Spicy Summer Stew

This succulent summer classic is a delightful treat and

 a great way to use up some of the zucchini and Tomatoes thriving in your garden

 

Ingredients

• 3 medium Zucchini
• 7 large tomatoes
• 1 lb chickpeas (dry weight)
• 2 handfuls fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons + 1 cup Olive Oil
• 1 cup flour
• 40 oz. by volume Tomato Sauce (2.5 pints)
• Black Pepper, Curry Powder, Worchestershire, and Sriracha to taste.

Warning: Consuming undercooked beans can cause health issues; if you are using dry beans make sure the beans are boiled separately in water for at least 30 minutes before use.Follow package directions or follow the instructions below.

If you are using canned beans then they are ready for use in this recipe; if you are using dried beans soak them overnight, drain and rinse, and cook them in boiling water for 30 minutes. After thirty minutes turn down the heat and continue cooking the beans until they have reached your desired texture; approximately an additional hour. Strain the beans out of the water when done.

Chop zucchini into one inch cubes. Put a large stew pot or dutch oven on the stove and turn the burner on to medium heat. Add zucchini to pot and season with black pepper. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons olive oil and stir. Let the Zucchini sweat in the pot, stirring occaisonally; about 30 minutes. In the meantime dice and toss your tomatoes and parsley together.  Season raw tomatoes with black pepper and worchestershire, and leave in a bowl for later. 

 Next make a Roux: Take out a cast iron skillet and put it on medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan, then add a little bit of the flour. Add more olive oil and stir the flour-oil mixture in the pan constantly from now on. Continue adding flour and olive oil in small steps, stirring the entire time until you get something that looks like a gravy. Continue stirring 30-45 minutes; the flour will darken and develop a rich nutty flavor. The final coloring should be a dark brown or brick. Caution: The roux is very hot, and it is easy to burn yourself if you accidentally touch it, splash it out of the pan, or spill any of it on yourself.

When the zucchini looks and smells cooked (it will be translucent and smell strongly of squash) add the cooked chickpeas. Add a couple tablespoons of curry powder and stir in the tomato sauce. Give the flavors a little while to develop ~ 5 min and taste - add more curry powder or sauce as necessary. At this point add the Sriracha until very spicy and stir ( when we add the Roux later it will deaden the spice significantly). Add the tomatoes, stir in, and give the flavors a little time to mix. Finally add the roux. The Roux will thicken and congeal the stew, bringing everything together. Taste the final sauce; if it seems to need anything, add a little more of that otherwise serve.


Makes 9 servings.

Pickled Beets Recipe

Ever buy too many vegetables at the store?

Pickling is a way to preserve some of these vegetables

So you can enjoy them later

This recipe for pickled beets was adapted from Alton Brown's recipe on the food network website for the same. The recipe is then adjusted for the ingredients we had on hand, and to minimize salt and sugar intake.

Ingredients:

•  2-3 Beets, peeled and sliced evenly into circles
• 1 Large White Onion, Frenched
• 1 Cup assorted Vinegars (instructions follow)
• 3 Cups Water
• Cinnamon, Allspice, Cardamom to taste
• Cayenne Pepper to taste
• Dash of Worcestershire

Helpful Utensils: 

• Mandolin
• Large Knife
• Large Pot
• Large Mason Jar + Lid
• Tin Foil

I used Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, and a dash of Red Wine Vinegar in my recipe. This was largely to separate the flavor of the pickled beets from some cucumbers I had pickling at the same time. I was happy with the result however, and recommend doing the same. The ratio is roughly one part Red Wine Vinegar to 2 parts Balsamic and 1 part Balsamic to 2 parts Apple Cider Vinegar and make up the difference with apple cider vinegar.

Since we are not adding a lot of salt or sugar to mellow out the vinegar flavor, we need to dilute it with a lot of water; anywhere between 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water to 1 part vinegar seems to work pretty well. Use less than that and it's really acidic, more than that and you dilute the flavors too much. If you find the mixture is getting too acidic feel free to either add more water or add a dash of honey or sugar. 

Add the wet ingredients in the large pot on the stove and turn the heat on high. Add the Cinnamon, Allspice, Cardamom, and Cayenne. Note: You will probably want to fish these spices out of the pickling fluid before serving, so I recommend using whole sticks, seeds, and peppers (lightly scored so you get the flavors out).

Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add the Onions and sliced Beets. Let the mixture cool and pour into the large mason jar before placing in the fridge for at least 3-4 days, but no more than 7. This lets the Beets and Onion soak up the flavor from your pickling liquid. Before serving, cook the beets in their own juices - Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Make a Pouch out of tinfoil, or place your beets in a small casserole dish. At this point you might want to fish your pickling spices (Cinnamon/Allspice/Cardamom/Cayenne) out and dispose of them - perfectly acceptable to eat the pepper if you like spicy things. Ensure the Beets are covered in liquid then cook for 40 minutes. The end result should be tender beets with a little bit of texture, and a nice sweet and sour onion. The overall impression is a lot like Sauerkraut, and would be wonderful on a Reuben for those of you out there who aren't vegetarian. For a more vegetarian dish, pair with garlic mashed potatoes, or sweet potato fries (recipe to come later).

Garbanzo Sweet Potato Salad

OK, I will admit it: this is a nutritious and seasonal recipe. It tastes OK. But something is missing. If you experiment with this and come up with improvements, please post  comments. Vegetarian ideas are most welcome! If your version tests out in my kitchen, I will recommend your improvements on this. 

I am thinking maybe of adding some garlic or onion, or maybe changing the dressing? Feedback is appreciated.  Thanks!

Ingredients:

• 1 pint of cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained. You can also use about a 15-oz. can.
• 2 small medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1.5-inch chunks.
• florets from 1 small head of cauliflower
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed. Larger ones should be cut in half

Dressing: 

• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar dressing
• Oregano, pepper, red pepper, and basil to taste

 

Directions: 

 

Use a steamer, and watch out for steam every time you lift the lid to add more vegetables. Heat water on the stove while preparing the vegetables. When the water boils, put the sweet potatoes in the steamer basket, cover, and steam for seven minutes. Then add the Brussels Sprouts. After 2 minutes, add the cauliflower florets, cover, and steam for five minutes more. In the meantime, stir together the dressing.  Remove from heat.

Put the vegetables in a large bowl, add the garbanzo beans and the dressing, and stir. Serve warm or cold.

Potato and Black Bean Salad with Root Vegetables

Nutritious, Delicious, and Seasonal Steamed Potato Salad with Black Beans and Root Vegetables. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 7 or 8 green onions, white and light green parts only, sliced fine.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• black pepper to taste

While you are cutting up the potatoes and vegetables, set up a steamer on the stove and get the water boiling. Cut up the potatoes first; put them on to steam as soon as the water is boiling. Steam them for ten minutes while you finish peeling and preparing the other vegetables. Add the turnips and carrots and steam for 7 additional minutes, then add the onions and steam for 3 minutes more.

In the meantime, stir together the oil, parsley, cumin, vinegar, honey, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl. Put the black beans in the bottom of a big mixing or serving bowl. When the potatoes and vegetables are done steaming, add them to the black beans, then the oil-and-vinegar dressing, then stir the entire contents together.

This dish is fantastic warm! Its creamy texture makes it a wonderful comfort food. I imagine it's good cold, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I'll post an update after it has cooled off in the refrigerator.

2/15/14: I packed this salad for work, and it's delightful cold, too. I suspect the dressing would improve my next recipe, a sweet potato and garbanzo bean salad that lacks the zing of this one.

Italian-Style Steamed Winter Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 3 red potatoes, cubed
• 3 rutabagas, peeled and cubed
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed,
• 1 small turnip, peeled and cubed
• 2/3 cup cauliflower florets
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• pepper

Put the potatoes in a steamer for 10 minutes, then add the other root vegetables and steam for five more, then add the cauliflower for another 3-5 minutes. When all vegetables are tender, turn them out into a bowl, and toss them in a light dressing of olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil,  and pepper to taste. Easy and delicious!

Craving Something Creamy? Here are some tricks...

If you are watching your calories or the amount of fat and cholesterol you consume, here are a couple of neat tricks to satisfy those cravings without blowing your diet:

1. Use low-fat or non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream. My husband and I love the Stonyfield Farms brand. You can also use it instead of mayonnaise in some dishes, but you will definitely notice a lighter flavor (yet still delicious!)

2. Make your own smoothies. There are so many wonderful recipes on the internet, there is no point in repeating them here. Frozen fruit and (non-fat or low-fat) milk or berries or yogurt or juice or some combination thereof plus a blender or food processor will give you the idea. This recipe is a typical example.

3. In the summertime, make your own frozen yogurt. Again, there are plenty of recipes online. Here is an example.

So, if you are watching fat, cholesterol, and calories, feel free to splurge... on a treat that's delicious and healthy. Go right ahead!

Two Easy Salmon Recipes

Recipe #1: Microwave Steamed Salmon

Start by purchasing a microwave steamer. My husband, Don, found one he likes at Walmart:

Take 4 oz. of frozen salmon, wet it, put a little water in the steamer. With a 1250 watt microwave, cook for 5 minutes on high. Let it sit for a minute before removing carefully and eating. To double the recipe, cook the fish for 6 minutes.

Recipe #2: Salmon Baked in Tomato Sauce

Take an 8 oz. can of no-salt-added tomato sauce. Mix in about 1 tsp. of any flavor of Mrs. Dash seasoning.
Form a good-sized piece of aluminum foil into a bowl in a pan. Put a little bit of the sauce mix in the bottom of the foil, put the 4-oz. frozen salmon on top of the sauce, then cover the rest of the salmon with sauce.  You may crimp together the top of the aluminum foil if you wish but this is optional.

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; do NOT preheat. Bake for 45 minutes. Be careful opening the packet because it will steam.