05 August 2011 Cucumber Salad with Olives, Oregano, and Almonds

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. Cooking for Two 2012. (2012) Brookline, MA: Boston Common Press Limited Partnership. p 74.

My Comment: Cucumber salads are the epitome of refreshing on hot summer days.  As a big fan of America’s Test Kitchens, I knew this salad would be perfection – a descriptor I would NOT have used with my previous iterations of this salad. Thanks to the chefs at ATK, here is a salad that has crunch and flavor.

Ingredients:

2 small cucumbers, peeled, halved length-wise, seeded and sliced thin
2 1/2 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp  lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 TBSP chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
1 small shallot, sliced thin
12 tsp minced fresh oregano
1 1/2 TBSP sliced almonds (toasted & chopped coarse) I omitted these

Method

1. Line baking sheet with paper towels and evenly spread cucumber slices on sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.

2. Bring vinegar to simmer in small saucepan over medium-low heat; continue to simmer until reduced to 1 TBSP, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperatures, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, sugar, lemon juice, 12 tsp salt and pinch pepper until well combined.

3. add cucumbers, olives, shallot, and oregano to dressing and toss to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes, then toss to redistribute dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with almonds.  Serves 2.

Nutrition information (almonds included):

Calories (60), fat (3.2 g), Carbs (8.2), Fiber (3.9), Protein (1.0).  Hormonal carbs (Metabolic Effect = 3.3)

30 July 2012 Grilled Peppers Piedmontese

Have you ever noticed how your weekly food bill creeps up when you don’t menu plan?  In addition to changing the way we are eating so that we’re more conscious of hormonal carbs, this week I was inspired to do more meal planning when we realized our food bills were getting out of control.  This recipe from the Boston Globe Sunday magazine seemed a good fit for an interesting side -

Copyright © 2012. Adrien Bisson Photography.

and at 6.9 grams fat and -58.8 hormonal carbs (yes!) it’s right on target for eating metabolically. We served with a lean boneless skinless chicken breast which shared the grill and was simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

 

Grilled Peppers Piedmontese

Adapted from Reid, Adam. Out of the oven, onto the grill. The Boston Globe Magazine. July 29, 2012. p 16.

Copyright © 2012. Adrien Bisson Photography.Globe Magazine. (July 29, 2012). p 16.

Ingredients:

1 dry pint grape tomatoes (halved)
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling if wanted
Salt and black pepper
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise through the stem, membranes and seeds removed.

Method:

In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, 2 TBSP oil, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper to taste, the parsley and half of the basil.

Prepare a medium fire charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes (if using gas, adjust burners to medium).

Grill the peppers open sides down until the edges char (6-8 minutes). Turn the peppers, divide the tomato mixture among them, cover the grill and grill until peppers are tender but not collapsed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange the peppers on a platter and drizzle with oil (I didn’t) and sprinkle with the remaining basil just before serving hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves 6.  PER SERVING: 328 calories. Total fat 6.9 grams, Total carbs 4.7 grams, Fiber 1.1 grams, Protein 62.4 grams.

01 Oct 2011 Cauliflower Gratin with Tomatoes and Feta

Adapted from Madison, D. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. (1997). New York: Broadway Books. p 281.

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson Photography

My Comment: I seem to be having a bit of a time management problem these days – and our diet has suffered. The change of the calendar to October is hopefully going to provide some inspiration to reconnect with the important things – eating healthful foods made at home.  Deborah Madison provides this gratin which is a family favorite – we love the creaminess of feta and the saltiness of capers. Have I mentioned cinnamon is my favorite spice?

A note about nutritional information. I am no longer using Weight Watchers points, but through the Calorie Count website, can provide the information Weight Watchers and other nutrition-aware users to track food intake. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 to 3 TBSP Olive Oil (less is more if you’re asking me)
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1-15-oz can diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen)
1 tsp honey
1 TBSP capers, rinsed
salt and freshly milled pepper
1 large cauliflowers (about 1-1/2 lbs) broken into florets
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 to 4 oz. crumbled feta
Parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat the broiler and lightly oil a 2-quart gratin dish.

2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and cinnamon. Cook until the onion is wilted – about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cook for 7 minutes more, then add the honey and capers and season with salt and pepper. Slide the mixture into the gratin dish.

3. Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Set it on the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and add the feta. Place 5 to 6 inches under the broiler until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown – about 10 minutes.

4. Garnish with parsley and serve. (If you are assembling the gratin ahead of time, cover and bake at 400 F until bubbling – about 20 minutes and the finish under the broiler).

Nutrition Information: 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 40 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80

Total Fat 6.8g, Total Carbohydrates 4.9g, Dietary Fiber 0.8g, Protein 0.5g

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25 Aug 2011 Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Adapted from Moosewood Collective. Simple suppers: Fresh ideas for the weeknight table. (2005). New York: Clarkson Potter. p. 167.

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

My Comment: I know, I know…. not strictly vegetarian. But once in a while I enjoy fish. Our CSA share this week included a bag of baby greens, garlic, and several beautifully ripe tomatoes. What could be better than fresh produce picked that morning?

There is something wonderful about the combination of lemon and tarragon; I think I’d enjoy this salad even without the shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 pound peeled & deveined shrimp
2 TBSP vegetable or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

FOR THE DRESSING

juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP chopped FRESH tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil (I use about half that amount)

2 avocados
2 tomatoes
6 cups baby greens or torn lettuce

Method

 1. Warm oil in skillet, add the garlic and shrimp. Saute until the shrimp turns pink (2-4 minutes). Set aside.

2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the cooked shrimp with about 1/4 cup of the dressing.

3. Peel and pit the avocado and cut into wedges. Cut the tomato into wedges. Arrange the shrimp, avocado, and tomatoes on the greens and drizzle on more of the dressing.

Serves 4. Nutrition: Calories 470. Fat 36.5, Carbohydrates 12, Fiber 7.7

22 Aug 2011 Summer Panzanella

Adapted from: Moosewood Collective. Simple suppers: fresh ideas for the weeknight table. (2005). New York: Clarkson Potter. p 108.

My Comment: This is one of my favorite parts of the summer – when all

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

 the tomatoes ripen at the same time Not only do I have some heirloom tomatoes growing in my own garden, but we received some delicious orange-colored cherry tomatoes from our CSA and our neighbor shared some yellow and red cherry tomatoes too. What’s a cook to do except locate a tomato-friendly recipe and use them all up!

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of crusty French or Italian bread (about 8 oz) (I used 1/2 of this amount)
4 tomatoes (see note above)
1 large ball of fresh mozzarella (about 5 oz)
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup pitted olives (used Kalamata)
1 TBSP red wine or cider vinegar
1 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper (fresh ground)
Optional: extra vinaigrette

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and place in the oven until crisp – 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and place them in a serving bowl: Cut to tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups of tomatoes and 1 cup of mozzarella), peel and thinly slice the red onion, cut the basil leaves into thin strips and chop the olives.

3. Add the vinegar and oil to the bowl and toss well.

4. Cut the toasted bread into 1-inch cubes (7 to 8 cups). Add the bread cubes to the bowl and toss well. Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the juices. Add salt and pepper to taste (pass extra viniagrette on the side – but we found it didn’t need any extra dressing).

Serves 4.  Nutrition information: Calories 282, Fat 15.3 g, Carbs 23.9, Fiber 3.6

18 Aug 2011 Zucchini Tomato Curry

Adapted from Meatless Monday: Zucchini Tomato Curry. Downloaded from the web on 08/16/2011.

My Comment: Although this recipe filled our house with the delicious fragrance of cumin, coriander and ginger, the finished product – in my humble opinion – needs a tweak or two.  First of all, the zucchini rounds should be cut again so that they cook up faster. Or maybe I just need to by skinnier zucchini  We both expected a bit more of a sauce; not sure how to accomplish that. I served Adrien some basmati rice with his portion –  mine without. Note – the directions on Meatless Monday’s site left out the garam masala even though it is listed in the ingredient list, so if you use the download, be prepared to punt.

Ingredients  

Copyirght © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

1 TBSP olive oil for preparing the pan
2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 TBSP garam masala (make your own, or I used Whole Foods brand)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
3 zucchini, sliced into rounds (see my comment above)
2 ripe tomatoes, pureed
juice from 1/4 lemon

Method

1. Place olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add fresh garlic, ginger and onion. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant.

2. Add pureed tomatoes to the pan and stir until well incorporated. Season the tomato-onion mixutre with the cumin, coriander,  Garam Masala, salt and pepper (to taste). Mix well to ensure all seasonings are evenly distributed.

3. Toss in the zucchini and stir well to ensure the zucchini is thoroughly coated in tomato curry sauce. Cook for 3-5 minutes (I think this should be a LOT longer), stirring occasionally, or until the zucchini is cooked through.

4. Squirt the 14 lemon over the curry. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serves 3. Nutrition information: Calories 108.3, Fat 5.6 grams, carbs 13.7 g, fiber 3.8 grams, protein 3.7 grams.

25 Jul 2011 Rice Noodle Bowl with Broccoli & Bell Peppers

Adapted from: Gadia, M. “Table for One“. Vegetarian Times (Vol. 36, No. 7). July/August 2010. P. 31.

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

My Comment: This recipe was originally part of an article about cooking for one; sometimes I think cooking for just two is equally challenging.  It was easy to double – being a teacher I know my times tables ! It seems like it would be quite easy to vary the vegetables according to what is in season. This one looks like a keeper to me.

Ingredients

1-1/2 oz. dried rice noodles broken into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar (or other healthy sweetner like agave)
1 tsp chile sauce (or to taste)
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced (if the chile sauce already includes garlic, skip this)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup broccoli
1 TBSP chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Method

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add broken noodles. Remove from heat and let stand 5 to 7 minutes or until noodles are rehydrated. Drain and discard water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar or sweetener, chile sauce and 1/4 cup water in small bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir fry 1 minute. Add bell pepper and broccoli and cook 1 minute more. Add soy sauce mixture , bring to a boil and cook 1 minute more or until bell pepper and broccoli are tender. Stir in noodles. Serve sprinkled with roasted peanuts, if using.

Servings = 1. Nutrition information: 311 calories, 10 G fat, 55 G carbs, 3 G fiber.

18 July 2011 Blue Cheese-Topped Mushroom Steaks over Arugala

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

Adapted from: Riccardi, V. “20 ways to grill fruits and veggies.” Vegetarian Times. (Vol. 37, No. 6) July/August 2011. p 66.

My Comment: It’s been actually hot here — not hot by New England standards, but H-O-T; and even though I like it that way, I don’t enjoy heating up the kitchen and then living with the aftermath (no AC). So when we heard the long-range forecast of a heat-wave, I picked out grill-based recipes.

The mix of spicy arugala with the garlicky blue-cheese based dressing is just one of those things that simply go together. And as far as I’m concerned, you can keep the steak – I love hearty Portobellos and grilling them is the perfect way to prepare them! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for brushing on the grill
3 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used nonfat)
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese (about 1/2 cup)
2 TBSP reduced – fat mayonnaise
2 TBSP fresh chives
8 cups baby arugula
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:

1. Brush grill grates with oil and pre-heat grill to medium.

2. Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired and brush all over mushroom caps. (I used my usual mustard vinegarette recipe — 2:1 balsamic to olive oil and add some dijon mustard before whisking). Place caps on grill and cook 15-18 minutes, turning once or until tender. Transfer to cutting board to cool slightly before slicing.

3. Process garlic in food processor (again — I’m a minimalist when it comes to cleaning up gadgets. Chop the daylights out of the garlic, put the other ingredients in a 2-cup measure and use a stick blender.  Easier to clean IMHO).

4. Add buttermilk, blue cheese and mayonnaise; process until creamy. Stir in chives (see not about blending in Step 3).

5. Divide arugula among plates. Top with Portobellos, tomatoes, and sauce.

Nutrition Info per serving (4 servings): 166 calories, 8 G protein, 9 G total fat, 13 G carbs, 3 G fiber.

16 July 2011 Bing Cherry Salad Dressing

Adapted from: Spitalnick, A. (editor). “This Just In… Bing Cherries”. Vegetarian Times. (Vol.37, No. 6). July/August 2011. p 16.

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

My Comment: Growing up in the mid-west, I don’t remember much about Bing cherries; my cheery cherry memory is pitting sour cherries (by the pound) so my Mother could freeze them. Sweet cherries were Queen Annes.  I don’t know, maybe there were Bing cherries and I was just not paying attention.

That said, this is the time of year when markets and even our CSA usually have Bing cherries available. I don’t often use dressing on salads; but this was intriguing — the sweetness of ripe red-purple cherries mixed with vinegar and mustard was an enticement on a sweltering summer evening when we just felt like eating a simple salad for supper.

Vegetarian Times did not specify amounts — so I won’t either.  Most recipes call for oil to vinegar ratios of 2:1 — I usually do just the opposite (there’s a shock). Add honey to taste and about a tablespoon of mustard (more or less to your personal taste).

Puree together:

Pitted bing cherries (I used about 30)
Almond oil (see note above; I think I used about 2-3 TBSP)
Champagne vinegar (see note above)
mustard (about 2 tsp does the trick)
honey (use agave or other liquid sweetener to make this vegan)

24 Jun 2011 Bread and Tomato Soup

Adapted from Oliver, J. Bread and Tomato Soup. Downloaded from the web on 24 June 2011. 

Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

My Comment: While it is still too early for farmer’s market tomatoes here in New England, there are still good sources available for fresh and canned tomatoes to use in this recipe. Besides, I had some bread to use up Besides being warming and very fresh tasting, I like this recipe because of its simplicity. Never mind that the proportions are metric (a little brain work is good for you!). Enjoy it now and then create it again when the tomatoes are perfectly ripe right off the vine.

Ingredients

500 g cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a large bunch of fresh basil, leaved picked, stalks finely chopped (separate the stalks from the leaves)
high quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
2 400-g (14 oz) tin (that’s cans to us) plum tomatoes
500 g or 2 large handfuls of stale good-quality bread (I used some leftover ciabatta)

Method

1. Prick the cherry tomatoes with a fork and toss with one clove of garlic and about a quarter of the chopped up basil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in a roasting tray and cook in the over at 180 c (350 F) for 20 minutes.

2. Heat a glug (Jamie’s term!) of olive oil in a pot and add the remaining garlic and basic stalks. Stir around and gently fry for a minute until softened. Add the canned tomatoes then fill at least one can with water and add that also (you may want to consider adding more water if the soup seems to thick). Break up the tomatoes with a spoon, bring soup to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

3. Tear the bread into thumb-sized pieces and add them to the pot. Add the torn basil leaves, let the bread sit on top of the soup mixture at low heat for 10 minutes. By this time the cherry tomatoes will have finished roasting — pour them (basil leaves, tomatoes, juices and all) into the soup pot.

4. Give the soup a good stir — you are looking to achieve a thick, silky porridgy texture. Remove from heat, add an additional 6-7 TBSP of olive oil and divide between 4 bowls — garnish with additional basil leaves if you want.

Serves 4.