Carrot soup with miso

Being single usually isn’t all that bad.  You can watch whatever programs you like; nobody hogs the remote, reprograms your car radio buttons, snores, eats the slice of cake you were saving for later, or requires you to go to really boring work parties because “I went to yours.”

But being sick when you’re single really sucks.  I know “sucks” is an inelegant way to put it, but “unpleasant” just doesn’t catch the depth of feeling.  It sucks, and there is no way around it.  One can’t arrange to have a suitably sympathetic boyfriend on call to insist that you sleep in, go to the drugstore when you’re so dizzy with flu you can’t see straight, or to make you soup. 

Soup, of course, is key.

Much as I like soup, when I’m sick, I want simple.  Sopa Azteca, tortilla soup, gumbo, etc. are all wonderful, but too complicated.  A good chicken soup is therapeutic, but it takes time to make, and I haven’t found a canned chicken soup I like. (Being a foodie can be hazardous.)  Campbell’s canned tomato soup (made with water, please) is almost perfect, but I didn’t have any on hand.

I could have gone to the store, but I was in that mid-level range of illness. The point where you’re mind says you should be up and doing, because lying in bed has become unutterably boring, but your body is just not cooperating. (Case in point, Sunday I got winded making the bed and had to sit down and rest afterwards.)

This soup was one I bookmarked because I’m trying to use up miso I bought for my Japanese cooking experiment*. And other than the miso, all the ingredients are things I usually have on hand, so no going to the grocery store and infecting the neighborhood.

True, this recipe does involve chopping 1 onion and 2 pounds of carrots, but you can do that sitting down.  I did.  Deb Perleman of Smitten Kitchen finishes this soup with a drizzle of sesame oil and and some scallions.  Oil makes me feel slightly nauseated at the moment, so I pureed a seeded ancho chili into it, because I like a soup with a bit of bite. The soup was both hot and sweet.  And all the beta carotene, vitamin C or whatever it is you get from all those carrots has got to be good for you.

Carrot soup with miso

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken)
• 1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and a half-cup of the soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste. ( I found the miso contained enough salt to make any extra salt unnecessary.)

This soup is a good basic. It's good plain, as a ginger carrot soup, or you can finish it with sesame oil and scallions, or red pepper flake. You can do what I did and puree a seeded chili into it. Coriander might be nice. 

*if you’ve been following the blog, you know the Japanese cooking experiment was over a year ago.  But I’ve found that miso, refrigerated in a sealed container, has a shelf life of approximately forever.

An abundance of basil

I have a large pot on my patio filled with basil. I've cut it back, but that only means it will grow back even more thickly. I don't know what to do with it all. There's only so much pesto a person can eat.

I'm can dry some of it, but then what?

I am appealing to your wisdom. What do you do with an abundance of basil?

A vision not quite achieved

I was noodling around the internets and I found a recipe for a single serve microwave cake. I don't cook in the microwave so much as heat things up, but the idea of a single serving cake appealed to me.

 

Cooking as a single person is all about dealing with leftovers. Most recipes make enough for six, and while having extra chicken, or roasted vegetables around is not a problem, having dessert for eight is a temptation I don't need.

 

And suddenly, I had an idea, a vision, of a cake split in two, the middle filled with curd, the top covered with a beautifully rustic frosting. And I was going to flavor it with grapefruit, because I love grapefruit.

 

I spent Saturday afternoon making a grapefruit curd, which is just like lemon curd, but with grapefruit juice. I was slightly disappointed that it was a pale yellow, even though the grapefruit juice itself was pink. But food coloring fixed that.

 

I should have known better when I saw that the ingredients for the cake included spelt flour. Who has spelt flour on hand? I did it with all purpose flour and this is the result.

The most depressing vanilla scented pucks ever to come out of a kitchen.

 

But the vision had taken hold of me and I was not ready to let go. Besides, I already had the grapefruit curd.

 

I went to the supermarket and got a cake mix, and while it was baking, I put together a grapefruit frosting, flavored with zest from the grapefruit I had juiced for the curd. (I'm frugal like that.)

 

Sometimes, cooking is an exercise in figuring out what you did wrong, so that next time you can do it right.  These aren't bad, they are relatively tasty, but they are not the grapefruit cakes of my imagination. The curd is grainy. The cakes are lopsided and I wish they were browned on the edges. I would put zest in the cake next time, instead of the frosting. And obviously, I need to learn how to frost a cake.

Next time, these will be much, much, better.

Recipe: French Onion Soup

I have a new soup pot. Isn't it beautiful? And what better way to break it in with a recipe from the late great Julia Child.

I'd never made onion soup before, and was amazed by how simple a recipe it is. It's caramelized onions in beef stock. That's it. The hardest thing about it is slicing up the onions. It does require some time stirring the pot while the onions cook down, but get a good book and the time will fly by. I listened to Imperium by Robert Harris, while caramelizing my onions. A novel about Republican Rome that proves that politics has always been a dirty game, controlled by money, vested interests, spin and swayed by people who are total boors, but mysteriously popular with the public. (Sound familiar?)

All of the ingredients

It is traditional to gratinée French onion soup (meaning bake a crust of cheese over the bowl) but personally, I find it:

• over the top when eating alone
• messy, and
• a waste of cheese, since you always lose some to the oven and bowl

Instead, I did Gruyere croutons, which is simply toasted bread with Gruyere baked onto it. The advantage to this is you can make a bunch of these little toasts ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator, and heat them up (with the soup) when you feel like eating.



One thing I noticed, is that onions are amazingly sweet when cooked down. I actually dug the bag out of the trash to make sure I hadn't used sweet onions by mistake. (I hadn't.) Julia only has you put in 1/2 tsp of salt, but you may want to increase that. It depends on how salty your stock is.

French Onion Soup
(from Julia Child's The Way to Cook)

Note: The house will smell like onions for two days afterwards; not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are going to have company, maybe wait until they're gone.

3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (roughly 2-1/2 to 3 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and sugar (sugar helps the onions brown)
2 Tablespoons flour
2-1/2 quarts beef stock (2 cups of which should be hot)
4-5 tablespoons brandy (optional)
1 cup dry white French vermouth (I used a dry white wine)

Set your pot over moderate heat with the butter and oil, and when the butter had melted add in the onions.  Cover the  pan and cook until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Blend in salt and sugar, raise heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a moment. Whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to a simmer, add the rest of the stock, brandy (if using) and vermouth. Cover loosely and let simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add a little water if it reduces too much.

Yummy!

In Search of Lost Soup

If you lived in Houston in 2000-2013, you knew Taco Milagro on the corner of Kirby and Westheimer. It wasn't a restaurant known for its food; it was one of the city's "see and be seen" meet markets for single people. It had a huge patio, salsa dancing, good margaritas, and was completely packed in the evenings.  



Ancho chili

I was at Taco Milagro when someone told me her theory about deciding if men were datable depending on their shoes. Gucci tasseled-loafers were particularly favorable. I can't remember why. "Never date guys with cheap shoes" was what it boiled down to.   I've never followed this advice, because it seemed like one of the dumber ways of selecting a mate, but I'm still single, so what do I know?

white corn tortillas

Anyway, Taco Milagro served the usual tacos, burritos, chips, salsa and guacamole, which were passable, but my favorite was the tortilla soup, which was not a brothy chicken soup, but a thick and spicy tomato based soup (with chicken). I loved that soup. It had depth to it. I would go there just for the soup.
 

cilantro

But Taco Milagro closed in 2013, cutting off my supply. So I've been noodling around the interwebs looking for a recipe that might work. This is my first attempt. It's good but a little thin. The search continues. . .

Spicy Tortilla Soup 1
 

Soup

• 2 ancho chilis
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 corn tortillas (torn into pieces)
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken

Garnish

• salt
• cilantro
• queso fresco 
• lime juice
• avocado

Instructions


Seed the ancho chilies and soak them in hot water for about an hour.

Puree the chilies with the onion, the tomatoes and the garlic.

Heat up your soup pot and put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it.  Fry the pureed vegetables for about 5 minutes, until aromatic.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, the tortillas, the cilantro and the chicken and simmer until the tortillas have dissolved and thickened the soup.

Salt to taste. (I used about a teaspoon.)

Garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and tortilla strips. You won't see any tortilla strips on mine because I'm a chicken about frying things. (Hot oil in large amounts scares me.)



My soup, you can tell my avocado was bit bruised, but it still tasted okay.

Summer Salad #2: Fennel and Celery

I'm not a fan of kitchen gadgets. I have my knives, my pots, a vegetable peeler and a blender and that's pretty much all I need.  I resist buying gadgets because I don't like cluttering up my kitchen with a lot of stuff that has only one use - I spent years making toast in the oven until I broke down and bought a toaster. 

But every know and then, there is a tool that does something so well, that it's worth giving up the cabinet space. I speak of the mandoline. Lethally sharp, and an incredibly efficient way of creating a lot of thin slices quickly. Someday, my knife skills will be on a par with Martin Yan's; I'll be able to butcher a chicken in under a minute and I won't need a mandoline, but until then, it's a great tool to have.

This salad is easy, fast (thanks to the mandoline) has great crunch and like last week, features under appreciated vegetables. Fennel, which is usually served cooked with other things, and celery, a vegetable that deserves better than being a mere garnish for Buffalo wings.

4 stalks of celery in under a minute - mandolines rock!

My only complaint about this salad is that it lacks color. Fennel is white and celery is pale green. It does not make for a colorful presentation. But the flavor is far from colorless. The fennel and the celery complement each other beautifully, and the lemon juice gives it zing. So serve it with a red steak and enjoy!

Fennel and Celery Salad

makes 4 servings 

2 bulbs fennel

3-4 stalks celery

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

Parmesan (optional)

salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Trim the fennel so it's just the bulb and slice it thinly on the mandoline.

2. Trim the leafy bits off the celery and slice it on the mandoline.

3. Combine the fennel and celery in a bowl. 

4. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. You might try dipping a piece of fennel in the dressing to make sure the salt level is where you want it. 

5. Put the dressing on the salad and serve. Garnish with parmesan curls if you feel like dressing it up.

Note: Do not put the dressing on the salad until just before serving. If you leave it on too long, the lemon juice wilts the veggies and they become limp.

Mother's Day Lunch

As much as I cook, I don’t usually plan entire meals, because I’m only cooking for me. I make an entree on Sunday night, and that will last me for about 3 days. Then on Wednesday, I make another entree to last the rest of the week. So even though I’m eating at home every night, I’m only cooking twice a week.  

But last Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I was in charge of lunch, so real menu-planning was required.  I spent most of last week browsing through cookbooks, trying to come up with a balanced menu that met my mother’s requirements of “chicken” and “flavorful”.

This is what I came up with: 

• Turkish flatbreads with seasoned olive oil
• Quick-Braised Chicken with Moroccan Spices, Lemon and Olives
• Haricot Vert (aka green beans)
• Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
• Drinks: Sauvignon blanc and ice tea

I did not bake the bread, but went to my favorite Turkish restaurant and begged them (very prettily) to sell me some of their magnificent bread. Fortunately, I mentioned that I had driven all the way from Humble, so the manager allowed me to buy 4 flatbreads, because that kind of devotion deserves a reward. 

While I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by HEB Central Market and picked up preserved lemons and peonies.  The rest of Saturday was devoted to cake baking and cleaning the house, since I don't want my parents to realize what a horrible housekeeper I am. 

Mother's Day I made the chicken, which came out beautifully, and made such an wonderful, deeply flavored sauce I was happy I went to such lengths for good bread. It would have been a crime to leave that sauce on the plate. 

Then we all took a break and played with the cats, discussed plot developments in Game of Thrones, gardening, and what's going on in European financial markets, giving everyone some time to digest before the cake.

Dad had two helpings, and took some home, so I think I can safely call this a success. 

All the recipes come from Melissa Clark's wonderful book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite. 

Quick-Braised Chicken with Moroccan Spices, Lemon and Olives

The ingredients list is long, but don't let that intimidate you. It's all goes in one pot and takes one hour. 

1 lemon (fresh, or preserved in brine)

1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks (I skinned mine)

1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

3-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 fat garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2-3 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1/2 cup green olives

3 tablespoons dried currents or apricots (optional)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or mint

1. Thinly slice the lemon crosswise into rounds. Cut the rounds into quarters. Place in a small saucepan with water just to cover and stir in 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain well and rinse the lemon under cold water.

2. Season the chicken with the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. In a large deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Place chicken in an even layer in the skillet and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

3. If the skillet looks dry, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin,  paprika, turmeric, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute more.

4. Add the chicken and turn to coat with spice mixture. Pour stock into the skillet until two thirds of the chicken is covered.  Stir in the saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes.

5. Uncover and add lemon slices, olives and dried fruit, stirring to combine. Cover and return to a simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Raise the heat to high and boil the sauce, uncovered until it has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro or mint. Spoon sauce over the chicken to serve.

Notes: 

• If using a preserved lemon, skip blanching process in step one. 
• Turmeric will stain anything and everything bright yellow. Wear an apron.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

3 blood oranges

1 cup sugar

buttermilk or plain yogurt

3 large eggs

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Honey-blood orange compote (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Grate the zest from two oranges and place in a bowl with the sugar. Using your fingers, rub the two ingredients together until the zest is evenly distributed in the sugar.

2. Supreme the two oranges you just zested. This link will tell you How to supreme an orange.

3. Halve the remaining orange and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Add buttermilk or yogurt until you have 2/3 cup of liquid. Pour the mixture into the bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in the eggs.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ones.  Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil a little at a time. Fold in the orange segments. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

5. Bake the cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right side up. Serve with whipped cream and Honey-Blood Orange Compote.

Honey-Blood Orange Compote

Supreme 3 more oranges. Drizzle in 1-2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes and stir gently.

Notes: 

• I didn't have blood oranges. I think blood oranges would be better, but regular old oranges were pretty good.
• I added a little rum to the compote. About a tablespoon.

Spring Asparagus

Not everybody likes asparagus, and I admit it's not the easiest vegetable to like, particularly if you have ever been subjected to the canned variety. (School cafeteria, I'm looking at you.) But fresh asparagus is wonderful. My mother is of the opinion that if you get really slender stalks, you should eat it raw, like a carrot. That's going a bit far for me. My favorite recipe is tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven.  But what's a Japanese take on asparagus?

I give you Asparagus Tossed with Crushed Black Sesame (aspara no kuro goma aé)

The ingredients are: 

• 12 oz. asparagus 
• 2 tsp. mirin 
• 2 tsp. light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds 

Michael Pollan would approve: it has only 4 ingredients. 

The sesame seeds are the hardest part, since they have to be toasted. One thing I have learned: heated sesame seeds pop! They were jumping out of the pan like popcorn. Save yourself some cleanup and use a lid.

black sesame seeds

Basically, you toast the seeds, and process them in the food processor with mirin and soy until its a grainy kind of paste, the book says it should resemble "wet sand". You can add stock or water if you think it's too thick. Put to one side.

With the sesame seeds out of the way, put a pot of salted water on to boil, and prep the asparagus. Remove the woody ends and slice the spears into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces. Save the tips separately.

prepped and ready to go

When the water has reached a rolling boil, but in all the asparagus except the tips. Wait for the water to come back up to a boil and add the tips. Cook for another minute or two and then drain it. 

Put in a bowl and toss with the sesame seed mixture. It is now ready to serve. Tasty, green and oh so good for you. 

Home Improvement: The Pantry

As you all know, I like to cook. So I have a lot of spices in the house. But they are always sold in little jars that end up crammed onto a shelf with a lot of other little jars, so it's hard to see what you have. This is how I ended up with three jars of rosemary last year.

My favorite herb

I needed a spice rack. So my father, who has never met a woodworking project he didn't like, built me one.
This is no ordinary spice rack, I'll have you know.

It's custom made to fit not just the door but the spices. I'm not kidding, he measured the jars, so that the big ones would fit, the little ones wouldn't fall out, and the labels on all of them would be visible. 

It's affixed to the door with 10 screws and hot glue, making it a permanent fixture. It's solid as a rock with the capacity to hold 63 standard size spice jars. If this doesn't add to the value of the house, I don't know what will.

I know this is rather silly, pointless bragging, but I'm excited. I have a spice rack!

Easy cooking for a bad day: Turkey Sausage Hash

Some days you're just tired.  You're behind on everything at work, the neighbor keeps you chatting about the health of the trees, and then the cat trips you, causing you to drop a dish, scattering glass shards and strawberries all over the kitchen.

In a perfect world, you'd be able go back to bed and start the day over.

But in reality, you have to make dinner, after you clean up the scattered glass and fruit.

This is not a fancy dish. Elaborate food is for when a person is confident and all is right with the world. This is for when you are feeling totally frazzled, but you still need to eat. It tastes good, it's a snap to make and it's even good for you.

Turkey Sausage Hash

1 package sweet Italian turkey sausage, skinned (about 1.2 lbs)
1 onion, diced
1 apple, diced
olive oil
parsley (optional)

1. Put a tablespoon of olive oil (it may seem like a lot, but turkey sausage is almost fatless) and the diced onion in a large frying pan. Cook until the onions have started to brown.

2. Add the skinned sausage and treat like hamburger, mixing it into the onions and browning it.

3. Add the apples and cook until heated through, but not mushy. Take off the heat and serve. Toss in a handful of parsley if you feel the need for greens.

The sweet crunch of the apple contrasts nicely with the savory sausage and onions, You don't even have to season it, because the turkey sausage has enough spice to spare.

About four servings.

Lemon cake for a grey day

This weekend was chilly and gray, and I felt the need to bake something. I haven't baked in months. I realize that I've made things in the oven, chard tarts, quiche and so on, but that's not baking. Baking is flour, cake pans, making the house smell heavenly with the scent of carmelizing sugar and browning bread.


And because it was chilly, I didn't want to go to the store, so it had to be what I had on hand, which is when I remembered a recipe in the bulging file of "Things I want to try".  An olive oil cake. 

I had never made an olive oil cake before, but was intrigued by the idea, and the recipe had only 5 ingredients.  All of which I had. Perfect.

I took the completed cake to my parents house for Sunday lunch, and didn't tell them what it was. Mom didn't notice the olive oil at all, but thought it was a pleasant lemon cake, that wasn't too sweet. Dad and I thought the olive oil added a pleasant grassy note to the background. But most importantly they kept half the cake 'for later'.  Success!

 
Lemon Olive Oil Cake

3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan 1 large lemon 1 cup cake flour 5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar   Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined. Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.  Isn't is amazing how egg whites go from pale yellow goo to a satiny white cloud when you whip them? Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.   Ready to go in the oven Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate. Cooling

Notes:

• The recipe says a springform pan, which would have come in handy when taking the cake out, but I used a 9 inch cake pan with no bad results. Taking it out of the pan took a little juggling, but no real problems.
• I used all purpose flour instead of cake flour. I'm sure cake flour would have yielded a more tender result, but the texture was close to a pound cake. And everybody loved it,so if you don't have it on hand, I wouldn't worry.
• The cake sinks a little as it cools, so don't worry if it deflates a bit.

Quinoa!

I'm feeling experimental this week, so I decided to try something I have never cooked before: quinoa.

looks like birdseed, doesn't it?

Quinoa is having a bit of a moment right now. The UN has declared 2013 the "International Year of Quinoa". Although it's treated like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed. It's popular among vegetarians because it is high in protein. It is also gluten-free, if you are watching that sort of thing.

But that's all official nutrition-y stuff. What I can tell you is that it tastes good and is easy to cook. The flavor is very mild, like slighty nutty rice. And like rice, you cook it by boiling. Easy.

To make it even more nutritious, I combined it with kale. I'm not really into kale (I find the texture a bit tough) but it works with this.

Kale!

I found this recipe at Food52. I did make a few tweaks, since walnut oil and pine nuts are a touch pricey for my budget. Also, I didn't have any scallions or lacinato kale, so I used garlic paste and plain old curly kale instead. But the result is terrific: creamy, nutty, with a wonderful perfume from the lemon. It's also quick to make, and you only get one pan dirty. Enjoy. I'm going to look for more quinoa recipes. This stuff is good.

looking forward to lunch today!

Kale and Quinoa

Serves 2-4


2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths (I used curly kale)
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions, minced (garlic paste - 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil (I used olive oil)
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (I used walnuts)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper

1.Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

2.While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil, pine nuts, and goat cheese.

3.Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Scrambled Eggs in a Mug

I don't usually cook in the microwave. Except for one brief period in high school when I made diet bran muffins (Not particularly good, but very filling) I use the microwave to heat water for tea, or re-heat leftovers. I cook with the stove or the oven, not the microwave.

Still, I was driving into work, listening to NPR, when I heard a recipe that intrigued me so much, I had to try it out. It's not bad. The textures is a bit spongy, and I think it really needs some parsley or herbs, but if you need a really easy and fast breakfast, you could do a lot worse.

You can listen to the original story here:

The Microwave Miracle Of Cooking In Mugs

Scrambled Eggs in a Mug

Cooking Time: 2 minutes

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk (I used yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Coat a 12-ounce microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray. Add eggs and milk; beat until blended. 

Eggs, yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper

Microwave 45 seconds at high power; stir. Microwave 30 to 45 seconds more, or until eggs are almost set (see Note).

Top with cheese, (I put the cheese in with everything else) season with salt and pepper, and serve.

This is how it looks in the mug

It looks better turned out onto a plate, but I think a little parsley would help.

Improvisation: Chard and Bacon Quiche

I know kale is the "it" green of the moment. (Aside: How has our culture gotten to the point of having "it" vegetables? Have we nothing of greater moment to discuss? And how lame am I for knowing them? Also, the UN has declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa - pass it on.)

Anyway, back to kale, which is a fine green, but I have a weakness for chard. I love the color.  It's easy to cook with and it's a lot easier to find than kale, at least where I shop. So when I saw chard on sale last week, I grabbed a big bunch without even thinking about recipes.

That's why I found myself this Monday, looking at a fridge full of groceries, but with no actual plan for any of them. Then it dawned on me: Quiche! everything goes with eggs. So this is my "what do I do with all of this food" improvisation quiche.

Chard and Bacon Quiche

Serves 4-6

• two strips of bacon
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of parmesan
• pepper
• pie crust (pre-made or favorite recipe)
• 1 bunch chard

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Wash, trim and chop the chard. Don't make the pieces too small, you are going to be cooking it down.

3. Put a large pan on and cook the bacon until crisp. Put the bacon to one side, and drain all but one tablespoon of the rendered fat from the pan.

4. Wilt the chard in the bacon fat, so that it loses most of its volume but is still bright green. Take off the heat and put to one side.

5. Put your crust into the pie plate. Put in the wilted chard and top with the crumbled bacon.

6. Crack your eggs and wisk them together with the parmesan and yogurt. Pepper to taste (I like 1/4 teaspoon). You shouldn't need salt, between the cheese and the bacon, there should be salt enough.

7. Pour the egg mixture over the chard and bacon, and slide into the oven for 30-45 minutes.

Yummy!

Notes:

• The measurements for the parmesan and yogurt are estimates, because I was "in the zone" and cooking by feel. You may need to adjust them to your own tastes.
• I used parmesan because that is what I had on hand. Gruyere is more traditional in a quiche. If you decided to go that route, put it on top of the chard instead of mixing it in to the eggs.

Lunch this week: Leek and Spinach Tart

So far, I'm keeping my resolution of taking lunch to work every day. (1 week down, 48 to go!) I have three requirements for lunch food:

1. It has to be portable.  Nothing wet - I've had bad experiences with soups and salad dressings.
2. It has to taste good cold or be re-heatable in a microwave. There's nothing more depressing than a bad lunch.
3. It has to be filling. I don't subscribe to the "grazing" philosophy of eating every a snack every 2 hours. Lunch has to last me until dinner.

And it helps if I can make it on Sunday and eat it for the rest of the week. This is why I'm fond of savory tarts. They are generally good cold, but they reheat beautifully. You can stuff a lot of vegetables in them, and they are relatively easy to make.

Leek and Spinach Tart

This is what I am eating for lunch this week. It is adapted from a recipe for a Greek phyllo pastry filling. It's not bad, but I find it a little one note. I find myself wishing it had more spinach, or pine nuts or green olives to give it more texture and pep it up a bit.  Maybe next time.

Leek and Spinach Tart
8 servings, approximately 345 calories each. 

• 9 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 8 cups finely diced leeks, white and pale green part only (I used 4 fat leeks)
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions  - I didn't have any so I used 1/2 cup yellow onion
• 16 ounces full fat small curd cottage cheese, drained in a colander to rid the moisture (or if you can find it dry cottage cheese)
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (preferably Bulgarian) or one heaping cup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 lightly beaten eggs
• pie crust (I'm using a pre-made crust, but feel free to make your own.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Steam the spinach until it wilts. Cool and then squeeze as much of the liquid out as you possibly can. Roughly chop and then place the spinach in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, saute the diced leeks over medium heat. After about 5 minutes add the sliced scallions and continue to saute until everything is very soft. (this can take up to 20 minutes). Add this mixture to the mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Stir in the drained cottage cheese and feta. At this point taste the mixture. You definitely want to add a little pepper ( I added 1/2 teaspoon) but the amount of salt you add depends on how salty your feta is. Use your judgement.
5. Stir in the beaten eggs. 
6. Put the tart crust into the tart pan and fill with the leek and cheese mixture. Put it in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how long it takes to brown the top.