Okra Curry

This is one vegetable I simply cannot pass up. It's not too common here (another thing I miss about living in Texas), so whenever I see it I get very excited. On a recent shopping trip, I scored some okra and cooked up this Indian-inspired dinner off the cuff.


Then I got lucky again at the farmers market and made the same dish for the second time in as many weeks. It was such a winner, with the okra's flavor and texture in the starring role, and a variety of aromatic spices playing the supporting cast. A meal that makes your taste buds sing and one you can feel good about eating too!

Okra Curry
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 yellow onion, julienned
10 ounces okra, cut into ¾-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon minced ginger
¾ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Combine the oil and mustard seeds in a large, heavy sauté pan, cover, and heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the okra and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes (along with their liquid), reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the okra is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a healthy, vegetarian main course, as long as there's plenty of cooked basmati rice to go with it. Perfect in the summertime, when okra is in season. Select small okra, no larger than your pinkie finger, as it’s the most tender. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend which includes roughly equal parts of toasted and ground cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin, and possibly coriander or nutmeg. You can find it at most well-stocked grocery stores, or, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can make your own.

A Healthy Start

Lofty goals, hopes and dreams, aspirations soar as we welcome another year. New Year's resolutions are certainly inspiring, but I'm taking this opportunity to remind myself that every single day of the year is a good time to reflect upon self improvement.

If eating healthier is one of your goals for 2011 as it is mine, here's a nutritious dish to get you started.

But before I get to the recipe, I want to share that Hungry Cravings was the Foodista Drink Blog of the Day on New Year's Eve, and my Pomegranate-Grapefruit Champagne Sparklers were featured on Gourmet Live's Weekly Roundup: Creative Cocktails. Also, this week's Cooking Club of America Online Find is my Coconut Tapioca Pudding. I couldn't be more thankful for all the link love!


Quinoa, Squash & Leek Pilaf with Runny Eggs
Printable Recipe

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, pale part only, sliced
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 ½ cups quinoa
1 quart vegetable broth
¾ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
Grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, for serving

Heat a small, heavy pot over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the leeks and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the butternut squash and quinoa and stir until coated with the oil. Add the broth and thyme, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Cook the eggs sunny side up with the remaining tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Divide the quinoa among individual bowls, top each with an egg and plenty of Parmegiano, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a vegetarian main course.

Prescription for a Perfect Summer Day

Sleep in late. A visit to the farm is the thing to do, just don't forget the sunscreen. Stroll through the rows of blueberry bushes, sampling as you go.


Perhaps have a leisurely picnic lunch.


Watch the chickens scratch.


If you approach slowly, they may not scatter.


Relish the sweetness of the berries, warmed by the sun. For every raspberry that goes into your basket, one goes into your mouth. Find the biggest tree and lounge in the shade.


Follow the snake of trained blackberry vines.


You will be rewarded with the first ripe blackberry.


Then cool down with homemade frozen yogurt.


Hurray for summer.

Nectarine-Raspberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt
Printable Recipe

3 nectarines, pitted and quartered
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
4 ounces raspberries
1 ½ teaspoons Chambord
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the nectarines, ¼ cup of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Puree in a food mill using a fine disc. Let cool to room temperature and stir in the yogurt. Chill over an ice bath until ice-cold.

Meanwhile, puree the raspberries in a food mill using the finest disc. If the puree has seeds, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove them. Stir in the Chambord, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Chill over an ice bath until ice-cold.

Transfer the nectarine mixture to an ice cream maker and churn until frozen. With the motor running, add the raspberry mixture in a thin stream. Serve immediately or transfer to a container and freeze.

Makes 1 generous quart. A refreshing and fairly guilt-free treat. Peaches may be substituted for the nectarines, and blackberries may be substituted for the raspberries. If your ice cream maker doesn't have an opening for adding mix-ins, transfer 1/3 of the nectarine frozen yogurt to a container, drizzle with ½ of the raspberry swirl mixture, and repeat layering with the remaining frozen yogurt and raspberry swirl. For the best texture, enjoy as soon as possible after churning. This frozen yogurt will harden in the freezer; soften it by tempering it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before scooping.

Cook's Block

Everybody knows what writer’s block is, but have you ever heard of cook’s block? This debilitating condition is more common than most would suspect. Symptoms range from a lack of desire to cook or bake to weariness at the thought of dinner. Appetite can disappear. People suffering from particularly acute cases have been known to turn to takeout. Cook’s block can happen to the best of us from time to time, and it strikes without warning.

I have my periods of inspiration and intense creativity, but this is not one of them. I’ve been overcome by cook’s block *sigh*. I try to focus—what to cook today? But it’s futile, there’s just a blank where the ideas used to be. Thank goodness the pendulum always swings. Eventually.

In the meantime, we still have to eat. Fall says it’s time for soup. And the leftover basmati rice in the fridge tells me curried lentils. I listen.


Curried Lentil Soup
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup minced ginger
2 to 3 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
4 quarts water
1 ¼ pounds red lentils, picked over
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt
½ cup minced cilantro

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapenos and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the celery and carrot and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the curry powder, cumin, and bay leaves and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more, or until fragrant. Add the water and lentils, bring to a boil, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils fall apart. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into individual bowls, top with plenty of cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 8. A bowlful of this nourishing vegetarian soup with its aromatic spices will warm you on the coldest of days. I sometimes serve it over cooked basmati rice.

Salad, Please

Since our indulgent trip to San Francisco, I’ve had the desire to eat light and healthy food and lots and lots of vegetables. So this week we’ve had salad nearly every night. I’ve made Cobb salad and Chinese Chicken Salad, and I’m making another big composed salad (I would call it a “chef salad”, but I’m afraid of being judged) for dinner this weekend. I did make a mushroom, spinach & Swiss frittata last night, but it was mostly greens. I’m sure that this craving for light food will pass soon, I can’t seem to stay away from cream and butter for long…


Chinese Chicken Salad
Printable Recipe

1 quart chicken broth
1 star anise
1 1-inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic, crushed, plus 2 cloves, grated
3 ¼-inch slices ginger, plus 1 ½ teaspoons grated
¼ cup soy sauce
2 10-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons dark sesame oil
12 ounces napa cabbage, thinly sliced
4 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced
3 ounces baby spinach, chiffonaded
2 carrots, julienned
½ red bell pepper, julienned
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine the broth, star anise, cinnamon, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chicken breasts and poach at a bare simmer for about 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. The chicken breasts will be firm to the touch and the juices will run clear when they are just cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, reserving the broth for another use, and let cool.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, grated garlic, grated ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce in a small bowl. Combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, spinach, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise mixture, and toss to coat. Arrange the salad on individual plates, slice the chicken breasts thinly and fan out the slices atop each salad, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course. Delicious served on a bed of deep-fried cellophane noodles, but since I was going for light and healthy, I didn’t go there.

Too Hot to Cook

Forecast: a week of 100-degree temperatures. Back when I lived in Texas, I would’ve though nothing of it. But now I am acclimated to the mild temperatures, endless drizzle, and pale skin of the Pacific Northwest. So this kind of forecast puts the fear in me. If anyone’s looking for me, I’ll be in the refrigerator.


Carrot & Garbanzo Bean Salad
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces carrots, shredded
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the lemon juice, ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and oil in a small bowl. Toss together the carrots, garbanzo beans, onion, cilantro, and dressing in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4. Healthy and light and refreshing for the summertime. Use sweet, colorful heirloom carrots if you can find them.

Three Bean Salad, Reinvented

Is this what comes to mind when you think of three bean salad?


Maybe not. But it’s what I think of. It’s not that I have anything against the classic version or canned beans. But when there’s so much to choose from at the farmers market, I can’t open cans. For my version of three bean salad, I use fresh shelling peas.


And fresh fava beans.


And fresh haricot vert.


The farmers market also had snow peas and sugar snap peas that looked very tempting, but who’s ever heard of five bean salad?

Three Bean Salad with Peas, Favas & Haricot Vert
Printable Recipe

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound English peas, shelled and blanched
1 ¼ pounds fava beans, shelled, blanched, and peeled
4 ounces haricot vert, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, and blanched
2 ounces shaved Pecorino-Romano
6 ounces baby spinach, stemmed

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Arrange the prosciutto slices about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn the slices and bake another 5 to 6 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, lemon zest, mint, and oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the prosciutto. Toss together the prosciutto, peas, favas, haricot vert, Pecorino, and half of the dressing in a medium bowl. Toss together the spinach and remaining dressing in a large bowl. Arrange the spinach on individual plates, divide the bean mixture among them, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a first course or 2 as a main course. Substitute young green beans if you can’t find haricot vert. To shave Pecorino, use a vegetable peeler. Serve with crusty bread.

Another Asparagus Salad

I stocked up on Oregon asparagus at the farmers market again this week. It’s amazingly juicy and sweet right now and definitely the best I’ve ever had. I love it in different salads, like this one with orange and sesame. I can’t remember what inspired it anymore, but this particular salad has been one of my most popular ever since I came up with it years ago.

Asparagus-Orange Salad
Printable Recipe

2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 clove garlic, grated
½ teaspoon grated ginger
¾ pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, cut on a bias into 1 ½-inch pieces, and blanched
Suprêmes from 1 orange
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. Toss together the asparagus, suprêmes along with their juices, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish. This healthy salad is especially delicious with stir-fried shrimp or grilled salmon fillets.

Asparagus Season

Oregon asparagus season’s in full swing! This time of year the asparagus is so succulent, I could eat it every single day. I like to make the usual grilled asparagus, roasted asparagus, broiled asparagus, and blanched asparagus. But I recently had a completely different idea. I was getting ready to cook a beautiful bunch from the farmers market.


As I was trimming off the woody ends, the raw asparagus just begged me to take a bite. And I didn’t take just one, it was so delightfully crunchy and juicy and sweet. A brainstorm ensued, and this little salad was borne.


I guess I'd never thought about eating raw asparagus before that moment, and I have no idea why. Have you ever tried asparagus raw? If not, I have to say I highly recommend it.

Shaved Asparagus Salad
Printable Recipe

¾ pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into paper-thin slices.


Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, lemon zest, and oil in a small bowl. Toss together the asparagus and dressing in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish. Select only thick asparagus spears for this recipe. The easiest way to shave them into paper-thin slices with a vegetable peeler is to start at the stem end.

Eat Your Greens

They’re good for you. Isn’t that what your mother always said? Did you think it was a convincing argument? Well, I’ve got a better one for you: eat your greens because they’re delicious.


By the way, that’s beautiful Winterbor kale at the farmers market.

Garlicky Braised Kale
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
Generous pinch red chile flakes
10 ounces kale
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and chile flakes and sauté for about a minute, or until fragrant. Add the kale and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until just wilted. Add the water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 4. A fantastic side dish that will go with just about anything. Toss with pasta and grated Parmegiano-Reggiano to turn it into a simple and delicious complete meal.

Japanese Cravings

Here’s a recipe inspired by produce from the farmers market and the flavors of Japan.


Soba with Mizuna, Shiitakes & Sesame-Miso Dressing
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons red miso
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, sliced
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
8 ounces soba
Kosher salt
6 ounces mizuna, blanched
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the miso and water in a small bowl. Whisk in the tahini, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, and green onions.

Combine the shiitakes and ¾ cup hot water in a small bowl and let soak for 10 to 12 minutes, or until rehydrated and pliable. Remove the shiitakes to a cutting board, trim off and discard the stems, and thinly slice the caps.

Cook the soba in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions. Drain the soba when it is just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain again. Toss together the soba, mizuna, shiitakes, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl. Arrange on individual plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. The dressing is also fantastic on green salads.

Maitake Mushrooms

I just scored a pound of maitake mushrooms for cheap. I love their nutty flavor and crunchy texture, they sort of remind me of potato chips. The only trouble with having a whole pound of maitakes is deciding what to make with them.

Quinoa & Maitake Mushroom Pilaf
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ pound maitake mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups quinoa
2 ½ cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup sliced green onions

Heat a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the butter and maitakes and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the quinoa and stir until coated with the butter. Add the broth and soy sauce, season to taste with pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the green onions and fluff with a fork. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish. Another name for the maitake is hen of the woods. If you cannot find maitakes, try this recipe with any cultivated or wild mushrooms that are available—a combination of oyster and shiitake mushrooms would be nice. And feel free to substitute vegetable broth or water if you prefer a vegetarian dish.

Meatloaf

Now that’s some honest comfort food to fill your belly. My meatloaf is so full of flavor, that people are shocked to learn it’s made with turkey, not beef. In fact, it’s so good that it became the single best-selling item in the deli when I was the Store Chef at Wild Oats Market. Will you forgive me for bragging?

Turkey Meatloaf
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking tray
4 large eggs
2 small yellow onions, quartered
10 to 12 cloves garlic
1/3 cup tomato paste
½ cup packed Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ¾ pounds ground turkey, preferably dark meat
3 cups panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a foil-lined baking tray. Combine the eggs, onions, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.


Mix together with the turkey and panko in a large bowl. Transfer to the baking tray and form into an even loaf.


Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cooked through. A meat thermometer will register 165ºF when it is cooked through. Tent with foil to keep warm, and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Cut into thick slices and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 12. This recipe is healthy and economical in addition to being absolutely delicious. Ground beef can, of course, be substituted for the ground turkey. Leftovers make fantastic meatloaf sandwiches.