Posts tagged cooking

This dip is the reason that I fell in love with Heidi Swanson (guac with curry?!), and I like sharing it with new people. We made a batch yesterday to enjoy with Corinne and Mahnaz after our gardening adventure. Avocados and Mustard Seeds (from Super Natural Every Day) 2 ripe avocados 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt  1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon butter  1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 small yellow onion, mined 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 small chile, minced Cut each avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a small bowl.  Add the lemon juice, salt, and most of the cilantro.  Mash the avocados a bit with a fork, but don’t overdo it— you want the mixture to be quite chunky.  Set aside.Heat the butter n a skillet over medium-high heat.  When it is hot, add the mustard seeds.  Keep a lid on hand because the seeds will scatter as they pop.  When the spattering stops, after about a  minute, stir in the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and chile.  Count to ten, and then remove from heat.  Stir in the avocado mixture, but just barely, and transfer to a serving bowl.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Garnish with remaining cilantro. 

This dip is the reason that I fell in love with Heidi Swanson (guac with curry?!), and I like sharing it with new people. We made a batch yesterday to enjoy with Corinne and Mahnaz after our gardening adventure.

Avocados and Mustard Seeds
(from Super Natural Every Day)

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon butter 
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 small yellow onion, mined
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 small chile, minced
Cut each avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a small bowl.  Add the lemon juice, salt, and most of the cilantro.  Mash the avocados a bit with a fork, but don’t overdo it— you want the mixture to be quite chunky.  Set aside.

Heat the butter n a skillet over medium-high heat.  When it is hot, add the mustard seeds.  Keep a lid on hand because the seeds will scatter as they pop.  When the spattering stops, after about a  minute, stir in the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and chile.  

Count to ten, and then remove from heat.  Stir in the avocado mixture, but just barely, and transfer to a serving bowl.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Garnish with remaining cilantro. 
My lunch every day this week. (Taken with instagram)

My lunch every day this week. (Taken with instagram)

Favorite bran muffins of all time, version 4: Chocolate Chip Raspberry I’m enjoying baking these every week to keep my snacking out of Cheez-It territory. Before this I made cinnamon apple, banana espresso, and blueberry versions. Michelle brought in some show-stopping banana bread with chocolate chips today, so I was inspired to be a little sweeter tonight.

Favorite bran muffins of all time, version 4: Chocolate Chip Raspberry

I’m enjoying baking these every week to keep my snacking out of Cheez-It territory. Before this I made cinnamon apple, banana espresso, and blueberry versions. Michelle brought in some show-stopping banana bread with chocolate chips today, so I was inspired to be a little sweeter tonight.

CR loves making pizza with homemade crust from the bread machine, and I love eating it. Here’s a recipe with more green and less cheese that I’m adding to the to-do list for our next pizza night! Green Goddess Pizza with Broccoli Stem Pesto (via The First Mess)

CR loves making pizza with homemade crust from the bread machine, and I love eating it. Here’s a recipe with more green and less cheese that I’m adding to the to-do list for our next pizza night!

Green Goddess Pizza with Broccoli Stem Pesto (via The First Mess)

The amount of food you have left from a meal is always the perfect amount for something.

Tamar Adler, An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace

I still haven’t finished reading this book yet, but I love love it and ideas from it are relevant in my kitchen every day. I just bought the Nook version so I can highlight  and search through it, and keep it with me all the time.

First projects of the day: Favorite bran muffins of all time, blueberry edition, and ginger strawberry orange juice.

First projects of the day: Favorite bran muffins of all time, blueberry edition, and ginger strawberry orange juice.

The ginger juice saga continues…

Last night at Hill Cafe, the waiter told us that they make their ginger juice by peeling it and then blending it with some water. Naturally, I tried it today with our immersion blender, and it was amazing.

CR helped by straining it.

I ended up with a very strong ginger juice that needed to be watered down a bit with some seltzer, and I consider it a success! We added some lime juice and sugar, and will continue to experiment. 

“Want to go to the cooking store with me this weekend? :(“ —CR via e-mail just now about his prized rubber scraper. It’s had a good life, tasting much chocolate chip cookie batter along the journey.

“Want to go to the cooking store with me this weekend? :(“

—CR via e-mail just now about his prized rubber scraper. It’s had a good life, tasting much chocolate chip cookie batter along the journey.

I just started reading this book, which was loaned to me by amazing intern, Michelle, and it already has me feeling inspired to make good things. First, sandwiches on homemade bread with hummus, homegrown sprouts, avocado, and raw Swiss chard (not pictured), second, beets with white wine vinegar and salt, third navy bean sprouts (I’ve only ever sprouted alfalfa before, so this is new territory), and last, baked peaches for dessert.

I’m particularly happy about the peaches, which consisted of a little milk, maple syrup, butter, and granola baked up.

americastestkitchen:

How to Make Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs

With Easter right around the corner, there’s no better time to master the method for hard cooked eggs. Avoid that green residue and impress your guests with tender, creamy eggs.

Learn the method on Cook’s Country.

Note to self: Read this when preparing for this weekend’s Easter party.

cookscountry.com

consolejunkie replied to your photo: Inspired by Heidi Swanson, I made sesame avocado…

Were they good?

Yes! I just had a couple to augment my lunch today, and I wish I’d brought more to work. They’d be good to keep in the fridge as a quick snack.

Inspired by Heidi Swanson, I made sesame avocado brown rice balls tonight. I think that I made them a little big, though, as I see now that her recipe is supposed to yield two dozen balls. They were a tiny bit bland, but adding some soy sauce did the trick! Sesame Avocado Brown Rice Balls (inspired by Heidi Swanson’s Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls) 2 cups brown rice 4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup minced green onions 1 acovado, cut into small pieces and sprinkled with lemon juice Cook rice in a rice cooker. Fluff with a fork, then gradually add and incorporate the sesame seeds and green onions. To form the rice balls, cover a small cup with plastic wrap, sprinkle the plastic wrap with a dab of water, then fill the cup 2/3 full with rice mixture.  Tuck a couple of avocado pieces in the middle and add some more rice on the top. Gather the plastic wrap like you would a ponytail, and twist at the base of the rice. Squeeze out the air and form into a ball. Carefully remove plastic wrap and set the rice ball in a parchment lined container or on a plate. Repeat with the remaining rice. Tip: If your fingers get sticky, dab with water. Serve with a bit of soy sauce.

Inspired by Heidi Swanson, I made sesame avocado brown rice balls tonight. I think that I made them a little big, though, as I see now that her recipe is supposed to yield two dozen balls. They were a tiny bit bland, but adding some soy sauce did the trick!

Sesame Avocado Brown Rice Balls
(inspired by Heidi Swanson’s Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls)

2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 acovado, cut into small pieces and sprinkled with lemon juice

Cook rice in a rice cooker.

Fluff with a fork, then gradually add and incorporate the sesame seeds and green onions. To form the rice balls, cover a small cup with plastic wrap, sprinkle the plastic wrap with a dab of water, then fill the cup 2/3 full with rice mixture.  Tuck a couple of avocado pieces in the middle and add some more rice on the top. Gather the plastic wrap like you would a ponytail, and twist at the base of the rice. Squeeze out the air and form into a ball. Carefully remove plastic wrap and set the rice ball in a parchment lined container or on a plate. Repeat with the remaining rice.

Tip: If your fingers get sticky, dab with water.
Serve with a bit of soy sauce.