get your yummy back

musings from a health supportive culinary artist

Special Turkey Day Edition! November 16, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 6:45 pm
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It’s Friday and I imagine most of us are shopping or planning to shop for Thanksgiving next week. I thought I’d share some of my turkey day favorites from the GYYB archives.

As you know, I always brine and grill my turkey. It’s delicious and it keeps the oven free all day for everything else!

The thing I love most about Thanksgiving is the side dishes (and time with family and the bubbly). Some recommendations for different and delicious side dishes include Warm Corn Salad, Kale and Apple Salad with Spiced Pecans, Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad, Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries, Spiced Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots.

If you are hosting family, make chili, soup, quick breads or Mini Fritattas to have around. They freeze well, make great snacks, or can feed a crowd. There are lots of recipes from which to choose. I also like to make a batch of Birchermusli (Swiss-style oats) for breakfast.

Once the main event is over, use your leftover turkey to make Chunky Turkey-Barley Soup or this great Turkey and Wild Rice Salad. But most of all, be thankful for the bounty our Earth provides and be well!

 

Fall = Butternut Squash! November 4, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 1:15 pm
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Before I start this post ~ first thing’s first ~ a big shout out to everyone on the East Coast recovering from Sandy. Our hearts and thoughts are with you…

This week I bought my first butternut squash of the season. I love it – it’s so versatile. It’s great roasted on its own, tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. I also love it in soup, like in this Butternut Apple Bisque or this Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup. It also works really well as a vegetarian main dish or as a hearty side dish in Bulgur Pilaf with Roasted Squash and Mint or in this week’s recipe ~ Butternut Barley Pilaf. Barley gets tossed with roasted red onions and butternut squash. Add some fresh chopped parsley, toasted walnuts and then toss in a bit of walnut oil, and wow – it’s delicious.

Barley is a good whole grain to keep in your pantry. It’s a great addition to soup. It can substitute for rice in salads and it makes a nice hot breakfast mixed with some maple syrup, raisins and sliced banana. Make extra!

 

Mushroom Barley Soup October 21, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 10:40 am
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When I was working full time at a gourmet market, I made soup every day. It was, in fact, the best part of my day. I. Love. Soup. I like it for lunch, dinner and snacks. Sometimes, if it’s hot out (which does not stop me from making soup), I’ll drink soup cold out of a mug even if it was intended to be eaten hot out of a bowl.

I sought out a recipe for Mushroom Barley Soup because I was craving it. When I found this recipe, I was highly skeptical of the process but figured I’d try it anyway. Typically when you make soup, you start by sauteing vegetables, most often onion, carrot and celery. Then you add some seasonings to the vegetables for a few minutes, and let them release their flavors, before adding other ingredients and some sort of broth. Not here. In this recipe, you put it ALL IN THE SOUP POT, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 30 minutes. Yep – that’s it. Whole grains, beef broth, vegetables – this is definitely weeknight comfort soup. And it’s really tasty (yes – even cold). So tasty, in fact, I just bought more mushrooms. Goes great with Maple Corn Bread!

 

Thai Beef Cabbage Cups October 14, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 5:32 pm
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Photo by John Autry for Cooking Light

It’s very  that if you enjoyed the Dan Dan Noodles, you’ll like this too. Thai Beef Cabbage Cupsare a delicious and satisfying meal. Ground beef gets some serious flavor from sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic and fish sauce.

For my paleo friends, this is right up your alley, as cabbage leaves substitute for tortillas.

Of course, if you prefer, you could always put this filling in tortillas and top it will Zesty Coleslaw. Uh oh…that sounds pretty good. Perhaps next time!

 

Dan Dan Noodles October 7, 2012

Filed under: how to make it,where to get it — chezdesblog @ 10:05 am
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Oh my. This recipe for Dan Dan Noodles is a keeper. Healthy and satisfying, I’ve adapted it to use ingredients commonly found in my pantry. It’s definitely week night fare and an awesome alternative when craving pasta.

I’ve espoused the virtue of thick, wheat-flour udon noodles before. I find them at health food stores, World Market and at the supermarket – they are pretty main stream. One thing I really love about this recipe is that it uses tahini (sesame paste) as a base for a nutty, spicy, flavorful sauce. Topped with lean ground pork, chopped peanuts and green onions, it comes together in no time, but doesn’t taste like it. Best of both worlds!

 

Wild Mushroom Pastitsio + Savory Goat Cheese Toasts September 30, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 3:56 pm
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Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

It actually felt like Fall yesterday. While it was still sunny and 70 degrees, the air was different and the shadows were just a tad bit longer in the afternoon. Along with the change in seasons comes a backlog of casseroles, soups and stews for testing. Bring it!

The first out of the box was this Wild Mushroom Pastitsio. A lighter, vegetarian version of the traditional Greek dish, this casserole has comfort written all over it. Don’t let the multiple steps prevent you from attempting this dish. Basically you create two layers – a mushroom layer and a pasta layer, each with its own light sauce. It took me about an hour, but then, I always get distracted. Save it for a Saturday or Sunday and enjoy every single step before relishing in the result. I served it with a mixed green salad and these Savory Goat Cheese Toasts. Yum.

 

Marinated Market Vegetables September 16, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 2:05 pm
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Marinades aren’t just for meat, you know. Take, for example, this recipe for Marinated White Bean Salad. It’s a simple, old school treatment for beans and boy is it tasty!

This weekend, I learned about another recipe for Marinated Market Vegetables  from my step mom. It’s a keeper! A variety of crunchy, colorful vegetables are marinated in a Dijon vinaigrette spiked with Italian seasoning. Fresh and delicious, it’s even better the next day. Enjoy!

 

Bobby’s Grilled Bison Steaks September 9, 2012

Filed under: how to make it,where to get it — chezdesblog @ 3:10 pm
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My friend Bobby taught me how to grill bison steaks. The method is simple – let the meat rest at room temperature in a salted red wine marinade. Place the steaks over the grill, sear them on each side and then, and this is where there’s a twist, dip them in soy sauce and put them back on the grill for a few minutes to finish cooking. Salty, wine- y Grilled Bison Steaks deliciousness. I have since tried this same method at home with sirloin steaks and they were also very tasty.

Look for local sources of bison if you can find them. In Washington DC, I found it at the farmer’s market. In Santa Barbara, we have a local source (Aurora Farms) that brings their product to town weekly. I’ve given you a link to their web site which includes all sorts of interesting information about bison, buffalo and how they differ.

 

Blackened Sea Bass September 2, 2012

Filed under: how to make it,where to get it — chezdesblog @ 10:12 am
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We’re at it again! The same friends who gifted us the delicious halibut for Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce also gave us some of their sea bass catch. We decided to try it out with a dry rub, which has been our trend lately (last applied to flank steak with great results). The end result – Blackened Sea Bass – which we cooked on the grill. Delicious!

There is no real standard for blackened seasoning. This is a recipe I’ve used for a while. The idea behind “blackening,” whether it be fish or chicken or what have you, is to apply the rub liberally and then cook the protein over high heat on both sides, developing a delicious, flavorful crust.

If you aren’t up for grilling, this dish can be prepared using a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat on the stove top, just use the same timing as you would for the grill. Be sure to use grape seed oil to oil the grill pan; it has a higher smoking point than olive oil.

BTW – I got this photo of blackened fish on the grill from grillingaddiction.com – I recommend you check it out!

 

Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce August 19, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 10:55 pm
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Oh, lucky us. This week, friends brought us halibut that they caught off the coast. When I opened the package, it smelled like the ocean. Heavenly. Thanks, Jenn & Will!

This recipe for Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce was inspired by the herbs in my garden. Traditionally, chimichurri is made with fresh parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Herb-y and fresh it adds great flavor to steak, chicken and seafood. In this version, I substitute cilantro and lemon juice with great results. I served it with roasted patty pan squash tossed with chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

If you have any leftover chimichurri (which is doubtful), it’s also great as a topping for grilled steak or chicken, tossed with roasted vegetables or stirred into brown rice. Good stuff!

 

 
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