Green Couscous

I'm a big fan of herb(s).

Not the kind you smoke, silly... the kind you eat.  Then again you can eat the stuff when simmered in butter and incorporated into a bake good, but that's not where I'm going here.

Last time I smoked herb there was lawn gnomes, midgets and Begali tigers involved.

Let's just say that I haven't touched the stuff since that day. No explanation needed.

Fresh herbs, on the other hand, are a whole different story.

I like to keep a variety of different herbs on hand, depending on the season.  Fresh basil in the summer can be tossed with pasta or tomatoes or even muddled with some cucumber and gin for a refreshing beverage.  Sage, thyme and rosemary are great to have in the winter and fall. Add a couple sprigs to soups, roasted vegetables, or even baked goods.  Dill, parsely and cilantro are great any time of the year.  Throw a handful of chopped herbs into a green or grain based salad, mix into goat cheese, sprinkle some on scrambled eggs, or make one of my favorite condiments, chimmichuri.

Added bonus: Fresh herbs are sooo good for you!

Dill is a very good source of calcium, fiber, iron and magnesium and has the ability to prevent bacterial overgrowth.
Cilantro is a powerful anti-inflammatory, promotes healthy liver function, boosts immunity, acts as an overall digestive aid and is high in antioxidants.
Parsley is high in vitamin C, folic acid and beta carotene.  It helps boosts immunity and helps to neutralize carcinogens in the body and can inhibit the formation of tumors.

Not too bad for something that's typically used as a garnish.

As much as I love having fresh herbs on hand, I usually only use a handful here and there often times have a difficult time using them up before they are past their prime. 

I was tickled pink when I came across a recipe that would save all of the herbs in my refrigerator that were on their way out if I didn't use them asap. Couscous is tossed with a mixture of fresh dill, cilantro, parsley and extra virgin olive oil.  The addition of some sauteed red onion, toasted pistachios, and baby arugula turn this into a delicious lunch or light dinner.


Green Couscous
Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
serves 4

1 c. couscous
1 c. vegetable stock
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. ground cumin

Herb Paste:
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 c. chopped cilantro
1/3 c. chopped dill
4 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c. toasted salted pistachios
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 c. baby arugula

In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a boil.  Add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.  Let sit for ten minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and fluff couscous with a fork.
Meanwhile, fry the onion in the olive oil on medium heat until golden and completely soft.  Add the salt and cumin and mix well. Leave to cool slightly
To make the herb paste, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Add the herb past to the couscous and mix everything together well with a fork to fluff it up. Now add the cooked onion, the pistachios, scallion and arugula and gently mix. Season with extra salt and/or cumin if needed.
Serve at room temperature.

Sardine Sandwich

It only took me 32 years to discover sardines deliciousness.

Only 32 years.

I didn't know what to expect. Are they super fishy? Do you eat the bones? Do they still have a head.. and do you eat the head?  Water packed or oil packed? What do you eat them with? Can you make a meal of them?

Just thinking about eating them gave me a headache.

Then one day I plopped a tin into my cart vowing to give them a try.

That was 3 months ago.

Sardines are high in calcium (they contain twice the amount of calcium as milk), and vitamin B12 which boosts your mood and helps aid concentration.  They are high in protein and are packed with omega 3 fatty acids. These essential fats reduce inflammation, help to lower cholesterol and have been demonstrated to protect against several forms of cancer. 

Sardines are low on the food chain, so they are very low in contaminants, such as mercury, which is the problem with most seafood. Generally speaking, the bigger the fish, the higher on the oceanic food chain, the more mercury.

These suckers had way too many health benefits for me to NOT give them a try.  I scoured the internet for some recipes but fell short.  Most people seemed to enjoy sardines as a snack, served with crackers and a bit of hot sauce. I was looking for something a bit more substantial.  I wanted to make them the showcase of the meal.  Pasta and sardines was a viable option, until I realized that I had nothing more than some bread, greens, one single egg and some condiments in my fridge.

I figured that canned tuna can make one hell of a sandwich in a pinch, so why not pile some sardines on some crusty bread? Add some grainy mustard, baby arugula, red onion and capers for a little bite and a hard boiled egg, because, well everything tastes better with an egg, and you're in business! This ended up being one of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time, and with the first bite, I instantly fell in love with sardines.

Sardine Sandwich
(Serves 1-2)

ciabatta bread
grainy mustard
arugula
sliced red onion
capers
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 oil packed tin of sardines, drained, oil reserved
lemon
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Toast a couple decent sized pieces of bread. Slather on some mustard. Top with arugula, sliced hard boiled egg, sardines, a little red onion and some capers.  Drizzle with a little reserved oil from the sardines, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Tostadas with Tomatillo Salsa

When the opportunity to dine out presents itself, not once have I suggested a Mexican restaurant.

I've been to many in my day, hell I used to work at one, and really the only thing that appeals to me are the margaritas. 

Many ethnic restaurants in the states cater to the taste buds of Americans, which usually means the food is made from highly processed ingredients, is swimming in oil, butter, and/or cheese, is deep fried, and contains little to no heat or spice.

I guarantee that you will see quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos and burrtitos on the menu of of any given Mexican restaurant. Said items are most likely made with frozen white flour tortillas that contain ingredients that even I can't pronounce, canned black beans, pre-shredded monterey jack cheese pulled from a 20 pound bag, and some factory farmed ground beef.  Some people love this kind of food, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I want the real deal.  Handmade corn or flour tortillas cooked from scratch, probably made with a bit of lard, beans that have been stewing in a pot for hours, maybe some queso fresco or cotija cheese and lots of fresh salsa.. none of that jarred crap.

Unfortunately, I live 2,498.6 miles from Mexico so my options are a bit limited.

I set out to make some Mexican grub at home (tostadas), which I'll admit was probably no where near as authentic as something I would get from some li'l old Mexican lady named Magdalena, but it sure as hell wasn't taco del mar either.

Inspired by some tomatillos I got at the farmers market, I took the obvious route and made some tomatillo salsa.  I could have easly eaten this with a bag of tortilla chips, but the whole point of this post is to prove I'm not a cracker ass American that eats thin and crispy restaurant style tortilla chips and salsa for dinner.... I mean, I only do that once in a while... usually when I come home from a bar and don't want to risk cooking anything for fear of dropping a cast iron skillet on my foot.

I bought some avocados, because really you can't have Mexican food without this delicious food of the gods, so I made guacamole, because that's what you do.

Now, the corn tortillas I had weren't made from scratch, but I fried them up myself instead of buying pre-made tostadas, so in my book they were totally authentic.

Paired with some black beans I cooked earlier in the week, some chopped romaine lettuce, radishes and some cotija cheese, I had myself the makings of a tostada.

Tostadas with Tomatillo Salsa (makes 6 tostadas)

Tomatillo Salsa

5 medium sized tomatillos
1/3 c. chopped yellow onion
2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
1/4 c. cilantro, rough chopped
1/2 T. lime juice
pinch of sugar
salt, to taste

Preheat broiler. Line a sheetpan with aluminum foil and set aside. Remove outer husks from tomatillos and rinse off any sticky residue. Cut into quarters, place on sheetpan, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Cook under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, checking every couple of minutes to make sure they aren't burning. They should be a soft with a little bit of char on the skin. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Meanwhile place the remaining ingredients in a food processor.  Add the cooled tomatillos and process until combined. Set aside.

Tostadas

6 corn tortillas
sunflower oil or any other neutral oil for frying

guacamole (if you're smart, you'll double the recipe)

1 1/2 c. black beans
1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
pinch salt

chopped romaine lettuce
julliened radishes
pea shoots (optional)

1 c. crumbled cotija cheese (queso fresco or feta would work, too)

To make the tostada shells, heat 1/4 inch of oil in a heavy bottomed cast iron skillet. When the oil is super hot (but not smoking), add a tortilla shell and press down with a spatula, making sure it is fully submerged in the oil, cook for 30 seconds, flip and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Gently lift the tortilla out of the hot oil and transfer to a wire cooling rack, lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Make the guacamole.

Place the black beans in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and sea salt.

To assemble the tostadas, smear a generous amount of guacamole on each shell. Top with the seasoned black beans, romaine lettuce and radishes. Sprinkle on a bit of cheese and top with pea shoots.
Drizzle with a bit of tomatillo salsa and stuff your face.

Bun Chay

After drinking an entire box of wine and eating nothing but cheese, hummus and pita at a wedding this past weekend, I decided to do my body a little favor and eat some green stuff.

It isn't that often that I overindulge on cheese and wine, but when I do I always feel the need to eat some clean detoxifying foods to help balance everything out.

I've been craving Asian inspired cold noodle dishes lately.. so much crunch.. so much flavor.. and so damn easy!

Soba or udon noodles have always been a favorite of mine, but I thought I would give rice noodles a go this time around to switch it up a bit. They are gluten free (rice, duh) and you can buy them, for like, a buck a package at any Asian market.

For months, I've had my eye on a recipe for bun chay from one of my favorite, "all things food" site, the kitchn. With all of the ingredients on hand, accompanied by a fierce hangover, I decided to throw this together for a quick healthy dinner instead of eating a three pound omelette.

Not only did this tasty meal come together quickly but it was mad yummy. The rice noodles were topped with lots of fresh, crunchy herbs and vegetables, like mint, thai basil, cilantro, cucumber and cabbage. Then, some tofu and peanuts were thrown into the mix for protein and a nice textural contrast. Traditionally, a nuac chom sauce (consisting of fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic and chilis) is poured over top, but fish sauce sets off my gag reflex so I concocted my own dipping sauce, swapping out the tamari for rice vinegar. Not authentic, but whatever.. throwing up over the smell of fish sauce wasn't on the agenda.

The tofu really makes the dish as does the herbs (don't skimp) and the sauce is essential, but you can get creative and add whatever fresh, crunchy vegetables you have on hand. I imagine some carrot or daikon raidish would be good, as would some chopped lettuce, baby bok choy or mung bean sprouts.

Bun Chay
Adapted from The Kitchn 
Serves 2

Noodles:
6 oz. rice noodles

Tofu:
I halved the recipe for my salt and pepper tofu, but you can also panfry 1/2 lb. tofu, cut into small cubes in a little peanut oil.

Greens:
1 1/2 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 cucumber, julliened
Large handful of mixed herbs (thai basil, mint, cilantro)

Sauce:

1/4 c. tamari

3 T. brown rice vinegar

5 T. water

4 T. organic dark brown sugar

2 t. fresh lime juice

1/2 t. grated garlic

2 t. grated ginger

1/2 T. toasted sesame oil

pinch red pepperflakes

Garnish:

1/3 c. chopped roasted peanuts

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, fluffing the noodles to seperate into strands. Drain again and set aside.

Panfry cubed tofu in a splash of peanut oil over medium heat. Or, whip up a batch of salt and pepper tofu. Set tofu aside to cool.

Prepare the greens and set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and place in the fridge to cool a bit.

To assemble, divide the noodles between two large bowls. Arrange greens and tofu on top and garnish with peanuts. Just before serving, drizzle with sauce to taste and toss.

Maple Walnut Energy Bars

What NOT to do when you have a bat trapped in your apartment:

Don't attempt to capture the bat by throwing a blanket over it while it's flying around your head. You will never catch that sonnabitch. It also may pee or poop on you. No fun. I don't even know what bat poop looks like and I never want to find out.

Don't let your dogs in the same room as the bat. The dogs will think it's a chew toy and will chase after the bat like it's life depended on it. For HOURS.

Don't try to remove the bat from the corner of a window with a pair of kitchen tongs. You will get bit and have to go to the ER for a rabies shot.  You may also turn into a vampire.

Don't stare into it's beady eyes. The bat will secure total mind control over you.

What TO DO when you have a bat in your house:

Put as many layers of clothing on as possible, including gloves and a winter hat, despite the fact that it's 92 degrees in your apartment. Carefully open the window, run out of the room and shut the door behind you.

While you wait for the killer vampire bat to quietly leave get the hell outta your bedroom, make some maple walnut energy bars. They take about 10 minutes to throw together, just enough time for the bat to realize that it's out of it's element and that it needs to reck-onize and fly back into the night.

You give the bat an extra 20 minutes, you know... just because, which is exactly how long it takes for these energy bars to firm up in the freezer.

You slowly open the door, in case the bat, in your absence, gave birth to 72 baby bats, and they are waiting on the other side of the door to kill you.

You peek around, realize the bat is gone and slam the window shut.

With all that energy expended you go enjoy yourself a shot of whiskey and an energy bar.

You deserve it.

Maple Walnut Energy Bars (makes 12 bars)
Slightly adapted from Muffin Tin Mania

1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. chopped pitted dates
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. walnuts
1/3 c. sunflower seeds
2 T. ground flax seed
2 T. hemp seed
2 T. sesame seeds
couple pinches of sea salt
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
1/4 c. raw cacao nibs (optional)

Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin with a little coconut oil (or any other neutral tasting oil).  This method will give you pretty decent sized energy "cups". However, you can skip this step and form the mixture into small bars or balls and then proceed with the recipe.
Place all ingredients except the peanut butter and maple syrup in a food processor and process until oats and nuts resemble fine crumbs. Add the peanut butter and maple syrup and blend until the mixture clumps together. Divide the mixture between the greased muffin cups and press down to firmly pack contents.
Place tray in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden up, then unmold and store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you made bars or balls, simply freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer to an airtight container or wrap individually in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Socca with Leeks and Herbed Almond Spread

There is nothing more rewarding than making a delicious meal out of the little odd's and end's kicking around the kitchen.  Although I work in a health food store and can easily pick up whatever I want after work, sometimes I like to challenge myself by using up whatever I have at home. Now, I'm not one of those people that has a well stocked pantry, mainly because I tend to avoid pre-packaged and canned food and I only buy fruits and vegetables, as needed for a recipe. I could probably tell you everything in my fridge and cupboards, meaning the list isn't very long.  So, the challenge of making something out of nothing isn't always easy.

It's especially not easy when you didn't make it grocery shopping last weekend, pulled your back out, have been out of work for several days and can't make it to the store.  The challenge of cooking is also there.  It has to be made it less than 20 minutes, and not involve any heavy lifting. 

Luckily, I had some farmers market loot leftover from the weekend so I was able to throw together a couple of decent salads. I'm still thanking sweet baby Jesus that I remembered to pick up some eggs at the market because they probably saved me from near starvation. Poached, scrambled, fried or hardboiled, served with some toast, and you've got one hell of a half assed meal.

When I attempted to throw something together last night, things were looking slim. REALLLLL slim.  Of course my husband volunteered to get me whatever I wanted at the store, but I was cranky and indecisive and told him I would find something around the house. He ended the call with a reluctant ohhhh kayyyyy, knowing there wasn't a dang thing in the house to eat.

So, I accepted this challenge, and dammit I won.

I wanted something high in carbs. You gotta coat your stomach with starch when you're downing pain killers and muscle relaxants like it's your job. All I had kicking around was a stale loaf of sourdough and I had already had toast for breakfast.

Then a lightbulb went off.... SOCCA!

Huh, you say...

Socca is a chickpea flour pancake cooked in a skillet, much like a crepe.  Basically, you combine chickpea flour, water, salt, pepper and a little olive oil to make a thin batter. Let it rest, then pour it into a hot cast iron pan and bake until lightly browned. It's kinda chewy, kinda crispy, and really delicious. 
I usually eat socca straight up, cut into pieces drizzled with olive oil with flurries of black pepper and flaky salt, but I've also seen it used as a "pizza crust" all over the internet, so I figured I would try something new.

Since I primarily follow a vegetarian diet, I always have a variety of nuts or seeds in the house, for snacking, adding to salads or for making my own nut butters or nut cheeses. Inspired by this recipe from Love and Lemons, I decided to whip up a quick almond spread to use as a base. Almonds, garlic, lemon, a little miso and nutritional yeast and some fresh herbs.  

I topped it with some quickly sauteed leeks that were lodged in the back of my fridge and the last of the pea shoots from the farmers market and I had dinner.

Socca with Leeks and Herbed Almond Spread (serves 2-4)
Slightly adapted from from Love and Lemons

Socca:

1 c. chickpea flour
1 c. lukewarm water
1 t. sea salt
1/4 t. cracked pepper
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking the socca
1 clove garlic, grated

Mark Bittman will talk you through making socca here.  You can see I used his recipe, but omitted the onion and rosemary and added garlic. This will either make one thick 12" round or two thin 10" rounds.

 Almond Herb Spread:


1 c. almonds, blanched or soaked overnight, skins removed*
1/2 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 t. miso paste
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 t. nutritional yeast
1/2-3/4 c. water (less water if you soaked your nuts, more if you blanched them or used them raw)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. mixed chopped herbs, I used scallions and parsley, but I inagine dill or chives would be good too
salt & pepper, to taste


To blanch almonds, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add almonds, cook for 30 seconds and drain. When cool enough to handle, slide the skins off with your fingers. If you are planning on making this the following day, you can also soak almonds overnight in enough water to cover, drain and rub the skins off. 
Place all ingredients (except the water and herbs) in a food processor and blend. Slowly stream in water (you may not use all of it) until the mixture is well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in 1/4 c. herbs, saving the remaining 1/4 c. for topping the socca.

Leeks:

2 Small leeks, sliced into rounds

Heat a little olive oil in a sautee pan. Add leeks, a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper and cook for a couple minutes until soft.

After your socca has cooled a bit (about 5 minutes), slather on some of the almond herb spread (you won't use all of it). Top with the sauteed leeks, some fresh herbs and pea shoots or your favorite sprouts.

Pasta Salad with Roasted Fennel, Artichokes and Arugula

Pasta salad usually conjures up memories of mayonnaise laden elbow macaroni (with a dusting of paprika for color.. it was the 80's.. paprika was HUGE) that was served at every picnic, party or family reunion that I attended as a child. 

For all of you that know me on a personal level, store bought mayonnaise skeeves me out.  I don't know what it is about the stuff, I can't go near it with a ten foot pole.

Maybe its the fact that it jiggles when you shake it. 

So you can imagine how I feel about pasta salads made with mayo.

Shudder....

Then in the early 90's some random relative (or maybe it was my mom... sorry, mom) started making a vinaigrette based pasta salad.  I think it contained tri colored pasta, feta, black olives, and tomatoes.. maybe cubed ham (random), and it was oh so good. It instantly became one of my favorites.

A vinaigrette based pasta salad is a great thing to take to parties, potlucks and picnics. It's quick, easy and usually sits well at room temperature for awhile, which is probably why previously said unknown relative made this salad year after year.

Although I usually opt for a gluten free and vegan salad to bring to potlucks (thank you, quinoa), pasta salad is one of those familiar dishes that everyone seems to love. So I make it... and people eat it.

It's a win-win situation.

This pasta salad has alot going on...  Artichoke hearts, gigande beans (giant white beans packed in oil), roasted fennel, fresh herbs and some arugula all tossed with a simple vinagrette. Bring it to your next party or eat it in an air conditioned apartment watching back to back episodes of breaking bad.  Either way this salad is delicious.

Pasta Salad with Roasted Fennel, Artichokes and Arugula (makes enough for a parrrr-tay)

4 c. dry penne pasta
1 can artichokes, drained and rough chopped
1 fennel bulb, cut in 1/4" half moons
2 large handfuls baby arugula
1/2 c. gigande beans (opt.), chickpeas or cannelini beans would be a good substitute
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked pepper

Vinaigrette:
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 cloves grated garlic
4 t. dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cook penne in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, then transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and toss with a spoon to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Place sliced fennel in a small bowl. Toss with 2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper. Transfer to a sheetpan and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until fennel is soft and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Add the roasted fennel, artichokes, red onion, gigande beans, dill and parsley to the penne.
In a small jar combine the ingredients for the vinagrette. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds until well combined.  Pour the dressing over top and sprinkle with sea salt and lots of cracked pepper and toss to combine. 

Just before serving, gently fold in the arugula.