Braised Fennel

This week in the Pathmark supermarket sales circular, I noticed that fennel is selling at 98¢ each. 98¢ EACH! That's right! E-A-C-H! You don't always see that vegetable going for that price at a large supermarket so that's a bargain!
 If you have never had fennel, it is a vegetable that has the texture and crunch of celery but the subtle sweetness and flavor of anise or licorice. In it's raw state, it's fabulous sliced and served with fresh orange slices in a salad but when cooked, the flavor is more delicate with a soft texture.  It is popular in Mediterranean cuisine.

Here is a braised fennel recipe that I like from the October/November 1992 issue of Martha Stewart Living. It's simple and easy to make.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium bulbs fennel
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Flat-leaf parsley leaves, as garnish

Directions

1. Trim the tops of the fennel bulbs; cut bulbs in half lengthwise.
2. Melt butter in a large iron skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until melted. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add fennel, cut side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the fennel burn.
3. Turn over bulbs and add orange juice, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook until fennel is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan becomes dry during cooking, add a little more water. If any liquid is left at the end of the cooking time, continue to cook, uncovered, at medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.

Recipe: Hummus

It's the first day of Summer and a scorcher here in the city. High 90°s with heat indexes of 100°+!
Luckily I bought pita chips on sale at Costco a few days before and always have cans of chickpeas, garlic, a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, and salt in the pantry. Tahini (sesame paste) and lemon juice in the refrigerator allows me to whip up some hummus for those days when it's just too hot to cook something and you feel like you are in the deserts of Egypt. I find it is cheaper to make this rather than buying it at the supermarket and it is REALLY easy to make. Plus, you don't have all those extra additives and preservatives in it.

Now what is hummus you may ask? It's a Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with said ingredients and according to Wikipedia:

Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6. The chickpeas make it a good source of protein and dietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, hummus carries varying amounts of monounsaturated fat. Hummus is useful in vegetarian and vegan diets; like other combinations of grains and pulses, it serves as a complete protein when eaten with bread.

Hummus with pita chip

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
• 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can of chickpeas
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (I find bottled is fine here)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

  Directions

1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside 1/4 cup of the liquid.
2. Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, crushed garlic, salt, and olive oil into a food processor and process until mixed and creamy. 
3. Add the chickpea liquid and blend for 3-5 minutes or until thoroughly mixed and smooth. 

You can serve this immediately at room temperature or chilled.

Note: When served chilled, the hummus will be a thicker consistency.

I make mine in a food processor but I suppose you can do it in a blender if you don't own one. You may have to stop occasionally and use a spoon to push the unblended ingredients down.

Recipe: Aloo Saag or Saag Aloo (Indian Spinach and Potatoes)

I bought a 5 pound bag of onions and a 10 pound bag of potatoes at $1.99 each when they were on sale at Pathmark. These are the staples of many a dish and the price was so good I couldn't pass it up.
Aside from making latkes with them or hash, I had a craving for Indian and found this recipe courtesy of Food.com

I didn't have whole cumin seeds so I used ground. I had a box of frozen chopped spinach which I had bought on sale for 80¢ so I used it defrosted. Results came out fabulously! My notes are in parenthesis.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large potatoes, cubed (the smaller the cube, the faster it cooks)
• 400 g spinach or 400 g chard leaves, stalks removed, roughly chopped (could substitute a box of frozen chopped spinach)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (I used a microplane to make it easier on my knuckles)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (I find 1 clove does it)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (a mix of spices available in spice markets)
• olive oil
• butter
• salt

Directions

1. Fry the cumin seeds in a heavy bottomed pan in a bit of oil and butter until just starting to brown.
2. Add the onion and fry until it too starts to brown.
3. Add the potato, garlic, turmeric, ginger and garam masala and fry until the potato starts to soften.
4. Unless you are using a non-stick pan, you may need to add water and cover to keep the potato from sticking and to help it cook. The first time I did this 1/2 cup of water at a time and it took about 20-30 minutes but I now prefer to parboil the potatoes, which means you add less water and it only takes about 10 minutes to finish off from this point.
5. Add the spinach or chard and cook until it collapses over the potato.
6. Salt to taste.

Recipe: Orange Fennel Salad

Did I mention I have a window garden?

It's mild here on the East Coast even now and I grew arugula from seed over the Summer (grows quite fast) and have a window box specifically for herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme).

Gardening is quite relaxing and tending to one in Manhattan can really take the stress out of you.

Fennel was on sale for 99¢ a piece at Shoprite and oranges also on sale so I thought to buy them to make a salad. What a surprise when I found out that arugula was needed for most of these recipes and I didn't buy any. Luckily all I had to do was turn to my window...

Made this today for lunch. Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods.

Serves 4

Colorful and crunchy, the sweetness of the oranges in this salad is a tasty contrast to the sharp clean flavor of fennel. Save any juice that accumulates when you slice the oranges and use it when making the dressing, if you like.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups packed baby arugula

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

3 large navel oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Method

In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Divide arugula among 4 salad plates. Toss fennel with orange slices and red onions, then arrange on top of arugula. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with almonds.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 9oz/258g-wt.): 260 calories (160 from fat), 18g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 320mg sodium, 25g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 15g sugar), 4g protein

Recipe: Sweet Simmered Kabocha

I stopped in at Whole Foods to see what they had on sale and saw that Winter Squash was selling for $1.29/lb (although it rang up as 79¢/lb). I bought a nice sized Kabocha Squash (Japanese Pumpkin) since I've had it before in Japanese restaurants and it's so tasty but never cooked it myself. The cooked texture is creamy and starchy almost like a sweet potato, not stringy like a common orange pumpkin. Nice thing about Kabocha is that you can also eat the skin after it's cooked so no need for peeling it..

Here is a recipe courtesy of About.com's Japanese Food Guide, Setsuko Yoshizuka.

Kabocha is commonly simmered in Japan. Kabocha amani (simmered sweet kabocha) is the most popular kabocha dish. It's often served in a Japanese-style meal as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kabocha (1 lb.), seeds removed
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Preparation:

Cut kabocha into about 1 and 1/2 inch cubes. Peel kabocha skin around the edges. Put water, sugar, soy sauce, and kabocha in a medium pot. Heat on high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low. Put a drop-lid or a sheet of aluminium foil on kabocha and cover with lid. Simmer kabocha for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is almost gone.
*Makes 4 servings

Recipe: Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

I modified this from another recipe that I found years ago. The flavors are VERY Indian. A nice vegetarian hearty dish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
5 teaspoons curry powder (try not to use Madras curry unless you like spicy) use more or less to your liking
About 6 cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head) or 2 boxes frozen (thawed)
2 15 1/2-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (available in the Asian section of your supermarket)

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.

Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Add curry powder and stir for about 15 seconds. (Make sure curry powder doesn't burn)

Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans; stir for 1 minute coating everything in the onion curry oil.

Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently until cauliflower is tender and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over white rice.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Nothing could be simpler to make than this when you stock up on frozen winter squash and chicken broth when on sale.
Thanks to Birdeye for this easy recipe.



Ingredients



* 2 boxes Birds Eye® Cooked Winter Squash (12 oz)
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup Parmesan croutons
* Dried chives


Instructions

Combine squash and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. Season with ground white pepper if desired.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish each serving with croutons and chives.

Recipe: Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

Use a light hand when seasoning with kosher salt, as the cheese itself is rather salty. Cooling the quesadillas before cutting and serving is important; straight from the skillet, the cheese is molten and will ooze out. Serve the quesadillas with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. Finished quesadillas can be held on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven for up to 20 minutes.

Makes 2 folded 8-inch Quesadillas

1/3	cup frozen corn kernels , thawed
2	teaspoons vegetable oil , plus more for brushing tortillas
1/3	cup minced red onion
1	teaspoon minced garlic
1/2	teaspoon chili powder
1/3	cup black beans (canned)
2	teaspoons lime juice
	kosher salt
2	plain flour tortillas , eight-inch
2/3	cup Pepper Jack cheese (3 ounces)
1	tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños (optional)

1. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until kernels begin to brown and pop, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer corn to medium bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering; add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes; stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Return corn to skillet and toss to combine; gently press mixture with spatula to lightly crush black beans. Transfer mixture to now-empty bowl, stir in lime juice, and season to taste with salt.

2. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and return pan to medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla in skillet and toast until soft and puffed slightly at edges, about 2 minutes. Flip tortilla and toast until puffed and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Slip tortilla onto cutting board. Repeat to toast second tortilla while assembling first quesadilla. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese, half the corn and bean mixture, and half of jalapeños, if using, over half of tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Fold tortilla in half and press to flatten. Brush surface generously with oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside. Repeat to form second quesadilla.

3. Place both quesadillas in skillet, oiled sides down; cook over medium heat until crisp and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush surfaces with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip quesadillas and cook until second sides are crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer quesadillas to cutting board; cool about 3 minutes, halve each quesadilla, and serve.

(I serve these with a dollop of sour cream and a side salad for a nice lunch or light supper.)

Recipe: Carrots in Beer and Dill

This is a quick and easy recipe that I learned when I first moved out of my parent's house and was living on my own for the first time. A great way to utilize that bottle of beer that you have sitting in your refrigerator!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into small 2" sticks
• 1 tablespoon butter (try not to substitute as the browned butter adds great flavor!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped
• 1/2 bottle beer

Directions

1. Sauté carrots in the butter until barely brown. Add beer and dill and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Carrots should still be crisp/tender.



2. Add salt and sugar and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.