SmartCooks Roars Over Tigress Pumpkin Corn Muffins

January 2012

SmartCooks here. 

Pumpkin corn muffins -- yummy.  What an excellent way to start the New Year ... corn meal, fresh pumpkin, a few interesting spices (like aleppo pepper), yogurt and eggs... all baked together in a muffin pan and they smell divine. 

I make these muffins by the dozens and keep them in the freezer.  Each morning, while coffee is brewing, I pop two into the microwave for a minute and a half, cut them in half, add some no-sugar preserves or fresh fruit and cheese and, voila, a healthy, filling breakfast.

I found the pumpkin corn muffins recipe on one of the more unusual food blogging sites.  The blogger calls herself the 'Tigress' and has been managing two webblogs for years i.e.,
-- Tigress in a PIckle (or as she puts it, "pursuing the proliferation of pickles and other savory pottages", (although I think she meant to spell it 'potages').  No matter. 
-- Tigress in a Jam  or "a preservationist's jam on the sweeter things in life and alchemy". 

Both websites have the most unusual, but delicious, recipes on them (e.g., Pickled spring turnips, Kohlrabi garlic scapes kimchi , Shizzles with picklz: Shallot pie).  Her writing is quite different, making extensive use of lower case, cat/tiger terminology (e.g., pawnotes) and stream of consciousness writing.     

Tigress calls herself a locavore and spends half a year in a little white farmhouse with a big garden (small portion pictured) in the southern Berkshires of Massachusetts, where she gardens, plants, cans, ferments, pickles, preserves, photographs, and blogs about 'pilgrim' style living off the land.  The other half of the year is in Manhattan as an electronic music events producer. 

In addition to blogging, she Twitter posts pictures of her Burmese cats (mahfouz & thor) as well as artistic shots of interesting Scandinavian architecture and Japanese fashion, which are passions of hers.  Her photography is downright beautiful, although most of those pictures I get via Twitter feed on my ipad.     



Both websites are worth browing and trying the recipes. I tend to experiment with her recipes as she is a bit 'dash of this or that' type cook.  But for today... pumpkin corn muffins.  If you don't have aleppo pepper, can also substitute chipotle powder or Spanish smoked paprika. I've even mixed the paprika and the aleppo pepper. The spices add a subtle taste and do not overwhelm, even if you goof (like I did one time!) and add in a full tsp or more of both spices. 

In both cases, Tigress suggests grinding your own cinammon from a cinnamon stick.  So I did this.  It is NOT easy at all but worth it for the fresh cinnamon taste.  An alternative would be to order some quality cinnamon from the Spice Hunters in Montreal... their cinnamon sticks from Sri Lanka are softer and easier to grate and MUCH more fragrant. 

Squash purée can also be substituted for pumpkin.  There are many ways to make a squash puree (roasted at 400 in the oven or microwaved for 10-15 minutes until it is easy to stick a fork through the skin.  Let cool, then mash the squash and voila, squash puree.  Leftover squash can be easily frozen until the next batch of muffins is needed.  Or, easy-peasy, I once had the leftovers of a LARGE container of butternut squash soup and used it for a couple of batches of muffins.  All delicious. 

Pumpkin Corn Muffins (12 muffins)

 

Ingredients:

 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup coarse cornmeal (stoneground) 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4-1 tsp aleppo pepper (or chipotle powder, or smoked spanish paprika)

3/4 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1 packed cup pumpkin/winter squash purée

1/2 cup maple, light brown, or raw sugar

1/2 cup yogurt

2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease muffin tins. (I used Pam). 

In a large bowl mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pepper.

In a separate bowl whisk together cooled butter, pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, and eggs. add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overstir.

Place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until nothing sticks to a toothpick when inserted in the center. Gently release muffins and cool on rack.

Muffins freeze well.

SmartCooks Holiday Vegetarian Pad Thai

January 2012


A new year, a new life, lots of changes.  All good so far but the year is young.  The house glitter is all put away and the main floor is back in its austere winter clean state,  


To start the year in style, I chanced upon a recipe over the holiday season in a Martha Stewart magazine (sadly, 'tis true).  

I'd been looking for an authentic Thai vegetarian version of Pad Thai.  After watching a number of videos on YouTube, I realize there is a real art to making superb Pad Thai.  Most use shrimp and some spices not easily acquired here in Canada.   


I continued looking and found a vegetarian version with ingredients I could easily gather.  There's a good vegetarian version video on Planet Green with Emeril Green who also regularly features Emeril Lagasse (Emeril is quite the popular name!)


There seems to be only two rules to making Pad Thai:
-- One, have a hot wok and add ingredients in fast.  What that means is a lot of preparation before starting... measuring, chopping, organizing dishes etc.  It's worth it as prep into the wok is fast.  
-- Two, get the noodles done just right.  It will take a lot of experience to learn a) when they're done and b) the correct art of stir frying rice noodles to perfection.  


But I figured I had to start somewhere so I gave it a whirl.  The recipe I liked was done by Emeril Lagasse, who was featured in the Martha Stewart magazine and also a guest on the Food Network when Emeril Green did a show called Planet Vegetarian.  There's a video link on Emeril Lagasse's Facebook page.  Give it a try... 


Ingredients:


6 ounces rice noodles (or Pad Thai noodles, really anything works)
2 T plus 1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I had a batch frozen and used that, low-sodium versions also exist)
3 T plus 1 tsp Asian fish sauce (I used low-sodium soy sauce instead and cut back a bit)
2 T rice vinegar
1 T chili-garlic sauce (which I own thanks to KSP and Food Basics or use Sriracha) 
1 T sesame oil
1 tsp tamarind paste 
1/3 cup peanut oil
2 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of sale
12 ounces shitake mushrooms
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 cup cubed firm tofu (about 6 ounces)
4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño, minced
5 scallions (use both white and green parts), 3 cut in 1/2-inch pieces, 2 chopped
1 package enoki mushrooms
1/2 cup Mung bean sprouts (optional) 
1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped, plus a few for garnish
Serving suggestions:  lime wedges, and Sriracha sauce or other Thai hot chill sauce 


Directions: 


Place noodles in a medium bowl with hot water.  Soak for about 30 minutes, until tender, drain and set aside.


Whisk brown sugar, vegetable broth, fish/soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha), sesame oil and tamarind paste in a small bowl.  


Heat a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add 1 T of peanut oil, eggs and tilt the skillet to make a thin, even coating of egg.  Cook egg until just set, about 45 seconds, invert eggs onto a cutting board, cut in 1/2 inch strips and set aside.


Add another Tablespoon of peanut oil to skillet and turn to high heat.  Add mushrooms, 1/2 tsp of pepper flakes, and salt.  Stir fry until mushrooms are golden brown.


Add another Tablespoon of peanut oil and add the tofu, another 1/2 tsp of pepper flakes and salt to taste.  Stir fry until tofu is golden brown on all sides.


Add garlic, jalapeño, chopped scallion and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and stir fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute.  Add bean sprouts if using.   


Add the noodles and cook, tossing, until lightly coated with the garlic mixture, about 1 minute.  Add the soy sauce (or fish sauce) and large scallion pieces and cook until heated through, tossing to combine.  


Stir in the cooked egg, 1 cup of the enoki mushrooms and 1/3 cup peanuts and toss until hot.  


Divide among plate and top with the remaining enoki mushrooms and scallions.


Serve with lime wedges and Sriracha sauce.  

Aside #19: Community Supported Agriculture Winter Baskets Update

December 2011


Community Supported Agriculture baskets.  

The baskets continue to roll on in, although sporadically.  Poor old Bryson's Farms  my CSA of choice as they deliver year-round, had a terrible December.  I deliberated cancelling until next summer and will make that decision before the next basket in two weeks.



It's a two-person basket I get every two weeks.  The content varies and isn't signalled in advance nor can I choose what I want... but it tends to have a variety of organic, farm freshly picked (greenhouse in some cases) produce, with selections of swiss chard, lettuce, mustard greens, parsnips, daikon radish, peppers, potatoes, garlic, red onion, portobello mushrooms and heirloom carrots.... all delicious.


Two-person baskets are as small as they will home deliver.  I find it a challenge to cook, bake, consume or freeze properly within a two-week period when it's primarily me who consumes the produce.  I sneak the odd vegey or salad past the Husband but it's rare.... he catches on fast.


But my veggie woes are nothing compared to those of Bryson's.  In law November, I put one basket on hold ie., wait a week, as I was over-veggied.  Their data system can't seem to cope with that and I got lost in limbo for about a month before the next delivery.  I noticed a snarky-ish note on their website saying they want only regular clients and will stop deliveries if there are too many starts and stops of delivery.  Oh well... strike 1 for flexibility in an otherwise flawless model.


Part of the reason I may have been lost in data limbo was also due to a series of negative CBC TV stories that ran in early December (around the 10th I think) focussing on pesticide residue on 'organic' produce.  The story was general and the main point seemed to be that no matter how 'organic' the claims, there is so much pesticide residue in our soil and nature that it is impossible to be truly 'organic'.  Fair point.  But CBC of course picked a farm to focus on and chose Bryson's as its case in point.  They had to scurry about with Statements and explanations of the science... and I'm sure with much angst and consternation.  


Then, just at Christmas, there was a series of crashes on Quebec roads, the most serious of which claimed a man and a his son.  The man, it turned out, was a driver for Bryson's home delivery.  There's nothing on the website acknowledging this employee but the papers were explicit.  Anyway... not a good month for them.  Hope 2012 is better.


Back to the basket.  It was a welcome delivery on a snowy day this week and Husband and I struggled through shovelling a LOT of heavy, wet snow, with a snow blower not working and neighbours away.  Why we don't contract out our shovelling is a mystery to me... it would relieve a lot of stress.  


Ahh.... well... back to cooking.


SmartCooks

Aside #18: SmartCooks Book!

December 2011 


SmartCooks here introducing SmartCooks Book! December 2011 edition, version 1,  prototype for learning purposes only and limited distribution to family, friends and foodies.  


SmartCooks Book is the project the kept me very occupied in December, hence the hiatus from writing the SmartCooks blog. I did it for two reasons:


The first was to learn how to use my new, nifty, hefty price-taggy, zippy, all-features, mucho bells 'n whistles, 15" MacBook Pro.  


Me being me, I picked the hardest project possible to attempt as a first venture on the new laptop.  It took a couple of trips to Mr. Apple's genii bar to figure out some of the features of iPhoto and converting documents to PDFs for printing etc.


But, I persevered, thanks to a few blue bills (joke), and good friends with wise advice on Mac products.  I fumbled and lurched my way through design, photo selection and layout, even braving the pre-Christmas frenzy at the Rideau Centre (shudder) for additional Apple assistance. 



I eventually settled on 24 favourite recipes in the Appetizer, Breads/Soups, Sides/Salads/Bento Bests and Meats and Mains categories.  Sample page at left.  


A few of you commented that I did NOT include Desserts -- Nope, I don't tend to bake 'em.... never have, never will.  I leave that category to those of you more skilled. 


The second reason for creating SmartCooks Book was driven by a desire to give something more personal as gifts to mark the season this year. Given that I have time at my disposal this fall for the first time in many years, I have been able to think and plan and eventually came up with the idea of combining family/friend photos with family/friend recipes, laid out in a 40-page coil-ring book. The design I settled on focussed on recipes (some from the blog) and a half a dozen pages where family photos could be inserted and then changed.  


The result was a dozen different versions of SmartCooks Book.  It became both a Christmas gift and a Holiday Wishes card that I'm sure elicited both groans and chuckles.  

SmartCooks Book is a prototype and not for commercial purposes.  The photos were found on-line and credited where I could.  To undertake the real thing would involve all the niceties of photograph and copyright accreditation.  SmartCooks Book would be a serious undertaking after I retire, if I ever do.

I certainly enjoyed learning how to create it, from scanning family photos into the computer to learning how to output the project as a PDF onto a USB key for printing.  It kept me more than busy evenings when Husband was travelling and gave me an opportunity to pull together the best of the recipes I've been trying over the past few months -- Healthy, Holesome, Happy.   


Enjoy.  Wishing Happy HolIdays to all and all the best in 2012!


SmartCooks.  

SmartCooks interpretation of Grandma Parkins Nuts 'n Bolts recipe

December 2011

SmartCooks here.

Time flies...

A little hiatus ... work intruded on my blogging life (!), my new top-end (yahoo) MacPro turned out a nifty project that kept me captive for weeks (more on that in the coming days), and life has gone on fast forward to get ready for the 'Week That Will Be'. 

Re holidays, I say Bring 'em on!  I'm ready.  I have lists, an Excel Planning Schedule and a Calendar of what needs to happen day to day.  Those of you who know me well won't be surprised...  Our gorgeous (small) Christmas tree is lit up indoors (a cat has already tried to climb it), the lights outside are merrily twinkling on the 50th B-day surprise tree, gifts are either already bought or in production, and every-one and -thing is booked to make the festive season well... hectic ... but a planned hectic-ness. 


Appetizers.  Munchy food.  Not the highest calorie festive snack but not the lowest either.  I'm talking about the 'Parkins Family' version of Nuts 'n Bolts, passed on down from grandmother to mother to sons to daughters-in-law.  There are dozens upon dozens of versions of Nuts 'n Bolts out there in recipe-land.  American sites tend to favour using Bugles, or small Ritz Bites crackers and Wheat, Corn or Rice Chex but the more enlightened websites suggest going with the 'Canadian' version and using Cheerios and Shreddies for a better flavour.  ('O Canada'! I say)  

The variations in recipes are endless in terms of the salt/low salt and lower calorie ideas: salted/unsalted peanuts, salted/unsalted butter or margarine or vegetable oil.  Condiment choices are equally confusing i.e., Accent powder, garlic and onion powder (not salt), paprika or not, etc.  Innovate.... Finally, there are endless cute ways to package them up (e.g., baskets, boxes, Martha Stewart bags (!), etc) and present as hostess gifts, holiday presents or enjoying at home.


Making Nuts 'n bolts can be pitched as a couple and/or kids participatory event.  Husband and I buy all the ingredients and I set him up with his own set in one corner of the kitchen to make a batch while I do a second batch in another corner.  This is maybe a tad stressful for him at the outset but we eventually get into the swing of it and make 4-6 batches a year and then package them snugly in freezer-friendly containers and thereby avoid temptation to eat them all before the Big Week.  

So, here is Grandma Parkins version, with my interpretation of salt/no salt etc

Ingredients for 1 Batch
 
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup Shreddies
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup pretzel sticks

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 T Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Melt butter and stir in seasonings in one bowl.  Mix cereals, peanuts and pretzels and pour seasoned butter over the mixture.  Coat evenly by stirring.  Pour into a roasting pan or pan with sides and spread out.  I suggest no more than 2 batches in oven at a time. 

Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then stir.  Continue to bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Cool.  Package.  If made in advance of holiday festivities, freeze and dole out judiciously. 

Bet you can't eat just one handful! 

SmartCooks

SmartCooks Discovers K-Chips (Kool Krispy Kale)!

November 2011

SmartCooks here. 

Who'd thunk it?  Years, ago I'd never heard of kale.  We certainly didn't eat it in my household in southwestern Ontario.  In adult life, I sailed by it in the vegey section of supermarkets, farmers' markets, and herb and spice stores.  The few times I tried it I found it very bitter.

Well... no more!  The foodie blogs are abuzz with the newest method for eating kale, i.e., as if they are potato chips.  And, before I go further, let me say, I've tried K-Chips half a dozen times and I have become a MAJOR fan. 

What is Kale and Why is it Beneficial?

Research says that kale is a form of cabbage and has high levels of beta carotene, vitamins such as K and C, as well as calcium.   

Once upon a time, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. The plant can have various types of 'curly' leaves, with colours ranging from light green to violent green and brown. 

For K-chips, Red Russian kale is often used as is a classic Italian 'Dinosaur' kale (pictured left), which has deep blue-grey, and long and narrow leaves.  This type of kale is winter hardy and becomes even sweeter after a hard frost.  Tuscan kale and curly types of kale are also well known and can be used for K-Chips (picture, right).  

How to make it

Various websites recommend using a dehydrator to dry the kale (see left). Other sites swear by cooking them in the oven, which is what I did. The directions for oven temperature, though, were all over the map -- from 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  I went with 350 for about 10 minutes (watching closely) and taking them out as the leaves become brown at the edges.

If doing K-Chips in the oven, the other recommendation is to ensure the kale is Dry i.e., wash and spin it several times in a salad spinner. 






K-Chips Basic Recipe
(Synthesized from many websites, picture is Smitten Kitchen )


Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, either dinosaur, Tuscan, curly kale
1 T olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
1) Wash a bunch of kale and spin it in a salad spinner or use a dehydrator to dry thoroughly.  Make sure it is thoroughly dry. 
2) Remove the stems and the centre ribs. 
3) Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces.
4) Place kale in a ziploc bag and toss with 1 T olive oil.  Alternatively use hands to mix. 
*(Note can add other ingredients at this point, see K-Chips Variations below).
5) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay K-Chips in a single layer.
6) Bake for 10 minutes, or until CRISP and edges are brown.  If not ready after 10 minutes, continue baking and watch minute by minute. 
7) Add sea salt for taste. 

K-Chips Variations

There are almost as many variations to K-Chips as there are for potato chips.  I found recipes for salt and vinegar (add sherry, malt or balsamic vinegar), rosemary garlic oil, parmesan, lemon juice, or pickle juice. 

The raw food sites have more complicated recipes and involve a dehydrator.  I haven't included those sites but google away.... 

Nothing quite beats K-chips as a superb low carb and high protein snack. Go wild and pass the K-Chips please! 

Best K-Chips recipe sites:

Totally addictive kale chips:  http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2010/07/totally-addictive-kale-crisps.html

Videos

For more fun, Gwenneth Paltrow (kindof) makes Kale Chips on the Ellen show. 

Aside #17: Shout-Out to the best Food Blogging Sites

November 2011

As part of the SmartCooks portion of the blog, I've scoured most of the major foodie sites and have a list of about 12 sites (of hundreds) that I like the best.  There's an incredible range of people food blogging, either as an outlet or hobby or because they are serious chefs being paid by advertisers to write up their recipes and post them.  They have in common:  a love of making and eating good, healthy, nutritious food. 

Here's my top 5 web blogs:

Smitten Kitchen

Written from a tiny kitchen in New York, Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen blog is about five years old and has gained a large set of followers. 

Deb is a freelance writer/photographer who has received numerous awards for best food weblog and best photography.  She is currently working on "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook", to be released in Fall 2012.  She was recently a guest columnist in Martha Stewart's 'Food' app (more on that later).  She has hundreds of recipes on her site, all indexed from 'Sweets' and 'Seasonal Favourites' to 'Drinks' and 'Disasters'.  She is a fabulous writer and photographer, with a real ability to mix family anecdotes and recipes in one creative posting. 

Her predominant entries are food but she also apparently loves bourbon, which just happens to be my Husband's favourite Drink of Choice.  On May 14, 2011, she posted a recipe for Vermontucky Lemonade and I decided we needed to taste-test it for Husband's July birthday.  He and friends had a fine time polishing off the pitcher I made up.  She also has a wicked Tart Marg that she calls a "day-erasing, stress-obliterating margarita".  Cheers!

********

Food 52

Another unique food blog is Food 52, written by two New York Times writers, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs (creators of the "The Essential New York Times Cookbook"). 

The idea behind the Food 52 weblog was to create a 'buzzing' place for people to talk about food; it took 52 weeks to create Food 52 weblog.  It's wildly successful.  They have a thriving community of home cooks, encouraged through contests, a cooking 'hotline' and promotion of recipes that are submitted to them for vetting. It's sophisticated and high quality.   

They love to work by themes, such as the 'Best Appetizer' or 'Best Dessert' and post the winning recipes.  Their website is choc-a-bloc full of recipes and tips, all done with exceptional writing and photography.  They love to promote aspiring young cooks.  They even have a Cooking Manifesto that includes promotion of cooking as the centrepiece of the family experience.   

Recently they released both a new cookbook (pictured above) based on the recipes submitted to them on the Food 52 weblog and an ipad app featuring their best recipes. 

I have many favourites from their recipe list, and find their ideas for simple, straightforward, uncomplicated dinners among the best I've found. 

About a month ago, for example, I cooked the recipe from the winner of 'The Best Holiday Roast Contest'.  The Porcini and Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce was as good as posted.  It definitely deserved to be the winner.  Yummmm....







Martha Stewart The Everyday Food Blog 

I know. I know.  But if I'm looking for easy, classic, low-calorie (mostly), gluten-free, quick recipes for dinner or menu ideas, Martha is it.  Recent sample of entries:  "Roasted Salmon with Lemon Relish (below), Crispy Apricot Pork Chops , Roast Beef with Cabbage, Squash and Carrots .  It's all wholesome and good food. 

But where Martha Stewart really, really shines is the Ipad app version of her Food magazine.  It defines 'cutting edge', with the highest quality cooking videos, interactive recipes, and special effects like lights winking on a tree etc.  It's a treat to download the monthy magazine (ok, that part takes awhile) and spend an hour going through it.  There are just so many quick tips, creative ideas, and interesting columnists (like Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen). 

There are only a handful of magazines apps in general and food ones in particular.  Her company is hands-down the trend-setter for wireless mobile app technology.




Vegan Yum Yum and Kalyn's Kitchen 

The fourth spot is actually a tie between two vegetarian food blogs.  The first is Vegan Yum Yum , written by a 20s something named Lolo who has her own cookbook (left, also just released), has won Best Blog of the Year awards and was a guest on Martha Stewart's show to promote her sidelines of cupcake making and knitting (sigh).  Her photography is as amazing as her ability to pick wonderful recipes, like Spîcy Lemon Pepper Pasta with Broccoli or Avocado Wasabi Salad  (pictured below).  











She has been voted as best vegetarian weblog (among hundreds of competitors) and has thousands of followers.  And she's not even 30 years old yet.










The other vegetarian favourite is Kalyn's Kitchen, a home-cooking blog.  Kalyn shares recipes that combine her love for delicious food with a commitment to healthy, lower-glycemic eating. She bases her recipes on the South Beach diet that helped her lose 40 pounds a few years back.  She too has been blogging for a number of years. 


I cook her recipes all the time, especially on Meatless Mondays, which the food blogs are all promoting.  I do more than one day a week meatless and find plenty of excellent offerings on her site. Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds is typical of the recipes on her site.  She is also a skilled photographer and, at times, posts an entry on her marvellous back garden with its rows of vegetables. 

My New Roots  

The newest of the blogs that I like is written and created on Bloggers, the site that I use.  Its focus is more on picking healthy choices to eat every day.  Its recipes are mostly vegetarian but it varies.  There's not much about the author but she puts a lot of work into the explanations of each recipe. 

There's beautiful photography and creativity associated with recipes like Heart Beet Rawvioli with Pesto Oil .  I will leave you with the cute pix. 

Shout Out to ALL!!!