Chilly Weather Means It's Time for Soup

I found the perfect recipe for our harvest this week. It is a super yummy and hearty soup that used almost everything we got. I found this recipe on From Argentina With Love and adapted it a bit, but it uses sorrel, potatoes, fennel, and carrots. Sorrel is something really special. It's this great little leafy green that tastes just like sour strawberries, crazy! The first time I tried them, it was nuts. They look similar to spinach but pack a powerful punch. I also learned that their tartness comes from oxalic acid (kidney stones!) and can be fatal if too much is ingested. If you haven't tried sorrel, find some and buy it, they're pretty awesome.

This soup is super delicious, the picture does not do it justice. The weather has been freezing here the past few days, in other words it's been under 75 degrees, so I was in the mood for a nice hot soup. It's really hearty and can be eaten as a meal. The potatoes make it really chunky, the fennel gives a sweet anise-y taste, and it's so creamy. I think it would also be great to add some corn or any other veggies. I also used turkey bacon in an attempt to make it a little more healthy. I don't eat bacon very often, so I didn't realized that turkey bacon doesn't crisp up like normal pork bacon. The bacon added a nice taste, but it would have been nice to have that crispy textural difference. Regardless, this soup is so yummy and absolutely delightful.

Sorrel Soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 1/4 chopped fennel bulb
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 5 red la soda potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 generous teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• Crumbled bacon, for garnish 

Put the oil in a stock pot and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and fennel and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Cook until the onion starts to get transparent, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, carrot and potatoes and a scant handful of coarse salt. Pour the chicken stock in, just enough to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, and stir to combine the ingredients, then lower the heat. Let simmer until the potatoes are soft and can be mashed with a fork.  Stir in the sorrel, mustard and heavy cream and heat through. Remove the soup from the heat and mash potatoes with a hand potato masher. You want a chunky consistency. Serve, piping hot, garnished with bacon.

CSA Harvest

The harvest is up: Grapefruit, Red LaSoda Potatoes, Carrots, Fennel, Elephant Garlic, Winter Bore Kale, Sorrel, Red Chile Flakes.

Looks like we're getting carrots and fennel, so I might whip up another carrot fennel pasta. I have so many red potatoes I don't know what to do with myself. I do love potatoes, any shape and form (french fries, roasted, scalloped, au gratin, mashed...) but this is a bit much. Suggestions are always welcome.

It's Strawberry Season!

It was absolutely beautiful today! I don't remember the last time that I was able to spend some quality time outdoors when it has been so nice. For some reason, every time the weather has been nice, I am always stuck inside studying--normally in a room without windows or sunlight. A friend thought it would be a great idea to have a picnic in the park and have it be a potluck. I made my nopalitos salsa again, this time with less onions that were diced smaller and also a little sugar for the pico. It tasted amazing. I also did  Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze courtesy of Giada. I wanted to do something with strawberries since they are so cheap right now. The cupcakes were so addicting, especially since they were bite-sized so you could just pop them in your mouth. I have tried this recipe before with regular sized cupcakes and I would not recommend it. Since the dough is somewhat dense from the mascarpone, larger cupcakes tend to cave in and fall flat. The smaller size are perfect for them not to be too heavy and to puff up nicely. The glaze was a little difficult. I used fresh strawberries rather than the frozen strawberries that the recipe called for. I had to thicken the glaze up with more powdered sugar, but then it didn't taste like strawberries anymore, so I added more strawberries. It was an endless cycle. So I ended up with a sweet strawberry soup rather than a glaze, but that still was delicious, it just didn't harden. These little guys can be a bit messy, but they are no doubt very addicting and super easy to make!

Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 c. water
• 1/3 c. strawberries
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the water and cake mix and mix until smooth. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly int he tin, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are baking, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.

Make your Own Pizza Night

These dishes were actually for dinner last night, but I had so much work to do that I didn't have the time to post about them. I'm actually eating them for lunch right now.

I picked up our veggies from the CSA yesterday. I'm getting kind of tired of winter greens like swiss chard and veggies like carrots. We also got more beets and to be honest, I really don't like beets, they taste like dirt to me. I've tried to like them, I've made roasted beet salad, beet ravioli, and now a beet hummus from Biggest Diabetic Loser, but still the taste buds are still not happy. Some people love their flavor and I just love their color. What a pretty reddish purple! With that said, I don't have much to stay on the beet hummus other than it looks nice. I asked the official taste tester about his comments (he actually does like beets) and he told me to say "It's pretty tasty!" So, decide yourself if you will enjoy this dish or not.

Main dish for tonight was a Swiss Chard and Asparagus Pizza adapted from Farmgirl Fare. I was tired of simply making sauteed swiss chard and throwing it in pasta, so to twist things up a bit we did a pizza. I love the pizza dough from Trader Joe's. They have a plain, whole wheat, and a garlic herb. The dough is so easy to work with and I roll it out onto a metal pizza pan. I use flour to coat my rolling surface, but I have also heard of using plain cream of wheat to give the dough a little more crisp. I also used frozen asparagus from Trader Joe's. These bags are great to have on hand in the freezer. Anytime you're in the mood for asparagus, just pop one of these out of the freezer, run under cool water, and tah-dah! Whenever you want an easy dinner, that is healthy too, try homemade pizza. You can put anything on top, use whatever kind of sauce, and it will be exactly how you want it to taste. So much better than Dominos or Pizza Hut.

A few things I did notice while making the pizza. Make sure when you cook the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated off. I dumped the moist mixture onto my pizza dough and it was so soggy. It still tasted good, I just had to eat it with a knife and fork because it would fall apart if I picked it up. Also, be wary of topping with too much mozzarella cheese. I am a cheese lover and have a tendency to pile it on too high. With pizza, too much cheese can actually be a hindrance. You're not able to cut the pieces very well, it doesn't melt completely, and it just doesn't look very pretty. So if you want extra cheese with your pizza, make a side of cheesy bread sticks instead.

Beet Hummus

• 2 medium beets
• 2 tablespoons tahini sesame seed paste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut ends off of beets and place in a large pot of water. Boil beets for 30 minutes on top of the stove until tender over low heat. Cool, peel and put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate. Serve with pita chips.

Swiss Chard and Asparagus Pizza

• Pizza dough (use your favorite or I like Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough)
• 6 to 8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced or shredded
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 5 ounces)
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard with ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 12 ounces or 4 cups packed of leaves)
• 1 lb asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

If using Trader Joe's pizza dough, remove dough from package and let rest for 20 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a 4-quart or larger pot. Add onion and chopped Swiss leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes; do not let garlic brown.

Add asparagus into onion mixture. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove pan from heat and let chard mixture cool slightly, and then stir in Pecorino Romano.

Roll out the pizza dough and shape into a circle. Place on a pizza baking dish or a pizza stone. Spread the chard mixture evenly over the dough. Top with mozzarella. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges brown the the cheese starts to bubble.

CSA Harvest

Valencia Oranges, Red LaSoda Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Swiss Chard, French Breakfast Radishes, Salad Mix.

I also picked up some jalapeno goat cheese from Black Mesa Ranch. It is delicious! I spread it on the radishes we got. You get a nice crunch from the radishes and the great flavor of the goat cheese with a kick from the jalapeno. Great afternoon snack!

Dinner for One

Dinner for just one tonight. My cooking companion was busy tonight so I cooked for just myself. I needed to get rid of some leftover veggies from last weeks CSA since I get a new batch tomorrow. So I threw together some easy dishes with whatever I had around the kitchen. I started with some Sauteed Baby Artichokes and then a Garlic Butter Whole Wheat Pasta with I'Itoi Onions.

I have never cooked with baby artichokes before. I've always loved regular sized artichokes, boiled with some yummy garlic butter. So delicious. But BABY artichokes, what are you supposed to do with those? They're so small, you can't scrape the meat off the leaves. I found this wonderful recipe for Sauteed Baby Artichokes on The Dabble that seemed so simple. First, I had to figure out how to prep the little guys. Saveur (yes the same Saveur that brings us the great James Oseland, judge on Top Chef Masters) offers a great photo tutorial on how to trim them. I only had two baby artichokes, so it was the perfect amount for just one person. They tasted great and were packed with delicious artichoke flavor in a cute bite sized package.

Main dish tonight was a Whole Wheat Pasta with I'Itoi Onions. What are i'itoi onions? Yeah, I had no idea either. Apparently it is native to the Tohono O'odham nation and have a similar taste to shallots. They have this vibrant red/purple color. I decided to treat them just as I would shallots and sautee them with garlic and butter for a pasta. They ended up not having a very strong flavor, and to be honest, I didn't really taste them at all. Nevertheless, it's always fun to experiment with new ingredients because you sometimes may stumble upon a hidden gem.

When I was younger, one of my favorite dishes was called Brandy's Pasta. I have no idea where the name comes from or who Brandy is. I would go with my mom to get Italian from a restaurant near our house, and the owner would always make a special dish for me. Brandy's pasta was simply pasta tossed with garlic, butter, and cheese. Such a simple dish, but it was still a little girl's favorite treat. I make this dish as an emergency meal when I need a quick dinner and don't really have anything in the fridge. Unfortunately, it's not all that healthy, so I tried to compensate with the whole wheat pasta. This time, I actually used full whole wheat organic pasta from Trader Joes. I think I'm going to stick with the whole wheat blend that I used in a previous post. The pasta this time was just a little too healthy tasting. Regardless of what kind of pasta you use, this recipe is so easy and can be mixed with basically whatever you want. It's a great base to mix in and kinds of veggies or add some meat.

Sauteed Baby Artichokes

• 2 baby artichokes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• sea salt/pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Trim the artichokes (see the Saveur link) and wash. Quarter them. Make a bowl of acidulated water: a bowl of water with the lemon juice to put the trimmed artichokes in. Drain before using.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the artichokes, broth, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, until artichokes are tender. Remove the cover and continue to cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Garlic Butter Pasta with I'Itoi Onions

• 1 box cooked pasta
• 1/2 stick butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch I'Itoi Onions, minced
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta and drain. In a large sautee pan, melt the butter and saute the garlic and onions until fragrant. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and cheese. That's it, you're done!

Potato Chips are SO Last Year

New color scheme, I was tired of the plain white. Let's see how long it takes for me to get sick of these crazy circus colors.

I love potato chips. They are so bad for you, but they are always the perfect remedy for a salt craving. They are crispy, salty, and delicious. Unfortunately, they are not the best for you, so I thought I would make kale chips instead. Interesting fact about kale, because it is so high in Vitamin K, patients taking warfarin or other anti-coagulants are encouraged not to eat it because warfarin inhibits Vitamin K dependent synthesis of clotting factors. How fascinating!

I have made kale chips before, but with red kale. I used too much oil and too much salt, so they weren't very tasty. This time we had beautiful green kale. One thing I noticed was that bugs love to hide in the nooks and crannies of the leaves. I washed each leaf about three times and I still kept finding bugs, but I guess that's what you get with organic veggies. After you wash the leaves, be sure to dry them completely. Either pat them down with paper towels, shake them off, or use a salad spinner. With the oil, a friend recommended using spray olive oil rather than drizzling it on. Either way, just be careful. If you use too much the leaves will never crisp up and stay a soggy mess on your baking pan. If you use too little, they will turn brown and burn. One last thing, you can season these with anything you like. In a spicy mood? Cayenne and paprika. In a garlic mood? Garlic salt. In a citrus mood? Lemon and salt. So easy, so fast, and so healthy. Kick those lame-o potato chips out and put these scrumptious little guys next to your hamburger or hot dog.

Kale Chips

• One bunch of kale, washed and dried
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or Olive oil spray
  
• Salt and any other seasonings your heart desires!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place kale on a baking sheet and drizzle/spray with olive oil. Season with salt and any other seasonings. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until leaves are crispy.

¡Nopalitos Por Favor!

Friday afternoon snack adventure: Nopalitos Salsa! After a long week of learning about kidneys and pee, I was ready to veg out on the couch and have a refreshing snack. This turned out to be the perfect fix. Another simple, fast, and inexpensive recipe. I have never cooked with nopalitos (cactus) before and so I consulted my own "Napolitos Queen" Tami and she suggested to cut them and boil with a bit of baking soda. This worked absolutely perfectly, they weren't slimy at all and perfect texture. I mixed the cooked cactus with a simple pico that I made. The bright red of the tomato, the green of the cilantro and nopalitos, and the white of the onion make a wonderfully colorful potpourri. I must admit though, I was a little heavy handed with the onions. I love onions and I probably should have halved it for this recipe based on the amount of nopalitos. Regardless, I still thought it was delicious. A few crispy tortilla chips, a cold drink, and a beautiful day outside on a lazy Friday afternoon. Just perfect.

Nopalitos Salsa

• 2 nopalitos pads, cleaned
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 large white onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• Salt

1. Cut the cleaned nopalitos into bite-size pieces. Boil a pot of water and add the baking soda and nopalitos. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until reached desired consistency.

2. When the nopalitos are done, drain and mix with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

SPAM, not just junk email

First off, I want to thank everyone who has come up to me and complimented me on the blog. I have so much fun writing it, maybe too much fun which hinders my studying. I don't mind having "blog stalkers" and I'm just glad that you're enjoying it as much as I am enjoying putting it together.

Someone asked me today if it was expensive to cook everything that I make. Keep in mind, I am a typical "starving medical student" (hence the blog name), so I'm basically up to my eyeballs in debt and I also do not have a normal income. So of course I cannot afford to pay extravagant amounts for my food, but I like to make food that looks like it cost a lot. I get my big bag of CSA veggies once a week and that averages about $20/week. I try to plan all of my meals for the week on Monday and then hit the grocery store once a week when I have time. I spend about $40/week on groceries. So that's on average $60/week for two people for all of our meals. I think it's a lot cheaper than if we were to eat out everyday, even if we ate $5 meals for lunch and dinner...which is nearly impossible. And I get to decide exactly what goes into my food and how it tastes. Of course I still like to go out to eat during the week, but the point is, staying home and cooking your own food can save you money, be healthier, and be so much more fun and delicious!

So I thought the theme for tonight would be Cheap Eats. I saw a patient the other day who was from Hawaii and of course we had to have a conversation about food. My mom was born on Oahu and so I grew up eating Hawaiian food from my mom, grandmother, and uncles. A staple of Hawaiian food is SPAM. SPAM has a bad rap with most people, but let me just say, ham is the first ingredient in this food. It is not made of chicken livers, beef brains, or pig intestines--it is just meat in a can, and it is delicious. Don't knock it until you try it.

SPAM musubi is also known as "SPAM sushi." It's a classic snack in Hawaii and is so easy to make and super cheap. All you need is sushi nori (seaweed), soy sauce (I always use low sodium), white rice, chili pepper (I use Japanese togarashi), and a can of SPAM (I like SPAM Lite, 33% less calories, 50% less fat and 25% Less Sodium than regular SPAM). Total cost (I tried to account for the fact that I didn't use all of the ingredients for each item that I bought): nori $1 + soy sauce $1 +rice $0.50 + togarashi $1 + SPAM $2 = $5.50 for 16 pieces. So cheap!
A word on togarashi. It is also known as shichimi togarashi or nanami togarashi. It is a popular Japanese spice blend usually for soups or noodles. It contains red chile pepper, roasted orange peel, yellow and black sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, seaweed, and ginger. It gives a great flavor to the musubi and also adds a little kick. If you don't have togarashi, you can easily leave it out of the recipe or add any sort of chili pepper you have handy.

The only hinderance to this recipe is that it works best if you have a musubi maker (that clear plastic item in the photo). It's basically a box that fits SPAM perfectly with another piece of plastic to squish down the rice. I'm sure these are non-existent in Tucson--I had to buy mine in LA at my favorite Japanese store Marukai (you can also get it online). But this simple tool helps worlds to make perfectly shaped musubi. If you don't have one, don't worry, you can always wrap the spam and rice differently like this. You just shape the rice by hand, put the spam on top, and wrap a strip of nori across. But if you do have access to a musubi maker, use it! They will turn out beautiful and delicious!

SPAM Musubi

• 3 c. calrose rice
• 1 can of SPAM Lite
• 4 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Togarashi chili pepper
• Sushi Nori

Wash and cook the rice. While it is cooking, slice SPAM long-ways into 8 pieces. Heat a small frying pan and add 2 Tbsp of soy sauce. Place 4 pieces of SPAM in the pan and sprinkle on the togarashi to taste. Cook the SPAM until brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the other 4 pieces of SPAM and another 2 Tbsp of soy sauce. When the rice is finished cooking, use the musubi maker and layer rice, spam, rice and wrap with nori. To store, wrap each musubi in saran wrap and place in fridge. To reheat, loosen saran wrap and microwave for a minute and a half.

Fancy Schamcy Dinner Night

Tonight I was signed up to volunteer at the CUP Women's Clinic, but there was only one patient scheduled so I didn't have to show up. I thought I was going to be busy all night, but now that I was free, I took the opportunity to cook a wonderful meal. We also had a nice night in because our puppy was neutered today, so we have a sleepy post-op puppy to take care of as well.

To start we have a Dandelion Greens with Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Onions and Strawberries. I have never tasted dandelion greens, and like most people, I had always considered them weeds. However, I do drink dandelion tea when I am sick as directed by my personal Chinese herbalist. I found the recipe on SeriousEats and I thought it would be perfect, with some alterations, with strawberry season. The grocery store was full of those little red gems and all of them were on sale. My strawberry plant in the backyard is also starting to grow some fruit as well. Unfortunately, the dandelion greens are extremely, extremely bitter. Apparently, they are one of the most aggressive of the bitter greens, but I was not expecting this. Like a punch in the face! I took one bite and my eyes almost started watering. I couldn't finish the greens, but I gobbled up the marinated strawberries and onions. Those were delicious. Next time I will put the strawberries and onions on a simple spinach or arugula salad, but never ever again those bitter dandelion greens.

For our main course, we had Asparagus and Fava Bean Israeli Couscous (adapted from Culinerapy) and Beet Ravioli in Poppy Seed Butter (from Desert Candy). They were both wonderful.

The israeli couscous was originally supposed to be a risotto recipe. But since I didn't have any risotto, risotto can take forever to make, and also that I love israeli couscous, I decided to change it a bit. Because of that, I had to alter the recipe some, but that ultimately made it even easier. The original recipe would have taken over an hour to make, my version took maybe 45 minutes. Fast, easy, delicious... that's my motto. The only thing that took a bit of time was preparing the fava beans, that can easily be left out, but it really isn't too terrible to set them up. You can clean them and study for TL at the same time (or watch Top Chef Masters...). I had never cooked with fava beans before, but the minute I heard we were getting them all I could think about was serving it with liver and a nice chianti (Alex, I know that you get my reference there).

The Beet Raviolis with Poppy Seed Butter was excellent as well. So simple to make. If you don't feel like making your own pasta dough, I used wonton skins and they worked wonderfully. The pasta was an amazing red color that looked terrific with the green of the couscous. They weren't too heavy and would be great as a main dish or a side.

Greens Salad with Strawberries and Balsamic-Caramelized Onions

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-wide rings or half moons
  
• 10 ripe strawberries, sliced
  
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• Salad greens
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Add the sliced onions along with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, lightly brown, and reduced to about 1/3 of their raw volume. You may need to reduce the heat gradually as the onions shrink.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the strawberry slices with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and the sugar and set aside.

3. When the onions are nearly done, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the pan and continue cooking until it has thickened slightly, a minute or two. Remove the onions from the heat.

4. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, onions and strawberries with all their juices, scraping down the onion pan with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the oil and vinegar into the salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss, and serve.

Asparagus and Fava Bean Israeli Couscous

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces; set aside tips
• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds fava beans, in pods (about 1 cup of shelled beans)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 8 oz. box of Israeli Couscous
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Salt to taste
• 1 scallion, green parts chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. To prepare fava beans: bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the beans by pulling on the stem of the pod, and “unzip” them on both sides. Pop out the light green beans. Take the beans and drop them in boiling water for about 4 minutes. Prepare a bowl with ice and water. Remove the beans from the boiling water and plunge into ice water to cool. Peel off the beans' waxy outer covering. Drain and set aside.

2. Refill medium pot of water and bring to a boil. Add half the chopped asparagus stalks (not the tips) and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water or stock to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside. Put 2 cups of stock and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the couscous and simmer covered for 10 minutes or until the couscous is soft.

3. Put 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt.

4. When the couscous is ready, add it to the onion mix, stirring occasionally,about 2 to 3 minutes. Add more stock 1/2 cup at a time if the couscous mixture looks dry. Add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, add shelled fava beans and stir in the asparagus puree and chopped scallions. Remove skillet from heat. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.

Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter

• 4 small red beets
  
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
• 1 package Wonton wrappers
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off the beet greens and peel the beets. Wrap beets individually in foil; place on baking sheet covered in foil. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Open foil carefully (steam will escape). Cool. Finely grate into medium bowl. Add ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in breadcrumbs.

2. Place a few of the wonton wrappers on your work surface, and place a small bowl of water nearby. Spoon 1 tablespoon beet filling onto each wonton wrapper. Dip fingertip into water and dampen edge of 1 round. Fold dough over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds.

3. In a wide skillet, melt the butter with the poppy seeds, keep warm over very low heat. Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just done, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to skillet with melted butter; toss to coat. You may need more butter. Place ravioli on plates; sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

CSA Harvest

Here is the harvest that I picked up this afternoon: Grapefruit, Artichokes, Fava Beans, Nopales, Green Winter Bore Kale, Dandelion Greens, I’Itoi Onions, Spring Salad Mix.

A terrible side effect of medical school, every time I think of grapefruits the first thing that comes to mind is CYP3A4 inhibitor. Good thing I'm not on a statin because grapefruits are surely delicious.

The first week that we received kale, we made a huge batch of Olive Garden's Toscana Soup (my mom got me a cookbook of how to make all of your favorite restaurant dishes). It was creamy, hearty, and delicious. All that was missing was endless salad and bread sticks. My plan for this time are kale chips. I made them a few weeks ago, just some olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake. The kale crisps up like a potato chip, and are almost as addicting.

As for the artichokes (which are very small), fava beans, dandelion greens, and i'itoi onions, I am very open to suggestions.

One more thing, I am somewhat terrified of the nopales. My only experience with cactus pads was a very slimy and not enjoyable one. Listen, I love okra (especially fried), but I am not one that is deterred by slimy foods. But these nopales, they were a little much. I have been told by my own "Nopales Queen" that I can grill them or boil with a little baking soda. This should be interesting. Let the adventure begin!

Caffeine Cookies

Ever since I studied abroad in Tokyo two summers ago, I have had an addiction to matcha. Almost every day after class, I would stop by Cafe Veloce and get a matcha float. A perfect blend of iced matcha tea and a swirl of vanilla frozen yogurt. Japan summers are hot and humid and these were the perfect way to cool down. Not too bitter, not too sweet. Here's a photo of the famous Matcha Float:I saw a recipe for Matcha Shortbread cookies on Appetite for China and I knew I had to make them. They came out a wonderful texture with a strong green tea taste. In my opinion, they have a little of a bitter after taste, so if that bothers you, add less matcha powder and more sugar. They are a beautiful vibrant green. I also tried to add a little cross cross pattern with a toothpick, but I didn't indent them enough and the pattern didn't come out after baking. Also, if you have large grain sugar, or even white crystal sprinkles, it would look nice to put a little on top for a bit of shimmer. I'm really happy with this recipe and can't wait to make them again.
Matcha Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar
1 tablespoon green tea (matcha) powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
White sugar crystal sprinkles

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a food processor. Add vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse together until a dough forms. Roll the dough into a log onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Wrap the paper around and shape the log until it is smooth (round or squarish, whichever your preference.) Chill for at least 30 minutes if you're planning on baking immediately, or freeze the dough until you're ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

When chilled, slice the log into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Dip the top of each cookie in a bowl of white sugar crystals and use a toothpick to make a crisscross pattern. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

The dough will keep in freezer for a few months, so you can slice off just a few cookies to bake at a time.

Tasty Tails and Fragrant Fruit

Every time I go to Las Vegas, I'm always sure to make a pit stop at The Cal for their oxtail soup. It's only served on their graveyard menu after 11pm, but it's well worth the wait. The broth is delicious and the meat falls right off the bone. I grew up with my grandmother and mother making oxtail soup and I've never tried to attempt it myself. My mom gave me a new recipe she created to make the soup in a crockpot, so I thought I would give it a try. Also, I had some fresh cilantro from CSA this week which worked perfectly. I love crockpot recipes because you can make them in the morning, leave them alone for the day, and you have a wonderful dinner that night. This recipe is so easy and does not call for many ingredients, perfect after a long day of studying.

The funny part about this dish is that I saw a patient this week who spurred me to make oxtail soup. I can't say much about why he was in the hospital, but it had something to do with Hamhock and Beans. My mentor told me that hamhock was oxtail and showed a picture which looked disgusting. It was a giant brown mass smothered in beans. That was not the oxtail I grew up with and loved, so I did some research myself. Turns out, according to the reliable source wikipedia, hamhock is actually the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig. Completely different part of the body from a completely different animal. So the oxtail soup cravings began.

I picked up some packages of oxtail from the local Asian grocery store, they were about nine dollars a package. I ended up cooking the soup for about eight hours on low heat and the meat and veggies were still tough. I'm not sure if I should have just cooked them for longer or if my crockpot is on its last leg (it's a hand-me-down from my mom, circa probably 1980). If I make this dish again, I will probably cook on low for 8 hours and then high for 2 hours. I served this dish tonight and it was so hard to get the meat off the bone that we ended up using steak knives. So I turned the heat up to high, grabbed some sushi for dinner, and when I came back, the meat and veggies were super tender.
I also thought it would be fun to try durian, the one food Andrew Zimmern couldn't eat. If you're not familiar with the fruit, it is known for it's terrible smell but Asians still love it. A friend described it as smelling like "rotten pineapple" and I think that was pretty spot on. I bought a small package from the Asian grocery store and tried it after our soup. Not only is the odor an experience, but the texture and flavor...wow. It feels like you're eating mushy baby vomit and it tastes like a sweet rotten egg. Obviously, you can tell I'm not a fan. But some people love this stuff and more power to them.

Oxtail Soup

• 2 packages oxtails
• 3 cubes beef bouillon
  
• 3 slices ginger
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 4-5 sliced carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• Condiments: grated ginger, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, soy sauce

Cover oxtails in crockpot with enough water to cover (about 8 cups). Add all of the above ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Increase temperature to high for the last 2 hours. To serve, ladle oxtail, broth, and vegetables into bowl and dip meat into condiments.

Yes to Whole Wheat Pasta!

I had always been scared to venture into the realm of whole wheat pasta. I am a pasta lover, I'm not afraid to admit it. I love pasta in any form, any sauce, any way. But I thought I'd try to be a little healthier and try the whole wheat version tonight (actually it's only 51% whole wheat, but that's better than nothing.) It was actually pretty delicious and I couldn't taste any difference from my normal carb-loaded pasta. Maybe sometime I will venture into complete whole wheat pasta, but I'm a little wary because I had a bad experience with whole grain pancakes... yuck! Can you say cardboard?! For now, I'll advocate for the pseudo-whole wheat pasta.

Tonight, I made a whole wheat pasta with roasted onions and swiss chard. I have been trying to perfect my swiss chard, but every time I make it, it turns out a little bitter. I'm definitely open to any suggestions. Overall, this recipe turned out well. I'd only make a few changes from the original recipe from BakingAndBooks. Probably less onions, it was a little overwhelming, chop the swiss chard, little herb alterations, and I added extra garlic (of course!) I've made my modifications to the recipe below. A healthy recipe after you eat your carrot cupcakes!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Swiss Chard and Balsamic-Roasted Onions

• 1 red onion, sliced lengthwise into thin wedges
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more later for serving, according to taste.
  
• Coarse sea or river salt
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
  
• 1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed and cut into ribbons
  
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta (I used Barilla Whole Grain Rotini)
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the onion slices with the herbs de provence, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cover a baking pan with foil and and roast them for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re soft and caramelized. Stir them after 20 minutes of roasting.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. When the water returns to a boil add the chard and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted and tender. Using tongs, remove the chard from the water and drain in a colander. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute over medium heat, just until it’s fragrant. Add the pine nuts and cook for 1 more minute. Add the swiss chard and 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the roasted onion slices and cook until they are heated through.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and toss. Season with extra balsamic vinegar, if you like. Serve immediately.

When Given Carrots, Make Cupcakes

The last few CSA weeks have been filled with a plethora of carrots. At some point last week, my entire fridge drawer was stuffed with these orange guys. Of course, the baker in me immediately thought to do a carrot cupcake. This is a recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart. Her recipe was enough for a dozen cupcakes, so I doubled it and probably could have made almost three dozen if I didn't fill the cupcakes so high. I must admit, I overfilled the cupcakes and they spilled up over the tops. I was actually extremely embarrassed by how these ended up looking but everyone still said they looked, and tasted, great. The batter seemed rather runny which I think was from the moist grated carrots. But they ended up being super moist and delicious in the end. I would recommend adding a bit more baking powder if you want fluffier cupcakes because mine looked somewhat flat. I like to use my own cream cheese frosting recipe. It tends to make a lot, so either half the recipe, frost the cupcakes up high, or you'll have some to snack on for later. These cupcakes would taste great even if you didn't frost them. An easy and delicious way to make healthy carrots into a not so healthy snack.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, plus more for garnish

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. In a bowl, combine sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and eggs.
2. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Add flour; mix. Stir in carrots, walnuts, and coconut.
3. Fill each cupcake 2/3 full. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
5. Frost cupcakes, and garnish with shredded coconut.

I Thought I Hated Fennel

I have never been a fan of anise or black licorice so obviously, I thought I would hate fennel. Whenever I saw it on a menu or in a recipe, I always steered clear. I mean seriously, who didn't pick out the black jelly beans in their mix bag and toss them in the trash? The word fennel alone would give me shivers. This week we got a head of fennel in our CSA bags and I contemplated long and hard if I wanted to trade it for something else, but I really didn't want any more leafy greens. So I brought it home and decided on a Carrot Fennel Pasta. Let me tell you, it turned out amazing and I now have to admit that I love, yes love, fennel. Granted, I cooked it in garlic and butter, and let's face it, really what doesn't taste delicious in that decadent mix? This pasta came out wonderful and it was a breeze to make. I used the carrots left over from last week's harvest and a few other things I found in the fridge. The dish looks beautiful when it's done with vibrant orange and green colors. The fennel has a wonderfully sweet taste and aroma which reminded me of nothing of what I feared so much in the past. I don't think I'm ready to take the plunge into devouring a bag of those black jelly beans yet, but for now, baby steps and I get to enjoy a scrumptious fennel pasta. Delicious, quick, and easy.

Carrot Fennel Pasta

• 4-5 carrots, halved and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head fennel, any woody core removed, sliced into thin strips--chop the leafy frons for garnish at the end
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 + tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked
  

While pasta is cooking, stir carrots, fennel, onion and garlic into melted butter, in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir often, sprinkling mixture with a little of the boiling pasta water or white wine if it appears too dry.

When pasta is cooked through, drain and add to vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper and another pat of butter, if desired, and toss to mix. Serve hot.

CSA Harvest

Here is the harvest for this week: Valencia Oranges, Baby Beets, Swiss Chard, Baby Leeks, Spinach, Cilantro, Salad Mix.

I have been in the mood for pasta recently, plus it makes an easy lunch to pack for the next day. So be ready for some tasty carbs this week.

Hello World

After spending about three hours planning my dinners for the week on TasteSpotting, I decided I wanted to start my own food blog. I basically was doing so through facebook status updates, but here I can make it a bit more formal. With the busy life of a medical student, I try to cook a nice and complete dinner at least once a week. I am a member of the local CSA, so I use a lot of fresh veggies in my recipes. Also, I consider myself more of a baker than a chef, so there will be lots of sweets as well. I hope you will enjoy this culinary adventure, and happy eating!