So lately, I've made my first foray into the world of cooking, because it's become necessary for me to make and cook my own food, instead of relying on insta-foods that are common to such college existences such as mine. I have found it as very rewarding. I just thought I would share what I have been able to make (in a celebratory tone).
(if you don't want to read about all these recipes, I continue blogging near the bottom of this post)
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From Sam Stern's Real Food Real Fast (a cookbook I love because it has dishes divided up into sections based on the time it takes to make them. I haven't posted the recipes in full because I don't want to rob Samuel of his profits, should one of you want to buy his book. But if you call me, I will tell it to you over the phone, as a favor. Or a favour, should I say. Sam is British.)
-Leek and Watercress Soup (also very delicious if you substitute carrots for watercress, as watercress has a short shelf life, and is a little hard to come by)
-Fried Veggies (This is very basic, but it is what first taught me how long it takes to cook various food items; asparagus, squash, eggplant, etc. I also learned how mixing my favorite vegetables is DELICIOUS. Especially when cooked in a little bit of olive oil and garlic.)
From the NY Times recipes for health:
Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole
Here is the link for this recipe.
This one I think I made pretty much exactly, and it was great. Who would have thought to mix tomatoes and cinnamon?! A pleasant surprise.
1 large eggplant or 2 medium (1 pound), peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin across the grain
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sprig basil
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and brush the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the foil, sprinkle with salt and brush each slice lightly with oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and carefully fold the foil in half over the eggplant. Crimp the edges together, so that the eggplant is sealed inside the foil and will continue to steam and soften. Leave for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cinnamon, basil and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Add freshly ground pepper, then taste and adjust salt. Remove the basil sprig, and stir in the drained chickpeas.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Cover the bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce, and make a layer of half the eggplant. Spoon half the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and repeat the layers.
4. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.
Yield: Serves four to six.
Advance preparation: You can assemble this dish through step 3 up to two days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for about three days.
-MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
I also plugged in the recipe to sparkpeople.com and calculated nutrition information. This is for one serving or, 1/6 of the pan.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 240.2
Total Fat 8.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 274.0 mg
Potassium 885.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.1 g
Dietary Fiber 9.8 g
Sugars 2.1 g
Protein 7.1 g
Vitamin A 20.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 32.5 %
Vitamin C 35.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 3.8 %
Calcium 5.3 %
Copper 17.7 %
Folate 26.6 %
Iron 12.8 %
Magnesium 16.2 %
Manganese 44.9 %
Niacin 10.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 10.1 %
Phosphorus 14.9 %
Riboflavin 9.3 %
Selenium 5.3 %
Thiamin 13.6 %
Zinc 8.2 %
Green Bean Salad With Chickpeas and Mushrooms
Here is the link to this recipe.
I made this recipe a second time, and I used different herbs, mostly because I discovered I did not care for marjoram. I recommend parsley, cilantro, and green onions. I also substituted balsamic vinegar for the sherry vinegar, and I did not add any mustard. I never thought that as a vegetarian, I would need mustard, but it appears I'm going to have to make some. When steaming the green beans, as I do not own a steamer, I put a little bit of water in a small pot (6-inch diameter, with about an 1/2 to 1 inch covering its base) and then put the green beans in there, bringing it to boiling, with a lid on. Home-style trick, courtesy of Mom.
1/2 pound green beans
3 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thin (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like chives, marjoram, parsley and tarragon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, green shoot removed, finely minced or put through a press
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: 1/4 red pepper, sliced
1. Steam or blanch the green beans for five minutes, then cool in a bowl of ice water. Drain and trim the stems. If the beans are very long, break in half.
2. Combine the beans, mushrooms, chickpeas, Parmesan and herbs in a salad bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the bean mixture shortly before serving. If desired, garnish with red pepper slices or toss them with the salad.
Yield: Serves 4.
Advance preparation: Assemble the ingredients and make the dressing several hours before serving. Cover with plastic so the mushrooms don’t dry out. Toss just before serving so that the beans retain their bright color.
This nutrition information is for one serving or 1/4 recipe
Calories 187.0
Total Fat 3.4 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Cholesterol 5.0 mg
Sodium 480.7 mg
Potassium342.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30.7 g
Dietary Fiber 6.5 g
Sugars 0.4 g
Protein 9.8 g
Vitamin A 6.8 %
Vitamin B-12 1.8 %
Vitamin B-6 31.1 %
Vitamin C 19.0 %
Vitamin D4.0 %
Vitamin E 0.7 %
Calcium 13.8 %
Copper 15.1 %
Folate 24.1 %
Iron 11.6 %
Magnesium 11.9 %
Manganese 39.9 %
Niacin 6.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 7.5 %
Phosphorus 18.9 %
Riboflavin 10.7 %
Selenium 10.1 %
Thiamin 5.4 %
Zinc 11.2 %
After conquering a few of these I decided I was ready to get fancy. Thus when I saw a recipe in the Oprah magazine (my favorite!) where I recognized all of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try.
Orange Chocolate Mousse
Here is the link to this recipe.
When I made this I substituted 2 Tablespoons unsweetened orange juice (Simply Orange is my favorite brand of OJ ever) and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for the Grand Marnier.
I do not have a double boiler, so I used a 4-inch deep frying pan and a small wok pan on top of that to create that effect. I filled the frying pan with just enough water so that as it boiled it touched the bottom of the wok pan, and it worked beautifully
I also am using whipped cream and mint instead of the candied orange peel, etc, that they recommend for a garnish. I just made this last night, and as today is fast Sunday I won't get to eat it for about 8-10 hours yet. I can tell you however, from licking the bowl and beaters, that it tasted like a dark chocolate orange.
Ingredients:
Serves 6- 5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 2 Tbsp. coffee or water
- 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
- 4 large eggs , preferably organic
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- Candied orange peel , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
- Edible gold flakes , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
In a medium bowl, whip chilled heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Fold half of whites into chocolate until incorporated, then fold in rest of whites. Finally, fold in whipped cream.
Spoon mousse into 6 glasses; chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top each glass with candied orange peel and gold flakes.
Some of you may notice I have not put up the nutrition info for this dish. Hm.
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I really enjoy cooking. I never thought I would because cooking usually connotes a stressful situation to me, and I am the LEAST comfortable person when I am in performance mode. However, if I am cooking only for myself, which usually happens, as I don't know many other vegetarians nearby, it takes away the pressure, and turns it into a creative experience.
Cooking for me is a lot like gardening, I think. I attended a class on depression this last semester, and one of the hobbies they actually recommended to people suffering from depression was gardening, because of the satisfaction that comes from creation, working with your hands, and seeing the success of your efforts. Cooking is very fulfilling in that same way for me. It's sort of like when I took my first bookbinding class, and realized that I love bookbinding. I love it for the sense of using my hands and creating a work of art in a visual and material way. To cut all the sheets of paper to a certain size, line them up, sew them together properly; and to cut and paper the cover how I want to make it, to make something that represents what I can do. It is the same physical creation aspect of cooking that appeals to me so much.
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