Broccoli Salad with golden raisins and sunflower seeds

Although there were a few years where I would have never admitted it, my mom is pretty dang hip.

I mean, for a woman is in her 40s  in her 50s   old enough to be my mother, she is athletic and active, perpetually busy, and extremely social. She would probably consider herself to be relatively conservative, but I happen to know that she is very open-minded, willing to live and let live, always interested in learning more, and ever-willing to change her opinion as she gathers more facts.

And, despite the fact that just the other day, an email from her read "I am trying to use John's iPad...."
(Trying? To use an iPad? They are, by design, easy enough for a toddler to use.)... She is actually pretty modern, forward thinking, and up-to-date.

Want proof?

This salad.

My mom has been making this salad for quite a while now. It is a totally awesome salad.

Coming along in her wake, this salad has become suddenly popular. Coincidence? Perhaps. But all of a sudden I see that Costco has a kit to make this salad. And Souplantation now considers it one of their signature salads. And try searching "broccoli salad" on Pinterest. Mmm hmm. There it is, all over the place. If Pinterest doesn't convince you that we are standing on the very brink of trendiness, what will?

However, until all these places and people start renaming their salad "Katy's Broccoli Salad", you are going to have to just believe me. My mom is awesome.

(And... she is also not big on attention. Which means that I have to figure out somewhere to hide as soon as I publish this.)

Broccoli Salad
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup golden raisins

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Really simple broccoli side dish

We are at a bit of a crossroads in my house. My kids like their vegetables to stay plain. They'll eat only a few different veggies, and no sauces or dips or really anything else. They like them just simply steamed. Steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, steamed peas. They don't want any cheese, cream, garlic, or anything else coming near them.

On the other hand, I want food to be much more complex than that. I want each bite to offer me a few different layers of flavor. Broccoli is good, but it begs to be combined with cream and garlic and thyme. Asparagus is lovely, but asparagus with lemon or cheese is amazing. Carrots are fine. But carrots with ginger or baked into a pot pie or simmering in a thick stew are a whole new vegetable.

I decided to attack this little "problem" of the warring taste preferences in my house by getting the kids over to my side little by little. I am going to treat their veggies with just the slightest, lightest, mildest sauces, and increase over time until my kids become full-fledged humans, who were born to be omnivores and actually like a variety of foods.

I know there must be some sort of amazing metaphor for my job as a parent and raising my kids to be independent contributing members of society in there, but right now it's Monday morning and I am just getting into my first cup of coffee. I'll be ready to wax eloquent much later today.

For now, I'll tell you about the broccoli that the kids ate, somewhat willingly, even with three actual ingredients in the dish.

It is a nice, light, easy side dish. I made it in the morning and kept it refrigerated all day. I pulled it out of the fridge about an hour before we ate, so it could come back to room temperature. The flavors are mild, but sweet and salty enough to give it some interest. This one will probably grace our table a few more times during the current broccoli season.


Sweet Asian-ish Broccoli

1 or 2 big heads of broccoli
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons sesame seeds

Steam the broccoli on the stove or in the microwave.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the cooked broccoli and toss. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top just before serving.

Veggie Scraps Pasta Sauce

Basically Free Pasta Sauce

--or--

Making Something From Nothing

-or--

You can eat that?

I just couldn't decide what to call this post. 

The very last thing I did with my week of roasted vegetables was to make a sauce out of the scraps. In An Everlasting Meal, she calls it a pesto, but I didn't think it was quite tangy enough to fit the connotation of a pesto.

It is indeed a delicious sauce, and it is indeed made from scraps. The parts of the vegetable that I have always thrown away became the basis for this sauce, and therefore the inspiration for dinner. 

As I prepped my vegetables, I kept aside those things I ordinarily toss in the compost bin. The leaves from the broccoli and cauliflower, the cauliflower core, the tough ends of the broccoli stalks, the chard stems, and the tiny little cores from the brussels sprouts all went into my cooking pot.

I chopped everything into smallish cubes and put them in a pot, just barely covered with water. To that, I added a few whole garlic cloves and a tiny little bit of salt.

Bring it to just under a boil, and let it simmer a good long time, until everything is tender enough to easily smash with a fork. This takes a good half hour at least, so it is a good thing to do while you are cooking something else. I let this pot simmer the same evening I was making the risotto. The cooked veggies will then keep in the fridge another couple of days, so you can be making two dinners at once!

Once everything is cooked through, puree it all in a blender with a good dose of olive oil and a handful of parmesan cheese. If it needs more water, pour it in a quarter cup at a time, and keep it pureeing until it is a nice, thick, pale-green sauce. Season it with salt and pepper and whirl it one more time.

That's it!

Serve it over pasta, and wait for comments like I got:

"Mom, I usually don't like tortellini at all, but this is really good!"

--and--

"Yum! Can I have seconds?"

That, my friends, is turning trash into a treasure.

roasting and sautéing enough veggies for a week

Come along with me.

I am going on a little bit of an eating journey this week.

I have been reading The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. It's an amazing book. As I read, and thought, and made my plans for my vegetables this week, my mouth was literally watering. Let's hope things turn out in reality the way they are in my mind. I am only part way through it, but I had to stop right there in the middle of chapter three and do what she told me to do.

If you love food, and cooking food, and eating food, this book is amazing. I am not going to say it is light reading or a page turner by any means. It is also not a cookbook that you can leaf through during spare minutes or while making your shopping list.

But, it you like to enjoy great writing and amazing descriptions of food and its preparation, this book is fabulous.

Her entire premise is that we ought to stop burying ourselves in recipes. We can stop having to go through a process of researching, reading, shopping, and prepping every time we want to put dinner on the table. Although the book is all about how to cook food and enjoy amazing meals, there are actually very few recipes, and very very few measurements. Rather, she describes what type of ingredients to use, and what ways they can be prepared. By letting each thing you cook build on the last thing you cooked, you don't ever have to find yourself standing in the kitchen at 5:00, wondering what the heck is for dinner. Tonight's dinner can most likely be built upon last night's dinner, and is therefore mostly decided upon and already partially done.

At any rate, in chapter three, she describes her process for shopping for a bunch of vegetables, roasting and sautéing them all on one day, and then having prepared ingredients for a week's worth of meals. According to Tamar Adler, they will be as easy and versatile to use as a can of beans, once the initial cooking is completed.

Most importantly, though, the ways she describes the meals she makes out of the vegetables... soups, salads, risotto, curries, pestos, and sandwiches, made me wish I were sitting at her kitchen table. Right. Now.

Well, since I have a beautiful box of vegetables sitting here that I picked up from Abundant Harvest Organics, I decided to give it a go.

I followed her instructions to roast the hefty veggies and sauté the greens on the first day.

Tamar Adler lists many many different veggies to roast, and I chose to use everything in my box that seemed like a "cookable" vegetable (All that was left, besides fruit, was cilantro, napa cabbage, a salad green called mache, and arugula).

I had broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, beets, brussels sprouts, turnips, and carrots to roast. I also sautéed chard, green garlic, and the greens from the beets.

I thought I was doing well with making candy out of orange peels and stock out of onion skins, but according to Tamar I am not making the most of my vegetables! She suggests saving the core and leaves of the cauliflower, the tough stems of the broccoli, the core of a cabbage or the stems of chard. These can be made into a pesto, and I will give you that recipe when I try it later this week. For now, I have dutifully set them aside and I'm saving them for their ultimate fate.

I began with this amazing pile of gorgeous, fresh vegetables:

I chopped and roasted two pans that held broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, with some whole cloves of garlic.

I also chopped and roasted two pans with the root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, and turnips.

Finally, I roasted a pan of beets. These need to be tented and cooked with a bit of water so they steam all the way through while they roast.

Preheat the oven to 450. Scrub, peel, and chop all the vegetables except the beets.

Spread each set of vegetables out on a baking sheet. The sheet can be pretty full, but they need to be in a single layer, with a bit of space between them. Toss them with some olive oil, until they are coated, and sprinkle with salt. Pop them in the oven, and after a half an hour, start checking them to see if they are done enough to make you want to keep eating. Be sure and tuck a few whole cloves (unpeeled) of garlic onto each baking sheet. Apparently we will use this later this week.

This is romanesco cauliflower. More on that to come! It's wild!

The beets are a bit different. Cut the greens and stems off and place them in a sink full of water, to use later with the other greens. Tuck the beets, tails intact, into a baking pan, and wash them with hard running water. Tip the pan while you wash them, and allow the water to run out. Once the waste water is clear, the beets are clean enough to cook. (Removing the skins after roasting them also removes any little bits of dirt that are left). Leave a little bit of the water in the pan, drizzle with olive oil, and and cover the pan tightly with foil. Place this in the oven.

Now that all of your veggies are cooking, you may want to check them once in a while. If they are getting too brown but not soft enough, scoot them all together to build up steam. If they are getting soft but not browned, spread them out.

The majority of the veggies should be done in half an hour to 45 minutes. She explains that they need to roast until they are "completely, completely tender." Rather than giving a specified time to let them cook, she says to check after a half an hour, "Test the doneness of...vegetables by tasting them. When you don't wonder, but reach to eat another, they're done."

And boy oh boy was she right about that. I couldn't stop myself from reaching again and again to munch on the first pan of veggies to come out of the oven while I continued prepping and cooking other things.

The beets, though, are going to need a bit longer, and won't necessarily all be done at the same time. Check the beets by lifting the foil, and trying to pierce each one with a knife. If it goes in easily, pull the beet out of the oven. If not, let it keep cooking. Tamar says "If you're not sure if they're done, they're not." Be sure to re-cover the pan tightly after checking and removing any beets, so they can continue to steam. After they are done and cooled, remove the skin by rubbing it off with your fingers. Cut them into slices or wedges and then sprinkle them with red wine vinegar and salt.

Once a pan of veggies finished and there is a little space in the oven, Tamar recommends placing a pan of nuts in. Let the walnuts or pecans cook for about 10 minutes, and they will come out toasted and perfect for topping a salad.

After all of the roasting vegetables are in the oven (and some may be back out again by this point!), it's time to take care of the greens. Add any greens you have to the beet greens that are soaking in the sink. In my case it was green garlic and chard leaves (I cut the chard stems off and added them to my collection of cauliflower leaves and core and broccoli stems that I am saving for later). Swish them all around in the sink to get them clean, and then pull them out, chop them roughly, and sauté them in a little olive oil and a tiny bit of salt. Keep most of the water that clings to them after washing... they are supposed to steam more than they sauté. If they dry out while they cook, add a tablespoon of water every once in a while. Cook them in as many batches as you need to. I did two frying pans full. Tamar recommends adding chopped garlic in with the greens, but since I had green garlic I didn't want to overdo it. These are done when they are completely wilted and can be easily cut with a knife.

After I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen, I had changed that beautiful pile of veggies into these containers of prepared ingredients:

Come back tomorrow and I'll share the first meal I made out of them! It couldn't have been simpler, and it was one of the most delicious meals I have eaten in a long long time.

broccoli and cauliflower salad

There are those out there who declare that raw is the only way to eat vegetables, and that cooking anything means breaking it down and losing some of its nutritious value. I can't say I know much about that. I imagine it has a decent dose of validity to it, but I also know that breaking vegetables down might not necessarily be the worst thing possible. I also know that there are degrees of truth, and that the method and length of cooking makes a big difference.

What is important is that you eat your veggies. If you cooking them is what will make them appeal to you, by all means cook 'em up and enjoy them. If eating them raw seems better, eat them raw. Just make sure you are getting a good variety and a great amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

For myself, I have a pretty good balance. Obviously things like potatoes need to be cooked, most fruits are eaten raw, and plenty of other things are good both ways. Like broccoli. A few weeks ago I did a series of ten recipes for cooking broccoli. Today, though, let's keep the stove turned off and the oven cool.

This salad has become an old standby at my house. It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so I can make a big batch and enjoy it for dinner, as well as the next couple of lunches. It is very easy to throw together, and has a great sweet and tart flavor. As soon as I saw that there was both broccoli and cauliflower in my Abundant Harvest box this week, I knew that this was going to be on the menu.

I have had an abundance of rutabagas lately, and I have been throwing one into just about everything I cook, including this salad. If you have one, feel free to throw it in. If not, don't even bat an eye. It's not intended to be there, and it won't be missed.

Broccoli and cauliflower salad
This salad is best if it can be made ahead and allowed to chill for a few hours. Try to plan ahead! (This also makes it great for dinner on a busy weeknight).

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red onion, diced
1 small-medium rutabaga, diced (optional)
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Chop all the veggies and toss together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the salad with the dressing until evenly coated.

grilled broccoli and lemons and parmesan roasted broccoli and onions

This week is "Broccoli Ten Ways in Five Days" where I am trying out all 10 recipe suggestions Real Simple Magazine highlighted for broccoli in their September 2011 issue. Today is day five. You can browse day one, two, three and four if you'd like.

 Yes, indeed, I woke up this morning, Black Friday, the day after I went to bed in a food stupor, and did I rush out to buy the latest and greatest for those I love? No, I did not. I got up and cooked broccoli. For breakfast. 

Do you see how much I love you people? I didn't want to disappoint you by not finishing off the tenth broccoli recipe from Real Simple Magazine.  That, and I hate to not finish what I started.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of family and fun, love and laughter. I know I did.

Grilled Broccoli and Lemons

This recipe was the last one I made (just 20 minutes ago). I was only avoiding it because the thought of getting the girl fired up seemed like so much work. As it turns out, I wouldn't get the grill fired up just for this broccoli probably, but if I were planning to grill dinner, this is an excellent side dish.

Cut 1 bunch broccoli into 8 large spears and cut 2 lemons into quarters. In a large bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the broccoli and lemons over medium heat, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze the lemons over the broccoli and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli and Onions

This was the family favorite of the 10 broccoli recipes. As a matter of fact, my daughter asked "Can we have this a lot more often?" For something so simple, folks, we have a winner!

Toss 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets, 6 cups) and 1 small red onion (cut into wedges) with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup grated parmesan on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 F, tossing once, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

broccoli and pepper stir-fry and broccoli, orange and olive salad

This week is "Broccoli Ten Ways in Five Days" where I am trying out all 10 recipe suggestions Real Simple Magazine highlighted for broccoli in their September 2011 issue. Today is day four. You can browse day one, two and three if you'd like.

Today, I have a main-ish dish, and a salad for you. I can't say that today is going to be our best broccoli day this week, sadly. Neither one of these was horrible, but neither one was super duper, either.

The first is Broccoli and Pepper Stir-Fry. It is actually pretty good. It's just not exciting. I do stir-frys a lot, and this one doesn't stand out. If you are not a stir-fryer, this is a good starter lesson. With just a couple of common vegetables and a fail-proof sauce (from a jar), you really can't go wrong. If you are desperate to get rid of some broccoli, this is a quick and serviceable way to do so. Just don't plan to be blown away.

Broccoli and Pepper Stir-Fry

Cook 1 chopped bell pepper, 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets, 6 cups), 1 bunch scallions (sliced), and 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger in canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, tossing often, until the broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup each water and hoisin sauce and cook, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

 Broccoli, Orange, and Olive Salad

This recipe is probably the one I was least interested in trying. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't had the hair brained idea (and an overabundance of bunches of broccoli), I never would have bothered with it. Somehow, reading the recipe didn't excite me too much. There are more ingredients than some of the others, but somehow they didn't seem like enough. The recipe uses all things that I love (broccoli, olives, oranges), but somehow the combination didn't feel like it was going to be so fabulous. And guess what? It may be that I set myself up to dislike it, but whether it was a self-fulfilling prophecy or not, I didn't love it. The flavors weren't strong enough, so I went back and added a bit more salt and pepper. All that gave me was a case of sneezing. Oy vey. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't... much.

Steam 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets, 6 cups) until tender, 5 to 7 minutes; rinse with cold water to cool. In a large bowl, toss with 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (chopped), 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the grated zest and cut-out segments from 1 orange (squeeze in any juice remaining in the membranes); season with salt and pepper.

Creamy broccoli and apple slaw and broccoli and blue cheese salad

This week is "Broccoli Ten Ways in Five Days" where I am trying out all 10 recipe suggestions Real Simple Magazine highlighted for broccoli in their September 2011 issue. Today is day three. You can browse day one and two if you'd like.

Today I have two salads for you, and once again they are very different. One is made with steamed broccoli and topped with a creamy blue cheese dressing; the other is a raw broccoli slaw, that has a bit of tang to it. I loved them both, but I came to the realization that I am a slaw lover. I like the way it is chopped fine, which makes for easy eating. I also love that the dressing is evenly distributed, and it keeps well. That makes it super convenient to make ahead. I never miss lunch when I have some slaw in the fridge. I can just pull it out and it is ready to eat... so even if I only have 2 minutes for lunch (which seems all too often) I still have a decent lunch, filled with fresh veggies.

Creamy Broccoli and Apple Slaw

This was just divine. I didn't change anything from the recipe, and when I make it again, I won't change anything then, either.

In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, and 1 chopped small shallot; season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 bunch finely chopped broccoli (3 cups), 1/2 finely chopped apple, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts and toss to combine.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Salad

I was SO looking forward to trying this one because, well, blue cheese. Yum. I did love it, but I think if I were to make it again, I wouldn't steam the broccoli. I would leave it raw and chop it more finely. The steamed broccoli just tends to leak water forever, and that kind of ruins the look of it all. I don't like broccoli water swirling with creamy dressing. Call me crazy. The flavor was excellent, though! That dressing is going on a lot of salads around here, I can assure you.

Steam 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets, 6 cups) until tender, 5 to 7 minutes; rinse with cold water to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, 1 sliced scallion, and 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Top the broccoli with the buttermilk dressing and 1/2 cup toasted walnuts.

Sautéed broccoli, tomatoes, and bacon ... and ... broccoli gratin with crispy onions

This week is "Broccoli Ten Ways in Five Days" where I am trying out all 10 recipe suggestions Real Simple Magazine highlighted for broccoli in their September 2011 issue.

The two recipes I used for today are both side dishes, but they are very different. One is sautéed in bacon grease, and the other is slowly simmered in a basic white sauce.

I was really looking forward to the Broccoli Gratin with Crispy Onions. The photo in Real Simple made it look so creamy and yummy, and as much as I hate to admit it, I really really like those freeze-dried onion thingies that are sprinkled on top. I can't say I didn't like the finished product, but I will admit this one disappointed me a little bit. The fontina cheese they asked for just doesn't have much flavor to it. I think if I was going to do this one again, I would try swiss cheese, or at least a combination. Other than being a tiny bit bland, I can't complain. The broccoli remains crunchy enough, the recipe is certainly easy to do, and those onions? Just what they always are. Yummy.

Broccoli Gratin with Crispy Onions

Cook 2 tablespoons each butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking, for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups whole milk. Add 1 bunch chopped broccoli (6 cups); season with salt and pepper. Simmer until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Add 1 cup grated fontina, transfer to a baking dish, and top with 1 cup French-fried onions. Bake at 350 F until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

The other recipe, Sautéed Broccoli, Tomatoes and Bacon, wasn't amazing either. Don't get me wrong, bacon is just good. Good, good, good. But somehow, sautéing the broccoli in the bacon grease just made it taste a little bitter. Or maybe the acidic tomatoes didn't mesh well? Either way, this was a dish that was just fine to eat, but nothing I would try again. I was hoping for some kind of new BLT epiphany, and I got a decent side dish, but nothing to write home about.

Sautéed Broccoli, Tomatoes, and Bacon

Cook 4 slices bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces) in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. To the skillet, add 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets; 6 cups) and 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved). Cook, tossing often, until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the bacon.

curried broccoli couscous and mashed potatoes and broccoli

When we got our first box from Abundant Harvest Organics last November, we were headed into the long winter months. Lots of citrus and greens, lots of root vegetables, and LOTS of tubers.

One other thing there was lots of was broccoli. I thought I remembered there being a few weeks in a row where I got 8 or more heads of broccoli in my box. Then I thought surely I was mistaken. Eight heads? That's pretty ridiculous.

Still, I knew it was coming, and whether my memory was making a mountain our of a molehill or not, we would soon be getting at least a molehill of broccoli soon.

So, when the September issue of Real Simple magazine had a two-page spread called "10 Ideas For: Broccoli" I was sure to keep it.  If you don't get the magazine, this is a regular monthly feature. It always highlights one common food (chicken breasts, ground beef, tortillas, cupcakes) and provides 10 quick recipes using that ingredient. In September, they chose broccoli.

And as it turns out, my memory was not faulty. I did remember a mountain of broccoli.  I indeed got eight heads of broccoli last week and another 7 this week. Oy vey.

I decided I would try all of Real Simple's suggestions. After all, I certainly have enough broccoli to go around! The question is, which of these ideas will I like enough to use again with my remaining 5 heads?
And which will end up in the round file?

So, this week is going to be called (drum roll, please)

Broccoli: Ten Ways in Five Days
Here are the other four days:
day two
day three
day four
day five


First up, we have Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

I thought this was kind of a stretch. Why make "Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli" when you could just make mashed potatoes and broccoli? It seemed like a pretty weak tenth idea.

I have to admit, though, I was wrong. This is one instance where the sum is more than the parts. The broccoli gives the potatoes an almost creamier texture, and together they taste great! (However, I have to admit my kids would rather have eaten the broccoli and mashed potatoes separately).

Directions:
Steam 1/2 bunch finely chopped broccoli (3 cups) and 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces) until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and mash with 1/4 cup sour cream and 4 tablespoons softened butter; season with salt and pepper.




As our second entry for broccoli week, we have: Curried Broccoli and Couscous


This one really impressed me and will definitely become a part of the regular rotation. My kids liked the sweetness of the curry powder and raisins, and I like the healthy factor, and the fact that it is super easy to put together.  This could be a main dish for lunch, or a side dish with dinner. However, it only uses 1/4 bunch of broccoli, which hardly puts a dent in my fridge.

Directions:

Cook 1/4 bunch finely chopped broccoli (1 1/2 cups) in olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup canned chickpeas (rinsed), 1 cup after, 1/3 cup golden raisins, 1 teaspoons curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup couscous, cover, remove from heat, and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Like a lizard, I need to warm my blood in the warm sun

I apologize in advance to anyone who is reading this in a place where there is snow on the ground. Or anyplace where the mercury is dipping below 75f, for that matter.

Here in Southern California, it feels like summer.

The temperature is in the 70s and 80s, and my kids are out on spring break. We spent the last few days going on bike rides, playing at the beach, playing baseball, and wading in a creek. The kids have had an amazing chance to relax and be kids, and I have had a chance to relax and enjoy them being kids.

Something about summer makes me do everything a little slower. There is no need to rush through the day, to worry so much about what comes next, or to feel a need to do do do. We sleep in, laze in our pajamas, and have coffee on the patio.

Meals around here have taken on the same lazy, relaxed feel. I haven't planned a ton, consulted recipes, or stressed about measurements.

The grill has been our friend, and we are taking the time to enjoy our fresh fruits and veggies, without trying to convert them into complicated meals.

Last night we grilled hamburgers and asparagus, and ate them along with some sweet potato fries I froze back when the sweet potatoes were coming at us faster than big league pitching.

The night before, I grilled chicken breasts alongside broccoli, carrots, and onions. These fresh veggies are so flavorful that I don't need to do much to enhance the meals... just toss with oil, and grill until tender.

Of course, I couldn't completely stay out of the kitchen. I took the extra time saved on preparing dinner, to make a big pot of Italian potato soup, and a batch of lemon curd. I'll let you know all about those...


after the sun goes down. For now, I'm heading out to play!

Asian pasta salad

What would I do if I didn't have google?

I would just have to call my friend Jacque. Really, other than the fact that I can't call her in the middle of the night without feeling a we bit guilty about setting her nerves on end and potentially sending her to the loony bin some day, she is just as good as google.

Whether I am wondering how to get a tempera paint stain out of carpet, where I can buy cheap baskets, or what to do with a head of broccoli, 15 minutes, and only one pot, she has the answer. Immediately.

So, this week I loosely used a recipe that she provided me... which just so happens to use a head of broccoli, 15 minutes, and one pot.

Let's define "loosely." By this, I mean I used the vegetables that I got in my box of produce this week, and not at all the vegetables that are suggested by the recipe. Also, whenever the recipe called for an ingredient I didn't have, I found something somewhat in the same family and used that instead. I consulted a similar recipe from A Girl A Market A Meal for some ideas in making substitutions. In the end, "loosely" means that the recipe came from two sources, and in may ways resembles both, while at the same time having parts that are nothing at all like either.


This pasta salad works as a great side dish. The flavors in it -- peanut, ginger, garlic -- are somewhat reminiscent of Pad Thai. I served it along with an Asian-flavored cole slaw, and barbecued chicken that I marinated in other Asian-inspired flavors (soy sauce, more garlic, more ginger).  The slaw and the pasta should both be done ahead of time, so when your guests arrive, you can stand around the barbecue, enjoying a drink, knowing that as soon as the meat is done, your meal is ready to go.

But before we count our bottles of beer on the wall, let's make the pasta dish.

First, boil a pound of pasta. Any shape is fine, but I prefer a size that is a similar length as the carrot shreds we will run into very soon.

Cut up your vegetables at this point: Cut a head of broccoli into florets, and slice the stem thinly. Also take the strings out of snap pea pods, and shred a couple of carrots.

While the pasta boils, whisk together some very tasty, very common ingredients: peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic. Be sure and do this in a nice big bowl.  Exact amounts are below, in the boring part of this post.

As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it quickly, throw it on top of the sauce you whisked up, and stir it to combine it all.

Now you can also stir in the shredded carrots. Since they are shredded, they are thin enough that the heat from the just-boiled pasta will make them perfectly soft, but not mushy.

Put your broccoli into that pot of boiling water, and let it cook just until it is crisp, but no longer crunchy.
Drain the broccoli and stir it into the noodles.

Use the same boiling pot of water to cook the pea pods until they are the same. The pea pods will cook more quickly, so you can't put them in at the same time as the broccoli. Stir the pea pods into the noodles as well.

Now let it all cool. That's it! You're done!

But wait! Don't throw that water down the drain! You will notice that it is pretty green. Let all those vitamins floating around in there have another life, and use the water, once it is cooled, to water your garden. Your plants will thank you.

Here is the recipe:

1 pound pasta
1 large head of broccoli
6 ounces snap peas
2 carrots
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vinegar of your choice
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. minced ginger

Boil pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, chop broccoli into florets and thin slices of the stem. Take the strings out of the pea pods. Shred the carrots.

Whisk together the peanut butter, vinegar, oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl.

As soon as pasta is done, add to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.

Stir in shredded carrots.

In the boiling water from the pasta, cook the broccoli for about 3 minutes. Drain it and stir it into the pasta.

In the same boiling water, cook the snap peas for about 2 minutes. Drain and stir into the pasta.

Let it cool before serving.

I already use reusable bags. Now all I need is a Prius.

I think I hit a whole new level of green living today.



I cooked quinoa.

Why did I cook quinoa? Because everyone is cooking quinoa. Because quinoa is the healthiest substance known to man. I think it cures cancer, aids weight loss, fixes leaky roofs, protects the top coat of paint on your car, and gives your coat a healthy glow.

No joke, here are some quotes I found while researching this superfood:


"Quinoa is perhaps one of the most perfect non-animal sources of protein on the planet." -- Natural News


"[Quinoa] has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids." -- New York Times


"[The] diminutive seed, which powered Inca armies ... is unmatched in nutritional value." -- AP News




With rave reviews like these, who wouldn't cook the stuff? It's practically guaranteed to improve my life thousandfold.


Of course, I also found news today about quinoa's darker side. Apparently all of us northern Whole Foods shopping, health-conscious, eco-friendly consumers are driving the price up. Up so high that the people who have been harvesting and eating the stuff ever since it powered the Inca armies, can no longer afford it.  While I feel for Bolivia and the people there, the fact remains that today I need to get dinner on the table.


First, I am told, you must rinse the quinoa grains in water before cooking them, to get rid of a bitter taste. Not one to buck advice from people who were green long before I was, rinse I did.

Next, you cook it pretty much the same way you cook rice... in a liquid to quinoa ratio of 2:1. Bring the liquid (in this case, chicken stock) to a boil, add quinoa, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the liquid is all absorbed.  Twenty minutes! That's enough time to read a couple of blogs, stir the orange marmalade that is simmering one burner over, have a phone conversation with your son's baseball coach, check your email, sync your phone, or sort the mail. Or, according to someone who shall remain nameless, do all of the above.

When your quinoa has absorbed all of the chicken stock, set it aside, and find a good recipe. I found a recipe online that met all of my usual requirements: It had to use up one or more of my vegetables and be written in English.

I actually found a recipe written by my local food guru, A Girl*A Market*A Meal, that met those requirements and had promise to be amazing. Not only did it use a head of broccoli (the main objective for today's meal), but the seasonings she uses are amongst my favorites, together in a fabulous combination... lemongrass, ginger, garlic, cilantro.

Of course, I can never leave well enough alone. Where she includes tofu, I substituted beef. I think venturing into the world of quinoa was enough green-ness for one day. I didn't really need to go as far as to cook tofu did I? Plus, I had a steak in the fridge that needed to be used post haste.

For the most part, though, I did just as I was told. And once again, I was very happy with my results.