope, I barely thought of that although it did cross my mind.  Instead, I plowed on, using cold water until my husband called.  He offered to come home from work early, considering how much had to be done, before Passover, but I was just fine and didn’t even consider his offer.

Why was I so calm?  It seems that every year , something happens before Passover and every year, we make it through.  My father died the week before and as you may or may not know, Jews sit at home for a week, never leaving the house for a week and people come to pay their condolences.  The week was over and Passover was staring me in the face.  Another year, we were blessed to have my daughter get married before the holiday.  If you have ever made a wedding, you know that it is a full time job and I already had one of those besides having a family to take care of and preparation for Passover.  We made it.

My stove broke a few days before and there is no way to cook festive meals without a stove and oven, at least for me.  I called a store to beg them to get me a stove, “yesterday” and the man, I spoke to, was a doll.  First, he was going to have it delivered, the following week—-no help there.  When I explained, he made some calls and was going to get it to me, in two days which would work with a lot of dedication on my family’s part.

Along came the delivery date and, in the morning, I got a call telling me that the company was out of stock, on the stove.  Panic was the name of the game.  This man came through again and got me a better stove for the same price and delivered it, as scheduled.  There are wonderful people in this world.

It seems that, at this time of the year, something happens and I have grown up some and accept that and go with it. So, this morning, when my hot water disappeared, I quietly continued.  My hot water also came back, not too much later.  We do not know the problem and expect to see another cold water phase but, we will deal with it. 

Turkey Meatballs in Carrot Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound chopped turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 egg
2/4 cup potato starch.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 -2 cups carrot soup found here
3 tablespoons prepared matbucha

Method:

Mix turkey, onion, egg, carrot and potato starch thoroughly. Form into balls about an inch in size.  If you like them bigger, double the size and increase cooking time.

In large, deep, fryin

Carrots (Photo credit: CLC Photography)

g pan, brown the meatballs in one tablespoon of olive oil.  Brown all sides.  When meatballs are browned, add carrot soup and matbucha.  Gently mix.  Cook for 20 minutes, gently mixing, every few minutes.

The liquid decreases as

it cooks so watch carefully.  Add more soup or water, if the pan is getting dry.

This freezes well.

Passover Cabbage Potato Cakes

I decided to audition a few recipes before the holiday.  Since, I printed this up, a few weeks ago, and have kept looking at it, saying, “I must make this,” I decided to do just that.  This is a good recipe to multi-task.  While the potatoes cook, chop and brown your vegetable. Everything can come together, at about the same time, in that way.  These were a success and I am going to make them in smaller tins for my grandchildren.  I think, they will enjoy, their own little potato cabbage cakes.

Passover Cabbage Potato Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup cabbage, shredded and then chopped smaller

3 potatoes, peeled and boiled and mashed

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large onion, diced

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup potato starch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray muffin tins with cooking oil.

Chop onions and carrots in a food processor.  I used my mini processor from my immersion blender to get small pieces, not as tiny as in my full sized food processor.  If you do not have this option, I suggest, chopping by hand.

Peel potatoes and cut into quarters.  Place in a boiling pot of water. (carefully)  Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until soft enough to mash.

While potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in skillet and saute onions and carrots until onions are softened.

Add cabbage to carrots and onions.

Drain potatoes and mash.  Add other vegetables to potatoes.

Add dry ingredients and mix into potatoes.  Add wet ingredients and mix well.  Add eggs and oil and combine with potato mixture.  Add salt and pepper and mix in.

Using a quarter cup, scoop the potato mixture into the muffin tins.  Top with a little chopped parsley.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

I think, you will really enjoy these.

This is linked to Real Food Wednesdays   Cast Party Wednesday – Link Party #34     Pennywise Platter

Crock Pot Soup

Tonight, I made a green soup.  Last week, I made an orange soup.  Another night, I made a yellow soup and still another, the soup was red.  I think that food was created with color, for our pleasure.

I am sharing last week’s soup, today, and I hope you will like it.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 bag of baby carrots

one onion in chunks

one white potato, peeled and cut in chunks

one yellow squash, sliced in chunks

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cups organic vegetable broth

2 cups Rice Milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Put liquids in crockpot.  Add cut up vegetables.  Add spices.

Cook on medium for 6 hours.

This is a mellow, soothing soup.

Other Soups From This Blog

• Crock Pot Potato Soup
• Have Leftovers – Make Soup
• Honesty Soup
• Ginger Carrot Soup with Apples – Guy Fieri
• Butternut Squash Soup

Linked to 5 Dollar Dinner Challenge   Pennywise Platters

Veggie Burgers

I met a woman, online, a number of years ago and she shared a recipe for black bean burgers.  I thanked her and groaned because I could not imagine such an item, being good.  I never made it and I don’t have her recipe, today but wish I did.  I am going to check it out on the Foodie Sites because now, I do want to make it.

In the meanwhile,  I found in Susie Fishbein’s kosher cooking book, a recipe for the Ultimate Veggie Burgers and I made them.  What a pleasant surprise.  They are a nice change from beef burgers and a lot healthier.

What did my husband say? “They don’t taste like hamburgers,” followed by, “They taste good.”  I like them also.

Ultimate Veggie Burgers (adapted from Susie Fishbein)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup carrot, shredded (I used food processor to shred)

3/4 cup sweet potato, shredded (1/2 sweet potato shredded in food processor)

1/4 cup water

1` 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (I used the mix in the photo)

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup brown rice flour (or any flour )

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1/2 cup white beans, rinsed and drained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil (I used safflower-wanted to use up the bottle)

Method:

Place carrot and sweet potato in a small bowl.  Add water and cover loosely for about four minutes.

Place rice,  sunflower seeds,  flour, lemon zest in to food processor bowl with metal blade.

Remove leaves from basil and oregano stems and add to the food processor bowl.

Pulse until everything is uniform but you can still see grains of rice.

In a medium bowl, mix together mushroom mix, carrots, sweet potato, white beans. eggs, salt and pepper.

Using my ice cream scoop, I made my patties, flattening them down in the pan and squaring off the edges, pushing sides up to give depth to patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Use one and one half tablespoons of olive oil for each batch, you are going to fry.

Put patties in hot oil and sear for 3 – 4 minutes, per side.

Serve on pitas or buns with tomato slices, cucumber slices and thin slices of red onion.

Take a bite and delight.

Vegetable Pancakes with Salmon – Mark Bittman

I was browsing through recipes that interested me and hit upon Bittman’s vegetable pancakes.   I am always interested in Mark Bittman’s recipes.  I find the flexibility he gives to almost any recipe makes cooking a joy.  Since, I tend to change recipes, as a matter of habit, he is giving permission and ideas as to how to do just that.  He is also down to earth in  his approach to cooking and I need that.

These looked great and I thought of them as a side to the salmon until a light bulb went on and I decided to add the baked salmon into the pancakes.

Vegetable Pancakes, adapted from Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

About 1 1/2 pounds grated vegetables, peeled first if necessary (3 cups packed), and squeezed dry

1/2 small onion

4 potatoes

1 carrot

1 zucchini

1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted

1 slice salmon, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1/4 cup corn meal

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive or vegetable oil or butter for greasing the pan

1. Grate the vegetable or vegetables with the grating disk of a food processor. (I love my food processor.)
2. Squeeze out the liquid.  Save for soups or other dishes.
3. Mix together the vegetables, onion, egg, salmon and 1/4 cup of  the corn meal.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a little more flour if the mixture isn’t holding together.
5. Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. When the oil is hot, drop in spoonfuls of the batter, using a fork to spread the vegetables into an even layer, press down a bit. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding.
7.  Cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.  (I used my cookie scoop to get the same size pancakes.)

This is linked to Turning the Table Thursdays    Side Dish Saturdays

Spaghetti Squash with Vegetable Sauce

Spaghetti Squash is a gift to the world.  We can do much with it besides fooling our husbands into thinking it is pasta.  That is fun, though.

Whenever, I pick up a spaghetti squash, I end up doing something different with it.  It is open to dairy sauces or being mixed with meat – those being my favorites.  This time, I stuck with the vegetables and made a zucchini squash for the stringy stuff.

Spaghetti Squash with Zucchini Sauce  

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 large zucchini or 2 small, sliced  thin (then slice each thin slice into 3′s)

5 scallions, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons basil pesto (I bought ready-made for this)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar, seasoned with oregano and basil

1 teaspoon brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bake squash in 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  (I microwaved mine and I am not sure of the timing.)

Heat oil in medium-large skillet.

Add zucchini, scallions and carrots. (I shredded carrots into the pan.)

Cook until curls up and blends together (about 5 minutes)  Mix, every minute or two.

I added the yellow bell pepper as an afterthought but it did cook up, fine.

Add pesto, rice vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Mix into vegetables.

Remove seeds from squash.  With a fork, pluck thin slivers out and pile up, in a bowl.

Place in a  serving bowl and top with vegetables and mix together.

Serve with meat, fish, cheese, or whatever is to your liking.   We had big bowls and filled up, on that.

  Plain Spaghetti Squash Above

Below is the finished dish.

 

 This is linked to Five Flue Fighting Foods

Spinach Gefilte Fish Rounds

Gefilte fish is commonly served on the Sabbath in Jewish households.  With company, I want to spend time with, joining us, I wanted to do my cooking as early as possible.  One of the dishes, I made, is the gefilte  fish.  I have never made it this way, before.  I have all kinds of “exotic” recipes, using frozen gefilte fish.  As a foodie, I wanted to do something different.  I came across this recipe and I was in synch with it.

Making this is easy.  The most difficult part was squeezing the water out of the spinach.  That is not a job, I enjoy.  Otherwise, it is basically, mixing the ingredients in a bowl, transferring them to what you are baking them in and baking them.

Spinach Gefilte Fish Rounds  

Serves: 16

Ingredients

2 loaves frozen gefilte fish, thawed

1 carrot, shredded
2 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350°.

Thaw fish and spinach thoroughly. Squeeze the spinach to remove as much of the water as you can. Really try to get it as dry as you are able.

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until spinach is well-distributed and the mixture is even in color. Spray a loaf tin, 8″x8″ square or round cake pan with non-stick spray.  As you can see, I used these round and small tins.  They just make a  more interesting appearance.  A loaf pan or round one would do, just fine.

Pour mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 1 hour or until a golden brown crust forms.

(I decided half way through, to spray the tops with olive oil to aid the brow

ning.)   This is linked to Friday Potluck
Family Friendly Fridays
Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites 
Food on Fridays
Foodie Friday
Food Trip Friday
Fat Camp Friday 
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap