Black Rice Risotto

Black Rice, not to be confused with wild rice, was called forbidden rice in ancient China because legend had it only emperors were allowed to eat it. This makes me wonder if the Chinese emperors were selfishly trying to hide the health benefits of this grain. Black rice, often labeled as a superfood, is a whole grain and contains an antioxidant called anthocyanin. This antioxidant, also found in purple and reddish fruits such as blueberries and grapes, has been linked to the development of a stronger memory, decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. When cooked black rice is chewy in texture, has a nutty flavor and develops a beautiful purple color. Although this Ellie Krieger (registered dietitian and Food Network chef) dish is time consuming to prepare, it is delicious, nutritious and unique. Black rice can also be difficult to find, but it is worth the search. In Washington DC I've found it at Harris Teeter and Whole Foods.

Ingredients:
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups black rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the wine until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Ladle in 3/4 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining broth, adding 3/4 cup at a time, until the rice is tender but somewhat chewy, about 50 minutes. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Divide among bowls. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the basil.

Chili Cornbread

I took dozens of photos of this Chili Cornbread. I tried shots of the entire casserole dish, individual portions and a variety of angles. I finally accepted I would not get the picture this dish deserves. This is not an attractive meal, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for with warmth and comfort. Sweet cornbread cooked over spicy chili makes for a delicious contrast of flavors. When feeling ambitious I make cornbread from scratch, and on busy school nights I use Trader Joe's chili for a quick pantry meal disguised as slow-cooked Tex-Mex.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 can black beans
1 jalapeño, chopped (or more if you like spice)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder (we like extra heat, so we add a little more)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
1 package cornbread mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and brown well. Add the chili pepper, bell pepper, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander and chili powder. Stir and cook to soften the pepper and onion, 10 minutes.
Add a splash of water, then stir together the vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the turkey and reduce the heat to a simmer to thicken and combine the flavors, 15 minutes. Pour chili in a casserole dish.
Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Carefully spoon over chili mixture. Smooth out to cover. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until cornbread is lightly brown and filling is bubbling.

Spinach Walnut Pesto

February's issue of the Food Network magazine came with an insert entitled, "50 Things to Make with Pesto." As a huge fan, I am always looking for new ways to use pesto. This week I have experimented with pesto, making a pesto roasted chicken, pesto roasted tomatoes, and more pesto paninis. Despite green things getting stuck in my teeth, it has been pesto-licious! One thing, however, that annoys me about making pesto at home is the expense. Pine nuts are $8 for a tiny container, and getting enough basil, olive oil and Parmesan makes the cost add up. It's cheaper to just buy ready-made pesto, but something about buying pesto in a jar bothers me. In search of a less expensive pesto, I was pleasantly surprised by this spinach walnut version. Using spinach and walnuts helped me justify making homemade pesto. It was perfect topped over grilled chicken breasts and roasted vegetables, but for more ideas check out this link.

Ingredients:
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
Combine the spinach, walnuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Transfer the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is no gift giving stress, just good food and good people. What I love most about Thanksgiving is the pie. I absolutely love pie, especially pumpkin pie. Pumpkin products are a little harder to find overseas, so eating pumpkin pie was always a special treat. On Thanksgiving I would eat pumpkin pie for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I know it might seem strange expressing my love for a November holiday in February, and even stranger that this is not a post for pumpkin pie, however these pumpkin muffins allow me to enjoy the flavor of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie all year. Just like I freeze my banana muffins, I bake these muffins in bulk, and then stored in the freezer for lunches. I have also given two versions of the recipe so that you can decide whether you would like to make a healthier muffin, or more of a dessert.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce ( or 1/3 cup vegetable oil)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 cup sugar plus one tablespoon (or 1 cup sugar)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
As many chocolate chips as you like

Directions:
Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together pumpkin, apple sauce, eggs, pumpkin pie spice,  sugar, chocolate chips, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Sweet Barbecue Sauce

Teaching a tested subject has turned me into a crazy teacher. With the DC CAS drawing closer, hours at school are becoming longer. Remediation and pull out groups are taking the place of planning periods, meaning math lessons are being created after-school on the couch. With the work load increasing, labor intensive meals have to be saved for the weekend. Grilled chicken and roasted vegetables will likely be making a regular appearance on my weeknight menu. Making my own barbecue sauce over the weekend acts not only as my flavor enhancer, but as my compromise to simple meals during the week. This sauce adds delicious flavor to roasted or grilled chicken, can take the place of tomato sauce on a pizza, and livens up a sandwich. I've adapted this sauce from the Neely family recipe, and what I am most looking forward to is making their barbecue spaghetti featuring this sauce.

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for at least 1 hour. 

nocoupons

Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

Mama, Carmen and I all received Barefoot Contessa's newest cookbook for Christmas. We decided it would be fun to work through the book together, preparing the same recipes on a given week. Jim's drooling over a picture of meatballs in How Easy Is That!? helped us decide that Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti would be next. Our kitchens in New York, Washington DC and Michigan were messy mixing and rolling out these delicious meatballs. The combination of meats, Asiago cheese, and spicy red pepper flakes made for a blog-worthy meal.

Ingredients:
3 cups bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
2/3 cup milk
2 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 lb sweet Italian pork or turkey sausage, casing removed
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp good olive oil plus, extra for brushing meatballs
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
3 (24-oz) jars good marinara sauce
2 lbs dried whole wheat spaghetti (or whatever you have lying around)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Process until the bread is in medium crumbs.  Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk.  Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.  Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands.  Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.
With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked.
Pour the marinara into a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package.  Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with meatballs and lots of sauce.  Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.

Spinach and Sausage Pie

Don't be fooled by the spinach and turkey sausage. This dish is not healthy and is quite heavy, so it's best paired with a salad loaded with fresh vegetables. The combination of cheese, sausage, spinach and a crumbly crust is perfect. A few tips though, before you get started. Make sure you bake the pie for at least 50 minutes. Depending on your oven, it might need more time. The first time I baked this pie for our KIPP Thanksgiving potluck, I took it out of the oven too soon. Although the filling was yummy, the pie crust wasn't cooked all the way through. Sorry AIM staff! Second, make sure you mix your egg wash well, otherwise you'll end up with funny looking yellow spots on your top pie crust (see below). Also, depending on the size of your pie crust, you may have enough filling to make two smaller pies, or Cornish pasties too! 

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian Turkey Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
6 eggs, beaten 
2 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pastry for two-crust pie
1 tablespoon water
 

Directions:

Using a skillet, brown the sausage and onion until the sausage is cooked through and onion is tender. Drain. Separate 1 egg and set aside the yolk. In a bowl, beat the remaining egg white and whole eggs. Stir in the sausage and onion, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, garlic powder and pepper. Line a pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling. Top with upper crust; seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top crust. Combine water with reserved egg yolk; brush over top crust. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Shrimp and Grits

The British like to poke fun at Americans. I remember listening to 95.8, Capital FM on the way to school listening to ridiculous stories about a crazy American on a daily basis. One story that stands out was learning about the Heart Attack Grill in Arizona serving the quadruple bypass surgery burger. The bus full of expats listened in disgust, thinking, “Only in America.” The Brits especially enjoyed having a good laugh at the South. They would imitate the most over the top southern accents and joke about their weight and stupidity. Although I knew these stereotypes were false, it was hard not to laugh. Little did I know I would marry a Texas A&M alum, and have family in Dallas. I am learning that the South really is charming. The people are warm and inviting, and they have delicious food. Although Shrimp and Grits are more Charleston than Dallas, exposure to a new region in the US has inspired me to bring more Southern cooking into my kitchen. Be on the lookout for more Tex-Mex, BBQ and Jambalaya in the coming weeks!

Ingredients
4 cups water
Salt and pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced

Directions
Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Mango Guacamole

Either Alicia and Jarrod are too nice to lie, or this is good guacamole. Jarrod's delicious homemade flautas worked so well with this guacamole. It created a yummy blend of sweet and spicy. Easy to make. Beautiful colors. Great flavor. What's not to like?

Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped (depending on how much spice you like)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (add more if you wish)
1 cup pomegranate seeds (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1 cup diced peeled mango (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Mash in a bowl. Stir in onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Gently stir in pomegranate seeds, mango, and cilantro. Season with salt and additional lime juice if you wish.

Cashew Cookie Larabar

I love larabars, especially the cashew cookie. It makes a great post-run snack, and unlike other foods that claim to be all-natural, but contain ingredients I cannot even pronounce, larabars really are 100% natural. The cashew cookie only has two ingredients, dates and cashews. Buying larabars can get pricey, so this weekend I was determined to find the right proportions and make the cashew cookie larabar at home for half the cost. 

Ingredients:
16 pitted dates
2/3 cup raw unsalted cashews

Instructions:
1. In the food processor, pulse the cashews until it turns to bite size pieces. I like my larabars chunky, so left mine a little bigger. Put cashews into a separate bowl.
2. Pulse the dates until there are not chunky. Put the dates into the bowl with the cashews.
3. With your hands mix the two together until the nuts and dates are well incorporated.
4. On a piece of plastic wrap, spray with non-stick spray then put mixture on the plastic wrap and top with another layer of plastic wrap. Roll to about 1 inch thickness with a rolling pin.
5. Wrap after shaping into large square and put into refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and cut into desired sizes. You can even use cookie cutters to make fun shapes! After cutting them, you can now individually wrap them and place them back in the fridge.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I don't dread Monday mornings.  It's hard to complain when my week starts with baking club treats. At KIPP AIM Academy our previous 6th grade non-fiction teacher came up with the brilliant baking club idea. Every week, two baking club members are assigned to bake a specific type of dessert. On Monday morning they anonymously put their entries in the teacher's lounge. Baking club members then sample and vote to determine which item is the best overall. Alicia and I made this recipe for bar week, and they won! They involve several layers, making them time consuming to prepare. It's definitely worth the time though. Chocolate chips, cookie dough, cheesecake and graham cracker crumbs all in one recipe is sure to please everyone.






Crust Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

Filling Ingredients
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust Directions
Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool

Cookie Dough Directions
Using an electric mixer , mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling Directions
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended. Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack. Cool bars in pan completely, about an hour. To make the bars extra firm, harden them in the freezer. Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars and serve.

Roasted Pear Salad

I'm not a big salad person. I prefer heartier ways of consuming my leafy greens, but every once in a while I crave a refreshing salad. This combination of dried fruit, toasted walnuts, creamy blue cheese with the soft roasted pear is delicious. It has such an elegant feel, yet it doesn't require many ingredients and is so easy to prepare. Liven up salad nights with this easy concept.

Ingredients

3 pears

3 lemons, juiced

3 oz blue cheese

1/4 c dried cranberries

1/4 c toasted walnuts then chopped

Olive oil for drizzling

Mixed greens 

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. Cut pears in half lengthwise, core center at seeds. 

3. Rub pears with a cut lemon to prevent browning.

4. Mix together cheese, cranberries and walnuts

5. Fill pear core with mixture.

6. Place in a baking dish.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

8. Top the greens with your favorite dressing and a roasted pear half.