Archive for the ‘Recipe’ Category

Food Of Late

December 9, 2011

Roasted root veggies for the babe. He likes to pick up his food now.

I salvaged the slow-cooked broccoli. It's a long story.

This broccoli obsession is courtesy of my friend, Krista. She makes this AMAZING slow-cooked broccoli dish that I’ve tried twice to make and failed. But I think I’ve found a method that works for me. I dump a big bunch of blanched broccoli (long pieces with plenty of stem attached, just make sure to peel a bit if it’s woody), 6 cloves of sliced garlic, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup olive oil in a crock pot and let it go for 4 hours. If it’s not where you want it (carmelized, soft, but still holds it’s shape, and not a lot of liquid-this has alluded me thus far), drain liquid, put broccoli on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast at 375 degrees until you get that deeply brown, lacquered looking broccoli, about 20-30 minutes.

I know, what a giant pain in the ass for broccoli. It’s worth it, my friends. It’s broccoli transcended. I really need to watch Krista make it.

Roasted garlic hummus.

For everyone.

After thoroughly enjoying Gratitude Cafe, I decided that in this age of barely seasoned food for babe, the trick to tasty eating for the adult palette is all about sauces, spreads, dressings, and condiments. Making our own hummus is only the beginning…

Individual Spinach and Gruyere Strata for new clients. Egg hater husband ate them all up!

 

Party food. I made roasted garlic hummus, reuben dip, vegan spinach dip, apple pear sauce (for the babes), and Oreo bars.

 

The spread was klassy. Notice nothing matches and I didn't even put out a table cloth cuz I knew Ian would pull it right off. Oh, I made pumpkin dip, too, with cinnamon grahams.

 

The reuben dip was amazing. I may have to repeat that at Christmas provided I have an oven that works by then.

 

Oreo bars. Tasted like Rice Krispy treats, Oreos, and fudge had a baby.

 

All recipes can be found on my Pinterest boards. Check it.

Bacon Scones

November 21, 2011

 

I made these scones for Jamaica’s baby shower, which we did not attend because mister has yet another cold.  I thought the scones were pretty tasty, and I hope the party goers enjoyed them. I did have some dough issues, hence the few star scones, which I quickly downgraded to squares. Yeah, trying to cut scones with a screaming baby was not the easiest Sunday morning I’ve ever experienced.

Luckily, the cold seems pretty minor and he’s in good spirits, but we’re quarantined once again. Which means I’ll be cooking up a storm. On the agenda is turkey meatballs with spinach, cooked slow in the crock pot in tomato sauce with fresh herbs, beef brisket swimming in melted onions, and my favorite carrot coriander soup made with homemade chicken stock. Oh, and I’m going to roast some potatoes and parsnips. That should get us through the short week, then we’re headed to Auntie Tiffany and Auntie Katie’s house for Thanksgiving. Tiff is an amazing chef, so I’m planning to consume about 10,000 calories that day. Mmmmmmmm. It shall be documented.

I thought I’d leave you with a pic of the happy coughing boy. We rarely use the bouncy anymore (for obvious reasons), but every once in a while it works in a pinch when I want to take a shower, if he’s in a good mood. In a good mood he was, and I figured the warm steam would do his lungs good. Plus, my bosoms were up to their usual antics so I had to rouse him early to nurse and then express in the shower. I think my boobs think I have twins…anyone have a kid they want me to nurse? Geez.

 

Ian in his bouncy on 11.20.11. Holy teeth.

 

Ian in his bouncy seat on 1.20.11. Look how big the seat pad looks! Baby feet.

African Groundnut Stew: An Improvisational Crockpot Dish

November 11, 2011

source

A while back, my midwife (and friend) brought my family some delicious African Groundnut Stew, and I’ve been wanting to recreate it ever since. Over the weekend, I boiled a beautiful organic chicken, thinking we would enjoy said chicken all week, but then husband magically got the entire week off work, so we’ve been playing vacation, which means lots of meals out. I was very concerned that the beautiful (expensive) organic bird would get wasted, then I thought of the soft, spicy groundnut stew and what a wonderful accompaniment it would make for the chicken. Not to mention, it will freeze well, so we can hit the town for our meals this week and gobble up the stew and the expensive chicken when we are back to reality next week.

Done.

The contents.

When I asked Racha for the recipe, she said it was more a “feeling” than a recipe, and I found this to be true. I will tell you what I did, but this really is all about improvising with your tastes, and what you have on hand.

1 huge yam, peeled and cut into chunks

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 28 ounce can tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

Dump all of it into a crock pot

The spices.

Added the following:

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Cooked on high for 5 1/2 hours, stirring about once an hour.

Then:

1 cup roasted, salted peanuts, processed until I made peanut butter (can always sub 1/2 cup natural peanut butter-no sugar)

Add to crock pot and let bubble for another 20 minutes.

You’re done, or you can add cooked chicken if you wanna copy me.

This tastes amazing. Think pad thai without the cloying sweetness. This would be great with rice, or noodles, or a mess of sauteed green beans, or spaghetti squash, or tofu, or…

Falafel Burgers

October 22, 2011

Soft enough for baby. Delicious enough for me. I heat up a couple that I cut up and toss with arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, hummus, and Trader Joe’s cilantro chive yogurt dip. Nums.

 

Recipe here. I omitted jalapeno for Ian’s sake but did add a pinch of cayenne to provide the subtlest warmth.

Cinnamon Oats with Candied Walnuts

October 5, 2011

This is the first rainy day we’ve experienced since being in Michigan in June! Geez, we do live in the desert. Ian’s taking a nice long nap while I prep some lamb stew that will bubble away in the crock pot while we play at Bodhi’s.

I started off the only way one should on a deliciously gloomy October morning.

Cinnamon Oats with Candied Walnuts.

1 cup oats

1 cup water

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

liquid vanilla stevia

1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Candied Walnuts

Combine oats, water, milk, cinnamon salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until desired consistency, maybe5-7 minutes. Pour into bowl (I like to let it cool awhile and thicken up). Stir in walnuts and add stevia to taste.

Serves two people, or one Mama Mandy.

Total calories: 500

Grabbing Grapes at Whole Foods.

Last night, we had company for dinner. I realize now that this was a first for Ian (except when we’ve had relatives in town), and he was so so so so so excited to have not one guest, but two around our little table. My wonderful friend is having her first baby next month, and I have the honor of being her birth (and postpartum) doula! My other wonderful friend, who is a seasoned doula and student midwife, has offered to support me in supporting the mama since this is my first trip to the birth rodeo (other than my own birth, obvi) and because I’m a Mighty Virgoan Worrier.

So over Carrot Coriander Soup (can I ever thank you enough, Lisa, for introducing me to this recipe?) and Brazilian Cheese Bread, we carved out a birth plan. And played with Ian. It was a pretty perfect evening, capped off with an exhausted babe falling into his crib and sleeping soundly for twelve hours.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Scones

October 1, 2011

Flaky, moist, perfectly sweet.

These amazing scones were made by Mila’s mom (Erika). I love her. A Mama Bestie for sure.  Not only were they amazing, she used baby food instead of canned pumpkin, so pay attention all you moms with half empty baby food jars! Also, using fruit puree and yogurt to replace heavy cream, you’re saving calories and adding nutrition, so you can eat, like, all of them. Like me.

2C ap flour

3T brown sugar

2t baking powder

1/2t kosher salt

1/2t cinnamon

1/2t nutmeg

1/4t allspice

1/4t ground ginger

1 stick unsalted butter (cold)

1/2C pumpkin apple baby puree (I didn’t have canned pumpkin so I used a partial jar of Mila’s, Earth’s Best “Seasonal Harvest” Pumpkin Apple puree and some Happy Baby Butternut Pear. I figured anything “squashy” would work)

1/2C greek yogurt (I used 1 6oz cup of Chobani 2% pineapple. This is where I would’ve used heavy cream…)

1/2C callebaut mini white chocolate chips
or 1/2C pecans or 1/2C raisins

Demerara sugar (raw sugar)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with parchment. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spice and salt into a large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in butter until the butter is the size of small peas (I find it easier to cut the butter into pats before cutting it in since it will be cold).

Add the chips to the mixture, combining with a fork so the chips are well distributed.

Add the puree and yogurt and combine with a fork until the mixture is wet (you will still have loose flour mixture in the bottom of your bowl, that’s ok!) Turn out onto a floured surface and knead about 3 turns or until the dough forms a ball. Do not over knead, the scones will become tough and the warmth from your hands will melt the butter!

Form dough into a 9″ circle that is about 3/4″ high. With a bench scraper or knife cut the circle into 8 wedges or 12 smaller ones and place on the parchment 2″ apart.

Sprinkle Demerara sugar on tops. Bake in the middle oven for 20-25 minutes til slightly brown. Eat warm or room temp. Reheat in the nuker for 10 seconds. Yum!


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