$3 Asian Veggie Noodle Soup in 6 Minutes

I'm sure most of us are short on cash and even shorter on time. So, here's a little number that combines the, ever-popular-among-couch-surfers, ramen noodles with some fresh ingredients, some frozen ones and some creativity. The result is an easy, tasty, comforting pot of goodness for a measly three bucks. It easily feeds both of my kids and me on a busy night. You can deepen the flavor by adding a few ribbons of Thai basil or a clove of grated fresh garlic, but that would require more work... I'll leave that to you to decide.

$3 Asian Veggie Noodle Soup
makes 2 huge bowls, or 4 side-size servings

2 packages ramen noodles, noodle bricks broken into smaller pieces and "seasoning packets" discarded (40¢)
2 vegetarian bullion cubes (30¢)
2 cups frozen organic stir-fry veggie mix ($2)
a few dashes of low sodium soy sauce or tamari  (5¢, this would be a perfect time to use those individual take-out packets that are collecting dust in the pantry)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (25¢)
small handful fresh cilantro, chopped (free from your, or your neighbor's, garden)
3 1/2 cups water

Place the water, frozen veg, bullion cubes, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the ramen, reduce heat to medium and continue gently boiling for about 2 minutes.

Add cilantro and soy sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes until noodles are tender.

Taste, add more soy sauce if needed and serve. If you're feeling fancy, garnish each bowl with a couple whole cilantro leaves. Ta-Da!

Learning Intuition Part 2 - Sopa Azteca/Olmeca/Mixteca

Mexico was my next turning point. Dad, who became increasingly absent as his career took hold, decided that he would take each of us kids on a big vacation before we went through that unrelenting bitch that is adolescence. He let me decide where to go. I was/am a total nerd, way into archaeology. Mexico was a prime spot for visiting archaeological sites and it was a only short flight away. Dad was an avid traveler and equally nerdy, so he put together quite an itinerary covering pretty much all of the significant sites in the Aztec, Olmec, Zapotec, Mayan and Mixtec empires in Mexico within about a week.

Dad was also a fluent Spanish speaker and linguistic chameleon, who somehow managed to speak flawlessly in whatever dialect necessary. This scored us our own private cabbie on several occasions, actual bargains in street markets, and some amazing places to stay, far from the beaten path of transparently pale Teva'd tourists. It also scored him a case of Montezuma's revenge, thanks largely to a particular taqueria (probably a little to far) off the beaten path.

I managed to escape the notorious ailment's clutches through a budding paranoia of food-borne illness which required me to eat everything piping hot. I probably missed out on some delicious crunchy salads and local fruits, but I had the opportunity to sample similar meals prepared in different parts of the country. Even at that age, with little to no concept of regionality, I could easily detect the differences between each state's version of the dishes.

Sopa Azteca (basically tortilla soup) became one of those dishes. I was fascinated by the huge chunks of fresh avocado thrown in at the last minute, unfamiliar herbs like epazote, and the staggering array of peppers. The combinations of the basic ingredients varied in proportion and variety, from spicy hot, dark broth, full of dark-meat chicken, to light broth versions with large chunks of crisp vegetables and handfulls of herbs (almost like Vietnamese pho). All the while, the name and fundamental components remained the same.  I realized that no matter what liberties the cook had taken, it was good, comforting, immensely flavorful food with the same structural elements. It was so unlike home, where you could get an identical Pizza Hut pizzas in Florida and Alaska and where the only burger joint in town was a McDonalds.

I enjoyed my favorite bowl of the stuff in an open-air restaurant adjacent to our inn near Palenque. Howler monkeys infested the forrest that surrounded the inn and chickens wandered freely through the wall-less loby, reception area and restaurant. The air was thick and damp and there was a constant babble from a stone filled stream that ran right through the center courtyard. A young guy played a decrepit wooden xylophone in the corner as the monkeys interrupted with grunts and howls. Fancy red and piebald hens roamed cluelessly around the mostly vacant tables.  This is where the second epiphany happened: food can be enhanced by the surroundings in which it is enjoyed.



Just to confirm my memories, I stole/borrowed our journals and photo albums of the trip from my mom's place. To prove it, I've included some choice embarrassing photos. See below.

Me on a bench in Oaxaca.

Me taking a picture of a donkey near Teotihuacan.

Carrot (and Everything Else) Cookies

It's a typical Sunday and I'm trying to get my stuff together for the week. I make most of the snacks, lunch, and everything else for my fam, which takes a lot of time. Unfortunately, Sunday seems to be the day for that.

To drag my 6-year-old son away from the TV and help me in the kitchen this morning, we had to strike a deal. I let him help me make oatmeal raisin cookies... with anything he wanted to add. So, we ended up adding shredded carrot, coconut, and dried cranberries to the original recipe. The fruit and shredded carrots add sweetness, so we reduced the sugar 1/2 cup from the original recipe. You could easily add 1/2 cup of nuts to boost the protein. I knew we landed on a good recipe when, within minutes, almost a dozen disappeared from the cooling rack and the neighborhood kids began circling like snaggle-toothed sharks.

Gage's Carrot (and Everything Else) Cookies
yields about 32 cookies

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (if you can't find it just use all-purpose)
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cup dried fruit (we used 1/2 golden raisins and 1/2 dried cranberries)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded on a cheese grater

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350º. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix flours, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter and sugars together until creamy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla, then flour mixture until thoroughly combined. On low speed, mix in the rolled oats, fruit and carrots.

Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden around the edges. They won't get very dark on the tops but they will be done.

Cool on wire racks and then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Gage, still in his pajamas at 11am, taking a break from riding his bike to eat a third cookie.

Ahhh, Sundays.

Spanish Tortilla and Tomato Bread

In Spain, a tortilla is an entirely different food than it's name doppelganger in the Americas. The Spanish tortilla is an egg-based dish, almost like a frittata or open omelet loaded up with anything from potatoes and veggies to mariscos (mixed seafood). It is served at all times of the day and into the night as tapas. Anything goes, which is probably what drew me to this classic recipe in the first place.

From what I hear, there are as many variations as there are cooks in Spain. In typical Spanish fashion, I serve it with tomato bread. As with most of the recipes I've written or adapted, this is completely open for adjustment and creativity. The one I made yesterday was pretty basic, potatoes, peppers, onions, fresh herbs, tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano. My mouth is watering just thinking about making this thing. Damn, it's good.

The only special equipment you need for the tortilla is an apx. 12" oven safe skillet, like one made from cast iron. Basically the skillet needs to be free of plastics or coatings that could melt when the entire thing is put in the oven. I live, and will probably die, by my cast iron skillets. You can get a solid cooking-partner-for-life for about $30. Although they may seem porous, a well-seasoned, old-school cast iron skillet is as non-stick as the most expensive cookware out there and it will out-live you. Summary: buy one.

Now that's settled, we can get on to the recipe.

Spanish Tortilla
 Ingredients
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and 1/2" diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, 1/4 diced
1/2 yellow onion, 1/4" diced
handful grape tomatoes quartered
handful fresh herbs

I used basil, thyme, and oregano. As always, use whatever you have. If you have to use dried herbs, use 1/3 the amount.

6 eggs beaten with a splash of milk, half and half, or cream
3 tbsp vegetable or light olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh grated Parm

Preheat oven to 350f.

Bring a medium saucepan 1/2-3/4 full of water to a boil. Add at least 1 tsp salt and potatoes. Cook the potatoes until just tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat in an oven safe skillet on the stovetop. Add onions and peppers and saute for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in a pinch or two of Kosher salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Add potatoes and cook until they turn golden around the edges. Reduce heat to low.

Pour the beaten eggs evenly over the veggies. Let it cook mostly undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is set. Please, please do not stir it around or it will resemble a scramble served Denny's.

Sprinkle the top of the tortilla with the chopped herbs, tomatoes, and Parm. Carefully, transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes until all of the egg is set. Remove the skillet and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

To remove the tortilla from the pan, invert a dinner plate over the top of the skillet and, holding it tightly to the top of the tortilla, turn the tortilla over onto the plate. To get it right-side-up, invert a second plate on top of the upside-down tortilla. Flip it over one more time, remove the top plate, and TA-DA! It's ready to slice and serve.

Tomato Bread
Tomato bread is so unbelievably easy, but so good. I used a baguette from our friends' locally famous artisan bakery, Olde Hearth Bread Company. The key to good tomato bread is, you guessed it, good tomatoes and good bread. So starting with one of their baguettes was key. You can use any kind of crusty bread, ciabatta, Italian, whatever. You can use almost any kind of tomatoes, although the smaller sauce varieties work best. It is imperative that the tomatoes are very ripe, almost over ripe, deep red, juicy, and sweet. For an added level of flavor, rub a smashed clove of garlic over the bread just before the tomato.

Ingredients
good bread
very ripe tomatoes (1 medium per serving)
Kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil, if desired

Cut the bread in half lengthwise then cut into desired serving size. I usually use a 4-5" length of baguette per person.


Grill the bread, cut side down, on a dry skillet over medium heat. Grill until the entire surface is golden and the high points begin to brown.

While the bread grills, cut the tomatoes in half.

When the bread is finished, take the cut side of the tomato and smear it all over the top of the bread until it is nice and pinkish red. Discard the tomato skins. Drizzle the bread with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

It's also fun to let your family or guests make their own tomato bread. Smashing and smearing tomatoes is really fun for a five-year-old. Actually, it's really fun for me too. Just put the grilled bread on the table with the cut tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and salt and let them go nuts.

Serve.


Enjoy!

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

After a week of eating through our stockpile of frozen home-cooked meals, last night was time to actually cook. I just got a new job cooking for an almost open place and it requires some thought and creativity. I needed to do something unplanned enough to wake up that poor hamster in my brain and get her running on her wheel again.

This recipe was born. It's absolutely packed with veggies and tastes really really good. I made a huge batch to share with the neighbors. Everyone, including the kids, loved them. Success! The hamster is not dead after all!

This recipe makes a lot, so half it if you need less. You can use a variety of veggies depending on what's in season or on sale. You can even change the theme completely and use black beans, corn, spicier peppers, tomatoes and Mexican cheeses. Creativity, above all, is the rule.

 

What you need:

8 red bell peppers
8oz package orzo
1 package feta cheese, 1/4" diced
olive oil
1 zucchini, 1/4" diced
1 yellow squash, 1/4" diced
1/2 green bell pepper, 1/4" diced
1/2 onion, finly chopped
handful Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
handful fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt
black pepper
grated parmesan for garnish

How to:

Preheat your oven to 425ºf. Brush a casserole dish olive oil.

Cut the tops off of the red peppers. Remove the ribs and seeds. Place peppers cut side up in oiled casserole dish and stick them in the oven. The peppers should take about 20-30 minutes to soften and begin to brown slightly around the edges. That gives you plenty of time to get your filling together.

Chop the red parts from the pepper tops and put them with the diced green peppers.

Start cooking orzo according to package instruction. While that's going...

Heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and let them cook for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Saute the veggies until they are tender but not mushy. When that's done, remove the pan from the heat.

Fold the drained, cooked orzo into the veggie mix. Add feta, olives, and basil.

Carefully (they're hot) stuff the cooked peppers with the orzo mixture. Sprinkle them with a pinch of shredded parmesan.

Place them under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese.

Serve!

I served 'em with black pepper bacon-wrapped chicken. Hey, the peppers are so healthy I had some calories to spare.... right?

Serious Latin Breakfast (With 25g Protein!)

I made an amazingly cheap and satisfying, vegetarian breakfast on-the-fly yesterday morning. Rob, the hubby, and I walked the kids to school then went for a run. We don't have the ability to wake up 15 minutes earlier and ingest anything other than coffee during the morning rush, so we were starving when we got back.

Since the previous night was the beloved Burrito Night, we had plenty of leftover chopped veggies, brown rice and my almost-famous black beans. I had also been working on the design for Troy's Cuban Deli menu, which features a little number called the Hialeah Breakfast. It is basically black beans and rice with eggs on top. Spicy Latin food is comfort food for me, but I wasn't sure how this particular eggy incarnation would go over with Rob. So, I kept the idea and edited the format a bit. I ended up making an egg scramble with the onions, peppers, tomatoes, shredded cheese, lots of spice and topped it with salsa. Black beans on a bed of brown rice, topped with light sour cream became a side. I added some Pink Lady apple slices as another side, for color and raw plant matter, and that was that.

I did a little math, with the help of the USDA nutritional charts, to weigh this behemoth. With about 25 grams of protein and around 400 calories, it was a perfect meal. It was all done in about 10 minutes because all of the prep and major cooking was done last night. It was perfectly satisfying but not at all heavy. We ate every crumb on our plates. I will definitely make this again.  This recipe serves two adults, but it could be easily multiplied.

Here's how I did it.


1/2 cup prepared black beans  recipe follows
1  cup cooked brown rice use 1/2 water and 1/2 veg broth instead of all water
Sour cream and salsa for serving

Egg Scramble
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 eggs
Splash of heavy cream or milk
1/2 chopped green bell pepper, or whatever peppers you have around
Handful chopped onion
Handful chopped tomato
Handful shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano or 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
 Tony's Creole Seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
 Salsa for rerving

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a medium skillet.
2. While the oil is heating crack the eggs into a bowl and cream or milk and wisk until the mixture is all light yellow.
3. Saute the onions and peppers until they begin to soften. Add spices and tomatoes and continue to saute until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
4. Turn down the heat to medium low and add the egg mixture.
5. Stir and flip the mixture almost constantly until it looks opaque, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the cheese and continue cooking until it's melted.
6. Serve topped with a spoonful of salsa.

Black Beans
1 large can black beans, rinsed and drained
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup vegetable broth
l/2 chopped onion
finely chopped peppers - 1/2 red bell, 1/2 Anaheim, 1/2 jalapeno, the more variety, the better
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 chopped cloves garlic
 Tony's Creole Seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Sour cream for serving

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion and peppers and saute for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften.
3. Add garlic and spices, turn down heat to medium and continue to saute until garlic is tender but not brown.
4. Add black beans and stir to coat them with all of the seasonings.
5. Add broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
The longer it simmers on low heat, the more flavor it have. If you're short on time, you can simmer for as little as 10 minutes.
6. Serve on a bed of rice, topped with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of chopped cilantro.


Happy Happy

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas and Accidental Truffles

I set out to make some chocolate covered bananas with a couple of nice ripe bananas,  the tail end of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a solid milk chocolate Easter Bunny that had been sitting in my pantry since, well, Easter. I also had partial bags of shredded coconut and walnut pieces. Pardon the informality of the recipe. I didn't really measure anything because I make chocolate covered frozen bananas all the time and they're, usually,  ridiculously easy. I've also made hundreds of truffles... on purpose, even as gifts! As for these particular truffles, it just happened like most kitchen magic does... completely unexpectedly and most often accidentally. Fortunately I know what chocolate truffle insides look like, otherwise this would have been a fruitless sacrifice of that poor Easter Bunny.

Chocolate - whatever you have around
Ripe bananas
Popsicle sticks
Chopped nuts
Coconut
Heavy cream
A splash of Cointreau, Frangelico, or some other tasty flavoring that goes well with chocolate

1. First I prepped the bananas by peeling, halving, and impaling them with popsicle sticks (from a craft store). The walnuts went through my mini food processor and onto a plate. I had my little dude dump the coconut onto another plate. I also lined a baking sheet with my fondant mat - waxed or parchmint paper works too.
2. I hacked up the bunny and started melting the chocolates in a makeshift double boiler, which is just a bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water. I stirred and stirred until it was nice and shiny and melty smooth.

3. I tried to dip the bananas in the chocolate, but it was too shallow. I just spooned the chocolate over the bananas and used the back of the spoon to gently spread it around. I then rolled them in the chopped walnuts, coconut, or both and set them the lined baking sheet to set.

This is where the plot twists and the instructions lose the little precision they had.

4. For some reason my chocolate started to get really thick. It could have been the fan in the kitchen, the crappy burner, on the heat too long, who knows. I figured that I could stir in some heavy cream (about 1/2 cup?) to thin it out. Not so much. As I stirred, it began to look dry and fluffy. (Duh! I should have known, but somehow my inability to put two and two together is still surprising me.) After several seconds of starring, confused and a little pissed, into the fluffy chocolate mass in the top of the double broiler, I realized what the hell had just happened. I made chocolate truffle filling.
6. Still a little confused, I turned off the heat.
5. The next natural step was to stir in a splash of booze. I used Cointreau.
In the past I've made truffles with all sorts of stuff from espresso to aged balsamic vinegar. So, literally anything goes. If it sounds like it could work, try it.
6. I let the mixture cool down just enough to handle. I rolled it into small balls, about an inch or so. I then rolled them in the shredded coconut, walnuts, or both. I put them on the lined baking sheet to set... right next to the bananas.
7. Once they were set, I moved the truffles to a container for refrigerator storage and the bananas to another container to be stored in the freezer.

So that's how it happened. It's not exact and I'm not sure if it's even worth trying to recreate. But, hey, it was fun and both chocolaty treats ended up tasting pretty damn good.