Caramel Corn

We decided for the Oscar Party we also needed to have some sort of delicious dessert. What could be better for a movie awards show to have popcorn? And to make it a dessert, there is only one option: caramel corn! This recipe was incredibly easy and totally fantastic. One hint about the clean-up: soak the pot in hot soapy water overnight. It will come perfectly clean.


Caramel Corn Clusters (Gourmet, September 2004, www.epicurious.com)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
11/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup salted peanuts (5 oz)

1. Heat oil with 3 kernels in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, over moderate heat until 1 or 2 kernels pop. Remove lid and quickly add remaining kernels, then cook, covered, shaking pan frequently, until kernels stop popping, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and uncover.

2. Line bottom of a large shallow baking pan with foil. Lightly oil foil. Melt butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, then boil, without stirring, until syrup registers 300°F on thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

3. Using a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula, stir salt and baking soda into syrup, then quickly stir in peanuts and popcorn to coat. Immediately spread mixture in baking pan as thinly and evenly as possible. Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.

Oscar Taco Party!

This isn't a post that contains a bunch of recipes, but rather an idea post. For the Oscars we were hemming and hawing over what type of finger foods we wanted to make. We ended up deciding to make a taco bar. Although we made entirely way too much food (I think we made enough for 10-15 rather than the 5 that we had), it was a lot of fun and pretty easy to prep. We roasted zucchini, bell peppers, and onions, baked fish, and baked a pre-marinated tri-tip in a carne asada sauce. With these as our bases, we had bowls of black beans, yogurt, guacamole, and pineapple salsa. We topped our tacos with queso fresco. Every one could make their tacos perfectly to their liking, so this really works for picky eaters or a party when you may not know people incredibly well.

The only thing that took much creativity at all was the pineapple salsa which was just a whole pineapple chopped fine, minced red onion, cilantro, and serrano pepper with a sprinkling of salt. It was the perfect combination of spicy and sweet to top the tacos.

Veggie and Polenta Perfection

This meal, once again, took no time to prepare. It's a perfect weekday dinner that gives you all the nutrients you need after a hard day's work. Polenta is covered with an array of sauteed vegetables and baked tofu. You can use any vegetables you have on hand, these just happened to be what we had in the fridge.

Polenta with Sauteed Vegetables and Savory Baked Tofu


4 cups water
1 cup Polenta
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
2-3 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 portobello mushroom, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package Savory flavored baked tofu, cubed
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare polenta by boiling and salting the water. Add the polenta and stir until slightly thickened. Lower the temperature to medium-low and allow the polenta to completely thicken, stirring occasionally. This will take 20-25 minutes. Stir in the butter.
2. Meanwhile, saute the zucchini rounds in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the rounds are slightly browned, turn them and add the onion and mushroom. Once the onion and mushroom have softened, add the garlic and tofu. Saute until everything is at its desired doneness. Add the cherry tomatoes and heat through. Season to taste. Serve over the polenta, and enjoy!

Simply Asian

If you are watching your salt intake, this is probably not the meal for you. But, if you are not, this is a super easy and super delicious meal: salmon or tofu in hoisin and sesame seeds with spinach and carrots in an Asian sauce and pre-made potstickers. You can add some steamed rice to the meal if you want a little more, but I had plenty to eat without the rice. To make the spinach and carrots, we simply sauteed the spinach with peeled carrots in a tiny bit of olive oil and then added a splash of soy sauce, sesame seeds, and a heaping spoonful of chile and garlic hot sauce. It made for the perfect accompaniment to the tofu and salmon.

Salmon with Hoisin Glaze (Cooking Light, August 2009)

I would have the tofu sit in the glaze a little longer than the salmon so it can really soak in the flavor. I really suggest using the lemon rind strips; they add a ton of flavor and freshness.

2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
4 (6-oz.) skinless wild salmon filets
cooking spray
1 tsp. sesame seeds
lemon rind strips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add fish to dish, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature 8 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with rind, if desired.

Mediterranean Delight

Roasted vegetables and couscous. What could be better (except for the meat-eaters who got a side of grilled rack of lamb)? Not much is the answer. And, to make matters even better, it's a pretty simple meal to create. Vegetables are roasted in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes and then mixed with couscous that takes about 15 minutes beginning to end. And, the lamb is grilled to perfection until just pink inside. The only part that takes time at all is prepping the lamb with a paste and letting it sit overnight. I don't think you need to have the lamb sit with the paste overnight, so this meal could come together even faster.


Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Lemon Vinaigrette
1 crown broccoli, chopped into florets
3 medium zucchini, cut into thick matchsticks
1/2 red onion, thickly sliced
1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups dry whole-wheat couscous
1 large tomato, chopped
10 Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Place the broccoli, zucchini, onion, and eggplant in baking dishes. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast the vegetables in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown. The eggplant may take a little less time than the zucchini and broccoli.
2. Prepare the couscous according to the package directions, omitting half the fat.
3. Toss together the rest of the ingredients with the couscous and roasted vegetables. Top with the feta cheese.


IPA Spice Paste (Grilling with Beer, Lucy Saunders)

1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup IPA
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 Tbs. grated orange zest
2 tsp. salt (kosher)
1 tsp. cumin

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal cutting blade. Pulse on HIGH until pasty. Rub on chicken or lamb chops.

Easy-Peasy Pasta

I was trying to think up a simple dish that would use up contents in the fridge and pantry while also being a one-dish (or close to it) wonder. I think this meal did its job. We combined pasta with broccoli, beans, and garlic and then tossed it all together with parsley, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon, a touch of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Delish!


Broccoli and Bean Lemon Pasta

1 crown of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 lbs. pasta
1-2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbs. butter
olive oil for the pan and to coat pasta
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Saute the broccoli and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat with a bit of olive oil. Once garlic has browned, add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and cover with a lid to steam the broccoli. Add the beans.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the broccoli mixture. Add the lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and butter to the pasta. Combine well. Drizzle the pasta with olive oil until it looks moist. Top with Parmesan cheese, mixing the cheese in if you prefer.

A Hungarian Dream

My grandparents on my mother's side are both first-generation Americans. All four of their parents immigrated from Hungary. Every year while I was growing up, my mom made this dish called chicken paprikas and nokedli. Once I became vegetarian, she adapted the recipe for me by making a mushroom paprikas. This meal is one of my all time favorite comfort food meals. The sauce for the heavy flour dumplings (the nokedli) is full of paprika and sour cream. The original recipe does not have any mushrooms in the paprikas, but Adam thinks they should be added to the meat version also. I served the paprikas and nokedli with some steamed broccoli for a little bit of healthiness, and we finished off the meal with Refrigerator Cake. Refrigerator Cake is my grandmother's specialty of graham crackers layered with chocolate and topped with whipped cream. All in all, this meal was a huge hit!


Paprikas csirke

Please excuse the spelling. No one was quite sure how to spell these dishes in my family, so we did the best we could. This is the recipe for the chicken. To make the vegetarian version, simply omit the chicken and add 1 lb. mixed mushrooms, sliced.

1 onion, chopped
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1-2 Tbs. paprika
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 Tbs. flour

1. Brown the onion in a large, deep skillet with a bit of olive oil.
2. Add the chicken and cook until browned as well. Then, add water to cover the chicken, the paprika, and the tomato sauce. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 30 minutes.
3. Mix together the sour cream and flour, and then slowly add the mixture to the chicken. Serve over nokedli.


Nokedli

I have always ended up doubling this recipe. I will give it as my mother has given it to me, but know that you will probably want to make at least two batches.

2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
water

1. Mix together the eggs, salt, and flour. Slowly add water to the mixture until you can stir the mixture and it is slightly wet. It will be very sticky, but you should be able to portion it with a spoon.
2. Drop small spoonfuls of the dough into salted boiling water. Cook until the nodekli rise to the surface. You may have to do this process in batches if you are making a double batch, depending on the size of you pot.


Refrigerator Cake

I know this recipe sounds really simple, and it is, but it is absolutely delicious. My friend Scott literally thought about it and asked for it again when he came over later that week. I have now promised to make it for his birthday.

3 eggs, separated
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
5 Tbs. prepared coffee
1 Tbs. vanilla
graham crackers, at least one package depending on size of dish

1. Separate the eggs. Whip the egg yolks until fluffy.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Temper the egg yolks by adding a bit of the hot chocolate to them, and then add the yolks to the chocolate. Add the sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Cook the mixture over low heat while stirring constantly for 15 minutes.
3. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture after adding a bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites, tempering them as you did the yolks.
4. Layer the graham crackers with the chocolate mixture so that you have a layer of graham crackers, chocolate, graham crackers, chocolate, and then graham crackers. Refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours. Serve with fresh whipped cream.