Tofu with Broccoli (no pix)

Recipe: Tofu with Broccoli
This recipe works with almost any kind of protein, so if you aren't a fan of tofu, you can try chicken, pork or beef (though of course you don't have to drain them and you have to cook them longer). You can also substitute the broccoli with bok choy, spinach, etc.

Serves 4

2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil (if if you have it, sub 1 teaspoon veg oil with toasted sesame oil)
1 pound tofu, drained and cut into 8th's
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, chopped
1 head broccoli, florets set aside and stem chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons Vietnamese chili paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Place a skillet over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the tofu, one piece at a time, and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the tofu to a plate and set aside.

Add the garlic and scallions and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and stems and the water and raise the heat to high. Steam/cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and add the remaining ingredients.
Stir well and serve immediately.

Eggs with Cheese and Chopped Jalapenos

Recipe: Eggs with Cheese and Chopped Jalapenos

I think this would be better with feta or goat cheese but alas, I only have cheddar. 

Serves 1 

2 large eggs

about 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño, with seeds

about 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon olive oil

Place a small (if you have it) skillet on the stove and turn the heat to medium. When it is hot, add the oil. 

Add everything else (you can mix it beforehand or just add it as you have it) and cook until it just begins to set on the edges. Move the eggs around with a fork, sort of bringing up the eggs from the top to the bottom, so that they can cook. I don't do a lot of mixing because I don't like them super-scrambled, really a cross between scrambled eggs and an omelet. 

Curried Chicken Stew

Recipe: Curried Chicken Stew
You can vary this recipe quite a bit: substitute 1 can coconut milk (not coconut water) for the stock; add butternut squash; add mango chutney or better yet, mangoes or peaches; throw in a few currants or raisins at the end, or some toasted coconut.  If you want to add broccoli or cauliflower, by all means do, but add them on the plate. If you add them to the stew, it will get stinky. 

Yield: about 10 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 head fennel, chopped
2- 3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 walnut size chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 1/4- 1 1/2 boneless chicken breast (about 3 cups chopped)
1 tablespoon white vinegar or lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2-3 tablespoons fennel fronds
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves

Place a heavy bottomed stockpot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil.  Add the onion, fennel, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger and cook until everything is wilted, 10- 15 minutes.Add the curry powder and stir well. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour. Add the chicken and cook 12 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, using your hands, shred it. Return it to the pot and cook until heated through.  Add the vinegar or lime juice.
Serve immediately, garnished with jalapeño, fennel and cilantro or basil. 

I took a picture but have somehow deleted it. It was beautiful. 

Steak for Dinner!

Smoking hot!

I like a lot of char so when I cook steak, I often cut it into 4 pieces so that I have lots of charred edges. Nothing to this recipe: dry all the sides well, sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.

Place a skillet (cast iron if you have it, do not use non-stick) over high heat and when it is smoking hot, add the steak. Turn as each side gets charred and when they are all charred, your steak should be perfect: browned on the outside, rare on the inside.

What to do if you have lots of Smoked Salmon??

Yikes I have an awful lot of smoked salmon.
I've eaten it with lemon juice, thought about eating it with eggs (heating it seems gross to me), eaten it with cucumbers.
Eureka! I cut it up, put it on cucumbers and topped them with tsatsiki. Nice enough for a cocktail party!

See the little black flecks? Someone told me you could use mint from tea bags if you didn't have fresh mint. It doesn't work. My guess is that they need hot water to fully hydrate. 

Tsatsiki

I've been wanting to make humus for weeks and weeks or something dippy I could head to when I get home from work, something I can munch on while I contemplate dinner.

Tsatsiki, a Greek dip/spread made from thickened yogurt and cucumbers, seemed perfect. Now that you can buy Greek yogurt it isn't really necessary to strain your own yogurt unless, of course, you have regular yogurt and are on a budget. The straining usually takes place with muslin, though I have been known to use paper towels. But this time I eyed my coffee filters, which worked nicely. Just be sure to wash the cone part well before you make coffee!

Recipe: Tsatsiki
Tsatsiki is great as a dip, with raw vegetables or pita. Also on burgers or as a spread on sandwiches, instead of mayo.

Put your coffee filter to
another use.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup diced cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper

To drain the yogurt (to make it thicker): Put the yogurt in the filter and set aside for one hour, after which it should have halved. If you want it even thicker, just let it sit longer. Put the yogurt in a bowl and discard the liquid.

What's left after draining.

Add the cucumbers and garlic and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. More liquid will appear: either mix it in or gently pour it out.

My Trip to Costco

Early this month I went to Costco. I decided- in part because honestly I was feeling lazy- not to calculate as I shopped and see where I landed.

Here is what I purchased:
6 pack of anchovies 6.99
6 pack of chicken broth 10.99
6 pack of chicken tenderloins 19.36
24 Organic eggs 6.99
New York steak (4) 30.13
1 # Smoked Salmon 13.99
3 # Baby Bella Mushrooms 3.99
3 pack of English cukes 3.99
2 # Grape Tomatoes 5.99

Total= 102.42

I have never (while on SNAP) purchased this much on one trip and while the prices at Costco are definitely better than almost anywhere else, I am definitely taking a risk. Plus I bought steak and smoked salmon, items you definitely wouldn't associate with a SNAP budget. But I am so sick of turkey burgers and honestly, I wanted to see if I could splurge and survive (both of which I think I can do).

By the time I went to Costco I had also gone to Russo's twice, again not calculating as I went.

Here is what I purchased:
Bananas 2.85
Navel Oranges 2.35
Pink Lady Apples 5.48
Grapefruit 2.40
Ginger Root .27
Carrots 1.40
The Worlds Largest Sweet Potato 1.66
Milk 4.29
Cheddar Cheese 6.78

Total= 27.48
Minus $10. Bounty Bucks
Total= 17.48

Total so far=119.90

Here is what I purchased:
Broccoli Crowns 3.17
2 small heads Cauliflower3.96
Fennel 1.49
Broccoli Rabe 2.50
Celery 1.98
Garlic .57
Grafton Cheddar Cheese 7.09

Subtotal= 20.76
Minus $10. Bounty Bucks
Total= 10.76

Total so far= 130.66

By the time the month ends, I will have lots of the Costco items left.  I think I am likely to recommend that IF you have access to Costco- or BJ's or another price club- that you stock up in the beginning of the month.  The prices are so so much better than any other supermarket.

Soup, Soup and more Soup

It's been a really long time since I have posted but it's not because I've abandoned my SNAP TestKitchen. I've been looking for deals at the grocery store, cooking away (particularly soup, soup and more soup) but not really taking pictures and not quite keeping track as well as I had hoped. Unlike many people, I love to cook but don't love to grocery shop- - - and particularly don't love to comparison shop. (A few years ago I shared a CSA share with a neighbor. She picked it up (and actually paid for it), I cooked whatever I wanted (using additional ingredients which I purchased) and then I cooked enough for both families. That was heaven for both of us).

So.......... I've cooked very unphotogenic White Bean Soup and Black Bean Soup (which is actually photogenic but I didn't photograph) and also Refrigerator Minestrone (with what was left in my fridge) and Mushroom Barley, once with the barley and once without (and also added diced tomatoes and 1 teaspoon fennel seed).

Bean Soups are definitely best made at least one day ahead of when you want to serve them. They need time for the flavors to mingle. If you can't wait, no worries. Both soups are super inexpensive to make, freeze well and are very filling.

White Bean Soup
Makes about 10 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalk, choppped
3 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel or anise seed
2 16 ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Parmesan or blue cheese, for serving

Place large stockpot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and fennel seed and cook until tender, 10- 15 minutes.
Add the beans and stock and bring to a boil . Lower the heat to low and cook 1 hour, or until the beans are liquid are well combined. 
Stir in the lemon juice right before serving. Add Parmesan or blue cheese.

Black Bean Soup
I love this soup for its great versatility: you can make it as spicy as you want, add more vegetables (more of what is called for, or additionally fennel or sweet potato cubes) and you can leave it chunky or blend it to be smooth (or partially, which is what I like). You can add a ham hock at the beginning or at the end, cooked ham or chicken. You can also speed it up by using canned beans.

Makes about 10 cups

1 pound dried black beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
10 cups chicken stock

Place the black beans in a large pot, cover generously with water and bring to a boil. Let sit overnight. Drain and return to pot. Cover again with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour, depending on how fresh your beans are.  Drain and set aside.

Place the same pot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onion, garlic, spices and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes.

Add the beans, tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook, partially covered, until tender, about 2 hours.

If you want remove about 2 cups of the soup and puree it. Add it back to the pot.
Serve with lime juice (or vinegar) and plain yogurt.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

This isn't so much a recipe as an idea: halve the Brussels sprouts and dice the butternut squash. If you have a microwave, microwave the squash for a few minutes first. If not, start the squash first and add the Brussels sprouts when the squash is tender. Add scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until golden. 

Even those who don't like Brussels sprouts will love this combo. 

Best Ever Caesar Salad Dressing

I've been making Caesar Salads on a regular basis for years, constantly tweaking the dressing. If you've been reading this blog you probably know I think everything needs lemon, lemon and more lemon. While I was making the dressing last week, I wondered: why not add lemon zest to get more lemon flavor? and as I peeled the skin, wondered: why not get rid of the pith (the white part) and the seeds and throw the whole thing in?? So I did.

I didn't write it down but as soon as I run out of the best-ever- version, will make it again and share the recipe. In the meantime, I have to say that the whole lemon added bulk, which thickened the dressing but also added more lemon flavor, without additional acidity.

I made a salad of romaine lettuce, cauliflower, smoked turkey and Parmesan cheese. Yum. I can't wait for the spring and endless salad making. 

Super Easy Way to Add More Vegetables

If they start to dry out at all, simply flip them over.

This may seem so simple it's silly but the easiest way to add more 

vegetables into your diet is to make it easy to eat them. 

Think about all those times you open your refrigerator door and stand there pondering what to eat: you're starving and just grab whatever is right in front of you. Even if you end up grabbing something else, this will insure you chomp on some celery and carrots in the meantime. 
I guarantee it will work. 

Mushroom Barley Soup

Recipe: Mushroom Barley Soup
In spite of the fact that I love this soup, I am not generally a big fan of mushrooms. If you don't have or like barley, you can substitute brown rice. Additionally, you can add corn, tomatoes or spinach and/or substitute beef or vegetable broth for the chicken.

This tastes much better than it looks. 

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3/4- 1 pound button mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup barley
10 cups chicken stock 

Place a heavy bottomed stockpot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, mushrooms and thyme and cook until everything is wilted, about 10 minutes.

Add the barley and stir well. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 3 hours. You may need to add stock- or water- if the soup gets too thick. 

Serve immediately or transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. 

Last Shopping Trip of the Month? and a Miscalculation

It's easy to buy too many vegetables (is there such a thing?)
because they are soooo pretty!

Here is what I purchased: 
1.31 lbs broccoli crowns 1.95
1.18 lbs zucchini 1.76
1 bunch scallions .89
3 red onions 1.24
1 bunch radishes .75
.93 lbs Brussels sprouts 2.77
1 small red cabbage .65
3 small romaine bunches 3.98
Butternut Squash, peeled 2.97 (I was feeling unusually lazy)
2 cherry tomatoes 1.96  (not sure why I bought these, they're pretty flavorless)
1 quart Stonyfield yogurt 3.98
1 container cottage cheese 2.79

Total= 25.59

I miscalculated the amount of money I would allow 

myself for February. 

Since February is a short month, I just calculated that each days allotment would be $7.14. I was out of town 11 days so need to subtract $78.57 from the $200.00, meaning I had 121.43 to spend and spent: 

Total so far= 100.59 
Plus I didn't even subtract imaginary Bounty Bucks!

I guess this is not the last shopping trip of the month...................