Onion goo

You know how sometimes you go somewhere new, and unexpectedly you end up eating something that blows your mind?  And then you spend months, even years, coming back to that memory, in odd moments, in the shower or on the bus?  And then you think, "God, I have to go on a desperate search for this thing RIGHT. NOW." but you can't find it anywhere?  And then you start wondering if it'd even be as good as you remembered, because time and memory have a tendency to drop rose-tinted veils over your senses?  And so this mythical dish lives on in your mind, floating in and out of your consciousness, causing moments of wistfulness for years on end?

Yeah.

This is the story of Zoe and the "onion goo."  Spoiler alert: it has a happy ending.

Breakfast smoothies

Blueberry-Pomegranate Smoothie

Sorry for the lack of updates -- things have gotten hectic as I have started a new internship in Washington D.C., settled into a new apartment as a tentative couch-surfer/resident, taken my LSATs, shopped for Christmas presents, and applied to graduate schools and "real" jobs all the while! December's a busy month for a lot of people, it seems, and I'll be glad once I'm finally through it.

Anyway, since this is a food blog:

I've obviously had limited time on my hands -- sometimes, so limited that I am struck with that unfortunate temptation to hit the snooze button, get 10 minutes more sleep, and skip breakfast. How dreadful of me! For as we know, Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day.

It's times like these that a breakfast smoothie comes in handy. As far as I can tell, there's really no downside to making these lovely little concoctions. They're healthy, giving you one each of your recommended fruit and dairy servings and, if properly constructed, Vitamin D, protein, antioxidents and all other sorts of goodies. They're not too sugary (and the sugars that are there are natural) but still taste great. They're cheap, provided you spring for the in-season and/or on-sale produce. And if you need to get out the door ten minutes ago, you can simply fill your nearest beverage container and take your breakfast with you!

Two of my favorite combinations after the jump:

Edamame Rice Salad

 As a full-time student with a somewhat crazy schedule who prefers to cook for herself, I’m always on the lookout for one-dish meals that are healthy, simple, and easy to carry with me and eat on the run if necessary. Rice salads (or salads with any grain as a base, really) are a staple for me because they’re satisfying meals that fit in little tupperware containers, you can concoct them out of any ingredients you have around, and they’re usually good hot or cold.

This is one of my go-to rice salads. I believe it was inspired by a copy of Vegetarian Times that my aunt gave me a few years ago, but it also came together based on what odds and ends I happened to have in my fridge/pantry one week (rice, dried cranberries, feta) while living in my first post-college apartment. It's been a staple of mine ever since.

Baked Sea Bass in Paper

If the picture looks familiar, that's because you've seen it before, in my Asparagus Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette post. As promised, here's how you make the entree I paired it with.

This one is another gem I picked out of a Turkish cookbook while living in Ankara. It's quick and easy, requiring only about 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes preparation -- earning it a place on my weeknight cooking rotation -- and tastes wonderful. My mother claimed it as a new favorite and immediately asked me for the recipe, for what that's worth.

As every cook recognizes, preparing any meat dish requires a touch for retaining moisture. Too much time or heat can result in a dessicated fillet with not much flavor or texture to its name, while too little risks undercooking the meat and leaving you susceptible to all kinds of nasty food-borne illnesses. This recipe sidesteps the dilemma in a unique and effective way: by baking the fish inside a parchment paper packet. Done right, this method keeps all the flavors and moisture trapped inside the steak while cooking it clean through -- resulting in a delicious entree that will earn you many compliments!

This dish is also pretty quintessentially Turkish. Turkish recipes all tend to draw from the same basic group of ingredients and seasonings: lemon, parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, onion, and olive oil (making us 6 for 8). Simple, but effective -- just because it's foreign doesn't mean it has to be exotic.

Recipe after the jump:

Simplified Pollo en Pipián Verde (Chicken in Pumpkin Seed Sauce)

Every once in a while I just pick up recipes from random sources on the Internet, copy them to my "Recipes" folder, then forget about them until one day I decide I want to try cooking something new. This is one of those times.

I know next to nothing about Mexican dishes -- they are more Esteban's thing than mine -- but a quick Google search reveals that Pollo en Pipián Verde translates to "Chicken in Green Sauce," which is certainly to the point. If you're a gourmet with some time on your hands, you could take the time to scrounge together the 15 or so ingredients you need to prepare the dish from scratch; if you're a busy/lazy adult who needs something quick and easy to prepare for a weeknight dinner, however, this recipe is for you. All you need is some chicken thighs, pre-made salsa verde, pumpkin seeds, and a pair of zucchinis, give or take a few spices.

Beware, however: salsa verde comes hot. I grabbed a bottle that was rated "medium" and my sauce came out a bit too spicy for my and my parents' liking (even if they were quick to qualify that it still tasted delicious). Granted, I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to hot peppers, but I tend to find that when my mouth feels like it's on fire the sensation completely overrides the other flavors of a given dish -- and this is undesirable. I'd recommend you find a "mild" variant of the salsa, if at all possible... but perhaps you can handle the heat better than me and my family! 

Recipe after the jump:

Asparagus Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

pictured with"Bass in Paper," a recipe I'll reveal at a later date

So here's the dilemma: I want to start cooking more seasonal fruits and veggies in my dishes, because that's what all the cool kids do nowadays and because it's a practice that goes hand in hand with buying local. I also want to cook asparagus, which I find quite tasty. The problem is that a) we're fast approaching the end of the summer season and b) asparagus cannot, in good faith, be considered anything but a spring seasonal. Oh well -- better late than never.

This recipe comes out of my mother's recipe box and has quickly become a spring/summer favorite in the household. While Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar aren't by any means a revolutionary combination -- it makes for an excellent marinade on chicken -- I'm happy to report that it works very well as a base for an asparagus salad vinaigrette. There's also comparatively little prep time involved, which is always a plus for a side dish.

Finally, I should mention that this recipe is Emily tested and approved (she even went back for seconds!), which means that it can be a good choice for friends and family members with a minor aversion to veggies. Give it a try the next time you want to try something new alongside your entree... though you may need to act quickly, lest the asparagus disappear from the markets until next March.

Recipe after the jump:

Memere's Graham Cracker Cake: Easiest Crowd-Pleaser Ever

This recipe comes from my maternal grandmother. I don't remember seeing her cook much when I was younger, but I'm told she was quite impressive in the kitchen. I am one of a few family members who have become the "Keepers of the Recipes," and this one is one of my favorites. It's the easiest thing in the world, and everyone always flips over how delicious it is. We call it Memere's Graham Cracker Cake.

Ingredients

1-2 Boxes Traditional Graham Crackers (Depending on how big you want to make the cake)

1-2 Quarts Heavy Whipping Cream (Again, depending on how big you're making the cake)

White Sugar

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Vanilla Extract

Directions

1 - Whip heavy whipping cream into ... well ... cream. Think Cool Whip consistency. But don't over whip it! I made the near-fatal mistake of whipping my cream into butter once. Not good.

2 - Add sugar, chocolate syrup, and a little vanilla extract to cream. Now, you've probably noticed that there are no measurements. That's because Memere didn't have any measurements. You have to do it to taste. I usually start with sugar until it tastes sweet enough to me, drop in a bit of vanilla, then keep adding chocolate sauce until it tastes ridiculously good.

3 - In a glass casserole dish (I use my trusty Pyrex), smooth down a layer of the chocolate cream. Then put down one layer of graham crackers. Cover the graham crackers with another layer of the chocolate cream (probably a little less than a quarter-inch thick; make sure all of the crackers are covered!) Then another single layer of crackers. Keep layering the crackers and the cream like this until the dish is full/the cream is gone.

4 - Put the cake in the fridge for at least an hour; the graham crackers will soak up all the yummy cream and it will be DELICIOUS. This is also good frozen, although it is a little trickier to bite into.

ENJOY!