A Short Silence

Things have been pretty quiet around here for the past week and a half. I went on a very fun and much needed vacation getaway and had a wonderful time. Here's something just to feast your eyes on until I get back into the swing of things. It's an absolutely delicious cheese and anchovy pizza. Everything we used to make it, including the dough, the brushcetta sauce, the cheese, the anchovies, and the big leaves of fresh basil came from Trader Joe's. It was perfect.

Warm Lentils

Living in a student cooperative, the variety of food available is often overwhelming. There are dozens of ingredients I would never buy for myself available on a daily basis. In the time I spent living in a co-op, I learned to cook foods that were foreign to me, foods I just never had growing up and would simply skim over on restaurant menus, frankly because I didn't know any better. I learned to work with and come to love ingredients like tofu, collard greens, and coconut milk. But living back at home, I have several picky eaters in the house that are wary of our family's simple eating habits. Ingredients I relied on in the co-op just didn't make it into our grocery bag. That's okay, I certainly don't mind being a little flexible. But once in a while I pine for something beyond our family's routine.

Lentils are one such dish. It's not that lentils are foreign to my family, it's just not something we usually eat. But when I saw Ina Garten's warm French lentils in her new cookbook, I knew I had to have them. They're warm and homey, scented with onion and cloves and bursting with flavor. The carrots and leeks make the perfect duo amongst these lentils, and a gentle drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt give the dish a perfect finish. Dishes like this are so comforting, they almost feel nostalgic, yet I have no memory to link these lentils to. This is food that takes you to a place you were never aware of and invites you to linger and enjoy the experience.

I barely changed Ina's recipe. The dressing for the lentils seems very salty on its own, but after the lentils sit for a minute or two, the lentils soak up the flavor and the dish tastes perfectly seasoned. The only thing I omitted was the turnip she added to the cooking liquid, and I didn't use French lentils, just the brown lentils that were available at my local market (which I suppose are less refined). The rest seemed too perfect to change a bit. Whether lentils are part of your typical diet or you rarely eat them, you're sure to enjoy the simple comfort of this delicious dish.

Warm Lentils
Adapted, very slightly, from Ina Garten's How Easy Is That?*

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced 1/4 inch thich
2 carrots, peeled and 1/2 inch diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup lentils
1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 6 cloves
1 teaspoon butter
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add leek and carrots and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Set aside.

2. Place lentils, 4 cups of water, and the onion with cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the leek and carrots. Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. Discard the onion and drain the lentils. Place them in a medium bowl and stir in butter.

3. Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the lentils and stir well. Allow the lentils to cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with bread.

*Please ignore the nasty book reviews on Amazon. I really think this book is lovely and beautifully put together. There were many recipes that I'm just dying to make (and many that I already have). As for those who said Ina's book was out of touch and not exactly "easy," Ina never intended the book to be filled with three ingredient recipes that you can throw together in 15 minutes. Unfortunately, many Americans only consider food "easy" if it can be ready simply by pressing the button of a microwave. This book is about creating good food using relatively straight forward ingredients and simple techniques. I think it's an excellent book.

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins and Healthy Meals

Recently, a friend of mine and I (hi Emma!) decided to cook dinner together. She texted me the idea, and just as I was about to respond with "Great! Let's make gnocchi with vodka sauce!" she warned, "But it has to be healthy."

Healthy? Well, sure, I definitely want to be healthy. That's a no brainer! But it wasn't until a sat down and started thinking of what we should actually make that I realized most of what I enjoy cooking (and certainly most of what I end up posting on this site) isn't exactly going to win any gold medals for being a healthy choice.

It's not that I don't care about healthy food. I do, a lot. In fact, I really like healthy food and consider myself to have a fairly balanced, nutritious diet. One of the problems is, when it comes down to what I'm going sit down and write about in my blog, health foods aren't usually at the top of my list. Comfort foods are my favorite, and while I definitely don't eat them all the time, those are the foods I get really excited about. So those are the foods that end up here.

The other problem is that I absolutely can't stand how many Americans perceive "healthy foods." Personally, I'm much less concerned about calories and carbohydrates than I am about using real ingredients. I would much rather use a tablespoon of butter than a tablespoon of butter-flavored no-calorie product that was dreamed up in a laboratory and is loaded with artificial ingredients and preservatives, which can be potentially toxic to our bodies. Call me crazy, but I'll take the calories thank-you-very-much and I sincerely believe that despite a higher caloric content, I would be making a healthier choice for my body. Those are principles that I cook and eat by. I also really dislike the obsessive mentality that some Americans seem to have about healthy eating and living. There seems to be an all or none mentality with so many diets out there -- NO carbs, NO fats, NO red meat -- I can hardly keep track! Eating real and delicious food in moderation sounds a lot more enjoyable, and more healthy, to me.

However, I have been reflecting on my diet recently. Since being sick over the past few months, I have taken a huge interest in natural and alternative medicine. It seems to be really paying off -- I feel great, my energy's up, and I'm feeling healthier and happier than I've been in a long while. But all this focus on my health has kind of thrown my diet into sharp relief. I often don't eat as well as I should, indulging in rich, fattening, or sweet foods too frequently. Those types of foods are okay, once in a while, but I want to really work on improving my day to day nutrition so that the medicines and supplements I'm taking can work better.

I'm starting with these muffins. Whole grain carrot muffins to be precise. They're hearty and filling, each one brimming with carrots and crunchy pecans. There's only a scant 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar (which is far less refined than its white cousin) in 12 of these muffins and a whopping 1 1/2 cups of grated carrots. Served warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey, they're a perfect way to start the morning and a wonderful snack in the afternoon. The recipe comes from Martha Rose Shulman of the New York Times.

I also thought I would make a quick list of my favorite healthy recipes that I've posted on this site. This is not comprehensive, just a collection of highlights. There are quite a few worth mentioning. Now, when I say healthy, I don't necessarily mean low calorie. I'm talking about foods with good fats, good grains, and good ingredients -- foods that are nourishing for your mind, body, and soul. Isn't that what health is really all about?

A Few of Favorite Healthy Foods
Easy Pad Thai
This recipe is light, easy, and perfect for summer. Look for brown rice sticks in your local health foods store for a boost of nutrition
Bruschetta
A fresh classic. Don't just eat it with bread, try it on grilled fish or chicken as well.
Vegetable Spring Rolls
I love these. They're fresh, easy, and a great way to eat more raw veggies. Try them with shrimp or tofu for a little extra protein. While the peanut dipping sauce that's served along side is certainly not low fat, my favorite recipe uses natural peanut butter, nutritious coconut milk, and delicious shallots and ginger.
Broiled Grapefruit
This is one of my favorite breakfasts when ruby red grapefruits are in season.
Double Broccoli Quinoa
My all time favorite quinoa. So delicious. With parmesan cheese and a touch of cream, broccoli pesto is certainly rich, but this dish is loaded with veggies and good fats in the avocado and almonds.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies? These are made with whole wheat flour, no refined sugar, and tons of grated zucchini. And the good news? They actually taste better than most chocolate chip cookies I've had.
Ginger Garlic Fish in Parchment
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish. Serve over a bed of brown rice and it's a perfect meal
Tabbouleh
This was my first food blog post! I still make this exact recipe all the time in the summer. It makes a great lunch. Substitute the feta for roast chicken for some protein.

Cajun Jambalaya

Okay, so this jambalaya is about two days late. But oh man was it good, I just have to talk about it. That's allowed, right? If it means anything, I did in fact enjoy this on fat Tuesday with a nice big hurricane to wash it down. And, really, why should a dish so delicious be confined to one day per year? You can make this jambalaya right this second and enjoy it every bit as much as you would have on Mardi Gras. And trust me, there's a lot to enjoy.

I first became enamored with New Orleans/Creole/Louisiana style food after going to a fabulous restaurant in Berkeley called Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen. Oh, how I pine for it. I went there for lunch one day and had a wonderful shrimp po' boy sandwich, succulent, juicy, and piled high with crispy lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Deeply intrigued, I decided to return for dinner some time later when I was prepared to stomach a much larger meal. I know I started with a glass of sweet iced tea, Southern style and served in a Mason jar. Then we moved on to hushpuppies, golden, crispy and slathered in honey butter. The main course was buttermilk fried chicken with a glorious sweet potato mash and green beans served along side. And dessert was none other than New Orleans famous beignets, warm, soft, and with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. It was absolute heaven. I've since been back to Angeline's several times and enjoyed many of their dishes, including gumbo, ribs, jambalaya, and cajun shrimp. The flavors are intense and exciting, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and the food is rich and delicious. I loved it immediately.

But back to this jambalaya. After frequenting Angeline's several times, I became interested in recreating some of those distinctive flavors on my own. Needless to say, I was intimidated. I am a very simple cook who tends to stick to very safe, surefire meals. I don't use a lot of spices, frankly because I'm just not familiar with them. But when fat Tuesday rolled around this year, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

I browsed the internet for jambalaya, a dish I felt confident I could recreate (I mean, come on, it's just rice, some veggies, and meat right?) and I found a lot of different recipes. There's always an issue of authenticity with foods that have such a legacy behind them. I mean, what constitutes real jambalaya? I'm sure a dozen different chefs would come up with a dozen different answers. I finally settled on a recipe from Emeril Lagasse that looked delicious, easy, and didn't use a million ingredients that didn't have already in my pantry. When I've seen him on TV, I kind of find Emeril kind of obnoxious, but I knew that I could trust him with cajun food and that he certainly would have a credible jambalaya recipe.

I made a couple of changes to his recipe, mostly with proportions. It drives me nuts when recipes call for a homemade spice mixture, and the recipe they give for the spice mixture makes like five cups. I want to know just how much of each spice I need to use for this specific recipe, not make enough spice mixture to last me a lifetime. I found that if you use a heaping 1/4 teaspoon for every tablespoon that Emeril lists, you get the perfect amount of spice mixture for this jambalaya. I also beefed mine up with more chicken, more veggies, and added a bit more rice (I added a bit more of the spice mixture to compensate for all the extras I put in).

It came out beautifully. It was flavorful, spicy, and brimming with vegetables, chicken, shrimp, and sausage. I finished it with fresh parsley and a squirt or lemon juice to give it a little freshness. And the good news is, the leftovers were even better. I will absolutely make this again. Mardi Gras not required.

Cajun Jambalaya
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Serves about 4

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into large chunks
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
About 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white onion, chopped (about half a large onion)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (about one bell pepper)
1/2 cup celery, diced (about three stalks of celery)
2 generous tablespoons of chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup white, long grain rice
3 cups of chicken stock
5 ounces of Andouille sausage, sliced into coins
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine shrimp, chicken, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning in a bowl. Work seasoning into the meat and set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook over high heat, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute more, just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and stir well. Stir in rice and slowly add chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice beings to absorb some of the liquid and become just tender, about 15 minutes (the rice should not be done at this point, but should be more than halfway there).

3. Add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook, stirring frequently so the bottom of the pot doesn't burn, until the meat is just cooked through and the rice is fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your chicken dices. Season with salt, pepper, and any remaining Creole seasoning. Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley and a lemon wedge if desired.

Creole Seasoning
Use heaping teaspoons so you'll have a little extra to season with in the end

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. That's it.

Chicken Pot Pie

Rainy days are for comfort foods. Foods that make you feel warm inside, that make you want to curl up and fall asleep to the sound of raindrops. Foods that are rich, satisfying, and make you close your eyes and smile.

Since rainy days are scarce in San Diego, I rarely have the appropriate atmosphere to make my favorite comfort foods (something about eating stew on a warm sunny day just isn't right, don't you think?). So when the weather does cool off and stormy weather moves in, I make sure comfort food is on the dinner menu.

Chicken pot pie is probably my favorite of all. It's everything you could ever hope for in a comforting meal: warm, hearty, and absolutely delicious. Plus you can make them in their own individual ramekins so the pot pie is all yours. When you break through the flaky crust of your pot pie, piping hot from the oven, you're met with a luxurious, creamy sauce brimming with sweet bright vegetables, flakes aromatic herbs, and big chunks of moist chicken. And when you let the crust soak a little bit in the sauce? Hooohh man, it's good. I mean really good.

I adapted my recipe from Ina Garten because, let's be real, who does comfort food better than Ina? You can find the original recipe here. I used left over roast chicken instead of roasting chicken breasts specifically for this recipe. Either works I suppose so long as you have about 4 to 6 cups of chicken (I fell a little short). I also made a few changes, including reducing the amount of butter (a stick and a half?! Really Ina?), adding fresh thyme, and a splash of cognac. Doesn't that sound irresistable? So go ahead. Enjoy a rainy day right -- with this chicken pot pie on your plate.

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Ina Garten

Makes between 4 and 6 individual pot pies*

For pie filling
4-6 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken boullion cubes
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter**
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
2 cups medium-diced carrots
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup half and half or cream
2 tablespoons congac
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry 
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold salted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Prepare the pastry. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, mix flour and baking powder. Add shortening and butter and pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, slowly add ice water until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead it gently until it forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place int he refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan. Stir in bouillon cubes until dissolved. In a large heavy bottom pot, melt butter over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add congac and cook for 1 minute. Add hot chicken stock. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes, until thick. Add cubed chicken, peas, parsley, and thyme.

3. Divide pie pastry into 4 equal parts. Roll out each part on a floured surface into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.

4. Divide pie filling into 4 ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Place a piece of dough over each bowl and trim the dough so that it is 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl. Reserve extra pastry for additional pies. Crimp the dough over the bowl, brush the tops with egg wash, and make three slits on the top of the pies. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
nocoupons
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for one hour, until crust is golden and the filling is bubbling hot. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes and enjoy.

*I largely followed the proportions of Ina's recipe, which claims to make 4 pot pies, and came out with 6. A lot of it depends on the size of the ovenproof bowls you use. I wrote the recipe as making 4 pot pies, but if you have extra filling, just use the excess pastry dough you trimmed off the edges and make more. They are also freezable!

**Warning, these were still VERY rich. I think if, who am I kidding, when I make them again I'll cut down on the butter even more, maybe 3/4 or even 1/2 a stick.

Raspberry Custard Tart with Chocolate Ganache

 

I am so excited to tell you about this tart because it's very delicious. The pictures of it are, well, for lack of a better word, terrible. I took them on my camera phone before eagerly devouring this. What can I say? I am the epitome of class.

This tart began with one simple idea: fresh raspberries. My good friend Rachel came down to San Diego to visit for a few days and we were put in charge of dessert. When we discovered we had fresh raspberries at our disposal, it was pretty much a no brainer. We began thinking of raspberry desserts -- raspberry cobbler, raspberry ice cream cake, raspberry tuiles --  but nothing struck our interest like the idea of this raspberry tart.

 

Inspired by a raspberry tart online, we set to work. We needed a tart shell, vanilla custard filling, and chocolate ganache to go in between them. What followed was a hodgepodge of recipes and creativity that left us with a beautiful, elegant, and delectable tart. It wasn't too sweet, it wasn't too chocolaty, the crust was buttery and flaky, the custard was creamy, and of course, the fresh raspberries shined through like delicious little gems. According to my 13 year old sister who eats only cheeseburgers and foods covered in ketchup, this tart was, "The best thing ever!!" That's really saying something.

See the thin layer of chocolate between the crust and the custard? That's the good stuff!

I'll give you the recipes we used for each part of the tart then tell you how put it all together in a flash. It really is a breeze to make but eating it you'll feel as fancy as can be.

Raspberry Custard Tart with Chocolate Ganache

1 tart shell, cooled (recipe follows)

1 batch vanilla custard filling (recipe follows)

2 oz unsweetened bar chocolate*

A tablespoon of cream or half and half

A tablespoon or so of sugar (to taste)

Fresh raspberries

Powdered sugar, for serving

Tart Shell

I followed this recipe and technique by Smitten Kitchen. It worked beautifully and the shell turned out buttery and flaky.

Vanilla Custard Filling

Rachel was in charge of this part and she used her tried an true pastry cream filling from All Recipes. It turned out lovely with a strong kick of vanilla.

Method

To make ganache: In a double boiler, slowly melt chocolate and cream. Add sugar to taste.

Spread the hot melted chocolate on the tart shell in a thin layer, using just enough chocolate to coat the bottom of the shell. Pour in cool pastry cream. Decoratively place raspberries around the edge of the tart. Use as many raspberries as you like. Place tart in the refrigerator and allow the filling to set slightly, about an hour (or if you're impatient like me, just eat it straight away). Dust powdered sugar over the raspberries just before serving and enjoy.

*We wanted to go for really dark chocolate, so we started with unsweetened chocolate and slowly added sugar. Feel free to adapt the type of chocolate to your taste -- I'm sure chocolate chips would do just fine (if you omit the extra sugar).