Quinoa and Swiss Chard Fritters

I know what you're thinking....I love quinoa and I love swiss chard, but they're TOO HEALTHY! Well, I can fix that for ya. Just add some egg and cheese and fry em!

I found this recipe on the New York Times website.

INGREDIENTS

I bunch Swiss chard, washed and stemmed (do not discard the stems) I like to just grab the leaf in one hand and the stem in the other and pull them apart

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 plump garlic cloves, minced, or 2 teaspoons minced green garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup quinoa

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon canola oil

For serving:

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp honey

1-2 tsp curry powder

1. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves. Blanch for two to three minutes until tender, then transfer to the ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop medium-fine. I squeezed the chard with my hands and then sliced the clump like when you make basil chiffonade). Add the chard stems to the water, and cook four to five minutes until tender. Transfer to the ice water, then drain and cut in 1/4-inch dice. Measure out 3/4 cup of the stems, and reserve the rest for another purpose (or just toss with salt and pepper and munch while cooking the fritters)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium or large skillet. Add the garlic. When it is fragrant, in 30 seconds to a minute, stir in the chard leaves and stems and the cumin. Stir together for about a minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the quinoa, Parmesan and egg. Stir together.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the canola oil together over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet. Moisten your hands, and shape the quinoa and chard mixture into four hamburger-size patties (or make smaller, fritter-ish patties). Carefully place the patties in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd them in the pan. Press down on the tops of the patties with the bottom of your spatula to prevent them from falling apart; if they are thick enough, they should stay together. Cook for four to five minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and serve.

Variation: Substitute 2 pounds bunch spinach for the chard. Stem and wash the leaves (discard the stems) and wilt, in batches, in a large frying pan in the water left on their leaves after washing. Proceed as instructed.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

I've been working overnights, and my hours are kinda weird, so  I've been watching more Food Network. Ina Garten made these on her show, so I decided to bring some to work.

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter at room temp
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c smooth peanut butter
3 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c jam
2/3 c salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350
Grease and flour 9x13in pan
Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs 1 at a time, then add vanilla and peanut butter
Sift dry ingredients and add gradually, mixing just until combined
Take 2/3rds of dough and pat into greased pan and chill
Spread jam evenly over dough
Break remaining dough into chunks and sprinkle over jam
Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top
Bake 45min, cool and cut into squares  

Cherry Berry Port Crisp

I was at the ICA waiting to meet a friend for their Talking Taste series, and I decided to buy a copy of The Boozy Baker from the gift shop.

It didn't take long for me to make something inspired by it. In this case a crumble made with frozen cherries from Target and blueberries from the farmshare, and the remainder of ruby port from a bottle.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
12 oz pitted cherries
1 c blueberries
1/4 c ruby port
1 tbsp cornstarch

Topping
1/2 c flour
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter cut into cubes
(I added a tbsp or 2 of scotch)

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk the cornstarch into the port and then let the berries soak (the longer the better)
Combine dry ingredients and use fingertips to rub butter into dry goods
Sprinkle with scotch

Heat oven to 400. Pour fruit and port into pie pan and sprinkle topping over it. Bake for 20-30 min til bubbly with brown crispy top. Be sure to let it cool off a smidge. Goes great with vanilla ice cream

Blueberry Walnut Maple Tart

One of the best things about summer in New England is fresh blueberries. The're great just to eat, or to put in smoothies, salads or yogurt. Blueberry pie is another option, as is this tart, which is kind of like a no-bake cheesecake. I found the recipie at Eating Well, and made a few adjustments

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1/4 c toasted walnuts
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 egg white, beaten until frothy
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Filling
8oz cream cheese (I used the low fat one)
1/4 c plain yogurt
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp lemon zest
2 c blueberries

Instructions
Run the walnuts in the food processor until pea sized, then add the rest of ingredients and pulse until it looks like coarse sand. Press into tart pan and bake at 325 for 8 min

While crust is cooling combine cream cheese, yogurt, lemon zest and syrup til smooth. Pour into crust, top with berries, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Baked Raspberry Custard

I got some raspberries in the farmshare a while back and looked for some things to make with them. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart, which is SUPER easy, and tasty. I was alarmed at how much it grew in the oven, but a pie plate is just right.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 c milk
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup (give or take) berries

Grease a pie plate and preheat oven to 400
Pour everything in a blender (except berries) and pulse untill smooth
Pour batter into pie plate and scatter berries. Sprinkle top with sugar
Bake for 20-25 min

Creamed Collard Greens

I was looking for something different to do with the greens I got with my farmshare, and thought that collards, being a bit hardier than spinach, might do well creamed. I found this recipe at the nourished table and adjusted it for one bunch.

Ingredients
1 bunch greens, stems removed and cut into 1 inch strips
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion chopped
1 cup cream
Fresh nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a pan, sautee onions untill soft. Sautee greens until bright green. Add cream and simmer until cream is reduced and thickened. Season to taste

Butterbeer Cupcakes

My friends and I have a kids book book club, and we are watching all of the Harry Potter movies in order to prepare for a trip to see the latest one in theaters. Yesterday we watched The Prisoner of Azkaban, and so I thought I would make Butterbeer Cupcakes.

So, how do you make Butterbeer cupcakes? Well, I looked at a bunch of Butterbeer recipes, and they all seemed to call for either beer or cream soda and butterscotch schnapps. Some of the more involved recipes called for additional spices to add warmth.

I decided on making a chocolate beer cupcake with some added spice, and a cream cheese frosting with butterscotch schnapps.

I based the cupcake recipe on Chef Chloe's recipe. I used a vanilla porter instead of chocolate stout, and substituted butterscotch schnapps for vanilla. I also added a teaspoon of garam masala spice to add some heat (it is a combo of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and other spices). I used my standard cream cheese frosting recipe.

Ingredients

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup stout beer (I use Trader Joe's oatmeal stout)
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure butterscotch schnapps
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together liquid ingredients. Mix just until everything is moist and bake at 350 for 16-20 min.

Frosting

8oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp butterscotch schnaaps

pinch salt

cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar to desired consistency. Add salt and schnapps for flavor.

Pasta, Veggies and Lemon Yogurt Sauce

This recipe has been making the rounds on cooking blogs. I read about it on The Gingered Whisk.



With the CSA, we tend to get a lot of Zucchini, and I am always looking for new things to do with it. This is a fairly healthy cream sauce that goes well with the sauteed vegetables.

Ingreients

8oz pasta
1 zucchini sliced (others have cut it up into ribbons. I cut it into half moons. Either way you want the slices to be kinda thin)
1 cup small tomatoes cut in half or quarters (I had pearl tomatoes which are about the size of cherry ones)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup thick, plain yogurt (greek is best)
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water and then drain
sautee the zucchini in a pan with the olive oil until just softened
add garlic for a few minutes
add tomatoes and cook until soft
add thyme right at the end

in a bowl combine yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest
toss pasta, veggies and sauce and serve

Blueberry Sage Muffins

Blueberry Sage Muffins from Diana Dyer's blog

Inspired by Blueberry Sage Muffin recipe from The Herbal Palate Cookbook by Maggie Oster & Sal Gilbertie

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 2 c blueberries,
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves (right from my garden - I would use even more next time)
• 1/2 c sugar,
• 2-3 tsp. minced lemon zest (zest one whole lemon and use all of it)
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour),
• 2 tsp baking powder,
• 1/2 tsp baking soda,
• 1/4 tsp salt,
• 1 large egg,
• 1/2 c plain organic yogurt
• 1/2 c milk (dairy or unsweetened soy milk)
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil,
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best - use the lemon that you zested).
• Sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired. (I used a sprinkle of plain ground flaxseeds)

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine the berries, sage, sugar, and lemon zest. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line 12 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.
• Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
• Wisk together the egg, yogurt, milk, oil, and lemon juice, then add to the blueberry mixture.
• Pour the blueberry mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
• Fill each muffin cup to within 1/2 inch of the top.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle some on each muffin.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until muffin tops spring back when lightly touched.
• Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every once in a while I get bit by the bug to make something specific. In this case it was peanut butter cookies with chocolate. I was gonna make peanut butter blossoms (where you put a Hershey's Kiss in the middle), but I got lazy and decided to just use chocolate chips. Then I decided to add some peanut butter chips for good measure. I've also been hooked on adding oatmeal to cookies for the texture. I found this recipe on Baking Bites

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (I buy unsalted peanut butter so I added 1/2 tsp)

1 cup quick cook oats

1 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350

cream butter and sugars together

add vanilla and egg

add peanut butter

add flour,oats, baking soda, and salt in batches just until combined

quickly stir in chips

roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 11-14 min

made 3 dozen (probably makes 4 doz, I tend to be generous in my rolling)

Tuna & Rice Salad

This is one of my all time favorite lunches. It is adapted from this recipe on all recipes, that states it came from someone's croatian roommate.

Tuna and Rice Salad

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

chopped romaine lettuce

1 pkg tuna fish flaked

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 small shallot grated
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 handful olives

make the salad right after you cook the rice while it's still warm

toss the rice and lettuce, crumble the tuna and add the olives

combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a screw top container and shake until emulsified.

dress the salad with dressing and enjoy!

Strarberry Lime Basil Sorbet

I got a bunch of strawberries, limes, and basil in my Trader Joe's pickup this week (I pickup food for a local food pantry and they let me keep some for myself). It's been pretty hot here in Boston lately, and I've got book group coming up on sunday, so I figured I'd bust out the ice cream maker and whip up some sorbet.

1 1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 bunch basil divided

4 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/2 cup lime juice

zest of 1 lime

combine water, sugar and half of the basil in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. let it sit until the liquid cools

once the liquid cools, put the strawberries, lime juice, lime zest, and the other half of the basil cut into small strips (aka chiffonade) into a blender and puree. Cool the mixture and then follow your ice cream maker's directions.

Asparagus, kale, crabmeat quiche

Today is trivia, which means dinner at our place. I have some asparagus I've been holding on to from the farmshare, and thought I would make some quiche. I also had some extra kale and a can of crabmeat. (I actually made two quiches, one with and one without crabmeat)

I DID cheat by buying the piecrust at the store instead of making it (I blame staying two hours late at work)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

1/2 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into two inch pieces

1/2 bunch kale with stems removed cut into 1 inch strips

1/2 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh taragon

1 can crabmeat

1 cup grated swiss cheese

sautee the onion and garlic in butter til browned, then add the kale and asparagus, turn heat to medium and cover. Cook asparagus and kale until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste

Put the veggie mixture in a prebaked pie shell. add taragon, crumble canned crabmeat over the mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

In a bowl combine egg and cream. Pour egg mixture over the veggies and bake at 350 for 45-55 min until set.

Plantains, Beans an Rice

Today I swung by Market Basket in Chelsea for some things, and found a bunch of dented cans of black beans on sale for 30 cents, and a pile of beautifully yellow plantains. I also had some leftover cilantro from last nights supper, and rice. that seemed like a good start for dinner.

When I worked at a non profit residential program for kids in trouble (throw em a couple of bucks if you can), one of my favorite guys on staff was named Manolo. His family was from the Dominican Republic, and he would make platanos, beans and rice for the kids. I used his method for tonights dinner:

Peel the plantain (it's pretty much like peeling a banana except it helps to use a knife to get started because the peel is so thick). Slice into 1 inch slices. Fry on each side in a pan of cannola oil.

From More Cupcakes

Then drain on a paper towel

From More Cupcakes!

Use the bottom of a glass or some other flat object to squash the fried plantain,

From More Cupcakes!

then refry again in the oil,

From More Cupcakes!

Drain again on paper towels, and salt and pepper the finished product and enjoy!

From More Cupcakes!

For the beans I chopped up an onion and three cloves of garlic and sauteed in butter. Then I chopped up a tomato and a cup of cilantro and added a can of black beans. I seasoned them with some adobo, which is a combination of salt, pepper and spices. If you don't have it, then salt, pepper and cumin should do. Rice was just rice, so...that should be easy :P

H Mart, Bok Choi, and Korean Style Salmon

Today I went to Burlington to get Ninja (my Ford Focus Hatchback) an oil change at sears, with plans for a trip to H Mart. H Mart is a Korean grocery store that is GINORMOUS, with a food court (I had some fresh rolls from the Vietnamese booth "Pho Sure") and lots of people set up sampling foods. We got Bok Choi and Cucumbers in the farm share, so I figured I'd do something with the Bok Choi, with some salmon for supper tonight, and then make some Sushi Salad for dinner later this week (maybe Monday before trivia). I LOVE asian grocery stores. They have great prices on produce (lemons are even cheaper at H Mart than at Market Basket, which seems impossible) fun products (ask my roommate G about Red Bean Ice Cream Pops sometime) and ingredients that are hard to find.

Anyhow, for dinner tonight I made Bok Choi with peanuts and cilantro (which I love) and Korean Salmon.

Bok Choi with Peanuts and Cilantro (recipe from What Did You Eat)

2 bunches bok choi washed, and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp neutral oil (peanut or canola)

1/4 cup peanuts

pinch red pepper flakes

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 3 tbsp liquid (I used water, but OJ or lemon/lime juice would be interesting I think)

1 cup cilantro (aka Chinese parsley) chopped

heat the oil in a pan/wok and then fry the peanuts and pepper flakes and a pinch of salt for a minute

cook the onions and ginger for another minute or two

add the bok choi and cook until just starting to wilt 5 min or so

add the liquids and cilantro and simmer til the sauce thickens a bit

I used this as a side, but you could toss in some chicken or tofu and make a meal out of it. Especially over some soba noodles

As for the salmon, I made a sauce that I found on Morsels and Musings that uses a Korean ingredient called gochujang (my bottle was spelled Chogochyjang, which wikipedia tells me is actually a different product, made with gochujang with extra ingredients).

From More Cupcakes!

it looks a bit like ketchup, but it's made from red peppers and is fermented and has a nice kick. The sauce I made based loosely on the recipe from Morsels and Musings:

2 tbsp each

Miso Paste

Chogochyjang

Orange Juice

sesame oil

2tsp soy sauce

I combined them all, and then basted the salmon with it and broiled it

Fist Full of Blueberries

We got a little container of blueberries in the farmshare, and I saw a recipe on The Gingered Whisk for Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes. Blueberry pancakes tend to be a bit too fluffy and sweet for me, and don't stand up well to the blueberries. This recipe is fluffy, with some crunchy. I added some lemon zest to enhance the flavor of the blueberries. I also used 2 cups milk and the juice of one lemon instead of buttermilk.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes (Eat Live Travel Write)

From More Cupcakes!

1.5 cups cornmeal
¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tso coarse kosher salt

zest 1/2 lemon
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
¼ cup canola oil
Melted Butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
Maple syrup for serving

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisk to blend, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and place a baking sheet in the oven to warm.
Preheat griddle/cast iron skillet over medium heat and brush with some melted butter.
Working in batches, spoon ¼ - ½ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.
Sprinkle each pancake with a tablespoon of blueberries.
Cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until you are finished cooking all the pancakes.
Serve with maple syrup.

5 Spice Ginger Pickles

I love love LOVE pickles. And I love love LOVE ginger. And cucumbers go bad fast, so I decided to make some "quickles" aka quick pickles. Basically these are refrigerator pickles. You slice the cucumber (and onion in this case) and then soak them in a brine in the fridge. I don't bother going through the canning process, mostly because I'm lazy and afraid of botulism.

1 cucumber sliced

1 half sweet onion sliced

1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice seasoning)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp salt

combine the liquid in a jar, then layer the pickles and onions and toss in the fridge. The longer they soak the more flavorful they get.

I have a bunch of Kale at my house from our CSA, and I figured I'd make some stew with potatoes and beans. I like the way the stew has both sweet and salty flavors. Zeke had a great idea of adding peanuts for some crunchy, which I would definitely do next time.

Moroccan Veggie Stew

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
4 cloved garlic minced
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
4 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch kale, stems removed cut into 1 inch strips
1 can diced tomato and juice
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup dried lentils
1 can garbonzo beans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tsp aleppo pepper (or 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp butter

in pot melt butter and sautee onion and garlic
sautee kale for 3 min
add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until lentils soften

Dandelion Green Pasta

Dandelion Green Pasta, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Got some Dandelion Greens in last week's farmshare. They are mighty bitter, which is why I added the butter to the recipe.

From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

Ingredients:
3 cups penne
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 small white onion chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
bunch dandelion greens with thick stems removed, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for serving

cook penne in salted water per instructions. reserve liquid

heat olive oil in pan, cook garlic and onion until just beginning to brown

stir in red pepper flakes until starts to sizzle.

cook dandelion greens 3 min until bright green

add butter and 1/3 cup pasta water and bring to boil in skillet. cook til reduced by half. salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to coat with sauce and serve with grated parmesan

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

this is the second time I've gotten fiddleheads in the CSA farmshare. They're interesting, with a mild, fresh, green taste and interesting texture. The important thing seems to be choosing something that doesn't overwhelm the flavor, which is why I chose Beurre Blanc sauce and angel hair pasta. If I had frozen peas I would have added some of those too. Could also work with a mild protien like shrimp.

Ingredients:
1 bag fiddleheads
1 box angelhair pasta
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon
1 small shallot grated
2-3 garlic cloves grated
handful parsley chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

Boil a pot of water

soak and gently rub fiddleheads with paper towel and cut off ends as needed

drop fiddleheads in for 3-5 min until "tender crisp", then put in cold water bath to keep from over cooking

add salt to water and boil pasta per instructions

zest lemon and set aside

in saucepan heat up wine, juice from lemon, shallot and garlic. simmer until sauce reduces by half.

add two sticks of butter and zest a tablespoon at a time.

once sauce thickens, add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and toss with pasta and fiddleheads

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

we got Fiddleheads in the farmshare today, which are a springtime treat in new england and the maritimes. They are the unopen fronds of a fern, and taste a bit like asparagus. Apparently they are quite popular in quiche (says my boyfriend from Maine). I consulted my go-to cookbook for all things farmshare, Vegetable Love, and found this risotto recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot minced
1 onion minced
1 pt mushrooms roughly chopped (recipe called for chanterelle, but i used oyster)
3/4 c chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups veggie stock
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups trimmed fiddleheads (could sub chopped asparagus)
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

sautee the shallots and onion in melted butter. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 min. Add tarragon for 8 min. add oil and rice and cook at medium until rice absorbs the oil

add the wine and stir until evaporated

add broth a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next cup. After four cups add the peas and fiddleheads. Add more stock as needed until rice is at desired consistency. Stir in grated cheese gradually. Salt and pepper to taste

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

These cookies are fantastic. They are crispy and chewy at the same time. I added the cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. You may want to up the salt a smidge if you use the zest. Also, I love the texture that oatmeal adds

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from The Frog Commissary Cookbook)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
zest from 1 small orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely

Stuffed zucchini

Stuffed zucchini, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise
score the zucchini down the center and sides and scoop out the flesh
cut up a potato into small cubes and sautee with one chopped onion until fork tender
add one chopped up and seeded tomato, zucchini flesh, a tsp italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste
add either a cup of peas or garbanzo beans
scoop filling into hollowed out zucchini
sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top
bake at 375 for 20-30 min until top is brown and crispy and zucchini shell is soft

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies
Originally uploaded by kel h

Today is the anniversary of when a molasses tank burst and flooded the north end of boston. They say in the summer you can still smell the molasses in the air.

I had some car trouble today, which is still unresolved, and still stressing me out, so I decided to make cookies, and figured the Pomegranate Molasses I had in the pantry would make a good candidate.

The recipe is from the Serious Eats blog

Ingredients:
2.5 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick + 6 tbsp butter
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c pomegranate molasses
1 tsp vanilla (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
vanilla sugar to dip cookies in (optional)

combine dry ingredients and set aside
cream butter and sugar
add vanilla and molasses
combine wet and dry in 3 batches, stirring just until combined

make 1inch balls out of dough and roll in vanilla sugar

Bake at 350 for 10 min

Mexican Rice Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Rice Stuffed Peppers
Originally uploaded by kel h

First, make mexican rice

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (i used brown rice)
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups water
1 10oz can crushed tomatoes
1 chipotle peppper minced (or less if you like less spicy)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1-2 tsp chili powder (use less if you used the pepper)
1 can beans (I used kidney beans because the italian market didn't have black beans)
2 tbsp olive oil

heat the oil
sautee the onion, garlic and rice until the rice is toasted and the onion is translucent
add the pepper, water, tomatoes, corn and seasoning and simmer for 30 min or until liquid is absorbed

to stuff the peppers, cut the tops off of 2 large or 4 small green peppers
scoop the rice into the cavities (i added cheese)
put them in a pan filled with tomato sauce and cover with foil
bake at 350 until the peppers start to soften 35-45min
nom!

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup
Originally uploaded by kel h

I've got a lot of potatoes from my CSA, and I'm sick. So I decided to make potato leek soup. This is loosely based on a recipe from Emeril, only I didn't have cream, or creme fraiche (or plain yogurt, which is what I usually use when a recipe calls for creme fraiche). I DID however have goat cheese, which added a tangy taste I liked. If you don't want to make it vegetarian, add some bacon when you melt the butter.

1 leek, trimmed and sliced
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp herbs de provance
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs potatoes peeled
1 cup white wine
4 cups veggie stock
1/4-1/2 cup goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes worcestershire sauce

melt butter in pan
cook leeks in butter
deglaze pan with wine
add stock and cheese and simmer 20 min
blend
season
nom