Oven Baked Mediterranean Orzo

This is unique and a fun change from the ordinary. My friend Meadow first made this for us. It's full of great flavors like fresh basil and apricots and artichokes: sweet and savory.

• 28-oz. canned tomatoes
• 1 t. olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 can white kidney (cannelini) beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pkg. frozen artichokes, thawed and drained (or 1 can)
• 1/2 c. dried apricots, halved
• 1/3 c. raisins
• 4 T. fresh basil
• 1 T. capers
• 1/2 t. fennel
• 1 1/2 c. orzo
• 1/2 c. feta cheese
• 2 c. vegetable broth (could substitute chicken if you're not concerned about vegetarian)

1. Drain tomatoes and set tomatoes aside, reserving liquid. Add to broth to make 3 cups. Bake onion with oil in 9x13-inch pan at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir.
2. Remove from oven and add everything but orzo and feta. Return to oven and bake until boiling (20 minutes).
3. Stir in pasta, cover tightly, and bake 10 minutes. Stir mixture well.
4. Cover and bake until pasta is tender and liquid is absorbed.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand for 5 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

I could eat a cucumber salad every day (and at the rate my cucumber plants are growing in my garden this year, I might have to). I've just discovered my newest favorite--it doesn't have sugar in it, but the result is faintly sweet--maybe it's the cucumbers' sweetness coming through. Anyway, try it for your next luncheon or when you need a little something extra with dinner. As with most cucumber salads, it can be made a few hours ahead. For other cucumber salads, check the salads index.

Recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces on a diagonal.
1/2 to 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon celery seed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (you could also use lemon juice, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a garlic press

1-In a medium size bowl combine your cucumber and red onion slices.

2- In a small bowl combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over cucumber and onion mixture and toss to coat. Chill for a few hours for flavors to meld. Mix right before serving and enjoy.

Cookbook Review: How to Cook Everything, 10th Anniversary Edition (again)

I've reviewed this amazing cookbook before, but it's worth another mention....

This is quickly becoming the primary cookbook I use (of the 40+ I own). I still turn to Fannie Farmer for baking. I also still keep Joy of Cooking and Better Homes and Gardens on the kitchen counter, but they might be moved to a closet shelf soon! I don't copy many How to Cook Everything recipes onto this blog for 2 main reasons: I have them all on my counter and don't need them here on the blog (I use this blog for my own reference and tend to put recipes on here that are hard for me to access otherwise). The second main reason I don't put them on here is because they're wordy! That's part of the charm because Bittman walks you through every little step. But it makes them labor-intensive to record in cyberspace.

So, I thought I'd give you all some reasons why you need to go check this book out from the library or buy it yourself:

1. Ingredients: Bittman is a minimalist and, if you were going to use only his cookbook, you'd need very few things in your pantry, use lots of fresh veggies, and be inspired to buy good meat. He's also very friendly to the "real food" idea: butter is great, lard is fine, too. Margarine and cream of -- soup won't be mentioned in the book.
   
2. Method: Bittman is also not a food/cooking snob. He tells you a good way to go about it, not the hardest way, but not a short-cut way that won't work. Each recipe is doable (although some are time-consuming), and he's a realist about the amount of difference a particularly hard technique might make over an easy one. If it's really worth the difference, he'll point that out. Otherwise, he'll say "you can skip this step."
3. Equipment: As I mentioned, he's a minimalist. Therefore, you don't need many fancy pots/pans/equipment to cook his recipes. A good cast iron skillet, a basic set of pots and pans, some mixing bowls, and you're good to go for most things.
   
4. Philosophy: Everyone can cook good food every day in a reasonable amount of time. That's pretty much his philosophy, and it's true if you use his recipes!
   
5. Implied philosophy: Good cooking is as much about creative use of ingredients (including leftovers) as it is about method, ingredients, and equipment. There are frequent substitutions listed, as well as suggestions for using leftover meat dishes, how to cook a variety of vegetables together, what recipes elsewhere in the book will also make a good filling for this particular sandwich, which veggies you can substitute if the original idea wasn't available (or of good/fresh quality), and so forth.

His recipes take more time than a "quick and easy" cookbook, but if you're looking for a cookbook that will give you directions on how to cook nearly everything from scratch, this is a great place to start. As I mentioned, the baking section isn't quite as good as my trusty Fannie Farmer, but everything else is wonderful. There is a great deal of ethnic emphasis in the book, too, which is both authentic-tasting and can be achieved with ingredients from your local grocery store (in most cases). If you're inspired to check this book out, here are some recipes to try:

Biscuits
Black Beans with Orange
Real Refried Beans (so, so, so good... I'll have to post this one)
Olive Oil Bread
Pot Roast
Beef Stew
Roast Chicken Parts with Olive Oil
Beef Daube
Meatloaf (or meatballs--same recipe)
Chicken with Ginger Sauce (variation on Lemon Poached Chicken)
All stir-fry recipes
Quiche
Red Beans w/Rice

Chicken with Rice, Hainan Style

Another great recipe that marries chicken, rice, ginger, and garlic. It's texture and "feel" are different than stir-fry, but the flavors are quite similar. You'll have extra stock leftover; freeze it in small portions for use in later stir-fries. If you have rice leftover, freeze that, too, and a future stir-fry or batch of fried rice is that much quicker to assemble. The Ginger-Scallion Sauce called for really makes this dish; otherwise, it's a bit bland. If you have leftover sauce, simply save it for the beginnings of a terrific batch of fried rice.

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, trimmed of fat and cut into 8 pieces, or any combination of parts
• salt
• 3 T. roughly chopped garlic
• 5 slices fresh ginger, smashed
• 1/4 c. neutral oil, like canola or peanut
• 2 c. rice (any)
• 2 T. dark sesame oil, optional
• Ginger-Scallion Sauce
• 2 c. peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• chopped fresh scallion and/or cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Put about 4 inches of water in a large pot over high heat. Rub the inside and outside of the chicken with salt and about half of the garlic and ginger. When the water boils, put the chicken in the pot; it should be just submerged (add more water if necessary and return to boiling; remove some of if you have to). Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let the bird remain in the water for 1 hour, covered. (Mine didn't take this long--I checked after 35 minutes and it was ready.) The meat should be opaque all the way to the bone; if not, return the pot to a boil and cover again for another 5 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. At this point, you may refrigerate chicken and stock separately for a day. Put the oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add remaining garlic and ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir, then add 4 cups of the stock; bring to a boil again, adjust heat so that mixture bubbles steadily and gently, and cover. Cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid (20 minutes for white; 40 minutes and some extra stock for brown). Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Rub chicken with sesame oil if using and cut into bite-sized pieces (with or without the bone). Drizzle Ginger-Scallion Sauce over it and serve over the rice, decorated with the cucumbers and tomatoes and sprinkled with the scallions and/or cilantro.

Serves 4 generously

*Rubber Chicken note: In our house, we have this as is the first day and make up some fried rice, using the leftover rice, bits of chicken, and any leftover veggies, the next day. We use the extra sauce to start the fried rice, giving it a nice subtle flavor and saving the trouble of chopping more garlic, onions, and ginger! Mmmm....

Ginger-Scallion Sauce

This is a unique "sauce" in that it's base is oil. It's great in little dabs over simply prepared chicken or vegetables. It's also good stirred into soups, on top of plain noodles, or used at the beginning of a stir-fry. You can chop everything in a mini-food processor, but don't puree.

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 1/4 c. minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 c. chopped scallion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 t. salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 c. peanut or vegetable oil

1. Mix all but oil in a heat proof bowl.
2. Put the oil in a small saucepan or skillet over high heat until smoking. Carefully pour the oil over the ginger-scallion mixture, mix well, and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days (bring back to room temperature before serving).

Makes about 1 cup

Chicken in Ginger Sauce

This chicken is succulent! It's a terrific, easy weeknight dish--and perfect for someone like a newly pregnant friend who might be suffering from nausea or someone recovering from a stomach bug. (Ginger is thought to help queasy stomachs.) The sauce from this chicken is highly flavorful, so serve it over rice and some simply boiled/steamed veggies (it gives great flavor to lackluster bags of frozen "stir-fry" mix).

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 2 T. peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 t. chopped garlic
• 3 T. minced or grated fresh ginger (yes, that's 3 tablespoons!)
• 1/4 c. dry white wine or water
• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 c. soy sauce (start with less or use low-sodium)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless white-meat chicken, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Pour the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and stock; bring to a boil and let bubble for a minute or two. Add the soy sauce.
2. Add the chicken, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is barely cooked through, 5 or 6 minutes. There will be lots of sauce; if you'd like to reduce it, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Boil the sauce for a minute or two or until it's the consistency you want.
   
3. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish, and serve!

Serves 4

Ginger: Tips and Tricks

I used to use powdered ginger in everything, thinking the fresh stuff was too much effort. Not only have I been won over fully to the taste difference of using fresh ginger, I've discovered some tips and tricks that make it easier to prepare.

1. You can freeze fresh ginger! Simply drop the root in a ziploc bag, seal, and toss in the freezer. I've started breaking up the fresh ginger into 1- to 2-inch size chunks before freezing; then I can pull out a smallish chunk whenever ginger is called for in a recipe.
2. Frozen ginger is easy to peel--sort of shave off the skin with a sharp knife.
3. To do pretty much anything except slicing it, I use a small microplane on the frozen, peeled ginger. This is cold work on your fingers, but it quickly and easily gets the ginger into a good state for use in stir-fries, salad dressings, and the like. It will burn soon if you saute it in this form; add to a hot skillet just before you add the rest of the ingredients.
4. To slice ginger, start with a peeled, frozen chunk and just slice away!
5. Fresh ginger is potent stuff--warn anyone who might be eating a dish in which it's sliced instead of minced finely.
   

Spinach Orzo

This is one my husband's favorite side dishes. Its flavors work well with a simple piece of grilled chicken or fish. The finished dish is reminiscent of a risotto.

Recipe from Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook

• 1 t. butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. coarsely shredded carrot (1 small)
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. uncooked orzo (6 oz.)
• 1 1/2 c. thinly sliced fresh spinach
• 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 T. chopped fresh basil leaves (1 t. dried)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic and carrot in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrot is tender.
2. Stir in broth, pasta, and spinach. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed. Stir in remaining ingredients before serving.

Makes 4 generous servings

Making "Greens" Palatable (even to kids!)

When I was growing up (here in the South), I thought "greens" were disgusting. Always cooked to death, always made with strong-tasting greens like collards or turnip greens, and always served with cornbread. Yuk.

During the past couple of years, though, I've actually begun to acquire a taste for "greens"! Who knew?! I thought I'd share some of my discoveries here because I've realized that my journey to greens-appreciation is one that many kids might also find more palatable (not to mention those other adults who, like me, didn't reach adulthood with a fullblown greens-appreciation). Read on for some tips on introducing leafy greens into your family's diet (the category of "greens" in my mind now includes far more than collards and turnip greens; any of the following are covered in this amazingly nutritious and inexpensive group: bok choy, Chinese flowering cabbage, mustard greens, spinach, spinach-mustard hybrid, baby bok choy, cabbage, napa cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, even Romaine lettuce,....).

1. Not everyone is going to like greens. Let's face it, folks, not everyone is going to like everything. One of my children really seems to like vegetables, including greens. His identical twin does not. Go figure.
   
2. Taste buds change as we get older. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Your child may like something this year that he turned his nose up at last year. You may like something different this year than you did last year.
3. Try baby greens. They have a milder taste and texture than their older counterparts. Good ones in this category include baby bok choy, baby spinach, and young mustard greens (stems no bigger than 1/8-inch).
4. Try a variety of greens. While in general, leafy greens taste similar to each other, the greens category includes a large range of tastes. Some are downright bitter, while others have a very mild taste.
5. Try a variety of cooking methods. Very young greens can be used in salads. Cabbages and lettuces can be used in salads even when quite mature. Try stir-fried greens that are only cooked until barely tender. Fully cooked greens can be strong tasting, but they can also be disguised in soups. Try adding chopped, cooked greens to omelets or quiches.
6. Try a variety of cooking "partners." All greens that are cooked have a great affinity for garlic, most work well with ginger, and many work with Asian treatments in general (soy sauce, rice wine, etc.). Many greens work well with eggs and cheese. Beans are a natural accompaniment to garlick-y, salty greens. My family likes greens best in stir-fries with a slightly sweet Asian sauce and in egg/cheese dishes like quiche.
7. Grow some: you're always more motivated to eat something you've grown yourself.
8. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down! Cabbages and lettuces with sweet salad dressings are usually more kid-friendly. Pickled cabbage is also sweet (and nicely crunchy). Use Asian rice wine or sherry in your stir-fries to add a faintly sweet note. I know people who even put greens in their sweet fruit breakfast smoothies (I haven't worked up the courage to try this yet).
9. A dollop of Ranch dressing makes the salad go down! My kids LOVE Ranch dressing. I just grin and bear it because they're consuming lettuce and spinach with their generous dollop of dressing.
10. Finally, remember that broccoli is also a highly nutritious part of the cabbage family! There are ways around needing to eat a big bowl of collards or pile of stir-fried bok choy and still get some good nutrients in those little tummies.

Some of our family's favorite greens recipes that are on or referenced in full tummies:

• Greens with Double Garlic (bok choy, mustard, dandelion, collards, etc.)
• Ontario Greens (at Kitchen Parade) (works best with young greens, like mustard)
• Baby Bok Choy with Garlic (at Recipezaar)
• Stir-Fried Asian Greens (our family's favorite way to cook/eat bok choy)
• Fancy Spinach (our family's favorite spinach side dish)
• Creamed Spinach (another spinach side-dish winner)
• Aunt Betty's Spinach Dish (this is like creamed spinach, but with artichoke hearts in it)
• Oriental Slaw (a sweet slaw made with Napa Cabbage)
• Asian Coleslaw (at allrecipes.c0m) (my husband's favorite way to eat cabbage; the dressing is a peanutty-gingery dressing)