Roasted Veggie Stock July 26, 2008

I always wanted to make my own vegetable stock… but I was inspired when I read about a year ago that someone had made a roasted vegetable stock to give added body to an Onion Soup.   I have wanted to make a vegetarian version of Onion Soup for a long time too. Why a vegetarian version?  It’s onion soup… no?  In case you were not aware, onion soup is made traditionally using beef stock or beef consommé – making it unsuitable for vegetarians.

So based on the idea that if you roast something in the oven it concentrates its flavors we got our hands dirty and made home-made roasted vegetable stock.  It’s simple; it just has a lot of ingredients and takes a little while.

 

 

 

ROASTED VEGETABLE STOCK

2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks

2 medium onions, quartered

4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks

2 medium zucchini, cut into large chunks

2 bell peppers, green or red, roughly chopped

1 leek, washed well

1 large shallot, cut in half with skin on

2 garlic heads

A bunch of flat leaf parsley

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 tbs Herbamare seasoning

1 cup crushed tomatoes

12 cups of water

4 bay leaves

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1. First we need to roast the vegetables to make the stock…  so pre-heat the oven to 400° F.
2. Place all the cut veggies (carrots thru parsley) in 2 baking sheets.  I tried to fit them all in one, but they were too much for my baking sheets.  Drizzle them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper generously.  Sprinkle the Herbamare too.  Using your clean hands, toss all the veggies until they’re well coated with the oil and seasonings.  Try to add as little oil as possible, because if you add too much oil now, it will make your stock oilier later on.
3. Roast in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, turning the vegetables once during cooking.  Try for the veggies not to get too dark.
4. 
5. When the vegetables are done roasting, transfer them to the largest, deepest pot you have…  I had to do this in two batches because I do not own large enough pots. 
6. To the roasted vegetables in the mega large pot you’ll add the water, the tomatoes, bay leaves and balsamic vinegar.  Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the flavors are extracted into the water.
7. Let the stock cool down a bit so you can safely handle it.  When it is cool enough, strain the stock using a large colander over a very large bowl.  I suggest you strain the stock again using a fine mesh to make the stock as clear as possible.

 

Now you can store the stock in a bowl for use in the very near future or you can transfer to freezer bags and freeze in 1 cup or 2 cup increments to use later when making soups or risottos.

This yielded me about 10 cups of stock.  I used about 9 cups for the French Onion Soup and saved the rest for future use.

Easy to do and the flavor is spectacular.

Roasted Potato and Pumpkin Salad July 3, 2008

Tell me honestly… what did you think when you read this is a recipe for a roasted potato and pumpkin salad?  Something like the traditional potato salads drenched in mayo and seasonings?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the traditional potato salad, but this week I was in the mood for something fresher.  To add the roasted potatoes and pumpkins to a fresh green salad and dress with a light vinaigrette…  that’s something more summery!!!  I added the pumpkins because I wanted a little variety and that sweet flavor.  Plus, I had a big piece in the fridge and I didn’t want it to spoil on me. 

This might work perfect for your 4^th of July picnic or backyard BBQ.

 

 

ROASTED POTATO AND PUMPKIN SALAD

4-5 baby red skin potatoes, washed well and quartered

1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cubed

1 tbs olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 tsp Herbamare seasoning

Fresh Baby Spinach  - or a mesclun greens mix

Tomatoes, sliced

Sweet Bell Peppers – red, orange and yellow ones, cut into thin strips

Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
2. In a roasting pan, toss together the potatoes and pumpkin pieces with the olive oil, salt, pepper and Herbamare seasoning.  Toss together until well coated.  Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the potatoes/pumpkins once, until the skins are golden brown.  Turn off the oven and leave them there for a few minutes. 
3. In a salad bowl, combine your fresh salad components – spinach, tomatoes and bell peppers.  You can add ANYTHING you want here in your salad.  I’m just giving you what I ate and shows in the picture.  Add the potato and pumpkin pieces and toss with the vinaigrette.

 

 I guess this idea would also work with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, sweet plantains or parsnips too.  A nice twist on the typical salad or potato salad…

Mexican Salsa May 17, 2008

I told you I was in an international mode these days, no?  Well, around the 5 de Mayo days, with all the TV ads about Mexican treats, I wanted some of my own.

I found a  recipe for Home-Made Mexican Salsa.  Please forgive me, but I did not save the address of where I got it from.  It seemed simple enough and I had all the ingredients at hand.  Let’s make some salsa.  I should say that I omitted the canned green chiles and the cilantro… they just do not agree with me.

 

MEXICAN SALSA

1 cup chopped tomatoes – I used Viter brand that comes in a jar, but you can use 2 fresh tomatoes too, finely chopped

½ onion, finely chopped

½ green bell pepper, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, grated

The juice of 1 ½ limes

1 tsp of kosher salt, or more to taste

1 tsp garlic salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

 

1. In a medium sized bowl with a lid, mix together the chopped tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and garlic cloves.   Add the lime juice, salt, garlic salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
3. Serve with corn chips or tortillas.

 

I’ll be honest.  It’s good, but I still need to tweak this recipe to make it taste more like a salsa and less like a gazpacho.  And I am not fond of gazpachos because to me, they taste like a sofrito.

So you might be asking yourselves, why in the world did Madelyn is giving us this recipe if she doesn’t really like it??????  Because it served as a great starter for these Stewed Sweet Peas.   I served the sweet peas over rice mixed with some toasted almonds and as the filling for a Potato and Sweet Pea Pastelon.

This was a tasty exercise in recycling…   try it, and let me know if you have any other “recycling” stories in your cooking repertoire. 

Vegetable Lo Mein for one May 13, 2008

I am in a real international vibe these days…  now I am on an Asian kick.  My mom started it because she’s been craving a tofu stir-fry I make with snow peas and bean sprouts.  The thing is that we have not been able to get together to actually make it. You know how it is with busy schedules…

So, in the meantime, I made for lunch this clean-out-the-fridge stir fry.  It was a completely impromptu dish…  not even planning to share it with you just yet.  But the results were soooo good, I had to take a picture of it. 

This is really a method…  you can change it up as you prefer.  This is what I used this time…

 

 

VEGETABLE LO-MEIN for one

1/8 packet of dry whole grain pasta – spaghetti or bucatini would work well

½ onion, sliced

½ red bell pepper, sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

3-4 leaves of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and cut into thin strips and tough stems removed

Handful of bean sprouts, washed and dried

3 tbs teriyaki sauce

1 tbs olive oil

Squirt of honey

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds – for garnish

 

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once water is boiling, add plenty of salt and add the pasta.  Cook according to package directions, approximately 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and peppers.  Stir to coat all the pieces with the olive oil.  Add the grated garlic over the onions and peppers.  Sauté for a few minutes.
3. When the onions start to get a cooked look, but are still crunchy, add the bean sprouts.  Sauté for a minute.  Add most of the lettuce pieces.  Sauté a few minutes more until the lettuce starts to wilt a bit.
4. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss to combine thoroughly.  Add the teriyaki sauce and toss again.  Add any remaining lettuce.  The noodles will absorb some of the sauce.
5. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

 

This was a very nice lunch indeed.  Filled with veggies, light, yet very satisfying.  You can definitely serve this for any weekday meal. 

Corn Tostada Stacks May 6, 2008

With the celebration of 5 de Mayo, I’ve been feeling like I should indulge in some Mexican food.

I bought a stack of white corn tortillas.  This stack is a testament of the size of typical Mexican families, because this will definitely last me for weeks, if not months.  This stack is huge!!!!  I have not counted them, but my guess is it has about 40-50 corn tortillas.  We need to start using them in multiples…

Inspired by a Simply Delicioso show I saw on the Food Network, I decided to create a stack of these tortillas, that when fried, they are magically transformed into Tostadas.

This is what I did…

 

 

CORN TOSTADA STACKS

2 white corn tortillas

1 potato, boiled

1 tbs cream cheese

½ onion, sliced

½ green bell pepper, sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

2-3 tbs Mexican salsa

2 lettuce leaves – I used romaine , washed well and sliced thinly

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbs canola oil, to fry the tortillas

1 tbs sour cream, to garnish on top

 

1. In a small skillet, heat the oil at medium high heat.   When the oil is smoking hot, fry one tortilla at a time.  They’ll take about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the tortilla is slightly golden and crispy.  Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt as they come out of the skillet.
2. While you’re frying these tortillas, mash the boiled potato with the cream cheese and a bit of salt.  If you find the potato too stiff, add a tab bit of olive oil to soften.  Set aside.
3. After you’ve finished frying the tortillas, sauté the onions and peppers in the same skillet.  Why dirty another pot?  Add some salt and pepper to season and to soften.  Add the grated garlic clove to season.  When the onion/peppers are soft take them away from the heat and set aside.

Now we assemble…

4.  Place one tostada on the bottom of your plate.  Spread the mashed potato mixture, spoon some salsa, spoon the onions and peppers, sprinkle the shredded lettuce and top off with the tostada you have left.

5.  Spoon some extra salsa on top and garnish with some sour cream…  I did not have any on hand when I did this, so that’s why it’s missing from the picture.  But I know it will add something good and delicious to the mix.

 

I am sure you can continue adding layers of goodness to this… how about a layer of corn and bean salsa or some fresh tomatoes, or even some saucy stewed soy protein (so it looks like ground beef)…  the possibilities are endless.

¡Viva México Lindo y Querido!

Sweet Red Bell Pepper Dip December 3, 2007

This is the first dip I learned to make that was not just a mix of stuff I had bought.  I have to thank my friend Aniette for giving me the recipe 10 years ago.  This has become a staple dip in my parties… even my friend Ana Yolanda requested me to bring it to all her parties too.

When I first tried this dip, it was served with a chunk of cream cheese and the dip drizzled over it.  With a spreader, you would get a bit of cheese with some pepper dip on top of a chip and enjoy.  The thing is that the dip, as good as it is, will not look very appetizing after a while.  So after many tries later, I came up with a fool proof way to retain the flavor and integrity of the mixture, while still making it look appetizing no matter what.  This is the version right here.

 

SWEET RED BELL PEPPER DIP

1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 8oz. pack of cream cheese

1. Place bell pepper, sugar and vinegar in a blender.  It might seem there’s little liquid to blend, but it will.  Believe me.
2. Transfer the blended mixture to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil – watch it, because it could boil over.

 

1. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.
2. Let it cool a bit.
3. Place cream cheese and most of the pepper mixture in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  It will turn a nice shade of pink.  If the pink is too pale, keep adding pepper mixture.  Just watch out that the mix is still creamy and does not become too runny.

 

Enjoy with Wheat Thins or Ritz Chips. 

 You could also enjoy this dip without mixing the cream cheese.  It makes a great addition to a sandwich.  If you’re too lazy or the market is out of red bell peppers, my friend Ana’s mom does it with jarred red bell peppers.  If using those, you can omit the boiling part.

Stuffed Bell Peppers December 3, 2007

This has become one of my signature dishes.  I saw a recipe in a vegetarian cooking book and, because I never follow a recipe to a “T”, over time I developed my very own version.  My sister, who is not vegetarian, called me from Indiana to ask me for the recipe once.  That’s the impression it made on her.

 This recipe works with any color of bell peppers – green, red, yellow or orange.  They all taste great.  Buy the ones cheaper at the supermarket that day.  I cut the pepper in half, so each pepper yields 2 servings.  But I guess your servings will depend on the amount of hunger and how voracious are your guests.

 This recipe makes great use of leftover rice.  It’s hard for me to give you exact measurements for ingredients, because I always make this recipe out of leftovers… and the last few times, I have done it for 30 people – so the recent amounts are not applicable for a home dinner.  So bear with me on this one… I’ll try to give you my best estimates.

 

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

3 bell peppers, washed well, cut in half lengthwise from top to bottom

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small carrots, shredded

2 tomatoes, diced or 8 oz. chopped tomatoes in glass jar (Viter or Pomi brands work well) 

1 cup of cooked whole grain rice

1/3 cup slivered almonds

4 oz cream cheese

2 oz goat cheese

2 tablespoons scallions or green onions

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

3/4 cup shredded cheese – cheddar or Italian cheese blend

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Wash peppers and cut them from top to bottom, so each pepper half has a bit of pepper stem, which looks nice as presentation.  Clean out all the seeds and white ribs inside with a pairing knife.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
3. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat a small amount of oil and saute onions for a few minutes, add garlic, add carrots.  Saute until softened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add tomatoes. If adding fresh, saute until the tomatoes exude most of their liquid.  This will provide moisture to the mixture.
5. Add rice to mixture. Remove from heat.
6. Add almonds and cream and goat cheeses. Add scallions and parsley.
7. Fill the pepper halves with the rice mixture.  Top with shredded cheese.
8. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until peppers are cooked and cheese on top is golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and rest for 10-15 minutes.

 If you rather prepare this recipe without cheese, it tastes great just the same.  You could also use rice cream cheese and rice or soy shredded cheese for the topping.  This way you will not feel as if you’re depriving yourself of anything.

You can definitely include in the rice mixture any vegetable of your choice.  Just like this is a recipe for leftover rice, it’s also great for leftover vegetables and cheese.  I once made this with a leftover cheese dip from a party. 

This is just the starting point.  Let me know what other version you can come up with.  OK?