Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Chicken & Greens Soup with Pasta

This isn't exactly chicken noodle soup.  This was me using up the rest of the chicken broth and shredded bits from Seder to get them out of the freezer.  Then there was more crisper and garden clearing for the vegetables.  I threw in some macaroni at the end to be the starch, after deciding I had more of that than Israeli couscous.  Soup was invented to use items on hand, so I feel fully justified with these decisions.

Yes, I do know it's the middle of May and I'm having soup for dinner.  May and June often have some of the coolest daytime temperatures in SoCal.  It was mid-60s and drizzly the day I made this.  And then hot by the weekend, followed by more cold gloom.  For anyone who thinks it's always sunny and 72º in this part of the world.

I did not realize the red chard was going to bolt so early.  I didn't expect it to last a whole year like the kale, but was hoping for more than three good months.  It was making up for not having any beets, which always make up for my terrible luck growing spinach.  I'm also losing last year's celery, which had always under-performed anyway.  Oh well, more room for something else.

*1 quart unsalted chicken stock
*1 C diced onion
1 Tb olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
*2 bunches mixed greens such as kale, chard, or spinach
*1 Tb soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce 
*1/4 tsp dried thyme
*1/2 lb cooked chicken: shredded, chopped up leftovers, or canned
*1 C dry macaroni or other small pasta, or egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  While that's going on, wash and chop the greens, de-stemming if necessary.  I chopped up the chard stems to add, but the kale's went in the broth bag.

2.  Add the carrots, broth, soy sauce, thyme, and any tough greens to the pot.  My broth was still a little frozen, so I'm not sure how long this step would take with room-temperature out of a can.

3.  While the soup is simmering, prepare pasta according to package directions.  Go for slightly under-done, as it will continue to cook when added to the pot.  As an alternative, you can add the pasta directly to the soup for a starchy consistency, but also add an extra cup of broth.

4.  Once the carrots and greens have softened, stir in any tender greens and the cooked chicken.  Taste and add salt or pepper as necessary.

5.  Drain the pasta and add to the soup.  Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Difficulty rating  :)

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Spring Harvest

I got sidelined by a knee injury and ignored the garden for a week.  It's fine now as long as I don't forget and kneel on it.  I still have to wear a support for some activities, but it isn't quite bad enough to see an orthopedist.  Or I'm in denial.

Meanwhile, the artichokes hit their stride.  All but one put up its central bud.  I even made a YouTube Short on a whim, what I jokingly call my post for the year.  After eating more than usual fresh, the rest are getting steamed to freeze the hearts.

Two of the broccoli never really caught on.  I got a few little florets off them and some leaves, but it's time for them to come out and make room for tomatoes.  I didn't expect to get 13 starts out of the 12 cells I planted.  Need to find somewhere to put them all.  Leaning toward a row of pots against the wall behind the Pond, as the native soil is all sand and clay.  Also need to hit up Home Depot for trellis fencing to hold them once they start to climb.

Some of the chard is already starting to bolt, just when I was getting into the flavor.  This variety kind of tastes like less-sweet beet greens.  Time to harvest more often and freeze it so I can have a break from the kale this summer.

Parsley needs to be harvested and dried every couple of weeks if I'm not using it enough.  The stems are going in the broth bag.  Growing your own herbs is an under-appreciated bit of gardening that can save you a lot of money.  The seed packet cost about $2, which I make back regularly.  Fresh parsley is stupid expensive, while dried flakes are cheap.  I'm terrible at growing fennel bulbs, but I can get years of anise seed from a single plant.  Most herbs can be grown on a window sill.  Even if you don't have room for a garden, anyone can put a few pots of herbs in the kitchen.

My little turnips look like purple radishes.  They're adorable, and doing better since I thinned them.  I'm going to succession plant in the eggplant pot.  Eggy isn't doing well.  I cut back the dead branches to see if it rebounds, but I'm keeping my hopes realistic.  Bummer is that I can't put a tomato in there until next year if it's suffering from a nightshade disease.

I need to plant basil.  Down to my last jar of dried from two years ago.  Hope it isn't too late for it to catch on.  We still have over a month of moderate temperatures before summer kicks in, and I can put it where it only gets morning sun.

Onions are doing well.  I've been succession planting in the pot at about the rate I'm using them.  I still have onion pesto; lesson learned.  Garlic should be ready in a couple of months.  I had to put the cilantro in a tomato cage while it makes seeds, so I can have freshly ground coriander.

The new additions to my gardening routine are things I should have been doing all along.  First, I bought fish fertilizer.  It's a concentrate, and stinks up everything, but I definitely don't feed my plants enough.  Trying to remember to do it at least once a month.  Then, I picked up a bag of redwood mulch.  My idea of mulching so far has been chop'n'drop, where you just let whatever you trimmed off the plant compost in place.  I'm hoping for weed and moisture control in the Pond.  For the front patch, I'm adding the hope that it composts into the dense soil to condition it.  I've been fighting that area's tendency to compact for over 10 years.

Once I lose a few chard and the rest of the broccoli, I'll have a better idea where I can put more tomatoes.  The poor tray of starts really wants a home.  I might have to put some of them in the landscaping out front before they die, even if others make it into pots.

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Italian-Inspired Bean Stew

I didn't have a chance to go grocery shopping for a whole week after Passover and ended up doing a limited pantry challenge.  It wasn't much of a hardship because I did buy way too much before the holiday.  I really wanted legumes, almost as much as I wanted bread.  My system is adapted to a diet with a decent amount of fiber.  Also, my annual cholesterol test was less than stellar.  Blood sugar was unexpectedly stable, considering how much cake there has been at work the past couple of months.  Still, it was time to double down on Mediterranean choices.

The new USDA nutritional guidelines coming out this year are moving plant-based proteins to the Protein group and out of vegetables and starches.  That's how I've treated them all along.  Yes, they have carbs, but so much of them are both soluble and insoluble fiber, they don't spike blood sugar if served with other low-glycemic foods and have heart-healthy properties.  Yes, you do need animal products for a complete diet, or vitamin shots, but there is nothing wrong with meatless meals on rotation.

I was bemoaning being almost out of dried parsley, then remembered the three plants I'm growing, which are doing rather well.  They weren't when I needed them for Seder, and barely got enough for every plate.  Now, I need to harvest some to dehydrate before it spoils.  I'll do a gardening post soon to show off my Spring bounty.

*1 C dry Navy or Great Northern beans
1 Tb olive oil
1 C diced onion
*2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 tsp dried basil
*1/2 C chopped fresh parsley, or 1 Tb dried
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb spinach, either fresh or frozen, thawed
*Juice of 1 lemon

1.  Early in the day, or overnight, soak the beans in water to cover by one inch.  I debated using canned or a slow-cooker, then decided on the firmer texture of simmered beans.  Everything else in this dish is mushy.

2.  3 hours before serving, drain and rinse beans.  Return to a large saucepan and add more water to cover by one inch.  Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Drain.  This can also be done up to a day in advance and refrigerated.

3.  Add oil to the large saucepan and heat over medium.  Cook the diced onion and garlic until softened, then add the salt and dried herbs and cook until fragrant.

4.  Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cooked beans, and spinach.  Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, for flavors to meld.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  If too dry, add a little water, but you're not making soup.  Add chopped parsley if using fresh, and lemon juice.  Simmer 5 more minutes, then serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)

Monday, May 5, 2025

Pumpkin and Date Kugel

I needed a portable breakfast for work during Passover.  Just the last two days of the holiday.  One manager was out and I couldn't get off the full week.  At the last minute, I tossed a bag of Passover noodles into my cart.

Kugel is just a casserole.  In this case, it's a noodle and egg casserole.  I tend to call any noodle "pudding" a kugel, because that's how I was raised.  They're all super easy to make and can be sweet or savory.  I was debating making this a broccoli and cheese one, then decided I didn't want that for breakfast.

I used the potato-based Passover noodles, but there's nothing wrong with using wheat-flour noodles every other week of the year.  Or any other pasta you choose.  I also used coconut milk because I had half a can left from the sweet potatoes.  Cow, oat, almond, whatever milk you choose is fine.

8 oz noodles or pasta of choice
2 eggs
*1 C coconut (or other) milk
*1 C pumpkin purée
*1/2 C pitted, chopped dates (about 8 deglets)
2 Tb brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt

1.  Start cooking noodles according to package directions.  Preheat oven to 350º and grease an 8x8 baking dish, 9" cake pan, or any other casserole that can handle 1-1/2 quarts.  I used olive oil to make this klp and pareve.  Nothing wrong with butter, shortening, or pan spray.

2.  While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the milk, eggs, pumpkin, chopped dates, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

3.  When noodles are al dente (aka about 80% done), drain.  Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir until evenly coated.  Transfer to prepared dish.  It's going to look soupy, but the noodles will soak up the liquid.

4.  Cover with foil or a lid and bake until set, about 30 minutes.  For a crispy top, remove cover for the last 10 minutes.  Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving, and an hour or overnight in the fridge if you plan to slice it.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  π

Friday, May 2, 2025

Pantry Inventory

We're doing a section topic post.

No one likes to do inventory.  Not at work, and not at home.  After the recent Southern California fires, I went around the house and took pictures, in case I ever need to itemize for insurance purposes.  Probably will never happen, but everyone should have some idea of what they own.

Kitchen inventory, for me, gets done before Passover.  Once a year is generally all you need, assuming fresh foods are rotated before they get scary.  Frozen and dry storage commonly are designed to last between a year to 18 months.  A few items, like whole wheat flour and brown rice, tend to spoil after only six months if you live in a warm and/or humid climate.  Canned meats are often dated as long as five years.

I don't write down what's in the dry pantry.  I just keep it neat and avoid stacking things that are not alike.  The fridge is not crammed full, so I can see everything.  The chest freezer, on the other hand, gets a post-it list.  I only itemize the meat, though I should probably write down the mini pie shells I've had in there since December.  I was going to do thumbprint mince pies and never got around to them.  Some people with cellars or exceptionally large pantries do make a written inventory or computer spreadsheet of everything, and their best-by dates.

When I was clearing one shelf at a time to do the Passover sorting, I realized that I have a LOT of food in there.  It's the beans.  I count them as shelf-stable proteins and have more of a variety of them than of meats.  A pound of dry beans is roughly 12-14 servings, so a pound each of 8 or more legumes is about a four month supply if I suddenly went vegan.  Well, less if I was also using them for breakfast and lunch.  In addition to the dry beans, I have over a dozen cans and jars ready to use, at 3-4 servings each.  But there were no surprises, no spoiled foods, nothing I had forgotten, and I could remember why I had bought everything.

It's a good idea to look through what you have on hand when meal planning or making a grocery list.  It prevents over-buying or forgetting an item until it is no longer good to eat.  For me, it can spark creativity or a new recipe.  And these days, whatever you spent on the food you have on hand is less than what it is going for now.

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Tortilla de Patatas Vegana (Spanish potato omelette - vegan version)

I've been watching a little of Spain on a Fork.  Most of his recipes are more than I feel like making, and tend to be potato-heavy, but this looked like something We Cook Vegan would make.  With fewer ingredients.

Basically, it's a chunky latke.  This version uses a chickpea batter in place of eggs, making this version vegan and slightly less expensive.  I had been thinking of making a socca that day, so I was already in the mood for something like this.  I made it as part of dinner, but it really works any time of day.  Hot for breakfast.  Leftovers would make a great cold lunch.  A small slice at tea time.

It does take time to make.  Potatoes have to be thoroughly cooked, and this one doesn't use the oven.  You could make the onion and potatoes ahead of time, then mix with the batter when ready to cook.  All in one shot, you're looking at a minimum of an hour.

1 C diced onion (1 small or 1/2 large)
1/4 C olive oil, plus more as needed for the pan
1 lb dense potato, such as Yukon or red
salt and pepper to taste
*1 C chickpea flour
1 C water

1.  Stir together chickpea flour and water until most of the lumps are gone.  Set aside while you prepare the rest, or up to 8 hours.  For longer, refrigerate.

2.  Warm the oil in a 12" skillet that has a lid over medium heat.  Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir often so it doesn't get fried and crispy.  You may need to turn down the heat.  We're going for a slow caramelization.

3.  While that's happening, peel potatoes if desired.  I skipped that.  Slice into bite-sized pieces about 1/4" thick and uniform size, so they cook evenly.  I chose to set the cut potato in water because I didn't know how long it would be sitting around.  Not a necessary step.  Add to skillet and turn up heat to medium-high.  Lightly fry potatoes with the onions until cooked, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  This will take up to half an hour.  Once easily pierced with a fork, remove from heat and allow to cool 5 minutes, or refrigerate as a do-ahead.

4.  Stir together potato mixture with its oil and the chickpea batter.  Season with salt and pepper.  I used about half a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, but these are the only seasonings.  Use your best judgment.

5.  Place the skillet back over medium heat and lightly coat the bottom with more oil.  Add potato batter and arrange in a neat layer.  Cover and cook until set, about 10 minutes.  The top can still be a little uncooked.

6.  Use a spatula to loosen the pancake from the bottom of the pan.  Keep going until you can shake it.  If it's really stuck, it probably isn't cooked yet.  Set a plate on top of the pancake, commit to the flip, and turn everything over.  Place the skillet back on the stove, coat with a touch more oil, and slide the tortilla back into it.  Cover again and cook another 6-8 minutes.

7.  Transfer to a serving pate and cut into wedges, with anything from sour cream dip to hot sauce as a dressing.

Difficulty rating  :)

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Farfel Kugel with Swiss Chard

Savory matzoh kugels are a common side dish at Passover.  I went ahead and turned this into a stuffing/dressing casserole to have with the turkey and gravy.

I clearly did not learn my lesson from growing too much kale last year, and have compounded it by adding some absolutely gorgeous "rhubarb" Swiss chard to the garden.  I'm probably going to have to save it up in the freezer and can it.  There's room in the freezer for that now!  Not as much as I'd hoped, since I had to put half the leftover turkey and carcass in there, but I have definitely made progress.  It was to a point that I didn't know if I could wedge the next bake of challah in it.  Anyway, chopping up the equivalent of two bunches for a double batch of stuffing was no big deal.  I made broth, which was me making work for myself, but there's nothing wrong with opening a can or box of it.

I put fennel (anise) seed in this, and everyone loved the unexpected seasoning.  If that isn't your preference, you can go basic and leave it out.  What I'm not putting in the printed recipe is that I chopped up the tiny turnips I thinned out of the pot.  Wow, they were almost as strong as the horseradish while on the cutting board, but mellowed in the casserole until you couldn't taste them.

*1 bunch Swiss chard, any color
*2 ribs celery, chopped
*1 small onion (or 1/2 large), diced
1 Tb olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
*1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 10 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
*3 sheets matzoh
1 C chicken or vegetable broth
1 egg, lightly beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Grese an 8x8 or small round/oval casserole with a few drops of olive oil.

2.  In a large skillet with a lid, heat 1 Tb oil over medium heat.  Chop the stems off the washed chard and cut into pieces similar to the celery.  Chop the chard leaves into strips or chunks.

3.  Cook the chard and celery stems and the onion in the oil until softened, stirring occasionally.  Season with the sage, fennel, salt, and pepper.  Keep in mind how much salt is in your broth.  You may not need to add any.  My broth was kind of peppery, so I didn't add extra.

4.  Add the chard leaves and the drained mushrooms and stir.  Cover and allow to cook down, about 5 minutes.

5.  While the greens are wilting, prepare the matzoh.  In a medium bowl, crumble them into bite-sized pieces, just larger than cornflakes.  If the broth is refrigerated, warm to at least room temperature.  Pour broth over the farfel and allow it to soak in while the vegetables finish cooking.

6.  Once the chard has cooked down, remove the skillet from the heat.  Add the softened matzoh and stir to distribute evenly.  Stir in the egg until uniform.

7.  Pour the mixture into the greased casserole.  Roast, uncovered, until the top is crispy and it is thoroughly cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Difficulty rating  :)

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Asparagus with Orange-Date Vinaigrette

If I had known so many of the people at Seder were asparagus fans, I wouldn't have gone to this much trouble.  Instead of 10 minutes to make a dressing, I would have spent 5 minutes on a basic salt-pepper-olive oil roast.  Whatever.  I didn't buy anything extra for the dressing.  Really, I was looking for something to do with the extra oranges on the tree.

I would use this dressing on any salad, especially one with a tangy green like arugula or something sturdy like spinach.  It's sweet, as you would expect from oranges and dates.  You could add more vinegar to balance it if desired.

The photos are of the double recipe I made.  My oranges are also very juicy for how small they are.

1 lb asparagus
*Zest and juice of 1 small orange
*1 Tb date syrup
*2 Tb white wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 pitted dates, sliced or chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Wash asparagus and trim or snap off tough bottom ends.  Arrange in an 8x8 casserole dish.

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest and juice, date syrup, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings and acidity levels.

3.  Pour dressing over asparagus.  Top with date slices.  Cover for the first 15 minutes if you want them lightly steamed, then remove the foil to finish.  If going for a solely roasted texture, leave uncovered and cook about 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness of the stalks.  Toss again in the dressing a little before serving.

Difficulty rating  π

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Sweet Potato Casserole for Passover

I almost served this for dessert.  American sweet potato casserole is a big head-scratcher to the rest of the world.  I've never researched where it came from, but probably the South.

For this version, I wanted to come up with a recipe that was pareve, since I was making turkey.  The "cream" options were almond or coconut milk, and I jumped at the coconut option.  I've done coconut and sweet potato before, so I knew this would work.  Coconut milk doesn't taste "coconutty" until you add a considerable amount of sugar, so I'm only adding a little here.

Side note, when I went online to find which brands of coconut milk were kosher for Passover, Trader Joe's came up first.  It has no stabilizing gums or other additives, and happened to be the lowest price point I've seen in a couple of years.  I'm still not a TJ's devotée, but I'm finding more of their products that can be used by someone who cooks from scratch.

I used canned sweet potatoes, but will give instructions for baked as well.  I also made a double recipe of what I'm posting.  Even with folks coming back for a second scoop, I had a few days of leftovers.  We'll call this four generous servings.

*1 29 oz can sweet potatoes or 1-1/2 lb fresh sweet potatoes
1/2 C coconut milk, lightly beaten to break up the fat
1 Tb brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
*2 Tb chopped walnuts, optional
8-12 large (Passover) marshmallows

1.  If making from raw potatoes, scrub and pierce in several pieces.  Roast at 400º until cooked through and soft, about 1 hour depending on size and shape.  Allow to cool and scoop out flesh.  For canned, drain.

2.  Preheat oven to 375º.  In a bowl, coarsely mash potatoes.  If desired, you can purée or whip them.  I wanted texture and left some chunks.

3.  Stir in the coconut milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten egg.  Spread in an 8x8 or similar sized casserole.  Sprinkle top with the walnuts, if using.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling.  Remove from oven, top with marshmallows, and bake again until marshmallows are toasted.  Serve hot

Difficulty rating  π

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Maror (Horseradish Spread)

I decided to make my own bitter herb dip this year for Seder instead of opening a jar.  I've been toying with the idea of growing horseradish, and figured I should actually make something with one first.

This is a super-simple recipe.  No cooking.  Two ingredients unless you prefer seasonings.  The hardest part is taking the food processor outside.  Don't remember the last non-grilling recipe I read that suggested making it outdoors.

And it actually was kind of hard to carry the processor to the patio.  I managed to ruin my left knee while scrubbing the front entry.  I was mildly sore when I finished, then two hours later couldn't stand on it.  I panicked and went to urgent care because I had to work at 4am the next day.  Exoskeleton of a knee brace later, it was 75% improved in the morning.  I bought a lighter brace to wear whenever it feels weak, but it didn't hurt after that first evening.  Better safe than sorry.  Mainly, I was upset that I wouldn't be able to scrub the kitchen floor.  I carefully scrubbed the worst patches, mopped better than usual, and went over it with a damp cloth to pick up anything I'd missed.

As for how hot to make the horseradish, there's a bit of science behind that.  Grating or processing the horseradish root releases the heat.  Adding vinegar stops that process.  For hot, run it first and add the vinegar later.  For tangy and not as hot, add some of the vinegar while it's running.  I added some of the vinegar first, along with a sprinkle of salt and sugar.  Still ended up ridiculously hot, so I'm not sure what I did wrong.  Maybe 24 hours wasn't a long enough time to rest.

There's always the option to grate the root on a box grater, but it's going to be an instant attack on the nasal passages.  I might try it with some of the root as an experiment.

I wish canning the condiment was an option, but cooking the root destroys all the flavor and heat.  That's why prepared horseradish is in the refrigerated deli case.

4 oz horseradish root
*2 Tb to 1/4 C apple cider or white vinegar
salt and/or sugar as desired
beet juice for red, sweet horseradish

1.  Wash and peel root.  I got the smallest one, and it was almost a pound.  I cut off a portion and put the rest in the fridge to make another batch later.

2.  Chop root in pieces and place in food processor.  Either open all the windows or take it outside.

3.  Add 2 Tb vinegar to processor.  Shut it and process until finely chopped.  This is when I had no idea I would end up hosing down the patio after.  Hold onto the processor.  The root is a lot tougher than ginger, the last fibrous thing I ran through it.  Once broken down, scrape sides and add vinegar as needed for desired consistency and potency.  Add any salt, sugar, or beet juice you choose to flavor it.  Pulse a few times to distribute.

4.  Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.  The flavor will mellow as it sits, so it's best to make it at least a day ahead.

Makes about 1/2 C

Difficulty rating  π