Monthly Archive for January, 2011

Zesty Bean Dip

Published on January 31, 2011 in Appetizer and Vegetarian. 1 Comment

We’re getting down to the wire for the Superbowl; T-minus 6 days!  Considering the Patriots aren’t in it this year, I’m really just looking forward to the food :) .  You might already have your appetizer line-up, but may I suggest a healthier addition?  This bean dip is nothing like you’ve had before; it’s creamy, zesty and really addictive!  Made mostly from black beans and served with whole wheat pita chips, it’s a tasty break from the typical fried and cheese-laden Football snacks.  Big shout out to Miss Angela Russo for the recipe – thanks for  sharing and letting me post on the blog!!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

  1. Combine in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Serve with pita chips & enjoy!

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Eggplant Fries

Published on January 11, 2011 in Appetizer and Vegetarian. 12 Comments

What is it about French Fries that always keep you coming back for “just one more…?”  Is it the crispy shell?  The soft potato-y center?  Or just the fact that you know they’re not good for you and you swear this is your last one ;) .  Like many girlfriends (warning: stereotype), I used to order my entree with a side salad, waiting patiently for my boyfriend to order the burger and friends…then proceed to devour 60% of them.  Unfortunately/fortunately(?) for me, he caught on pretty quickly.  There’s nothing wrong with a few fries every now and then, but when the craving strikes, know you have many more options; the ever popular homemade baked sweet potato fries (no, the ones in the restaurant still aren’t good for you) and baked eggplant fries, amongst others.  Never heard of eggplant fries?  Well, welcome back to snack time :) .

I toyed with calling these ‘Eggplant Parm Fries” or “Eggplant Parm Sticks” because I was planning on only serving them with marinara sauce, but, like most other things, they go perfectly with ketchup – so “Eggplant Fries” they’ll remain.  I used Japanese panko instead of Italian bread crumbs, giving the fries an extra crunch without actualyl frying.  Start to finish, the recipe takes less than 20 minutes, giving you ample time to indulge in your fry craving.  While I’m no a dietition, I know these Eggplant Fries fall somewhere in between a raw carrot stick and your traditional pubs fries, so take your pick :) .  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • Medium eggplant
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake (I used 1/2 teaspoon – they had a nice kick, so add for or less based on your preference)
  • 1 egg & 1 egg white

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 465 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Cut the eggplant in half, peel and cut the flesh into 1 inch-wide sticks.
  3. On a dinner-sized plate, combine the panko, parmesan cheese and spices.  Combine the egg and egg white in a small bowl, whisking to combine.
  4. Set up the plates like an assembly line; dip an eggplant stick into the egg mixture, roll in the bread crumb mixture and lay on the baking sheet.  Repeat for all of the eggplant sticks.
  5. Spray the top of the coated sticks with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes; 5 minutes on each side.
  6. Broil for 1 minute on each side.  Note: stay by the oven for this, turn on the light, watch the clock…if you take your eyes off they’ll burn.
  7. Serve with marinara sauce or ketchup. (A day later these are on my salad chopped up as “croutons”)

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Orange & Red Onion Salad

Published on January 7, 2011 in Salad. 0 Comments

TGIF!  I don’t know about you, but this week FLEW by!  Maybe because it was my first full week back after vacation, maybe because everyone is still getting back into the swing of things – regardless, Friday, I welcome you :) .

I hate the cold.  I go skiing once a year and partake in no other ‘winter sport’ (when watching me try to ice skate, fits of laughter will ensue).  Jackets are bulky.  Heat costs go through the roof.  I’m shocked shoveling wasn’t used as torture in the middle ages.  No, winter and I are not the best of friends, but until my nearest and dearest move south or west, I’m kickin’ here.  Like many New Englanders, all I want to do in the coldest of months is eat mac ‘n cheese, drink hot chocolate and indulge in the latest Jersey Shore marathon, couch-side.  It can definitely be hard to remember to eat veggies (especially ones that aren’t covered in cheese, cream or bread crumbs).  So here’s to making vegetables more exciting in early 2011! :)   To accompany my turkey chili over the weekend, I made a simple orange and red onion salad, bursting with freshness.  Spicy red onion coupled with zesty citrus flavors kept me coming back for seconds and thirds.  This salad is just as lovely on a cold winter night as it is on a summer’s day.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large orange, peeled and segmented; zest 1/2 of peel (great tutorial on segmenting citrus from Our Best Bites)
  • 2 tablespoons EVOO
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, segmented orange and red onion slices.
  2. In a separate bowl or dressing container, combine orange zest, lime juice and S&P.  Stream in EVOO, whisking to emulsify.
  3. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Turkey Chili

Published on January 6, 2011 in Soup. 0 Comments

Second post of the week – I’m on track! (and I even have something planned for Friday :) ).  I guess that’s the key to resolutions – always keeping tabs on where you stand.

The weather has been up and down in Boston over the past few weeks.  We started with a blizzard and it ended up being just about 50 degrees this past Saturday – no, I don’t get it either.  The cold weather is back in full force this week and nothing warms those bones like a heaping bowl of filling (but rather healthy!) turkey chili.  I made a huge batch this past weekend for New Years, loving that the leftovers have lasted a few extra days.

I scoured my favorite sites for the perfect recipe and just ended up throwing what I wanted into the pot – a little mix of everything.  The beer was a nice addition but you can leave that out and add extra chicken stock if you’re counting calories.  On that note, you can substitute a sour cream topping with plain Greek yogurt (the individual serving size).  The consistency is about the same and the flavor is pretty close.  It saves a few extra calories and you don’t end up with a whole tub of sour cream sitting in your fridge for weeks.  Making those little substitutions is what January should be about.  Forget what you can’t eat and figure out how you can.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups diced white onion
  • 1 1/2 cups diced green pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 jalapeno, diced (seed & de-rib if you’re not a fan of the heat)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce
  • 2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (97/3 lean)
  • 2 15 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 bottle Mexican-style lager beer
  • 1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans
  • 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

For garnish/topping:

  • Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Tortilla chips

Directions:

  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and peppers.  Sautee for 4 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, jalapeno and celery.  Sautee for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the salts & spices and tomato paste.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Push the vegetables to the side and add the ground turkey to let it brown.  Break up with a spoon.  I had to brown the turkey in a separate pan for 7 minutes because there wasn’t enough room in my larger Dutch oven – feel free to do this if necessary and transfer browned turkey back to the pot.  The turkey will break up further as the chili continues to cook.
  5. Pour in diced tomatoes (with their juice) and beer.  Stir and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
  6. Add beans and chicken stock.  Feel free to add more or less stock depending on desired thickness.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.  Add chopped cilantro at last 10 minutes.
  8. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream/Greek yogurt and cheese.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

2011 To-Do’s

Published on January 3, 2011 in Lifestyle. 6 Comments

HELLO 2011!!!  I cannot believe we’re here.

Well, it’s now the 3rd day of January as we all prepare for the onslaught of resolutions, both our own and others’.  While winning the lottery has always been at the top of my list, I figured it might make sense to offer a few more “realistic” resolutions, of a food-related nature.  Now I must preface this post with the fact that I absolutely love ‘To-Do’ lists.  There’s something about writing everything down and crossing off each complete item that thrills me (I’m easy to please).  I make lists for work, the grocery store, packing, cleaning my room, daily/week/weekend to-do’s…you get the picture.  So resolutions shouldn’t be any different right?  Wrong-o.  Like my fellow resolution-makers, I often forget my personal ‘promises’ by February 1st.  But this year will be different; like my precious ‘To-Do’ lists, I’ll write my resolutions here on the blog, waiting to be crossed off with each completion.

Every day I read fantastic food blogs and captivating cookbooks, each with recipes that jump off the page and spark my imagination for kitchen creation.  Then they remain hidden, bookmarked or otherwise, only to remind me when I reopen the dusty pages or hit the ‘Recipe’ category in Gmail.  The first week of January 2011 is the perfect opportunity to breakdown the dam and let the food fly, so to speak.  As such, here are my 2011 food-related & blogging resolutions:

  • Post at least twice a week, every week – Neither busy work weeks nor vacation nor snow nor sleet nor hail shall keep me from posting at least twice a week.
  • Take better pictures – I don’t know about you, but if something looks good, I’m probably more likely to make/eat it .
  • Attend three cooking classes – The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and The Boston Center for Adult Education are just two of the many venues offering cooking classes in the Boston area.
  • Make more meat – Beef, chicken or pork, there’s a serious lack of meat on my blog.  While I’m all for veggies, and lots of ‘em, adding protein to my diet keeps me fuller longer and adds diversity to my meals.  Brownie points if I nab organic selections :) .
  • Same goes for fish – Omega 3′s, vitamins and minerals; seafood makes for happy, healthy people.
  • Bake and construct a 3 layer cake – Fun, impressive and sweet – you gotta have balance right??
  • Hit up two food festivals – Last year I went to the Phantom Gourmet Wine & Food Fest and the Boston Local Food Festival.  There’s no shortage of food fun in the Bean.
  • Volunteer – Find at least two volunteering opportunities where I can offer my time or cooking to help others.

A few more ‘to-make’ specifics:

  • Scones
  • Cheesecake
  • Salmorejo
  • Ravioli
  • Braised short ribs
  • Kibbeh
  • Stuffed grape leaves
  • Gnocchi

So there we have it, my 2011 resolutions for cooking/baking and this blog :) .  Here’s to a prosperous new year and and a very active kitchen.

- Christina

What are your 2011 resolutions?  Is there something you’d like to see on Bon Appetit Beantown this year?