Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

This is one of the easiest, most flavorful soups imaginable, and it's one of my favorites for fall and winter, when local kale is cheap and easy to come by.  It's simple, rustic, hearty and light. Served with a good loaf of bread and a salad, it's an awesome dinner.

It's best to use a good sausage, one that you really like (I use Whole Foods house made spicy Italian), because with so few ingredients, you really taste it. And if you don't like kale, any kind of dark green - chard, mustard, collard, turnip, beet - would work just as well.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Ingredients: 5

1 bunch lacinato kale, washed, trimmed from stalks, and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 pound bulk sausage (linked sausage is fine too - I've used spicy Andouille and it's awesome)
8-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or half stock/half water.
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil about 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook until almost browned, about 5 minutes. Add kale and continue cooking until sausage is done. Add stock and simmer 30 minutes, or longer, depending on how much time you have. Add white beans and warm through, about 10 minutes before serving.

This is so easy to put together, that it could be done in the morning, and left on low in a slow-cooker all day. It's also great to make the day before, because the flavors develop as it sits. It would be delicious with carrots, garlic, potatoes, or served over rice... but I love it in all its simple glory.

Salted Lemon Shortbread Cookies for Non-Bakers (Like Me)

We have seven - seven - mature lemon trees between our front and back yards. Which means that, this time of year, we have a metric ass-ton of lemons on our hands. We literally can't give all of them away fast enough. We put them in boxes marked "FREE! ORGANIC! PLEASE TAKE!!" on our front lawn, and though we live on a very busy corner, they still go bad. Needless to say, I make a lot of lemon vinaigrettes, pastas, sauces, etc. 

Although I'm not a baker by nature - no one could ever accuse me of being precise or deliberate - I decided to make lemon shortbread cookies to give away this holiday season.  To my immense relief, these cookies were exceedingly simple to put together and extremely delicious - holla! The rich, buttery texture and tangy lemon flavor are a perfect match.  The recipe didn't use up many actual lemons, unfortunately; I tried making them with fresh lemon juice as opposed to extract, but that just didn't work.  Maybe I'll get my shit together in time to do limoncello or Moroccan-style preserved lemons next year. In the mean time, I'll be giving whole lemons away with this year's shortbread cookies. Want some? Come on over!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Bake Time: 25 mins
Ingredients: 5

1 1/2 sticks room temperature butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

*Optional - Sprinkling a pinch of fresh lemon zest on the tops of the unbaked cookies gives them extra zing! Sprinkling a pinch of kosher sea salt on top of the zest really brings out the lemon flavor.

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar and butter together on medium til light, about 2 minutes. Sift in flour, mixing on low or by hand. The dough will be crumbly. Add extract. Add zest. On an un-greased surface using your hands, press dough into a 10 or 12-inch square. Score large square into smaller, 1 or 2-inch squares with the back of a knife. Transfer little squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

When Life Gives You Pumpkins...

... Make Shortcut Pumpkin Curry!

The pumpkins we didn't carve for Halloween ended up staying on our front porch through Thanksgiving. When the Christmas decorations came out, I decided to put the pumpkins to good use with a spicy, creamy vegetable curry. I have made my own curry before, but didn't have all the spices on hand to do it this time around, so I took a shortcut, and used a Trader Joe's simmer sauce that had been languishing in the cupboard for a couple of months. Just between you and me? The jarred, shortcut curry was every bit as flavorful, and much less time consuming, as the homemade version.

Prep Time: 60 minutes (45 of which is baking time, don't panic!)
Cook Time: 20 minutes (or more, if you want to simmer slower and longer)
Ingredients: 8-10 (depending how many veggies you want to incorporate)

1 small pumpkin
1 small yellow onion
2 large carrots
Veggies of your choice (cauliflower, small waxy potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, broccoli, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.)
1 can coconut milk
1 jar Trader Joe's Thai red curry sauce
1 cups veg stock, or to taste
Cooked brown rice


To roast the pumpkin (a sugar pie pumpkin is best):

Preheat oven to 350. Slice pumpkin in half, and remove guts. Lay pumpkin halves face-down in a baking dish, and pour 2 tbsp water over each. Bake at least 40 minutes, until fork-tender, but not mushy. Remove skin from pumpkin halves and cut into large cubes. Set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, sautee the onion in 1 tbsp oil, then add veggies. Cook about 5 minutes. Add curry sauce and coconut milk. Simmer on medium/low until veggies are tender, then add pumpkin. Simmer about 10 more minutes. Add stock to thin sauce, or not (I didn't). Serve with hot, cooked brown rice as a main dish, or as a side dish with baked chicken strips, to curry-hating little ingrates who may or may not try a "no thank you bite," then declare it "too spicy!"

Chocolate Cupcakes with Maker's Mark Frosting

 These are good. Like, eat-half-a-dozen-by-yourself-straight-out-of-the-oven-good.

The recipe is based on a Barefoot Contessa classic, tweaked to suit my not-so-sweet tooth. I wanted just a suggestion of sweetness in the cupcakes, because I really like the dark, slightly smoky unsweetened cocoa, and tangy creme fraiche and buttermilk.

In all honesty, my sole reason for making these cupcakes was to have a vehicle worthy of the Maker's Mark frosting I knew I wanted to attempt for Mike's birthday, whiskey being his spirit of choice. It was delicious (though next time I would add more a little more, because, let's face it... more booze is always better).

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients: 12
Dishes you'll have to wash: Too many.

1 1/2 sticks room temp butter
2/3 cup white sugar (I used a little less)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp good vanilla extract
1 cup room temperature buttermilk
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tbsps strong, brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup good, unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven 350. In a large bowl, cream the butter and two sugars about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Add eggs on at a time, then add vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, creme fraiche and coffee. In yet another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, alternately add the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture to the sugars. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full and bake about 25 minutes.

Maker's Mark Frosting for Mike

1 stick room temperature butter
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup room temperature cream cheese
3-6 tbsp (I used 6, but will use more next time) Maker's Mark
1/2 tsp good vanilla extract

With mixer on medium, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 4 mintues. Add cream cheese.  Switch speed to low and add vanilla. Add whiskey to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Serve with Maker's on the rocks, if you're awesome.

Meal Plan: Monday 11/29-Sunday 12/5

Better late than never!

We were out of town for the entire Thanksgiving week, and I'm still trying to settle back into the usual routine. Also, we opted out of our CSA for the winter - it's 75% broccoli in the winter, ugh - so not having my veggie box to plan meals around is throwing me off my game a little.  It's been wonderfully cold this week - highs in the 50s! - so dinners have been warm and cozy, if a little haphazard. This is by far, my favorite time of year.

Monday - I've already forgotten what we had... spaghetti, maybe?

Tuesday - A quickly thrown together meatball minestrone, with garlic bread made by Hazel.

Wednesday - Meatloaf,  salad with homemade Caesar dressing, potato latkes (my first time making these, everyone loved them!)

Thursday - Split pea soup, "Lovestick" bruschetta (you heard me!) with tomatoes and herbed feta, fruit salad.

Friday - Date night! Company holiday dinner! Open bar, what what! Pizza for the kids and the babysitter.

Saturday - Crustacean Celebration/Rock Night with friends. Making chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean/Maker's Mark frosting to celebrate Mike's birthday! (Recipe to follow, if I can pull it off).

Sunday - 3-cheese quiche, a big green salad, pomegranates.

Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto and White Wine

When I get a craving for Brussels sprouts, nothing else will do. I love their toothy texture, their slightly sweet but pungent flavor, their bite-size-ness. They are delicious roasted in the oven, creamed, pan-sauteed, fried. Yes, fried. If you've never had a deep fried Brussels sprout, then you are missing out! Get thee to a deep fryer!  I sometimes make sprouts with bacon, because... well, you know. And I usually de-glaze the pan with veg or chicken stock. But I was out of both of those things when I made this version, so I winged it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients: 3

Chop prosciutto into small pieces, while heating 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Cook prosciutto until crispy over medium heat, about 6 minutes. While the meat is crisping, slice ends off sprouts and cut in half. Remove meat to paper towel with a slotted spoon. Dump sprouts into hot grease and sprinkle a little salt and several grindings of black pepper. Toss sprouts frequently, so they get nice and brown, about 5 minutes. De-glaze pan with about 1/4 cup white wine (or stock), taking care to stir up all the lovely brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium heat until wine/stock reduces by half, about 5 minutes, then cover and cook until tender, another 5 or 10 minutes. A little more fresh pepper (maybe salt?), then remove to serving bowl and top with crispy prosciutto. I served these little beauties with creamy polenta, and was very popular that night.

Holiday Appetizers in 30 minutes

I made these two appetizers for Thanksgiving this year, and every last one of them was gobbled up -  in way less time than it took me to make them. These classic flavor  combinations were easy to shop for (so easy that Mike could do the shopping for me!) easy to throw together, and easy to put my own twist on.

Black Pepper Potato Chips with Lemon Creme, Smoked Salmon and Chives

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: None!
Ingredients: 5

1 bag kettle cooked black pepper potato chips, any brand
1 container creme fraiche
1 Meyer lemon
8 oz. smoked salmon (I used a black pepper-crusted smoked fillet of salmon, but lox would be great, too)
3-4 chives or green onions

Dump the creme fraiche into a mixing bowl, and combine with the zest and juice of half the lemon. Put in the fridge. Gently flake the salmon into bite-sized chunks with a knife or fork (if using a fillet, beware of bones!), or slice if using lox. Finely chop the chives. Lay nice, round, unbroken chips on a pretty platter. Remove the lemony creme fraiche from the fridge. Dab a small spoonful onto a chip, taking care to use enough to taste, but no so much that it spills over the edge of the chip. Gently tuck some salmon into the creamy base, and top with chives. Repeat. You may need to sample several chips, to get the creme-to-salmon-to-chives ratio just right (I did!). If you really wanted to go nuts, you could finish with some grated zest and a grinding of fresh black pepper. I didn't, because time was running out, but they were fabulous anyway!

Dried Figs with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: None!
Ingredients: 3

1 bag dried figs
1/4 lb good prosciutto
1 log chevre (The tarted-up kind, with herbs, or pepper, or edible flowers would be amazing in this bite. I wanted to use my favorite - Purple Haze with lavender and fennel pollen - but I waited too long to gather ingredients, and it was gone. Next time!)

Stuff a nice-sized little nugget of room temperature goat cheese into a fig half. Wrap it with a thin slice of prosciutto. Repeat. That's it! This little bite has all kinds of possibilities - instead of figs, you could use dates. Or sun-dried tomatoes. Or olives. Or you could shape the goat cheese around dried cherries. Instead of goat cheese, you could use brie. Or gorgonzola. Basically, what I'm saying is that this appetizer is fool proof! Especially when served with holiday booze.

Meal Plan: Monday 11/15 - Friday 11/19

We head down to SoCal Saturday for Thanksgiving, so this week is all about emptying out the fridge. My goal is to not have to go to the grocery store at all, so... things might get a little weird at the table. At the very least, we will definitely lay down a nice base coat of vegetables before stuffing ourselves silly next week.

*CSA Items

Monday - Really Good Mexican Rice, with beans, whole wheat tortillas, and Mexican Slaw.*

Tuesday - Pizza delivery (I'm going out to see Amy Sedaris, and Mike's watching 4 kids! SUCKA! Just kidding. Thanks, Mike! You deserve a dish-free night...), blanched green beans* and carrots*, with hummus.

Wednesday - Some kind of veggie*/cheese frittata, leftover potatoes*, veggie-filled salad*, homemade apple*sauce, if I'm feeling really ambitious, which I probably won't be.

Thursday - Rid-the-fridge-of-veggies* Thai curry, brown rice (leftover pizza on the side, for curry haters.)

Friday - Whatever's left.

I'm on deck for appetizers for 50 on Thanksgiving Day, and I can't wait to share what I'm making with you! Stay tuned.

Mexican Slaw

I'm usually not a big slaw person. I really like cabbage, raw and cooked, but slaw has never been my jam. So when I found a giant head of purple cabbage in this week's CSA box,  I thought... well, stuffed cabbage is out. And it's too warm for soup. Aw, what the hell. Why not give slaw another chance? The box also contained a big, beautiful bunch of cilantro, giant carrots, and French breakfast radishes, which I somehow forgot about when I was making this (they didn't make it in, obviously, but would've been a fabulous addition). Since I was making this to serve along side traditional beans and Really Good Mexican Rice,  I gave my slaw a Mexican twist by tossing it in a smoky/salty/sour cumin/lime vinaigrette. It was freaking delicious, and provided a crispy, cool counterpoint to the soft, warm beans and rice. Ay, Dios mio!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: None!
Ingredients: Under 10

*CSA Ingredients

1/2 medium head purple cabbage*, sliced thinly
1/2 bunch cilantro*
4 medium carrots*, grated (I used the large holes on the box grater)
(This is where a less-forgetful cook would add 4 thinly sliced radishes*)

Throw into a large bowl.

Cumin/Lime Vinaigrette **

1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine cumin, salt, lime juice and mayo, then slowly add half the oil, in a very thin stream, whisking constantly. Taste to decide whether or not to add more oil, or lime juice, or whatever. Vinaigrettes are very personal, and if you're me, they never come out the same way twice. So just keep playing with it. When it's to your liking, drizzle over the raw veggies, toss to coat, taste, and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, taste again, and adjust seasonings if necessary.

** I realized, when making this, that what I dislike about traditional slaw is that cloying sweet twang that the dressing tends to have. There is none of that malarkey here, and that's what made this non-grody, for me.

Stuffed Peppers

I'm really into stuffing things lately. Heh heh.  I have the luxury of kid-free mornings, so I like to assemble stuffed dishes then. That way, when 5:00 rolls around, I can pop a dish in the oven, mix a much-needed cocktail, and the girls and I can relax together and watch "Bewitched," our new favorite show. Spending that normally stress-filled hour relaxing, instead rushing around the kitchen is so worth sacrificing a part of my morning. I try to have a ready-to-bake dish in my arsenal at least a couple of times a week, especially on nights when I know we'll get home late, or I'm going out, but if I could, I'd do it every, single day.

This version of a stuffed pepper has a Mediterranean spin, with the lamb and Manchego.  Any ground meat, and any kind of cheese, would work well here, obviously, but CityMama gave me some of her CSA lamb that her unborn Bundle couldn't stand, and I thought it would be really good with Manchego (it was). A bechamel sauce on top, to keep the meat moist, would have been fab.  Next time.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Ingredients: Under 10
*CSA Items

4 medium peppers (I like all colors, but used all red here), roughly the same size.
1/2 a medium onion*, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes + juice (or 2-3 cups tomato sauce)
1 lb. ground lamb
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tbsp each chopped fresh oregano, mint and flat leaf parsley*
1 cup grated manchego cheese
1/4 cup water

Remove the tops of the peppers and use a spoon to scoop the insides out.  Preheat oven to 400. Sautee onion and garlic until nearly soft, then add meat. When meat is almost done, drain off most of the grease, then dump in tomatoes + juice. Transfer to a bowl, then mix in rice and herbs. Stuff the meat mixture into the peppers, really fill 'em up, then place them in a small baking dish. Pour water into baking dish (this will keep the peppers moist while baking). Bake for about 30 minutes, then check for tenderness. If peppers seem soft enough for your taste, top each with cheese, and bake just until melted.

Really Good Mexican Rice

It took me several years, and recipes tweaked, to make a satisfying Mexican-style rice. I always order rice when I go out for Mexican food, because I love comparing and contrasting one restaurant version to another. Everyone puts their own twist on it - some have chunks of tomatoes, some chunks of onion, some both - or none. Some add peas. My version is heavy on tomato flavor, and I always use brown rice, because I prefer its taste and texture to white.  I always add peas, because peas are the bee's knees. And a bouillion cube (preferably the Mexican kind, which you can find pretty much everywhere) is not to be underestimated. The real trick here, though, is to toast the uncooked rice in the pan, before adding any liquid, way longer than seems necessary, or even prudent. You may think it's burning, but it's just developing that toasty, nutty, hard-to-put-your-finger-on flavor that makes this rice Really Good Mexican Rice. Trust.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Ingredients: 8-10

1/2  small yellow onion, diced
1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Mexican bouillion cube
1 tsp cumin
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup tomato SAUCE (homemade is good, but canned is really good)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

Sautee onion, garlic and bouillion in all the oil over medium heat until barely soft. Add all the uncooked brown rice and cumin, and stir every 30 seconds, for about 4 minutes.  A little more/less won't hurt. You may see the bottom of the pan start to brown, don't panic.  Add tomato sauce and stir well with a wooden spoon, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. There will be a fair amount of sizzle. Add water and stir again. Bring the whole shebang up to a boil, then cover and  reduce to a simmer for about 40 minutes (20 if you're using white rice). Remove from heat and pour the frozen peas right over the top, then cover again and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and devour.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes

 I'm just gonna tell you straight up: These pancakes are The Shit.

They are so freaking good, they don't even  need to be topped with butter or syrup. Of course, butter and syrup won't hurt  - not literally - but toppings detract slightly from the soft tang of the buttermilk, and the sweet, fragrant duo of nutmeg and chocolate.  Full disclosure: My kids prefer - actually, will only eat - Aunt Jemima syrup. WHATEVER, chumps! And seems like such a travesty to tarnish these otherwise relatively healthy and tasty pancakes with cheap, crappy corn syrup, that I serve them plain, straight off the griddle, and the kids go crazy for them. They are also delicious cold, as an after school (or after work) snack.

I served these to 30 kindergarteners when Violet was "Star of the Week," and was asked to bring her favorite snack to share with the class. Her favorite snacks include prosciutto, sardines, black pepper pistachios and raw beets, but when I explained that those things are horrifying to most children, she suggested the pancakes as a more socially acceptable alternative. They received 30 out of 30 possible "yums" (not one "yuck")! If that doesn't speak to the utter fabulousness of these pancakes, nothing will.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients: 12

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour (or any mix of flours you see fit)
1-3 tbsp sugar (to taste - I use one)
A pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated nutmeg

2 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter (or vegetable oil)
1.5 cups buttermilk (regular is fine, but buttermilk is best)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs then add melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing only enough to combine, then gently fold in chocolate chips. Cook over low/med heat until bubbles form on a lovely, buttered griddle.

Kale Chips

We eat a lot of dark, leafy greens. I crave them. I heart them. Chard, kale, spinach, arugula... we have them almost daily, because at the end of summer and all through the fall and winter, they are easy to grow here in Northern California, and so good for you. Our CSA supplier, Live Earth Farm, must grow them by the ton, because they're in our box for months on end. They're very versatile, and even the girls have developed a taste for them. This is Violet's favorite way to eat kale, and it is so easy to prepare, it's stoopid. When something is this quick, cheap and simple, it makes it really fun to experiment with flavor combinations, because if one doesn't work out, you're only out about 15 minutes and a couple of bucks.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 8-10 mins
Ingredients:  2 (unless you're gettin crazy, which by all means, you should!)

Preheat oven to 350. Wash kale well, then tear it into bite-sized chunks. Remove the vein towards the bottom, because it won't cook long enough to soften. Spin chunks in the salad spinner, dump out the collected water, then spin them again. Remove to a towel, and dry thoroughly. It's very important that the leaves are completely dry, otherwise they won't crisp up when you bake them. In a large bowl, combine kale with 1 tbsp. oil, and a couple of pinches of seasoning. This is where you can go nuts with the creativity and whatnot.

Olive oil, salt & pepper
Peppercorn chili oil & ground, toasted sesame seeds
Toasted sesame oil, salt & white pepper
Peanut oil, salt and garam masala
Olive oil, smoked paprika, salt & lemon lemon pepper
Do you see where I'm going with this?

Lay the kale chunks on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Do not crowd the leaves, otherwise they won't crisp up. Bake for 8-10 minutes, checking frequently for signs of burning (brown edges). If they brown they will take on a slightly bitter taste, but to be perfectly honest, I've burned many a batch of kale chips, and they still taste good to me. After removing chips from the baking sheet, you can eat them as is, or grate lemon zest, salty/sharp cheese, or nutmeg on them. Or dip them in hot sauce. Or crunch them over salads. Or sprinkle over a stir-fry. Or if you're Violet and me, eat the entire batch straight out of the oven, and wash them down with something cold and bubbly (root beer and beer, respectively).

Lamb Bruschetta Burgers

We don't do hunks of meat in our house. Not because I'm morally opposed to them - everything in moderation - but for other reasons. Mike's got a bum esophagus and can't eat meat that isn't in ground form, for one. And as a former vegetarian, I have a general lack of know-how and, to be perfectly frank, desire, to cook and clean hunks of meat (necks? gizzards? claws? oh, shit!). I'd rather eat a nice, juicy, grass-fed steak in a restaurant, or a lovely chicken wing at a BBQ. Cooking meat just really isn't my bag. We eat vegetarian approximately half the time, maybe a little more, and the other half incorporates ground meat, in the form of sauces, burgers, balls, loaves, etc. We do ground chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, bison, and various combinations of all 4. This is my friend Jen's recipe, tweaked a little to suit my taste. If you've never served lamb before, and you are nervous that it won't go over well... just serve it in burger form! Everyone loves a burger. And after they eat it, and love it, you can be all "Haha, that was a cute little LAMB, suckas! And you ATE it!"

Or not.


Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Ingredients: 10

1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each dried oregano and mint
Salt & pepper to taste
1 small bunch basil, cut into thin ribbons
4 slices fresh mozzerella, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
4 chunks of a good baguette or hamburger buns
1 tub of Trader Joe's Tomato Bruschetta **refrigerated, not jarred ** (you can make your own, obviously, but this version is perfection. You will not regret buying it).


Mix lamb with onion, garlic and spices. Divide into 4 patties. Pan-sautee or bar-b-q til until almost done to your liking, then place cheese on top, and cover to melt. Place on your bread of choice, and top with a lovin' spoonful - or 3 -  of bruschetta topping, and a mound of basil. Warning: don't wear your nice, white shirt to dinner. And pick up some paper napkins.

Meal Plan: Monday 11/8 - Sunday 11/14

We have kind of a crazy weekend ahead, and the girls are out of school Thursday and Friday, so some things may get tweaked a little, but here's the plan as it currently stands.

*CSA items

Monday - Red bell peppers stuffed with ground beef and brown rice, green salad*, roasted cauliflower*.
Tuesday - Black bean soup, squash* and cheese quesadillas.
Wednesday - Corned beef and sauteed cabbage*, roasted potatoes* and onions*.
Thursday - Rainbow chard* and ricotta-stuffed shells, green peas with carmelized onions*.
Friday - Black bean tacos, Mexican coleslaw with purple cabbage*, radishes*, cilantro*, lime vinaigrette.
Saturday - Meeting up with family at the San Francisco Ferry Building. WOOT!
Sunday - Leftovers. We're gonna have a lot this week.

Sorta/Kinda Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish that involves frying thin strips corn tortilla and onion in oil and red sauce, then scrambling with eggs . It's really a comfort food for me. Unfortunately, my kids think it's weird, so I don't make it very often. This isn't really a traditional version of chilaquiles - I make it with several eggs, and go easy on the sauce - but it's what  my mom used to make, so it's what I make. And it hits the spot, every time.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Ingredients: 6

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas, halved and cut into thin strips
8 eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp milk
1/4-1/2 cup Mexican red sauce (think enchilada sauce) (optional)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Cilantro, for garnish

In a non-stick pan, sautee onion in oil, about 2 minutes, then add tortilla strips. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.  Lower heat to medium and add eggs. When eggs are done to your liking - I like mine well done - remove from heat and stir in cheese. Garnish with cilantro, and serve with more sauce.

Vegan Mexican Hominy Stew

 

When I threw this soup/stew together on a rainy Sunday evening, I was craving traditional Mexican chicken tortilla soup, but didn't have any chicken, and was way too lazy to go out and get some. As I rummaged through the cupboard,  I discovered I did have a can of hominy, a can of green chilies, some fire-roasted tomatoes, a box of veggie stock... and this dish began to take shape. It would be excellent in a slow-cooker, or made the day (or even morning) before. And if you are so inclined, shredded chicken or chicken meatballs would be fabulous additions. It had all the Mexican flavor I was craving, plus I didn't have to go anywhere in the rain, plus we got to scoop it up with tortilla chips. Win/win/win!


Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients: 10-15 (optional)

*CSA Items

1 28 oz. can Mexican hominy, drained
1 12 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes + juice
1 4 oz. can fire-roasted Ortega chilies, drained and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1tsp. dried oregano
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
2 large carrots*, halved and sliced into half-moons
1 medium yellow onion*, diced
2 monster cloves of garlic, minced
3-5 cups stock
Sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro* for garnish

Sautee the onion and garlic 2 minutes, then add carrots, peppers, chilies and spices.  When the veggies have started to go soft, about 5 minutes, dump in tomatoes + juice, and hominy. Add 3 cups stock for a stew-y version, 5 cups for a soup-y version (mine was more stew-y, less soup-y). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, cheddar, a squeeze of lime, cilantro, hot sauce, tortilla chips (obviously), avocado... or eat it in all its vegan glory.

Stuffed Cabbage

 

Low-rent picture snapped in a hurry, because my hungry family was devouring this like feral dogs.

Prep Time: 30-45 mins.
Cook Time: 45 mins.
Ingredients: 10

*CSA Items

Stuffed cabbage is easy, though not quick, to prepare, and super retro-fabulous, which I love. Blanching, then drying, then trimming the cabbage leaves will take the most time, but can be done while you're prepping the rest of the ingredients. I pulled from a couple of more traditional recipes to create this streamlined version, which was a huge hit with the family, even with former-cabbage-hater Hazel. I served it with an iceberg salad and garlic bread, because when I go retro, I go all the way.

1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. yellow onion*, diced
2 monster cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes + juice
1-2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups short grain brown rice (I used Whole Foods frozen), cooked
10-15 cabbage* leaves
1/2-1 cup Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

*Note - this dish could easily be vegetarian, but substituting veggies (squash, eggplant, peppers) for meat, and upping the rice to 3 cups.

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  While water is getting hot, gently peel the leaves from your cabbage, casting off the outer few leaves, and wash throughly. Traditional recipes advise dunking the whole head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water, then peeling the leaves off after they've softened.  I, however, had a massive, 5lb. cabbage to work with, and wanted to save some to make a raw salad later in the week. Peeling the leaves of the cold cabbage was definitely doing it the hard way, I must say. Wash the leaves, but don't worry about drying them.

When you've got the leaf situation under control, dice your onion and chop your garlic. Sautee in olive oil, with the oregano, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef, and cook through. When beef is just about done, drain off the grease, then dump in the tomatoes and their juice. Warm through, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the cooked rice. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.


Your water should be hitting a rolling boil by now, and you'll want to salt it generously, then lower the heat to medium, and preheat your oven to 350. Dunk the cabbage leaves two at a time, for about 60 seconds, or until they brighten in color and start to go limp. Remove with tongs to a dry towel, then repeat with two more leaves, until you're done. As the leaves dry, start trimming the hard veins out. A pair of kitchen shears works nicely, and a knife is fine, too. Trimming the veins out will leave a V-shape at the bottoms of your leaves, which is just fine.

When you're done blanching and trimming all your leaves, you'll be ready to stuff 'em. Prepare your baking dish (I used a 9x11) by pouring about a cup of the tomato sauce in, and schmearing it around. Fill the top portion of cabbage leaf with 1/4 C - 1/2 C (depending on the size of your leaf) of the meat mixture. Fold the v-shaped corners of the leaf upward and inward, then try your best to fold in the sides and top, like a little package. This part can be a little tricky - a trial and error process. When you find what works for you, place your little package seam side down in your baking dish. When all your packages are lined up in your baking dish, coat them with the rest of the tomato sauce, and the cheese. Cover with foil, and bake about 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 10 minutes, to brown the cheese.

Hopefully you will have leftovers, because this is excellent with a fried egg on top for breakfast the next morning.