Cookin with the Cuz

My cousin Diana came to visit last Friday and I knew there was only one thing we could fill the night with--cooking! And that's exactly what we did! With some damn good food too, if I may say so myself. We started the night off with an odd, but fantastic, almond-orange dip with veggies and pita chips. Then, we moved on to portobello veggie burgers and a roasted potato salad. We completed the evening with a limoncello sorbet. Cooking for and with the people you love is absolutely the best thing in the world (and it doesn't hurt if you make fantastic things either).


Almond-Orange Dip (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Mollie Katzen)

You could dip practically anything in this dip, because it is that good. You could even put it on sandwiches for some flair.

1 12-oz. box silken tofu
1 cup almond butter
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs. minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Season to taste, cover, and refrigerate until cold.


Portobello Burgers (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

We made the suggested variation of this burger, which is to add 3 oz. goat cheese to the mixture. Delicious!

2/3 cup dried lentils
6 oz. portobello mushrooms
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
5 slices stale or toasted sandwich bread
1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil, and add the lentils. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are tender. Drain the lentils, and let them cool.
2. Cut off the dirt-laden base of each mushroom stem, then chop the remainder of the stems and the caps fine.
3. Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onions. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they soften. Add the garlic, and cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Add the chopped mushrooms and the cumin to the skillet, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season well with the salt and pepper, and take the pan off the heat.
4. Break the bread into pieces, and whirl them to crumbs in a food processor. Transfer 2 cups crumbs to a large bowl. Put the lentils into the processor, and run the machine in spurts until they are coarsely chopped and somewhat pasty. Add the chopped parsley and sauteed mushrooms and onions to the bowl, and mix well with your hands or a sturdy spoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet to form a patty. Chill the mixture from 1 hour to a week.
5. Form the burger mixture into four 4-inch patties. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet (not non-stick) over medium heat. Pan-fry until the undersides are a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, and cook them about 3 minutes more. Serve the burgers hot.


Roasted Potato Salad with Mint Vinaigrette (Cooking Light, May 2005)

3 cups (2-inch) cut green beans
3 cups (1-inch square) cut red bell pepper (about 2 large peppers)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie broth]
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered
2 Vidalia or other sweet onions, trimmed and quartered
cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat over to 400.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients; toss well. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir; bake, uncovered, and additional 40 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a large bowl.
3. Combine 1/2 cup mint, vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over vegetable mixture, and toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.


Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries (Cooking Light, May 2009)

This is extremely flavorful and refreshing. I could actually only eat a few bites because it was so intense. I think that this would work really well for a palate cleanser in the middle of the meal or as a hot summer night's dessert.

2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup limoncello [we used our own homemade limoncello]
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups blackberries
lemon slices (optional)

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and mint. Cover and chill.
2. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with blackberries; garnish with lemon slices, if desired.