CJ Inspirations Cooking/Gardening

Mango Salsa Quinoa

cjinspirations — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:44:40 +0000

When you find mangoes try this fabulous recipe!

Quinoa is healthy and low fat of course!

Mango Salsa Quinoa Salad (pronounced Keen wah)

1 Cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 Cup water

1/2 Cup cilantro, roughly chopped

2 medium avocados, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 ripe mango, diced

1/4 Cup lime juice (1 lime)

1 T olive oil

1/2 t ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa and bring it to a boil in two cups of water. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and let it simmer for fifteen minutes or so until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.

In a large bowl combine rest of ingredients, then add quinoa and toss gently. Yummy!

** if you are not a cilantro fan, just use flat parsley and use lemon instead

Fennel, Parsnip and Leek soup

cjinspirations — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:05:26 +0000

How about a winter white soup for this time of year? The flavor combinations are very tasty and the fennel adds a bit of anise flavor and compliments the strongness of the parsnips.

Parsnip, Fennel and Leek Soup

1 ¼ pounds parsnips (about 4 medium)

1 pound fennel (about 2 medium bulbs, to yield 12 ounces trimmed)

3 medium leeks

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk or 1/2 cup milk , 1/2 cup half and half

Salt

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Peel the parsnips and trim off the stem end. Cut into evenly sized chunks. You should have 1 pound trimmed parsnips. Remove the stalks from the fennel bulbs, quarter them and cut out the tough core. Rinse the bulbs under cold water, making sure there is no dirt between the layers. Cut into chunks roughly equivalent the parsnips. Trim the leeks, discarding all but the white and palest green parts. Slice each leek in half and run under cold water, fanning out the layers to remove any dirt. Cut into chunks the size of the other vegetables.

Place all the vegetables in a 5-quart oven-safe Dutch oven. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pot and move it to the oven. Leave the soup in the oven for 3 hours until the vegetables are completely soft.

Remove the pot from the oven, uncover and leave to cool slightly. Using an immersion blender, or very carefully on batches in a blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add the milk and blend until completely smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Reheat the soup, but do not boil, and serve.

The soup can be made ahead and gently reheated. Add a bit more milk to thin it out if needed.

Can be served with some fresh chopped chives or green onions for some added color.

Makes about 4 bowls

Cashew Cream and Pasta

cjinspirations — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:54:44 +0000

If you have never made cashew cream you really should try it. It has many uses and can be used in soups, salad dressings and this recipe with pasta. Every once in a while pasta is good, plus it is a easy weeknight meal.

Pasta with Chipotle Cashew Cream

For the chipotle cashew cream:

1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight or at least 8 hours.

1 chipotle chili with 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce (use more or less per your taste)

Drain the cashews, then grind them up into a really smooth paste with the chipotle chili and adobo sauce and water. Set aside.

Other ingredients:

1 16-ounce box of any pasta (I used whole-wheat fusilli, small pasta or even a fettuccine.) Cook al-dente according to package directions.

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

1 8-oz package of button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on their size

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Sprinkle some salt and saute them for a few minutes until they are soft and transclucent but not brown.

Add the garlic, stir, and then add the tomatoes and the mushrooms. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and have broken down.

Add the cashew cream, mix together, and immediately add the pasta.

Stir well to coat the pasta with the sauce. If the pasta is too dry, add a cup or so of the pasta cooking water. Add salt to taste. Mix in the parsley.

You can add other veggies to this along with the tomatoes. Asparagus, broccoli and peas would all be great, and so would some scallions or green onions. You could saute leeks for an extra-special dish!

Here is the recipe I use for regular non-flavored cashew cream:

2 cups whole raw cashews, not pieces, rinsed very well, under cold water. Then you can use it in what ever recipe you like.

Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)
To make thick cashew cream, which some of the recipes in this book call for, simply reduce the amount of water when they are placed in the blender, so that the water just slightly covers the cashews.

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese

cjinspirations — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:30:15 +0000

With all my frozen garden vegetables in the freezer, it is time to start cooking with them!

I made this wonderful beet salad using frozen beets. I have also made this in a skillet and serve the beets warmed with the cheese sprinkled over just before serving, what a wonderful taste with the tang of the blue cheese!

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese

1 bunch beets with greens (or if using frozen- just the beets)

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 table spoons olive oil

1 small shallot chopped

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ to 1/2 cup blue cheese, Maytag is good or your favorite brand

½ cup pecans, toasted

Directions:

For fresh beets:

Trim off the greens leaving about 1 inch attached to the beets.

Bring a pot of water large enough to hold the beets and greens.

When the water boils, add the beets and cook for 10 minutes.

Trim the stems off of the greens and chop the leave coarsely.

At the 10 minute mark, add the greens to the pot.

Cook for another 10 minutes.

Drain.

Cut off the stem and root from the beets and discard.

Under cool running water, rub the skin off of the beets.

Chop the bets into ½ by 1 inch chunks.

For frozen beets

let thaw out at room temperature and place on platter. Add the dressing and cheese. You can also warm the beets in a skillet

then toss in dressing and cheese.

For the dressing:

Mix the lemon juice, oil, vinegar shallot, honey and salt and pepper.

Toss the greens and beets and cool for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Arrange greens on a platter and top with the beets.

Cover the beets with blue cheese chunks and pecans.

Serve.

Butternut Squash with String Cheese Pizza

cjinspirations — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:41:54 +0000

One butternut squash is always leftovers when there are only 2. I love making dishes with squash leftovers. Here is a nice tasty pizza to try that I used Wisconsin string cheese, fresh from the factory from my brother in-law for the holidays!

Butternut Squash, String Cheese, Ricotta Pizza

Unbaked pizza

left over squash, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into rings
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough or make your own dough or use a ready made crust
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 heaping teaspoon thyme, rosemary and sage
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
String cheese cut into rounds
garlic powder
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
leftover turkey or chicken (deli meat works good too)

Directions

Heat oven to 425° F.

Roll out crust to size of pizza stone. Be sure to place on a well floured baking sheet or pizza paddle.

If you do not have a pizza stone, sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and put the pizza on the baking sheet. Roll about 1/4 inch thick. Just before putting on pizza stone, sprinkle the stone with the corn meal.

Saute onion in pan with leftover squash, season with garlic powder, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Spread ricotta cheese on crust and sprinkle with garlic powder. Scatter the squash and onion mixture over the dough, add meat if desired, sprinkle with the spices, then and add dollops of the ricotta and sliced string cheese.

Bake until golden, about 15-25 minutes. Depending on how thick you have the ingredients.

Hint: easier with one thin layer. If you are using a prebaked crust or Naan bread, the time will be only about 10-15 minutes, to get the cheese melted and golden. Brush the crust with olive oil. Slice into wedges.

Fettuccini with Preserved Lemons and Shrimp

cjinspirations — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:56:28 +0000

I received these wonderful preserved lemons as a gift for the holidays. Of course I needed to try them out and found this recipe. It was excellent and the lemon comes through well and compliments the shrimp. For this recipe the best tip is to be sure they lemons are chopped very fine and that there are no seeds.

Fettuccini with Preserved Lemons and Shrimp

1 lb fettuccine, or pasta of your choice
1 whole bulb of garlic
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tb butter
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tb
1 preserved lemon, diced (the whole thing, pulp, skin and all – seeds removed though!)
1 1/2 cups of the cooking water from the pasta
1/2 cup basil leaves, chiffonaded

Parmesan cheese for dusting

First, put your garlic to roast in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the top half of the garlic clove, exposing the cloves. Rub with your two tablespoons of olive oil and then season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a ramekin and then pour water into the dish so it measures up to about half of the clove of garlic. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and let the clove cool. Once it is cool, squeeze the pulp from the bulb and mash it together with a little olive oil. Set aside for later use. If you have a garlic roaster it is really easy, just wet the clay top and put garlic in bottom and drizzle with oil and season. They are available in most stores.
Prepare your fettuccini by boiling until al dente – about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water for your sauce and then drain your pasta.
In a large skillet, melt your butter and the 1/4 cup olive oil together. Add in the minced garlic and let soften over medium heat. Add in your shrimp and your diced preserved lemon. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and pink. Add in your roasted garlic and cook for another minute. Finally, add in your reserved pasta water to form a sauce. If it’s runny, let it come to a slight simmer to thicken a bit and then remove from the heat. Toss with your pasta, top with your shredded basil and serve with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Turnip, Carrot, Guyere Cheese Salad

cjinspirations — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:53:24 +0000

Turnip, Carrot, Gruyere Cheese Salad

How about a nice crunchy salad after all those holiday treats? I have even made the turnips and carrots into shreds and it is just as tasty!

Turnip, peeled and cut into matchsticks, you will only use part of large one.

1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

3 green onions, trimmed and cut into long strips the size of the turnips and carrots

1/4 pound of Gruyere cheese, cut into matchsticks

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and cut into thin slivers (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

salt and pepper

If you are adding lettuce to the mix, first toss the greens in a medium bowl with a little olive oil and lemon juice, then divide between plates. As you prepare the vegetables, divide them evenly on top of the greens (or onto the plates if you are not including lettuce), then drizzle with remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and peppe

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

cjinspirations — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:13:16 +0000

With all the “bugs” in the air, what is more comforting and nutritious for you than chicken noodle soup. This recipe whips up fast if you prepare the broth ahead. The next best option is to buy a good organic chicken broth and it will be ready on the stove in 15 minutes! I usually use 2-3 boxes.

Chicken soup keeps for days, freezes well, and the boiled chicken can be used for countless other dishes. I will be freezing the leftovers so it is ready to heat in short notice!

Broth

2 whole chickens, if available

2 yellow onions, peeled

4 celery ribs, cut in half to fit pot

4 carrots, peeled and cut in half to fit pot

4 parsnips, cut in half to fit pot

1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, with stems

4-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

Soup

2 cups finely diced carrots

2 cups finely diced celery (use organic if you can as it is one of those vegetables that is listed as most sprayed)

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped for garnish (optional)

2 cups cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works too or if making your own broth use the meat off chicken)

1 pound cooked egg noodles

Make the broth: In a narrow, deep pot just large enough to hold the chickens (about a 10- to 12-quart capacity), place the chickens, onions, celery, carrots, parsnips, and parsley. (Make sure you use a narrow pot rather than a wide one. Otherwise, you may have to use too much water to cover the chickens.) Add just enough cold water to barely cover the chickens (ideally, not more than 5 quarts or 20 cups).
Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer (rapidly boiling soup or stock often makes it look cloudy instead of clear) and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You’re seasoning here because you want the chicken to have some flavor when you use it later in other dishes. The soup will be seasoned again later.)
Simmer the broth, uncovered, for at least 3 hours. Season with 2½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. (Taste. If it tastes like chicken, it’s ready. If not, let it cook a bit longer and taste again. It can cook for another hour as long as it is barely simmering, but no more than 4 hours or the chicken will dry out.)
When the broth is done, turn off the heat, lift the chicken from the pot with slotted spoons or a skimmer, and set them aside in a shallow bowl or baking sheet until cool enough to handle.
Strain the broth into a clean 6- to 8-quart pot; discard the solids. If not making the soup right away, cool and refrigerate so you can scrape off the solidified fat from the surface before continuing. Otherwise, allow the stock to sit undisturbed for at least 10 minutes and spoon off the fat that rises to the surface.
Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Make the soup: Add diced carrots and celery to the simmering broth, and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
While the vegetables are cooking, pick the meat from the chicken, leaving the pieces as large as possible, and set aside. Discard the bones.

Serve the soup: Add 2 cups of the cooked chicken to the soup. Place the cooked noodles in serving bowls. Ladle the broth, chicken, and vegetables into bowls, sprinkle with fresh chopped dill, and serve.

The longer a stock or broth cooks, the larger the vegetables used to flavor them can be. For example, vegetables used to flavor a veal stock can be cut larger than those for a chicken stock, because veal stock cooks longer (ideally overnight), and there is more time to extract the vegetables’ flavors. In the case of chicken soup, I don’t even cut the vegetables unless they do not fit into the pot.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Frisee Salad

cjinspirations — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:28:42 +0000

Grapefruits are in season and the avocado really makes the grapefruit come alive!

Avocado, Grapefruit, Frisee Salad

to 4 medium heads frisée (about 4-1/2 oz. each) (you can substitute any kind of lettuce if you like)
3 medium pink grapefruit
1 medium shallot, minced (1/4 cup)
1-1/2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar; more as needed
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced lengthwise
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

To prepe the friséeRemove the green outer leaves from the frisée and discard or reserve for another use. Trim off any dark green tips and cut off the root ends (you should have about 5 cups).

Finely grate 1 tsp. zest from one of the grapefruit. Trim the entire peel from all of the grapefruit and then cut the segments free from their membranes.

Combine the grapefruit zest, shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste with a leaf of frisée and season the vinaigrette with more vinegar or salt if necessary. Set aside.

Arrange the avocado slices on a platter or distribute among individual serving plates. Season with salt.

Put the frisée in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Gently scatter the frisée on and around the avocado (the salad will be somewhat flat). Nestle the grapefruit slices into the salad. Drizzle more vinaigrette on the salad, focusing on the avocado; you may not need it all. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve.

Tip:

Make the salad a meal by serving it with seared shrimp.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

cjinspirations — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:53:12 +0000

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This recipe is from one of my favorite Food Network people, Ina Garten and today is another soup kind of day!

Her recipe calls for three kinds of mushrooms which are great if you can find them in your supermarket otherwise I have used the same kind of mushrooms for the total amount. I have also soaked dehydrated mushrooms in warm water which work just as good too.

Here is another thing I do and I think it still tastes good. I get all the sauteing done and move to a slow cooker then add the water. Make the leek and mushroom combo then add to crock pot. Let simmer all day while you are working, come home and add the cream, parsley and seasoning.

Ingredients

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh cremini or porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

1 cup yellow onion

1 carrot, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped leeks, with both the white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup half and half

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oiland 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot,the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmeruncovered for 30 minutes. Strainreserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.