Mar 25, Baked Blackened Catfish Recipe - A Soul Food and Southern Favorite

Baked blackened catfish is a much healthier alternative to pan fried catfish. Forget about the grease and the crust.

With baked blackened catfish, you get all of these benefits.

A delicious and flavorful entreeA inexpensive mealEasy to prepareUse Ingredients that you already have

Here is the baked catfish recipe for your enjoyment.

Recipe Ingredients:

6-8 catfish fillets, thinly sliced2 tablespoons butter, melted2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon lemon pepper1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 cup Italian salad dressingolive oil

Cookware and Utensils:

1 cast iron skillet or large heavy skillet1 large baking dish1 mixing bowl

Recipe Instructions:

As always the key to great cooking is to be prepared and to use quality ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your baking dish with olive oil.Rinse catfish fillets under running cold and then thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.Make your seasoning mixture by combining cayenne pepper, crushed dried thyme leaves, paprika, lemon pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl.Brush melted butter lightly over one side of catfish fillets and sprinkle with blackened seasoning mix. Repeat process for other side. Be sure too completely coat each fillet.Heat iron cast skillet over medium-high heat very hot. Pour any leftover butter into your skillet. Carefully place the catfish fillets into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes on both sides until slightly blackened.Remove from skillet and arrange in lightly greased baking dish. Coat the top of each fillet with the Italian salad dressing. Bake for about 30 minutes until the fish easily flakes with a fork.This recipe provided courtesy of http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/

Serve finished fillets over a bed of white steamed rice with your favorite salad and a baked potato.

Enjoy Your Blackened Catfish.

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Fettuccine Alfredo

For this dish we prefer dry fettucine noodles to freshly made because the pasta holds up better to the sauce. The instructions assume that you are using dry noodles. If you use fresh, adjust timing accordingly.

1 Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and drop in your fettuccine.

2a Plain version Melt the butter in a large saut? pan set over low heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat off.

2b Creamy version Melt the butter in a large saut? pan set over low heat. Add the cream to the butter as it melts. Stir often to combine the two, do not turn off the heat, but keep the heat at its lowest setting while the pasta cooks.

3 When the fettuccine is al dente (cooked, but still a little firm) lift it out of the pot with tongs and move the pasta to the saut? pan. Do not drain the pasta. You want it dripping wet with the cooking water. Turn on the heat under the saut? pan to medium and swirl the pasta and butter together to combine. Add half the cheese, then swirl and toss the pasta until it has incorporated into the sauce. If needed, add a few spoonfuls more of the pasta cooking water. Add the rest of the cheese and repeat.

4 Serve at once with either a little black pepper (for classic version) or nutmeg (for creamy version) ground over the pasta.

Yield: Serves 4.

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Oyster Stew

You may or may not need to add salt to this stew, depending on how briny your oysters are. If you use freshly shucked oysters, be sure to save the juice, or liquor, that comes out of the shells. You need it for the stew. If you want to vary things, add a splash of brandy, Madeira or white wine, and play around with the herbs. Mint, dill, or fennel fronds are all good alternatives.

1 Strain the oyster juice through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl to remove any grit. Reserve the juices. Rinse the oysters well, under cold water. Put them in a bowl.

2 Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the mixture for a few minutes, stirring often. When the roux turns the color of coffee-with-cream, stir in the celery and onions. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

3 Add the oyster juice and any juices the oysters in the bowl have released. The flour in the roux will absorb the liquid and turn into a paste. Slowly add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate as you pour them in. Add a healthy splash or two of hot sauce, to taste. Heat the soup to steamy, but below a simmer, over low heat, cook for 15 minutes. (Do not let the soup boil!) If you are working with large oysters, you may want to chop them into bite-sized pieces. Add the oysters and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters just begin to curl.

If you want the stew to be more like a smooth soup, pur?e until smooth.

4 Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

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Grilled Chive Potatoes

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Goat Cheese with Chipotle and Roasted Red Pepper

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Mar 16, Chicken and Egg Breakfast

by Scott
(San Antonio, TX)

Chicken and Egg Breakfast

Here is my quick and easy chicken and egg breakfast recipe. I love starting the day with a BIG breakfast like chicken and eggs. This high calorie breakfast fuels my body with carbs and protein, giving me enough ENERGY to get me through the morning.

This breakfast satisfies my hunger until I can get away from the office to eat lunch. On mornings when I eat a big breakfast like this, I normally eat a small lunch since I'm not starving by lunchtime. For lunch, a small salad, bowl of soup and a tall glass of what will hold me until dinner.

Now at dinnertime I usually eat a normal meal. Here is the recipes for you to tryout and enjoy.

Chicken and Egg Breakfast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled
green onions, chopped
parsley, chopped
3 large eggs, scrambled
baby spinach, chopped

Directions:

1. I usually season the chicken breast the night before and refrigerate it until just before cooking.

2. Grilled the chicken breast over medium-high heat until done. When the chicken is almost done, I add the green onions and parsley, cooking and stirring these alongside the chicken breast. I removed the cooked chicken to a plate and top the chicken with the cooked onions and parsley.

3. Scramble the eggs with spinach and serve alongside your grilled chicken breast.

Enjoy

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French Onion Soup

Similar recipes: Soups, Vegetable

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Ingredients

You start off by making a white stock (fonds blanc)
2 lbs. veal bones
2 chicken carcasses, cut into pieces
1 gal. water
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 leeks, washed well and sliced
6 cracked black peppercorns
4 parsley sprigs
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

French onion soup:
8 cups fonds blanc
3 cups onion, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
8 tbsp. mixed grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette

Method

Melt the butter on low heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and
cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and
golden brown. Add the fonds blanc, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt
and pepper to taste.

In a 375 F oven place 16 1/2-inch slices of bread, cut into ~1-inch
pieces. Bake until golden brown (5-8 mins).

Put the soup into individual serving dishes, top with the croutons and 1
heaping tbsp. cheese each (I find I really need more like 2 tbsp each).
Brown the cheese under a broiler and serve immediately.

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Green Soup

Ingredients

1 onion
1 T olive oil
1 T flour
2.5 cups chicken stock (home-made is best
2 large lettuces – use only the greenest leaves
1 bunch spinach
2 small bunches of watercress
1 cup scalded milk
2-3 T cream
Freshly ground pepper
Bunch Parsley – finely chopped

Method

Wash and tear up lettuce, spinach, and watercress leaves.

Saute onion in olive oil until soft in large pan. Then stir into flour, and cook for 1 minute.

Add stock and bring to boil, stirring regularly.

Add leaves, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and allow to cool. When cool, place in blender, and puree.

Return puree to pan, add scalded milk and cook until heated through. Add freshly ground pepper.

If serving hot, transfer soup into bowls, place a dob of cream in the soup, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

I prefer it without cream when serving cold.

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Mar 23, Country Fried Steak Recipe - Old Fashioned Fried Steak

We'd like to share our Country Fried Steak Recipe with you, so that you can cook yourself a homemade, home-cooked meal to be proud of. It's been some time since I tried cooking country fried steak with the recipe you see below, however, I can recall the last time I prepared this recipe we eat very well.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 pounds of round steak, about 1 inch thick2 large eggs, beaten2 tablespoons milk1/4 cup unbleached FlourSalt and black pepper, to taste2 tablespoons of butter

Gravy Recipe:

1 cup milk1 cup water1/4 cup floursaltblack pepper

Recipe Instructions:

Rinse round steak under running water and pat dry with paper towels or kitchen towel. Cut the steak crosswise into 4 serving pieces. Pound each piece of steak to about 1/4 inch thickness.In a small bowl, combine and mix eggs and milk. Egg mixture is formed.In another small bowl, combine and mix together flour, salt and black pepper. Flour mixture is formed.Dip one piece of steak first into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture, coating completely. Gently shake away excess flour. Repeat step for remaining pieces of round steak.In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Fry steaks, being sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cooks two steaks at a time and you'll be okay. Cook steaks for about 5 minutes on each side, until they're golden brown. Add more butter and repeat process for two remaining steaks. Time to prepare for making the gravy. Combine and mix together milk and water. Set milk mixture aside.To prepare gravy, pour off all but about 4 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet. For the best gravy be sure to scrap away dried pieces of flour and meat from the bottom and sides of the skillet. Heating skillet over medium heat, slowly cooking and stirring in the 1/4 cup of flour. Next slowly add milk mixture to skillet and continue to cook and stir. Next add salt and black pepper to taste.Bring the gravy to a boil, reduce heat to low and continue to cook and stir until gravy has reached desired thickness.This recipe provided courtesy of http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/

Serve your country fried steak recipe with gravy, biscuits and mashed potatoes.

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Oatmeal Crackers

Repetition has been the theme around here lately. And you'll see why in just a minute. In a nutshell, my life has been dialed into one channel - it's called the "you have a cookbook coming out" channel. There's a lot going on, and the more unmanageable my in-box gets, the more I find myself craving moments of mindless repetition. The more mindless, the better. Roll-and-stamp cookies or crackers fit the bill nicely - like these oatmeal crackers. I've also started the process of assembling a thousand little postcard packets. I finish each one with a small piece of pink-striped tape, and I swear, I smile inside when each pack is completed. Simple pleasures.

The postcards came about as I started thinking that it would be nice to have a little something on hand to give to people who make the effort to come out to a signing, or to give to friends I bump into out and about, or to mail to all the people who helped me test recipes. The guys at the print shop up the street from my house helped me make four different postcards, each featuring a different image from the book. I ordered a box of flat glassine bakery bags, a self inking stamp, and picked up some paper tape in Japan Town.

As far as the postcards were concerned, I kept it simple - image on one side, then all-white back with a tiny super natural every day logo, and the words "stamp" and "postcard" micro-small. I wanted the bags to show a hint of the underlying image through them. Come to think of it, I wish they were a bit more transparent, but they work well enough. A semi-transparent kraft bag was another direction I was thinking about, but I had a hard time finding a good source with volume.

So, I've been making postcard packets. And at the same time, I've been thinking about crackers. I like the recipe for Oatmeal Crackers in The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. I thought I might make them as part of a lunch menu I did for an event with Little Flower School and June Taylor yesterday. I'd top them with a spread (of some sort) in place of crostini. Well - I ended up doing the crostini from Super Natural Cooking instead, but I like these crackers enough that I wanted to share them. I have some tips and tricks I've come by to make them extra good.

The concept for these crackers is straight-forward. You make a pot of oatmeal, combine it with rye & all-purpose flour and a few seasonings. Then work it all into a dough. When these crackers are at their best, they are full of toasty oat flavor, hearty and substantial. They are snappy not soft, and will keep for a week or more sealed tightly in a jar. But! To get them this way you need to roll the dough as thin as you possibly can. And then you need to bake the crackers to within an inch of their lives - dark, dark golden. Can you see how thin I've rolled the dough up above there? Work it even thinner if you can.

You can cut the crackers into whatever shapes you like. And you can either bake them bumped up next to each other, or spaced out. I make strip shapes for cheese plates and spreads, and tiny animal crackers for my nephew from the scraps.

I tend to use fine grain sea salt in the crackers, and then a flakier salt sprinkled across the tops before baking. I grind my anise seed in a spice grinder.

1 cup / 3 oz / 85 g rolled oats
1 1/4 cups / 300 ml whole milk, heated just to boiling
1/4 cup / 2 oz / 55g room-temperature unsalted butter
4 tablespoons natural cane sugar
3 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons crushed anise seed - optional
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 1/4 cup / 5.5 oz / 155g dark rye flour
1 1/2 cups / 6.75 oz / 190g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
more salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl combine the rolled oats and boiling milk. Let stand until cool. To speed this up I sometimes place the bowl in the freezer for about 35 minutes. When cool, stir in the butter, sugar, baking powder, anise seed, salt, and rye flour. Stir in the all-purpose flour, a bit at a time, until a stiff dough forms. Turn out onto a counter top and knead until the dough comes together and is uniform.

Heat the oven to 425F / 245C with racks in top and bottom thirds.

Divide the dough into two parts, just so you have a manageable amount to work with. Now, you're going to want to roll the dough out very thin - 1/8th-inch. This way your crackers will have snap. Have a look at the photo up above, and try to get it thinner than that. If your dough is at all stubborn, just let it rest there for ten minutes or so, then try again.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheets [they don't spread much), and sprinkle with a bit more salt - flaky salt if you have it. Bake for roughly 14 minutes, but here's the trick. When the cracker bottoms are deeply golden, roughly 9 minutes in, flip each cracker, and brown the flip side as well. Use your best judgement and remove when well done. Cool completely before storing in large air-tight jars.

Repeat with the remaining dough, and cut the scraps into tiny soup crackers.

Makes dozens of crackers, depending on how large or small you cut them.

Adapted from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas.

Prep time: 45 min - Cook time: 15 min

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Double Coriander-Ginger Cream Soup

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablsespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup minced chives
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method

In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablspoons of the butter in the peanut oil and
sesame oil over moderate heat. Add the scallions, ginger and shallots and
cook until the shallots are softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the ground coriander, sugar, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring
to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and
stir in the cream, fresh coriander and chives.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth.
Return the soup to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat until
heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remanining 2 tablespoons
butter. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual bowls and garnish
with coriander leaves.

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Honeyed Prawns & Polenta

yield: Yield: Four 3/4-cup servings

This recipe presents a fun variation on the traditional dish of shrimp and grits associated with the southeastern coastal regions of the United... more › var recipeIntroText = "This recipe presents a fun variation on the traditional dish of shrimp and grits associated with the southeastern coastal regions of the United States. Polenta, thyme, capers, feta cheese, and currants update the classic with Mediterranean flavors. The inclusion of honey injects just the right amount of sweetness to complement the dish's many savory flavors. I encourage the use of sustainably raised and harvested prawns here, as they exact a considerably smaller toll on our global aquatic ecosystems."; 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Butter an 8 x 10-inch (20.3 x 25.4 cm) baking dish. Oil a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Set the pans aside.

2. To make the marinade: Combine the tomato paste, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic powder, and a pinch or two of salt in a medium bowl. Toss the prawns with the marinade. Set the bowl aside, giving it a stir every few minutes.

3. For the polenta: Bring 3 cups cold water to a boil in a medium stainless-steel pot. Add the polenta. Cook seven minutes, stirring often. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, mix the corn (completely thawed if frozen), currants, honey, butter, and thyme. Stir in the polenta, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add polenta mixture to the buttered baking dish. Spread evenly with a spatula, and place in the oven to bake for 35 minutes.

6. Spread the prawn mixture evenly onto the oiled baking sheet. After the polenta has baked for 25 minutes, add the prawns to the oven, alongside the polenta. Place both pans on same rack if possible; otherwise, place the baking sheet on the lower rack.

7. Bake the prawns for five minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and flip all of the prawns over. Return to the oven and bake an additional five minutes, until the polenta is slightly browned and the prawns are pink and firm.

8. Remove the prawns and the polenta from the oven. To serve, scoop individual servings of the polenta onto plates. Lay a few prawns over each serving, then top with crumbled feta, fresh parsley, and capers. Drizzle with a few lashings of hot sauce, if desired.

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Leek, Potato, and Spinach Soup

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Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margerine
4 cups water, divided
1 cup leeks, sliced
1 1/2 lbs. (4 – 5 medium) potatoes, sliced
6 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Salt
White pepper
Sour cream

Method

In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter in 1 cup water.
Add leeks and simmer, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add potatoes and remaining 3 cups water and simmer until potatoes
are tender, about 25 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in spinach and simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add salt and pepper.
Serve hot and garnish with sour cream, if desired.

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Black Sesame Lace Cookies

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Signings & Little Flower School

I like to mix and match. It's been a bit of a recurring theme in my life. One of the (many) things I enjoyed about working on TED years ago, was helping to put together an event where, say, one minute you'd have Stefan Sagmeister speaking on happiness and design, followed by Malcolm Gladwell on the pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce. Flash forward a handful of years, and I don't do much in the way of events anymore, but when I do, I like for them to be inter-disciplinary, alongside people who love their work or craft. I thought that I'd share pictures from one such event today, and then let you know the details of my upcoming West coast book signings.

I'm a bit slow getting this together, but last weekend I was fortunate to work (and play!) alongside a whole lot of talent. I've been a fan of Little Flower School for quite some time now. Nicolette and Sarah make stunning arrangements, and I kept hoping I'd be able to take one of their classes in Brooklyn at some point. As fate would have it, they came to California first and we put together a beautiful day of flowers, food, and new friends at June Taylor's Still-Room in Berkeley. Such a nice way to spend a drizzly Sunday.

I made a few things for lunch - sparkling water spiked with June's syrups, crostini with goat cheese and yellow split peas from SNC, Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter from the new book. I made super-teensy versions of these, and also whole wheat sables studded with June's candied peel (I'll try to post that recipe soon).

Now, I know a number of you feel cheated if I don't close out each post with a new recipe, and there is one! It's the lovely little soup pictured above. As I mentioned up above, it's from the new cookbook - but you'll have to hop over and visit the ladies at Remodelista for the recipe, I gave them first dibs on it - Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter. I think I tapped out the number of recipes I can post from the book, here on the site, with the PDF sampler. ;)

If you're interested in seeing more photos from the event, Remodelista has a more detailed write-up. Here's the Little Flower School post about the class. And Little Flower School on Flickr as well. Another thing worth mentioning - some people don't know that you can visit June's Still-Room & Shop in Berkeley. You absolutely can. It's a beautiful space, and always inspiring. She's open Tuesday - Friday, 11 AM - 4 PM, and on weekend class days as well.

Now, looking forward. I'm over-the-moon excited about doing a handful of book-signings next month - west coast for now. One in San Francisco. One in Berkeley. One in Portland at The Cleaners. And one in Seattle at Spare Room, with the chance of a separate afternoon signing that I'm still working on. I'm teaming up with Kim Boyce in Portland, and Lara Ferroni in Seattle. Can't. Wait. I'm hoping we'll have some other special guests & familiar faces at those signings as well. I'll post reminders as the dates get closer, but this is the jist of it. Can't wait to meet more of you in person. xo

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Mar 21, What Foods Cause Gas? Top 30 Gas Producing Foods

So you want to know what foods cause gas? You'll probably be surprised after reading our list of foods that cause gas. Surely you'll notice that you're eating plenty of these foods, that will give you the most gas.

It goes without saying, that if you totally eliminating some of the gas producing foods that follow from your diet, your excessive gas problems could possible go away. But remember always speak with your health care provider before making drastic changes to your diet.

Read on, to find the foods you might want to avoid.

ApplesApricotsArtichokesAsparagusBananasBeansBroccoliBrussel SproutsCabbageCarrotsCauliflowerCheeseCornFruit DrinksIce CreamMilk and Milk ProductsNutsOat BranOnionsPastaPeachesPearsPeasPotatoesPrunesRaisinsSeedsSoft DrinksSpinachWhole Wheat

You can learn how to deal with foods that cause flatulence by reviewing some of these natural home remedies for gas.

Return from What Foods Cause Gas to Soul Food Recipes homepage

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French Onion Soup

Similar recipes: Soups, Vegetable

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Ingredients

You start off by making a white stock (fonds blanc)
2 lbs. veal bones
2 chicken carcasses, cut into pieces
1 gal. water
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 leeks, washed well and sliced
6 cracked black peppercorns
4 parsley sprigs
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

French onion soup:
8 cups fonds blanc
3 cups onion, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
8 tbsp. mixed grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette

Method

Melt the butter on low heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and
cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and
golden brown. Add the fonds blanc, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt
and pepper to taste.

In a 375 F oven place 16 1/2-inch slices of bread, cut into ~1-inch
pieces. Bake until golden brown (5-8 mins).

Put the soup into individual serving dishes, top with the croutons and 1
heaping tbsp. cheese each (I find I really need more like 2 tbsp each).
Brown the cheese under a broiler and serve immediately.

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Mar 22, Cheapo

by Quinn
(spartanburg, S.C., USA)

I shop at the fresh market that is close to my job, so I can save on gas as well as my fresh vegetables and fruits. There is this outlet store "Aldi" that has great meats for less as well as cleaning and household stuff, its near my job also. Then there is "Biglots" and "Dollar General" stores that sells all kinds of spices. I shop at big name stores when there is a good sell on stuff I use, and use my coupons then. Load up on sale stuff.

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Red Cabbage Salad with Warm Pancetta-Balsamic Dressing

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Shrimp �touff�e

You can use shrimp, crawfish or crab for this recipe interchangeably.

1 Pour 2 quarts of water into a pot and add all the remaining stock ingredients. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down and simmer the stock gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot set over low heat. You will have extra stock, which you can use for soup, risotto, etc. It will last in the fridge for a week.

2 To make the ?touff?e, start by making a roux. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour well, making sure there no clumps. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns a pretty brown; this should take about 10 minutes or so.

3 Add the celery, green pepper, jalapeno and onion, mix well and cook this over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

4 Slowly add the hot shrimp stock, stirring constantly so it incorporates. The roux will absorb the stock and seize up at first, then it will loosen. Add enough stock to make a sauce about the thickness of syrup, about 1 pint. Add the Creole seasoning, celery seed and paprika and mix well. Add salt to taste, then mix in the shrimp. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes.

5 Add the green onions and hot sauce to taste. Serve over white rice with a cold beer or lemonade.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

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Mar 24, Grandmas Mini-Me

by Donita Washington
(Bronx, New York)

As a child I looked forward to sunday dinners at grandma's house! She was the best cook I know to date. She'd always let me help in one way or another. Thanksgiving and Christmas was the highlight of the year! That's when grandma really put her foot in it so to speak. Since she has passed on, I look for old recipes to keep her memory alive. And then I found this website and it took me right back to those sunday dinners at grandmas house! Thank you so much for making this site, now I can show my kids how we used to throw down!

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Winter Vegetable & Tofu Korma

Lately I've been making a thick, cumin and coriander-spiced root vegetable stew. It's a free-wheeling one-pot dinner that attempts to use up whatever winter vegetables I have lingering about, and provides leftovers for a day or two to come. I'm not entirely sure what to call it. A curry? A korma? Either way, I took some to my sister's recently, and she asked for the recipe. Heather, here you go :). We can make it the next time I come over if you want. xo. There's quite a bit of chopping involved, but a big pot of goodness is the reward.

In the version I made for her, I used potatoes, cauliflower, and then a bit of tofu for protein and substance - but other times I trade in carrots, or parsnips, or shredded cabbage. I use a yogurt/cream blend here, which is inspired by Indian kormas, but there is no reason you couldn't substitute coconut milk for that lux-y creamy component.

You can eat this as-is. Or serve it over brown rice, or with a side of naan or flatbread. I admit, I've even had leftovers for lunch atop a scoop of farro. One other thing I've noticed is how good the sauce is in its own right - without the chunky vegetables and tofu. I can imagine it working nicely with dumplings, drizzled across a crunchy-topped frittata, tossed with egg noodles....

You can prep a lot of this ahead of time to make it a more week-night friendly. For example, go ahead and measure out the spices ahead of time, and keep them in an air-tight container. And go ahead and chop the onions, ginger, cauliflower, and tofu a day or two in advance if you like. But if you cut the potatoes early, keep them covered in a bowl of water to keep them from browning - you can cut those a day or so in advance as well.

HS: One shortcut, you can use a food processor to chop the onions. And like i mention up above, while I used potatoes and cauliflower here, you can add or swap other seasonal vegetables. For example: chopped or sliced green beans, parsnips, broccoli, zucchini, etc. You can also certainly play around with different spice blends or tweak the ratio of spices to your liking. This one isn't particularly hot-spicy.

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons clarified butter, ghee, or sunflower oil

2 medium yellow onions, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, peeled first
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
12 ounces / 340 g cauliflower, cut into tiny trees
2/3 cup / 65g sliced almonds, toasted
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
12 ounces / 340 g firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes or matchsticks

1/2 cup / 4.5 oz / 130 g greek yogurt
1/2 cup / 120 ml heavy cream
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine the cardamom, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the butter/oil in a large, thick-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions. Cook until they soften a bit, just a minute or two. Then add the ginger and then garlic. Stir in the spices and continue cooking for a couple minutes, or until the spices are very fragrant. Stir in the potatoes, cauliflower, and half the almonds. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Now stir in 3 cups of water. Stir gently, cover with a lid leaving a tiny crack and simmer for 15-20 minutes, the potatoes should be just about cooked by then. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Stir in the tofu after about 15 minutes so it has time to heat through.

In the meantime, combine the yogurt and cream in a bowl with a couple pinches of salt.

Once the vegetables are cooked through, dial down the heat to low. Now, you can add the yogurt mixture all at once and bring the pot back just to the brink of a simmer. Or do what I do, serve the yogurt on the side, so people can make their bowl as rich as they like. Either way, taste, make sure to taste the broth, and add more salt if needed. If you haven't added the yogurt to the big pot, serve each bowl with a generous dollop of the yogurt cream, and top with the remaining nuts and chopped cilantro.

Serves 6+

Prep time: 40 min - Cook time: 20 min

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VIETNAMESE PHO (CHICKEN/NOODLE SOUP)

Similar recipes: Meat and Poultry, Soups

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Ingredients

1 ginger root
hot chiles
Fresh Basil
1 white onion
Fresh cilantro
Bean Sprouts (mung)
Cucumber
lemons or limes
vineger
Garlic
1/4 cup nuoc maum sauce
1 cup h20
2 tbs lemon/lime juice or vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar ( i usually don’t add)
2 tbs minced ginger
1-10 ground hot chiles
2-4 cloves minced garlic (i use 4)
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro leaf>
whole chicken
scallions onion
carrot
few cilantro leaves

Method

Chicken Broth:

Slowly cook whole chicken or 2 with some ginger, scallions onion carrot
few cilantro leaves covered with h20 until its reduced by half. Ours
takes 2 days (48 hours no shit). Save worthwile meat from chicken,
strain broth pressing out all cooked down ing. through strainer or
sieve,chill in fridge to facillitate fat removal the next day.

Cook noodles until done (2-2.5 min) in broth. In big bowls serve
noodles & broth. Garnish with sprouts, basil, cucumber(julienne),
lemmon/lime, cilantro shredded cooked chicken fom broth vinegar soaked
raw onion rounds.

This is a great meal! Some use thinly sliced beef added right after hot
broth & noodles, soup cools beef cooks – a nice change from chicken

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Lime, Grapefruit and Ginger Juice

I wanted to let you know that a few of us are going to focus on cooking from Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery over the next two months. I've always liked the idea of cooking from one book for an extended time period, and we've been doing that lately. We did - Moro East last, and The Essential New York Times Cookbook before that. The more the merrier, we'd love to have you join us. To kick things off I decided to start with this beauty - a lovely yellow, citrus-centric Lime, Grapefruit and Ginger Juice.

It's still citrus season here in San Francisco, and this is a great way to use up a couple ruby red grapefruits. I don't really do the smoothie thing much these days, but I do love a good fruit juice blend. If you're looking for a jolt something bright, invigorating, spicy and citrusy - this is just the thing. It's a pick-me-up minus the caffeine. You steep grated ginger in a bit of sugared water, and then strain it into a lime & grapefruit juice blend. I like to sip it out of a tiny cordial glass with a big ice cube or mix it with sparkling water as an afternoon refresher. It has a good amount of kick, and you can feel it going down - in a good way.

I suspect there will be plenty of other recipes to discover in this cookbook. So please, feel free to join us. I think this is going to be a fun one to cook from. As I mention on the site, cafe classics are well-represented - scones, smoothies, multiple granolas, soups, salads, and sandwiches. But one of the things I appreciate about this book is the inclusion of recipes that feature natural sweeteners, and slightly off-beat whole grains and flours (quinoa / millet). The book includes many vegetarian recipes, quite a number of vegan recipes, gluten-free recipes, etc. Clearly this is a thoughtful compilation of recipes meant to be crowd-pleasers.

Related Link: For those of you who haven't visited 101 Cookbooks' little sister site - it's a place for the 101 Cookbooks community to help each other find the best cookbooks and recipes. A number of us have been using it quietly for the last year or so, sounding off about recipes we like from our favorite cookbooks. You can tell others which cookbooks have become indispensable to you, list off the recipes you like best from cookbook to cookbook, ask questions, and get inspired by what others have to share. You can let people know when you find a cookbook you love, or a recipe that turned out surprisingly good. It's a friendly place, and pretty relaxed.

This juice is quite strong - but invigorating! You can make it more/less sweet, to your tastes. And you can mix it with more/less water sparkling water, also to taste. You can also double the recipe if you need to use up more citrus. The juice freezes well in baggies or ice cube trays. I typically use ruby red grapefruits here.

3 tablespoons natural cane sugar
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled then grated
1 cup / 240 ml water

very scant 1/2 cup / 95 ml fresh lime juice - 2 juicy limes
1 1/3 cups / 310 ml fresh grapefruit juice - 2 juicy grapefruits

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, stir together the sugar, ginger, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes, transfer to a glass bowl or cup, and place in the freezer for a few minutes to cool.

Strain the ginger into a pitcher along with the lime and grapefruit juices. You can either strain the citrus juices or leave them pulpy, just be sure to catch any seeds before they go in. Stir and taste, if you want a bit more sugar, go for it, but I find this plenty sweet. Serve straight in a tiny chilled glass with ice. Or use a splash to freshen up a glass of sparkling water.

Makes about 2 cups / 1 pint.

Adapted from Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

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THAI CHICKEN AND COCONUT MILK SOUP

Ingredients

1 12-ounce can coconut milk, such as Chaokoh
1/4 lb chicken breast, cut into small chunks
juice and grated peel of 1 lime
1 4? piece of lemon grass, cut into very thin (1/16?) slices on the
diagonal
3-4 slices of galanga (fresh ginger may be substituted)
Hot chile peppers to taste — preferably Thai birds, with serranos an
acceptable substitute (though I’ve used sweet Fresno chiles
in a variation I’ll describe below), cut into thin circles
Cilantro for garnish

Method

Pour the lime juice on the chicken and let stand while you prepare the
rest of the soup. In a medium saucepan, place the coconut milk, lemon
grass, grated lime peel, galanga or ginger, and (optionally) chiles.
(The optional part is that if you don’t want the whole dish to taste
spicy, add the chiles later; the earlier you add them, the hotter the
resulting dish.) Bring the coconut milk to a simmer.

When the soup is simmering, add the lime-soaked chicken pieces and stir
to distribute them. Reduce the heat so the soup stays just below a boil
and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or till the chicken pieces are finished
cooking. Remove from heat and serve immediately with fresh cilantro
leaves for garnish.

Now, the *best* way I ever had this soup was with pieces of fresh
grouper instead of chicken. I also added slices of kumquats instead of
the ginger, and used the sweet Fresno chiles instead of Thai birds. We
also served it over Vietnamese rice noodles. Was it southeast Asian or
Caribbean? Who cares, it was wonderful. If you can’t find grouper,
it’d be good with any tender, delicate white fish — sole, maybe, or a
very fresh sea bass, or maybe little chunks of monkfish. I believe I’ve
had this with shrimp as well. (Grouper, BTW, is a type of fish common
in the Caribbean and, if I recall, in other warm-water parts of the
world; the flesh is very white, very tender, and quite delicately
flavored. I’ve seen it in one Asian grocery store in the Bay Area, as
well as in the Bahamas, so I’d guess that Gulf Coast netters should be
able to find it readily.)

Notes:
1. Galanga is similar to ginger, an edible rhizome available in most
Asian groceries. If not available fresh, you can usually find it
frozen. (Well, this is the SF Bay Area; if you can’t find it at Tin Tin
or the New Castro Market, you have to have friends smuggle it in from
Bangkok for you… Other parts of the country may vary.)

2. Chile peppers add a lot to the dish; I’ve had it so hot that I could
barely eat it, and I’ve had it completely smooth, sweet and mild. I
like it in the middle.

3. Lemon grass adds a lot to the flavor and aroma, but as near as I can
tell it isn’t edible unless you puree it. (If there’s sufficient
demand, I’ll print my recipe for Vietnamese turkey fajitas.) I just eat
around the slices of lemon grass and ginger.

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Cabbage Soup (“Of Cabbages and Cod”)

Similar recipes: Soups, Vegetable

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Ingredients

1/2 head cabbage
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of cream of whatever soup
1 can chicken broth
1 LB cod
1 LB shrimp
white wine
1 can tomatoes

Method

Cook cabbage, onion and garlic until soft. Add chicken broth, soups, wine
and tomatoes. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add cod, cook until almost flaky. Add
shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is done.

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Healthy Meal Planning - Find Healthy Meal Plans Here

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Moroccan Orange Dessert

Yum, Hank put together this gorgeous dessert with some blood oranges we swiped from my parents' tree. ~Elise

This was the first dessert I ever made to impress a girl, years ago when I was attending graduate school in Wisconsin. We were both athletes, and eating for us had mostly been about fuel, not fun. But it was Valentine's Day and I was making her dinner, so I wanted something exotic and, well, sexy, to end the meal. When I read about this Moroccan classic in one of my cookbooks, I knew I had my dessert.

I've made these oranges periodically ever since that night, and this dish is as lovely as it is simple: Fresh oranges (of whatever variety), doused in orange flower water, dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. That's it.

The only change I've made to the recipe over the years is to macerate the orange slices in the orange flower water for an hour or so to deepen the flavor. Sometimes I'll use different-colored varieties of oranges?blood oranges, cara cara oranges and navels are a pretty trio?just to fancy things up.

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LENTIL-SPINACH SOUP

Similar recipes: Broth and Stocks, Soups

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Ingredients

2 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups homemade chicken stock
4 cups water
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground allspice
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese or 4 ounces lightly
beaten plain low-fat yogurt

Method

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat. Add
onion and saute until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in lentils,
stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 45 to
60 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in spinach, pepper and allspice. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes
longer. Thin the soup with additional chicken stock or water, if
desired.

Serve hot, topped with either shredded cheese or whipped yogurt.

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