Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!
By Dani
As everybody has said, it's really, really hard to pick a favorite Food Lush post, so I'm going to go with my gut and what I'm enjoying this week: Tara C.'s Zuppa di Anglio Fresco has been fighting off cold winds and germs for me lately, and I love it.
For me, I have to pick Tell Me: Starbucks vs. Indie Coffee - a topic that is oddly close to my heart. It's also a post that recalls one of the things I have loved about Food Lush: that it's a place to relive travels, bounce around ideas, debate the merits of food-related issues and try new things. Thank you for being a part of that, and letting me be a member of the team that played here every week.
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Now, I want to share with you a stew recipe that has been a staple for me this winter - it's sweet, salty, hearty - and a perfect use for leftover ham. It's adapted from a recipe is Campfire Cookery (an excellent cookbook in its own right!)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb of dried beans (I used Great Northern white beans, but anything will do)
1 lb. or so of fresh pumpkin, cubed (butternut squash also works)
1/2 lb. of ham or pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Soak beans overnight, or simmer for about an hour before making the rest of the stew. Once the beans are softened, place all ingredients in a Crock-Pot with two quarts of fresh water or broth, and let cook for about eight hours. (The longer it simmers, the better it is!) Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of brown sugar and nutmeg on top.
Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!
Jess M.
I have been a faithful Food Lush reader from the start, having been a Style Lush reader for a long time. So, when it comes to choosing a favorite post, it's just so hard! I love how reading Food Lush has always seemed like sitting around with friends and talking about what we're all making for dinner or what great kitchen gadget someone found. So, I have to list the two Food Lush Gift Guides, 2011 and 2012, as my favorite posts. Even today when I looked back at them I was newly interested in things on the lists. They have given me plenty of ideas for my own Christmas list and ideas for others. I also really enjoyed this post about owl-themed kitchen things. I bought the mugs right after reading that post!
As for my favorite of my own posts, it has to be the one where I talked about my cookbook collection. I am so attached to certain cookbooks and I try and give a lot of thought to which ones I buy, so it was fun to show my cookbook-nerd side and share these with my friends.
And I know that this is Food Lush, but I cannot let it go without mentioning just how many things I bought for myself after they were mentioned on Style Lush: this coat, a bunch of these shirts, and BB Cream to name a few.
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When we try to eat healthy it always involves a lot of beans. And when we discovered Indian food from a local restaurant we were instantly in love. Beans! Vegetables! Spiciness! Many vegetarian dishes! Unforuntaly the Indian restaurant in our town isn't convenient to us at all. We almost never happen to be near it to just pop in and bring home carryout. And when we discovered that our son would eat Chana Masala, I knew I had to find a way for us to have this dish more often. I didn't have to look very far because Smitten Kitchen has a great and easy recipe.
Both dishes use overlapping spices, so when you measure them out for one, measure out for the other. They both also start with sauteeing some onion, so I just start them at the same time. Both reheat very well and when we put away the leftovers we often just combine it all into one big delicious bowl.
Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!
by Caitlin
I know plenty of others before me have already said this: but I had a hard time choosing a favorite post to share with you all. It's been such fun for me to write here, to reconnect with some of you reading, and to be part of this little community. I can hardly believe I've been doing it for almost two years. I have long wondered how Jennie does it all, and fully support her decision to step away. But, oh, I will miss it here. I will miss you. Thank you for reading along, talking about food, sharing your food memories with me, and being part of this adventure. So, until next time: the recipe I make most from this site is probably Sarah's versatile marinade. And my favorite post of mine has to be this one, about my Gram. A perfect bittersweet note to end on.
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So! Does anyone else feel like blasting Vitamin C's classic hit Friends Forever - Graduation Song?
"If you got somethin' that ya need to say you better say it right now cuz you don't have another day."
Here's what I have to say.
A) I'll always have a soft spot for late 90s belly shirts and hackey sacks.
B) TODAY is Day 30. 30 days of grain-free, whole foods, no added sugar, no alcohol, no nothing? DUNZO. Fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, nuts, seeds, oils. There was a lot of coconut. 30 days. I can't believe it.
C) I'm not sure what I'm going to eat tomorrow, other than oats for breakfast. It's a little scary, actually. They recommend you reintroduce things slowly to see how your body reacts with the clean slate it has to work with. And that's great and I totally get it, I just don't know exactly how that looks for me yet. I'm just going to take it one day at a time. At some point I plan on trying dairy, and at some point I will try gluten again, and then I shall make these delicious sugar cookie bars.
Photo from dinnersdishesanddesserts.com
Back in December my friend Jen posted on twitter about the angels she heard singing when she made something magical called "sugar cookie bars." And the thing you need to know about me is that I LOVE sugar cookies. A nice soft, chewy, fat sugar cookie with frosting and sprinkles? GIMME. But I hate rolling out cookies and dealing with all that. It's so much work and I can never find a recipe that gives me the exact cookie I want. I'm a sucker for those horrible grocery store cookies that are round and topped with seasonally appropriate colored frosting and sprinkles (I think they're called Lofthouse?). They're full of nasty ingredients and probably dye your insides the same seasonally appropriate shade, so I don't buy them, except maybe once a year. Maybe. And then I eat one or two and throw the rest away.
All of this is a long way of saying that while I really wanted to make sugar cookies at Christmas, I also really wanted to NOT make sugar cookies at Christmas. Enter this recipe. It was so easy, and so good, and I no longer see the point of cut-out cookies, unless someone else is making them. Sugar cookie bars! SUGAR COOKIE BARS! How had no one thought of this sooner??
I halved the recipe and made it in an 8x8 pan, and I had a hard time getting the cook time right. The first batch was way undercooked, the second was over - so far over I had to throw it away. It turns out that slightly underbaked sugar cookie bars are actually delicious, if a bit much. Next time I make them I'm going to have to be much more careful watching the cook time. I am willing to experiment and get it right though. For science.
The buttercream is the perfect consistency, the dough is soft and chewy, and the right sprinkles - I did a layer of sanding sugar, then a layer of Christmas colored jimmies - tie it together perfectly for look and crunch. They'd be fitting for any holiday (Valentine's! St. Paddy's Day, Easter! Rainbow sprinkles for summer, fall colors, Halloween! Thanksgiving and Christmas!), a shower, a birthday party, or just because HEY, sugar cookies are DELICIOUS and you just ate nothing but pure, whole foods for a month. Good luck having two bites and slipping into a diabetic coma, crazy.
Have you made sugar cookie bars? Do YOU have a favorite Food Lush post? I'll miss you!
Editor's
note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share
both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years,
and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at
the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory
lane!
by Elsha
There are SO many posts I refer to regularly, but I especially love this cauliflower pizza crust from Carrie (even my kids like it!) From my own posts, I'll have to link to this one about cleaning your stovetop, because everyone should know this.
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For my last post here at Food Lush I've decided to leave you with the recipe for my very favorite cookies: melt aways. I've posted many cookie recipes in my time here, but I've held out on posting this one because my mom is a little more protective of this recipe than the others. But I just can't leave you without it, because these cookies are seriously the best.
(Sorry, my only picture is from our Christmas baking extravaganza. They're the ones with the green frosting.)
Melt Aways:
Beat until well mixed:
1/2 lb butter (don't substitute)
3/4 cups cornstarch
Add:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
For the frosting beat 3 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar.
These are simple to make and they literally melt in your mouth (hence the name.) Don't leave the frosting off though, or you won't get the whole effect. The only tricky part is making sure you don't over-soften your butter. The dough should border on being crumbly. If it's really gooey or sticky you can refrigerate it to firm it up some. The recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies and if I'm not careful I can eat them all by myself.
Now, who wants to come over so I can make these for you?
I hate spending money on individually-portioned snack food because I feel like I'm paying more for the wrapping than the food (and I end up feeling guilty about the pile of garbage I'm left with.) I especially hate spending money on snack food that is easy enough to make myself (don't even get me started on my husband who buys bags of popped popcorn that costs ten times more than buying kernels and popping it himself.)
All of this is to say that I cringe when I buy fruit leather for my kid so I tried to make my own.
Choose your fruit! I used four pears (skin on,) two apples (peeled,) and five carrots (not a fruit but I'm desperate to get my kid to eat vegetables and will try anything.)
Chop it all up and put in a pot over medium heat.
Add your spice / sweetener! I added the juice of a lemon and a couple tablespoons of apple juice (so the fruit wouldn't burn to the bottom of the pan before its juices were released.) You can add sugar, honey, cinammon, whatever you want.
Cook until your fruit and veg are soft and then puree until smooth.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the puree evenly over top.
My oven's lowest temperature is 175F on the convection setting so that's what I went with. It took about eight hours for my leather to be fully cooked. You want the top to be matte and not sticky.
Slice it up and store in the fridge.
Will I make it again? Probably. It tastes great. I like that I know exactly what went into it. It took a lot of time to make but it was mostly unattended so it wasn't time-consuming. Overall I'd call my fruit leather experiment a success.
It continues to be fridgedly cold here, so I'm always on the lookout for recipes to warm us up. This one fit the bill nicely. This chili recipe comes from The Taste of Home Cookbook which is one of my favorites. It was spicy and satisifying, we'll definitely be making it again.
{photo credit: tasteofhome.com}
Here's the recipe:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans (15-1/2 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
First, saute the chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until the chicken is cooked through. Add the beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Next, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately.
I actually made this using canned chicken to save time, and because I only had frozen chicken breasts, but that worked great. I sauteed in olive oil, because that's my habit. Also, apparently I did not do a great job of reading the recipe through while I was making it, because I realized AFTER I added two cans of chopped green chilies that it called for two 4 oz cans and I had added two 7 oz cans. Whoops! Also, spicy!
You guys, I am feeling pretty lousy this week. This winter has just been one cold after another around here. And do you know what I don't care about when I feel this way? Food. I really don't want to put forth the effort to make anything, and just about everything tastes bland and scratches my throat anyway.
One thing that does sound good is soup. It doesn't get much more comforting than a nice warm bowl of soup. One of my favorites is this Zuppa di Aglio Fresco. That would be Fresh Garlic Soup. Yes, chicken noodle soup is the traditional remedy for a cold, but in my opinion garlic soup puts up a good fight. It's especially good if you pour the hot soup into your bowl over a slice of crusty bread, then let your bread get nice and soggy in the soup.
If someone you care about is feeling under the weather, you should make them a bowl of soup. They will probably love you forever. I know I would.
1. Heat olive oil, add the carrots and garlic. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender but not brown.
2. Stir in the chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup (I use an immersion blender). Stir in the sherry and cheese. Heat medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let it boil.
This post was originally supposed to be about an amazing banana bread recipe I found, because I know you need another one. However! In searching for a good vegetarian chili recipe high in protein, low in fat, I came across a recipe from The Kitchn, and had to share. I promise I'll share the healthier banana bread another time, because I've already made it twice. Read: I can't stop eating it. Anyway!
I'm absolutely one of those people that cannot leave well enough alone. I always tweak recipes, add something here, substitute something there, and as a result I never make the same recipe twice. Often times, I just "wing it" and make my version of whatever dish I'm feeling like in that moment. Soups, chili, casseroles, and salads are all pretty forgiving. I've been getting better about it lately, but when I decided to have chili last night for dinner, I realized that I didn't have a "go-to" recipe. After looking at several that looked delicious, (how does any chili recipe NOT look delicious?) I knew I had a winner.
This recipe uses no faux meat, no yams, no funky ingredients but relies on beans for protein content. On top of that, the secret ingredient - espresso powder, gives it a dark, rich flavour that you might think you'd miss without the beef. The method is easy to follow, and really is a bit of a chop and dump kind of thing. It does take a bit of time to prepare, only because the flavours need to simmer and marry, but it will be worth it I promise.
Of course, I made a few tweaks. I definitely used less than 1/4 cup of olive oil, more like 1/8th, or two tablespoons. I added 6-8 chopped mushrooms and two roughly chopped carrots in after the onions had sauteed for a couple minutes on their own. I also increased the chili powder, cumin, and garlic, as often I feel like recipes tend to be under-spiced for my own palate. I like things bold! Abrasive! I used three 19oz cans of beans, one chickpea, one kidney beans, and one mixed. I didn't have chipotle chili powder on hand, so I just used chipotle puree, and added a few tablespoons in with the tomato step, along with a bit of smoked paprika and cayenne. I told you, we like things muy caliente around these parts.
Side note: If you don't have/use chipotle puree, you should. Take a can of chipotles in adobo and give it a whizz, or as Jamie Oliver says - whazz, in a food processor or high-powered blender. Store in the fridge and add to everything and anything. It lasts forever and is SO versatile! Think aioli, salad dressing, marinades, soups, etc!
If you care about nutritional and caloric stats, I did plug the recipe into a calculator. For seven servings, they are a bit over 300 calories each (337), with 14 grams of protein and a whopping 13 grams of fiber. A bonus for the vegetarians out there, you're getting some vitamin D from the added mushrooms as they are the only plant source of vitamin D. Nifty eh?
The other thing about this recipe with my additions? There's no way on God's green earth it serves only four people I estimate more like 6-8 servings. It's so fiber rich and filling, you won't need a massive bowl to be satisfied. I did top my bowl with a bit of sour cream and diced avocado and made these muffins to have on the side. All in all an easy, rich, satisfying and healthy meal that was cheap to boot!
This will from now on, be my 'go-to' recipe for chili. I think it's versatile, thick, rich and saucy and just what I was looking for. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think!
Do you have a favourite chili recipe, or a recipe that you seem to go back to over and over for something? What do you like in your chili and what do you look for when searching for a recipe?
My husband and I had duck nachos for the first time a couple of years ago when we were out for our anniversary at Monocacy Crossing. All of our food was delicious, but the duck nachos really stuck out as over-the-top good, and also they were something we had never even thought we could make at home.
Not too long after that, I saw that a cooking class on pub food was being offered at The Kitchen Studio, a fantastic place in Frederick, Maryland to take classes to learn new techniques or recipes. And on the menu for that class was duck nachos. Our instructor, Carla, showed us how to cook a simple duck confit and assemble some delicious (and easy!) nachos.
Since taking the class I've made the duck nachos a couple of times at home. My Wegmans grocery store carries whole ducks, as well as various duck pieces. You can buy a confit leg/thigh piece cooked and packaged, but it is pretty pricey, and is quite a small amount of meat. So if you're going to the duck section you might as well go for the whole thing. The duck that I bought was about $30, which for us, is a special occasion meal.
First, you have to cut apart the duck. It's just like cutting apart a raw chicken, it's a little bigger and the skin and fat layer is really thick. I cut the duck into the leg/thigh pieces, wings, and breasts. Duck confit seems to only consist of the legs, but I cooked the whole duck the same way.Arrange the pieces in a high-sided dish, prick the skin all over and sprinkle with salt. Then cover the duck with oil or duck fat. I really wanted to be able to save and reuse the duck fat so the first time I bought a container (about $6) so that it would be all duck fat and not a mix of duck and oil. After it was cooked I strained and saved the rendered fat in a jar.
Cook the duck in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes, then at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let the duck rest for about 15 minutes.
Cut apart and shred the meat.
Duck Nachos, This recipe from Emeril is very similar to the way that I made our nachos.
