Red Pepper Soup with Balsamic Reduction

Posted: January 28, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

I made this recipe a week ago (Wow, has it really been that long ago?). It came from the “Vegetarian Times” January/February 2012 issue from a section on a suggested couples menu. It was okay. I didn’t hate it. But honestly…I liked it a lot more the next day when I heated up the leftovers with a little orzo and diced up Italian sausage (real for Jake, fake for me). You can try it both ways. Jake and I are not the hugest fans of pureed soups. We’d rather have a soup with big chunks and a lot of broth to slurp up afterwards. But every once in a while we give a pureed soup a shot. Now, if I have red bell peppers, I’d much rather use them for All the Reds Soup or a nice big batch of Fresh Red Pepper Jam. Yum. And one of these days I should use a red bell pepper to make this Stuffed Flank Steak for Jake again sometime. But if you like red pepper soup, I don’t think this recipe will disappiont you. The balsamic reduction was a nice touch. A bit of a bite with the sweetness.

Red Pepper Soup with Balsamic Reduction
for the Balsamic Reduction:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup agave nectar

for the soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 medium sweet potato (1 cup), peeled and diced
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 large red bell peppers, diced

1. To make the Balsamic Reduction: Bring vinegar and agave nectar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes or till thickened. Cool.
2. To make the soup: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add red onion, sweet potato, Yukon gold potato, shallot and red peppers. Cook 5-7 minutes.
4. Add cumin, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes.
5. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
6. Cook 30 minutes or till bell peppers and potatoes are softened.
7. Blend soup in batches till smooth.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Drizzle each serving with Balsamic Reduction.

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Ginger-Chocolate Stout Cake with Sweetened Yogurt

Posted: January 27, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

I owe my friends and family a new post. I’ve been very naughty lately, and haven’t been posting as much as I like. I have been busy with school and volunteering at the Poetry Center here in Tucson and trying to manipulate a new schedule for the new term. I’ve got about six recipes all saved up and waiting for posting though, so this next week should be full of yummy treats. The Vegetarian Times website has a great article on using beer in cooking on their front page right now. That’s where I found this recipe for Ginger-Chocolate Stout Cake with Sweetened Sour Cream. You may notice that my recipe is slightly different. I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream. It’s a bit healthier and just as good. This was an absolutely phenomenal recipe. Jake has begun volunteering for Habitat for Humanity here in Tucson and I decided to make this cake for him after his first day on the job. I’m so proud of him for doing something so amazing. Volunteering is great and I encourage all of my readers and friends to pick a cause you love and help out. Anyway I’ll make this cake often in the future when I have folks over and want to impress. You’ve just GOT to give it a try! Now, this cake tastes lovely all by itself, but the sweetened yogurt takes it to a whole new level so you’ve got to give both a try.

Ginger-Chocolate Stout Cake with Sweetened Yogurt
for the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup maple syrup or molasses
1 1/4 cups stout, such as Samuel Smith
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature

for the yogurt:
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2/3 cup light brown sugar

1. To make Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 11- x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
3. Place 1 cup maple syrup in 4-cup measuring cup. Bring stout to a boil, and pour into maple syrup.
4. Beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer.
5. Beat in eggs.
6. Alternate adding stout and flour mixtures to batter.
7. Pour into prepared pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan; cut into 16 squares.
8. To make Sweetened Yogurt: whisk together yogurt and brown sugar until sugar dissolves.
9. Serve Cake with Sweetened Yogurt.

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Fiesta Bell Soup

Posted: January 16, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

We’ve had an overflow of bell peppers in the house this weekend. Hey, I’m not complaining. The more the merrier. I started collecting red ones for a red pepper soup I wanted to try out (recipe coming in the next few days). Then Jake was going camping and wanted to make hobo dinners full of sausage and onions and bell peppers, so more appeared in our house. Then Jake found out someone else was taking care of the food for all the people on the trip, so those peppers were left in the fridge.

Then we were at the Farmers’ Market and there were bell peppers for relatively cheap at one of the stalls. I call it fate. Anyway there were tons around the house. That’s how I decided to come up with the recipe for Orange Brunch Bells the other day and how I decided to use up the rest of them in this recipe. You may note that in the picture provided there are no orange bell peppers. I used all those up the day before so we used two red ones instead. I would’ve used an orange one if I’d had it handy. Next time I want to try adding tequila instead of vodka and see what that does to the recipe. This was super tasty. I have a love-hate relationship with bell peppers in the first place. In some recipes I LOVE them and in some I HATE them. For instance, I cannot stand green bell peppers in my stir fry. I know, I know, but I just can’t eat them in stir fry. I have no idea why. This bell pepper soup passed Jake’s Eat It Again test for new recipes that come out of Erin’s brain. This test consists of me asking him: “So, is it good? Good enough to eat again? Good enough that you WANT me to make it again?” This got a “yes” or a “hell yes” to all 3 questions. SUCCESS! And I’m pleasantly proud of it as well, which is even better.

Fiesta Bell Soup
1 medium red pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium orange pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow pepper, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen, cooked baby shrimp
1 15oz. can golden hominy (or corn, if you’d rather)
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Italian seasoning infused vodka or regular un-infused vodka
3/4 cup orzo
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
5 cups vegetable broth
drizzle of lime juice (1 teaspoon or to taste)
2-3 soft tortillas, cut into pieces
olive oil, to fry

1. In a large soup pot, saute onion, garlic and all bell peppers in olive oil on medium heat till onions are translucent and peppers aren’t far behind.
2. Add hominy, parsley and Italian seasoning. Stir to mix together.
3. Add orzo, shrimp, salt and pepper, chili powder, and cumin powder. Stir well. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add vodka, 5 cups vegetable broth and drizzle of lime juice. Stir well.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer till orzo is tender.
6. Eat with tortilla pieces sauteed in olive oil.

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Orange Brunch Bell

Posted: January 15, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

This recipe was designed to offer nourishment for a brunch or light lunch situation. The bright color of the orange bell pepper and its slightly sweet taste coupled with the rich decadence of the shrimp and couscous stuffed inside make it simultaneously satisfying and fun. If you’re feeling flirty, you could add a mimosa or glass of champagne to this meal and feel fancy as you want. I designed this to cook quickly, starting the peppers’ cooking process while you put together the filling and finishing them off together. This can be done in an oven, however, I tried to do this in the toaster oven so it’s more energy efficient. However if you’re planning on making a whole lot of something else in the oven as well then perhaps you won’t mind heating it up for these two peppers prior. One word of caution is that you should choose peppers that are small and squat rather than tall, otherwise they won’t fit into the toaster oven (if you have a small one like I do). Also, you can expect a bit of char on the top of the pepper from the close proximity of the heat. I kind of like this, if you don’t then you might want to use a bigger toaster oven or the regular oven.

Orange Brunch Bell
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small onion or 1/2 a medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon flax seeds
1/4 cup frozen organic peas
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup small frozen shrimp
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
dash of red pepper flakes (remember that a little goes a long way)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
1/4 teaspoon orange peel
dash (or 2) of paprika
dash of ground nutmeg
3/4-1 cup (depending on the size of your peppers) couscous
2 orange bell peppers, tops cut off and insides cleaned
grated mozzarella cheese, to taste

1. Place each of the bell peppers in its own small ovenproof bowl. Place them in a toaster oven and cook 5 minutes, to start the cooking process while you make the filling.
2. Saute onion and garlic till tender.
3. Add peas, salt and pepper. Stir fry one to two minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and the rest of the spices.
5. Cook till the majority of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Add the couscous and stir 1 minute.
7. Add water, starting with 1/4 cup and adding more as needed, and cook till couscous is tender.
8. Remove the peppers from the toaster oven. Let them cool till you’re able to handle them.
9. Scoop the filling into the peppers. If any filling is leftover, reserve it for when you finally eat or pack it into the sides of the dish.
10. Place the dishes back into the toaster oven and cook at 350 F for 10 minutes, or till pepper is tender and topping is browned.
11. Top with grated mozzarella cheese, to taste.

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Stracciatella

Posted: January 14, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

You may recall my previous attempt at Stracciatella this past summer in Alaska. This one is also from the “Vegetarian Times” magazine. The January/February 2012 issue has a whole section on winter soups. This one is basically the same as the last, with the addition of some spices and without the added calories of the parmesan cheese. Perfect for a gal like me who’s trying to lose a bit of weight here and there. This one was just as simple to throw together as the last, so keep it in mind the next time you’re super hungry and in danger of running late.

Stracciatella
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 medium bunch of spinach, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Bring broth, thyme, red pepper flakes and nutmeg to a simmer in a soup pot over high heat.
2. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes till tender and bright green.
3. Slowly add eggs to the soup in a steady stream while gently stirring broth with a fork to form egg strands in the soup. Do not boil.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Posted: January 13, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

So Joanne over at Fifteen Spatulas tempted me at just the right moment the other day. When Jake leaves I make things I love that he hates, such as recipes with mushrooms. Take, for instance, this recipe for Cauliflower and Mushroom Gougere that I made when Jake was in Hawaii a couple Christmases ago. Anyway, that clever minx Joanne happened to post her recipe for stuffed mushroom caps at just the exact moment that I was going through my cookbooks and searching online for a mushroom recipe. Crafty, very crafty of her. Anyway these made me super excited and I made them that very night. And I ate all of them. I’m not ashamed to admit it. And if Jake had been here and asked to try one, I might’ve bitten his hand, or possibly stabbed at it with a fork. Then I would’ve run into a corner with the plate and eaten them sneaky raccoon style. I couldn’t find asiago cheese at the grocery store I went to, so I used Romano cheese instead and the results were still just as tasty. The recipe you see below is copied directly from her website, but I would take a look at her original post for sure since she has a lovely camera and took gorgeous photos throughout the prep that you don’t want to miss.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps
8 oz. package baby bella mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoons chopped tarragon
3 scallions, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/8 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
4 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms, and chop them up finely either by hand or in a food processor.
3. Zap them in the microwave or cook them in a pan on the stovetop until you have gotten rid of the excess moisture.
4. Place the stems in a bowl, and add the parsley, tarragon, scallions, parmigiano reggiano, romano, egg, bread crumbs, cream cheese, cayenne pepper, and garlic.
5. Mix until it forms a smooth mixture, and season to taste.
6. Brush each mushroom cap with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Lay them on a sheet pan, and fill them generously with a spoonful of filling.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, until the stuffing has browned.

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Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup

Posted: January 13, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

This soup recipe from the January/February 2012 issue of “Vegetarian Times” was really delicious. I love making carrot soup for Jake since they’re one of his favorite veggies. He always gets really excited when he sees a ton of carrots in the fridge crisper. In fact, I have to make my carrot-y recipes asap after buying the carrots or he’ll eat them all before I can get to them! I am also kind of in love with parsnips. I had never eaten one until 2 years ago when I used them for the Grand Guinness dinner (by the way, if you haven’t tried that stew recipe you really should). This carrot and parsnip soup was quite lovely. If you’re a carnivore, I think this would pair very nicely with a nice sausage and some sauteed onions. Give it a shot!

Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup
1/4 cup olive oil
4 parsnips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
6 cups low sodium veggie broth
3/4 cup packed sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), roughly chopped, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
6 thin slices Italian bread

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat.
2. Add parsnips, carrots and onion. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add 3/4 cup broth. Cook 10 minutes, or till broth is evaporated.
4. Add the remaining 5 1/4 cups broth, 1/2 cup of the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and basil.
5. Cover and bring to a brisk boil. Remove from heat.
6. Puree soup in a blender until smooth.
7. Chop remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes and stir into soup.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and garnish with toast.

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Sesame-Ginger Steamed Broccoli

Posted: January 11, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

I got this recipe from the January/February 2012 issue of “Vegetarian Times” and…well…you know we love our broccoli in this house. I was going to make this for dinner on Sunday but then we decided to go out for some drinks at a local dive bar so I made this instead of what I had originally planned. We ate it with rice so there was plenty in our stomachs before heading out on the town. Not that we’re big drinkers, but it never hurts. This recipe was really quite perfect for a couple of people who are really busy. We were not really busy the other day when I made this, but the prep and cooking went so fast that even I was shocked at how fast it was finished. We were actually waiting around for the rice (that I started first, of course) to be done so we could eat. Next time I want to try this over Chinese stir fry noodles. I also want to mix up a second double batch (or triple batch, because the mixture doesn’t make a ton of liquid) of the steaming liquid and thicken it with cornstarch to make a sauce to toss the noodles in. It was really tasty on the broccoli and I think it could work equally well as a sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Try the recipe below when you’re running short on time and large on hunger.
Also, please note the amazing Southwestern Christmas napkins that Jake’s mother Karen made us for Christmas. Honestly, they’re so amazing that this picture just doesn’t do them justice. Thank you Karen!

Sesame-Ginger Steamed Broccoli
1 pound broccoli, cut into medium florets
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1. Place broccoli, mirin, tamari, ginger, oil and 1/4 cup water in a large skillet.
2. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Steam 4 minutes, or till the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender.
4. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds.

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Aunt’s Comin’ to Lunch Cobbler

Posted: January 8, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

First, can I say that I had a ton of fun cooking a few new recipes over the Christmas holiday and using my mom’s dishes for pictures? It was great. I got to work with a whole new set of dishes while I was there. Sometimes I feel like my blog can get a bit boring since I use the same dishes all the time. In fact, I recently decided that every once in a while I’m going to call up a friend and ask if I can borrow a plate and bowl (or whatever) from them so I can have different dishes featured on my website. Anyway, I’m back at home now and back to the same old dishes for a while. But here’s one last recipe from my time with my family in Ohio. I created this recipe quickly, when we decided at rather the last minute to invite my great aunt to lunch. I was going to make a potato dish, but my mother already had plans for one so she put me on dessert duty. We didn’t have a TON of stuff in the house, but we DID happen to have a pantry with many syrupy cans of fruit and a box of Jiffy baking mix. Normally I’d make the dough from scratch, but as I said before I was in a bit of a time crunch with this one. I had to use my kitchen resources and come up with an alternative. The juice below is listed as “your choice” because I don’t think that ANY juice is bad juice. I happened to use a cherry-apple juice from the local store. I think it was a good addition. This cobbler turned out even better than I expected. I thought it would be just an ordinary cobbler, but it ended up super tasty and really felt rather decadent to eat. I think it was the addition of sauces rather than a ton of whole fruit pieces. Give this one a try or come up with your own using a sauce within as well.

Aunt’s Comin’ to Lunch Cobbler
2 cans halved pears, chopped
1 can cranberry sauce, with whole cranberries
1 cup of applesauce
1-2 tablespoons chopped dates or walnuts
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
sprinkle of salt
1 tablespoon juice (your choice)
1 1/2 cups Jiffy baking mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons shortening, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a medium-sized ovenproof baking dish, combine the pears, cranberry sauce, apple sauce and dates or walnuts in a bowl. Mix it together.
3. Add the orange zest, lemon peel, sugar, nutmeg, salt and juice. Stir well to combine.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the Jiffy mix, egg, milk and shortening. Mix well.
5. Spread the mixture over the top of the fruit one tablespoon at a time. Smoothing at the end.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes or till the top turns golden brown.

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Steamed Coffee Sponge

Posted: January 7, 2012 | Author: onewomaninaricefield | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

I have been eyeing this recipe from my “1000 Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World” cookbook for MONTHS now. Before leaving for Ohio I copied down all the dessert recipes I’ve been wanting to make for a long time and brought them with me. Jake and I don’t like dessert all that much. Give us a bag of tortilla chips or a bowl of salty popcorn vs. a big chocolate cake and we’d choose the salty food every time. So it doesn’t make a bit of sense to make an entire cake for the two of us. Luckily at home in Ohio we have my parents to help us eat it and a bunch of friends and relatives we can count on to munch away at it too. I made this on New Years Eve Day for a few reasons. Jake and I love coffee, but my parents…not so much. However they were having two guests over to the house for New Years Eve so I knew if they didn’t like the cake there would be others to help demolish it. Jake and I were going to spend New Years Eve quite happily by first taking my dear grandmother to a very early (4pm) dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town and then drive up to Findlay Ohio to see my brother, eat some late-night sushi as a snack and go to a TERRIBLE Ohio dive bar to ring in the New Year. My brother and Jake are two of the most important men in my life, so to me it seemed like the most fun New Years ever.
This sponge ended up being so small and adorable that it was like having a puppy on a plate in the kitchen. I actually DID squeal when I popped this out of the pan and saw how cute and tiny it was. This is the PERFECT size for two people. It makes a perfect two servings, or four smaller servings. The sauce ended up tasting a lot like chocolate pudding. In fact, Mom and I were talking and thought that if you really felt like cutting down the time on this recipe you could skip the sauce altogether and buy one of those chocolate pudding snack packs and ice the cake with one of those at room temperature. I however, think I would have preferred simply melting some chocolate and drizzling it over the top of this sponge. This was not my favorite dessert. It was very much not stellar, in my opinion. Steaming it gave it the consistency of a mushy cake…almost like a pudding. I hate pudding. Rather, I hate the texture of pudding, so this was a failure of a recipe with me. It made me wonder about who would like it. I’m not sure. I’m glad I at least tried this or I always would’ve wondered about it. No more. Anyway, here’s the recipe if you feel like giving it a whirl yourself.

Steamed Coffee Sponge
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
5 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon coffee extract

sauce:
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Lightly grease a 2 1/2 cup heatproof bowl.
2. Cream the margarine and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs.
3. Spoon the mixture into the bowl and cover with a pleated piece of baking parchment and then a pleated piece of foil, securing around the bowl with tightly tied string.
4. Place the bowl in a steamer or large pan half full of boiling water.
5. Cover and steam for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or till the sponge is cooked through.
6. To make the sauce, put the milk, sugar and unsweetened cocoa in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
7. Blend the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water to a paste and stir into the pan.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring till thickened. Cook 1 minute.
9. Turn the sponge out onto a warmed serving plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

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