Tomato Sauce Alternatives

This is one of the more random tidbits I've blogged about, but I wanted to share a few "sauce" alternatives for pizzas that don't involve tomatoes (darn you, tomato allergies!). Many of these also work as pasta sauces!

The one has pureed butternut squash as a base (it also has caramelized onions, salami, goat cheese, and parsley). I've also used:

• Sweet potato puree
• Thinly sliced white potatoes
• White bean puree (or better yet: roasted fennel and white bean puree)
• Pesto 
• Creamed greens
• Fig and olive tapenade

These might sound super strange, but I promise, they're really good! Especially the tapenade :) 

Summer Sunday Dinner: Back to School Feast

Throughout the summer, I am sharing a peak at our Sunday dinners. That is when our most pretty, fun cooking takes place, and this is a record of all that good stuff. I hope you enjoy! 

The back to school feast serves a larger purpose than just celebrating the end of summer. It's also a distraction to fight against first day of school jitters. This was a drawn out dinner that we ate in courses throughout the night.

First, the fig and olive tapenade. I added a bit of thyme, a teaspoon of capers, 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste, and a giant squeeze of lemon to mine. This is now my go-to appetizer. Ten minutes to make, with all pantry-ready items? Perfecto.

Peter made cocktails with muddled peaches and basil and rum, and I threw together the peach tart. After a while, we switched to rosé, set up the steamer for our little lobsters, and grilled the onions and peaches for salad. 

I've written before about lingering and eating long, drawn-out meals when guests are with us, but it turns out that it just as nice a practice when it's the two of us. Something good to remember as this summer Sunday dinner series draws to a close.

And just like that, we are back in school-mode.

Asian-style Wedge Salad

I take a lot of food pictures that never make there way to the blog. Usually they seem sort of obvious and ordinary with a little hindsight. Do you really need to see my quinoa tostadas or fancy grilled cheese, along with a brief explanation? I always tell myself you do not.

But this week I started thinking about the kinds of recipes I'm always on the look out for. These include: grains + veggie main dishes, one-pot meals, and salads. Lot of salads! So in that spirit, I'm sharing this one with you (even though my inner editor is still sort of asking why).

A little back story: In Disney World's Prime Time Cafe, of all places, I had a really good wedge salad. It was the standard BLT variety, with lots of blue cheese dressing (but no tomatoes, ew). Ever since, I've been on Team Wedge Salad. They are so easy to make, really inexpensive, and feel very light and summery.

This one is a slightly different take. It's a wedge with carrots, radishes, chopped cilantro, peanuts, and a peanut scallion dressing. It was good! Here's a loose version of the dressing I made, but you'll probably want to play around with it a bit.

Happy St. Patrick's Day weekend, all!

Peanut Scallion Salad Dressing

You will need:

1 scallion, white and pale green parts only, chopped very well
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
Big squeeze of lime juice (from about a 1/4 of a lime) + some zest, if you wish
Salt and pepper
Water or vegetable oil, as needed

Combine all ingredients but the oil/water in a bowl and mix very well with a fork. This will likely be quite thick, so add in additional oil or water until you have the desired consistency. I added about 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of water for a creamy, thick dressing. Makes enough for two wedge salads!

A Tale of Two Dinners: The Best of Times

We had my sisters- and (brand new!) brother-in-law over to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. There was deep sadness about the Patriot's loss - and we aren't even really fans! I think the local angle got to everybody.

But the food and snacks were on point. Peter made chili, and he claims it was his best batch ever. His secret ingredients? A splash of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of curry powder!

Inspired by Joanna Goddard's post, I put together a baked potato bar with all kinds of toppings. Above you see bacon, butter, grated cheddar cheese and chopped chives. I also sauteed mushrooms and steamed broccoli, and of course, people could put chili on top, too.

For dessert, oh my. Compost cookies! I've wanted to make these for a looooong time, but I guess I was waiting for some sort of over the top eating and snacking event to justify potato chip + candy cookies. I should not have waited! These are so good. For candy, I used chopped Heath bar, chocolate chips and peanut M&Ms. I made the dough on Saturday, and baked up a sheet of cookies after half time so they would be warm and gooey.

All week, I've been making a couple of cookies each night for dessert. I was always v. skeptical about people who keep cookie dough in their fridge or freezer to do this. Such restraint! But I've drank the cookie-dough-in-the-fridge Kool Aid. Having a single warm cookie on a Wednesday night while watching Inspector Lewis is one of life's great pleasures.

This whole meal was a winner because I followed the rules: make things ahead, and repeat old recipes. Peter, you have my permission to remind me of this when I start pushing for us to try turducken for the first time next Thanksgiving.

And I think on another level, it was fun and successful because it was so easy. For a normal dinner with friends, I wouldn't serve potatoes and cookies and call it a day. That's so silly, though! Those things are delicious and (almost) everyone likes them. I need to treat more gatherings like they are the Super Bowl, even if we eat at the dining room table and don't get to gush over E*Trade baby commercials.

A Tale of Two Dinners: The Worst of Times

On Saturday night, Peter and I hosted a couple friends at our house for dinner. Between me and one of our guests, I worked around allergies to beef, cheese, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, sage and soy. Ha!

I carefully planned my menu: Dorie Greenspan's chard-stuffed pork, roasted domino potatoes and green beans with toasted hazelnuts. Sounds pretty good, right?

Well, it was no where near our best work. The meat thermometer wasn't reading right, and we kept checking (and cooking!) the pork longer than it needed. The domino potatoes turned into charred potato chip-like things around the edges, and dry potato disks in the middle. And the green beans? I overcooked them until they became a grey-green pile of ick.


I tried to follow Julia Child's golden rule of entertaining - “You should never apologize at the table. People will think, ‘Yes, it’s really not so good.'" But I couldn't stop myself! We all knew it was really not so good. I didn't follow my own golden rules, either: never cook something new (domino potatoes) and always have one thing completely ready ahead of time (i.e., kale salad instead of green beans). 


I know these things happen to the best of us, but it's still annoying, yes? I need to be better at letting these (very tiny in the grand scheme of things!) disappointments go. 


Anyways, tomorrow I'll give you a peak at a Best of Times dinner we made for family just one night later! Proof that the best remedy to culinary let-down is to brush yourself off and get back in the kitchen.

Carrot Avocado Salad

 I've been laid up the last ten days or so with an annoying knee injury. Between Drop Dead Diva and a stack of books, I've been doing okay in the battle against boredom. I'm usually a pretty good relaxer, but as soon as you're mandated to stay still, all kinds of absurd things start to sound appealing (Hiking! Dusting the baseboards! Trying on everything in your closet!). 

On Sunday afternoon, I hobbled into the kitchen to try a slightly ambitious salad I've had on my radar screen for a while. I paired it down quite a bit, but it was still one of the best things I've made in a long time. To round this out into a full meal, I think lemon chicken and couscous or quinoa would match up beautifully!

Carrot Avocado Salad

You will need:

4 peeled carrots, cut into 2 inch long pieces, about 1/2 inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a Meyer lemon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 Haas avocado, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a medium sauce pan 2 inches high with cold water. Add the carrots and turn to high. Let boil for a five minutes, then drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, a squeeze of the lemon (about 1 teaspoon of juice total), garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and thyme. Toss carrots and the lemon half together with the marinade. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots have a few dark spots. Remove from the oven and let the carrots and lemon come down to room temperature.

In the same bowl used to make the marinade, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice from the roasted lemon half, salt and pepper. Plate carrots, radishes and avocado. Toss with the dressing and serve.

P.S. More winter salads!

Kale salad with cashews, almonds and cranberries

If this recipe and this recipe got together and had a baby, it would have been my dinner last night. Crispy gnocchi with roasted squash, dried cranberries, with brown butter. Highly recommended!

But what I actually want to tell you about today is a raw kale salad we've been eating like crazy. I've tried a few different versions in the past, but this one is the easiest and the best (if I do say so myself!).

Kale salad with cashews, almonds and cranberries
Serves 2

You will need:
8-10 tender* kale leaves, pulled off the rib and torn into small pieces
Small handful of cashews, almonds and dried cranberries (I actually use trail mix from TJ's that includes all these)
Vinaigrette
Fresh grated Parmesan

Rinse the torn kale leaves in a colander and set aside. In the bottom of your salad bowl, make the vinaigrette. I know there are many variations, but mine is a two count of olive oil (the good stuff, not the cheapy cooking stuff), a single count of balsamic vinegar, a forkful of Dijon, a squeeze of lemon, and a generous shake of salt and pepper. Then I mix it all together with the mustard fork.

Place the kale leaves in the bowl. Now roll up your sleeves and start massaging the dressing into the leaves until they are well coated. Rough chop the trail mix (or your combo of cashews, almonds and dried cranberries) and add to the kale, then finish with lots of grated Parmesan. This salad likes to hang out and get in touch with its feelings, so let it sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

For a slightly different, equally awesome version, add in golden raisins, thinly sliced green apple and grated cheddar.

*Make sure, before you even bring the kale home from the store, that it is very tender, and not tough like horse feed, okay?! I've made this mistake myself a few times, and end up cursing my kale.

Baked chicken meatballs and rice noodle salad

These baked chicken meatballs are pretty amazing. I'm usually a pork-veal combo kind of girl, but I don't know, guys. These might be new household favorites.

After I read about Molly Wizenberg's claw technique for meatballs, I've successfully avoided that dense quality so many homemade meatballs can have. I've written down what we added to the meatball mixture, but this is an incredibly adaptable recipe based on your preferences and what you have lying around. Fresh grated ginger, smoked paprika, chopped scallions or chili flakes would also be excellent additions.

Baked chicken meatballs with rice noodle salad

You will need:

1 lb ground chicken
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon crystallized ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley and basil
1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce

1 package rice noodles
1 large carrot
1 large radish
1/2 avocado
lime
Tzatiziki (combine a large spoonful of yogurt, diced English cucumber, chopped mint, salt and pepper)

Preheat oven to 375. Loosely combine all ingredients in a bowl using the claw technique. Gently gather a small amount of the meatball mixture and toss gently between your two hands a few times until a loose ball forms. I like meatballs to be between 1 1/2 and 2 inches big. This will make 8-10 meatballs, depending on the size you chose. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through.

Soak the rice noodles in very hot water for 10 minutes and drain (you can also cook them like pasta in boiling water for a few minutes). Top with thinly sliced radishes, cubed avocado, grated carrots, a few meatballs and a big dollop of tzatiziki. Finish with a big squeeze of lime juice over everything.

Enjoy!

Cheater's Spring Polenta

In the last couple of weeks, I've made this twice for dinner. Reason enough to share it, right?

This is sort of a cheater's version of a very springy polenta, since it relies on frozen peas and canned artichoke hearts. If you have the inclination to go the natural route with these, I'm sure it would be amazing! It's pretty great as is, though.

Cheater's Spring Polenta

You will need:

Easy oven baked polenta (seriously, this is FAR superior to that stir-stir-stir method!)
1/2 inch slice of pancetta, cut into a small dice
1 small yellow onion, cut into a small dice
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8-10 leaves fresh mint, chopped

About 20 minutes after you put the polenta in the oven, you can start making the rest.

In a cast iron skillet, cook the pancetta over medium low heat to slowly render the fat, about 10 minutes.  Add a splash of olive oil if the pan looks dry. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse the artichokes. Add artichokes and peas to the skillet. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low and stir in the Dijon, cream and Parmesan.

Spoon over soft polenta and top with chopped fresh mint.

Don't think I won't

My brain feels like pudding -- I seem to have gotten a late Spring cold. You all know how well I do when I'm sick! I will sneak into the vending machine room later this afternoon and perform Martha's detoxifying stretches. Don't think I won't!

Instead of a legit post, let's just admire the Lilly-fied caps my sister and her friend wore last Saturday at their graduation ceremony. Pretty awesome, right?! I need to graduate from something so I can copy this.

Vegetable tart

I am a huge fan of quiche and savory tarts, but basically stopped eating it while I was getting my food allergies under control. Now that I've mostly figured them out, I'm so happy to welcome this favorite back into my cooking rotation.

This recipe is based on one from Dorie Greenspan (who else?). I loved that it was so heavy on the vegetables and very light on the eggs and cream. I further cut down on the amounts from the original version by omitting an extra egg yolk and using only a 1/2 cup of cream (she calls for 2/3 of a cup). You'll get a richer dish if you decide to add those back in, but I don't think you'll miss them.

Spring-time Sunday lunch: 

• Ribboned asparagus salad
• Vegetable tart
• Coffee frozen yogurt with fleur de sel caramel sauce swirls (!)

Vegetable tart, based on Dorie's

You will need:
1 9-inch partially baked tart shell (I used a Pamela's mix)
1 tablespoon butter
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into a small dice
1 small onion or 2 slender leeks, cut into a small dice
1 medium yellow squash, cut into a small dice
1/2 bulb of fennel, cut into a small dice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/3 cup grated cheddar or Gruyere

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Over medium heat, melt butter in a skillet and add the diced vegetables. Cook about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Place your tart pan onto of a baking sheet to prevent spills in the oven. Spoon all the cooked vegetables into the tart shell. Whisk the egg and cream together in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Carefully pour the custard mixture over the vegetables, making sure you cover everything.  Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Allow to cook 5 minutes before serving.

Bagna Cauda

This weekend I was living it up like it was, umm...2006-ish?! That was probably the last time I enjoyed so many fun drinks and late evenings out in a row.

Yesterday called for an antidote in the form of bagna cauda and a giant platter of vegetables. I was in a very sleepy state and failed to take a photo until we were nearly done, but rest assured: there were many more vegetables consumed than the photo evidence above indicates.

Have you ever had this? I realized that the anchovies might be a turn off, but trust me - they totally melt away while cooking and you are left with this salty, buttery warm bath of delicious dip.

Bagna Cauda, adapted from Bon Appetit

You will need:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
6 anchovy fillets

Blend oil, butter, anchovies and garlic in processor until smooth. Transfer oil mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring, occasionally. (Sauce will separate.) Season with salt and pepper. 


Serve with assorted fresh vegetables (carrots, green beans, asparagus, radish, artichokes) and sliced bread. 

Simplest Chicken and Leek Stew

I have a penchant for recipes that declare themselves to be easy but also feel just a tad bit fancy. I fell hard for this lovely looking dish from Jamie Oliver. It only spent a couple of days on my things that look yummy list -- I couldn't wait any longer! You will just love this one, I know it. 

Simplest Chicken and Leek Stew, adapted from Food and Wine

You will need: 

Olive oil

2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (original recipe calls for mushrooms!)

Salt and pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

All purpose flour or cornmeal, for dusting

1/2 cups chick stock or broth

1 teaspoon rosemary or thyme

2 tablespoons ricotta or sour cream

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Scrape the vegetables onto a plate.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour or cornmeal, shaking off any excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and rosemary/thyme and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables.

Simmer the stock over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken, leeks and asparagus to the skillet and simmer over low heat until warmed through, about 1 minute.

In a small bowl, blend the ricotta/sour cream with the mustard and stir into the stew. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season the stew with salt and pepper.

Serve over rice, polenta or noodles and with a chilled glass of Chardonnay (per the Naked Chef's recommendation). Absolute perfection!

Pretty bad at it

It's a good thing I'm not sick very often, because it turns out I'm pretty bad at it. 


Exhibit A: 

• Whenever I'm alone in the elevators at work, I sigh very dramatically (through my mouth since my nose is stuffed!) and then rest my head against the wall and close my eyes. I did this probably 10 times yesterday and today, until it dawned on me that there are probably security cameras in there, and some amazing team of security guys has been watching me do the old huff and lean in the elevator over and over again. 

Exhibit B: 

• We did make our awesome dinner last night, and decided to do a bit of veal stock with those lovely left over bones. After it simmered away and then cooled, I put a strainer in the sink to catch all the gunk and leave me with my beautiful golden stock. I swiftly poured it all into the strainer and watched it all go down the drain. I failed to put a bowl under the strainer to catch the stock. 

Exhibit C: 

• Someone at work very thoughtfully came by and gave me a Cherry Cordial Candy Kiss, which I promptly ate. But alas, it was disgusting and I almost had to spit it out. I am choosing to blame my illness not the candy though, because come on. I once ate an Easter marshmallow peep in October and declared it delicious. 

I promise, even if I'm not better tomorrow, I won't whine about my sad little cold anymore! 

Pizza kick + The Cruise

Since finding the best-est gluten free baking mix there ever was, I've been on a major pizza kick!

The one pictured above has an artichoke/parsley/parm spread from Trader Joe's as the sauce (down with tomato sauce, ew!). I sliced some potatoes with a mandolin and boiled them until nearly done, then spread the potatoes, broccoli, rosemary and a bit of mozzarella on top.

Not to brag (I'm totally going to brag), but I noticed Peter eating his really slowly and I was like, "Are you full?!"  And he said, "No! I just don't want it to be over."  Mhmm.

While eating said delicious pizza, we watched a really kooky documentary called The Cruise. Has anyone seen this?! It's about a nutty tour guide on the Grey Line bus tour in NYC. I couldn't stop laughing through a lot of it, but also nodding along because some of the wackadoo things he said were so true!

There's a part where he talks about his relationship with the city, how it sometimes loves him, and he loves it and everything goes swimmingly. But there are times the city is all, "We are getting a divorce! No amount of couples therapy can fix this broken love!"  And NYC folks, haven't we all been there at one time or another?

Anyways, highly recommended, and of course, available on Netflix Instant!

PS A few quick pizza tips: I always get my pizza stone really hot a 475 degree oven for at least 15 mins before putting the dough on. Then I turn the oven down to 375 and cook just the dough for 10 minutes. Take that out, add toppings, and cook another 8 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes, I turn on the broiler to get a little bit of that charred look you get from pizza shops. Took me years to figure out my system, so I thought I'd pass it along!

Peach and corn pasta

My camera is dead...so an iPhone picture from Peter!

August can be a sad time for the tomato-free. Everyone is shouting from the rooftops about their fabulous oven roasted tomatoes, tomato and mozzarella salads and raw sauce.

But just hold the phone on the raw sauce thing, folks, because last night, Peter made up a genius alternative! Garlic, lots of olive oil, corn, peaches and tons of salt. It sounds a little strange, I know. But it was fantastic. Sweet corn and peaches with the almost spicy raw garlic -- yum. In fact, I have left-overs today for lunch, and I can hardly wait.

You will need:

1 giant peach, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
2 large cloves of garlic
1 giant glug of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil (would have been awesome, but I didn't have any)

Put water on to boil for pasta (or rice noodles -- that's what this is). Rub garlic into a large bowl. Lynn does this, so I copy her. Add corn, chopped peaches, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl.

When your pasta is finished, add a ladleful of the cooking water into the sauce. Drain the pasta, and mix in with your sauce. Add in a few pats of butter and some Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Cure

I signed up for the Kitchen Cure Spring 2010.

I signed up last year, too, but I was in such a fragile state with my kitchen and food in general that I really couldn't go through with it.  Now, I'm better -- feeling better, cooking better, all of that good stuff.

I'm sad to say though, that the kitchen is not better.  It's still holding spices that we bought when we lived in DC, and baking mixes I'll never make now.  It's time to purge and organize and really embrace this new approach that is so much healthier for me.

The first step in the cure is to photograph your kitchen with the doors to your fridge and cabinets open (admitting you have a problem and all that...).

It officially kicks on February 26, and you can sign up here.  Who's with me?!

Lotion commotion

I had to re-order my most favorite eye cream this morning, and I thought it might be fun to share all the products I love the most with my dear readers. Oh yes, I certainly know how to have fun.

I have tried a lot (a lot a lot) of products, and I thought people with sensitive skin might be curious. The kind of sensitive skin that doesn't like that (aggressive!) plain cotton shirt attacking it on a perfectly pleasant 70 degree day. That kind of sensitive.

Body wash: Aveeno Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. This is billed as a product for babies, so it can be found with the diaper rash cream.

Body lotion: Aveeno Intense Relief Repair Cream. If I could buy stock in this cream, I would.

Eye cream: Ultra Gentle Eye Cream. For years, I used a product called Calm Balm from Origins. And then Origins cruelly decided to stop making this miracle product. It took years (years, people!) to find a suitable replacement.

Face moisterizer: Vanicream. This is a wonderful, thick lotion that I love a lot. I also use their sunscreen, bar soap, and occasionally the shampoo and conditioner. You can also buy this in a drugstore. It's not on the shelf -- you have to ask for it at the pharmacy counter, but don't need a prescription.

This Vanicream tip is almost like finding out about those secret bars in NYC where you go to the back of a gross looking Chinese restaurant, pick up the red phone on the wall and say, "Rubber boots go squish" before being ushered quickly into a dark, hidden room behind the kitchen where Mike Meyers is drinking a White Russian with a model on his arm.

Or something.

Salad season

Finally, really, truly: it's salad season.  

I eat salad (lots and lots of it) all year round, but this is the best of all possible times for rabbit-eaters.  The salad below took inspiration from a favorite spot in the Berkshires, Elizabeth's.  They serve a family-style salad that has everything but the kitchen sink in it: kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, nuts, cheese, salami, olives, onions, carrots...you name it, it's in it.  It may sound like a strange combination of things, but it totally works.  

This one has red leaf lettuce, arugula, beets, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, carrots, pecans, and a Dijon-blue cheese vinaigrette.  It's not so much the exact things in this dish that I wanted to share, but rather the new way of thinking about salad.  

I've always had a pretty standard salad combination of lettuce, carrot, and cucumbers.  And I ate it every day.  But making salad this way -- with everything that's fresh and yummy right now -- it was a very lame, but very large, revelation for me.  

Fridge-clearing vegetable patties

Fridge-clearing recipes are some of my favorites. You take what you've got -- whatever that may be -- and it comes together to make something edible. No buying something special, no defrosting something frozen, no worrying about it being beautiful.

A few weeks back I made these vegetable patties using all sort of odds and ends in my fridge and freezer, and put them over some rice to make a meal. The list below is what I used (roughly), but the beauty of this is that I think it could work with just about anything. I'm thinking squash, zucchini, onions, shallots, chopped spinach, shitake mushrooms...the list goes on and on.

Vegetable patties

You will need:

1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 potato, peeled

1 yam or sweet potato, peeled

A handful of button mushrooms

1 large carrot, peeled

1 egg

1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons curry powder

A pinch of cayenne

Bunch of chopped parsley or cilantro

Put the peas and corn in a large bowl, and set out. Using a box grater, coarsely grate the potato, yam, mushrooms, and carrot. Squeeze as much of the water out as possible from the grated vegatables. I just grabbed handfuls and squeezed them over the sink. Add vegetables to the bowl, and add minced garlic. Stir in the curry powder, cayenne, and parsley. Add the egg and flour, and mix with your hands, like you're making meatloaf. It will be loose. Add more flour and another egg if you'd like to to come together a bit better.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high and add in a splash of olive oil. Form the vegetable mixture into 1 1/2 inch circles and place in the pan. Flatten down with a spatula. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown. I made a curry-lime sour cream to go on top, below.

Curry-Lime Sour Cream

You will need:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoons curry powder

Juice from 1/2 a lime

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with a fork until combined.