Tag Archives: garlic

May 02 2013
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Beef, We Eat Well

Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry

Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry

Between my Indy Mini training (which is Saturday!!!) and Jon and I getting Ginger Kitchen Gourmet Ice Cream up and running, I’ve had little time to share our scrumptious recipes with you. This week’s recipe is simply too good to keep to ourselves. If you’re looking for a flavor-packed, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare meal, this one is for you. You can tone down the heat by omitting the Serrano peppers and scaling back the ginger. If you’re a paleo fan, you can omit the rice- the stir fry is substantial enough to stand alone. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
  • 8 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 scallions, whites chopped, greens sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 Fresno Serrano, sliced into rings
  • Steamed rice (for serving)

Preparation

Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set sauce aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; wipe out skillet.

Season steak with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add steak in a single layer; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add to Brussels sprouts. Drain skillet if necessary.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, adjusting heat as needed. Add carrots and Serrano pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until carrots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Return Brussels sprouts and steak to skillet and add reserved sauce. Cook, tossing occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with scallion greens.

 

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Jan 21 2013
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Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta

Poached eggs

While planning our weekly menu last week, I ran across this interesting Tunisian dish and decided to give it a try. I’ve never poached an egg the old fashioned way, so it seemed ambitious to tackle this shakshuka recipe, but I’m nothing if not brave in the kitchen. To add even more pressure, Bo came over for dinner, so I was cooking for two of my culinary heroes! It’s easier to make than it looks and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Next time, I may add chorizo to give it more substance and swap the pita for some naan, but overall, it was a success.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded, finely chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup coarsely crumbled feta
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • Warm pita bread

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeños; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add chickpeas, paprika, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Add crushed tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta evenly over sauce. Crack eggs one at a time and place over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 5–8 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with pita for dipping.

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Sep 10 2012
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From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Garden Grown Tomato Sandwich

My favorite season has arrived! Tomato season!

I’ve loved tomatoes for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid and had dinner on the farm with my Papa and Nana, I often ate an entire tomato with my meal. I think they are darn near perfect. They are great alone. They are great on salads. They are great in sandwiches. But, they are especially great as the primary ingredient of a sandwich, and I wanted to share my favorite late summer/early fall meal with you. It’s simple. It’s refreshing. We have entered the season during which I will eat one of these every day for as long as the garden tomatoes keep coming.

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Soft Oatmeal bread
  • 1/2 tomato, sliced
  • 1/2 cup mix greens
  • 1 Tbsp. Miracle Whip
  • Garlic and sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Toast the bread, spread with miracle whip, sprinkle with garlic and sea salt. Top with tomatoes and lettuce.

 

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Apr 02 2012
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From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Cheese Ravioli with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

This is probably one of the easiest meals we’ve ever made. We used pre-made cheese raviolis and a jar full of tomatoes from last year’s garden. That’s about it. Seasoned with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, this dish was a great week night meal… filling, fresh and flavorful.

Preparation

Prepare ravioli according to package instructions. Heat tomatoes in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once pasta is done, place on a plate and scoop tomato mixture over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

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Aug 01 2011
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From the Garden, On the Grill

Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

Hey look- I am blogging. It’s me, Jon, the work horse behind this adventure. I even took the picture for this post!

Last week, I had one of those evenings where my wife has a few social engagements after work, which means she’s out eating fancy food and doesn’t need me to make dinner. It worked out well because I too have to meet friends for drinks.  However, I still wanted to fill my belly before hitting the road (I biked to my rendezvous).  So I thought about what we have in our garden and came up with grilled eggplant covered in a bruschetta mix. It was pretty good- not very filling- but a good prequel to the nachos I had later while out.

  • 1 eggplant, sliced on angle, 3/4 inch thick
  • olive oil
  • 6 large grape tomatoes (or 2 Romas)
  • 2 tablespoons kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • black pepper to taste
Brush eggplant with olive oil and grill directly on the grill. Mix remaining ingredients together. Place bruschetta mix on grilled eggplant and serve.
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Jul 27 2011
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From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Eggplant & Basil Pizza with Cornmeal Crust

Saturday morning, Jon and I visited the Barr Street Market and picked up some white eggplant, also known as melitzana, which are long and slender vegetables and contain less water than “normal” eggplant. Early Sunday morning, Jon harvested a ton of basil and oregano from the garden, so I decided to make an eggplant and basil pizza. Usually, we use a crust containing yeast that must rise overnight, but this time I found a recipe for a cornmeal crust that was ready in minutes.

 

Overall, the pizza turned out great- the fresh basil, combined with some pesto we made a few weeks ago, really packed a lot of flavor into each piece. The texture and taste of the cornmeal crust, typically used for a mexican style pizza, added interest and ended up complementing the flavors well. In just under an hour, we had a fresh and tasty homemade pizza.

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt onto your work surface or in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the water and olive oil. Combine and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is elastic and shiny. Set aside.

Toppings:

  • 2 cups fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
  • 2 white eggplants, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
Preheat oven to 390 degrees. Grease a pizza tray or baking sheet. Roll the cornmeal dough to less than 1/4 inch thick. In this case, there’s no need for perfection- odd shaped pizzas taste better. Transfer dough to baking sheet. Spread with pesto. Top with tomatoes, then eggplant, basil and oregano. Sprinkle with garlic and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pizza crust is crisp and golden.
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Dec 01 2010
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We Eat Well

The Best Chili for the First Snow

Today, we received our first snow of the season. While it’s cold and blustery outside, Jon and I were warm and toasty inside thanks to his adaptation of Havana Moon Chili from epicurious.com. Don’t let the ingredients scare you away, this chili is a keeper.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • one 14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
  • one 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved
  • 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
  • 2 cups cooked black beans
  • 2 cups cooked white rice

    • Preparation

    Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the pork and beef, and cook until browned. Drain off the excess fat.

    Add the beef broth and tomatoes, squashing each tomato by hand before adding it. Stir in the vinegar, raisins, spices, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cook 30 minutes, partially covered. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes more. Add the olives and almonds and cook an additional 5 minutes.

    To serve, place a mound of beans and a mound of rice in each bowl. Ladle the chili on top.

    Adaptations

    Jon used golden raisins in place of “regular” raisins, and diced chicken, pork and beef in place of ground pork and ground chuck. He reduced the rice to 1 cup, and we mixed the black beans and rice into the mixture while it cooked, instead of pouring it over the beans and rice afterward. We topped ours off with sour cream. Delish.
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    Aug 21 2010
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    We Eat Well

    Hearty Bean Soup with Smoked Pork Neck

    On one  of his many trips to the grocery store this week, Jon made his habitual pass past the meat. “I am always looking for cheap meat.” Smoked Pork Neck! “What the heck is that? Well, I don’t need it, but I am up for the challenge.” When he got home he searched for recipes and found a site called cheapassfood.com and a recipe called “Hearty Bean Soup with Smoked Pork Neck,” just perfect for a rainy Saturday. He did make a few small changes to the original recipe. Total cost- $3.80, with enough to last several meals.

    1 lb 16 bean dry mix

    1 large onion chopped

    2 celery stalks

    2 medium carrots, unpeeled

    2/3 jalapeno, with seeds

    5 cloves garlic, chopped

    3/4 lb smoke pork neckbones

    4 cups chicken broth

    2 cups water

    2 bay leafs

    1 sprig of Rosemary

    Fresh basil

    Soak bean mixture in water overnight “to get the farts out.” Sautee in the soup pot, onion, celery, carrots, jalapeno and garlic in a tablespoon of Olive Oil, until onions and celery are softened. Rinse and add beans. Add pork neck bones, chicken broth, water, rosemary, basil and bay leafs. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low, 3 hours. Remove bay leaves and any stems from the herbs. Remove neck bones, separate meat and return to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Saltines.

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    Aug 19 2010
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    We Eat Well

    Tilapia Fillets with Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Because the Tilapia Fillets just looked so good, Jon picked some up and came home to start cooking. And because we have more tomatoes from the garden than we know what to do with, he whipped up some tomato sauce to go with them.

    Tilapia

    2 Tilapia Fillets

    Salt

    Pepper

    Flour

    Wash fish, pat dry. Sprinkle and press in salt and pepper. Toss in flour. Pan fry in a thin layer of Canola oil.

    Tomato Sauce

    2.5 pints of garden grown grape tomatoes

    6 cloves of garlic

    ½ large Vandalia onion, cut in half

    Salt

    Pepper

    Oregano

    Fresh Basil

    1/3 jalapeno with seeds, cut off tip, quartered

    ¼ cup pine nuts

    Roast the tomatoes, onions and garlic in the broiler till slightly charred. Place all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.

    *Note, Jon would do without the pine nuts next time

    Yummy!

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