Week 13 Dinner Menu

This week is a break for me - some old familiars and a couple nights to myself = a very easy cooking week. I hope yours is too.

Sunday: Lemon Pasta with Scallops

Monday: Bulgur Salad and Burgers (just click for recipe)

Tuesday: Roasted Cod with Gnocchi and Veggies

Wednesday: Hummus/Bagel and Soup

Thursday: Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew w/ Couscous

Friday: Probably a combination of leftovers from Wednesday and Thursday night, because I have a lunch date on Friday. Yee Haw!!

And yes, I did change my blog name, which completely messed up my Weekly Dinner Menus tab, but I will have that resolved by the end of the week. Hang in there. 

Week 12 Update

Just wanted to do a quick post about Tuesday and Wednesday nights dinner.

Tuesday night we had Chili Pasta Bake. This is actually a recipe I made back in February.  When I cooked this dinner I split it into two and froze half of it. I have to say it was easy heating something from the freezer, but definitely not the same as eating it when it is just made. I don't think I would do that again. I felt like I was eating rations or something.

Last night we just grilled some salmon and placed it over a great spinach salad. We almost hit 60 degrees yesterday so I felt it was an appropriate dinner. Even though it was raining.  One day a week I work in Vancouver, inside a grocery store,  and was able to pick up a beautiful baquet from the bakery to accompany our meal. I love bread.

Today I am experimenting with the crockpot so will see how that goes.

Orzo Salad

Saturday I was at our local grocery store, picking up some pastrami for the huz, and drooling over the deli case full of delectable salads and gourmet cheeses.  One salad in particular caught my eye - Orzo with Artichoke hearts and Olives. Now olives and artichoke hearts are two ingredients the huz would totally pass on, but not me. I love anything pickled – beets, artichoke hearts, olives, and of course pickles, sweet and dill. Seeing this pasta salad got my wheels turning, and the saliva glands flowing.  I had to make an orzo salad this week!

One of my favorite combinations is basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. These ingredients make up the classic Caprese salad, or what you would find on a truly Italian Margherita pizza. I decided to do a play on this concept.  One problem: the huz hates fresh tomatoes. I know. You’re scratching your head right now thinking, “what the h-e-double hockey sticks is she doing with this guy?”  Oh, despite his aversion to most of the foods I love he’s pretty awesome. He’s just a little quirky about certain foods and I have become very adept at working around his likes and dislikes. Personally, I’d probably eat a shoe if it was fried (or pickled J).

Case in point – sundried tomatoes. The huz loves them. Sundried tomatoes pack a powerful punch in a very small bite. They are super flavorful and add a lot of depth and dimension to any recipe. 

This was the gist of my Orzo Salad creation:

Ingredients:

½ pound orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained, and rinsed under cool water

½ package fresh spinach, cut into julienned strips (if it was summer I would totally use fresh basil)

¼ cup sundried tomatoes, diced

¼ cup Havarti cheese, diced (I had Havarti, otherwise I probably would have used fresh mozzarella)

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette (I make my own with vinegar, olive oil, dried basil, salt/pepper)

Directions: 

Toss everything together in a bowl. Eat.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful love affair

That’s it.

Seriously. 

I can’t even begin to tell you how great this salad was. Between the creamy Havarti, salty/sweet tomatoes, and fresh spinach, I was in heaven. 

See what happens when you “play” in the kitchen? You never know when inspiration will strike, and sometimes it’s a home run!!!

I’m two for two this week.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Do you ever have one of those Sundays where you feel utterly unrushed and leisurely? If not, I pity you.  Yesterday was one of those days for me. The only thing I HAD to do was go to the grocery store. Other than that the day was mine.

The huz and I had a relaxing morning, reading the paper, drinking our coffee. I was able to work on our grocery list, and we got to the store and back within 45 minutes. Awesome. I swear this blog has simplified my grocery list beyond words - saving me time and money.

As the day progressed and the rain really kicked in we decided to rent a DVD, and curl up on the sofa for a couple hours (if you were curious we rented "Wallstreet" - very good movie, although I have to admit I was a little lost the first half. I don't see "stock broker," "venture capitalist," or "federal reserve banker" ever being added to my resume.  It's a whole other world).

With the weather and the pace of the day my oven was just screaming at me, "Shawn....use me....bake something." At the same time I had a huge bag of potatoes in my pantry calling out to me, "slice me....cover me in cheese...bake me!"  How could I ignore this chorus in my kitchen?

I couldn't. Potatoes Au Gratin it is.

Now, we are not big potato eaters in our house. It's probably the huz's least favorite starch. I, however, love them. With this recipe, I think I converted him. I have a feeling this may show up on my menu next week as well.

Who doesn't love potatoes and cheese????

Potatoes Au Gratin

Yields 3 - 4 servings

1/2 cup chopped onion
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons flour

1. Saute onion in a nonstick skillet, coated with cooking spray, over medium heat until softened.
2. Spray a 8 x 8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange one third of the potato slices, in dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with half of the sauteed onions, and half the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
3.  Repeat layers, ending with remaining potato slices.
4.  Bring broth and milk to a boil over low heat. Whisk in flour, and cook for two minutes. Pour over potato mixture.
5.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until tender.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

No complaints from the huz

Week 12 Dinner Menu

In an effort to recommit myself to my blog (if you can't tell I really slacked last week), I have given her a new name - http://www.dinneroneweekatatime.blogspot.com/.

When I started this blog I figured I would give it a year. My goal is that by the end of this year I will have a more organized repertoire of recipes, as well as a years worth that I can refer to over and over again. This blog has really reaffirmed my love of food and cooking.  The meal planning has not only helped my time management, but I believe it is saving me money as well. Those two factors alone are worth the price of admission.

Last week there was an interesting article in The Oregonian about using what you have kind of cooking. Not relying on recipes so much, but really assessing what you have in your pantry/fridge/freezer and thinking outside of the box. I have to admit I love recipes.  That being said I do find myself modifying them quite a bit to accommodate my vegetarianism. I believe I use recipes more as a personal guidebook, not as a chartered bus tour where you are lead around like a lemming.  I think in the coming weeks my challenge will be to not be so dependent on formal recipes and to trust my instincts when it comes to food. Tonight was a perfect example of this, but I will write more about that tomorrow, I promise (how's that for a tease?).

With this approach in mind, here is my Week 12 Dinner Menu:

Sunday: Grilled Burgers, Salmon Cakes, Broccoli Slaw, and Potatoes Au Gratin.  In honor of the first day of Spring we really wanted to start up the grill. Of course, we had lots of Oregon sunshine (rain) today, but that doesn't keep us from grilling in the Pacific Northwest. As you can see as the week progresses grilling is my theme. I think after working in the yard this weekend I am itchin' for summer!

Monday: Grilled Sausages with Peppers and Onions and Orzo Salad

Tuesday: Chili Pasta Bake with Steamed, or perhaps Grilled Vegetables

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon Salad

Thursday: Enchilada "Sandwiches" with Steamed Vegetables.  This is probably the one true "recipe" I am following this week.

Friday: Yakisoba Noodles with Vegetables and Beef/Tofu

Here's to the first week of Spring and new beginnings!

Spanish Rice Bake

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have to say, I am not 100% sure where this week went. How is it possible that I am writing about Monday night's dinner, on Thursday night? St. Patrick's Day no less?

The older I get, the faster time seems to elude me. It's a horrible thing that no one warns you about. All the focus is on covering the grays, and making those laugh lines disappear. Smoke screens I tell ya'. Time. Time is of the essence!  Someone needs to come up with a miracle cream to bring back the past couple days. Now THAT would be the fountain of youth.

Back to Monday.....since it was soooooooooooo long ago. All I can tell you is dinner was awesome. There's no other word. Even the huz would agree. It was so good, all I can really say is you have to cook it for yourself to truly appreciate it. I can whip out the thesaurus and try to come up with a bunch of flowery words to describe just how good dinner was, and it wouldn't do it justice. It's like trying take a picture of sunset. It's never the same as being there.



Not a bad sunset afterall



Vegetarian Spanish Rice Bake

Yields 6 servings

1 package Morningstar Farms crumbles or other vegetarian "ground beef"
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepperjack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion and green bell pepper until softened.
3. Add the Morningstar Farms crumbles and cook until they are heated through - 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.
5. Le simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with a fabulous salad (like mine) or steamed veggies of your choice.

As a person who eats a primarily vegetarian diet, there is no shortage of fiber in my life.  I eat a lot of dark leafy greens, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's just a given when you cut red meat, pork, and chicken out of your life. I always kind of laugh when I see fiber commercials because it really baffles me how fiber can be lacking in one's diet, because fiber is almost it's own food group in my world.

Case in point: I think towards the end of last week I was on fiber overload. Without being too specific lets just say I probably could have had a colonoscopy, no problem.
Call Dr. McDreamy.  I needed carbs, stat!  Carbs would be the only cure.

Because we were going to be out and about quite a bit on Saturday, I knew the huz and I would be dining out much of the day. Mind you I had oatmeal for breakfast (old habits die hard), but made up for it at lunch when I had scrambled eggs, crispy cottage potatoes, and a big, fat buttery biscuit. Yes, that was my lunch. No, it was not a second breakfast.  I was in carb heaven.

Saturday night, we hit Taco del Mar, on our drive home, and picked up a couple burritos and chips with queso. To quote my eleven year old niece, "OMG." What a good burrito (and yes, Nicole, I did nuke it when I got home so it would be piping hot). Of course, my burrito was beans and veggies on a wheat tortilla, but it was fast food, so it had to be carb heavy somehow. You know they hide the carbs in there somewhere. Oh I know, the plate of tortilla chips and queso was the carb balance I was looking for.

Needless to say by Sunday, I was ready for my usual fare. Those carbs work fast!  I knew just the perfect meal - Kale and White Bean Soup. The name says it all. Creamy cannelini beans, chewy pasta, hearty kale - I love being a vegetarian. I love soup. You should too.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I had a bit of pizza dough left over from Thurdsay night, and got a wild hair (or is it hare) to make dinner rolls. Basically I just rolled the dough into balls, put them in a muffin pan, drizzled a little olive oil on them and baked them for 15 - 20 minutes or so, at 425 degrees. While they were still in the pan, I put a little butter, salt, and fresh parsley on top.  That's how we roll in our house.  Peace out.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling....

Kale and White Bean Soup

Serves 8| Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 cup small soup pasta, such as tubettini, ditalini, or orzo (4 ounces)
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (2 ounces), plus 1 piece rind (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 loaf country bread, warmed

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic, celery, onion, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the beans, pasta, kale, rosemary, 8 cups water, and Parmesan rind (if using). Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta and kale are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan before serving. Serve with the bread.

Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine - Sara Quessenberry,  January 2010

Week 11 Dinner Menu

Working on this week's menu I decided to incorporate more green salads, as I have really been craving green salads (I'm sure daylight savings time has something to do with it). I feel like I have been roasting, sauteing, or steaming vegetables for the past five months, and I'm dying for some fresh farmer's market produce. May cannot get here soon enough!

Unfortunately, the lettuce farmer's of America do not agree with me.  I don't know if you have purchased lettuce lately, but man oh man is it expensive. I had kind of noticed this last week, when I opted to buy a huge bag of washed spinach in lieu of green leaf lettuce (which was $2.49 a head).

Today I actually took the time to see that there was a notice posted about the high cost of lettuce. Of course I didn't actually read it.  I vaguely recall seeing words like "harsh," "weather", "crops," which I'm guessing explains why the lettuce is so expensive right now. Bagged spinach it is.

On that note, here is my Week 11 Dinner Menu:

Sunday: Kale and White Bean Soup with Pizza Dough Rolls.  I'm craving some uber healthy, yummy, hearty soup tonight, since I've been indulging in uber, unhealthy, not as yummy as my cooking, eating out in restaurants this weekend. I have some leftover pizza dough, that I am going to attempt to make into dinner rolls to accompany my soup. We'll see how this goes.

Monday: Spanish Rice Bake with Spinach Salad. I'm not 100% sure if I have already shared this recipe or not. I have a feeling I haven't. If you like Mexican food, you are going to LOVE this recipe. Seriously. I don't kid about this kind of stuff.

Tuesday: Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Broccoli.  This is a spicy Asian salad I love to make in the summer time, but I can't wait until summer. I need it now!

Wednesday: Chicken Parm with Spinach Salad. I'm going to see our local stage production of "Rent" Wednesday night, and needed a super fast, super simple dinner, and this fits the bill. The Play Bill that is...hee....hee....hee (theater geek humor, check).

Thursday: Vegetarian Stew and Pastrami Sandwich. Here's to the little bit of Ireland in each of us. There has to be a trace, right? Who doesn't love potatoes and carrots?

Friday: Japanese Salmon with Rice and Vegetables.  This is one of my favorite recipes, and I have not made it this year, yet. I can taste it now.

I can't wait for Friday!

Recipe Updates

Cooking-wise I felt this week was really uneventful. Don't get me wrong - we ate well. I just feel everything I made was fairly simple and straightforward - basically not much to write about.

I ended up flipping a couple recipes because I thought we had plans on Saturday night, but those plans changed, and really no flipping was necessary. That's okay though. No harm, no foul.

Wednesday night I made Grilled Salmon Salad, which was just as I dreamed it to be. There is something about warm salmon, on a chilled salad, with a simple balsamic vinaigrette that makes me happy. It also makes me think of summer, which with day light savings fast approaching, was only appropriate.

Thursday night I cooked pizza. I used my pizza dough recipe but used bread flour (as the recipe indicates) instead of all-purpose flour. I think this has changed my life!  Bread flour makes a thinner crust - which I really like. It is not near as chewy as what AP flour yields. I am converted.

Friday night I threw together a vegetarian chili (kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, onions, garlic, oregano, red pepper flake, salt and pepper - I really think that's it).  This is the first time I have ever cooked beans from scratch.  I have to admit you can definitely taste a difference between dried and canned beans. Given how easy they were to prepare, and how much cheaper they are than canned,  I am hoping to tackle some type of white bean this week (beans are a staple in my diet).  I think my freezer could very well become my new pantry. Yikes - and I was just trying to get that freezer under control.

So here is to the week ahead. I see white beans, St. Patrick's Day, and more kale in my future!  I know you can hardly wait.

Thai Chicken/Tofu Wraps

Tuesday night we had Thai Chicken/Tofu Wraps. Really what makes this recipe is the sauce. You could pretty much put anything in a wrap and eat it, as long as you have this sauce. I have shared this recipe with several people and it all boils down to the sauce. Are you hearing me? It's the sauce.

Because it's all about the sauce (I think I hear a drinking game coming out of this post), I'm not even going to bother you with a "wrap recipe."  I will tell you that I used these fabulous tortillas though.

The funny thing is I could care less that they are "100 calories." Lord knows I love my carbs. I just love these tortillas. I found them by accident when I bought a soft taco size, and right now this is my favorite brand of tortillas. I've had every variety that I can find, and have loved them all.

Our wraps essentially boiled down to: warm tortilla, warm chicken/tofu (left over from Sunday night's dinner), equal parts coleslaw mix and spinach, thinly sliced red onion and peanut sauce...oh, and a hit of Sriracha because we love some heat in our house.  Super easy.  Super tasty. I even packed a wrap for my lunch on Wednesday, ate it cold no less, and it was better than anything I could have bought off the street. We had miso soup and shelled edamame on the side, and it was a perfect dinner.

Thai Tofu Wrap

Now that I have sufficiently used the word sauce more times than I can count, here she is. Be warned, once you make this, you are going to make it again, again, and again.

Thai Peanut Sauce
Yields 6 servings

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (although I have used chunky as well)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.

That's it. Seriously. It's gonna be the best thing you ever had.

Spring is in the air.  With daffodils blooming, and a 59 degree day, today, I feel that we are on the verge of spring (or perhaps that is my wishful heart hoping that winter is about to be officially put to rest).  Unfortunately one of the innocent victims of the end of winter is soup. October through March are really the prime soup months. Gray skies, rain showers, and shorter days go hand in hand with a steaming bowl of soup.

Nobody in the dead of winter ever says they want to curl up with a cozy blanket, by the fire, and eat a green salad. It's the slow cooked meals -  the house filled with the aroma of some beautiful creation simmering away all day, ready to warm you from the inside out. That is what makes soup the best thing ever. Add a grilled cheese sandwich...and forget about it.

With daylight savings arriving, or returning (not really sure which) on Sunday, I see soup recipes thinning out soon. Luckily, I found a great new recipe that I can't wait to share with you. It comes from Real Simple magazine (February 2011).  If you actually make this soup, you will be AMAZED at how easy, tasty, and truly satisfying it is.

One tip: I used my immersion blender for this. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a traditional blender, but I tell you what, immersion blenders are awesome.  Once you go immersion you never go back. 

This is one smooth operator - pun intended :-)

Second tip: I did not have Bagel chips to put on my soup. I figured the Bagel chip was essentially acting as a crouton (texture, salt) for the creamy soup.  Instead, we had Parmesan/garlic pretzel nugget things in our pantry, that I put in a plastic storage bag, and pulverized with my rolling pin. I think they worked really well, so don't be afraid to be resourceful and use what you already have.

Here's the star of our show...

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced (about 7 cups)
• 1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces sharp white Cheddar, grated (1⁄2 cup)
• bagel chips, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water as necessary. (Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan.) Top with the Cheddar and bagel chips, if desired, before serving.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Hola!  Last night it was enchiladas on the menu. They were muy delicioso!  I love enchiladas because they are so easy, and so good. It is one of those dishes where it is easy to accomodate the carnivore and me.

I'm not going bore you with the logistics of my enchiladas. I think we all have our favorites.  For the huz I put rotisserie chicken, cheddar cheese, and black beans. For mine I put tofu, cheddar cheese, and black beans.

I will tell you that these have to be the best enchiladas I have made in a long time. I think every time I make them I do a different filling. For my tofu, I actually sliced up a brick, and roasted it in a 350 oven for approximately 40 minutes. I didn't freeze it, thaw it, squeeze it, like some recipes I have seen. Nope. I kept it simple.  I put them in the oven on my Silpat. If you do not know what a Silpat is - you really need one. The Silpat could be it's own blog topic. This tofu was my "chicken" and it worked out perfectly.

Look at those tofu soldiers!

The key to any good enchilada is really the sauce, because really without the sauce, you'd just have a 9 x 13 pan of soft tacos. I have had this enchilada sauce recipe for 10 years. I never buy enchilada sauce because of it. The ingredients are staples that I always have in my pantry. The beauty is that while it simmers I am able to roll my enchiladas, and then cover them with this fantastic red sauce when it's done. It's a win-win.

The other bonus is that while my enchiladas were busy cooking away in the oven, I put together a lovely assortment of vegetables to steam.  The perfect side dish.


Admit it - you know you want some


All that was missing were margaritas....and chips....and deep fried ice cream.  Really nothing was missing, because these were AWESOME!

Red Enchilada Sauce
Makes 3 cups (8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, oregano, chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.
2. Mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

The veggie enchiladas have beans on top - sneaky, huh?

Week 10 Dinner Menu

Here we are, Week 10. My how time flies.  As I was out of town for a couple days, I was hoping to get inspired as I rifled through the stacks of magazines I packed. No such luck. I did pull one recipe, which intrigued the huz as well, so it made the cut, but otherwise coming up with my menu this week was no easy feat. The huz and I collaborated on the drive home this morning, and I have to say I am quite pleased with our duet.

Sunday: Chicken and Vegetarian Enchiladas with Steamed Veggies
Monday: Paninis and Creamy Broccoli Soup. The soup is the one new recipe I found this weekend, and any excuse I get to use to break out my Cuisinart Griddler, I'm all over it.
Tuesday: Thai Chicken and Tofu Wraps. You are going to love the peanut sauce recipe.
Wednesday: Grilled Salmon Salad.  This suggestion came from the huz.  Grilled Salmon Salad is one of his favorite dinners at one of our local restaurants, and I just happen to have some salmon in the freezer. I love cleaning out that freezer!
Thursday: Vegetarian Chili
Friday: Homemade Pizza. I'm going to try the dough recipe I made last week, but this time I am using bread flour, to see if it truly makes a thinner, crispier crust.
Saturday: Wild Card. We could either be dining out, eating leftovers, or visiting relatives on Saturday, so I'm leaving this open.

On a completely separate note, you will be happy to know that we only had to dine out one night last week (I made the Brown Rice Salad and packed it for dinner on Thursday), which for me was awesome. We went out for lunch and dinner on Friday though (the huz's birthday), and I know he really appreciated it.  Unfortunately, the Brown Rice Salad isn't worth writing home about, therefore I am not sharing the recipe with you. It is headed for the recycling bin as I type. It was fine - I've been eating it for lunch the past two days - but just not worth sharing. You deserve better than "fine." Trust me, I have some gems for you this week.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I became a vegetarian toward the end of my college career.  Ironically enough one of the reasons I became vegetarian was because I was addicted to a soup.  When I was in college I worked at a small coffee shop long before there was a Starbucks on every corner. I was a barrista before the word existed.  I loved working in this coffee shop. The owners were like family, the place had history, and people loved going there.

We were a typical coffee shop: coffee, tea, in house baked goods in the morning, soups, salads, and sandwiches in the afternoon. Every day we had two soups on the menu, Vegetarian Vegetable and a daily special. The daily special changed every day, just as the name implied,  and I never knew what wonderful soup would be on the menu  until I came to work that morning.  My kryptonite….Turkey Noodle Soup.

I had to pause for a second there. I’m sure it s like an addict remembering their last fix. This soup was intoxicating. This was no ordinary Turkey Noodle Soup. This was NOT some weak, little chicken noodle soup made with turkey. This was its own being.

Turkey Noodle Soup was a cream based soup, not broth. This was not a cream base that you could stand your spoon in, but a perfectly smooth, coat your spoon kind of base.  The pasta of choice was elbow macaroni.  As the soup simmered throughout the morning, the pasta would plump up, absorbing the creamy deliciousness.  Of course there was cubed turkey, carrots, celery, and fresh parsley, but this soup really had me with the noodles and cream.

I couldn’t resist it. It would call to me all day. Every time I walked by the steam table, I had to have a taste. And then another.  Then a little cup.  Then another spoonful. I could not stop myself when it came to this soup. I gained 10 pounds working in this coffee shop strictly because of this soup.

 I had to do something. What could I do to keep from eating this gift from God?  I knew the only remedy was to stop eating meat. That would be the only way I would not eat this beautiful soup. No meat = No Turkey Noodle Soup. I know it sounds drastic, but when you are faced with an addiction it is never easy. You have to take the first step. The detox was rough, but I white knuckled it. No support group necessary.  I have lived to tell the tale. 

Eventually the owners sold the shop and the new owners turned it into a sushi place, so that was the definitive end of Turkey Noodle Soup for me. I have never seen it since, but its memory lives on.

You are probably wondering what Turkey Noodle Soup has to do with Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.  Since I became a vegetarian roughly 18 years ago a new soup has come to fruition: Chicken Tortilla Soup. Of course I’ve never had Chicken Tortilla Soup, but it has always intrigued me. No, it’s not cream based, and there is no noodle in sight, but the thought of vegetables and beans, simmering in a flavorful broth topped with fried tortilla strips – who doesn’t want some of that?

The Oregonian recently published a Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipe that I could not wait to try. We had this on Tuesday night.  It is amazing the depth of flavor it achieves in such a short period of time.  I actually let mine simmer for 45 minutes, because I had the time.  I may have a new favorite.  Bring on the chips and salsa!!!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Published January 19, 2010

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

·       4 6-inch corn tortillas (see note)

·       3 tablespoons vegetable oil

·       3/4 cup chopped onion

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 tablespoon tomato paste

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       3/4 teaspoon chili powder

·       4 cups canned vegetable broth

·       4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

·       1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

·       1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·       2/3 cup frozen corn kernels

·       1 1/2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeño chile

·       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       Garnishes: diced avocado, sour cream, shredded jack cheese or queso fresco, lime wedges, minced green onion

Instructions

If the tortillas are fresh, dry them in a 200-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Cut tortillas in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat until hot. In batches, fry the tortilla strips until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

If necessary, discard all but a couple teaspoons of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, corn and jalapeño to the soup. Cover and simmer until ingredients are heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide half of the tortilla strips among the bowls. Ladle soup on top and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and tortilla strips. Serve, letting guests embellish their own soups with the garnishes.

Note: If you like, you can skip the tortilla-frying step and just use a few cups of broken tortilla chips instead.

PER SERVING (without garnishes): calories: 330 (31% from fat); protein: 4.4 grams; total fat: 11.5 grams; saturated fat: 1 gram; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 984 mg; carbohydrate: 53.2 grams; dietary fiber: 13.8 grams

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Smoked Salmon Hash

I feel a responsibility to give a little history to this recipe. It comes from a book that I have had for a very long time, called "The Best American Recipes - 1999." I'm assuming I bought it in 1999 because I bought many cookbooks in the mid to late 90's, but I have recently (say in the last year or so) seen this recipe published in The Oregonian, as well.

Smoked Salmon Hash comes from the brunch menu at the famous Heathman Hotel, in Portland. Between the smoked salmon, capers, sour cream, and crispy potatoes, I knew I had to try it.  The huz? Well, I had him at smoked salmon. To this day it is still one of his fav's and is in my arsenal of "go to" meals. 

I believe The Heathman serves this with poached eggs for brunch - which really you could easily do for dinner. The huz hates eggs, though, so we usually have ours with either a fresh green salad, or steamed vegetables of some sort. 



Don't underestimate the power of a side dish

Just this year, and we are only two months in, I saw Smoked Salmon Hash as a breakfast special at a local restaurant called Word of Mouth. Now this restaurant is a treasure, here in Salem. It is one of those super small, always a line waiting to get in, kind of breakfast places, where they notoriously have the best food. I mean how can you go wrong with a place that has Creme Brulee French Toast on their menu?  Anyways, when I saw this as a breakfast special, at Word of Mouth,  I about fell off my chair. I mean, I've had this recipe for 11 years! 

So there you have it. Not only is this recipe good enough to be served at The Heathman Hotel, it has found it's way onto the menu of one of the best restaurants in Salem, as well as my kitchen table. Now it's your turn. 

(and did I tell you it's easy too???)

Smoked Salmon Hash
Serves 4 (generously)

2 pounds potatoes (I actually use small reds for mine so I don't have to peel them)
1 pound smoked salmon
1 small red onion, minced
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon coarse grained mustard
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil*

1. Place the potatoes in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, adding a large pinch of salt, and cook until tender, 20 minutes or so.  Cool completely, then peel and dice.
2. Shred the salmon into a medium bowl.  Add the onion, horseradish, mustard, capers, and sour cream. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large heavy saute pan (I like to use my large wok), and add the oil. Add the cubed potatoes and saute until golden brown and crisp.  Add the salmon mixture and toss to combine and heat through.  Add more salt and pepper if desired.
4. Serve with poached eggs, if you like, and top with sour cream.

* I have made this using 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 tablespoon oil, BUT you do not get the browning that you get when you go full fat. Sometimes you just gotta go full fat.