solo show #5, and recipe exchange?
August 3, 2007
(14×18″, mixed media on paper)
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I eat… what I put into my body, how much time I spend cooking versus going out to dinner, what I enjoy making, etc. Many nights i work late and then by the time I look up it’s getting dark, I’m starving and I suggest we just run up to our favorite little Mexican dive (named El Amigo, but we call it “The Friend”) and split a small entree… Probably not the healthiest, but oh, the guacamole!
I do enjoy cooking though, and I always feel more centered and happier if I eat healthy food instead of convenient junk… So I have been making little steps do that: trying to plan meals out ahead of time and get everything i need at the grocery store and farmer’s market (so I’m not tempted to just say screw it and have a can of beans for dinner). It does seem to be working, but I am running out and a little bored with the meals I make, so I was wondering if you had any recipe suggestions?
I’ll give you one of my favorite things to make in exchange: Real Simple’s Red Bean & Spinach Burritos (oh-so-good, easy to make, and makes good leftovers too):
So what do you say? Want to share your favorite recipe in the comments? Or maybe a link to a cookbook you can’t live without? I am all ears. :)
(Piece #5 above finally worked itself out yesterday afternoon right after I was through bitching about it in the post below. hee. Inspired by the idea of “you are what you eat”… and the female horror of being pear-shaped. The woman I painted, though, doesn’t seem to mind.)
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:47 am
The pear woman looks content :-)
I added my changes to the original recipe:
Mango, Black Bean & Cucumber Salad
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber [I used 1/2 an english cuke, peeled, too]
1/2 cup chopped mango [I used a whole mango]
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained [I used a whole can of black beans]
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring gently. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
I love adding this to some brown rice and tofu or grilled chicken.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 am
My staple is roast chicken, though I don’t know if you’re vegetarian! It was my fave dish as a child, helping my mother make it, and now I make it far too often! One main appeal is that I just chuck it into the oven and that’s taken care of. :)
But one of the best parts about it is that I know exactly what goes into it: salt, pepper, basil, olive oil, garlic. You know exactly what’s going into your body! One time I tried ready-made from the store and it just made me sick. . . .
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Hi Penelope,
I discovered your blog only a short time ago and I really enjoy it.
I am also an illustrator, although I’ve doing it in the evenings and on weekends (I hope to be able to do it full time in about a year). I do design work for a grocery company during the day and we use a lot of recipes. Better Homes & Gardens has a good site (http://www.bhg.com/bhg/food/index.jsp) you can just type in an ingredient and they offer many recipe choices. I also enjoy looking through the plethora of recipes on the Food Network’s site.
To change things up a little, try making a lasagna using layers of baked spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Sooooo yummy. That’s one of my favorite things to make.
Jacqueline
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
The Moosewood Cookbooks “Low-Fat Favorites” book makes a wonderful bean-sweet potato burrito and awesome bean burritos plus so many other lovely dishes…and I’m also digging the ideas I’m getting from the Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.
Favorite food of all time–cooks in fewer than 20 minutes–quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah.” This with a little asparagus is soooo yummy.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Don’t diss a guy, but this is the best, healthiest most awesome pizza ever. I even have it memorized. Again, don’t make fun of me:
Chicken/Veggie Pizza:
One whole wheat boboli pizza crust
One half cup of mixed, diced veggies (green, red, and yellow peppers, squash, onions)
One can of fat free cream of mushroom soup
3/4 pound of diced chicken
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cheese (or less if really dieting)
-Heat diced chicken in pan for ten minutes, or until brown (after spraying pan with pam.
-Remove chicken from pan, respray with pam.
Brown veggies (until tender crisp)
Add chicken to veggies along with can of soup. Heat for approx 10 minutes or until thoroughly warm.
Add mix to pizza crust, top with 1 cup shredded cheese.
Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees (i think). Or until cheese is melted.
It’s the bomb.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I LOVE this painting! I think my favourite parts are the little surprises of red here and there. Lovely :-)
I’m not much of a cook, but about a year ago decided I should try to make at least one “adult” dinner a week. I love the NPR show “The Spendid Table” and go to her website fairly often to look for a recipe. You can sign up for the “Weeknight Kitchen” email which is usually an easy and quick recipe (once a week). Hot weather is making me crave salads. My current favourite is: 1 bag of “brocoslaw” (like coleslaw but made from shredded brocoli and carrot stalks. I think most grocery stores carry it by the bagged salads), poppyseed dressing mixed with a litte white wine vinegar, crumbled feta cheese and sliced almonds. You just mix everything up, and it is delish! It will even keep in the refrigerator for a few days. My other fav is here: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/light_california.shtml
Thanks for sharing yours. I am going to try it next week :-)
August 4th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
While it doesn’t look like Amazon loves this book anymore. This cookbook is one of my favs.
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Cooking-Need-Cook-Quickly/dp/1930603002/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2939491-0633721?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186256501&sr=8-1
August 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Try the blog “not eating out in New York.” I find that she has a lot of quick and tasty recipes. Hope you enjoy!
August 4th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
split-p,
I would love to do some recipe trades! Like you, I feel so much better when I put good stuff in my body. I’m trying to cook more, too, rather than resort to getting take-out. I have thought about doing the whole menu planning thing too, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Tonight, I’m making light pesto over multigrain pasta and mixed greens & heirloom tomatoes. And actually, I highly recommend Martha’s Everyday Food magazine (I know there’s also a book out) where that pesto recipe was originally printed.
But let me know if you want to trade more. I could make you some recipe cards or email them or something.
xo, c-noodle
p.s. I love the latest painting.
August 5th, 2007 at 1:53 am
I get a weekly delivery of bio vegetables, eggs and bread, so all of a sudden we eat much more veggies than before. Alas, me and my husband both work full time and our son goes to daycare, so time is scarce. My favourite no-hassle recipe (this is really no recipe at all) is vegetable puree soup, i.e. you just boil to death whatever you happen to have and puree them with a mixer. My secret ingredient is melted cheese, like Vache-qui-rit, don’t know if you have that over there.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:36 am
one huge head of swiss chard choped into three sections, four garlic cloves crushed, drizzle or three of olive oil and a big pat of butter. two cans of cannelli beans drained, half an onion chopped finely. saute it all in the oil/butter mixture until the swiss chard is cooked down. liberal amounts of seasalt and fresh ground pepper.
we eat this almost every week.
beans and greens!
YUM.
August 5th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Cook some penne pasta.
Chop some fresh spinach. Cut some feta cheese into cubes. Pit some kalamata olives. Wash some cherry tomatoes.
When the pasta is cooked, stir through the above ingredients and add a drizzle of olive oil, squeeze a lemon half over the top and add some fresh ground black pepper. The spinach will wilt a little, the cheese will melt a little and it will taste gorgeous and summery and zingy.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Links to two of my favorite cookbooks:
The Vegetarian Mother (aimed at pregnant or breastfeeding moms, but really good recipes for anyone):
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Mothers-Cookbook-Pregnant-Breastfeeding/dp/0972469060/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8106396-8316051?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186411920&sr=8-1
Barefoot in Paris - yummy, easy French food:
http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Paris-Easy-French-Food/dp/1400049350/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8106396-8316051?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186412410&sr=8-1
Not Martha had a great recipe for Sausage & Broccoli Rabe calzones - I used wheat pizza dough from the grocery store & it made enough for two dinners for my little family (2 adults, a toddler and a preschooler):
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2007/06/01/yummy-calzones/
I also got on a Julia Child kick after reading Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia. I found that crepes, potato leek soup (potage parmentier) (also good in the cold version, Vichyssoise) & quiche (with homemade pie crust) were so much easier to make than I thought. The food is rich but a nice treat from time to time.
One last yummy thing from when I cooked at a natural foods cafe in upstate New York - Thai Cucumber Salad
Peel 3 cucumbers & slice in half. Cut into small slices at a diagonal
Put slices in a bowl with equal amounts apple cider vinegar & maple syrup (to taste - should be a little sweet & a little tangy). Add salt & pepper.
Let the whole mix marinate in the fridge, at least a couple of hours (the longer, the better).
One other good, easy meal - fish tacos - grilled fish (we like Tilapia), red cabbage & avocado sauce in a wrap. (There are a lot of avocado sauce recipes - we do an avocado or two mashed up, puree with minced garlic, half & half, and hot sauce)
When my husband did a Zone-like diet, we really liked (& still like) Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1659,143186-244199,00.html
Sorry to over post - it was hard to choose. I think if I wasn’t an illustrator, I’d love to become a chef!
August 6th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Cooking is one of my biggest passions. . .and something that if i don’t plan out each week, ends up with us eating out. I’m a big fan of cooking light magazine for their superfast section. . .easy meals, delicious stuff, fast.
I usually do marinated, grilled chicken w/some form of veggie once a week b/c it’s summer and I don’t want to heat up the house. . .I’ve started throwing my cookie sheet on half the grill w/some chopped veggies tossed in oil, salt, pepper and garlic and just roasting them while I’m preheating the grill to cook whatever meat is going on. I’ve been going a little nuts w/the zucchini lately, but it’s in season so what can I do. 30 minutes spent planning once a week can make a world of difference, I promise. Write it down, give yourself a “floater” day, where a dish can be pushed or eliminated without food going bad.
I get home from work between 6:15-7:00 each night and can typically get dinner on the table in 30 minutes (no, I’m not Rachael Ray), all because I know exactly what I’ll be making, with a few improvs here and there, before I get home.
Good luck:). I always feel a million times better when I’m eating my own cooking.
August 6th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Another great burrito recipe:
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups black beans, drained
2 cups water
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato
12 (10 inch) Whole Wheat Burritos
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2)Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in black beans and water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat and drain reserving 1/2c liquid.
3)Stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne, soy sauce and reserved liquid in a small bowl. Add to bean mixture.
4)Divide mashed sweet potatoes and bean mixture evenly between the warm tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up into burritos.
4)Bake in the oven for 12 minutes and serve. Yum!!
August 6th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I used to make risotto for special occasions only (all that stirring!!!) but now I make ‘riso’ any time I feel like it. You boil arborio rice for 17 minutes at a full, rolling boil. In summer I put a mix of fresh halved cherry tomatoes, minced zucchini, and fresh corn sliced straight off the cob in a strainer in the sink, and then drain the rice into the strainer to quickly blanch the vegies. Pour it all back into the pot and add lots of lemon juice and an egg (or two if you’re making a large amount) — stir in quickly (the egg cooks from the heat of the rice). Finish it off with a decadent dose of butter and grated parmesan, salt and pep to taste. I add chopped fresh basil to this version as well.
In winter you can use frozen peas for the same instant cook technique. You can also do it with heartier vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, but it’s better if you steam them first. And of course you can vary this recipe all over the place with different spice combos and vegetables. Yum.
Abigail
August 6th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
PS — The basic recipe for Riso comes from a new cookbook called “Tasty” by Roy Finamore. Every recipe I’ve tried thus far has been delicious.
August 6th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
We make a lot of polenta in the summer. If you don’t like to make your own — it’s really easy once you do it once — even the pre-made kind you find in the tube is OK. You can slice it, spritz it with a little olive oil, broil it for a few minutes and then top it with a pre-made pesto or marinara sauce and serve over braised greens.
Portabello mushroom pizzas are quick and easy. Just take a mushroom cap and top with marinara (Seeds of Change brand is AMAZING — all flavors) add cheese and fresh herbs, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, then broil or grill and dinner is served. Sometimes we serve these over fresh spinach or mixed greens and top with a balsamic vinagrette.
And I’ve been dying to try this recipe for Sweet Corn and Heirloom Salad at Gluten Free Girl, but am still waiting for corn and tomatoes from my CSA (Ah…Vermont, where tomatoes aren’t here until later in August!) http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
August 6th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
You guys rock the kitchen! Thanks for all the good recipes, links and cookbook recommendations. I’m stoked to cook!! :)
August 7th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Be careful, you could become addicted to food bloggers like me, two favorites:
http://www.smittenkitchen.com/
http://www.elise.com/recipes/
Enjoy!
August 8th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
No Crust Zucchini Quiche (my summertime staple)
3 cups grated zucchini
1 med onion (use a small one if you don’t like onion)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup grated cheese — provolone, aged cheddar, or guyere
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
a bunch of grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, rerserving a tablespoon or two of the grated parmesan. Spoon the zucchini mixture into a 10-inch glass or metal pie plate that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle wiht reserved parmesan. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
4-8 servings (depends on the size of the slices)
August 10th, 2007 at 11:01 am
Hi Penelope! Here is a link to on of my recipes, hope you like it :)
http://www.xanga.com/echavarri/609338689/in-case-youre-hungry.html
August 16th, 2007 at 7:26 am
[…] Crust Zucchini Quiche — Delish! Last week I posted this recipe in the blog of an illustrator who requested a recipe exchange. She, like me, is trying to eat healthier. Over the weekend I made […]
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:39 am
Check out vegetarian times magazine. They always have easy and good (filling) recipes and they also give you the calorie and nutritional info. Veg Times also has a lot of good cookbooks out.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
[…] all you wondering more about little me, I’ve found my picture on the web! [Click here to see]what a good-looking pear lady I am. (actually, the artwork is quite good…kudos […]