Archive for August, 2009

Quesadillas, guacamole, and simple salsa

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August 26th, 2009

Today was supposed to be leftovers day. I always like to add something new alongside leftovers, just to keep things interesting. Stew one day, stew with a side of bread and dip two days later – that kind of thing. So today I decided that my spinach and chicken soup needed a side of quesadillas. But I forgot that my 9 month stint living in California had left me unable to even contemplate quesadillas without automatically checking the fridge for tomatoes, chiles and lime. Because quesadillas require salsa, and only home made will do. And if you’re making salsa you may as well go the extra mile, and make some guacamole, too. I also forgot that my idea of adding quesadillas as a side inadvertently ends in a huge stack of quesadillas in my belly and a lot of forsaken leftovers in the fridge.

Now, I must apologize to my American friends for daring to post  a recipe for quesadillas, guacamole and salsa on this blog. I know you know how to make that shit with your eyes closed, one hand tied behind your back, while being spanked by a German dominatrix named Inga. This post is for my Dutch friends, some of whom have been tricked into believing that guacamole is a type of grayish sludge that contains 2% avocado and lots of mayonnaise, and that salsa is a ketchup-type of condiment produced by the Doritos ™ company and can be found in the snacks isle, next to the paprika-flavored chips.

Everything on the plate above was made by me out of raw ingredients, except for the tortillas and the cheese. And it took me no more than 20 minutes.

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The littlest tomato tart

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August 25th, 2009

We all have days where we just need to finish whatever is in the fridge. Ideally you can cook an entire meal from pantry stock and leftover produce. And as much as I enjoy being single (hurray for only eating when, where and what you want!), the huge benefit of having a girlfriend is that I get to raid her fridge in search of dinner inspiration.

I made an endives tarte tatin a few days ago, and was left with half a package of puff pastry that needed to be used fast. Instead of running to the market for quiche ingredients, I waited for my girlfriend to leave for work and inspected the contents of her fridge. In it I found half a package of goat’s cheese, a few beautiful tomatoes, a cucumber that was ready for consumption, some red onions, and pine nuts. And further inspection showed that she is in the possession of two adorable little oven dishes.

Hence tonight’s menu: a cute little tomato tart with provencal herbs and garlic oil, cucumbers with vinaigrette, and roasted portobello mushrooms (the only food purchased specifically for this meal)  stuffed with goat’s cheese and pine nuts, and drizzled with honey.

Before you all go “EEEEW!” at the idea of mushrooms and honey, let me appease you by saying that this post will be about the tomato tart only. I wouldn’t insult you with a recipe that consists of directions for roasting mushrooms and sticking cheese and pine nuts on top. (OR WOULD I?) (more…)

“Moroccan” vegetable stew

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August 25th, 2009

There is absolutely nothing authentically Moroccan about this stew beyond the fact that I invented it in order to use this fantastic new thing I discovered: Harissa! I got it at a Moroccan grocery store, so now I associate this stew with Morocco, despite never having been in or near Morocco (YET!). If you were to serve this stew to your friends I would highly recommend using air quotes when referring to it as “Moroccan.”

Because of the harissa, this stew is on the spicy side. However, the addition of sweet butternut squash and juicy raisins tones down the spice level considerably. The first time we had this we ate it straight from a bowl, but the second time I served pita’s and some home made tzatziki alongside. This was a good call, as the stew had become noticeably spicier overnight in the fridge. It also became tastier, so I highly recommend making enough to have leftovers.

I think this stew is the perfect summer food. It’s filling and flavorful but not too heavy or greasy. It also includes most of my favorite foods and none of my non-favorite foods, which of course is a huge benefit of inventing your own recipes. It’s also one of those “accidentally vegan” recipes that I seem to come up with a lot. And it’s accidentally gluten free as well. Actually, the whole thing was one big happy accident. An accident which landed me a girlfriend by the way, so take that as a warning or as a recommendation, depending on your situation.

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Boozehounds’ Chocolate Fondue

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August 25th, 2009

While the soup was good, I figured that the launch of my blog needed something extra. Something festive. Something that expresses my appreciation for all the work Marbles did on it in a more meaningful way.

Looking for inspiration, I ransacked Marbles’ liquor cabinet. I’m not sure whether the fact that she even has a liquor cabinet makes her de facto more of a boozehound than I am, or merely a more sophisticated one, but that’s neither here nor there.

What is both here and there, is that she also owns a chocolate fondue set. At this point you’ve probably put two and two together, amiright? (more…)

Hello, and soup!

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August 24th, 2009

Because first posts are always awkward, and I’ve never been any good at introductions anyway, I’m going to use this very first post on my almost-first blog to give you the very first recipe of the many I would like to share with you. And since nothing is more comforting than soup, this recipe will be for…exactly!

I made this soup tonight for the fabulous Marbles, not only because she’s the one who designed this blog to look as awesome as it does, and who has been patiently teaching me how to use it, but also because she’s awesome and funny and I dig the shit out of her. And cooking is my way of showing people that I dig the shit out of them.

Anyway, onto the soup! It’s a pretty basic recipe, but I love it anyway. I got the idea from some discount cookbook at a discount bookshop, and remembered the basic premise, which consisted of chicken, rice and spinach. I’m pretty cocky about my cooking abilities (hence this here blog), so I decided I didn’t need the book and instead concocted my own spinach soup with chicken and rice. Although this soup tastes good at any time of year I associate it with summer, probably because the dill and lemon add a flavor that is vaguely reminiscent of Greece. And because I am so in love with Marbles’ design for this blog (polka dots AND partying veggies!) I will dub this Marbles’ Soup. (more…)