Thai Red-Curry Squash Soup

I love curry and I love coconut anything, so this wintry sounding soup made sense to me.

I'm not sure if I've ever had Kabocha squash, or if I will try it again. Without prompting her, my roommate agreed this soup had a bit of a starchy after-taste that I attribute to the Kabocha. Next time I will use butternut. Also, the fried ginger at the end seems tedious and was overkill for me. I don't think I sliced it thinly enough, but anyway, it seems like a lot more work than it's worth.

Overall a great soup I recommend! Not fast, but good if you have some time.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

The  name of this recipe  from 101 Cookbooks is deceiving: Yes you use red lentils, but this comes out yellow (from the split peas and the curry) and you cannot taste much coconut. It is, however, delicious! I used hot yellow curry, which I maintain is not hot, and realize the quality and flavor of the curry determines this dish over anything else. Next I might try more of a Thai curry flavor.

Mine turned out more like a stew, very thick but fantastic. I've been eating it for the past few days and adding more spice or spinach to it. I did not add raisins, even though reviewers seemed to love them (I'm looking at you, Sarah).

Lastly, you can make this vegan by substituting olive oil in place of butter, which I might try next time.

Pappardelle with Spiced Butter

Normally I try to avoid butter, (and weirdly I haven't eaten pasta for what seems an eternity), but this recipe from 101 Cookbooks sounded interesting. It was easy and fresh tasting and everyone I served it to enjoyed it (or so they claimed). I would be careful with cinnamon as you don't want it to be too sweet.

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake - Also Baby Mac's BIRTHDAY CAKE!!

I mean, why would you not want to make this? Super easy and super delicious, please make it. ASAP. Baby Mac will love it when he is old enough to eat solid food.

Recipe is here

Roasted Rosemary Shrimp with Arugula and White Bean Salad

I am shocked I haven't posted this yet, I make it somewhat often and love it. It is really easy and good and everyone agrees it is lite but heavy on protein.

I usually mix spinach with arugula as pure arugula is too much for me, and lately I have been doubling the dressing as lemon / oil / garlic is so good. Also I think the bigger the shrimp the better, as I just found out last weekend.

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

This soup recipe from Cooking Light was good but tasted healthier / less rich than most butternut squash recipes. The best part are the pumpkin seeds which I have been eating by themselves for the rest of the week!

My only tip would be to use vegetal broth maybe, my soup tasted a lot like chicken.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

If this recipe doesn't say "I am nesting", I don't know what does.  It's a casserole.  From a recipe contest (the winner won $200!).  From Better Homes and Gardens!!

And, it was really delicious if you're in the mood for this type of thing.  I made it sin pollo, of course, and made a half batch.  I would like to try it again with homemade enchilada sauce and homemade refried beans, instead of the canned versions it calls for and I used.  The chips on top are delicious, especially if you use the Kettle Brand Tias type.  No casserole is complete without chips on top, right?

Ingredients:

1 12 oz package dried jumbo shell macaroni
3 large red peppers, chopped
1 1/2 c. red onions
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 Tbls vegetable oil
2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 16 oz can refried beans
1/2 of a 1.25 oz envelope taco seasoning mix (3 Tbls)
2 10 oz cans enchilada sauce
1 8 oz package shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1 c. green onions
2 c crushed nacho cheese-flavored tortilla chips

1) Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.  Rinse and drain again.

2) In a skillet, cook peppers, onion, jalapeno and 1/4 tsp of salt in hot oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken, beans, seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.  Cook and stir 5 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 c each of the cheese and green onions.

3) Divide filling among shells.  Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.  Arrange shells atop sauce.  Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce. 

4) Bake, covered, 30 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.  Sprinkle with with chips and remaining green onions.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Update - Kate's October Recipe - Eggplant Parmesan

I enjoyed this recipe and hope you did/will too.  A few notes/thoughts on each step:

Tomato Sauce:  I think this is really good and will probably become my go to sauce.  The spice mix is key so dont leave it out.

Eggplant: I had to leave mine in the oven about 10-15 minutes longer than suggested.  It turned out well though:

Bechamel: Be patient with this sauce, and it is worth it.  So tasty!

I made a half recipe and still didnt use it all.  I froze some, and will see how it does.

Overall, this recipe is a little time intensive, due to the different parts.  However, it can be made up to five days in advance, so it would be good to make when company is coming over.  I think it's worth it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is incredibly easy to make and is very good.  I of course leave out the chicken, but am posting the whole recipe in case you do eat yard bird.

While the recipe calls for five jalapenos, mine always seem to be spicy enough that this seems like too much, even for someone who likes spice; adjust accordingly.

4 corn tortillas
salt to taste
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 c. tomato juice
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 carrot, julienned
5 jalapeno peppers, chopped or 1 4-oz can chopped green chiles
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. chopped basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced
12 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 fresh tomato, chopped
2 Tbls lime juice

Cut the tortillas into 1/2x3-inch strips and sprinkle with salt.  Arrange the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet.   Bake at 375 degrees until light brown and crisp.  Let stand until cool.

Combine the broth, tomato juice, undrained canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and carrot in a large sauce pan and mix well.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the jalapeno, onion, cilantro, basil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder.  Simmer for 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Ladle the soup into heated soup bowls.  Add equal portions of the chicken, tortilla strips and cheese into each bowl.  Top each serving with the sliced avocado and chopped fresh tomato.  Drizzle with the lime juice.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Source: One of the Junior League of Denver Cookbooks

Kate's October Recipe - Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe is from a class I recently took at Simply Good.  It tasted delicious and didn't seem too hard to make, if you divide up the steps.  It can also be made up to 5 days in advance (see note at end).  I like that the eggplant was baked, thus greatly reducing a greasy taste.

Serves 6

Tomato Sauce:
1 c. yellow onion, 1/2 inch diced
1/4 c. olive oil
2 Tbls garlic, minced
1 c. red wine (they used Big House Red, in a box)
4 c. canned whole tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian spice blend (recipe follows)


1. Preheat a 4 -quart sauce pan on high heat (450 degrees).  Add the oil and onions, saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic and Italian spice blend and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the red wine, bring to a boil and cook until red wine has completely evaporated.

2. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

3. Using a blender (try hand blender), puree the sauce until smooth. 

Yield: 4 cups

Italian spice blend (any extra will keep in a jar with a tight fitting lid up to one year):
2 Tbl fennel seeds
1 Tbl black peppercorns
2 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 Tbl sweet paprika
1/4 c kosher salt

Place all spices into a grinder and pulverize.  Add ground spices to kosher salt.

For the eggplant:
1 peeled eggplant (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
3 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine panko and parmesan.

2. Dust each disc of eggplant in the flour, then dip each one in the beaten egg.  Coat each disc with the panko/parm mixture.

3. Lay the breaded eggplant in a single layer on a sheet tray.  Drizzle each disc w/ olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

4. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until the eggplant is golden brown and soft all the way through.

For the bechamel:

4 c. milk
1 c. onions, minced
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbl kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c. Provolone cheese, grated

1.  Heat a 2-quart sauce pot to medium heat (350 degrees).  Melt butter and cook the onions for 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in flour and nutmeg to make a roux.  Cook the roux 5 minutes over medium-high heat.  The color should be blond to light brown. 

2. Stir in cold milk all at once.  Add kosher salt.

3. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly (approximately 5 minutes).  Stir and cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in provolone cheese.  Reserve until ready to assemble.

To Assemble:

2 c. Provolone cheese, grated
1/4 cups basil, chopped

1. Place 6 eggplant discs on a sheet tray and top each one with 1/4 c. of bechamel sauce.

2. Place a second disc of eggplant on the stack and top with 1/4 c. of bechamel sauce.

3. Place 3 ounces of tomato sauce on the eggplant stack and top with 1/4 c. of provolone cheese.  Place into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot all the way through.

4. Transfer each stack to a plate and top with the chopped basil.

Note, these can be assembled and kept in the refrigerator for five days.  Just remove from the refrigerator and place straight into a 375 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes. 

Lemon, basil, and walnut pesto

This simple pesto from Sunset magazine was easy and different. I think it might have tasted better on day two after flavors could marry! Definitely recommend.

Update: Anne's April Recipe - Croissant Bread Pudding

This bread pudding was easier than I expected, and was extremely well liked at the bbq I brought it to! I bought expen$ive croissants which probably helped :) The only mistake I made, as is evident in the last picture, was not mixing up the chocolate chips and the sugar well enough, there were many whole chocolate chips on top. I also am not sure we need ALL that sugar, probably could cut out 1/2 cup or more. Again, everyone loved this, so bring it somewhere and share!

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Chile Butter and Roasted Peanuts

This soup from Bon App was great, even though I left out the butter and roasted nuts. Next time  I will definitely add both, I just ran out of time! You can thin this and make it soupy or keep it thick and eat it more as a vegetarian stew!

Heather's Quinoa Recipe

Last night I made this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. As I was making it, I kept thinking to myself that it wasn't going to work out. The flavors and combinations seemed off. However, it turned out to be delicious. The roommate and I both really liked it. I have had a jar of store-bought pesto sitting in my cabinet and with regret, I used it. I used less than the recipe calls for, but I will not make that mistake again. I could not find tofu or pumpkin seeds, so I used chick peas and left out the nuts.

Macarons

Santa brought me a macarons book, and although it's been 8 months I am feeling proud of myself for making a successful batch. 

First, you start with egg whites:

Then pipe the dough:

 After they bake:

Make the filling (but forget to photograph it), and then fill the cookies. I made chocolate cookies, with grand marnier filling. Yum!

Lime Cake

I made a clementine cake in January 2009 and it happened to be on inauguration day, so I called it a celebration cake. I was celebrating George W. Bush no longer being the president of the United States. The clementine version is delicious, and unexpected. You don't expect a cake that is made without butter or flour to be good, but this one is fantastic. I made a recipe that was not from Nigella, but after I learned that Nigella is famous for her clementine cake.

I bought ground almonds in January of this year with the intent of making the clementine cake again, but I never got around to it. I wanted to use the almonds, so I decided to make a summery version of the same cake. 

 

Limes are my favorite citrus fruit these days, so I found some unwaxed limes and went for it. The result is delicious...it's moist and limey. I reduced the amount of sugar very slightly from what the recipe calls for, and found it a little bit tart, so I quickly made a simple syrup with the water that the limes boiled in, poked the finished cake all over and poured on the simple syrup. That made the cake shiny, and less tart. The result is not overly sweet, so much so, that if I were to serve this to guests, I would serve ice cream with the cake. Maybe raspberry ice cream. Or vanilla.

I made simple syrup with most of the water that the limes boiled in. I will perhaps make a few cocktails with it this weekend.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

I will be the first to admit that this picture doesn't make this soup look all that good, but trust me, this is delicious. I fear that summer has come and gone and the other night it was cool enough for soup. That's sad in August, but that's London. 

The recipe is here, on My Recipes. You can play with the level of spicy; I kept it low for a certain someone, then added hot sauce on my bowl. It is smooth and very delicious.

Greek Dips -- Hummus and Tzatziki

Sadly, I have no pictures, but wanted to share these two easy recipes for Hummus and Tzatziki.  These are of course quite simple, but making them reminded me how much better the homemade versions are than the store-bought. 

The Kitchen's Hummus
Makes 1-2 cups

NOTES: This is a very easy recipe that’s great to have around. It has a pretty good shelf life; just keep it covered in the fridge. It goes wonderfully with grilled bread drizzled with excellent olive oil.

INGREDIENTS: 1 15-ounce can good-quality chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup tahini paste Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.Taste and adjust seasoning. Tzatziki Cooking Light Prepare this traditional Greek dip within an hour of serving time to prevent it from becoming watery.   1 cup grated peeled English cuke (I didnt peel) 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 1 T. chopped fresh mint 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 garlic clove, minced Pat cuke dry with paper towels.  Combine cuke and rest of ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Southwest Rice and Corn Salad with Lemon Dressing

This Bon App recipe (I swear I find recipes elsewhere) was delectable and I highly recommend it. It almost tastes like the part of a Chipotle burrito when you get a big bite of rice and the corn salsa, so good. I bought a lot of the veggies at the farmer's market, which makes me happy.

The white rice threw me off and clearly is the demise of this being a healthy recipe, but still, delish. I cooked a cup of dry rice, but used about 1/2 or 3/4s of it, and I used a whole avocado not half. The avocado sort of binds the whole thing together, and almost tastes like you have dairy or cheese in it. Make it!

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Eggplant and Cinnamon-Cumin Dressing

This recipe from Bon Appetit was really different and interesting. I think if I make it again I will be really careful with the amount of cinnamon I add as it can easily bcome too sweet. It's a good side dish thought if you like eggplantand Israeli coucous. (Oh and I didn't add raisins, Sarah that should make you happy!)

Update - Sarah's July Recipe - Ad Hoc Creamed Corn

This was a great pick, Sarah!

Fresh corn has hit the farmers' market here and this was a tasty way to use it!  I made the full recipe, in order to have leftovers.  I followed it as expressed, probably using more cayenne than most (except for the youngest sister who I am sure used more).  My only complaint was that I didnt take the time to fully remove all of the silk and the finished product had more in it than I would like.  No big deal though.

The finished product:

Breakfast Apricot Crisp

A few weeks ago, I bought a good amount of apricots at the farmers' market.  The farmer said they were under-ripe and needed a few days on the counter.  I let them sit there awhile, and they did ripen up, they just weren't that good.  Not very juicy...just a little early for apricot season here apparently.  But, as I said they were ripe, so I needed to do something with them.  This recipe from Smitten Kitchen is perfect for average apricots.

It is a very easy recipe and keeps for days in the fridge.  As she says on SK, it definitely benefits from an overnight stay in the fridge.  I essentially cut the recipe in half, but didnt use the flour with the apricots (if they were juicier I probably would have), used only a sprinkle of sugar there as well, and kept the full amount of almonds in the topping.  I ate this with Greek yogurt for breakfast this week and really enjoyed it.

Quinoa, Garbanzo, and Spinach Salad with Paprika Dressing

This recipe from Bon App scared me at first due to some weird reviews, but it was actually amazing!

I thought the salad (it really is a salad) was better on day 2, when the spinach had some time to soak up the dressing. I halved this recipe and it was still a large quantity, but good for two- three people with some left overs.

Yum.

Walnut-Arugula Pesto

I bought a large bag of arugula at the farmer's market last Sunday and wanted to use it up before it spoiled.  This recipe, like all pestos, comes together quite easily.  I did not have any garlic on hand (hard to believe) and used some parm. instead of manchego, but would try that next time.  I also used about half as much oil as suggested.  I thought this was very tasty, especially if you like arugula salad with lemon juice and olive oil, like I do.

Walnut-Arugula Pesto - Food & Wine

Ingredients:
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 lb arugula
4 garlic cloves
1/4 lb manchego cheese, shredded
Juice and zest of one lemon
3/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Toast walnuts in 350 oven for about 6 minutes.  Let cool

In food processor, pulse the arugula, walnuts and garlic until finely chopped:.  Add the cheese, zest and juice and pulse again:

With machine on, add the olive oil in a steady stream and process to a smooth paste.  Season with salt and pepper.

Update: March Recipe!

Finally! I made the bread!

I used mostly wheat flower, I think 2 cups wheat, 1 cup white, and everyone enjoyed it. I kept this in the fridge for almost a week, not what the recipe says, but it turned out fine.

I brought this to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl and people scarfed it!

Update June Recipe: Cantaloupe Soup

This is something I would not have made on my own, but I'm very glad I tried it. I bought peppers and completely forgot to use them -oops. I forgot to buy onions so I topped the soup only with basil. The salt/pepper/basil/cantaloupe combination is awesome. I love it.

I want to eat it more often. I can see how this would be even better with the peppers and onions.

Update June Recipe: Iced Cantaloupe Soup

This is a terrific soup for a warm summer night.  I made it pretty much per the recipe, only I used agave syrup instead of sugar (about half of the quantity) and used three small limes.

The quality of the cantaloupe is important as the recipe describes.  Mine was very ripe.

I was also able to use three kinds of basil from my herb garden.

The basil/jalapeno/onion are key to this.  The soup alone, while delicious, is more like a smoothie.  The toppings really enhance the overall flavors.  Also, I would try to serve this as soon as possible, as I am not sure how it will look after warming up.