Sometimes You Want It All
White Bean and Parsley Soup with Steak Salad
This dinner reminds me of the punch line of an old joke I once heard — “When you’ve had steak for a long, long time, Beans, beans, they taste just fine.” Well, I had not had steak for a long time, but I couldn’t resist the promise of Robin’s White Bean and Parsley Soup. So I found a way to have both.
Both dishes are simplicity itself. The steak was marinated London-broil style, in lemon juice, red wine, garlic, freshly-ground black pepper, a touch of Wright’s Liquid Smoke, and a splash of flat ginger ale to cut the acid. When the time came to cook it, I heated my trusty old cast-iron grill pan to smokin’ hot, having sprayed it with olive oil. In went the thin steak for a minute on each side to get nice grill marks, and a minute a side again to finish the cross-hatch pattern. Not that it shows when it’s all sliced up, but that’s how I like to do it.
The salad bowls just contained mixed red and green lettuces and a few thin slices of red bell pepper. I could have made it more elaborate with more veggies, but this was a hurry-up meal. After the steak was sliced and placed on the bed of lettuce, with the pepper arranged prettily on top, I dressed it simply with a reduction of pan juices and sherry and a shot of EVOO and black pepper.
The soup is just as simply elegant as the other soups I have made from Delicious Dishes. Two cans of cannellini, rinsed and drained, warmed in a pot where the chopped garlic clove and chopped parsley have been gently sauteeing in olive oil. When the beans have been stirred up thoroughly with the seasonings, I put in the vegetable broth and took my stick blender and pureed about a quarter to a third of the beans to thicken the base. I served it up with a drizzle of EVOO and Voila! Dinner is served. After feeding the two of us, I still have enough soup left to take to the office for lunch tomorrow.
The husband pronounced both courses “great!,” so this meal’s a keeper.
*****
I had a conversation with my insurance “health coach” recently, where I was asked about my health goals and what I was doing to achieve them. I told her I was adopting a new way of eating Mediterranean-style, using Delicious Dishes for Diabetics by Robin Ellis as my guide. I told her I had lost weight and if she had other clients who needed help with diabetic diets, she might want to mention this book to them, and Robin’s blog. I also told her about this blog. So in case she’s had time to take a look — hi, Sarah!
Curry Favorite
Now that my school semester is done, I can get back to cooking and blogging! Oh, joy!
Tonight I threw together a favorite dish in a new way. I roasted a chicken a couple of days ago and decided yesterday that the best way to use the remains from the first meal was to reformulate my old standby, Curried Chicken Salad, in a healthier way.
Curried Chicken Salad on Spinach and Radicchio
Taking a cue from Robin’s book, I used about 80% plain Greek nonfat yogurt with the remaining 20% Hellman’s mayo, which used to be the entire dressing for the chicken. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same as always: red onion and celery, raisins and nuts (this time walnut pieces, since that’s what was handy). Seasonings are curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, lemon pepper and a sprinkle of onion powder and smoked paprika, and a new twist, lime zest and juice. And, of course, the chicken, in a medium dice.
I let the flavors meld overnight and then it occurred to me that it would be beautiful and nutritious to serve a scoop of this magical mix atop the organic spinach salad I bought, and to garnish it with my favorite Cherry-Berry-Nut snack mix. The only problem with this meal is wanting more simply because it is so insanely delicious!
Curried Chicken Salad has been my go-to selection for special luncheon fare, and this will be a great improvement. Serving it with some nice whole-grain crackers and hummus on the side, and iced raspberry tea in tall glasses . . . well, it makes me want to call some girlfriends and plan a ladies-who-lunch party!
Since I am not big on measuring things, except for baking, where one must be precise, if you want to try this yourself, just combine ingredients by taste. If you aren’t used to some of the flavors I use, add them gradually and taste as you go in order to get something that pleases your own palate.
Anyone out there have a favorite chicken salad they’d like to share? Feel free to comment.
It’s been a sad week for music
Levon Helm, the great voice behind The Band’s stirring music, has left us. Such a unique sound — I spent many happy hours listening to the Big Pink album in particular. I never got tired of listening to them.
I don’t think The Band ever played on American Bandstand, but I like to imagine Dick Clark featuring all the dear departed musicians of my youth, at an eternal concert/dance party. I want to have some fun on the other side when it’s my turn to go there!
In honor of Levon, here’s a link to my favorite number by The Band:
Feasting without Meat
How is it possible for a carnivore to feast without meat? I’m finding out. We had Red Peppers Stuffed with Tomatoes and (instead of chevre, which I honestly just don’t like) Marinated Fresh Mozzarella. A sumptuous meal, paired with a small side of gluten-free mac and cheese. It looked beautiful and tasted even better. So good, in fact, that we devoured it before I thought to take a picture. (My post “Keen on Quinoa” has a picture if you want to see how they look.)
And the aroma! The peppers, tomatoes and garlic, with the herbed cheese and olive oil, will undoubtedly scent my dreams and I will probably wish I had leftovers for breakfast.
Possibly the best fast food I’ve ever had — I prepped the peppers at lunchtime and still had time to eat my lunch. I called the husband when I was ready to head home from school this evening, and he obligingly preheated the oven and put the peppers in to cook. Only a few minutes after arriving home, I was enjoying a nutritious dinner. The only one who missed having meat was the dog, and he was more than happy to lick up some melted cheese.
It feels sensational to be well fed and satisfied with a vegetarian meal. I don’t think I will ever be a full-time vegetarian by choice, and certainly not vegan. I do like meat, fish and poultry too well to totally abstain, and I have no moral qualms over it. But I am learning to enjoy vegetarian dishes, and I expect to reap the profits of that in lower food costs and lower numbers on the scale when I weigh in. I have noticed my energy levels come up as well.
The more I explore the pages of Delicious Dishes, the greater my gratitude to the author. I can’t say enough about the positive change in my life as a result of adopting this new way of eating. I highly recommend it.
Mucho Gusto!
My Arroz con Pollo is bubbling away on the stove, so while I wait to see how it turns out, I’ll share how I put it together. It’s one of those things I do a little differently each time, using what I happen to have around, besides the chicken and rice.
I had about a cup of brown basmati left over from last night’s dinner, so that’s in there, simmering next to the four chicken thighs. I heated a little olive oil in my deep skillet and gently sauteed a couple garlic cloves and a medium onion that I chopped roughly, and about a half a large green bell pepper. I seasoned the chicken with lemon pepper blend, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, about a tablesppon of crushed annatto seed and a little powdered ancho and chipotle. I zested a lime and squeezed the juice into the pan and over the chicken thighs after I had turned them to brown. From there, I added one 14.5 oz. can of organic stewed tomatoes, a can full of organic chicken broth, and a little splash of white wine. Brought it all to a gentle boil and put in the packet of yellow rice I wanted to use up, and the leftover rice. Oh, and I almost forgot, about a half a large jalapeno, sliced into coins. And now, I believe it’s done!
Arroz con Pollo
For this much rice, you could use twice as many chicken thighs, or some other chicken parts. I was trying to take the focus off so much chicken and see how it would be to have proportionately more rice and vegetables.
It’s different, but delicious. The tomato flavor is strong and the jalapenos were not very hot. The flavor has depth despite the lack of the MSG-laced sazon I formerly used. And it’s much less oily even though I left the skin on the chicken for flavor. The seasoning in the packaged rice, which I think does contain MSG, was not very noticeable. Now that I have that stuff gone, I will consider adjusting the seasoning when I make it with all brown rice next time.
The husband enjoyed yesterday’s chicken breast, and he really prefers the thighs, so I hope he’s ready for more chicken tonight.
I’ll have to see if I have time to cook tomorrow — if so, it won’t be chicken for the third day running. I have to be at school earlier than usual, but I may be able rustle something up — or if not, tonight’s leftovers will be even better tomorrow. Mucho Gusto!
Back in the Kitchen
Last week was pretty tough as far as cooking is concerned. Too much end-of-semester work to be done, plus a meeting every night for one thing or another. I was glad I made the pork roast last Sunday because it provided me with plenty of good eating through the week. Even so, a few nights, I opted for quick microwaveable meals and even some takeout. By Saturday I could tell the difference in how I was feeling physically. Happily, this weekend I was able to get back on track and have resumed my new style of eating with thoughts on how I can make it work the next time I have an overwhelming week.
The good news for me is that despite my backsliding, I did not regain any lost weight, and I am more committed than ever to eating well. I have cooked a few things from the Delicious Dishes that take little enough time from prep to plate, and Robin just posted another simple dish on his blog that I know will work on a busy day.
Saturday I cooked one of my old favorites from my cooking class in high school: Chicken Cacciatore. What I did a little differently was to add enough chicken broth and white wine to the pan that I could throw in a handful of rotini to have a one-pot meal. It’s simple and follows the basics of Mediterranean cuisine: olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes and a little (gluten free) pasta. I varied it this time with a bit of bell pepper and the addition of tomato puree to create a more substantial gravy-like tomato sauce to surround the chicken thighs.
Tonight I did the recipe on page 121 — Chicken Breasts In a Spicy Lemon and Parsley Sauce. The last spicy dish I tried from the book was seriously hot, so I used only one medium sized cherry pepper, for a little zing to blend nicely with the lemon and parsley. This was so easy to prepare, I can do it when I don’t feel like cooking. With brown basmati rice and a nice vegetable combo from the freezer, I was enjoying dinner an hour after I pulled out the book to decide what to fix. The chicken breast was tender and juicy, and the cinnamon-spiced onions and peppers made a nice sauce when I reduced the pan juices down with a splash of white wine. It doesn’t say to do that in the recipe directions, but it seemed like the right thing to do and turned out well. If I had not put a lid on the pan to finish the cooking, the pan may have been drier at the end, but I’d rather have to reduce the liquid than have the pan burn up on me, which is what seems to happen when I’m cooking and doing something else at the same time.
I still have some chicken, so I am planning on revamping my Arroz con Pollo recipe to make it lighter, and also try the Delicious Roast Chicken recipe from Robin’s book. This week will be more focused on studying than on cooking, but I think I have few good ideas that will keep me on the right track nutritionally.
I hope anyone who reads or follows this blog is having a pleasant springtime, and I invite any suggestions or comments, as always.
Easter Feast
Pork Loin Roasted in Balsamic Vinegar; Fennel, White Bean and Parmesan Salad; Brussels Sprouts and Shallots
Easter Sunday — I made a special meal for this special day. Each dish was simple to make, and delicious in its simplicity.
The Pork Loin Roasted in Balsamic Vinegar was a revelation. I wouldn’t have thought to combine the two, and wondered if I’d have pickled pork at the end of it. Served with the sauce, made of pan drippings, balsamic vinegar and reduced with red wine, the pork was rich and mild on its savory bed of onions and rosemary.
I did have issues with the timing given in the book and the amount of balsamic to be used. This might be due to the fact that I used a deep casserole-type pan rather than a shallow baking pan, because I don’t own a baking pan that can be put on a flame for the initial browning step and the finishing sauce reduction. The balsamic I started with never boiled away, so I didn’t use the other half in the recipe directions. This, despite the fact that the cooking time was almost double the directed time, and still produced a roast with some pinkness left in it. I do need to invest in a stainless steel open roasting pan so I can repeat this recipe as directed.
The Fennel, White Bean and Parmesan Salad was another riot of sharp and savory flavors that balanced the rich meat entree. Dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil, this would make a light lunch on its own, as suggested in the recipe. I put this together first and let the flavors meld in the refrigerator while the remainder of the meal was cooking.
Serving Brussels Sprouts and Shallots with the pork was almost automatic for me. They seem to have a natural affinity, and I was surprised to find fresh sprouts in the store this time of year. The method of sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil and butter, finishing it with a little steaming with broth made for a much more satisfying vegetable dish than my usual trick of microwave-steaming and dressing with the usual butter and dill. That’s also very tasty, but it was good to mix things up a bit for a special meal.
The picture just doesn’t do justice to the meal, which leaves me with a perfect excuse to upgrade to a new camera. Trust me — the meal was worth the time and effort and it’s one I would proudly serve guests.
I hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Day and didn’t get too sugared up with Peeps and chocolate bunnies.
Sockeye to Me!
After watching Robin’s cooking segment for Chicago TV, I knew it was time to make his salmon fishcakes again. I had some frozen salmon filet and thought I’d use that, when I happened upon fresh wild Alaskan sockeye in the local grocery store. I snapped some up and brought it home where tonight it met its ultimate destiny.
In his cooking demo, Robin chopped up the salmon with a knife rather than tossing it in the food processor. So I wielded my mighty cleaver and minced up my fish by hand. Having prepared the recipe before made it go so much more quickly this time. With TV magic, Robin had done the entire dish from raw fish to cooked dish in about two minutes. Mine took maybe half an hour in real time, due to the fact that I had no magical elves to chop and measure ahead of time.
But oh, was it worth it! At the end of the cooking time, we had fish cakes that actually tasted like real salmon, and the flavors of the dill and mustard came through just enough to brighten it, while the lemon juice made it less “fishy” tasting. They were just what I anticipated from the first time I read the recipe through.
The yogurt-dill-mustard sauce is far superior to the tartar sauce I used to have with fish. This time around I was more generous with the mustard — I do love me some Dijon whole-seed mustard — and graced it with a few drops of lemon juice. Perfect accent to the robust salmon flavor!
So here’s what I’ve learned so far about salmon fishcakes: If you love the taste and texture of salmon, use wild sockeye if you can get it. If, on the other hand, you are serving people who don’t like fish (like little kids who only eat chicken nuggets), go ahead and get the frozen keta salmon and they’ll never know they’ve eaten fish until after they ask you what made them so good.
Leek Soup Part Deux
Last night the husband suggested that lemon might improve the blandness of the leek soup, so I tried it out at lunch today. I zested and squeezed my last remaining lemon, and topped it with my favorite lemon pepper (Spice Islands). Just what it needed! I’m thinking a shake or two of smoked paprika would help spark it up as well, but one amendment at a time . . .
The leftover sausage dish from last night reheated well, too — a good, protein-packed breakfast. I didn’t have to “fix” this in any way, as it had so many flavors to begin with. My taste buds were quite entertained.
This is my school night, so it will probably be Amy’s Gluten-Free Macaroni & Cheese for din-din. I do have some fresh tomato — so maybe I will slice some on top and run it under the broiler and have Mac & Cheese a la Robin.
Monday Night at the Improv and Inca Red
I had a rare Monday night at home so I decided to figure out what to make with the stuff I already had on hand instead of picking something from the book I’d have to shop for. What I came up with is Leek and Chickpea Soup, and Sausages in a Red Pepper, Caper and Rose Sauce — sort of. As I said, I was trying to use things up, so there was quite a little bit of improvisation going on.
The Leek and Chickpea Soup is straightforward enough — nothing to do really but sliver up the leeks and rinse the beans and let them simmer while I did the sausage dish. It was a lot like making the fennel soup a few weeks ago.
Figuring out how to do the sausages was a fun little project. In the first place, unless you live where Robin lives, in the south of France, you’re not going to exactly replicate this dish anyhow. The ingredients are all very regional. In that case, I said to myself, why not just make the most of what you’ve got?
Sausages in a Red Pepper, Caper and Rose Sauce (p.144), with Leek and Chickpea Soup (p. 18).
What I had were some bratwurst, a bottle each of St. Julian Blue Heron and Red Heron semisweet wines. St. Julian is a local winery in nearby Paw Paw, Michigan. I have absolutely no discrimination when it comes to wine, and St. Julian suits me to a T. They are local and cheap and I like their many types of wine for drinking and cooking. So, since I have heard that vintners often mix red and white to get rose, that is what I did. (Please excuse the lack of proper accent — I don’t know how make it appear and don’t feel like spending the time to figure it out just now.)
I had most of the proper ingredients, again, sort of — we don’t get pink garlic here in Michigan very often, so I am looking to see if any of the nursery companies offer it for planting. I only had one yellow onion so I used part of a very large red onion, since the theme for the dish is Toulouse pink. Red bell pepper, check! Capers, check! Tomato puree, check!
So I stirred in the flour and tomato puree and then the two glasses of wine, and the sauce didn’t seem to be tightening up very well. Which led me to the inevitable question of exactly how big are your wine glasses, Robin?
Not one to let such trifles deter me, I improvised once more. Robin suggests serving this dish with quinoa, noted (or directed?) as “not pink.” Ah, is this meant as a challenge? Let me introduce you to Inca Red quinoa!
The sauce being loose, as I mentioned, I threw in a half cup of the Inca Red and another glass of wine, removed the brats to keep from overcooking them, and let the pan simmer for half an hour or so, until I was satisfied that the quinoa was cooked. Back into the pan went the sausages and in 10 minutes I was ready to dish it up for public consumption.
I know I’m not skilled (yet) at food styling, but a food blog without any pictures is a sad thing. I had a nice pink Depression glass plate to showcase the pink sausage dish. A simple glass bowl of Leek and Chickpea soup and a wine glass of my home-mixed rose complete the meal. Actually, I’m still working on that wine, so be merciful when you judge this post. 😉
I have no idea what this looks like when it comes out of Robin’s kitchen. Mine may look like the dog’s dinner by comparison. I thought it tasted pretty good. The semisweet wine gave it a sweet-and-sour taste; the garlic, onion, pepper and caper were a savory counterpoint; and the quinoa provided texture. The sausages, one being a jalapeno and cheese smoked bratwurst, and the other a traditional beer brat, went surprisingly well with the sauce — one of those times things don’t seem to belong together, but it works. The dish as a whole was unique, interesting and delicious. And after all, isn’t that what we want from healthy food?
Cooking my A** Off 