Russian Dreams and Tilapia Babka

by Krista | Apr 22, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

I suppose it may be revisiting Slovenia that has me craving Eastern European food these days. Or perhaps it’s the gray skies and rainy days of a Washington spring. Whatever the reason, my fridge is now filled with cabbage, beets and fish, my pantry stocked with potatoes, onions and garlic.

I once lived on a boat in Russia for 2 1/2 months, and while there came to love borscht, blini, and anything with potato. The dense soups, rich meaty dishes, and creamy desserts delighted me, and kept me full and warm on those cold Moscow days. 🙂

Although I WILL be making borscht shortly – I have a craving!! – I wanted to make something unusual, something I’ve never heard of before. I found it in Fish Babka – a fish souffle. Yup, that’s right! A FISH souffle! It was so weird I had to try it. 🙂

So I thawed tilapia, chopped onions, found the dill and gathered eggs.

It was surprisingly simple – something I am always grateful for. 🙂 I cubed fish and bread, covered them with milk and dried dill and let it all soak while I sauteed onion in lotsa butter until it was nice and glossy. Then I mixed it with the fish mixture, adding egg yolks, nutmeg, more dill and salt and pepper. I whipped up egg whites to frothy peaks and folded them gently into the rest of the ingredients. Pouring it softly into a buttered baking dish, I covered it with buttered foil and baked it for 45 minutes.

It turned out beautifully, nice and puffy flecked with dill, the chunks of fish nestled in the oniony souffle. It reheated nicely too, serving me well for evenings when I really don’t want to cook. 🙂

Tilapia Babka
(From Russian, Polish and German Cooking)

Ingredients:

12 oz white fish fillets, skinned and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 oz bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of 6 1/4 cup ovenproof dish with parchment paper and grease sides with butter. 
2. Place fish and bread cubes in bowl, cover with milk and let soak while you cook onion. 
3. Melt butter in saucepan, add onion and cook 10 minutes until soft. Let cool a few minutes. 
4. Add to fish and bread with egg yolks, nutmeg, salt and pepper and dill. Mix well. 
5. In separate bowl whisk egg whites until stiff, then fold into fish mixture. 
6. Spoon mixture into baking dish, cover with buttered foil and bake for 45 minutes. 
7. Allow to stand five minutes, then spoon out. Serve warm.

Surprise Flowers and Cold Cauliflower Curry with Green Peas

by Krista | Apr 15, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

We’ve had the most scrumptiously warm weather this week! No jackets needed, scarves removed by noon, short sleeves and breeze-catching dresses the order of the day for my afternoon walk.

On the last  few minutes of my walk today I rounded a corner and came face to face with a pert little miss riding her bicycle, blond hair mussed in the wind, training wheels clattering as she braked to a halt. “Hello!” she called cheerily. “Do you want to come get some purple flowers from my mom?” Grinning I said “I’d love to but I have to get back to work right now.” Without a seconds hesitation, she thrust out a drooping cluster of white flowers she had clenched in her fist, and bestowed them on me. I thanked her profusely for her gift and she bid me farewell. As I turned to walk back to work she shouted in delight, “That’s MY path! I’ll go with you!” So she pedaled like mad to stay a bit ahead of me, stopping now and then to smile back at me until we parted ways at the corner. She totally made my day. 🙂

Cold Cauliflower Curry with Green Peas
(Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp toasted ground cumin
1/4 tsp asafetida
1/4 cup peeled and grated ginger
4 tsp toasted ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp turmeric
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces, including the stems
Salt
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed (I didn’t have these so I used frozen peas, thawed)
2 tsp green mango powder (I didn’t have this so I used ground pomegranate powder)
1 tsp garam masala

Directions:

1. In a white pot heat the oil over medium high heat. Add cumin and asafetida and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 
2. Add the ginger, coriander, cayenne and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds more. 
3. Add the onion, lower the heat and cook until limp, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. 
4. Add cauliflower and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Mix everything together.
5. Pour in 1/2 cup water, cover pot and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Add peas and cook for a few minutes more, until they’re bright green. 
7. Add mango/pomegranate powder and garam masala, stir together, taste for salt, and serve.

A Blustery Beach and Homemade Soup

by Krista | Apr 8, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

It was a cold, rainy and stormy day this past weekend when my rellies and I decided we simply had to go to the beach! We donned jackets and scarves and braved the nippy breezes, so happy to be at the seashore breathing deeply of that cold salty air.

We strolled the rocky shoreline, stopping to peer into tide pools, pointing out scurrying crabs, tiny shells walking along by themselves, and rocks encrusted with barnacles and mussels.

It was a beautiful way to spend a stormy day. 🙂

Mum’s 4-Bean Salsa Soup

Ingredients:

1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinquinto beans
1 can green chilies
2 jars salsa
1 can corn, drained
1-2 farmer’s sausage, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup cheese (cheddar, pepper jack), shredded
*DO NOT DRAIN BEANS*

Directions:

1. Heat soup pot over medium heat and fry sausage until browned. Drain.
2. Add rest of ingredients except cilantro and cheese. Bring to boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.
3. Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and shredded cheese.

Splendid Sunshine and Spiced Lentil Soup with Lime and Cinnamon

by Krista | Apr 1, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

I think dandelions are awfully cheerful, particularly when the setting sun makes them glow. This one blazed at me from the roots of a tall cedar outside my window this evening. Isn’t it lovely? 🙂

After days of wild wind, hail, and rain, the sun came out today in all its splendor, brightening landscapes and hearts. Last night I was a whirling dervish of cooking and dish-washing, but tonight I slowed down and rested. I strolled to the creek bank, closing my eyes and breathing deeply as the breezes brought scents of sap and green and flower from the woods. I leaned back against an obliging cedar tree, basking in the warmth of the setting sun.

Then I looked up, marveling at the lacy patterns of tree branches etched against the sky.

All too soon it was time to eat and start working my way through the boxes stacked in my living room. So I poured myself a glass of chilled Aussie white into a Mason jar – I haven’t found my wine glasses yet 🙂 – ate my dinner and got to work.

I’m pleased as punch to have sorted through FOUR boxes and tossed two bags of papers and trash. 🙂 Hooray! It feels so good. 🙂

And now I get to sit down with my tea and write to you dear folks. 🙂 Last week I promised to share the new soup recipe I tried, and today is the day! 🙂 I was in the mood for lentils, so I looked through my cookbooks and found a recipe called “Garlicky Lentil Soup” that sounded good. I was halfway through making it and waiting for the lentils to get soft enough when my eye strayed to the page right next to it and lurched to a halt on “Spiced Lentil Soup.” A quick glance at the ingredient list confirmed that my allegiance was about to sway. 🙂 Thankfully the first few steps were virtually identical, so I hurriedly added in the extra ingredients and was set.

Ohhh, it was GOOD! 🙂 The lentils are simmered with the usual accomplices: garlic, onion, tomato, but then the fun begins with the addition of turmeric, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon. After all that goodness is simmered for a while, you add creamy coconut milk and fresh lime juice and shew, it’s yummy. 🙂

Spiced Lentil Soup with Lime and Cinnamon
(Adapted from Soup: Superb Ways with a Classic Dish)

Ingredients:

2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used canned, diced tomatoes)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (I didn’t have any and it tasted great anyways)
1 tsp ground cumin
6 cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 cup red or green lentils, rinsed and drained
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Ground cinnamon or cumin seeds to garnish

Directions:

1. Put onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, lentils and water into a saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. 
2. Remove cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, then puree mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to soup pot.
3. Reserve a little of the coconut milk for garnish, and add remainder, with lime juice, to saucepan. Reheat soup gently without boiling.
4. Swirl in reserved coconut milk, garnish with cumin seeds or ground cinnamon and serve piping hot.

Navy Bean Gratin with Pesto and Tomatoes

by Krista | Mar 25, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

I had a lovely evening with dear friends and my folks last night. We met for dinner at a new Mexican restaurant that was so cheery and colorful I couldn’t stop craning my neck to look at everything. The pico de gallo was fresh as can be, and everything was savory and piping hot.

Afterward we gather at my parent’s house and got cozy in the living room with steaming cups of tea and quilts to chuckle our way through a witty episode of Nero Wolfe. 🙂 It was a grand way to spend a winter’s eve. 🙂

I’ve been experimenting with beans and grains a lot lately, wanting to make hearty yet nutritious things that taste good and stick to my ribs. I also wanted to use this marvy blue pot I found at a thrift store a while back. 🙂

I found such a dish by combining earthy navy beans with springy pesto, perky tomatoes and ricotta cheese. It is nothing to look at, I’ll admit, but the flavor is quite splendid, reminiscent of a rich lasagna.

 Navy Bean Gratin with Pesto and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 bag dried navy beans, soaked (quick method or overnight)
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
6+ cups vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/2-1 cup pesto
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in soup pot over medium-high heat, then add onion, bay leaves and thyme. Cook 3-5 minutes until onions are soft and beginning to brown.
2. Add beans and 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth and simmer about 30 minutes until beans are nearly tender. Season with 1 tsp salt and cook for 15 minutes more. Let cool in broth.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 2 quart baking dish. 
4. Combine remaining ingredients, stirring gently until well incorporated. 
5. Pour into baking dish and bake about 35 minutes.

Lemony Chicken Barley Soup and A Bit of Cheerfulness

by Krista | Mar 18, 2010 | Plucky Thursday

I love this quote by Beverly Sills. It speaks of courage, strength, and clarity of thought and purpose in the midst of any devilry the world may throw at us. It’s the sort of woman I want to be, a ray of sunshine in my own bits of darkness.

I gave a happy little sigh when I arrived home to this view last night. 🙂

I pulled open my blinds, climbed into bed with my heating pad and settled in, basking in a room all glowy from the setting sun, delighting in the play of light on my covers.

One particularly bleak and stormy day this week, I drove home and passed a gorgeous flowering tree, ablaze in cheeky white blossoms braving the bluster.

 So even though it was raining something fierce, I hopped out and captured a shot of one blossom, a bit rusty around the edges, but I still think it’s lovely. 🙂

On that same day I got bursts of energy and inspiration, bustling about the kitchen making all sorts of things. I already told you about the Roasted Green Bean Salad with Shredded Chicken, Lime and Cilantro and Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Parmesan, but I promised to tell you what I did with the rest of the shredded chicken. 🙂 So here goes!

They were both quick, simple and healthy. The first was Shredded Chicken Quesadillas With Roasted Green Chilies and Cilantro. A whole wheat tortilla made a suitable base, topped with chicken, roasted green chilies, and sharp cheddar cheese. I broiled them until the cheese was melted and the edges crispy, then sprinkled them liberally with fresh chopped cilantro. Cut into wedges and put in storage containers, a quick heating at work made great lunches for me this week. 🙂

The second was Lemony Chicken Barley Soup. I used the broth from stewing a whole chicken in the crock pot for 8 hours, added onion, celery, carrot, dried cilantro, and sea salt, and let it all simmer. When the veggies were mostly done, I dumped in barley, chicken and a quartered lemon, simmering until the barley was tender. I fished out the lemon wedges, added more lemon juice and some fresh cilantro and voila! A hearty yet bright soup perfect for these blustery spring days we’re having.

I slept almost ten hours last night and feel like a new woman! HOORAY! 🙂 The sun is creeping over the horizon and birds are already twittering outside my window. It’s a new day and I hope it is beautiful for you. 🙂

Lemony Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 lemon, quartered
1-2 cups, shredded chicken
1 cup barley
1-2 lemons, juiced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.  Combine first 5 ingredients in soup pot, bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are tender. 
2. Add lemon, chicken and barley. Simmer until barley is tender. 
3. Remove lemon quarters.
4. Add fresh lemon juice and cilantro and serve.