Chef Brad & cooking with grains

This week I was able to attend a couple of days at BYU education week. My top priority class was taught by Brad Petersen who is a chef dedicated to eating healthy and feeding your families according to the Word of Wisdom. I have come home with a wealth of information and can't wait to get into the kitchen! I will keep the post short but you can go to his website to learn more. He offers all his recipes on the website, but unfortunately you have to pay an annual membership to get the full benefit. After listening to him lecture, and attending his cooking demonstrations I personally think it would be a very worthwhile investment. He is an advocate for grains, teaches all about them including their history, nutritional value, how to store and prepare them and all the ways they can be eaten. I was also finally educated on the wheat dilemma of hard red vs. hard white. In short, if you are wondering, buy hard white.

Check him out. www.chefbrad.com

Zucchini Pancakes

This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa at Home, and in my opinion, Ina Garten really never goes wrong. These are not breakfast pancakes--think more like a potato latke. Adam and I both thought that they were pretty tasty, although the kids had to be convinced. I think that the red onion is the key and the last time I made them I tried whole wheat flour instead of white, and I still liked them very much. We ate them with fresh tomato slices and called it dinner!

Zucchini Pancakes
3/4 lb zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated red onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
unsalted butter and vegetable oil for brushing skillet

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets to thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tb butter and 1/2 tb oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Greek Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 ounces great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 pitas (each 6 inches)
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil; add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pulse until combined but still slightly chunky.

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties (dip hands in water to prevent sticking). If too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium; cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining scallions; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce.
From The Dish on Delish

Rice Corn Cakes with Black Beans

1 cup brown rice
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup tomato salsa, mild, medium or hot

Cook rice with the amount of water called for in the package directions, adding scallions, garlic and thyme to the water. Remove from heat and stir in corn, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Let stand for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the rice mixture and mash with a potato masher until the mixture holds together (it will be fairly soft), about 1 minute. Shape the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer 4 patties to the pan with a spatula and cook until browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and repeat with the remaining 4 patties.

Meanwhile, combine beans and salsa in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. To serve, divide the beans among 4 plates and top with 2 patties each. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
From Lizzy Writes

Zucchini-Tomato Frittata

I made this for dinner last night. It was very good and super easy (especially if you have all the eggs that you need and don't have to go to the store). I only put one zucchini in and it was plenty.

Zucchini-Tomato Frittata

Serves 8
Created by Art Smith

Serve a breakfast treat straight from the garden! This Italian take on the omelet features fresh vegetables that you've probably got growing right now. So raid the backyard and cook up something special this morning!

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs , beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced chives or green onion
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 zucchini , thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 medium tomato , peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic , minced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and chives. Set aside.

In a 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Cook half the zucchini slices until tender, about 3 minutes, then move them to a small bowl. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini and reserve. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the onions, tomato and garlic for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Return the zucchini to the skillet, evenly distributing it. Add the egg mixture, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is just set.

Place the frittata in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is completely set and golden brown. Invert it onto a plate, cut into slices and serve.

From Back to the Table by Art Smith

Nutritional Information:
127 calories, 9.2 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 217 mg of cholesterol, 246 mg sodium, 3.1 grams carbohydrate

Breakfast Cafe Cinnamon Crumb Cake (Dairy Free)

My youngest child is allergic to dairy, so I modified a favorite coffee cake recipe from the book "A Passion for Baking" by Marcy Goldman to make it dairy-free. This recipe would also make terrific muffins.

The flavor is best when you use a vegan margarine (non-hydrogenated), but you can also use oil.

1/2 c. vegan margarine, melted

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c . white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 c. chopped pecans

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 c. applesauce

1 c. soy milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, blend margarine, flour, both sugars, salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 c. of this mixture and add chopped pecans and remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon to it. Set aside (this will be the crumb topping).

To remaining batter, add baking powder, baking soda, egg, vanilla, applesauce, soy milk and lemon juice. Using a hand whisk, blend well.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle on reserved crumb topping. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Asian Peanut Noodles

I love anything with peanut butter, and peanut noodles are one of my favorite comfort foods. Feel free to experiment with different veggies. It would also be good with broccoli, asparagus, etc.

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
2 Tbs. brown sugar
6 Tbs. white wine
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. hot water

12 oz. linguine
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips 2-3 inches long
1 bunch green onions (green and white parts), sliced on an angle
2 carrots, cut into matchstick-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 Tbs. peanut oil
2 Tbs. sesame oil

Cook the linguine in boiling salted water until al dente. Pour the pasta into a colander and rinse in cold water. Allow the pasta to drain, and then toss with 2 Tbs. sesame oil and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the hot water, and mix well. Add the soy sauce and white wine, set aside.

Over medium-high heat, saute the bell peppers, carrots, and green onions in the peanut oil. You want the veggies to caramelize a bit, so keep the heat up, but stir very frequently to prevent scorching. When the vegetables are tender, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the peanut sauce, and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the pasta. Toss well, and cook for a moment until the pasta is heated through. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Potato-Chickpea Biryani

This recipe is amazing. It got rave reviews from everyone who tried it. I found the curry paste at Target, and it is also available on Amazon.com

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced

5 oz. (1/2 jar) Patak's Original Biryani Curry Paste

1 1/2 c. uncooked brown basmati rice*

3 1/2 c. vegetable broth

1 c. chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 large or 2 small boiling potatoes, such as yukon gold or red

Boil the potato until it can be pierced with a fork without resistance. It should be tender but not mushy. Be careful not to overcook it. After it has cooled enough to handle, rub off the skin and discard. Dice into bit-sized pieces and set aside.

In a large pot, saute the onion, pepper, and carrots on medium-high heat until tender. Reduce heat and add the garlic and minced ginger. Saute until fragrant, then stir in the Curry Paste.

Add the rice and vegetable broth, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender.

Add the chickpeas and potatoes, cover and cook on low for another 5 minutes.

* If using white basmati rice, reduce vegetable broth to 3 c., and reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes.

Serve with flatbread or naan.

Garlic-Ginger Rice with Peppers and Edamame

2 c. short grain brown rice

4 c. vegetable broth

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced

1 1/2 c. shelled edamame (I use frozen)

1-2 Tbs. peanut oil (enough to coat the saute pan)

2 Tbs. sesame oil

3 Tbs. soy sauce

Combine the rice and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

In a separate pan, saute the peppers, onions and carrots in the peanut oil. When the veggies are tender, add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, stir in the edamame and cook until heated through. Add the sauteed vegetable mixture to the cooked rice and stir to combine.

Another Link for Another Great Pollan article

This one  "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch" is about America's obsession with cooking shows, but it's inability to actually spend time cooking.   The more hours a person spends cooking the healthier they are, because of course homemade food, made from scratch is healthier than packaged food and take-out. As always an interesting read. I read it while I thawed a frozen pizza. Let me tell you how guilty I felt! VERY.

Tomato Season: Provencal Summer Potato Gratin

Provençal Summer Potato Gratin by Martha Rose Shulman

(from NYTimes Well section)

You can use almost any type of potato for this savory gratin. I know because I recently made it with odds and ends that had been sitting in my pantry for a little too long. They included a russet, a few Yukon golds and some fingerlings.

2 garlic cloves

Extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 pounds potatoes, peeled if desired or scrubbed, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 or 2 sprigs rosemary

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut one of the garlic cloves in half, and rub a 3-quart gratin or baking dish with the cut half. Oil the dish with olive oil. Mince the halved garlic along with the remaining garlic, and toss with the tomatoes. Add the thyme, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Make a layer of half the potato slices, slightly overlapping the layers, and season generously with salt and pepper. Layer half the tomatoes over the potatoes. Place the rosemary sprig(s) on top. Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes and tomatoes. Be sure to season each layer generously. Pour any juices left in the tomato bowl over the vegetables.

3. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, and carefully pour into the baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, checking and pressing the potatoes down into the liquid after 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, press the potatoes down into the liquid in the dish and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake another 30 to 45 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the potatoes and the gratin is lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: The gratin can be assembled several hours before baking. It doesn’t have to be served hot, so you can bake it an hour or two ahead and serve it warm.

Indian Spicy-Sour Chickpeas with Cauliflower

Here is another recipe from "Delicious Living". I wanted to make Indian food, but Spencer really isn't a fan of curry, so this recipe was perfect because it used so many spices, but no curry. We both really liked it.

Indian Spicy-Sour Chickpeas with Cauliflower

Laurie Gauguin, Mar 1, 2009 11:47 AM

Serves 8 / Used extensively in Indian cooking, anti-inflammatory turmeric and ginger enhance cruciferous cauliflower, vitamin-rich tomatoes, and high-fiber chickpeas, packing this dish with cancer-fighting potential. Prep tip: Use more or less jalapeno depending on your heat preference.

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups diced onion (1 medium-large onion)
1-2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
1 pound cauliflower florets (1 medium head, cored and trimmed)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Combine ginger and lemon juice in a small cup. Set aside.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add jalapeno and continue cooking until onion is brown all over, another 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if mixture becomes dry.

3. Add cauliflower and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring carefully with a rubber spatula every minute or so, until cauliflower is tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, to boil off any excess liquid. Stir in lemon juice mixture. Stir in cilantro and serve.

PER SERVING: 177 cal, 26% fat cal, 5g fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg chol, 7g protein, 26g carb, 7g fiber, 453mg sodium

I picked up a free magazine in the health food section at Harmon's called "Delicious Living" (I am so excited to find it online because there are so many recipes to try). I found the following recipe and loved it. I didn't add the fennel in, I haven't cooked with fresh fennel before and I wasn't sure about the flavor. I have become a huge fan of quinoa (just so you know, it's pronounced keen-wah, it took me forever to remember that). Costco now sells it too. I also absolutely love fresh dill (sooo yummy in the Zucchini & Potato Latkes) and it was very good in this recipe too.

Quinoa and Salmon Stew with Tomatoes

By Lorna Sass, Mar 1, 2009 11:10 AM

Serves 4 / Quinoa is a quick-cooking and versatile whole grain. This unusual approach pairs it with dill and salmon, with felicitous results.
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup finely chopped fennel
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, undrained
1 pound salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup tightly packed chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Zest of 1 small lemon

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy, 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid). Return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and boil gently over medium heat until quinoa is translucent and tender, 6-8 minutes.
3. Stir in salmon. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until salmon turns opaque and is cooked through, about 1 minute. (Check and cook an additional minute if needed.) Turn off heat. Stir in dill, lemon juice, and zest, plus remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add salt to taste, if needed.

PER SERVING: 471 cal, 41% fat cal, 21g fat, 5g sat fat, 57mg chol, 30g protein, 40g carb, 5g fiber, 598mg sodium

Jewel Roasted Vegetables

Jewel Roasted Vegetables
(from Ellie Kreiger's The Food You Crave)

Prep Time: 25 min

Inactive Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 40 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 servings (serving size 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 8 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover the dish with foil and put into the oven for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces, trim the Brussels sprouts and halve them lengthwise, and peel the garlic cloves. Put the carrots, Brussels sprouts and garlic cloves into a large baking dish and toss with the remainder of the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes add the large pan of vegetables to the oven and cook everything for 1 hour more, stirring the vegetable mixture once or twice.

Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board to cool. Stir the thyme into the carrot and Brussels sprouts mixture and let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut. When the beets are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, peel them and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with the beets, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

I loved this dish. I made it as a side dish, but easily could have had it as a main dish. I loved the flavor.

Hummus

I took some homemade hummus to a party last night and people were asking me for the recipe. So often I refer people to just come to this website, that it made me realize that we don't have a hummus recipe posted yet--and we should because it's a kind of staple that's so dang easy to make, so delicious to eat, and soooo much cheaper than buying it from the store. (p.s. As a time saver, when I cook up dried chickpeas, I'll cook enough dried beans to make some hummus and a couple of other meals. The cooked beans will last refrigerated for about a week.)

Hummus is very flexible with seemingly endless variations--olive oil, roasted garlic, pine nuts, cumin, black olives, roasted red peppers, etc..... The blog Section 89 has a link to a nice tutorial here with some good variations. If you have any other variations, please share them with us! However, I usually start with this basic recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook :

Hummus

Humus is a chickpea pate of Middle-Eastern origins. It is a spicy and rich spread, full of protein. You can use it as a sandwich spread or an appetizer-dip. Scoop it up with pieces of pocket bread and sticks of raw vegetables. You can also build an entire meal around a plateful of humus, vegetables, and bread. It's filling enough.

1 1/2 cups raw chickpeas, soaked 1 1/2 hours and simmered for 1 1/2 hours until very soft
3 med. cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt dash of tamari (or soy sauce is an acceptable substitute)
juice from 2 med. lemons
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup (packed) finely minced parsley
lots of black pepper and a dash of cayenne
1/4 cup minced scallions

Mash chickpeas to thick paste using masher or food processor. Combine everything and chill thoroughly. Add some of the reserved juice from your chickpeas to achieve a desired consistency. Taste to correct seasonings--extra garlic, tamari, salt, tahini, etc.