Toasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts (which also answer to magical tiny cabbages of goodness)

Serve hot with grated parmesan on top in a green platter you always knew you would have a use for

Well, if somebody can make their short story lengthier, it’s me. In this vein, I made this simple recipe inspired by the NY Times more complicated. You’re welcome.

Their recipe for quick weekday dinner with toasted gnocchi with Brussels sprouts was genius and it asked for store bought traditional gnocchi. I said, to this easy recipe - “gno-way”. If there was ever a partnership sanctioned by the universe or at least by the Food Network, it is Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. Knowing this, on my day off, I dove head first (because belly flops are not my jam) into making sweet potato gnocchi from scratch. Yes people, I made my own sweet potato gnocchi and used it in this recipe in the high stakes game called “Meat Free Lent Fridays (And yes, hotdogs are cheating).”

Overall it was successful but I suffered for a lack of kitchen scale, making finding the perfect marriage of sweet potato to flour hard. I soldiered on, through sticky dough, my sadness over wasting the nutrients in the sweet potato peels and my desire to screw the gnocchi and stuff myself silly with Brussels sprouts.

I will make it again, but not just for just myself because despite how beautiful it looked, I feel it was meant to be shared. Honestly, after I was done, I could only muster my appetite for frozen fish sticks. If you are wondering. I generally don’t stock frozen fish sticks in my miniature (and by miniature I mean had to be ordered specially because it is so small) fridge, but this is Lent so I made a special trip to actually buy fish sticks. I owe this yes, to my exhaustion and my sadness over eating a solitary meal, but more I owe my decision to forgo feasting on this feast on the day I prepared it to my earlier disappointment of not having an actual “Fillet of Fish” in Fillet of Fish Season. My whole time walking the aisles of Walmart I was psyching myself up about the seasonal loveliness of the Fillet of Fish which I promised myself I would treat myself to at the end of my shopping trip, Yes, when I am not an extremely expensive date, I am my own version of a very cheap date. At that moment I would have been charmed by every person who offered me breaded haddock on a Kaiser. My plans were foiled by a sulky cashier who refused to process my order correctly. Unfortunately, because the person taking my order at McDonalds was an unqualified hole which lives in your rear (who in my head I jokingly named “that heretic who hates puppies, kittens and probably just ate a hot dog”), I walked away from the Walmart McDonalds sadly empty-handed and kind of understanding the concept of divine retribution. I had my fish sticks later before I stopped by Stations of the Cross, another Lenten ritual, determined to not eat meat in observation of the season.

About Lent: As a Catholic I am about as crunchy and liberal as they come and I attribute my relentless pursuit of trying to practice my imperfect faith to my adolescent pothead love of incense, my love of liberation theology and the solace I found from prayer in places and spaces I did not ever expect to be. In general, I do think it is good for our souls to experience some sort of self dictated discipline or sacrifice and in the cadence of Lent, I have found a real understanding of how our mindfulness can be raised by slight adjustments in our routines. No, it is not a big deal not to have a hot dog on Fridays, until I find myself wanting my own hot dog on Friday. It is considered old fashioned to some and taken to extreme by others, this practice of making adjustments to daily routines to achieve enlightenment or even a vague understanding of sacrifice, but I find giving something up for Lent and refraining from meat brings into my consciousness what a brat I can be internally. In the past I have been challenged on my love of my faith by people who claim being politically progressive and being a practicing Catholic are mutually exclusive, but some of the most progressive people I know are clergy members who have dedicated their lives to serving people in framework of this faith. Some of my most favorite people are gay clergy members who healthily love their faith but not its past intolerance and despite the dissonance can still love themselves and their vocation. Not everybody can, and for the people who feel rejected by my faith, I feel sadness for their feelings over being treated unfairly and sympathy. I happen to have been born straight, baptized Catholic and unless profound disagreements over catechism count, have not been abused or ostracized by members of the clergy who I respect. With this knowledge, I understand my journey with my faith is not as painful as the journeys of others and I also recognize how easy some of these things are for me to write and how hard they are to read by people without my same life experience. In compassion, I can say I know what it is to be told you are broken, because of who you have loved, what has happened to you and what you refuse to be forced to be, and in solidarity I hope some of the many beautiful writings about faith which are part of the Catholic canon, which have nothing to do with sexuality or perceived “sin”, can be read by all people with the knowledge they were meant for all. My hope for people who have not felt included or accepted is you know I believe, as many Catholics do, that we are all born perfect (which means you were born to love who you love) and essential.

There have been wrongs done in the name of the Faith I practice and there have been miraculous acts of service, and I choose to practice my faith because I see in it a window into what my journey can mean and be. As I love this democracy we live in but I do not choose to ignore its chapters where people were treated unjustly, persecuted, exploited and ignored, so I see my flawed faith as having a dynamic history of sadness and redemption.  In acknowledging where we have been flawed in this nation’s past and present, we are able to move from a place of bigotry and injustice, and my relationship with my faith is similarly based on my understanding it is an institution which is trying to meet the world where it is, be more accepting and atone for its mistakes. My faith is the faith of the Magdelene Laundries and scandalous mishandling of abuse of children and my faith is the faith of nuns who chain themselves to prison gates to protest the executions of men they have not ever met, but value as members of humanity. My cousin works in Public Health, and for quite some time he worked in Haiti. The local people accepted his presence because they thought he was a priest, as they reasoned the only people they knew who did work similar to the work he was doing with the indigent and ailing, with no request for payment and no regard for their safety, were priests. For as many awful things which have done in the name of God by people of every faith, I am confident there are an equal number of selfless and brave things done in the name of faith in an unseeable but all-knowing deity(ies). This season we celebrate, Lent, is meant to be a time of contemplation, hope and penance. It is a space during the year where for 40 days we engage in contemplation of where we could be better, focus on finding healthy ways to do penance for the ways we failed ourselves and others, and meditate on the hope which comes from practicing an ancient and imperfect faith which preaches forgiveness and love. Through practicing my much maligned faith and observing its seasons, I believe I can see myself and my faith as becoming more beautiful, welcoming and wise. I might write more about this season in another post, but many religions have built into their calendar times for reflection and contemplation, and I am on the list of people who have been told “this is yours”. Reflecting on where we have been and where we are interested in going, no matter what or to whom or how we pray, can only make us better able to bring about healing, understanding, tolerance, joy and unbridled appreciation for gnocchi innovations.

Ingredients

Gnocchi

LB of Sweet Potato

1.25 cup of flour

sprinklin of nutmeg

cup of ricotta

lb of Brussels sprouts

2-3 tbls of olive oil

Additional flour for sprinkling

Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter

lb of brussels sprouts

medium lemon

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbs of olive oil

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Sage Brown Butter

3 tbs of butter

2 sprigs of sage, diced

Optional - 0.5 medium shallot I did not add but plan on adding when I make again in this step)

tsp of honey

Bringing your stockpot to boil with salted water and after pricking your potatoes, place them in to cook.

To expedite the cooking you can also cut them down the midline to make smaller pieces which will cook more quickly.

Drain the potatoes and set them in a colander to cool thoroughly.

Peel the cooled potatoes and discard the skins. Yes, I know the skins have vitamins! Mash the potatoes with either your potato masher or your hands. I used my hands because my potato masher mysteriously grew legs and walked away to mash another lady’s potatoes.

Add the ricotta, the Parmesan and the nutmeg. A 0.5 cup at a time, at the flour, mixing throughly between additions.

Flour your surfaces throughly in preparation for making the gnocchi. I created mine on my bakers rack slab which happens to be the only real stable piece of furniture in my house since my brother in law put it together, My other stuff, including my couch, is together but I am always careful not to push my luck.

Mix the dough until it is the consistency of slightly sticky biscuit dough, being careful not to overwork it. Over working the tough makes tough gnocchi.

Knead your dough into a loaf shape apx 5 X 9 inches, as you are going to cut slices off as if you were slicing your banana bread to serve to guests.

Taking a sharp paring knife, slice off the end (you will keep doing this and the next two steps until the loaf is sliced until individual gnocchis.

Using your hands roll the dough into a log, or if your playground game is tight, a “skinny snake”. You might have to keep reflouring the loaf and the surface to make sure it does not stick ***My ratio of sweet potato to flour was slightly favoring more sweet potato than I would use in the future, so I had to keep redusting more than I probably would have. With wet dough, the warmer it gets, the stickier it gets so you might be interested in refrigerating the dough between slices of the loaf.

Using your paring knife, cut the log into individual pieces and place them, on a plate or serving platter. Bring a pot of slightly salted water to boil and place the gnocchi in (I did 2 batches). It cooks quicker than you would think, as I discovered. As soon as the gnocchi rise to the top, they are cooked! Skim them off immediately and place into a bowl.

Complete disclosure: This is my overcooked gnocchi I left in for a moment to many, which I barely rescued from the pot

I learned my lesson: Perfectly cooked al dente gnocchi (as al dente as this particular sweet potato to flour gnocchi recipe can be). Toss with light tasting olive or vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking together and place to the side.

Cut strips of lemon zest by peeling the rind and cutting into strips….If I were to make this recipe again I would either cut big strips or dice sm, because the bite sized pieces were too much in a mouthful.

Cut the brussels sprouts in half. Our a tbs (or so) to the skillet and then individually place the brussels sprouts, cut side down in your pan. Add salt and pepper in a sprinkling.

Add the lemon zest on top

Cook until the brussels sprouts are browning. Remove form the heat and the pan.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and then add the gnocchi. When it is starting to get browned, add the butter, Honey and chopped sage to the Gnocchi in the pan. When the butter Is golden brown, add the brussels sprouts, toss, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Brussels sprouts cooked in butter take on a different taste, so make sure your Sprouts are BEing Seasoned and not actually cooking them. Serve hot and covered in grated Parmesan.

A

Keto friendly spicy tuna bites - MIDWEEK BONUS RECIPE

I am not actually a Keto person, but I have found many of the recipes are actually in line with how I eat. Originally I found this recipe and after I made it, I made some tweaks to make it easier to eat and serve. Cucumbers are actually not the most nutrient packed vegetable, but they are awesome vessels of hydration and excellent for gnoshing between meals. My “Healthy Antipasto” recipe I wrote a while back involves adding cucumber, and I’ve gotten feedback this recipe has been well loved.

Honestly this bonus recipe was my own midweek win, because we can all use some spice in our life. Remember to clean or at least wipe out your can before you put it in the recycling bin, and well, the “wipe your can” is probably good advice always.

Ingredients

The firmest English cucumber you can find

Can of Tuna (in oil or water) - drained

2 tbs of mayonnaise (have it on hand though you may not use this much

3 tbls of Siracha (2 for the tuna and the 3rd, still in the bottle, to garnish)

tsp of powdered garlic

salt (to taste) - I omitted it but I would in the future salt the shaved cucumber pieces if I was making the recipe at the bottom again

tsp (or so of ground pepper- Add according to taste

Very ripe avocado

Plan of Attack

Cross Section view of the individual piece- it is hard to see the avocado, but as the advocate for the hidden avocado, I testify on a stack of cookbooks it’s in there…

Cut your English cucumber into 2 pieces an during your paring knife, cut a triangular wedge shaped channel down the middle of your cucumber and discard the insides.

Cut your very ripe avocado open and spread avocado in the channel

In your sm mixing bowl mix a very well drained can of tuna, siracha, powdered garlic, pepper, mayonnaise and love until completed integrated.

Fill the remaining room in the canal with tuna until it is overflowing with an abundance of spicy protein goodness

Drizzle Siracha over the top

With control, make an additional drizzle of mayonnaise (according to your preference) but you could also use a drizzle of Spanish crema. Using your paring knife, cut into bit sized pieces.

Spicy Cucumber Tuna wraps

Same ingredients, different presentation

On Spicy Cucumber Tuna Wraps- My comments: I was planning on making the original recipe, found at heyketomamma.com, but I had difficulty making my cucumbers work the way they should. It might be because I was using the more narrow English version which resembles the BFG’s snozcumber or it might be my vegetable peeler. The result is just as tasty, but for texture eaters, they might be so into the consistency of the wraps. If I were serving to others, I would definitely add sort of toothpick to keep everything together. They sure did photograph well! I chose to buy my English Cucumber partly because I was being fancy, but more honestly, because the traditional cucumber were looking a little limp and nobody, but nobody, likes an unfortunately limp cucumber. For the original go to www.HeyKetoMamma.com

Quinoa and Belle pepper frittata

I read somebody wrote something snarky like “She brought a frittata. What is she living in 2008?”…Well, as we all know, the frittata was not invented in 2008, and versions of frittatas and omelettes have literally been made for centuries all over the world. I am living in the present age of the practical sustainably minded people who like entertaining at brunch time who think cool presents are things like beeswax wrap and reusable straws. I think of myself as a food classist who loves trying some faddy things but knows the standbys are standbys for a reason. Frittatas can be elegant, they are relatively affordable to make and when made with a mind towards health, they have a considerable amount of protein to offer a crowd. If you use cage free eggs, you are making a dish with traditional protein which you can feel a little bit ok about. Make it for yourself and call it a For-my-tum-tatta, make it for your beau and tell em it’s called a “Flirtatta” or, as I have recently done, make it for your family and call it your Fam-tatta…the world is your egg wielding oyster!

My Warning - Make at your own risk….

It’s the worst kept secret I am famous for my frittata, and probably even more of badly ket secret, it’s not the only “f-word” I am (when it’s appropriate) an expert of dropping. Fritattas can be very distracting so don’t let the preparation of this frittata or its consumption, distract you from important things like keeping your valuables safe or the punchline of a very funny joke.

I have a frittata story: There’s a photo of me from Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day so many minutes ago and I obviously in the throes of making an award winning frittata. I wish I still had the photo, but in its absence I have it’s memory and the tight egg-dish game I have honed since then.

I also recall for the same event I made green chocolate dipped oreos (more enticing than they sound) and the green chocolate drips are probably still on the floor of the rats nest of a kitchen my apartment had. I was in an economy apartment so I could save to get to a better financial place, but this came with it the inconvenience of no windows in my bedroom, a railroad layout, blatant firecode violations and a sink which filled with detergent laden water every time you did your laundry. I digress, back to my frittata story: If you have not heard of the spectacle which is Hoboken St. Patrick’s day, I have several tips:

1) It is often not on St. Patrick’s Day so don’t show up and wonder what the fuss is about on actual St. Patrick’s day.

2) if you plan on going, you will look ridiculous if you are not wearing something festive like your beer hat or shamrock suspenders. Ordinarily a beer hat is something of a fashion risk, but on this day in this place, it is equivalent of wearing a tux to the opera.

3) For the people who are celebrating the wearing of the green with a pint or so, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You also have to know it is equal opportunity so you can revel in the wearing of the green without having an Irish last name, a love of potatoes or relative named Pat, Patrick, or Patricia.

I left my apartment this day, went to a house party at my friend Fabi’s house, and returned later to find my house filled with strangers, some of them standing on the couch, some of them jumping up and down very hard (but not in time to the music) and a man rifling through my closet, “looking for the bathroom”…As I choose to see everything through green colored glasses, I said an internal “Slainte”and went back to the celebrating with the gente at Fabi’s house who had at this point, become upset because they had run out of green oreos. Despite what rumors you might have heard I did not meet up with a person in between fabi’s house and my triumphant return to her house with more fun confections. I probably should have taken a photo of this man in my closet for insurance, but I was distracted by the need to make more green oreos and debating about whether to make another Frittata. Yes, I was very trusting, but my feelings then were that people did not hurt people who make green oreos for sharing on Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day! Somebody should have told him this! I realized later, after I came back covered in copious party beads which were given to me by grateful frittata consumers, my checkbook was missing from my underwear drawer! The moral of the story is you should not get so distracted by this awesome frittata you are about to make that you don’t pay attention to things like grand larceny happening in your closet. I called my bank and told them about missing checkbook, and they asked if I knew who took it and I had to hold my tongue from saying a short man with a beard wearing green, because this description would have fit 50% of the men walking around in Hoboken on this particular Saturday. I noted his face and vowed if I ever saw him again to try and be in a position to pelt him with day old green chocolate oreos which, when I randomly saw him again, I unfortunately was not armed with. Would I have taken his photo as he sheepishly slunk out of my bedroom had I not earlier in the day been in my private “frittata-zone?” Debatable, but it is still an egg dish cautionary tale.

Ingedients

Belle Peppers (2 colors, de-cored, de-seeded and cut into slices)

medium shallot

2 garlic cloves

cup of quinoa

1.5 cups of chicken stock

shredded cheese (cheddar or the like)

salt and pepper (generous amount to taste)

Plan of Attack

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

*From the bottom of my scrupulously honest heart, I must tell you I am incorporating lessons learned into these instructions so this is not exactly how I made it. You’ll have the benefit of my experience, especially when it comes to the cooking of the peppers.

Cook the quinoa according to directions using chicken stock in place of the water. Set aside *This step can be done a day ahead of time.

My lonely last piece…

Rub olive oil around the inside of the your cast iron skillet and add a little to the your cast iron skillet and add the diced shallot and garlic. Cook until slightly aromatic. Then, add more oil (if needed) to the skillet and cook the peppers until they are aromatic. *Cooking some of the liquid out of the vegetables before adding the eggs cuts down on the time the frittata needs to be in the oven.

Add 8-9 eggs to a medium mixing bowl and then add in about 2/3 cup of quinoa. Whisk throughly. *You have the option here of adding milk to make it fluffier. I did not have milk in the fridge but I would have added it if I could because when making eggs, if you can add milk, why the heck not!

Add the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with shredded cheese, salt and pepper.

Cook on the stovetop until the edges are getting firm and then put in the oven. Cook until the frittata is cooked through. As with all egg based dishes (cheesecakes, quiches, etc), while it is still hot the top might have a little movement when you shake it - when it cools it will be perfect!

Serve hot and with the smile of a person who is eating ancient grains and loving it! I have eaten this particular frittata cold and it still hits the spot. I got the idea of adding quinoa from Dunkin Donuts’ now unavailable egg bowls….

White Bean Chili

For so many moons my soul has been hankering for the perfect green Dutch oven and the shining redeeming moment of my Holiday season was when I unwrapped my very own cast iron pot-of-future-awesomeness. When I cooked this, I actually adjusted for the size of my pot, but I have listed the original recipe below. Real talk- I am so dorky I have spent an embarrassing amount of time Google searching “sm Dutch oven recipes”, “recipes with sm Dutch oven”, and my personal favorite because it should be the most effective search term, “Dutch oven and awesome”. I am not a stranger to love affairs with kitchen accoutrement- in the mid 2000’s I had a passionate devotion to my crockpot and I have actually been so obsessed with my hand blender I have taken it out of its bag simply to look at it and make sure I cleaned it properly…like, way, way, way after the fact. Since I have a workable knowledge of things popularly considered not so overly dorky like craft beer and March Madness, I feel comfortable indulging, on occasion, my desire to wax poetic over how thin my cucumber slices are when they are made with my mandolin and gush over how quickly egg whites peak in my Grammy’s old Kitchen Aide Mixer. As for my love of my Dutch oven, I feel no regrets about sharing this very specific corner of my closet with the world. My dutch oven did this recipe justice and I felt a rush a pride when I was looking at it, lid on and cooking away, because it was just so damn pretty.

There are few dishes which warm me up from my toes to my nose more than a soup made with love and a little bit of schmaltz and I count this chili as soup (though some purists might not). We’ve had, where I live, an unseasonably snow free winter but even without the snow on the ground, when I come in to my house I still find myself craving something hearty and maybe not so healthy. While there are healthier ways to make chili, I pity the fool who thinks there’s a simpler recipe which does not scrimp on flavor, floating around on the internet. I love meat free chilis, and have made them with a earth-appreciating smile on my face, but unfortunately my attempts at being a vegetarian were stymied by a rare health thing which requires me to eat like Fred Flintstone. Yabba Dabba, Yeah for days my body lets me eat more legumes than chicken legs…..

My adjustments: The original recipe called for soaking the white beans overnight, but for the sake of expediency, I used canned beans instead. As I stated, I have a medium sized dutch oven, not the monsters other people have, so I adjusted down all the ingredients to fit in my pot. I added the same amount of cumin because I love me some cumin. In the future, I would explore adding vegetables to the mix like coined carrots or even a diced sweet potato for some sweetness to cut the heat of the sausage. I did not have chili powder (I swear I have a spice munching monster in my disorganized spice and sprinkles cabinet), but it still was pretty delicious.

Ingredients

lb of chorizo (without the casings)

sm Spanish onion

3 cloves of garlic

can of Cannellini beans

30 oz (or so) can of crushed tomatoes

tsp of chili powder

tsp of cumin

tsp of ground pepper

tsp of table salt

sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (for serving) - optional

grated/shredded cheese of your choosing (for serving ) - optional

salsa of your choosing (for serving ) - optional

diced green onion (for serving) - optional

Plan of Attack

Place the chorizo in your heavy bottom pot or if you’re lucky like me, your dutch oven. Cook on medium low heat until the sausage is browned but there is still juice on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the sausage from the heat using your slotted spoon and place to the siDe. Add the onions, garlic and spices to the poT and cook on medium low in the sausage drippings until the onions are aromatic and clear.

Add the beans, the tomatoes, and the sausage back into the pot and cook for 30-40 minutes with the top on. It should not be boiling but it should still be actively cooking. You are looking for the flavors to integrate. Serve hot with cheese (shredded cheddar or cotija), sour cream (I used plain greek yogurt) and chopped green onion (optional).

Digaag Qumbe (Yogurt Coconut Chicken)

Let the sauce cook down, uncovered, if it seems too liquidy for your taste. The recipe actually calls for serving with rice but I’m not a big rice lady, and I feel like I always cook it badly, so I served mine with quinoa cooked in lightly flavored chicken broth.

When I started this project, to try a recipe every week, I was honestly slightly apprehensive about the prospect of holding myself accountable for trying a recipe even during busy weeks or lean money weeks, or weeks when I had a case of sinusitis or even the grumpies. I have to say it has actually added structure to my life when it otherwise did not have a rhythm and even when I felt slightly overbooked, I found taking the time to cook something seemed like an act of sound self care in a life which was urging me to me to be busy but not necessarily mindful. Somebody I love actually encouraged me to start this blog years ago to document my “Recipe of the Week” journey and while I have not been as religious about posting my recipes in recent months, I am trying to get back into the habit of adding things soon after I cook them. I have always loved cooking for others but it has sometimes been a struggle treat myself with the same loving kindness and get excited about cooking for myself when turkey bacon and brussels sprouts seemed like the dinner I actually was interested in eating. Through this routine of cooking something every week outside my regular repertoire I have found comfort I was at least learning a recipe even if I was not where I felt like I should be in so many parts of my life and I have cooked through loneliness, anger, grief, pain, love and confusion. Thanks to his suggestion, I have now a real catalogue of recipes I enjoy and can share and reminders of what I have accomplished when it seemed like I was accomplishing nothing much at all.

Before the tectonic shift in my life 9 years ago I loved trying foods I hadn’t and eating in restaurants which served dishes I might not otherwise bravely try at home but which might both stretch and satisfy my palate. While I am sure my budget will expand soon, this practice of trying recipes has allowed me a little taste of this old practice because I have tried foods from corners of the globe I have not been or which contain ingredients which were not as familiar as the garlic and potatoes of my childhood. This recipe was something of a departure for me but I was rewarded because it is delicious! BONUS POINTS - it still has garlic and potatoes, but used in a way which opens my culinary eyes while soothing my soul. Digaag Qumbe is, according to Bon Appetit, a traditional Somali stew and I highly recommend it. I love recipes which require effort because I feel like I am loving on a myself a little by making something which people obviously would only put the effort in to make for people they love.

The skinny

In making this recipe I realized my vegetable loving heart would crave more carrots and a little sweetness, so I doubled the carrots and added chopped par boiled sweet potato. Despite my reduced circumstances I have managed to retain a little of my sauciness so I felt a kinship with this recipe when after a bunch of time cooking and two potatoes (sweet and not), it was still saucy. The pureed vegetables, coconut milk and yogurt give this sauce a velvety texture which harmoniously coats the chicken and tastes well, expensive. If the chicken is the guest of honor, then the spice harmony in the sauce is his very fancy cufflinks. Other people had commented they wished they par boiled the potato before adding so I par boiled both the potato and the sweet potato after cutting them into slightly smaller than bite sized pieces with considerable success. Cooking the dish together for 20 plus minutes brings a cohesiveness which is hard to find in other dishes without hours on the stove and this was done in under an hour!

Ingredients

3 medium tomatoes (5 Roma tomatoes)

red bell pepper, cored and seeds removed

2 jalapenos

0.5 cup of olive oi

medium onion

2-3 garlic cloves

sm -medium piece of ginger, peeled and diced

tbsp of curry powder

tbsp of ground cumin

tbsp of tumeric

Kosher salt

cup of plain yogurt ( I used plain greek)

tbsp of tomato paste

medium potato

medium sweet potato

2 medium carrots, peeled and coined

lb of boneless and skinless chicken breasts (the recipe call for boneless skinless thighs but I had breasts so I sued what I had on hand)

14 oz can of coconut milk (mine was 13.6, but it worked well)

Cup of cilantro, diced

Steamed rice (I used quinoa instead but traditionally it would be served with rice)

banana (for the culinary brave)

Plan of Attack

Add the potatoes, jalapeño, and pepper to your food processor or blender and pulverize until almost a paste

Add the oil to your big skillet, and then add the onions, cooking them until aromatic. After they are aromatic on medium low heat cook the diced garlic and ginger, adding the spice mixture after the garlic has been in the pan for about a minute.

Add the tomato mixture and cook for 9-11 minutes. While the tomatoes are cooking par boil the potatoes and then add the coined carrots and potatoes into the mixture.

When the carrots and potatoes have cooked for 5-6 minutes add the yogurt and coconut milk. This recipe called for a tsp of Tumeric but I actually added a tbsp and you can see this from the beautiful mustard color of the dish.

Add the chicken, cut into bite sized pieces into your pan as well as the cilantro. Cover and cook fro 22-25 minutes.

TV and tumeric!!! Yum!

Christmas Creme Brûlée French Toast

My well loved Aunt Kay made this recipe for a holiday brunch and my Mamma loved it. With this in mind I made it several years ago, following the true recipe for Christmas morning and I made it again this year, with some healthier adjustments. It is both decadent and delicious which makes it the perfect holiday brunch! Holiday breakfast, Challah! (pronounce it like it is 2005, like it’s a greeting- yeah, you got it!)

My aunt is passionate about food and about treating it with respect, and I have from her developed a fine appreciation that sometimes following the recipe is the most respectful thing you can do for your dinner. This recipe I followed religiously originally but I got home on Christmas Eve and had no half an half. I sighed, channeled my inner Aunt Kay, and added milk. The result was not quite as custardy but certainly decadent and delicious.

Ingredients

0.5 cup of butter (I used salted)

1.5 cup of milk (but you can use half and half)

tsp of vanilla

5 eggs

2 tbls of corn syrup

cup of brown sugar

loaf of challah bread

tsp of cinnamon

Plan of Attack

Add the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup to a medium saucepan and cook on medium low until it cooks into a syrup.

Pour the syrup mixture into the bottom of a substantial glass baking dish.

Cut the challah bread into 6 slices (from the middle) excluding the heels. Place the bread slices into the bottom of the pan on top of the syrup.

Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon

Pour the mixture over the bread slices and refrigerate for at least an hour but possibly overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 and cook for 22-24 minutes. If you notice the crusts getting burned, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and place back in the oven until cooked through.

Spiced Morroccan Chickpea Detox glow bowl

I accidentally opened a can of chickpeas, and I went on the hunt for a recipe to use them. This recipe was surprisingly easy and I will certainly make again! So often I don’t like too many starches in food so I shy away from some legume heavy dishes but the brightness of the cucumber and yogurt balanced the couscous and garbanzos in this recipe. It was no fuss, no muss, and I actually felt myself glowing! I am increasingly trying to find innovative ways to use legumes because I feel we all should try, when possible, to have a varied diet where we try and make choices with the Earth in mind.

Ingredients

tbls of olive oil

0.25 cup of chopped onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

tbls of cumin,

tbls of tumeric

tsp of sea salt

sprinkling of cinnamon / cayenne

14 oz can of chickpeas

14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

Bowls

2 cucumbers

cooked couscous (I used Isreali couscous)

parlsey and cilantro

yogurt or hummus

oliv eoil

lemon juice

*Optional - toasted pita wedges

Plan of Attack:

Dice the onion and garlic. Add the olive oil to your medium skillet, add the onions and cook them until aromatic. Then add the chickpeas, garlic, and salt and cook until fragrant. After the chickpeas have integrated with the spices, add the tomatoes and cook undrained for 22-23 minutes.

While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the couscous (I used Isreali couscous cooked in chicken stock)

Chop the cucumbers, and arrange the bowl. Serve the bowl with your healthiest serving of the spice garbanzo mixture and commence glowing!

Potato Latkes

Latkes and Lights

There is something very beautiful about the idea of lights burning through the night and though many Jewish people say Hannukah is for the children, I think the child in all of us can take heart in the symbolism of the holiday. We who pray, in whatever way we do and to whomever we think hears, are saying in our quiet moments we believe, despite all the sadness and despair, a glimmer (sometimes it only seems like the tiniest glimmer) of hope endures and somebody or something is listening. We have all had moments, whether we talk about them or we don’t, where impossible grace or hope or wisdom seemed achievable and in looking back at my moments, I think today, of the lamps which kept burning in the inaugural Hannukah. In this world where so many sad things seem to be happening we have to find ways not to be discouraged into not trying to solve big problems, and I have found the key to not being discouraged in my life is to remember the little lights which have kept burning, encouraging me on through the darkness, the sadness and the mess. As I write this I am reminded of the motto of Motel 6 - “We’ll keep the light on for ya,” and growing up in the woods, my parents left the light on whenever we were coming home late. There are people for all of us for whom we will always keep the light on for, whether it be the porch light or the light in private corners of our hearts and it is our choice for who and how you keep your lamps lit.

For those who don’t know, the miracle of Hanuakah is this: oil which was needed by the ancient Hebrews to power lamps lasted and kept the lamps lit in a way which seemed impossible to the ancient Hebrews, as it should have run out. Jewish people believe their higher power, loved the ancients so much he said in his own way “I’ll keep the light on for ya” . Burning miraculously, these lights became a symbol of inextinguishable love, insight and support and today we call this season which is so important to many, the “season of lights”. What does keeping the light on for people in our lives, people we know and people we don’t, look like? Personally, it looks as it looks for everybody in their own way, but in world, it means so often being fair to people and giving people the opportunity to join the conversation if they are respectful and have valuable things to add. We re not compelled to keep the light on for people who tried to extinguish our own personal light or the lights we have left on for others. . While in this time of environmental crisis this motto might seem wasteful, I think especially the people who have concerned themselves with saving this planet need to keep the proverbial light on, the solar powered light, to welcome people who wish to join them but are hesitant because activism is something they are unfamiliar with or because other causes which seem progressive which they associate with the environmental movement have not always been in line with what they were taught to believe or have even been exposed to.

This time of year is cold, and unrelentingly dark, as I pull into the spot in front of my house I am always cheered to see the light turn on. Since nobody lives in my apt except me, this tiny little light seems to welcome me and in my sad solitary moments, it makes me feel like somebody (Even if it is the tiniest of imps living inside the motion sensor) is happy I am home safe.

At this time of year, people of the Jewish tradition fry foods in oil as a reminder of the nights which were lit, which should not have been. In honor of Hanukah and my memories, I made some latkes and due to a phone snafu narrowly avoided making schmaltzkes (like latkes but only schmaltzier) and they were very satisfying. When I searched for latke recipes, I saw a schmaltzke recipe and well, I have a fine appreciation of schmaltze and believe with many things the schmaltzier the better, but the recipe would not open on my phone. There were mishaps with my latkes as there often is when trying a recipe or using equiptment you have yet to master. This Christmas I received a Dutch oven and I am still learning to use it so I could not get the oil sufficiently hot to fry my latkes so I got a pile of oily mess. Frugal happens to be my middle name so I could not bring myself to pour more expensive olive oil into my skillet so I ended up frying them in butter, which yes I know, even though I am definitely Catholic, defeats the symbolism of frying things during Hanukah. The butter was salted and I misread the recipe and had put too much salt in to begin with, but I, being the lover of potatoes and symbolism I am, soldiered on and slathered them in apple sauce. Next year, shmaltzkes might be on the menu, but through this coming year I am planning on trying to focus on the lights which keep burning ..and I am trying to add a little schmaltz to my every day life.

Ingredients

3-5 medium potatoes

medium onion (sweet) diced

garlic powder

2 eggs

2 tbls of flour or matzo meal

salt (tsp)

pepper (tsp)

oil or butter to fry them.

Wash and clean 3-5 potatoes

Process the potatoes and onions until a smooth paste

Put the potato onion mixture in a cheesecloth / dish towel and drain the liquid from the potatoes. *Some recipes say to reserve some of the potato starch water, but I did not because I did not have a real cheesecloth.

Put the drained potatoes in your mixing bowl

Add salt, pepper, whisked eggs, matzo meal and diced scallions in the bowl and mix thoroughly.

Add oil to a hard bottomed pan, drop heaping spoonfuls of potato mixture into hot oil and fry to cook evenly, browning on both sides

What happens if your oil should be more hot - limp latkes….wah wah…I used another pan and butter, but I will conquer the dutch oven frying function. yet!

Cannellini bean pasta with beurre blanc

This recipe was pulled from the New York times, and adjusted to accommodate my kitchen and preferences.

I have not been to France but at times I feel like channeling my inner French lady and making something decadent I will permit myself to indulge in, but only with French lady restraint. As for my thoughts on the French, I have a love of millinery, red lipstick, baguettes and perfect tailoring, so while I would rather not think of myself as bowled over by the call to be a true mademoiselle, my pronunciation of croissant belies my love of the language and probably the cheese.

As a child I started to learn French in the first grade and I took pleasure in my bedroom trying to cultivate my accent. My exposure to French culture was limited to Madeline books and berets, but later I learned to love French art, the respectful treatment of fashion and the occasional beignet. Destined to learn many things and meet many people. I have held onto my basic understanding of French as well as my appreciation for what seemed like a culture which to me, even now, shares my love of beauty for beauty’s sake. My air of mystery was not something I intentionally crafted but I feel a kinship with the quintessential Parisian lady who feels what happens in her boudoir, is exclusively her business. As I have been working through things in my head and my heart, I have made an uneasy peace with things and people I associated with France, so much so I might even try and master coque au vin.

This recipe seems simple was deceptively complicated, because as in life, the key to perfect beurre blanc is timing. I intend on making it again and this time I won’t make the unfortunate mistake of adding garlic to the butter. It burned too quickly, and I had to make an entire second batch.

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed

• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• ¼ cup white wine

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• 1 shallot or small white onion, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup small pasta, like shells

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or other strong hard cheese, to finish

Serving suggestion - accompanied by honeyed salt and pepper carrots

Plan of Attack

Add the beans to a medium stockpot with chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

As the beans are cooking, add the wine, vinegar, shallot and butter to your sm saucepan. I also added a sprig of rosemary, on a romantic whim* Keep shaking the pan to prevent sticking and burning and cook until aromatic. Put the beurre blanc aside and I’ll be honest- calling it beurre blanc in honestly a misnomer because it is not entirely white , yet not quote brown butter.

Add the pasta to the beans and cook until pasta is almost al dente, about 9 - 11 minutes. When the pasta is done, add the beurre blanc and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the past is cooked and the flavors have integrated. *I cooked for slightly more than 6 minutes because I was trying to cook off some of the liquid in the pot, and it made a real difference.

Serve hot covered in shaved parmesan..