Tag Archives: recipes

Vegetarian Groundnut Stew, or, the best soup ever

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This might be the hardest part of this recipe. You can save yourself some trouble and look for pre-peeled, pre-chopped squash. I used acorn, but any sweet winter squash will work.

This might be the hardest part of this recipe. You can save yourself some trouble and look for pre-peeled, pre-chopped squash. I used acorn, but any sweet winter squash will work.

 

During our Jubilee harvest celebration last year, everyone spent hours digging giant sweet potatoes out of the garden. Except me, I spent the afternoon making enough of this recipe (along with sweet potato biscuits!) to feed 30 people. This recipe is based on one from Simply in Season, one of my favorite cook books ever. The book is divided by season so you can pick in season vegetables for tasty, simple meals.

Anyway, I’ve made this soup several times and it is always a hit. It takes a little work if you`re doing everything from scratch, but you could buy pre-chopped veggies if you wanted to save a few steps.

 

it is hard to capture the awesomeness of this soup, but believe me, it is the perfect fall soup.

it is hard to capture the awesomeness of this soup, but believe me, it is the perfect fall soup.

 

Vegetarian Groundnut Stew (ZenLizzie Style, adapted from Simply in Season)

Ingredients

2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 cups winter squash or sweet potatoes, cubed
2 to 3 cups collards, chopped (you could use any sturdy greens)
2 tsp. chopped ginger root
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp. red pepper
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 Tbs olive oil

Directions

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until translucent in a large soup pot.

Add squash, collards, juice, ginger, and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until squash and collards are soft.

Stir in peanut butter and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until flavors are blended.

 

I used one acorn squash and one sweet potato.

I used one acorn squash and one sweet potato.

S.C.-grown collards, pre-washed and pre-chopped.

S.C.-grown collards, pre-washed and pre-chopped.

I love ginger! Even if it isn't the most beautiful root.

I love ginger! Even if it isn't the most beautiful root.

Just trust me.

Just trust me.

Makes 8 servings. For complete nutritional information, see the recipe on SparkRecipes.

 

Tangy Chickpea Salad

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Pretty, filling and easy.

Pretty, filling and easy.

 

I love salads that other people make, and I’m always attempting to make salads at home. But it normally doesn’t work out. I don’t know if it is because I’m too cheap to buy enough to stock my own salad bar or if I’m just not committed, but my “throw everything in a bowl” approach doesn’t always inspire me when it comes to salads.

So, I did something I thought I would never do, I looked up salad recipes online. This mediterranean chickpea recipe from Allrecipes looked interesting and had a lot of ingredients I had on hand, so I tried it out. My version is a little different.

 

You can omit the cheese for a simple vegan chickpea salad.

You can omit the cheese for a simple vegan chickpea salad.

Ingredients

 

1 can chickpeas
2 roma tomatoes (Chopped and Seeded, if yours are too runny. Mine weren’t)
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/3 red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 Tbs dried parsley (or 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (You could substitute feta or leave out completely. I would add about 1/8 tsp of garlic salt if you omit.)

Combine all ingredients except cheese, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Add gorgonzola and stir in before serving.

I added some onto a bed of lettuce with more tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar and honey. It could work well as a side dish, or a main dish if you really love chickpeas.

 

I love colorful food.

I love colorful food.

 

Learning to cook fish part 1: Crispy broiled tilapia with lemon dill sauce

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When I went to my first dietician appointment about a month ago, we talked about ways to get more lean protein into my diet, and she gave me some fish recipes to try. I like cooking and I like fish, but I’ve never really cooked a lot of fish “from scratch.” The fish guy at the grocery store helped me pick out tilapia, a fish that isn’t too far from my comfort zone and one that would be appropriate for both recipes I had picked out.

(After doing a little googling, I found that a very similar recipe was found in Cooking Light, and also other places around the web.)

Crispy broiled tilapia with lemon dill sauce

 

Baked crispy tilapia with dill sauce

Baked crispy tilapia with dill sauce

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup Panko (I used whole wheat, but I wouldn’t recommend them. They tasted stale.)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large tilapia fillet
2 egg whites
2 Tbs light mayo
1 Tbs chopped dill pickle
1/2 tsp chopped dill
1/2 tsp lemon juice
olive oil cooking spray

 

Looks pretty harmless.

Looks pretty harmless.

 

Directions

1. Beat egg whites.
2. Combine spices and panko in a large, flat-ish bowl.
3. Dredge fish through egg whites and then through the panko mixture to cover.
4. Spray baking sheet with non-stick olive oil spray and place fish on the pan.
5. Broil for about 4 minutes on each side, or until done.
6. Mix mayonnaise, pickle, dill and lemon juice to make sauce.

 

This is one filet cut in half in the egg whites.

This is one filet cut in half in the egg whites.

 

 

These are the whole wheat panko breadcrumbs I used. Maybe they would be better used in a dish with more oil, but they were pretty stale tasting this way. I wouldn't buy them again.

These are the whole wheat panko breadcrumbs I used. Maybe they would be better used in a dish with more oil, but they were pretty stale tasting this way. I wouldn't buy them again.

 

 

After the egg whites, put the fish in the panko mix.

After the egg whites, put the fish in the panko mix.

 

 

Spray with nonstick spray and broil.

Spray with nonstick spray and broil.

 

 

Mix ingredients for sauce while fish is cooking.

Mix ingredients for sauce while fish is cooking.

 

 

The recipe for this seemed iffy with the chopped pickles, but it was actually pretty good.

The recipe for this seemed iffy with the chopped pickles, but it was actually pretty good.

 

 

Serve!

Serve!

 

My new favorite food is a vegetable

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It might not look like much, but it tastes sooo good. I didn't have time for proper plating since I wanted to gobble it up.

It might not look like much, but it tastes sooo good. I didn't have time for "plating" since I was in an eat-mode, not a take-pictures-mode.

I know everyone is gushing about pumpkin lattes, pumpkin beer, candy corn, whatever… but I am begging you to try my favorite fall food: butternut squash.

I had never tried winter squash until I went to Jubilee and they grew massive long-necked squash. They had the same texture and flavor as butternut, but with foot-long necks. My Dad has actually planted some of these for me, but we aren’t sure how they are going to turn out this year since we’ve never tried to grow them before.

Anyway, I was at the grocery and they had butternut squash halved for about $1.50 each. One thing that keeps me from buying it out of season is price, but I couldn’t pass this up.

I think one reason I have avoided winter squash all my life is because I don’t love the cinnamon-squash flavor, which is how it is often served. Any time I had tasted a squash-flavored dish before it had been sweetened and spiced to a point of covering up the actual squash flavor.

So, before you dismiss winter squash or doctor your dishes up with a bunch of sweetness, please try this. I realize this isn’t really a recipe, but when I’m not making things for special occasions or for the blog, I actually kind of prefer simple food.

First, cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and place on a pan or in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350* or until squash is soft.

Roasted Butternut squash

Roasted Butternut squash - I think I sprinkled a little pepper on this too.

I cut mine before baking so I could move it to separate containers for later, but it isn’t necessary.

Scrape the squash off the skin, sprinkle with mozzarella (like I did)  or enjoy plain. It is so good, seriously. I’m sure this would make a good side dish, especially as a replacement for potatoes, but I usually eat it as a snack because it travels well. That is my excuse for my food styling in my bad tupperware.

Fall in a bowl. No pumpkin spice or candy corn necessary.

Fall in a bowl. No pumpkin spice or candy corn necessary.

Oh, and for anyone interested, here is a complete nutritional profile of the squash. It is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Potassium .

What is your favorite fall/winter food? And don’t say pumpkin lattes! Ok, you can if you really, really mean it.

[Edited to add: Just after I posted this I saw LowFatKat made some butternut squash soup! Also, as long as we are talking about vegetables and my blogger friends, go tell Eunice how you get your vegetables in.]

My attempt at a zucchini and ricotta galette

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This dish definitely tasted better than it looked.

This dish definitely tasted better than it looked.

If I were going to do a Julie/Julia style project, it would probably be with those from Smitten Kitchen. I’ve professed my love before, so there is no need to gush, but seriously. Lately it seems like a lot of the posts from SK are right up my alley because she uses seasonal vegetables, which just happens to be what I have in my kitchen at the moment.

This was what I picked the day I made the galette. This week, the garden has exploded and I can't fit everything in one bag for picking.

This was what I picked the day I made the galette. This week, the garden has exploded and I can't fit everything in one bag for picking.

This was about a third of what I brought in yesterday. These monster zucchini seem to grow this big overnight.

This was about a third of what I brought in yesterday. These monster zucchini seem to grow this big overnight.

Anyway, I saw that recipe and all the zucchini popping up in the garden, so I decided I would make it. For the full recipe, check out Smitten Kitchen’s Zucchini and Ricotta Galette.

The first step is laying out the thinly chopped squash and zucchini on a paper towel with salt sprinkled on top to draw the water out. I left mine like this for about 20 minutes.

The first step is laying out the thinly chopped squash and zucchini on a paper towel with salt sprinkled on top to draw the water out. I left mine like this for about 20 minutes.

The recipe calls for using a pastry blender to cut little pieces of butter into cold flour. I don't have a pastry blender, and i thought that I could just mix it by hand. I think it is possible to do this step by hand, but you have to chop the butter into smaller pieces than I did.

The recipe calls for using a pastry blender to cut little pieces of butter into cold flour. I don't have a pastry blender, and i thought that I could just mix it by hand. I think it is possible to do this step by hand, but you have to chop the butter into smaller pieces than I did.

You will notice that my galette doesn't look quite right. Because my butter wasn't adequately mixed, it was harder to roll the dough out. The recipe says not to over mix the dough, but mine needed more mixing so that there would be a better consistency instead of butter blobs. If you make this recipe, I would recommend working the dough until there aren't butter lumps and rolling the dough out more. My dough had a good taste, but it was too thick, and so the ricotta layer was too thick.

You will notice that my galette doesn't look quite right. Because my butter wasn't adequately mixed, it was harder to roll the dough out. The recipe says not to over mix the dough, but mine needed more mixing so that there would be a better consistency instead of butter blobs. If you make this recipe, I would recommend working the dough until there aren't butter lumps and rolling the dough out more. My dough had a good taste, but it was too thick, and so the ricotta layer was too thick.

My finished product. It tasted so good, even with the over sized crust/cheese layer.

My finished product. It tasted so good, even with the over sized crust/cheese layer.

This is a really rich dish, with the butter and cheese. You don't need much to feel satisfied.

This is a really rich dish, with the butter and cheese. You don't need much to feel satisfied.

The Verdict: I love the flavors, but next time I would find a way to incorporate more squash and use less ricotta and butter. But overall, the flavors were really good.