potato green bean curry

This has been sitting in my 'to post' pile for a couple of weeks now. Which basically means that I don't remember too much about it, other than conceiving it because it sounded good and it apparently photographed well. The fact that it made it into the 'to post' pile means that it met my expectations taste-wise.

I try to keep my cupboards stocked with curry powder, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, and garbanzo beans, so that I always have the basic staples for curry on hand. Vegetable and starch additions are interchangeable - throw in what you have available or what sounds good. We ate this dish as follows. If you omit the potatoes, I'd recommend serving it over rice or noodles. It would also be great with a side of naan.

Potato Green Bean Curry

Serves 2-3

olive oil

2 handfuls fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

2 handfuls green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 handful mushrooms, sliced

about 7 oz. coconut milk (not lite)

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

chopped cilantro, to top

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix potatoes with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast in oven 10 minutes.

Add green beans to same bowl as used for potatoes. Mix to coat with some of the olive oil that remained in the bowl. After potatoes have roasted for 10 minutes, add green beans to baking sheet and roast an additional 10 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add curry powder and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat. Cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and coconut milk. Cook, stirring occasionally until bubbly.

Add roasted vegetables, garbanzo beans, and mushrooms. Mix well. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 5 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.

lemon herb roasted potatoes

Something has been munching on my recently planted cruciferous vegetable starts in the garden. I did some research online to learn about possible easy (and non-chemical) deterrents. A couple articles I read cited aromatic herbs as something that will fend off some unwanted insects and worms. Perfect. In addition to the pest deterrent (which seems to be working so far), I now have a lot of fresh herbs to cook with.

Here's how I put some of my newly acquired fresh herbs to use, together with fingerling potatoes from the CSA box and a lemon heisted from a neighbor's tree:

Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes

Serves 2

2 handfuls fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced

a generous pinch sea salt

a generous pinch white pepper

a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Arrange the potato rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 30 minutes.

We enjoyed our roasted potatoes with broiled salmon and wilted spinach.

minestrone soup

I woke up at 3am this morning. I lay in bed, knowing I should be sleeping, but unable to turn off my suddenly wide awake mind. So I started thinking about what to make for dinner. Yep, I'm totally serious. I thought through the contents in our fridge and pantry, I thought through what could be added via a trip to the grocery store. What to make, what to make...I finally landed on minestrone soup. Sometime after that, my mind thankfully surrendered itself to dreams again.

Before titling this post minestrone, I did a bit of research to make sure the name would be appropriate. Minestrone is Italian for the big soup. It turns out that there is no set recipe; rather, the content varies across Italy and by season. It can have meat, but doesn't have to (my version is vegetarian). It can contain rice or pasta, but it isn't required (I didn't include any). And it's the perfect way to use up the myriad of veggies in my fridge.

I love recipes like this one, that can be modified based on the ingredients you have on hand. If you don't have everything listed below, don't worry about it - omitting an ingredient or two will still yield a tasty meal. If you have other things in mind that might go well, throw them in, too. Have fun with it! Here's the version we ate for dinner tonight:

Minestrone Soup with Parmesan Toasts

Serves 6ish

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced

1 onion, diced

2 c. potatoes, diced

1-2 c. carrots, diced

1-2 c. celery, diced

1 tsp. dried or 1/2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp. dried or 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 tsp. dried or 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

3 c. vegetable broth

1 c. water

1/2 c. red wine

1 can diced tomatoes (with juiced)

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch baby dino kale, chopped (or substitute 1 bunch regular dino kale, center rip removed and chopped)

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic. At this point, I started chopping my way through the vegetables in the order listed above, adding each to the pot as I was done chopping it, stirring occasionally. By the time you've added the last of the celery, the onion should be translucent, the other veggies are beginning to become tender, and the aroma of simmering veggies fills your house.

Add herbs and spices. Stir well to disperse through veggies. Cook an additional few minutes. Add broth, water, wine, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes (or longer, if you have more time and patience). Add beans and kale. Cook an additional 20 minutes.

Serve hot, topped with parmesan toast if desired (recipe below).

Parmesan Toasts:

olive oil

1 small baguette, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 clove garlic, halved

1/4 c. parmesan, finely grated

Heat oven to 375 degrees. brush baguette rounds with olive oil. Bake 5-7 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden. Once toasts have cooled enough to handle, rub with cut side of garlic. Sprinkle each toast with parmesan. Return to oven until parmesan begins to melt, 2-3 minutes.

One year ago: caramelized carrot risotto

potato leek frittata

Potatoes and leeks have been a popular combination in the kitch lately. Partly because they have both been weekly staples in the CSA box as of late, and partly because they just seem to go so well together. Whereas last week water and cream brought the two together in soup, in this dish, eggs act as the medium. Add some herbs and cheese to create one tasty frittata. Here's what I did:

Potato Leek Frittata

Serves 3-4

olive oil

6 small red potatoes

3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced into thin rounds

freshly ground black pepper

fresh and/or dried herbs (e.g. thyme, rosemary, oregano)

6 eggs

1 c. sharp cheddar, shredded*

chives

*I had both extra sharp cheddar and white cheddar on hand, so used some of each.

Cook potatoes by baking or in the microwave (6 minutes in the microwave in a covered bowl did the trick for me). Cut into 1/2" pieces.

Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks. Stir and cook until they begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs (I had fresh thyme on hand, so tossed that in along with some dried oregano).

Turn broiler on high. On the stovetop, add eggs to pan. Go around the edge of the skillet with a spatula, slicing the egg mixture away from the pan and tilting it at an angle so the raw egg runs underneath to cook.

Once the eggs look mostly set, sprinkle cheese on top. Transfer to oven to finish cooking under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Sprinkle chopped chives over individual servings. (If I'd had sour cream on hand, I would have added a dollop of that as well.)

I paired the frittata with a simple green salad for dinner. Leftovers became breakfast the following morning.

One year ago: orange tempeh & oven roasted broccoli

leek and potato soup

No, not "potato leek soup", but rather "leek and potato soup". Why? Because that is how Julia Child wrote it, and because Mastering the Art of French Cooking is the source of this dish.

As was the case with Momofuku, I'm easing into Mastering the Art of French Cooking by starting with a non-intimidating recipe. Whereas I had originally thought it would be quite difficult to determine where to begin with this monstrous cookbook (it's nearly 700 pages!), it turned out to be an easy choice, since we had both leeks and potatoes on hand from our latest CSA delivery. A hot, classic soup in the middle of winter sounds like just the right way to begin channeling Julia Child.

The original recipe said it would serve 4-6. I cut it in half (which was more than JR and I could eat). The amounts below reflect my adjustments of the amounts. Here's how it goes:

Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 3-4

2 c. peeled potatoes, sliced

1 1/2 c. thinly sliced leeks, including tender greens

1 qt. water (about 4 cups)

1 tsp. salt

2-3 Tbsp. whipping cream

1-2 Tbsp. minced chives

Simmer vegetables, salt, and water in a partially covered medium soup pot 40-50 minutes, until vegetables are tender. At this point, the recipe says to mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food mill. I used my immersion blender instead.

Taste and "correct seasoning".

Off heat just before serving, stir in cream. Pour into soup cups and "decorate with herbs". Enjoy!

roasted garlic mashed potatoes with leeks

As promised, here is the recipe for the mashed potatoes that accompanied the macadamia crusted halibut featured in my last post. The original recipe is from The New California Cook. I adjusted it by reducing the potatoes (original recipe calls for 3 pounds - a bit too much for 2 people!) and adjusting the amounts of some of the other ingredients slightly.

I've never really known what to do with leeks. They show up in the weekly CSA box occasionally and almost always end up being turned into stock (the typical destination for veggies in my house once they've passed their freshness prime). This recipe has given me a new appreciation for them - I cooked them for the long end of the range called for, which meant they had begun to caramelize. The flavor is somehow delicate, sweet, and rich at the same time. I'm going to have to start experimenting more with leeks!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Leeks

Serves 3-4

olive oil

5 garlic cloves, peeled

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), cleaned and finely chopped

6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 inch chunks

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. half and half

salt & freshly ground white pepper

Put peeled garlic cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Close foil around garlic to create a sealed package. Place on a cookie sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. Set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Set aside.

Immerse potatoes in cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain potatoes and put in a large pot. Cover with water, then bring to boiling and allow potatoes to continue to cook for 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Over high heat, dry the potatoes, tossing them occasionally for 1 to 2 minutes, or until all the moisture has evaporated.

Put the potato cubes and garlic through a ricer or mash with a potato masher (I used a masher, as I like my mashed potatoes to have some texture). Add butter and olive oil. Slowly pour in the half and half, stirring until potatoes are creamy but not soupy (I added a little less than called for). Add the leeks and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

twice baked potatoes: cole's original

I don't think I've had a twice baked potato since I was a kid. That changed last week. My mom reminded me of them when she was visiting. 

Now that I have a fresh memory of how good they are, you'll probably see multiple variations pop up here in the near future (similar to my recent discoveries of frittas and risotto).

The possibilities for mix-ins and toppings are endless. Because of this, twice baked potatoes can be a good "clean out the fridge" dish. Throw in whatever you have that you think will taste good. Serve with some soup or salad, and you have yourself a meal. This version keeps it simple: topped with cheese & meat. I'm going to call it my original twice baked potato recipe.

Twice Baked Potatoes: Cole's Original

Serves 2

2 medium potatoes*

olive oil

coarse sea salt

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

proscuitto, baked or pan fried until crisp

freshly ground black pepper

*Russet potatoes are the most common for baking. I had several good sized red potatoes on hand (which I would typically use for roasting), which I used this time. The skin of a red potato isn't as thick as a russet, so if you use red potatoes, be careful not to break the skin when scooping out the flesh.

Scrub potatoes under water with a potato brush. Pierce each several times with a fork (this allows the steam to escape while cooking and will keep your potatoes from exploding in your oven). Rub each potato with olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake in a dish in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Allow the potatoes to cool enough to be handled. Cut each in half and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, being careful not to break the skin. Place the skins on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Mash the scooped out potato flesh with sour cream and a generous grinding of black pepper. Scoop the flesh back into the potato skins. Top with proscuitto and grated cheese.

Return to oven and bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes.

My only issue with these particular potatoes was their lack of green (though we did eat them with a fresh salad from the garden). It hit me while they were in the oven (for their second baking) that I should have included some finely chopped kale. I will definitely do that the next time I make these.

What would you add?

what to do with a head of cabbage

This week's CSA box included a head of green cabbage. It actually stressed me out a little. The cabbage recipes I could online find were almost exclusively of the slaw/chinese chicken salad variety, neither of which sound appealing to me in the middle of winter (yes, it's even raining in California). Luckly, as it often does, 101 cookbooks saved the day.

Heidi Swanson seems to have a sixth sense for cooking. I'm always amazed to find that in many cases, the perfect recipe I find on her site was posted only days earlier. It's like she knows what's going to come out of my kitchen before I do! In this particular instance, the recipe was Rustic Cabbage Soup. 

I admit it: cabbage soup is not something that sounds like it's going to be very tasty (but rather like something that would be served in a Dickens novel), however I will personally vouch for this one. JR went back for seconds. 

Check out the Rustic Cabbage Soup Recipe at 101 cookbooks. Enjoy!

    

some spice on sunday

My first attempt at kale and potato soup was made a few weeks ago. While good, it wasn't wow. But the flavor combination definitely had potential. I made a note to revisit the idea when I had the basic ingredients on hand again. Fast forward to today. I spent some time online this morning and found a number of recipes for Caldo Verde - Portuguese Kale Soup. I decided to try a twist on this tradition, replacing the chourizo with chourizo-like spices: paprika, mexican oregano, and ground chili. I also added pinto beans for protein. It went like this:

Spicy Kale & Potato Soup

Serves 4

olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp. ground chili

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. mexican oregano

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 medium potatoes, peeled & diced

4 c. veggie stock or water

1/2 bunch curly kale, stems removed and cut into fine julienne

15 oz. pinto beans, rinsed

I started by making a light veggie stock: the stems trimmed from the kale, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, a few mixed pepper corns, and about 6 cups of water. Bring this to a boil, then allow to simmer for about an hour. If lacking the time or patience for this, use water instead.

Cook the onion over medium heat in a large pot until translucent. Add the garlic and spices, stir well, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add potatoes and stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until the potatoes are done (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally.

At this point, the goal is to mash up the potatoes. You can do this by hand, either using a masher or by pressing the potatoes with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot. I used my immersion blender, blending until the soup was almost smooth.

Add the kale. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the kale is cooked (about 5 minutes). Add pinto beans. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the soup sit so the flavors can meld together (the longer it sits, the more the flavors will blend). When nearly ready to serve, taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary. At this point, I added a dash of Joe's Cosmic Good Stuff Chile (JR's fathers special blend of crazy hot chiles, dried and ground), reheated the soup, and served it hot with rustic bread.

The verdict? I'd say it beats the recipe I tried a few weeks ago, though there still seems to be something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe more spice? I'm going to mix some more of Joe's Cosmic Chile in and let the flavors meld overnight. I'll report back tomorrow.