Healthier Cobb Salad (CEIMB)

It's Thursday, and time for another Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe! This time it was a Cobb salad. I do like Cobb salad generally, but I have to say I can see why it's not for everyone. There are usually lots of decadent flavors mixed together, and it could get ugly really quickly.

Well with Ellie, you can count on her finding a more disciplined and less decadent version of the salad, without losing the variety of flavors. The dressing is a little odd, and I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not at first. But as I worked my way through the salad, it started to grow on me. Also, I served it up salad bar style, since there are a lot of toppings and not everyone in this house likes all of them.

And a note about the blue cheese - yes, it's pungent, but as Ellie always says, strong cheese are better for you because you can use less of them.

I also made a couple of changes due to personal preference, but the spirit of Ellie's version is still there. So here it is in all its glory, a healthier and yet every bit as flavorful version of Cobb salad.

Healthier Cobb Salad
adapted from Ellie Krieger's Healthy Appetite (2007)
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray
2 slices Canadian bacon
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
3 cups romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
1 cup watercress, thick stems removed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray and cook the Canadian bacon over medium-high heat until browned and heated through. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients, then chop.

2. Put the romaine and watercress together in a large bowl. Set out separate small bowls of the bacon, egg, tomato, avocado, and blue cheese with small spoons for serving.

3. In a jar or salad dressing shaker, combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and shake to combine. (Or whisk in a small bowl). Pour over the lettuce and cress and toss to coat. Serve salad with toppings on the side.

You can, of course, serve it in the more traditional form with the toppings in stripes across the top of the greens, but I like the element of choice. Enjoy!

Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Summer is not necessarily the time for soup, but it is the time for excellent sweet corn. And there is something fantastic about corn chowder. This is a slightly more exotic variation of corn chowder, with chunks of sweet potato, and saffron cream stirred in. This is no cafeteria food, my friends.

This is best with really flavorful, quality corn, so hit up your farmers market for this one. You can amp up the flavor if you cook bacon first and saute the onions in the bacon fat instead of olive oil. Or, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes would add an extra zing.

Pick a cool summer night and make an excuse for soup. It's worth it.

Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder
adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon flour
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 large ears fresh corn, husked and kernels cut off
1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk, but you'll lose texture)
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron
handful chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add sweet potato, season with salt and pepper (generously), and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to high, stir in the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are just tender when pierced.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and saffron over low heat for about 5 minutes, until just simmering. The cream should be turning yellow. Try not to let a skin form on top. (If it does, just stir until it goes away).

4. Add saffron cream to the chowder and stir in the corn. Heat over low heat for 5 minutes. Season to taste. Serve topped with parsley.

Enjoy!

Pasta alla Vodka

I went through a phase where I simply had no choice; if I went to an Italian restaurant that had a pasta with vodka sauce, I had to order it. Despite the name, it does not taste like a cocktail. But vodka sauce translates into a delicate pink colored, creamy tomato sauce. It's decadent and delicious without being too rich or heavy. And in my opinion, it's particularly good when it's spicy.

Here is a spicy version of vodka sauce that is quick and delicious, with a sophisticated flavor bound to please a discerning dinner guest. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go.

A note: you don't want juicy tomatoes here, so after you dice them put them in a mesh strainer in the sink for a few minutes to let the excess juices drain away.

Pasta alla Vodka
adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium sized, ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vodka
salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 pound dried short cut pasta (penne, farfalle, etc.)
1/4 cup heavy cream
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until just starting to turn golden, 1-2 minutes. Add vodka (carefully!) and cook until reduced by half. Add diced tomatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or so.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain it and add it to the frying pan. Add cream and stir until sauce is cohesive and pasta is coated in it. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve topped with parsley.

Enjoy!

Green Bean and Radish Salad

The best way to cook is to start with the ingredients. This may sound like an obvious statement, but many of us (myself included) have a tendency to pick a recipe, and then go out to buy all the ingredients that are not already in our pantry. This has to stop! A big part of why I joined a CSA program was to force myself to work the opposite way - start with fantastic fresh ingredients, and figure out what to make with them.

My sister gave me some beautiful green beans and radishes from the CSA that she recently joined, and I decided to turn them into a simple and delicious salad. I'm planning to make pasta for dinner tonight (recipe to be posted later this week) and thought we'd need something refreshing and crisp to go alongside it. The beans and radishes called my name.

This salad is ridiculously easy; it really doesn't even need a recipe. It's more a jumping off point - use whatever vinegar, nuts, or other flavorings you like. But the idea is that when you have fantastic fresh veggies, the best thing to do is eat them raw or just blanched, with just enough seasoning to keep things interesting. It's minimal effort cooking, folks.

Green Bean and Radish Salad
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

salt
1 lb. slender green beans, trimmed and cut to 2" lengths
handful fresh radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a high-sided skillet about 2 inches with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, and add the green beans. While they cook, prepare a large bowl of iced water and keep it nearby. Cook green beans for no more than 2 minutes, just enough to get them to crisp-tender. Scoop the beans out and immediately plunge them in the ice water. Let sit a few minutes, then drain them.

2. Dry off the beans slightly with a towel and toss with radish slices, almonds, vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Banana Zucchini Muffins

Here I go with my crazy muffin combinations again. Knowing how delicious both banana bread and zucchini bread are, it seemed only natural that a banana zucchini muffin would be a beautiful thing. I compared multiple muffin recipes and came up with a hybrid that seemed like it would do the trick. And it does, my friends. It does.

This muffin is incredibly moist, with a delicate flavor and a great deal of comfort value. It is not super sweet, so it feels like breakfast rather than dessert. It is also jam-packed with nutrition, and you'd never even know.

Banana Zucchini Muffins
makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups white whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini, moisture squeezed out
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a muffin tin with reusable (or not) muffin cups or grease and flour the pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Stir until just blended. Then stir in the grated zucchini and mashed banana.

4. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups (an ice cream scoop works well). Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Let cool about 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan and eat!

Enjoy!

Pasta with Kale Pesto

Our experiments with pesto continue. I found a delicious sounding recipe in Food Network magazine for broccoli rabe pesto, and decided to adapt it to use kale instead. The result is an unusual, deeply flavorful and cheesy dish that doesn't feel too heavy. It's almost like a lighter, greener macaroni and cheese. Absolutely fantastic. And it's great for those who don't really do the garlic thing, as there is plenty of flavor without any garlic whatsoever.

I can't emphasize enough that there are really no limits on pesto possibilities. I realize the photo above looks a lot like an arugula pesto pasta that I wrote about not too long ago, and yet it tastes completely different. Here we have kale, pistachios, and cheese, joining together to make a fantastic sauce. Pesto knows no bounds, really. And kale is so incredibly good for you; this is a great way to get it into your diet.

Pasta with Kale Pesto
adapted from Food Network Magazine
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 small bunch kale, stalks removed
1/4 cup shelled roasted unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt
2 tablespoons part skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound whole wheat elbows (or other small cut pasta)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a large bowl of salted iced water, as well. Blanch the kale in the boiling water for just about one minute, until bright green and pliable. Scoop it out and immerse it in the iced water to stop the cooking. (Don't dump out the water, and keep it on the heat at a boil).

2. Drain the kale and squeeze out any excess water. Coarsely chop it, and then puree in a food processor until finely ground up (like a dense paste). Add pistachios and parmesan and puree until fairly smooth. Season generously with salt. Add ricotta and puree until well combined.

3. Cook pasta in the pot that is already boiling from the kale. Cook according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, drain and return pasta to the pot.

4. Add the pesto to the pot along with enough of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up. Stir well until pasta is thoroughly coated with the pesto. Serve.

Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles

As soon as the weather took a turn for the unbearably hot, I started craving popsicles. And I knew the popsicles would be infinitely better if theye were home made. One trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond and about $3 later, I had my very own popsicle molds.

That was about a month ago. I didn't get around to actually using them until tonight. I found the perfect guinea pig recipe in a cookbook I recently picked up, brought to you by the folks at Eating Well Magazine, Eating Well in Season. It's summer, cantaloupes are in season, and I happened to have one in the fridge thanks to my CSA bag. (And yes, I will probably mention my CSA in almost every entry, so brace yourselves).

The result is a sweet, but not syrupy, popsicle that is infinitely refreshing and delicious. It's like a frozen cocktail on a stick, sans alcohol. Run out and buy some $3 popsicle molds and make this right away. It will make you feel like a grown-up version of a kid again. Whatever that means.

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles
adapted from Eating Well in Season
makes 4 popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 small cantaloupe, seeds removed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
juice of 1 small lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scoop out flesh from the cantaloupe and puree in a food processor. Measure out just shy of 1 cup of puree and set aside in a bowl. (If you have extra, just drink it. Trust me.)

2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and heat over high heat. When it comes to a boil, stir in mint and immediately remove from heat. Let sit for 1 minute.

3. Stir the mint syrup into the cantaloupe puree, and stir in lemon juice. Pour into four popsicle molds, insert sticks*, and freeze until completely solid, at least a few hours. Dip the molds into hot water briefly before removing the popsicles.

*depending on your type of molds - if the sticks are free-standing, let the popsicles freeze for about an hour before you insert the sticks.

Enjoy!