Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Soup with Curried Coconut Milk

Adapted from: Stitch and Boots, serves 6-8
Date made: 3/20/2012

1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, chopped in 1-in pieces*
1 large bunch of kale, stems separated from leaves, each cut into 1-in pieces*
1 quart of water
1 pint of coconut milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds, ground or crushed
1 tsp. whole coriander seeds, ground or crushed
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Cooked white rice, optional

In a soup pot on medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil until they sweat, about 5-10 minutes.  Add Swiss chard stems, garlic, and ginger.
Cook for a couple of minutes with the onions, stirring frequently, then add the water to the pot and turn the heat up until it comes to a boil.
Lower heat to medium-low, add the sweet potatoes, coriander, cumin, pepper, and turmeric, and cover the pot.
Simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Then add Swiss chard leaves, stir well and cover.
Cook until the kale is well-cooked, about five minutes.  Serve with white rice.

Probably would flip-flop the quantities of water vs. coconut milk next time, but otherwise a pretty tasty and filling dish.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, serves 4-6 (entree) or 8-10 (side dish)
Date made: 3/12/2012


1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, diced
2 lbs Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated, cut into 1-inch pieces*
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whole milk*
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tablespoons flour
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds*
1/2 Tbsp. dried Italian parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried ground thyme
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish. 

Saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring until softened. Add chard stems, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes
Increase heat to medium-high and add chard leaves.  Cook, while stirring, until all greens are wilted.

Combine cream or milk and garlic powder in small saucepan.
Bring to simmer and keep warm.
Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in flour, and whisk for one minute.  Slowly whisk in warm cream/milk and boil while whisking for one minute.  Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Spread half of sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese.
Repeat with half of the greens mixture, and sprinkle salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and 1/4 cup of the cheese over it.
Pour half of the sauce over the first two layers then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and then the remaining greens, salt, pepper and herbs.
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, and sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and then bake for another 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Broil for about 5 minutes to give the surface a golden color (optional), and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I had sweet potatoes and swiss chard left from last week's Hollygrove box, so I gave Jason a list of 3 or 4 recipes to choose from to use the ingredients.  Luckily, we had all the ingredients for the one that he picked!  Taking advantage of what we had in our refrigerator, for the sauce I used 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup buttermilk (leftover from all the baking I've done the last couple weeks!).

I found that this recipe was a little labor intensive, like a lasagna, but it turned out super tasty.  Jason doesn't really like the sweetness of sweet potatoes, I think that the herbs and seasonings helped cancel that out since it was no sweeter than baked or roasted carrots.  I served it over some local brown rice to eat as an entree.

"Caldo Verde"

Adapted from John Villa/Irene Sax, serves 4 to 6
Date made 3/3/2012

1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large turnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb kale, julienned
1 c. vegetable broth
water
salt and pepper, to taste

In medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until they are tender and golden brown.  Add garlic, and cook for a 2 minutes more.
Add turnips and vegetable broth and enough water to cover the vegetables.  Bring the liquid to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
Cover and cook until the turnips are tender, about 15 minutes.
When the soup is cool enough to handle, puree it in a food processor or blender, and return to the pot.  Bring the soup back to a boil and add the kale.
Simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.


This recipe was suggested for this past week's Hollygrove box, and I wanted to save the potatoes for a another dish, so I figured I'd replace them with turnips.  It's still a root vegetable, it has a similar texture as the potato, and it's a low-carb alternative for anyone who is concerned about any of that.  Plus, it was included in this week's box, as well.  I excluded the chorizo since I'm going veg for Lent this year, hence the quotation marks.  However, for a vegetarian alternative, I think it was a pretty tasty soup!

Spinach and Mushroom Orzo

Taken from Kittencalskitchen, serves 8 as a side dish
Date made: 2/26/2012

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced*
1/2 lb spinach, washed*
3 c. vegetable broth
1 1/2 c uncooked orzo pasta
1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste

Heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add spinach and mix together.  Cook for 2 more minutes.
Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
While stirring, add orzo, and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until orzo is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the dish, and serve.

Doenjang Jjigae

Adapted from Kimchi Chronicles, serves 6-8
Date made: 2/8/2012

1/2 c "Umma paste"
1/2 lb stew beef, cut in 1/2-in chunks
1 lb firm tofu, cut in 1/4-in chunks (I just used the lines that the box it came in imprinted in the tofu)
~2 1/2 lbs potatoes, roughly chopped
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini (2 cups), roughly chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
8 cups water
1/3 c doenjang
2 Tbsp sesame oil
steamed white rice

Heat sesame oil in soup pot over medium heat.  Add beef, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
Add water and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.  Stir in doenjang and Umma paste and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
Add potatoes, onions, zucchini, carrots, and tofu.  Cover the pot and cook at a boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Serve with steamed white rice and enjoy!

This soup can be made in a million different ways -- with meat, without meat, with seafood, etc.  Just make sure that you add the doenjang... and if you don't make the "Umma paste" at least add in gochujang and/or gochugaru!

Also, epic failure on my part, you should also serve this with kimchi, if you have it.  I unfortunately did not have any on hand when I made this.

Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4

Date made: 6/19/2011

1 cucumber, sliced*

1/2 c onion, sliced

3/4 c plain yogurt

1 tsp dried dill

Place cucumbers and onion in large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.

Let stand for 1 hour, and drain.

Add yogurt and dill to cucumbers.  Mix well and serve.

Hot German Green Bean Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 6/19/2011

1 lb green beans, trimmed*
3 slices bacon
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, sliced into rings*
1/4 c cold water
2 tsp corn starch

Cook green beans in boiling water until barely tender.
Drain, reserving 1/4 c cooking liquid, and set aside.
Fry bacon until crisp, and remove all up 2 Tbsp of drippings from the fry pan.
Drain bacon and crumble, set aside.
Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and onion to bacon drippings along with green bean cooking liquid.
Mix water and cornstarch together in bowl until dissolved.
Stir into fry pan, and cook until thick and clear, stirring constantly.
Add cooked beans and heat through.  Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Stuffed Eggplant

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 2-4
Date made: 6/19/2011

1 large eggplant*
1 small onion, chopped
1 c canned corn, drained
10 oz can Rotel
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Split eggplant lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and discard.  Carefully, cut aware and reserve flesh to form 2 shells, each 1/2-in thick.
Cook onion in frypan until softened.
Add corn, Rotel, chopped eggplant flesh, garlic, and spices.  Turn heat to high and boil, stirring often, until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Add bread crumbs and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese and mix well.  Place eggplant shells in baking dish and fill with vegetable mixture.
Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
Sprinkly remaining Parmesan cheese on filled eggplant halves.  Return to the oven and bake until cheese begins to brown, 12-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Okra Curry

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4
Date made: 6/14/2011

1/2 c onion, sliced
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 lb okra, trimmed and sliced*
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium heirloom tomato, chopped*

In fry pan, saute onion in 2 tbsp oil until golden.  Add ginger, garlic, and spices, and saute for a few minutes.  Add okra and salt, and cook for a few minutes.
Add tomatoes and fry for a few minutes until liquid evaporates.

Summer Garden Ratatouille

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 6/14/2011

2 onions, chopped*
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 medium patty pan squash, chopped*
3 small yellow squash, chopped*
2 green peppers, sliced*
2 c heirloom tomatoes, chopped*
12 oz of pasta

Saute onions, garlic, and bay leafe in 3 Tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes.
Add patty pan squash and salt and herbs to pan.  Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until squash is soft, about 15-20 minutes.
In large soup pot of boiling water, start cooking pasta according to package directions.
Add yellow squash, green peppers, and tomatoes, and simmer until peppers and squash are tender, about 10 minutes.  Serve over pasta.

Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4
Date made: 5/1/2011

3 c cucumbers, thinly sliced*
1 c onion, thinly sliced*
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp dill

Place cucumbers and onion in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.  Let stand for 1 hour, then drain.
Mix remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan.  Bring to boil, cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over cucumbers and onion.
Cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours.  Serve chilled.


YUM.  Need I say more?  Maybe next time I'll experiment a little more with seasonings, but I knew dill would be a safe bet.

Potato, Onion, and Mushroom Saute

Adapted from Coconut and Lime, serves 2
Date made: 4/30/2011

2 small red potatoes, diced*

1 c onion, diced*

1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms*

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried sage leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, garlic and onions. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.Add salt, pepper and sage.

Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are softened. Add mushrooms and saute an additional 5-10 minutes or until they have cooked down. Serve immediately.

Onion and Ricotta Omelette

Serves 1
Date made: 3/5/2011

4 egg whites*
1/4 c milk*
1/2 c onions, diced
2-3 Tbsp ricotta
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in small skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil until soft.  Combine egg whites and milk and beat together until mixed well.
Spread out onions evenly over skillet.  Pour egg mixture over onions and allow to eggs to cook and harden.  When ready, flip over. Add ricotta, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper to one half of the omelette.
Fold uncovered side of omelette over the ricotta side.  Flip and cook as desired.


I had ricotta and egg whites left over from the gratin recipe, so I decided to make an omelette!  Not to brag or anything, but it was a pretty darn good omelette, a great way to start off the day!

Poor Man's "Beef" Stroganoff

Adapted from Joy of Cooking, serves 4
Date made: February 13, 2011

1 lb ground turkey
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 c chicken stock
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp honey dijon mustard
12 oz pkg wheat noodles
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced*
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cook wheat noodles in per package directions.
Season ground turkey with salt and ground pepper to taste.
Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium heat.
Add flour and stir with a whisk until smooth.
And chicken stock and whisk constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Heat slowly and allow to simmer until smooth and thickened.
Set aside and keep warm.
Melt remaining butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey and crumble into small pieces.  Add onions and cook until turkey is browned.
While the turkey is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add mushrooms and toss constantly until mushrooms begin to color.
Add garlic and parsley and cook for another minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove onion from meat and discard.

Transfer meat onto a warm dish and set aside.

Stir in sauce with juices from cooked meat and heat without boiling.
Stir in sour cream and mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add meat and mushrooms to the sauce and mix well.  Serve over the wheat noodles and enjoy!

This recipe follows the 1997 version of the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I ended up saving the onions and using it to make a soup with the leftover chicken stock and some barley from the Winter Borscht.  In hindsight, I would have done something more along the lines of what's posted on the The Joy Kitchen, but it still turned out well considering it was my first time making this.  It's one of those dishes that I associate with my childhood, although I remember not really liking it much until I started liking mushrooms.  Also, I'm a huge fan of the Mix 'n Chop, courtesy of Pampered Chef.  I think that every kitchen should have one.

Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice

Based on a lot of experimentation, serves 4-6
Date made: 2/7/2011

1 lb red kidney beans, sorted*
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
Cajun brown rice*
Salt, pepper, Tony's, cumin, thyme, to taste
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced or chopped, optional

Place beans in a pot and cover with water.  Soak overnight.
Add more water to cover the beans and bring to a boil.
Boil for about 10 minutes and then transfer to crock for the slow cooker.
Add veggies and herbs/spices.  Cook on low heat for 10 hours.
Add sausage about 20 minutes before serving (while you're cooking your rice).
You know how to do the rest...


Before I got this new Crock-Pot for Christmas, I'd been using my mom's old slow cooker from, like, 20 years ago.  The first time I made red beans and rice in the Crock Pot it turned out disastrous since I cooked it on low and the beans didn't cook through AT ALL, even though they were there for 12 hours.  Mind you, I also consulted several slow cooker recipes online that made no indication that this might happen.

I thought the culprit was a defective low setting since I tried to make slow cooker corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, which yielded similar results.  Thus, I've been making red beans and rice on the high setting to avoid further culinary embarrassment.  When I got this new Crock-Pot, I figured my low heat setting woes were a thing of the past, so I attempted to make chili a couple weeks ago over low heat.

This story is probably predictable, so I'm sure you can guess what happened -- crunchy chili.  Lo and behold, when I consulted my handy-dandy Crock-Pot manual (which I had the foresight not to throw out, though I guess there's always the internet), it explicitly states that you have to boil the beans beforehand, especially if you're adding any acid (aka tomatoes) since apparently it acts as a hardening agent.  Thank you, internet home cooks for not bringing this to my attention.

At least I got a sweet Crock-Pot out of it.  Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Bounty Rice

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 6-8
Date made: 1/28/2011

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded*
3 c cooked Cajun brown rice*
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c sour cream
1 c mozzarella cheese

Saute ground turkey, onion, and green pepper in large skillet on medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are soft.
Stir in tomatoes, cabbage, rice, and herbs and cover.  Cook until cabbage is crisp tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and transfer into a grease 13x9 baking dish.  Bake at 325°F until the cabbage is tender, about 30-45 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top and let melt.

The acid is slightly overwhelming -- I might add more rice next time.  Not sure if it was really 3 cups since I kind of eyeballed it.  I eyeballed the cheese, too, so next time I think I'd add more cheese.  Still tasty and very hearty!

Easy Potato Bake

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 6-8
Date made: 1/28/2011

3 lbs small red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c chedder cheese, shredded

Place potatoes in a greased 13x9 baking dish.  In sauce pan heat butter, onion, salt, thyme, and pepper until melted.
Drizzle mixture over potatoes.  Cover and bake at 425°F until tender, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

These are easy and really tasty!  Yum!

Tomato Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 1/28/2011

1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium-small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped*
4 c vegetable broth
1 c water
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 c orange juice

Saute onion in oil in soup pot until translucent.  Add sweet potatoes, broth, and water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes with juice and pepper.  Puree until smooth and return to soup pot.
Add orange juice, heat gently until hot, and serve.

My sweet potatoes were a little on the small side so if I had to do it again, I'd cut back on either the tomatoes or the orange juice or add another sweet potato to cut the acidity.  The texture is interesting since it has a lot of the acid, but a hint of that starchy, almost creamy finish from the potatoes.  Knowing this, next time I might add a little cream or half-and-half instead of the cup of water.

Cabbage Noodles

From Mommy, serves 4-6
Date made: 1/19/2011

12 oz package wheat noodles
1 medium onion
1 head cabbage, chopped into small pieces*
1/2 lb butter

Cook pasta per directions.  Melt butter in skillet and saute onion on medium heat.  Add cabbage and mix well, coating with the butter.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until cabbage is soft and translucent.  Mix with noodles and enjoy!


Pretty simple, but also pretty tasty!

Gołąbki

Adapted from my mommy's recipe, Gather and another food blogger, 6-8 servings
Date made: 1/19/2011

1 large head of cabbage*
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 c cooked Cajun brown rice*
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2  10 oz cans condensed tomato soup
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 ribs of celery, peeled and finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
thyme, salt, pepper, parsley to taste, other seasonings can be used as desired.

Core cabbage and place in boiling water.  Peel the leaves as they get soft and remove from the pot and set aside.
Saute onion in oil or butter until translucent.  Mix half of the onion with ground beef, pork, one egg, one cup of rice, and two garlic cloves.  Add about 1-2 tsp each of the seasonings.
Mix other half of onion with bell pepper, celery, carrot, the remaining rice, garlic, and one egg.  Again, add about 1-2 tsp each of the seasonings.
Take a cabbage leaf and cut off the thick stem.  Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of a leaf, fold the left and right sides over, and starting at the end closest to you, roll the cabbage up (see referenced recipes for photos).
Repeat until you have used all the mixture up.
Mix together two cans of tomato soup and tomato sauce.  Add 3 bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
Place cabbage rolls seam side down into crockpot and pour tomato soup/sauce mixture over the rolls.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Jason and I had made a Russian version (Голубцы - golubtsy) of this dish a while ago, but it it was my first time making this Polish version that my family has been eating at reunions, parties, etc. for years.  My friends have been doing a "family dinner night" where every other Wednesday evening someone hosts the group for dinner.  The veggie version was for the vegetarian in our group.  Since I had gotten a huge head of cabbage from Hollygrove Market and Farm the week prior, I figured I'd try my hand at this and also make cabbage noodles.  All-in-all it turned out okay -- it was pretty underseasoned, but that was my fault since I'm pretty timid when it comes to seasoning my food.