The Kitchen of Procrastination

Let’s not talk about how long it’s been.

I have today a recipe inspired by a recipe. The original is a ridiculously rich, cheesy mess of a hot spinach and artichoke dip, made with butter, cream, and three kinds of cheese. My husband LOVES it, but it can’t be good for him, especially with the amount he eats. So, I made an attempt to “healthy-fy” it and this is the result, which also makes a very tasty and filling meal. The only downside of this recipe is that is takes 3 pots to make, but I’d like to think it’s worth it.

Also, if you haven’t tried quinoa, the South American ancient grain, this is an excellent introduction that plays off the nutty crunch, while covering it with something imminently familiar (cheese).

Spinach and Artichoke Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (well rinsed in a sieve)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen spinach, warmed in the microwave and squeezed dry
1 can artichokes, quartered
1/2 cup milk
1/2 block cream cheese, cut into 1 in pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (more for sprinkling)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan (more for sprinkling)
hot sauce
salt and pepper

Preheat Oven to 400.
Cook the quinoa by heating in a medium sauce pan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes, till the grain is soft and mostly translucent.

While the quinoa is cooking, in a separate pan cook the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes till lightly golden.
Add spinach and mix to coat with oil. Add artichokes and cook for 2 min more. Slowly add the milk and allow to warm, then add cream cheese and stir well to combine totally. Add the two shredded cheeses and stir. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, pepper. Add to the quinoa and mix thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a 9in pie pan, sprinkle with extra cheese, and bake in the oven until golden crust forms on top.

But NO!  Here is another recipe!

The sad thing is that this recipe has been sitting in my email box, already typed out for the most part for over a month.  I’ve just been in a guilty spiral about not posting, so I haven’t posted.  Makes so much sense, yeah, I know.

Anyway, this here is my favorite summer/early fall soup.  It can easily be served either hot, warm, or chilled.  It can be a complete meal in a pot, and goes great with snacks you probably already have around the house like tortilla chips and salsa.  It is gluten-free, and can be vegan if you leave out the cheese on top.

“Creme” of Broccoli and Lime Soup
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes (or more to taste)
1 small onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, diced (or more to taste)
1 cup diced fresh pepper (such as poblano, anaheim, bell, etc)
2 stalks broccoli, chopped, with stalk and florets separated
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (may omit if not available)
1 box soft silken tofu
1 bunch cilantro leaves
juice and zest of one lime (or more to taste)
3-5 cups water or vegetable broth

Heat the oil on medium heat, in a heavy-bottomed, large soup pan with the cumin and
dried chili flakes. Add onions and saute until just translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add peppers, toss to coat, then add garlic. Continue to saute on medium heat for approximately 5 more
minutes.
Add broccoli ends, mix into aromatics. Add approximately 1 tablespoon lime juice and saute until broccoli is cooked, but still crunchy (will appear a slightly darker green). Add broccoli florets and mix in thoroughly. Turn up to medium-high heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with lime juice, salt, pepper, and Mexican oregano.
Add approximately 3 cups of water or broth, or enough to barely cover the vegetables. Using a
hand-blender, puree the vegetables to a bloodless pulp (my husband’s words). As you are blending, crumble in the tofu and a big handful of cilantro. Adjust the amount of water to your tastes — more for a thin summer soup, less for a thick and creamy version. Turn down to low temperature and add the rest of the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Finished Product

Toppings Options: diced avocado, hot sauce such as Cholula or Valentina, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream, coarsely chopped cilantro

Serve with: corn tortilla chips, roasted corn on the cob, barbeque

I’ve been feeling a little discombobulated lately. I think it’s just the heat and the stress of working in a totally new environment, but one of the ways I cope sometimes is with cooking. Really elaborate cooking. In the past couple weeks I’ve made a nectarine tart with almond crust, cupcakes with chocolate butter cream, and this:

YUM!

This is posole. It’s a traditional Mexican hominy soup, made from dried and processed corn (known as nixtamalized maize) that has been slow cooked in flavorful broth and then further seasoned with chile salsa.  In this case I made the stock from scratch with the unwanted ends of carrots, onions, and jalapeños, de-kernaled corn cobs, garlic cloves, a big handful of cilantro, and a hefty dash of salt.  It was my first time making homemade stock; I was pretty proud of myself.
I also made my own chili colorado, a traditional red sauce that can be added to soups, used as enchilada sauce, or just used like ketchup on everything from hashbrowns and fried eggs to micheladas.  It was reasonably easy to make, the only issue involved grinding close to a cup of pure chili powder from some dried New Mexican chilis I had bought (I used my coffee grinder, coffee was a bit spicy the next day).  I am slowly using up the approximately 2 cups of sauce I made; it’s so good I don’t want it to go to waste.  I’ll probably make some black bean enchiladas with it later this week.
The soup itself was ridiculously simple. You just slowly simmer (I used the oven method!) the posole kernals in the stock, with some added garlic and onion, for a few hours until they pop and get soft. I then added some fresh sweet corn and shredded carrots for added flavor and texture. When everything is at the desired consistency, you stir in the chili sauce and plenty of lime juice.
I ended up topping it with a whipped créme made from avocado, créme fraíche, lime juice, and salt. It provided a soothing fattiness to an otherwise rather lean and spicy soup.

All in all it was quite a success. The whole pot fed us for almost three days. There was at least one day where Zack at it for 3/4 meals in 24 hours. I’m not posting the recipe mostly because it was pretty involved and I’ve gotten the impression that my readers are more interested in simple recipes. However, if anyone is interested, I can!

**Note:I bought my posole at whole foods, it was the “New Mexico foods” brand, available next to some spices in bags on the side of the “ethnic foods” isle.

Yes, another salad.  This one is one of my absolute favorites though.  It’s another very flexible recipe that depends on only two solid components: the peanut tofu mix and a triple herb and lime topping that when sprinkled on top of the rest of the salad brings it to life.  The peanut tofu is super simple!  All it takes is some sautéed extra firm Chinese style tofu (in this instance I used the Trader Joe’s extra protein tofu, which worked especially well, as it’s rather low moisture) and a peanut sauce that can be made in a single mixing bowl.  Now, my Thai salad must include cabbage and carrots, but you can use whichever vegetables you like best; I also love sugar snap peas when they are available.

Peanut Tofu

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 box extra firm tofu, drained
salt and fresh pepper

sauce
3/4 cup light coconut milk, well shaken
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely grated
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
thin hot sauce such as sriracha or Cholula, to taste
Optional: a few sprinkles of vietnamese fish sauce, 1-3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Triple Herbs and Lime
2 parts finely chopped basil (Thai basil is especially good)
2 parts finely chopped cilantro
1 part finely chopped mint
zest of lime
squeeze of lime juice

In a separate bowl mix together all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Blend together with fork until nut butters are smooth and well incorporated with the liquids. Add the salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

Heat the oils and chili in a high walled sauté pan. Crumble the tofu over a colander in the sink, squeezing out any excess liquid. Add the tofu to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir around on med-high heat until the tofu is a nice golden brown, like below.

Golden Brown Tofu

At that point, turn down the heat to low/med-low and pour on about 2/3 of the peanut sauce, enough to coat the tofu. Continue to stir and cook the sauce. Remove from the heat after about 3-5 min.

In another small mixing bowl, mix together the three herbs and the lime zest. Add a little lime juice and stir. Set aside.

Serving: Scoop some tofu onto some salad. Sprinkle with the herb blend, extra lime juice, and a little sesame oil. If you like, you can use the extra peanut sauce as salad dressing.

Finished Product

Comment: Except for the sugar in the peanut sauce this recipe is quite low carb, and as such might not be as filling as some might desire.  In that case, you can always add some rice noodles tossed or lightly fried in toasted sesame oil  to the mix.

In my last post I gave you a list of what I consider to be the most essential spices for your cabinet.  As I was staring at my barren cupboards today, it dawned on me that the box of pasta and can of tomatoes left in there would provide me the perfect opportunity to prove my point.

My favorite kind of pasta: better texture than whole wheat, better nutrition than plain

This is not a complicated, simmered all day kind of pasta sauce, but neither is it Prego.  It is a nice, simple topping for any pasta or bread you choose and can be made quickly and easily.  Throw in a can of beans like cannellinis during the last 5 mins, sprinkle some hard cheese on top, and you have yourself a complete meal that can be made on any work night.

15 Minute Pasta Sauce

2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 small carrot, finely grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed in hand
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used one with garlic and basil already in them)
1/2 package of frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a 2 quart sauce pan. Add the garlic and red chili, saute for 2-3 min until fragrant. Add the carrots and thyme and saute for a few more minutes. Add the tomatoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and blend with a hand blender to desired consistency. Add about half the cheese and continue to simmer, stirring frequently for 2-3 more minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve hot over cooked pasta finished with the remainder of the cheese.

Other serving suggestions: cool and spread over toasted italian bread for a quick bruscetta, use as a pizza sauce, use as a soup base.

Every since I spent two months in Mexico during undergrad, one of my favorite flavors has been green chili.  I love salsa verde, chili relleno, “Chilis en Nogado,” and the green chili cheese sauce they seem to serve at every “Mexican” restaurant in Oklahoma.  Now, I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill green bell peppers.  There is something off about their flavor that I have never really taken to, but give me some jalapeños, poblanos, and seranos, and I’ll be a happy camper.  This recipe combines the classic “fajita” flavors of green chili, onion, garlic, and cumin with a typically Italian base, polenta.  Now, corn is an essential part of Mexican food, it’s one of the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) that formed the staple of the pre-colonial Mesoamerican diet.  Polenta just isn’t one of the ways I encountered corn in Mexico while I was there.

As a tribute to my inspiration, I added some squash to the base and topped it with homemade black beans.  Not only was it delicious, but it made a complete protein and a perfect one bowl meal.

Green Chili Polenta

2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeño, destemmed and finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, destemmed and finely chopped
1 small can hot green chilis, diced
1 small can mild green chilis, diced
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups polenta (not instant)
3 cups water
3 cups milk
1 box frozen pureed winter squash, thawed
1.5 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed dutch oven (I use a 5 quart cast iron one). Add the cumin and red pepper flakes. When the cumin is fragrant, add the onion and sauté for ~3 min, until translucent. Add the chilis and garlic and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the polenta to the pot and toss to coat. Add the salt, water, milk, and squash. Bring mixture to an early boil, stirring well.
When heated well, place in the oven. Bake for 45-50 min, stirring once. When polenta reaches desired consistency, may remove from oven, or stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and return to oven for 5-10min.
Serve immediately, topped with seasoned black beans, monterrey jack or cheddar cheese (or Oaxacan cheese if you can find it), and salsa if you like.

I love polenta, because as you can see it’s super easy to make! You just add the flavors, stick it in the oven and basically forget about it for an hour. If you’d like the recipe for the black beans, just let me know!

So, I’m at my brother and sister’s-in-law house this weekend and they proposed a challenge for my blog.  They will be moving to a new state in a few weeks and are trying to get rid of as much extraneous junk as possible, including canned goods and other food stuffs.  My challenge was to make dinner using as many ingredients as they already had (pretty random assortment).

The result: curried chickpeas and spinach with coconut rice

curried chick peas and spinach over coconut rice

I was inspired by a spice blend I recently bought at Pensey’s Spice called “Balti” that is a warm, complicated Pakistani mix with 18 different spices and herbs including the main elements of coriander, garlic, ginger, and cumin.

Coconut Rice

1 part brown basmati rice
1 part lite coconut milk
1 part water
Splash of oil (peanut or olive) and salt

Heat the oil in a lidded pan large enough to hold all ingredients above. Add the rice and salt, and stir till the rice is coated in oil. Lightly toast the rice in the hot oil. Add the water and the coconut milk, stir. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 45 min. Fluff the rice with a fork.
** Depending on what you are having this with, adding whole spices to adds delicious fragrance to the rice. I recommend trying cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and or cardamom pods.

Indian chickpeas and spinach

2 Tbs neutral oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
crushed red chili flakes (to taste)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 lbs fresh spinach
1 15oz can chopped tomatoes
salt
tarka (see below)

Heat the oil on med high with the cumin and chili flakes. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté the onion for 3-5 min until translucent, then add the garlic. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes then add ginger. When the spices are good and fragrant, add the chickpeas. Toss them in the spices to coat and cook for about 5 minutes to infuse the flavor into them. Add the spinach and mix well. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then add tomatoes. Turn the heat down to med, cover, and simmer for 30 min, stirring regularly.
When the chickpeas are soft, and the spinach is fully mushy, salt very well. Serve over the coconut rice and top with tarka to desired spiciness.

Tarka
(this is the key to a good curry!)

4 Tbs butter or ghee
1/4 Tbs red chili flakes
1/2 Tsp cumin seeds
1 Tsp Balti
1/4 Tsp curry powder

(These can be adjusted to taste, all measurements are approximate). Warm the butter in a pan and add the spices. Cook on med/med-low heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Spoon on top of dish for serving, then mix in.

Some great things about this meal include that it’s got complete protein from the legumes and brown rice, it has some super foods from the spinach,  canned tomatoes, and turmeric (in the curry blends).  It’s low fat, although the coconut milk does not have the best *kinds* of fat (almost 100% saturated fat), the lite milk does not have very much.

The worst thing about this meal is that it technically takes 3 pans to make.  Theoretically, you could add the spices that compose the tarka straight into the chickpeas and spinach towards the end of the cooking process, but I think you would lose some of the complexity of the dish (and you wouldn’t be able to adjust for individual tastes when serving).

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Please let me know if you make any of the above, and how they worked out.