Makes 1 1/2 cups. Takes 10 minutes.
1 (15 ounce) can of navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
1/4 tsp salt
Several pinches of pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
Combine the beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper in blender and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times. Heat a small pan over low. Cook garlic in olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and oil to the mixture and puree. Taste for salt, pepper and lemon, and adjust to your liking. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Curried Carrot Dip
Makes 2 cups. Takes 25 minutes, plus chill time.
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (less if sunflower seeds are salted)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add carrots and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.
Place the sunflower seeds in a blender and process to crumbs. Add all remaining ingredient and blend until smooth, scraping the sides down a couple times. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).
Variation:
Caraway-Parsley Carrot Dip
Omit the curry and cumin. Add 1/2 tsp caraway seeds toward beginning and 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley at end.
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (less if sunflower seeds are salted)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add carrots and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.
Place the sunflower seeds in a blender and process to crumbs. Add all remaining ingredient and blend until smooth, scraping the sides down a couple times. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).
Variation:
Caraway-Parsley Carrot Dip
Omit the curry and cumin. Add 1/2 tsp caraway seeds toward beginning and 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley at end.
Creole Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4. Takes 55 minutes.
4 large bell peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2-3 serrano chiles, sliced fine
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp paprika
3 sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise through the stem end. Remove the seeds and membranes. Submerge the peppers in boiling water and cover. Let them boil for 5 minutes, then drain immediately and rinse with cold water.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, chiles and carrots for 10 minutes, until the veggies brown. Add the garlic 5 minutes into the cooking. Add the herbs, spices and salt and saute for 1 more minute. Mix in parsley.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Spoon a little less than 1/2 cup of veggie mixture into each pepper half. Place the pepper halves in the casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes.
4 large bell peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2-3 serrano chiles, sliced fine
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp paprika
3 sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise through the stem end. Remove the seeds and membranes. Submerge the peppers in boiling water and cover. Let them boil for 5 minutes, then drain immediately and rinse with cold water.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, chiles and carrots for 10 minutes, until the veggies brown. Add the garlic 5 minutes into the cooking. Add the herbs, spices and salt and saute for 1 more minute. Mix in parsley.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Spoon a little less than 1/2 cup of veggie mixture into each pepper half. Place the pepper halves in the casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes.
Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Makes 8 potato halves. Takes 20 minutes after taters are baked.
4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed baked and cooled
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or vegetable broth
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 small yellow onion, cut into a small dice
1 medium-size carrot, cut into a small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen peas, rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon
Slice cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Mash the potatoes with soy milk and set aside the skins.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and coriander seeds. The mustard seeds should begin to pop; if they don't pop in a minute or two, turn the heat up. Let the seeds pop for about a minute (put a lid on them so you don't get splattered), add the onions and carrots, and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for a minute more. Add the cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well, then add the potatoes, mixing everything well. Add a little extra water if it looks too dry. Cook until the potatoes are heated through, then add the peas and cook until those are heated through. Add the lemon juice to taste and stir to incorporate.
Brush the inside of the potato skins with la little bit of oil. Then scoop the filling into the skin, pressing gently to hold the filling in place. Line the potato halves on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed baked and cooled
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or vegetable broth
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 small yellow onion, cut into a small dice
1 medium-size carrot, cut into a small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen peas, rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon
Slice cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Mash the potatoes with soy milk and set aside the skins.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and coriander seeds. The mustard seeds should begin to pop; if they don't pop in a minute or two, turn the heat up. Let the seeds pop for about a minute (put a lid on them so you don't get splattered), add the onions and carrots, and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for a minute more. Add the cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well, then add the potatoes, mixing everything well. Add a little extra water if it looks too dry. Cook until the potatoes are heated through, then add the peas and cook until those are heated through. Add the lemon juice to taste and stir to incorporate.
Brush the inside of the potato skins with la little bit of oil. Then scoop the filling into the skin, pressing gently to hold the filling in place. Line the potato halves on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Acorn Squash and Black Bean Empanadas
Makes 12 empanadas, takes 2 1/2 hours to make, total.
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1/2-3/4 cup very cold water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Filling:
1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion sliced in 1-inch pieces
2-3 serrano chiles, sliced thin
2 tsp coriander seeds, smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
1 cup cooked black bean, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tsp pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pastry:
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into small chunks and combine with the flour using a pastry cutter. The dough should be crumbly and pebbly.
Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently tossing with a fork until the dough holds together when pinched. Use up to 1/4 cup more water if needed.
Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently in the bowl a few times until it holds together. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough into an 8 x 5 inch rectangle. Place baking parchment on cutting board, gently lift dough onto it, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Prepare the filling:
Roast the squash by cutting in half lengthwise and scooping out center seeds. Place face down on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until lit is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and cool, cut side up. Peel squash and cut it into 3/4 inch chunks.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and chiles in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add coriander seeds and garlic to pan and saute a minute more. Add cumin, salt and 2 tbsp water. Add squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often to coat. Add black beans and heat thoroughly. Lastly, add lemon juice adn maple syrup. Turn off heat and prepare empanada dough.
Creating the empanadas:
Grease a baking sheet and set it aside. Grab the dough and slide it off the cutting board. Roll it out into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Trim edges to make it even. Slice the doguh into 3 inch squares- four cuts across and 2 cuts lengthwise.
Take a square and roll it out a bit more to about 6 inches square. Place 2 tbsp filling on half of dough, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the bottom point. Fold over the dough so that it makes a triangle. Pinch together seams with a fork or fingers.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown!
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1/2-3/4 cup very cold water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Filling:
1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion sliced in 1-inch pieces
2-3 serrano chiles, sliced thin
2 tsp coriander seeds, smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
1 cup cooked black bean, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tsp pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pastry:
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into small chunks and combine with the flour using a pastry cutter. The dough should be crumbly and pebbly.
Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Add to the dough in three batches, gently tossing with a fork until the dough holds together when pinched. Use up to 1/4 cup more water if needed.
Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently in the bowl a few times until it holds together. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough into an 8 x 5 inch rectangle. Place baking parchment on cutting board, gently lift dough onto it, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Prepare the filling:
Roast the squash by cutting in half lengthwise and scooping out center seeds. Place face down on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until lit is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and cool, cut side up. Peel squash and cut it into 3/4 inch chunks.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and chiles in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add coriander seeds and garlic to pan and saute a minute more. Add cumin, salt and 2 tbsp water. Add squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often to coat. Add black beans and heat thoroughly. Lastly, add lemon juice adn maple syrup. Turn off heat and prepare empanada dough.
Creating the empanadas:
Grease a baking sheet and set it aside. Grab the dough and slide it off the cutting board. Roll it out into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Trim edges to make it even. Slice the doguh into 3 inch squares- four cuts across and 2 cuts lengthwise.
Take a square and roll it out a bit more to about 6 inches square. Place 2 tbsp filling on half of dough, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the bottom point. Fold over the dough so that it makes a triangle. Pinch together seams with a fork or fingers.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown!
Roasted Garlic
Take one or more whole, unpeeled and non-separated bulbs of garlic. With heavy, sharp knife, slice off approximately 1/2 inch of the entire top of the bulb, exposing the insides of the garlic cloves. Drizzle about one tablespoon of olive oil onto the top of the bulb, making sure the cut cloves are covered with oil and some oil sneaks into the spaces between the cloves. Wrap tightly in foil and bake at 375F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft and turned a deep golden color. For slightly caramelized cloves, unwrap the tops of the bulbs and let them roast for an 8 to 10 additional minutes.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Even Creatures of the Night Deserve a Little Bling
Today was an uneventful morning. I woke up, did my business, stepped out the door and proceeded to my tiny truck of awe inspiring terror. It may appear innocuous to the casual passerby, but it's a hellion just ready to be unleashed on the world. The evil is pervasive, yet subtle. Ever read Stephen King's Christine? Or perhaps you're more familiar with his monumental work of cinematographic genius, Maximum Overdrive?
Every trip in this thing is a carnival ride, and not some class act ferris wheel you'd ride at the State Fair, but a vomit inducing whirlygig with rusted out safety restraints and a few bolts missing because it was erected in a parking lot of a strip mall in just under two hours time. It's got everything but the leering, one-eyed carny with weathered tattoos coursing his frame and teeth befitting only the most ambitious of meth heads.
Upon reaching my sweet ride, lo and behold. The mark of the beast.
Some little fuckwit tagged my truck. There is now a gold stripe of spray paint coursing the length of the driver's side. This stripe joins a motley assortment of dents, dings, scratches, key marks, traded paint, grease and dusty monsoon film. It adds a feral beauty to my untamed beastie, reminiscent of an adolescent act of rebellion like a mohawk or a safety pin through the ear.
Seeing how my vehicle is demonspawn, it's fitting that its outward appearance now reflects the depth of its inner machinations. In a recent attempt on my life, the driver's side seat belt broke. Rather than give that bitch the satisfaction of seeing me grovel at the dealership, I've decided to beat it at its own game. I cleverly buckle into the passenger's seat belt, and pending company I thread the center belt through the driver's and strap in.
Since I foiled its plan to become a death trap in the event of an accident, it decided to erase all evidence of what gear I'm ever in as retribution. Silly beastie. I just count the clicks and flip it into neutral when I mistakenly think I'm in second gear instead of drive. Man beats metal. Try harder next go round.
I shouldn't have woken the sleeping dragon with a noogie and my dance of in your face all out victory. I pissed it off. It's now decided that any time I'm enjoying the breeze of air conditioning, assuredly a smart stipulation in this barren wasteland of eternal damnation, and have come to a full and complete stop, it's going to buck my foot off the brake in a valiant effort to impale itself on the nearest vehicle. This is no mischievous tomfoolery. The intent of this action is bodily injury, and maybe latent cannibalism.
My little truck deserves this defacement. No longer will people be duped by its veneer of innocence and bird shit. Hell on wheels just got inked and it's grasp of intimidation knows no bounds.
If you see a trail of frightened cats, crying children, and shocked soccer moms, now you know where to lay blame.
Every trip in this thing is a carnival ride, and not some class act ferris wheel you'd ride at the State Fair, but a vomit inducing whirlygig with rusted out safety restraints and a few bolts missing because it was erected in a parking lot of a strip mall in just under two hours time. It's got everything but the leering, one-eyed carny with weathered tattoos coursing his frame and teeth befitting only the most ambitious of meth heads.
Upon reaching my sweet ride, lo and behold. The mark of the beast.
Some little fuckwit tagged my truck. There is now a gold stripe of spray paint coursing the length of the driver's side. This stripe joins a motley assortment of dents, dings, scratches, key marks, traded paint, grease and dusty monsoon film. It adds a feral beauty to my untamed beastie, reminiscent of an adolescent act of rebellion like a mohawk or a safety pin through the ear.
Seeing how my vehicle is demonspawn, it's fitting that its outward appearance now reflects the depth of its inner machinations. In a recent attempt on my life, the driver's side seat belt broke. Rather than give that bitch the satisfaction of seeing me grovel at the dealership, I've decided to beat it at its own game. I cleverly buckle into the passenger's seat belt, and pending company I thread the center belt through the driver's and strap in.
Since I foiled its plan to become a death trap in the event of an accident, it decided to erase all evidence of what gear I'm ever in as retribution. Silly beastie. I just count the clicks and flip it into neutral when I mistakenly think I'm in second gear instead of drive. Man beats metal. Try harder next go round.
I shouldn't have woken the sleeping dragon with a noogie and my dance of in your face all out victory. I pissed it off. It's now decided that any time I'm enjoying the breeze of air conditioning, assuredly a smart stipulation in this barren wasteland of eternal damnation, and have come to a full and complete stop, it's going to buck my foot off the brake in a valiant effort to impale itself on the nearest vehicle. This is no mischievous tomfoolery. The intent of this action is bodily injury, and maybe latent cannibalism.
My little truck deserves this defacement. No longer will people be duped by its veneer of innocence and bird shit. Hell on wheels just got inked and it's grasp of intimidation knows no bounds.
If you see a trail of frightened cats, crying children, and shocked soccer moms, now you know where to lay blame.
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