Callaloo Butternut Stew

Callaloo Butternut Stew
Originally uploaded by kel h

This is based on a recipe from the food network. Callaloo is a green from the carribean, and is sort of a hearty spinach.

The original recipe calls for salt pork which I omitted being a veggie and all, and I subbed butternut squash that I got in my CSA for the pumpkin in the original

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bunch Callaloo cut into strips
kernels from 1 ear corn
1 small butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp thyme
cyanne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter
sautee onion and garlic until translucent and season
add butternut squash, callaloo,corn and coconut milk
bring to boil and simmer for 10 min or until squash softens
add soy sauce and season

I also tossed frozen shrimp in with 5 min to go to add protein.

Serve over rice or with cornbread

Radiant Bok Choi

Radiant Bok Choi
Originally uploaded by kel h

One of the best parts of having a CSA Farmshare is getting a variety of different veggies and learning different ways of cooking them. I have this great cookbook Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka, which is a must have if you've got a farmshare. Not only does it have a bunch of great recipes for every vegetable you can imagine and then some, but it also has a great index with general buying and preparation information on all sorts of veggies. This recipe is from that cookbook

1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 lbs bok choi (halved lenthwise)
1 can coconut milk (add water until = 3c liquid)
1 tbsp lime juice

Heat the oil on low and add the tumeric and salt. cook for 1 min

Add bok choi in one layer in the pan

pour the liquid over the bok choi and bring to boil for medium heat and cook covered for 6 minutes

turn bok choi over and cook another 6 minutes

add lime juice and stir

Everybody say Jamaica! Jamaican Callaloo

One of the great things about getting a CSA farmshare, is that it exposes me to a variety of new foods I had passed by in the market (or that I had never even seen in the market), and keeps me from falling into the rut of cooking the same five things over and over again (one cannot live on black bean enchiladas and stir fry alone). Today's recipe is a great example. I had never seen callaloo before joining a CSA. It's pretty tasty, like a hardier spinach.

Callaloo is a green found in the Caribbean, as well as a type of stew made of the greens traditionally seasoned with thyme, onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. It can also include ham, lobster or crab. I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand (specifically subbing jalapeño for the scotch bonnet, and adding grilled shrimp)

I started with a recipe from a website on Jamaican Traditions

Quick and Easy Callaloo Recipe....

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch freshly cut callaloo (six or seven stalks)

1/2 c coconut milk

1 onion chopped

1 ripe tomato chopped

1 jalapeño pepper seeds and membrane removed, diced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Pluck the leaves off the stems, wash and dry

cook onions in oil and butter until soften

add rest of ingredients and bring to boil

simmer until leaves are tender

abt 20 min or so

I served it with grilled shrimp

Enjoy. Everybody say JAMAICA!

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This is my third post in the Loving Local Blogathon to support the MA farmers market association. Please donate and help support the imporant work that they do to help increase access to locally grown fresh produce across the state and especially in urban areas.

coconut rice pudding

coconut rice pudding
Originally uploaded by kel h

i had leftover coconut milk from the eggplant earlier today. I also have more sweetened condensed milk than i know what to do with. and a sweet tooth.

also, this is my favorite mug. It is from the Guggenheim, and is based on the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building

1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 tsp orange juice (and orange zest if ya got it)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 c sweetened condensed milk

bring the coconut milk and water to a boil
add the rice and seasonings
cook rice according to directions
once its cooked, add the sweetened condensed milk to make it creamier

Thai Style Eggplant

Thai Style Eggplant
Originally uploaded by kel h

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant low fat Favorites cookbook

Ingredients
1 large eggplant cubed
2-3 tbsp lime ponzu
4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 c coconut milk
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
3 dashes hot sauce
1 scallion sliced I separate dark end and white end)

Spray a baking dish with oil
lay out the cubed eggplant
pour the ponzu over the eggplant and sprinkle with garlic and white part of scallion
broil in oven for five minutes, then flip and broil again for another five (may want to go a bit longer depending on how firm you like your eggplant)

In a bowl, combine coconut milk, herbs, peanut butter, lime juice, brow sugar and hot sauce and stir. Add warm eggplant to sauce and toss. Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle green end of scallions over top

Carrot Stew, Carrot Stew...It's my favorite thing to do

Today I made some Carrot Coconut soup. I know I have a real recipe for it somewhere, but I just improvised, and it came out OK, if a bit thick.

This particular recipe is full of cheats, because I'm sick.

in a big pot brown 1 diced onion (or 1 c frozen chopped onion) and 4 cloves diced garlic (or use prediced in a jar)

Then brown three pounds of carrot coins (I just used three one pound bags of frozen sliced carrots) You want to cook them until they're soft.

Add one can coconut milk and 2tsp (or more) grated ginger

Add some Curry Powder (I think I added at least two tablespoons of sweet curry)

Add 4c veggie broth (I think I added less, but I'm pretty sure 4c is the correct ammount)

throw in a Bay Leaf (the veggie soup's best friend)

Cook until the carrots get really soft. Take out the bay leaf and then either use an immersion blender, or pour the soup into a blender a little at at time and puree until you get a silky soup.

Add salt and hot sauce to taste and enjoy!

Pina Colada Bread Pudding

If you like pina coladas, and have leftover bread...add eggs, milk, sugar, and some more stuff...bake it up and you're fed

From the Delicious Disney Desserts cookbook my dad got me for Christmas (thanks Dad!)

Ingredients

-10 slices bread cubed and put in the broiler on a sheet until golden brown (or, in my case, one extraordinarily stale baguette)
- 1/2 c fresh pinapple finely chopped (I subbed most of a can of chunk pineapple drained)
-2 tbsp melted butter
-2 c milk
-6 beaten eggs
1/2 c heavy cream (I used buttermilk for both dairy items because it's the only dairy I keep in the house)
-1 c sugar (I used brown because I like it better)
-4 tbsp coconut milk (be sure to shake the can before you open it, I forgot)
-2 tbsp rum

Directions
-preheat the oven to 350
-toast the bread in the boiler and toss in a bowl with the pineapple
pour into a greased pan and drizzle the melted butter over it
-toss the eggs into a mixer
-heat up the milk (don't boil) add the milk, sugar, cream, coconut milk and rum to the eggs to make a custard.
-Pour the custard over the bread. You may need to stir to get it all covered
-Bake in an oven at 350 for 35-40 min when it springs back when you push down in the middle

The cookbook has a recipe for vanilla rum sauce, but I just used ice cream

Rum Sauce
Combine 2 egg yolks, 2tsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsbsp sugar in a mixing bowl til smooth
combine 1 c milk, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a sauce pan and boil
whisk egg yolk mixture into boiling milk (stir quickly)
Immediately pour into a bowl that is nestled inside of a larger bowl filled with ice water so it doesn't curdle. Add 1 tbsp coconut rum and whisk thoroughly