Recently I watched Jamie Oliver’s 2010 TED Talk, and I got fired up. Fired up in a good way. Jamie Oliver was talking about getting kids to eat healthy, especially at lunch time. He also spoke about how cooking, which used to be something everyone knew how to do, has started to become a lost art. He dumped out a wheelbarrow full of sugar to demonstrate the amount of sugar that gets eaten in a day. He showed photos of families struggling with morbid obesity. And he talked about how ketchup and french fries are classified as vegetables. It was upsetting and saddening, and generally I felt this is not ok. I got fired up. And I wanted to do something to hopefully make our food world just a tiny bit better. His talk combined a few things I love: cooking, teaching, and working with children. And in it, he reminded me of some of the reasons why I started my blog and wanted to learn to cook.

In my mid 20’s I knew how to cook about four things, which generally suited me fine. But when I started to think about my future, I realized if I ever had a family there was nothing I knew how to cook that could be a family favorite. Nothing that people would love and ask for. So I decided I’d teach myself how to cook, and that way I could feed myself, make healthy food, and make good tasting dishes that my future family would enjoy.

As my cooking skill has improved I’ve started to cook more difficult and random dishes, but Jamie Oliver’s talk reminded me of what I originally set out to do. I’d like to try and get back to that a little bit. There are two specific things that Jamie said that really stuck with me and here they are:

1. If one person teaches three people, then those people teach three more, then eventually everyone will know how to cook.
2. We need to set our children up with the tools to be successful.

So I’d like this blog to help out more with those two points. I want to recommit myself to make easy and beginner friendly recipes. Also, hopefully the recipes will be kid friendly too. I don’t have kids so that is harder for me to promise. In short, I am going to post at least two healthy beginner friendly recipes every month. That’s my promise. If it goes well, I hope to amp is up to one beginner recipe a week. The rest of the recipes will still be the crazy randomness inspired by life, travel, and what’s in my fridge.

I hope through those beginner recipe posts it will help people learn to cook new dishes that they can share with others and pass on. And I hope they will be tasty so that kids can be healthy and hit their day full and happy. My professional passion is to inspire kids to learn and see the world differently through experiences in museums. I figure, what can’t I transfer some of that passion and ambition to what I do with the blog? It’s a big dream for just a few recipe posts, but why not?!  It’s the least I can do. And besides, I think cooking is fun. 

Today’s recipe is good for lunch, for a snack, or even serve as an appetizer when you’re hosting a party. It’s inspired by those green juices I often buy at the store. You know the ones, that sort of look like green sludge but are made up of apples, mint, spinach, and other healthy stuff. I love those drinks and I wanted to see about packing those flavors into one meal. Although there are some scary ingredients in there for kids (almonds and spinach) I thought the inoffensive flavor of the cucumber paired with the sweetness of apples and honey would make it more palatable for kids. Plus, it’s boat shaped and that’s pretty awesome. The other difficult ingredient is curry powder. It’s not going to be spicy at all, but the curry does give it a little heat which nicely balances the sweetness. If kids don’t like it, you can easily leave it out or just save the dressing for the adults. If you don’t want to buy curry powder, don’t do it. You can substitute more pepper, or garlic, or chili powder to give it some kick in a different way.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Messy level: Since most of this recipe calls for raw ingredients, there’s very little you have to do besides chop and mix. Warning though, eating this is a whole different story. When you take a bite of the cucumber some quinoa salad will fall out. Be sure you have a fork nearby to scoop up any fallen goodness.

Quinoa Salad in Cucumber Boats

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 4-6 cucumbers (depending on size)

Quinoa salad

• ½ cup white quinoa
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup chopped raw whole almonds
• ¼ chopped mint
• ¼ cup chopped spinach
• 1 medium (or large) green apple, cored and chopped into bite size chunks

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon honey
• juice from 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the quiona is tender and the water is mostly absorbed.[Alternatively, you could follow the package instructions]
2. Drain any excess water from the quinoa
3. Once quinoa is cooked put it in a medium bowl and let cool while you prepare everything else.
4. If you haven't yet chopped the almonds, mint, spinach, and apple do it now while the quinoa cools.
5. Take 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and sprinkle it over the apples. This will help keep the apples from browning.
6. Mix the almonds, mint, spinach and apple into the quinoa.
7. Now for the dressing! In a small bowl mix together the honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder.
8. Pour the dressing over the quiona salad. Alternatively, leave the dressing to the side so people can pour it on as they like.
9. For the cucumber boats, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon scoop out the seeds and discard them. Cut the cucumbers into about 3" long pieces. This makes them easier to hold, eat, and pack into a lunch box.
10. Spoon quinoa salad into the cavity of the cucumber boats. Fill as generously or as lightly as fits your taste.
11. Optional: If you want to make a cucumber mast, set aside ½ of a cucumber. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber lengthwise to make sails. Make as many sails as you have cucumber boats. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make one small horizontal cut on both of the short ends of your cucumber sail. These are just small slits that will allow the mast to stick through. With the remaining cucumber, cut fat matchsticks. These need to be sturdy enough that if you hold them with your thumb and forefinger at the base, the rest will stand up fairly straight and not bend over. Bend a cucumber sail into a "U" and push the mast through the slits you cut. The finished product should look something like the letter "D." Now, in the bottom of your cucumber boats use a knife or a chop stick to stab a hole through the boat. The hole should be big enough to fit the mast you just made. Stick the base of your cucumber mast into the hole in the bottom of your boat. Now you have a cucumber boat! Fill with quinoa!

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I’m going to say something that will hurt my credibility with children everywhere. Here it is: I like broccoli. In fact, it’s my favorite vegetable. My go-to preparation for broccoli is to season it with Old Bay or garlic powder and then to steam it. But, if I’m honest that gets a bit boring sometimes so I have to find new ways to eat my vegetables. And that’s the thing, I like vegetables and I know I have to eat my vegetables, but I don’t always know how to do it in an exciting way that will make me want to eat my vegetables. That’s why I’m always doing green smoothies or baking it in to something. 

I know people do all kinds of cool things with vegetables, and make them the centerpiece of their meal, and thereby they eat less meat, and as a result those people are friendlier to the environment. I want to be that kind of person all the time, but I’m not that person all the time. Sometimes I don’t have much in the fridge or cupboards and I’ve had a long day at work and I’ve been dreaming of a heaping bowl of pasta and so when I get out of the tube and pop over to the Sainsbury local I buy pasta, sauce, and a single veggie as an afterthought.

So how do you make that afterthought become something glorious that shines on its own? By roasting it. I think all vegetables taste better roasted, and roasted broccoli is no exception. This recipe is adapted from the Amateur Gourmet‘s recipe “the best broccoli of your life.” The first time I made it I didn’t tell Ryan that it was supposed to be mind blowingly good because I wanted to see what he would say. And he tried it, and then said that it was incredibly good.

Roasted broccoli is delicious because the florets get a little soft and the flavor gets rich and caramelized. Even better, some little bits get crispy and dark and that crunch is so tasty. And finally, you can season your broccoli and really let that flavor settle in, in a way that’s not possible when you sprinkle a bit of salt after cooking.

Here is the best endorsement I can give this recipe: I find this broccoli so good, I eat it like popcorn. Meaning, if the broccoli finished first while I’m making dinner, I’ll pick up a piece with my hands, pop it in my mouth, and eat it while I finish cooking. If there’s some leftover and I’m doing dishes and haven’t cleared everything, I’ll snack on it some more. I’ll eat this broccoli alone, without an accompanying main dish. Broccoli that you snack on and can’t get enough is an amazing thing.

A few notes on ingredients… it seems like a lot of olive oil and it kind of is. But you want the broccoli to be nice and coated otherwise it will come out too dark and burnt and will taste like charcoal (and that’s not what you want). Second, I highly recommend using coarse sea salt instead of regular table salt. I think the granulated sea salt gives a nice crunch and a fresh flavor to the broccoli. If you can’t be bothered, just use a little less table salt and it should be fine. And finally, sometimes I like to sprinkle a little Parmesan at the end – it’s nice but I think it’s valuable to learn to love vegetables without cheese, which is why I didn’t include it in the recipe below. Is that blasphemous to say? If so, I’m sorry.

Adapted from Amateur Gourmet.

Messy level: Very easy to make and without a lot of dishes or clean up. I love this because you basically prep it and put it in the oven and forget about it until it’s done. It’s exactly the kind of easy, mess-free side you need for weekday dinners.

Roasted Broccoli

 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more if needed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
• lemon wedge
• lemon zest, optional

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. [Note: a rimmed baking sheet is nice in case you go crazy with the olive oil, but it's not necessary]
3. In a medium bowl stir together the broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, and chili flakes. Stir so that everything is well coated.
4. Spread the broccoli mix on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil if you're feeling so inclined.
5. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned and everything is fork tender.
6. Remove from the oven and squeeze the wedge of lemon so juice gets all over everything. Optional: sprinkle a little lemon zest over the broccoli if you want a little more lemony flavor.
7. Serve warm and devour.

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I think I’ve developed a minor obsession with basil. In the past month I’ve made blueberry basil lemonade and basil Thai chicken – and now pesto. I know that you can buy pesto from the store, but this isn’t a blog about things you can buy – it’s a blog about cooking. And pesto is so easy to make! Most importantly, as with anything you cook, you can make it appeal to your personal tastes.

One of the reason I like pesto is because pasta is my favorite food to eat and pesto is a nice alternative from regular tomato sauce.  It’s also green so you know you’re sneaking in a bit of vegetables into a bowl full of high-carb spaghetti. I also love pesto because it’s got such a strong sharp flavor.

Yes, I admit pesto leads to bad bread central with all that uncooked garlic but I don’t care. Eat pesto with someone you love who won’t judge you for garlic breath. And on that note, eat pesto with someone who will tell you if you have green bits in your teeth. Nothing worse than walking around with food in your teeth. I think a person who eats pesto with you is probably a true friend since they’ll deal with the stink and make sure your teeth are clear.

But, recently I’m liking pesto on sandwiches. When I worked in DC I would sometimes go to Springmill Bread Company in Eastern Market and I would get a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich toasted on whole wheat bread. It was simultaneously simple and decadent.  Lots of melty cheese, bright tomatoes, and bold pesto – it’s like a caprese salad in a sandwich. What’s better than that? So it’s summer time practically, basil is in season – go crazy and make some pesto. Slather it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, and find new ways to use it then email me so I can try them. We know I’m obsessed with basil and I’m always looking for new ways to try it out.

Now, even though pesto is so easy to make, I don’t always like to make it because pine nuts can be quite expensive! However, if you don’t want to use pine nuts in your pesto I’ve had success using almonds instead. Sure, it tastes a little bit different and might be less “authentic”- but if you like almonds it’s a pleasant change and you’re still getting the same garlic, cheese, and basil flavors. Main lesson here, you can make pesto without breaking the bank!

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Messy level: One spoon. All you need is a blender. You don’t even really need to cut anything (although you do need to peel the garlic). And if you don’t want to you don’t even have to measure. You can just pour the ingredients into the blender, blend, taste and adjust. Job done and so easy and dish free.

Pesto

 

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Ingredients

• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• 2 - 2½ cups basil leaves
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¾ cup of olive oil
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. This step is optional, but adds a nice flavor: In a dry skillet over medium heat add the pine nuts to toast. Stir regularly to keep from burning. Toast the pine nuts until brown in a few places, this takes about 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts to a blender.
3. Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the blender.
4. Blend on high until smooth.
5. Eat it with whatever you prefer. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. If it gets too thick just stir in a little more olive oil.

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For whatever reason, I’m generally somewhat intimidated by cooking fish. It seems so easy to over cook it or under season it. And it’s just not something I eat a lot when I’m out, so I’m not sure how I like to have it when I’m at home. But this recipe – this wonderful recipe – is so darn easy. It’s so easy and quick, you can make it for dinner after you get home from work. In fact, this recipe is so easy it’s one of the first recipes I ever learned.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: my first cookbook was a few handwritten recipes my mom wrote down in the back of a spiral notebook. She made this my sophomore year of college, and it was my cooking bible until I was 25. The recipe I made the most was for “plain-ass chicken,” which I’ve turned into a beginner chicken dinner recipe. The second recipe, was for baked salmon in foil. 

I used to make this recipe using a package of frozen salmon fillets that I’d defrost, season, then bake for too long until I was absolutely sure it was all cooked through (and therefore also pretty dry). Today, I use fresh salmon fillets but frozen will still do the trick too.

To make this chicken, you’ll need three of the seasonings I’ve outlined in the Kitchen Essentials post. Specifically, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In addition to those, you’ll need olive oil (or butter will work too), aluminum foil, and a baking sheet. If you don’t have a baking sheet, that’s ok. Just rip off a long piece of aluminum foil and use it to cover the rack in your oven. You’re doing this, or using the baking sheet, so that juices don’t drip onto the oven and burn and smell and make smoke. I know I didn’t include olive oil, aluminum foil, and a baking sheet in my top 10 kitchen essentials list, but if I made a top 15 list those items would be in it. Overall not too expensive and they are versatile items you’ll use often in your cooking.

Anyway, the best part of this recipe is that it is so easy – all you have to do is trust yourself. Put the fish fillets on a sheet of aluminum foil, season generously – you really don’t need to measure, fold the foil into a packet, bake until the fish is cooked through and flaky (see picture above). The length of cooking is all about the thickness of the fish. Isn’t not so serious the size of the fillets. Buy what looks like a good portion for your appetite and you’ll be fine.

Once you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, there are tons of options for variations. Try using dill or paprika in addition to salt and pepper. Or marinate the fillets in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Basically, use the same method but change the flavors to make it your own. See, I told you it was easy? Now there’s no reason to be intimidated by making fish because we can nail this recipe.

Messy level: You can cook this without dirtying any pots, pans or utensils. HOW COOL IS THAT? Just put the fillets directly onto the aluminium foil, season, close it up, cook. Job done – no mess.

Easy Baked Salmon

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 salmon fillet per person (size isn't so important)
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Rip off two pieces of aluminium foil. When you put your salmon fillet in the middle, you want that aluminium foil to have about 3 inches of space on either side.
3. Put the fillet in the middle of the aluminium foil. Lightly drizzle the salmon with olive oil. If you want it all perfectly even, use a spoon, brush, or your finger to make sure the salmon is evenly spread.
4. Generously sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't shake the seasonings out aggressively, but you can put a visible layer of each on your fish.
5. Close up the aluminium foil so that you have a nice little fish packet.
6. Put the packets on a baking sheet and put in the oven.
7. Bake for 13-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. It is cooked through when the fish is flaky. The length of cooking time is based on the thickness of the fish. Think about 6-8 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
8. Remove from the oven, take out of the foil, and serve. Serve alongside a wedge of lemon if you like.

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You know how there are food trends? Like kale, which no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get into. Or coconut oil, which is one I’m thinking about trying out. Well, there are big food trends, and there are small family food trends. In the Cooking is Messy household, we currently have two. Ryan is in to bulgur and is requesting it over the usual rice or quinoa. If you haven’t had bulgur before, you should try it because it’s lovely. It’s got nice texture, a sort of funny rough shape, and a nice grainy flavor. And for me, I’m into pomegranates. I want them on everything – sweet or savory. So, I made up this salad that combined the two foods Ryan and I are craving.

If I’m honest, this salad was inspired by one that I buy at work from Benugo’s (the company that caters all the cafes in the Science Museum). That salad has a ton going on and includes falafel, peas, arugula (rocket), hummus, cheese, and way more. I decided to pare down to the essential while allowing this dish to be a multi-food group power house.

This dish is truly inspired by my work, because in addition to working at the Science Museum I still help work on some curriculum for Live It Learn It. I’m currently brainstorming a lesson on nutrition and I’ve been thinking a lot about healthy meals and balanced diets – which has inspired me to turn my research and writing into a reality. I’m really proud of this dish because it includes four out of five food group. To break it down, the bulgur is your grains, the pomegranate is fruit, the arugula is your veg, and the chickpeas and almonds are protein. Sprinkle on a little cheese and you’d have all five food groups.

I think this salad is pretty good plain with just a little pepper or salt sprinkled on it – but it’s even better with a little dressing. It gives the salad a little moisture, a little more pep, and a little Mediterranean feel. This dressing recipe comes from Chubby Soul, a blog that is written by another American expat in London.

Any food trends you think are worth checking out? Any that you think are totally dumb? I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so please let me know what you think in the comments.

Messy level: The bulgur is the only thing you have to cook, which means only one pot. After that, all you are doing is measuring and mixing. So easy, so quick, and clean too.

Bulgur Pomegranate Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Nice healthy salad. Feel free to mix up the ingredient to the proportions you like.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 cup bulgur
• 2 cups water
• 1 14oz can chickpeas
• ½ cup arugula
• ⅓ cup pomegranate
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Following the package instructions for how to cook the bulgur or...In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to boil. Once boiling add the bulgur. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. It's ready when the bulgur is tender and the water is absorbed. If it's not all absorbed, then drain the excess water.
2. Once cooked, fluff the bulger and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the canned chickpeas.
3. Transfer the bulgur to a large bowl. Stir in the chickpeas.
4. Next, stir in the arugula. pomegranate, and almonds.
5. Season with salt and pepper if you like.
6. Now for the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth. Taste and adjust as you see fit.
7. Serve the salad in individual bowls and pour dressing over the top.

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I like leftovers. I love having yesterday’s dinner for lunch because something warm and satisfying is often better than a pb&j that got squashed in my purse. While Ryan was in South Africa, I decided I didn’t want to cook every night of the week so I wanted to make something that would yield a lot of leftovers. Meatloaf seemed like a hearty and delicious option. And this recipe fit the bill. I had it for a few days of lunch, and there was even some left over for Ryan to eat when he returned to London tired and hungry.

In my search for a tasty meatloaf recipe, I came across one from Yotam Ottolenghi. To be honest, I’m intrigued and intimidated by Ottolenghi recipes. Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli chef based in London. He has multiple restaurants and many cookbooks. His food tends to be influenced by Israeli and Mediterranean flavors. And he’s well known for creating delicious vegetable based recipes. Obviously I’ve ignored the vegetable part and gone straight for the meaty recipes. 

For my birthday last year, Ryan and I went to his restaurant on Upper Street and it was very good. I also felt, it was slightly hyped up. I was expecting to have my mind blown by the food, but everything was served small plate style, and it was kind of expensive and overall I felt that the cost didn’t match up to my expectation. But, I will say the dessert was amazing. The window display overflowed with dessert options, each looking so tempting it was hard to choose. My overall takeaway of the experience was that everything we ate was a combination of interesting and unusual textures and flavors.

And the same is true for the recipes in his cookbooks. When I was first learning to cook, I wanted to get ideas about how to do more with vegetables. I borrowed his book Plenty from the library and I was intimidated. Some of the ingredient lists were a long and had items that I wasn’t familiar with and wasn’t sure I wanted to buy. I wasn’t ready for risk taking and complex cookery.

So when I came across this meatloaf recipe, I was nervous. I read through the recipe and thought, yeah I can do this. Sure, it has some ingredients I wouldn’t usually put in meatloaf, like cinnamon or pine nuts. But, I was willing to try something new. And in fact, I think this is a perfect starter Ottolenghi recipe. Even though the ingredient list is a bit long, it includes items that are all familiar and seasonings you probably already have in your house. I think this recipe will push you out of your comfort zone, but only just the right amount. I thought the texture and combination of this meatloaf was fantastic and really different from the usual slab you’d get at a diner. This recipe also made me receptive to trying other Ottolenghi recipes. This one went well, so I feel confident enough to go back to Plenty and try to tackle some more complex recipes and learn to do awesome things with vegetables.

The original recipe (found here) includes recipe for a yogurt-tomato salsa. I didn’t make that, but you might want to consider it. The first day I made this the meatloaf was so moist that I didn’t need any gravy, ketchup, salsa, or sauce. It was delicious just plain. But as with all meatloaf, after a few days in the fridge it started to get a little dry and would have benefited from the salsa. Since I didn’t make it, I just used barbecue sauce and that was delicious as well.

Finally, this recipe asks you to grate some tomatoes and an onion. I highly, highly, highly recommend using a food processor. I grated the onion using a box grater and started profusely crying. Seriously, I had to stop occasionally because I couldn’t see. Use a food processor and save yourself!

Messy level: The assembly for this recipe is fairly straightforward. You mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then press it into a large pan. It’s the prep where you get messy. You’ll need to do a fair bit of chopping and then the grating requires a food processor which is more equipment to clean. The actual food won’t get everywhere as you cook, but you will have a pile of dishes at the end.

Beef, Lamb and Bulgur Meatloaf

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 150g/ ⅔ cup bulgur wheat
• 400g/ 14 oz ground lamb (if you go for a full pound of meat that's ok)
• 400g/ 14 oz ground beef (if you go for a full pound of meat that's ok)
• 1½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 20g/ ¾ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 20g/ ¾ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 60g pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut in half and roughly grated (discard the skins)
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Put the bulgur in a medium bowl. Cover with 2 cups of warm water and let soak for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
3. Line a 8x12" pan with parchment paper.
4. Drain the bulgur and press it to squeeze out excess moisture.
5. In a large bowl, add the bulgur, lamb, beef, allspice, cinnamon, salt, grated onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, pine nuts, and grated tomato. Mix well until everything looks evenly distributed.
6. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan. Use your hands to press the mixture down so it is tightly packed and even across the pan.
7. Brush the top of the meatloaf with a little bit of olive oil (less than 1 tablespoon should do it).
8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown on the top and cooked through.
9. Let cool slightly, then serve.

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I have a strong sweet tooth. I love cookies, candies, and more cookies. But, that’s not so great for my teeth and my health, so sometimes I gotta pick something slightly healthier. So today, here’s a recipe that highlights two of my favorite savory flavors.

I’m originally from Maryland, the home of Old Bay. If you’re not familiar, Old Bay is a spice seasoning usually put on crabs and other seafood. But I think it’s good on everything. I always put it on broccoli and roasted potatoes. It’s good in bloody Mary’s and on popcorn. Old Bay will do the trick for any recipe where you want a little salt and a little zing. I’ve even read about Old Bay in sweet recipes. In Maryland there is Old Bay ice cream and Old Bay chocolates! When I’m in DC next month, I’m going to have to see if I can get my hands on some of those. But, all of that gushing is to say that Old Bay is a really important flavor for me, and when in doubt, Old Bay is my secret ingredient.

My family is also from Puerto Rico so I grew up with that Caribbean flavor palate. Rice, beans, and plantains are my comfort foods. Seriously, when I was homesick in college I would go home and ask my parents to make me rice and beans. There’s something about the way they make beans that’s better than how I make beans. They say, “I just added sofrito,” but I think they are holding out on me. I especially love plantains. If you haven’t had a plantain before they look like bananas but are larger, starchier, and you don’t eat them raw. Plantains are delicious when soft and sweet, but also really great as chips when they are crispy and savory.

So, today’s recipe is a love child between the flavors of my youth. It’s Maryland-Puerto Rican fusion. I wonder if that exists already? Also, I wonder what a whole Maryland-Puerto Rican fusion restaurant would look like? I’m getting off topic. This love child, to me seems almost like an obvious combination. Crab chips flavored with Old Bay already exist and are delicious. Plantain Chips already exist and are delicious. So why shouldn’t the two be combined. Well now they are. You’re welcome world. Make these, eat, share them, and be happy.

Before diving in. There are a few things you should know about plantain prep. First, they don’t peel like regular bananas. Take a sharp paring knife and cut the ends of the plantain. Then, score the plantain on four sides. You should now be able to peel the skin off. If the skin is being difficult use your knife to help you. Scrap off any skin that is being stubborn and staying stuck to the fruit. Also, don’t worry about cutting these two thin. If you’ve ever tried to make baked potato or beet chips, you have to make paper thin cuts. Not necessary here! Cut of about 1/8″ will work well and you’ll have perfectly crunchy chips.

Messy level: One spoon! Three ingredients that you mix in a bowl. What could be easier? 

Old Bay Plantain Chips

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Ingredients

• 1 plantain
• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons Old Bay

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
3. Peel the plantain and cut it into ⅛" coins. Don't worry about cutting everything perfectly, just cut them pretty thin.
4. Put the plantains in a medium bowl. Pour in the olive oil. Start with 2 teaspoons then stir to coat. If you feel like the plantains aren't well coated, add the third teaspoon. Sometimes I felt like 3 teaspoons (which equals 1 tablespoon) was too much, but sometimes 2 wasn't enough. Go with your gut.
5. Once everything is coated, then sprinkle on the Old Bay. Stir again until everything is nicely coated.
6. Lay them on a single layer on the baking sheet. If you feel like the plantains need more Old Bay, go ahead and sprinkle some more on.
7. Cook for 20-25 minutes, and turn them halfway through.

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For Christmas my sister-in-law bought me a box of conversation cards with questions all about food. Some of the questions are a little bit silly like, “has our love of bacon gone too far?” (Yes, bacon is nice, but bacon maple frosting is too far) Some are really fun to think about like, “what would you serve if Julia Child came to diner?” (Probably something Puerto Rican since maybe she wouldn’t have eaten much of that before)

One question I really like is, “what do you eat when you’re alone?” I like this question because the answer encompasses a whole range of foods. When I’m lazy, I like popcorn, a spoonful of Nutella, and cheese and crackers. Sometimes when I’m alone I like to try something really difficult to make because then if it comes out badly, no one else knows. But my favorite thing to eat when I’m on my own is Greek salad. I love Greek salad. It’s crunchy and salty. It’s pretty healthy, but it’s got some indulgences with the olives and cheese. And I just love all the flavors and I eat it whenever I can. When I was in grad school writing my thesis, I’d run down to the deli beneath my apartment and grab a salad on a break. When, it was too loud and crazy at when I worked at Ford’s Theatre, I’d run to Cosi for lunch and get one. And now I always search for it on takeaway menus.

And also, I eat Greek salad when I’m alone because Ryan doesn’t like olives and feta. But sometimes I can’t resist, and I make it for dinner anyway. I wanted to make it a little heartier, so I decided to substitute the greens for bulgur, but still keep all the yummy other vegetables. This was the first time I ever had bulgur and it was so good! It’s small like quinoa, but chewier like rice. Also I like that it’s got an uneven shape.

To be honest, although it’s a straightforward salad recipe, I feel a little nervous sharing this! I have two Greek coworkers who sometimes ready this blog, and I’m changing up a traditional dish. That feels somewhat taboo. But in truth, this recipe is like tabbouleh and regular Greek salad fell in love and had a delicious hybrid child. So it’s like two wonderful Greek recipes in one. This is yummy, a nice side dish, and Ryan even liked it (without the feta and olives).

One last thing before the recipe – I have a tip on cutting cherry tomatoes. Cutting a lot of small circular foods is kind of annoying and time consuming. To speed up the process, take two lids from food storage containers. Put your tomatoes (or grapes or pitted cherries or your circular whatever) between the two container lids. Make sure your knife is sharp, then carefully cut horizontally between the two lids. Then boom, you’ve got lots of tomato halves in one slice. Some might be a little uneven, but for a salad that’s not really important. I really like this trick because I think it makes preparing a salad less tedious and it’s a fun trick. Sorry, I don’t have a trick for cutting tomatoes into quarters.

Unrelated to this post, after three years of having a Twitter account, I’ve decided to finally start using it. For real, I’m going to start tweeting and stuff. Help me get up and running! You can follow me @mariel621. Thanks!

Messy level: Salad is so easy and neat – if you plan it properly. You’ll need a cutting board, knife, and a saucepan for the bulgur. You could use a separate bowl to mix it all together and serve, but if you have a large enough saucepan you can do it in there. I didn’t have a large enough saucepan, then I transferred it to a mixing bowl that was too small, and then I finally got it right and put it in a big enough bowl. Don’t make my mistakes, and it’s a one spoon recipe.

Bulgur Greek Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 6 large servings

Ingredients

• 1½ cups bulgur
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes in quarters
• ½ cup cubed cucumber
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (or in strips if you prefer)
• ½ red onion, cut into matchsticks
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• oregano (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the bulgur and water. Bring it to boil.
2. Once the water has come to a boil, cover, and lower the heat. Simmer until all the water is absorbed. It should take about 15-20 minutes, but check what the package says.
3. While the bulgur is cooking is cooking chop up all of your vegetables
4. When the bulger is finished, fluff it with a fork and let cool to room temperature (or just slightly warm).
5. Stir the vegetables into the bulgur.
6. Pour the olive oil and balsamic over the bulgur and vegetables. Taste and adjust as you prefer. I like only a little balsamic to give it a nice tang, but not over power the dish.
7. Serve and sprinkle with a little oregano (dried or fresh) for garnish.

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I recently came by a recipe for Bloody Mary soup in a magazine and I was really excited about it. I love Bloody Marys, but it isn’t always appropriate to have one. Soup, though, I can have any time of day. But when I made the recipe it came out really thick. The recipe called for pureed beans and celery, which gave it a chunky and stringy texture. I was not a fan. So I decided to try my hand at making a soup recipe all my own. I’ve never made up a soup recipe before! I did a bunch of research, used a bunch of recipes as inspiration, tinkered a bit, and then I came up with something brand new that I really liked.

Let me warn you by saying I like Bloody Marys really spicy. I love this soup because the initial taste is sweet and full of tomato flavor, but then quickly the heat starts to tingle in the back of your throat and then rushes forward into your lips. It’s wonderful. Although, I didn’t give Ryan any warning when he tasted it and his eyes popped out a little bit. But I love spicy flavors in a soup. For me, they are a cure all. I think it will help clear your sinuses when you’re sick or can pep you up when it is cold and dreary outside. I also think Bloody Marys are a great hang over cure. I mean, not that I’ve ever been hungover. But if you were hungover, I think this would be both soothing and invigorating. If you were having a wild holiday party, make a batch the night before, then in the morning heat the soup, line cups with Old Bay, pop in a celery stick and you’ve got warming morning cocktails to serve your house guests.

Now if you’re not into spice, don’t worry! In the instructions below I’ll be sure to tell you how to adjust the seasoning to fit your palate. That’s the great thing about cocktails, right? You can fix them to suit your taste!

Since I’m from Maryland, I love Old Bay and will put it on everything. I put it in the soup in place of some salt, I sprinkled it on top for seasoning, and I lined the rim of the bowl. If you don’t have Old Bay, no worries. You can use some salt to season instead. Finally, if you want an added kick, consider adding horseradish cream. I like it because it adds spice from the horseradish and simultaneously eases the spice because of the cream. If you’re not interested in the cream, the soup is still excellent without it. Ok, now you’ll be ready for all your weekend partying. You’re welcome.

Soup recipe inspired by delicious magazine and Mark Bittman’s winter tomato soup. But I think it’s mostly mine and I’m really proud of that. Horseradish cream from BBC Good Food.

Messy level: I don’t have an immersion blender, so for me, this recipe is a three spoon mess. I used a tray to roast the tomatoes, a blender to puree the tomatoes, and a pot to simmer the soup. That makes a lot of things to clean and a lot of opportunity for spills. If you have an immersion blender, then you’ll have a little less clean up.

Bloody Mary Soup with Old Bay

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Serves: 4-6 bowls

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 5-10 garlic cloves (use less if you want less intensity)
• 800g/28oz canned, whole peeled tomatoes
• olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp Old Bay
• 1-2 tsp chili flakes (I used 2 tsp, use less if you want less heat)
• 2-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (use more stock if you want to dilute the heat)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• juice from ½ lemon
• Tabasco sauce (optional)
• celery stalks (optional garnish)
• vodka (optional)
• Horseradish Cream (optional):
• 1 tbsp horseradish
• 4 tbsp of crème fraîche
• salt and pepper
• juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350°/180°.
2. Pour some olive oil on a baking sheet.
3. Take the garlic cloves off of the bulb, and cut a little bit off of the top. Don't peel them. We'll pop them out of their skins easily after roasting. Put the prepared garlic on the baking sheet.
4. Drain the canned tomatoes. Reserve the liquid.
5. Cut the tomatoes in half.
6. Put the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tomatoes with more olive oil. Season the tomatoes with salt, celery salt, Old Bay, and chili flakes.
7. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes. The tomatoes are ready when they have started to dry out and get a little bit dark and brown in spots.
8. Remove from the oven. Add the tomatoes to a blender (add to directly to a pot if you have an immersion blender).
9. Let the garlic cool a bit so you can touch it. Pinch the bottom of the garlic and it will shoot up through the top (where you cut before) and it will be easily free from its skin. Add the garlic to the blender.
10. If there are crunchy bits on the baking sheet pour a little stock on them. Use a spatula to scrape them off. Pour the crunchy bits and the stock into the blender. (The crunchy bits are yummy caramelized tomato juices)
11. Add the reserved tomato liquid to the blender. Blend until mostly smooth.
12. Heat the tomato puree in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in 2 cups of stock, the lemon juice, and the Worcestershire sauce.
13. Taste. Too spicy? Add more stock. Not spicy enough? Add Tabasco sauce ¼ tsp at a time.
14. Simmer for 20 minutes so all the flavors can mingle together.
15. While the soup is simmering, prepare the horseradish cream. In a small bowl mix the horseradish, crème fraîche, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
16. Serve the soup in a bowl, top with a dollop of cream. Pour in a splash of vodka if you like. Garnish with a stalk of celery and a sprinkling of Old Bay.

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage bloggers to try new food related things. Jules from The Kiwi Diaries is the host for this month’s event.

If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, you can get more information here about how to join.

The post Bloody Mary Soup with Old Bay appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

What’s changed since last time? I had a recipe. I found it in my cookbook Melt by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord. I decided I’d trust them and their recipe because I loved their chorizo macaroni and cheese. Last time I didn’t have a recipe and I was just winging it. But this time, maybe things would be different. Maybe the flavor combinations would be delicious. Maybe the pasta would redeem itself and not taste so nasty. Maybe I could eat a whole bowl.

And I did eat the whole bowl! And it was pretty good!

One thing that made this version better is that I bought the gluten-full pasta. Last time I accidentally bought gluten-free, and I think that must give the pasta a different flavor. Last time the pasta was gummy and really bitter. This time it had the expected pasta texture and had only a slight bitter hint. Last time, the pasta made the whole apartment smell like delicious chocolate. This time, there was hardly any fragrance. I don’t know exactly why there was a difference, but there definitely was one.

But, what really made this recipe tasty and interesting was the combination of flavors. It has sweetness in the cherries, salty and creaminess from the cheese, and a nice crunch from the arugula and hazelnuts. By the authors’ own admission this recipe is a bit “esoteric,” but I think it was fun to try something a little bit unusual. This recipe is a simple way to spice up the mid-week meal. And to conclude, I’ll just go out on a limb and say it, chocolate pasta is back in my good graces.

This recipe is from the cookbook Melt. I made some adaptations based on the amount of money and time I wanted to spend finding ingredients. Instead of hazelnut oil I used olive oil and I omitted the cocoa nibs.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 tsp mustard powder

sea salt

ground black pepper

1/2 cup hazelnuts

12 ounces chocolate pasta

5 ounces Bucherondin, roughly broken (I found this easily at Whole Foods, but you can use any soft goat cheese)

1 cup pitted cherries

2 cups whole arugula

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. In a small bowl (or jar with a little) mix together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Whisk (or shake) until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

3. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skins darken and blister. The nuts will start to smell nice.

4. While the hazelnuts are roasting, start the pasta. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente.

4. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and wrap them in a dishtowel and leave them to steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the dishtowel to rub the skins off.

5. Roughly chop the nuts and set them aside.

6. When the pasta is done drain it. Arrange portions into separate bowls.

7. Scatter the Bucherondin, cherries, and hazelnuts over the pasta. Mix in the arugula. Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta.

8. Mix and eat!

Messy level: Three spoons. This recipe is messy because pitting cherries is a little annoying, crumbling cheese is sticky, and the hazelnut skins will get everywhere. It’s not such an unruly messy, but I want you to know what you’re getting into.

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