“What’s your least favorite food?” This has to be one of the most popular questions when filling out a profile, during the first day of school or maybe in a round of “getting to know you” games. For most, it’s usually a vegetable. For me, it was always brussel sprouts and eggplant. Then came my delicious deliverance. I began roasting my vegetables! Just a few drops of olive oil, salt and pepper, and I could no longer resist my vegetables, even brussel sprouts or eggplant. Had my oven become a magic meal makeover machine that turned mushy vegetables into brilliantly caramelized-tasting treasures? For now, let’s go with that.
On a whim, I picked up a can of chickpeas on the way home today. Yes, I realize most people pick up milk or bread or some sort of normal staple item. Sometimes you just have to mix it up. Thus, tonight’s dinner venture was an open-faced hummus sandwich with slices of roasted carrots. The honey oatmeal bread was the first product of my new favorite kitchen toy: a chrome-colored stand mixer.
(Beautiful, isn't she?!)
Anyway, back to the sandwich. For the spread, I made my go-to hummus, cilantro lime, and then piled on the slices of tender, roasted carrot. If carrots aren’t your fancy, roasted chicken could also be a good option, maybe even turkey. The way this sandwich was going, it might give the hot brown a run for its money!
Roasting is easy. Preheat your oven to 375, that part stays the same. Then, depending on the size and thickness of your veggies, cook for anywhere between 10 minutes (asparagus, maybe broccoli) and 25-30 minutes (carrots, parsnips, brussel sprouts, etc.). It’s really about your preference on tenderness. So be sure to check on them periodically with the old poke-‘em-with-a-fork test.
My advice is to roast off a bunch of carrots for the week and then use them throughout your other dishes during the week. Toss them with some pasta, parmesan, and a little parsley; chop them up with some red bell peppers and add them to a breakfast omelet; drizzle some honey or reduced balsamic vinegar over top and eat them as a sweet side dish.
Nothing says ‘wholesome meal’ like butter and cream. Every kitchen ought to have a recipe for a simple white cream sauce in its arsenal. The versatility of a white cream sauce is underappreciated, especially since its ingredients are things you probably have on hand already. The sauce will gently pillow vegetables, chicken, or pasta, making each bite feel like a supple, buttery cushion. A cream sauce is like an embrace, warm and comforting.
In my family, Dilly Peas and Carrots meant a thick cream sauce flavored with dill weed and white wine mixed with cooked peas and carrots. While browsing the internet for other Dilly Peas recipes, I was horrified to see dill pickle juice as one of the main ingredients! The combination of peas and pickle juice (aka salt and vinegar) sounds like someone was tipsy in the kitchen. Dill weed and white wine, on the other hand, give the basic cream sauce an aromatic edge. The pungent kick of white wine along with the tangy, grassy flavor of dill keeps the flavor simple yet unique. You could also add lemon juice, parmesan, or garlic to your own version. The recipe could be served by itself as a side, or topped over pasta or chicken for a more substantial meal.
Dilly Peas and Carrots
Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen peas
2 T butter
2 T flour
½ cup white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper
1 T dried dill weed
3 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions:
1.In a medium sized saucepot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil.
2.Add in carrots and peas, simmer for about 7-8 minutes, or until carrots are fork tender. Drain.
3.Meanwhile, in a small saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat.
4.Add in flour and stir until bubbly, about 3 minutes – do not brown.
5.Add wine, stirring constantly.
6.Slowly add cream, stir to desired consistency (may need to add more/less liquids).
7.Season with salt and pepper and dill weed.
8.Add in carrots and peas. Garnish with green onions.
A challenge taken to the next level may qualify as an obsession, but none have enjoyed the fruits of their labor more than hungry college kids. With Arborio rice rounding out to about $3.25 a pound, we have selected the vegetable additions carefully so we do not waste a morsel. But honestly, how often does a risotto go to waste? This time around we chose carrots, inspired by the most recent episode of Iron Chef, Battle Carrot.
Mushroom Risotto is often the first thing people rattle off when asked about risotto. With a rustic combination of wine and mushrooms, it entices even the staunchest opposition. It always has my mouth watering, although I have been disappointed in the grayish color it takes on the plate. Even a garnish couldn’t rescue it from its storm-cloud appearance. It needed a punch of color.
Teeny, vibrant orange chunks of carrot and a carrot puree gave the entire dish a warm, orange hue; specks of fresh parsley added more than just a contrasting color. Caramelized in a fatty mixture of butter and oil, the carrots melted in your mouth like soft, sweetened snowflakes. Shredded Parmesan cheese tightly hugged each piece of risotto rice, even as the broth swam in between. Every heaping spoonful coated my mouth with a creamy cover, carrots giving me a sweet kiss at the end. In just a few bites, you are full. It’s both the beauty and the cruel joke of risotto. It demands you to save some for lunch tomorrow, even if your eyes tell you to gobble it all up now.
Carrot Risotto
Ingredients:
2 T vegetable oil, divide
3 T butter, divided
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped very finely and evenly [about 2-3 cups]
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 t pepper
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup minced onion
1 ½ cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup Parmesan and Asiago Cheeses
2 T butter
3 T fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
Instructions:
1.Heat 1 T and 1 T butter over medium heat in medium sized pot.
2.Add carrots and stir until well coated. Add ½ cup water, ½ t salt, and the sugar. Cover and cook 5 min, or until tender.
3.Uncover and cook, until water evaporates and carrots are just starting to brown, stir occasionally.
4.Reserve half the carrots. In a blender, puree the other half with ¾ c hot water.
5.Heat broth in another pot, keep at a simmer.
6.Heat remaining oil and butter over medium heat in same pot used for the carrots.
7.Add onion, cook until translucent, about 3 min.
8.Add rice, coat with butter and oil. Lightly brown.
9.Add wine and cook until wine evaporates, stirring.
10.Add carrot puree and cook until mixture no longer looks soupy, stir constantly.
11.Add ½ cup hot broth, stirring constantly, until rice absorbs most of the liquid. Repeat until rice is al dente [about 20 min; remaining broth: about 1 cup].
12.Fold in reserved carrots, cheeses, butter, parsley and thyme.
13.Add in broth to loosen the risotto. Season with salt and pepper.
Few dieticians would recommend it, but I commend eating a side dish as a main dish; especially if it’s comfort food.After a long week, smashing potatoes to a creamy pulp was therapeutic as well as delicious.The kitchen air was sweetened by carrots, maple syrup, and red wine.The recipe I used called for chili powder and dill.Admittedly, I was timid about trying these, but they added aromatic explosions. What I ended up with was a delectably sweet and fluffy combination.The buttery mashed potatoes melted and slowly made way for the glazed carrots and delicate onions. Strangely enough, it reminded me of French toast – but it was…carrots and mashed potatoes?The obvious culprit was maple syrup, but who cares! This could be an innovative trick to getting kids to eat their veggies.If brussel sprouts tastes like chocolate I would definitely change my tone about them.Or maybe this might be a new featured side dish at Thanksgiving dinner – watch out Sweet Potato Pie!
Red Wine and Maple Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
2 T butter
¼ cup thinly sliced onions
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and Pepper
4 large carrots, diagonally sliced
1/3 cup pure maple syrup [I mixed syrup with honey, ½ and ½]
1 cup dry red wine
2-3 tsp dried dill
Instructions:
1.Heat butter in skillet until bubbling, add onions.Cook until translucent and caramelized.
2.Add salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir until you smell it.
3.Add carrots, maple syrup mix, and wine.Cover and simmer for about 20 min, or until carrots are tender and sauce has reduced to a glaze.Stir occasionally.
4.Remove from heat. Add dill.Serve by itself, or over some mashed potatoes!
I know it’s only Sunday, March 14th, but for those of us with busy schedules or class until six on Wednesdays, St. Patty’s Day dinner has to come early. Don’t worry, I’ll still be wearing green on March 17th, but the Corned Beef and Cabbage and Champ couldn’t wait.
Let’s face it, there is not much more Irish than Corned Beef Brisket…oh wait. It didn’t actually originate in Ireland. The closest relation in Irish traditional cooking is a Bacon Joint and Cabbage [which is more like Canadian bacon or even ham]. It seems our Irish-American ancestors swapped a pig for a cow mostly due to financial reasons, but it remains a favorite edible associate of St. Patty’s Day celebrations in the U.S.
The recipe we used this weekend was excellent for a Sunday dinner. When making this Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, allow a few hours for the beef to reach the desired tenderness [each pound takes about an hour to cook]. It is the easiest way to cook corned beef because you don’t need to constantly monitor it. Slow cooking the beef allowed us to leave it simmering away on the stove while we enjoyed some wonderful, warm sunshine. Finally! It took the spirit of good ol’ St. Patrick to shove the cold and clouds away for the day.
Then, today I used some of leftover corned beef to make a simple Cheddar and Corned Beef Sandwich along with some apple sauce and a Samoa Girl Scout Cookie. So that’s at least two meals out of that corned beef yet!
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients:
3 lbs corned beef brisket [came with spice packet, if not would recommend mustard seeds, salt, pepper – simple seasonings]
1 head of cabbage
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
Instructions:
1.Place brisket in Dutch oven. Cover with water. Add the spice packet [or your own blend].
2.Cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
3.Simmer about 50-60 min per pound, or until tender.
4.Add carrots and cabbage. Cook for about 15 more min, until tender.
5.Drain water.
6.Take out brisket, let rest on cutting board.
7.Cut across grain into slices.
**Recommend dipping the beef in Dijon mustard!
Champ
Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped into pieces
1 cup scallions [green onions], sliced
1 cup milk/cream
Butter, salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1.Boil potatoes until tender.
2.In small saucepan, simmer milk and scallions until thickens a bit.
3.Mash potatoes with beaters.
4.Separate scallions; add all. Then slowly pour in milk as it’s blended.
5.Heap potatoes on plate, put dollop of butter in center to dip potatoes.
Overall, the dinner is a classic, if not entirely traditional, Irish feast. My last recommendation would be a loaf of soda bread to accompany this delicious meal. Hope this helps you with your St. Patrick’s Day plan!
P.S. – My Cheddar and Corned Beef Sandwich recipe from today was very good, and again pretty simple. Makes for a hearty and tasty lunchtime experience.
It’s midterm week and I signed up for four shifts of work this week…all in a row. Monday, I had 10 minutes between class and work. What resulted? Peanut butter and jelly toast and a glass of milk, an apple in tote as I hauled it to work; so my apologies for not keeping up with the blog. In all honesty, I haven’t been making anything of real merit anyway. Until today!
Tuesday, an unloved weekday for most, allows me the greater afternoon to prepare foodstuffs. I had about a half pound of ground beef in the fridge, and knowing that this week would be a scramble for finding time for food, I decided to cook all of it at once and then refrigerate it. When I need it I just throw it into a frying pan with a few teaspoons of water and vwahlah! Instant beef! Okay, so it’s not actually miracle grow ground beef, but as long as you use it within the week it should stay fresh enough to add to rice, pasta, couscous or potatoes.
So today, I wanted to see how it worked out with some couscous and boiled carrots. And it worked out quite well. With the added tart of lemon juice and saltiness of seasonings, it was one heap of tastytasty. It’s a pretty straight forward dish and you could easily add frozen peas, broccoli, chicken etc to this dish to switch it up. Play with the spices, make it your own. It’s a quick and easy meal though, and that’s why I liked it.
Couscous with Ground Beef and Carrots
Ingredients:
A little more than ½ c homemade chicken broth
½ c couscous
1 T butter
Salt and pepper
1 t lemon juice
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 t lemon juice
Dash of salt
1 c ground beef
½ onion, finely chopped
½ clove garlic, minced
½ t garlic powder
Instructions:
1.In a large frying pan, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain off grease. Remove beef and place on paper towel to soak up any extra fat. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.
2.Add in onions and garlic to the frying pan, cook until onions are translucent. Add beef back in, heat until warm.
3.Boil chicken broth in small saucepan for about 5 min [re-measure at the end of boiling, if not enough for ½ c, add water]. Cook couscous according to package instructions.
4.In another saucepan, boil water over high heat. Put carrot slices in, boil for about 5 min until tender; remove from heat.
5.Add lemon juice and salt to carrots.
6.Add butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper to couscous.
It’s a heavy belly bomb of flavor and satisfaction; you will most likely want a nap afterwards to complete your relaxing feast. It’s so hot you can barely eat it, but burning a couple taste buds seems a worthy price to pay. Few things can be valued as greatly as a homemade chicken pot pie. To me, it’s home, it’s family, it’s love. Although this time I went it alone: made it myself, with a new recipe and no family to partake in the eating, it was the same delicious goodness that I remembered from childhood.
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs
2 chicken legs
2 T olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken stock [homemade is the best!]
½ c heavy cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c frozen peas
Salt and pepper
2 pie dough shells [refrigerated]
Instructions:
In large pot, boil chicken in about 4-5 c of water for about 15 min, until cooked.
Remove from water, let cool. Then cut into chunks.
Slowly pour in chicken broth, whisk until smooth over medium low heat.
Once thickened, whisk in cream.
Add can of cream of mushroom soup, continue to whisk until smooth and thick.
10. Add in chicken and vegetables, and frozen peas. Salt and pepper this dish lightly as it does
not need added salt.
11. Continue to cook over medium heat until heated through.
** ***This can be made ahead of time, just keep on stove on low heat until ready to bake.
12. 12. Preheat oven to 350.
13. 13. Put first pie shell in bottom of ceramic casserole dish, do not poke holes in crust.
14 14. Add in the cream, veggie, chicken mix.
15. 15. Put second pie shell over top, pinch sides.
Mondays and Wednesdays are killer class schedule days. When it’s all said and done, I am in class until 6pm, with only about a 2 hour break in between. Jealous yet? Didn’t think so. By the end of the day, I come home tired and hungry, hoping that the magic food fairy has left me something quick, easy and delicious on the stove. It’s Week 4 of cooking at college, and I am beginning to lose faith in her “supernatural abilities”.
Yesterday, I decided to take preparation matters into my own hands and have something pop right out of the oven on my return. It was a 5 hour stew! Well, it actually turned out to be more of a 4 hour stew because I made a little less. Regardless, it was one of those warm winter meals that invites you to the table, and then sticks with you all night. With adequate planning, this meal is simple and savory. The few adjustments I made to the stew were that I added a clove of garlic – my rational: when have I added garlic and not had it come out better? [haha] The original recipe called for an entire can of both soups, and I kept that, although I cut down on all other ingredients. I like my stew a little more soupy. [Also, what do you do with half a can of cream of celery soup?] Also, 225 degrees may seem very low, even lower than most recipes online would call for, but since I was leaving my soup completely unattended I wanted it at a very low temperature so that the liquid wouldn’t all burn off or burn the dormitory down. [I feel like paying for damages would offset my budget a bit.] Sounds like a lot of modifications, and yes, some of them were more or less victims of circumstance, but this stew came out absolutely delicious.
…Maybe the little kitchen fairy was watching over my food after all :)
5 Hour Stew
Ingredients:
½ - 1 lb. stew beef, raw
2 med potatoes, peeled, in chunks
4 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 onions - thick chunks
1 clove garlic, diced
½ c frozen peas, cooked in ¼ c of water
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Instructions:
