Oven Roasted Salt 'n Pepper Asparagus with Mayo

I've been roasting asparagus for a while now. It is very simple and quick, so makes a good side for whatever else you are cooking.  And it is deceptively tasty- I can apparently eat a bunch of asparagus on my own this way (so if you are making this for a party, grab a few bunches!)

Method:
Snap asparagus stalks to remove the woody ends. Lay on baking sheet. Spray with olive oil, then sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Roast under broiler (450-500 F?) for 5-12 minutes until just starting to blacken in spots.

Serve hot with home made mayonnaise to dip the stalks in.

Whole Wheat Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

This makes good party/guest food as you can do the prep ahead of time then pull out of the oven when they arrive. I've also seen folks bake quiche ahead of time, refrigerate during the day and rewarm when guests arrive. I like to serve quiche with salad as it helps balance out the fat in the quiche (from the dairy, eggs, cheese and butter in the crust!!)

Method:
Prepare the crust ahead of time. I like a whole wheat crust.

Combine in food processor: 
1.25 C whole wheat flour
2 TB flaxmeal
1/4 tea salt
Now work in 8 TB butter in the food processor.

Finally pour in 3 TB ice water and blitz to combine. Bring into a ball on a cutting board and make into a flattened ball shape.


Chill dough for a few hours or more in a flat disc wrapped with wax paper or plastic wrap (you could make extra and freeze the dough if you wanted to).

Then roll out and shape into a deep pie pan or other circular pan.  Freeze for 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 F.

Place foil over the dough, pour in pie weights (I have old bulk beans I use for this purpose).  Bake for 20 minutes at 375.  REmove pie weights and foil, bake for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk:
4 eggs
1.5 C whole milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Place filling items into the parbaked pie shell:
1 cup chopped steamed broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold cheddar which tastes like cheddar, swiss and parmesan at the same time)


Pour the egg mixture over the top.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 F or until set.

Roasted Rhubarb

So I'm a big fan of rhubarb after discovering it last summer. I've made countless crisps/crumbles with it.

But now I'm realizing why should my enjoyment of it be limited to times when I feel like making a crisp? Why can't rhubarb be part of breakfast or salad?  Roasted rhubarb is the answer.

Very quick to prepare and the resulting chunks are just slightly sweet, still have some texture to them, and are beautiful as they retain their color better than stewed rhubarb.

I'd like to put these on a salad (much like you'd do with oranges which are also tart-sweet).   I've enjoyed roasted rhubarb pieces over my morning granola or greek yogurt too! And of course for rhubarb lovers, you can eat it as is in a bowl.

Method:
Clean, dry and cut up  14-16 oz rhubarb into 1" chunks.
Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1/8 cup of sugar over the rhubarb. 
Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 F oven, until soft but not too squishy.

Enjoy hot or let cool. Store in the fridge. Here's what it looks like in a mason jar ready for the fridge. You'll notice it started to seep out a little liquid- perfect for topping oatmeal:

Freezing Rhubarb: I've recently read you can freeze raw rhubarb! Sounds like you clean it, dry it, cut into chunks then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen (4 hours?) then transfer to a freezer ziplock back for freezer storage.  Definitely trying this soon!

Sunflower Microgreens

I realized that even in the rainy winter of Oregon, I can still grow my own salad.  I've had a hard time with lettuce during the winter (I just don't do much outside in the rain, even with row covers).  But you can grow sprouts indoors next to a window easily.
 
Honestly not sure whether to call these Microgreens, Sprouts or Greens. They are the miniature sunflower plants. If you let 'em grow long enough they'd make flowers.

They are quite delicious and have a nice snap/crunch as well as sweetnees.  And they seem to hold up better than more delicate sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli or clover.

To top it off, the seeds are CHEAP. You can buy sunflower seeds (the ones in the shells) in bulk for 50 cents a pound or less.  Compare that to trying to buy broccoli seeds (harder to get in stores, sometimes have to buy online and several dollars and up per pound).

Equipment tips: I found an indoor gardening/hydroponics place that sells these trays and lids.  You can also order online. The tray is two parts, the inner part has holes for drainage.  I bought super tall (7") plastic dome lids which I like a lot. I paid less than $10 for each tray/lid. I also use these for starting greens or seeds for the garden. 

You can try this in a large pyrex cake pan, but the lid is really helpful in reducing the amount of work (watering) required. So you might consider wrapping the top of the pan with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture.

Growing Method:
1. Soak 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (or 1 cup for a whole tray) in water overnight.
2. Drain the water off
3. Layer 1" of soil in tray. Pour and spread the seeds evenly over the top. Cover with a sheet of newspaper or unbleached paper towels.
4. Water generously and let drain.
5. Cover with the lid and set aside.
6. A few days later check on the seeds. When they are pushing the towel/newspaper up, then remove the newspaper. If it needs water, give it a little more water (with the lid on I never need to add water). Recover with lid.   Let the sprouts grow until 3-6 inches long.
7. Harvest by cutting close to the soil with scissors.  Wash.  Enjoy!

Note: in this photo I did a whole tray. That was way too much at once! Next time I'll do half or quarter this size.

How to enjoy Sunflower Greens/Microgreens:

• On salad, like strawberry spinach salad with hemp seeds
• in wraps or sandwiches just like you'd use regular sprouts
• haven't tried it yet but they might be good stir fried?

Grilled Whole Trout

This was great, felt like I was eating a feast! And it totally reminded me of the simple broiled fish that is typical in japan.

Method:
Serves two people (one trout per person)
Wash and dry 2 whole trout (gutted and de-scaled, but not filleted)

Stuff the cavity with:
lemon slices
salt
olive oil
fresh herbs: oregano, parsley, thyme

Tie the fish up with kitchen twine and cut off loose ends of twine.

Spread a little more olive oil over the skin.

Grill for 6 minutes on first side. Flip. Grill for 5 minutes on final side, or until flesh flakes easily.

Eat to your heart's content- the crispy skin is delicious.  Be careful working around the tiny bones!

Kale Salad over Rice with Taco Nut Meat

Got this idea from my friend and couldn't get it out of my mind! The "taco nut meat" is vegan as it's made with sunflower seeds-- the original idea came from Oh She Glows.

I've made this salad a few times since, it's quite delicious and doesn't take a lot of stuff to assemble (or maybe it's just ingredients I normally have on hand?). And this can be made nearly year round as kale is plentiful most times of year as are lemons (from California).  It's vegan to boot. The rice makes it more filling than "rabbit food", so I've had success with the hubby liking it too!

Method:
Serves 2

Wash several stems of kale (I like Tuscan/lacinato best).  Get about 2-3 cups of kale prepped (usually takes about half a large bunch). Spin dry in a salad spinner. Remove the fibrous stems. Finely chop the kale.

Toss chopped kale with:
lemon juice (or lime juice)
optional lemon/lime zest
salt
oil (olive oil, hazelnut etc)

Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands, then let sit for a few minutes while you assemble the rest.


Chop up in a food processor:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (unsalted)
1 tsp mild chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice

You're looking for a coarse "taco meat" texture.

Pile hot cooked rice (warmed up leftover rice is fine too) on a plate. Layer a good amount of marinated kale on top. Then add optional grated or thin sliced carrots (or bell peppers), avocado slices, taco nut meat and sprinkle some chipotle powder on top.

Enjoy while hot.

Mushroom, Chicken, Rice & Peas soup

Made another variation on chicken soup today- the mushrooms, peas and rice really came out nice! This is a good spring time soup because of the peas and the mushrooms.

It was packed full of goodies- don't worry if it doesn't look like a ton of broth. If you get really stuck trying to add more chunks, use a little hot water if needed.


Method:
Bring 1 quart good quality chicken broth to a boil in a large covered pan.

Add:
2 diced carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 diced yellow onion
1/3 C white basmati rice (or other quick cooking rice)

Cook, covered on medium for 15 minutes, or until veggies and rice are cooked through.

Add 2 C thin sliced mushrooms and cook for 2-4 minutes or until mushrooms shrink a bit.

Add and bring up to temperature:
1 cup or more of cooked chicken pieces
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C frozen green peas
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
up to 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Serve hot.  Optional serve with crackers, whole wheat toast, or cheddar cheese. 

Zucchini noodles with pesto sauteed mushrooms

I'm a big fan of zucchini noodles- much healthier, more filling and fewer calories than wheat pasta! This is gluten free, can be vegan (if you choose oil and not butter) and is a great way to use up extra summer zucchini.Zucchini noodles are especially good with a fattier topping, so use your olive oil (or butter).  I also like this version with tomato and bacon.


Method:
Serves 2

Cut zucchini into fine strands to look like pasta. I use a cheap gadget from japan that julienne slices the zucchini. You could also use a spiralizer or veggie peeler.  Make 2-3 cups of zucchini strands.

Meanwhile, wash and thin slice 1-2 cups of mushrooms (I used cremini but just about any type would be good). 

Heat up a large/wide/shallow pan, sautee the mushrooms with a little bit of olive oil. Let the mushrooms release their water.  Season with salt, pepper and pesto (I keep some pesto frozen from the summer).

Get a pot of water up to boiling. Boil the zucchini pieces for 2 minutes, then drain promptly.

Toast some pine nuts in a little bit of olive oil (or sub in good grass-fed butter if not going vegan), with salt, red pepper flakes.  Just toast until you can smell the pine nuts, 60 seconds or less.

Assembly: in serving bowls, layer cooked and drained zucchini "noodles", then mushrooms, then top with toasted pine nuts. Serve hot!

Easy Thai Noodles and Broccoli: Pad See Ew

I love Thai food at restaurants and have been working towards proficiency in my favorite dishes, namely yellow curry, stir fries and noodle dishes. 

This recipe was surprisingly simple yet delicious- will definitely be making again and again! Made a couple adjustments.

Method
Serves 2

Mix:
2 TB dark thick soy sauce
2 TB oyster sauce
2 tsp regular soy sauce
2 tsp white vinegar (rice vinegar/komezu or apple cider ok)
2 tsp sugar

Soak half a package of rice noodles (wide or narrow) in hot water, separate if they are stuck together. Drain.


In a hot pan (suggest cast iron), add less than 1 TB peanut oil. Saute 2 minced cloves garlic for 30 seconds, then crack 2 eggs into the pan, cook into thin pieces.

Add the presoaked and drained noodles and the sauce. Mix. Stir fry until liquid evaporates.

Add steamed broccoli, and optional thinly shredded red or green cabbage. Cook until warmed through. Serve hot.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Beer and Buttermilk

Saw this in a cookbook and couldn't resist a dark gingery cake! Adapted it quite a bit to use buttermilk in place of some of the oil and dramatically reduced the sugar (had to add some flour to compensate). Turned out nice, and definitely not too sweet! Will be perfect to go with tea.


Method:
Bring to a boil in a tall sided sauce pan:
1/2 C + 2 TB Guinness beer/stout
3/4 C molasses

Once it is boiling, quickly add 1/2 tsp baking soda, whisk (it will foam) then take off heat. Let cool, set aside.

Whisk together:
1.5 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 TB + 2 tsp powdered ginger
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp kosher salt

In another bowl, beat togehter:
2 eggs
1/4 C brown sugar
1/8 C white sugar

Now add 1/3 C buttermilk and 2 to 3 TB olive oil, beat to conbine.

Now add the cooled beer and molasses mixture, stir to combine.

Fold in the flour mixture.

Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.