Recipe: African Chicken Stew

I’ve been craving African Peanut Stew since seeing this recipe a few months back. It’s something I’ve made a couple times, including one version in school. But seeing this one inspired me to improvise a new recipe that was better and healthier than any I've had before. Traditionally made with lots of peanut butter, this stew can be rich. My version reduces the amount of peanut butter, amps up the spices, and tosses in lots of flavorful veggies and roasted chicken. To accompany, I served quinoa with shredded coconut, scallions and cinnamon. This is a flexible recipe... toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand, make it veggie only by substituting beans for the meat (I bet garbanzos would be good), play with the seasonings, or switch up the additions to your grain.

Ingredients
Stew-
2 tbsp peanut oil (coconut oil would also be great, or you can use EVOO)
1 onion, sliced in half and then strips
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Ginger, 1 inch piece peeled and minced
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and then ground
½ tsp garam masala
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
Jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 sweet potato or yam, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup mushrooms, quartered
1 cup canned diced tomatoes (I used Trader Joes with jalapenos)
¼ cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky both work)
Approx. 2 cups roast chicken, cut into small bites
Kale or chard, 1 bunch thinly-sliced (stems removed, these can be added in earlier if you want to use them since they take longer to cook)
Salt, to taste

Topping-
1 small bell pepper (any color you’d like), chopped
Scallions and/or cilantro, sliced

Quinoa- (Bring all to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let sit 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork when done. If liquid remains put on low heat uncovered, stir occasionally and watch carefully so it doesn’t burn)
¾ cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 ½ cup water or broth
Small handful shredded coconut
1 scallion, sliced
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions
Heat oil over medium in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onion and saute until tender (but not caramelized), add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute. Add spices, tomato paste and jalapeno (if using). Cook one more minute, stirring to combine well.

Add in chicken stock, diced tomatoes and all vegetables except the greens (kale or chard). Cover and simmer for approx. 20 minutes, or until potato is almost tender. Stir in peanut butter, chicken and greens. Cover and simmer another approx. 10 minutes, until greens are cooked. Add salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve over quinoa or other grain topped with the bell pepper and herbs.

6 servings

Recipe: Palak Paneer Omelet (my breakfast with Madi)

I'm dogsitting. Living the single city lifestyle, I don't usually make it up for breakfast on the weekend, but this week I have my canine companion (Madi there on the left) nudging me at 7am each day. Thus, I saw this drizzly Sunday AM in nice and early and had lots of time to make breakfast. Of course, Madi's kibble entree took priority. But after that, I thought about feeding myself. When I looked in the fridge, a container of palak paneer, Indian spiced spinach and cheese, jumped out at me. Since spinach and cheese are two of my favorite things in omelets, I got creative and used my leftovers as a filling. The result blew me away. Tons of flavor, a nice change to the normal breakfast offerings, and healthy!

You can buy your palak paneer at the grocery store. Tasty Bites makes a good version or get it at a restaurant. Or if you've got the time and ambition, It is actually quite easy to make yourself. It's even simple to make the paneer, and you'll get a huge feeling accomplishment (it's not every day you get to say you made cheese right?!)

Palak Paneer Omelet

Ingredients
2 eggs (preferably free range)
3 tbsp palak paneer
Approx. 4 tbsp frozen chopped spinach (or fresh if you have it)
1 scallion, sliced thin
Small handful cilantro, chopped
Garam masala
Ground ginger
Garlic powder (or 1 fresh clove, minced)
Sea salt
1 tsp brewers yeast (optional)

Procedure
Cook spinach in an omelet-size nonstick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, crack eggs and beat, adding a slight bit of water to ensure your omelet isn't dry at the end. Season egg mixture with sea salt, and dashes of garlic powder and garam masala. Add eggs to skillet and combine with the spinach. Allow omelet to set. Once set, add palak paneer to center and sprinkle with just a touch of ground ginger, as well as half the sliced scallions. Finish cooking omelet and plate. Top with brewers yeast if using, cilantro and remaining scallion. Great served with pita or naan bread.

Recipe: Herb-roasted Butternut Squash with Chicken Apple Sausage

With holiday parties and potlucks starting, I wanted to share a recipe I made for my Stanford Womens Alumni Club neighborhood potluck dinner this week. This group is the most vibrant, lovely gathering of women alum of all ages. I love the intergenerational exchange of stories, heated discussions on current happenings, and delicious sharing of favorite recipes!

When the invite came I thought of winter squash and apples since both are in season. In the past, I’ve roasted butternut squash halves with an Italian sausage and apple filling, so was considering something similar. A recipe search, however, turned up the following dish which takes the squash and roasts it cubed, along with plenty of herbs and pieces of pre-cooked sausage. It’s a tasty recipe as is, but I wanted to add my own character. I used truffle oil, lots of the fresh herbs and additional dry herbs as well, tossed in apples along with some shallots (I adore them roasted and thought it would be a bigger crowd pleasure than garlic), used the chicken apple sausage as suggested, and gave the whole thing a big sprinkling of black truffle salt.

This recipe is versatile, healthy, and can be made ahead so it’s a good one for all the upcoming festivities! Any mix of things could be tossed in really. It would be great also with red peppers, broccoli, other squashes or sweet potatoes, etc… I doubled the quantity for our group of 10, and the roasting time increased to about 45 minutes so beware you may have to adjust your cooking time. Enjoy!

Herb-Roasted Sausages and Butternut Squash
Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2003

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
6 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 pound purchased fully cooked sausages (such as chicken and apple), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves (or 6 shallots, peeled)
3 tablespoons flavored olive oil (such as roasted pepper or herb, I used truffle oil) or regular olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine squash and next 6 ingredients in large roasting pan. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until squash is tender and sausage is warmed through, stirring once, about 30 minutes.

Transfer squash and sausages to platter. Drizzle with vinegar and serve.

Recipe: Chef Ryan Scott's Sweet Corn Soup

Tonight I continued my intern hours by assisting former Top Chef contestant Ryan Scott at a fundraiser event in San Francisco, Art for Aids. We served his amazing sweet corn soup with pickled cherry tomatoes as well as a hit of chili oil and tomato salt. Ryan's got a catering company here in SF now call Ryan Scott 2 Go.

We're in a heat wave... It struck with such sudden viciousness I actually got a call from a friend in sheer confusion. She couldn't understand why it was sweltering in her place, then walked outside and realized it was the entire city that was melting. Hot steaming soup at the peak of summer? In SF, it's usually a nice option since we're often still in coats anyways. That said, the soup received rave reviews despite the hot environs. Many people said it was the best dish in the house (other tables included SF notables Town Hall, Maya, Home and Asia de Cuba). My favorite feedback was someone who asked whether it was sweet or savory, and after being told it was savory told us "Well I like it even better than dessert."

Corn soup is one of those simple but completely pleasurable foods best served at the height of summer. Ryan's posting his recipes on his website, but because I can't seem to find it up yet check out the version I found here.

If you're interested in other summer corn recipes, I also found this old SF Chronicle article full of options, and a note on how to make "corn milk" (which is included in Ryan's recipe as well).

“Top Chef” Ryan Scott Sweet White Corn Soup Recipe
1/4 pound butter
1cup leeks, white part only, minced
2 cups onions, finely minced
2 Qt corn milk
1 Qt shucked corn
2 1/2 Qt's vegetable stock
1-cup heavy cream
Dash of Tabasco
3 T salt

Sweat in a large saucepan the butter, onions, and leeks or until translucent (5-10 min). Add the corn milk, corn, stock and simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add cream, salt, Tabasco, and bring to a boil. Puree in blender and strain through a fine mesh strainer (depending on the desired consistency of the soup)

“Top Chef” Ryan Scott Pickled Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
2 lbs Cherry tomatoes, cut in half and washed
2Tbs slivered garlic (as thin as a dime)
2 Tbs slivered ginger (as thin as a dime)
2 Tbs minced parsley
1 1/2 Tbs salt
1 Tbs Espelete pepper
1/2 Tbs tumeric
1 1/2 Tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup corn oil
1 cup sugar

Boil salt, sugar, and vinegar till dissolved.

Heat the oil just warm enough to lightly cook the garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook till garlic is tender not brown.

Add vinegar slowly to the oil mixture and then add parsley. Pour liquid mixture over the halved tomatoes, let cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate. This mixture will hold up for weeks as long as its chilled. When serving it does taste better at room temperature.

Weight Management Class Recipe: Roasted Salmon with Minted Plum Salsa

I'm having trouble figuring out which recipes to post from Weight Management class. They were all good! My teammate Jit and I made lettuce soup... Sounds weird, right? It was in fact delicious, simple (and of course healthy). Cooked lettuce is something that fascinates me. And the soup had tarragon too, which is one of my favorite herbs and completely underappreciated. There were also lemon almond cookies, chickpea basmati burgers with tomato chutney, cauliflower "couscous" and a zucchini carpaccio salad I'll get around to posting too.

But in the end there was one recipe that really blew me away:

Roasted Salmon with Minted Plum Salsa

SALMON INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ lbs salmon fillets, skinned, portioned
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup tamari
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
black pepper

SALSA INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs honey
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium jalapeno, minced
4 large plums, whole, 1/4" dice
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
½ cup yellow tomato, 1/4" dice
½ Tbs grated ginger
2 Tbs minced mint
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs olive oil

Procedure
1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2 In an oven proof dish, marinate fillets for about 30 minutes in lemon juice and tamari, turning once midway.
3 Before roasting press garlic slices on top of each fillet then grind some black pepper over. Roast in the marinade for about 7 - 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Baste with the marinade occasionally. When done, flesh will look opaque and feel firm yet the middle should still be slightly reddish. The fish will continue to cook
after removing it from the oven.
4 PLUM SALSA: Combine honey and vinegar in a small saucepan and cook over moderate heat until reduced and it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.
5 Combine remaining salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl and stir in the cooled reduction. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over salmon fillets.

From Weight Management

Recipe: Roasted Garlic and Herb Mashed Root Veggies

There's nothing more comforting than mashed potatoes. I'm always on the lookout for alternative versions since I can't have a lot of dairy and most use milk or cream. Plus, in class recently we discussed other health conditions that limit consuming potatoes due to their high-glycemic content (which spikes blood sugar and is bad for anyone who needs to limit their sugar intake like diabetics or those with candida).

Even if you don't have specific reasons to avoid potatoes, this "alternative mash" is soooooooo good. From the roasting, the veggies develope a sweet overtone that is rounded out by the savory roasted garlic and fresh herbs. You can use it as a versatile frame, swapping in any type of root vegetables you'd like, or use different herbs (we didn't have thyme and used rosemary instead).

Garlic and Herb Root Mash

Ingredients
1 large bulb garlic
2 medium turnips, peeled cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 heads cauliflower, chopped into medium florets
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
to taste salt and pepper
2 Tbs ghee, if desired

Procedure
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and drizzle with a little grapeseed oil. Wrap the garlic bulb in parchment paper and then foil and roast for 30- 40 min.
2 Place the turnips, rutabagas, and cauliflower in a large steamer pot and steam until very soft when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. It's fine if the cauliflower is softer than the other vegetables.
3 Once tender, transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and add the roasted garlic. Mash well with a potato masher. Alternatively, puree in a blender for a smoother consistency. Add the oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper and mix well. If desired, add the ghee for a creamier taste and texture.

Author: By Katherine Wilson, Natural Chef Instructor

Recipe: Classic Tomato Gazpacho with Croutons

Tomorrow I have to do a 15 minute "class presentation" of a recipe that demonstrates medium dicing, toasting and using a mortar and pestle. Since tomatoes have just come into season, I thought a gazpacho topped with croutons would be perfect -- I can use the mortar and pestle to make a garlic paste, and demonstrate the knife skill and toasting with the croutons. The only trick was to create a version that could come together (and taste good) in only 15 minutes. Here's what I developed (you're getting a sneak peek of my class handout).

Classic Gazpacho with Croutons

Gazpacho is typically better the next day, after the flavors meld. For this quick and easy version that tastes good right away, I used bottled tomato juice, plenty of vinegar and a garlic paste to provide an instant flavor base. You can make this gluten-free by substituting gluten-free bread.

Ingredients

Soup:
2 cups peeled and diced (1/4 inch) hothouse cucumber, seeded
2 cups diced (1/4 inch) bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
2 cups diced (1/4 inch) ripe tomato
1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) red onion (soaked in water and a bit of vinegar for at least 20 minutes - this makes raw onion much more palatable by removing the strong aftertaste)
2 cups high-quality tomato juice (Knudsen recommended)
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Croutons:
3 slices bread, medium diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Optional: Seasoned sea salt to rim glass

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss bread with olive oil and salt, spread on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in center of oven. Toast approx. 10 minutes (or until golden brown), turning once. Remove and allow to cool.
2) While croutons toast, place the diced vegetables in a large bowl. Add the tomato juice, vinegar (reserve a few tablespoons), oil and cilantro (reserve a bit for garnish).
3) In a mortar and pestle, mash garlic with salt and 3 croutons. Add to soup mixture.
4) Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and pulse to coarsely puree. Return to the bowl, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and remaining vinegar if needed (it should taste almost spicy from the vinegar, but not be overly acidic).
5) For serving, rim glasses in seasoned salt if desired. Garnish with croutons and cilantro.

Servings: 4 - 6 bowls. Adapted from “Farmstand Gazpacho,” Parade Magazine, June 2008.

Nutritional Information:

Tomatoes – Contain lycopene (a red carotene) that prevents diseases (including cancer and heart disease) by neutralizing harmful oxygen free radicals before they can do damage to cellular structures.

Cucumber – An excellent source of silica, a trace mineral that contributes to connective tissue strength.

Bell peppers – Protective against cataracts (possibly due to vitamin C and beta-carotene). Capsaicin, flavonoids and vitamin C also shown to prevent blood clots and reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes (similar to chili peppers, though not as concentrated).

Recipe: Pad Thai

I've always wanted an easy Pad Thai recipe, so when I made this one in class and it was not only simple but delicious I was ecstatic. The only ingredient I've found difficult to track down is the palm sugar. Palm sugar is healthier but if you can't find it experiment with a mix of brown sugar and white sugar or sucanat. I made a very quick cucumber salad as a side with chopped english cucumber in seasoned rice vinegar and a touch of agave syrup.

Ingredients
1 package Pad Thai rice noodles
½ cup tamarind juice (if you buy paste, mix it with warm water to reconstitute)
¼ cup palm sugar
½ cup fish sauce
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbs coconut oil
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup peanuts, chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes, sliced

Procedure
1 Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes, until flexible but not soft. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2 In a small saucepan on medium heat, add the tamarind juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, and chili powder. Bring to a simmer until the palm sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and set aside.
3 Have all of your ingredients organized next to the stove. Heat a wok on medium-high heat until hot. Add the coconut oil and immediately add the shallot and garlic stir until they start to brown but make sure they don't burn. Add the noodles to
the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add tamarind mixture and stir until the liquid evaporates. If it still seems a little dry, add some water. Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Pour the egg into
the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles. Add the bean sprouts and scallions. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and tangled at this point.
4 Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. Garnish with sliced lime.
(source: Bauman College Staff)

Recipe: Black Bean Brownies

This weekend, in anticipation of a dinner party, I stayed up Saturday night until 2:30am baking black bean brownies. Bizarre, right? You don't taste the black beans when they're done though, and when you think about Asian desserts, beans aren't that weird.

The benefits of these brownies (other than hidden iron and fiber) are:

• They are flourless (hello gluten intolerant folks)
• Have no refined sugar (hello diabetics, hypoglycemics, etc.)
• And it's just pure fun freaking people out when you tell them what's in them.

Originally from the baking book Baking with Agave Nectar, I grabbed the recipe from the food blog 101cookbooks.com, where they seem to be all the rage judging from the comments section. A few things I did... I was short on agave syrup, so I used 1 cup agave, and a half cup of wildflower honey. The honey had delicious flavor, which I think enhanced the brownies. I also used espresso powder instead of instant coffee.

The "brownie" that results tastes more like fudge than a brownie really. Since it's crumbly at first, it helps to refrigerate it before cutting pieces, ideally overnight.

Galette Recipe #2: Apple-Marzipan Galette with Caramel

Our blueberry mini galettes in class also made me think of this incredible apple marzipan galette I've made for years, topped with caramelized sugar and vanilla bean ice cream. This recipe is doable for even non-bakers like me. Sharing it as another option, and to show how versatile galettes are.

And my apologies, I am behind on class photos. You can see some baking class photos in my previous post, and I've just added pictures from chicken class. I have the full baking class and first ethnic cuisine album to upload... more soon!

Apple Marzipan Gallete with Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The original recipe calls for sugar, but you can reduce or substitute it. I've always made it as a normal pie size, however it would work just fine to create single-size servings just like the blueberry galettes.

Ingredients

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough, or make your own if you've got time
Butter (for greasing baking sheet)
1/2 cup marzipan, softened
4 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon almond extract, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Dash of salt

Procedure

1 Preheat oven to 425°.
2 Line a jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper. If you want to be extra cautious, sprinkle sugar on as well.
3 Roll dough to a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on prepared pan. Roll marzipan to a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place marzipan on top of dough. If it's too difficult to roll, I've also just "sliced" it into coins and laid these on top of the dough, which works fine.
4 Combine apple, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, juice, and salt in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture over marzipan. Fold 2-inch dough border over the apple mixture, pressing gently to seal (dough will only partially cover apple mixture). I "crimp" the sides with my fingers for presentation.
5 Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned (apple filling may leak slightly during cooking). Depending on your oven, you may want to slightly reduce the temp to 375 the last 10 minutes.

Topping options

Solidified caramel drizzle - Place 1/4 cup sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring as needed to dissolve the sugar evenly (about 4 minutes). Cook 1 minute or until golden. Remove from heat; carefully stir in 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Drizzle over galette.

Caramel sauce - Start as above, but after cooking until golden, remove from the heat, whisk in the almond extract, and also add 1 ounce of butter and 6 tablespoons of heavy cream. Drizzle over the galette.

And of course ice cream!

Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes

Because sometimes you just need a sinfully good dessert, I'm throwing this one in here. It's the best taste/effort ratio ever for baking, and people love it. I mean, chocolate molten cakes... What's not to love?! The original recipe appeared in Bon Appetit Magazine, but I've adapted it considerably over time. This recipe makes exactly two little cakes. A lot of the recipes for some reason make too many servings, but this one can be doubled if needed. These are also perfect for relaxed entertaining because the batter can be made ahead, and bakes fairly quickly at the end of your meal.

My next revision will be to try a healthier version using a sugar alternative like succanat. If you attempt it please let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 ounces (4 tbsp) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate (chopped bulk chocolate or use chocolate chips)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
Spices (optional -- cinnamon, ginger, cayanne, mace all work)

Powdered sugar
Mint (optional)
Real vanilla bean ice cream (optional)

Note: It is crucial to use good quality chocolate. I'm loyal to Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Procedure

Butter and dust with sugar two 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups.

Whisk cocoa and sugar in small bowl to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; whisk in cocoa mixture. Whisk in egg yolks, then whole egg and flour. At this point, you can add spices if you'd like to get creative. I use about a 1/2 tsp cinnamon along with a pinch of cayanne usually.

Divide batter between prepared ramekins. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cakes uncovered until edges are set but center is still shiny, about 18 minutes.

Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto plates. Sift powdered sugar over; garnish with mint and serve with ice cream if you'd like.

Fillet o' Fish...

In my first post I mentioned how "butchery" (or basically working with anything that resembles a live creature) doesn't appeal to me. Saturday's seafood class reconfirmed that when we had to learn how to fillet a whole fish. Lets just say I will not be eating fish for a while... and it's not the first time.

Years ago, under the delusion that I'd like to see my next meal from it's living breathing days through to my plate, I went to a live seafood market. After I chose a fish, they hacked its head off (I probably should have done that myself, but I at least watched) and handed it to me in a bag (the fish, not its head). I got my fish in a bag home. Its nerve endings were still so fresh that, as I rinsed it under cold water, it "flinched" and jumped onto the kitchen floor. Though I forced myself to eat that fish (it'd already given up its life), I couldn't eat fish after for months. The market also had poultry so I didn't have an appetite for chicken either. I was a vegetarian, except I'd eat beef. Makes complete sense, right? ;-)

Eventually I went back to eating seafood. A good thing, because when you eat the right seafood (more on this later), it's very healthy. According to my Bauman class materials, seafood's high-quality protein is easily digestible. Cold water fish are composed primarily of omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory effects and are important to heart health. Seafood can also be a good source of calcium (in fish with bones like canned salmon or sardines), zinc, iron, copper, potassium, iodine, phosphorus and selenium. Plus, most fish is naturally low in cholesterol.

Unfortunately, there are also negatives to seafood consumption today, due to sustainability concerns (fish farming pollutes coastal waters and harms eco-systems) and contaminants (mmmm, nothing like a good serving of mercury). The larger the fish (for example, shark and tuna), the more likely it contains contaminants. A helpful resource, as we try to muddle through what is best to consume, is this pocket guide from the Environmental Defense Fund. They even have a mobile app you can check while you're in front of the seafood counter.

My favorite part of seafood class was cooking "en papillote," which means "in paper." It's easy but looks impressive -- the best type of recipe! We placed individual servings of fish in the center of parchment paper (cut into a large circle or heart shape), seasoned them (salt, pepper, a bit of liquid or oil and whatever else you like), tightly crimped the packets shut and baked for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees. The parchment seals in steam so everything is nice and moist. I found this recipe using the en papillote method for dilled salmon. It calls for higher heat but a shorter cooking time than we used. I'm also going to use the method when I test a chicken and lentil stew recipe this week from the cookbook "Artichoke to Za'atar" (Modern Middle Eastern cooking). If it's any good I'll share!

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

As promised, sharing pictures of Shannon with the world's biggest cauliflower (this is her on the streets of SF meeting up for our commute). In class last night we all got a viewing of this beast (since Shannon was kind enough to bring it in rather than let it stink up my car). When everyone heard about Shannon's blog fame we decided to take a poll to see what she should do with her new beauty. Please cast your votes. Polls close on the 15th at 1:29pm. If you have other ideas or good cauliflower recipes please use the comments section below!

And here's the recipe Shannon's been using for her favorite cruciferous fix... She mentioned you don't have to use all the spices if you don't have them, so this is a general guide. You can also substitute different kinds of nuts or red onion for the scallions. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower, cut in small florets with sliced stems (if desired)
2-3 Tbl coconut oil, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with coconut oil. Add spices, salt and pepper and toss to evenly distribute spices.

Spread cauliflower on baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until florets are tender and charred to your liking.

Put cauliflower in a shallow dish or on a platter and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil to taste.

Garnish with pine nuts, cilantro, an extra sprinkling of sea salt and pepper, and serve.

Recipe: Kale with sesame and ginger

I was assigned this recipe by default after spacing out and not raising my hand for the recipes I actually wanted (there goes that overachiever reputation). To my surprise, it ended up being my favorite from our "sea vegetables" class.

It calls for arame seaweed... they're little dark threads of relatively mild seaweed that almost look like mushrooms to me. You should be able to find arame at most natural foods markets or Whole Foods. If not, the flavor comes from the sesame and ginger, and this would still be nutritious with just kale (though there are a ton of additional minerals in seaweed). The recipes I'm posting are meant to serve our class of 12, so you likely want to cut this in half.

Before I dive in, a warning... We had a little seaweed tasting. I've really only had seaweed on sushi before, so I'm at the "open-minded novice" level. Most were fine. Dulse, however, I'm convinced is coated in fish guts and left to dry over mud flats, then sprinkled with fermented cow dung for good measure. I tried not to gag in front of everyone. It's the only thing I haven't finished in class so far. Not recommended.

Ingredients
¾ cup dried arame
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs minced ginger
2 bunches dinosaur kale, chiffonade
2 Tbs minced garlic
3 Tbs tamari
2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Procedure
1 Rinse the seaweed in water and let soak, covered in water, for 5-7 minutes. Drain seaweed and place in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of dark sesame oil and the minced ginger.

2 In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of dark sesame oil on medium heat. Add garlic and gently sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the seaweed mixture and gently cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan back to the bowl and set aside.

3 Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in the skillet. Add the chopped kale. Add 2 Tbsp of tamari. Gently mix in the pan to coat the kale with the oil and tamari. Cover; lower heat to low; let cook for 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted - soft enough to eat easily, but not so soft as to be mushy. Remove cover and let cook a minute more to evaporate any excess moisture. Remove from heat. Mix in the kale with the seaweed ginger mixture. Add more sesame oil and tamari to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Servings: 12

Author: Bauman College Staff

Eat Your Broccoli

Amazingly flavorful recipe for one of the most nutritious veggies out there, this was a huge favorite of mine from school so far. You can use any mix of nuts you'd like rather than sticking with pecans only.

Ingredients
PECANS
2 Tbs orange zest
¼ tsp sea salt
1 ½ Tbs maple syrup
2 tsp grapeseed oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp grated ginger
2 cups pecans

BROCCOLI
2 heads broccoli
½ tsp sea salt
2 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs tamari
1 Tbs mirin
½ tsp sesame oil, toasted
1 tsp maple syrup
1 Tbs sesame oil, untoasted
1 pinch red pepper flakes
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs minced ginger
2 medium scallions, minced

Procedure
1 TO MAKE PECANS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the zest, salt, maple syrup, oil, red pepper flakes and ginger in a small bowl and whisk until well blended.

2 Put the nuts in a bowl and pour in the coating mixture. Mix well until the pecans are well coated. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake about 12 minutes until fragrant. Remove and cool to room temperature, they will crisp as they cool. Almonds or walnuts may be substituted for pecans.

3 Remove the florets from the broccoli. Peel the stems until smooth and slice into bite sized pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the salt. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute. Transfer broccoli into a bath of ice water to stop cooking. Strain and reserve. Pat dry with paper towels.

4 Mix vinegar, tamari, mirin, toasted sesame oil and maple syrup together and reserve.

5 Heat a wok over high heat. Add sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, and scallions. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6 Add the sauce mixture and simmer until thickened, another 30 seconds or so. Add broccoli and heat through, about 15 seconds. Toss with some zesty pecans and serve right away.

Servings: 12
Author: From "One Bite at a Time" by Rebecca Katz

Commuting with Cauliflower

I started to tease Shannon about showing up carrying heads of lettuce by the second week of class. We commute together. She works two blocks from me and lives out my way also, a perfect setup since we come from our offices and drag our disheveled, chef-uniformed selves home after each long day of work and class. Between parking downtown, bridge toll, and gas it's saving us (and the environment) a bundle. But the most valuable part of our setup, to me, is commuting with Shannon herself.

I mean, who shows up constantly carrying lettuce? Shannon is probably the only person I know who is more into farmers markets than me. She frequents the little weekday markets downtown. And during weekend spare hours, Shannon volunteers at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market. While she was at Stanford, like me, Shannon worked on "The Farm," coaxing vegetables out of the arid campus soil. She's developed a passion for sustainable agriculture, one of the main factors that drove her to Bauman, and makes her a die-hard farmer fan (you'd never find her in the TJs or Safeway produce sections).

But I've come to realize, now that we're really getting to know each other, that Shannon actually commutes with cauliflower mostly. Last week she raved about the price/weight ratio of the one she'd found that afternoon at the market and confessed her addiction. If it were me I'd have half the thing sitting around still after two weeks (I tried to lift it, it was heavier than your average bowling ball), but today she showed up again with a whole new cauliflower.

Commuting with cauliflower is fine if you drive it from one place to the next. But let me tell you, leaving cauliflower in a car for four hours gets stinky (and it was my car we drove today). I do like cauliflower though and I trust Shannon's expertise. So next time I pick some up I will make it the way Shannon suggests... by roasting it in a high heat oven (425 I think) with Indian spices and coconut oil, topped with herbs (cilantro ideally), nuts (especially pine nuts) and onions (either diced red or chopped green work). Maybe Shannon will be kind enough to post the actual recipe since she's the expert!

Coming soon... picture of Shannon with cauliflower (the two pictured separately will have to do for now). And by the way that stuff Shannon is sniffing is white truffle oil, which also happens to go very well with cauliflower.