Polenta Circles with Shrooms, Flowers n' Beans

Plating food on a square white plate makes me feel all fancy pants.

A drizzle of balsamic is my go-to for a finishing touch.

A sprig of something green (in this case, a snip of carrot top greens) makes all the colors pop.

Crisp browned edges are my weakness.

Hi dinner.


Polenta Circles with Shrooms, Flowers n' Beans

vegetarian, gluten-free

serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped
8 oz of mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tube of already made polenta, sliced into circles
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

olive oil
salt
pepper
balsamic

Heat the oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread out your chopped cauliflower and drizzle with a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until nice and browned around some of the edges.

Meanwhile, heat a (cast-iron, if you have it) skillet with some more olive oil. Add as many polenta circles as can comfortably fit in the pan and fry on each side until crisped looking with a little color. Repeat with remaining polenta circles.

While the polenta cooks, heat a clean pan without oil and add the mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes. Then add some oil and sliced red onion. Let cook until soft and colored.

Add the beans and roasted cauliflower to the pan with the mushrooms/onions. Drizzle in some balsamic.

Serve next to or atop polenta circles. Use a square white plate if you're feelin' fancy pants. Or add a "not-so-fancy-pants" sprig of green to appear fancy-pants.

WANT MORE POLENTA RECIPES?
-Basic polenta
-Polenta cake with olive oil and rosemary
-Mushroom etc. and sausage ragu over polenta

Give me an "M": Matzo Lasagna

Matzo lasagna and a shot-glass full of Manischewitz wine. Good dinner. Good dinner, indeed.

Hey it's Passover, the Jewish holiday that remembers and celebrates the Jewish people's exodus from slavery. Good stuff. Traditionally Jews celebrate by having a big dinner called a "Seder" (Hebrew for 'order') where the story of this exodus from slavery is re-told. Then for 8 days it is common to refrain from any bread products except for matzo, which is an unleavened sheet of crunchiness.

You can make loads of awesome goods with matzo: matzo brei (aka matzo n' eggs), matzo pizza (aka melted cheese and sauce atop matzo), matzo granola, matzo toffee crunch, matzo spread with butter, matzo spread with cream cheese, matzo slathered with baba ganoush (eggplant dip), etc. etc.

Tonight I give you MATZO LASAGNA. It's just like regular lasagna but instead of lasagna noodles, I used sheets of matzo that I ran under cold water.

And let me tell ya, this is goooood stuff, especially when you turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes of baking. Browned cheesy delight.


I sauteed some onion and dino-kale to add between the layers of sauce and cheese. Feel free to use mushrooms, spinach, summer squash, whatever you want.


If you are in a Passover rut, or just like matzo, or just like lasagna, this is the business right here.


Oh, and don't forget the Manischewitz wine. So sweet, so delish, so much needed.


Matzo Lasagna


I've have been making this recipe for over 2 years. I printed it online, possibly from "The Jew and the Carrot" although I have yet to find exactly where on the website.


makes a 13 x 9 inch pan's-worth of goodness
(8-12 servings?)


Ingredients
1 cup part-skim ricotta
2 cups non-fat cottage cheese
4 cups tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 large bunch kale
Enough matzo sheets to make four layers in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, lightly softened with water (I just ran it under the tap water for a few seconds as needed)
Grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and Pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a saute pan, brown onions and chopped kale in some olive oil and set aside.

3. In a bowl, mix ricotta, cottage cheese, and some salt and pepper.

4. Spoon 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with one layer of moistened matzo. Layer 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, and 2/3 cup of the sauce. Add some salt and pepper between each layer. Repeat twice. Cover with a final layer of moistened matzo, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, uncover and bake another 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted and beginning to brown (I turned the broiler on for the last few minutes of baking). Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Heaven in a mazto.

Pumpkin Chickpea Quinoa with Haricot Vert and Almonds

Oh hey, remember like half a year ago when I made my own pumpkin puree? And then I made mac n' cheese with it? Yep. Me too.

Well I froze a few large yogurt containers-worth of puree. I let one thaw out in the fridge over night yesterday. And today I added a bunch to some quinoa, along with some sauteed onions and haricot vert, chickpeas, and slivered almonds (I also added about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for some hidden protein).

Yum.

(I'm sort of sick of quinoa, though)

I promise that I will bake you something soon.

I promise that in addition to a tray of garlic-y rosemary roasted potatoes and cauliflower I will soon give you fresh-baked cookies.


I promise that I'll stop posting about quinoa and find another grain to fall in love with (I have my eye on farro...).

Spare me, for now.


Pumpkin Chickpea Quinoa with Haricot Vert and Almonds

Serves 6 (?)

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 small onion, sliced thin
large handful of haricot vert (green beans), cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of pumpkin puree (or squash)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon cumin
salt, pepper
1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
grated cheese (Pecornio or Parmesan)

1. Prepare your quinoa. Add 1 cup of dry quinoa and 2 cups water to a saucepan. Boil. Turn heat to low/simmer, cover, and leave it for about 15 minutes until done.

2. Saute your onion in olive oil until transluscent. Add the green beans and cook for about 4 more minutes. Add the pumpkin, nutritional yeast, cumin, salt, pepper. Add the cooked quinoa, garbanzo beans, almonds, and raisins. Grate cheese over the top.

Roasted Beets, Sauteed Chard, and Quinoa Salad with YUBA!!!

I've been trying to cook quick, healthy meals for myself. For me, and for you.

Well, ok, a balanced diet can allow a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt sometimes too, especially when I bought it at a HUGE bakesale with all of the proceeds going to Japan. Yum.


And ok, I believe that a balanced diet also allows a trip to Oakland's newest mac n' cheese hotspot, Homeroom. "Mac the Goat" (goat cheese and scallions) and Peanut Butter Pie. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was phenomenal.

Alright alright, back to quick healthy meals. Today I took a walk to the farmer's market. I sat in the sun, I started to read a book for fun, and I bought some colorful items to cook for dinner.

Chioggia Beets (google image them, so beautiful!) aka Candy-Stripe Beets:

Red-Stemmed Swiss Chard:


Yuba aka Tofu Skins:

I roasted the beets with a little water for about 45 minutes to an hour. I chopped my beets and added them to my sauteed chard. I mixed everything together with some quinoa and black beans and topped it all off with my spicy yuba.


I now have a happy tummy. I've been needing this.

But really, can you please come over for dinner? I need some company and I want to cook for you AND I will do your dishes. Please. It will be fun, I promise.

Roasted Beets, Sauteed Chard, and Quinoa Salad with YUBA!!!

I listed all of the ingredients in italics before each step

Serves 4-6 (or 1 + leftovers!)


Beets, about 1 pound
salt
water
red vinegar

1. Roast your beets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and trim your beets then place them in a baking pan, sprinkle the beets with salt, and fill the pan with about 1/8th of an inch of water. Cover and roast for about 30 minutes to an hour, until a knife can very easily pierce the beets through to the center. Cool, peel (I used a combo of a paring knife plus my hands; its messy, don't sweat it), chop, and sprinkle with salt and some red vinegar.


1 onion, chopped
1 bunch chard
salt
vinegar
water or broth

2. Saute the chard. Slice an onion and set aside. Wash your chard. Pull the leaves from the ribs. Trim the ends from the ribs and then cut them into thin slices. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons. Heat a pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender. Add some salt. Add a little bit of water or stock if the pan gets dry and the onions begin to stick and brown.


1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup broth

3. Prepare your quinoa. I used 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed), 1 cup of vegetable broth (leftover from making my polenta earlier this week), and 1 cup of water. Combine everything in the pan, boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 mintues.


Everything in steps 1-3 + black beans + yuba

4. Assembly. Combine the beets and the chard. Dump the quinoa into the mix. I added black beans because I had some left over from earlier in the week. Salt, pepper, vinegar (I used red), and top with yuba, or cheese, or nuts, or whatever the heck you feel like.

15 Minute Dinner. Melty Goodness in a Pinch.

Roasted broccoli. Sliced cherry tomatoes with a pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt and a drizzle of balsamic. Creamy avocado and sprinkle of black beans. Melty cheese sandwiched between two corn tortillas all grilled up in my cast-iron skillet. 15 minutes. Ready, set, go.

Roasted Broccoli

1 head broccoli, chopped
Olive oil drizzle
Salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place your cut up broccoli on the pan with a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. 15 minutes. Go.

Corn Tortilla Quesadilla

oil (I used olive oil)
2 corn tortillas, or enough for however many quesadillas you want to make
Cheeeeese! (I used mozzarella and Pecorino)
sprinkle of black beans
sliced cherry tomato
avocado
salt

1. Heat your cast iron skillet (or any skillet that you fancy). Add a touch of oil. Place one tortilla on the pan. Sprinkle your cheese mix and a few beans, 4 baby tomato halves, and 3 small avocado slices. Place the other tortilla on top. Cook, flip, you get it. Melty goodness. It's hard to just have one.


Don't forget to eat those fried cheesy bits leftover in the pan. To-die-for.

Mushroom Etc. And Sausage Ragu Over Polenta

What a great weekend. French-style brunch by day, Scottish pub by night. Work making pastries by early morning, homework by early afternoon. Stretching in downward dog at yoga class and running out my pent-up energy in the overcast, beach-style weather.

I've made a mini-goal for myself. I am going to try to cook dinner BEFORE I get too hungry. That way, when I am actually hungry I will have dinner made and I won't snack the entire time I cook.

In addition, I want to save time by prepping my fruits and vegetables right after I buy them. I put my breakfast in a tupper-ware and take it on-the-go most days of the week, so I decided to make my own fruit salad to add to my yogurt or oatmeal. With a sprinkle of cinnamon, my fruit salad was complete. Now I can just eat as much as I want out of the big bowl in my fridge whether it is with breakfast, after dinner, or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. I also chopped my celery and carrots into easy to eat pieces and I can just put them in a ziplock baggie to take with me for lunch.


Fresh Fruit Salad

serves 4-6

2 kiwis
1 banana
4 large strawberries
1 pear
1 fugi apple
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Chop all your fruit. Mix everything in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir. Spoon some fruit salad over your morning yogurt, oatmeal, or eat it on its own. YUM!


After my grocery run this evening, I cooked up a filling, healthy, hearty dinner that made leftovers for lunch tomorrow! I took this recipe I found in a CookingLight magazine and gave it a little twist. Thus I call this a Mushroom Etc. And Sausage Ragu Over Polenta.

Before I started heating any pans, I made sure that I had everything that I needed for this dinner chopped and ready. Then I began sauteing my chicken sausages in a nice hot pan until browned.


Once browned, I took the sausage pieces out of the pan and set them in a bowl.


Next I sauteed some onion and once the onion got soft I added my mushrooms.


After they got nice and browned and soft, in went the garlic, followed by some chopped asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes.


While everything was simmering I was working on the gorgeous creamy polenta. Then it was time to EAT!



Mushroom Etc. And Sausage Ragu Over Polenta

adapted from CookingLight **MY ALTERATIONS ARE IN BOLDED PARENTHESES

Cook the polenta while the ragù simmers so everything will be ready and hot at the same time.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup polenta and 1 cup ragù)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage (I used about 2-3 Italian Chicken Sausages from Trader Joe's)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion)
  
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh rainbow cherry tomatoes)

• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie broth)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked polenta
• 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (I used 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, a pinch of mozzarella, and a generous grating of Pecorino cheese)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage from casings and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring. Remove sausage from pan.

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, asparagus (if using), 1/8 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3. Bring broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 20 minutes or until thick (mine took about 10 minutes or less), stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cheese, and butter. Serve with sausage mixture.

Nutritional Information

This is if you use the CookingLight recipe without my adaptations, but it should still be quite similar regarless

Calories: 428

Fat: 18.7g (sat 8.4g,mono 8.5g,poly 1.4g)

Protein: 18.2g

Carbohydrate: 46g

Fiber: 4.6g

Cholesterol: 53mg

Iron: 3.3mg

Sodium: 821mg

Calcium: 74mg

Turn Your Gray Day to Green: Spinach Broccoli Soup

So much for a warm, sunny few days in Los Angeles. In all my years growing up here I have never seen such screaming rain (well maybe I have? but I've blocked it out of my memory). Sigh, Los Angeles needs rain, I guess they do. Rain turns things from gray to green.

My (gray) day today consisted of a (quick and pleasant) visit to the "gynie," a brief jog in the drizzle before the storm, finishing up the final season of Big Love, and making bright green Spinach Broccoli Soup.


Tonight my family had over an old friend for dinner. This old friend was taking care of me from when I was a tiny baby until I was 7 years old. She was 21 (my current age) and taking care of baby Stephanie. Crazytown. She now has her own baby girl who is not such a baby anymore but a beautiful sophisticated 5th grader. And tonight this beautiful sophisticated 5th grader ate the dinner that I cooked. She ate my spinach broccoli soup. She ate my grilled barbecue chicken, my whole wheat Israeli couscous, and my roasted balsamic green beans and tomatoes. She ate my homemade orange cornmeal cake with orange fig marmalade. This girl rocks!


Please try to find some green in your gray. It'll make you feel good, I promise.


Ok so this soup is thick and you definitely have to like broccoli to eat it. You also might need floss handy after you are done slurping. I really loved it as a mini pre-dinner course because you get the perfect little 1/2 cup of soup to start off and brighten up your meal.

Spinach Broccoli Soup

adapted from JoytheBaker

This served 5 of us a mini pre-dinner course

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large head broccoli, cut into large florets, about 2/3 pound
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (preferred) or water
1/4 teaspoon each of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup spinach leaves (or arugula), packed
squeeze of 1/2 a lemon

For serving, more fresh black pepper and sea salt, Parmesan slivers

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the broccoli and cook for about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green in color. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

Add the vegetable stock or water, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the broccoli has been softened and is just tender.

Being careful and working in 2 or more batches, transfer some of the soup liquid and broccoli to a blender, add half of the spinach and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or another pot while you blend the second batch of soup with the rest of the spinach. Return to the pot over a low flame, check to see if it needs more salt/pepper, squeeze in the lemon and serve with Parmesan and more fresh ground pepper.

Italian White Bean Soup

What is my favorite thing to cook? My answer is almost always SOUP.

I love to make soup. Soup is something that is soothing and will last me more one night (these days I am finding it hard to make food that produces leftovers, too hard).

My go-to soup recipe usually has:
-an aromatic base (onions, garlic, etc...in this case it is fennel)
-then just a vegetable and liquid overload of heaven
-I love to add leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard...)
-beans
-and some sort of grain (rice, pasta, barley...)

This Italian White Bean soup has no grains in it, however I purchased some gorgeous levain (French Sourdough) bread from a local bread company called Acme to go along with the soup. This soup is simple and that's that. I don't cook collards enough, and this was a great way to get my collards fix. I always like to finish off my soups with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and some salty hard cheese. Mmm.

Oh and please try to find some San Marzano tomatoes. These precious rubies are to die for. Really, the taste is just so fresh and rich.


Italian-style soups are great. I have been slapping myself to make a lovely Ribollita soup and a nice Italian Wedding Soup. One of these days I will get there...

For now...Italian White Bean Soup...


Italian White Bean Soup

from A Couple Cooks

serves 10

1 fennel bulb
2 bunches of greens (anything like collards, chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens...)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cans of white cannellini beans
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt

Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling
Pecornio Cheese, slivered and/or grated on top
Fresh Levain Bread, for dipping and/or slathering with soft salty butter

1. Chop the fennel bulb into a large dice. Wash the greens, remove the stems, and chop them roughly.

2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Saute the fennel for 5 minutes.

3. Add the 2 cans tomatoes with their juices and simmer for about 8 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups water, and 2 cans of cannellini beans. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce to a simmer and add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1 teaspoon salt.

6. Add the greens and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Served garnished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, grated pecornio, and sliced levain bread.

Vegan "Mac (Fusilli) n Cheese"

Creamy. Cheesy (ish). Nutty. Saucy. All nestling inside of each and every curve of the suave fusilli noodle.

Sounds pretty sexy, right? Sexy vegan "Mac" n' "Cheese."

But nah this little dish is really quite modest, in fact. Especially since I added frozen peas n' carrots. From sexy to modest to good ol' comfort food. The cheesy-ness comes from making a roux with a vegan butter substitute (I am definitely a big fan of Earth Balance "butter"), some flour, almond milk, and...drum roll please...NUTRITIONAL YEAST.

What the heck is nutritional yeast? Well, to me it looks like nasty yellow fish flakes. However it does provide a quite lovely (yet acquired) nutty taste and it is jam-packed with B vitamins, protein, and all sorts of good things for your bod.

Some love sprinkling nut. yeast on their toast or atop popcorn. I have not gotten there yet. I have, however, found myself basking in the goodness of nut. yeast melted into a "creamy" sauce sans actual cream.


And as always with mac n' cheese (and pasta dishes in general), bread crumb topping or homemade croutons are always welcome and enhance the dish.

Now let's get cooking!

(thanks, Chloe for the great recipe, check out her awesome website)


Chloe's Vegan Mac N' Cheese

makes, oh, 8? servings (yay lunch leftovers!!!!)

1 pound of the pasta of your choice
1/4 cup of soy-free Earth Balance
1/3 cup flour
3 cups nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used marinara sauce because that was what I had on hand)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I used fresh garlic)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
optional: frozen or fresh broccoli or peas n' carrots
also optional: bread crumbs or croutons

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a medium saucepan, make a roux by whisking the margarine and flour over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes (yes it looks solid and a bit clumpy, but keep whisking). Add nondairy milk, nut. yeast, tomato paste (or sauce), sea salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, then simmer the mixture until it thickens, about 5-10 more minutes. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Toss the noodles with the sauce (and veggies, if using) and as Chloe says, "enjoy the sound of suctioning noodles as you mix."

Next time:
mmm some smoky paprika might be nice! or maybe some pumpkin puree!!!

Greens Grains n' Gold: Quinoa with Greens (and Grapefruit!) and a Runny Egg

So yesterday I was bashing Kombucha.

Today my dinner consisted of quinoa with a few more sips of Kombucha. Well, it tasted better today. It was extremely fizzy. That may be why it "tasted" better, because the fizz hid the taste?

Kombucha aside, my dinner felt good goin' in the bod. The new Dietary Guidelines for 2010 recommends eating lots of dark greens, so all the more reason to make this yummy dinner (and then proceed to cinnamon "toast" biscotti dunked in "chocolate sorbet" milk for dessert????).

Lately I've been into those bright pink ruby red grapefruits. They are sweet and juicy and debunk the bitter grapefruit stereotype. And segmented, they look divine.

So here I give you quinoa with dark leafy greens, broccoli, grapefruit, Parmesan, yogurt, and a runny egg. And don't forget some rustic (olive) bread to sop everything up.



Quinoa with Greens (and Grapefruit!) and a Runny Egg

serves 4

1 cup dry quinoa, prepared according to package directions
1 bunch of dark kale, chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves
1 grapefruit, "segmented" into pieces
1/4 cup yogurt
Olive oil

Garnishes:
Parmesan
Parsley
Balsamic Vinegar

Add-ons:
Feta
Toasted Almonds
Raisins/Cranberries

4 eggs-over-easy (or poached)

1. Prepare your quinoa.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate pan. Add the chopped kale and broccoli. Cover and cook on medium heat until starting to soften. Add a few splashes of water and cover again until softer and the water has evaporated. Uncover and add the garlic. Add some salt.

3. Add the greens to the cooked quinoa. Add the segmented grapefruit and squeeze the juice from the remains. Add the yogurt and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir everything together.

4. Garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and balsamic. Add the add-ons if you wish.

5. Scoop onto a plate (or in a bowl) and serve with runny eggs and rustic bread.

Because Sometimes I Eat Dinner at My Desk: Sauteed Mushrooms, Etc.

They say don't eat at your desk. Don't eat in front of the television. Don't eat with distraction.

But we all do it.

This evening I had the pleasure of dinner for 1 at my desk. My desk is a big clutter blob. So sue me.

Below you will see an ugly picture of my delicious dinner:


Have you ever sauteed mushrooms only to find them juicing like crazy, leaving you with a big watery liquid mess in your skillet? I have found the solution. Heat your pan and place your sliced mushrooms onto the dry skillet. Let them cook, let them release their juices and then the juices will evaporate. Once your mushrooms are cooked, THEN add your butter, your oil, your fat of choice. This will leave you with flavorful mushrooms without that unappetizing liquid (Of course, you could always pour out the liquid and use it in addition to stock for soup etc., but who really does that or takes the time to do that?).


Sauteed Mushrooms, Etc.

serves 1-2

2 handfuls? of mushrooms, I used cremini
a small pat of butter and/or olive oil
salt
1/4 of a chopped shallot, or about 1-2 tablespoons onion
1 chopped garlic clove
chopped parsley (optional)
dash of balsamic

(whole wheat) couscous

black beans

feta cheese

1. Prepare your couscous. Open up a can of black beans. Slice or crumble your feta. Set everything aside while you prepare the mushrooms.

2. Heat a pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until done-ish. Add some salt, butter/oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for about a minute or two more.

3. Take pan off heat and add a dash of balsamic and some parsley, for finishing.

3. Spoon some couscous into a bowl. Top with some black beans and the mushroom mixture. Finish with the feta.

4. Proceed to your desk (or not. not might be better).

**NOTE: Of course, as always in cooking, feel free to modify this loose recipe. i.e. goat cheese instead of feta, add some sauteed spinach, use brown rice or spaghetti instead of couscous, experiment with wild mushrooms...etc. etc. etc.

Maple Sesame Salmon with Whole Wheat Couscous and Sauteed Green Beans

Boy do I love the broiler. The broiler can melt cheese until it is gooey and golden brown and the broiler can char my fish until it has the perfect plum-color surface. Two very good things.

This salmon is marinated in a sweet and salty mixture of maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. I added a few chili flakes for a mild kick. Into the oven on a high broiler setting (425-450 deg. F). I sprinkled sesame seeds atop the fillets just a few minutes before the salmon was finished baking.

Served on a bed of whole wheat couscous (only takes 5 min. to cook) and sauteed garlic green beans, I'd say this is a beautifully balanced meal.


Maple Sesame Salmon

From "And then I do the dishes"

Salmon fillets (enough for 4-6 people; have them de-bone the fish at the market)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or Sriracha sauce

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Mix all ingredients except the salmon and sesame seeds. Using either a bowl or a ziplock bag, place the salmon in the marinade and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean-up). Turn on the broiler to 425-450 deg F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Place the salmon on the baking sheet (skin side up) and bake for 10-25 minutes (depending on your fish size and oven, just check it every so often). Baste every so often with the marinade. Flip the salmon over halfway through cooking. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top during the last few minutes of baking. The salmon will be ready when flaked with a fork and done on the inside (opaque flesh).

This makes great left-overs to take for lunch, too. So long lunch rut (for now, anyway).

Sauteed Garlic Green Beans

adapted from Eating Well

Olive oil
1 pound of green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 chopped garlic cloves
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Heat a pan with olive oil over med-high heat. Add the green beans and cook, stirring often, about 2-3 minutes until seared in spots. Reduce heat to medium, add water, cover, and cook about 3 minutes more. Take off the cover to ensure that all the water is evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Finish with balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper.

More NY Eats

So I have done a LOT of eating in the last few weeks. I knocked off quite a few hot spots from my self-made restaurant list. There are still so many more places I have yet to eat in New York City, but, oh, I'll be back. Oh, and I've done a smidge of cooking/baking too...Spicy Chili, Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies...

Ippudo is currently at the top of my list for dinner in New York City. Ramen. Pork buns--gorgeous pillows filled with perfectly cooked and seasoned pork. Cute furniture made for those dining in two's. This place is busy its loud its soooooo good. They will tell you that you have to wait 2 hours on a Wednesday night, but just go around the corner for a beer and come back in 30 min. Stick it out, it won't take a whole 2 hours. I got in after 40 minutes. And it is sooo worth the wait. Just don't make the mistake of attempting to come here with 6 people. Stick to 2 people. Or come for lunch. But yes, Ippudo is my new favorite New York City dinner spot.


Let's talk coffee. Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Inside the Ace Hotel. Very trendy, extremely good coffee. There is a lobby inside the hotel where a slew of trendy New Yorkers sip their coffee (or at night their cocktails) and type away at their laptops, stick their nose into a good book, or chat with an old friend. Stumptown is originally from Portland, Oregon. Who's up for a road-trip to Portland?


Shake Shack. I have no photo because I gobbled this thing up. Yes I ate a burger, a fast-food burger, outside in the snow after a yoga class. Fast food and yoga. Oh yes, I did it. And there was hardly a line, which is a rare occurrence at any Shake Shack location. This burger was good but nothing to rave about. The bun was indeed soft and buttery (compared to the toasty crisper In-N-Out bun). They have yummy shakes, too. My friend ordered a cold shake in the cold weather. And then this friend ordered a hot chocolate from Stumptown right after he finished his chocolate shake. This boy knows how to live right.

Speaking of burgers, have you been to 5 Napkin Burger yet? 10 oz of burger. 10 freaking ounces! Caramelized onions. Gruyere cheese. Absolutely no lettuce, no tomato, no pickle. This is a good place to go after seeing a matinee showing of Memphis.


'Wich Craft. Nice little spot for a sandwich. Grilled cheddar with smoked ham, pear, & mustard on cranberry-pecan bread.


Rue 57. I'm not crazy about Midtown/Times Square. It is too touristy, too crowded, and too corporate. But let's say you have a brother who works as a lawyer in Midtown. You meet him for dinner. Rue 57 is a fine place to dine. It is kind of funny in that it has Parisian cuisine, American classics, and sushi, but somehow it works. Below you will see a few of the many menu options at Rue 57.

Beet Salad: frisee, baby greens, sliced bosc pear, baked goat cheese, orange vinaigrette

Special: Baked clams with sun-dried tomatoes (I enjoyed the clams however my brother thought they were too rubbery; he's had better, he says)

Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Baby Spinach

E.A.T. Oh, the Upper East Side. You really are something. E.A.T. is a gourmet deli/restaurant and if you are itching to see a NYC celeb, I recommend going here for some good eats and good sees.