Category: Veggies

New Year and New Way of Cooking… Farro with Turkey Kale Leeks Sun Dried Tomatoes

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So I did it! For a while I’ve been eying the newly svelte Jennifer Hudson pitching for Weight Watchers. I resisted.I hate counting calories and points just seemed so complicated.  I mean I love food and I love to cook. Therefore I hate diets.A few years ago I tried a home delivery service and the food was awful. I didn’t want to go on some other well-known programs because I hate processed foods. Weight Watchers seemed to be the only solution, where I could cook and have fun developing recipes. Most of you know I’m pretty much an open book and will share my joys and sorrows . Not being ashamed of the fact of what  I was doing, I was surprised when many of my friends contacted be both publicly and off-line that they have had tremendous success with Weight Watchers. One food blogger friend revealed to me she lost 100 lbs in a year. All the success stories I heard motivated me more , as this seemed actually doable, and without depriving myself of anything.

So naturally I’m cutting back on fat, not entirely, as I believe fat carries flavor, but healthy fats and in moderation.I’m playing around with adding bulk and volume to my foods off the Power Foods list ( foods low in points that give you more fuel throughout the day). When I’m hungry mid day I reach for a banana, which surprisingly has zero points to satisfy both that sweet and creamy texture urge. So far so good, and on week 3 , I have lost over  5 lbs. The second week was challenging as we had several social functions with great food and alcohol, but I was able to indulge in moderation. Thank goodness for my Iphone app, where I plug-in foods and receive their values. Who knew a Screwdriver is the cocktail with the lowest points?

Sometimes I post some recipes to the community pages. The Farro with Turkey Kale and Sun dried Tomatoes was a very successful one that both Certain Someone and I enjoyed. I actually tea smoked my own turkey breast to use for the week and throw  it into several recipes. The smoking adding a depth of flavor. For this recipe you can use regular roasted , cooked turkey breast.

Farro with Turkey Kale Leeks sun-dried Tomatoes
 
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A hearty filling stir fry with the grain of Farro.
Author:
Recipe type: entree
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound(s) cooked turkey breast
  • 1 cup(s) cooked leek(s)
  • 1 cup(s) Kale
  • 2 cup(s) sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
  • 2 cup(s) cooked farro
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. Boil Farro to package instructions and reserve
  2. Drain Julienne your Kale.
  3. Weigh and chop your turkey breast, tomatoes.
  4. In a non stick pan spray your non stick cooking oil.
  5. Add your leeks and kale and stir fry for a few minutes on med high
  6. Add your tomatoes and continue to stir and cook over med high heat.
  7. Vegetables should start to caramelize a bit.
  8. Add the turkey. Continue to cook.
  9. Lastly add the cooked Farro and stir fry for a few more minutes .
  10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
9 Weight Watcher points
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The winner of the Creminelli giveaway  is Jen from  The Whole Kitchen. Congratulations Jen!

 

Fried Squash Blossoms…Tasty and Beautiful

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I remember when I first heard about fried squash blossoms. It was many years ago and my roommate Anita was going on about how fabulous this Italian woman’s fried flowers were in her recent travels. Having no foodie point of reference on them, I thought the concept of eating fried flowers was kind of gross. Boy was I wrong. As my tastebuds  became more sophisticated, I see the charm in this beautiful delicacy nature offers up from the Zucchini plant. I love the scene in the movie Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts character shares a meal of fried squash blossoms while learning Italian from her tutor. They camera zooms into them cutting into the juicy  and cheesy fried treat and it looks so delicious.

These days I’m trying to launch my own off premise catering services, and have been having some great success. So while shopping in a restaurant supply depot for supplies to test for an upcoming event , I came across a large clam shell of squash blossoms in the produce section. I knew I wanted to stuff them with a spiced and herbed goat cheese and devour. I worked for a chef who bemoaned the fact that people fried them and preferred them in their raw state. There is a lot you can do with them, but fried is always good.

I am not a huge fryer but lately have been playing around with fried items, as I find they go over well at parties both large and small. I wouldn’t offer up these fried blossoms for a huge event , but say a dinner for no more than ten people as a starter . I find using club soda for me when frying, makes the batter pure perfection and provides a real crunchiness almost like a tempura . My new favorite secret ingredient is a Eastern European spice and vegetable blend you can find throughout Chicago called Vegeta. I throw it in everything from soups to eggs as a great flavor enhancer. Vegeta worked really well in this recipe. So those are my tricks or trucos. Also if  you want perfection and less mess, use a piping bag to stuff your flowers. Your work will go quicker.


Fried Squash Blossoms...Tasty and Beautiful
 
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Fried Squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: appetiser
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • For the Stuffing
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 12-18 zucchini flowers ( some may be larger or smaller)
  • 6-8 oz of goat cheese depending on amount / size of zucchini flowers
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • a dash of grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons dried or fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons Vegeta * optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the Batter
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons cold club soda
  • Olive Pomace Oil to fry
Instructions
  1. Batter
  2. In a small bowl mix , beat the 2 eggs.
  3. Gradually add the flour to incorporate.
  4. Then add the cold Club Soda.
  5. With a wire whisk, mix until batter is smooth and not lumpy.
  6. Set aside and allow to sit.
  7. Gently clean your zucchini flowers and remove the stamens inside which cause bitter taste. Be careful as to not soak or wilt your your flower.
  8. Pat dry any moisture.
  9. In a bowl mix / cream your cheeses and spices with the 1 beaten egg.Mix completely until you have smooth incorporated mixture that is thick enough to pipe. If mixture is too runny add more goat cheese.
  10. Place mixture in a piping bag with tip.
  11. Carefully open and pipe goat cheese mixture into each blossom leaving enough room at the top to twist the ends close.
  12. Prepare your fry pan or deep fryer with enough oil to fry.
  13. Wait until oil is ready by dropping a bit of batter and watching to see if it sizzles and bubbles. Heat should be medium high.
  14. Drop each blossom into the batter and then into the hot oil. Turn after a minute or two to cook the other side. Blossom should be golden and crispy and heat should be high enough but not not too high. Careful in frying and turning as to not loose the cheese stuffing.
  15. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
  16. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve.
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Jassn Ceramic Knives Giveaway and Vegetable Fried Rice

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Last spring I had the pleasure of meeting with representative of Jassn Ceramic Knives at the International Housewares Show. Over the months we started a dialogue. The whole use of Ceramic Knives is new to me. Admired form afar, but never had the opportunity to try them, let alone own them. As a food blogger, I admit I have a lot of knowledge about food related items, but still have so much more to discover and learn. Mikal was kind enough to send me a set and we talked about how I can spread the word about this great company. Whats sets Jassn apart for me from other ceramic knives is the sheer beauty. As a visual person I was blown away by the beauty of the knives. Particularly , this set called the Four Seasons.

Beautiful, strong and tough.  I was an added bonus to know that ceramic knives have a longer longevity than other knives, stay sharper, and are just below a diamond in hardness. They wont interact with your foods, absorb odors, and are non porous. All wins for when you work in the kitchen.Ceramic knives are to used only for fruit, vegetables, and fish without bones. I decided to give my knives a whirl while chopping vegetables for a delicious vegan fried rice.

Here is the recipe as promised for the Vegetable Fried Rice.

In addition I will be offering a giveaway to my readers for a 5 inch ceramic  Jassn Knive with a $45 MSRP. Please leave a comment and spread the word. I will chose one winner July 10, 2011.

 

All of my readers are eligible for a 15% discount for purchasing Jassn Ceramic Knives . Use the discount code coco-cooks.Click Here.

 

Vegetable Fried Rice
 
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A Vegetable based Fried rice. Fried rice varies within the Asian and other communities. Its a great way to use whats on hand or leftovers. No hard and fast rules here, except the rice must be at least a day old, and refrigerated.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree , Side
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 2-3 cups of cooked rice ( 1 day old or more, refrigerated)
  • ½ cup sliced cabbage
  • ½ cup died carrots
  • ½ cup zucchini
  • ½ cup onion
  • ½ cup mushrooms
  • 1-2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • ⅛ cup Soy Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp Fish Sauce to finish
Instructions
  1. In a separate skillet fry your beaten egg and set aside. Slice into slivers.
  2. Heat wok or skillet with the 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until almost translucent.
  3. Add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, cabbage. Cook until softened.
  4. Crumble cooked refrigerated rice until loose, and add to pan with vegetables.
  5. Stir until vegetables and rice are mixed.
  6. Add cooked egg.Stir in.
  7. Add Soy Sauce and cook a few more minutes.
  8. Finish with Fish Sauce . Cook 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve hot.
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Pork Belly Buns or Bao…Dim Sum Treats

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One of the favorite dining experiences of Certain Someone and I, is going to China Town on a Sunday and indulging in Dim Sum. The tasty assortment and nibbles are endless and satisfying. Another added bonus is that is doesn’t cost us a fortune.  I love any sort of steamed bun or bao and normally have purchased them frozen. I finally decided to make my own after finding some pork belly in my freezer. Brainstorming on what to do with my hunk of rich meat , I thought back to last December and a long weekend in New York City. Certain Someone had purchased tickets for his favorite band Rammstein, an industrial metal German band known for intense pyrotechnics. This was their first concert in the United States in 10 years  to test the waters. It was so good that they are now on tour in the US. Anyway, as I’m normally in charge of the food recommendations. I was dying to go to the famous Momofuku Noddle Bar. The hype over the years was huge and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. They don’t take reservations there except for the fried chicken. So we taxied over and waited  in line for approx 30 minutes on a Friday night. If it was any longer Certain Someone would have walked. But he was a good sport and we waited for the surprisingly short duration. Finally two spaces opened up for us at the bar. Tight ,noisy , and nor very intimate. But I was there for the food. Our server /bartender was very hospitable to us and Certain Someone ordered a nice selection of items. Was it good? Yes. Was it an epiphany , not so much. Was it expensive for what you got, yes again, with all the drinks thrown in as well. Compared to the venues we have gone to in various Chinatowns,we were paying for the scene , more than the food. In the end , we are the types who prefer a more low key , non pretentious place that gives more value for the price. But I can say been there , done that. If the place wasn’t so loud, small and had better seating, then maybe I would view the whole experience differently. Its hard to enjoy a meal cramped up , elbow to elbow on a high chair at the bar, with your backs against the cold new York winter air.I do need to visit David Chang’s other venues .

So I decided to make my own buns for way less money. Be prepared to dedicate a better part of your day to these. Some aspects can be pre made , thereby making it an excellent appetizer for parties or summer cookouts coming up. The most intimidating piece of this for me was the bun/bao, as Chinese pastry has always mystified me. You can dress the buns up in a myriad of ways. I love various Asian influence like pickled vegetables and maybe some spice to offset the rich fattiness of the pork belly. If you don’t like pork, try roasted chicken or duck with the crispy skin left on. Shrimp or beef works too. I made quick pickle of julienned Daikon radish and carrots, sliced some cucumbers, green onion, and cilantro.  Add a slather of Hoisin and you are in for a treat.

I followed this recipe from Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie , but made some changes in the dough as I didn’t have dried milk in my pantry. I substituted 2 tablespoons  heated whole milk to the 3/4 ( less 2 tablespoons ) of water. The dough turned out beautifully. If you need more flour or liquid, add it slowly until the dough forms a nice ball while kneading.

Next time I’m going to make my own brine with some aromatics like star anise and garlic, and peppercorns. Or I may just add them to my braising liquid for a more luxurious flavor.

For the quick pickle, I didn’t soak my vegetables in salt water overnight, as normal picking recipes call for. I just heated 1 part sugar to 1 part white vinegar, a start anise and dried Thai chili to a boil and plunged my vegetable in . Remove from heat immediately and let cool submerged in  the liquid. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Warning…These bao are quite filling and somewhat addictive. But I suspect the whole family will love them. Try various proteins as filling choices, and have yourself a little Bao party with all the fixings.

Baked Radicchio with Parmesan

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Spring is gradually rolling in . With that comes more vibrant and hued fruits and vegetables  for our table to take us out the winter doldrums. Last week in my organic delivery box, I received several heads of Radicchio. I really didn’t envision myself eating a bunch of salad with radicchio. Nor was I feeling making a starchy risotto which was also a very popular option with this  member of the Chicory family. Let me start off by saying Radicchio is bitter, very better and pairs either with more salt or sweet ingredients.  Many roast theirs with Balsamic for that sweeter edge and some with saltier cheeses, like I chose to.

Now my variety of Radicchio, the round Chiogga, is the type more used for salads. The Treviso , more elongated like Belgian endive, is actually milder and more suitable for cooking. Nevertheless it will still be bitter and its going to up to your personal preference if you enjoy this or not. I found after baking, some extra squeeze of lemon rounded out the flavor with the olive oil, cheese, and wine. I would pair this dish with pork or chicken  with a fruit or sweet based sauce to compliment the bitter spice of the radicchio.

 

Baked Radicchio with Parmesan
 
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Baked Radicchio
Author:
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
  • 5 heads of Radicchio cut into quarter wedges (you can use less and pare down your recipe to proportion)
  • Olive Oil to drizzle baking dish and radicchio
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  2. Coat the bottom of your baking dish with olive oil. Add quartered , washed radicchio.
  3. Pour wine over the vegetable and season with salty and pepper. Top with grated Parmesan.
  4. Cover with foil, to create steam and moisture, and bake for 25 minutes.
  5. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minuted until radicchio is wilted, color is more brown and cheese has melted.
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