For You It's Bread, but for Some - It's Life

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of cooking beside a friend, Chef Myke Eggers, who volunteered his time to help prepare the Community Meal at Christ Episcopal Church for those in need through a program sponsored by the Pottstown Cluster.  

We introduced our diners to Indian cuisine.  Chef Myke prepared delicious naan that he baked from scratch.  Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread that is often served with Indian food.

Chef Myke expressed himself beautifully on his Facebook page, that you should follow right now --> HERE. 

 

For our entree, we made chicken tikka masala where chunks of chicken are marinated in fragrant spices (coriander and cumin) and yogurt, cooked and served in a creamy tomato sauce over rice.  I adapted my slow cooker recipe found HERE by multiplying the ingredient amounts by 12.  

Chef Myke and my wonderful husband, Bob, prepped the chicken, zucchini (from our backyard garden) and onions.  Iced tea was served, brewed with fresh mint from Chef Myke's garden.

Many returned for seconds, and even thirds. 

Pottstown Cluster board president, Allan Altschull, stopped by to personally thank Chef Myke.

Volunteers make it happen.

Anna and Larissa reminded us to introduce the idea of volunteering at an early age to our children.  Anna (right), who wants to be a cupcake baker when she grows up, baked all of the scrumptious muffins that were served for dessert. 

In the words of Chef Myke,  

"Remember the next time you enjoy your meal to be thankful.  For you it's just bread, but for some - it's life."

No one in our community should go hungry.  Contact the Pottstown Cluster at 610-970-5995 to learn more about how you can help.  

~Merrill ♥

36 Diet Cookbooks: Lose Weight and Feel Great!

I love cookbooks!  Healthy vegan cooking is my latest interest, ever since my beloved jumped feet first into a plant-based diet.  He's now lost 40 lbs. without even trying!  Rather than take my chances and buy cookbooks that I may never use, I audition them, thanks to my local library.  Test drive before you buy.

Click on the titles listed below for a description of each cookbook.  Our library allows us to reserve books online for free, which is one of the best deals around!

Stack #1:

• The Kind Diet 
• You Won't Believe It's Vegan
• This Crazy Vegan Life
• Blissful Bites 
• The 30 Minute Vegan
• Vegan Indian Cooking 
• New Vegetarian Cooking
• Vegan Cooking for Carnivores (this is the first book from those auditioned that I bought.  It's written by Ellen's personal chef.  Other than it being a little light on the spices, everything I have made has been delicious).  
  

Stack #2:

• Vegan Holiday Kitchen
• Short-Cut Vegan
• Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons
• The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of the East 
• The Vegan Table 
• Simple Vegan 
• The Inspired Vegan

Stack #3:

• The Accidental Vegan
• Refresh 
• Vegan Family Meals 
• Sweet Vegan 
• Babycakes Covers the Classics 
• How it All Vegan 
• Quick and Easy Vegan Bake Sale 
• Appetite for Reduction 
• The Sexy Vegan Cookbook (This is my daughter's favorite of the bunch.  She made the pumpkin roll, which is to die for!)
• Vegan Soul Kitchen 
• Vegan Lunch Box

Stack #4:

• 125 Best Vegan Recipes 
• The Vegan Family Cookbook 
• The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet 
• Main Street Vegan 
• Let Them Eat Vegan 
• Sweet & Easy Vegan 
• Speed Vegan 
• Gluten-Free Vegan Comfort Food 
• Great Chefs Cook Vegan

Here's to healthy cooking and eating!

~Merrill ♥    

Meatless Monday: Chana Masala

Chana Masala is a healthy and hearty delicious dish.  New to Indian cooking?  No problem!  This simple recipe is the perfect introduction and will make your kitchen smell like heaven!  It's a family favorite.     

PRINTER FRIENDLY RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
2 medium onions, diced 
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 t. fresh ginger, grated 
1 fresh jalapeno, minced 
1 Tbsp. ground coriander 
2 t. ground cumin 
1/2 t. ground cayenne pepper  
1 t. ground turmeric
2 t. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 t. paprika
1 t. garam masala
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juices
2/3 c. water
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 t. salt 
1/2 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika and garam masala.  Cook onion mixture with spices for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes with their juices, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan.  Add the water and chickpeas.  Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Chana Masala is often eaten with a type of fried bread called chole bhature that is on my list of recipes to try.  We serve ours with rice and naan and/or gluten-free cornbread.

Enjoy!

~Merrill ♥ 

Spanish Rice Recipe (by way of Puerto Rico and Philadelphia)

Once in awhile I am treated to a night off from cooking.  Yay!  I look forward to these nights.  Little unannounced surprises.  Often, my husband will whip up a pot of Spanish Rice, a recipe that his mother used to make when he was growing up.  
 
His father was a pastor and once mentored a young seminarian who had come to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico to learn the ways of the church.  The younger pastor's wife spent time in the kitchen with my husband's mother, teaching her to cook dishes that seemed very foreign and exotic.  His mother quickly adopted the Spanish Rice recipe as her own, knowing that it was delicious and that she could inexpensively feed her eight children.  

I am happy to say that she cooked her Spanish Rice recipe for me before passing away.  Now, when my husband reaches for his mother's handmade cookbook, we enjoy not only a great dinner, but a lovely remembrance of her.

These are ingredients we typically have on hand, making last minute dinner prep super easy.

mise en place:  [MEEZ ahn plahs]

A French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking.

My husband is a firm believer in mise en place.  I need to work on that.

SPANISH RICE

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or the equivalent - whatever's on sale)
1 1/2 lbs rice
1 can tomato paste
3 Tbsp capers, with juice (don't drain them)
1 cup green olives
4 cups water or chicken broth (we prefer chicken broth)
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium high heat.  Sauté garlic, onion and green pepper for 5 minutes.  Add chicken.  Add rice and stir for 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste, capers and green olives.  Add water or chicken broth.  Cover pot.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is done.  Salt to taste.

Can also be made with ham.  Or, leave the meat out for a vegetarian version.

Dinner is served!

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! 

~Merrill ♥

© 2012 All photography, graphics, text and copy are the property of Ivy Lane Designs, LLC. 

Creativity: Chicken Soup *Muffins* and SMASH!

I am a little sad because the guy with the caterpillar eyebrows left Debra Messing last night on SMASH.  Granted, she should never have had an affair (or affairs, as the case may be) with Joe DiMaggio.  I do hope they reconcile.  So, chicken soup to lift my après SMASH spirits is in order.   

Earlier this week, I roasted the moistest chicken ever (learn the secret HERE).  My beloved used part of the leftovers to make chicken soup because he knows it's one of my favorite lunches.  There was such a big pot that I decided to freeze some for later enjoyment.

CHICKEN SOUP *MUFFINS*

This is the easiest thing ever!  You'll need:  homemade soup, a silicone muffin pan (I chose cheery hearts), a cookie sheet and a ladle or large spoon.  Oh, and a freezer.  That is it! 

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place silicone muffin pan on cookie sheet.  If you try to do this later in the process, soup will undoubtedly slosh all over your counter.  Nobody wants to clean up sloshed soup. 


2.  Ladle soup into muffin pan.


3.  Carefully place cookie sheet with filled muffin pan on level shelf in freezer and wait.  Whistle while you wait (or, is it work?) if you like, but I typically craft nifty gifites (HERE) while I wait.  Note to self:  Learn to whistle.


4.  Once frozen solid, remove *muffins* and place them in freezer zippered bag.  


5.  Freeze for later use.  When you have a hankering for homemade soup (Alton Brown recommends avoiding canned soups at at all times.  Read about it HERE), pop a frozen soup *muffin* or two into a bowl or mug and microwave, stirring every so often.  Easy and good.  Enjoy!

Now that I have my bowl of comforting soup, back to SMASH.  I stumbled upon the awesome TV series while cruising the OnDemand offerings.  I watched one episode, then another, then had a SMASH marathon and am now completely hooked!  It's wonderful!  It's all about the development of a Broadway show centering around the life of Marilyn Monroe.  There is much more drama behind the scenes than on stage.  

Katherine McPhee (from American Idol fame) and Angelica Huston are my favorites, so far.  Katherine has a beautiful voice.  Really.  If you haven't heard her sing, you must.  Angelica Huston is a gifted actress (and, I really hope she gets together with the dreamy bartender).  I am trying to decide if Derek, who plays the director, is scrumptious in real life or if it's just his British accent that makes me look twice.  Click HERE to learn more about the show.  It airs Mondays at 10:00 pm on NBC.  And, the soundtrack is coming out May 1.  Mother's Day gift, perhaps? 

Make soup.  Eat soup.  Freeze soup.  Eat more soup.  Love life.  Watch SMASH. ♥

 ~Merrill ♥ 

Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese

Recently I made mushroom risotto (recipe found HERE) that was lick-the-plate scrumptious!  

This time I went for a different flavor profile.  My beloved adores pumpkin.  I am gaga for goat cheese.  I combined both of our faves for a pumpkin risotto with goat cheese that was deeeelish!

I especially enjoy recipes that don't require a bazillion ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. chicken broth

1 c. canned pumpkin

4 slices smoked turkey bacon, chopped (TIP:  I use scissors to cut bacon)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 leek (white and pale green part), thinly sliced

2 t. salt

1 t. chopped fresh thyme, or ½ t. dried thyme

1 ½ c. Arborio rice

2/3 c. dry white wine

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan (I used the grater found HERE)

1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t. nutmeg

1 ½ c. coarsely crumbled goat cheese (about 6 oz.)

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together broth and pumpkin in a medium-sized pot and simmer over medium heat. Cover pot and reduce heat to low to keep the pumpkin broth warm.

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel and set aside (the bacon is a garnish and will not be mixed in).

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add sliced leek and 1 teaspoon of the salt.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until almost tender.

 Mix in thyme. Add rice and stir for 1 minute.

Add wine and stir constantly until completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of pumpkin broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice.  Add broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each 1/2 cup to absorb before adding the next. Cook until rice is al dente, and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes, adding additional warm broth 1/4 cupful at a time.

 

Mix in Parmesan (nifty zester info HERE) and 1 tablespoon of the parsley.

Add remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat. 

Divide evenly on plates.  Sprinkle each serving with bacon, goat cheese and remaining parsley.  Enjoy! 

~Merrill ♥