Party in Your Mouth

This meal had such an amazing combination of flavors from sweet to salty to tangy. The Pork Chops (or tofu chops) with Maple Mustard Glaze accompanied by an asparagus, spinach, orange, and avocado grain salad was a meal that I will definitely try to re-create. Adam tasted both the pork chop and tofu versions of the meal and stated that they had completely different flavors but that both were fantastic in their own ways. So, whether you are vegetarian or not, you can have a fabulous meal.

I wasn't able to take a picture of this dinner because my battery ran out in my camera, but it looked pretty beautiful.


Pork Chops with Maple Mustard Glaze (Cooking Light, May 2006)

1 tsp. butter
4 (4-oz.) boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie broth]
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. heavy cream

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with salt and pepper; add pork to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. Add broth and next 4 ingredients to pan. Bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in cream, and reduce heat to medium. Return pork to pan; simmer 3 minutes or until pork is done, turning once.


Asparagus, Orange, and Avocado Grains

1 1/2 cups Great Grains from Trader Joe's or a grain of your choice
1 cup vegetable broth
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into big bites
3 handfuls of spinach
2 oranges, 1 supremed, the other juiced
1 avocado, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the grains according to package directions with the vegetable broth. Add the chopped asparagus and spinach in the last 3 minutes of cooking, placing a lid on top of the grains. Once the grains are cooked and the asparagus is tender, remove the grains from the stove and put into a bowl.
2. Supreme the orange by cutting off the peel and cutting each section separately from the orange. Mix the sections, orange juice, avocado, and salt and pepper with the grains. Enjoy!

Amazing Grains

Once again I've been caught up in life and haven't had time to write up my newest cooking adventures. I have to say that the following recipe is one of my favorite things I have made in quite a while. It's a grain salad that I based off of one on 101cookbooks.com. I happened to have most of the ingredients for the salad and was headed in the same direction without the recipe. This salad has grains (Heidi used orzo, I used a grain mixture from Trader Joe's) mixed with broccoli, asparagus, and avocado as well as cilantro, lemon juice, and feta for added flavor. I will give you the original recipe and simply note the changes that I made to it. Alter this basic recipe using the ingredients you have on hand; I guarantee that you will come out with a fabulous meal. We served it with a seared salmon (for Adam and Scott) and crispy bread for a complete meal. We finished the meal off with bananas and strawberries over chocolate cake with whipped cream and a drizzle of coffee liqueur. What a way to end the evening!


Orzo Super Salad (101cookbooks.com, Heidi Swanson)

1 cup dried (whole wheat) orzo pasta [grain mixture]
8 - 10 medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
1/2 a medium head of broccoli (or broccolini), cut into small trees
small handful of cilantro(or mint if you prefer), chopped

1 small clove of garlic, mashed with a big pinch of salt and chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

a small handful of sprouts [I omitted]
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch pieces [I omitted, but added chopped tomatoes]
1 medium avocado, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup feta, crumbled

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and boil the orzo per package instructions. Avoid over-boiling, you want your orzo to be cooked through, but maintain structure. About 30 seconds before the orzo is finished cooking stir the asparagus and broccoli into the orzo pot. Cook for the final 30 seconds, drain and run under a bit of cold water. Just long enough to stop the cooking.
2. In the meantime, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and more salt (if needed) into the dressing. Set aside.
3. When you are ready to serve the salad toss the orzo, asparagus, broccoli, and cilantro with about half the dressing. Add more dressing if needed, and toss well. Now add the sprouts, almonds, cucumber, avocado, and feta. Very gently toss a couple of times to distribute those ingredients throughout the salad and serve.

Spice and Everything Nice

After our cheese and cookie night, our bodies were craving a healthy, vegetable-heavy meal. After looking through various cookbooks, we decided to make a Vegetarian Pozole from Moosewood Restaurant's cookbook. The pozole is a flavorful, hearty stew with squash, bell peppers, hominy, and a bunch of chipotle peppers. We topped our stew off with chopped avocado, crumbled queso freso, and a sprinkle of cilantro. I am extremely glad that I had lunches of this for the rest of the week.


Vegetarian Pozole (Moosewood Restaurant's New Classics)

We added chopped chard to the pozole as well for some added green and nutrients. Feel free to add extra vegetables if you want more nutrition or just need to get rid of something in the fridge. I don't think you can go wrong with this recipe.

4 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 plus 1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes with juice, chopped (28-oz. can)
3 to 4 cups peeled, seeded, can cubed delicata squash [or butternut]
4 cups coarsely chopped red or green bell pepper
4 cups drained hominy (two 15-oz. cans)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 to 3 Tbs. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano, sage, or epazote

grated Monterey Jack, avocado cubes, crushed tortilla chips, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded lettuce, fresh lime wedges

1. Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and saute on medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden. Stir in the garlic and 1/8 tsp. of the salt and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and squash and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the bell peppers, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the squash is tender. Stir in the hominy, [greens], lime juice, chipotles in adobo sauce, the remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt, and the oregano, sage, or epazote. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Serve with your favorite garnishes.

A Perfect Combination

I have to say, that my blog entries may be coming a bit more sparse. This week I've started two jobs: one as an Instructional Assistant at a Special Education High School, and the other as a dancer in Peninsula Ballet Theatre. My days from sitting and relaxing all day have drastically changed to being busy all day, every day. Don't worry, I will still find time to cook and post new entries. This past Monday, Adam and I made a fantastically delicious meal. We've made meals similar to this before, but I suggest trying this particular combination. We made Herbed Pork Chops/Grilled Lemon, Thyme Tofu, Lemony Grains, and Grilled Broccoli. I have posted the grilled broccoli recipe before, so I won't repeat. I have to say, the Lemony Grains were the highlight of the meal for me. We purchased a mix of grains at Trader Joe's, but you could certainly substitute any grain that you prefer. If you have access to a Trader Joe's, I would strongly suggest trying the Harvest Grains Blend; it adds texture, flavor, and nutrients to the meal that you wouldn't otherwise get from pasta or rice.


Herbed Pork Chops (Adam)

Be creative with this recipe. Add what you are in the mood for and think would be tasty. I guarantee, if it sounds good to you, and you put the pork chop on the grill, you will enjoy it.

1 can/bottle beer (your favorite variety)
spices/herbs of your choice
2 pork chops

1. Drink the can or bottle of beer to help the creative juices flow.
2. Cover your pork chops in whatever herbs and spices you deem to be extra delicious at the time.
3. Allow the pork chops to sit and meld with the herbs for a few hours or, preferably, overnight.
4. Grill for approximately 6 minutes on each side, or until they no longer stick to the grill.


Lemon, Thyme Tofu

I made the mistake of trying to marinate the tofu slices in a bowl. It works much better if the tofu is sitting in a flat surface rather than a rounded one. That way, the tofu can absorb the liquid marinade on all sides more easily.

1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. thyme
salt
pepper
2 slices tofu. 1/2-inch thick (1 slice per serving)

1. Prepare the marinade of lemon, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the tofu and allow to sit for an hour or more, rotating the tofu slices occasionally.
2. Grill until each side has blackened slightly and received grill-marks.


Lemony Grains

All I can say is Mmm, good.

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1 scant Tbs. butter
1 1/4 cups grains
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp. rosemary

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add butter and stir in the grains. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the juice of one lemon, and top with rosemary. Serve immediately.

Grains, and Veggies, and Beans, Oh My!

While shopping in Trader Joe's one evening, Adam and I found this mix of Harvest Grains with Israeli-style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. Inspired by these hearty grains, I decided to make a fresh stew-like concoction to place over the grains. What I came up with was a combination of onions, mushrooms, kale, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and spices that blended perfectly with the grains. If you don't want to use kale, any type of green would work: spinach, chard, or even broccoli. And, if you can't find the grain blend, use couscous, quinoa, or other favorite grain. This dish, with its many possible variations, will definitely be a healthy staple in our house.


Chickpea and Kale Stew over Harvest Grains
For a not-so-spicy version of this stew, omit the serrano chile.

8 oz. grains
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, grated
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 head kale, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Cook the grains according to package directions.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and let soften. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant. Next, saute the mushrooms until tender. Add the kale and let the leaves wilt slightly. Add the remaining ingredients. Thoroughly combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Then serve over the grains with a dollop of yogurt.