Okra with Cumin and Coriander

Another recipe from the new cookbook. I think this is my first time ever cooking with okra. The Monster was a trooper, eating it even after having muttered "I don't know about okra...*grumble, grumble* ".
He still wasn't too sure about it after eating his portion, so I saved him from the rest by having it for lunch the next day. I think it was better the next day too.
Alright, now what to do with the half pound of okra I have left in the fridge? A mini batch of pickled okra?? Guess it's either that or fry those suckers up. Not really how we eat anymore...buuuuut, I DO hate to waste food. ;-)

Okra with Cumin and Coriander:
(Rosemary Elliot's Vegetarian Cookery)

1 smallish onion, or half large, chopped
2 Tbs oil
1/2 lb okra, washed, trimmed, but left whole
1 tsp salt
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 Tbs ground coriander
7 fl oz. water
2 tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped cilantro to garnish

Saute the onion in a medium saucepan for 5 minutes, then add okra, salt, cumin, and coriander.
Mix well, then cook gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Add the water, then simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes more, until the okra is tender and most of the water has been absorbed.
Shake the pan, or stir gently from time to time.
Add the tomatoes, check the seasoning, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
Serve hot or warm.

Serves 2 with rice as a main dish, or 4 as part of a curry meal.

Omelette Cannelloni with Italian Tomato Sauce

We went down to my mom's this last weekend, and I walked away with a treat. A new cookbook called Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Cookery. This is the first of three recipes that I bookmarked to try during the car ride home. Hopefully, they'll all be as good as this one was! These omelette cannelloni make a nice light supper paired with a salad, and you'll likely have more sauce leftover for the next time you make it. I reduced the recipe to serve two and my amounts are in parenthesis if you'd like to do the same. I used a small 7 1/2" non-stick frying pan for the omelette "crepes" and a 9" x 6" baking dish for the reduced amount (6 cannelloni). I don't see why you couldn't take a few short cuts with this recipe, like subbing a box of (thawed) frozen chopped spinach for the fresh, and using your favorite store bought marinara if you're short on time.

Omelette Cannelloni:
(Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Cookery)

1 lb of baby spinach (~10 oz)
8 oz ricotta cheese (5 oz whole milk ricotta)
3 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided (I used 1 oz mixed into spinach, and grated who knows how much on top)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
4 eggs (I used 3, and added garlic powder and 2 large fresh torn basil leaves in with the s and p)
a little olive oil
1 quantity of Italian Tomato Sauce (recipe follows, I had plenty left over and froze it for next round of making this, would also make good soup thinned slightly with more broth)

Preheat oven to 350.
Wash spinach, then put it into a saucepan with just the water clinging to its leaves.
Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
Drain well, squeezing the water out after it's cooled a bit, and chop finely.
In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, half of the Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. When combined, add the spinach in and mix well. Taste for seasoning then set aside.
Whisk eggs with a Tbs. of water, salt, pepper, fresh torn basil if you want, and a touch of garlic powder.
Brush a small frying pan generously with olive oil and heat.
Pour a little of the egg mixture- just enough to make a thin, crepe-like omelette, and cook for a few seconds until it is set.
Transfer to a plate.
Continue cooking the "crepes" until you have 8 (my 3 eggs made 6) brushing more oil into pan when necessary.
Lightly oil a shallow baking dish.
Divide spinach mixture into 8 equal parts (6) within the bowl...just so your cannelloni are mostly the same size.
Scoop one portion of spinach down the middle of an omelette and roll up like an enchilada.
Place in baking dish and continue the process until you've used up all the spinach and omelettes.
Pour some tomato sauce down the center of the cannelloni, without covering them completely on their ends.
Sprinkle with the rest of the grated Parmesan and bake for 25-30 minutes, to heat through and brown a bit on top.
You can heat more sauce and serve with the cannelloni, but I didn't find this necessary.
If you have some fresh basil, tear some to sprinkle over the top of the dish.


Italian Tomato Sauce:
(Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Cookery)

I think this would be a great recipe to double and store in 1-2 cup increments in the freezer.

1 onion, peeled and chopped (I used 3/4 of a large sweet onion)
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 carrot, scraped and finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil (I didn't have any dried, so just used fresh in the omelettes instead)
1 bay leaf
5 oz dark vegetable stock, red wine, or water (used veggie stock...not broth)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute the onion, celery, and carrot in a medium saucepan for 10 minutes, until soft but not browned.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaf, and the liquid of your choice.
Cook gently for ~25 minutes, or until the tomatoes have reduced and there isn't much liquid in the pan.
Remove the bay leaf.
Puree half the batch at a time in a blender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and if needed you can add a bit more liquid to thin if desired (I didn't).

Smothered Yellow Squash with Basil



Smothering is a Cajun cooking term that refers to browning anything from meat to vegetables in oil, then braising it in a small amount of liquid, tightly covered, until tender. It makes a nice, quick side vegetable and makes great use of soon to be plentiful squash and basil.

Smothered Yellow Squash with Basil:
(Gourmet Magazine)



2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lb medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup water (I used chicken broth and it was super yummy)

1/4+ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil



Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add half of squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Transfer browned squash to a bowl, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and sauté remaining squash in same manner.
Return squash in bowl to skillet. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add water/broth, salt, and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until squash is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in basil.


Makes 4 servings.


Quinoa Salad

I used the rest of the Orange-Pomegranate Dressing from yesterday's beet salad between baked tofu and this quinoa salad. The baked tofu was made in this manner, I just subbed ~1/2 cup of the dressing for all the other ingredients I normally use, plus some kosher salt and garlic powder sprinkled on top (next time I'd add more lemon too...or something zingy). The salad is from Cooking Light, only they make theirs with couscous...which you could most certainly do too. I just like the high protein content of quinoa, and didn't want any wheat in this meal. I also pulled out the last of the pinenuts and feta to top it off, because what isn't better with cheeeeese?

Quinoa Salad:
(adapted from Cooking Light)

just shy of 2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked quinoa (well rinsed if it doesn't come rinsed, if you bought it in bulk then it doesn't)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped green onions (I used red onion, since my green onions were slimerrific!)
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup diced tomato (I added this to the top of each serving so it wouldn't get mushy in the leftovers)
~1/2 cup Pomegranate-Orange Dressing
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional toppings:
feta
toasted pinenuts, or walnuts

Cook quinoa as per package instructions. Let cool.
Mix all other ingredients together (leaving out the tomato if you'll have leftovers) adding quinoa when it's cooled somewhat. Top each serving with tomato, feta and pinenuts.

Roasted Beet Salad with Orange-Pomegranate Dressing

I'm embarrassed to say that this is the first time I've EVER used the beet greens along with the beets. Usually they get lopped off and tossed, albeit with a twinge of guilt. No more! Who knew that they were so lovely...especially when boiled for 2 short minutes, then doused in the following dressing.
My new fave, Newflower Market here in Austin has great prices on wonderful produce. So after loading up on 2 bunches of organic beets (with their tops!) for 3 bucks, I came home and fired up my oven. I brought this to book club last night and as usually happens when I do that, forgot to take a picture. I've taken one of the leftovers, but know that it's much prettier the day you make it...greens are more green, less melding of colors, etc. It might sound like a lot of work, but it can be done in stages when you have the time. I roasted the beets the day before, and the dressing could certainly have been made the day before.

Roasted Beet Salad with Orange-Pomegranate Dressing:

Beets:
2 bunches of beets with nice healthy looking tops (I used red and golden beets)
olive oil, salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. Wash, dry and trim beets not flush with the beet, but leaving about 1/4 inch of the stems. Individually wrap each beet in a square of foil after having lightly oiled, salt and peppered them. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and just leave them in there while you do other things...make the dressing, wash/chop the beet greens, watch Dr. Oz play with brains on Oprah (or READ ZOMBIE BOOKS!) Just checking to see if you were still with me. Eventually, pull the beets out of the oven and let 'em cool on the counter.

Orange-Pomegrante Dressing:
(adapted slightly from a Cooking Light recipe)

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (please tell me you have this weed in your yard and aren't going to pay 3 bucks for a wee sprig)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
(the original recipe calls for 1 tsp brown sugar, I subbed 1 tsp agave nectar, but will nix next time, as everything else would have been plenty sweet I think. Use your own judgement)
1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly until well combined. (If you have an immersion blender...mix all ingredients except for orange zest, rosemary, and oil. Add oil while blending on low, then stir in the zest and rosemary at the end with a fork.)
This makes a nice amount of dressing that is great used in a couscous salad, with orange and mint, as a marinade for dark meat chicken, salmon, or tofu (which I'm trying tonight), roasted veggies...any number of things I'd expect. All this said, since you're going to have some leftover and it will keep for up to 5 days tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Salad:
2 bunches of roasted beets, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each.
beet greens from 2 bunches of beets, stems removed then washed and chopped
1/2 of a fist-sized (unless you have huge paws!) red onion, sliced very thinly
2 large oranges, cut into supremes
~1/2 cup or more Orange- Pomegranate dressing
feta (I probably used about 2 ounces)
toasted pine nuts...toast in the pot you're gonna boil the beet greens in so you don't have to wash two things :-)

Bring a sauce pan of water to the boil, add chopped beet greens and cook for 2 minutes. Drain greens, cool a bit, then squeeze out any extra liquid.

Cut off both tail ends of your oranges, set them on one of the flat ends and cut the skin off each, making sure to remove all the membrane. Now, holding the orange in one palm, carefully cut out the segments of orange, along either side of the membrane between each. Continue until you've cut them all out. These are your "supremes". Add them to a largish bowl.

Add the beet wedges, thinly sliced red onion, and 1/2 cup(+) dressing to the oranges and toss gently. Cover and let sit out at room temp for 1 hour. Mine sat out for at least 2 hours before it got eaten. Before serving, toss again in the dressing, crumble feta over the top, and finally sprinkle with toasted pinenuts.

Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin with Cider-Dijon sauce and Apple Barley Salad

What? You weren't tired of looking at Squash Ribbons for a month? Well by all means feel free to use the photo for your desktop wallpaper. What's Cookin' is moving on...

I got a teaser magazine for Cuisine At Home a few months back and this is the third successful recipe I've made from it. It might look like it's got a lot of pepper on it, but it's only on one side and makes for quite a delish dish. The apple barley salad might look a little blah in the picture, but was a loverly compliment to the pork...the apple in the salad echoing the cider in the tenderloin sauce. All in all a nice change from our usual sear-it-in-a-pan-toss-it-in-the-oven method for cooking pork tenderloin and still a quick weeknight meal.

Peppercorn Pork Tendloin with Cider-Dijon Sauce:
(Cuisine at Home. Serves 2...or we used more than a 10 oz tenderloin and same amt. of sauce and served 3)

10 oz. pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 4 2-inch-thick medallions and seasoned with salt
1 Tbs. whole peppercorn blend, crushed (I used all black pepper and whizzed til still chunky in spice grinder)
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 Tbs minced shallots
2 tsp tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup apple juice, or cider
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
Salt to taste

Dredge one side of each medallion in peppercorns.
Heat 1 Tbs oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat.
Add medallions, pepper-side down, and saute until brown, about 3 minutes.
Turn medallions, and continue cooking until pork reaches an internal temp of 145 on an instant read thermometer, about 6 more minutes.
Transfer medallions to a plate, tent them with foil, and let them rest.

Saute shallots and tomato paste in remaining 1 Tbs oil in same skillet over med-high heat for 1 minute.
Deglaze pan with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated.
Increase heat to high, add apple juice/cider and vinegar, and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, 5-7 minutes. Whisk in mustard and season with salt.

Apple Barley Salad:
(Adapted from Cuisine at Home)

I can't remember exactly what I did, but I might have used more of the "dressing" ingredients since I used more barley. Really, just keep tasting til you're happy with it. :-)

1 cup of barley...probably equals ~3 cups cooked? (orig. recipe calls for 1/2 cup instant barley)
1 sweet-tart red apple, diced (I used a Pink Lady...fab!)
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 Tbs apple jelly (didn't use this and I wouldn't bother unless you already had some)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (adjust to taste)
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp sugar (I used agave nectar...and used a wee bit more since I didn't use any jelly)
Salt to taste

Cook barley according to package instructions and set aside.
Saute apple in butter in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat until it starts to soften, about 1 minute.
Stir in jelly (didn't), lemon juice, parsley, sugar/agave nectar, salt and barley.
Serve warm.

Squash Ribbons with Lemon Zest

I'd had no intention of posting about our side dish from last night (as is evidenced by the totally blurry photo), until I realized how pretty it was going to be. The fact that the squash was so tasty made it a definite make-again. The squash is quick sauteed so that it retains it's shape and a slight crunch. Very fresh tasting with the addition of lemon zest, and a perfect complement to baked salmon and sweet potato.
The recipe comes from a quick internet search and is from Gourmet magazine. I didn't bother writing down the recipe, just committed what I needed to memory. So, if you want a "measurements" kind of recipe Google "zucchini ribbons". :-)
Save the insides of the squash for another meal. I've just sliced them and sauteed them up in olive oil with garlic salt and pepper, then added canellini beans, chevre and basil for a quick salad topper. Or you could use the recipe for Smothered Yellow Squash from Gourmet. A summer favorite around our house, that I typically make subbing chicken broth for the water.

Squash Ribbons with Lemon Zest:
(made 2 large servings, but might serve 3-4)

2 zucchini
2 large yellow summer squash
1 large clove garlic, whole but smashed
1-2 Tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
zest of one lemon
Parmesan (finely grated)
garnish: Italian parsley

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the squash down until just before you see the seeds. You won't use the seeds.
Heat olive oil and garlic clove over medium-high heat until clove becomes golden (~2 min once the oil is hot), then discard garlic clove.
Add squash ribbons to pan and toss to coat in garlic infused oil. Add salt and pepper and cook until crisp tender. Maybe 2-3 minutes?
When done, add lemon zest and a light shower of Parm. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
Garnish with parsley if desired.
If serving with fish, juice a bit of the lemon you zested over the salmon.