Warm Autumn White Bean Salad

For those of you who, like me, prefer their salads without lettuce, here is a nice one for the fall.

A yummy side dish
A salad without lettuce
Ready in a pinch.

Ingredients:

• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 small red, orange or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Toss all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Serve at room temperature, or chill to save for later!

The recipe calls for salt as well, but I found it unnecessary. And as you can see by my picture, the basil and tomatoes are not finely chopped. Delicious eaten on its own, this salad is also quite delicious with corn tortilla chips.

Recipe taken from Mariel Hemingway's book Mariel's Kitchen.

Cauliflower, Leek and Chevre Jack Cheese Soup

Soup! It is that time of year again! It is also that time of year to find new ways to eat cauliflower. This one was very easy, used a ton of the seasonal vegetables I had gotten in my CSA box and has been good as a leftover dish all week!

Who doesn't like soup?!
It is likely my favorite -
Comforting and warm.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium organic carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 pound cauliflower florets, chopped
• 4 cups quality organic vegetable or chicken broth
• 4 oz chevre jack-style cheese, shredded
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, and celery and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Puree mixture in the work bowl of a food processor or blender. Return to pot over very low heat. Add cheese and continue cooking just until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I didn't puree the entire pot of soup, leaving it a little chunky, which was nice. This was really good with sweet potato fries and salad . When microwaving leftovers, add a few bits of grated cheese to the top once it is hot.

Recipe taken from Mariel Hemingway's book Mariel's Kitchen.

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

This was a really delicious meal that I might make again - though I rarely eat pork, and the preparation actually took quite a while. Eating them was a little messy too!

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps
When take-out's not an option
Exotic at home!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic fresh ground pork
• 2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp white rice
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
• 3 Tbsp juice from 2 limes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole

1. In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork with the fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
2. Heat rice in small skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool 5 minutes. Grind in a mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine meal.
3. Bring broth to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until about half of the pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tsp rice powder over pork; continue to cook, stirring constantly until the remaining pork is no longer pink, 2 minutes longer. Transfer pork to a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce, remaining 2 tsp rice powder, shallots, lime juice, sugar, red pepper flakes, mint, and cilantro to the pork; toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves.

The original recipe calls for pork tenderloin and requires you to grind it yourself. (Do this by cutting it into chunks, freezing until firm (about 15 minutes) and then pulsing it in a food processor.) I thought the recipe would have been better with slightly less fish sauce and slightly less sugar. The former was quite salty and the latter too sweet. I liked the taste of the mind and cilantro to come through fresher. It is very important to use fresh limes since bottled lime juice has an unnaturally tangy flavor.

Recipe found in Cook's Illustrated, October 2009.

Pinneapple Coconut Ginger Muffins

For using up that crystallized ginger you bought months ago for another recipe in here (the pine nut polenta cookies?), here is a great recipe for mini muffins that freeze really well.

Pinneapple muffins
Breakfast or dessert
Children love them too!

Ingredients:

• Nonstick spray
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
• 2/3 cups coconut milk (regular or low-fat)
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp canned crushed pineapple packed in juice, undrained
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray mini muffin tray with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the flower, salt, baking powder, sugar, powdered ginger, and coconut in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add the minced crystallized ginger and stir it around until coated. Then comb through the mixture with your fingers, picking up the larger pieces of ginger and snipping them into smaller pieces with scissors. The ginger should be in bits the size of currants.
4. Measure the 2/3 cup coconut milk into a 4-cup liquid measure, then add the pineapple with its juice and the egg and vanilla. Beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

I had a fresh pineapple that I wanted to use, so I chopped that up into very small pieces and it worked out splendidly. The shredded coconut I used was unsweetened, but it didn't seem to matter as these muffins were so flavorful without the added sugar!

Recipe taken from Molly Katzen's book Sunlight Cafe.

Ginger-Pear Mini-Muffins

As the weather turns cold - I find it is time for mini-muffins again!

Though these muffins aren't much to look at (they're kind of bland-looking, aren't they?), they are really tasty, and definitely are muffins I'll make again.

Mini Muffins are...
Reasons to use the oven,
Drink tea, and relax.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped ripe pear
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup very finely minced crystallized ginger
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 to 3 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray mini muffin tray with nonstick spray.
2. Place the chopped pear in a shallow dish, drizzle with the lemon juice, and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the minced crystallized ginger, then comb through the mixture with your fingers to seek out any larger pieces. Cut them into even smaller pieces with scissors. (This is far easier to do when they are coated with flour. Ideally, each bit of ginger should end up about the size of a rolled oat flake).
4. Measure the 1 cup buttermilk into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add the egg, fresh ginger, and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe taken from Mollie Katzen's Book Sunlight Cafe.

Summer Squash "Linguini" with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Basil

I've been making delicious and light lunches every day this week and I find that my day is so much more satisfying that way. Today I made a delicious and healthy dish that I can see myself making many times in the future - and it is one that is so simple as to be easily modified to fit whatever you have in the house.

Fresh, tasty and green
Everything's better with cheese
Even in summer

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
• 3 small green zucchini, julienned
• 3 small yellow zucchini, julienned
• 1/4 cup jullienned fresh basil
• 5 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and saute until the outside is golden and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl, cover to keep warm and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tbsp of oil from pan.
2. Add butter to pan. Add shallot and saute until it becomes soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add chicken broth; then add zucchini and saute for about 3-4 minutes or just until soft. Remove from heat.
4. Add chicken and basil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Divide among four individual dinner plates and top with the crumbled goat cheese.
5. Serve immediately.

I didn't have any salt on hand, but I used chicken broth, which I assume is salty enough. I also cooked the zucchini a little bit longer than the recipe called for since my slices weren't as thin as I would have liked.

Recipe from Mariel's Kitchen.

What to do with those avocados that are getting too soft.

For lunch the other day, I pulled out the produce drawer to find unused produce from previously planned meals. Lunch was a thrown-together last-minute salad that I only post here because of the colors. And because of the dressing.

Leftovers for lunch
Only minutes to prepare
Green is healthy, right?

Ingredients

• Asparagus that didn't get eaten the night before
• Mushrooms that you didn't need for your pizza and put back in the fridge
• Lettuce that one can never seem to finish all of before it wilts
• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 a lime
• Water
• Pepper
• Goat Cheese

1. Lightly steam the asparagus
2. Blend the avocado, lime, and a couple of tablespoons of water in a blender.
3. Chill the asparagus briefly (a few minutes in the freezer will do it)
4. Put lettuce, mushrooms and asparagus in a bowl
5. Top with the avocado dressing, pepper and goat cheese.

This would be more typical of a spring or early summer meal, but since we have scarcely had a summer, I think it is right in season.