Recipes
Curried Carrot Soup
This is a great recipe for when you have lots of carrots to use up.
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large (4- to 5-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrots, and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a blender**, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Add more water to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.
**Hot liquids will expand when blended, so be careful not to fill the jar of the blender more than halfway. To prevent the liquid from spattering, allow the heat to escape: Remove the cap from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel when blending.
Napa Cabbage Salad with Peanuts and Ginger
This recipe from Martha Stewart is a great way to use your napa cabbage.
2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch long), peeled and grated
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 medium napa cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper (seeds and ribs removed), thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh, cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, ginger, and oils until dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, cilantro, and peanuts. Add dressing to taste, and toss to combine. Serve.
Daikon Radish and Napa Cabbage Slaw
To make this slaw more colorful, add a grated carrot or two. To toast the sesame seeds, place in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook until lightly browned, 5 minutes, stirring often.
1 to 1 1/2 pounds napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 pound daikon radish, peeled and grated in large holes of grater
Dressing:
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon honey or sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the cabbage and daikon in a large bowl.
Combine the dressing ingredients, then pour over the vegetables and toss with plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill for 1 hour before serving.
Napa Cabbage and Daikon Stir-Fry
Napa and cabbage go so well together. I liked the idea of this as a hot dish and think that adding some chicken or beef to this would be amazing!
2 daikon, shredded
5 carrots, shredded
1 napa cabbage, shredded
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 14-oz can straw mushrooms, drained
Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Add the carrot and the daikon. Stir-fry until softened, about 2 minutes tops. Add the cabbage. Stir-fry until tender. Add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until heated through. Serve.
Black Kale and Black Olive Salad
This salad calls for lacinato kale, sliced thin and served raw, and it's delicious. It combines the kale with black olives and a little shaved Parmesan for a full flavored, earthy, briny salad. It's also a sturdy salad that can be dressed an hour or two ahead of serving.
1 large bunch Lacinato kale (about 1 pound), cut into thin ribbons
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and black pepper
Combine the kale, olives, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil and vengar, sprinkle with salt (not too much) and lots of pepper, and toss.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour.
Kale Chips
If you haven't made them yet, do try. They are delicious, fun, super easy to make. They come out crispy with a very satisfying potato chip like crunch. You can try different toppings ... chili powder, parmesan cheese etc, to flavor them further, but the simple oil and salt I have given below really is great.
1 large bunch kale (any kind, but Lacinato is great), tough stems removed, leaves torn into pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Position racks in upper third and center of oven; preheat to 400°F.
If kale is wet, very thoroughly pat dry with a clean kitchen towel; transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with oil and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, massage the oil and salt onto the kale leaves to evenly coat. Fill 2 large rimmed baking sheets with a layer of kale, making sure the leaves don't overlap. (If the kale won't all fit, make the chips in batches.)
Bake until most leaves are crisp, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 12 minutes total. (If baking a batch on just one sheet, start checking after 8 minutes to prevent burning.)
Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot Pickles Recipe
Traditionally served in Vietnamese street sandwiches called Banh Mi. These pickles would be great with anything that would typically be served with coleslaw or sauerkraut, like hot dogs, or barbecued pork, or even with salad or wrapped into a spring roll. Or just eat them straight. For a lower glycemic option, you can substitute the 1 cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of agave syrup. Yield: Makes approximately 5 pints.
2 pounds carrots (about 5 medium sized carrots), peeled
2 pounds of daikon radishes (about 2 large daikon), peeled
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 cups warm water (warm enough to easily dissolve sugar)
About 5 pint jars
Julienne the carrots and the daikon radishes. Cut them first crosswise into 2 1/2 inch long segments. Then cut 1/4-inch thick slices lengthwise. Stack the slices and cut them again into 1/4-inch thick batons.
Place the carrots and daikon radishes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 4 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Use your clean hands to toss the carrots and daikon with the salt and sugar until well coated. Continue to mix the carrots and daikon with your hands until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. They are ready once you can bend a piece of daikon all the way over without it breaking.
Transfer the carrots and daikon to a colander, rinse with cool water and drain well.
In a bowl (a 8 cup pyrex measuring cup works great for this) mix together one cup of sugar, the white vinegar and the warm water, until the sugar dissolves.
Prepare clean jars. Pack the daikon and carrots tightly into the jars. Pour over the pickling liquid to cover. Seal. Refrigerate.
The pickles should sit at least overnight before eating; their flavor will improve with time. They should last 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
Honey and Lemon Dressing
It's amazing what a little bit of honey does to this basic salad dressing!
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon good honey
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mix everything together in a bowl and season to taste.
Potato Pancakes [Latkes]
This classic latke recipe is a keeper.
1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled
1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil, for frying
In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. You can also keep latkes warm in the oven for an hour or more, if you’re waiting for stragglers to arrive. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until they’re crisp again. Bonus: If you undercooked them a bit or didn’t get the browning on them you’d hoped for, you can compensate for this in the oven.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn
Need a tasty gift? This popcorn fits the bill, especially when presented in pretty little package. These 2 popcorn recipes are from one of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats.
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. brown sugar
coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Pop popcorn in an air-popper (a Whirley Pop is highly recommended) Spread popcorn in an even layer on prepared baking sheets. Combine peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals and stir, until melted and drizzle-able. Drop the peanut butter mixture in spoonfuls over the popcorn and gently toss to coat evenly (I find this is best done by hand). In another microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate in 20 second intervals until fully melted. Drizzle over the popcorn. Let the chocolate set before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Parmesan Thyme Popcorn with Browned Butter
If you're looking for a more savory, grown up popcorn, this is a great bet!
2-3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, grated (or finely minced)
½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2-3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter completely. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the butter foams, bubbles slightly, and begins to brown. Continue whisking until the butter is evenly browned, being careful not to burn. Just before it is finished, stir in the garlic and thyme. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a popcorn popper, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the kernels to the pot, cover, and cook, stirring, until all the kernels are popped. Remove from the heat, add in the browned butter mixture along with the grated Parmesan and stir well to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir once more.
Salty Honey Pie
This recipe, also from Annie's Eats, is a new holiday favorite of ours. It's sweet, creamy filling with the crunchy salt topping and buttery flaky crust is truly a perfect combination.
1 recipe basic pie dough
1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. white or yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp. vanilla paste)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 tbsp. large flake sea salt for finishing (such as Maldon)
To blind-bake the pie shell, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Roll pie dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch disc. Place it in a 9-inch pie plate, trimming away the excess and creating decorative edges as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with the tines of a fork. Line the crust with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with baking beads. (If you don’t have baking beads, dried beans or rice also work.) Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking beads and foil and bake about 5-10 minutes more, until light golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350.
To make the filling, combine the butter, sugar, cornmeal and salt in a bowl and mix well with an electric mixer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the honey, vinegar and the seeds scraped from the vanilla beans. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then blend in the cream. Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until just set and only slightly jiggly in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before topping with the finishing salt, slicing and serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream, if desired.
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup pearl barley
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
salt and ground black pepper to taste
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PREP
15 mins
COOK
45 mins
READY IN
1 hr
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt butter in a 1 1/2-quart Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat and cook onion until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add celery and cook until starting to soften, stirring often, about 5 more minutes. Mix barley into the vegetables and stir until coated with butter. Fold mushrooms and green pepper into barley mixture; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour chicken broth into barley mixture and bring to a boil; cover casserole dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until barley is nearly tender, about 30 minutes; uncover casserole dish and bake barley until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 more minutes. Adjust salt and black pepper before serving.
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