Savory Zucchini Bread & 2 Tomato "Use-Ups"

Last year when I was (as usual) trying to use up bushels of zucchini, I figured I'd try out a savory version.  L was thrilled because it has some of his favorite ingredients and he's not a fan of the typical sweet version.  This bread is chock-full of Mediterranean gems and goes great with tomatoes, another bumper crop of the summer.  I recommend it aside bowl of homemade tomato soup, topped with slow-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella, or slathered with tomato jam.

One thing I would change about this recipe is to scale it up 1 1/2 times because it results in sort of a short stubby loaf.  Next time I make it I will see how that goes and update this recipe with new amounts if it works out well.

Savory Zucchini Bread

2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (I do this in my food processor)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped (Substituting 10 cloves of roasted garlic would be delicious)
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup parmiggiano reggiano, diced into tiny bits (This way you get little salty bites now and then)


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan.

Beat together the eggs, oil and vinegar.  Add the zucchini, garlic, peppers, olives, tomatoes and cheese and stir to coat.  Sift flour, seasonings and leavenings into the bowl and stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Then run a knife around the edge and invert to remove from the pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack before cutting.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

The trick to these tomatoes is roasting them as slowly as possible.  I put them in the oven in the afternoon and take them out the next morning when I wake up.  It's one of those recipes I feel guilty posting because it's barely a recipe.

10-12 Roma tomatoes or other low-moisture tomatoes, washed and split in half
olive oil
salt, pepper and any other desired seasonings

Toss tomatoes with olive oil to coat.  Arrange on a baking sheet, cut sides up.  Season as desired.

Set your oven as low as it will go (mine bottoms out at 170 F).  Stick your tomatoes in there and write yourself a little tomato love note so you don't forget about them.  Roasting time will depend on your oven but will be at least 12 hours.  I usually leave mine in for about 18 hours.  You know they're done when they've shriveled to about half their original size but are still moist inside.  These freeze very well and make an excellent pasta sauce when roughly chopped.

Cherry Tomato Jam

I've seen lots of recipes for this floating around cyberspace and finally had to try it myself.  It is the perfect mix of sweet and savory and goes particularly well with salty breads such as the zucchini bread above or any other cheese flavored bread.  It's also great as a topping for risotto cakes. It's not necessary to skin the tomatoes but it results in a better texture.  This recipe makes about 3 pint size jars.

2.5 lbs of cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (about 3 pints)

1 1/4 cups sugar (brown or white - both work well)
5 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 3/4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes

Bring a quart of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water.  Slash the ends of each tomato quickly with a paring knife.  Plunge the tomatoes, a pint at a time, into the boiling water for about 30 seconds (you should see the skins start to curl up at your incision), then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath.  Repeat for other pints.  At this point the skins should slide right off.  Discard the skins and transfer the "meat" to a large saucepan.  Add sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until thick and jammy.

Transfer to pint jars.  This will keep for about 3 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer (use plastic containers if you plan to freeze it).  It can also be canned in a boiling water canner.  For this method, make sure your canning jars are sterilized and place your lids in a pan of water just below a simmer to soften the adhesive.  Leave 1/2 inch of headspace before placing the lid and making the ring fingertip tight.  Boil enough water to cover the jars by at least one inch, use canning tongs to place jars in the rack and process for 15 minutes (longer at higher altitudes).  If you haven't canned before please don't rely on this explanation alone - visit the national food safety database or the Ball preserving website first and fully educate yourself on how to can safely.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This time of year everyone has extra zucchini threatening to bust out of the produce bin!  Although most of our zucchini gets marinated in Italian dressing and grilled, we just can't eat it all.  I've already put up 10 cans of zucchini pickles (I most post this some time - they're way better then the cucumber variety), and I have a bag of zucchini fritters in the freezer, so it's time to break out the loaf pan and bake up some zucchini bread.

My usual zucchini bread is a savory version, since L is not a fan of sweet stuff.  If I can advert any major disasters and manage to photograph it decently I'll be bringing that one to you later.  Once in a while, I like to mix it up a little and see the sweeter side.  I often find sweet zucchini bread to be too dry or too dense and I often get bored with the obligatory spices that seem to be overused in all baking: cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  Although I like to use these as showcase flavors on their own, I feel like they get lost in a generic "baked good" taste.  So instead of going the traditional route, why not use an ingredient that is at its best in in rich dense cakes, and pack it full of chocolate!  Sounds better already doesn't it?!  Then throw in some coffee to pump up the flavor and one unexpected spice to play a star role.  Moist and intensely chocolatey - now that's a sweet zucchini bread I can get into!'

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Coffee and Cardamom

Cardamon is an acquired taste for some, so if it's not your thing I recommend substituting a tablespoon of spicy Saigon cinnamon instead.  A dash of cayenne with the cinnamon will make it a delectable Mexican chocolate cake.

2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso granules
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional) **Edit** This amount is appropriate if you freshly grind the cardamom - if not use 1 full tsp
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup really good quality cocoa powder (I like Scharffen-Berger)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (summer squash also works well)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup chopped macademia nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a loaf pan.

Beat the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the oil, sugars, vanilla, espresso, cardamom and salt and mix well.  Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Toss in zucchini, chocolate and nuts and stir to combine.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert to remove.  Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Sweet Corn Risotto

The produce this time of year makes me so excited.  Every time I pick up my CSA share I feel like I'm unwrapping presents at Christmas time.  What in the world could possibly be better than heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon and peaches?

With such great produce overflowing out of my fridge, you need some really fantastic dishes to showcase it.  Most of these are so simple I don't even post them because it feels like cheating.  Is it really a recipe if it takes 5 ingredients or less and involves mostly chopping?

Risotto on the other hand is to me the definition of the craft.  There's something about chopping and sauteing aromatics, toasting rice, meditatively stirring to coax the rice into drinking up the stock and finishing with a flourish of butter and cream that personifies what it is to be a cook.  It's a very zen activity for me because the dish is not difficult, but needs consistent nurturing.  I guess that's why I've already given you so many versions, from a homey wintery sausage and radicchio, a bright primavera, and a briny seafood version.

This time around I'm showcasing one of summer's mascots - sweet corn.  Some gorgeous tomatoes also made their way in there, providing the acid to counterbalance the corn's sweetness and the richness of the butter and cream.  Inspired by a corn chowder, it starts with a little smidge of bacon.  Some scallions and basil lend a seasonally herbaceous finish.

Sweet Corn Risotto

Serves 8 as a first course, 4-6 as an entree depending on how hungry your guests are

3 cobs of local sweet corn, husked (the local part is imperative to getting the sweetest corn - the sugar converts to starch quite quickly after harvesting)
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk

3 slices center cut bacon, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced (about a cup)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio or other risotto rice
2/3 cup sweet white wine such as Riesling

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated parmiggiano reggiano

1 large heirloom tomato, cored and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp chopped scallions

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Remove the kernels from the cob and reserve.  I love my corn zipper for this job, although now they have this nifty new version that looks like it might be a little more natural to use and remove more kernels at once, so it might be time for an upgrade - future Christmas gift anybody? ;)  Snap the corn cobs in half and add them to a medium saucepan along with the stock and milk.  Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.

In a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium heat, brown the bacon.  Once it starts to get crispy add the onion and saute until translucent.  Add the garlic and the rice and toast until the rice is golden and smells nutty.  Deglaze with the sweet wine and add a couple of ladles full of the stock mixture.

Stir the risotto occasionally with a wooden spoon as it cooks over medium heat.  It is time to add a couple more ladle-fulls of stock every time you can push the risotto off the bottom of the pan and no liquid seeps in to fill the line you made.  Continue stirring occasionally and adding stock for about 20 minutes, then add the reserved corn kernels and continue as before.  When the risotto has gotten quite creamy and is almost al dente, add the cream and cook until done (should be 1-2 minutes at this point).

Finish the risotto by melting in the butter and parmesan cheese.  At this point check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.  I don't recommend salting before this point, as the bacon and parmesan both contribute significant salt.  Toss in tomatoes and herbs and serve piping hot.

Leftovers make great arancini or risotto cakes - top them with tomato jam - assuming you don't lick the pot clean first!

Palak Paneer

If I had to name one favorite Indian dish it would be palak paneer - a none too pretty but unbelievably tasty spinach puree with fresh farmers cheese (paneer) that's lovingly spiced and served over a bed of rice or with a stack of naan. Saag paneer is similar, but can contain other greens beyond spinach. I got to thinking that it couldn't be too hard to make - and as it turns out, it's dead simple and comes out even better than the restaurant variety.

Although paneer is not hard to make, I happened to have some "bread cheese" already on hand. This is a popular cheese to grill up for an appetizer, as it holds its shape when cooked, becoming soft and gooey but not stringey. I thought at first that the texture would be very different, but it was just a little firmer than paneer and tasted very similar, so it's an easy shortcut if you don't have time to make your own paneer.

Palak Paneer

1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium jalapeño, seeded & minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 cup water
11 oz spinach, washed and dried

1/3 cup "bread cheese", cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

cooked rice or naan for serving

Combine spices in a large, deep sided dry saucepan over medium high heat. Toast until spices are fragrant.

Add butter and onion and saute until onion is soft. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and stir in spinach, reducing the heat to medium low. Put a lid on the pot so the spinach will steam and wilt, stirring occasionally.

Once spinach has wilted, transfer to a blender or use a stick blender to puree the mixture. Return to the pan, add cheese and cook until the cheese warms and softens. Add cilantro and cook 1 minute.

Serve over rice or alongside naan.

Looking Forward to Leftovers...Part I

With all of the work that goes into making every Thanksgiving perfect, you deserve to be reaping the benefits for the following week. Yet all too often, leftovers just turn into turkey sandwiches and other monotonous duplicate meals, and after a few days you're sick and tired of reheat and reeat the same old thing, and you're ordering pizza while the leftovers languish and spoil in the back of the fridge. In the spirit of frugalness, in a waste not want not economy, we need to bring these leftovers to an unexpected place, where they will be transformed from the lovely but boring feast day foods into unrecognizable reincarnations. I hope that this series, which I will post throughout the week, will inspire you to think outside the leftover box, and enjoy your post-Thanksgiving time care free.

These waffles make use of leftover sweet potatoes or squash (both work well). If your leftover sweet potatoes aren't already mashed, just puree them first in a blender or food processor. Don't bother picking out nuts or marshmallows or whatever you like to put in, just puree it all together. Spices, even odd ones, taste great in this recipe so no worries about that either.

Since I have a full house (literally - no walking room) of guests from afar for most Thanksgivings, breakfast the day after is just as important to plan for as the big meal itself. It's a final send off for my guests and it needs to be filling enough that they can get through the 6-8 hour drive with minimal stops, but not so heavy that they want to fall asleep at the wheel. These waffles, drizzled with dark amber maple syrup and served with a pumpkin spice latte, fit the bill perfectly.

Apple, Pecan & Sweet Potato Waffles

3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup leftover mashed or pureed sweet potatoes or squash
1 tsp vanilla or pecan extract
3 Tbsp sugar (I like brown or maple sugar for these)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp backing powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced into small chunks

Preheat a waffle iron.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, melted butter, sweet potatoes and extract until well blended. Sift in flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir until mostly mixed. Add pecans and apples and stir until well combined. Add more milk if the batter looks too thick (should be a normal consistency for waffles, a little thicker than pancake batter).

Prepare waffles according to the directions that came with your waffle iron. Serve with maple syrup and either hot cider or pumpkin spice lattes.

A Not-So-Pumpkin Pie

In the search for Thanksgiving desserts, you're looking for something seasonal, traditional enough to put people in their comfort zone, but different enough to avoid being boring. In this quest, I also wanted to get rid of the glut of butternut squash that was building up from the CSA. Enter a pie, reminiscent of the classic pumpkin, but spicier, silkier, and I think tastier.


I prefer not to roast the halved squash, but cut it into chunks, which caramelize better, lending more depth of flavor to the dish. For a truly amazing, flaky and flavorful crust that doesn't get soggy, use this all butter version, made with no more equipment then a bowl, your fingers and a rolling pin. Although I've always made food processor or pastry cutter crusts, I've recently been converted back to the handmade version, which is infinitely more consistently great.

Gingered Butternut Squash Pie

1 9-inch blind baked pie shell, see preparation below

1 large or 2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large to medium sized chunks (enough for 1 1/2 cups puree)
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 F, with the oven rack in the middle. Oil a jelly roll pan and scatter squash pieces across it. Roast until soft and just slightly caramelized. Reduce oven temp to 350 and move rack to the bottom third of oven. Transfer squash to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add all other ingredients and puree for at least 3 minutes, until silky smooth. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake for 50-60 minutes (check after 30 min to see if you'll need to shield the pie crust with some aluminum foil). The pie is done when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving (this step is really important because it doesn't fully set until cool). Serve with whipped cream.


Tender, Flaky All Butter Pie Crust

6 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/3 cups but you really ought to weigh it)
1 tsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 to 4 Tbsp ice water

Combine flour, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss, then rub the butter bits with your fingertips, slowly smearing the butter into the flour. You want to form small flaky chunks in the mixture. Once all of the butter has been incorporated this way, Sprinkle ice water over the dough and use your hands to push and mix it together, adding more water if necessary, until the dough just sticks together when you press it into a ball. Gather all of the dough into a disk, plastic wrap it and stash it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Let the dough soften slightly before rolling by sitting out at room temp for 5-20 minutes (5 if it's been chilling for an hour, 20 if it's been a day or so). You want the dough to be cold and firm but still fairly easy to roll. On a floured countertop, roll the dough out into a 10 or 11 inch round (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a pie plate and crimp the edges (for the wheat inspired crimp seen here, use kitchen shears to snip the folded over edges of the crust in abut 1/2 inch at a 45 degree angle every 1/2 inch or so around the entire edge. Then fold alternating sections in and out to resemble the grain). Prick bottom and sides with a fork and chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 F while you allow the crust to warm up a bit from the fridge (not too long - should be moderately cold still). Line the crust with aluminum foil and weight it with dried beans. Bake for 15 min in the middle of the oven, then reduce heat to 375, remove the foil and beans and let bake for 5-7 minutes more. Cool on a rack while you make the filling.

Fry So Good...

Baby eggplants are something that always intrigue me - shiny and cute, I fall for it every time. And then I get them home and I don't have a clue what to do with them. Unfortunately, more than one pint of these mini-aubergines has wasted away in my produce drawer. So when I got a bag in my CSA I was determined not to let them go to waste. After racking my brain, an application finally dawned on me that wouldn't result in small mushy veggies (it's the texture I can't do). A quick peel and a dip in the deep fryer turns these babies into crispy, salty, melting hot fries that I think top the potato variety. These work equally well with a large eggplant cut into matchsticks

Eggplant Fries

20 baby eggplants
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying

Peel and halve or quarter the baby eggplant. Whisk together flour and water to make a light batter. Toss with eggplant. Preheat oil to 375 degrees F in a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan (oil should come about 1/2 way up the sides). Carefully add a small batch of eggplant to the pot. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and salt liberally. Repeat in small batches until done. Eat while hot (although they do reheat well on a baking sheet in a toaster oven).

You Got Canned: Episode 1 - Everything's Better Pickled

I have a confession to make. I am a canning addict and I've been on a binge. I've tried to blame it on my CSA - they just keep giving me all of this amazing produce - too much amazing produce, and there's no way the two of us could stuff it all in our stomach but I just can't let it go to waste. But to be fair, if I didn't have the fabulous organic pick-up every week I would still be canning up a storm. It's something about the gorgeous jewel boxes of produce stands this time of year, the seductive smooth skins of tomatoes, berries, corn, beets, peaches, peppers, melons, squash, etc, etc in every color of the rainbow. It's too good to last, but it makes you want to preserve its beauty forever.

Plus there's the whole vinegary pickley fantasticness that we've all been in love with since we were kids that stopped dead in our tracks at the site of the big pickle barrel in the country store. Really - what doesn't taste better pickled?


So you'll be hearing a lot about my canning problem in the next few weeks. I've already attacked bread and butter zucchini pickles, peach raspberry jam, slow roasted tomatoes, pickled grapes, and black raspberry lime preserves. Coming up next will be homemade jarred roasted yellow peppers and a corn and tomatillo relish. Who knows where I'll go from there (although the upcoming school year may slow me down a bit).


But now, for my first pickling foray, my favorite pickled classic, the sweet yet sour ruby slices of the humble beet.

Citrusy Pickled Beets-makes 2 pints


6-8 medium to large beets
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup orange muscat vinegar (of course you can substitute white vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar
zest and juice of a lemon
2 sprigs thyme

Prepare a boiling water canner and sterilize 2 pint jars (I do this in the dishwasher on a sterilize cycle). Cover lids with water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer - do not boil!

Scrub beets and put in a pot, covered with water. Boil until almost fork tender. Rinse in cold water until cooled, slipping off the skins. Slice 1/4 inch thick.


Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the beet slices and boil for 10 minutes.


Ladle into sterilized jars and run a small spatula down the insides of the jars to clear any air bubbles. Leave 1/2 inch of head space. Clean the rims and top with lids - process for 25 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove from the canner and let cool on a kitchen towel overnight. Store for up to a year and enjoy!

Dinner's Going Green

"Green" - it's no longer just a color, it's a catchphrase for easy environmental fixes. One thing is for sure, we've abused our planet for a long time, selfishly exploiting its resources, and now it's fighting back. We're entering a period of consequences, and unfortunately we are not yet rising to the challenge in a way that will ensure our future. Green has become the word of the moment, but only for baby steps. As much as every little bit counts, baby steps will not take us the miles we need to go before time runs out.

Hot, Flat and Crowded is a fantastic book about the challenges we are facing and the best ways to rise up and seize the American entrepreneurial spirit to reduce the effects of our dependence on fossil fuels. I highly recommend it to everyone, since this is an issue we will all have to face. I hope President Obama has read it as well. If America leads the world towards higher efficiency standards and cleaner fuels, the world will follow, and probably respect us a little more as well.

As for steps we all can take without the government's help, green baby steps are still better than a lack of forward motion. Energy star appliances, SMALL hybrid cars, reusable grocery bags and compact florescent bulbs are tremendously helpful in cutting CO2 admissions when everyone starts to use them. Reducing electricity use, by using power strips that cut power to appliances and chargers when not in use and driving less are a huge help. We have only used the air conditioner in our house a handful of days this summer. A little sweat has paid off with more money in our pockets.

CSAs are a great way for foodies to be a little more green. Community supported agriculture means food travels only a few miles from farm to table, drastically reducing its carbon footprint. Plus local small farms stay solvent, not caving to sell their valuable land to developers of McMansion complexes. And we get the freshest produce possible, so everyone wins. One Straw Farm gives me so much organic produce that I've only had to go grocery shopping once since school let out. Which has meant way less miles on my car and way more money in my pocket.

So here's a green meal with a green sauce that will rock your taste buds and get you going on a greener path to change.

Grilled Stuffed Patty Pan Squash and Fish with Salsa Verde


Grilled Salsa Verde
4-5 tomatillos, husked and washed then halved
2 tomatoes, washed and halved
1 small red onion, halved
1 jalapeno
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat a grill to high heat. Brush the tomatillos, tomatoes, onion and jalapenos with vegetable oil. Grill them all over high heat until tomatillos and tomatoes are carmelized and onion and jalapeno are charred. Chop up the tomatillos, tomatoes and onion. Seed and stem the jalapeno and mince. Toss them all with lime juice and cilantro. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld. (Leave the grill on low for the squash.

Stuffed Squash
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup white rice
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese

6 medium patty pan squash

Bring chicken stock, lime juice and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and spices and reduce to low. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed the water, and is al dente, about 20 minutes. Toss in about a third of the salsa verde and the rest of the cilantro along with the cheese.

While you're waiting for the rice to cook, slice the tops off of the patty pans and hollow out the insides with a spoon. Brush the squash with olive oil and put top side down on the covered grill to cook and char a bit. After the tops are charred, stuff with rice and put back on the grill, but right side up this time. Cook until tender and evenly charred.


Finishing it off...
2 (1/3 lb.) filets of firm white fish, such as halibut or cod

Brush the fish with vegetable oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until just cooked - about 2 minutes per side for thick filets. Serve over remaining rice with squash on the side and salsa on top.

Tribute to the Bunny

How in the world did easter get tied up with an Easter bunny who laid eggs? What sort of person thought up this mammal-turned avian and decided it would be a great mascot to leave candy for children and thus commemorate Jesus rising again from the grave?


These questions haunt me every year. This year I decided to do some research. Apparently, the bunny predates christianity as a symbol of fertility and birth in the Spring. Not entirely surprisingly, the same people who gave us the Christmas tree, those zany Germans also were the first to associate a bunny with Easter in the 1500s, and creating the first edible Easter bunnies in pastry in the 1800s.


The eggs came along because they were also a symbol of fertility. The Pennsylvania Dutch seem to be responsible for the notion that the Easter Bunny would lay colored eggs for the children, if they were good little doobies. They brought the tradition to America in the 1700s, and their children would make a nest out of a hat or bonnet for the Easter bunny to fill. Legends suggest that the notion that a hare would lay eggs was in fact a misconception due to the fact that birds called lapwings nested on the ground on what looked like the top of a hare burrow.


So in the end, this is another example of Christian holidays bearing symbols from Pagan times, probably to make people more comfortable converts, since their traditions got carried on. In any case, I think the Bunny deserves a little attention. So here's a great carrot cake for your little bunnies. The crystallized ginger adds a hint of heat to the moist cake, flecked with shreds of carrot, toasted pecans, dried cranberries and apricots. The maple cream cheese frosting lends just the right amount of creamy sweetness.

Golden Carrot Cake


2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp ground cardamom

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pineapple orange juice
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pecan extract (optional)
zest of one orange

3 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

3 cups finely packed shredded carrots
1 cup toasted and cooled pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Sift together all dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat eggs with sugar until well combined. Add the remainder of the wet ingredients and mix well. Add crystallized ginger and dried fruit and stir. Then sift in dry ingredients and mix until just blended - there will be lumps.

Add in carrots and pecans and stir. Turn out evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting


16 oz (1 pound) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup Grade B dark amber maple syrup
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and blend until well combined and no longer lumpy. Chill 15 minutes to allow frosting to set a bit. Reserve a little bit for the carrot piping.

Assembly:


Level the two cake layers using a serrated knife and devour the scraps. If desired, split into four layers and spread marmalade between the 2 halves of each cake. Put one layer on a cake stand, then a layer of frosting, follow with another layer of cake and more frosting. Pipe carrots on top of each piece - I used a shell tip for the carrots and a leaf tip for the tops.

Enchilada Night!

There's nothing like a good mexican dish. I'm not talking a greasy, only slightly spiced flour tortilla wrapped monstrosity drowning in too much cheese, but the real, homestyle mexican rich with lean meats, intense flavors, healthy veggies and redolent of cilantro. One of L's favorites has always been my shredded chicken enchiladas. Here's an even healthier, even more flavorful twist.

Smokey Shredded Chicken, Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas



1 tsp olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 - 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
2 minced chipotle chiles in adobo
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp chile powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red annatto powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
3 chicken breasts

15.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of all liquid
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced onion

16 small corn tortillas
8 oz. 2% shredded mexican cheese (1 bag)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste, let cook until slightly caramelized. Add tomatoes, chipotles, chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree most of the sauce, leaving a few chunks of tomato and onion. Continue to simmer over low heat, adding the chicken to cook in the sauce.

While the chicken is cooking, combine black beans, spinach, cheese, cilantro and onion in a large bowl and mix well.

When chicken is just cooked through, remove it to a cutting board. Go at it with a couple of forks until it's well shredded. Add to filling mixture along with a couple ladle-fulls of sauce and mix well.

Fill each tortilla as much as possible, wrap it around and place it seam side down in a large baking dish. Repeat for 16 enchiladas. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and cilantro.