Miso-Garlic Sweet Potatoes

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Miso-Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Ever so slowly, I’m beginning to incorporate sweet potatoes into meals. I am fully aware of the loaded nutrient punch that sweet potatoes throw; however, eating potatoes is very hard for me. Being the daughter of an Englishman is wonderful on many levels. Travel opportunities abound and all your friends love your dad’s accent and it’s Britain, and Britain is amazing. However, one of the negative side effects is that I ate more potatoes than an enthusiastic Idaho resident in the midst of marathon training. A side effect from the thousands of potatoes consumed during my formative years: a general aversion to potatoes of all kinds with the exception of Purple Peruvian Potatoes. Purple potatoes make the cut for three reasons: 1) the awesome alliteration; 2) they are purple and I love purple things; and, 3) In Costa Rica, I was lucky enough to have the world’s best Purple potatoes from my awesome chicken lady and I tend to recreate them and relish the memories and the food. The side effects of the side effects are also my justification for not liking French fries until fairly recently.

So long story long, sweet potatoes are full of beneficial nutrients and a good source of carbs for those with an active work-out regimen. I will not touch sweet preparations of sweet potatoes, but this savory preparation compliments the natural sweetness of the orange starch whilst delivering a savory bite with an umami finish. Miso paste is a good source of umami and a breeze to make into a sauce. I roasted these with some miso and garlic paste and then made additional sauce to pour over the hot potatoes (oh how cliché) after removing them from the oven. The result is a triumph of texture that is given a lovely silky texture from the sauce and rendered slightly crispy with a soft center from the roasting. By all means, if you want to throw some rendered duck fat into the pan feel free.   I ended up throwing what I had leftover into some quinoa a couple days later. You could also make a mash with these same ingredients and a different preparation.

Note: I used roasted garlic that I had from the chicken that I was roasting immediately prior to roasting the sweet potatoes. You can use fresh garlic that has been made into a paste or  even powdered garlic if you have no other options. Whole Foods sells pre-roasted garlic, so you can always skip all the prep work on roasting it (simple as the process is we all have our days) and pick it up.

Miso Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Two medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into half-inch cubes
Six roasted garlic cloves (more or less to taste)
Four tablespoons Miso Paste
One tablespoon Sriracha (optional or to taste)
One tablespoon Mirin
Salt and Pepper
Two tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil or Garlic Olive Oil

Optional Garnish

Two tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Chopped Chives or Scallions

On a large baking sheet, toss the cut sweet potatoes with two tablespoons oil (using more if necessary to coat), two tablespoons miso paste, and a couple god pinches of salt and black pepper. Roast on 375 degrees for about 50 minutes, removing halfway through to stir the potatoes. Test with your eyes and a fork – the outside should be crispy and nicely browned and the inside should be tender. Shortly before removing the potatoes, mix the remaining Miso paste (using more at your discretion), garlic cloves, sriracha, and mirin very well mashing the softened garlic cloves. To achieve a more liquidy consistency or to subdue the miso, you may need to add more Mirin. Remove the potatoes and put into a serving vessel. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat gently. Garnish with sesame seeds that have been toasted for a few minutes in a dry pan on the stove and scallions if desired.

Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

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Accidents happen. Luckily, those accidents can sometimes turn out better than original intention. Take,  for example, this stew. It was an accident and the direct result of indecisiveness. It is also example of one of the [very] few times that indecisiveness has worked in my favor. Almost like the light bulb went off in the pan. To be fair, the ridiculous sale ($1.50/lb) that Whole Foods had on organic, bone-in chicken breast was also to blame as I bought enough to feed an army with virtually no free freezer space. I needed to make something that used a large amount of chicken and, preferably, something I could eat all week and freeze – most likely in someone else’s freezer –  if there was any remaining. I was torn between making a green chili chicken stew, which I love ( and also because my mom just passed off a Costco-sized jar of green chilis to me) and making something similar to Red Lentil and Veggie Soup (because it was so damn good the first go round). The result was that many of the same ingredients went into the pan with southwestern spices versus the Asian infusion that made the lentil soup delightful. That said, southwest spices are something to write home about as well so everyone wins. The addition of corn, spinach, and kale  (and my need to remove stuff from the freezer to accommodate the copious amounts of chicken I had purchased) also had a hand in steering me away from green chile chicken. However, I did use a hefty amount of green chilis in a futile attempt to put a dent in the ones given to me. In the end, the accidental stew turned out quite robust and flavorful. I hope did the Southwest proud.

Note: The reasons I did not use the same beans was because I only had those two cans and some Garbanzo beans on hand. Use whatever beans you like! Personally, I have a thing for kidney beans – but I do not discriminate. I am a bonafide bean freak. Yes I know, we all know about my obsession with beans…

Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

Serves four-six, plus leftovers

One can each Kidney Beans, Cannellini, and Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
One bag frozen corn (or canned)
Four bone in chicken breasts
Two cups frozen or fresh Kale
Three cups frozen or fresh Spinach
Six Carrots, cut into semi-thick slices
Two Onions, diced
Ten cloves garlic, minced
Two Bay leaves
Eight quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
Two tablespoons Ground Cumin (adjust to taste)
Half-tablespoon Cayenne (adjust to taste)
Two tablespoons Ground Coriander
One tablespoon Oregano
Two cups fresh Cilantro
Two cups leftover Spaghetti Squash (optional)
One can Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
One cup (to one and a half) Chopped Green Chilis
Juice of one lemon

 *I did not add celery to my mirepoix which means I must not have had it on hand. Incorporate it if you like.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (additional spicing as desired) and brown in a good amount of  oil a large dutch oven. Once browned on each side, remove meat from pan and reserve. Add the mirepoix (carrots, onion, garlic) with a pinch of salt and sauté until onion becomes glassy. Add a cup of the chicken stock and deglaze the pot for a minute or so, then add remainder of chicken stock, the tomatoes, and the green chilis to the pot. Add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, bay leaves, oregano, a good couple pinches salt, and any additional seasoning that you desire. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer, covered, for up to four hours. Thirty minutes before you plan to remove the stew from heat, add in one cup of the fresh cilantro, beans, and the juice of half the lemon. Test for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Ten minutes before removing from heat add the spaghetti squash, frozen corn, kale and spinach. Add additional lemon juice as desired or necessary. Garnish with remaining cilantro when serving.

Blueberry and Artic Char Tartare

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The dog days of Texas’ summer are rough. Texans are now virtually either confined to our air conditioned houses or a body of water for the next six to seven months.  In my kitchen, I am noticing a trend towards raw, cold, crunchy dishes to offset the sweat I worked up walking from my car to the front door. Apart from the eggs the kiddos are cooking on the concrete, I really do not have much of a desire to be near my stove or oven for very long. This Tartare uses Arctic Char,  quite similar to salmon boasting a nice firm texture and is a bit more mild salmon taste. It also generally comes with a cheaper price Fresh Wild Coho Salmon (which is the only Salmon you should buy in stores). I picked some up because it was beautiful and the Coho was a little less than stellar that day. I needed to use up some fruit, green onion, and avocado. Given my love of all things raw, it really is not shocking that I threw fruit together with fish (particularly since I routinely eat salmon with apples and kale). This salad is light, refreshing, healthy, full of antioxidants, and – most importantly – stove-free.  I served this with Kale Avocado Salad and was a supremely happy and sweat-free girl.

Blueberry and Artic Char Tartare 

Serves One (or two smaller portions)

Four ounces Fresh Arctic Char, skinned and cut into dice
Half cup blueberries
One cup papaya, cut into small dice
One quarter avocado, cut into dice
Two green onions, diced
Two tablespoons Lars Crispy Onions
One tablespoon Ginger People Ginger Lime Sauce
Juice of One-Half Lime or Lemon
Pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adjust sauce and seasoning according to taste preference and serve immediately.

Faux Porky Pho

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Homemade Faux Porky Pho

Any mention of “Pho” and my mouth waters. I mean serious droolage. I dubbed this “pho” faux because I veered from the traditional ingredients and pho making method and also because Faux is the incorrect pronunciation of Pho. The correct pronunciation sounds like “fuh.”  “Porky” made it to the title because I used multiple versions of porky goodness. Many thanks to James and Sus who smoked two pork butts for a housewarming party recently; I am definitely a butt girl. I have raved about these in my Bacon Wasabi  Slaw post previously so I will spare you a second emphatic accolade – though these fine specimen’s of God’s Meat deserve at least a second mention.

If you were actually making pho at home, you would likely have more ingredients and a longer cooking time. Because I was using up stuff that I had made previously, I did not need to roast bones, simmer meat, and infuse broth with the flavors of onion and other ingredients so my cooking time was much less. I  used shredded pork butt  as my meat versus meatball or shaved beef. I used some non-traditional toppings, including  Bacon Wasabi Slaw in place of bean sprouts. The broth was a combination of homemade chicken stock, pork juice and jelly, and some purchased Beef Pho base (Pacific Kitchen brand) along with most of the traditional pho seasonings (I left out fennel because I did not have any and added turmeric because it is good for you). I also subbed soba noodles for rice vermicelli to eliminate soaking them. Fauxness aside, this homemade pho was faux-king DELICIOUS. The broth was rich with intriguing depth and layers of flavor. It managed to satiate the perpetual pho craving I cannot seem to kick.  Seriously, there should be pho rehab.  I imagine this soup would be the gateway drug….and I am a full-blown addict.

As with most everything I make, I have no idea how much of what I threw in, so operate on the usual “guestimate” theory and adjust spices according to your personal preferences. Oh, and I am drooling.

Faux Porky Pho

Serves 2-3, with leftovers

Two Cups Chicken Stock (homemade preferably)
Two Cups Beef Pho Base (substitute chicken or beef stock and add more seasoning)
Half-Cup Pork Jelly (or the gelatin of some other earthly animal)
Juice from half a lime
Two cups pulled pork butt
One tablespoon crushed red pepper
One tablespoon fish sauce
Two to Three tablespoons Hoisin sauce
A good pinch cane sugar
Three tablespoons minced ginger
Sriracha to taste
Five cloves
Half-Tablespoon ground coriander
One cinnamon stick
Two to three star anise pods, whole
One cardamom pod
Half-Tablespoon ground turmeric
Buckwheat Soba Noodles, cooked to package instructions

Toppings
Bacon Wasabi Slaw
Thinly Sliced Jalapeno
Chopped Green Onion
Thinly sliced radishes
Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
Lime wedges
Extra Hoisin, Sriracha, and Fish sauce for serving

Combine pork juice, jelly, stock, pho base in a large stock. Bring to a simmer and add the ginger, crushed red pepper, sugar, fish sauce, hoisin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and turmeric. Let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour and then add the pulled pork. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to instructions and then add them to the broth. Squeeze in the lime juice and adjust seasoning according to taste. Serve with suggested toppings.

Mango-Jicama Slaw

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Mango-Jicama Slaw

Jicama salads are just plain good. Jicama is an awesome texture element providing great crunch without having any overpowering flavor. This is just one of thousands of variations of Jicama salad and feel free to add whatever you fancy to it to meet your personal tastes. I also like it with carrots, radicchio, or avocado. I went for the simple version on Cinco de Mayo because I already was making guacamole, black bean corn salsa and pico. Clearly, that is just not enough food, so was forced to add this slaw to the mix (or maybe I desperately needed to use up some leftover mango and Jicama). This is great as a topping for tacos or enchiladas, grilled fish/chicken/meat, or simply eaten on its own. To me the crunchy Jicama is is the yin to the soft, sweet, juicy mango’s yang.

Mango-Jicama Slaw

Serves Four to Six

One to two Mangoes, diced
One half to one whole Jicama, sliced into thin straws or diced
Three tablespoons red onion or shallot, finely shaved or diced
Two cups Cilantro
Lemon Juice (from one lemon)
One-half tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Salt

Combine Mango, Onion, Cilantro and Jicama in a serving bowl. In a small bowl mix together salt, vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour over fruit mixture and stir well to combine.

Kale and Avocado Salad

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Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad may be  IS the King Kong of salads. It is quite possibly one of the healthiest and most nutritious meals you can have for lunch, snack, or dinner (kale has a ANDI score of 1,000). It meets almost all dietary restrictions (no oil, limited salt, no meat, dairy free) and gets richness from tangy avocado – a healthy fat. I became mildly addicted to a similar salad that Whole Foods makes in their prepared, raw foods section. Their version had a bit too much lemon for me and I much prefer not paying four bucks every time I crave this. The best part about making this at home is that you can add whatever you like to it. I tend to make a different version each time. Ingredients I have added include: mango; apple; chickpeas; and, zucchini ribbons. It is important not to let your significant other watch you make this as the massage the kale gets might invoke jealousy. In order to break down the fibrous raw kale, you must massage lemon juice and salt (for proper flavoring) into the kale. Really put some elbow grease during this rub down and you will not believe that the Kale, properly softened, is not actually cooked.

 Words of caution – if you do not like Kale, you may not like this salad. This is not for those who (quite inexplicably) despise kale. It tastes like kale. It is great for all the kale lovers out there. Which reminds me, D recently bought me a shirt that says KALE on it – it is amazeballs (and indicative of how much kale I eat). I am pretty sure he stole it a bite or two even though he pulls a gag face when I pull big bundles of kale out of the fridge. Time to sneak some kale into his quinoa…

Note: The pictured version includes mango, radish and apple. Feel free to use one, two or all.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Serves Four

One bunch Green Kale
One large Haas Avocado
One half red onion, very thinly sliced
One red apple, thinly sliced (sub mango or other fruit if desired)
Two teaspoons Kosher Salt
Juice of One lemon

De-stem the kale leaves and wash well. Drain leave and tear roughly. In a large bowl combine the kale, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle mixture with salt and squeeze lemon juice directly onto the greens. Using both hands, massage the kale while simultaneously mixing the greens. Massage strongly until kale has softened and all elements are incorporated. Add apple and black pepper to taste and mix well.

Serve on its own or with your favorite chicken salad, quinoa, fish or grilled chicken.

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

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Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

This soup is something along the lines of an “East Meets West Minestrone” or maybe  a worldly interpretation of “everything-but-the-kitchen sink” soup; either way, it is a darn successful example of fusion food.  The soup’s benefit list is long: comforting, healthy, nutritious, restorative, flavorful (with anti-cancer spices as well), easy, a breeze to make from your freezer and pantry, affordable…the list goes on. All with just a twist on the every day garden veggie soup. I created this (and in doing so, greatly elevated my self-esteem) to use up A LOT of leftover food including: chicken; chicken stock; cooked squash; zucchini; and, carrots. Then I just added ingredients from the pantry or freezer that are usually on hand and – VOILA! There is one stipulation: you MUST use homemade broth as it will give the soup depth and richness and also is essential for the restorative factor (your body likes what the bones of animals put into stocks). Homemade broth, inclusive of the gelatin that is formed, is incredibly restorative for a tired or aching body (and probably has something to do with the “comfort” in comfort food). Omission of homemade broth will lessen the amazeballs quality that this soup has. And, yes, amazeballs is a legitimate adjective in Andiland.

Note: I made this a while back and cannot recall the exact amount of what spice that ended up going in. The quantities listed below are more like suggestions. If you are a confident spicer, you will know what to do; however, if you follow a recipe to the “t” you may want to start with a bit less, taste along the way, and add as desired. The curry powder is a blend that is Barons Thai Curry Blend Secret #52 (available at Whole Foods). You can substitute your favorite curry powder in its stead. I think the only difference is the presence of onion and red pepper flakes. If you have a Parmesan rind you would like to throw in, go for it – I did not (though I usually do with broth-based soups) and did not miss it one bit.

I really have to make more broth so that I can have this again! Please do not be scared of the long ingredient list – this is a cinch and you just throw stuff in!

There are no pictures of this soup unfortunately. I was too busy eating it to snap a picture. Next time…

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

Serves Six (unless I am around and that number reduces to One)

Two cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
About two tablespoons Ground Cumin
Two Tablespoons Thai Curry Powder (add additional to taste)
Three teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne (optional)
A good pinch or two of Salt (add one first and taste before adding more)
Juice of one lemon 
One and one-half yellow onions, diced
Eight to ten cloves garlic, minced  
One Box (or can) Chopped tomatoes
Six to Eight cups Homemade Stock
Five carrots, sliced and quartered
Two celery stalks, leaves attached, sliced
One Bay leaf
One tablespoon olive oil
One package Frozen 365 Organics Kale
Two Zucchini, cut into quarters  
Three Cups fresh, frozen or dehydrated Green Peas
Two cups (or more) cooked Spaghetti Squash
Two cups Red Lentils, washed well in cold water
One half cup of chicken stock gelatin
Two cups shredded chicken breasts (I had some leftover, but you can also cook the breasts in the soup if you wish)
Black pepper to taste

In large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots and allow to sweat until onions are glassy. Add the stock and gelatin and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin, curry blend, cayenne, bay leaf, and salt, (which can be pre-mixed in a small bowl) and stir well. Add the lentils, kidney beans, and tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes. Check the lentils for doneness (should have about 10 more minutes or so and check the soup for seasoning deficiency (and/or awesomeness). Try to stop testing the soup…it will be hard, but you can do it. Add the chopped zucchini, kale, spaghetti squash, chicken, and a squeeze of lemon (use more or less to taste). After about five minutes add the peas. Serve with whole grain bread or with a salad (or all by its Divine self).

Mexican Quinoa

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Mexican quinoa can be thought of as a healthy, and more flavorful, version of Mexican Rice (or Spanish Rice). I made this to go with enchiladas after having some chipotle southwest quinoa from Central Market that had inspired the idea. It was more of an after thought on Cinco de Mayo as I was afraid we might not have enough food – horrific I know. I used what I had leftover from other dishes on the menu which included my enchiladas, black-bean corn salsa, garlicky guacamole, mango-jicama slaw, and some watermelon-jalapeno margaritas. It was so delicious that I have made it twice since then. In all honesty, I plan on making it tonight as well!

Quinoa is a much healthier substitute for rice, and the blend that I used included barley further increasing the nutritious benefits of whole grains. The final version of the dish is also much less greasy than traditional Spanish rice (which I have always found to be reminiscent of Japanese fried rice without the flavor). It would be great on its own as a vegan/vegetarian treat or served with grilled fish, chicken, or other meat – thus far I have had it with enchiladas, chicken, and scallops. Best part is the time commitment; you can easily have this whole dish ready to eat in twenty minutes.

Mexican Quinoa

Serves three to four

One dry cup Central Market Red Quinoa and Barley 10-minute mix prepared in two cups chicken or veggie stock
Two tablespoons olive oil, mixed with one tablespoon ground cumin, one tablespoon adobo, half-tablespoon tumeric, pinch of salt, and paprika/cayenne to taste
One-half red (or white) onion or shallot, minced
Three cloves garlic, minced
One half jalapeno, minced
Two tomatoes, diced
One avocado, Diced
One cup cilantro
Lemon wedge or Half
A cup of Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

In a small saucepan, bring two cups of preferred stock (lightly salted) to a boil. Add in one cup of Quinoa of choice, reduce heat and simmer until cooked. Meanwhile, combine olive oil and spices in a bowl and mix well. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Once glassy, turn heat to low and add the tomatoes, avocado, salsa, and cilantro. Give a quick stir, then add cooked quinoa to the pan; mix well. Squeeze the lemon wedge/half and adjust seasoning to taste. Mix well and serve.