Shrimp with Artichoke Hearts, Tomatoes and Olives

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 of a yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves

1 15 oz. can of unsalted diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can of sliced black olives or 1/3 cup of other olives, sliced

1 15 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters

3/4 to 1 lb. shrimp, cut in half

1/8 cup of Italian parsley

Pinch of salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Black Pepper, a few grinds

Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, grated to taste

In a large pan or Dutch oven, add the onion and garlic and sautee over low heat.  Add tomatoes, olives, artichokes.  Keeping on low heat, simmer for five to ten minutes.

Add the shrimp and parsley and simmer for five more minutes.

Grate parmesan reggiano cheese over the mixture, to taste

NOTE:  You can serve this with a small portion of cooked pasta either mixed in, which I prefer, or the vegetables places on top of the pasta.  You can also use a variety of zoodles or rice.  You can also serve it as a side dish with a protein.

Con Queso Rice

 
Con Queso Rice

Ingredients:

2 cup black beans
1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 small onions, chopped
1 four-ounce can, chopped green chilies
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1 pound Jack cheese, shredded
1 pound cottage cheese


Directions:

The original directions call to cook beans from scratch, but for ONE cup of beans?  Use canned, drain and rinse.

Cook rice with 3 cups of water, a pinch of salt, for twenty minutes.  Cool slightly.

Mix rice, drained beans, garlic, onions, and chilies in big bowl.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter a large casserole.  Cover bottom with a layer of rice, a layer of the bean mixture, then a layer of cheese and cottage cheese and repeat to the level you wish.  End with a layer of rice.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Add final sprinkle of cheese and cook 5 minutes more.

Serves 6
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NOTES:

This recipe came originally from Diet for a Small Planet, a hippy Bible for wholesome cooking in the late '60's, early '70's.  The original recipe was bland and this has been spiked a bit more.

I didn't have white rice (I usually use Basmati) so I used a frozen Trader Joe's brown rice, which was fine, but I think overall, the recipe would benefit more visually and taste wise with white.  I used about four cups cooked, which fell a bit short of the quantity it should be.  This lead the layers to be thinner than I think it should be.

I used one can of black beans and that was more than enough.  It gave a sprinkling effect of beans throughout the rice, little dots of color and didn't seem excessive. 

I used one large clove of garlic, not 3, and a small onion.  I sautéed the jalapeno and onion briefly, then added the garlic at the very end.  I wanted it pre-cooked briefly rather than raw, even though it would bake in the oven later.  I mixed all of this with the beans and rice.

I also used small containers of cottage cheese.  I half thought about blending it to get rid of curds.  A pound of cottage cheese would have been the large container.  I would never eat that much, so I used about three small containers, less than half a pound, and by mixing it in with the rice and beans, you didn't notice the texture.

The store I was at didn't sell Jack cheese in a block, so I used mixed pre-shredded Cheddar Jack mix.  I think it needs something sharper with the Jack, because even with the chilies the dish was bland.

You were supposed to end with a layer of rice, I ended with a layer of cheese for the crusty effect, and all told, I made about two layers in a 9 x 13 casserole Pyrex dish.

I can see this as a side dish with grilled meats.  It's a bit much as a main, and I only ate a small portion then others ate it as leftovers. 

The dish needs something else.  The chilies don't produce enough heat.  A shake of just about anything would help:  cayenne powder, chipotle powder, hot sauce, salsa.

Curried Chickpeas and Brown Rice

Curried Chickpeas and Brown Rice

 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)
2 cups brown rice, rinsed and drained
4 cups cold water
1 cup cooked chickpeas (rinse, if canned)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
Whole or chopped roasted cashews, for garnish

Directions: 

*  Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium low heat.  Add the shallots, garlic, carrot and celery for 2-5 minutes to soften.  Stir in the rice and spices and stir another 2-3 minutes.

* Add all of the remaining ingredients except the green peas and cashews into the pan.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, stir and cover.  Simmer for 45-50 minutes and the water absorbed and rice tender.

* Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for ten minutes.  Add the peas and transfer to a server bowl or plates.  Garnish with cashews.

Notes:

* I didn't follow the directions at all.  I used the baked brown rice recipe, also on this blog, and improvised.

* I used basmati rice, canned chickpeas, Thompson raisins which seemed nicer than Sunshine.

* I put oil in a large saute pan and cooked the garlic, shallots, celery and carrots over low heat at the time recommended.  Then I added the chickpeas and raisins and spices, followed by the water which I let come to a low boil.

* Once the water was heated, I poured all of this into a 9 x 13 pyrex glass casserole, sealed with heavy duty aluminum foil and baked for about an hour.

* I mistakenly added the peas during the cooking process, which was fine, but it blanched the bright green color out.  I would add them lightly sauteed at the end in the future.

* I bought raw cashews at Whole Foods, about a cup, and I roasted them in an iron skillet with a tiny bit of coconut oil which has a higher cook point.  Given the size of the dish, and how people want to eat the cashews while they sit roasted, I would seriously consider putting two cups of cashews out to top the dish. 

 

Whipped Cauliflower

Whipped Caulilfower

1 Head of Cauliflower

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

1  Tablespoon Butter

2 ounces Dubliner or other sharp cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces. 

Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1  tablespoon of butter.

Microwave, uncovered, on high for five minutes.

Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture.  

Microwave for another 4 minutes on high.

Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the  cheese.  Puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference.  

* I found this receipe on a blog called I Breathe...I'm Hungry.  One thing I love about her blog is that her readers are very forthcoming after testing a recipe and quick to come back with "what went wrong" (for them) or variations.  Because of this...

* I took a lot of care trimming the cauliflower I bought at Whole Foods.  I cut pieces into medium sized.  I think smaller would be fine as well, but larger?  It would take longer in the food processor and maybe not with the best results.  Also, some of her readers complained about a "graininess" and I think that can be avoided (for the most part) by cutting away the membrane/stems and just using the florets.

*  I started with the measures for the butter and heavy cream.  I used Irish butter and Whole Foods heavy cream.  After the first puree in the food processor, I added just a bit more.  I also did my salt and pepper in between twirls in the food processor, and I used freshly grated pepper.  It took a bit more salt than I normally use in my cooking, and it made me remember my mother's statement "potatoes take a lot of salt."  So does cauliflower, but not hugely so.  I rarely use salt, hence the comment.

* I did use Dubliner cheese, and I used the exact amount.  I bought mine at Whole Foods.  A 4 ounce piece in 2012 was close to $7.00, so not cheap.  It has a very sharp, very strong flavor, and it does wonders.  The blog commenters also said a variety of cheeses are interesting:  white sharp cheddar, mixed hard Italian, goat cheese, cream cheese (and in truth I always put cream cheese in my mashed potatoes.)

* If you do get graininess, it has been recommended to run the mix through the microwave again for a few minutes; that perhaps the cheese didn't adequately melt.  I didn't have that problem, but I did let the food processor run for a goodly time (five minutes or so,) to make sure I had a really smooth blend.