Desperate Housediva

Summer Salad-Gorgonzola & Peach

2011-06-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else feel like Summer is going too quickly? I do!

That is why I have decided to fully embrace the Summer-y-ness as much as possible. Especially the Summer-y-ness of fruits and vegetables.

I love the vast array of produce available this time of year. At ever farmer's market I see a beautiful selection of colors and flavors and I find that I am constantly inspired to create new dishes based on the visual beauty of the ingredients. Every once in a while this appearance-based creativity yields some delicious results. One of which I came upon today during lunch.

I hope you enjoy this Summer salad and put your own spin on it. It is easy enough to make for one or 6.

The Desperate Housediva's Gorgonzola & Peach Salad for one (or six if you can multiply.)
1/2 ripe peach, sliced into wedges and then those wedges halved.
1 large handful mixed greens
1 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
a few slivers of red onion
1/4 cucumber, peeled and sliced

combine all ingredients and drizzle lightly with dressing (recipe seen below.)

Dressing
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
s&p
Wisk together mustard and vinegar until well mixed. Then add as much olive oil as your tastebuds prefer. Mine like about 4 Tbsp of oil. Add s&p to taste.

Chips Kahlua Ice Cream

2011-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl growing up in Michigan my favorite ice cream was available only at the Melting Moments ice cream shop in downtown East Lansing on the MSU campus. They were the one place in town where I could get my teeny little hands on a yellow cone filled with the best ice cream flavor of all time (this may be somewhat subjective,) Chips Kahlua.

Chips Kahlua had it all-it was creamy, rich, coffee-with-kahlua flavored ice cream filled with bits of luscious dark chocolate. Heaven. I realize you may be thinking, "Liquor flavored ice cream for a CHILD!? What!?" And yes, I do realize now that it was a slightly unusual choice for a kid of five years old to love, but what can I say, I was precocious. I've loved the taste of coffee for as long as I can remember. Apparently, even without trying it on its own until college, I also loved its sweetened, alcoholic cousin, Kahlua. Good stuff.

Every single taste of ice cream since those Melting Moments days is an attempt to recreate the taste of Chips Kahlua. To me it is the Platonic Form of ice cream of which all other coffee ice creams are mere shadows and reflections. Melting Moments no longer has Chips Kahlua in their regular offerings...in fact, I'm not even sure if they have a physical store anymore, but that will not stop my quest to find it. Or if I cannot find it, recreate it.

Professor Hubs and I received a Kitchenaid mixer as a wedding gift. I think I use it nearly every day-it's one of my 2 favorite kitchen appliances (the other being my cuisinart food processor.) One of the fancy schmancy attachments for my Kitchenaid mixer is the Ice Cream Attachment...

You see where I'm going here?

I decided to try my hand at making my own Chips Kahlua ice cream. Here's what I discovered:

a. One can easily make ice cream without eggs that is delicious. It takes like five minutes.

b. One cannot easily make ice cream without fat that is still delicious-it's ok, but not delicious.

c. Fat makes ice cream delicious.

d. Kahlua is the most delicious stuff on earth.

e. I love ice cream.

So if you find yourself having a hankering for a delicious, coffee-flavored ice cream treat, and you happen to have some kind of an ice cream maker, try out my Chips Kahlua ice cream. The stuff is good. ESPECIALLY if you make the full-fatty mcfatstein stuff. I will have to settle for the skim milk version for now, which is good, but not really the same as the Melting Moments flavor of my youth...

The Desperate Housediva's Chips Kahlua Ice Cream

(heavily improvised upon a recipe by Mark Bittman)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Milk or Cream (any fat percentage, any combination will do...the more fatty the tastier)

1/4 cup sugar (very low in sugar, oddly enough!)

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup brewed coffee (I personally use decaf)

1/2 cup Kahlua (mmmm....)

3 large Tbsps Cornstarch

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, chopped (regular sized chips are too large, trust me.)

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1.5 cups of the Milk/Cream, the sugar, the coffee, salt, and Kahlua. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to steam.

In a separate bowl, combine the other 1/2 cup milk/cream with the cornstarch until well blended.

Add to the mixture on the stove and stir until the mixture has thickened slightly and one or two bubbles threaten to boil. Remove from heat and chill the mixture until cool.

Once cooled, add to ice cream machine according to manufacturers directions. Halfway through the mixing process, add the chips.

Enjoy the flavors of my childhood!

When the world hands you...rhubarb?

2011-05-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah...so...(avoids gaze, sheepishly,) it's been a while...(kicks at dirt, feigning a casual air...) like, nearly 6 weeks... Oh, my poor desperatehousediva blog! How I have neglected you!

But you see, internet? There is just so much to report: so many recipes, so many anecdotes, home decor experiments (many of them successful! How much do we love a before & after!?) and lovely photos to share :)

It's officially Summer now here in Midwestia (Wooster, OH, for those of you who may have forgotten,) as The College is now on break. This means several things to me:

a. I now have my beloved husband, Prof. Hubs, around much more-yay!

b. The students are starting to disperse leaving behind a quiet, lazy Summer town.

c. Farmer's Markets are looking less and less like bake sales and more and more like Produce fantasy-lands.

All good things!

A few weeks ago we had dinner at the home of some friends who live on a self-titled "hobby farm." This is basically a stunning refurbished farmhouse in the woods complete with working farm (lite.) Do they have a greenhouse? Yes. A field full of gorgeous vegetables? Yes. Fruit trees? Yes. A barn? Yes. Animals? most recently chickens. It is basically my dream-home. Especially If you put the whole set up in Italy, close to the Adriatic coast!

After dinner we took a nice passeggiata (to continue with the, apparently, Italian theme I'm going with...) and managed to meander out into the garden. Scythe in hand, our friend cut a bunch of jewel-red rhubarb out of the ground and handed them to us. How much do we love a dinner with party favors!? Especially edible ones!? LOVE.

Personally I adore that classic American combination of strawberries and rhubarb. I decided to turn this lovely gift into a nice large batch of strawberry rhubarb preserves. The results were fantastic. They turned out much like THIS product I used to buy en masse from the brilliant people at American Spoon in Michigan.

But then I had almost too much S-R fruit preserves. So when life hands you Strawberry Rhubarb Fruit preserves? You make JAM BARS!!! These come together in like five minutes and provide hours of Spring delight :)

The Desperatehousediva's succulent Strawberry Rhubarb Jam-Crumble Bars

adapted from a recipe by Deb Perleman

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3 cups flour (you can use all purpose, white whole wheat, or a 1/2-1/2 combo like I do)

1 cup of butter, melted

1 egg (sort of optional...the first time I made these I forgot the egg and they were still fabulous, though slightly crumblier. The 2nd time I remembered the egg and they were denser, cakier and yes, still fabulous.)

1/2 tsp salt

1.5-2 cups fruit preserves of your choice.

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a 9X13 pan.

-In a large bowl, combine all ingredients BUT the fruit preserves into a nice dough. Do not overmix.

-Split the dough into 2 balls.

-With your hands, press the first dough ball into the prepared pan, spreading the dough into a nice, even crust.

-Then spread the fruit preserves over the crust layer, evenly.

-Finally, crumble the 2nd dough ball over the jam layer, evenly (it is slightly too wet to really crumble, so you may just want to break of little bits of dough and sprinkle them.)

-Bake for 45 minutes, or lightly browned. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Moving, Shaking, Brisket Making...

2011-03-25T17:00:00.001-07:00

This poor blog! It is finally getting some attention (thank you, London Still blog for the shout out!) and in the meantime I find myself utterly consumed with shoots (of the photographic variety...) I drove all over the State of Ohio in the last three weeks. Truly. If there is a city then I was there shooting in it. Check out some of my latest work HERE

My home decor adventures are also steadily rolling along. Soon I will share with you the pillows I made to match the re-upholstered chair (I know, I know...you must be chomping at the bit for that one...)

It's supposed to be Spring here in Midwestia (AKA, Wooster, OH,) and while we enjoyed warmth and sunshine for a few days it's now back to a blustery Winter chill... I'm not happy about it. But it certainly gives me an opportunity to make a bit heartier fare than the warm temperatures require. I'll try to think of it as a last hurrah for braises and stews until Autumn...

Try as I might, I cannot give up beef. I know I need to limit my intake but I still just love the stuff. Good, organic, grass-fed beef is one of my favorite foods and I eat it, on average, once a week in various ways. Sorry, vegetarian and vegan friends :( But read on, there is an excellent cabbage slaw recipe that is worth 2x its weight in gold!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy beef is as a slow-cooked, pulled concoction (I blame my Jewish upbringing- every holiday included some kind of braised brisket.) The recipe I am sharing here is a Latin preparation. It's sort of a ropa vieja, pabellon criollo, pulled-beef variation and it's an instant favorite in our house. Professor hubs actually said he wished he could eat the following meal every day! No matter how delicious, I couldn't settle down with just one meal for the rest of my days...but this one will certainly be put in the regular rotation.

I recommend serving the brisket with cilantro lime rice, avocado salad, and the cabbage slaw recipe below. Or combine them all in small tortillas as tacos.

Desperate Housediva's Pulled Beef Brisket

based on a recipe found on SmittenKitchen

Serves 4, says the recipe; but we served 6, with leftovers for two more lunches the

next day...and if you served it as taco filling you'd probably be able to serve even

more.

3 pounds beef brisket (trimmed of excess fat)

sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices

1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo [Read: 1 or 2 from a can, not one or

two cans, m'kay? Many misread this amount!] (I used two peppers; two will give it a real kick!!!)

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup molasses

If using an oven (and not a slow cooker,) preheat oven to 300.

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy

skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke.

Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10

minutes total. (If using a slow cooker, this would be the time to transfer the meat

to the slow cooker; otherwise put it in a dutch oven.) leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and

stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone,

scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the

mixture over the brisket. Add tomatoes with their juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and

molasses.

If using the oven, cover the dutch oven and cook for 3-4 hours at 300 until brisket

pulls apart easily with a fork.

If using a slow cooker: Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until

it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 hours.

To serve, you’ve got a few options: Leave the meat in the slow cooker and use two

forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper,

to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. This is obviously the simplest route.

You could also strain the sauce, but then you lose some of the nice rustic veggie bits...

Green Onion Slaw

1 cup green onions

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 whole jalapeno (for a teensy kick)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 shallots
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Blend green onions, shallots, vinegar, chiles, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and oil in a blender until emulsified. Place cabbage in a bowl, and right before serving add the dressing and stir until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Nigella's Epic Chocolate Guinness Cake

2011-02-28T12:46:00.001-08:00

I have been doing so much back to back travelling of late. As much as I loved it, I am so thrilled to be back in my Ohio nest, decorating, cooking, reading, photo-editing, etc. I have become such a homebody over the last few years. I think it comes from having a nice little nest to take care of and a nice Prof. Hubs with whom to do so.

Last week I had the pleasure of reuniting in Chicago with several good friends whom I hadn't seen in YEARS-it was a much needed friendfest and I am now so excited for my upcoming trips to Chicago (in better, warmer weather, hopefully!) to photograph their wedding.

I have several photography projects coming up that I am really excited about. Check out my photosite in the coming weeks (www.AriellePhoto.com) to keep up :)

Then there is the matter of the Chocolate Guinness cake. My friend Ana has been raving about this cake for months. Her recommendation was so glowing that I knew I had to find an occasion to make it. Yesterday that occasion presented itself in the form of an informal dinner. I was asked to bring a dessert. And I did. I brought this cake. AND IT WAS SO DELICIOUS I CANNOT EVEN KEEP FROM SHOUTING (text-shouting.)

I am very pleased to present a cake that has become an instant classic in our house. Not only will I be making it for upcoming birthdays, but I will also use this cream cheese frosting recipe for the rest of my cream cheese frosting making days. SO GOOD! I usually have problems with lumps in my cc frosting, even if I let the cc sit out over night, but this method was perfect and I hadn't even let the cc soften for more than an hour! Wonderful! You don't really taste the guinness in the cake-it just adds a nice depth of flavor, a "ferrousness" as Nigella says. It is the most lovely, moist, dense cake... You'll love it!

Chocolate Guinness Cake

by Nigella Lawson

Total time: about 1 hour

For the cake:
Butter for pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream (I was out so I used 0% greek yogurt instead and it was great!)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the topping:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (I only used 1 cup-it was perfect)
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (I used Neufchâtel instead...better texture)
1/2 cup heavy cream.

1. For the cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

3. For the topping: Using a food processor, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

4. Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

Yield: One 9-inch cake (12 servings).

Desperate Housediva | Boring Chair to Awesome Chair Makeover: Before & After

2011-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

In the next installment in the Desperate Housediva goes DIY home-makeover chronicles, I share with you the before/after shots of my sad and sorry desk/living room chair which found new life after a quick restaining (using a stain pen. It literally took minutes) and reupholstering (who knew reupholstering chairs was so easy and satisfying!? I can't wait to do it to the kitchen chairs!)

So, the living room has been a bit of a problem area. We have quite a mix of furniture from various life stages (and craigslist purchases) and I had a difficult time figuring out a cohesive design plan. But then it hit me: I shouldn't work AROUND what I had, I should incorporate it into the design. If my design was all about white and blue, but my couch was huge and black, then something was off. Now, all is well. I'm not living in design fantasyland. I'm using what I have and making it awesome by throwing in a few new things.

The new design aesthetic includes the firebird fabric shown on the AFTER of the chair. The main colors are black and white with red and turquoise accents. I'm really excited to continue building the look in the room but the chair makeover was the first step. I just love this fabric.

If you are interested in how to do a chair makeover, click HERE.

Chair before:

Chair After:

Desperate Housediva | Ikea Dresser Decoupage and chair Makeovers: Before & After

2011-02-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

As it's literally freeeezing out these days and I haven't the fortitude nor the wherewithal to face the frigid temps, I have been working on our Midwestia nest. The latest nesting projects I've taken up are the boring/ugly Ikea dresser I have in our room and a chair that lives in the living room that needed a serious makeover. Let's start with the dresser. It was your typical, white, boxy, boring Ikea dresser. Reliable enough, I suppose, but entirely without personality.

It never reflected my taste, it never felt like my own and it always stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the vintage-y bohemian style of the room. Hence the decoupage makeover.

Literally, like five year ago, my friend Meredith (who is an insanely talented singer/actress in addition to a truly inspired and creative decorator,) upon hearing me complain about said dresser, advised that I decoupage it and add pretty drawer pulls, thus making it my own. At the time that seemed like more work/commitment than I was up for. But the idea stuck in my head. And last week I finally did it.

Using some gorgeous decoupage paper from Cavallini (featuring vintage postcards written in French,) some ModPodge glue, and some Anthropologie-style vintage glass drawer pulls I remade this un-inspired piece of furniture into an ecclectic part of the room's vintage/bohemian aesthetic.

It may not be your style, but perhaps it can inspire your own decoupage adventures. Decoupage is really fast, easy (directions can be found HERE) and surprisingly fun and relaxing.

BEFORE

AFTER

Closeup of drawer pulls

Closeup of one of the vintage letters

Closeup of the photos of my late Grandparents in photos from the late '30's, early '40's that live on the dresser.

Perfectly perfect whole wheat pancakes (and part II of the Desperate Housediva's DIY home decor diaries)

2011-02-07T07:19:00.001-08:00

As chronicled in my last entry, I have begun some DIY home decor projects over the past few weeks. I love the process of scouring the Internet for ideas/inspiration but at the same time I find it utterly overwhelming. So many color combinations! So many possibilities! But I feel a strange pressure; once I commit to an aesthetic then it is locked in (until I decide to do a decor overhaul...)

So that kind of stresses me out (I'm easily overwhelmed, apparently...) Not to mention the fact that my blue fabric wall was a total bust. It made the room look really small...and kind of college dorm-y. So that was a 'no.' But, not to be discouraged I am now on to new projects. I will soon be able to share my dresser decoupage before and after photos-love it! I'm just waiting on the pretty vintage glass drawer pulls...

After all of the stress of redecorating (I say this with a huge amount of sarcasm, as I realize most people wouldn't be stressed out...just me...because I'm a wimp...) I decided we needed some comforting food. Really comforting. Like pancakes. But still healthful and nutritious. And these pancakes were perfect. They are so delicious, so tender! And they come together practically instantaneously :) I love that!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

based on a recipe by Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleaced all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk (or 2 1/4 cups skim milk with 2 1/4 Tbsp white vinegar, left to sit for 10 minutes)
2 large eggs
butter for pan (and/or for serving)

Fresh Fruits, Organic Maple Syrup, Greek Yogurt, or whatever else floats your boat on delicious pancakes.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

Heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve with a golden pat of butter and plenty of berries and syrup.

Makes about 12 large pancakes, or dozens of silver-dollars - enough to feed a small crowd.

Dreaming of Pancakes

Desperate Housediva | Brass chandelier makeover Part I

2011-01-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Living in a rental space can be frustrating for many reasons. The more superficial of them being the lack of freedom to make big design changes. The space in which Prof. Hubs' and I live here in Midwestia has very little to recommend it, design-wise. It's a very boring layout, with white walls, and little to no charming architectural details. I think the best thing about the space's design is the large, exposed brick wall, and the worst would definitely be the tacky '70's brown kitchen cabinets and stove-ick!

I've lately found myself very interested in breathing new life and style into our home where I can. Therefore, the next few weeks will feature posts about my DIY changes around our space. The first of which deals with the eyesore of a brass chandelier which was hanging in the kitchen over our table. I thought I was stuck with this hideous light until I perused several DIY design blogs and learned about this great way to makeover an old brass chandelier.

Here is my chandelier before:

Here it is after, though still in the middle stages of the makeover. I still need to add some hanging do-dads. I'll update you next week. Still, I find it to be a HUGE improvement.

I can't decide whether or not to also add chandelier shades. Any ideas?

There are 2 ways to makeover your chandelier. I did the more stupid way, because I didn't want to take down the chandelier and spray paint it, blah blah... So instead, I cleaned the chandelier well and then hand painted 3 coats of white latex, satin finish, paint. I'm very happy with the result. Home DIY makeover part I in progress!

Future projects include:

-applying French letters to my dresser (decoupage) and replacing the drawer pulls with pretty Anthropologie replacements.

-adding do-dads to chandelier

-applying a 12'X8' blue photographic backdrop to a living room wall of the same size (as I cannot paint, but I love a fabric wall!)

-repainting and reupholstering 4 antique chairs for our kitchen (which I picked up for a total of $60!)

-repainting several vintage frames and lamp bases in fun colors.

Healthy + Delicious = (Blue)berry Bran Muffins!

2011-01-23T07:48:00.001-08:00

I've been on the hunt for a delicious, healthy bran muffin recipe for ages. In NYC I'm obsessed with the raspberry bran muffins from The BirdBath green bakery-they're phenomenal-though I'm pretty sure they're nutritionally closer to cake than anything else :)

The other day Prof. Hubs brought home a huge number of blueberries. I love them, they are lovely just as they are, but few can eat berries in such exorbitant numbers. They need to be used in delicious ways before they're considered waste. Hence, the birth of the Desperate Housediva's (Blue)berry Bran Muffins. These come together easily in minutes, in one bowl, and are soooo delicious, so healthy (Greek yogurt, bran, whole wheat flour, teensiest bit of butterfat, fresh berries-nutritional powerhouse!) that I needed to share them immediately. I am looking forward to trying this recipe out with fresh raspberries when the season arrives... And for those of you watching your calories this season-I think they come in under 100 calories/per muffin with lots of fiber and protein!

The Desperate Housediva's superhealthydelicious Berry Bran Muffins

(based on a few different recipes, including one by Jean Hewitt, one by some Canadian Agropur people, and one by some recipe contributor called 3lioncubs...)

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1.5 cups wheat bran

3/4 tsp salt (pref. sea salt)

1.25 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

3 Tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup plain applesauce

1/4 skim milk (or buttermilk)

1 cup berries (I used blue but rasp would also be divine...)

Preheat oven to 425.

Either butter and flour a muffin tin or use little muffin liners.

In a ginormous mixing bowl, sift first five ingredients (flour through brown sugar.) Then make a well in the middle and add all remaining ingredients except berries. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Then add berries and give a few mixes (barely) until berries are somewhat evenly distributed throughout batter. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter (it should be pretty thick but not doughy) 3/4 way up cups. Bake for 15 minutes (10 minutes if using mini muffin tins) until muffins are golden brown on top.

Allow to cool for a minute or two before enjoying with or without some lovely butter.

Resolutions and a completely awesome recipe for Enchiladas

2010-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!

As far as resolutions for 2011 go, does anyone have any good ones to share? I'm considering some of the following:

1. Be better about accessorizing. No, seriously. I never wear jewelry (except for my wedding ring) and I am always impressed by people who can accessorize well. It really takes things up a notch or two and I would love to learn the art of styling/accessorizing with panache.

2. Be better about keeping touch with my friends all around the world-even the ones close to home. I really tend to get lost in my own little nest of domesticity and I miss out on hearing about my friends' adventures (large and small.)

3. Write more. In general. More letters, more blogging, more emails, more stories, more journal entries, etc.

I'm sure starting tomorrow most of us (myself included) will be trying to cook nothing but steamed chicken, brown rice, and vegetables and will be working out for at least an hour seven days a week (as is usually the case around New Year's.) And yet, for some reason I thought that this recipe for New Mexican Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (given to me by my fabulous friend and native New Mexican, Angelica) was a perfectly festive, fun, easy, DELICIOUS way to ring in the new year. I just love this stuff. And if you have leftover chicken from a roast, etc. it comes together so quickly- in single digit minutes. Then you can stick it in the oven and have time to go work out or something :)

Angelica's New Mexican Chicken Enchilada Casserole

10 ounces cream of mushroom soup (Note: This is the first time in my life I have

ever done one of those "soup" recipes-I never thought I would, nor did I think

I would LOVE it.  But it's good to be less snobby about food, right?  And you

could always buy the organic, reduced guilt kind, right?)

1/4 cup chopped green chile** (canned is ok, but not as awesome)

 1/3 cup milk  (I use skim)

 1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken

 cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

12 corn tortillas

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt/garlic flakes

3 cups grated cheddar cheese (I use the reduced fat pre-shredded stuff but I say go for the

real stuff and no guilt!)

Preheat oven to 350. 1. Heat cooking oil/spray in a heavy pan at medium-high heat. 
2. Lightly warm each tortilla in the sprayed pan to soften. 3. Heat the soup and milk over medium heat on the stove top and then 
add the cooked shredded or diced chicken, garlic flakes, and green chile to taste.

4. Alternate ingredients in a lightly greased, 2-quart casserole dish,

   beginning with the tortillas, then cheese, then a sprinkle of onions

and then a layer of the soup mix and repeat. The top layer should have

 the last layer of tortillas with some cheese sprinkled on top.

5. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 25-30    minutes.

Cookie exchange and superb Blondie recipe

2010-12-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

It's been a big week for my kitchen. I had Prof. Hubs' Russian Feast to prepare for all of his students and a cookie exchange to attend within 24 hours of each other.

They both went off without a hitch. Well, sort of. I had originally planned to bring three dozen parisian macarons (pumpkin flavored, of course) to the cookie exchange. I worked so hard on them for hours-I even PIPED the meringue into the perfect little discs hoping to achieve that gorgeous, smooth, footed shell for my macarons... Alas, it was not to be. My macarons were hideous. This was partly due to a food dye incident which caused them to be BRIGHTPINK instead of light orange, but mostly due to the fact that they were bumpy, footless, and not at all shiny and gorgeous. I had to toss them. But what to bring to the cookie exchange?

Enter the blondie.

I took a Zingerman's recipe and messed with it some (I did not feel like/have the ingredients for making a separate praline) to make a perfectly gorgeous blondie. It comes together lightning fast and tastes really homey and delicious... Especially if, like me, you take them out a smidgen early so that the center bars are still really goey and chewy :)

Desperate Housediva's Gorgeous Blondies

inspired by a recipe from the Zingerman's bakehouse

Makes 16 large blondies

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp dark Rum or Cognac

1.5 cups cake or all purpose flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 to 1.5 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325

Melt the butter. In a large bowl (or standing mixer) combine melted butter and brown sugar. Mix well until emulsified. Add vanilla, rum and eggs. Gently add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips.

Pour into greased 8X8 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on rack.

Breathing...and the world's greatest brownies...

2010-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog it was a way to keep myself occupied as I made the transition from a New York City single girl to an Ohio housewife. It was also to be something of a record of our first year here in Midwestia and a place to share recipes old and new. I kept it up pretty regularly for a year but then something happened:

I didn't need a blog to keep me busy anymore. I was busy already. Somehow life and its engagements caught up with me-I was so busy I didn't quite know what to do with myself. Suddenly, instead of a respite from my nebulous days it became yet another thing I needed to do in my ever-increasingly scheduled life. So I took some time off the blogging. I checked my priorities. I re-checked them. I decided to focus on family, on health, on re-invigorated my photography business, and several other things, but you know what? I missed my food blog :) And so did you, internet, so did you! I have had so many people, acquaintances, relatives, and friends (both flesh and internet) ask me to start posting again that it's been really awesome. So here I am. Breathing and blogging. And cooking...

I hereby re-instate the Desperate Housediva food blog with the world's best brownies!

My favorite brownies in the entire world would be the Zingerman's Magic Brownies, no contest. Though the La Brea bakery in LA comes in at a distant second (they're quite delish.)

When I worked at Zingerman's in college I must have eaten two of these gorgeous chocolate bricks a week (at least.) They are more of a cakey, dense chocolatey and nutty brownie than a goey, fudgie one, but to me that's part of what makes them so good.

This recipe is obviously altered from the real recipe in that it's made for home cooks to produce one pan of perfect Zing brownies and not a commercial amount. But I must say the flavors don't suffer one bit. I really feel like they are as good as the real thing, especially if you use the highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on (and in Midwestia that's not nearly as high as most anywhere else!)

The Zingerman's Magic Brownies.

(no, they don't have anything "magic" in them, you junkies, you! They just contain delicious chocolate, lots of butter and wholesome goodness throughout!)

Ingredients
13 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
6-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour or all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions
1. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a heavy small saucepan, heat the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until lemon-colored and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Stir in walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes or until brownies appear set.

3. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Makes 15 servings.

Olive Tapenade

2010-07-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, my poor blog! How I have neglected you!

I seem to begin every other post with such exclamations... I should either:

a. Write a blog post more often.

b. Get over myself and realize that, like the diary I kept in grade school, apologies to the page are for my sake and not for the page's.

Just a quick recipe to share before I finish this glass of Dashwood sauvignon blanc (which is a steal, btw, at $9.99!)

OLIVE TAPENADE

(adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten)

1/2 pound good olives, rinsed and pitted. (I used a mix of fancy black olives)

2 Tbsp capers3 anchovy filets, rinsed

(I know, I know...you say you hate anchovies...but, trust me. So do I! But the addition of anchovies cuts the briny olive taste and makes it nice and mellow)

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until mixture resembles a coarse paste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy!

This Fruit Crumble will make you feel Happiness

2010-06-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly buying beautiful, seasonal, local fruit at our local market. I love to enjoy it that day on its own but what do you do when you have fruit that's not exactly at the height of freshness but still completely good? You put it in something else, of course. There's something about a super-ripe strawberry that isn't the most appetizing raw but it's bursting, juicy flavor is a welcome addition to a fruit crumble. Now, you can always use fresh fruit for this recipe-it will still be fabulous, but there is something about that ripe-ripe fruit that just sings when baked. And this is seriously the best fruit crisp/crumble I have ever had, let alone made. Ignore any previous crisp/crumble recipes you may have tried-(even the one I posted almost a year ago on this very blog!) because they can't hold a candle to this one. You can, of course, use any combination of fruits that pleases you. I did a strawberry-raspberry crumble but am looking forward to doing a strawberry-rhubarb next and then perhaps a peach-raspberry...My thanks go out to Nigella lawson for the recipe this is based on and to Deb from SmittenKitchen for publishing her version and thus bringing it to my attention. Seriously, ladies. Thank you.

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S FAVORITE FRUIT CRUMBLE

Crumble Topping:

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder (I think this is what makes the topping so perfect-it adds a bit of lift and fluff)

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

large pinch of salt ( you may prefer a small pinch, but I like my sweets to have a bit of salt)

1 stick of butter, melted

Fruit Filling:

1.5 cups of a favorite fruit, cut into small pieces (any berries or stone fruits or rhubarb)

1 cup of another fruit, cut into small pieces (any other berries or stone fruits or rhubarb)

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp cornstarch

pinch of salt

Heat oven to 375. Prepare topping: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until large clumps form. Refrigerate until ready.

Prepare fruit: Mix all filling ingredients together in pie plate or casserole of choice (a deep one.) Spread evenly.

Top Fruit with topping evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes until topping is golden brown and topping is bubbling underneath.

Allow to cool slightly or to room temperature and enjoy!

Salad Days: Part III Mexican Salad (AKA: The most delicious salad ever)

2010-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

How I do love these long Summer days!

And how I do love the beautiful produce which is displayed in Midwestia's amazing famer's market... Not to mention the gorgeous herbs reaching towards the sun in my little backyard garden. Lovely. Each and every one.

In this, the final installation of the Salad Days posts, I present you with the recipe for my salad piece de résistance; the Desperate Housediva Mexican Salad.

In a word: Yum!

This is the ultimate salad for people who don't find salads satisfying. It's quickly become Professor Hubs' (and Professor Hubs' whole family's) favorite Summer Salad.

It's customizeable, easily made completely vegan, and is naturally gluten free.

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S MEXICAN SALAD

adapted from a recipe from my friend Claire and a recipe from SELF magazine...

(serves 4, generously)

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1 can black beans, drained (preferable organic)

1 can sweet corn kernals (preferable organic and low salt) OR the kernels cut off of 2 leftover corn-0n-the-cobs.

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 jicama, peeled and chopped (or if you can't find it; 1 firm apple, peeled and chopped)

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion or a handful of chives

handful of shredded cabbage

1 bell pepper (red or yellow) chopped

1 avocado, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Handful or crumbled feta cheese (or not, for vegan cooks...)

Grilled protein of choice, cubed (Grilled chicken breast, grilled shrimp, grilled tofu, etc.)

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

DRESSING

Juice of 4 limes + honey to taste (or 1/4 cup rose's sweetened lime juice)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup olive oil or more, to taste.

Wisk to combine and use at least half to dress salad. Add more to taste and save the rest for another purpose (another salad, a marinade, etc.)

Enjoy!!!

Salad Days: Part II Thai Basil Salad

2010-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

What I've been up to (that's kept me from sharing recipes:)

-Driving

-Travelling

-Honeymooning

-Beach combing

-Relaxing

-Reveling

-New Car-getting

-Eating

-Bonding

-Cooking

-Singing

-Shooting

-Loving

-Grieving

-Resting

-Nurturing

-Reminiscing

-Returning

-Connecting

...and infinite other gerunds...

As I mentioned in the last post, Prof. hubs and I have been feasting on the most delicious and filling of Summer Salads... This one is inspired by a salad that I ate after an exhausting day trekking through San Francisco with a friend in 2004... I have been craving it ever since. It's the perfect combination of flavors and textures-so refreshing, so toothsome, a bit spicy... Perfection.

And now, the second installment of my soon-to-be famous Salad posts:

THAI BASIL SALAD

(makes 2 huge portions or 4 regular...)

1/2 package asian rice noodles (pad thai noodles, vermicelli, etc.) cooked per package directions (use one handful or the whole amount-it's up to you and it's all good.)

2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 large handful of shredded cabbage (I just use the bag of pre shredded cole slaw mix)

5 thinly sliced red radishes

1 small handful shredded carrot (I just use the kind that's already in the bag of shredded cole slaw mix...)

1 peeled and cubed cucumber

1 mango, diced

8 grape tomatoes, halved

small handful chopped peanuts

small handful of each of the following herbs, chopped:

scallions, basil, mint, cilantro

Protein of your choice (I like grilled steak but sauteed tofu is lovely for a vegan choice as is chicken or shrimp as a steak alternative...)

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing. Enjoy!!!

SALAD DRESSING

Juice of 4 limes

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp Shriracha sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

4 Tbsp canola oil (or other light, flavorless vegetable oil)

Wisk to combine well.

Salad Days: Part I Salade Niçoise

2010-05-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

I've been on the road again as is evident from my lack of posts. First it was a stressful work week in NYC filled with photography work and voice lessons. Upon my return I was hostess to my sister-in-law for a week. We had a wonderful visit peppered with a few wonderfully successful cooking experiments but all of our traipsing around Midwestia and its environs left little time for blogging.

During my NY visit one of my dearest friends informed me that I was looking a teensy bit more 'happy and plump' than usual, which, combined with the poll results asking for more healthy, fast, and vegetarian recipes has me excited to share these next few posts. In short, as it is nice to look happy I don't want to look plump and I know that these salads can help :)

Salads. As I've stated before I'm not naturally inclined to love salads. In fact, until this past week I only really enjoyed three of them. But the past eight days or so have proven me wrong. It wasn't that I didn't like salad, it was just that I didn't like BORING salad. I love when a salad has so much flavor, texture, and heartiness to it that you don't feel as though you've joined a cult of asceticism but rather you've taken the first steps to living a life of European luxury. I think this first Salad is a perfect example of a satisfying meal that happens to be a made up primarily of vegetables. I first learned to make it during my time living in Paris and I can't stress enough how simple, delicious, and filling it is.

Salade Niçoise au Thon

(Nicoise salad with tuna)

(makes 2 very large portions or 4 rather small)

1 bag of Spring Mix greens

4 cooked red potatoes, cubed (from a bag of steam-in-microwave red potatoes or a few red potatoes from last night's roast.)

2 handfuls French green beans (from a bag of steam-in-microwave French green beans/haricot Verts or steamed on stove)

2 cans Tuna packed in olive oil (This is a MUST! It MUST be the rich and delicious kind packed in olive oil or it is decidedly un-French, un-decadent, and un-satisfying.)

2 Tbsp capers

10 niçoise olives (or your favorite black olives)

a few anchovies (optional)

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

a few slices of red onion for each salad

French Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp minced shallot

1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 cup good Extra virgin olive oil

s&p to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil until well blended. Then wisk in oil, slowly, until emulsified.

SALAD ASSEMBLY

Distribute ingredients evenly among plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Bon Appetit!

Red Velvet Dreams

2010-04-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I feel guilty posting this recipe. First of all, it's so trashy-it goes completely against my usual whole/real/foods approach and utilizes not one but two boxed convenience foods. Secondly, I actually got up at 5:40 in the morning today to attend a 6 am spinning class and instead of posting a virtuous salad recipe I'm paying forward a sugary confection...and yet here I am, sharing with the internet world my favorite recipe for Red Velvet Cake. The one saving grace of the recipe is that instead of the usual oil added to a cake I find that using plain applesauce improves the homemade flavor and texture (no dry cake here!) I suppose the other saving grace is that it comes together in no time at all. Who knew you could put together a moist and delicious multi-tiered cake so quickly!

If perhaps you are wondering why I am sharing a red velvet cake recipe of all things it's because last Thursday I had a dream about a red velvet cake (welcome to my life) and couldn't stop thinking about eating one. Having little time (I was in the midst of rehearsals/performances of FLUTE) I decided to try to make a box cake taste delicious... And I did. It's really good.

RED VELVET CAKE

1 box duncan hines red velvet cake mix (I can't believe I wrote those phrases!)

1 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened plain applesauce

3 eggs

1 box instant chocolate pudding

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Stir for about 2 minutes. Some small lumps are ok. Pour into prepared (greased) pan(s) and bake for:

2-8'' pans (35 minutes)

2-9'' pans (30 minutes)

13''X9'' pan (35 minutes)

24 cupcakes (19 minutes)

Making sure to check that a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

When cake has cooled completely, frost! I like to use a homemade cream cheese icing (sometimes with coconut,) but many prefer a boiled white frosting or a vanilla buttercream.

And most importantly, if you are going to eat cake-really savour it! do it with joy and without guilt! Bon Appetit!

Indian Food Week: Part 3, Finale

2010-04-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

Last night's performance of THE MAGIC FLUTE was a success (though a rather long evening for the audience-Prof. Hubs is a truly dedicated fan to stay through the whole thing-the show finished around 11:20!) I am looking forward to the freedom I experience in a few days time when the score of the opera finally winds its way out of my brain-I literally have it running through my mind at ALL HOURS. It could be worse. Thankfully it's Mozart as opposed to Gilbert & Sullivan, but it would still be nice to have some peace in that mind of mine.

Today I round out this week of Indian Food posts with a wonderful recipe for Chai Spiced Rice Pudding (Kheer) very loosely based on a recipe by Alton Brown. It's a great way to rid yourself of extra cooked rice (especially fragrant basmati) and a delicious finish to an Indian (or any) feast. It's also easily customizable to suit your diet-dairy free? OK! Just use soy or all coconut milk and it's vegan and it is also naturally gluten free as written.

MASALA CHAI RICE PUDDING

1 cup cooked rice (I like basmati)

1 cup milk of your choice (I used 2%)

1/2 cup half-half (you could instead use cream, milk, soy...whatever!)

3/4 cup light coconut milk (or regular...as you like)

up to 1/4 cup of sugar (I used about half that...I don't like it too sweet)

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (this is expensive, I know...but it is SO. SO. GOOD.)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of ground clove

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of black pepper

In a large saucepan, combine milk and rice. Heat until just boiling, then lower heat and add simmer until the mixture begins to thicken slightly (about 7 minutes on my stove.)

Add the cream, coconut milk, sugar and spices and cook until the mixture starts to thicken again, about 10 minutes stirring occasionally with a wisk. When mixture begins to thicken remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve at room temp. or cooled.

Feel free to add garnishes like raisins, pistachios, cinnamon, etc.

Enjoy!

(Note: Indian rice pudding is a bit soupier than the American variety.)

Indian Food Week: Part 2

2010-04-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

This week I have been deep in rehearsals for THE MAGIC FLUTE here in Midwestia. I have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised at the level of talent they have gathered to be in this production; there are some accomplished and wonderful singers here.

In this second installment of INDIAN FOOD WEEK I present to you an authentic recipe for the delicious vegetarian dish, Saag Paneer (cheese with spinach.) You can purchase paneer in the cheese section of some groceries but if you live in Midwestia or are just feeling crafty you can make your own paneer very quickly and easily by clicking here. It's crazy how easy it is.

This recipe for Saag Paneer was part of a wedding shower gift from a dear friend of mine (who's family happens to be Indian)-and it's sooooo good.

SAAG PANEER FROM PRITI'S MOM

1 onion

6 cloves garlic

1 oz. fresh ginger

1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup plain yogurt

4 oz. buttermilk

2 tsp red chili powder (start with less if you don't like hot & spicy)

2 tsp garam masala (start with less if you don't like hot & spicy)

1 cup half and half

6 oz. paneer

salt to taste

Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and grind them into a paste. In a medium saucepan, combine the paste, spinach, yogurt, buttermilk, chili powder, and garam masala. Simmer at medium heat for 20 minutes. Mash the ingredients with a potato masher (or blend in a blender if you like it finer and smoother.) Add the half-half. Simmer until the mixture has a creamy consistency, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the cheese, simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Indian Food Week: Part 1

2010-04-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before that Midwestia has a severe lack of ethnic eateries. I have also mentioned that this has forced me to become more adventurous in the kitchen, putting together my favorite ethnic take-out and restaurant dishes at home. Until now this mostly consisted of my favorite Korean Recipes, Japanese dishes, Russian dishes, Mexican dishes, and Spanish dishes. Until now. Now I have finally, this weekend, conquered a fear of mine: Indian Food. Let me clarify-I was never afraid of eating Indian Food. I love Indian Food. I adore it. I would eat it several times a week were there a viable restaurant option in town. But cook it myself? Every time I even read a recipe for an Indian dish I got woozy somewhere between cardamon pods, ginger, garlic, and onion paste and heavy cream. There are so many ingredients in some of these recipes!

But that's changed now. Now I have triumphed over my fears and appear before you (figuratively) a home cook who makes a Chicken Tikka Masala that would rival your favorite take-out joint. A housewife who has made saag paneer (Indian Cheese and Spinach) from scratch (that paneer itself is so easy to make it's scary) and lived to tell the tale. So, internet friends, this week's recipes are dedicated to my adventures. First I give you everyone's favorite entry into Indian cuisine; Chicken Tikka Masala. Next, Saag Paneer, and finally a delicious way to use up all of your leftover basmati rice in a Masala Chai-spiced rice pudding! And it's so much HEALTHIER to cook it at home-I control the amount of cream in the dish, etc. I love that.

Note: This recipe takes a bit of time to put together the first time, so I recommend doing it on a day when you are home doing other things. I've tried shortcut recipes for this dish, but they just lacked real flavor and authenticity. I think you need about 90 minutes to make this, but most of those minutes are not active cooking time. The results are worth it!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

(Thank you to my dear friend Erica's Brother-in-law, Rich, for this recipe. It is AMAZING)

Marinade

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

Up to 2 lbs. chicken breast (I used 1.25 lbs, but it was so good I wish I used the whole 2!)

((if you want to make this vegetarian, you can use tofu or paneer instead)

1 cup plain yogurt (lowfat is ok)

1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced

2 medium cloves of garlic, minced

Sauce

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 onion, sliced into half-moons

2 medium cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 TBSP Garam Masala powder

1 28 oz. can crushed tomato

2 tsp sugar

2/3 cup light cream/half-half/heavy cream (I used half and half but then decided to add a drop of real, heavy cream, too.)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Blend first 4 ingredients of the marinade and use to coat chicken. Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, mix yogurt, garlic, and ginger into the bowl with the chicken and mix well. Place back in the fridge for another 3o minutes. While the chicken is marinating, make sauce: Sautée onion in oil until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Then add garam masala, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, sugar, and salt, and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. While sauce is simmering and once the marinating time is up broil chicken on high for 9 minutes per side. Remove from oven and when cool enough cut into 1''x1'' bites. Stir cream into sauce and add chicken. Serve with chopped cilantro garnish over white basmati rice.

closeup of deliciousness from our friends at Arielle Doneson Photography- www.AriellePhoto.com

Favorite Tchotchke Peddlers...

2010-04-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am suffering from an acute upper-respiratory infection so sadly no recipes today. I made chicken tikka masala last night which I couldn't taste at all from a lack of sense of smell which made me realize I'm currently not fit to tell anyone about cooking. Today whether it's chocolate to curry it all smells like matzo ball soup to me. Quite frustrating and quite odd...

I've recently been amazed at how much Yiddish has made it into the modern English vernacular. Even here in Midwestia I'll overhear people use words like "schlep" without a second thought. I really do think this is a new(ish) phenomenon-perhaps thanks to tv shows like SEINFELD and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. No matter how it happened I love it. No more strange looks from (non-Jewish) friends when I swing around words and phrases like "bubkes," "kibbitz," and "mensch." In the last year I almost squirted water out of my nose from pleased laughter when a (non-Jewish) Utah-raised friend said "Oy. this is not kosher" in response to a sticky situation she was describing.

Which brings me to tchotchkes. Tchotchkes (Typically pronounced as "Chach-Kee") are fun trinket-like knick-knacks. And I love them. I think it's in the same family as the love of stationary/school supplies and whatever impulse it is in me that causes me to swoon at the home accessories section of an Anthropologie store.

I would like to use this post to share a few of my favorite websites for procuring such goodies. I invite you to comment at the end of this post with your own favorite tchotchkes and/or where you like to go to look for them...I'm always on the prowl for new tchotchke peddlers...

THE DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S FAVORITE TCHOTCHKE STORES

Patina

www.patinastores.com

It's amazing the kind of fun bits one can find here and for so little! I purchased a much beloved sparrow necklace, some snarky luggage tags, and monkey key covers from this gem. These brightly patterned mugs and decorative-packaging teas? I'm completely coveting them.

The Paper Source

www.paper-source.com

I discovered this spot through purchasing some of my wedding accessories here. I am especially loving the matryushka (Ukranian nesting dolls) measuring cups, the japanese papers, and the cupcakes apron (and my birthday is next month...) If you need any stationary for anything they'll do a gorgeous job-they can also set you up with some phenomenal DIY projects...

Uncommon Goods

www.uncommongoods.com

I am flipping out over the julia child birdhouse, the make-your-own mozzarella kit, and the leaf umbrella. Julia child birdhouse!!?? Amazing.

Target

www.Target.com

Target is the motherload of cute, affordable tchotchkes. I recently redid my living room using a few of those LIBERTY OF LONDON pillows and some inexpensive, gauzy curtains. And don't even get me started on the adorable vintage looking apothecary jar.... I can easily spend an hour in target. Or two hours...

World Market

www.worldmarket.com

I love the international foods section of world market. Gorgeous chocolates, preserved moroccan lemons, and every spice imaginable... I appreciate the inexpensive and extensive wine selection but I especially love the front part of the store which sells TCHOTCHKES.

Today I am particularly coveting the adorable vintage clocks and the handmade ceramic drawer wood chests. I am a sucker for brightly painted tiles.

Anthropologie

www.Anthropologie.com

My dream home is a cross between a Tuscan villa and an Anthropologie store. Seriously. I worked at Anthropologie for about 3 months when I first moved to NYC. I don't think many pay checks actually made it out of the store-that 40% employee discount did me in considerably...though my apartment and I were styled to utter, faux Parisian perfection.

Today on my Anthro wish list are the deck the halls necklace, the white narcissus mirror, and the two gardens pitcher. I could go on for days...

Parental Brunch

2010-04-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

from our friends at www.AriellePhoto.com

I love all things cheese (you may have noticed.) I think I inherited this love from

my Dad who, like me, enjoys cheese in it's savory or sweet forms. When I learned

my parents were coming for a visit to Midwestia I immediately started planning meals

involving this dairy delicacy. Fast forward to Saturday brunch and this gorgeous and

simple cheese danish. It's like a bit of cheesecake packed into a puffy little parcel.

It's a wonderful recipe for a brunch-it's so simple-and yet pretty enough to be quite

impressive. Perfection! (and my parents loved it!)

Quick and easy cheese danish

(adapted from Ina Garten)

8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)

1/4 up to 1/3 cup sugar (I prefer 1/4...I don't like the cheese to be too sweet)

2 egg yolks, room temperature

2 Tbsp. part skim ricotta cheese

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

zest of 1 lemon

2 sheets (1 box) of puff pastry, defrosted and thawed

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

Ice Cream Dream

2010-04-06T09:50:00.001-07:00

from our friends over at www.AriellePhoto.com

Lately, I've been attempting to be very good about using up leftover ingredients. My new rule is if I am going to buy a specialty ingredient (rosewater, gelatin sheets, heavy cream, etc.) I must also think of at least one other way to use it. This lead to yesterday's culinary activity-Strawberry Ice cream...from scratch. I had over a pint of leftover cream from a cake recipe I made last week (the Gotham Bar and Grill warm chocolate cake) and I needed to use it this week before it became a science experiment in my fridge. I also had purchased an abundance of strawberries as they have been practically giving them away at my local market. So naturally, it was ice cream time. I recognize that most people probably don't have an ice cream maker. I don't either, but I do have an ice cream mixer attachment for my stand mixer-which is awesome. I apologize if you have none of these toys-if that's the case then I recommend picking up a pint of Haagen-dasz, sitting down in front of the computer and eating it as you read this post...

Ice cream is really simple to make. So is frozen yogurt. It's fun and an incredibly delicious thing to do on a hot day (yesterday it was 80 degrees here in Midwestia!) But I warn you, this is the real deal-real cream, real eggs, real vanilla, a bit of real sugar, etc... It is R.I.C.H. so a little goes a long way-but that's how I like my ice cream. Also, if feeding this ice cream to children please use those special salmonella-free eggs as the egg in this recipe is not cooked, it is frozen.

REAL STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into small bits

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 eggs (the salmonella-free, pasteurized kind, please!)

3/4 cup of sugar divided into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup

2 cups Heavy cream...yup...the real deal...

1 cup of Milk (I used 2%)

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Allow to rest in the fridge for about 1 hour-until pretty pink juice is released.

In a separate mixing bowl beat the eggs until foamy (about 3 minutes if doing by hand)

add the 1/2 cup of sugar, milk and vanilla. Add the strawberries and their juice. Mix well. Slowly add cream until just combined. Pour into mixer and follow manufacturers instructions. Enjoy!!!

(Ice cream made with eggs will keep for about 3-4 days.)

Zucchini Pie

2010-04-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last night Prof. Hubs and I prepared a Spring feast dinner: Pasta with Asparagus & Lemon, eggplant rollantini, and this zucchini pie.

One of my favorite family recipes, and perhaps one of yours as a few friends have told me they grew up with it as well, (it must have been in some publication back in my grandmother's day) is the Zucchini Pie. My grandmother and mother have made it for as long as I can remember. It's a delicious vegetarian entrée, a lovely appetizer or just a great addition to any spring meal. And it's a great way to use up any zucchini or squash you have in the house. Those of you who don't like cheese needn't worry-the parmesan included doesn't over-power the flavor, it more adds depth and richnes. The pie has a nice bit of puff and lightness and I personally prefer it thinner than thicker (cooked in a larger pan=more crisp outer layer. mmmm....) Actually, my favorite way to enjoy this pie is in little cupcake servings!

ZUCCHINI PIE

3 cups shredded zucchini (or a mix of zucchini and summer squash)

1 small onion chopped finely

4 eggs

1 cup bisquick mix (or 1 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp dried marjoram (opt.)

1 tsp chopped parsley (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 10X6 pan (or 12 inch pie plate or cupcake tins.) bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned.

closeup of deliciousness

Vegetarian Tofu Tacos

2010-03-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

I am constantly looking for delicious, fresh and nourishing vegetarian meals to supplement the meat we eat on other days. Living with a serious carnivore like Prof. Hubs (the man would eat three meals of meat a day) makes the search even more of a challenge because serious meat eaters are very picky about their vegetarian protein sources. These tofu tacos are a favorite meal at our house (that's true for me AND Prof. carnivore/hubs...) We eat them at least once a week. This is a wonderful meal for a family because everyone can customize the tacos completely and it's fun for a group because it's eaten with the hands and is a bit messy. AND it's fresh, nourishing, vegetarian, and delicious.

Feel free to customize as you like; I'm sure the spice rub would be great on ground beef/turkey/chicken instead of tofu but that defeats the point for me.

TOFU TACOS

1 package small corn tortillas

1 package WATER-PACKED extra firm tofu (the cardboard-packed kind is too slippery and just isn't crumbly enough)

2 to 3 TBSP spice rub (recipe below)

salt

1 onion, sliced into rounds

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

GARNISHES

reduced fat shredded mexican cheese

1 avocado or fresh guacamole (mix avocado with half a lime and some salt to make fresh guac)

chopped cilantro

sour cream

fresh salsa

SPICE MIX (This recipe makes extra-I keep it in a plastic bag so I always have some around)

combine:

3 TBSP ground paprika

1 TBSP ground cumin

2 TBSP oregano

1 tsp (I probably add more like 1 TBSP because I like some heat) ground cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder or dried garlic

Instructions:

If you have the time freeze the package of tofu for an hour. The process of freezing and then defrosting increases the crumbling/meaty texture. If not, skip this step.

In a large sauté pan heat a bit of olive oil over high and add onion. Cook until translucent then add beans and corn, lower heat to medium-high.

In a different pan, heat olive oil over medium high to high. Crumble in tofu, add spice mixture and salt to taste. I find it needs a bit of salt... Stir to combine. I like to stir and then rest the tofu over heat for a bit so that the tofu develops a crust. I find it's more meaty. The stir/rest thing lasts for about five minutes. Meanwhile:

Prepare garnishes in an assembly line (I like to have Cheese, guac, sour cream, salsa, cilantro)

Heat tortillas (I do it on the stove in a small pan over medium heat or in the microwave...follow package directions.)

Assemble tortillas and enjoy (with lots of napkins!)

Extreme close-up of delicious taco filling goodness....

Pre-Passover Pasta Binge

2010-03-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

For me, going without bread is a challenge of marathon proportions. This is why the week of Passover can be difficult for me. Tonight is the first night of Passover. If you want to know what that is click here.

In between the many flourless chocolate cakes I made this weekend (new recipes coming soon) I knew that my pre-Passover dinner needed to be a real carb-fest. With that in mind here is the recipe for my version of a Ragù alla Bolognese.

Ragù alla Bolognese alla DesperateHousediva

olive oil + a bit of butter

1/2 onion chopped

1/4 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup chopped celery

pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. of lean ground turkey or beef or, for a vegetarian version, 1 lb. of mixed sliced mushrooms

s&p

1 bay leaf

1 (15 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

large dollop of sourcream

In a large pan over med-high heat heat oil with a bit of butter, sauté onions, celery and carrot until softened, about 4 minutes. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Sauté for another minute. Then add meat (or mushrooms) and cook until meat is browned or mushrooms are cooked. Add tomatoes and wine. Stir occasionally as alcohol smell is cooked out. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes (it's better if you simmer it 30-40 minutes. Before serving, uncover and stir in a large dollop of sour cream. Enjoy (with huge amounts of shredded parmegiano reggiano, if you're me...)

Homemade Cardamom Spice Granola

2010-03-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

After a brief flirtation with Spring, Winter has returned to Midwestia. I woke up this morning to several inches of snow. This inclement weather has, so far, prevented me from accomplishing many of the tasks on today's to-do list. Instead, I decided it was the perfect day to create the ultimate granola recipe...

Here is what I like in granola: a bit of spice, a bit of sweet, a bit of salt, a bit of nuttiness, a bit of fruitiness...

Here is what I've come up with:

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S CARDAMOM SPICE GRANOLA

4 cups rolled oats

up to 1.5 cups chopped/slivered almonds

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup brown sugar plus 1/4 cup honey-if using just sugar, dissolve it in a few TBSPs hot water before adding)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 (or up to 1 tsp depending on preference) tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

up to 1.5 cups dried fruit of choice (I like dried cherries or dates best)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine oats, salt, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and brown sugar until there aren't any brown sugar lumps. Then add oil, honey (if using,) and vanilla. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like.

Spread onto a lightly greased jelly roll pan. Bake until golden brown, for about 25 minutes total with frequent (about every 6 minutes) turning of granola with spatula.

Allow to cool and then add fruits.

ENJOY!!!

1950's housewife recipe-Enchilada Casserole

2010-03-25T07:48:00.001-07:00

There are a few recipes I have come across that make me think of a 1950's housewife. These are casseroles or the kind of dish that involve a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, etc. Don't worry-this recipe is not really that kind of recipe... but somehow when I make it I still sort of feel like I should be wearing a ruffled apron and heels. It must be the 'casserole' part of the title.

I have made this recipe many, many times. It's always a hit and very easy to customize (i.e. it can easily be made vegetarian by substituting the turkey with tofu, crumbled and mixed with a bit of salt, cumin, garlic, oregano, cayenne, and paprika powders.) It's also Gluten Free which is wonderful for those who are wheat/gluten sensitive/intolerant (like some of my favorite people-you know who you are!)

TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salad oil
1 can diced green chiles
30 oz. (pref. organic) red enchilada sauce
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
1 bag (8oz) reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese (NOT taco blend...)
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425. In a large sautée pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, peppers, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in chiles and 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

Cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese. (Reread this a few times, it seems a bit confusing at first...)

Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

2010-03-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Ina Garten,

Thank you for creating recipes that are always successful. Much love,

DesperateHousediva

I have seen many recipes for Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic over years in various places and have been intrigued. I love both chicken and garlic. Forty cloves of garlic should be the minimum for all recipes... Well, maybe not ALL...

When I came across Ina's recipe I knew it was going to work out, there was no question in my mind. I have had success with every Ina recipe I've ever made and this recipe is no exception. It's fantastic, it's simple, and it makes you feel FANCY. I love recipes that make me feel both accomplished and successful. I served the chicken with sautéed greens (swiss chard) and moroccan couscous (whole wheat couscous cooked in chicken broth, tossed with sultana raisins & sautéed shallots...)

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

from Ina Garten

3 whole heads of garlic (this is about 40 cloves

2 small chickens, cut into eighths (I just used one chicken cut into parts...)

S&P

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsps olive oil

3 Tbsps Cognac (or plain brandy,) divided

1.5 cups dry white wine

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Tbsps flour

2 Tbsp heavy cream (optional... but delicious...)

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot.

Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Strawberry Rhubarb love

2010-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

I can remember very clearly the first time I ever tasted a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was during a visit to Windsor, Canada to visit my mother's cousin and her family. I was about five years old and before that visit the only pies I had tasted were apple (my mom's enormous-great-wall-of-china apple pie, to be specific.) I remember the moment like it was yesterday-the sun shining into the open kitchen where my mother's cousin presented me with a slice of this gorgeous golden-brown pie, the glossy red and pink fruits housed inside just bursting to be freed from their crust-bonds (and into my tummy.) And since that first bite of sweet/tart/strawberry-rhubarbedy goodness I've been hooked on everything strawberry rhubarb. However, oddly enough until this afternoon I had not made a strawberry rhubarb anything in my own kitchen.

I had some leftover empanada dough and decided to use it to make a pie. I think real pie crust is probably better (it's fluffier and flakier) but this dough was a huge hit and a pie was a great way to use the leftovers (as would be a tart or a quiche, I'm sure...) I hadn't decided what kind of pie I was going to make with the dough but during my midday trip to the grocery store the sale on strawberries decided for me. Professor hubs said it was the best pie he'd ever had (biased much?) but I can attest that it is really delicious. If you've never had strawberry rhubarb pie it's a sort of bright, tart and sweet flavor.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

3 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (pull of outside stringy layer of stalks, like celery strings. It's kinda fun....also discard any leaves which are poisonous!)

1 to 1.5 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced

1 cup of sugar (you could probably use even less if your strawberries are really sweet.)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

zest of one lemon

sprinkle of dried ginger

sprinkle of cinnamon

unbaked pastry crust for two-crust pie

Preheat oven to 4oo. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except pastry crust. Mix well. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Put buttom layer of crust into prepared pie pan. Pour in fruit mixture. Top with other layer of pastry crust and pinch/crimp together edges. Cut a few slits in the top crust for ventilation. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. then lower heat to 350 for 30 minutes. You may need to cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. If you like warm fruit pies the juices will be runnier than if you allow them to cool to room temperature. In a word: YUM!

Epic Empanadas

2010-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

During my sophomore year in college I shared a lovely house with six sopranos (opera singers, not gangsters...though I often wonder which would be more violent and dramatic...)

It had one shower. Thus, it had its fair share of drama. But it was some of the most fun I've ever had in a living situation-and we did some fabulous cooking. Everyone of us had a few specialties we would add to the evening's feasts and one of my most requested contributions were these chicken empanadas.

I had recently returned to the States following a few months living in Paris. Oddly enough, while there I developed a love for all things Spanish-must have been those daily flamenco dance lessons...and no, I'm not being ironic. I really did spend every day before dinner in Paris taking 2 flamenco classes. And my poooooor soprano roommates! I would practice that stomping on the wood floor above their heads as they attempted to watch tv. I am amazed they didn't throw me out...maybe these empanadas de pollo had something to do with it.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

taken from Bon Appetit

8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped tomato (I used canned)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp. yellow raisins (I usually hate raisins but you will love them in this recipe)

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsps. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. dry breadcrumbs

s&p

1 batch empanada dough...or premade pizza crust, or crescent rolls, or wonton wrappers, or puff pastry...you have options. I will give you my favorite recipe but with the understanding that sometimes fast is better and crescent rolls are faster than homemade empanada dough :)

preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease or silpat or parchment a cookie sheet.

Combine first 11 ingredients (chicken through cumin) in a large sautée pan or skillet over medium high until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Then transfer to a food processor; grind coarsely (a few pulses is all it takes.)

Transfer to medium bowl, add in breadcrumbs, s&p to taste. If you have the patience, allow to cool in the fridge for an hour. I never do so I go right on to the next step:

Roll out your dough of choice to a thin-crust pizza-like thickness (aka-thin, but thick enough to not fall apart with filling.) and make empanadas of desired size. I cut the dough into about the size of a CD and fill with about a clementine's worth of dough.

Then a press the edges together well and brush tops with an egg wash.

Put all empanadas on sheet (this may take 2 batches or more.) And cook until dough is lightly browned, about 12 minutes in my oven. Some recipes call for deep frying the empanadas, which you are welcome to do, but I prefer them non-greasy and baked.

Serve with some gazpacho and sangria! Bon Appetit!

HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT EMPANADA DOUGH

(yeast-FREE, so delicious and fast!)

from Gil Marks

1/4 vegetable oil (canola)

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 lukewarm water

2.5 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 tsp salt.

1.5 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

In a medium bowl beat together the oil, butter, water, vinegar and salt. Gradually work in enough flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I usually do the recipe as written and then need to add a Tbsp or two of water.) Don't overwork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Mood boosting photo op

2010-03-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

I've been having a difficult time balancing my double life of late. So many work opportunities in NYC I am missing because I'm starting to commit to life here in Midwestia.

I'm singing a lead role in THE MAGIC FLUTE with a local opera company and that combined with the upcoming Passover holiday are making it really hard to plan a trip to NY. I'm seeing potential shoots in NY flit past me at lightening speed because I just can't be there to shoot them. It's really stressful. On the flip side, the Spring has sprung (for now) and the greenery is beginning to appear as well as the natural wildlife. And nature's beauty (and bounty-hellooooo farmer's market!) can have a nice calming effect when one is feeling stressed. So can lemons. I put up this giant photo of lemons because I took it last night and have found it calming to gaze at periodically during the day. So, peer and feel refreshed and calmed. And then make a lemon poppyseed cake :)

Check the blog tomorrow for my quick chicken empanadas-they are OUTSTANDING.

Green, for St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T07:49:00.001-07:00

Yeah...so...(sheepishly digs into ground with toe) it's been a while...

I have been completely missing in action from the blogosphere for the last 3 weeks. I blame the city of New York-it is completely consuming to be there for a week. Upon my return we were blessed with a few really beautiful days in Midwestia...then a trip to visit my parents...and then just general lack of motivation, which is the real culprit.

However, in all of those excuses something wonderful happened:

Cilantro pesto.

Though obviously not a traditional Irish dish it's so green and fresh I think the Irish would really approve...at least, the Half-Irish Prof. Hubs approves, and that's the Irish vote to which I'm pandering.

I have been putting this stuff on everything. It's delicious on steak for a sort of Argentine preparation. It's gorgeous on seared sea scallops. It would work on chicken, fish, tofu, pasta...In fact, it's really quite wonderful on everthing. I invite you to prepare it and let me know how it works best in your opinion.

Last night I made it for professor hubs on perfectly seared sea scallops, whole wheat couscous, roasted asparagus, and a green salad. It was amazing. In fact, I can't get over how well the whole thing turned out.

CILANTRO PESTO

adapted from Gourmet

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 1/2 a lime

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put all of these things into a food processor and go to town until desired consistency-I like a saucy pesto, you may prefer slightly thicker.

Yum.

Put on everything savory. How GORGEOUS and GREEN is this stuff!!?!

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Sea scallops

Soy sauce

Sauvignon blanc (or other dry white wine)

If your scallops are 'wet' wash them dry well. If they are 'dry' skip the washing and drying step.

Put scallops in a large bowl, combine 1 part soy sauce:3 parts wine until scallops are covered. (With my 14 scallops this amounted to 1/4 cup soy, 3/4 cup wine.)

Allow to marinate for 20 minute-1 hour. When ready to sear, remove from marinade and make sure they are not dripping with excess liquid.

Heat a bit of butter and a bit of vegetable oil in a large sautée pan over high heat until it starts to sizzle.

Add a few scallops to the pan, making sure not to crowd them, which would steam them and not sear them (I cooked six scallops at a time, spaced well apart in a huge pan.)

DO NOT MOVE THEM FOR 2 MINUTES! After that point, turn them. You should sea a gorgeous brown crust. Cook for 1 minute on this side. Then remove from heat and place on serving dish as you do the next batch(es) until done. I add a smidge of butter for each new batch. To serve drizzle some cilantro pesto on top. They are PERFECTION.

How gorgeous are these!! (my new fancy schmancy lens doesn't hurt the photo, either...)

Just in case you are not a seafood person here's a look at the sauce in action on some slices of flatiron steak:

(this photo was taken with an old lens...look how much better the scallops look.)

2 cakes, both alike in dignity

2010-02-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

yeah...so, that Shakespeare reference is quite lame, I know. But it got your attention, didn't it. And I didn't use pun-I just replaced the 'houses' with 'cakes' which is still completely lame...but not AS lame as a pun, right?

eh... anyway...

Yesterday I promised to post my special French chocolate cake recipe (with homemade raspberry coulis) but I realized that it has a smidgen of flour in it, so I will also post my favorite FLOURLESS chocolate cake recipe for those for whom flour is an absolute NO.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

(I have been making this cake for years and years and it never lets me down)

3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting pan

10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (I like ghiradelli)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped

2 tsp vanilla

5 eggs, separated

1/4 cup flour (I have used white, white whole wheat, rice, you name it...it should work and be delicious)

pinch of salt (I use about 3/4 tsp)

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter a 9.5'' springform pan and then sprinkle with powdered sugar, swirl around and tap out the excess.

Set aside 3Tbsp of the sugar. Place the chocolate, butter and remaining sugar in a double boiler until melted. mix well. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly.

Beat the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, then stir in flour.

Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the reserved 3 Tbsp sugar and beat until the whites really are stiff and glossy (this is what keeps the cake light tasting.) Beat in 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Combine well but do not overmix.

Carefully pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when touched lightly with fingertip. (If cake is rising unevenly, rotate after 20 minutes.)

Once baked, transfer to wire rack, remove sides of pan and let cool completely.

Enjoy with raspberry sauce or vanilla ice cream or with a dusting of powdered sugar!

RASPBERRY COULIS

half a bag frozen raspberries

2 tbsp lemon juice

1-4 Tbsp sugar, to taste

In a small saucepan, melt fruit and sugar over med-high heat. Keep stirring. When boiling gently, add lemon juice. Keep stirring for a minute or two. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a large bowl. If you would like, hold onto fruit solids as raspberry jam. Keep refrigerated. The liquid in the bowl is your rapberry coulis. allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy drizzled on chocolate cake, etc.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

(from Nigella lawson)

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted softened butter

1tsp vanilla

6 eggs-2 whole; 4 separated

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom of an 8'' springform pan with parchment but do not grease sides of pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until shites are holding their shape and peak gleamingly, but not stiff.

Remove this boil and set aside while you whisk in another bowl the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla. Then gently fold in the chocolate mixture.

Lighten this mixture with some of the egg whites-then fold in the rest of the whites gently in about 3 goes.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly on the surface. Cool in it's pan on a wire rack. The cake's middle will sink in as it cools and the sides may splinter. It is a vision of imperfection but that's one of the reasons this cake is so good.

Valentine's Feast

2010-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

This post is ridiculously, embarassingly late. It is clearly well past Valentine's Day as I publish this post. However I have been a traveller of late. The last two weeks have seen me in New York, Houston (shooting for the Houston Grand Opera!,) Atlanta, back in Midwestia, and now preparing for an upcoming return trip to NY. The trips were wonderful but I'm pretty tired and in need of some serious nesting (at least for the next few days until I leave for NYC.)

Due to being on the road so much in February I didn't have a chance to share my Valentine's feast recipes. So, perhaps you will be inspired by the following recipes to cook up a very special dinner for some other occasion. Here's the menu: Braised beef shortribs with truffle mashed potatoes, baby root vegetables, brussels sprouts, French chocolate cake with raspberry coulis.

I will give you the recipe for the short ribs, and the baby root veg in this entry and the cake with sauce in the following. I must give credit for the ultimate short ribs recipe to my dear friend Claire. I have followed it almost to the letter, save for the very end where I omitted some extra butter and added a dash of something special...

ULTIMATE BEEF SHORT RIBS

2 Tbsp Vegetable oil

6 short ribs

s&p

1 med onion coarsely chopped

1 med carrot coarsely chopped

1 med celery rib coarsely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine

4 Cups chicken stock

1 tsp black peppercorns, ground

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

1 dried bay leaf

1 Tbsp barbeque sauce (I used the one from Trader Joe's) note: this is optional. I added it because I thought the recipe needed a soupçon of sweet and smoky and this did the trick.

Preheat oven to 300.

In a large, heavy bottomed casserole or oven-proof sauté pan with lid, heat oil over med-high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Cook in batches until nicely browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Pour off all but 3 Tbsp of fat. Return casserole to med-high heat and add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add stock, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf and bring to boil. Return short ribs to casserole and cover tightly.

Move casserole to oven. Braise until short ribs are tender, about 2 hours (I think it often takes longer-2.5 hours worked for me). About 15 minutes into cooking time, check to make sure the liquid is barely simmering, and reduce oven temp if necessary. When tender, transfer ribs to platter. Cover with alum foil to keep warm.

Let braising liquid stand off heat for 3 minutes. Skim off fat that rises to surface. Return casserole to stove and bring to boil over high heat. Cook until sauce is richly flavored and reduced to about 1.5 cups, 10 to 15 minutes (probably longer). Off heat, whisk in barbeque sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

TRUFFLE MASHED POTATOES

1.5 lbs. potatoes

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sour cream

s&p to taste

Peel potatoes. Cut into large chunks. Add to boiling water and cook until tender. Remove potatoes from water (you may keep the water boiling for the baby vegetables) and move to a large bowl. Add sourcream, s&p and mash using favorite method (mine's to use a potato ricer.) When well mashed add truffle oil.

BABY ROOT VEGETABLES
Baby root vegetables: 12 oz parsnips, peeled
12 oz baby carrots, peeled
salt and pepper

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add parsnips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Cover to keep warm.

Add carrots to boiling water and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and keep warm with parsnips. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: place a mound of mashed potatoes in center of warmed dinner plate. Lean a short rib up against potatoes. Spoon sauce around potatoes and garnish with turnips and carrots.

Bon Appetit!!!

Poppy seeds+Lemon=Magic

2010-02-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

As I write this post, I am literally sitting in the Midwestia airport, enjoying the free wifi, joyfully anticipating my business class seat on this afternoon's flight to NYC. Let me just say, BE NICE to the airport check-in people. They can make all the difference in your travel experience. Take this morning: Prof. Hubs had to teach at noon so even though my flight is not until 2:30 this afternoon, I was dropped off at the airport at 11:oo am. When I checked in I made a few jokes with the check-in lady...who, I suppose, appreciated it. And bumped my ticket. To business class. And made my day :)

Not too shabby... (To Julie at Airtran-thank you for being such a sweetheart-you've completely made the horror of waiting in an airport for 3.5 hours a joy now that I know warm cookies and ample leg room await!)

I had opportunity this past weekend to bake not just one, but 2 prototypes of my new favorite cake: The luscious lemon poppy seed cake. I must say, it's unlike any other lemon poppyseed recipe I could find and I looked in all the usual places. I was thinking to myself,

"I want a lemon poppyseed cake with a tight crumb, a moist texture, not too sweet and a nice lemon-y fragrance... Sort of like my apple cake, but not apple... So what did I do? I played! And I came up with a perfectly wonderful Lemon poppy seed cake. In fact, several of those who ate it said it was the best lemon cake they had ever tasted!!!

With that introduction, I give you:

Desperate Housediva's Luscious Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

1.75 cups sugar

3 C reg flour (I used half white whole wheat, half regular white)
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp lemon zest (zest 2 lemons)
1 Tb baking powder
1 C canola oil
1/4 C orange juice

Juice from 1/2 lemon (make sure to remove seeds!!!)

1/2 cup poppyseeds (=3 small containers of poppyseeds)

Preheat oven to 350 (in my crazy oven, I had better luck with 325...)
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour oil, eggs, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and poppy seeds. Combine until well blended.
Grease 10'' tube (bundt) pan. Fill pan with cake batter. Spread the top with a spatula to even.

Bake for about 1 hour or until spaghetti strand comes out clean. Cover top with aluminum foil if it begins to overbrown.

Allow to cool to lukewarm before turning out onto serving plate.
Freezes well.

These are the lemons who sacrificed their zest for the good of the cake:

Here is the zest they yielded:

I like to leave a few scrapes of batter for tasting purposes... strictly business, of course...

Here's a close-up of the last few bites...

Cornbread with an asterisk *

2010-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

In current health food culture corn has a bad reputation. I believe this is due partly to the low-carb fanaticism of the late 1990's and mostly to its connection to the ubiquitous American junk food sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and the genetically modified corn products fed to cattle. But does everyone's favorite bbq side dish (corn-on-the-cob) have any redeeming qualities? Obviously, the answer depends on where you look. I happen to think that if one cooks with clean, local organic corn or cornmeal one can enjoy the health benefits of this Ancient American staple. Did you know that corn is an excellent source of Folate, B vitamins like Thiamin, fiber, phosphorous and manganese in addition to a number of powerful phyto-nutrients (powerful antioxidants that fight disease?) Not so bad, maybe... I invite you to do your own research on corn and come to your own conclusions. I myself will be enjoying it, in moderation, in recipes such as this whole wheat cornbread (did I mention it's also naturally low-fat?)

WHOLE WHEAT CORNBREAD

(adapted from Kathleen Daelmans)

1 cup organic cornmeal (I used yellow)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2 TBSP honey

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (You can use skim, I used 2%)

1/4 cup canola oil (organic!)

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another medium sized bowl combine wet incredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combine, but be careful not to overmix. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes (until edges are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.)

Enjoy!!! (perhaps with a bowl of Green Soup?)

Green Soup

2010-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Last week I returned to NYC which was wonderful, though I over-scheduled my time far too much. I was busy with photoshoots, voice lessons, and friend time, all the while fighting a cold. Ick!

This week seems to have run away with me already-seriously, it's FRIDAY??? January 22nd??? How did that HAPPEN!?! And now I need a week to recover before my next jaunt to the big apple.

It's the beginning of second semester at the College of Midwestia. Professor Hubs is educating America's youth and I'm taking another philosophy class and continuing with Russian. I've also begun painting in the past few weeks, a favorite diversion of my youth. I'm not very good but I really enjoy it and even if my paintings aren't amazing it's an inexpensive and creative way to decorate our otherwise bare walls, no?

And, of course, I've also been doing some cooking...

In an attempt to save money I've been trying to repurpose leftovers in new, creative ways. I actually came up with some of the best meals we've had in a while: Turkey enchiladas, steak with cilantro chimichurri sauce, Portuguese Caldo Verde, etc...

The recipe below for Caldo Verde (Portuguese green soup) is not a traditional caldo verde (a potato broth with kale and sausage,) it's a combination of a traditional recipe and an attempt to rid my fridge of pesky leftovers in a creative, delicious, and healthy way. It comes together very quickly, is delicious, and really sings with some of my quick whole wheat corn bread (recipe to follow in a day or two) in place of the traditional yeast corn bread of the Portuguese, Broa. And it's so good for you: Kale! Beans! Apple Cider vinegar! It's a powerhouse of nutritional masters :)

Desperate Housediva's Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 Spanish onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

6-8 ounces cooked chicken sausage (or chorizo, or linguiça, or tempeh) sliced into thin rounds

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable, if making vegan/vegetarian)

1 lb potatos, peeled and cut into small 1'' bites

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

splash of dry white wine

1 large can (or 2 regular cans) of cannellini beans, rinsed.

1 lb kale, rinsed, de-ribbed, chopped into thin strips.

1 Tbsp-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, to taste (optional...but awesome!)

s&p

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or casserole (medium.) Add onions, garlic, sausage, bay leaf. When onions are translucent, add potatoes and carrots.

Stir well to combine. Add wine splash and broth. When mixture begins to boil, lower heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are tender. Uncover, add beans and kale, stir well.

After kale has wilted, add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Bom Apetite!

(Portuguese. Like the soup. In case you didn't get it...)

Vegetable Resolutions

2010-01-07T18:34:00.001-08:00

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions-by the time December 31st rolls around I've rarely even considered my plans for the new year. However I do recognize the value of goal setting and creating healthy habits. After the richest of holiday feasts I like to amp up my vegetable intake. I figure that if I eat more vegetables I won't have any more room in my tummy for fatty foods and sweets... Following the richest of indulgences I have been known to eat a dinner or two a week of just beautifully prepared vegetables. Sometimes the body needs a bit of a digestive break from the heavy, complicated foods of the holidays. My favorite veggies include a whole roasted Sweet potato (wrap in foil, bake at 400 for 1-1.5 hours,) roasted brussels sprouts or asparagus (toss with olive oil, s&p, put on baking sheet, bake at 400 for 20 min,) and my new veggie fave: garlicky breadcrumbs cauliflower. To me this cauliflower preparation is a nice substitute for my breadcrumbs pasta. (Though low-carb people take note: it's not low carb. It's cooked in breadcrumbs. But it is lower carb than pasta cooked in bread crumbs...)

It's a lovely side dish to fish or chicken, or enjoy it as I do: part of an all vegetable feast.

GARLICKY BREADCRUMBS CAULIFLOWER

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves of garlic, minced

olive oil

1/4, up to 3/4 Cups breadcrumbs

S&P

In a large saucepan add cauliflower, cover with water and a some shakes of salt. Bring to a boil. Cook until cauliflower is tender-about 8 minutes. Drain well.

In a large, nonstick sautée pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden. Add breadcrumbs. Well combine garlic oil and breadcrumbs. Add cauliflower and toss to coat.

I like to allow the mixture to stay for a minute or two in place-in order to create a nice crispy crust of crumbs on the cauliflower (this can only be done in a nonstick pan.) Add S&P to taste. Enjoy!

Guest Writer: Nutrition Counselor Part II

2009-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

I asked my dear friend Jessica, the nutritional health counselor, for another post as we begin to navigate this New Year. I, for one, have really indulged this holiday season. I'm not one for diets but I do recognize the need for clean eating after a few days, weeks or a whole SEASON of indulgences... So, with that in mind, enjoy Jessica's wisdom and advice:

It may sound simple, but...

As your eating habits get cleaner, you start to really enjoy the simplest foods - things with only three or four ingredients.
When shopping in a store, this should be a guideline for us. If you feel the ABSOLUTE NEED to buy prepackaged/prepared foods, try to limit it to foods that have no more than 5 ingredients. Your stomach, face, hair, skin, brain, emotional stability, etc. will thank you!
Continuing along the vein of Winter foods, as we hunker down for the serious bit of it, we keep tackling the challenge of satisfying our instinctive desires for higher carbohydrate foods. The stage is beautifully set for whole grains.
No, I don't mean brown Wonderbread...lol
I mean little pearls of goodness that can be found at your local natural market in the bulk bins. Things like quinoa, millet, barley, buckwheat, wild rice blends, and the like. There are hundreds, depending where in the country you are.
Today, I had some fun with millet. This little round golden grain has been cultivated in East Asia for the last 10,000 years. It is safe for those with gluten intolerance, such as Coeliac's, and provides about 11% protein by weight. It is rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6, folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millet does contain a mild thyroid peroxidase inhibitor, so should be eaten in moderation by people with thyroid problems.
Ok, got all that mumbo-jumbo out of the way, now this stuff tastes G-O-O-D!
As with most grains, millet should be soaked in an "acid bath" to remove the stomach irritating saponins (yes, naturally occuring soap). This is easy. Put your millet - a cup or so - in a small bowl and fill with water to about 1/2 inch above the grain. Then pour 2 tablespoons of either fresh lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar and mix in. Cover, place somewhere warm (top of stove does fine) for at leat 4 hours, if not overnight. You can leave this longer to open the grain up and some people go so far as to let it ferment a bit. Not I.
In the morning, run water through it a few times and throw water out. Then put in saucepan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer til tender - sometimes it absorbs all the water, sometimes you have to drain it off, but when it's done it'll have the consistency of slightly al-dente pasta.
Drain.
Then, the fun begins. First, you need to decide what kind of fat you want to add. Yes fat. Get over it. You need it for your skin, eyes, organs, and BRAIN! Also, the nutrients in whole grains are mostly fat-soluble, meaning they are ONLY bioavailable to your body when accompanied by wholesome fats.
I prefer to add some raw milk butter, but as that is hard to get in NY, olive oil does the trick.
Then, I like to add some aromatics - garlic and/or onion.
Then, some herbs and/or chopped tomato.
Eat warm. YUM!

Today, I did the following - to a 1/2 cup serving of warm millet, I added:
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons of VERY FINELY chopped raw red onion
note: I let the onion rest for a few minutes after chopping to let go of it's bitter bite before adding to bowl
about one teaspoon of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil (first cold pressed)
a pinch of pink himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon of crumbled raw milk sharp cheddar

Another awesome thing about these grains is that the other half cup I made can be stored for later. You can make a sweet treat out of it by adding some cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and either maple syrup or agave nectar and it turns out like a yummy sort of rice-pudding-y concoction.

Go out and see what grains your local market has! Most can be prepared as above, with a preliminary acid soak. If you find something you don't know what to do with, feel free to email me with questions!
Happy Winter Eats!

jessica@732eattrue.com
www.732eattrue.com

Wisdom from my Mother-In-Law

2009-12-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

Prof. Hubs and I just got back from a relaxing holiday visit with his family. We saw movies (Avatar in 3d is so wonderful!!! Young Victoria is a gem!) read, relaxed, went for walks, bonded, and feasted our way through the days...I think just about every meal we ate in the last seven days included pie of some kind... I'll really need to do some detoxing in the new year (and my posts will reflect this so keep checking in.)

In addition to being a brilliant professor, scholar and mother of four, my mother-in-law is a really good cook-the intuitive kind. No recipes used in her kitchen-she cooks based on her 'sense' of what will be delicious and beautiful. (And what can be combined in a a MAGIC BULLET...she loves her infomercial finds!) She really produced some delectable meals during our visit and the following recipe is one I asked her to make twice I liked it so much. And I also made it first thing upon arriving back in Midwestia. I learn so much from watching her cook and this quick and inexpensive meal is a new favorite.

Flank Steak (1-1.25 lbs.)

Worcestershire sauce (I used 1/3 of a bottle)

Soy sauce (again, I used 1/3 of a bottle)

Flour (for dredging)

White wine (Mother-in-law says the cheaper the better)

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Onion

1/2 container of mushrooms, sliced

1 large Potato(optional)

White wine

sour cream (optional)

Rice (best with long grain white basmati, but we enjoy it with short grain brown rice.)

Start to cook rice.

Slice flank steak into very thin pieces. Put sliced beef in a bowl and add enough soy sauce and worcestershire sauce to cover (ratio of soy to worcestershire sauce is 1:1) Add a splash of dry white wine to marinade. Marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to one day.

(To my vegetarian friends, I apologize for the carnage in this post both in prose and in pictures!!!)

During marinating process prepare mushroom/onion mixture:

Slice onion into thin rings. Cook over med-high heat for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. (you have the option here to add thinly sliced potatoes and cook until tender.) Add sliced mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add 2-3 white wine splashes.

Cook until alcohol smell is gone and liquid is mostly reduced. Lower heat to low.

Remove meat from marinade and coat with flour.

Heat oil in large sautée pan over med-high heat. Cook steak in small batches, adding garlic cloves and splash of white wine to each batch.

(sorry this photo is so unappetizing...believe me, it looks so tasty when it's all assembled!)

Cook until browned and crispy.

Top cooked rice with beef, then with mushroom mixture. (Prof. Hubs prefers to mix in a large dollop of sour cream (of course) before eating.)

Enjoy!!!

Oatmeal at its Best

2009-12-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

I've been on a breakfast food kick this Holiday season. So here's another favorite recipefrom the vault:

Several Summers ago I had the opportunity to sing with a wonderful little company in Indiana called T HE WAGON WHEEL THEATRE. Located in the metropolis of Warsaw, (that is used ironically for those readers who are not familiar with Indiana's geography) the Wagon Wheel puts together an amazing season of performances. I highly recommend checking it out if you ever find yourself in Northern Indiana in Summer craving showtunes... or delicious breakfast foods. During my time in Warsaw my colleagues and I would pile in a car for almost an hour to eat a bowl of oatmeal-the very special Amish Baked Oatmeal at a little restaurant called the Corner Cafe in Nappanee, Indiana. In fact, this oatmeal was so special that one of us would call the restaurant at 6am to ask them to set aside some pieces of baked oatmeal so that the trip would be worthwhile.

It's been years since I had a bowl of that oatmeal-so rich and nutty, so tender and sweet... It haunts me. Or it did until I figured out an approximate recipe:

AMISH BAKED OATMEAL

(makes 6 servings...though I can eat 4 of them myself in one sitting...that's how good this is)

1.5 cups oats (I like the regular kind, not the slow cooking Irish or the quick cooking)

1/2 cup brown sugar (sometimes I use agave if I'm feeling particularly healthy)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

(This recipe can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning... but it's not necessary)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Pour into a greased 8X8 glass baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes, until edges are golden brown.

Cool Slightly, then cut into squares. Serving suggestions:

top with brown sugar, milk, nuts, bananas, raisins, etc...

(my personal favorite is brown sugar, toasted walnuts, and milk)

Popovers

2009-12-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

In my childhood home my Mom must have baked fresh popovers every Winter weekend. I fondly remember tearing into the warm, puffy crust and feeling enthralled as I watched the steam rush skyward before I took my first bite. Each of my two brothers must have eaten their weight in popovers during the 1980's... This is why whenever I see/smell/taste/even think of popovers I feel intense happy family nostalgia.

My friend Claire (of Claire's Limey Salad fame) recently prepared popovers at a dinner she hosted and I was instantly taken back to those childhood weekend breakfasts. With this in mind I decided to prepare a Desperate Housediva version of this family favorite. I added some magical White Whole Wheat flour in order to make it a bit healthier and included the melted butter in the batter itself to add a flaky/pastry component to the dish. They did not disappoint: not only do they live up to my popover nostalgia but they also feel healthier (and no less delicious) with the addition of the white whole wheat flour.

If you have never had the pleasure of enjoying a fresh popover (which was Prof. Hubs' situation before this morning) the only way I can describe them is to say they are something like a Yorkshire Pudding...if that doesn't help you, just taste them. Prof. Hubs said that they are like the best parts of bread combined with the bests part of eggs. This is a somewhat literal description for those who really have no previous popover/yorkshire pudding experience.

No matter what, you should make them...like NOW.

POPOVERS

(adapted from the Moosewood cookbook)

2 to 4 Tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

(NOTE: In the original recipe one can use up to 4 eggs depending on your egginess preferences. If using more than 2 eggs, add a 1/4 each of milk and all purpose flour.)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tin/popover tin.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients well. A few lumps are okay.

(NOTE: some people use the melted butter to grease the tin. Others add the melted butter to the batter. I do the latter and it creates a wonderfully flaky popover, but if you're looking for a silkier, less flaky popover omit the butter from the batter.)

Pour batter into muffin tins filling them 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes (Add 5 minutes

per egg if you added more than 2 to your batter.) DO NOT open oven while popovers are baking!!!!!

After the alotted cooking time has passed remove popovers immediately and prick the puffy part with a knife to allow steam to escape and to help them hold their unique shape.

Serve immediately. I like mine plain or with this...

The Ginger Cookies of life

2009-12-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Let me begin this post by stating that, thanks to my dear friend Jessica's post on winter cravings,

I am no longer craving sweets with the same voracity. Thus, I can now make Holiday cookies

without being a slave to them. With this new freedom in mind I share with you one of my favorite

cookie recipes.

Last Winter during one of my visits to Prof. Hubs in Boston, my friend Evelyn and I found ourselves in her kitchen craving Chrismas cookies. In the end, we couldn't agree on what kind of cookies to make so we decided there was no harm in making two recipes. The Russian Tea cakes were good enough, but it was this Ginger cookie recipe that was the great success of the afternoon. I must have made them 50 times since that fateful afternoon with Evelyn. They are the most perfect, chewy, ginger-y snaps... This week I have been invited to my first cookie swap (girlie night of gossip and cookie noshing? SIGN ME UP!) and I think I may bring these-it will be the second time in 3 days that I've made them...they're that good. I have passed the recipe on to many of my nearest and dearest and here I share it with you:

Ginger Cookies

thank you, thank you, Paula Deen...

xo, Desperate Housediva

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the shortening and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the egg and molasses and beat until completely incorporated. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt and add to the mixture. Stir until combined. Roll the dough into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Roll the balls in sugar.

Place 1/2-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingertips. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (so far...)

2009-12-14T10:33:00.001-08:00

The following is a recipe that came together after scouring other blogs that claim to have found a replica recipe for the famous

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie. The truth is, after attempting each of the recipes I could find,

I can say with certainty that none of the replica recipes comes close to the taste of a real Levain cookie.

And yet each of them makes a pretty fantastic chocolate chip cookie in their own right.

After putting together this recipe, I had my dear friend and recipe tester, Ana, give them a try.

She gave them rave reviews and said they reminded of Mrs. Fields cookies.

So it's back to the drawing board in terms of Levain replicas... In the meantime,

Mrs. Fields still makes a mean cookie so the recipe's worth trying.

So far, this is the best Chocolate Chip cookie recipe I've come up with.

Don't forget these cookie baking tips:

-when you're ready to store any cookies: Put them in a sealed container atop a slice of soft bread.

It really keeps them moist and chewy (if, like me, you love a chewy cookie.)

-chilling the dough and the cookie sheet will make for less cookie spread (if you are looking for a thicker cookie)

-Chilling the dough overnight makes for the best chocolate chip cookies, no matter what recipe you're using

(that tip is from Maury of THE CITY BAKERY himself!)

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (so Far)

1 stick butter, cold and cubed

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

In an electric mixer, or by hand cream all above ingredients

add:

3/4 c. all purpose flour (using only BLEACHED flour will result in less cookie spread)

3/4 c. white whole wheat flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

Mix all ingredients with an electric beater until incorporated and a thick, creamy dough is created. Then mix in:

1/2 cups of crushed walnuts

1 cup of {good quality, small} semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat again with electric mixer.

please excuse my graphic design additions...I've been going a bit photoshop crazy these days...

If you have the time, do take the time to work these a bit by hand (knead) like a bread dough. It's not necessary, but they are a bit more Levain-y that way :)

Drop large balls of dough on cookie sheet covered in parchment or, my fave: silpat mat.

Bake 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (depending on desired gooey-ness), or until the tips of the cookies have turned light brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool and ENJOY!!!!

Festival of Lights

2009-12-09T17:39:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again: Chanukah!
In my family Chanukah is synonymous with Latkes. Usually my Dad (though on occasion, my Mom) prepares them annually to celebrate this. As a child I used to invite a friend or two over (usually non-Jewish friends as there weren't a large number of other Jewish families in our town) to light the candles, eat latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel. One of these childhood friends wrote to me a couple of days ago requesting that I write a post divulging the secrets of my family's famous Latkes. It warmed my heart in the most wonderful way that she remembered: how amazing to think that the little Chanukkah dinner we shared as children stuck with her after all this time. In her honor I dedicate this:

The Famous Family Latkes

(From the complete American-Jewish cookbook, edited by Anne London and Bertha Kahn Bishov, 1971)

6 medium potatoes

1 small onion

2 eggs slightly beaten

3 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Peel and grate potatoes and onion.

Let stand 10 minutes so liquid will rise to top. Remove liquid.

Stir in eggs.

Add other ingredients.

Drop by spoonfuls into hot, well-greased skillet. (my Dad uses canola oil)

Brown on both sides.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve hot with applesauce, or sour cream. (I like both)

Russian Feast, also known as how I spent my Thursday

2009-12-05T13:10:00.001-08:00

In honor of semester's end at the College of Midwestia Prof. Hubs and I decided to throw a little party for the Russian students to celebrate all that they accomplished during the past few months...and mostly to bribe them into continuing their studies with the Russian program...

In my eagerness to prepare traditional Russian recipes I decided to (ambitiously) prepare not only a traditional borscht (beet soup,) but also pirozhki (little pies filled with a cabbage mixture,) Khatchapuri (the most delicious cheese bread known to humankind) and an apple cake... I was cooking for more than 10 hours, people (which is why I poached a borscht photo from some other website-I was too busy kneading fresh pirozhki dough to snap pics...) It was actually a lot of fun-though somewhat stressful (I needed Prof. Hubs to stage a Borscht intervention somewhere around 9pm on Thursday and he came to my rescue with more beets, etc.) and I haven't had such sore feet since my days working in the restaurant business. No wonder they require food service workers to wear those dansko clogs!

After all that cooking we finally got to enjoy the goodies-and they were wonderful. Even the actual Russians at the feast found them to be authentically delish (though, admittedly the whole wheat dough that I used for the cabbage pirozhki was not nearly as supple and light as the white dough I made for the cheese Khatchapuri...nor nearly as authentic.) I have included the Borscht recipe and the Khatchapuri recipe, because they were the most beloved (and I already shared the amazing Jewish apple cake recipe in a previous post.) Though the borscht has multiple parts it's worth the effort on a cold winter's day. And you can always do something else (like make Khatchapuri) while the various parts are cooking...

FUN WITH BORSCHT

based on several recipes, including on on SIMPLY RECIPES, one on EPICURIOUS and several featured on prominent Russian cooking websites

(note: this makes enough borscht to fill a large stockpot...or a lot of people.)

INGREDIENTS

vegetable oil

2lbs beef shortribs (the British cut, thick squares, on the bone, as opposed to the thin, long cuts)

1 onion, quartered

16 cups (4 containers) beef broth (low sodium)

8 beets

8 carrots, peeled, chopped into 1/2 inch bites

5 med potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1/2 inch bites

6 cups white cabbage chopped into 1/2 inch square shreds

1 cup dill, chopped

sour cream

s&p

PART I

In a large stockpot heat a bit of vegetable oil to med-hi. Add shortribs. Brown on all sides (total of about 8 minutes) then add onion. Then add one container (4 cups) broth. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover. Cook for 2.5 hours. After that time remove from heat. Transfer shortribs to plate. Trim of bone and fat, shred meat. Set aside shredded beef in fridge. Allow broth to cool (this takes at least 4 hours) and then skim fat from the top.

PART II

Boil beets in water for 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Allow to cool, then peel and chop into 1/2 inch bites.

Continue with all of the other vegetable chopping.

Bring skimmed back to stove. Add remaining stock and bring to a boil. Add all chopped vegetables (beets, carrots, potato.) Then lower heat to simmer soup, covered for at least an hour. Stir in meat.

Now you are FINALLY ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor-

Serve soup with a large dollop of sourcream, dill, and salt and pepper to taste.

KHATCHAPURI (Georgian cheese bread)

(note: I'm sure you could just use refrigerated pizza dough rolled very thin for this, but if you have the time, this dough is so silky and supple.)

DOUGH

(recipe by Gil Marks)

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water plus 2/3 cup warm water or milk

3 tsp sugar or honey

2 large eggs

1/4 cup butter melted

1.5 tsp salt

about 3.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour

In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Stir in 1 tsp of the sugar and let stand until foamy. Stir in the remaining water, the remaining 2 tsp sugar, the eggs, butter, salt,and 2 cups of the flour. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a workable dough.

Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased large bowl, turning to coat. cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1.5 hours. Punch down and knead again before use or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

FILLING

1 cup ricotta cheese

1.5 blocks of feta cheese, crumbled

half a bag shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 egg

Combine all cheeses and egg.

ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough to 1/2'' to 3/4'' thick. Cut into rounds (my rounds were about 6'' in diameter.) Fill the rounds with a layer of cheese mixture, leaving room at the edges. Cover with another round and pinch edges closed. (for extra pretty brown-ness, brush little pies with a mix of 1 egg and 1 tbsp water before baking.) Place on a greased baking sheet and bake until lightly browned (in my oven, about 10 minutes.)

I warn you-this is the tastiest cheesy bread product you will EVER EAT:

ENJOY WITH CAUTION-HIGHLY ADDICTIVE

The House Special

2009-12-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Early on in our relationship I took Prof. Hubs through the labyrinthine side streets of NYC's china town to one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants. It's called, iconically, PHO. (That was a joke-they're almost all called PHO, named after the hearty oxtail soup served for breakfast throughout Vietnam.) I think it's on Mulberry near Bayard, but I'm not even sure... I can only find it intuitively using my uncanny New York sense of inner North.

Before even opening the menu Prof. Hubs told me he was ordering 'the House Special.' I was not aware the restaurant even had a house special-nor was I aware that Prof. Hubs was a pro at ordering in Vietnamese restaurants. Surprisingly, Prof. Hubs was correct-they DID have a house special. According to him, every Vietnamese restaurant worldwide (or at least the ones he's patronized) offer it and it's always basically the same thing. Even more suprising was that it was, ironically, NOT Pho. It was, I have since learned, Bún, one of Prof. Hubs favorite dishes in the universe.

Though not actually a bread product at all, Bún is a deliciously refreshing rice vermicelli noodle dish. It's noodles, served room temperature, covered with a green mixture of shredded lettuce, carrot, basil, mint, cilantro, peanuts, lemongrass-marinated grilled meat, and a sweet dressing called Nuoc Cham, which is poured over all... It's sooooo good. It's a wonderful light dinner. Probably more suited for warm weather we balked at convention and made it tonight...and it was amazing. I was a bit intimidated by the long ingredient list and the amount of fish sauce involved (icky smell, no?) but it turned out to be a really simple meal to put together, with very little cooking involved, all coming together in under an hour. With a bit of practice one could probably make it in 30 minutes, which is always a bonus any time of year.

THE HOUSE SPECIAL (Vietnamese Bún)

NUOC CHAM DRESSING

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp sriracha or other chili sauce

2/3 cup hot water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fish sauce

juice of 1 lime

1 TBSP shredded carrot

Combine all ingredients, allow to cool.

VIETNAMESE LEMONGRASS-STYLE MARINATED CHICKEN

3 chicken breasts cut into strips

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

4 garlic cloves chopped

2 scallions, chopped

3 tsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

juice of 1 lime

squirt o sriracha sauce

Combine all ingredients and allow chicken to marinate as the rest of the Bún recipe is assembled.

ASSEMBLING BÚN

1 package rice vermicelli (or if you live in Midwestia like i do-Pad Thai noodles)

1/2 cup julienned carrots

1 romaine lettuce heart, shredded

4 Tbsp bean sprouts

4 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

4 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup chopped peanut

Nuoc Cham dressing

Lemongrass marinated Chicken

Cook noodles according to package directions, allow to cool as the rest of the recipe is assembled.

Shred/chop all veggie ingredients.

Cook chicken in grill pan or wok until cooked through. Allow to cool a bit, then chop into bite sized pieces.

Assembling salad: Noodles on plate topped with lettuce, carrots, beansprouts herbs, then chicken pieces, then peanuts, then dressing. mmmmm.....

Guest Writer: Nutrition Counselor

2009-12-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

I wrote to my dear friend Jessica in a panic a few nights ago.

Ever since the weather turned cold here in Midwestia (and yes, I've seen flakes in the air-Winter is here!) I've been craving sweets CONSTANTLY- I really just want to eat cookies and cakes all day as I watch movies from the 80's (like Mannequin... Stop judging me...)

In fact, Prof. Hubs even commented that when I have cookies/cakes in the house he can see the hunger in my eyes. Apparently it's even clear to the outside world that I'm really thinking about eating sweets when I should be mentally present in other activities. Hence the reason I wrote to Jessica: She's a holistic nutritionist. I knew that her wisdom would clarify what was happening to me biologically and offer a solution that didn't involve my outgrowing all of my pants. And she did. Since her letter to me I made a few small changes to my meals (oatmeal in the morning, sweet potatoes in the evening) and I'm no longer a cookie monster out on a rampage: I can actually concentrate on other aspects of my life. I asked Jessica to do a guest post on Desperate Housediva about her tips for battling the bulge (or in my case, the cookies) when the weather outside is frosty:

As Winter creeps in, why do we crave sweets and carbs and what can we do about it?

It is totally normal to crave sweets and other calorie dense foods as the temperature drops. Our ancestors had these biological instincts for survival. Your body knows that the changes mean that (in olden days, anyway) Winter is coming and you need to gather some insulation about you to survive the period of darkness and less available foods.

It is normal to be hungrier and/or craving more sweet things at this time. Winter calls for always having root veggies in the house and making one or two DAILY. It doesn't have to be complicated. Squashes and root vegetables come in nature-made oven ready "packages". You can just put them on a baking sheet or wrap in foil and stick them in the oven at 400 for an hour and VOILA! Sweet, earthy, warm goodness that can be easily tweaked to suit a savory or sweet whim! They have the sweetness and carbs you need and crave without resorting to cookies every day. All hail the sweet potato! And squashes in their many shapes and sizes!

For the moments when ONLY a mouthfull of intense sweetness will do, have some Agave on hand (can be ordered off the internet). If you are experiencing a hardcore "jones" for sweets, go ahead and pour yourself a spoonful and savor it before you swallow. This is great for people who are real sugar addicts and trying to wean themselves. Agave does not affect your glycemic levels and is even safe for diabetics. It still does have calories, though, so take it easy. :) When you have a moderate need for sweetness, you can drizzle it over toast or even left over rice with some cinnamon to get a fix.

If you can get your hands on some different grains, too, that will help. Now's the time to have steel cut oats for breakfast and make sure you eat a generous amount of good fats (olive or peanut oils or even *gasp* some organic butter!) with the grains so that you make the minerals "bio-available" to you. Now is the time to explore all of the different kinds of grains, like Quinoa, Bulgur, Buckwheat, Teff, Amaranth, Kamut, Millet, and a whole bevy of others available. These are also readily available on the internet.

Another thing you can do to prevent your biological impulses to put on Winter weight for survival is to keep warm! So, long johns or flannel PJs can also help. The less you FEEL the cold, the less you may crave sweets. Warm teas also help regulate this - both temp and cravings. Just not too much caffeine so that it doesn't make your blood sugars dip or affect your sleep cycles.

If you live in the Northeast like I do, it is hard to get enough sunlight during the Winter. Most people living in the Northeast have Vitamin D defficiencies during the Winter, which has been proven to cause depression and negatively affect your metabolism. Do you have a room with big windows? It is important to get some sun on your skin to keep making Vitamin D. If you can't, then go get a supplement but make sure you look at ingredients and be smart about what else they're slipping you in the pil/liquid you take.

So.... Roots, tubers, and gourds plus warm PJs plus sunlight and you're all set!

Stay well and keep warm this Winter!

If you'd like a more personalized plan or more details, feel free to contact me at

http://websites.integrativenutrition.com/JSlatkoff/Index.aspx
or 732-EAT-TRUE

Initial Health Counseling Consultation is Complimentary

Kasha time

2009-12-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Growing up in a Jewish American household, Kasha was something we ate on Jewish holidays as a hearty side dish to brisket. What is Kasha, you ask? Kasha is whole grain buckwheat groats, toasted, then cooked like rice until it becomes a delicious and fluffy side-dish. It's technically not a grain-it's a fruit in the rhubarb family-seriously! So it's wonderful for people trying to avoid wheat. And it's a great source of amino acids (protein's building blocks,) second only to Quinoa in the pseudo-grain family. It's found in every Russian pantry and most Ashkenazi Jewish homes as well. Here's the thing though-it has a very 'idiosyncratic' flavor. Sort of a bitter, earthy taste that some uninitiated palates don't like. I love it, but that may be because I've eaten for as long as I can remember! Prof. Hubs would eat it for every meal and he claims that most people who try it don't have any idea how to eat it, what kind to buy, and how to prepare it which is why they think they don't like it. I think his hypothesis is true because it seems the only kinds we've been able to find at health food stores (the most accessible option) is the quick cooking kind, and if you try

that kind you will NOT like it. It's really worth trekking to a Russian food store (or to any number of Russian food stores online, our fave:

http://www.moscowonhudson.com ) to buy a bag and go through the whole process. One cooks it as one would cook rice: rinse the grains (like with rice) and cook it 1 part kasha to 2 parts water (also like rice,) starting out at a boil, then lowering heat to a simmer and covering for about 15 minutes. Kasha needs a savory, creamy addition: butter, sourcream, egg yolks, etc.. It's AMAZING with eggs sunny-side up, their yolks mixed into the brown grains. It sings with the gravy from a roast beef or chicken. And it is most delicious when mixed with any of the above AND with sour cream.

It was with Kasha in mind that I created this Chicken Paprikash recipe. I thought it would be a great showcase for this ultra-healthy and hearty side dish...and it really was...

Desperate Housediva's Chicken Paprikash

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp butter + spl

ash of Olive oil

S&P

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, cut into thin stips or bite sized pieces

3 cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp (Hungarian) paprika

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp flour

In a large dutch oven melt butter and olive oil over Med-High heat.

When melted, add onions, peppers and garlic. Stir and cook until onion is translucent. Push veggies to the outside of pan and add chicken pieces.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces, stir and cook.

At this point you can reincorporate the veggies. When chicken is cooked through, add paprika. Stir to coat. Add bay leaf. Add chicken broth.

Lower heat to Med-low, cover and cook for 45-50 minutes. At this point, remove lid, stir in flour and sour cream until thickened.

Serve over noodles, rice, potato or buckwheat Kasha like we do :)

Enjoy!!!

It takes a village: Bibimbap

2009-11-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

Prof. Hubs and I love Korean food. We especially love Kimchee (pickled cabbage,) Kalbi (beef shortribs,) and Bibimbap (rice and vegetables.) Since our move to Midwestia I have chronicled the lack of feasible ethnic food eateries in our area. And though this fact in itself is really, really inconvenient it actually has forced us to become more adventurous in our own kitchen so that we needn't go without our favorite dishes from around the world-we just have to cook them ourselves. Which is how I came to prepare bibimbap... Let me state that this recipe is the product of a collaborative effort-I must thank several of my Korean friends for their guidance in the production of this dish... Thanks to their tips plus some desperate housediva ingenuity the final product tasted just like my favorite bibimbap from K-town in NYC!!!

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA BIBIMBAP (for 2)

1 cup short grain brown rice (note: traditional bibimbap uses white rice)

half a bag of washed baby spinach

10 mushrooms (preferably shitake, but white will do in a pinch) cut into slices

10 baby carrots cut into matchsticks or 3/4 cup shredded carrot

1 small zucchini cut into matchsticks or 3/4 cup shredded zucchini

handful of korean bean sprouts (I can't find these in midwestia so don't stress if you can't either)

2 eggs

Sriraicha sauce (or, if you can find it, Gochujang, Korean chili paste)

BULGOGI BEEF (optional..,and soooo delicious)

1 ribeye steak trimmed of fat and cut into little thin bites

3/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp honey

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, diced

splash of sesame oil

splash of rice wine vinegar

About 40 minutes before serving begin to cook the brown rice...it takes about that long.

When rice is close to being done, or IS done it's time to cook the individual components of the dish. Blanche the spinach in boiling water for a minute or two, until wilted. Remove from boiling water, rinse in cold water and squeeze out excess. In a wok or sautée pan heat a bit of sesame oil and cook the carrots until just softened.

Remove carrots from pan, add a dash of sesame oil to pan and cook mushrooms (with a dash of salt) until soft and thin.

Remove mushrooms from pan and add a dash of oil and cook zucchini with a dash of salt until translucent.

Keep the cooked vegetables separate from one another on a plate.

If cooking bulgogi beef, now is the time to heat up a wok on high and add the beef, I just throw the whole thing in there (with marinade) and stir it around for a two minutes until the beef is cooked. In the pan you used to cook the veggies, heat a bit of oil (canola, peanut, etc.) and cook 2 eggs, over easy.

Assemble the plate: One cup of rice, covered with beef, veggies (separate, but next to each other) and fried egg. I like to top with a dollop of sriraicha sauce (because we can't get the special Korean bibimbap sauce here in Midwestia...) and then mix it ALL together and enjoy!!!

Healthy side dish idea for Holiday feasts and beyond!!!

2009-11-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

In general, I don't like cauliflower. I think it goes back to the years of boring veggie trays at various school events (I also don't like that plastic-tasting ranch dressing that comes in tubs that often accompanies those trays.) In my entire life thus far I may have only enjoyed this pale cousin of the broccoli prepared 2 ways-the first is a roasted preparation with salt and pepper (because I believe that just about every vegetable is delicious when tossed in olive oil, salted, peppered and roasted...) and the other preparation is as a flavorful substitute for mashed potatoes which appears at the end of this post.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate different vegetables into my diet which is what drove me to give cauliflower a whirl in Midwestia. I also love comfort foods and I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to enjoy lighter versions in a healthy way. (It is due to the latter that I often substitute whole wheat flour for white or agave nectar for honey/sugar. I don't cook with fake sugars like splenda: I don't like the taste and I mentally feel less satisfied if I know that I am not eating actual calories-Although I am guilty of hypocrisy in this matter because I have been known to use butter-flavored crisco sticks to make my famous ginger cookies...and I really can't think of anything LESS natural than butter-flavored crisco stick) With that in mind, here is an all-natural recipe for delicious cauliflower mash:

Rich & Creamy (and garlicky) parmesan mashed cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 head garlic

handful parmesan

2 large dollops sour cream

S&P

Remove papery outer shell of garlic head. Wrap garlic in foil. Roast head of garlic in foil in oven at 400 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, squeeze out yummy roasted garlic from clove.

Wash and cut cauliflower into florets

Boil cauliflower in large pot of water until tender (about 10 minutes)

Drain really, really well. While still hot, combine with sour cream, parmesan, roasted garlic, and s&p. Puree mixture in Food Processor, Blender, etc. until the texture resembles that of mashed potatoes.

Enjoy as a low-carb, starch free, veggie side dish!

Capery-mustardy fish

2009-11-10T09:35:00.002-08:00

It's amazing how quickly a favorite dish can become tiresome. I often find myself making the same dishes ad nauseum because of their prep time, no matter how sick I am of the dish itself. That's one of the reasons I discovered this next recipe. Prof. Hubs and I like to eat fish a few times a week but we seem to grow tired of them faster and faster these days! I wanted to find a new, fast, tasty recipe for white flaky fish filets and this one fit the bill-and after making it a few times we're not sick of it...yet. Thanks to Ina Garten who's classic take on good food made this recipe possible. And thanks to Prof. Hubs who is always willing to try a new recipe, especially if it presents him with the opportunity to eat sour cream.

YUMMY NEW CAPERY-MUSTARDY FISH

based on a recipe by Ina Garten

4 (8-ounce) fish fillets (we used cod)
s&p
8 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly oil a baking dish. Salt and pepper the cleaned fish filets and place in dish.

Combine sour cream, 2 mustards, shallots, capers in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.)

Bon appetit!!!

Mushroom Goodness

2009-11-10T09:35:00.001-08:00

As is evident from my lack of posts in recent weeks, I have not posted in a while. The recent past found me in NYC for another whirlwind week, back in Midwestia for a minute, off to Michigan, then to Toledo, then to Midwestia, then to Detroit, then...well, I've been travelling. Now that I'm back (at least until Thanksgiving, when I will travel for food) and have gotten a chance to decompress for a day, I'm ready to share some amazing culinary treats!

In the next few posts I would like to concentrate on recipes that require little time but reap big results-as in delicious results. The first of these is my mushroom goodness recipe. I originally came across a form of this concoction in a BON APPETIT magazine from several years ago. In that incarnation it was used as a topping for pizza. Since first appearing in my kitchen it has since made waves as a pasta topping, a polenta topping, a chicken topping, and of course, a pizza topping. It's really, really wonderful. Prof. Hubs doesn't really like pizza but since he tasted the mushroom goodness he requests it regularly.

I like the whole wheat pizza dough recipe in the NEW BASICS cookbook best, but feel free to use your own, or the premade balls of dough available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and grocery stores everywhere... Then top the pizzas with obscene amounts of fresh mozzarella and grated parmigiano reggiano.

MUSHROOM GOODNESS

based on a recipe from Bon Appetit

E.V. olive oil

2 onions, cut into thin rings

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 package mixed mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms, or shitakes, or...well, you get it.)

1 minced shallot

1 cup dry white wine

large pinch of dried rosemary

s&p

In a large sautée pan, heat oil over med-high. Add onions and sautée for 15-20 minutes, until well caramelized (browned, sweet smelling and translucent.)

Remove onions from pan. Add more oil to pan. Add mushrooms, shallot, garlic and rosemary. Sautée for 4 minutes. Then add wine. Cook until alcohol smell is gone and majority of liquid is absorbed. S&P to taste.

Now top your pizza/pasta/polenta, etc.

(cook pizza at 500 for about 10 min, until cheese is bubbly)

Bon appetit!!!

What to do with Leeks that isn't soup

2009-10-27T08:37:00.001-07:00

Recently, I have been purchasing vegetables I don't cook often and playing with new preparations for them. The latest of these is the Leek. Something like a mild, overgrown green onion, the leek is most well known for its place in potato leek soup. Making a big pot of soup is not something I felt up to this weekend...I'm just beginning to come out of my post-NYC shell of laziness. So a quick pasta dinner (or side dish) is more my style. This is a variation on one of my favorite lazy time/quick dinners.

Quick Pasta with Leeks (for 2)

pasta for 2

Whites of 1 leek, cut into thin rounds

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

olive oil

chopped Italian parsley

s&p

grated Parmeggiano Reggiano

While you are cooking your pasta in a different pan, in a large sautée pan heat olive oil on Med-High. When oil is hot, add leeks and garlic. When fragrant and golden, add breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Cook for 2 minutes, add lemon juice, parsley and s&p. Toss with cooked pasta, cover with LOTS of grated cheese and ENJOY!

Salmon resurrection

2009-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

I ruined salmon. The whole species. It became something I couldn't eat without gagging. Prof. Hubs and I were so over the usual preparations we'd been ingesting the last few months that it became impossible to enjoy. And then I found THIS salmon recipe... A wonderful week night preparation for those evenings when the last thing you want to do is prepare a healthy meal. And somehow, the combination of fennel, onion, and orange made salmon delicious again. I really can't remember the last time I enjoyed a piece of salmon so much!
Salmon with Fennel

(based on a recipe by Ina Garten)

1 Salmon filet

1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 onion, cut into thin rounds

olive oil

1/2 tsp dried dill

2 TBSP chopped fennel fronds

2 TBSP orange juice

S&P

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Sautée the onion and fennel in olive oil over med-high heat for 10 minutes. Stir in fronds, dill, orange juice, s&p, cook for 5 more minutes.

Put salmon in oven-safe dish, cover with fennel mixture and bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven and preference of done-ness.

Bon Appetit!