Food goodness

Miracle of miracles, I finally cooked something again. I saw this recipe on Everybody Loves Sandwiches and I needed something to take to the Shakespeare Free-for-All in the park, and this was perfect. V. delicious. 2 c brown rice, uncooked 4 T curry paste (I used half hot and half mild, and it came out pretty spicy) 1 T ground cumin 1 t sesame oil 1/3 c vegetable oil (I would like to say I used less than this, but 4 T of curry paste is a LOT of curry paste, and I needed this much oil to get it to dissolve) 1/3 c major grey or mango chutney 1/2 of a large onion, chopped 1 carrot, finely diced 1 red pepper, finely diced 1 stalk celery, finely diced 1/2 c raisins 1 granny smith apple, diced 1 bunch of parsley, chopped fine 1. Cook rice according to package directions. When all the water is absorbed, pour rice into a large bowl. 2. In a small saucepan, heat vegetable oil with the curry paste until well mixed and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the cumin and sesame oil and mix w

I drew my inspiration from here , but I didn't have half those ingredients, so I improvised. One head cauliflower, cut into florets generous drizzle of olive oil generous sprinkle of granulated garlic 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Heat oven to 375 (same temp to cook turkey/ground sirloin meatloaf) Place cauliflower in a large roasting pan or jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with oil; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring every 5 minutes. Toss cauliflower mixture, cheese, and lemon juice. Serve.

So, Ernie and I got a DVR, which basically means I can record all the cooking shows I want, and then watch them at night when I'm hungry and highly suggestable. Two nights ago we watched Paula Deen do a show on simple desserts. This was one of them; Ernie and Gaby made them the very next day. 3 cups shredded coconut 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine coconut, almond extract, and salt. Mix in condensed milk to form a thick paste. Fold in egg whites with cream of tarter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

As a side-project to Shannon's fresh ingredients/new recipe challenge, what if our revival of the cooking blog was accompanied by a guacamole bake-off? Bring on your variations on an ultimate favorite. (anyone have a better verb for the "bake" part?...) My mom's (only slightly altered) guacamole 2 ripe avocados juice of 1 lime 1/2+ tsp cumin 1/4+ tsp coriander 1/4 tsp garlic powder 3-6 dashes of tabasco 1 diced tomato (optional) salt to taste Mash everything together with a fork or potato masher. If you have the time and/or patience, chill for 1 hr before serving to let the flavors mingle.

This recipe came to me via Tara, who got it out of a Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It can be easily halved. Ernie and I ate most of it (the halved amount) last night while watching tv. 4 ripe Haas avocados 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 8 dashes Tabasco sauce (or use a Mexican hot sauce. I honestly forgot it last night completely, and it was still good.) 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic and salt and pepper; toss with a wooden spoon. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. (I actually just mashed it with my hands until it was the consistency I liked) Add the tomatoes and toss to combine. Adjust the seasonings as needed.

This thing still on? I'm back from vacation now, and will start cooking and trying new recipes this week and during the Memorial Day weekend. What excuse do the rest of you have? :) This week I challenge each of you to try one new recipe -- either something quick and easy, or using an ingredient you haven't used before. Extra points if you make something quick and easy with seasonal vegetables or fruits. We all need more of those in our lives, right? Go. Read. Cook.