DEWDS. I think I’m gettin’ chunky. Well, fine, I know I’ve gained some weight in the last two years. Whether that newly minted weight qualifies me as “chunky” or not, I do know for a fact that some of my dang old summer shorts don’t fit no more!
And, Hell! That ain’t right!
Sewww, that means more vegetables and lean protein for me. And less bread and sugar. And less alcohol. Mostly the alcohol. Oh the price we pay for beauty.
Camera 1
Anyway, for lunch the other day I pulled together this Thai red curry chicken salad with a buncha crisp vegetables, some coconut milk (I used full fat, because let’s be real…) and a spoonful of a homemade Thai red curry paste made by my brother and sister-in-law. I wrapped a few scoops of the chicken salad into fat Napa cabbage leaves and went to town. Meaning, I ate it at my desk while editing on the compooter with Mr. Banjo hounding me for a bite the entire time. A side of spicy kimchi and I was quite satisfied.
Recipe below the fold…
My brother’s friend Cameron described to me a fantastical breakfast phenomenon he once imagined, called a “Breakfast Meatloaf”. I took on his dream as if it were my own and created this absolutely GD delicious breakfast meatloaf, using my maple-sage pork sausage recipe, combined with a goodly helping of vegetables, stuffed with hard boiled eggs, and drizzled with a spicy maple glaze. WHAT?
Ahem.
Click to continue…
About a month ago, maybe a little longer, I got a care package in the mail from a couple in Vermont, Randy and Merrilou. I’ve never met this couple. They only know me through the show. They took it upon themselves to send me a Vermont care package, just because. It was extremely humbling. In the HUGE box, they stuffed 2 half-gallon jugs of maple syrup, 2 local microbrew beers to try, some King Arthur flour, a maple recipes booklet, some amazing maple butter (this was new to me, and it is FANTASTIC on toast, if you ever get a chance) and a maple syrup grading pack.
These raspberries look cute, but some more maple syrup drizzled on top would also look pretty cute.
Never in my life have I been in possession of so much maple syrup! It was exciting, but also, you know that feeling you get when you finally get your hands on a precious thing and part of you wants to just hide it and hoard it and never use it or let it see the light of day? That’s kind of how I felt about this maple syrup. I have a little bit of a complex about “expensive” things. But I gotta get over it.
I put three spoons out for kicks, but you and I both know this is a single serving, right?
The concept of maple ice cream existed in my head somewhere; I don’t know where I’d heard of it, I’d certainly never had it, but it seemed like one of those romatic things people in New England get to eat. But ice cream — real, egg custard-based ice cream — takes a little bit of time to make. And I ain’t got time for that! So I came up with this super-snappy maple frozen yogurt recipe and it is killer. Ever had Pinkberry? Well, this is like that, but naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. The nonfat Greek yogurt keeps it fairly low in calories and adds that distinct tang; the heavy cream ensures some creaminess; the rum (or bourbon or orange liqueur) lowers the freezing point of the business to keep it scoopable when frozen. You could omit that if you’re against booze in frozen yogurt recipes. ‘Sup to you.
Now that it’s beginning to warm up, I’ve started thinking more about main dish salads, which I’ve said before are the perfect cure for the lazy cook. Quinoa salad is one of the greatest, in my opinion, because it have protein and carbohydrates built right in, then you just add whatever vegetables you want, any cheese or nuts or extra whatever, and blammo. Dinner is served. For the next week. Your ratio of cooking to eating has just drastically plummeted to almost zero!
This is what I talk about.
The last
quinoa salad I made had a kind of Mexican twist, and it is damn good. But I wanted to make something different, something maybe Asian-y, plus I had these two shriveled eggplants in the fridge that needed to get cooked before they molded to the refrigerator shelf.
Maybe they don’t look SO bad…
So this is a little baba ganoush-y, a little sushi bar-y, and generally just really good. It keeps in the refrigerator (minus the almonds; add those right before serving to keep their crunch) for 5 days, hanging out and being yummy until you’re ready to eat it. I find a bowl of this salad fixes me up for an instant breakfast or lunch anytime.
Use toasted sesame oil for maximum sesame-ness
This is what it should look like: soft and black, like my heart?
Quinoa Salad with Eggplant and Sesame
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 4
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa
- 2 small Japanese eggplants or one small globe (Italian) eggplant
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ½ cup diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
- Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated garlic (or finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup toasted, slivered almonds
- Toasted sesame seeds (use white ones with red quinoa or black ones with white quinoa for a pretty color contrast)
- Optional garnish: thinly sliced mango
- Stem the eggplants and cut lengthwise. Brush cut surfaces with sesame oil and sprinkle with the salt. Broil for about 4 minutes, cut side up, just until beginning to brown. Turn and broil an additional 5 minutes. They should be very soft and roasted. Let cool.
- Toss quinoa with other vegetables.
- Cut eggplant into cubes (remove the peel first for a more delicate salad).
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over quinoa. Gently toss to mix. Add in eggplant last carefully so it doesn’t break up too much.
- Garnish with almonds and sesame seeds right before serving to retain their crunch.
- Top with mango if using.
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Check out this recipe for the best way to cook quinoa (IMHO).
On Thursday, I showed you how to make crepes with a savory smoked salmon filling. Then I got krazy with krepes! (Why, when I see crepes spelled with a “k”, does my brain read “herpes”? Does your brain do that, too? Should I have not said anything? Okey dokey.) I came up with these 5 crepe fillings to try out, both savory and sweet. Bon appetite!
Crepes of Wrath
And that wonderful pun is what got this whole thing started.
These crepes are filled with cream and topped with a grape and sweet wine sauce. I loved these.
Crapes with Grapes
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 2-4
- 4 cooked crepes
- 1 cup seedless grapes, mix of green and red if possible
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream sherry or port wine
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup creme fraiche or Mexican crema or sour cream
- Wash the grapes well.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet and add the grapes. Add the brown sugar and stir to get it dissolved. Cover and cook over medium-high heat about 2 minutes. The grapes should be beginning to soften and shrivel.
- Add the sherry and cook uncovered another 3 minutes or so until the liquid is reduced. Turn off heat.
- Combine yogurt and creme and place 2 tablespoons of the mixture along the center of each crepe. Roll up and arrange on serving plates.
- Pour some of the grape sauce over each and serve.
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What’s Eating Gilbert Crepe?
This just seems like something Johnny Depp would have eaten in that movie, had that movie been made in France.
I used peanut butter and blackberry jam, but any old combo would be good. Try Nutella, too, with strawberry jam!
PBJ Crepe
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 1
- 1 cooked crepe
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons jelly or jam
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Spread the peanut butter over one half of the crepe. Spread the jelly on the other. Fold the jelly half over the peanut butter half and then fold again to make a triangular folded crepe.
- Sprinkle with nuts and serve with a glass o’ milk.
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Planet of the Crepes
Because Apes = Monkeys = Bananas, amiright??
This picture has a lot of mint on it because I tried making these with mint the first time. Taste testers said it was “weird” so I tried lemon zest instead. The minty pictures looked better, though.
Fruit Crepes
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 2
- 2 cooked crepes
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream or sour cream
- Lemon zest
- 2 sliced strawberries
- ½ banana sliced
- Honey
- Spread each crepe with a tablespoon of cream and add a shaving of lemon zest.
- Arrange strawberry slices on half of one crepe; banana slices on half of the other crepe.
- Fold each crepe into quarters and stack the folded crepes onto each other.
- Drizzle the stack with honey. Garnish with more cream.
Also try these with fresh peaches or figs!
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The Great Es-crepe? Stir Crepe-y? Does the carpet match the crepes?
I give up. Just eat it. It’s good.
Sorry the picture kinda sucks. It was getting late and the sun was dying. These are damn good, though. I like how they resemble tacos.
Mushroom Leek Crepes
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 2-4
- 4 cooked crepes
- 3 leeks
- 1 pound mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- dash soy sauce
- black pepper
- 4 chard leaves
- ¼ cup grated Swiss, Manchego, or other firm aged cheese
- Slice the white and light green parts of the leek into ½” slices and separate into rings. Wash well. Drain.
- Wipe the mushrooms and slice ½” thick.
- Melt butter and oil together in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cover. Cook over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Add the mushrooms and cover again. Cook another 2-3 minutes until very soft and beginning to brown.
- Add a dash of soy sauce and black pepper and remove from heat.
- Cut tough stems from chard. If the chard is young, you can leave the stems on. Lay a chard leaf in each crepe.
- Spread ¼ of the filling on each chard leaf and fold the crepe over to cover.
- Place crepes in a baking pan and sprinkle with cheese.
- Broil until melted.
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Ham-n-Cheese Crepe
My brain farted out on me by the time we got here. Completely at a loss for some great punny name. Ideas?
Oh boy, these are good and hearty! They reminded me of a Suiza-style enchilada. Add a salad and call it lunch!
Ham and Cheese Crepe
Author: Hilah Johnson
Serves: 2-4
- 4-8 cooked crepes
- 4-8 thin slices of ham
- 4-8 thin slices of cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Manchego, any melting cheese you like)
- ¼ cup creme fraiche or Mexican crema
- 4-8 tablespoons Parmesan
- Coarse black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Lay a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on each crepe and roll up snug.
- Place rolled crepes side by side in an oven proof tray.
- Spread the creme over them evenly and sprinkle each with about a tablespoon of Parmesan. Sprinkle with black pepper.
- Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve hot
This recipe can be modified to serve however many you need. Try also with sliced turkey breast.
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I recently learned how to make crepes from my mom’s boyfriend, Bill. Every year he has a crepe party for Easter. He sets up several “crepe stations” around the house and yard — an electric cooker, griddle, bowl of crepe batter — and a central table indoors, covered with different crepe fillings. The fillings range from savory to sweet: sauteed mushrooms, spinach, ricotta cheese, ham, chicken salad, pimento cheese (oh yeah duh, I ate that one!) to strawberries, whipped cream, mascarpone, peaches, Nutella, bananas, peanut butter, and jelly. This year I was in charge of manning the exterior crepe station and it was so much fun, you guys! I got the hang of it quickly (it’s way easier than I thought it would be) and was just flippin’ crepes left and right alongside my trusty, bottomless mimosa.
So here’s what I think makes crepes so much easier than they seem like they ought to be: butter. And eggs. Mostly the butter. Like waffle batter, crepe batter is high in the butter and eggs department, when compared to the amount of flour in the recipe. Butter (and eggs to a lesser extent) doesn’t stick to pans. This is why such a delicate, thin pancake is really kinda of a piece of crepe to flip.
Get it?
I kill me.
In this crepe recipe, I’ve got some smoked salmon, spinach, and a caper-dill cream sauce that’s really fairly low in fat for as creamy as it tastes. I think the combination here makes a great breakfast, brunch or lunch crepe. Then, if you want, you can have a second crepe course and fill them with Nutella and strawberries instead or do a classic like crepes Suzette.
Recipe below the fold
I’ve written about my maternal grandmother before. She’s the one with the adventurous palate who taught me not really how to make anything in particular, but more about throwing stuff together in the kitchen to see what happens; see what sticks. I learned that what sticks gets written down, what doesn’t stick just gets eaten because no one’s throwing away food around here! Sushi rolls are an exception. She did teach me how to make those. She would most often make “hand rolls” or temaki — the tapered kind that you just eat by chomping on it like an ice cream cone. That’s fun. But really, any way you roll it or eat it, the sushi rice is the key thing.
Sushi Rice
The sushi rice, once seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, is called shari. I got that off Wikipedia. The rolled sushi that I make in this video is called makizushi. I got that off a Japanese restaurant menu. I learn things everywhere I go! Sushi refers to anything that is combined with shari . . . I’m pretty sure. Anyway, about that rice.
Traditionally, the sushi rice is washed until the water runs clear. This removes extra starch on the rice. The brand of rice I buy says in big letters “Washing not necessary” so I follow the rules and don’t wash it, thereby saving time and water. Give yours a rinse before cooking if you can’t find any directive against its necessity on the package.
Click to Continue to Recipe
I create short-form, educational, and occasionally hilarious cooking videos geared towards beginner and intermediate cooks, as well as people who are just looking for simple, low-cost recipes. Everything is made from scratch, people!
