Stuffed eggplant

Please ignore the fact that this is eggplant -- it is far from your everyday eggplant. This has a wonderful variety of colors, textures and flavors (the jalapeños provide a nice kick). I got the idea and roasting instructions for stuffed eggplant from a recipe in the Washington Post (I love Wednesdays because that is Food day in the paper). I used a bunch of ingredients from the stuffed tomatoes that I made in October. I also substituted rice, which is in many stuffed veggie recipes, with quinoa, primarily because I didn't have any rice in my pantry. Overall, a tasty and filling dinner.

Stuffed eggplant

1 large eggplant

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 1/2 T pine nuts

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced

6 cherry tomatoes, chopped

about 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

pinch of ground cinnamon

sea salt and black pepper to taste

bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese for topping

olive oil for sautéing and drizzling over top

Use a fork to poke holes all over the eggplant and place in a pan lined with foil. Roast at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes. While the eggplant is roasting, sauté onions, garlic and pine nuts in olive oil, and boil quinoa in covered saucepan with 1 cup water until water is gone.

Let the eggplant cool, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Chop the eggplant centers and mix with quinoa, onion, garlic, pine nuts, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, cumin, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Pile mixture into eggplant halves and top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Drizzle olive oil over top and roast for about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

Sage Kale and Quinoa

This was the first time I tried making kale, and I used instructions I found for roasting the leafy vegetable with olive oil. I added sage to the kale, and served it with one of my favorite grains, quinoa, and sautéed onion. I also served it with some Salsa Lizano, the Costa Rican condiment of choice, which is often sold at Latin markets. If you've never tried roasting kale, I recommend it!

Sage Kale and Quinoa

1 bunch kale

1-2 T olive oil

1/2-1 T apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dried sage

sea salt

1 T Salsa Lizano, plus extra for drizzling over top (optional)

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 sweet onion, cut into medium slices

2 cloves garlic

olive oil for sautéing

Wash and dry kale, remove stems and tear leaves into smaller strips. In a bowl, toss kale with olive oil and sea salt. Mix vinegar, sage and Lizano together and toss with kale. Spread on a large cookie sheet and roast in 425-degree oven. After about 5 minutes, remove from oven and toss kale around on cookie sheet. Then roast for another 4-5 minutes.

While the kale is in the oven, boil the quinoa in a covered saucepan with 1 cup water until the water is gone (about 10-15 minutes). In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion slices until transparent, add diced garlic cloves and stir for another minute.

Mix everything together and top with some Lizano. This makes about two servings -- if you have leftovers, have a cold kale and quinoa salad tomorrow!

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Piña Colada Cake

This sweet, moist cake was inspired by the delicious Central American favorite Tres Leches. Instead of using different milks in the topping, I used pineapple juice, guava nectar and coconut milk. The next time I make this I might try orange juice in place of the guava, which is super sweet. You could also probably cut the sugar down from 1 cup to 3/4 cup -- I think the coconut flakes provide that extra sweetness. I found some good, finely shredded coconut flakes without additives in the bulk foods section of Whole Foods. To make this even more like a piña colada, add a little rum to the topping! Also note, this cake isn't hard to make, but you need to let it sit for a while -- plan to make it a day or half a day early.

Piña Colada Cake

Cake:
5 eggs, separated
3/4-1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
coconut flakes (about 1/2 cup)

Topping:
1/2 cup pineapple juice (use juice from can of crushed pineapple)
1 can (about 11 oz) guava nectar
1 cup (or the rest of the can) light coconut milk


Frosting:
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 T powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
crushed pineapple, drained
coconut flakes

Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Add sugar a little at a time. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and coconut flakes, and fold into the batter a little at a time, alternating with the coconut milk. Bake in a greased 9X13 dish for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. While the cake is baking, combine the topping ingredients in a large measuring cup.

When the cake is done, while it is still hot, use a fork to poke holes over the whole surface of the cake. Pour all but 1 cup of the topping evenly over the cake (that 1 cup is extra -- use it for ice cream or a smoothie!). Allow cake to absorb liquid and cool to room temperature. Place cake in refrigerator for at least a few hours, or overnight.

Before serving, spread with frosting: whip the cream, fold in sugar and vanilla. Squeeze excess juice from the crushed pineapple and sprinkle over the frosting, and top with some coconut flakes. 

Costa Rica

(Recipe and photos by H. Farrell)

Giving Brussels Sprouts a Chance

Brussels sprouts have a bad reputation as being one of the most-disliked, worst-tasting vegetables, and I admit I never had a desire to give them a try -- until I started seeing a lot of recipes for them that looked really good. So I made a point to buy them during my next grocery trip, and I read through a number of recipes before I came up with this one. I decided to sauté them with ingredients similar to those I use in my slaw. The result? Good. The brussels sprouts in this recipe are very similar to cabbage, and by no means have the horrible, bitter, mushy taste I imagined. In fact, I enjoyed this recipe even more the second day, eaten cold. So, give brussels spouts a chance. I will buy them again, and try other recipes that feature this vitamin-rich veggie.

Brussels Sprouts with Raisins and Apples

about 1 lb brussels sprouts
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1-2 T pine nuts
about 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
about 2 tsp maple syrup
season with:
sea salt
cloves
basil
olive oil for sautéing

Remove outer leaves from brussels sprouts, rinse and cut into quarters. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté brussels sprouts until slightly brown (a few minutes). Add seasoning, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup, apple pieces, then raisins and pine nuts. Stir over heat for a minute or two more. Serve warm or chilled.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Curry Squash Soup -- Bonus

One of the best things about a recipe is that it never has to be final. It's always open to personal touches, if not improvement. 

This weekend I decided to make my curry squash soup again, but with a few changes. I decided these changes improved my original recipe, so I updated the post. I added potato to thicken the soup, sweet onion for a little texture, and safflower for a little more color and flavor. Also, I found that roasting the squash takes less work than boiling it, because you don't have to peel the uncooked squash. 

Last, I saved the seeds from the squash, removed the extra pulp, mixed with olive oil and spices (cumin, paprika, turmeric, chili powder) and roasted (use tin foil on a cookie sheet) at 425 (the same temperature I used for the squash and potatoes) until crispy.

Spice up winter

Recently, I was paging through a hiking magazine and came across an article about how backpackers stay warm in cold weather. One trick they use to raise their body temperatures: cayenne pepper, added to food or drink. On a frigid, blustery day, eating something with a little fire in it sounded good. 

A friend once told me he goes to a Vietnamese restaurant when he has a cold and orders a spicy soup, which clears the nose and sinuses real quick. Besides warming you up, the right combination of spices transforms vegetables, fruit and meat into fantastic dishes. So start experimenting with adding different flavors to your favorite meals: cumin, rosemary, cloves . . . or, as a colleague suggested, hot Hungarian paprika, which I will have to look for next time I'm at the store.

After I read the hiking article, I tried making hot cocoa with cayenne. But chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is one thing I prefer plain. Instead, I sprinkled a small amount on a spinach and avocado salad -- delicious. 

I also added some spice to one of my quick dinners: sauté diced sweet onions and garlic in olive oil, add spices (I used black pepper, cumin, coriander and chili powder) and spinach until the leaves wilt. Spoon over tortilla shells with beans and salsa. 

For some tasty veggies (such as carrots, broccoli, onion, peppers and/or squash), toss with herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and whatever else you have (sesame seeds, a little maple syrup?) and roast at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Have any suggestions for adding something hot to the table in cold, gray January?

Roasted Pears with Red Wine Sauce

If you have leftover wine from New Year's, and if, like me, you are sick of cookies and cake but still want something sweet, here's a simple winter dessert.

Roasted Pears with Red Wine Sauce

Two firm pears (such as Bosc or Anjou)
T Cinnamon
Ginger
Nutmeg
Ground cloves
Brown sugar
Agave nectar or honey
Red wine (1/2 cup plus extra)
1 T butter
Raisins (op)
Pecan or walnut pieces (op)

Melt butter in a square glass baking dish so it covers the bottom of the dish. Mix spices (start with a teaspoon of each and add more as desired) with a tablespoon or two of brown sugar and agave nectar. Add some wine to help dissolve sugar. Halve the pears and remove stems and seeds. Spread sugar/spice/wine mixture over pear halves and place face down in glass dish. Pour extra spice mixture and 1/2 cup wine over pears. Add raisins and nuts to the dish, if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Serve warm with ice cream or with chilled greek yogurt and a few drops of vanilla.

An old restaurant, a new dish

It has become a Christmastime tradition for my mom, sister and me to take the train into downtown Chicago, walk the freezing blocks from the station to State Street, and eat at the historic Walnut Room in what used to be Marshall Fields (now Macy's). The Walnut Room opened in 1907, and for as long as I've been going there, crowds of holiday shoppers have lined up to eat near the multi-story, decorated tree in the center.

The restaurant makes small changes to its holiday menu every year, and this year I noticed a tilapia with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The fish was delicious (this coming from someone who doesn't care for many types of seafood), but what I really noticed was the sauce -- the menu called it a white wine and pepper sauce, which I think included puréed sweet red peppers. The simple flavors of the creamy potatoes and two colors of sautéed string beans were great compliments for the fish.

Making a similar sauce is on my list of things to try in the new year, as is cooking a few different types of fish using different methods. Also, watch the blog in February for some Canadian dishes, in honor of the 2010 winter olympics. 

On the photo front, I'll be looking into getting a new and improved camera (these photos were stills from my $100 video camera, not my SLR) -- suggestions are welcome! Have a happy new year!

(Photos by H. Farrell)