Un-Stirfry with Ginger Sauce

I love summer. I do. I love everything about it. I love the weather, the social functions, and the hanging out. But most of all, I love the fresh produce and food that's available this time of year. Everything is just so delicious and flavorful, and you can get it almost anywhere!

This is such a great way to use up some of that tasty local produce. Although I've used carrots, mushrooms, string beans, and onion, you can easily substitute any other vegetables you'd like. The sauce can be thrown together in a matter of minutes, so you can easily have this on the table for dinner in no time!



Un-Stirfry with Ginger Sauce
Serves 2

Sauce
1/8 c sesame oil
1/8 c olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 pitted date (or 1 tbsp honey)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

3 cups chopped veggies of your choice (I used red onion, green beans, mushrooms, and carrots)

In a small food processor, combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over chopped veggies. Can be eaten right away, or for more of a cooked texture, allow to marinate overnight in the fridge.

28 Cooks' Memorial Day Remix - Potato Salad with Chili-Cumin Vinaigrette

I was digging through my archives for this potato salad recipe, since it's one of my favorites. I saw the date posted and realized I made this last year for Memorial Day, so I thought I'd share the recipe again, although this time with an updated picture.

Following is the original post:

Everyone loves a picnic - the fresh air, the smell of the barbeque, and the variety of potluck dishes on the table. Usually, you'll find at least one or two mayonnaise-based salads, a macaroni salad, and some sort of potato salad. I'm not crazy about mayo, so I'm always interested in any potato salad without it.

I knew what I wanted to try with this salad, but it wasn't until I tasted the final product that I knew I had hit it. The toasted cumin in the dressing, alongside the fresh cilantro and dried thai chilies, provide a perfect summery dressing with a bit of a twang. Also, since it's mayo-less and uses olive oil as the base, this is very low in calories and fat, which makes it almost guilt-free.


*On the heat scale, it's only about a 2 out of 5*



Potato Salad with Chile-Cumin Vinaigrette

5 cups red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp salt
2 green onions
3 tbsp red onion, diced

Vinaigrette
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 dried thai chiles
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 jalapeno
1 tsp minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 c olive oil 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place potato pieces into a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 tsp of salt. Bring water to a boil, and boil about 8 minutes. Potatoes should be tender when pierced with a skewer. Drain pot, and place potatoes into large bowl. Add green and red onion.
Vinaigrette - place cumin seeds in a small skillet. Over high heat, toast 2 minutes, until seeds are fragrant and brown. Allow to cool, and grind in a mortar and pestle. In food processor, combine cumin, chilies, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and rice vinegar. Process until all ingredients are well minced. With motor running, slowly add olive oil until dressing is emulsified.
Pour vinaigrette over potatoes and stir to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Cheddar Ale Potato Soup

Yes, I realize we are just getting into spring and the weather has turned warmer, which means it ain't soup season anymore. But I've been on a soup and salad bender lately, and have been craving some hearty cheese soup.

I rarely ever order any sort of cheese soup in a restaurant, because it either comes out way too thick and more suitable for a dip, or with a plasticky taste. I've never made it myself, but for some reason, I woke up this morning thinking I should start.

Although the ingredient list is on the long side, this really is a very easy soup to make. It's not too thick, not too thin, and has just the right amount of cheesiness to it. I've added potatoes to give it more heft, but you could easily substitute broccoli or cauliflower, as the mood strikes.

This is definitely a recipe you'll want to keep on hand for the snappy weathers of fall, or for a rainy spring day when you're just craving something hearty and warm.



Cheddar Ale Potato Soup
Serves 8-10

1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups fat-free half and half
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups beer
4 cups potatoes, small diced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Tabasco
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (depending on saltiness of broth)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
6 cups shredded sharp cheese

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion. Cover with lid and saute for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute another minute or so. Stir in flour, mixing well, and cook another few minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly whisk in half and half, whisking well. Slowly add in broth and beer, and then stir in potatoes. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Add Worcestershire, dijon, Tabasco, cayenne, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Simmer 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat. Stir in handfuls of cheese slowly, until melted. Serve with croutons.

Warm and Spicy Black Bean Dip

I have been looking for some sort of warm bean dip recipe to make for quite some time. I've looked at all of my favorite recipe spots and through a few cookbooks, but nothing has really jumped out at me. It wasn't until I had some fresh sofrito in my refrigerator that made me think that it would be the perfect thing to start the recipe.

Looking for a quick and easy recipe to make for impromptu guests? This is definitely it! All ingredients can be kept on hand and it literally takes about 10 minutes to throw together. If you don't have any fresh sofrito, use the jarred type. No matter how this quick and easy dip is made, I guarantee it'll be a hit at the party!



Warm and Spicy Black Bean Dip
Serves 3-4

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar (plus more to top, if desired)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp sofrito

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mash black beans with cream cheese, retaining some texture of the beans. Stir in remaining ingredients. Top with additional shredded cheese if desired. Spread into a greased baking dish and place into oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, until dip is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Sofrito

So I have been craving Mexican and Spanish food like nobody's business. Perhaps it's the coming of Cinco de May, although to be honest, it wasn't until I was writing this blog post that I realized it's only 2 days away!

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I made my own Sofrito. As you may or may not be aware, sofrito is the basis of many hispanic dishes. It's the perfect flavoring base for all sorts of dishes. The onion and garlic and cilantro add just the right flavor notes.

As I said, this was my first time making it, and as easy as it was, I can definitely guarantee this will be a repeat recipe. It literally took about 20 minutes, start to finish. It freezes perfectly, so I freeze it in 1/2 cup portions so that I always have it on hand when the craving for Spanish food strikes!

And be sure to check back later this week for more recipes utilizing this wonderful item.



Sofrito
Yields 6 cups

12-16 cloves garlic, peeled
3 jalapenos, roughly chopped
2 green peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
4 plum tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, washed and torn

In a food processor, pulse garlic and jalapenos until chopped. Add bell peppers and onions, and pulse. Add tomatoes and cilantro, and process until well combined. Store in the refrigerator for use within 3-5 days, or freeze in 1/2 cup portions for later use.

Spicy Steak Fries

I'm going to go ahead and admit that I've made this recipe more times than necessary, under the guise of "perfecting the spice blend", only because these are seriously tasty. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm a huge fan of salty snacks, and fries are no exception.

This is a great recipe to have on hand for a pretty easy side dish. (and not a meal, as it may or may not have been for me at one point this past week) Although it does require some time in the oven, most of the time is non-active, so you can easily be making the rest of the meal in the meantime.

I guarantee that you'll be making this recipe again and again - it's just that good!



Spicy Steak Fries
Serves 2-4

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp Old Bay
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into steak fry wedges. In the microwave, melt butter in a small dish. Whisk in olive oil, garlic, and remaining spices. Toss wedges in butter mixture and spread into 9x13" baking dish. Place into preheated oven. Allow to roast for 15 minutes, then toss. Continue to toss every 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are crispy and brown. (this took about 45 minutes for me). Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Fun with the Dehydrator: Cheezy Kale Chips

Snack foods are my absolute demise when it comes to trying to eat healthy. I can easily pass up cakes, cookies, pies, and other sweets, but my resistance is low if you dangle any kind of salty snack in front of me.

Whenever I'm trying to really at healthy, I usually fire up the dehydrator (or Dry Baby, as I like to call it) to make some healthy snacks to have on hand. To be honest, my dehydrator is probably used more for snacks than anything else!

This week, I dried some lovely apple slices tossed in apple pie spice, some lovely fresh kiwi fruit, and these cheezy kale chips. The last kale chips were such a hit, but the Dry Baby really makes them even better. Any recipe of kale chip, when made in the dehydrator, will last for days, so it's perfect to make a large batch and snack on them throughout the week. When I'm feeling lazy, I will just toss some fresh kale leaves with a smidgen of olive oil and whatever seasoning salt happens to be on hand - lemon pepper being my favorite at the moment. If I have a few more minutes, I'll make this recipe.



Cheezy Kale Chips

2 large bunchs of kale, washed, destemmed, and torn into pieces
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

Drain cashews. In a food processsor, combine cashews and remaining ingredients, except for the kale leaves. Process until well combined. In a large bowl, toss kale leaves with cashew mixture, and mix well with your hands, until every piece is coated.
Place in dehydrator and dry at 115 degrees for 6-8 hours, until crispy and coating is dry. Store in a airtight container.

You may also like:
*Fun with the Dehydrator - Mexican Crackers
*Fun with the Dehydrator - Lemon Macaroons