Isn't it hard to make pickles??

A couple weeks ago I was at work at the restaurant. I was doing my morning opening duties and I noticed that our giant jar of Spanish Queen Olives that we use for martinis was almost gone. "Ooohhh", I thought. "That would be good for pickles". So I put a note on the jar for the other girls to save me the jar when it was empty. A couple of them asked me, "isn't it hard to make pickles???" Heavens no. Couldn't be simpler. And pickles aren't just cucumbers. You can use any hard vegetables. Cauliflower, carrots, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, cabbage, turnips, kohlrabi, what have you. What's great about this recipe is that they are ready in 1-2 days and they can stay  in the fridge for 3 months! If they last that long. Due to the massive size of my jar, I doubled this. Just make sure the vegetables are completely submerged in the brine.

YAY PICKLES!

Crispy Pickled Vegetables
recipe from: The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley

4 cups water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
1 Tbs finely chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
8 cups assorted hard vegetables, but into bite-sized pieces
3 or 4 sprigs fresh dill

1. To make the pickling brine, combine the water, vinegar, salt, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, and turmeric in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. In a 3 quart glass or ceramic bowl, combine the vegetables and dill - or pack the vegetables into clean mason jars. Cover with the cooled  brine and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Before

After

What should I make with that stock??

How about this?

In most of the country (though not here in Los Angeles) the days are getting chillier. How about warm up with this yummy Indian inspired soup...

Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup

2 Tbs Coconut oil
6 cups cauliflower, cut up into florets
2 carrots, cut into a large dice
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 small onion, diced
1" pice of ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp curry powder
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp tamarind paste (if you don't have this/don't feel like buying it, you can use the other half of the lemon's juice)
sea salt

Melt the coconut oil into a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower, carrots, garlic, onion, ginger and saute until the onion starts to soften. Add all spices and saute, stirring often to toast the spices. Add the stock and cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until cauliflower and carrots can be broken up with a wooden spoon, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree' the soup with an immersion blender (or in a conventional blender) until smooth. Be careful, it's hot. Add tamarind paste, the juice of half a lemon, and sea salt to taste.

Mmmm, spicy comforting goodness

Secret weapon

I'm about to let you all in on my secret weapon, and it's made from garbage. That's right, garbage, waste, refuse, what have you. I started doing this years ago and it still proves to be one of my greatest innovations, though I'm SURE I'm not the first to do this. As we all know, stock imparts far more flavor  than water, but it can get expensive. So I started saving all of my veggie scraps (of which I always have many).  I throw them in gallon sized freezer bags and let them freeze till I have 2 bags full, then I make a great stock with all items that would have ended up in the trash. The last batch I made gave me 4.5 quarts! What a money saver! The following recipe is sort of a throw together. The measurements are approximate and according to taste. Some people don't salt their stock so they can have more control of the seasoning of their soup etc. Me, I like to season it. Also, I add tomato paste (which I also always have in the freezer. I mean who uses a whole can?) because I find it adds a nice richness. If you like a lighter stock, just leave it out. This is very much up to your own taste. Also, I make this in 2 large stock pots because I don't have one that's big enough. If you're lucky enough to have one of those MASSIVE Ina Garten, feed a crowd sized ones, lucky you ;) 2 great things about this stock: 1. It's basically free 2. It has practically no fat at all. WIN! WIN!
Happy stocking...

Veggie Stock

2 galon sized freezer bags worth of veggie scraps: Leek tops, butternut squash peels and seeds, the outside cap of fennel bulbs and their fronds, herbs that are starting to wilt, the woody ends of asparagus, kernel-less corn cobs, tomatoes that have gone soft (but not moldy), carrot peels, kale ribs, potato peels, pretty much you name it.

a few fresh carrots, broken in half

a few fresh celery stalks, broken in half

1 large onion, cut in quarters (no need to peel it)

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

small handful of whole peppercorns

2 bay leaves

combination of fresh/dry herbs of your choice

5 Tbs tomato paste

5 Tbs sea salt

1/2 lemon (optional)

Remove the veggie scraps from the bags and combine all ingredients except for tomato paste and salt into your stock pots (doesn't matter if they're still frozen). Top everything with water up to a few inches above the veggies. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, or until carrots are soft and falling apart.

Next is the straining. This is done twice. The first strain I do is through a colander. I do it in batches and squeeze the veggies with a wooden spoon to get out as much of the stock as I can. Discard the scraps after this. Next I strain it again through a fine mesh strainer to get out anything the colander missed and combine all the strained stock back into one of the pots (assuming it fits).  Now it's time to add the tomato paste and turn the heat back up to high.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook another 30-45 minutes, uncovered. Add salt and taste. If using, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Pour into quart sized freezer containers and freeze. This batch made 4.5 quarts.

Inexpensive goodness

For those of us on a budget, and hell, these days who isn't, the bulk bins are our BFF's. If you don't have a store that has bulk grains, beans etc, I highly recommend finding one. Sooo much cheaper. This recipe is a new favorite at Chez Beaudin. It's good warm, cold, the day of, the next day. Overall very versatile, easy and inexpensive. It comes from a wonderful cookbook called The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley. I've made a couple modifications, but I want to be sure to give my boy Peter credit. While I love me some meat, vegetarian cookbooks are great because they prevent your veggie dishes from becoming boring. For my novice cooks out there, the reason you rinse and sort your lentils is because...
1. They get dusty, yuk
2. Sometimes little stones find their way into the mix. Nothing ruins a meal like eating a rock. Just sort through them and make sure there is all lentils in your lentils

Ok, here we go!

Warm Lentil Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

6-8 dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup green lentils, sorted and rinsed
coarse sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1/2 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice, about half a juicy lemon
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
black pepper
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes with water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the lentils and boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and continue to boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender, but still hold their shape. Drain, transfer the lentils to a mixing bowl, and toss them with 1 Tbs of the oil.

3. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, warm 2 more Tbs of the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir the vegetables and remaining olive oil into the lentils.

4. Drain the tomatoes, slice them into quarters, and add them to the lentil mixture.

5. Season the salad with lemon juice and vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve

Makes 4 servings

The Art of Poaching

Ahh poaching. It can have a rotten wrap, but if you know how to do it, it's something that can be easy, delicious, and very healthy. The following recipe I got from one of my favorite blogs called Orangette written by Molly Weizenberg. I've tried quite a few of her recipes and she never disappoints. This wonderful poached fish I have made quite a few times. I've even substituted the parsley for dill and it's very good as well. It works for many different types of fish, as long as they're not too thin (no Tilapia, sole etc.) but great for Halibut, Seabass, Salmon, anything with a bit of thickness to it. The original recipe is excellent. Especially with a drizzle of good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon and flaked sea salt. Lately I've been using salmon, then chilling it and putting it on top of a large salad with Meyer lemon vinagrette. Mmmm...

So here goes...

Poached Halibut with Sweet Garlic, Parsley, and Lemon

Adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Weeknight Kitchen newsletter

The key to this preparation is Freshness, with a capital F. This dish is built to showcase the clean, delicate flavor of fresh fish and nothing less. Ask your local fishmonger—or even the fish guy at the grocery store, if that’s your best option—when he gets his deliveries, and save this recipe for those days. If you are in Seattle, get yourself—quickly!—over to Wild Salmon Seafood Market, where the fishmongers know their business and get halibut, fresh off the boats, once or twice a day. Likewise, make sure that you use a good, fresh head of garlic: there should be no green shoots poking from the top, and each clove should feel smooth, solid, and not the least bit spongy. And be sure to use an olive oil that, as Rossetto Kasper says, you would want to eat from a spoon. From there, it’s hard to go wrong.

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
8 branches Italian parsley
1 tsp salt
Water
2 (~6-oz.) halibut fillets, skin removed, or another firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod, tilapia, or catfish
Additional Italian parsley branches, for garnish
2-4 juicy lemon wedges, for garnish
Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Salt
Pepper

Place the garlic, Italian parsley, and salt in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan. Add water to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes. It should smell very fragrant.

Meanwhile, measure the thickness of the halibut fillets. They will cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

When the poaching liquid is ready, slip the fillets gently into the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch, adjusting the heat so that the liquid just trembles: it should only bubble a little, and very gently. To test the fish for doneness, make a small slit with a paring knife in the thickest part of the fillet: all but the very center of each piece should be opaque.

When each fillet is ready, use a slotted spatula to transfer it to a serving plate. Garnish the plates with sprigs of Italian parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately, allowing each eater to season their fish at the table with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon.

Yield: 2 servings

Note: If you choose to halve this recipe, do not halve the amount of poaching liquid and aromatics. Halve only the amount of fish.

Hardy Fare

Happy Thursday all.
I work in a restaurant in West Hollywood. No, not in the kitchen but as a server. The other day I was craving something I eat a work pretty regularly. I try my best to avoid gluten, per doctors orders :(. So, no pasta for me, but we do have a pretty great turkey bolognese, which I usually just have the cooks throw over some steamed broccoli or spinach for me. It's mucho delicious. Well, last weekend I thought I would try my hand at my own version and have some tasty leftovers for the next few days for dinner. Here is what I came up with. Though it's not traditional, I added capers and olives, because I had and love them. If you don't, feel free to omit. It's pretty thick, but I did it that way on purpose. If you're serving it over pasta, I might add an extra cup or 2 of marinara to make it more saucy. Also, I used rosemary because I had it. If you have leftover thyme, go ahead and use that. If you like it spicy, add chili flakes. It's pretty versatile

Enjoy my dairy free darlings.

Turkey Bolognese

serves 6 over veggies

1 Tbs coconut oil
1 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced (*see note)
2 tsp rosemary, minced
1 jar good quality marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs capers
a handful of you favorite olives
salt and pepper
a handful of chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt coconut oil in a large skillet. Add the turkey and cook about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and saute with a little salt and pepper for about 5 minutes while the turkey continues to cook through.
3. Add marinara, bay leaf, capers and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss in parsley before serving.

Serve over cooked veggies of your choice. I used broccoli and brussels sprouts

*note: My mother and I have a personal rule. However much garlic a recipe calls for, we double it. As a result, my recipes tend to be garlic heavy. Yum

This is mid way through the process. Sorry no pics of the finished product. We were hungry ;)

What do I do with this Quinoa??

Good afternoon from sunny California!
Ok, new blog and dairy free is the name of the game so lets get this show on the road.
I've been cooking a lot of quinoa lately because I can make a big bowl of it and it is great for leftovers. It is good cold, but also reheats well, so yay quinoa! But I was getting bored with my usual use of chicken stock and herbs, so I decided to mix it up and this is what I came up with. I may try it another time with the addition of anchovy and chili to make it more puttanesca-ey, but for now, I think it's mighty tasty.

Mediterranean Quinoa with Olives

1 tbs coconut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomato purée (or even leftover jarred marinara sauce)
1 bay leaf
A handful of kalamata olives
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

1. Melt the oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for a few minutes, until the onions have started to soften.

2. Add rinsed quinoa and stir. Add purée, chicken stock, bay leaf and olives. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Later gaters