If Yan Can Cook...

So Can You.  One of my all time favorite cooking shows. For those of you who aren't familiar with my friend Yan, let me fill you in. 
Growing up my parents opted for us to not own a television for the better part of my childhood.  And by that I mean, our set went out and they just didn't buy another one until I was in 7th grade.  (Yes, I know, it is a miracle that I can function in society.)  However, that year Nintendo was wildly popular and I was in Middle School so it was time to give in. I think my parents realized the whole not having television in our house thing was starting to backfire a bit because my brothers were increasingly becoming mesmerized by television any time they had a chance to watch a show. It was like time stopped. They totally disengaged from their surroundings and were in a trance. So for Christmas we each got a TV. Which meant, I got my own and they had to share. Life is so unfair. Anyway, they didn't care much because they also got a Nintendo and that seemed to justify the sharing.  I was at the age where Saturday morning cartoons had lost the ability to hold my interest, and in fact I am pretty sure I never woke early enough to catch them anyway.  Most Saturdays were lazy, catch-up type days around our house.  Enter public television.  Yes, at age 12 I was watching KERA religiously.  I loved the cooking shows. Julia Child with her, "Bon Appetite", Martin Yan and "If Yan Can Cook, So Can You" and Justin Wilson's, "How ya'll are?" all became engraved in my memories from this time in my life.  I still love a day of nothing but cooking shows or cookbook reading.  I don't even try to explain it, it just is what it is.
So one of the things I loved about Yan was he really made me think "I could too".  His crazy good knife skills were a little scary to me (perhaps that was because there had been one too many knife injuries in our household requiring an ER visit) but getting into the kitchen, opening a cookbook and thinking I could make anything in it seemed to boost my cooking interest and confidence; if for no other reason than me just thinking that I could.  I don't remember my mom teaching me how to cook per say but she always gave me permission to "play" in the kitchen.  As a matter of fact, I remember a day she came home and said, "You made that? I don't even make that."  She was pointing to a 3-layer cake covered in seafoam frosting.  That's the kind of frosting made by beating egg whites then cooking them by slowly pouring boiling syrup into the whites while you continue to beat them into a foamy, sticky cloud.  I can't imagine the panic she must have felt knowing what disaster/injury could have been found instead of the beautifully frosted cake before her.  But she hid her panic and just went on and on about the cake.  No one told me that seafoam frosting was difficult to make.  It just looked really pretty and impressive.  I guess I was right.
My point to all of this is, You Can Cook.  Pick up a cookbook and find something you never would even consider trying to make and then set out to overcome your cooking fears.  Turn on Food Network and soak in some tricks used by famous chefs to navigate the kitchen then try them out for yourself.
(I personally wouldn't start with knife skills but to each his own.) It might take a little practice and a little time to become comfortable in the kitchen but that's ok.  And sure you may scrape off some burned parts, add some salt after the fact or simply utter the words, "I won't try that again".  But I have faith in you.  You can cook.  And who knows, you may even start to like it.
So today I am sharing a recipe that my aunt shared with me.  It is for a soup that will make you feel a little
chef-like having served it.  There is just something rewarding about totally deconstructing a raw food and then making something wonderfully yummy from it that makes you want to pat yourself on the back.  And this soup is sure to earn you such reward.  It would be a perfect first course for upcoming Passover/Easter/Spring meals.  I hope you give it a try and take some time to enjoy making it.  And remember, "If Yan Can Cook, So Can You."


Moroccan Carrot Soup

2 tbs butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound raw carrots, diced/chopped 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion;saute 2 minutes.  Mix in carrots.  Add broth; bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes
Remove soup from heat.  Puree in batches in blender until smooth.  Return to same pan.  Whisk in honey, lemon juice and spices.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls.  Place a dollop of yogurt in the center of bowl and serve.

*Remember organic ingredients are best
** If you are short on time or hate chopping, buy frozen chopped onion and pre-sliced carrot chips to speed up the prep time.

A Quiche By Any Other Name

Ah, Quiche Lorraine.  Smokey bacon and Swiss cheese in a yellow custard all baked and gooey. Always a crowd pleaser because who doesn't like cheesy, bacon goodness?  However, quiche of a "no-name" variety has become a regular around our house lately.  I found an Atkins' recipe that works well for low-carb diets and I just throw in whatever veg or meat I have in the fridge. (just for the record, the buttermilk pancake recipe from yesterday is a rare treat in our low-carb/gluten-free world, crustless quiche is our reality) It is a great way to use all those veggies in the fridge before they have to be thrown out.  I eliminate the meat for meatless meal days and am still left feeling full.  I have found the key to a good quiche is making sure all the moisture is cooked out of the veggies before adding them to the egg/cream mix. Very important! This eliminates a watery quiche because nobody wants that. Below I have listed the recipe I use for the low-carb version but search the internet and find a recipe that fits your diet restrictions if this one has too much fat for your eating plan.  Regardless of what filling you come up with, try it without the crust.  You will not miss it.  The pic to the left is from last night's dinner, aka today's lunch.  This quiche is made with green onions, bacon, kale, Tabasco, spinach and cheddar. Last week's version contained Swiss, red bell pepper, green onion, chicken sausage, mushrooms and kale.  The combinations are endless.  Oh, and be sure to double or triple your recipe so you have leftovers.  It is a great fast breakfast/lunch, reheated or cold. 

Crustless Quiche from Atkins

Ingredients

4 oz. bacon *look for low sodium and nitrate free

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 eggs *farm fresh eggs make all the difference

3/4 c heavy cream *organic

2 boxes (10 oz. each) frozen chopped broccoli or spinach, thawed and squeezed dry *organic

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, shredded *low sodium

1/2 tsp salt *I eliminate this

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350*F. Butter a 10-inch tart pan or 9-inch deep pie plate ( I used a square 9 by 9 glass baking dish).
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels; coarsely chop.
3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, until softened but not brown. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, broccoli, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir in bacon and onion.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes (tenting with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning) or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Number of Servings: 8
*recipe copied from sparkpeople.com

*italics are iheartgroceries remarks

Cooking Light Buttermilk Pancakes

These are a breakfast favorite.  I add some cinnamon, nutmeg and blueberries if I feel like going all out but they are pretty darn good all by themselves.  If going gluten-free, try using Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Mix in place of the flour mixture.  Also, if you don't have buttermilk just add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to a cup of milk, let it stand for 5-10mins then use in recipe. This recipe is copied from Cooking Light.

Buttermilk Pancakes

To freeze any leftovers, place wax paper between pancakes, and wrap them tightly in foil.

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Yield: 9 (4-inch) pancakes (serving size: 1 pancake)

Recipe from

Ingredient

sugar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Jean Kressy, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2000

Cooking Light Spinach Lasagna Rolls

This is one of my favorite go-to meals for meatless dinners. It gives a little twist to regular lasagna and I promise your kids will love it! *This recipe is copied from Cooking Light

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

A meatless and easy-to-eat alternative to traditional lasagna, these spinach lasagna rolls make a pleasing weeknight dinner.

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Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 lasagna rolls)

Recipe from

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) carton lite ricotta cheese 
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 9 cooked lasagna noodles *choose whole wheat or gluten-free if allergy
• Vegetable cooking spray 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
• 4 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta cheese in a large bowl, and stir well. Add spinach, and stir well.
2. Spread 1/3 cup spinach mixture on each lasagna noodle. Roll up jelly-roll fashion, beginning at narrow end. Cut lasagna rolls in half crosswise, using a serrated knife; arrange, cut side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Combine chopped tomato and next 6 ingredients in a bowl, and stir well. Spoon tomato mixture over lasagna rolls. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.