Here’s my down and dirty recipe for crustless quiches, using up the last of some packaged stuff in the fridge:

I started by whisking 6 eggs in a bowl:

Into a muffin pan, I measured out 1/2 ounce of chopped ham, 1/4 ounce of shredded cheese, and a little sauteed onion and garlic. Then I spooned egg over the top and jiggled the pan a bit to get it to fill the whole muffin cup.

The whole thing went into my toaster oven at 375 for 25 mins. And the result?

These are great for on-the-go breakfasts, or have a couple for lunch with a salad, or even for an afternoon snack – full of protein and good things.

[ crustless ham + cheese quiche is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

I have a ton of posts pending … just need to find the time to write up recipes and work on the images. Here’s part of what’s been taking up my time lately. 3 boxes of these take a while to process.

More coming soon!

[ peachy goodness coming soon! is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

This was a really fun challenge for me, although it definitely drove home why I don’t make stuff like this on a regular basis. I just don’t have the patience for the small, fiddly, repetitive parts of the process. By the time I’d made 2 dozen of the potato pierogies, I was pretty much done. I wound up using the rest of the filing as a side dish for dinner that night.

But I was determined to make the bonus/additional round of pierogi with a regional flair, so I persevered and moved to another round of rolling, filling, boiling, and frying. That’s going to be Tuesday’s post, however, so let’s get on with the main challenge!

Start with the dough: I followed the very basic recipe given to the Daring Cooks – nothing more than flour, egg, salt, and water – to come up with a nice smooth dough. It took about 8 mins of kneading to get it to the right texture and then I let it rest for 20 mins.

While the dough rested, I made the potato filling by boiling new potatoes until tender (I left the skins on), sauteeing some onion in a little butter and olive oil, and mixing the mashed potato and onion with cottage cheese.

Then it was time to roll out the dough and bring the two elements together. I have to admit I was worried about working with the dough. I thought it was going to be too elastic to roll out well and so as a result I rolled it a bit thinner than I should have. I also used the large biscuit cutter for my first batch, which turned out very small pierogies. For the 2nd batch, I rolled the dough a bit thicker and used a pint glass, which was the perfect size! (I did find, as someone else in the group pointed out, that every time I re-rolled the scraps, the dough got a little “tougher”.)

Adding a scoop of filling and sealing the pierogies was simple. A couple of times I added a bit too much filling which made them not want to stick, but as I did more of them, I got better about judging the right amount of filling. A finger tip dampened in a little water helped hold the dough, and I finished them off by pressing the edges with a fork.

You can see the difference between the sizes of the two batches – I let them sit for a few minutes while the water came to a full boil. Then I dropped the pierogies into a large pot of boiling water (I used my 3qt dutch oven), about 6-7 at a time. As they began to float, I set the timer for 6 mins, and then gently lifted them out to drain on a rack.

Now I’m not a big fan of boiled/steamed dumplings, so to me these tasted a bit doughy as they were. H assures me they were yummy … and since he always orders steamed dumplings when we go out for Chinese food, I’m taking his word on it. Still, my memories of pierogies always involved pan frying in butter and serving with onions and sour cream. So that was the next step for me!

I know that traditionally they’re fried in butter, but I used a little bit of butter in some olive oil to balance out the fats. A few minutes on each side gave me a deep, rich brown, and then I took them out to drain on a paper towel.

Finally, I served them with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream) and a sprinkling of parsley. Yum!

A couple of notes for this recipe. I used an unbleached white flour from King Arthur flour which is my standard “all purpose” flour. I found the dough was just a little gummy and doughy tasting, even after frying. For the dessert version and the local filling version, I wound up buying a very soft Southern flour called White Lily. It made a MUCH better dough for this kind of application. (If you don’t live in a state where White Lily is distributed, you can order it online here: http://onlinestore.smucker.com/display_category.cfm?cat_id=63&aid=WWLW07010)

Also I actually boiled the pierogies a few days before I fried them and then stashed them in the fridge in a plastic container. They kept well for 5 days and fried up nicely.

Oh, and finally, as you can tell, I had a lot of fun playing around and photographing these. I couldn’t decide what color I liked the best for a background.

Thanks to the Daring Cooks for encouraging me to push out of my comfort zone … and stay tuned for the 2nd version, which will post next week!

Here are the recipes I used:

Find this post on Tastespotting

[ daring cooks | pierogi is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

This week at the farmer’s market, it was all about the tomatoes. I bought 2 large bags of tomatoes at about $0.30 a pound. I knew immediately that I’d be making a huge batch of my summer-time standby salsa. This is one of those “recipes” that is really all about personal taste. The technique is applicable to any combination of ingredients you choose.

Core your tomatoes and roughly chop them. Throw them into a food processor with half a red onion, some cilantro, a couple of cloves of garlic, the juice of a couple of limes, and a splash of vinegar.

Then pour the salsa into a saucepan and cook over medium heat at a simmer until reduced by 1/3.

Finally chill – overnight if you can, to allow the flavors to blend.

Obviously you can serve this salsa with chips as a dip, but it’s also great on eggs, in tacos, as a salad dressing … and tons of other ways.

[ tomato salsa is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Every year around the holidays our family makes frozen whiskey sours.  The recipe is written on an old 3×5 card, smudged, folded, with bent corners.  The jars used to freeze the mix are old peanut butter jars – at least 25 years old – with wide mouths, sealed with wax paper under the lids.  These two elements are family standards – if the jars and the recipe card aren’t there, then the recipe simply can’t be made.

I’ve never understood why we make this recipe during the holidays when it’s cold, but it’s one of those family things that just “is”.  Well this year, I’m changing it up.  It’s hot here in Atlanta; really hot.  The heat index has been over 100 every day.  And I decided that there was no better time for frozen whiskey sours than a steamingly hot Atlanta summer day.

So without further ado .. here is this deceptively simple, amazingly yummy summer drink.

[ frozen whiskey sours is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

However, the frustrating thing about this lens (and about most “kit” lenses that come in a lot of the DSLR starter sets) is that they don’t focus very close. IF you want a really tight close up shot of something, you might be out of luck, as the lens will simply refuse to focus if you’re closer than 2 or 3 feet from your subject. So what’s a food blogger who wants to get those lovely close detail shots to do?

You could buy a separate macro lens. The Nikon 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro Lens is an excellent choice and pretty reasonably priced at around $470. Or my favorite, the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Lens, but that one runs around $900 – well worth it for the VR (vibration-reduction) feature, IMO.

Ok, ok, so … most food bloggers and amateur photographers just aren’t able or willing to drop $500++ on a specialty lens. So the next best option?

These!

This is a set that I found online for $14 plus shipping: Digital Concepts +1 +2 +4 +10 Close-Up Macro Filter Set with Pouch (58mm)

The pouch contains filters that you screw on the front of your existing camera lens. You just want to make sure that you buy the right kit for your lens – check the outside edge of your lens for the diameter in mm. For example, the Nikon 50mm lens has a 58mm diameter.

There are 4 filters that magnify as follows: 1x, 2x, 4x, and 10x.

So here’s an example of exactly how well they work. Start with an image shot with the 50mm lens. This is as close as I can get to the subject before the lens won’t focus:

This is with the 1x filter:

This is with the 2x filter:

This is with the 4x filter:

And this is with the 10x filter:

Pretty cool, huh? The filters might cause a little flare when used outside and because they aren’t really high end glass, they’ll cause a teeny bit of softening to your images. But overall, if choosing between spending $500 on a specialty macro lens, and $15 on a set of filters, most people will do quite nicely with the $15 filters.

Oh, and I shoot Nikon, hence my Nikon recommendations above. The corresponding lenses in the Canon line would be:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens – $99
Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras – $370
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Digital SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR Cameras – $422
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras – $940

[ Close up filters is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

This showed up over the weekend and before I even opened it, I was in love with it.  First of all, I love tins – of any kind – and this one is a gorgeous deep copper color and octagonal as well!  Then I opened the tin and the smell of spice and cinnamon was immediate and intense … filling the room.  Yum!

Of course it didn’t matter that it was 95 degrees out, I had to make a cup of tea right then. So very very good.  It’s naturally sweet, and spicy enough to tingle just a little bit as you sip along.  I’m toying with the idea of making this as an iced tea – we’ll see how that goes.

From a being healthy perspective, tea – both green and black teas – contain antioxidants and tannins that are good for you; the same types of tannins that are found in red wines that are beneficial to heart health.  Also, believe it or not, tea contains small amounts of fluoride, which helps keep teeth and bones healthy and has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis.  And, of course, if you’re restricting your eating to try to lose weight, a cup of tea in the afternoon, especially a spicy/sweet blend like this, can take the edge of off hunger or a craving, and help you manage your appetite and avoid a snack attack!

So this tin has been relocated to my office for afternoon pick-me-ups and I’ll be ordering another one to keep at home.  After that, I can buy bags of the sachets to refill the tins with at a slightly lower price. The tin above is the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea 30 Sachet Tin and runs $10.95 plus shipping.  There’s also a smaller 20 count tin, as well.

For the month of July you can use the coupon code SUMMER12 and get 12% off.

<em>This post is not a sponsored post, I have not been paid or compensated to post it, and Harney & Sons have no idea who I am.  I just really really really like this tea and wanted to blog about it. </em>

[ rave! hot cinnamon spice tea is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Eating clean is a phrase that’s thrown around a lot these days by foodies, dieters, trainers, and many others. There are dozens of books on it; a search for Clean Eating on Amazon returns 20+ pages of books, magazines, and cookbooks. And each one of them gives a little different definition. Some of the definitions are pretty extreme: You cannot combine proteins with carbs in the same meal, or example. Or you have to eat every 3 hours. Or you have to consume 90% of your food raw.

I don’t subscribe to the extreme points of view, myself. So for the purposes of this blog, this post, and my life – here’s my definition of eating clean: Eating food that is, or is made from ingredients that are, as close to a natural state as possible. To expand on that, it means that I try to avoid foods that are processed, that contain preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, and other non-natural ingredients. Or, to put it more simply, if my grandmother couldn’t make it in her kitchen, I avoid it.

Now, I’m gonna add a couple of caveats: No one is perfect. And we all live in the real modern world. And, quite frankly some artificial/non-natural stuff tastes pretty darned good.

So my personal goal is to aim for a 90/10 split. Meaning 90% of the time I eat clean and the other 10% of the time, I allow myself to indulge in something like .. oh … a candy bar, or a serving of potato chips, or something like that.

There are other elements that I try to incorporate into my eating clean; things like trying to source my food locally by buying things from regional farms, dairies, and butchers; or making it a point to hit the farmer’s market every Saturday; or even growing my own veggies and herbs to the extent that I can. But that’s all stuff to for another post.

So to keep things simple for the purposes of the food and recipes I’ll post here, let’s just limit the definition to “minimally processed food”. The recipes and ideas I post will conform to what I consider to be minimally processed and all of you reading can decide where you draw your personal lines in that area.

The other thing to keep in mind is that “eating clean” doesn’t always mean eating healthy. A dozen eggs from a local free range farm, fried in bacon grease from pigs humanely and locally raised and slaughtered, accompanied by half a loaf of whole grain toast, and slathered with homemade butter from local cows? That’s an all natural and very clean meal. But I wouldn’t call it healthy or conducive to weight loss (if that’s your goal). Ice cream made with local cream, local eggs, honey, and local fruit is clean food, but not low calorie, and eating a half-gallon of it a day wouldn’t be healthy. So keep in mind that you can eat “clean” and still be unhealthy and overweight.

Ok, enough discussion! On with the food!

[ What is eating clean? is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Much to my embarrassment, I missed the posting deadline for my very first challenge with the Daring Cooks.  This post should have been posted on the 14th, but I hadn’t even begun to process the photos.  I can only plead a very busy and stressful month and promise that I’ll be on time next month! So onward.

The challenge was to create a homemade nut butter and then to use that nut butter in a savory (not sweet) recipe.  It’s easy to create desserts and treats with peanut butter or almond butter or hazelnut butter (Nutella, anyone?).  It’s much more difficult to create a savory recipe – at least for our Western culture.   Asian and African cuisine has made use of peanuts and nuts as part of savory dishes and sauces for years.  The Daring Cooks provided several recipes to use, but also gave us leave to interpret them as we wished – or even to pull in other recipes as long as they fit the spirit of the challenge.  I made all but one of the “official” recipes and will be posting those over the next few weeks.  But the one that I loved the most and received the most raves in my house was the one that I created based on a recipe I found in an old cookbook of my mom’s from Singapore.  The MPH Cookbook is impossible to find now but it was my mom’s staple cookbook when she was learning to cook Asian/Indian dishes.

So without further introduction here is my version of Chicken in Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce, heavily adapted from the MPH Cookbook.  (a printable recipe and nutrition info are at the bottom of the post)

The Process – Part 1

The first part of the process was making the peanut butter that I used in the recipe.  It was so incredibly simple – much easier than I ever imagined and I don’t know why I haven’t made my own peanut butter before.

A jar of plain roasted peanuts , emptied into the bowl of my food processor.  Process for 5-6 mins.  That’s it.   Simple, huh?

All of which gets you this:

So now that we’ve got the peanut butter, it’s time for the main course!

The Procedure – Part 2

I stared with a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, which I cut into large pieces and tossed in some salt, pepper, and garam masala.

In my favorite 12″ cast iron skillet, I cooked the chicken  over medium heat until just done and nice a brown on the outside.  I removed the chicken from the heat and set it aside.

Then I turned the heat up under the skillet and sauteed a medium onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a couple of shallots.  As you can see they absorbed all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan while they were sauteeing.  Once they were tender, I removed them as well and set them aside in the same bowl with the cooked chicken.

I let the skillet heat up again and then added a couple of tablespoons of Thai red chili paste.  On top of that I poured 1.5 cups light coconut milk, 1/2 cup of turkey stock (the recipe called for chicken, but I used what I had in the freezer), and 1/2 cup of my homemade peanut butter.

I brought that to a low boil and stirred like crazy to get the peanut butter nice and creamy.  I finally had to resort to a whisk to get the lumps out.

Finally I lowered the heat, added some fish sauce and some lime juice, then returned the chicken and onion/garlic/shallot mixture to the pan.  I let it simmer in the sauce for about 15 mins or so – just long enough to thicken up and blend the flavors.

I served it over rice, garnished with chopped cilantro.  If I’d been smart, I’d have kept back a few peanuts to chop and sprinkle over the top.  Next time!

This was sooooo good. It received raves at home and requests that I add it to the regular line up, which I will.

Thoughts on the Recipe

I do have a few thoughts on the recipe.

The first thing is that you shouldn’t skip the lime juice in this.  The only lime I could dig up was a bit hard and I thought I’d skip it.  But when I tasted the sauce before serving it, it needed something.  So I nuked the lime a little and actually got quite a bit of juice out of it.  The brightness of the lime juice made all the difference in the world!

The second thing is that the original recipe called for sauteed green beans to be added at the very end.  I didn’t have any on hand (didn’t read the recipe well enough before I went shopping) and so I left them out.  In retrospect having some veg would make this a perfect one dish meal as well as adding a little texture, crunch, and color.  Next time I’ll saute the beans early on until crisp-tender, then add them back at the very end into the sauce.

Overall, however, I have to say that this is a keeper.  I will make this again and now that I know the process, it’ll go a bit faster.

Clean / Healthy Eating

So how does this recipe fit into healthy/clean eating?  Almost every element of this recipe was made from whole foods – including the peanut butter which I ground myself, and the Thai red curry paste which I also made from a recipe I found online (and will blog about later).  The only thing that wasn’t 100% whole was the fish sauce, which I buy from a local chinese market and has a few preservatives in it.  But then again, the whole recipe only calls for 1 tbsp, so it’s not a major component and you could leave it out if you wanted.  The calories are quite reasonable for a dinner – when served over 1/2 cup of rice, it adds 85 cals, 2g of protein, and 19g of carbs to the total.  For the average adult looking to maintain a healthy weight, 600 cals for a dinner is not at all bad.  The only quibble some might have with this meal is that it is high in fat, however the fats here are healthy fats (canola oil, coconut, and peanuts).  If I knew in advance that I was going to eat this for dinner, I would make it a point to cut back on fats earlier in the day to compensate, since 33g of fat is about 40%-50% of the average adult’s intake.

And here’s the printable recipe for those of you who want it.

Find this post on Tastespotting and on Foodgawker

[ The Daring Cooks Challenge: Nut Butters is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Ok, guys and gals. It’s time for me to get this show on the road again, isn’t it? I have to admit that lately I’ve been flailing around with the blog a bit. I’ve lost focus for the content here and I haven’t felt much excitement about cooking or photographing food. But I think I’ve got my mojo back now and I’m ready to rock and roll.

So here’s where we’re gonna go with the Kara Cooks blog.

Recently on a bunch of different forums (those health and fitness and diet ones that I read a lot) I’ve seen a lot of … well … complaining about how hard it is to eat healthy and clean. And every time I think … huh? But it’s true; people seem to think that eating healthily has to be expensive or involve hours in the kitchen. Or they think that eating healthily and clean means forcing themselves to eat things they hate or to eat nothing but egg whites and chicken breast.

I’m gonna bust those myths and show you that eating healthily is quick, easy, and tasty. I’m going to also show that eating healthily doesn’t mean depriving yourself – treats are allowed in a clean/healthy program. I’m also going to talk about the meaning of “clean” eating – a phrase that has become almost useless due to the many interpretations of “clean”.

So … stay tuned. Starting this weekend, we’ve got a whole bunch of stuff coming as well as some housekeeping here to clean up categories and make things easier to find.

Oh, and the sandwich above? Shaved ham from a local farm, cranberry cream cheese from Coles Lake Dairy, and baguette from a local artisan deli. All locally sourced, fresh, and made with no preservatives. Pretty much fits my definition of clean and healthy.

[ let’s ramp things up, shall we? is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

[Printable recipe at the bottom of the page!]

It’s that time of year again – fresh, green, bright asparagus spears are all over the place. I love asparagus in pretty much any form; steamed, grilled, roasted, baked. But every now and then I want something different and new. Tonight I needed a side dish to go with grilled london broil and I just sort of came up with this from what I had in the pantry.

First I washed 6 small red potatoes and cut them into chunks.

I trimmed and chopped the asparagus as well.

I brought a big pot of salted water to boil and tossed in the potatoes for about 6 mins. Then I added the asparagus for another 3-4 minutes. It was just enough to cook the potatoes until tender and the asparagus to a crisp-tender stage. Then I drained them well and let them cool for about 15 mins.

I used the 15 minutes they were cooling to whip together some extra lemony mayonnaise using a bit of chopped preserved lemon to up the “zing” factor. I added 1 heaping tblspoon of Dijon mustard to the mayo and then tossed the warm potatoes and asparagus in the mixture.

A grating of fresh pepper and … voila! … a yummy, summery, warm potato and asparagus salad side dish.

An image from this post also appears here!
Asparagus ( 蘆筍 in Traditional Chinese)

[ asparagus and red potato salad is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

It’s not food related, but I had to share an image of the roses outside my front door right now. The climbing rose that I planted when I first moved into the townhouse 5 years ago has gotten large enough to train up the wall and over the front door. This spring, after all the rain we had, it was covered in the most beautiful blooms and I couldn’t resist photographing them.

I’m thinking about harvesting the hips after they bloom and seeing if I can make rose hip jelly. (See, I can always bring it back around to food!)

[ roses is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Sunday at the grocery store I saw the most gorgeous artichokes on sale for $1.50 each.  It was all I could do to not buy 10 of them.  Have I mentioned that artichokes are one of my favorite things?  I know some people think they’re too fussy and too much work for too little reward, but I think that’s part of the fun of eating an artichoke.  I love the process of pulling off each leaf, dipping it in a tasty mayonnaise or vinaigrette, scraping the end with your teeth, and moving on to the next one … before finally getting to the tender, tasty heart.

Artichokes are actually really easy to cook.  They make a great afternoon snack or appetizer before a grilled summer dinner.

Wash the artichoke thoroughly – be sure and run water down into the leaves and then drain it well. Then trim the end of the stalk as close to the body of the artichoke as possible. A lot of people think you should cut down the leaves as well, but I don’t bother.

Pop the artichoke in a big pot of simmering water. It’ll float, but don’t worry about that. Just put a lid on the pot and let it simmer for 15-20 mins or until the stem end is fork tender. The leaves should pull off easily as well.

Remove the artichoke from the heat and let it drain upside down for a few minutes.

Serve with a dipping sauce – a lemony vinaigrette or a homemade mayonnaise, like I do. Pull off each leaf, dip the end of it in your sauce of choice, and then scrape the end of the leaf with your teeth. Keep doing this until you reach the heart of the artichoke. Scrape away the “choke” (the little spiny leaves left) and dip the remaining heart into your sauce and enjoy!

Nutritional value for a large artichoke: Cals 83. Carbs 18g. Fiber 13.4g. Protein 5.3g.

Find this post on Tastespotting and on Foodgawker

[ artichokes is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

A few weeks ago my friend Shannon recommended this yogurt to me. It was an offhand comment on my forum and the unique flavor combination sounded good at the time. I filed it in the back of my mind and, to be honest, kinda forgot about it.

Then, last night I was shopping at Harry’s and saw the yogurt she’d mentioned, so I bought it. I got home and thought I’d go ahead and try a bite while I was cooking dinner. Before I knew it, the container looked like this:

I haven’t tried any of the other flavors and I don’t know how good the plain is (and in my book, a good yogurt tastes as good plain as it does flavored), but wow this was yummy! It was sweet with hints of ginger – before a nice afterburn from the habanero set in. I could totally see eating this for an afternoon snack or even sticking it in the freezer for a delicious sweet/spicy dessert. Looking on their website, I also see that they have a Black Cherry & Port Wine flavor which I think would also make an awesome dessert flavor.

And at 150 calories and 15g protein, it’s pretty darned healthy as well.

So kudos to the folks at AtlantaFresh Artisan Creamery! Who knew that yogurty goodness like this could be found right here in my hometown. Now I’m anxious to try the rest of their products!

Besides, how can you not love a company that puts a photo like this on their website:

[ rave – atlantafresh greek yogurt is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

So here’s how to make this wonderful soup. I started with about half an onion, chopped fine, and a clove of garlic, which I minced:

The original recipe called for 1 medium potato. I happened to have smaller Yukon golds around, so I chopped up two of them, coming to a little over 1 cup of potato

In the meanwhile I sauteed the onion and the garlic in about a tablespoon of butter:

I stemmed and chopped about a pound of fresh asparagus:

Then I added the potatoes and the asparagus to the onion and stirred it around a bit:

Finally add 4 full cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 mins. Then puree (I used a stick blender – but you could use a blender or a food processor).

Finally I added about 1/2 a cup of greek yogurt for the creaminess and richness:

And I wound up with this – a pale green soup, full of the flavor of asparagus and slightly tart from the yogurt.

I’m thinking that this would also be excellent served chilled, with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt on the top.

[Find this post on Tastespotting and on Foodgawker]

[ asparagus soup is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

I’ve seen recipes for this sauce everywhere and have always thought I needed to make it, but never got around to it.  I don’t know why really.  Well, tonight I grilled a flank steak and decided that it would be easy and fast to make this Argentine sauce …

I started with a fresh bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley, which I washed and stemmed.  It wound up being about 2 cups of parsley.

The parsley went into the smaller bowl of my food processor, along with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, and about 4 cloves worth of chopped garlic from my stash in the freezer (The olive oil comes later, but it fit so well into this triptych!), and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

After a few quick pulses in the processor, I began to slowly drizzle in the olive oil. All told, I probably added 1/2 to 3/4 cups of oil.

And wound up with this: Rich, green, garlicky, spicy chimichurri sauce.

I can’t imagine why I waited so long to make this. It’s absolutely wonderful! Drizzled over the grilled steak it was incredibly good, but I can’t wait to try this sauce in other dishes. I’m thinking that it would make a wonderful baste for grilled shrimp or drizzled over a nice thick filet of mahi.

[ chimichurri sauce is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Isn’t it beautiful? And let me tell you – it amazingly sharp. I sliced a linen kitchen towel drying it off. Yes, it’s that sharp.  Now I’m jonesing for the 10-Inch Chef’s Knife. It’s next on my list.

Ok, on with the links!

Cauliflower and Parsley Soup from Lucullian Delights – If it appears that I’m slightly cauliflower obsessed this spring – I am.  This soup looks so good to me; plus I’m thinking I might be able to “curry” it a bit and serve it cold as a summer treat.

Blood Orange Margarita from White on Rice Couple – I’m not much for “fruity” drinks; mostly I prefer an icy cold martini, straight up.  But margaritas are the exception to the rule for me and I love a well made margarita.  This blood orange variation sounds heavenly.  I think I might try it this weekend when we’re grilling out.

Tacos al carbon from the Homesick Texan – Everytime Lisa posts something, I start to drool.  I have to admit a bit of a cheat on this weeks links list, since I’ve already made these tacos (or a variation anyway).  Just the words “Tacos al carbon” makes me hungry.

Creamy Mustard and Onion Soup from Kayotic Kitchen – Kay always has some of the best recipes and I love it when she posts something that is typically Dutch.  This is not a soup I’ve ever even heard of, but it sounds delicious and warming and comforting.  I’m dying to try it.

Yakisoba from Mark Bittman – H spent several years in Japan in the Marines and is always wanting me to try my hand at Japanese dishes.  Mark Bittman makes this yakisoba look pretty easy … so it’s going on the list for sometime soon!

Ok, that’s it for this weeks list.  Stay tuned for a couple of new recipes this week (and my version of Lisa’s al carbon as well).

[ monday morning links #8 is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

[ Eggs! is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Burger -I’m always on the lookout for good veggie meal recipes that H will eat as well.  Black bean burgers are right up my alley.  I’m looking forward to trying these.

Orzo w/ Roasted Vegetables – Have I mentioned before that I love orzo?  And this sounds like it would be a great side dish to have with a grilled pork loin or some roasted chicken.  I’m wondering how it might taste cold as well – to take to a picnic or a potluck?

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart – Deb at Smitten Kitchen always always has something that tickles my fancy and this savory tart is no exception.  Cauliflower and caramelized onion are two of my favorite things so putting them in a tart with cheese and Dijon and nutmeg … just drool!

Skirt Steak w/ Paprika Butter – This one is pretty much self explanatory, I think.  We live off of the grill during the summer and skirt steak is just perfect for quick, easy summer meals.

[ monday morning links #7 is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

I always use my Lodge Logic 6″ Skillet for making quesadillas. It’s a perfect size for the smaller flour tortillas, and of course cast iron conducts heat so beautifully that they always turn out perfectly browned.

I started with a tortilla, sprayed lightly with olive oil Pam, and laid in the bottom of the cast iron which had been heated over a medium flame. I added leftover boiled shrimp from the night before – there were 9 of them left which turned out to be just right.

On top of that, an ounce of shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend.

On top of that, 1/2 a sliced avocado.

Add another tortilla to the top, sprayed also with olive oil Pam. Let it cook 6-7 mins and then flip it (tricky, but doable, if you’re careful).

Let it brown on the other side for another 5-7 mins (and let the cheese get nice and melty).

Cut into wedges and serve with plain, unflavored, Fage yogurt (in lieu of sour cream), and the salsa of your choice (for me, the hotter the better!).

This makes a perfect quick lunch with reasonable calories, and a nice balance of carbs, protein, and fats.

Cals 439 | Fat 22g | Sodium 650mg | Carbs 47g | Fiber 10.4 | Protein 22g

(This item was published on Tastespotting HERE)

[ shrimp quesadilla is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

(an image from our recent “snow storm” here in Atlanta)

Fried Chickpea Patties w/ Sesame Sauce – Ok, so it’s a falafel by any other name. Or close, anyway. Either way, these look pretty good and I’m thinking they might do well oven baked to save on fat. I’m definitely going to try them this week.

Citrus Salad with Lemongrass Syrup – Syrup might be pushing the limits of non-sweet goodies, but the citrus has to more than make up for the sugar here. I’m fascinated by lemongrass and always have been. And besides, with our recent wintry weather, I am looking forward to making something that will bring summer into my kitchen for a bit.

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup – Tomato soup is one of my comfort foods. On a cold day, on a day when I’m too tired to cook, on a day when I just need to snuggle up on the sofa and nest … tomato soup is the answer. This recipe looks good and definitely worth a try.

Warm Brussels Sprouts with Gorgonzola and Sesame Seeds – Last year I discovered that I actually do like Brussels sprouts. Who knew? When I was a kid they were definitely on my “most hated” list, but as an adult I find I really like them. This recipe has the additional kick of my favorite cheese ever – gorgonzola. I can’t wait to try these, maybe with a pork loin roast one night.

Chili Roasted Cauliflower w/ Cilantro Dressing – I love love love cauliflower and this recipe adds in 2 of my favorite things; hot chile and cilantro. Besides, the image in this post makes my mouth water – the perfectly browned cauliflower floret looks delicious!

Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup – I’m a huge orzo fan. I don’t know why this little rice shaped pasta appeals to me so much, but I truly love it. So the idea of toasting it and adding it into chicken soup sounds heavenly. If there’s time for one more batch of soup this winter, this will definitely be the one!

[ monday morning links #6 is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

My favorite variation is this one; I always have these ingredients on hand.  It’s also reasonably low calorie and has a nice amount of protein.

• 8 eggs
• 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 200g baby new potatoes, scrubbed (about 4 small potatoes)
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced in thin rings or semicircles
• 1 clove garlic
• 4oz Smoked Salmon
• 1 tbsp olive oil

You need an 8″ cast iron skillet – or other ovenproof skillet.

Over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until tender and browned. Add garlic and saute a little longer.

While the onions are sauteeing, cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5-8 mins or until tender (but not overdone).  Slice in thin rounds.

Add thawed, drained chopped spinach to onions and stir. Layer potatoes on top.

Remove the skin and flake up the salmon and spread it over the potatoes.

Whisk eggs and pour them over the layers, jiggling the skillet and maybe using a spatula to help distribute the eggs to the bottom.

Cook on stovetop for 10 mins, then move to 400 deg oven for a further 20 mins or until eggs are set and lightly browned on top.

Slice into 4 quarters and serve with a mixed green salad.

(You can add some cheese to this if you want – I might try it with a sprinkle of parmesan next time.)

Calories 280 | Calories from Fat 131 | Fat 14.6g | Carbohydrate 13.7g | Fiber 1.8g | Protein 20.8g
Carbs 19% | Protein 29% | Fat 46%

[ frittata – sorta is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

(This image will play into a future post here. I just feel that every post needs an image – so here it is.)

Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites – I’ve seen these listed *everywhere* in the last few months. I really want to try them. I was planning to make them for Superbowl Sunday, but my schedule prevented me from doing so. I’ve got them on my list to make and I will get to them soon, I promise. Here are a few of the sources for them: EzraPoundCake Pretzel Bites (where I saw them originally), Pennies on a Platter Pretzel Bites, and most recently Annie’s Eats Pretzel Bites.

BLT Wraps – These look so good. I’m not sure they’re entirely low calorie, but I’m willing to make sacrifices for a really good BLT. The sundried tomato variation should make these really delicious.

Meyer Lemon Marmelade – It’s so funny how trends make their way around the food blogging world. I have seen 2 dozen posts about Meyer lemons this past week. I have saved all manner of Meyer lemon recipes, but this is one I really want to try; the suggestion of mixing it in with plain Greek yogurt just makes my mouth water.

Roasted Garlic Three Ways – All of these are things I’ve done before, but it’s always nice to be reminded that there are things you can do with your roasted garlic. If you try this, be SURE and read the directions linked for the garlic oil. Homemade garlic oil can be a breeding ground for botulism – be very very careful!

White Bean Soup – I have nothing really to say about this except that the photo and the recipe made me drool. Literally. So I have to make it.

Bobotie Revisited – Not a whole lot of people know that I spent a good bit of my childhood in South Africa. (Ok, well now a lot of people know!) My father was a communications engineer who built radio systems for governments. We travelled all over the world until I was 15, but SA was my favorite place and I’d love to go back. I haven’t had bobotie in years and am dying to try this recipe to see if I can recreate a childhood favorite.

[ Monday Morning Links is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

See, I told you!

[ Cheap Red Wine is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]

This is a recipe that was originally posted as part of a challenge on my diet and fitness forum – I adapted it somewhat and I think it’s pretty darned good.

1 pkg (6-7 oz) soba noodles (these are Japanese buckwheat noodles, but you can sub some kind of angel hair pasta if you need to)

1/4 cup soy sauce (you can use a low sodium variety and cut it back to 1/8 cup if you want)
1 cup water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced green onions
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
1/4 cup shredded and chopped daikon radish

1 large can albacore tuna
1/4 cup shaved daikon radish
1 8oz package mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup minced green onion tops

In a small sauce pan combine the soy sauce through the shredded daikon and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 mins until reduced by about 1/3.

About 10 mins before the soy mixture is ready, bring a bit pot of water to boil. Add the soba noodles and cook for EXACTLY 4 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water and return to the pot.

Add the reduced soy sauce mix, the tuna, the remaining radish, and the mushrooms to the noodles in the pot and toss to coat thoroughly.

Divide into 4-5 servings and then sprinkle the top with the remaining green onion tops for crunch and flavor.

(I think I might add some shredded carrot over the whole, just to add color and crunch .. but other than that, it was pretty good.)

Here’s the nutritional info based on 4 servings:
Cals: 292, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 1255mg, Carb: 38g, Fiber: 1.5g, Protein, 31.5g.

[ Tuna Soba is a post from kara cooks. If you are reading it anywhere but in a feed reader, it has been scraped without my permission. The use of this feed or any kara cooks content on any other website is a violation of copyright. ]