Broads of Happy Valley

Title #1 : An Evening in India (on South Clarkson)Title #2 : Indian Stuffed Eggplant

Maddie — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:58:04 +0000

This week I had the pleasure of spending time in the kitchen with my friend, Sarah. We had settled on whipping up some Indian fare for her family so I made my way over to her home. Along the way I had to switch gears in terms of the recipe I had had in mind. It turns out okra isn’t exactly available in Colorado in March. The more you know…Thankfully I used my smart phone and a generous selection of produce at the local Whole Foods to come up with the refined Indian Stuffed Eggplant recipe–a rendition of AllRecipe’s version.

Before I begin I want to mention that when I arrived at the house Sarah had already prepared her delicious lamb curry dish–paired with white rice this was simply delectable. I will have to get this recipe from her eventually but for now I will just tempt you with this picture.

What you’ll need for the Indian Stuffed Eggplant (plenty for 5-6 people):

2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup butter
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons Indian curry mix (available at Whole Foods)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Scoop the inside out of the eggplant halves, leaving 1/4 inch of flesh attached to the skin. Roughly chop the removed eggplant. You can seperate the seeds or leave them with the chopped eggplant.
Place eggplant halves on an oven-safe pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander, Indian curry powder, chili powder, and salt; continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes until the spices are very fragrant. Stir in the chopped eggplant, and cook until very soft, mashing as you go.
Top eggplant halves with chopped eggplant mixture described in step #4.
Return to oven and bake for 15-25 minutes.

While the dish was tasty and filling it could have had more…pizzazz? A suggestion that I really liked for enhancing the dish was included bell peppers or tomatoes– personally, I would include stewed tomatoes in the mixture.

Enjoy!

St. Patty’s Day Shepherd’s Pie

Maddie — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:48:48 +0000

St. Patrick’s Day began like any other beautiful, however windy, Saturday in Colorado. Little did I know that my not-so-Irish blood would make it difficult for me to keep up with the day’s jovial activities. Alas, I survived but, I cannot say the same for this Shepherd’s Pie. There wasn’t a bite left after the picnic and no, I wouldn’t chalk that up to the wind at City Park. I’ll blame the wind for the broken volleyball net, thank you.

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
5 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 25 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

This recipe includes a few adjustments that may be related to the altitude I cook at but beyond that you can thank AllRecipes for this fellow.

Enjoy!

<3 Madelyne

Cornish Hen Delight

Maddie — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Anytime I decide to play around with a new protein I cannot help but become a bit excited and nervous. Luckily, having had cornish hen once before I wasn’t too afraid that it would come out poorly. We just had to do it right!

Ingredients:

4 Cornish game hens
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
24 cloves garlic–the larger the cloves the better!
1/3 cup white wine–we used a very affordable pinot grigio
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

Forewarning–Defrost! I had picked up the ingredients around 4pm so the hens were placed, wrapped, in cold water in a slow running sink around 4:45. The fellow at the grocery store said that a lb of hen typically takes an hour under such conditions to defrost on its own. Each hen was 22 oz so I estimated about 1 1/2 hours for the whole process. Unfortunately, even at that point they were still frozen in the center. The solution ended up being to remove the wrapping over each chicken and microwave two at a time on the defrost setting for 20 minutes right-side up and 5 minutes right-side down (roughly).

These directions are all particular to the state of your hens so to make things easier try to defrost them by keeping them refrigerated the night before you intend to serve them and then sitting out on your kitchen counter, wrapped, for an hour prior to cooking.

Remaining Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Using a brush, rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity/aka booty of each hen. (This is one of the funniest things I have ever done while cooking!) Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
4. Now that the initial 25 minutes is up, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and remove the hens from the oven. Pour the mixture of the hens (sticking some, if possible, back into these silly little cavities).

5. Continue roasting about 40-45 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
6. Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Inspiration from All Recipes.

Served with a baked sweet potate (baked at 400 degrees for 60 minutes)that was garnished with chives, onion medallions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream. Delicious!

Big props to Heather for cooking this with me and Steve/Nate for devouring their meals and taking some good photos of everything.

Enjoy! <3 Maddie

Oh yes, more importantly this dish is Marley-Approved…

Greek Style Pizza

Lauren — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:03:24 +0000

Having been swooned by a “Greek Style Pasta” recipe which included some of my favorites, I rushed to my local Trader Joe’s after work to pick up the supplies. Then I hit the pizza crust section and decided to turn it into a pizza dish. You’ll need the following:

1 bag prepared pizza dough (or make your own, I’m not that confident in the kitchen quite yet). (We used TJ’s herb and garlic)

1 container low fat feta cheese

1 jar marinated artichokes

1 can black olives

1 jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil

1/4 red onion, sliced

1.5 c fresh spinach, washed and cooked until wilted (you could also use a package of frozen spinach)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Let the pizza dough sit out in room temperature x 15 minutes. After that time, flour your work surface and work some flour into the dough, rolling it out to the desired size.

3. Caramelize red onions in a pan with oil for 2-3 minutes, or until onion begins to brown.

4. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top of pizza dough to keep it from drying out. Layer pizza dough with toppings (onion, olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese) saving the cheese for the last layer.

5. Bake 22 minutes in the oven or until edges are golden brown.

6. Enjoy with significant other/friend/family member/all to yourself with a hearty glass of Syrah.

Roasted Chicken Friday

Lauren — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:47:31 +0000

I’ve been wanting to attempt a whole roasted chicken for a while now. Having come across a 4.6 lb whole chicken at my local Trader Joe’s for $5.99 seemed like divine intervention. I needed to stop planning to try making a whole roasted chicken, and just do it. I found a recipe that involved oranges which worked out fabulously since citrus is in season right now.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Oranges:

1 cup chicken broth
1 (4 pound) whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1 tablespoon sized pieces
2 navel oranges, halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage
3 carrots peeled and sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the chicken broth into a small roasting pan, and set aside.
Wash and slice the vegetables. Place them sporadically around the roasting pan in the broth. Wash the whole chicken with water. Loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs of the chicken. Stuff the butter pieces evenly underneath the skin of the chicken, and place into the roasting pan. Squeeze the orange halves over the chicken, and stuff the orange halves into the chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then rub in the minced garlic. Drizzle the melted butter all over the chicken, then lay the herb sprigs onto the breast and around the legs. (We also laid the used orange pieces on and around the chicken to add extra flavor.)
Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 1 to 2 hours. Baste the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes after you uncover it. Once cooked, allow the chicken to rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before slicing.

We served the chicken with roasted new potatoes and the vegetables that were cooked in the broth. This was an excellent meal for a cold winter night out in the Pioneer Valley! Enjoy.

Korean Steak and Veggies

Maddie — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:24:10 +0000

A lazy Sunday comprised of tying loose ends, a visit to the gym, and some relaxation. I decided I wanted to introduce Nate to something a little different that I’d only had in restaurants. This meal makes four hearty servings. Thankfully, there were only two of us eating tonight so tomorrow night will be leftover village!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
1.4 lb flank steak
1 bunch asparagus, washed and bottoms snapped/removed
6 baby portabello mushrooms
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

At least two hours to an evening before mix the steak cuts with the garlic, ginger, 2 tsp sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce together to marinate.

Using a wok or a different large pan throw all the cleaned veggies together, topping them with the salt and the pepper and the remaining sesame oil.

Place a large grill pan on the oven and heat it at high for about 3 minutes. Place the marinated steak on it. Heat for five minutes on each side and then place on a cutting board for 10 minutes

Now it’s time for the veggies. Heat them on medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes.

Cut the steak into thin cuts and serve with the side of veggies. Enjoy!

Inspiration from Whole Foods.

<3 Madelyne

“No Eggs? No Achoives? Who Ya Kidding!” Shrimp Caesar Salad

Maddie — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:34:24 +0000

I headed over to my friends’ to catch the 49ers vs. Giant’s game on Sunday night. I was unable to resist the urge of bringing a prepared dish. My girlfriend, the host Sara, traditionally loves the food I make and I enjoy feeding the goof. It is a very mutually beneficial relationship.

The dish is pretty large and split appropriately gives 5 people plenty of servings.

Stuffs & How You Do This

Throw all this stuff together for the dressing: 4 TBS light Mayo/4 TBS lemon juice/4 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese/1 tsp freshly ground pepper/1/2 tsp Sriracha/1/2 tsp Worcestershie sauce/5-6 gloves garlic (minced)

Now, for the salad you will need: bag of fat-free seasoned croutons/4 TBS grated fresh Parmesan cheese/chopped head of iceberg lettuce/12-16 chives (chopped)

Since I was not doing this cooking at home and planned on saving it a few hours later I kept the salad, dressing and shrimp separated. To prepare the shrimp you need: 1 lb. medium shrimp (devined and shelled)/3 TBS lemon juice/1 TBS extra virgin olive oil/1/2 TBS freshly ground pepper. Gently heat a large saucepan with the oil on medium-low and add the shrimp with the lemon juice and pepper. After four or five minutes at this temperature strain the shrimp and there you have it.

To serve this I simply combined and tossed everything. And was it good? Let’s just say there were no leftovers

Inspiration for this dish comes from Elisa Bosley, Cooking Light MAY 2007. If I knew you I would say you almost got it, Elisa. Almost.

<3 Madelyne

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Lauren — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:33:09 +0000

‘ello all. figured i’d do a dessert/sweet treat for my first contribution to this lovely blog. i made these cookies after a rough day on the job of managing children’s emotions and impulses. (i’m a counselor). as a means of managing my own emotions (but not my impulses), i decided to make a recipe i found in a magazine while at the gym. enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
2.5 c white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c unsalted, softened butter (1 stick)
2/3 c sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP poppy seeds

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar together. Then beat in egg, lemon zest and juice until fluffy. Beat in flour mixture slowly in batches until blended. Add poppy seeds; stir to combine.
3. Divide dough in half. Flatten each into a 6 in. log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
4. Let dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or more.
5. Heat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Lightly flour surface space and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin. Use round cookie cutters to cut into circles. Reroll dough and repeat process as needed.
6. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown at edges.

Enjoy!
<3 LZ

Chia Fresca

Tina — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:32:01 +0000

Hello all! This past winter break I discovered the wonder that are chia seeds. These seeds are said to have sustained aztec warriors. Not sure if that is true, but what I do know that they are filled with omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Saying that they taste delicious in what is described as an all natural energy drink made by tribes indigenous to the southwest and Mexico. For my recipe I substitute sugar with agave nectar because it doesn’t spike your blood sugar.

1. Pour 1 Tbsp of Chia seeds into a glass or bottle (I use an old kombucha bottle so I can take it on the go and drink it throughout the day) add 10 ounces of water. Shake or stir periodically for 10 minutes to make sure the seeds do not clump.

2. Cut a sliver of a lime/lemon and squeeze the juice into the drink. Add more or less depending on your liking of citrus. Use an orange for all I care.

3. Add agave nectar to taste.

4. Voila you have a delicious on the go all natural energy drink filled with “superfood” powers.

p.s. Just a heads up the seeds turn slightly gelatinous once they soak up some water, but do not fear it. It is easy to get used to:)

Kale Chips

Tina — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:29:02 +0000

These are a healthy snack that are super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale removed from the stem and washed.

Olive Oil

Salt

Fresh cracked pepper

garlic powder

preheat oven to 350 and:

1. Cut the Kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.

2. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over all the pieces of Kale. Use the olive oil sparingly you just want it coated lightly.

3. Place the pieces of kale on baking sheets. Make sure the baking sheets are coated in a cooking spray or put a dab of olive oil on and spread it around with a paper towel. This is to just make sure the kale does not stick to the sheets.

4. Dust the kale with black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them because you do not want it to bake to much as that will dry them out too much.

Enjoy!