Archive for January, 2007

Peanut Chicken with Cauliflower and mushrooms

{ January 26, 2007 @ 11:18 pm } · { Chicken, Soups }
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  • 1.5 cups dry roasted peanuts
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce (can get at most grocery stores, in the asian section)
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (can find this at asian specialty stores. it lasts forever)
  • 1 tsp sambal chili paste
  • juice from 3 limes
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 lbs chicken thigh meat
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1/2 lb mushrooms

Put the peanuts, garlic, soy sauce, honey, fish sauce, tamarind paste, sambal, lime juice, and about 1/2 cup of water in a food processor or blender. Grind until smooth.

Put the chicken in a large soup pot or crock pot. Cut 1/2 the head of cauliflower into chuncks and add to pot. Add mushrooms (whole or sliced). Put in sauce and coconut milk and add enough water to cover the rest of the ingredients. Put the lid on and turn to low-heat. Allow to simmer for 2 hours or more. I always make this in a crockpot and let it simmer all day, but if you’re doing it on the stove, it should be done in about 2 hours on low heat.

January 22

{ January 26, 2007 @ 11:10 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Day 1:

  • Bagels with lox and capers
  • Grilled cheese sandwiches and salad
  • Stuffed acorn squash with apple salad

Day 2:

  • Bagels again
  • Yellow split pea and cauliflower soup
  • Thai green veggie curry with brown rice

Day 3:

  • Eggs and toast
  • Split pea soup and tuna sandwiches
  • Green curry and rice

Day 4:

  • Yogurt, granola and bananas
  • Salad and avocado quesadillas
  • Spanikopita

Day 5:

  • Yogurt/granola
  • Spanikopita and split pea soup

Day 6:

  • Whole wheat pizza with sundried tomatoes and motzarella

Spanikopita

{ January 26, 2007 @ 11:03 pm } · { Casseroles }
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  • 2 bunches fresh spinach, chopped and cleaned
  • 1 bunch italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced 1/4 inch
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5-6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons dill
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 16 oz cottage cheese
  • 7-8 oz feta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp salt
  • package of filo dough
  • 5-6 tablespoons melted butter

Pull filo dough out ahead of time to thaw completely. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Get a saute pan hot and add a tablespoon of butter with the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions turn golden brown. Add spinach a bit at a time until it’s all cooked down a bit…but don’t let it turn into gelatinous mush. It’s going to keep cooking, so pull it out before it even looks done. Put this mixture in a strainer and let it drain for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the parsley, green onions, dill, thyme, cottage cheese, feta, egg and salt. Put some pepper in there if you want to. Mix it all around and then add the spinach-onion mixture and mix it around some more.

Take a 9×13 pan out. Melt the remaining butter. Gently separate one piece of filo dough and lay it in the pan.  Brush a bit of the melted butter onto the sheet of filo, making sure to cover it completely. Now lay another sheet on top of that one and do it again. Do this 7 to 8 times. Put the spinach mixture on top and even it out with a spoon. Lay another piece of filo on top, and brush it with butter, repeating this with another 7-8 pieces of filo.

Before you put this in the oven, cut it into pieces with a sharp knife. Cook it, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes…until the top is nice and brown. Let it cool for a few before you eat it.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

{ January 8, 2007 @ 2:12 am } · { Breads }
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  • 1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast

In a mixing bowl, add water and honey. Mix thoroughly with a fork and then add the yeast. Mix with a fork again until the water becomes cloudy. Add the salt. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the second cup of flour and stir. The dough should be coming off the sides of the bowl. Using the last 1/2 cup of flour, sprinkle flour on work surface and coat your hands with it. Knead the dough, adding flour as necessary.

When the dough has been kneaded properly, it will be fairly elastic and will spring back when you press your palm into it. This takes about 5 minutes. Roll into a ball.

Coat a mixing bowl with olive oil. Rub the ball of dough around in the oil and then cover it with saran wrap. Put in a warm and draft-free place for an hour and let it rise. After an hour, uncover it, punch it down and let it rise for another 20-30 minutes.

This dough is not elastic like white flour dough. Because of that, I roll it out into the shape I want, using a couple of teaspoons of flour. We usually use square pans. I push the rolled dough into the edges and then cover it with plastic again and place it in a warm area while I am preparing the sauce, grating the cheese, etc. By that time, the edges will puff up again and it’s ready.