Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Lentil and Kale soup

Modified from Real Simple's Winter Lentil and Kale Soup

Micah ate his whole bowl the first time I made the above soup, although I didn't follow the recipe. You can substitute any kind of greens for the kale (except collards - they take too long to cook). You can also substitute any kind of winter squash for the sweet potato. We used spaghetti squash once, cut into chunks. It was surprisingly good. Leeks work for onions and onions for leeks. Be sure to use brown lentils. Others will fall apart too much. OK, that's it for this one. Maybe one day I'll make this post better!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chicken and Portobello Mushroom Stir Fry

I just made up this recipe tonight.

Chicken and Portobello Mushroom Stir Fry

some olive oil
1/3 pound chicken sliced into stir fry pieces
2 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced in half, then into strips
2 medium size tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/4 chopped, fresh basil

Put a liberal amount of olive oil into a large fry pan and heat on medium heat.
Add chicken and mushrooms. Saute until all mushrooms release juices and turn brown (not until they are browned, but until they turn brown). Chicken will cook through first, but wait for the mushroom to finish turning brown (~10-15 minutes)
Add tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Cook until the tomatoes start falling apart (~5-7 minutes).
Serve hot.

We ate this by itself, but it would probably be tasty over pasta.

Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs sounds simple, but we have a few ways of making them that are very tasty. Most of these are a-la-Brett. :-)

The most important thing is to have high quality eggs. It is better for the earth and the chickens and your body, but it is also much better for your taste buds! High quality eggs taste so much better. You know an egg is high quality when the yolk looks dark yellow or even orange. Check your local grocery store for organic, local, cage free, eggs. Whole Foods or your local farmer's market or CSA are great places to get them. If you live in Pgh I recommend the eggs from "Food Glorious Food" on Bryant St. They are open on Saturdays at 10am. Get there as early as possible because the eggs sell out fast.

Scrambled Eggs with Spices

We like to add spices to our scrambled eggs. Brett is the one who started it and most of these ideas are his.
Crack eggs into a bowl and beat. Mix in one of the following spice combination with the eggs.
- Southwest Seasoning from Penzey's
- Spicy Salt from Penzey's
- Brett's concoction: Basil and Ground Coriander
- Salt, Pepper, Grated Cheese (cheddar or colby jack) (Sarina's combo)

Fry in butter, preferably, Pasture butter made by Organic Valley.

Additions to the above:
- Add capers (I did this I think to Southwest Eggs and it was tasty!)
- Saute onions in olive oil or butter until cooked, add eggs and 1 chopped tomato, saute until finished (best with the Basil and Coriander)