Rice and Veggie Balls

I used a combination of left over rice and vegetables from the night before to make these little vegetarian rice balls for lunch. The rice was cooked in apple juice, chicken stock and thyme, but you can use any cooked white rice. You can also use any vegetables that you want, I used these because they were in the fridge.



Oil for frying
Onion
Garlic
Parsnips
Apple
Cauliflower
Carrot
Fresh Thyme
Rice - cooked
1 Egg - beaten
1/8 cup Flour
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs



Heat the oil over medium high heat.

The onion, garlic, parsnips and apple were cooked in a little olive oil just until the onion became clear. They were left over from another meal. The other veggies were used raw.

Dice all of the vegetables into very small pieces.



Stir the vegetables, herb and rice together.



Mix in one egg and just enough flour to bind the mixture.

Pinch some of the mixture out of the bowl and form it into a ball about the size of a racquetball or golf ball.



Spread the bread crumbs on a plate.

Lightly roll the rice ball in the bread crumbs. Then set it aside, on a plate.



After you have formed one ball, rolled it and set it aside, do another. Continue this until all of the mixture is rolled and breaded.

Chicken Stock

Tony was sick last week and requested chicken noodle soup. It's nice and light and good for your belly, even if you are feeling well.

I started by making chicken stock. I think that in a soup like chicken noodle where the broth is a star it's important to have a lot of flavor in the stock. When you make your own, you can add lots of vegetables. I use left over bits from previous meals. The same veggies that can be used in vegetable stock can be used in chicken stock. Use any that you have on hand. You also have better control over the amount of salt and fat that go into your own stock. But if you must, you can use a store bought one.



1 T EVOO
1 Onion - roughly chopped, peel on
3 Carrots - roughly chopped
4 Celery stalks - roughly chopped
6 Garlic cloves - crushed
Ginger trimmings (peel)
Bell Pepper trimmings (tops and bottoms)
Bay Leaf
s/p
1/2 Chicken* (1 leg, thigh, wing, breast, back, neck)
Water
Green tops of Leeks
Parsley stems
Rosemary stalks

*The neck, back bone, giblets, and wing tips are great for stock. I don't use the kidneys, liver, or heart. I removed the skin from the chicken before I cooked it to lower the fat that I'd have to skim out later. Always rinse your chicken in the sink under cold water, then pat it dry with a kitchen or paper towel. Remember to clean all surfaces that come in contact with raw chicken!

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a stock pot, or any large pot.

Add the next eight ingredients to the pot and sauté for a few minutes.



Salt and pepper the chicken and place it in your pot.



Fill the pot with water, be sure the chicken is covered.



Bring the water to a boil.

Lower the heat so that the stock will simmer and add the rest of the ingredients. (Your herbs and soft vegetables.)

Creamy Garlic Potatoes

These garlicky potatoes are a great side dish. The potatoes are cooked in water and finished in cream and butter with herbs. I know that a lot of people are trying to avoid two of those things, so I have a few suggestions. You can use more EVOO and only a small dab of butter and/or substitute stock for some of the cream. You could also use Greek yogurt instead of cream. This will reduce the amount of fat and calories, and should still make some tasty potatoes, though less rich and creamy.



6-8 medium Red Potatoes
Cold Water
1/2 T EVOO
2 T Butter
Garlic Chili Sauce (or any hot sauce)
2-4 finely chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Green Onion - thinly sliced (green and white parts separated)
Cream ( I didn't measure the cream, I think I splashed about a 1/4 cup into the pot)
Parsley - chopped

Cut the potatoes in half and place them in a pot.



Cover the red potatoes with cold water.



Bring the water up the a boil, then reduce the heat and let them simmer.

Once the potatoes are fork tender, remove them them from the pot and throw the water out.



Place the pot over low heat.

Add your oil, butter, and hot sauce sauce to the pot.



Cook for 30 seconds.

Add the garlic and white onion slices (the bottom half of the onion) to the butter mixture.



Cook the aromatics for one to two minutes. Then, add the potatoes back to the pot.

Gazpacho w/ Crab and Shrimp

Gazpacho is a tomato based Spanish soup prepared with raw fruits and vegetables and is served chilled. It's super lite and refreshing. This soup is a wonderful summer meal from the garden.



Traditionally, gazpacho is made with chunks of bread blended in it. This adds texture to the soup and makes it more hearty. I didn't add bread to this recipe because I wanted a lighter, smoother soup. Instead, I served this gazpacho with silver dollar sized Jalapeño Corn Cakes. This allowed the diners to dip, top, or crumble the bread into their soups individually. I like interactive food, it adds a lot of fun to the dinner table!

Gazpacho

7 Tomatoes
3 Cucumbers - peeled
1 Jalapeño - seeds removed
1 small Onion - grated
1/4 large Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Garlic Clove - minced or pressed
Juice from 1 Lemon
Hot Sauce
Salt
White Pepper

Set two bowls out in your work station, one large and one smaller. Dice all of the fruits and veggies. Place about 1/3 of each in the small bowl and the rest in the large bowl.




Once the veggies are chopped, blend everything that's in the large bowl together until it's smooth. Use a blender of food processor and work in small batches to insure a consistent texture. Once blended, place the soup in a large serving or storing bowl.




Stir your diced fruits and vegetables, from the small bowl, into the blended soup.

Season the gazpacho with lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste as you're seasoning and adjust as needed.

Now, your soup is done. You just need to chill, garnish, and serve.

At this point, the gazpacho is gluten free and vegetarian. To keep it this way, serve in a chilled glass topped with petite diced veggies and garnish with a lemon wedge and/or cucumber slice.

To make your gazpacho a little more fancy (and fun), top it with seafood!

This seafood topping was inspired by The Sample Room's Gazpacho that we ate last summer.

Spicy Red Wine and Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

It snowed another couple of inches last night, so we stayed in. I made this sauce from what was on hand. It turned out to be very tasty! I served it with fettuccine and broccoli, but any pasta and vegetables would work. I think shrimp would be a nice substitute for the chicken too. As always, have fun with it!



1-2 T EVOO
1/2 Onion - diced
1 Celery stalk - dice
s/p
1 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless) - diced into small pieces and seasoned with s/p (optional)
3 cloves Garlic - diced
1/4 - 1/2 c Red Wine
Garlic Chili Sauce (or other hot sauce)
1/2 28oz can Muir Glen Whole Fire Roasted Tomatoes
fresh Thyme
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
1 T cold Butter
1 1/2 c Broccoli Florets - Blanched, Chilled in an Ice Bath, and Drained (not needed for the sauce, but it adds flavor, color and great texture)

If you're making pasta with the sauce, start to boil a large pot of water. I blanched my broccoli, and then cooked the pasta in the same water. Don't forget to heavily salt the water before cooking anything in it.

Heat EVOO in a skillet over med-low heat. Then, add the onions and celery. Stir occasionally.



When the onions are clear, add the chicken pieces to the pan.



Turn the heat up a little so that the chicken browns, but doesn't burn. You're looking for a golden brown.

Stir in the garlic.

Once the chicken has started to brown, deglaze the pan with your red wine. You want the pan to be hot when the wine is added. If you're scared of the alcohol flaring up, turn the flame off as you add the wine. Then, turn it back on.

Use a spatula to scrape up and incorporate any brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan into the sauce.

Radiatori with Squash and Tomatoes

This is a quick and nutritious vegetarian entrée or side dish. Here are some tips to make it your own:

- Substitute whole wheat pasta for a gluten free meal.
- You can add grilled meat, beans, artichokes, broccoli, and/or spinach which are all high in protein and other vitamins.
- A couple spoonfuls of cream at the end will add more fat, but it will also give you a richer, thicker sauce.
- A tablespoon of cold butter added to the tomato sauce before the pasta is tossed in will also help to emulsify it.



1 T EVOO
4 Green onions - sliced (reserve 1/2 of the green parts)
1/2 Bell Pepper - finely diced
4 cloves Garlic - finely diced or pressed
1/2 - 1 T Tomato Paste
1 Yellow Squash - diced
1 Zucchini - diced
s/p
CRP
Trader Joe's 21 Season
Dill
Parsley
3 Fresh Tomatoes
Vegetable Stock
Large Pot of Water
Salt
Radiatori (or another type of pasta)



Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the onion and pepper. Cook for two minutes.

Stir in the garlic and paste. Cook for another two minutes.



Add the next seven ingredients to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally till the squash is tender crisp.

Chipotle Black Bean Dip

I made this dip for a Christmas party. I served it with a store bought chips. Not supper creative, I know, but I was trying to keep it quick and simple.



1-2 T EVOO
1 small Onion - finely diced
6 Garlic Cloves - peeled
2-5 Chipotle Peppers
1 small spoonful of Adobo Sauce
1 can diced RO*TEL Tomatoes
salt
Roasted Ground Cumin
4 cans Black Beans - drained

Heat EVOO on med-hi heat, in a pan that's large enough to hold all of the beans.

When the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan. I like to throw a little piece of onion into the pan as it's heating. When you hear the onion start to sizzle, that means the oil is hot.



If you have a garlic press, use it to press the garlic into the pan. If not, dice the garlic very finely and add it to the pan.

Remove your chipotle peppers from the can and place them on a cutting board. Use the tip of a pairing knife the cut each pepper open from the steam down to the tip. Then, use a fork or spoon to slide the seeds out. Discard the seeds and steams. Chop the peppers up and add them to the pan.



Add a small amount of the adobo sauce with the peppers.

Carrot Soup

I made this soup for a Thanksgiving starter, but I think it would be a great spring/summer soup as well. Adjust the amount of garlic, ginger, and juice to your taste. If you want a sweeter soup, add more apple juice (or you can also substitute orange juice). For a spicier soup, add more garlic and ginger.



2 T Butter
1 T EVOO
2 Celery Stocks - diced
1 Onion - diced
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper
Garlic - minced, diced, or crushed
Ginger - peeled and cut into small pieces
s/p
1 bunch Fresh Thyme
1 t Turmeric
8 Carrots - peeled and sliced
1 large Potato - peeled and diced
1 can Coconut Milk
Apple Juice
4 cups Vegetable Stock

Potato Spinach Enchiladas

I made these enchiladas after it snowed. We didn't want to leave the house, so I used what was on hand. I like to keep a can or two of enchilada sauce in my pantry. It's great for all kinds of quick meals.



This recipe makes 6-8 enchiladas, depending on how full you stuff them.

1 Potato
1 T EVOO
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper - diced
1/4 large Yellow Onion - diced
1-3 cloves Garlic - diced
1 Tomato - diced (peeled and seeded, optional)
s/p
Dried Oregano
CRP
Chili Powder
Fajita Seasoning
Vegetable Stock, Chicken Stock or Water
2 handfuls Spinach
Oil for frying*
Corn Tortillas
1 can Enchilada Sauce
Cheese - shredded or crumbled (I used Feta, Chipotle Gouda, and Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 375°

Clean the potato. Place it in a pot and cover it with cold water. Place a lid on the pot and bring the water up to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the lid. Cook the potato till it's fork tender (the fork should easily slide in and out of it).



As the potato boils, heat the EVOO in a small pan. Add the onion and pepper. Cook for two minutes. Stir garlic into the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.



Add the diced tomatoes to your pan. Stir.



Season the vegetables to taste.



Add a couple splashes of stock or water to the pan, carefully so that you don't splash yourself. Cover the sauce and cook it over med-low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.