Peanut Kelp Noodle Salad

For the last few weeks, I have been gushing over a new find at our local Korean grocery store: Kelp Noodles.  I first read about them in a coworker's raw vegan cookbook.  I took one look at the vegan pad thai recipe and had to try it out.  They're certainly not like a normal pasta noodle.  They're crunchy in a very kelp noodle sort of way.  I've made a few different recipes so far with the kelp noodles: the vegan pad thai, an orange-soy noodle salad, and most recently, a peanut sauce noodle salad.  It couldn't be easier to make.  I always make sure I rinse the kelp noodles well first, then toss with fresh veggies and a sauce and VIOLA!  I often serve simple sauteed tofu on the side, so dinner is ready in 15. 

Today's Peanut Kelp Noodle Salad Recipe:
1 large bag of Kelp Noodles
1/3 bottle of 365 brand organic peanut sauce
2 red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Lime wedges for garnish

I mixed it all together in a big bowl and added some sauteed tofu.  Could it be any easier?

Bouilabaisse

My husband and I wanted to make a trip to the Maine Ave Fish Market again this afternoon to make something special for dinner, and we settled on this recipe for bouilabaisse from Simply Recipes using cod, clams, and shrimp.  What a recipe!  We cut back a touch on the oil and salt, but other than that -- amazing.  The sauce rouille really took the soup to the next level with an oily, spicy, salty bite.  But the most amazing part was the simple fusion of orange zest, clams, white wine, and saffron.  The flavors melded together so perfectly.  I would highly recommend making a trip to your local fish market asap! 

Hey Nah, Hey Nah, My Boyfriend's Back! A Celebratory Weekend of Nibbles :)

I finally have my husband all to myself! He is no longer devoting all of his time and energy to law school or studying for the bar -- he's ALL MINE! We have such fun adventures together, and I've really missed him these past few months. But now that's he's done, this celebratory weekend has been the best. Friday night, we went to Ray's The Steaks for a flavorful but tender Cowboy steak with an Argentine Malbec. I usually don't go too far out of my way for a steak, but Ray's is worth it. This place is all about the steak. They age all of their steaks in-house and serve each on an otherwise empty plate. Along with the steak, each table receives sides of mashed potatoes and velvety creamed spinach. Simply the best place for steak I have ever found.

Saturday was a scorcher, but we cooled off with some nice chilled wine in the hills west of DC. We spent the afternoon at Delaplane Vineyards, one of our new favorites. We took along a caprese salad, olives, heart of palm, and picked up a crisp strawberry rose that deliciously brought out the flavor in our Mediterranean nibbles. After an afternoon in the hills, we drove home to Arlington. Once our appetites picked up again, we stopped by El Charrito Caminante for take out goat burritos and pupusas for a picnic at Daingerfield Island along the Potomac. Perfect finish for a wonderful day.

El Charrito Goat Taco

On Sunday, a simple trip to get an afternoon frozen yogurt took a left turn to the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Who knew we were going to have octopus for dinner?! We picked up some calamari, some baby octopus, and some tiger prawns for the grill. It is so good to have my husband back! As if this indulgent weekend wasn't enough -- we're off to Peru for ceviche and pisco on Wednesday!!!

Grilled Haloumi with Chickpeas

A good friend from work brought me the most wonderful present possible -- cheese from a far away land!  I had tried Haloumi before at a restaurant, but I had never cooked with it myself.  I googled my options, and I settled on this recipe: Chickpeas with Haloumi at Veggienumnum.  I added a bit more lemon flavor to the chickpeas, and I thought the mojo was a touch too salty, but other than that, this recipe was AMAZING!  My husband said it felt like we just found an amazing new restaurant!  Quite a compliment! 

Thank you, Eleni, for an amazing and thoughtful present!!! 

Dreaming of Bali with Rambutans at Home

A trip to the Asian Supermarket took me straight back to our honeymoon in Bali with the tiny rambutan.  It's amazing how smells and flavors can transport you to another place and time. 



Triple Cream Brie and Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza

So, I was just trying to make a quick dinner using leftovers, and I stumbled upon something out of this world.  I think my husband should be very sad he is missing dinner tonight!

I know not most of us regularly have garlic scape pesto and triple cream brie on hand*, but I somehow did.  This delicious recipe would be worth going out of your way to find the ingredients.  I only made the "pizza" on one of those silly Arnold Sandwich Thins, but next time it would be worth a proper crust. 

Here's the basic recipe:

1 pizza crust
garlic scape pesto
a few slices of triple cream brie

Make a pizza with a schmear of pesto and thin slices of brie, bake according to pizza crust recipe or package.  Enjoy!

*If you do regulary have these items on hand, we need to be friends!

Best Black Beans in the Slow Cooker

1-2 Anaheim pepper, charred
16 ounces dried black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 large bell pepper, chopped (I like one red, one green)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
5+ garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can water
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt

After a few months of making better and better black beans in the slow cooker, this is now the recipe I use each time.  First, I char the Anaheims over my gas stove.  I just turn a burner on high and hold the pepper with metal tongs until each side is blistered.  It takes a few minutes, but the flavor is well worth the extra step.  If you don't have a gas stove, you could char them under the broiler (although be sure to keep an eye on them!)  Then I chop the peppers and mix them in the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients.  No need to soak the beans beforehand!  I cook them on high for 8-9 hours, and they turn out tender and delicious every time!  Best Beans Ever.

Lemon Caper Salmon with Bulgur and Asparagus

The Sauce:
1 tbs. olive oil
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/8 cup vegetable broth
1/8 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tbs capers

Pepper to taste
4 thin slices of lemon

1 lb. salmon
asparagus, roasted
bulgur, cooked

Saute salmon in a spray of Pam.  Mix sauce ingredients and in the last minute of cooking the salmon, pour the sauce over the fish.  Saute one minute more, and serve with asparagus and bulgur. 

Vegan Lemon Parsley Seitan

My week-long vegan attempt is going strong, and this recipe made me feel like I was indulging in something forbidden without sacrificing my health.  Seitan is my new best friend, and Reid said it was his favorite "soy" thing.  "Honey, it's wheat gluten, not soy."  "Yeah.... it's my favorite."  So, I will be making it again :)

I did not make my own seitan; I used store-bought.  I left out the olives, but I added sauteed onions.  Served over bulgur with a side of roasted asparagus. 

Carmelized Onion, Chard, and Ricotta Pizza

New favorite pizza!  Well second favorite, since my favorite is still the asparagus pizza we had at Monica's (Recipe here at Smitten Kitchen)

Today's pizza featured chard, ricotta, and carmelized onions.  I used a Trader Joe's crust and fat-free ricotta cheese, and it still turned out pizzalicious!

I got the recipe here: NYTimes Onion Pizza with Ricotta and Chard

Miso Salmon

This is one of my go-to weekday recipes.  Easy, healthy, quick -- I can't ask for more. 
2 tbs miso paste
3 tbs rice wine vinegar
3 tbs low sodium tamari (soy sauce)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 fillets of of salmon

Mix all ingredients together except the salmon fillets.  Grill or saute the salmon until just cooked through, and spoon sauce over top.  I like mine served with bulgur or rice and roasted broccoli.

Garlicy Sausage and Kale Farfalle

Another easy recipe tonight.  I used a Louisiana hot sausage, but many others would be good too. 

2 links of your favorite sausage
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped kale
8 ounces of pasta
garlic powder to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft over medium heat.  Add sausage and break it up as it cooks.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste, and add the can of tomatoes, undrained.  In the meantime, cook the pasta.  Once the sausage is fully cooked, stir in the kale.  Saute until the kale is just wilted.  Stir in drained pasta.  Serve garnished with grated Parmesan, and enjoy!

Roasted beet, tempeh & goat cheese salad

Spring is trying to burst from the ground, and I'm in the mood with this salad. Yesterday, I roasted the beets and began marinating the tempeh in orange juice concentrate with balsamic vinegar. Then tonight I just had to grill the tempeh, dress the greens, and dinner was served. 

I have no real recipe besides a list of ingredients:
*4 small beets, greens cut off, roasted in a covered pan with an inch of water, 1 hour at 400
*tempeh, marinated in a mixture of maybe 2 tbs. frozen OJ concentrate and 2 tbs. balsamic, give or take...
*spinach dressed in:
*dressing made of olive oil (1 tbs), balsamic (2 tbs), OJ concentrate (1 tbs), and dijon mustard (1 tsp)
*soft goat cheese

Aztec Bean Burritos

So the bean adventure continues! I got the recipe here, from The Feast Within. Quick, easy, and the slow cooker does the work. These delicious beans went into the best black bean burritos I have made at home. Fresh guac and home-cooked beans - heaven on Earth.

Black Eyed Peas from Scratch!!!!

I have been wanting to get into cooking my own dry beans. It's cheaper, healthier, and you know exactly what goes into making them. But I was pretty intimidated when I read you had to rinse, soak, drain, rinse, and THEN you could start cooking, and it would still take a long time. That does not fit into this working woman's schedule!

But I have uncovered some easier recipes, and the one tonight is a definite keeper.

Slow Cooker Spicy Black Eyed Peas from All Recipes

Spicy, smokey black eyed peas, and it took 10 minutes to get ready for the slow cooker to work on it all day.

I substituted a ham hock for the ham and bacon, but that was the only adjustment I made. Next time, I would add a touch less water, as it was pretty soupy. But the sauce was delicious over bulgur with some sauteed collards on the side. All dried beans out there better watch out!

Won't you be my Valentine?

Humboldt Fog is our cheese of love <3
I welcomed my wonderful husband home today from late night class with this:
Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, Sliced Pear, and Rosemary Crackers
Happy Valentine's Day!

A Yankee's Jambalaya

I cooked with sassafras tonight! I am jealous of those of you who grew up in New Orleans. What a great place to learn to cook! I know this jambalaya recipe is not the most authentic, but what do you expect from a Yankee? It is quite easy though, and boy does it taste good on a cold winter's night.

Yummy Tomato Soup Recipe

Simple is often the best -- proven tonight with this recipe based on the tomato soup recipe on the King Arthur Flour package.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Grilled Chicken

I stole this butternut squash risotto recipe straight from Martha Stewart, and I found no need to improve on it at all. I served it only with a grilled chicken breast. Delish!
(Note: I did use 1/2 tbs. dried sage instead of 1 tbs. fresh -- laziness, I suppose...)