Hummus is so yesterday...

and Sicilian Chickpea Spread is so today! It was really good and really easy. I loved the combination of the basil, roasted red pepper and pine nuts. I would definitely make this again, and it would be a yummy but simple dish to bring to a potluck - just enough out of the ordinary. Plus Sahana liked it and there is nothing to bring a smile to this momma's face like seeing her eat protein! Hoorah!

Week Six Pick

Alright, I've been intrigued by this recipe since I got this book over a year ago. It sounds weird, but it could be delicious (or it could suck). I'm not sure how many cool days we have left that will allow such a heavy dish. . .so, I pick Rarebit Risotto for this week.

You're right, the Asian Braised Fish was fish-a-licious! I made it on Saturday night with mahi-mahi over soba noodles. I added a tablespoon of chili-garlic paste to the braising liquid and stir fried in half sesame oil, per your suggestion, and it was really tasty. It countered the sweetness of the brown sugar well. I really liked the soba noodles, it was the first time I'd had them. This did come together so quickly, I think it will be added to our repetoir as well. It'll be great when the CSA starts up again b/c we get a lot of bok choy and other Asian greens. This will be a good, quick alternative to the tofu stir-fries we have at least once a week in summer. I forgot the sesame seeds, but I'm not sure we missed much. This also reheats well, surprisingly. It was just as good the next day after being reheated on half power for 4 mins in the microwave.

Week Six Pick

I'm fine with the delay... I'm actually in San Jose this week and letting my dad cook gourmet food for me.  Duck tonight!  So I thought my pick for this week would actually be a spread.  I've been eyeing the Sicilian Chickpea Spread for a while and I thought it would make a perfect Oscar night snack.  

Meatless Meat

We liked the Lentils with Soy Sausage and Spinach too, though I think it would have been better with real sausage.  I felt like the Tofurkey was overseasoned to make up for tofu's lack of taste, it was a little too sundried-tomato-ey for me.  I didn't mind the consistency.  Overall, though, I liked the dish and I liked the ease of it.  I love me some lentils!  Plus it felt so darn healthy with lentils and spinach.  We had some garlic naan leftover and that was an excellent side.  

Slacker

I haven't been able to make the fish dish yet. I haven't been home for dinner since Tuesday, and before that Friday. So there hasn't been much cooking this week. . .I hope to make it tomorrow. Hopefully my bok choy is still fresh and crisp.

Since our schedule has already been pushed back a bit, shall we go from Sunday to Sunday from now on (until we mess it up again)?

We fought the chill of the cold snap (for SC - it was in the 40s. . .) on Tuesday night with the lovely Lentils with Spinach and Soy Sausage. Dan and I really enjoyed this. I made it exactly as written, using Tofurky Italian Sausage with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. This was my first venture into meat replacement products beyond tofu and veggie burgers. I was pleasantly surprised, this sausage was really tasty. I thought it would have been just as good without the sausage though. I love lentils! Plus the cardamon added a lovely flavor. (See, everything is better with cardamon). We had it topped with feta, although I bet ricotta salata would be good. I think cheddar would be weird. I think we'll make this again. It was so quick and easy, yet really flavorful and filling.

Fish-a-licious

I've been looking for an excuse to make bok choy since it was a big hit with the hubby the last time I made it. The Asian Braised Fish fit the bill. I made it last night and it was yummy. Maybe out of all of the recipes we've made, this is the most likely to make it into the weekly rotation because it is so easy and healthy and all-around good. I wouldn't say that it's my very favorite taste-wise, but it was good and it was a nice mix of grains, veggies, and protein. I used tilapia again, not very much selection at Trader Joes. Anshul thought that the sauce could use a little kick to it, so next time I might throw in some chili garlic paste. I liked it as is, though wouldn't mind the heat. The only other change that I made was to cook the bok choy in sesame oil instead of veggie oil. I thought it might be kind of bland without any other seasoning, but it was great and I loved the crunchy texture with the fish and the rice. I used brown rice, which I though soaked up the sauce well.

Week Five Pick

Sorry for the delay! We went to Pasadena last weekend and then Sahana got sick. She seems to be on the mend, hoorah! I had a West Wing marathon yesterday thanks to DVR and Bravo. I never saw the last couple of seasons and I feel much better about myself than if I would have watched, mm, say, The Real Housewives of Orange County (not that I would ever watch that). Oh, and I pick Asian Braised Fish with Greens.

My New Favorite Recipe!

I loved the Navajo Stew! I made it Wednesday night and it was delish. Looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch today. Anshul was off that day so I was able to do the prep and cooking in batches, which may have made it seem less overwhelming. I do agree that it wasn't exactly "simple" and there were a lot of different steps (and dishes) involved. But it was yummy and I would definitely do it again! I loved the flavor the chipotle and the sweet potato together. I also threw in some ground coriander and extra onions at your suggestion. The cilantro yogurt was great with it. It probably tasted even better because I was able to cook it so leisurely. Anshul was in charge of putting Sahana to bed and while he tried for 50 minutes before I had to go up there and finish off the job, it was so nice to have dinner basically ready at the same time that she was asleep. So great dinner, great night!

Week Five Pick

I pick Lentils with Spinach & Soy Sausage for this week.

We had the polenta stuffed peppers for dinner on Wednesday (and for lunch today) and really enjoyed them. . .I made the recipe pretty much as written, although I added green onions to the polenta. I really liked the polenta, I couldn't stop sneaking little bites while filling the peppers. I thought the corn and chedder added a lot of flavor. We also thought the sauce was really good and added a lot to the dish. I think I'll make this again. Compared to other stuffed pepper recipes I've made I thought this one was nice and quick and flavorful. . .So, why such different opinions on this dish? I imagine that it is hard to make polenta if you've never tasted it before. . .I think it needs A LOT of seasoning to be good. I mean it is essentially just cornmeal and water, not the two most flavorful ingredients. But I would think the extra spices and cheese you added would have helped. Maybe you just don't like polenta? It took me a while to like it. It can be kinda gross if it's underseasoned or too thick. Or maybe it just was the olives. . .they did give the polenta a nice "meaty" flavor. Perhaps they were the key. You could try some actual meat, like sausage, to add some more flavor to the polenta.

I was really excited about the Stuffed Peppers recipe, because I love peppers and I've always wanted to try polenta. Plus the flavors sounded right up my alley (minus the olives - YUCK!). But I have to say I was underwhelmed. I made them on Monday night. There just wasn't enough flavor in them for me - were the olives really that important?! I made a few changes to try to add some other flavors to replace the olives - some cumin, pepper jack mixed in with the cheddar and some cilantro, but it didn't seem to help much. Anshul thought it tasted like peppers filled with mush. Or maybe I didn't cook the polenta long enough - my peppers did look a little different from the photo in the book. Not sure. I'll be curious to see what you thought of them. I really like the idea and I wonder if the recipe could be fixed by adding a bunch more stuff in with the polenta. The black bean sauce helped a lot - a bit with the polenta, pepper and sauce was tasty.

We had the Navajo Stew for dinner on Monday night. I was mistaken when I said I had made this previously, actually, Dan had made it the one other time we had this. However, the first thing he said after he tasted this on Monday night was, "Oh, this is so much better than when I made it." (He told me I could put that in here.) I recall liking this meal last time, but not enough to make it again. We also quickly became enamored with the sweet potato and cauliflower curry recipe that is similarly prepared, so if I bought sweet potatoes, that is the recipe that would be made. But, I think we both enjoyed it enough this time to make it again.
I made a few small changes, I was low on cumin, so I supplemented the spices with some chili powder and ground coriander (I think everything is better with a little ground coriander!). I also used an extra onion b/c I love roasted onions. I topped it with the recommended cilantro-yogurt sauce (just mixed in a bowl, I didn't feel like washing the blender twice). Dan thinks that that made the dish, we just topped it with plain yogurt last time. I also garnished with a squeeze of lime and some green onions. We ate it with toasted oat bran pita.
The only drawback was I think this recipe takes way too long to make. Sure it's a "Simple Supper," but it certainly isn't a quick one. Dan has class on Monday night and can come home any time between 7:15 and 8:45, so I never know when to start dinner. I waited until about 7:15 to start this last time and we weren't eating until 9:00. I suppose I could have started earlier, but I think that's too much time to devote to making such a simple meal (especially when the curry is quicker!).

Week Four Pick

Hey, I was going to pick that! :) I pick Navajo Stew. I haven't looked to see if I can find canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Let me know if it's a pain and I can switch it up!

Week Four Picks

We (Dan helped) pick Mexican Polenta-Stuffed Peppers for this week!

Delicious!

I made the Pine Nut Crusted fish for dinner on Monday night along with a Greek Rice Pilaf adapted from my other Moosewood Cookbook - Moosewood Cooks at Home. Both were absolutely delicious. The fish had such a lovely flavor, with a crispy exterior and moist flaky interior. We also used tilapia. I was hoping to use Mahi Mahi, but they only had steaks and those didn't look very good. I didn't have any of the issues you had with the exterior over-cooking before the center cooked through. I followed the recommendation for 4 mins per side on medium and it worked out perfectly. . . so, I'm not sure what happened with yours. Maybe they were just too thick.
The pilaf I made went along perfectly with the fish. Plus it took care of both the veggie and starch portions of the meal, which always makes me happy when I can make fewer dishes (and Dan, when he has fewer dishes to wash!). It was so good that I'm going to post it here so you can try it. Since I changed a few things, I think it's ok for me to post it (that's what I see in other cooking blogs).

Greek Rice Pilaf - adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint (or dried)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
5 oz. frozen spinach (you could use fresh, that's what the recipe called for, but I only had frozen)
juice of one lemon
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried dill
crumbled feta cheese

Saute onions in oil on medium heat until softened. Add garlic, mint, and pepper and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in frozen spinach, saute until thawed. Then add lemon juice, rice and peas. Add dill. Cover and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are hot. Add salt to taste.
Serve topped with a tablespoon or so of feta.

I made it with brown rice I had just cooked, but in the future I may try making it like a typical pilaf - cook onions, herbs, etc in oil, add rice, cook for a little longer, add appropriate amount of liquid to cook rice, cook for appropriate amount of time, then stir in veggis and additional flavoring when rice is nearly finished. It just takes a bit too long when you have to wait for the brown rice to cook before hand. I may try making it with pre-cooked quinoa, too.

More thoughts on the soup

So after eating the Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea soup for lunch the past two days, I have some further thoughts on why this recipe doesn't quite work. The texture is completely unappetizing. I don't know why they tell you to puree just a part of it. It should either be completely pureed or left chunky. The half-puree results in a really grainy texture. With a pureed soup you expect a much silkier mouth feel, though, and I'm not sure if this soup could ever get that smooth with all the cauliflower. Perhaps with the additional beans and coconut milk I suggested in my last post. Anyway, I think I've come to the definitive decision that I will not make this soup again.
However, I made the fish last night and it was a resounding success. I'll post more about that this evening.

Crazy Cs!

It appears that tonight was the night of the Cross Country Cooking Connection's Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Chowder (soup) night! If only this one was more of a winner. Trusty co-chef Katy is still here and we just happened to read your posting before cooking. So we upped the curry powder to 2 TBS and added some garlic. Can't tell if that made a difference because our soup was SO ginger-y. I also added some arugula because we were going to make a salad but I didn't have enough and I thought the extra color would be nice. That did seem to be a good addition (at least for looks). So if I was to make it again, I would reduce the ginger by half and throw in a little cumin. The good and bad thing about cauliflower and chickpeas is that they don't have much flavor of their own so soak up flavors really well. But I just didn't think that this was the right mix. I'm going to have to try your curried sweet potato and cauliflower! I also wasn't sold on the chutney. We made the pineapple chutney. I think I was still on a high from the delicious Pineapple Fried Rice. I should say that I'm not a huge fan of chutneys but I was willing to give it a try. It was sweet but not complex enough. Sounds like the concoction that you came up with was excellent! Maybe you should write cookbooks. ;) We made some garlic flatbread to go along with it and it was a good dipper for the soup.

I made the Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea soup for dinner this evening. I intended to make the recommended cranberry chutney to go on top, but I forgot my grocery list at work and didn't get canned cranberry sauce so I had to wing it. I'm glad I did make a chutney b/c I think the soup would have been a bit bland without it. I doubled the soup recipe so that we would have plenty for lunches this week. I used 4 cups of veggie stock and 2 cups of water, which may have contributed to the blandness, but I think it really just needed more curry powder. Dan and I both thought the soup would be better if it was a bit thicker, too. If I make it again I think I'll add even more chickpeas to give it more body after pureeing. I think maybe stirring in some coconut milk after pureeing would be a nice addition as well. However, if I'm in the mood for cauliflower curry, I'll likely make the roasted sweet potato and cauliflower curry recipe from this book instead. It is really good and a staple in our house.
The chutney I made turned out very nicely and really helped round out the soup. To make the chutney I followed the outline of the recipe in the cookbook - starting with the sauteed onions with salt and pepper, then I added the grated ginger, a bit of cider vinegar, some raspberry vinegar, some peach jam a friend had made, about 1 cup of dried cranberries reconstituted with a bit of boiling water, and the zest of one lemon. I also added some extra spices - a bit of cardamon and some mustard seeds - along with the recommended cayenne. I let it simmer for about half an hour until it thickened a bit. The result was a nice mix of sweet, tart and spicy. It really did make the soup.