Callaloo

I stopped by our community farm stand on the way back from the park this weekend. I told Xavier he could pick out anything he wanted. This is a dangerous move in Whole Foods but a safe bet at a stand that sells cheap kale and okra. Xavier opted for a huge, bushy bunch of greens that I didn't recognize. It turns out it was callaloo and they are delicious!


Callaloo is the name of the leaves but also of a popular Caribbean stew that I want to try when I have more than 45 seconds to cook dinner. This weekend, however, since I was alone with the kids I simply sauteed the greens in some oil and garlic. They are sturdier than spinach but don't have the bitterness or toughness of kale. I gobbled them up. Xavier did not touch them. Macaroni and cheese beats callaloo every time apparently.

Bhindi Masala

This summer they opened a community garden across the street from me. To be honest, I'm not sure eating vegetables that grow THAT close to my stoop is a particularly good idea but nevertheless, I wanted to support the idea and the people behind it. I therefore ended up with some okra this weekend and finally got the chance to make one of my favorite Indian dishes.

Bhindi Masala is a flavorful dish that begins with frying the okra (which takes away some of the stickiness that some people don't like). I read through a bunch of recipes and picked this one based on the ingredients I had at home. 

http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/bhindi-masala/

I didn't have dry mango powder but I did add the fenugreek which is delcious. Now I just have to stop picturing the giant rats that probably roam our community garden. Ick!

Plum Coffee Cake Muffins

I haven't been cooking this summer and it's actually been wonderful to take a break. I have been mooching off my parents, vacationing and eating out and having lazy lunches of spoonfuls of peanut butter with a side of ice cream. It's been awesome.

This weekend, however, my parents asked me to stop by the farmer's market to pick up some vegetables for dinner. I guess they have caught on to the mooching trend. Anyways, I got sweet talked into buying way too many plums which turned out to be too ripe. (I knew I was getting the hard sell!) I didn't want them to go to waste so I made muffins. I followed Martha Stewart's recipe exactly but I added a bunch of ground flax seed to try and get something besides sugar into my toddler.

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/plum-coffee-cake-muffins/

The report back was that these were really good. The plums in the middle, however, create a natural break point that allows said toddler to more easily just eat the sugary tops off the muffins and leave the rest. Owell...I'm the one eating ice cream for lunch so it's hard to claim any moral ground these days.

Sweet Mustard Shrimp on Skewers

Cold shrimp makes for a great summer lunch.  However, most people associate cold shrimp with shrimp cocktail. I like shrimp cocktail, but it's overplayed.

My mom makes a great cold shrimp dish that beats the hell out of shrimp cocktail. Combine 1/2 cup Dijon, 2 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp toasted mustard seeds,  1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp dill, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 6 tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 tbsp finely chopped red onions. Toss with 2 pounds of cooked shrimp. Marinate for a minimum of two hours or overnight.

Eat with your fingers or serve on skewers. We had this over the 4th and it was the only thing that cheered me up in the 100 degree heat with a newborn and a terrible parade!

DIY Lobster Roll

I have two rules when I go out to eat. I don't order anything I could make myself  (roast chicken) or easily buy for half the price (cheese plate). I try to order dishes like soup dumplings, slow roasted anything or Indian dosas. For years, however, I have been ordering lobster rolls despite the simplicity of the recipe and how overpriced they tend to be.

This weekend Ryan and I changed that trend. Whenever he is up at my parents, he insists on getting his fill of seafood. (If it were up to me I would raid their freezer and spend a week eating Stouffer's chipped beef.) On Sunday we wanted to treat my parents to a special dinner to thank them for the help with the kids. Yes, that's plural. Gulp. Anyways, we bought a pound of lobster meat for $40 and some hot dog rolls for $2 and easily made six hearty lobster rolls. We opted to skip the mayo and instead heated half a stick of butter with a pinch of paprika, oregano and salt. We then tossed the melted butter with lemon and the lobster. Amazing. Take that you $22 NYC lobster roll!

Grated Beet and Carrot Salad with Pistachios and Feta

I love beets. But they are really messy and stain absolutely everything they come into contact with. They ruin clothes, manicures, dish towels and everything else in a 10 foot radius. The best way to cook with them is to be stark naked…which may not be ideal for a dinner party, but it’s perfect for the mom on maternity leave who is nursing 24/7.

Raw vegetables scream summer. This simple salad consists of raw beets and carrots mixed with a bit of arugula or other greens, nuts and some feta. I have also made it with a dollop of hummus instead of feta. Dress with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. I used white balsamic which is my new favorite.

I didn’t ruin any of my clothes this time around but Annecy’s white onsies now have what look like bloody finger prints all over them. Creepy. But it’s a really good salad!

Tunisian Fish Cakes with Lemon and Paprika Aïoli

Annecy has arrived. Cooking has not come to a total standstill like it did with Xavier’s arrival, but meals have been very basic these past two weeks. Theo swooped in last night to liven things up with Tunisian fish cakes. Armed with bushels of cilantro and parsley, lemons and fresh fish, he quite quickly whipped up about 30 fish cakes.

Initially I was nervous about fish cakes for multiple reasons that stem from my deep-rooted suspicion of all seafood besides the harmless (and dull) white filet. This is a result of growing up with a father who ate oily, stinky bluefish for breakfast.  Additionally, anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows that fish cakes are often made out of fish that needs to get used up quickly. Making something into a cake with lots of spices and herbs can hide fish that has passed its prime. Recipes with ‘fish’ in the title as opposed to a specific kind of fish also freak me out. For example, fish stew sounds less appealing to me than roasted halibut. And finally, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of fish in my food processor.

BUT, I trust Theo completely where food is concerned. This is a guy who has brought me fresh za’atar after all. And my fears were unwarranted. These were delicious.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tunisian-Fish-Cakes-with-Lemon-and-Paprika-Aioli-107907?mbid=ipapp

Thank you Theo. Anybody else want to cook us dinner? ;)