Cookie and Kate - a photographer’s adventures in cooking & travel

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries with Barley

By kate | Published: January 20, 2012

My favorite term of endearment in French has always been mon petit chou chou, which literally translated means “my little cabbage cabbage”. The French use it to mean something like “my sweetheart,” and it may or may not actually refer to a pastry instead of cabbage. Regardless, the literal translation made me giggle when I learned it in high school and it still makes me giggle today. Please, call someone you love a “cabbage cabbage” today and wait for their reaction. If you want to say it in French, chou sounds just like “shoe”. I dare you.

Anyway, my favorite French term of endearment has come to mind often this winter as I’ve sliced up Brussels sprouts to roast for dinner. Having never eaten Brussels sprouts as a kid, I was intimidated by those foreign baby cabbages. This winter I vowed to get over my apprehension. I learned to like them on my first attempt: steamed on the stove and oven roasted under a layer of Fontina cheese. Like turned to love when I learned to roast them, halved, in a cast iron pan, and I officially tombé amoureux (fell in love) when I found a quick sauté and broil method that bakes my little “cabbage cabbages” in under ten minutes.

Since falling in love with Brussels sprouts, I have singlehandedly put away at least 10 pounds of roasted sprouts. I love their salty, crispy exterior and softer, steamed interior. Technically speaking, Brussels sprouts are not baby cabbages, but a special kind of miniature cabbage. The flavor is a bit reminiscent of broccoli, which makes sense because they are both Brassicas. Brassicas are notoriously high in anti-cancerous, DNA protective properties.

I crave Brussels every few days, and I’ve developed an odd habit of eating a huge bowlful of roasted Brussels after my weekly yoga class. Desolée, mes petits chou choux, I think as I slice off their tails and cut them in half. By the time I bite into crisp, roasted sprouts, I’m not really sorry at all.

In addition to my newfound love for Brussels sprouts, I’ve been becoming more adventurous and knowledgable about various types of whole grains. Every time I visit the new health food store in town, I make a point to buy a new variety. So far I’ve tried wheat berries, farro, Kamut, steel cut oats, and most recently, barley. I like to cook up a big batch of whole grains and try to come up with ways to use the leftovers over the week. I think it’s a good way to become acquainted with a grain, and it’s a very cheap way to eat.

Though I haven’t made any direct taste comparisons, I think that wheat berries, farro and Kamut are all pretty similar in taste and texture, and could easily be substituted for one another. I expected barley to be like the others, with a chewy exterior and soft interior, but I was surprised to find that it is fluffy and soft. Barley seems like a cross between brown rice and oatmeal. Thus it’s a little creamy and almost risotto-like, which makes it the perfect grain to soak up dressing in this recipe.

Another thing I’ve learned about cooking whole grains is that their cooking time varies, sometimes even from the time listed on the bag. I just mixed two cups of uncooked, hulled barley with six cups of water (a 1:3 ratio), let it come to a boil, and then simmered it, covered, for a little less than an hour. One cup of uncooked barley will yield plenty for this recipe and two cups of uncooked barley will leave you with tons of leftovers. I encourage you to get creative and come up with new ways to enjoy barley in your cooking.

This recipe is one that I’ve been working on for a while now. Brussels sprouts tossed in a light maple syrup and balsamic dressing pair marvelously with sweet, freshly cooked cranberries, and a bed of creamy leftover barley is the perfect final resting place for mes petits chou choux. Tangy Gorgonzola cheese melts into the barley and toasted pecans add a nice crunch.

This dish is easily deconstructed, however. Feel free to roast the Brussels sprouts with this method, and toss them with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice for a snack. Brussels, cranberries and pecans without barley make a great side dish. If you can’t find fresh cranberries, you can substitute dried cranberries (which is a shame, in my opinion, but do as you wish). Just toss the dried cranberries in with the sprouts after they’re done roasting. Vegan? Omit the cheese.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley Recipe
Serves two. Inspired by Love and Lemons’ maple and balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts recipe and one of Mark Bittman’s recipes in The Food Matters Cookbook. The quick-roasted sprouts method is adapted from The Kitchn via Jacqui of So Good and Tasty (thanks Jacqui!).

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, tips cut off, discolored leaves removed and sliced in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
2/3 cup fresh cranberries (or 1/3 cup dried cranberries)
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or goat cheese
1/3 cup freshly toasted pecans
1 1/2 cups cooked barley, reheated (see instructions above)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your broiler.
Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Let it heat up for two to three minutes. It should be so hot that a few drops of water sizzle and quickly disappear after contact.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the prepared Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Toss well, so that the sprouts are evenly coated in a thin layer of oil.
Once the pan is hot, dump the sprouts into the pan and quickly rearrange them so the flat sides are face down. Let them cook for two minutes.
Toss the fresh cranberries into the pan and transfer the pan to your broiler. The pan will be heavy and hot so use oven mitts and be careful! Let the Brussels broil for about three minutes. Check the sprouts for doneness—their tops should be a little browned and the bottoms caramelized. How long you should leave them in there depends on your preferences and your oven. The cranberries should have started popping by now; set the hot pan on your stovetop for a couple of minutes while you reheat the barley.
Toss the warm barley, sprouts, cranberries, cheese and pecans in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt, divide into smaller bowls, and enjoy!

Notes:

I highly recommend using a 12-inch cast iron skillet rather than a large oven-safe, non-stick skillet because typical non-stick skillets release toxins at high temperatures.
Brussels sprouts are best cooked flat side down because the heat gets trapped inside the sprout and, in effect, steams it. It’s the best way to get crispy flat sides and cooked insides.
If you’re adding pecans, I recommend toasting the pecans over medium heat in a separate pan. They will burn over high heat.

Last but certainly not least, I have an exciting announcement to make! Sarah of 20something cupcakes and I are starting a community cooking project called The Food Matters Project. Sarah brought The Food Matters Cookbook to my attention a few months ago because she loved the recipes, but mostly because it had given her a new viewpoint on food. I bought the cookbook, and after reading through the introduction, realized that Mark and I share the same cooking philosophy—that eating more plants and whole grains and less meat and processed food is better for our health and the environment. Then I poured through all 500 recipes, dog-earing many of them to try later. I adore the recipes because they’re healthy, simple and versatile, which are all essential recipe qualities in my mind. Truly, if I had to pick one cookbook to recommend above all others, it would be this one.

Sarah and I are so enamored with Mark Bittman’s recipes in The Food Matters Cookbook that we want to build a community around it and cook through the book together. If you want to learn how to cook healthy food, try new ingredients, or challenge yourself creatively, this project is for you. We can’t wait to see how you interpret his recipes!

Just like Mark Bittman, we want this project to be as unfussy and approachable as possible. Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are welcome to join, and you decide whether or not you want to cook the selected recipe each week. And just so we’re clear, we have no affiliation with Mark Bittman; we just feel that his cookbook is perfectly suited for a group cooking project.

Learn more about the project at our new website, thefoodmattersproject.com, and follow our facebook page for updates! You can also learn more about The Food Matters Cookbook here and buy the book over here. I hope you are as excited as I am about the project and I hope you’ll participate. We launch on February 6, so get ready!

Posted in entrées, recipes, side dishes | Tagged barley, brussels sprouts, cranberries, gorgonzola, pecans | 38 Comments

Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats

By kate | Published: January 12, 2012

Though I’ve run across many recipes for steel cut oats on my favorite blogs and inside my most dog-eared cookbooks, somehow the fact that steel cut oats are infinitely better than their old-fashioned counterparts escaped me. Steel cut oats are so creamy that they seem positively indulgent—so decadent that I can’t resist eating tiny bowlfuls for dessert. If you haven’t given steel cut oats try yet, please do. I promise you’ll never look at oatmeal the same way again.

If, like me, you’ve avoided steel cut oats because they require more time on the stove, I assure you that they are worth the effort in spades. The process is largely passive, so you can set the timer and forget about it for a while. I made this big batch last weekend and it has proven to be plenty for all five weekdays thereafter. I just reheat a bowlful with a bit of extra milk and top it with a big spoonful of yogurt. Breakfast is served!

As usual, when I want to learn how to cook something right the first time, I turn to The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook for the proper technique. The test kitchen tried cooking oats every which way and determined that they are best when toasted first, and cooked with one part milk with three parts water. If you’ve tried steel cut oats any other way, please let me know how these compare!

Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Adapted from Green Market Baking Book‘s recipe for Blueberry Ginger Syrup (seen on these blueberry waffles and these coconut cranberry waffles)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
4 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoon waters

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir constantly for about 3 to 6 minutes, until the cranberries pop, the sauce thickens and turns red. That’s it!

Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats Recipe
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1 cup almond milk (or other milk: cow’s milk, coconut milk, etc.)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of one orange and juice of one orange

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, bring the water and milk to a simmer over medium heat. In the meantime, melt the butter (or coconut oil) in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Toast the oats, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, around 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Stir the oats into the simmering water/milk mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.
Stir in the salt. Continue to simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. The oatmeal should be very creamy at this point. Stir in the orange zest and juice, and let the oatmeal stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Portion into bowls and top with cranberry sauce, toasted pecans, a splash of almond milk and/or Greek yogurt.

Notes:

Serves 4 to 6. Add yogurt to stretch the portions.
If you ignore the orange zest and juice part of the recipe, you’ll have a basic recipe for super creamy steel cut oats, which you can top any way you’d like. Nut butters, fruit (fresh or defrosted), toasted nuts, compotes, jam and honey are all good ideas. Greek yogurt is highly recommended.

Posted in breakfast, recipes, vegan | Tagged cranberries, oranges, steel cut oats, winter | 29 Comments

Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup

By kate | Published: January 5, 2012

The holidays are officially over, thank goodness. My skinny jeans are feeling a little snug, though, and this girl gets cranky when her skinny jeans are snug. Rather than telling myself what I shouldn’t eat (which inevitably results in an overwhelming urge to scarf down an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies), I’ve been filling my belly with my favorite veggie-packed meals. Case in point: this sweet potato, kale, chickpea and farro soup, which is both impossible to describe using fewer words and totally my favorite soup.

Pictured is the third batch of this soup that I’ve made since cold weather hit, and I’m counting down the minutes until I can heat up a big bowlful for lunch. It’s spicy, filling, satisfying, and overflowing with so-called power foods and whole grain goodness.

I dare say that my third attempt is just right; I love it so because each main ingredient contributes flavor while retaining its texture. The chickpeas don’t turn to mush like lentils would, the sweet potatoes retain their delicate bite, and the kale never wilts like more delicate greens.

If your pants are feeling a bit snug like mine, satisfy your appetite with a bowl of this sweet and spicy soup and forget about those strict detox diets. Say yes to health, and no to self-deprivation! Get yourself to a yoga class, savor every bite and you’ll be rocking those skinny jeans before you know it. That’s my strategy, at least.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup with Farro

Based on Heidi Swanson’s farro soup in Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or butternut squash)
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (available in the Asian section at most grocery stores)
1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed (or 2 cups cooked whole grains, like wheat berries, spelt berries or kamut)
6 to 7 cups vegetable broth (or water flavored with vegetarian bouillon cubes)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
1/2 roasted red pepper, finely chopped (I used jarred)
1/2 small bunch of crinkly purple kale or green kale, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, if you like it extra spicy like me)

Instructions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Stir in the onions and sweet potato and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.
Add the curry paste and stir until the onions and sweet potatoes are coated and the curry is fragrant (about a minute).
Add the farro, if that’s your grain of choice, and six cups of veggie broth or water and bouillon cubes.
Bring to a boil, then set the timer for thirty minutes, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.
After thirty minutes, uncover the pot and add the chickpeas and red pepper. Taste and season with more salt as needed (if it tastes flat, add more). If you chose to use cooked whole grains, add them now. Cover and simmer for another twenty minutes.
Uncover, stir in the kale, add cayenne pepper if desired, and serve.

Notes:

This soup is vegan, but mighty tasty with a side of whole wheat toast slathered with goat cheese.
I have tried this soup with lentils and rice, and do not recommend substituting those ingredients for chickpeas or other whole grains. They both lose their texture and cook down to mush.
I prefer using farro as the whole grain because it requires less cooking time than wheat berries, spelt berries or kamut, so it can be cooked along with the soup. The soup is great with those other whole grains, but you’ll want to start cooking those in a separate pot well before the farro; just add the whole grains along with the chickpeas so no ingredients are overcooked or lose their texture.
Heidi’s original recipe calls for one tablespoons and two teaspoons curry powder (she prefers Madras curry powder). I tried it with some Tikka Masala curry powder, which was fine, but I definitely prefer red Thai curry paste.

Posted in entrées, recipes, vegan | Tagged chickpeas, farro, kale, soup, sweet potatoes, winter | 49 Comments

Blood Orange French 75 (and a giveaway!)

By kate | Published: December 31, 2011

Happy New Year’s Eve! I’m posting this fizzy pink cocktail far too late for you to make it tonight, I know. Please accept my apologies. Resolution No. 1: Start planning ahead.

I can’t say I’m sad for the year to end because I’m busy looking forward to the year ahead. 2011 has been a year of growth. I learned how to get unstuck, if you will, by leaving an unfulfilling three-year-long relationship and quitting a miserable office job. I traveled as much as possible in search of a new city to call home. I cultivated friendships and tried to savor every moment in each season.

I learned a lot of lessons in my 25th year—some invaluable and others, trivial. I started referring to myself as a woman rather than a girl. That’s something. I realized I’d rather snuggle with my dog than a jerk. I developed a serious appreciation for stretchy pants. Each little success on this blog has reinforced my belief that persistence and creative development will help me get to a better position in life, whatever that may be.

I’m eager to discover what’s in store for 2012. My main goal is to get out of this town and make a new home elsewhere (Kansas City, here I come!). I also resolve to exercise and floss my teeth and wear sunscreen daily. See? I’m old.

Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail Recipe
Adapted from Imbibe Magazine’s French 75 Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces gin
1 small blood orange (about the size of a lemon), juiced
1/2 small lemon, juiced
3 ounces Champagne or sparkling wine
Ice

Instructions:

Fill a Champagne flute or comparably sized glass less than halfway with crushed ice (optional).
Fill a small cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the gin and the blood orange and lemon juice. Shake well.
Strain the gin mixture into the glass. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a blood orange twist (you’ll see in the pictures that I played around with garnishes but the twist is more traditional).

One last thing! I am giving away a copy of The American Cocktail, by the editors of Imbibe Magazine, to one lucky reader! It’s a beautiful little book filled with 50 inventive cocktail recipes, which are organized by region and accompanied by Sheri Giblin’s inspiring photographs. Ms. Giblin puts my work to shame.

For a chance to win, leave a comment below! Tell me about your resolutions, your New Year’s Eve festivities or why you’d like to win the book. Anything will do.

The fine print: You have until midnight CST on Thursday, January 5th, to leave your comment for a chance to win. I will notify the winner by email on Friday; the winner must reply within 7 days with a valid mailing address or I will randomly select another winner. Good luck, and Happy New Year to all!

Update: Congratulations to Shelley of Rosewater and Thyme for winning the giveaway! Thank you to all who entered—I loved reading every single comment!

Posted in cocktail, drinks, recipes | Tagged champagne, gin, holiday cocktail series, oranges, winter | 48 Comments

Spicy Molasses Cookies

By kate | Published: December 30, 2011

As a kid, I didn’t like molasses flavored cookies. I’d crinkle my little nose at gingerbread men and reach for a snickerdoodle instead. I’ve changed my ways this year and finally learned to like—no, to love—the bittersweet flavor of molasses. Molasses retains some of the trace minerals found in the sugar cane plant, like iron and calcium, so it’s a sweetener worth learning to like.

These cookies deliver a serious kick in the mouth, with a strong molasses flavor and lots of warm spices, including a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Simmering the spices with the butter lends a delightful complexity and makes the cookies extraordinary. These cookies are not for kids, mind you, but for true molasses fans.

I’ve been posting more dessert recipes than usual this month but promise that come January, we can detox with greens and satisfying soups. So if you’re not quite fed up with holiday sweets yet, I suggest making a batch of these spicy treats this weekend. One batch yields only about 16 cookies, and they freeze well, so you can savor them over the next couple of cold months if you’d like. I find that one of these spicy cookies is the perfect companion my afternoon cup of coffee.

Spicy Molasses Cookie Recipe
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons raw (turbinado) sugar, divided
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper (a couple of twists’ worth)
1/4 cup light or dark molasses
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or Muscovado sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

With an oven rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour 1 tablespoon of raw sugar into a small, shallow dish for rolling.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the butter mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
Whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons raw sugar, brown sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and molasses into the melted butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until combined.
Use a cookie dough scoop or spoons to scoop out about one tablespoon of dough at a time. Lightly shape into a ball and dunk half the cookie into the small bowl of raw sugar. Place each cookie on the baking sheet, sugar side up, leaving a couple of inches around each cookie.
Bake the cookies until the edges are set but the centers are still soft, puffy and underdone, which will take 9 to 12 minutes.

Note that you can temper the intensity of the molasses by choosing a lighter molasses and going with light brown sugar; the darker the better, in my opinion.

Posted in cookies, recipes | Tagged molasses, winter | 11 Comments

No Cook Fudge

By kate | Published: December 28, 2011

I inherited my sweet tooth for chocolate, among many other features, from my sweet grandmother Mimi. Mimi made the best old-fashioned fudge around. She didn’t use marshmallow fluff or any other questionable substances—just sugar, cocoa, milk and butter, carefully combined according to the technique she’d learned in her high school home economics class (circa 1933).

Mimi and I made her famous fudge together a couple of times. She would start by pulling out her recipe, which was written in her young handwriting on an old, yellowed piece of paper. I’d stand on a step-stool in her sunny kitchen in Woodward, Oklahoma, and lean with my little hands, which looked like miniature versions of her hands, over her yellow laminate countertops. Her elegant, pale gold watch and wedding ring glimmered as she measured and stirred, and her brown eyes, the same color as mine, twinkled as she taught me her secrets to fudge making. I remember balling up little bits of fudge between my fingers and dropping the bitty balls of fudge into a bowl of water to test the temperature. We stirred some more and, finally, we dropped spoonfuls of heavenly scented, melted fudge goodness onto waxed paper. The process seemed like magic.

I’m sad to say that I have lost her fudge recipe, but all is not lost. I like to imagine that I’ll find it someday, tucked in between her other recipes or in one of her old cookbooks, and feel elated for days. I’ve recently inherited her wedding ring and watch, which fit my finger and wrist like they were made from me (because they kind of were). If Mimi were around today, I’d like to think that she’d love this fudge. It satisfies my sweet tooth, so I think it would satisfy hers.

Sometimes I try intriguing recipes out of sheer curiosity, and this is one of such recipes. It’s vegan and made with real, natural ingredients. It’s both vegan and raw if you use peanut butter made from raw peanuts (I didn’t). It requires a food processor and a small container (like the kind you might use for leftovers), but the method is as easy as it gets, no candy thermometer required. And it’s crazy delicious. Oh my, this fudge is good.

I’ve made it twice, once with regular cocoa powder and then again with organic cacao powder, which results in a richer fudge with a more intense dark chocolate flavor. If you can find it, I recommend using cacao powder because of its more healthful properties and because its richness does a better job of masking the flavor of the bananas.

No Cook Fudge

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Cookie and Kate

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

The easiest, healthiest fudge you’ll ever make! No thermometer, marshmallow fluff or corn syrup required. It’s vegan and raw, too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut butter*
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 small ripe bananas, cut into one-inch chunks
1/4 cup teaspoon raw cacao powder** or regular cocoa powder
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch sea salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, roughly five minutes or so.
Use a spatula to pour the mixture into a flat, sealable container.
Place the container in the freezer. The fudge needs to be super cold in order to retain its shape, so I find that it’s best to store the fudge in the freezer. If you store it in the fridge, it will have a semi-solid mousse-like texture.

Notes

Adapted from Munchin with Munchkin’s Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge.
For more vegan fudge variations, check out this vegan fudge post on Chocolate Covered Katie.
This fudge keeps well in the freezer for a surprisingly long time, upwards of a week. Try not to slice it until you’re ready to eat a piece.
*To make your own coconut butter, pulse 8 ounces of shredded, unsweetened coconut in a food processor until smooth, which will take 8 to 12 minutes. Please note that 8 ounces of coconut will yield 1 cup of coconut butter, which is twice what you need for the recipe. I recommend 8 ounces because I have not had any luck making smaller batches in my food processor; too many flakes stick to the side. Perhaps a very smaller food processor could do the job. If you make 8 ounces’ worth, you can save 1/2 cup of coconut butter for later (it’s great on quick breads, muffins and more), or you can double the batch and toss twice the remaining ingredients into the food processor after making the coconut butter. Just pour the mixture into a bigger container and refrigerate/freeze as directed.
**Cacao powder is ground from raw cacao beans. It is not as processed as regular cocoa powder, which means that it is higher in antioxidants and nutrients and also tastes more intense than cocoa powder. You should be able to find a bag of it at your local health store or in bulk online. It’s great in smoothies, too.