Tip of the Day - Avoiding having to clean the oven

I absolutely loved the dual-fuel double oven that I bought for our old house. It was gorgeous, but a complete pain to clean. Not the oven's fault - but my own. Do you have ANY idea how difficult it is to clean an exploded and carmelized sweet potato off the bottom of the oven? (Hint: the answer is "very.")

One of the easiest tricks I've learned (the hard way, mind you) is that if I'm cooking something that has a propensity to bubble over, or something cheezy that will ooze right over the edge of the plan - I put a large baking sheet on the rack immediately below whatever is cooking. You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil to make clean-up even easier.

It makes one of the most boring kitchen chores (cleaning the oven) much easier to handle.

How long do pantry staples generally last?

It's amazing when you pick up and move (whether it be down the street or to another state, as we recently did) what you find tucked in the back of kitchen cabinets. Perhaps you're a better kitchen organizer than I am, but I found bags of expensive organic specialty flours and slivered almonds that had expired an embarassingly long time ago.

So - how do you tell if common pantry staples are fresh?

This list should be of help:

Flour: If it's unopened, it's fresh for about a year, but if it's opened about 6-8 months. I'm not sure if Michigan has the weevil problem Texas had growing up, but it's best to keep flour and other similar products in air tight containers. We've found large food storage containers are especially handy for this - and work better than fancy cannisters.

Sugar: Unopened sugar will last about 2 years. While the sugar doesn't "spoil" exactly, it may take on the flavor of other things that it is stored around, or may absorb moisture and become chunky. For this reason I also suggest keeping it in an air tight container.

Brown sugar: Don't be tempted at the holiday grocery sales to stock up for the year, as brown sugar is only at its peak for about 4 months in the unopened container. If your brown sugar gets hard, you can include a slice of bread or a slice of apple to soften it up.

Confectioners or powdered sugar will be fresh for about 18 months in an unopened package.

Solid shortening or Crisco is good for about 8 months. Make sure that you always use a clean utensil to remove it from the container, as you can inadvertently transfer bacteria or other food matter into the shortening if you are not careful. Once it's opened, it's generally only fresh for about 3 months or so.

Unopened cocoa doesn't ever really go bad, but once it's opened it's generally best to use it within one year.

Spices: Most spices will keep for around 2-4 years if whole, regardless of whether they are opened, as the essential oils are kept in the whole spice. Ground spices, including paprika, red pepper and chili powder will generally last for up to 2 years, depending on the quality of the spice. I can remember fishing out ancient McCormick tins from my great grandmother's cabinets when it came time to use an unusual spice. It's really better to spend a few dollars and get a new container if the spices are quite old. You'll taste the difference.

Unopened baking soda will last about 18 months, and opened about six months. Be very careful how baking soda is stored, as it has a very strong tendency to absorb the odors of other things stored in its vicinity (a prime reason why it's used as an odor remover in cat litter, and recommended that you get an extra box to keep in your refrigerator). I like to keep mine in an airtight glass container rather than the open box in the cabinet.

Baking powder will last about 6 months unopened, but once it's opened it's only fresh for about 3 months. Never dip a wet spoon into it, as it will also absorb moisture which will hasten its spoilage. To test whether it's still fresh - add a teaspon to a third of a cup of hot water. If it foams up and bubbles, it's fresh! If it doesn't, it's time to pitch it. In a pinch and find yourself with stale baking powder? You can make your own! Combine a tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It's not quite as effective as store bought baking powder, but it will work.

Cornstarch will last you about 18 months. Again, it's best to keep it in an air-tight container.

Dry pastas will be fresh for about two years if they aren't made with eggs. Once opened, I would say that they're at the point of freshness for up to 9 months. Pasta with eggs will last about the same length of time if unopened, but once opened they're typically only good for one to two months.

Salad dressing will be fresh for just under a year in the cabinet (assuming, of course, that it's unopened). Once opened it's best to use it within 2-3 months.

Honey can stay fresh for up to a year. If it has crystallized on you, don't throw it out - it hasn't gone bad. Put the container in a bowl or measuring cup that is a little larger than the size of your honey container. Fill it with hot water and put in the (very tightly sealed) honey container. In about thirty minutes to an hour, the honey will be a thick liquid again.

Jams, jellies and preserves will last about a year if unopened. For optimal taste, you should use them within six months once opened (and refrigerated).

Peanut butter is best within 6-9 months of purchase if unopened, and about 3 months after it has been opened. Old-fashioned or "natural" peanut butter does not have commercially added stabilizers so the peanut oil will separate and should be stirred back in before using. Be careful about contaminating it with a knife or spoon dipped in a jelly jar first!

Tip of the day

If you're using a recipe that requires half an onion, save the root half. It will stay fresh longer than the other half.

Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Pickles, originally uploaded by *April*.

We have a community supported agriculture ("CSA") share this summer from Fat Blossom Farm, a farm in Allegan, MI.

It's been nice to pick up our share every week, but we have far more cucumbers than I can ever imagine eating.

I used some dill we had growing in the garden and made up some refrigerator pickles today.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sea salt
* 1 cup white sugar
* 6 cups sliced cucumbers

Other adds (vary depending on personal taste)

• sliced green bell peppers or sweet onions (such as vidalia or 1046)
• minced garlic (1 heaping tablespoon per quart jar)
• peppercorns (I used a mixture of pink and black tellicherry)
• fresh dill and yellow dill flowers
• mustard seed
• celery seed

I made a couple of quarts tonight - and in each I slightly varied what I included, whole peppercorns, red pepper flakes, garlic, fresh dill and dill flowers, mustard seeds, celery seed, etc.

A word of caution, if you use freshly sliced garlic it may turn bluish or purple. It's still safe to eat, but is due to a chemical reaction in the garlic with the high acidity of the vinegar.

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
2. Using a mandoline or a food processor, slice washed cucumbers about 1/4 inch thick. Place the cucumbers in a non-metallic bowl. Pour vinegar, salt and sugar mixture over the cucumbers. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator. A word of caution - if you use a plastic container, it will always smell fragrantly of pickles!

Let sit at least 5 days, but will keep for longer than that - assuming you resist the urge to eat them!

Real men eat quiche

Real men eat quiche, originally uploaded by *April*.

2 (9 inch) shallow pie crusts
2 large handfuls fresh spinach
1 large yellow onion (sweeter varieties such as 1041 or Vidalia are better)
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. cheese, shredded (I used a variety of cheeses, including white cheddar, parmesan, monterrey jack, etc. - just make sure the final amount is roughly 1 1/2 cups)
3 slices American cheese
1 1/2 oz. soft goat cheese (any variety)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. fresh basil
1 tbsp. bread crumbs per quiche
Nasturtium flowers, as garnish

Roughly chop onion into a large dice. Using a pair of kitchen shears, snip the sundried tomatoes into small pieces. Put butter into a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and caramelize until golden brown, adding 1 tbsp. water if necessary to deglaze the pan. Add two to three large handfuls of spinach. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until moisture evaporates and spinach is wilted.

Combine spinach mixture, shredded cheese, goat cheese, crumbled american cheese, eggs, milk, salt, herbs (which you can change to taste), and sundried tomatoes in a large glass bowl. Stir to mix well. Pour half into each pastry shell. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of each quiche.

Bake in hot oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes; lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 20 more minutes or until top is puffy and center quivers when quiche is moved slightly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Can be served warm, room temperature or even chilled.

Heirloom tomato and herb galette

Heirloom tomato and herb galette, originally uploaded by *April*.

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
generous pinch (around 1/4 teaspoon) grey fleur-de-sel (sea salt - you can use regular table salt or plain sea salt if you don't have the grey variety available)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces (very cold)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup very cold water

For the filling:
1/2 pint yellow pear tomatoes
2 or 3 black krim tomatoes
3 tablespoons soft goat cheese (you can use any variety)
1/2 teaspoon grey fleur-de-sel
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh variegated basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. First you need to make the pastry. Using a high speed mixer combine all of the pastry ingredients except for the water and sour cream. Once the mixture makes large clumps, slowly mix in the sour cream and cold water. The dough will resemble peas in size. Be very careful not to overwork the dough. Don't be afraid to leave fairly large (sugar cube size) chunks of butter in the dough as they will give the finished galette a flakier crust. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Slice tomatoes thinly.

3. Place the dough ball on a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and roll out to around a 12 inch circle.

4. Take sliced tomatoes and arrange in neat rows or another design of your choosing on top of the dough, leaving about a 2 inch gap around the edge. Obviously this is just an aesthetic step - all that matters is that the tomatoes are very thinly sliced. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and sea salt. Fold the border over the tomatoes, pleating it gently with your fingers as you go. Gently crumble goat cheese on top of the tomatoes. A galette is intended to be rustic looking, so perfection is not necessary. Leave the center of the galette open and uncovered by the dough.

5. Bake until the edges of the crust are flaky and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges with a pizza cutter.

The galette can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. The dough can alternatively be used with a wide variety of fruit fillings, and you can freeze the dough for up to two months if well wrapped. If you freeze the dough, defrost the frozen dough in the refrigerator for a day before using.

Smooth, tangy and cold.

Smooth, tangy and cold., originally uploaded by *April*.

When I was in graduate school, I dated a guy who was from Shreveport, Louisiana. Every once in a while, we'd drive from Waco all the way to Shreveport for this amazing frozen yogurt from a little hole in the wall called "counter culture" that was perfect. It was tangy, and they paired it with fresh berries and fruit. This reminded me somewhat of that perfect marriage of sweet and tartness.

Ingredients:

1 tub of greek style yogurt. I used Trader Joe's Mango Apricot, but any flavor, or just plain would be fine.
1 tsp. poppyseeds
1/2 scant cup of fresh red currants, washed and left whole
1/2 scant cup of small fresh blueberries, washed and left whole
1 tsp. agave syrup (you could also use sugar)
2 tbsp. water

Mix the yogurt, poppyseeds, syrup and water and gently fold in the berries and currants. Spoon into two ramekins and freeze for approximately 3 hours. You can either eat them directly out of the ramekins or unmold them and serve inverted on a plate with a berry coulis.

Greenwheat Freekeh

Greenwheat Freekeh, originally uploaded by *April*.

Picked up a package of Trader Joe's Greenwheat Freekeh last week and found that it was a perfect accompaniment to a mix of freshly grilled herbed summer squash.

Ingredients (two hearty portions):

olive oil (just a splash or two)
red pepper flakes
sea salt
1 large zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
cherry tomatoes, halved
goat cheese (1 oz. per portion)
fresh rosemary, greek oregano and basil
splash of balsamic vinegar

Slice the zucchini and summer squash into cubes or quartered thick slices and out into a shallow skillet with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, a tsp. or so of red pepper flakes (more or less to taste), oregano and rosemary. Saute until tender.

Cook greenwheat freekeh according to package directions, plate. Top freekeh with grilled vegetables, goat cheese and halved cherry tomatoes. Splash vegetables and goat cheese with balsamic vinegar and a pinch of fresh basil.

You can use dried herbs, but the end result will not have the same fresh taste.

The dish could easily be made vegan minus the goat cheese.

5 Fruit Salsa

No picture this time, just want to keep my recipe someplace other than this old piece of paper (that I keep losing).

Five Fruit Salsa
2 cups chopped cantaloupe
6 green onions, chopped
3 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
1 navel orange, peeled and chopped
1 sweet yellow pepper, chopped (seeded if preferred... I don't)
1 sweet red pepper, chopped (ditto)
8 oz pineapple (either an unsweetened can or fresh)
2 serrano peppers (can sub jalapeños), chopped

Mix all together and let sit.

Just before serving all 1 cup chopped strawberries (it's good without the strawberries too)

Enjoy!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Cucumber Sesame Salad

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Cucumber Sesame Salad, originally uploaded by *April*.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger root
* 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
*1 tablespoon lime juice
* 3 tablespoons spicy peanut butter (I used "The Heat is On" which you can get at Whole Foods, and many other natural grocery stores or here. You could also substitute regular creamy or chunky peanut butter and a tablespoon or so of Sirracha sauce.)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons clover honey (can be vegan if you substitute stevia or blue agave syrup instead of honey)
* 1 tbsp. minced dehydrated garlic
* 8 ounces rice noodles
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
* 8 oz. canned drained sliced water chestnuts
* 1 package frozen asian vegetable mix
* bean sprouts
* 1/4 cup bean sprouts

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil - no need to salt. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine vegetable broth, crystallized ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey and garlic in a large skillet. Add frozen asian vegetale mix and water chestnuts. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice and bean sprouts. You can also add fried tofu, or for a non-vegetarian option include shrimp or chicken.

Fish curry

Fish curry, originally uploaded by *April*.

Ingredients:

10 oz. cubed butternut squash
5 oz. cauliflower florets
1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
13 oz. vegetable stock
1 lb. mahi-mahi filets, thawed if previously frozen and cut into bite size chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 white onion, medium chop
cilantro (for garnish)
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. red curry paste
olive oil
lime juice


Saute red and yellow bell peppers and onion over medium flame in a deep pot with a little bit of olive oil. Stir in onion and cook until translucent and peppers begin to soften. At this point stir in the red curry paste, red pepper flakes and the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Mix together with a long handled spoon. Stir in butternut squash and cauliflower, and reduce flame to medium. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, and add the cubed fish. You will only need to cook the fish about five minutes or until the flesh becomes white and opaque.

Serve over basmati rice with a sprinkling of cilantro and a sprtiz of fresh lime juice.

Grilled queso blanco

Grilled queso blanco, originally uploaded by *April*.

Queso blanco is a creamy, soft, and mild unaged white cheese that originated in Spain and spread to Mexico and other American countries. The name queso blanco is Spanish for "white cheese", but similar cheeses are used and known throughout the world by different names.

It is made by pressing the whey from cottage cheese. It is very similar to cheeses called pot cheese and farmer cheese. It has also been compared to Indian paneer and to a mild feta. Queso blanco is considered to be one of the easiest cheeses to make. It is a fresh and slightly salty cow's milk cheese, whereas queso fresco may be made from a combination of cow's and goat's milk. They may both be eaten straight or mixed in with various dishes. Some versions of these cheeses melt well when heated, but most only soften.

Queso blanco and queso fresco make a creamy addition to recipes, and are often used as a topping for spicy Mexican dishes such as enchiladas and empanadas, or crumbled over soups or salads. Meltable versions are used to make quesadillas.

In Peruvian cuisine there are several recipes that mix queso fresco and spices to make a spicy cold sauce eaten over peeled boiled potatoes, examples including papa a la huancaina or ocopa.

Queso blanco and queso fresco also exist in Portugal and are called "Queijo fresco."

One of the easiest ways to enjoy queso blanco is to thickly slice it, and grill it over a high flame until brown and bubbly. When one side is fairly seared, flip it with a spatula, and grill the other side. Serve it with crackers, olives and artichokes.

Comfort

Comfort, originally uploaded by *April*.

As a child, I hated pumpkin pie. Despised. Loathed.

Now, I can't get enough of it.

We made a delicious pumpkin pie in a delicious Pâte Brisée (all butter crust). I made the crust and baked the pie - Patrick made the filling.

Ingredients for the crust:

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold
* 1 teaspoon grey sea salt
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 4 to 6 Tbsp ice water

Directions: Place the sticks of butter in the freezer overnight so they are thoroughly chilled. Remove from the freezer and slice into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine flour, sea salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse 4-5 times to mix. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again. If your dough is a little too damp, sprinkle a little extra flour on your board during kneading. Remove dough from food processor and place on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in saran wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of general purpose white flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish. Prick sides and bottom of empty pie with the tines of a fork.

Save the second disk of dough - either freezing or in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Filling:

I've tried many different variations on pumpkin pie - using fresh pumpkins, and nearly every possible combination of spices. Perhaps it's just nostalgia - but to me there's no reason to fix what's not broken. For that reason - I tend to rely on the recipe on the back of the Libby's can of pureed pumpkin with minor modifications.

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon high quality ground Cassia Cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon French grey sea salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 2 large or extra-large eggs
* 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

As a little secret - I find that baking in a pyrex deep dish glass pie plate is the easiest way to make the crust flaky and avoid unpleasant sogginess.

Rosemary bean soup

Yesterday we got our first flurries of the season. It was another brisk day today, and this morning before I left I poured some white beans into the crock pot with the intention of making something with them when I got home.



This was what we ended up with... and it was very, very good.

Ingredients:

3/4 of a bag of white beans (can be navy beans, Great Northern Beans - even Cannellini beans)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cracked fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon spicy red pepper flakes
3/4 tube vegetarian sausage (I used Gimme Lean - though meat eaters could use any spicy sausage of their choosing)
1/2 red onion, sliced and caramelized
2 tablespoons butter
1 oz. goat cheese per serving
fresh rosemary
spicy paprika

Mix all ingredients except for goat cheese, onion, butter and sausage into a large crock pot. Add water to cover, and cook on low for 9 hours or until beans are tender. Mash 1/2 of beans with potato masher until broken apart and residual water in crock pot is thick. Add a few sprigs of rosemary to the pot. Grill vegetarian sausage, while simultaneously caramelizing onions. When sausage is lightly browned, crumble and add to serving bowls. Split caramelized onions amongst serving bowls. Ladle in finished soup, stir in 1/2 oz butter into each bowl, top with 1 oz. of fresh goat cheese. Sprinkle with spicy paprika.

Serve with a fresh green salad and homemade cornbread.

Tip of the day - A cure for overripe tomatoes

This past summer our next door neighbors were exceedingly generous with tomatoes fresh from their garden. The problem was, though, that with a newborn baby and no sleep - I often would forget the tomatoes on the counter for a few days and end up with a disastrous mess of mealy tomatoes that had to be chucked to the compost heap.

Sadly, I forgot that there's an easy way to salvage overripe tomatoes. Place the overripe tomato in cold water and add a little salt. Let sit overnight. In the morning, you'll find the tomato has firmed up and is less mealy.

If that doesn't work, you can always run them through the food processor or blender and reduce down to make a sauce. And I may have mentioned it before, but never store tomatoes inside the refrigerator. It causes them to break down faster. Instead they should be stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

The great search for 40"

When we bought our home last fall, our kitchen had an operational though largely out-of-style 40" white electric range. It is older than we are, though I'm sure it's doled out plenty of family meals over the years.

It is... a behemoth.

A monster whose main oven cooked unevenly, nevermind the left side oven that was non-operational. The oven ran hot, and made baking less of a science and more of a fervent prayer at hitting the lottery. A few months ago, Patrick began whispering that we should replace it, then it really started acting wonky. We wanted something sexy... a dual fuel range that would fit our design aesthetic. We started looking at Vikings, and I almost had a coronary when I realized how expensive they were. In the end, it didn't matter. The Vikings only come in 36" or 48". A 36" meant we'd have an awkward gap where the old range had stood, and the 48" meant we'd have to knock out a wall or remove our prized St. Charles metal cabinets. Neither was an acceptable option.

Apparently Frigidaire and Kenmore (allegedly the same product) are the only companies who even make what we were looking for. We had a plumber come out last week to pipe the gas in, and the new stove will be put in Tuesday.

It's not a Viking, but you'd think it was by how delighted I am.

Hot Buttered Cider

Hot Buttered Cider, originally uploaded by *April*.

Perfect for snuggling up with someone you love or a good book beneath a down comforter on a cold autumn evening.

Ingredients per serving:
6 oz. good quality apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 teaspoon of butter (approximately, a little more or less won't hurt)
1 oz. Calvados
1 tsp. brown sugar
sprinkle sea salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
sprinkle dried lemon peel

For multiple servings, increase ingredients as appropriate.

In a kettle, mix all ingredients except the cinnamon stick and heat until butter has melted and mixture is very warm. Pour into warmed mugs (to warm, simply fill with hot water and pour it out once the mugs have warmed). Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Coto de Imaz 2001 Reserva

Coto de Imaz 2001 Reserva
Originally uploaded by p2wy

Rich and complex with a lot of berry.... I should've written this one up after one glass rather than three. Went very well with Cuban rice, black beans and plantains tonight

Call for freezer recipes

We just got back from a long vacation through the upper peninsula of Michigan, and I'm refreshed and happy to be home. My house is full of workers installing our new bamboo flooring in the kitchen. This means, however, that I don't have a stove for the next two days. So my cooking will have to be a bit more delayed.

In the meantime, I'm asking for your help. My maternity leave is officially over in two weeks, and I have to go back to work, which means a 2+ hour commute each way. Have any suggestions for a freezer-friendly non-meat recipe? We bought a new deep freeze and I'd love to have some things stashed away for when I go back to work.

Veggie Burritos

Preparations, originally uploaded by *April*.

You may be wondering if this is strictly a vegetarian recipe site. It's not. Patrick and I were both raised in Texas, where BBQ brisket is ubiquitous. Somewhat reluctantly, I've helped process a deer and make homemade venison sausage. I still swoon at the smell of bacon, which conjures up childhood memories of fresh crisp waffles. As I've gotten older, I've given up meat from time to time. Patrick really is a pescetarian - as he'll occasionally fold (once every few months) for sashimi at our favorite sushi place in Andersonville. I knew he didn't eat meat and when we moved in together. While he was never militant about it, I just never really brought it into the house. It's sort of a pain to cook for one, so I never ate it at home. Over time, the habitual consumption of meat was simply replaced with healthier alternatives in our house.

Many times friends turn up their noses at the idea of a vegetarian meal. I assure you, though, that there are so many vegetarian food options that you'll never really miss the meat. I'm not a big fan of meat analogs (I prefer the real thing or nothing), and have to admit that my health has vastly improved since I've cut meat out of my diet. And, as an added bonus eating meat-free is substantially cheaper and lets me splurge on the things that I truly love like good wine and cheese. I may be able to give up meat completely, but I just can't give up cheese. No offense to my vegan friends. Let's just say it's a good thing I live so close to Wisconsin.

Here's a great recipe for veggie burritos that utilize nopales. Ingredients not pictured: jarred jalapenos (and juice), chipotle tabasco, a can of Meijer's refried beans with lime, shredded colby jack cheese, spices for the guacamole and flour tortillas.

While most people are familliar with the majority of these ingredients, I wanted to include information about the nopale or nopalito - as I know a lot of people pass by them in the produce section because they're afraid of what they will taste like or simply don't know what to do with them. For those of us that don't eat meat nopalitos impart a hearty meaty texture that is usually only a function of a soy derivative. While you can buy the individual prickly pear leaves, it's much easier to just buy the processed, chopped product usually sold in little baggies. My local grocer doesn't carry them - but every Latin grocer I've visited has them freshly in stock.

Here's information from wiki about nopales (often referred to as nopalitos when already processed and cut around here).
--
Nopales are a vegetable made from the young stem segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. They are particularly common in their native Mexico. Farmed nopales are most often of the species Opuntia ficus-indica, although the pads of almost all Opuntia species are edible.

Nopales are generally sold fresh or canned, less often dried to prepare nopalitos. They have a light, slightly tart flavor, and a crisp, mucilaginous texture.

Nopales are commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such as huevos con nopales (eggs with nopal), or "tacos de nopales". Nopales are also an important ingredient in New Mexican cuisine, and are gaining popularity elsewhere in the United States.

Nopales are very rich in insoluble and especially soluble dietary fiber. They are also rich in vitamins (especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, but also riboflavin and vitamin B6) and minerals (especially magnesium, potassium, and manganese, but also iron and copper). Nopales have a high calcium content, but the nutrient is not biologically available because it is present as calcium oxalate, which is neither highly soluble nor easily absorbed through the intestinal wall.

Addition of nopales also reduces the glycemic effect of a mixed meal.

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To make delicious veggie burritos, thinly slice a sweet red pepper and one third of a red onion. Heat a grill pan (a skillet with raised grill embedded) on medium heat and spray lightly with olive oil. Put the pepper and onion over in the pan over medium heat. Add 8 oz. of sliced baby bella mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften and the onions become lightly translucent. Add diced dethorned nopales and cook for 2 minutes or so. Add one diced tomato and a handful of fresh organic spinach. In a separate pan, heat the refried beans. Add a few tablespoons of jarred jalapeno juice to the sizzling vegetables. Drizzle some chipotle tabasco over the vegetables. Smear a tablespoon or two of the heated beans in the middle of a heated flour tortilla. Spoon in some vegetables, a squeeze of lime, some homemade guacamole, sour cream if you'd like it, a sprinkling of shredded cheese, and tuck in the end and roll it up. You'll never notice there's not any meat in these.