Crispy Hash Browns

This is the fourth and final installment of the foods served at Mother's Day brunch - Hash Browns!  I have been asked many time what my favorite food is... and no matter what I am craving at the moment I always answer with "hash browns."  I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, maybe even a mid-afternoon snack.  I'll eat them with hot sauce, with peppers or onions, cheese or with eggs (now doesn't that sound like the beginning to an awesome Dr. Seuss book!).  While these don't look so beautiful (I grated them too early) they sure do taste good!  And make sure to use butter, while your arteries may plead you not to, the potatoes just don't crisp right with olive or vegetable oil!

On a more personal, and positive, note: Rachel and I found, and signed a lease, for a condo in the Magnolia district of Seattle!  Come early August, it will be my new home.  But for now, I will soak in all the beauty that my family and Michigan has to offer!

Classic Hash Browns

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

To prevent potatoes from turning brown, grate them just before cooking (this is advice I forgot to follow.  While the potatoes don’t look so pretty, they sure do taste good!)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound high-starch potatoes such as russets or Idahos, peeled, washed, dried, grated coarse, and squeezed dry in a dish towel (1 1/2 cups loosely packed grated potatoes)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Saute onions and peppers until soft and set aside.
2. Toss fully dried grated potatoes with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to brown, then scatter potatoes with the onion and pepper evenly over entire pan bottom. Using a wide spatula, firmly press potatoes to flatten; reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until dark golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.
4. Invert hash browns, browned side up, onto a large plate; add remaining butter to pan. Once butter has melted, slide hash browns back into pan. Continue to cook over medium heat until remaining side is dark golden brown and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes longer.
5. Fold the potato round in half; cook about 1 minute longer. Slide hash browns onto plate, and serve immediately.

Curried Chickpeas, Onions, and Kale in a Tomato Sauce

This recipe should be called "I bought a whole bunch of kale for a recipe and then forgot the recipe I needed it for, and now I need to use it asap."  But I have been making variations of this recipe for the past two years, and because I have yet to meticulously measure everything, it is different everytime.  Even in this attempt to write it down, every ingredient is an estimate.  While I do recommend using all the spices I listed, the amounts of certain spices are flexible (especially the spicy masala curry powder, and to a certain extent the mustard seed).

This is a quick meal to put together - I cut the kale and onions this morning before I went to class so that in my short break between classes and work I was able to make a warm, absolutely delicious, and satisfying meal.  It has a taste that is reminiscent of Indian food, but the tomato paste makes it a little more savory.  But you still get a nice delightful tingle of curry & sriracha sauce in the back of your throat… Mmm.  And the best part of this recipe?  It's low ingredient (and possibly pantry) friendly!  Maybe next time I make this I'll add some green onions...

And to John (the Kale-less wonder), try this to ease yourself into Kale.  Or have Sam make it for you.

Ingredients:

• a dash or two of Olive Oil
• 1 onion, diced
• half of a bunch of kale, chopped
• 1-15oz can of organic chickpeas, drained
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2-4 TBSP (approx) Hot Masala Curry Powder
• ½ tsp yellow mustard seed
• a dash of cinnamon
• a dash (½ tsp?) coriander
• 2 gloves of garlic, crushed
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 or 2 TBSP Sriracha sauce

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook onions with the mustard seed for a minute or so.  Then add about 1 TBSP of curry power, cinnamon, and coriander to the onions and continue cooking until translucent.  Add in chopped kale and cook down (it will shrink dramatically in size, this is good).  Sprinkle a few pinches of kosher salt and grind the black pepper over the kale - mix in.
2. Stir in chickpeas and crushed, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Reduced the burner to medium heat and stir in tomato paste with the rest of the curry powder.  Stirring this in will take some effort, but just work to make sure "break up" the tomato paste and incorporate the vegetables/chickpeas into it.  Once all incorporated, drizzle Sriracha sauce and stir to incorporate.  
3. Serve hot, but it also works wonderfully heated up the next day (trust me, I know, I'm not so good at "cooking for one").  I usually cook rice to serve this over, but I ran out of time.  While rice compliments this very well, it is also delightful on its on.

Gypsy Soup

I love this soup.  There is no easier way to say or put it.  It has chunks of vegetables like a stew, but enough broth that it's a soup.  It is also incredibly healthy & filling - I ate it last night for dinner & reheated it for lunch today at the radio station (just as good, a little bit thicker though).  The spices also give the soup a nice little kick at the end that lingers on your lips and tongue, and the warmth stays in your stomach.  While the Moosewood cookbook says this soup takes about an hour & half to prepare, it took me more like two hours… but that may be because I'm a meticulous slicer & dicer…and as a result I'm not the fastest with the knife (but I'm good!)

Gypsy Soup

Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil -- up to 4T
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, diced/cubed & peeled
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored & chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 - 15oz can of chickpeas (I prefer Trader Joe's Organic Garbanzo Beans - great texture & flavor)
• 3 cups stock or water
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• dash cinnamon
• dash cayenne (I didn't have any so I used a little bit of Chili Powder)
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Core tomatoes and place in a small sauce pot for a long 10 seconds, remove & peel skins off over sink.  Squeeze out seeds and chop remaining tomato pulp, set aside.  
2. In a soup kettle or large saucepan, saute onions, garlic, celery and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 
3. five minutes.
4. Add seasonings and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
5. Add remaining bell peppers, tomato and chickpeas.  Simmer another 10 minutes or so - until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

Risotto with heirloom tomatoes, artichoke, basil, & garlic

The last time I made Risotto I was mildly satisfied with my results.  I think my biggest mistake is that I added stock to the risotto before the last cup was COMPLETELY absorbed.  I found that when all the stock (and/or wine) is absorbed, you should see residual streaks created from stirring from the rice starch in the sauce pot.  I made this risotto using tomatoes that Laura gave me from the Cultivating Community garden.  I walked home from the garden that afternoon with a HUGE garbage bag full to tomatoes and a bunch of herbs; there was a frost coming that night and everything had to be harvested! (Oh yes, I also invented this recipe!)

Risotto with tomatoes, artichoke, bail, & garlic

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Barefoot's Chardonnay)
• 2 TPSP olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cups of Arborio rice
• 10-15 basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1 cup white onion, minced
• 5 artichoke hearts
• 3 good to medium sized tomato (any variety will do)
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium/large sized sauce pot, bring 4 cups of vegetable stock to boil along with the artichoke hearts.  Once the stock boils, turn down the heat until the stock is simmer, remove the  artichoke hearts when they are cooked and set aside.
2. Heat up olive oil in a sauce pot and cook onions & garlic until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add in arborio rice, stirring constantly until all the moisture is absorbed.  Then pour in white wine, still stirring until all moisture is absorbed.
3. Add 1 scant cup of hot stock to the rice, cook and stir often, until it is completely absorbed. Continue to add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring gently until absorbed.  However, before the last addition of stock, stir in the artichoke hearts, basil, tomatoes, and kosher salt & pepper to taste.
4. The risotto is done when the rice is creamy and tender but still slightly firm

Stir-Fried Vegetables in a Peanut Butter Sauce with Curried Tofu

I am poor college student who has a gourmet palate that primarily cooks for one (sometimes four when I cook for my housemates or 20 when I go to potlucks).  As a result, I have a fridge full of half cut up veggies and a very full spice rack.  This past sunday I noticed that in my fridge I had the following ingredients that needed to be used up ASAP: Half a white onion, some spinach, some baby carrots, some extra firm tofu that was teetering on its expiration date, a huge bag of limes, and the last bit of a jar or natural peanut butter.  And, of course, over the weekend I picked up a fresh jar of hot curry powder.  What's a girl to do?  Pseudo stir fry of course!  This meal is incredibly filling and easy to make for one (and easy to double or triple).  Sadly, I did have some tofu left over that I just had to throw out (a cardinal sin for college students, I know) because I knew I would never eat it.  And again, please excuse me for the poor photography.  I have florescent lights in my kitchen and i was eating at about 8 at night… not really the best time to capture an award winning image.  Hopefully my light box will be up and running soon and I won't have to worry about my shady florescent lights anymore!

(PS - proud to say this recipe is 100% my own)

Ingredients:

• Extra Firm Tofu, cut into half-inch cubes
• A few shakes of Hot Curry Powder (I'll estimate a tablespoon or so)
• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard Seed
• Canola Oil
• Fresh (or frozen is fine) spinach
• Baby carrots, cut into long strips
• White onion, cut into rings, then cut in half

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 2 TBSP Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (leaving it out on the counter it warm up real helps)
• The juice and zest from one lime
• Yellow Mustard Seed (a pinch or two)
• Red Chile Pepper Flakes
• A few dashes of the hot curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. For the Sauce, mash all the ingredients together with a fork and set aside.
2. Heat up a wok (or a large skillet) with some canola oil and sprinkle with a little salt.  Once the wok is hot, slowly add in the tofu, sprinkle on the mustard seed and curry powder, combine well, and stir-fry until the outside of the tofu has formed a crispy shell.  Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat up a small amount it canola oil and saute the onions until partially cooked, then add in the baby carrots.  Once the onions and carrots are soft, add in the spinach.  Once the spinach has cooked down, add in the pre-cooked tofu and combine with the stir-fried veggies.
4. Invigorate the sauce with the fork and pour over veggie/tofu mixture on the pan.  Cook for another minute or two.  Remove from heat, transfer to your favorite plate, crack a beer, sit down, and enjoy!

Spinach Enchiladas with a Mexican Red Sauce

I made this for my dad and I one night for dinner a week or two ago. I don't have any pictures (I know, I know, a food blog post with NO pictures?!) because as soon as they came out of the oven my dad and I attacked them... and the remains were not pretty enough for pictures. These were so good that I'll be making them again when I get back from Europe (this time for my mom and sister), and I'll make sure to post a picture them. The backbone for these recipes again came from my favorite cookbook of all time, The New Moosewood Cookbook, but I changed them enough that I can almost confidently call the enchiladas 'my own.'

You'll want to make the Mexican Red Sauce ahead of time... (here comes the recipe)

Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

1 cup minced onion

1 poblano chili, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 TBSP chili powder

3 TBSP minced garlic

3 cups chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded (directions how to do this at the bottom of the page)

1 cup tomato juice

Black pepper and cayenne to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the onion, chili, and salt, and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes transparent. Add cumin, chili powder and half the garlic, and sauté for about 3 minutes longer.
2. Add the tomatoes and tomato juice. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and turn the heat down as low as possible. Simmer for 30 minutes, adding the remaining garlic, and black pepper and cayenne to taste during the last 5 minutes or so.
3. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside for enchiladas!

The Spinach Enchiladas!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, minced

1 package of "no sauce" frozen spinach, thawed

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

2 TBSP minced garlic

1 medium-sized bell pepper, minced

1 packed cup grated jack cheese (or any mild white cheese)

12 corn tortillas

Mexican Red Sauce (the wonderful recipe above this one)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add thawed spinach, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic and bell pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes longer, or until the pepper is tender. Taste to correct salt.
4. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Moisten each tortilla in water then place approximately 1/4 cup filling on one side and roll up. Gently place the filled enchiladas in a baking pan, and pour a full recipe of Mexican Red Sauce over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Serve hot with beans and wild brown rice.

Memorial Day Dinner Pt. 1: Italian Tomato Sauce

Sorry it has taken so long for me to post this. For Memorial Day, as I mentioned earlier, I cooked my grandpa a dinner that included some of his favorite foods (eggplant parmesan) and flavors (mint/chocolate). The recipe for the eggplant parmesan is actually two recipes combined into one: Italian Tomato Sauce and Eggplant Parmesan. These recipes I adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook, probably my favorite cookbook on this entire planet. Not only are the recipes delicious, vegetarian, easy to 'adapt' (or change), but they are healthy! I really want to get Mollie Katzen's other cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. This is the tomato sauce that will be used IN the eggplant parmesan.

Ingredients:

• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 medium-sized bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBSP fresh basil
• 1 TBSP fresh thyme
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1-lb. 13oz can of whole tomatoes
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 TBSP honey
• lots and lots of fresh ground pepper
• 6 LARGE cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Add onion, bell pepper, herbs, and salt and saute over medium heat until the onion is quite soft.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and black pepper. Break up the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes
3. Add garlic and cook about 10 minutes more. Now....just wait.... for the eggplant parmesan!

Holy Guacamole!

Here is a quick, easy, and delightfully satisfying recipe for Guacamole. If paired with Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory Chips (preferably the lime ones), people will not be able to keep their hands off it. All my leftovers have mysteriously disappeared in less than 24 hours... (sorry there are no pictures... people really wanted that guacamole yesterday, there was no time!)

Ingredients:

• 4 RIPE Avocados
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 of a white onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 limes
• a whole bunch of fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• a couple dashes of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mash the meat of an avocado in a medium sized bowl with a fork.
2. Add in the diced tomatoes, diced onion, and minced garlic, further mash with a fork.
3. Roll a lime on a counter top (to loosen up the juices), cut in half and squeeze onto the avocado mixture.
4. Cut a good amount of the leaves off a bunch of cilantro, give those a rough chop, then toss into the avocado mixture and mass further with a fork.
5. Grind in a whole bunch (well, not THAT much...but a lot) of fresh ground pepper. Then comes the almighty (and flavor enhancing) ingredient: Kosher Salt! Add in the kosher salt. Finally, a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
6. Grab a chip and take a nice big scoop of your freshly made guacamole!

Indian Twist

Once upon a time I had a whole bunch of random, but delicious nonetheless, ingredients in my fridge at school. I wanted to make something with all of them because I knew the various ingredients could combine to make something delightful. Because I had made Samosas (recipe for that later) earlier in the week - I had a bunch of fresh Indian and Indonesian spices. Hence - the dish that I made was very reminiciant of Indian food - but all the ingredients you can get at your local grocery store! I never wrote this recipe down and every time I have cooked it again, it changes. Here is my first attempt to write it down!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb of extra firm tofu

- Kale (a whole bunch), roughly chopped

- Tomato Paste (1 can)

- Chick Peas (1 can)

- 1/2 an Onion, chopped

- A little bit of fresh ginger, pealed and grated

- 3-ish garlic cloves, minced

- Hot Sauce (I recommend Harry's Habanero Hot Sauce from the PFC in Ann Arbor)

- Mustard Seeds

- Coriander

- Curry Powder

- Kosher Salt

- Fresh Ground Pepper

- Rice (I either use Jasmine rice or wild long grain brown rice)

- Peanut Oil

Assembly:

1. Prepare rice according to directions, then set aside.

2. Cut tofu into 1/2 in cubes. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan then slowly add the tofu. Cook until all sides are browned and firm.

3. While the tofu is cooking/frying, heat a LITTLE bit of oil in a sauté pan. Add in the spices (garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, curry powder, coriander) so they have time to infuse into the oil. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent.

4. Then add in the kale and cook down until their is more room in the pan. Add in chickpeas and incorporate.

5. Add tomato paste to the kale mixture and incorporate until all ingredients are coated with tomato paste. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste. Continue heating.

6. Add some hot sauce to the kale mixture to add a little kick, also add more curry powder.

7. Incorporate cooked tofu into kale mixture, making sure not to 'smoosh' the tofu when mixing in.

8. Serve over a rice and enjoy!

(and for all you people like me who have a hard time cooking for just one or two people, this keeps VERY well in the refrigerator and reheats well too).