• 16Jun

    Healthy Summer Entertaining

    By Chef Michael Kiss of Whole Foods – Arlington.

    He has a cooking class next Tuesday: 29 1/2 minute meals – Steak House Salad.

    -JAY

    ————————–

    Let’s Party! I love getting the garden all cleaned up, the deck all swept off and of course getting the menu prepared for amazing little bites of fun. It doesn’t matter if you have acres of land or a little patio or even nice access to urban green space, it all counts as outside!

    When it starts to get hot, we don’t want to make things hotter by heating up the kitchen. We also don’t want make heavy food that will make us feel even heavier in the heat and humidity. I want to show you 3 little dishes today that are like taking your tongue to the pool for the day. Refreshing is the order of the day!

    Vegan?!? Are you sure?
    Recently at our house Katie, my wife, has gone vegan. She is amazing and has really put a lot of thought and effort into changing her lifestyle. I have been very supportive and took on the challenge to learn how to cook a whole different way. It has been really fun and rewarding!

    One of our newest finds is a recipe for vegan deviled eggs, think of it as a hand held mini potato salad. And with great products like “Veganaise” you can still get classic taste and textures without the animal products.

    Katie’s Vegan Deviled Eggs
    Makes 12
    6 small red new potatoes
    2 to 3 Tbs. veganaise
    ½ tsp yellow prepared mustard
    Salt and pepper to taste
    1 tbs. minced onion
    1 tbs. minced celery
    1 tsp chopped dill pickle
    Paprika for garnish

    Boil potatoes in a sauce pan until tender. Drain and let cool. Carefully slice in half and with a melon baller or a measuring spoon and gently scoop out the space for the “yolk”. I just make 1 small round scoop near one end.
    Next mix together the potato scoopings with the rest of the ingredients and mash it until it makes a thick deviled egg yolk like mixture.

    Using a spoon or a pastry bag, mound a small bit of the “yolk” into the potato hollows. Shake a little paprika over top for that classic garnish.

    Inspiration comes at the oddest times.
    Sometimes I know for weeks and weeks what I am going to teach for a particular class, and sometime it hits me the morning of class. This recipe is the latter. I was thinking of making a great Asian flavor inspired tuna tartar tonight, but then I thought “what would make a great seasonal add in?” I started thinking watermelon and peaches. Then I thought let’s kick the tuna out and make a vegetarian tartar.

    Peach and Melon Tartar
    1 peach peeled, pitted, and diced into ¼ inch cubes. (add a small squirt of lemon juice to help keep them from browning)
    1 C. watermelon dice into ¼” cubes
    1 tbs. minced chives
    1 tbs. minced cilantro
    1 tsp prepared rice wine vinegar(sushi vinegar)
    ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

    Gomasio for garnish
    Rice crackers for serving

    Gently toss together all the ingredients keeping the cubes of fruit as perfectly shaped as possible.
    Heap a small spoonful on a rice cracker and garnish with a shake of gomasio.

    Party with Friends as often as you can!
    Katie and I are very excited to go visit our friends this weekend for a summer fun day! We are extra excited that she is making one our favorites of her many fantastic dishes. Sunshine, friends, and a round of mini golf or two, now that is summer living!

    Amanda’s Fresh Cherry Salsa
    2 C. Fresh Cherries pitted, roughly chopped
    3 Tbs. chopped fresh Cilantro
    ½ tsp chopped jalapeno (optional)
    2 Tbs. chopped red onion
    1 tsp fresh lime juice
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Plantain chips for dipping

    Gently toss together all of the ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning. Let stand and come together for at least 10 minutes.
    Enjoy with plantain chips and some sangria.
    Is it the weekend yet?!?!

    I hope you are inspired to call up some friends and make plans this weekend.

    Eat Well!

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  • 15Jun

    Rhubarb: The Mysterious Red Plant

    By Guest Blogger Jessie Lin

    A few months ago, I had no idea what rhubarb is. I’d never seen it or tasted it. I first came across it during my trip in France.  At the market in Macon, I came across a jar of jam that was labeled “Rhubarb”, and I asked (in French) the vendor what rhubarb was. He tried to explain it, but at the very end, I still hadn’t a clue what it was. When I came back to the States, I started seeing it in every farmer‘s market I went to. At first I didn’t know what to expect out of this long-stemmed celery like item, so the thought of cooking with it never even crossed my mind. Maybe it’s the season for rhubarb; I started seeing recipes popping up left and right. I had my first taste when my friend made a Strawberry and Rhubarb pie.  My second taste came when I tried a compote at the last restaurant I worked at. It’s kind of hard to describe the taste. I did some research on rhubarb, and apparently it is classified as a type of fruit in the United States, although it looks nothing like it. The leaves are toxic and the stems are too sour to eat on its own. Therefore, the most common way of preparing rhubarb is for desserts, a sugary compote, or jam.
    I finally was brave enough to buy rhubarb during a visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The market was selling it for a decent price, so I decided to try it out. I made a rhubarb compote that turned out to be delicious. I don’t like things too sweet, so I went heavy on the lemon juice and used less sugar, but you can experiment with the amount that you want!

    Here’s my recipe:

    • 2 stems of rhubarb chopped into 1/2 inches
    • 1/2 cup of red wine
    • juice of 1 whole lemon
    • 1/4 cup of sugar

    Put everything in a pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb starts to peel, and you’ll definitely know when that is, cause it caught me by surprise. After that’s all thickened up, let it sit until it cools.
    I served it on top of ice cream, which turned out to be a great combination. The sourness from the compote complemented the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. It’s also good on top of yogurt, bread, or as a dessert filling.

    In my second compote, I added 2 shots of bourbon instead of the wine, which adds a different kick to it.

    Experiment with this wonderful “fruit” while it’s in season!

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  • 14Jun

    Experimenting with Swiss Chard

    By Guest Blogger Jessie Lin

    Experimenting with Swiss Chard

    One of my goals starting this spring season is use as many local ingredients as I can in my cooking.  Luckily for me I have a Farmer’s Market that is about a 15 minutes walk from my apartment.  I am also a part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program which for $120 gets me a half share of food every week including fruits vegetables and legumes for 8 weeks.

    This is an exciting challenge and opportunity for me.  Using what is local and in season allows me to be creative and alter recipes that I have with some ingredients that I have never used or seen before.

    For my first share of CSA, I picked up some Swiss Chard.  This leafy vegetable looks almost like the skinny cousin of rhubarb.  It’s has red stems and has similar characteristics to that of spinach, although the two plants are unrelated.  Swiss chard can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.  In France, it is often cooked with eggs in dishes such as frittatas.

    I bought some ramekins the other day, so I’ve been craving to make a baked egg or soufflé type of dish.  I came across a spinach baked eggs recipe the other day which called for onions and spinach as its main ingredients.  Since I only had Swiss Chard and some green onions that I got from the Farmer’s Market, I decided to improvise.

    I first sautéed a bunch of green onions with some garlic and olive oil.  I then chopped off the leafy parts of the Swiss Chard.  After the green onions softened, I added the leafy chard into the pan.  After that’s cooked, I added about 2 TBSP of milk (heavy cream would work better, but since I didn’t have any, I turned to my handy milk carton.)  Turn off the heat and put the vegetables in a butter ramekin.  Make a little well and crack an egg on top of it.  I baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
    The dish came out bubbling.  I sprinkled some paprika on top of the finished product just to give it a nice presentation.

    Taste test:  The egg whites were a bit over cooked, so I should probably reduce the baking time to 10 minutes next time.  The yolk however, was perfectly cooked.  The sweetness of the green onions complemented the Swiss Chard.  It was nice and creamy.

    This is a very simple dish that you can try with different variations.  Any leafy vegetables would do.  Try it with buttermilk, heavy cream, or whole milk.  Everyone has different taste buds.  What might taste good to me might not be for you.  This is one of the joys of cooking; we can alter all the ingredients to our liking!

    Ingredients for 2 servings:

    • One bunch of green onions

    • 1 clove of garlic

    • 1 TBSP Olive Oil

    • Half a bunch of Swiss Chard (Leafy paft only)

    • 2 TBSP of heavy cream or whole milk

    • 2 Eggs (one for each ramekin)

    • 1/2 TBSP butter (for greasing ramekins)

    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    • Dash of Paprika

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  • 08Jun

    Want To Enter the Cooking Light Recipe Contest? You Have One Week!

    I just don’t have the time to work on it this week.  How about you? $20,000 prize!

    -JAY

    ————————————–

    Who will win the Cooking Light Ultimate Reader Recipe contest? It could be you! Enter your favorite recipe using one or more of our sponsor products and your recipe could appear in Cooking Light! Grand Prize winner will receive $20,000 and six other winners will each receive $500!

    Simply enter your contact information and recipe below for your chance to win!

    NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. Purchasing does not improve your chances of winning. Contest begins March 16, 2010 12:01:00 AM and ends June 15, 2010 11:59:59 PM. Open to all legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, age 21 or older at time of entry. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Void outside the U.S., in Puerto Rico, and where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local regulations apply. See Official Rules for details and conditions.

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  • 06May

    So, You Think You Can Grill? And, Compete to Assist Carla Hall, Roberto Donna, or Jeff Tunks.

    Thanks to The List for this one.  You too can “Test Your Chops.” 😉 I’m tempted to throw some beef recipes into the competition.   Ah, you can also submit veal recipes.  The deadline is May 21, and the event is June 12th and 13th.

    I wonder – if you get free admission to the Food & Wine Festival if you are a finalist.

    -JAY


    ———————————————–

    Also, at the Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor:

    Calling all foodies! Local celebrity chefs will become the sous chef to an amateur foodie.  Each duo will compete to create the most delicious dish inspired from a pot of secret ingredients!

    If you love throwdowns, showdowns and other cooking competitions, you will want to be at The Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor on Sunday, June 13 to watch (or participate) in this fun competition!  Three attendees will be plucked from the audience (will it be you?) to compete in creating the best dish.  These newly toqued chefs will be paired with Carla Hall, Top Chef Finalist; Jeff Tunks, chef and owner of DC Coast, TenPenh, Ceiba, Acadiana and PassionFish; and Roberto Donna, chef and owner of Gallileo III.  Let your imagination run wild and join us for this fun event.

    Interested in competing? All attendees on Sunday, June 13 are eligible to be selected to compete.  Stop by the Viking Stage on Sunday, June 13 any time before 3:00pm and tell our emcee, Michael Birchenall of Foodservice Monthly, why you want to compete and he will drop your name in our chef’s hat.  Then be there at 3:30pm when we pull a name from the hat!

    Several judges will judge the three dishes and the winner will be awarded a fantastic prize provided by one of our exhibitors or sponsors

    -JAY

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  • 05Mar

    Easy Peasy

    Rice and peas and kaleIt is still bloody freezing here in Atlanta (majorly pissing off the part of me who pretty explicitly moved here on the premise that the winters are shorter and less cold), so I have been increasingly in need of warm comfort food. I am also extremely lazy and a bit cheap, so I wanted comfort food I could make all by myself with minimal cost or effort. My rice cooker, which has just re-emerged from a newly reorganized cupboard, is usually a good source of easy, cheap food, and so I thought of a dish synonymous with comfort in so many cultures: rice and beans. I grew up around a considerable Caribbean influence (despite being a bit of a whitey from Northwest DC), and so, while I do love some good traditional red beans and rice, my version of choice is a bit more tropical: what gets called “Rice and Peas.”

    The more traditional version my friends’ moms and grandmothers make is easy enough, but I say that true genius is the ability to take “easy” and make it downright slothful. In other words, I am declaring myself a genius due to my extreme laziness. I use canned peas, mostly pre-ground spices, and a rice cooker instead of dried, whole, and two pots plus a fry pan. Best of all, it works out beautifully.

    Here’s how you can make this fabulous base to any meal, and add a pretty and healthy accompaniment too:

    2 cups rice
    1 can coconut milk
    1 cup dashi or chicken stock
    1 can pigeon (Gunga) peas
    (Kale, optional)
    Allspice
    Turmeric
    Celery salt
    (Cayenne, optional if you’re that much of a wuss, but you really should use some)
    Olive oil

    Throw your rice, coconut milk, allspice, celery salt and turmeric into a rice cooker, stir, and turn it on. You have to use your own judgment about how much of the spices to use, but I use a good bit (maybe 1.5 tsp each of turmeric and allspice, and a half of celery salt). After about 10 minutes, add the peas and stir, re-covering. When the timer pops, open it up and add the stock. Press the lever down to cook again. When it finishes cooking this time, let it click back over to the “warm” cycle, and toss in your kale to steam. When the kale’s as soft as you like, you’re ready to go.

    Mind you: the version I grew up eating (prepared by an old Haitian friend of the family who is a lot like an extra grandmother in the sense of making sure we were always full of delicious and fattening foods) doesn’t use stock – and the result is rice that’s a bit, well, al dente. I add the stock to my version because I know that this texture can be challenging (or appalling) to anyone not raised on it, and plus I think the extra flavor is a nice bonus.

    Serve in a bowl, drizzled with olive oil and cayenne.

    So easy! And delicious. The recipe scales to as much as your rice cooker can hold (just do some multiplication), and keeps very well, so I often make this as a staple for the week and just add freshly steamed kale, fried eggs, steam fish or really any ‘main’ to it as I go.

    – MAW

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  • 07Jul

    Chili-Cream Sprouts

    By Johnsu - http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnsu01/3286038831/

    This is one of those dishes that just crept up on me – building from a variety of ideas drifting through my head all day, looking for purchase.  I’d had the sprouts for a while, and they needed eating.  I’ve been roasting the sprouts with garlic, to lovely effect, but knew even when I bought these that this time, I wanted something different.

    Watching Bourdain scarf down a gorgeous-looking soy green soup with chili sauce in Shanghai, I wanted chili sauce.

    Here’s what I did:

    Clean and halve the sprouts.  Toss them in a pan with about 1.5 tablespoons mirin, over medium heat, and cover.  Leave them to caramelize, stirring every 5 minutes, until they’re almost done.  Now toss in your garlic.

    While cooking, add about 3 teaspoons of chili sauce and equal volume cream to a glass or small mixing bowl and stir like hell to emulsify.  Add fish sauce if you’re so inclined (I did).

    Turn up the heat on your pan to medium-high (maybe a bit more) and stir in the sauce – it’ll scald fast, and that’s good.  Let it cook till it’s just a sticky coating on the sprouts, and they are just barely done.  Transfer to a serving vessel, and cover.  Now, deglaze your pan with rice wine, letting it reduce about 3/4 to a nice rich sauce.  Pour that over your sprouts.

    I ate mine over scrambled egg whites, because I felt like it.  The eggs sopped up the extra sauce, which was lovely, and also made me feel better about all that cream, by not having yolks.

    – MAW

    (Photo by Johnsu)

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  • 31May

    Reluctant Health, Day 2

    grapes.gifToday’s Haiku:


    CVS tempts me:
    Come for the hair dye isle
    leave with a Snickers

    Today’s Lunch Spot:

    Skewers for low-fat kababs and things. 1633 P St NW
    Today’s recipe: Grape Chicken! Low cal, low fat, low carb. just pretty much low everything.

    3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into peices
    1/2 tsp Nutmeg
    1 Tbs Olive oil
    1 Tbs Grape jam
    1 tsp Tarragon
    4 Green onions, chopped
    3/4 cup white wine
    1 cup Seedless green grapes
    1/4 cup Millk

    Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and brown chicken breasts on each side.
    Add jam, tarragon, green onions, and wine. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 15 minutes. Add grapes and cook 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and grapes. Add the milk to the pan, turn heat up and let it simmer until it thickens. Spoon over chicken and grapes to serve.

    -ZAF

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