Low Carb and (Nearly) Gluten-Free...and You'd Never Know It!

I went to Aldi the other day, and they had this GINORMOUS, nine-pound pork shoulder roast on sale for $1.99 a pound. I bought it, split it, and froze half of it for another meal. Then I trolled the internet for recipe ideas (search terms: "crock pot" and "pork roast") and found a good one on Skinny Taste. I used their recipe as a jumping off point, made a some additions and adjustments, and it turned out great! I just love it when the crock pot does most of the work for me.

For a side dish, I saw this loaded cauliflower bake scrolling by on my FB newsfeed recently and thought it looked pretty yummy, despite the fact that I hate cauliflower. My diabetic roommate is still trying to cut carbs (and it wouldn't hurt me, either!), plus, I figured the pulled pork and cauliflower mash would taste yummy together...and I was right! All the flavorful additions would fool the most ardent cauliflower hater like me. This meal is also low carb, and if you used gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos (or just omitted the soy sauce), and gluten-free beer or just vegetable broth alone, it would also be gluten-free. So maybe this dinner will help you keep some resolutions while still feeling indulgent.

Crock Pot Balsamic Pulled Pork 

1/2 cup beer
1 teaspoon vegetable soup base
1 onion, slivered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Pour the beer into the crock pot, stir in the soup base (or you can just use 1/2 cup of vegetable broth instead), and add the slivered onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

In a large skillet on medium, heat the olive oil. Season the pork roast with Cajun seasoning, then brown on all sides. Place the browned roast in the crock pot and pour over the balsamic, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and honey. Cook for about four hours on high (or eight hours on low), or until it's tender enough to pull apart easily with two forks. If you are around the house while it's cooking, flip the roast about once an hour so each side gets to soak up the savory liquid.

When it's tender, pull the pork, and return it to the delicious broth and let it go for at least another half an hour or so on low. Serve over mashed potatoes or cauliflower, or soft polenta for an entree, or make a killer sandwich with it!

Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Bake

1 medium head cauliflower, leaves and core removed, broken into florets
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives, divided
6 slices of chopped crispy bacon, divided (don't you DARE use "bacon bits")
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Cajun seasoning and black pepper, to taste

Place the cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe dish with a lid and add the water. Cover and microwave for 12-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is completely tender and mashable. Drain and mash with potato masher or pastry cutter to desired consistency.

Stir in the sour cream, mayo, a half cup of the cheese, one tablespoon of the green onions or chives, and half of the chopped bacon. Season with the granulated garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Taste the mixture and make any adjustments you deem appropriate.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and bacon, and bake for another five minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the rest of the green onions or chives.

Porcine Perfection Per The Piggery

I bought a small jar of smoked pork rillettes at the co-op the other day from a place called The Piggery in Ithaca. When I went to their Facebook page, they had posted an idea for a soup made with winter squash, onions, potatoes, and kielbasa. That sound perfectly yummy, so I made my own way with it today in the crock pot. I added lacinato kale for color, texture, and extra nutrition. (Sidebar: Can you believe it's kale from the garden that I planted at my friend Janice's this year? It was picked in October. I adore a long keeper!)  Oh, and this is another gluten-free recipe, if that matters to you.

Crock Pot Squash, Potato, Kielbasa, and Kale Soup
(Source: inspired by an idea from The Piggery, Ithaca, NY)

1 box frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1 quart (up to six cups) pork stock--or use half beef and half chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons (up to a 1/4 cup) finely-chopped cooked bacon
4 medium to large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon paprika (swap out one teaspoon of smoked paprika if you like)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. kielbasa, halved then sliced
2 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup cream, optional

Put the thawed squash and a quart of stock in the crock pot. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped onion until tender and translucent and just starting to take on color. Scrape the cooked onions into the crock pot. Add the bacon, the potato chunks, the paprika, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about four hours on high or eight hours on low. (At this point, I strained out more than half of the potato pieces and took my stick blender to the soup to thicken it, then stirred the whole potato chunks back in.)

When the potatoes are done, brown the kielbasa pieces in the skillet, then add them and the chopped kale to the soup. You may wish to thin it with another cup or two of stock to a desired consistency. Finish by stirring in a little cream if you wish. Taste to correct seasoning. Serve piping hot.

A Cozy Bowl of Cross-Cultural Comfort

So I was watching a rerun of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives one night, and Sammy's Bistro in my old stomping grounds of Park City, UT made this crazy bowl of Indian/Southwest fusion comfort food that they called the Savory Chicken Bowl with Rice. There wasn't a recipe on the Food Network web site, so I watched the demonstration a few times, and thought to myself, "I could probably recreate that...or something close to it." And I made it in the crock pot to boot!

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Savory Pulled Chicken Curry Bowl with Jasmine Rice, Tomatillo Aioli, and Crispy Tortilla Strips. I know, it sounds like all kinds of bizarre, but it's soooooooooooooo good! And it's even gluten-free, for those who care about such things. This is one I'm going to make again and again.

Savory Pulled Chicken Curry Bowl with Jasmine Rice, Tomatillo Aioli, and Crispy Tortilla Strips 
(Source: adapted from Sammy's Bistro, Park City, UT via the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives)

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Curry:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, peeled and minced
4 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 quart chicken broth
salt, to taste

Tomatillo Aioli (stir together the following ingredients to combine):
1 cup prepared tomatillo salsa (mild)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves

steamed jasmine rice

chopped fresh cilantro leaves

crispy tortilla strips (corn tortillas sliced thinly, fried in vegetable oil in a large skillet until golden then drained on paper towels and sprinkled with salt)

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, poblano peppers and onions. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and just starting to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two. Scrape this mixture into a slow cooker. Brown the chicken thighs in the same--unwashed--skillet (in two batches to avoid crowding the pan and steaming the meat). Add the chicken pieces to the slow cooker.

Sprinkle in both curry powders, the paprika, onion powder, and pepper. Deglaze the skillet with the chicken broth, scraping up all the browned bits (the fond, if you will). Pour over the veggies, chicken, and spices, add a couple good pinches of salt, and give everything a stir. Cook for about three hours on high or six hours on low, or until the chicken is tender enough to pull apart with two forks. Check seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Serve chicken curry drizzled with tomatillo aioli over steamed jasmine rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro, and garnished on top with crispy tortilla strips.

CLCA Day 18: Annnnnd...She is Sick Again :-(

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 18
Sadly, there was not much to report, as Cyd drank her customary berry smoothie with almond milk and chia seeds for breakfast, but was sick for the rest of the day (no lunch), came home from work early  and slept right through dinner. HMPH!! (However, I'd like to report that I had some awesome green chile carnitas tostadas!)

Of course, I realize that these aren't low carb, as they have refried beans AND tortillas. But if Cyd is ever ready to eat again, I'll serve her carnitas as a Tex-Mex salad or over cauliflower "rice" that I sauté with some onion and finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Slow Cooker Green Chile Carnitas

3 lb. pork roast, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 teaspoons cumin, divided
2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (or fat of your choosing)
28 oz. (3 1/2 cups) green chile enchilada sauce/salsa verde
1 large onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (or a tablespoon of nacho slices, chopped)
one bulb of garlic, separated, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon oregano
juice of a lime

Season the pork pieces with the salt, half of the pepper, cumin and chili powder, and the granulated garlic. Fry in two batches in the melted shortening until browned all over. Drain and add meat to the crock pot along with the salsa verde of your choosing (homemade is best, but prepared will do).

In the leftover fat, fry the onions and jalapenos until they just turn golden brown. Throw in the garlic and cook for a minute or two more. Add the cooked veggies to the crock pot along with the remaining pepper, cumin, and chili powder, and also the oregano and lime juice.

Cook for 3-4 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low until the chunks are just starting to fall apart, but still hold their shape. Finish with more fresh lime juice.

CLCA Day 8: If it's not Scottish, it's CRRRRRAAAAPPPPP!

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 8
Breakfast: Scotch Eggs--pictured
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Slow Cooker Bolognese--pictured

Carb count: 71 grams

Everyone eating Paleo/Primal or just trying to reduce carbs knows the value of including eggs in your diet. The problem is that my roommate gets up before 5am, is at work before 7, and she's not ready for breakfast until after she's been at work for a couple of hours. So an omelette with lots of veggies would be a perfect choice for breakfast, but it doesn't travel or hold up very well.

So I had to try to figure out a more portable egg solution, preferably one that didn't have to be reheated once she is ready to eat breakfast. The solution: SCOTCH EGGS! Traditionally, Scotch eggs are wrapped in ground meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. But it works just fine to skip the breadcrumbs and bake them instead.

Scotch Eggs:
I used half a pound each of ground beef and sausage mixed with a scant tablespoon of Cajun seasoning for six hard-cooked (and peeled) eggs. Divide the meat mixture into six parts (about 1/3 cup), then form a patty in your hand, pressing a divot in the middle. Place an egg there, and then use both of your hands to gently cover the whole egg and even out the thickness of the meat coating. Place on a rack sprayed with nonstick cooking spray set on top of a lined sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned all over. Then cool, pop two each into a baggie and store in the fridge for breakfast or lunch the next day. They are delicious hot or cold!

In addition to eating a lot of eggs, another mainstay of a Paleo/Primal/Low Carb diet is swapping out pasta with vegetable "noodles." For dinner tonight, I steamed a spaghetti squash in the microwave. But another option is to cut a zucchini into very thin ribbons (with a sharp knife, a julienne peeler, or a spiralizer) to make "zoodles." You can eat them raw or saute for a few minutes until they have a softer, "noodlier" texture. Whether spaghetti squash or zoodles, dump enough of a tasty sauce like this on top of it, and you won't even miss real pasta...well, not as much anyway. ;-)

Slow Cooker Bolognese

1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 cup sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms (I already had these left over in the fridge)
1 cup sweet potato salad with bacon (optional--I had this left over in the fridge and threw it in the mix)
1/4 cup smoky bacon ends (or regular bacon), chopped
2 large carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon black pepper
good pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon beef, vegetable, or mushroom "Better Than Bouillion"

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onion until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Add to the crock pot, along with the sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms and the sweet potato salad (obviously, the leftovers are optional). 

Fry the bacon until crisp, then strain and remove the pieces. Add those to the crock pot. In the remaining bacon fat, saute the carrots, celery, and garlic for a few minutes until tender. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Scrape this veggie mixture into the crock pot. Also add the romato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar, and bouillion. Stir everything to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4. 

A Restorative Soup for the Ailing and for Their Caregivers

Well, my ridiculous roommate has gone and done it this time! After the end of a tiring week on Thursday night, I was looking forward to coming home, chilling out, and fondling the remote control for awhile. But when I arrived, poor Cyd was writhing in pain on the couch, and then running to the bathroom to be sick off and on for about two hours before we decided that it wasn't getting any better, and she needed to go to the ER. I was there with her all night, until they finally admitted her at about 6:00am for further testing. And she's been there ever since. They have run almost every test imaginable, but they still haven't been able to conclude what's causing her such severe abdominal pain. It's very frustrating, and it's hard to watch her suffer. :-(

Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to finish teaching my summer class, hold down the fort at home, attend my musical rehearsals in the evenings, and be at the hospital with Cyd as much as I can, all at the same time. It has been exhausting, to say the least. And, of course, I've been eating a lot of crappy food along the way.

So I decided, if I didn't get some nutritious food in me, that I was gonna have to join Cyd in the hospital soon! So before I left for the hospital today, I started a crock pot full of a Portuguese sausage, white bean, and kale soup. Then I just added canned beans and kale when I finally got home, and had a quick but very nutritious dinner. I actually bought the ingredients to make this awhile ago, because I have two other friends who have been battling illnesses, and I wanted to take something healing and nourishing to them. But now I'm hoping it will sustain me while I play nursemaid to my poor roomie. And--God willing--they'll discharge her soon, and I can help make her well with the leftovers.

Portuguese Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

1 lb. linguica (but mild Italian sausage will do)
1 large onion, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced (or a couple of roasted/jarred peppers)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes, to taste
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon paprika (you could do 1/2 smoked, if you like)
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice (I like at least one of them to be fire-roasted)
1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cans cannellini and/or Great Northern beans, drained
Small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped

Sauté the sausage, onions, celery, pepper and garlic until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Deglaze the pan with the wine.

Scrape everything into a crock pot and stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the beans and kale.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Fish out the bay leaves and add the drained beans and chopped kale. Cook for another fifteen minutes or so until the beans are warmed through and the kale has wilted.

"Waiter...there's too much pepper in my paprikash."

This is how dumb and susceptible I am. My friend, Heather, posted a link on Facebook recently from Cooking Light. It was an article about spending Sunday preparing a week's worth of healthy meals. The photo accompanying the article looked delicious, so clicked through to the recipe to see what it was. I guess I must have skimmed the text, as I thought it just said Pork Paprikash, and the picture looked like it involved meatballs in a paprikash sauce over egg noodles. Of course, I have used pork in combination with beef for meatballs, but never a totally pork meatball. I was intrigued and thought I'd give it a try.

But when I got home tonight and read the recipe more carefully, I realized that it called for chunks of pork tenderloin. First of all, I wasn't going back to the store for a tenderloin, and secondly, I wanted pork meatballs! So, as is my way, I made up my own recipe and made use of my slow cooker to do it. And it turned out AWESOME! I am definitely making this dish again and again.

Crock Pot Pork Meatballs Paprikash 

Meatballs: 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 tablespoon butter 
1 large onion, finely diced 
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped 
2 cloves garlic 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
1 teaspoon ground celery 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
pinch of red pepper flakes 
1 cup white wine, divided 
2 lbs. ground pork 
1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs 
1/4 cup half and half 
1 egg 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Sauce: 
1 6 oz.can tomato paste 
2 tablespoons flour 
2 cups chicken or beef stock 
1 tablespoon sweet paprika 
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
1 teaspoon sugar 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 
1 cup sour cream 

wide egg noodles (or egg pappardelle)

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and mushrooms until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, ground celery, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and half a cup of the white wine. Reduce for a few minutes until the wine is mostly absorbed. Combine this veggie mixture with the ground pork, bread crumbs, half and half, egg, and parsley. Mix with your hands until just combined--don't overwork. Form into balls (I used a cookie scoop and got about 35 meatballs) and brown them on all sides in the skillet. Add the meatballs to a crock pot set on low.

In the same skillet, combine the tomato paste and flour and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the chicken or beef stock, whisking until smooth. Add the sweet paprika, red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt, and cook for a few minutes until thickened. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sauce into the crock pot and stir gently to combine. Cook on low for four hours or high for two, then stir in the sour cream. Serve over wide eggs noodles or egg pappardelle. Garnish with a little more chopped fresh parsley.

Fire up the crock pot--"spring" semester has begun!

Spring semester is off and running...and it feels like it's running right over me! It's only Wednesday of the first week, and I'm already WIPED! I guess it's going to take a little time to get my groove back. In the meantime, the only salvation may be my trusty crock pot.

Before I went to bed last night, I prepped a crock of beef, barley and vegetable soup, then chucked it into the fridge overnight. This morning, I put the crock of soup into the heated part of the pot, turned it on low, and went about my day. Six hours later, and it was just about perfect. But I had a bag of baby kale, spinach, and chard in the fridge, so I chopped up a couple of handfuls of the dark leafies to add some extra color and nutrition and threw them in to wilt while I got on with the grilling of the cheese sammies. SO DELICIOUS! Why do I not make beef barley soup more often, especially when the crock pot makes it so easy?

Crock Pot Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup
(Source: Adapted from Simple, Nourished Living)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 medium to large onion, diced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
2 or 3 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 4!)
1/2 cup red wine
6 cups beef broth
1 can (14.5 ounce] diced tomatoes, with their juices (I used Italian-style)
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
more salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Dry off the meat with paper towels and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the pan and brown on all sides. Transfer to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, and cook the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and thyme, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to color and soften. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the wine and reduce a bit, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan.

Add the veg mixture to the slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth, canned tomatoes, and dry barley. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley OR wilt some chopped, dark, leafy greens into the soup at the end of the cooking time (e.g. spinach, kale, and/or Swiss chard). Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Cuba Norte

This would probably stress normal people out, but I kinda love it when my foodie friends text me and say that they are experimenting with Cuban cuisine, and that I should come for dinner...and bring dessert.  Naturally, I accepted the invitation without a moment's hesitation. But my reply was that I would come, and I would make dessert, but it wasn't going to be fancy, and I didn't want to have to go to the store.

So working with what I had in my fridge and pantry, I ended up making not one but TWO simple, but traditional Cuban desserts. First off, I prepared some creamy, luscious Arroz con Tres Leches--that's rice pudding to us Americanos, but sweeter and with a flavor like caramel or dulce de leche thanks to the inclusion of three different milks that are cooked slowly with the rice.

To make the pudding, first, prepare two cups of short-grained rice (I used arborio) in four cups of water with a pinch of salt, a cinnamon stick, and the rind of a lemon (removed with a peeler). Rinse the rice three times, drain, add the water and other ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and barely simmer for 20 minutes--no peeking!

Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick, then toss the steamed rice into your slow cooker and stir in a can of evaporated milk, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a cup of whole milk. Cook this on high for about two hours (or low for four) until the rice absorbs the liquid and is creamy but not runny, stirring every 30 minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the crock pot. Of course, you can simmer this on the stove top, but you'll have to keep a much closer eye on it to prevent scorching. That's why the slow cooker is a big help here. However you cook it, when it's done, add two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and serve warm with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon (or chill for a couple/few hours first if you like it cold).

I wasn't sure how people at the dinner were going to feel about rice pudding (some people are not keen on it...inexplicably), so I also baked a batch of Polvorones, tender almond shortbread cookies that are quite similar to Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies. The word "polvorone" has the same linguistic root as the English word "pulverize," and the cookie is meant to be delicately crumbly inside, even after it bakes.

The only changes I made to the recipe I referenced was to use butter instead of lard, and then to roll the cookies in powdered, not granulated, sugar with a little cinnamon mixed in. My friends couldn't stop eating them, and one of them said they tasted like "really good Snickerdoodles." LOL! I guess it was that bit of cinnamon in the powdered sugar that I also dusted onto the cookies after they had cooled, mostly to make them look pretty.

Polvorones
(Source: adapted from Three Guys from Miami)

1 cup creamy white lard (non-hydrogenated leaf lard)--I used two sticks of softened butter
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely ground almonds--I used almond flour/meal
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375º F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the lard or butter and the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, almonds, and salt. Add this mixture gradually to your creamed ingredients until you have a dough that is slightly crumbly. Shape the dough into small balls in the palm of your hand, then flatten slightly. (I used a regular cookie scoop and got 27 cookies.) Rolls the balls in white sugar (I used half a cup of powdered sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon), and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake for approximately 12 to 14 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack and dust with the remaining cinnamon powdered sugar if desired.

Oh, and one last photo before I wrap this up, a picture of the wonderful Cuban meal that my friends Domenica and Jaime made, which included Ropa Vieja with Rice, Stewed Black Beans, and Tostones (Fried Plantains).

It was all FANTASTICO! And it sure beat driving all the way to Montreal in the dead of winter to search out interesting ethnic food, as we so often must do. *sad trombone*

Polar Pantry Pilfering

Here's the hip new phrase of the season: POLAR VORTEX! I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but I just took this screen shot from weather.com a few minutes ago. Yesterday, the low was "only" -12, but the wind chill factor got down to 35 below! 35 BELOW! Like that's even a thing! This is New York State, not Antarctica!

Because it has been so unbearably cold, and our driveway is one long, deathly ice floe, going shopping is something to avoided at all costs and only undertaken in the most desperate of circumstances. Happily for me in times like these, I have a spare fridge and freezer in the garage, and an overstuffed pantry to keep us alive until there's a brief reprieve in the weather. So for dinner tonight, I raided the pantry for a whole bunch of canned goods and fashioned a quick and hearty taco soup which I let simmer in the crock pot while I kept the taps trickling, the space heaters aimed toward the pipes, and the fire stoked and crackling.

Now this super-quick cheater "recipe" is called 8 Can Taco Soup, but I can't abide canned chicken (except maybe in that Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip, and even then, only in a pinch). I often have a deli chicken half-frozen in the outside fridge for occasions just such as this, so mine was a seven can soup. Actually, six cans and a jar, as I used a homemade salsa verde, because I didn't have green enchilada sauce on hand. Lastly, I didn't have a taco seasoning packet, so I made my own spice blend, which is better anyway--less sodium. Oh, and I used homemade chicken stock, not canned.  So it was really a five can soup! LOL! My point is, and I do have one, is that you can adjust this recipe according to what you have in your pantry so that you don't have to run to the store during the PoVo. (See what I did there?)

Slow Cooker 8-Can Taco Soup 

(Source: adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used Cuban-style black beans from TJ's, drained not rinsed)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I used dark red kidney beans--just because I didn't have pintos, though chili beans or ranch-style beans would be good, too)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I used fire-roasted)
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can chicken breast, drained (I used a deskinned/deboned rotisserie chicken, torn into pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can green enchilada sauce (I used a pint of homemade salsa verde)
1 can chicken broth (I used two cups homemade stock)
1 packet taco seasoning (I used 2 tablespoons dark chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

Dump all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours or high for about an hour. Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and a dollop of sour cream.

Party fare...thoughtfully made.

We are enjoying a delightful ice storm in the region at present, so I wasn't too keen on leaving the house and having to chip my car out and slide down the roads. But my dear friend was having a Christmas party Saturday night, and I was afraid that she might not have many guests. Since I decided to attend at the last minute, I didn't have much time to pull together anything fancy to take to the potluck party. So I threw together that simple Tuscan white bean dip and crostini that I had at the Christmas cookie exchange last week.

For once I was purposefully trying to be low-key and not to impress anyone with my gourmet wizardry. But when I got a plate of food from the fabulous buffet and sat down to socialize, a friend specifically asked if I had brought that white bean dip? I said yes, but how would she know that? Her response was that she knew by the crostini that were so "thoughtfully made." LOL! All I did was cut up a baguette, brush some olive oil on the slices, and broil them for a few minutes, and only on one side! Not very fancy. But I guess some folks would open up a box of crackers and call it good? (To avoid protests from the Boxed Cracker Defamation League, I'd like to say publicly that I am a strong supporter of boxed crackers, especially those red bean and sweet potato Triscuits.)

Anyway, I followed the recipe below, but I added the zest of the lemon that I juiced, about two tablespoons of shredded parmesan, and about the same amount of pine nuts. Oh, and a bunch of chopped fresh parsley. Good stuff! 

White Beans and Rosemary Crostini

(Source: adapted from Under the Tuscan Gun)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thickly sliced
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed
2 (15 ounce) cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan, optional

2 tablespoons pine nuts, optional
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley, optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Baguette, sliced

1. Heat fireplace to a medium heat. Adjust grill racks over the flame and heat a heavy dutch oven over the rack. Alternatively, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Once hot, add the oil to heat. Add pancetta and render some of its fat. Add rosemary and garlic and sauté until fragrant.

3. Stir in beans and lemon juice and zest. Mash the beans with the back of the wooden spoon. Don’t mash them all smooth- you want some texture. Stir in the parmesan, pine nuts, and parsley (if using), and season with salt and pepper.

4. Toast sliced baguette. Serve the beans on top of the toasted bread. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Ooh, and here's a great idea if you have any of the spread left over. I made a double batch for the party, so I had some left. Today I took four smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed them, and put them in the crock pot with about six cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock and cooked this for several hours on high until the the potatoes were very tender. Of course, you can just simmer this on the stove if you're in a hurry. Once the potatoes were soft, I used a stick blender to blend the potatoes and broth until smooth, then I stirred in about two cups of the leftover bean spread. At this point, you can add some cream or half-and-half, too, if you like. Garnish with some crabmeat, and TA-DAH, Sweet Potato and White Bean Bisque with Crab! (You could also swap out the sweet potatoes for any kind of winter squash.) DELISH!

Early Deep Freeze! Time for a Warm-Up.

GOOD NEWS--of the Christmas miracle variety--is that it "warmed up" to 18 degrees today, and the hot water's back on in the kitchen! I am running the dishwasher at present, and if it stays thawed until tomorrow, I might even sneak in a load of laundry before the next deep freeze. CLEAN UNDERPANTS FOR EVERYONE! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HO HO HO!

Since the winter blast has come early and viciously this year, it's definitely time to get some hearty soups and stews bubbling away in the old crock pot. And I just happened to see the perfect candidate on a recent episode of Bitchin' Kitchen, a marvelous-looking stew where the vegetables are roasted before adding them to the stew. It sounded deliciously intriguing, so for dinner tonight, I made my version of Nadia G's Beef and Roasted Vegetable Stew. My friend, Karen, teases me that I'm always making a "version" of someone else's recipe, implying that I can't leave well enough alone, I suppose. And I know she's right, and yet I can't help but tinker.

More specifically, Nadia G's recipe called for beets (I hate them) and parsnips (love them, but didn't have any on hand). So I swapped out both sweet and gold potatoes in the roasted veg mix. I also had half a can of tomato paste knocking about in the fridge, so I threw that in the braising liquid for good measure. Oh, and I didn't have red lentils, so I used brown, and as is my way, I stewed the beef in the crock pot instead of on the stove top. So I'm not sure when it stops being Nadia G's recipe and starts becoming mine, but I always try to give credit where it's due.

Beef and Roasted Vegetable Stew

(Source: adapted from Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen)

5 carrots (4 chopped, 1 halved lengthwise)
4 parsnips, chopped (I swapped a few Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks)
2 red onions, chopped
4 beets, chopped (I swapped out a few sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 (1-inch thick) slices beef foreshank, with the meat cut into bite-size cubes, reserve bone (I believe I used a big flat-iron steak that I unearthed from the freezer)
1/4 cup flour, for tossing beef cubes into
1/2 cup red wine*

half a small can tomato paste, optional
6 cups beef stock
1 celery stalk, halved
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pinch black peppercorns
1/2 cup dry red lentils (I used brown lentils)
pinch of brown sugar

*Cook's Note: Only use wine quality you would drink

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop four carrots, four parsnips (or gold potatoes), two onions and four beets (or sweet potatoes) uniformly, so they roast evenly. Spread root vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet, coat with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and add garlic, salt, and ground pepper. Mix. Roast in oven for 45 minutes. 

Heat three tablespoons olive oil in a large pan on medium-high. Lightly toss the beef cubes in flour and add to pan. Sear for a few minutes on all sides until meat has a crisp exterior. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Transfer the beef and juices into a big pot and add the halved carrot, organic beef stock, halved celery stalk, fresh parsley, bones (from the foreshank), bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for two hours (or in the crock pot on high for about six hours); check on stew occasionally, remove the scum from the surface of the stew. 

Remove and discard the soggy carrot halves, celery, bones, and herbs. Add the roasted vegetables, red lentils, and pinch of brown sugar and let simmer an additional 20 minutes. I added the brown lentils and brown sugar to the crock pot and cooked the lentils for about another hour until they were tender, THEN I added in the roasted veggies. (I would add the roasted veggies until after the lentils were cooked no matter what kind of lentils I was using and even if I was cooking the stew on the stovetop.)

Serve the stew in bowls topped with fresh, minced parsley. I serve mine over steamed rice, because that's how my momma did it. :-)

What does Mississippi have to do with pot roast?

I tried a recipe for Sunday supper tonight that I have seen on Pinterest and Facebook enigmatically called Mississippi Pot Roast. I have no idea what Mississippi has to do with it, but it is a very simple way to make a pot roast...in your crock pot! I don't even know who to credit for the recipe, but I will explain the very simple methodology.

Start with a three-pound beef chuck roast, or whatever will fit in your slow cooker. None of the versions of the recipe that I found called for searing the roast first, but I think it's an important step. It ultimately makes the meat look and taste better! So brown the roast on both sides in a little olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, then transfer it to the crock pot. Sprinkle one dry ranch dressing packet and one dry au jus mix packet over the seared roast. Place a stick of butter on top of all that, and lastly, add five to seven whole pepperoncini peppers. Cook on low for five to seven hours, or until the roast is fork-tender.

After the meat was done cooking, I used a bulb baster to transfer all of the liquid from the crock pot into a gravy strainer (there will be a lot of fat that you will want to separate). I served the pot roast over a big pile of mashed potatoes drizzled with the savory gravy from the pot.

Now, for the big question: Would I make pot roast this way again? I must confess that the "recipe" is super-simple, and that part is appealing. And it is tasty. BUT as I suspected, with the two sodium-bomb seasoning packets, the resulting dish is very salty. So unless I could find lower-sodium versions of those packets, I would probably just use my own combination of seasonings to be able to control the salt. Also, why do we need a whole stick of butter? A chuck roast is very fatty anyway, and is basically self-basting, producing a rich, tender result when cooked low and slow. So I would prefer to use a different cooking liquid, like beef stock or red wine or even Coca-Cola, and eliminate the additional fat. But you make your own decision--you're grown! ;-)

P.S. Whether or not I return to this particular pot roast recipe, I will DEFINITELY make the salad we had tonight again and again. I used fresh, local baby spinach, Castello blue cheese (hand-crumbled), Honey Crisp apple chunks, toasted pepitas, slivered shallots, all dressed with a blue cheese vinaigrette and a good grinding of black pepper. SO YUMMY!
 

Build me up, buttercup.

 

 

My friend June made a lovely autumnal butternut squash soup last weekend , and when I spied a especially big and gorgeous buttercup squash at my local farmer's market, I thought I might make my own version...in the crock pot, of course! What could be more heart-and-soul-warming than this? WELCOME FALL!

Buttercup Squash Soup

 

1/2 pound bacon, chopped (I used smoky end pieces)

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 large shallots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 large buttercup squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (or the winter squash of your choosing)
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1 large bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick (break in half)
big pinch of peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup cream, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Strain out the bacon bits and set aside. In the bacon fat, sauté onions, shallots, and garlic until tender. Deglaze the pan with white wine, and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed by the veggies.

In the meantime, add the chunks of squash to the crock pot and cover with a quart of stock. Stir in the chicken soup base. To a tea ball/strainer, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and star anise. Throw the tea ball of spices into the pot along with the sautéed veggie mixture.

Cook on high for about three hours or low for six. Remove the spice ball and purée the soup with an immersion blender. Add the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and cream (if using). Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with a sprinkling of the reserved bacon bits on top!

There's a nip in the air...

We've reached that weird shoulder season where you might use the air conditioner one day, then need to start a fire in the wood stove the next. But it has been decidedly autumnal the last few days, so it seemed appropriate to take the first crock pot of soup--Ham, Mayocoba Bean, and Swiss Chard--to school to share with my colleagues.

I didn't take a picture because, well, they ate it all up before I got back from my afternoon class, and because it was pretty much the same formula I use for most of my bean soups, give or take. But people ooh'ed and ahh'ed and inquired after the recipe. Recipe? We don’t need no stinkin’ recipes! Tee hee. I can, however, describe my general methodology, especially for my co-workers that requested it.

So I soaked a pound of beans for a few hours in cold water last evening. Then I brought them to a boil for five minutes, turned off the heat and let the beans just sit in the hot water while I did all my cutting and chopping. I cut up two medium onions, two large stalks of celery, the stems of six stalks of Swiss chard, and four large carrots. I sautéed all of this in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Then I threw in four cloves of minced garlic and cooked the mixture for another couple of minutes. I deglazed the pan with a half cup of white wine, and then threw the beans and liquid, sautéed veggies, two bay leaves, a big branch of tarragon, and the big bone from some leftover ham into the crock pot. I filled it to the brim with chicken broth, and also added 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and about a tablespoon of chicken soup base. I cooked all of this overnight on high.

In the morning, I fished out the bay leaves and tarragon bundle, and the ham bone, removing any fat or gristle, and tossing the meaty bits back into the soup. Then I added two additional cups of chopped leftover ham, and the leaves of the Swiss chard (also chopped). You just need to heat the ham through and wilt the greens, and the reserve heat of the crock pot will do the trick. No need to continue cooking. That’s about it. It was YUMMY, if I do say so myself! ;-)

First Crock Pot Meal of the Fall Semester!

Fall semester is officially underway, and the weather has swung back to summery and sticky. Thus, I turned to my trusty crock pot to cook dinner for me while I was at work, and as a bonus, I didn't have to heat up the kitchen to prepare a meal when I got home. Someone recently posted this recipe on Facebook (sorry, but it did not include the source), and it's FANTASTIC! I made this with Coke, since I had some left over from the Coca-Cola cake, but you can use Dr Pepper, Coke, or root beer. And by the time I got home, I just had to shred and sauce the pork, toast some rolls, and throw together a quick cole slaw while the meat finished cooking. PULLED PORK--ON A WEEKNIGHT!

Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
3-4 lb pork butt (aka pork SHOULDER--I used bone-in, DO NOT substitute a loin roast!)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or 4!)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
24 oz. (2 cans) Dr Pepper (or Classic Coke or root beer)
barbecue sauce of choice (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)

Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork butt on top of the onions and add the garlic, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the Dr. Pepper on top and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours. (Mine took about seven hours on HIGH, maybe because I used a bone-in roast. Anyhoo, keep going until it's fork-tender. Also, if you are around, you might want to flip the roast about halfway through the cooking time.)Very carefully, because the pork will be hot, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place on a large cutting board. Remove bones if there are any and excess fat. Using two forks, shred the pork by pulling away from each other. The meat should be very tender by this point. Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and continue to cook for an additional hour (on high).

Drain the remaining juices and toss the meat and onion mixture in the barbecue sauce of choice. Just add a bit at a time until you get to your desired level of sauciness. I also added a couple of big squeezes of yellow mustard, because I am all about mustard! Serve on toasted Kaiser rolls with a mound of cole slaw on top. 

For the cole slaw: I used a bag of cole slaw mix (1lb.), maybe a scant cup of Miracle Whip thinned with about three tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and seasoned with about 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon or so of ground celery. That's it! SO DELICIOUS, and we are exclusively a Team Mayo household. I probably buy Miracle Whip once every five years, if that. But it made a nicely thick, sweet dressing that didn't break down and become watery by the next day.

Happy Persian New Year!

I actually think the Persian New Year (Nowrūz) was back in March, but a friend of a friend posted on Facebook about this bean and noodle soup that is traditionally made in Iran for their New Year celebrations, and I was intrigued. Technically, it's called Ash-e-reshteh, but I like to think of it as Middle Eastern pasta fagiole!

Of course, I made a few changes to the recipe. I used less stock for a thicker soup, I used mung beans instead of lentils, because they intrigued me in the co-op and I've never had them before. I added chives along with the rest of the herbs, because I have a ton of them growing in my garden right now.  Also, instead of yogurt as a garnish, I used prepared tzatziki that we had knocking about in the fridge, and it was the PERFECT compliment to this soup! Finally, as is my way, I converted this to be made in the crock pot, which worked great.

One thing I would like to note concerns the inclusion of mint in this recipe. I have been making a concerted effort to force myself to enjoy mint in savory applications, but I am not yet having much success. I would definitely make this soup again, but I would leave out the mint next time--that's just my personal preference. You do as your own conscience (and palate) dictates.

Crock Pot Persian New Year's Soup with Beans, Noodles, and Herbs (Ash-e-reshteh)
(Source: adapted from Louisa Shafia, Lucid Food: Cooking For An Eco-Conscious Life via Epicurious, June 2010)
Yield: serves 6 to 8

1/2 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup dried fava beans or 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans (I couldn't find favas, so I used some large dried navy beans)
3 yellow onions, divided 
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 cup dried lentils (I used dried mung beans, just for fun)
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock (up to 12)
*I added 1 large (or 2 small) bay leaves
salt and pepper
1 large handful fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces (I would omit this next time!)
6 ounces thin egg noodles or linguine, broken into thirds (I used fresh pasta)
1 bunch leafy greens, stemmed, and coarsely chopped (I used fresh spinach)
1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
*I added 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
plain yogurt (or tzatziki!)

Rinse the dried beans (the chickpeas, kidneys and favas) then cover them with water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil hard for ten minutes. This is a key step. Not only will it help the beans cook faster in the crock pot, it will kill those pesky kidney bean toxins.

Meanwhile, dice one of the onions. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, about five minutes. Add four of the minced cloves of garlic and the turmeric. Sauté for one more minute, then scrape the mixture into the crock pot. Drain the boiled beans and add them, and also the (rinsed) lentils (or mung beans). Pour in the stock, and toss in the bay leaf. Cook on low for seven hours or high for three and a half, or until the beans are almost tender. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Add more stock if the beans have absorbed a lot, to a desired consistency.

Slice the remaining two onions into thin half moons. Heat a sauté pan over medium low heat and add the remaining three tablespoons olive oil.  Sauté the onions, stirring frequently, until they are brown and caramelized. Add the remaining garlic and sauté for one more minute. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Add the noodles to the soup and cook on low for another hour (=eight total for the soup on low, four on high), or until the beans and the noodles are sufficiently tender. Or you can boil the pasta separately and add it just before serving. When the noodles are done, turn off the crock pot, add the leafy greens and the fresh herbs, and just let them wilt in the hot soup. Serve with a large dollop of yogurt (or better yet, tzatziki!) and some of the caramelized onions.

One sunny day!

PRAISE BE! It stopped raining for one glorious day! I got dinner going in the crock pot, went off to teach my afternoon class, stopped at a local farm stand to buy a couple of hanging baskets for the porch (on sale!) and more strawberries for our nightly salads, and then came home and planted all of my herbs and veggies that I bought this past weekend.

The dogs loved snoozing in the sun (in the extra-long grass that's still too wet to cut--boo hiss) while I did my digging in the dirt, and I swear I could feel the vitamin D soaking into my skin and coursing through my veins. Just a lovely day!

As for today's crock pot creation, I decided to rework my favorite recipe for Indian butter chicken for the slow cooker. Mainly, I swapped out chicken thighs for breasts, as they stand up to a longer cook time, and using coconut milk for creaminess without curdling like dairy productswould do. And of course, I had to rearrange the steps of preparation a bit, but I must say, it turned out FABULOUSLY well, and I would absolutely make it this way again in the future, especially when I'd rather be outside than chained to a hot stove.

Crock Pot Butter Chicken (Murg Makhani)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 inch fresh ginger (about one tablespoon), peeled and grated
3 large cloves garlic (about one tablespoon), peeled and chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper (whole, fresh), seeded and chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons chicken soup base (or bouillion granules)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter (divided), cut into pieces
2 lbs.boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks
1 cup plain yogurt (or cream)1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (to taste)

Heat vegetable oil in a large (preferably, nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned. Add in tomato paste and garam masala and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crock pot. Add chicken soup base, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Melt butter over medium high heat in the same skillet, then brown the chicken pieces. Add the chicken to the blended vegetable mixture in the crock pot, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir in the yogurt or cream, and serve with steamed (preferably, jasmine-scented basmati*) rice, and garnished with chopped cilantro leaves.

*I used volcano rice tonight (as pictured).