cooksimple.com

You will all notice I’ve been absent and not posting much. I have been cooking but haven’t had the time to update the site will full posts (pictures, recipes, etc.). To make up for this I thought I’d share several of the best new recipes I’ve tried over the last few months. In no particular order:

Puree of Chickpea Soup – from the NY Times

Swiss Chard & Sweet Potato Gratin – from Smitten Kitchen

Whole Wheat Biscotti – I made these into lemon whole wheat biscotti by adding some lemon juice and lots of lemon rind

Granola Bars – from Smitten Kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Syrup – Yummy in a latté. I put the recipe & latté directions in a new post.

Mixed Greens with Garlic, Cumin and Paprika – A great veggie side dish. I posted the recipe in a new post.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette – from the Joy of Cooking. Quite possibly the best dressing recipe! It is a basic vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar and crumbled blue cheese. I’ll post the recipe once I get home and have access to the book

This was a really yummy side dish. I used smoked paprika which added a great flavor. The recipe is originally from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Ingredients

• 12 cups mixed greens, such as kale, chard, beet, or escarole
• Salt to taste
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

Discard any inedible parts of the greens, such as stems and tough ribs. Tear or chop into bite-sized pieces. Place the leaves in a microwave safe glass dish and cover. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until leaves are still green though wilted.

Pound the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar until you have a rough paste, then work in the parsley and cilantro and pound them briefly to release their flavors. Add the paprika and cumin. (If you do not have a mortar and pestle, chop the garlic with the parsley and cilantro, then add the spices.)

Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat with the garlic-herb mixture. As soon as it releases its flavor, when the oil has heated, add the greens. Cook, stirring frequently, until any extra moisture has evaporated. Taste for salt. Pile into a dish and garnish with the lemon wedges.

I made several batches of this for great pumpkin lattés. To make the lattés I combine 2-4 T of the syrup, 1/2 cup steamed milk & 1/2 cup strong coffee in a mug.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of cloves (or allspice)
• 1 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Yesterday I was searching for an easy, quick and chocolate dessert. I initially had the idea of pudding cake, however, I have yet to find a deep, dark chocolate version. I turned to my cookbooks and ended up in the Joy of Cooking. Amazingly enough the chocolate soufflé recipe looked to be just what I wanted – quick, easy and chocolate. Even better it could be made ahead! This dessert looks very impressive and has a great chocolate flavor. Whipped cream or a custard sauce would be a great accompaniment.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon rum or bourbon
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat four 6 oz. ramekins with butter all the way up the sides. Pour sugar into each ramekin and make sure sugar thoroughly coats inside of ramekin.

Combine chocolate, butter and liquor in the top of a double boiler. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes then whisk in the egg yolks.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites make stiff peaks (but not dry). Using a large rubber spatula stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Carefully fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture until they are thoroughly mixed.

Divide the batter equally into ramekins and smooth the tops. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, until risen and set.

Note: The soufflés can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.

Yield: 4 soufflés

I bought some grass-fed beef the other day and decided to make one of my favorite beef dishes with it – picadillo. I love the slightly sweet and tart taste of the tomatoes and raisins contrasted against the savoriness of the onion & garlic. This recipe is very easy and makes a huge amount. I froze half of it so I would have picadillo on hand. It is such a versatile dish: you can serve it over rice (with or without black beans) or use it as the filling for empanadas, tacos or burritos.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 red or yellow bell peppers, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup sliced green olives
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 4 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add onions, peppers, garlic & bay leaves and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors merge together.