omelettes - a new twist

this is the most ingenious omelette i've ever seen! thanks to Heidi Swanson for posting her skinny omelettes recipe. she's got a great idea for baked eggs as well.

linguine with red swiss chard and Egyptian fennel

lunch today was almost a disaster but thankfully the linguine tasted fine. but NOT the poached chicken.

i'm not sure if it was the limes or the herbs i used. the chicken was bitter! i think it's the herbs from Provence...no wonder my mother-in-law didn't want to keep this bottle of exotic sounding herbs. now one of my good friends thinks it's the limes. in any case, we won't talk about the chicken today.

as for the linguine, it was incorporated into a swiss chard recipe that i think came out of the Fields of Greens recipe book, which i don't own so i can't verify it now. this is how i remember cooking the chard.

Linguine with Red Swiss Chard and Egyptian Fennel

1 bunch red swiss chard, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Egyptian fennel
Spike seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons (or more) olive oil
linguine for 2 servings (I don't know exactly how much I used)

1 Cook linguine according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.

2 Blanch swiss chard in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3 Saute garlic, carrots and fennel in olive oil with some salt until fennel is slightly brown. Add swiss chard and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Spike.

4 Add cooked linguine and stir, adding more salt to season the pasta.

5 Dish up and enjoy!

matzo balls

i made matzo balls for the first time last night with store-bought Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix. placed the cooked matzo balls in a vegetable chicken broth and they were yummy.



then i went online afterward to do some reading on what to do with leftover matzo balls and came across this really great post Cooking Live with Slashfood: Matzo Ball Soup. you know there are some posts that just make you want to read them because of the way they are written and laid out and photographed, etc. this one was one of them. great how-to post that i had to bookmark here for later use.

well, here are some ideas for leftover cooked matzo balls:

* slice the leftover matzo balls and fry in oil
* Coconut & Lime advises to store cooked matzo balls separately from broth so they don't soak up too much liquid and fall apart
* Gail Simmons says cooked matzo balls can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days
* Norene Gilletz shares her secret: matzo balls can be cooked in advance and frozen in chicken soup; or freeze them on a cookie sheet until firm then transfer to freezer bags and store in freezer, then reheat frozen matzo balls in soup when needed

yummy veges on broiled polenta

found this roasted vegetables on polenta recipe by [gluten-free] goddess, it looks soooo good i had to bookmark it here for handy reference.

[Post Edit 3.26.2007]
made this for supper last night and even had leftovers for lunch today. i have never felt so good after a meal as i have after having this dish, sans the cheese since i forgot to get any. this is definitely on the top of my favorite recipes list! thanks again to Karina for sharing!

[Post Edit 4.29.2007]
found a similar recipe of oven roasted vegetables and polenta.

[Post Edit 7.5.2007]
tried a new pairing for these yummy roasted veges tonight: served over slices of crunchy "baked" potato slices - sliced potatoes, sprinkled with Spike All Purpose Seasoning and microwaved for 2 minutes (yes, they were still raw-crunchy). i loved it!

shepherd's pie

i made shepherd's pie for the first time today. a vegetarian shepherd's pie. used this Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe from Simply Recipes and adapted it to make my vegetarian version.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

3 large potatoes
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons milk

12 oz pkg Yves Veggie Ground Round Original
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Bragg liquid aminos or soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth (I used the water from boiling potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

1 Peel and cube potatoes, boil in salted water for about 10-12 minutes.

2 While potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan.

3 Saute onions and carrots in butter until tender over medium heat (about 10 minutes).

4 Add veggie ground round and cook till heated through. Add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid aminos (or soy sauce), salt and pepper to taste. Stir in vegetable broth. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add frozen peas and corn; cook until heated through. Add more broth to keep moist, if necessary.

5 Place the veggie ground mixture in a baking dish.

6 Mash potatoes with 2 tablespoons of butter and milk. Season to taste.

7 Spread mashed potatoes over veggie ground mixture. Score the potatoes using a fork, forming peaks that will brown nicely.

8 Bake in 400 degree oven until potato mixture is lightly browned (about 30 minutes). Broil the last 5 minutes if necessary to brown.

Makes 4 medium servings.

pineapple-mint coleslaw

i made one of my favorite versions of coleslaw today, which i have called pineapple-mint coleslaw. this recipe was inspired by a Vietnamese cole slaw recipe i found at Recipezaar. i added the pineapple and substituted ponzu sauce for the fish sauce. (Recipezaar has since published my recipe here, including nutrition facts.)

Pineapple-Mint Coleslaw

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar (or mirin)
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
black pepper

Whisk the above ingredients together in a small bowl or 1-cup measuring glass; set aside for half an hour.

Salad Ingredients:
1 small head of green cabbage, shredded
8 stalks of mint, stalks removed and leaves chopped coarsely (reserve a few leaves for garnish)
1 20oz can of pineapple chunks, drain juice for other use, slice chunks into smaller chunks (or use pineapple tidbits)

While dressing is set aside to meld, combine shredded cabbage, mint leaves, and pineapple chunks in a large glass mixing bowl and toss gently.

When dressing is ready, pour over salad ingredients and gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Garnish with reserved mint leaves and serve.
___

i have made this coleslaw and refrigerated it overnight before taking it to a potluck. the cabbage and mint leaves will wilt slightly, but the coleslaw tastes great when the dressing has been allowed to meld with the salad ingredients.

confetti latkes

i was searching for gluten-free recipes and resources today when i came across this recipe for confetti latkes...a new twist on latkes, made with parsnips and carrots by Gluten-Free By the Bay. thought i'd "bookmark" it here for later use.

[post edit/May 3]



a Jewish recipe for potato latkes by words to eat by.

tempura

i made carrot, cauliflower, and zucchini tempura this afternoon for lunch using this recipe. batter was very light, a little too light than what i'd have liked it to be. i didn't take any pictures because i didn't think my tempura looked too great although it didn't taste too bad. and i don't think i'll make tempura again at home. i was tired after all that deep frying, and the apartment is still smelling like an Asian restaurant. plus all the cleanup and greasy feel on the kitchen floor...

i'll eat tempura, just not make it at home.

mini sandwiches for snacking

found another delicious-looking recipe i'd like to try some time - Caprese Mini Sandwiches featured on Simply Recipes by Elise Bauer.

well fed

this zucchini fritter salad was featured on a new food blog Well Fed, which i discovered today. the writer is a freelance TV writer/story editor based in West Hollywood, CA.

potato pizzas

i saw this recipe for potato pizzas on FatFree Vegan Kitchen and had to bookmark it here.

deep south sushi fusion

a recipe post i found through Slashfood.com features a sushi with southern flare - sushi rice wrapped with collard greens and stuffed with smothered chicken and oven roasted okra. sounds interesting enough to bookmark here for later. incidentally, this was the site that led me to MediterrAsian.com (see my next blog post).