Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

At this time of year - after a month of holidays, parties, and attendant gustatory overindulgence - I find myself looking for bright, fresh recipes using vegetables. Recently in my reading I came across a reference to ‘Crab Louie’, which I remembered from somewhere but had forgotten.

Crab Louie (or Crab Louis) is a salad originally dating from early-1900s San Francisco, with Crab as the centerpiece; and it includes boiled eggs, tomatoes, asparagus, and a creamy dressing which can be like a Russian, Thousand Island, or sometimes Green Goddess. Here’s the Wiki on it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Louie

And here, from Food and Wine, is a recipe:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crab-louie

I’m not sure whether I posted this recipe for ‘Celeri Remoulade’ previously, but it comes from a tiny little book called ‘Simple French Cooking’, published by the Peter Pauper Press in 1958. You can find many versions of Celeriac Remoulade, but the one in my little book seems very bright and special. The celery root is julienned, blanched, marinated in a vinaigrette, and then served with Remoulade sauce. (Celery Root is a very ugly-on-the-outside vegetable, with a lovely-on-the-inside taste; and worth trying if you've never had it.)

Celery Root Remoulade

Peel and then cut a celery root into julienne strips, and boil for 1 minute to prevent darkening. Cover with French Dressing (see below) and place in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours. Drain and mix with Remoulade sauce.

Remoulade Sauce:

1 C. Mayonnaise

1 Sour Pickle, finely chopped

1 T. Capers, patted dry and chopped

½ T. prepared mustard

1 tsp. Parsley, chopped.

Here, according to the book, is the 'Basic French Dressing’ for marinating the celery root:

½ C. Olive Oil

¼ C. Vinegar

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Sugar

1/8 tsp. Paprika

My husband says that for those who have resolved to ‘go Paleo’ or try an alternate low-carb diet in the New Year, this Celeriac recipe is a perfect vegetable addition. (We argued about the teaspoon of sugar, but I would put it in, especially if you aren’t in an "induction" phase of the diet - over the whole recipe, it's not that much ;-)

-JT

[MomwithHope]

My hubby likes both blue cheese, and black not green olives. Not often though.

[jonrick46]

The Crab Louie we are fond of in the Northwest never had asparagus. Instead, we use black olives, tomatoes, avocado, sliced boiled eggs, iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumber, sliced celery, lemon wedges, crab meat and dressing (recipe follows).

Crab Louie Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2-3 TBS Heinz Chili Sauce
2 TBS finely minced green bell pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 TBS sweet pickle relish
1 TBS heavy cream
1/4 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

[CottonBall]

Yeah, it actually should be the first thing not the last. I checked and our barrels are full. And we have a pond and two or three different varieties of filters. And as long as we have gasoline we could also get to a creek nearby. So we’re good :-)

[Jamestown1630]

My dream is owning a few acres with a natural spring ;-)

[mplsconservative]

Oh I’m sure the Minnesota grandparents were happy! They escaped the streak of below zero temps on end. It is getting downright depressing.

My son is a junior at the U of M on break now. Glad he is home through this cold stuff. I even made him Bumps on a Log for old times sake. Good stuff!

[pugmama]

Have been trying to lighten up meals lately and do single sheet pan dinners.
There are some nice recipes here from Cooking Light that I will be making:

Light eating menus

http://www.cookinglight.com/recipe-finder/clean-eating-chicken-recipes

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/clean-eating-recipes

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/clean-eating-crockpot-recipes

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/clean-eating-lunches

[Liz]

Salad and a comfort soup makes a nice meal. Maybe add a toasted bruschetta topped w/
roasted veggies and a soul-satisfying dessert. Here's a creamy soup made without cream

CREAMY SWEET POTATO SOUP

ING 6 diced bacon strips) bacon, cup diced onion, 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 large celery stock, diced 2 lbs (3 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves 4 cups reduced chicken broth cup coconut milk (can use cr/cheese), s/p 2 Tbsp parsley/bacon crumbles to garnish

METHOD Crisp bacon i8-10 min. Liftout to a paper towels. Leave 3 Tbsp oil in pot; discard excess or leave it in there for a more flavorful soup. Add chp onion, celery and soften/stir 4 min, then add 2 pressed gar/cloves; saute a min. Stir in diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves, s/p. Now add 4 cups chicken broth. Partially cover and simmer 20 min (sweet potatoes are easily pierced w/ fork).

SERVE topped w/ bacon crumbles, parsley shower and a swirl of coconut cream.

[Yaelle]

Sad. That’s where I’d like to move, to TN. So you can’t really have a veg garden?

[Yaelle]

Can you think of a good, easy salad to go with a vegetable quiche tomorrow for a brunch? Something a tiny bit original and tasty.

[Yaelle]

Thanks! Saving the crock pot ones!

[Liz]

This is nice and carries out the vegetable theme beautifully.

Ina Garten's Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad

Ingredients 2 pounds carrots, preferably with leafy tops Good olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; cup pure Grade A maple syrup ; cup dried cranberries; cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges) 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane 6 ounces baby arugula 6 ounces goat cheese, such as Montrachet, medium-diced ⅔ cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds

METHOD Cut the carrots in large diagonal slices 1 inch wide; 2 inches long (they will shrink when they roast) and place in a medium bowl with cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Toss well and transfer to two sheet pans. (If you use just one, they'll steam instead of roasting.) Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once, until the carrots are tender.

Transfer all the carrots to one of the sheet pans, add the maple syrup, toss, and roast four-twenty-five deg 10 to 15 minutes (edges are caramelized). Watch them carefully! Toss with a metal spatula and set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then set aside for 10 minutes.

DRESSING In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and teaspoon salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

ASSEMBLY Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the carrots, cranberries (with their liquid), goat cheese, almonds, and the vinaigrette. Toss with large spoons, sprinkle with salt, and serve at room temperature. 4 to 6 servings

[mschalock]

I would love a new refrigerator cookie recipe. I made a couple different kinds for Christmas and am always looking for interesting new flavors. Last one I made was Cardamom/Pistachio.

[Trillian]

I can’t wait to try this. It looks so simple and delicious..

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients
3 Tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp Argo Corn Starch
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut int 1-inch cubes
3 Tbsp vegetable oil or light olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions (only white and light green portion)
1 Tbsp peeled and minced ginger
1 Tbsp peeled and minced garlic
5 cups small broccoli florets
3 Tbsp water
Sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
White or brown rice, for serving

Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce and cornstarch. Mix in chicken broth, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil, set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over fairly high heat. Dab chicken dry with paper towels then add to skillet in a single layer.
Cook chicken turning halfway through, until center registers 165, about 6 - 7 minutes. Transfer to a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap to keep warm.
Reduce burner temperature slightly, heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in now empty skillet. Add in green onions, ginger and garlic and saute 30 seconds.
Add in broccoli and water and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, while adding in an additional 1 - 2 Tbsp water as needed.
Stir soy sauce mixture once more then pour into skillet. Cook stirring constantly until sauce has thickened, about 1 - 2 minutes longer.
Add in chicken and any accumulated juices. Toss well. Serve warm over rice sprinkled with sesame seeds.

https://www.cookingclassy.com/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry/

[CottonBall]

PLEASE come here, we love conservatives!!!!

Oh, no the bugs didn’t stop me, LOL! I found my green thumb here, in fact. With the humidity and great soil, I can grow just about anything. And I thought I was agri-unable in California. I just have to figure out how to deal with the critters, small and large. I’ve used pesticides, but also am learning about more natural products. The neighbors who grew up here are a wealth of information.

I have a wee orchard of 9 fruit and nuts trees - hope to add to that when I see they are doing well. And the garden this year grew to about 60’ x 150’ after hubby got a rototiller to attach to the back of the tractor, LOL! It was a TON of work. It WILL be smaller this year. That’s my plan - he can plow all he wants, I’ll just plant a smaller portion.

[CottonBall]

I love stir-fries, thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!

[CottonBall]

Those are great, thank you. I am both going to try to eat healthier this year and to cook less. I’ve been spending too much time gathering and making my recipes. I need to find a new hobby!

[Yaelle]

Liz! Perfect! I saw this while at the store, waiting for mom in the restroom. So I grabbed what I didn’t already have. Going to use feta instead of goat. Sounds great and I bet it tastes perfect with the leek and cheese quiche.

Dessert might be refrigerator cookies with Natures Colors rainbow sprinkles. Daughter reacts to fake colors and we ordered these. So cute. Dying to try them soon.

[Jamestown1630]

That does sound good. The Chinese restaurant here has a ‘broccoli in garlic sauce’ - the sauce is red and kind of sweet/hot, and that sounds a lot like it.

[Liz]

Quiche is so classically French you might want to end on a French note. Martha's super-easy cake---very moist and lemony. An old French recipe. Good plain but a dollop of cream and a few berries won't hurt.

LEMON GATEAU

ING Zest/juice 3 lemons 2 eggs 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp b/powder 2/3 cup conf

METHOD Butter 9” round springform, dust w/ flour. Stand mixer/paddle/cream butter and sugar on med light and fluffy. Slowly pour in 1/3 of lemon juice then add eggs singly, beat in each well. Add flour and b/powder; beat to a thick, smooth batter. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon fold in two-thirds of lemon zest evenly. Bake 400 deg about 25 min (pick test in center). Transfer to wire rack; skewer top all over. Make Syrup. Pour over cake; steep 10 min. Remove to serving plate.

SERVE wedges plain, with a dusting of conf, or a dollop of cream and some berries.

SYRUP whisk conf, lemon zest and juice.

[Yaelle]

Doesn’t that look good? No more time to make another cake. Next time. I love the sound of it.