Do You Have A Little Hippie In You?

The very first time I tried granola was in fifth grade at Science Camp.  For those of you that did not get to experience the joy of science camp as a child, let me fill you in on what fun you missed out on!  Science Camp is a place where the entire 5th grade class was separated into groups with one chaperone that was affiliated with the school and one camp leader.  We shared bunk beds, hiked, listened to live music and sang around a campfire at night, collected and learned about leaves, could take a shower that was no longer than 5 minutes every morning and at every meal there was...drum roll please...a HUGE buffet!!!!  Sounds like my kind of heaven, right?  There was only one catch!  At the end of every meal each group had to gather up all of the used plates and measure the amount of their waste!  The group with the least amount of waste at the end of the week won.  Well, when you are 10 years old and have eyes that are about 20 times larger than your stomach your group members begin to hate you.  At breakfast I would mound my plate with eggs, sausage, bacon and toast.  Who wouldn't?  Well, when about have of those mountains of food are still there at weigh-in time you are definitely not the most popular monkey at the zoo.  This is where granola saved me!  Instead of piling all of the things I wished I could stuff into my face I grabbed what looked least appealing to my 10 year old senses.  One bowl of granola was all I would take at breakfast from now on.  To my great surprise...I LOVED it!  I would mix it with different flavors of yogurt and raisins and be in science camp hippie heaven!

Though science camp's lesson on portion control may not have stuck with me through my adult life my love for granola sure has!  The only problem with granola is that it can get to be a bit expensive, right?  Six dollars for a bag that, once you rip away the cardboard exterior, is only half full?  What the what?  Here is a much cheaper and easier solution to this lack of granola in my cupboard...I am going to make it myself.

This has to be one of the easiest things in the world to make!  Begin by pre-heating your oven to 300 degrees.  LIGHTLY grease a large baking pan and set it aside for later use.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together 4 c. of old fashioned rolled oats, 1 c. of chopped pecans, 1/2 c. of packed light brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. of ground nutmeg.  In a small sauce pan, combine 1/3 c. canola oil, 1/4 c. of maple syrup, and 2 tbsp. of granulated sugar over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering remove the pan from your heat source and mix in 2 tbsp. of vanilla extract.  Pour the hot liquid mixture over the oat mixture and combine well.  Use a large spatula or your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.  Spread the mixture over the prepared baking pan and try to make the thickness of the oat layer as even as possible.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Transfer the pack to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Once the granola is cooled you can break up the pieces and transfer to an air tight container.  It should keep in the pantry for 2-3 weeks.  This recipe makes about 8 cups of granola.  If you won't get through it fast enough feel free to cut the recipe in half.

This May Make Your Pee Smell, But Boy, is it Worth It!

Asparagus, a green vegetable belonging to the lily family, has one notorious side effect for some diners who eat enough of it. Within a half-hour of asparagus consumption, some people notice their urine has acquired a very pungent odor. The effects of asparagus on urine are generally fleeting and harmless, but it's not necessarily the consumer's finest hour, bodily excretion-wise.


The good news is that asparagus does not affect everyone. Studies conducted on the "asparagus urine" phenomenon (aren't you glad you didn't volunteer!) indicate that roughly 40 to 50 percent of those tested developed the distinctive odor. Surprisingly enough, there is also a segment of the population who cannot smell the sulphurous fumes of asparagus-laced urine. It is believed that both the generation of the odoriferous urine and the ability to smell it are based on genetics. Only those with a certain gene can break down the chemicals inside the asparagus into their smelly components, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of that chemical breakdown.


That being said, keep some nose-plugs in the bathroom and lets get ready to make some creamy asparagus soup!

I make soup at least twice a week.  It is low maintenance, delicious (usually), and there are always left-overs for lunch the next day.  With my soup-making background this is, hands down, the best soup that I have had a long time that didn't have bacon or cream as a main ingredient!  I used one package of fresh and one package of thawed, frozen asparagus.  Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of you stock pot.  Add one chopped onion and 4 cloves of chopped garlic.  Saute for a few minutes on low heat and add two stalks of chopped celery and one chopped carrot.  Saute for a further few minutes.  Add the fresh asparagus with the spears cut into thirds or fourths, depending on the size.  Also, add two peeled and diced russet potatoes.  The potatoes are going to thicken the soup when you blend it so that dairy is not a necessity.  Add two sprigs of fresh thyme, two bay leaves, 1 tbs. of herbs de provence, one sprig of fresh oregano, salt and pepper to taste.  Let everything cook together for a few minutes before adding the chicken broth and diced frozen asparagus.  Once the broth is added, cover and simmer for one hour.  Times up???  Okay, now remove the bay leaves and stems from the fresh herbs (the leaves should fall off after heating into the soup, they should look like mini bare branches).  Now we are ready to motor boat!  Take a hand blender or use a regular blender and cream the soup.  If using a hand held you can just do it directly in the soup pot.  If using an actual blender do it is small batches and let the liquid cool a bit before blending.  Otherwise the soup will fly out of the top of the blender and you will be cleaning the ceiling instead of reaping the benefits of your souping labor!  Once everything is all blended I added about 1/2 c. of buttermilk for a creamy consistency.  If you are a non-dairier it is okay.  The soup will still be delicious and creamy without it!

Holy Jicama, Batman!!!

It has been YEARS since I have had jicama!  I don't think there is a single dish that I have made that required this juicy, crunchy, wonderful fruit.  Wait...is it a fruit???  Anyways, I stumbled upon a black bean and jicama salad recipe and couldn't wait to try it.  Now, when I came home and said that we were having beans and jicama for dinner my significant other looked none too thrilled.  Have no fear that he gobbled it up like a starving kitten.  The neighbors gave it a thumbs up too!  This salad is incredibly refreshing with citrus, cumin, and some crunch.  If you are going to a barbecue or pot luck this would be a fantastic summer accompaniment.

If you want easy this is the dish for you!  Throw a bunch of crap in a bowl and stir it around a bit.  Voila!  You have a very unique and tasty side that I can almost guarantee your friends have never tried before.  Drain one can of black bean and one can of corn, rinse both in a strainer, and dump in a large mixing bowl.  Dice one store bought container of jicama into cubes and dump into the bowl.  Quarter and dice one persian cucumber, one medium sized tomato and one medium sized avocado...dump.  Chop up about a tbsp. of parsley and 1/2 c. of arugula then, you guessed it, dump it into the bowl.  Now for the dressing.  I guess this is the most difficult part because there is whisking involved.  In a small bowl add 1/2 c. olive oil, 3 tbs. red wine vinegar, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tsp. of ground cumin, 1 tsp. of sugar, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and the juice of one lime.  Whisk it together for a few seconds and, once again, dump it into that darn bowl.  With a large spoon give everything a good mix and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  This is also one of those dishes that tastes way better the next day so feel free to make it the night before!

I Quiche I May, I Quiche I Might, Have This Quiche I Baked Tonight!

Did you know that the quiche originated in Germany?  Who'd of thunk it?  The word quiche actually comes from the German word "Kuchen", meaning cake.  Now I am not the most in touch with my heritage, but when I think German I think of the three B's: beer, bratwursts, and more beer.  Well, don't let those Germans fool you...they definitely have a thing or two up their culinary lederhosen.  I would have never guessed that aside from all of the sauerkraut and potatoes there were wonderful little pies filled with cheesey eggy goodness.

I decided to begin my quiche-ing endeavors with a roasted zucchini and leek quiche.  Man, oh man, was it...what's the right word...scrum-diddle-ee-icious!  I apologize, I will never use a Rachel Ray-ish word to describe food again!  To begin, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Thinly slice 2 zucchini, 2 leeks, and 2 stalks of celery.  Put them in a large bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper.  Pour the vegetables on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.  In the meantime, beat together three eggs, about 1/2 cup of milk and one tbs. of dijon mustard.  Once the veggies are done combine them with the egg mixture, about a half cup of grated swiss or cheddar cheese and 3 tbs. of diced chives.  Pour your mixture into a thawed whole wheat pie crust (once again...I am not a baker...if you want homemade crusts you are on your own).  Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.

Have fun with this recipe!  Feel free to use any type of cheese, herbs, or vegetables that happen to sound fantastic to your little German taste buds!  Experiment, experiment, experiment...happy quiche-ings my fellow dairy eaters!

Is That a Banana in your Muffin, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Now I am not a baker by any means...I always manage to mix up baking soda and baking powder, or attempt to bump up the heat so things will cook faster.  No matter how many times I try I never learn my lessons.  To me baking is like a chemistry experiment.  Something that has to be followed to a tee in detail so that the correct outcome occurs...boring!  That said, these muffins were amazing and easy to make.  Even I will be baking these babies again.  In the very near future, in fact, because my boyfriend ate five of them within the first fifteen minutes that they were out of the oven.  Whole wheat bulgar muffins with banana and cinnamon...I know, I know, they sound terrible.  Oh how they were the exact opposite, my little baking friends!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 4 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. cinnamon, 4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.  In a separate bowl lightly beat one egg, then add 1 c. milk, 1 tbsp. vanilla extract and 3 tbs. canola oil.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture along with 3/4 c. of cooked bulgar wheat.  Once all ingredients are moist add 3 VERY ripe bananas (I usually put mine in the freezer and then thaw them about 20 minutes before I am going to use them...they are easier to mash and the flavor is much for dominant) and mix together.  Be sure not to over mix!  Fill greased or lined muffin tins 3/4 of the way full (about 1/4 cup).  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  You should get about 18 muffins.

If you live with loved ones or roommates be sure to set aside a secret stash for yourself before the others have a chance to gobble all of them up!

Vegetables and Black Beans and Farro...Oh My!

The weather these days has been rainy, gloomy, and gray.  Nothing makes cold weather more bearable than a nice piping hot pot of soup!  Something hearty and delicious that will hit the spot and make the house smell like herbs and vegetables twining together.  In a large soup pot saute two sliced stalks of celery, two red potatoes that have been quartered and diced, two parsnips (peeled and sliced), one leek that has been halved and sliced, and 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (peeled, quartered, and diced).  Cook for about 5 minutes, then add one tsp. of tarragon, two tsp. of garlic powder, 2 tsp. coriander, one tsp. chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add one carton of vegetable stock, 2 c. of water, one can of diced tomatoes, one can of black beans (drained), one bay leaf, two sprigs of thyme, two sprigs of oregano and 10 basil leaves (julienned).  Bring to a simmer and add 1/2 c. of frozen corn, 1/2 c. frozen peas, 1/3 c. of farro and one package of fresh spinach leaves. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  As healthy shmealthy as this soup sounds it sure was tasty, too!

Duck, Duck,...Pomegranate Sauce!

Lets just start off by saying that the sauce for this dish is amazing!  It was great on the duck legs, but would also taste great on chicken or even red meat.  This is a Persian recipe and they definitely seem to know their duck!  In a cast iron skillet heat up a little bit of olive oil and brown six duck legs on each side.  Remove them from the pan and set them aside.  In the same cast iron add two thinly sliced onions and 3 tsp. of turmeric.  Cook on medium heat until the onion start to sweat.  Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts and cook for an additional two minutes.  Add the duck legs back into the skillet and pour two cups of chicken stock into the pan.  Continue to cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, flipping the legs half way through.  Once the sauce gets caramelized add the juice of one lemon, a pinch of sugar, 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice, and the seeds from one pomegranate (or one package of pomegranate seeds if you are like me and don't want stained fingers).  Let cook for another 5-10 minutes.  Serve with some mixed greens and you will have one happy belly!

Them Bones Aren't Going To Waste!

Turkey, turkey, and more turkey!  Now...what to do with all those bones?????  Home-made stock is the answer, my friends.  Not only is it much tastier than boxed, but one potful will give enough stock to feed your next batch of soup to an army!  I have made batches in the past that were pretty good, but this one took the cake.  All you need is one carcass of your choice (chicken, turkey, you name your poison), two stalks of celery, one carrot, two quartered honeycrisp apples, one parsnip, two radishes, two sprigs of rosemary, two bay leaves, one halved onion (leave the skin on!), a few sprigs of thyme, and some salt & pepper.  Fill the pot with water and simmer for 3 hours.  Not only will you have a happy mouth later, but your kitchen will smell like an orgy aromatics!  Have fun my fellow soup lovers and lets put those crock pots back in action!

Damn Dill...You Make That Cucumber Look Gooood.

Tis' the season for parties!  Isn't it always the same old thing?  Boring onion dip, maybe some mayo with a few bits of frozen spinach added, well not anymore!  What amazing dip should I bring to the next bash you might be asking...tzatziki! (Pronounces ta-zee-kee...in case there was confusion).  This dip is amazingly delicious, cheep and easy to make, plus there won't be five other people bringing the same thing.  Start out by chopping up six cloves of garlic until they are the size of bacon bits, then add one diced scallion, salt, ground pepper, and LOTS of dried dill (fresh isn't as good in this for some reason) to a mixing bowl.  Then we add the cucumber.  Persian cucumbers are the best, but if they are nowhere to be found an english cucumber will work just fine.  I use four large persians or 5-6 if they are a bit smaller.  Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise and then dice `em up!  Add them to the bowl and mix with about two large dollops of Greek yogurt.  You can use full fat or fat free...either way it always tastes good.  Place a spoonful on top of pita chips, pita bread, or naan and begin to chow down.

That Ain't No Rat Makin' My Ratatouille!

You've got to love a dish where the most expensive ingredient is the bell pepper!  Ratatouille was considered a "peasant's dish" from Provence...probably because in 2010 it still only cost about $8 to make.  Now, I am the carnivore of carnivores, however, I will not shun a decent vegetarian meal when I come across one.  One onion and about 5 cloves of garlic were diced and thrown into a pan with a little bit of olive oil.  After the onions sweat (thank you Mike for the technical terminology) and turn translucent add three diced bell peppers and cook for an additional five minutes.  Add one diced eggplant and cook for an additional two minutes.  Throw in about 5 diced tomatoes (you can remove the skins, but I leave them on out of sheer laziness), two bay leaves, two diced zucchini and about a tsp. of chopped thyme (fresh!) and cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Who knew vegetables would taste so good!?!?  This is going to be a regular in our house even though it is sans animal by-products.  However, it would be pretty good with some ground beef thrown in there...I'm just sayin'.

Bring on the Brodetto!

My Thursday cooking adventure was this: Brodetto.  Brodetto is an Italian dish that varies a bit from region to region.  This dish was thicker than a bouillabaisse yet not quite as chunky as a cioppino. Once the hunt to find all of the different types of seafood at a relatively reasonable cost was over it was incredibly easy to make.  After the fish broth is made simply add saffron, diced tomatoes, parsley, dry white wine, and about 4 lbs. of mixed seafood.  Your kitchen will smell like Fisherman's wharf...minus the homeless and the flock of tourists!  For this batch we used tilapia fillets, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and squid.  Delicious!