Tag Archives: Salad

Cakes, Fruit, Poultry, Salads

Curried Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Salad and Apple Honey Bundt Cake

When my husband was young, his birthday dinner of choice was his mom’s chicken curry. Shortly after we started dating, he made me the dish and, well, we’re married now. It’s just that good. He still makes it for me often. Though we’ve eaten it dozens of times together, we always end the meal by agreeing that “this was the best batch ever.”

The apple honey cake was left over from Rosh Hashanah dinner last weekend. Honey and apples are traditionally eaten on this holiday. What better way to combine them than a Bundt cake?

Curried Chicken
adapted From my mother-in-law, Kathy

Serves 4 to 6

4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 teaspoon dried ground chili peppers (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 whole chicken, cut into breasts, leg quarters, and wings
3 tablespoons butter
2 or 3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups (480 ml) boiling water

Combine the dry ingredients and rub them onto the chicken. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and brown the onions over a medium heat. Pushing the onions to the sides of the pan, add the chicken to the onions and brown slightly over a medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add any remaining spice rub mixture to the water. Add the browned chicken and onions to the pot. Cook over a low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Stir the chicken pieces around, remove the cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes or longer.

Serve with rice, cucumber yogurt salad, and chutney.

***

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Serves 4 to 6

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
3 cups (720 ml) plain yogurt

Place the sliced cucumber in a colander. Sprinkle with enough salt to cover the slices and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Mix together the cucumbers and yogurt in a serving bowl.

***

Apple Honey Bundt Cake
adapted from Allrecipes

Makes 12 servings

1 cup (200 g) white sugar
1 cup (230 ml) vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup (160 ml) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 to 1 cup (50 to 100 g) chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 9‑inch Bundt pan. 

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs until light, then stir in the honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the apples and nuts. 

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate and tapping out of the pan. 

Entertaining, Indian food, Miscellaneous, Poultry, Salads

Chicken Tikka Masala, Pan-roasted Curried Cauliflower and Peas, Cucumber Raita, and Apricot Chutney

If you’ve ever been invited to dinner at my house, chances are this is what I served you. The dishes always turn out well. Even people who think they don’t like Indian food like this meal. The tikka masala is an adaptation from a Chicago Tribune recipe. It’s probably not even an ounce authentic, but I still love it. The accompaniments, raita and chutney, are traditionally served with Indian meals. I’d say the chutney is optional. My husband loves chutney but I’m not a fan. But don’t skip the raita, it really makes the meal come together.

Chicken Tikka Masala

If you like this menu, you might also like to try tandoori chicken with Bombay potatoes.

Chicken Tikka Masala
adapted from Chicago Tribune

Serves 4

for the marinade:
1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 1‑inch piece ginger root, minced or grated
1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1‑inch cubes

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, minced
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz (340 g) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) half and half (or whipping cream)
1/2 oz (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

For the marinade, combine all the marinade ingredients (except chicken) in a medium bowl or food-safe plastic bag. Stir in the chicken and cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in enough water to cover them for 30 minutes (unless using metal skewers).

For the sauce, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over a medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute. Stir in all the sauce spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce (I usually use about 12 oz (340 g) of the 14 oz (400 g) can). Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the half and half (or cream) until the sauce has the desired color/consistency (sometimes I use up to 2 cups (480 ml), depending on how much tomato sauce I used). Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add in the chopped cilantro, if using.

Meanwhile, heat the grill (or broiler). Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Thread the chicken onto skewers and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken, turning at least 2 times, until cooked through, about 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skewers and add to the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with basmati rice  or naan bread.

***

Cauliflower with Raita

To cook this side dish, I like to use a thinner wok with a cover instead of a kadhi, which is traditionally used. The cauliflower will cook without liquid for a long time — you’ll want to use a lidded pan thick enough not to scorch the cauliflower but thin enough to allow it to “roast.”

Pan-roasted Curried Cauliflower and Peas

Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 or 2 green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (white or purple, as shown above)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 cup (110 g) peas (defrosted if frozen or blanched if fresh)
1/2 oz (15 g) cilantro, chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet, wok, or kadhai. Add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the chiles. After 1 minute, add the cauliflower florets and salt. Lower the flame and cover with a lid. Cook for 25 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is caramelized in spots and almost cooked through.

Stir in the spices and peas. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over a medium-high heat until the peas and cauliflower are cooked. Stir in the cilantro if using and serve.

***

Cucumber Raita

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plain yogurt
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Beat together the yogurt and milk with a whisk until very smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with cayenne or garam masala and chill. Serve this as a side dish to any spicy Indian dish.

***

Apricot Chutney
adapted from Indianfoodforever.com

Makes about 2 cups (480 ml)

1 lb (450 g) apricots
2 cups (480 ml) water
8 long strips of ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 teaspoons raisins
1 cup (240 ml) apple cider vinegar
9 oz (250 g) sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 big cardamom seeds, crushed
1/2 level teaspoon red chili pepper

Cook the apricots in boiling water till soft, then peel and mash them. Strain the pulp and wash the apricot stones with 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Reserve this water.

Cook the apricot pulp, ginger, garlic, 1 cup (240 ml) of fresh water plus the water from the washed stones, and raisins until all the water is absorbed. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, cardamom seeds and chili and cook until the mixture is thick and golden brown (2 to 3 hours). All to cool, then transfer to a clean jar. This can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 year.

Greek food, Miscellaneous, Pork, Salads

Greek-style Pork Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce and Corn, Tomato, and Feta Salad

Sometimes I crave junky food. Really junky food, like cheese fries or donuts. This week, all I could think about was gyros, overstuffed with meat and oozing with tsatziki. Not wanting to drag my children out to not-so-clean-looking Oakland Gyros down the street and recognizing that my currently dieting husband wouldn’t eat there even if I did, I came up with a lighter version of this late-night classic. It didn’t totally curb my junk food craving, but it made for an excellent weeknight meal.

If you have any leftover corn in your fridge, the accompanying corn salad is a nice way to use it up. I like to cook all my corn on the cob as soon as I buy it to ensure the best flavor. Besides making a salad like the one below, the leftover corn (cut off the cob) also tastes great sauteed with butter, salt and pepper.

Greek-style Pork Sandwiches

Greek-style Pork Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Serves 4

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 lb (680 g) total
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large pitas
1 tomato, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 small onion, sliced thinly
cucumber yogurt sauce, to serve (recipe follows)

In a shallow dish, whisk together the olive oil, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Place the tenderloins in the dish, covering with as much of the marinade as possible. Cover the dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours. While the pork marinates, make the cucumber yogurt sauce (below).

Preheat the outdoor grill. Remove the pork from the marinade and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook the pork over a medium flame, turning over after 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through, about 15 minutes total, depending on the size of your tenderloins. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice into thin medallions. While the pork rests, quickly toast the pita on the grill for about 30 seconds on each side.

To assemble the sandwiches, place the pork medallions on a pita. Top with tomatoes, onion, and cucumber yogurt sauce.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) yogurt, preferably Greek-style
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
pinch of sugar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.

***

Corn, Tomato, Green Bean Salad

Corn, Tomato, and Feta Salad

Serves 8

6 ears of corn, husks removed
4 oz (110 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1‑inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 red onion, diced
6 oz (170 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 oz (60 g) feta, crumbled

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn until just tender, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the corn, allow to cool and cut the kernels off the cob. In the same pot of boiling water, cook the green beans for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain the beans and immediately plunge into cold water to stop them cooking. Cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Add the corn, beans, parsley, onion, cherry tomatoes, and feta. Toss gently to coat. This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. If chilled longer than 8 hours, the salad will become a bit watery (but still very tasty), as the salt and feta draw moisture out of the vegetables .

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Seafood

Spicy Seafood Fettuccini and Mediterranean Pepper Salad

Happy Labor Day to our American readers! If you’re looking for a tasty salad to set out at today’s barbecue, I have the recipe for you. The Mediterranean Pepper Salad from today’s menu is easy to prepare and best yet, it can sit for hours or even overnight in your fridge while its flavors meld. This was a first-time recipe for me. I chose it because I had to use up three bell peppers. Three peppers is an odd amount — too many to use in a stir-fry or omelette and not enough for stuffed peppers. Smitten Kitchen came through with a perfect three-pepper preparation that I’m already craving again.

The seafood pasta recipe is from a cookbook my in-laws gave me for Hanukkah several years back. While typing up this recipe, I realized I never made any other recipe from the cookbook though there are plenty more that intrigue me. Be on the lookout for Gorgonzola Ravioli with Sweet Red Pepper Cream or Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Salsa in future posts.  Hmm, now I’ve made myself hungry.

Spicy Seafood Fettuccini
adapted from Pacifica Blue Plates by Neil Stuart

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb (225 g) firm fish, such as swordfish, skinned and cut into 1‑inch cubes
1/4 lb (110 g) bay scallops
18 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large red bell peppers, julienned
4 scallions, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock or water
6 tablespoons (90 g) butter
1 lb (450 g) fettuccine or other flat pasta, cooked and drained

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the seafood and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the red peppers, scallions and seasonings. Cook for 2 minutes and add the tomatoes, stock, and butter.

Increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 more minutes. Serve over the fettuccine.

***

Pepper Salad

Mediterranean Pepper Salad
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 8

1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 red onion, cut into a 1/2‑inch dice (use less if your onion is huge)
3 bell peppers, your choice of colors (I used 2 green and 1 purple)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 oz (110 g) firm feta cheese
4 oz (110 g) pitted Kalmata olives
6 to 8 oz (170 to 225 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Swish together the red wine vinegar, water, kosher salt and sugar in a small bowl until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the red onion and set it aside.

Meanwhile, time to practice your knife skills. Core and seed your bell peppers and chop them into 1/2‑inch pieces. Chop the cucumber and feta into similarly sized chunks. Put your peppers, cucumber, feta, olives, and tomatoes in a large bowl.

By now, your onions will have lightly pickled, both sweetening and softening their blow. Drain them and add them to the other vegetables in the large bowl, but reserve the vinegar mixture. Pour a quarter cup of the vinegar mixture over the salad, then drizzle with olive oil. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste. Toss evenly and serve at once, or let the flavors muddle together in the fridge for a few hours.

30-minute meals, Asian food, Beef, Cookies, Salads

Drunken Stir-fried Beef with Green Beans, Cucumber Salad, and Chocolate-covered Coconut Macaroons

I subscribed to Cooking Light for years after I graduated college. Looking back, I’m not exactly sure why I continued my subscription. I rarely remade any recipes that I tried with a couple of exceptions, one being this Drunken Stir-fried Beef with Green Beans. I make this dish often, though it’s best in August, when the green beans, tomatoes, and basil are in abundance. Besides being tasty, this dish also reminds me of my son’s first real meal. When he was about 10 months old, after months of trying to get him to eat baby food, I decided to give him a bite of the flank steak in this dish. He devoured it and from then on we stopped trying to convince him to eat baby food and served him whatever we were eating.

Enough about the stir-fried beef. The real highlight of this meal was dessert. I’ve been craving these chocolate-covered coconut macaroons all summer and finally had a chance to make them. “Wow” is all I can say. Truly, truly, a fantastic cookie. And you can freeze them, too, for future decadent nibbles.

Drunken Stir-fried Beef with Green Beans
adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 minced Serrano chili (or 1 teaspoon sambal)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
1 lb (450 g)  flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4‑inch strips
1 lb (450 g) 1‑inch diagonally cut green beans
1 carton halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 cup Thai basil leaves

Combine the salt and minced garlic in a mortar and pestle, and pound to form a paste. Add the chili, ginger, and lime zest, one at a time, until each ingredient is incorporated into the paste.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the paste, and stir-fry for 30 seconds (fumes may cause eyes and throat to burn slightly). Add the beef and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until the beans are almost tender. Add the tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and lime juice. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until the beef reaches your desired degree of doneness. Stir in the basil. Serve with rice.

***

Simple Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
pinch of sugar
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8 inch thick)

Mix the first 5 ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Toss with the cucumber slices. Chill for up to 2 hours, mixing occasionally.

***

Macaroon II

Chocolate-covered Coconut Macaroons
from Orangette

Makes 12 to 15 cookies

3 cups (250 g) lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 ml) egg whites (about 5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
8 oz (225 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (150 ml) heavy cream

Place the coconut, sugar and egg whites in a large, heavy saucepan, and stir to combine well. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring regularly, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is pasty but not dry. (The uncooked mixture will look sort of granular at first, then creamy as it heats, and then it will slowly get drier and drier. You want to stop cooking when it no longer looks creamy but is still quite gluey and sticky, not dry.) Remove from the heat. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Spread out the coconut mixture on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Using a ¼‑cup measuring scoop, scoop and pack the coconut mixture into domes, and place them on the baking sheet. You should wind up with about a dozen. Bake the macaroons until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Set the cookies on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is very hot and steamy (not boiling), remove from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Spoon the glaze over the macaroons, covering them almost completely and allowing the chocolate to drip down the sides. (You will have leftover glaze, which can be refrigerated or frozen.) Refrigerate the macaroons until the glaze sets, at least 2 hours. Transfer the macaroons to an airtight container, and refrigerate or freeze.

Appetizers, Entertaining, Italian food, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Pasta Fagiole, Sausages with Peppers, and Assorted Antipasti

I love having people over for dinner. I love planning a menu around their tastes and dietary restrictions. I love shopping for high-end special occasion ingredients and flowers for the table. I love seeing how many place settings I can squeeze onto my dining table. I love the rush of preparing a big meal while trying to keep my kitchen intact. But mostly, I love sharing good food and good conversation with friends and family. There are few things that please me more than a home-cooked dinner and lively, loud conversation (usually after a few bottles of wine have been opened), except maybe the hush that sometimes falls over my guests if I’ve made something particularly good and they have no time to speak between mouthfuls.

This week my husband Reuben’s lovely grandmother, Ellie, visited Milwaukee. I invited her, Reuben’s parents, my grandparents, my parents, and my sister to join us for dinner. Since I had to prepare enough food for 10 adults with two small children underfoot, my menu was simple. Most items could be prepared in advance, during the kids’ nap time. Note that I doubled the soup and sausages recipes below to serve 10 adults. And in case you were worrying that I let my guests go home without dessert, I also served the blueberry crumb bars Kristin posted three weeks ago.

Pasta Fagiole
from an unknown magazine card that’s been in my recipe box for as long as I remember. My apologies to whatever source I took it from years ago.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth (Swanson Organic Chicken Broth recommended)
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can stewed tomatoes, with Italian seasoning (note: if seasoned tomatoes aren’t available, use regular stewed tomatoes and add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil)
1 x 19 oz (540 g) can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed well and drained
6 oz (170 g) tubetti or ditalini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook the garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork.

Add the beans, pasta, 2 tablespoons basil, and Parmesan and boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. (Pasta will continue to absorb liquid.) Stir in the remaining basil and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve immediately.

***

Sausages with Peppers

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 hot and/or mild Italian sausages
2 bell peppers (one green and one red, yellow, or orange), sliced into thin strips

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 10 minutes, turning the sausages halfway through the cooking time. Add the pepper strips and cook until the peppers are soft and the sausages are fully cooked, stirring frequently, about 10 more minutes. If the sausages take on too much color early in the cooking process, lower the heat or cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes. Serve with a crusty baguette or good Italian bread.

***

Assorted Antipasti

Antipasti refers to the traditional first course in an Italian meal. Cheeses, cured meats, marinated vegetables and salads are typical. Antipasti selections are also perfect for picnics. For my dinner, I served the following (all at room temperature):

cheeses (one soft, one semi-soft, one hard, one goat’s cheese, and fresh mozzarella balls)
olives (I love the bitter taste of black, oil-cured olives, but you can use any type)
1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
marinated hearts of palm and artichokes (see recipe below)
2 baguettes, one plain and one seeded, sliced

Marinated Hearts of Palm and Artichoke

Drain and rinse 1 can of hearts of palm and 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts. Mix with 1 clove garlic, grated, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let sit for at least 1 hour before serving.

Beans, Grains and pulses, Mexican food, Salads, Seafood, Slow cooker

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Green Chile, Black Beans, and Rice

My husband and I were browsing Time’s fascinating photo essay, What the World Eats, Part 1 and Part 2 yesterday. The differences in food costs, food variety, and presence of packaged foods is remarkable. In many parts of the world, dried legumes and grains are the backbone of daily eating, yet unfortunately, here in America, these items are rarely prepared by your average middle-class family.

If you become a regular visitor to our website, you will see that I frequently serve beans and rice. Not only are these items a complete protein when eaten together, containing all necessary amino acids, but they also serve as a very economical base to a meal; rice and beans for a family of four costs about $2.00. I also love that I can put the rice and beans on to cook before I leave for work (rice in our programmable rice cooker and beans in a slow cooker). With the addition of a few fresh, chopped vegetables or other accompaniments, dinner can be on the table in a matter of minutes. This menu takes a bit longer, as the ceviche must marinate for at least 1 hour, but it is a good example of what you can do with rice and beans as a starting point.

Ceviche, rice, and beans

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Green Chile
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 4

3/4 lb (340 g) raw shrimp
1/2 lb (225 g) raw squid, cleaned, with tentacles separated and “body” cut into 1/4‑inch rings
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves
1 cup (about 30 g) loosely packed cilantro, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 jalapeno, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 avocado, flesh scooped from the skin, and cut into 1/4‑inch cubes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into medium dice
1 head Boston/butterhead lettuce or 8 large leaves red or green leaf lettuce
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

Simmer the shrimp in boiling well-salted water until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Drain, then chill. Repeat with squid, simmering 20 to 30 minutes, until tender, then draining. Peel and chop the shrimp into 1/2‑inch pieces.

Put lime juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno and salt into a food processor and blend till smooth. Pour over the seafood in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours, depending on your taste. When done, pour off half the marinade. Add the avocado, cucumber and salt, if needed. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Scoop a portion of the ceviche into the center of each arrangement. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

***

Slow Cooker Black Beans

1 lb (450 g) dried black beans
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon good-quality chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano
6 cups (1.5 l) water
salt

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. Season to taste with salt (usually about 1 teaspoon).

Cakes, Pasta and noodles, Poultry, Salads

Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich with Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Peppers and Black Bottom Cupcakes

My friend Alex hosted this month’s book club and amazed us with a delicious yet light sandwich and salad meal. I contributed black bottom cupcakes to the event. As with all Alpineberry recipes that I have tried, the cupcakes turned out great. I will never spend $2.99 on another Simma’s black bottom cupcake again!

Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich
adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4

1/4 cup (about 2 oz) sun-dried tomato pesto or basil pesto
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 x 8 oz loaf ciabatta – round is most fun!
12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers
1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cool slightly. Cut the chicken lengthwise into thin slices.

Preheat the broiler. Cut the ciabatta in half horizontally. Place the bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the bread from the pan. Spread the pesto mixture evenly over the cut sides of bread and arrange the chicken slices evenly over the bottom half. Top the chicken evenly with basil leaves and sprinkle the cheese over top. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Arrange the bell pepper and tomato over the cheese and cover with the top half of bread. Cut into 8 equal pieces.

***

Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Bell Peppers
from Bon Appétit, October 1997

This can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

12 oz orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Cook the orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, Kalamata olives, green onions and capers.

Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard and cumin in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce is very strong to the taste but is light when added to the orzo.

Add the dressing to the orzo mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish salad with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

***

black bottom cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes
from Alpineberry

Makes 15 cupcakes

for the cream cheese filling:
1 x 8 oz (225 g) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup (75 g) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (160 g) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

for the cupcake batter:
1 1/2 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (don’t use Dutch-processed cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavored oil (canola, grapeseed, etc.)
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter 15 wells of a standard muffin pan or line the wells with paper liners.

To make the cream cheese filling, in a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside the filling while you make your cupcake batter.

To make the cupcake batter, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and the batter is smooth. Be careful not the overmix.

Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the wells of your muffin pan. (I would suggest that each well be no more than half full with cupcake batter. If you still have some cupcake batter left, then line and fill more wells of your muffin pan.) Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. Your wells might be almost full but that’s just fine.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.