Thanks Giving Holiday Menu

I am not yet in a position in life to enjoy many frivolities, and I tend to be quite unconventional about my social habits, so when it comes round to a particularly favored holiday or festival, I celebrate in the medium of food. A most therapeutic and rewarding medium, I must say.

This year, I put together a pre-Thanks-Giving-day meal to get into the spirit (partly because I simply couldn't decide between fish or turkey for the official day!), as well as a change on the turkey theme for Thursday evening.

Menu
(Full recipes available upon request!)

Wednesday Eve:

Seared Pepper Cod

Maple Dijon Roasted Root Vegetables with Parsnip, Carrot, and Turnip

Winter Green Salad with Radicchio, Endive, and Arugula and Maple Vinaigrette

Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Bread with Sweet Tofu Cream

Thursday Eve:

Coriander Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Vegetable Puree of Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Fennel with Sharp Cheddar and Nutmeg

Pan-spiced Sprouts and Apples

Multi-Apple Cranberry Pie with Sweet Tofu Cream

Here are the installments:

Wednesday

Along with the previously mentioned inspiration Norwegian Chef Andreas Viestad, I appreciated Nigella Lawson as a teenager as well. And within the last year or so I discovered the cooking of Gwyneth Paltrow, which I can completely respect.
This year I decided to combine a few recipes from their work with my own inventions.

Inspired by Paltrow: Maple Dijon Roasted Root Vegetables using some of my favorite roots instead - turnip, parsnip, and carrot.

Turnip, Carrot, and Parsnip Caya 2011

Radicchio Caya 2011

My own Cayenne & Black Pepper Cod Caya 2011

The whole meal - *Salad with home made Maple Vinaigrette Caya 2011

 And the Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Bread: (I put in a bit extra pumpkin and nuts)

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- with my own Maple Tofu Cream Caya 2011

And Thursday!

With some lovely, fresh combinations of flavors inspired by Andreas Viestad, and of course a play on my dad's famous caramelized brussels sprouts, I added the first batch of my coriander cranberry turkey meatballs.

But first, I made my epic autumn pie!
*Note in Blog Archive "The PIE" entry for more on "from scratch" pie making interests.

A variety of apples is a must I think, so I used pink lady, cameo, and fuji this time round.

I ended up using more than eight apples, and I substituted more pink lady and cameo for the two golden delicious shown here Caya 2011

Use fresh cranberries - they are entirely different than the dried and pre-sugared ones, and so vivid! Caya 2011

Mix everything up Caya 2011

Mound it up high - It is imperative! Caya 2011

Cover with a little egg, maple, and a light sprinkle of ground walnuts Caya 2011

The dinner!

Preparing the meatball mixture and the brussels sprouts Caya 2011

I do the meatballs in small batches, then set them in the warm oven while the rest cook Caya 2011

The meal Caya 2011

 - with left-over salad for the finish Caya 2011

And for dessert:

My massive multi-apple and fresh cranberry pie Caya 2011

And for breakfast the morning after:

...with maple-sweetened tofu cream using:

Having much food to last for quite some time now (honestly, just the salad will last me over a week!), and plenty of good weather to enjoy it with, I wish you all a pleasant week.
Happy Thanks Giving!

Kale, Honey Coriander Asparagus, and Sweet Onion Grilled Cheese

Here is another meal I made with the other half of a large bunch of kale.

I tend to like sprucing up the concept of grilled cheese sandwiches. I have never enjoyed american cheese in white bread.
All manner of wholesome grain or rye breads with fresh tomatoes, pepper, gouda, cheddars, brie, or monterey cheeses, a good slather of dijon or horseradish, and perhaps some onion or turkey meat makes for something much more satisfying.

This time around I caramelized a bunch of yellow onion to soft sweetness and made up some sandwiches; one with stone ground mustard, extra sharp cheddar, and lots of onion on french whole wheat, and the other with horseradish, cheddar, and onion on the same.

(Full recipe available upon request)
Paired with tender kale and honey coriander asparagus, it was quite good.

Caya 2011

Kale, a vital green

Between collards and kale, kale has always been my favorite. I use both purple and green (and when I can find it, the lovely dinosaur kale, which has these dragon-like scales that look awesome).  Kale is in the cabbage family, as are broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts...and collards and spring greens are very genetically similar.

An intensely delicious source of beta carotene, vitamin K, C, and other vital things, as well as a good amount of calcium, it also has this wonderful anti-cancer component called sulforaphane which is not significantly reduced when chopped and steamed or pan-fried. Boiling the green does tend to decrease these levels, however, or so I am told.

Caya 2011

Besides, I have found boiled greens to loose more flavor and vividness. I like to cook them until tender in a cast iron pan with some crushed garlic and olive oil...Maybe with a dash of sea salt at the end. If they are in there, covered, for too long, they pass valuable deep green and turn a sort of muddy brown-green, beyond any pleasant effect.

Here I've prepared the kale with a simple meal of spicy sweet carrots and soft-boiled eggs. Very satisfying.

Caya 2011

Baked Maple Ginger Apples* New Scandinavian Cooking

*One of the major influences in my growing appreciation for creative cooking has been a great little show called New Scandinavian Cooking. When still living with my parents I would watch it on PBS occasionally, and it was such a fun thing! Besides the introduction to Scandinavian cultures, landscapes, and languages, it was hosted by a few vibrant and enthusiastic chefs from Norway and Sweden. Their food was often very inspiring. Well, it still is! While I don't have television, there is a handy website with all the recipes and other information. I only recently rediscovered it.

Anyways, back then I took on one of Andreas Viestad's yummy recipes to learn and it has now become a favorite through the apple season.

I have altered it over the years, to suit my preferences, but nevertheless the inspirational original is accessible.
Here is the link to explore all their wonderful methods of food thought and food practice!
www.newscancook.com

I make this fresh desert (or breakfast!) with maple instead of honey...typically (although honey does taste good), and I often use a good yogurt for the topping - if I want one at all! Also, instead of sour cream, when I first started out on this recipe I substituted maple-sweatened cream cheese, whipped up with a fork for some flexible texture.

I use a hearty amount of chopped ginger, because it tastes so sweet and spicy when cooked, and it goes down so well.Caya 2011

Here I've used some Liberte brand vanilla yogurt. Lemon or coconut also goes very well! Caya 2011

Gregory Caya's French Onion Soup (with Butterbut Squash and Simple greens)

My father wasn't always in the kitchen when I was growing up, to be sure, but he did create various lovely things over the years, his wholesome stuffed french toast breakfasts being one of them. But This post is about his version of a good classic - French Onion Soup!

I remember indulging in the times when he would revisit the thought of it, playing with which cheese he liked best, which approach for the baguette he appreciated most. I fairly liked all of them, but his most successful batches came towards the end.

Now, I am sure to take from his revisitation whenever I want to make it myself. I've maded slight alterations of course, as you do, but this is all in memory of those nights when he made it for the three of us. Thanks, dad. Lovely.

(Full recipe available upon request)
So, I like my onions fairly caramelized before I do the rest of the dish, and I like my bread and cheese components to be added at the very last, crunchy individual servings of well-made baguette made soft and savory with a rich gouda, jarlsberg, or hefty parmesan. Not to mention lots of fresh black pepper, in the Caya way. Yum!
Here I made it with simple butternut squash and salad.

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Bay Leaf Brown Rice, Golden Acorn Squash, and Warm Egg Salad (Last Minute Dinner Part III)

It really couldn't be more obvious:

Brown rice flavored with bay leaf, sea salt and pepper, and olive oil, baked thyme-seasoned golden acorn squash, greens, hard-boiled egg, sauteed onions, and juicy golden tomatoes. A mass of interesting flavors out of whatever was lying around...and quickly dwindling.

Caya 2011

Cayenne Corn Scramble with Warm Golden Tomatoes, Arugula, and Baked Yams (Last Minute Dinner Part II

And, as I had a few other vegetables on hand at that last stretch, I saved them for another dinner, and this is what they yielded soon after.

The key here was playfulness and some cayenne pepper. Well, a good amount. But lovely.

(Full recipe available upon request)
Scrambling onion, left over organic corn, free range eggs, and plenty of black and cayenne pepper together - while baking some yams with cinnamon - I spiced up some halved golden tomatoes in a sizzling blend of cayenne and safflower oil. I prepared a plate with some final arugula and tucked in soon after.

The flavors combined pleasantly with good kicking heat, creaminess, sweetness, and fresh green spice. What worked so well about the tomato all softened and melty was how the juices acted as a kind of dressing for the greens.

Caya 2011

Pepper Cilantro Omlete with Crispy Portabellos and Asparagus (Last Minute Dinner Part I)

I suppose I should clarify. I do not mean that I made this in the last available time slot of the day, but rather that I prepared it out of an enjoyable effort utilizing the remains of my fridge's innards, as it were. Hah! it can actually be quite fun - and pleasantly surprising - improvising with little at hand.

On that note, I tend to enjoy fresh produce best - even in the colder months - and so cooking up the last of the fresh vegetables is what consists of these next two posts...Perhaps the next three...

I had one final bunch of asparagus (a favorite), some eggs, onions, and a few portabello mushrooms. So this is what I made:
Omelet with remaining cilantro and ringed onion, sauteed asparagus, and crispy mushrooms. Fairly simple and self-explanatory, but rather good.

Caya 2011

Apple Carrot Ginger Bake (A Perfect Weekend Brunch)

...At least, that is what I always called it growing up. Through childhood, a frequent and most adored breakfast was this fresh-from-the-oven hearty bake, crammed with only the most delicious and nutritious of ingredients for a crisp autumn morning.

Over the years it has evolved, of course, what with it being passed along from my mother to me. She got it from an obscure yoga journal a while back, and has since made it her own. As have I.

But really, this is a prime example of why it is ridiculous to take the cop-out and do the instant flavored oatmeal packets. For one, their amounts are sad, the flavors are terrible and fake, and the oatmeal is flimsy. Try this dish and you won't want the former any more! It is vibrant, aromatic, very filling, provides energy, and refreshes the gastrointestinal track beautifully.

Serves 2-4 (depending on how hungry one is)

4 apples (cortland, pink lady, golden deliscious, braeburn, etc), chopped with skin on
1 large carrot, grated
1-2 tablespoons chopped FRESH ginger root
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2+ cup water
Roughly 2 tablespoons (real) maple syrup, or raw sugar
Roughly 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
Generous helping of cinnamon
Some Cloves and Coriander, as you like
Handful of walnuts, roughly chopped (or pre-chopped)
Handful of sunflower seeds
Handful of apricots, sliced vertically (optional)

To Make:
Oven at 400 degrees F.
Combine apples, carrot, ginger, oats, nuts and seeds, apricots, and spices in a large bowl. Add water and mix to combine thoroughly.
Pour into 8 inch baking dish, filling to the brim, and top with a few small cuts of (real) butter.
Cover snugly with foil and cook in oven for roughly 30-40 minutes. (I never time things really, I just check back for tenderness of apples and bubbling juices on a self-monitored timeline. Aroma is always a good sign of nearing the end. Sometimes, depending on the mixture, I will remove the foil a little more than half way through).
*Serve with a variety of additions/topping options: almond milk (yum!), whole milk, whole milk yogurt products. I sometimes get a wonderful Liberte brand yogurt called Mediterranee, and I must recommend that lemon or coconut goes wonderfully over top.
liberteyogourt.com/en/about-us/index.sn

For those of you who don't know what fresh ginger looks like, it is that pale looking root on my cutting board. It isn't worth being intimidated by - Break off a section, or cut it, peel away the skin, and chop or mince or grate to your hearts content. Caya 2011

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I often add to the recipe for more, as it tends to go fairly quickly in a given morning, and seriously, this dish as a cold dessert or snack, or even for the following morning, is amazing! Caya 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lentil Soup and Corn Bread

So simple. So different!
My lentil soup method has been evolving over the years, and I've grown quite a different take on the classic. Inspired originally by Mollie Katzen (link listed on right hand side of blog, under "links"), my parents often explored the dish. Now it is my turn.

(Full recipe available upon request)
If you aren't getting canned lentils, soaking them is the thing to do. I soak mine overnight and into the following day, then strain them, and simmer for three hours or so while I work in the studio or hang around doing chores.
And then the fun begins.

Foremost is good spice and good earthy freshness. I don't like my lentil soup to be weighed down even more with dense potatoes and the like. I keep it clear and vibrant with alternative vegetables.

With the lentils, I use yellow onion, garlic, celery, carrot, tomato (both stewed and fresh), and plenty of portabello mushrooms. Also I add worchestershire, sea salt and pepper, cayenne, lots of fresh cilantro, and plenty of bright scallion, cut on the bias. Lastly, sour cream.
The earthy foundation of the lentil and the mushroom is complimented and refreshed by the tomato, and the finish of raw green cilantro and scallion together adds such a tasty crunch! The sour cream perfectly carries it off too.
On a whim I last made the meal with a light corn bread using organic canned corn, cornmeal, the usual flour, etc, and also a touch of scallions.
Yummy.

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Maple Cilantro Marinated Beef, Sweet Potato, and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Beef is a meat that I rarely have around the kitchen. I tend to think of something specific I would like to try, usually when craving the specific nutritional value that it provides, and then go purchase a small, clean amount.

With this meal, I was very much interested in what was turning out to be quite a serendipitous grocery trip. I wasn't sure what to make, nor what to select for the general vegetable stock-up for the next good while, and then I saw something I rarely see down in Lancaster PA. I saw lovely bunches of broccoli rabe!

I love broccoli rabe, and I often crave it, despite not finding it most of the time, anywhere. So, having stumbled across a rare event, I took advantage of it. With the rabe, I decided on making a quick marinade from what I had at home (you don't need packets or bottles for making marinades, people! They couldn't be more easy) with some flank steak cuts. Finding something of small size, organic, and affordable, I headed home.

(Full recipe available upon request)
I had lovely small sweet potatoes already, so I chopped them up lengthwise and threw them in a baking dish or two with generous cinnamon and started on the marinade.
Marinades can be quick, easy, and fully improvised with no fuss or friction. I used safflower oil, loads of freshly chopped cilantro (and stalks) I had about, crushed garlic cloves, very small onion rounds, sea salt and plenty of black pepper, (real) maple syrup, and worcestershire.

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Next, after adding the meat to the marinade, I clean and chop up the broccoli rabe - a very easy, very quick experience.
In goes the garlic and the rabe, fire goes up, and the meat is on.

I have a very small stove in my tiny little apartment home, but I make do! Caya 2011

Caya 2011

And here it is. Pleasant combination of bitter savory and sweet creamy flavors. Cheers.

Gold Raisin Butternut Squash, Asparagus, and Spiced Pumpkin Seed Salad

As the weather persisted to chill and the autumn scent took root, I delved ever more enthusiastically into squash preparation, and this post will demonstrate a super easy but comfortably toasty meal - fully vegetarian (vegan, actually) that I loved putting on.

As I said in an earlier post note, I have eaten a plant-based diet throughout my life, balancing out as frequently as possible with raw and cooked foods, and this is only anoher example of such a satisfying method of nutrition.

(Full recipe available upon request)
Also, as mentioned previously, butternut squash is one of my two favorite squashes to use in the autumn and winter. Here I cut one small-ish butternut squash into quarters. Here is a generic photo of a butternut squash, for those who are not certain pf what one looks like.

After cutting it into quarters and spooning out the seeds of the two base cuts, I load them into lightly safflower-oiled baking dishes with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, a handful or two of golden raisins, and a few lumps of (real) butter.

With the asparagus tenderizing in the cast iron skillet, accompanied by the ever so simplistic but terribly yummy garlic and oil and sea salt, I toss together whatever vivid and flavorful greens I fancy; this time I used various young organic mixes, arugula and red leaf included, and dressed it up with some of my left-over spiced pumpkin seeds. (I saved them from my pumpkin carving in mid October and baked them with butter, sea salt, and cumin and coriander).

Once the squash was sweetly aromatic and soft, juices sizzling in the pans, I loaded my plate.

Caya 2011

Spicy Stuffed Acorn Squash with Baked Mozzarella Tortellini (Squash Season!)

Ah, the many squash options once Autumn arrives, inspiring hearty earthy flavors and colors and aromas. I welcome the season with more than just an apple pie; I welcome it with the many ways of cooking with squash.

Here I have two lovely acorn squash - a favorite (second to butternut for me), a late yellow summer squash, and a yellow onion.
I got inspired looking at what vegetables I had in my fridge one evening, having not a clue what I would make myself for dinner as I hadn't eaten much for the earlier part of the day, and seeing these and some small eggplants that had been sitting for a bit, I decided I would try stuffed acorn squash!

(Full recipe available upon request)
So, chopping up the yellow squash, the onion, the eggplant into chunks and seasoning them with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper, red pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic, I piled it all into my four carved acorn halves and placed them in to bake.

I decided to make some baked tortellini with left-over mozzarella to go with it - discovering a kind of rustic italian garden theme - and so loaded up a dish with the pasta, cheese, fresh golden heirloom tomatoes, pasta sauce, and fresh basil.

The results were rather enjoyable, and certainly filling. There was a splendid spicy kick to the stuffed squash, which complimented the mild and creamy baked pasta. I had plenty left over for the following day too!
I love that.

Caya 2011

Scallion Cilantro Tuna Salad (One of the many versions I will post, to be sure!)

I fix up tuna often because it is easy, quick, and, well...a college student left over for me. When I was in school, it was a default, like mac and cheese (listed below) and oatmeal - easily the cheapest, one of the most healthiest, and versatile staples ever.

So, here is one of the many "creative" spins on tuna salad I have, and I have quite a lot!

A couple cans of tuna in water, drained and added to a bowl
Safflower Mayonnaise (amazing earthy flavor and so clear tasting!)
Sea salt & pepper
Scallions, chopped on the bias
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
*Note: scallions and cilantro are an unexpectedly delicious combination of rich flavors!
Black bean bread (or other favored wholesome bread)

To Make:
Mix as desired. Put on bread. Eat.

Caya 2011

One of My Easy Egg Breakfasts

I have a growing collection, if you will, of breakfasts that fit into the ridiculously easy and deliciously good-for-me sort. This is an example of said collection. Very fast, very fresh.

I throw some thinly sliced rounds of small onions in a cast iron pan, brown them up, keeping them simple and naturally sweet, boil a free range egg, put some toast in the oven, and put a mound of whatever fresh greens I happen to have on hand (as I do have greens of whatever season fairly frequently) on a plate.
Jam, butter, almond butter or honey tends to be the sort of array I choose from for my toast spread.

And it is as simple as that.

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

The PIE

There comes a certain turning point in the transition from late Summer to official Autumn - for me at least - when the first Apple Pie must be made. Well, given that this last chunk of posting has been the long haul to catch up to November meals, I have now come to the point in my back-log where I made the first season's Apple Pie, and here it is.

But first, a passionate note on pies.
I love pies. I am a fan of the meat and veggie pies, the savory gravy pies, the myriad lovely fruit pies, and often the creamier, alternative-filling pies. In concept, that is. When it comes to the idea of a pie, I am all for it. When it comes to actual common pies though, I tend to cringe!
The word is "goop". Goopy pies must be the most shameful thing in the dessert world. Having been living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for over four years now, I am come to know the tendency for goopy pies of all kinds too well. Not to say goopy pies aren't made elsewhere - there have been cheep, overly processed pies to be found in western New York, for example - but Pennsylvania Dutch style cooking seems to uphold the white-sugary sweet, thickly goopy, lardy pie method.
I am sorry, but I am not a fan.
I prefer fruit pies to have fruit in them. Just fruit, and the juices they produce while cooking. No mounds of white sugar, no additives and soppy canned-filling, please.

And now the first Apple Pie of the season:

(Full recipe available upon request)
I mix it up every time, selecting fresh cortland, pink lady, braeburn, fuji, gala, golden delicious, etc in the combinations I am in the mood for at the time.

I also use a load of apples, seemingly more than is needed, slicing them into medium thickness and mixing in a large bowl with plenty of cinnamon, some nutmeg and a pinch of cloves (I like spicy apple pie), a pinch of sea salt, (real) maple syrup or raw sugar, some lemon juice, and arrow root.
Sometimes I add walnuts or pecans, but this time I didn't.

I whip up the two crusts from scratch - it is easy, fun, and tastes far better than boxed mixes! - and then pile high the apple filling. Quite high. It is mounded, as pie should be, before I cover it with the top crust and brush on some egg. Adding the final slices to the top of the crust and a light sprinkling of raw sugar, I place it in the oven and wait for the results.

*Note: I am still experimenting and trying to get the mounded pies right as a direct result of the inspirational pies my dad made. He too is against the goop. Cheers, dad.

After cooling, this is what it looks like.

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Salmon with Horseradish and Onion, Garlic Sauteed Asparagus, and Fresh Green Salad

Here is an example of a simple evening meal I greatly enjoy re-making, featuring the recurring themes of browned garlic cloves, buttery horseradish, and cilantro salad greens.

(Full recipe available upon request)
As the title may point out, I use the horseradish sauce as an addition to make more creamy the butter, pepper and onion accompaniment to the fish.

Adding thinly sliced yellow onion rounds to a buttery cast iron skillet, I gradually brown them with lots of pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Then I add some horseradish. Next is the skinless salmon fillets, flat side down.
At the same time, I've got the halved asparagus stalks brightening in a skillet with plenty of crushed garlic* cloves and olive oil for a simple but lovely flavor.

*A note on the garlic here again: I crush the garlic cloves under the flat of a large knife for the purpose of utilizing the aroma of the garlic, it's juices, and making sure it can better soften in the pan with the rest of the ingredients. It is a handy method for those who want the aroma but not to have to eat the garlic itself (although I highly recommend it).

I also have prepared a clean, clear, naturally flavorful mixed greens salad with scallion chopped on the bias and (you guessed it) fresh cilantro - it is simply a personal appreciation thing.
And here are the visual aids:

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Caya 2011

Caya 2011