Author Archives: MGG

Asparagus Risotto

Posted in Leftover Ideas, Pasta & Rice Dishes by

This is an easy and tasty risotto dish that’s also a great way to use up fresh asparagus, if you have some left over — just scale the recipe accordingly.

1 kilo (2 lbs, 3 oz.) asparagus
300g (10.5 oz.) risotto rice
50g (3 Tbsp.) butter
1 medium red onion, chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

Cut off the extreme tips of the asparagus (about 3 cm or 1 inch) and set aside. Chop the remaining sections into 1-inch pieces and cook in 1 liter (4 cups) boiling, salted water. When tender, remove the stalks from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and reserve the cooking liquid. Puree the tender stalks until mushy, then stir the puree back into the cooking water to make an asparagus stock.

Melt the butter in a large stockpot and cook the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until it absorbs the flavor of the butter. Add the wine and let evaporate, then ladle on a bit of the stock. When the rice has absorbed the liquid, add another ladle of stock. Continue in this way until the rice is cooked, stirring constantly.

If your stock runs out before the rice is tender, you’ll need to have some other vegetable stock ready. Just make sure whatever liquid you add is simmering when you ladle it into the rice.

Add the asparagus tips about 15 minutes after the first addition of stock. Test the rice toward the end of cooking and turn off the heat when the rice is al dente. Check the seasonings, add desired cheese, and serve immediately.

Paulo’s Moqueqa (Brazilian Fish Stew)

Posted in Soups & Chilis by
Here is a delicious soupy stew that’s perfect to have in warm weather. It’s easy to make, but it takes a little while because of all the steps, so it may be nice to make on a summer weekend. Serve it with rice and crusty bread.

Serves 8 as a main course

2 1/2 lbs. fresh white fish fillets, such as cod, sea bass, grouper or red snapper (or use a mix of fish and shrimp, clams, or mussels)
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 Tbsp. garlic, minced (about 8 regular cloves)
1 red chili pepper, cored, seeded and minced
2 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded and julienned
1 large onion, chopped in half and thinly sliced
4 small tomatoes, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped
7-8 cups fish stock (use a good stock if you have it)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
1 full cup roughly chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
4 cilantro sprigs for garnish

Wash the fish fillets thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing the seasonings into the fillets. Mix 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. garlic and rub mixture into fillets; place fish on a plate to marinate briefly at room temperature.

In a large stew pot, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining garlic and minced chili. Saute a couple of minutes, then add the bell peppers. Saute until barely tender, then remove with slotted spoon and place on a plate. Add fish to the pot and cook just until opaque, then remove with a spatula and return to plate (don’t worry if the fish breaks apart when you remove it, as long as you still have large chunks of it).

Add onions to pot and saute until just tender, adding a touch more oil if needed. Add tomatoes and cook until heated through, then stir in the peppers.

Add fish stock, bring to a boil, and let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. (This would be a good time to start cooking the rice.) Dissolve the tomato paste in the coconut milk and add to the stew, stirring constantly until the coconut milk is thoroughly blended. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in lime juice. Add fish and cilantro and heat through. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over rice, garnished with sprigs.

Coconut Rhubarb Muffins

Posted in Cakes & Muffins by

Makes 8-9 muffins

125g (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
40g (1.5 oz.) flaked coconut, plus extra for topping
225g (8 oz.) rhubarb (about 2 large stalks), chopped
100g (3.5 oz.) light brown sugar
30g (2 large Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
125ml (a little more than half a cup) milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F. Butter muffin tins and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add coconut and stir again. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the rhubarb with the brown sugar and toss to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the rhubarb and stir to combine, then add the flour mixture and stir until just mixed. Spoon into muffin cups, filling almost to the top, and sprinkle a bit of flaked coconut on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool completely in muffin tins. Be gentle when removing from the pan, especially with the bottom of the muffins.

*Tip: To make the muffins look especially nice, make sure a few pieces of the chopped rhubarb stick out from the top of each one just before you put them in the oven — maybe save a few from the brown sugar mixture and stick them in at the very end.

Strawberry Sour Cream Bread

Posted in Cakes & Muffins by

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups strawberries (fresh, frozen, or canned)*

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly and alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the strawberries, then pour the batter into the pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

*Believe it or not, frozen and canned work best in this recipe. If using either, make sure they are well drained before adding to the batter.

Skinny Parmesan Turkey Burgers

Posted in Poultry by

This recipe won my turkey burger cookoff in the summer of 2008. They can be grilled or broiled — the directions below are for the oven.

Makes 4 burgers

1 lb. ground turkey (mince)
1 egg white
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the broiler.

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Shape into four patties and flatten between your palms.

When the broiler is hot enough, place the burgers on a greased cookie sheet and broil. Test for doneness before removing from oven; mine took about 10 minutes. You can flip the burgers halfway through cooking if desired.

Melissa’s Three-Bean Salad

Posted in Salads & Dressings by

I have been on a big bean salad kick recently. Things aren’t helped by the massive, delicious, and healthy selection of bean salads offered by Marks & Spencer next door… it seems every day I find an excuse to get my bean salad lunch from there, rather than making one of my own.

Bean salads aren’t difficult to make, though. They’re also enormously healthy, filling, and easy to adapt. Here’s the first bean salad I came up with to satisfy my craving, and it still does the trick. I should really make this more often.

For the cans below, use 14.5-ounce or 410-gram cans.

Makes 6 large servings

1 can white beans (try cannellini), rinsed and well drained
1 can red beans (like kidney or borlotti), rinsed and well drained
1 can chick peas, rinsed and well drained
3 celery stalks, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 red onion, diced
Large handful parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the beans, celery, red pepper, onion and parsley in a bowl. Mix gently, scooping from underneath, so as not to break the beans apart. Dress with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix gently once more, then serve.

Sopa de Albondigas

Posted in Soups & Chilis by

This Mexican meatball soup could seriously cure a cold. It makes a great light meal on its own, served with warm flour tortillas or bread.

Servings: 6 large, 8 regular

Meatballs:
2 lbs. lean ground (minced) beef or turkey
1 small can diced green chilies (or 1/2 jar sliced jalapenos, chopped)
1/2 bunch green (salad) onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F/205C. Combine all ingredients by hand and roll into 1-inch meatballs, then bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Place on paper towel to absorb grease. Set aside.

Broth:
2 quarts water
1 beef or chicken stock cube
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small can diced green chilies (or 1/2 jar sliced jalapenos, chopped)
2 cans diced tomatoes, well drained (or use fresh)
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/2 bunch green (salad) onions, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water, stock cube, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes to a rolling boil. Add meatballs and rice. Reduce heat and simmer until the rice is soft. Add green onions and cilantro and season to taste, simmering for an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Butternut Squash, Two Ways

Posted in Vegetables by

Here are two easy ways to use one butternut squash. They’re a great introduction to this vegetable if you’ve never used it before. It’s one of my favorite vegetarian foods during the winter — warm in taste and color, comforting, and very adaptable.

Cut off the top, more slender half (the part without the seeds) and use it for the first recipe. Use the bottom, rounder half for the second.

Butternut Squash with Wild Mushrooms
Top half of butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
Half of a leek, chopped
4 cups sliced mushrooms (shiitakes, oysters, or portobellos work best, but regular ones work fine, too)
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
4 oz. green beans, chopped into bite-size sections
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper

Toss diced squash with olive oil and roast at 400F/200C until tender.

Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over high heat, then add leeks, mushrooms, and shallots. Saute until mushrooms begin to soften. Add squash, garlic, tomatoes, and green beans. Saute until heated through. Deglaze with wine, and when wine has almost disappeared, add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Add the remaining butter and season with oregano, salt, and pepper.

This dish serves four as a side dish, and it also could make a nice topping for fish. It also works really well on its own as a sort of vegetable stew, in which case it would serve two or three.

Baked Butternut Squash
Using a spoon, scrape the seeds from the bottom half. Place in a baking dish, bottom side up, in about 1 inch of water. Bake at 350F/175C for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and fill cavity with 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to bake for 10 minutes. Serves one.

These recipes also work well with acorn squash.

Five-Spice Jasmine Rice with Mushrooms

Posted in Pasta & Rice Dishes by
A great side dish to an Asian main course. Easy to make and delicious.

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
12 oz. mushrooms (white or portobello are good, but use any kind you like), cut in 3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
2 1/2 cups well-seasoned chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. (or more) chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring until tender but not brown. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook briefly, then stir in the five-spice powder.

Add remaining oil and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the rice.

Add stock, bring to a boil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook about 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes.

Fold in the cilantro/coriander and serve.

Serves 6.

Pita Crisps

Posted in Appetizers & Snacks by

These are incredibly easy to make and are perfect with dips or as an accompaniment to soup. They look gourmet, so they would be great so serve to guests (try them with the Red Pepper Puree) — but they’re so simple that you could just make them for yourself.

Pita bread
Olive oil
Salt (sea salt if you have it)
Pepper
Dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Carefully separate the two halves of the pita bread, then cut into triangles. The size of the triangles is up to you.

Spread the triangles on a baking sheet (don’t let them overlap). Drizzle a touch of olive oil on each one, then spread the oil around with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper, and oregano, and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.