Roasted Sesame Garlic Broccoli

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Pardon my pimping my debut novel but I am SO EXCITED!  It is HILARIOUS & raunchy & a total guilty pleasure.  I hope you will check it out!

www.BathingBook.com

Meanwhile, a gal still has to eat.  Last night, I made this delicious roasted broccoli.  It came out a tad overcooked for my taste but I am having oven issues & cannot really be sure whether the cooking was a result of my oven being hotter than I thought or maybe my timing was off.  I will recommend only that you check yours as it cooks to avoid overcooking.

Roasted Sesame Garlic Broccoli

INGREDIENTS

1 head broccoli – cut into florets (cut the florets in half for even faster cooking)

4 garlic cloves – minced

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Sesame seeds – toasted until fragrant in a dry pan (maybe 1-2 minutes) – optional as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.

Prepare a cooking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment.

Whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce & crushed red pepper together.  Toss the broccoli in this until it is well coated.  Arrange on the cooking sheet & roast for 5 minutes.  Remove it from the oven & toss in the garlic.  Roast another 5 minutes & test to see if the broccoli is done.  If not – not more than another 5 minutes should do it.

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds & enjoy while ordering a copy of my book!  🙂

http://www.amazon.com

Buffalo Cauliflower Sliders with Celery Slaw & Blue Cheese Crumbles

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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First things first!  My debut novel was released this week.  Here is the cover.

Here is the synopsis:

BATHING & THE SINGLE GIRL is the smutty, mercilessly irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny debut novel by actress Christine Elise McCarthy.  Inspired by her one-woman short film of the same name, it’s the kind of novel Jonathan Ames might write if he’d dropped out of college and had been working as an actress in Hollywood for the last 20 years.

The life of an actress in LA isn’t all glamour, money, and bedding rock stars.  Sometimes it’s more about humiliation, red wine hangovers, and the bad decisions they fuel.  Ruby Fitzgerald has barely worked in years, not that anyone remembers her for anything but her short stint on a long-canceled but iconic TV show.  But that was back when her career prospects seemed on the upswing — longer ago that Ruby cares to admit, and awkward sex with regrettable partners is doing nothing to take the edge off. Everything once functional in her house is going on strike, but the unemployment checks barely cover the mortgage, and a self-respecting girl needs to be able to pay her bar tab — so repairs are on hold.  One more bubble bath and a few more cocktails.  A gal can always get responsible tomorrow.

With everything mounting against her, a cranky and increasingly despairing Ruby will have to find out if her life’s larger indignities are the result of bad luck, or a chronically bad attitude.  What follows is a walking tour of the hilarious depths you can sink to if you stop exercising your best judgment.

Check out the web site & buy the book!  It is available online at Amazon & Barnes and Noble etc.  http://www.bathingandthesinglegirlbook.com/

That said – I made these sliders today & I am in love!  Spicy & crunchy & creamy – all at once!  They come together in the time it takes to roast the cauliflower – which is about 20 minutes.  If you are vegan – I guess you have to lose the blue cheese crumbles but the slaw can easily be made vegan by subbing the blue cheese dressing with vegan mayonnaise.  Yum!

Buffalo Cauliflower Sliders with Celery Slaw & Blue Cheese Crumbles

Makes about 4 sliders (depending on the size of your veggies)

1/2 head cauliflower – cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup grated carrots

2 TBS blue cheese dressing plus extra for drizzling (or a vegan mayo)

Buffalo sauce – I used Frank’s Red Hot

Blue Cheese – crumbled (omit for a vegan variety)

Slider buns

S&P to taste

Scallions – sliced

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.  Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper.  Arrange the sliced cauliflower on it & smother with Buffalo sauce.  Roast for ten minutes, flip the cauliflower, add additional Buffalo sauce & roast another 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the carrots, celery & blue cheese dressing (or vegan mayo) & season with S&P.

When the cauliflower is done, simply assemble the sliders.  I topped the bottom bun with the slaw & then cauliflower, blue cheese crumbles & sliced scallions.  I drizzled a bit of blue cheese dressing & Buffalo sauce on them, topped them with the bun tops & ate them like they were going out of style!

BATHING & THE SINGLE GIRL – My Novel!

 

MY BOOK!!!!!!! Kindle version is for sale now. Paperback, Nook etc should be available by next week!

BATHING & THE SINGLE GIRL is the smutty, mercilessly irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny debut novel by actress Christine Elise McCarthy.  Inspired by her one-woman short film of the same name, it’s the kind of novel Jonathan Ames might write if he’d dropped out of college and had been working as an actress in Hollywood for the last 20 years.

The life of an actress in LA isn’t all glamour, money, and bedding rock stars.  Sometimes it’s more about humiliation, red wine hangovers, and the bad decisions they fuel.  Ruby Fitzgerald has barely worked in years, not that anyone remembers her for anything but her short stint on a long-canceled but iconic TV show.  But that was back when her career prospects seemed on the upswing — longer ago that Ruby cares to admit, and awkward sex with regrettable partners is doing nothing to take the edge off. Everything once functional in her house is going on strike, but the unemployment checks barely cover the mortgage, and a self-respecting girl needs to be able to pay her bar tab — so repairs are on hold.  One more bubble bath and a few more cocktails.  A gal can always get responsible tomorrow.

With everything mounting against her, a cranky and increasingly despairing Ruby will have to find out if her life’s larger indignities are the result of bad luck, or a chronically bad attitude.  What follows is a walking tour of the hilarious depths you can sink to if you stop exercising your best judgment.

Christine Elise McCarthy has been acting professionally for 25 years and is recognized primarily for her roles as U4EA-popping bad girl, Emily Valentine, on Beverly Hills, 90210, as Harper Tracy on ER, and as Kyle, the gal who killed Chucky in Child’s Play 2.  She has also appeared in recurring roles on China Beach, In the Heat of the Night, and Tell Me You Love Me.  Among her other film roles are Abel Ferrara’s Body Snatchers and two films starring Viggo Mortensen: Vanishing Point and Boiling Point.  

As a writer, she has written three episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 as well as characters and storylines for the series, a pilot that was optioned by Aaron Spelling, and comical true-life essays that she performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade and Naked Angels theaters in LA.  She maintains an irreverent food porn blog called
www.DelightfulDeliciousDelovely.com for which she provides recipes, photographs and sometimes shares details of the triumphs and, more frequently, the humiliations of her own life. She has a great passion for photography (www.MyPinUpArt.com) and has shown her pin-up and decaying Americana imagery in the United States & Paris.  She has been on the selection committee of Michigan’s Waterfront Film Festival since its inception in 1999, she is co-director of the Victoria Texas Independent Film Festival, programs for the Self-Medicated Film Festival and The Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, and consults & judges for many others.  Her directorial debut, Bathing & the Single Girl, was accepted into over 100 film festivals and won 20 awards.

Bathing & the Single Girl, inspired by the short film, is her debut novel.

Check out the award winning short film – www.BathingandtheSingleGirlFilm.com

Check out her Bathing & the Single Girl playlist on Spotify

Follow her on Facebook –www.facebook.com/christine.elise.mccarthy and
www.facebook.com/BathingandtheSingleGirlTheBook

Follow her on Twitter – www.twitter.com/celisemccarthy

Follow her on Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/foodpornsite

Follow her on Instagram – www.instagram.com/christineelisemccarthy

Follow her acting career – www.christineelisemccarthy.com

One Pot Spicy Vegan Orange Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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This really is about as easy as a soup can be.  It comes together in about 20-30 minutes total & is powerfully flavorful.  There is no dairy of any kind so it is as guiltless as it is delicious.  A really wonderful, winter warmer!

One Pot Spicy Vegan Orange Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes – peeled & cubed

1 onion (I used a red one) – chopped

4 garlic cloves – chopped

Olive oil

Juice of 2 oranges

1-3 chipotle peppers (or to taste) in their adobo sauce – chopped

6 cups stock

1 tsp ground coriander

S&P to taste

Garnish ideas: avocado, arugula, black and/or white sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Heat about 1 TBS olive oil in a deep stock pot.  eat the onions & garlic over medium heat until just tender, trying not to brown them.  Add the stock, orange juice, chipotle peppers, coriander & sweet potatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer for about 15 minutes or so – or until the sweet potatoes are very soft.

I used an immersion blender to puree the soup but, if you do not have one, puree the soup in a blender.  Season with S&P.

Garnish as you like & commence indulging yourself!

Vegan Beet, Lentil & Rice Burger Sliders with Arugula, Sriracha Mayo & Smoked Black Pepper Cheddar

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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These patties are genuinely spicy & pretty tasty but they definitely benefited from the various toppings – especially the sriracha mayo.  Plain – they seem a bit lacking but that would really be true of any veggie patty, I think.  As pictured here, the patties themselves are vegan but I used real cheese & real mayo to top them.  If you are vegan – simply make the sriracha mayo with a vegan mayonnaise & either omit the cheese or use a vegan one.

The other thing about these is that they are pretty close to the color of real ground beef – especially when the patties are raw.  Take a look.

I made these into little sliders but you can make them full-sized, if you prefer.  There are a few steps involved, like cooking the rice & lentils but the steps are not complicated.  I used this red cargo rice but any brown rice would do.

I used arugula & tomato but you can top these the way you would top any burger.  Still – the spicy arugula, sriracha mayo & the spicy patties made for a pretty powerful taste treat sensation!  Also, once cooked, these guys should store in the fridge pretty well for a few days.

Vegan Beet, Lentil & Rice Burger Sliders with Arugula, Sriracha Mayo & Smoked Black Pepper Cheddar

Makes 10 slider-sized patties

INGREDIENTS

For the Vegan Beet, Lentil & Rice Burgers

1 large shallot small onion – chopped

4 garlic cloves – chopped

Olive oil

1 cup of raw beets – peeled & grated

1 plus 1/2 cups cooked lentils

2 cups cooked brown (or other) rice

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

Slider or burger buns

Garnish: arugula, sliced tomato, smoked pepper cheddar or other cheese or vegan alternative

For the sriracha mayo

1/4 cup mayo (vegan or otherwise)

1-2 TBS sriracha (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS

For the Vegan Beet, Lentil & Rice Burgers

Peel & grate the raw beets.  I grated them in a food processor.  Cook the rice & let it cool. Cook the lentils, drain & cool.  Measure out the amounts of each needed & set aside.  Divide the lentils into 1 cup & 1/2 cup portions.

Heat about 1 TBS olive oil & saute the shallot/onion until translucent.  Add the garlic & saute another minute.

In the food processor, pulse the cooked shallot/onion & garlic, beets, cooked rice, 1 cup cooked lentils & the spices until a meaty texture is achieved.

Mix in the 1/2 cup of reserved, cooked lentils & adjust the seasoning.  For patties.  I used a cookie cutter that was the size of the slider buns.

Treat a pan or griddle with cooking spray & cook these guys over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side or until they just begin to char.  If using cheese add it once you flip them them.  Cook until the cheese is melted.  Covering the pan might help speed that melting process along.

For the sriracha mayo

Simply mix the mayo & sriracha & adjust it to suit your taste.

Now simply assemble your sliders as you like.  I cannot recommend arugula highly enough.

Enjoy!

Leftovers Pot Pie in Individual Ramekins

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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This is less a strict recipe than it is just a suggestion for using leftovers.  I used leftover Vegan Cauliflower, Kale & Chickpea Curry for the Slow Cooker but you can use any kind of leftover curry or stew.  I boiled up some cut up carrots & frozen peas & added them to my curry for color & because these vegetables are standard pot pie ingredients.

I used a frozen pastry dough but – if you are feeling ambitious – you can make your own favorite pastry dough recipe or try the simple one I made HERE.

I used individual ramekins but, if you have enough leftover filling, you could make a full-sized pie.

Look how cute these guys are!

I used an egg wash on the dough but, if you are vegan, you can blow that off or use a vegan alternative.  And with that – I present:

Leftovers Pot Pie in Individual Ramekins

INGREDIENTS

Leftover curry or stew

Pie crust

Carrots & peas – cooked until tender (optional)

1 egg – whisked

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

If using ramekins, place them on your dough & cut circles around them about 3/4 inch bigger than the ramekins themselves.  Set the dough rounds aside.  Grease the ramekins with cooking spray or butter.  Place the extra dough scraps in the bottom of the ramekins.

Bake these at 425 for ten minutes.  Remove from the oven & lower the temperature to 375.

If adding ingredients to your leftovers filing – do that now.

Fill the ramekins with your leftovers & top with the dough rounds.  Press them closed around the ramekins & brush with the whisked egg.  Cut steam vents into the top of the dough.

You could wrap & freeze these, at this point, if you wanted to.

Otherwise, place the ramekins on a cooking sheet & bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or so.  My oven is a little dodgy these days & so my temperature & baking times are hard to really get accurately.  Your pot pies might take a little more or a little less time – so check them.  If you are cooking them after freezing them – you might need another 15 minutes or so.  Either way – they are done when they look like this.  Let them set 5-10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!!

Vegan Cauliflower, Kale & Chickpea Curry for the Slow Cooker

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I made this in a little 1.5 quart crock pot I bought for $10.  It has no settings – just “plugged in” and “not plugged in.”  That makes me want to guess that the only setting it has is probably “warm” rather than low or high.   Using raw cauliflower, this took about 4 hours to cook through.  If you have a slow cooker with actual settings, you can set it low or high & get FAR quicker results.  Or – you can steam the cauliflower first – and then this thing could be made stove top in no time.

This makes enough to probably feed four if you serve it with rice.  BUT – I suggest you make enough to have leftovers because I will have a recipe tomorrow that uses & reinvents those leftovers.

The only spice I used that isn’t readily available is fenugreek.  If you do not have it & cannot find it or don’t give a shit – omit it.  I added a cup of yogurt to mine but this can also be omitted (for a vegan version) with very little change to the final result.

I also came across this very convenient form of ginger.

Not quite as flavorful as fresh ginger but the convenience is worth the compromise.

This is really easy to throw together so do not be intimidated.

Vegan Cauliflower, Kale & Chickpea Curry for the Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – not drained

1 cup coconut milk (I used lite but either kind works)

1/4 head of cauliflower – cut into bite-sized pieces (and steamed – if you want to hurry this dish along)

1 bunch kale – deveined & chopped

1 small tomato or 10 cherry tomatoes – chopped

1 small onion – diced

2 garlic cloves – chopped

1″ cube of fresh ginger – minced (or 4 frozen cubes)

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp each of:

Mustard seeds (I had brown)

Ground coriander

Ground cumin

Paprika

Fennel seeds

Turmeric

Fenugreek (optional)

A few saffron threads (very optional)

1 cup yogurt (omit for the vegan version)

Fresh cilantro – chopped as garnish

Chopped red pepper (for color and garnish) – optional

Cooked Basmati (or other) rice

DIRECTIONS

If you want this to come together stove-top or just want it quickly – steam the cauliflower.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat & saute the onion until translucent.  Add the kale & saute until it wilts.  Add the ginger & garlic & saute about a minute & put in either your crock pot or a deep sauce pan stove top.  (My images suggest a different sequence but I recommend adding the ginger & garlic at the end to prevent burning them.)

Now – stove top or crock pot – you kinda just throw everything else in – except the cilantro (though adding some wouldn’t hurt) and the red pepper garnish (if using) and the yogurt (if using).  If you are adding yogurt – add it about ten minutes before serving – so it has a chance to heat through.

As I said, my little crock pot doesn’t heat past a WARM setting so, with the raw cauliflower, it took about four hours.  Had the cauliflower been steamed – it would have taken maybe an hour.  If your crock pot has settings – you can use them to speed the cooking process.  If you are doing this stove top – it comes together as soon as it is heated through & the veggies are tender but the longer it cooks, the better the flavors meld.

And remember – I have a recipe for the leftovers!  Behold!

If it gets too thick, just add some water.  Once the vegetables are all tender & heated through, slop this on some rice & garnish with fresh cilantro & get to feeling badass for throwing together such an exotic dish so easily!

Guiltless Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce – Faux-fredo! (Vegan & Gluten-free)

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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OK – this is EEEEEASY to make & can be vegan or not.  I added some shaved Parmesan as garnish – mainly to make it pretty to look at.  I also added a tiny bit to the sauce but it is completely unnecessary so – you can either skip it or use a vegan cheese.  I chose not to add any other dairy (real or vegan) to the sauce but it would likely have delivered an even creamier result.  This is plenty creamy & plenty flavorful – so I did not see the point in adding calories.

I also made it with a gluten-free quinoa pasta.  Regular pasta, especially a fettuccine, would be delightful, too.

Guiltless Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce – Faux-fredo!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta – gluten-free or otherwise

1/2 head cauliflower – cut up into flats or florets

4 garlic cloves (or to taste) – chopped

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Olive oil

About 1/2 cup of vegetable stock

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan or vegan alternative (optional)

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat a TBS or two of olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the garlic & saute for 30 seconds.  Be careful not to burn or brown the garlic.  Add the stock & the cut up cauliflower.  The stock will not cover the cauliflower.  Bring it to a boil & then reduce heat.   Simmer, covered, for about 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender.

Put the cauliflower & stock in a food processor and add the Dijon & cheese (if you are using cheese).  Blend until very smooth.  You might want to add more stock or water to thin it a bit.  Add S&P to taste.  I added lots & lots of pepper.  You can add heavy cream or a vegan alternative for an even creamier result.  Return this puree to the saute pan & simmer on low while you cook your pasta.

Drain the pasta & toss with the sauce & go to town!  Add more freshly ground pepper or some grated Parmesan if you want.  Mmmmm!

Mushrooms Stuffed Two Ways – with Garlic & Parmesan or Spinach & Gorgonzola

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Believe it or not, I have never made stuffed mushrooms before.  I love them but they always sorta seemed labor intensive.  They are NOT.  These guys are so easy & so delicious that I made them two nights in a row & ate every Goddamn one.  And you know what?  I am making them again tonight!  And maybe the next night.  Why not?  They are so yummy & not bad for you at all.  They use a small amount of cheese & some bread crumbs.  Big deal.

I am posting two different versions here.  For the garlic & Parmesan – I used an 8 oz package of mushrooms & ended up with a lot of extra filling so I am gonna suggest using closer to a pound of mushrooms fr that one.  The stuffing I made for the spinach & Gorgonzola was the perfect amount.  You can double or triple these recipes if you have more mouths to feed than just your own.  But whatever you do – MAKE some of these!  Stick a straw in a box of wine & go nuts!

Garlic & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

1 lb mushrooms

1 large shallot or small onion – diced

4 garlic cloves (or more to taste) – minced

1 red sweet mini pepper or 1/4 bell pepper – diced

Handful of fresh parsley – chopped

A few sprigs of thyme – stems removed

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

olive oil

S&P to taste

Panko or other bread crumbs

Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, being careful not to break the caps.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the stems.  Heat a TBS or so of olive oil in a saute pan.  Saute the chopped mushroom stems with the pepper, shallot/onion & garlic until soft.

In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, thyme & parsley.  Add the cooked mushroom mix & the Parmesan.  I added about 1/4 cup water to moisten the mixture so it would hold together.  Add S& P to taste.

Line the mushroom caps up, stem side DOWN, on a parchment paper-lined cooking sheet (or treat your pan with cooking spray.  Cook, upside down for ten minutes.  This will make the caps release some liquid.

If using parchment paper, put a new piece on the cooking sheet.  If not, carefully wipe the moisture off the pan without burning yourself.

Stuff the mushrooms & place them on the cooking sheet spaced so they can all cook evenly.

Spray them with a little cooking spray & sprinkle more bread crumbs or some panko.  Bake another 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Shove them into your pie hole & promise to try the spinach & Gorgonzola ones tomorrow.

Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach & Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS

8 mushrooms

4 garlic cloves – minced

1 cup fresh spinach – chopped

1 square inch cube of Gorgonzola

2 TBS panko (or other bread crumbs) plus extra for sprinkling

Olive oil

S&P to taste

Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS

Carefully remove the stems & chop them up.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan & saute the garlic & spinach until the spinach is wilted.  Mix that up in a bowl with the Gorgonzola, panko & some S&P.

Line the mushroom caps up, stem side DOWN, on a parchment paper-lined cooking sheet (or treat your pan with cooking spray.  Cook, upside down for ten minutes.  This will make the caps release some liquid.

If using parchment paper, put a new piece on the cooking sheet.  If not, carefully wipe the moisture off the pan without burning yourself.

Stuff the mushrooms & place them on the cooking sheet spaced so they can all cook evenly.

Spray them with a little cooking spray & sprinkle more panko.  Bake another 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Eat them all.

Saag Aloo or Kale, Spinach & Pan-Roasted Potato Curry (Vegetarian or Vegan)

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Indian food is generally pretty easy to throw together – providing you have access to lots of hard-to-find spices & really love chopping things.  The only hard-to-find spice I included here is garam masala but it can be made easily from spices you likely have around.

Garam Masala

2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Blend & store in an airtight container.

I used a bit of dairy in this.  I wanted to add heavy cream or half & half but I had neither.  Instead, I added a mix of milk & Mexican crema.  You can use any of these – or their vegan counterparts.  I used ghee – which is butter with the fat removed so it can be used over high heat without burning.  If you cannot find it – you can make it – Ghee (clarified butter) – or just use olive oil.

You can use frozen spinach or blow off roasting the potatoes.  Indian food is very flavorful & pretty forgiving.

You can use fresh or jarred ginger.  I used this frozen version I found at the market.

Saag Aloo or Kale, Spinach & Pan-Roasted Potato Curry (Vegetarian or Vegan)

Serves 4 very heartily

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch kale – veins removed & coarsely chopped

3 packed cups fresh spinach (or two (10 oz) boxes frozen)

1 onion – chopped

6 small potatoes – boiled until tender

1 tsp cumin seeds (not ground)

1 TBS fresh ginger (I used 4 frozen cubes)

4 garlic cloves – minced

1 TBS turmeric

1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garam masala (recipe above – if you cannot find garam masala at your market)

1 cup tomato sauce

Ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil

3/4 cup of dairy (or vegan alternative) – like heavy cream or half & half or (as I did) a blend of milk & Mexican crema

S&P to taste

1 extra cup fresh spinach (optional)

(Serve with steamed rice or naan)

Garnish with fresh cilantro and/or diced red pepper (for color)

DIRECTIONS

Boil the potatoes until they fall off your fork when pierced.  Drain & rinse in cold water.  DRY THEM OFF & cube them.  If they are not dry – you will likely get splattered with hot oil.

Heat 1-2 TBS of the ghee or olive oil over med-high heat.  Toss the potatoes & cook until they are browned a bit.  Set aside.

In the same pan, add more ghee or oil if you need to & saute the onions until they are soft.  Push them to the side of the pan & raise the heat to high.  Add the cumin seeds & cook until they begin to sizzle.  Blend the onions back in & add the garlic & ginger.  Saute one minute & then add the turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garam masala, crushed red pepper & tomato sauce.  Stir to combine.  I added two cups of water here.   I like a lot of sauce in my Indian dishes.  Cut the water for a drier result.  Add the greens.  When they are wilted and heated through, add the dairy (or non-dairy) you chose.  Heat it all through.  Just before serving, I added another cup of fresh spinach – just to add some brighter green.  Season with S&P. Once that is stirred in there good – serve this up over rice or with naan – or both – topped with some chopped cilantro and diced red pepper!

Pizza Treats Two Ways – Baked Wonton Pizza Rolls & Pizza Pinwheels

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I almost didn’t post these guys because I am having oven issues.  It seems the fan in there and/or the thermostat are kaput so the oven seems to really overheat.  The result is – I am burning everything I bake and these guys only narrowly avoided that fate.  Because of the unreliable temperature in my oven – these guys are not as pretty as they could be but they remain easy to make & delicious – so fuck it.

Baked Wonton Pizza Rolls

INGREDIENTS

Wonton skins

Some kind of tomato sauce (I used a chunky, homemade pasta sauce with lots of peppers etc)

Grated cheese (I used a shredded mozzarella) – or vegan alternative

Extra sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 375.

Treat a cooking sheet with cooking spray or use a silpat baking mat.

Lay out some wonton skins.  You can either top them in layers, moisten the edges with water, fold over & press sealed – like this:

Or – you can mix the sauce & cheese in a bowl & top the wontons with that mixture, moisten the edges, fold & seal.

Spray the rolls with cooking spray.  Bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are golden/browned & crisped.  Serve with extra tomato sauce & devour!

Pizza Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough

Tomato sauce

Grated cheese – or vegan alternative

Any other toppings you like on pizza

Extra tomato sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

Top with the sauce, cheese & anything else you like.  Roll it up & slice into rounds.

Place the pinwheels onto a greased cooking sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted & the dough is browning.

Serve with additional sauce.  Eat them all, alone, in the kitchen – while standing up.  There are no calories that way – especially if there are no witnesses to your indulgence.

Easy & Spicy Crock Pot Chicken & Chorizo Tacos – Vegan or Not!

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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OK – I made these because I had SO MUCH leftover Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa.  I always feels sorta bad when I post a recipe that makes an unreasonable quantity of something – like the Hoppin’ John recipe.  I feel like I should follow up immediately with alternative ways to use the leftovers.

So – I made tacos again yesterday (for the leftover salsa) & holy shite!  These bad boys came out incredible!  I recommend this taco recipe VERY highly not only because it is delicious but also because it is so damned easy!

I made the vegan version but the meat version should be just as simple.  I also used this 1.5 quart Crock Pot (the perfect size for singles or couples who want to make smaller portions of things) that I bought at the supermarket for $11.

It is about as wide across the top as my outstretched palm & fingers.  No settings.  Just a simple & small slow cooker.  This made enough of the taco filling to stuff two people & maybe feed four – if there were rice or something served with the tacos.  In fact – this chicken/chorizo filling was a lot like a chili & would go very nicely over rice – rather than in tacos.

If you do not have a crock pot – this can be done stove top.  It will just require that you keep a bit more of an eye on it.

The wonderful thing about the crock pot thing is that once I chopped up the ingredients & wiped the cutting board – there was virtually no additional cooking or cleaning – except for the crock pot itself.  If you are feeding more or have a larger crock pot – double up the recipe.  I bet it freezes really well.

Easy & Spicy Crock Pot Chicken & Chorizo Tacos – Vegan or Not!

INGREDIENTS

8 oz faux chicken strips (or real chicken strips)

1 10 oz tube of soyrizo (or chorizo)

1/2 red onion – sliced thin

3 mini sweet peppers (or 1/2 bell pepper) – sliced thin

1 jalapeno – seeded & diced (optional)

Juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 TBS Taco seasoning

2 cups stock

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

Tortillas

Garnish: cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, queso fresco (for non-vegans) and/or Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa.

DIRECTIONS

Cut up the veggies (onion, peppers & jalapeno).  Put them on the bottom of the crock pot (or in a pan stove top).

Add the chicken & chorizo (or vegan versions).  Add the lime juice, taco seasoning, stock & Italian dressing.  This filled my crock pot perfectly to the top.  You might need less stock.

My little crock pot has no settings – so – I just left in on for 3 hours.  If yours has settings – set it at high – ESPECIALLY if you are using real meat.

If you are doing this stove top, I’d bring it to a boil & then simmer it for 2-3 hours (or less – if using vegan meats).  If using real meat – be VERY sure your chicken is cooked through.

The result should be pretty soupy still so use a slotted spoon to serve the mixture onto warmed corn tortillas.  Garnish as you will.

Enjoy!!!

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos with Corn & Black Bean Salsa & Avocado Cream

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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OK – so – I bought these cactus paddle things because I see them everywhere & I decided I needed to get to the bottom of it.  If you do not live in a part of the country with a large Hispanic population and you cannot find fresh cactus, you can used jarred cactus – or nopales/nopalitos. The ones I bought were already prepared – meaning – the thorns had been trimmed as had the rim.  If you find fresh ones & need to prepare them – there are lots of tutorials HERE.  It is not difficult so do not be intimidated.

I wasn’t sure what the heck to do with these guys so I both grilled AND breaded & baked them.  You might want to use them having only been grilled or only breaded and baked.  Your call.  There is so much going on in these tacos – I don’t think it matters much. I used crushed corn flakes & taco seasoning to bread them simply because that was what I had around.  Panko or other bread crumbs would work, too, and if you don’t have a packet of taco seasoning (I have NO IDEA where the one in my pantry came from) – spice up your crumb mix with a little onion & garlic powders & maybe some chipotle or other chili powder. I made a little avocado cream sauce for these, primarily because my avocados were not as ripe as is ideal.  You can just cut up fresh avocado on yours or make a traditional guacamole.

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos with Corn & Black Bean Salsa & Avocado Cream

This makes a lotta tacos.  🙂

The Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa is HERE.

For the Avocado Cream

1 avocado

4 TBS Mexican crema (or sour cream)

1 TBS mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp fresh dill (optional) – or cilantro

1/4 tsp each: onion & garlic powders

S&P to taste

For the Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos

Several cactus paddles or some jarred cactus strips

2 (or more) eggs

1/8 – 1/4 cup hot sauce

2 TBS taco seasoning (or a blend of onion powder, garlic powder & chili powder)

1 cup (or more) bread crumbs or panko (I used crushed corn flakes)

Cooking spray

Queso fresco

Corn tortillas

Extra cilantro & limes for garnish

DIRECTIONS

For the avocado cream

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor.

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos

Prepare the cactus paddles if they are not already cleaned.  There are lots of tutorials HERE.

Spray them with cooking spray & grill on both sides until they begin to char a bit & soften up.  Cut into strips.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs & hot sauce together in a bowl.  Blend the taco seasoning & the bread crumbs you are using in another bowl.

Drag the cactus through the eggs & then the breadcrumb mix & place on a cooking sheet treated with cooking spray. Cook at 375 for about ten minutes, flip them & bake another ten minutes.  It might take a little more or a little less time for you to get them crispy – depending on the size of the strips & how densely they are breaded.  Watch them carefully.

Now you just assemble your tacos.  Warm your tortillas (I do this directly on the stove burners – being careful not to burn them).  Top them with cactus, salsa, avocado cream, queso & cilantro.  Squeeze a little lime on there & shove’m down your gullet washed down with a cold cerveza.

Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I made this salsa to accompany by grilled & crispy baked cactus tacos – a recipe I will post shortly.  The hardest part about this salsa is the chopping.  The ingredients list is long but you can leave things out if you do not like them or don’t have them.  I grilled the corn but you do not have to.  Canned corn or corn just cut directly from the cob will work fine, too.  This makes a LOT of salsa – like – 4 cups of it so be prepared to be using it for a while.

Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 15 oz can of black beans – drained & rinsed

2 ears of corn – grilled (or not)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes – chopped

6 mini sweet peppers (or 1 large bell pepper) – seeded & chopped

1-2 jalapenos – seeded and diced

1/2 red onion – diced

1/2 cucumber – diced

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix it all up in a big bowl.

Call this guy & set up a cozy fire on your laptop & crack open that box of sangria & enjoy this salsa with chips or on seafood or tacos or chili or whateverthefuck you want.

Easy & Delicious Pasta Aglio e Olio (w/ Gluten-free & Vegan Options)

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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This is a delightful dish & the only way you could have an easier pasta dish on your hands is to just open a jar of sauce.  Simple, basic ingredients & it comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta.  I will list quantities here as a guide but the amounts of garlic, crushed red pepper & cheese are really up to you.  I used way more garlic & crushed red pepper for mine than I will suggest here.  I like my shit spicy & I have never tasted something that I would call “too garlicky.”

 Easy & Delicious Pasta Aglio e Olio

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb dry pasta – I used gluten-free brown rice spaghetti

olive oil

3 garlic cloves (or to taste) – chopped or sliced (I used 6)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper – or to taste (I used more than 1 TBS)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan – or to taste (I used less) – OR VEGAN ALTERNATIVE

Chopped parsley

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, heat 1 TBS or so in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the crushed red pepper.  Be careful not to brown the garlic.  Lower heat if necessary.  When the pasta is done, drain it & add it to the garlic pan.  Stir & add the grated cheese.  Add some parsley.

Sever that bitch up with more parsley, grated cheese & salt & pepper to taste.

See?  EEEEEEASY!!!!!

Vegetarian (or not) Cheese Steak Pizza

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Sometimes it feels odd posting recipes for pizza.  I mean, everyone knows what pizza is & the toppings are a matter of personal taste.  Still, sometimes someone comes up with a combination I hadn’t thought of – or the contents of my refrigerator inspire me.  The only news about this pizza is the use of Trader Joe’s vegan beef strips rather than real steak.

This brand of faux meat (and their fake ground beef & fake chicken strips) is the best I have ever found.  But – if you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you, another brand will do.  Alternatively, if you eat meat, real steak works, too.

I haven’t had a real cheese steak sub since – probably – 1980 or so.  All I really remember about them was apologizing to sub shop guys for the additional toppings I required: mayonnaise & pickles.  Yup.  Mayonnaise & pickles. Ordered with a wince of “I know it’s gross but…”

This pizza came out pretty great – even though I ate most of the meat/pepper mixture I’d made by stealing some every time I walked past the pan.  But this baby was a revelation when I smeared it with mayo & dropped chopped pickles on it.  I know – that sounds like pregnancy food but I do not have that excuse to hide behind.  I just like it that way.  So be it.

This is a pretty dense pizza so be prepared to get very full – even if you make the veggie version.  Traditionally, cheese steaks use either provolone (too much like Swiss cheese for me) or Cheese Whiz (seriously) but a Cheese Whiz (or even a Velveeta) pizza seemed just pushing it too far.  So – I used a bag of shredded pizza cheese (mozzarella & cheddar combo).  It was delightful.  But you go where your heart takes you.

Vegetarian (or not) Cheese Steak Pizza

INGREDIENTS

(Pizza topping quantity is a personal preference thing – so I will just make suggestions)

Pizza dough (I have been using THIS one)

8 oz vegan beef (or real beef – cooked)

1-2 green bell peppers – sliced

1 onion – sliced

2 jalapenos – seeded & diced (optional)

8 oz mushrooms – sliced

1 tsp (or to taste) onion powder

1 tsp (or to taste) garlic powder (I used 2 tsp)

olive oil

S&P

Cheese – either provolone or any pizza blend you like – even Cheeze Whiz or Velveeta (if you are ghetto crazy!)

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 450.

If using real meat – pan saute it in a tiny bit of olive oil until done.  Set aside.

I already had some sauteed mushrooms – so no pictures of that process.  To saute mushrooms, heat 1 TBS of olive oil over high heat.  Pan sear the mushrooms by leaving them unmolested for a minute or two before stirring them around.  Cook them over high heat until they begin to brown.  Add salt & set aside.

Add a TBS or two of olive oil to the same pan & saute the onions & green peppers (leaving a handful of green peppers aside, raw, for later) and jalapenos (if using) until tender.  Add the mushrooms & vegan meat (or cooked real meat) – combine & set aside off the heat.  Add the onion & garlic powder and S&P to taste.

Roll out the pizza dough (I only used 1/4 of the recipe I used for prepared dough) to the size of your pan.  Prepare the pan with cooking spray & put the rolled out dough on it.  Top with a layer of cheese (provolone or pizza cheese).  Add the peppers & meat mix.  Add another layer of cheese (whatever kind you choose to use) & top with the reserved raw green peppers.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until crust is brown & crispy & the cheese is melted & beginning to brown.

Serve it up!  Get mental & smear it with mayonnaise & chopped pickles.  Or – add whatever you might add to a Philly cheese steak.  Get your eat on.  Apologize to no one!