The Experimental Kitchen

Cold Windy Day ACK Casserole

2011-05-09T19:57:00.003-06:00

1 can great northern beans
6 med red potatoes
1 lemons zest and juice
2 garlic cloves
3 shallots
1/2 cup full fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/2 cup grana padano cheese separated into quarter cups
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
butter to grease the pan
salt pepper

boil potatoes while preparing other ingredients and preheating oven to 375. grease casserole dish (9x9 square make more for a bigger pan) mix and add in everything except eggs, milk, yogurt and herbs. mix those in a separate bowl and add in and mix. save a 1/4 cup of cheese and sprinkle on top. bake for 30 min.
(next time i'd also add a bag of frozen artichokes b/c they'd be good in this)
serve with mesclun greens salad.

FALL 2009 BEGINS!

2009-09-14T18:11:00.004-06:00

This is going to be a great season for eatin'. I am anticipating lots of time spent in the kitchen after a long hiatus. I'm kicking off the season with a simple fresh dinner date menu tonight:

fresh wild salmon

farmers market swiss chard sauteed with leeks and shallots

beets with white wine vinegar dressing

The wild whole foods salmon is pricey but seems to be the only real option for fresh fish around here.

Atwater Village farmers market is my easy local farmers market. Small and shop-able.

And those Trader Joe's beets man... keep being so quick and delicious!

desire!

2008-07-21T17:07:00.002-06:00

1. COFFEE
2. SUGAR like some dairy queen up in here.

...dying at work. falling asleep.

m

Quantum Wellness...

2008-07-20T23:43:00.001-06:00

Quantum Wellness.....

It's a confusing beast. Not wanting to go to the grocery store today I went for the staples in the cabinet and made me some Trader Joe's Punjab Choley with that brown rice in a bag and added a can of organic diced tomatoes and some fresh green and yellow beans in the mix and some olive oil after everything was cooked... mmmmm. And I ate the whole thing! wow.

I'm technically just finishing up day 5 now but I decided I'm counting Monday and Tuesday last week (aka day I and day II) in my aresnal of days b/c I primarily followed the plan and I'm thinking I'm going to want the challenge to end sooner than later. *want my caffeine and booz tons. So I have 2 more weeks left. Totally do-able.

The change maybe in my thinking is a result of yesterdays dinner at "The Vegan Spot" restaurant here in Silverlake. Icky icky icky. I got a "chicken" caesar salad... b/c it looked like the best thing on the menu... so sad. The place was really into fake meat and cheese at every possible chance they got. Not only was there fake meat in the salad there was soy mozzarella... no thank you. So needless to say I was totally turned off from veganism for legit. Icky! If I want chicken I'll eat it every so often thank you much- all things in moderation will by my rule post cleanse about animal products.

Today and yesterday were:

Oatmeal and soymilk (with honey and or brown sugar... oops)
Hummus and mushrooms
Fakechicken caesar salad (gross) with some potato chips and some guacamole and some nut snacks to keep me alive
And then Punjab Choley delight. Really actually a delight. Especially compared to last night. Poor vegan spot. I would love to support them but their food is going to put them out of biznass. It's Elf Cafe all the way for me.

xoxo
off to a hard working week of quantum wellness. Oh! and I ran around the lake today (felt great even though out of shape). :)

Day 2, 3, 4 Quantum Wellness

2008-07-19T15:14:00.003-06:00

The cleanse has been ok - I'm starting to miss things and just be fed up with eating the vegan only food. ( I want cheeeeese. ) Also, I went to a bar with my friends last night and was... not as happy as usual. Everyone was all drunk and I was like um no. Oh well - these things happen. And the no caffeine is probably upping my irritability. Also, it's upped my sleep. I've been sleeping wayyy too much. Not a good thing.

Thursday and Friday my boss was very into buying us coffee ( so hard to say no but I did it ). And he was into taking me/us out for lunch. So, Thursday I broke the rules by eating lots of delicious raw fish. Mmmmmm. And then Friday I broke the rules again b/c he wanted us to try Persian cuisine. He's Persian so this whole "try my people's food" thing was hard. We had to try everything. No one forced me to eat meat thank god but I ate a few lavash breads and a bite of feta and 2 bites of yogurt. Other than that I came out all right. And it was delicious - sooo delicious. I might try and cook some of that some time.

Today I made oatmeal and soy milk and used a lil bit of honey. I think that breaks 2 rules (animal product AND sugar)... Alas.
I'm proud though that I haven't caved to the real weaknesses - caffeine, alcohol and cheeeese. First thing after this cleanse I'm going to Whole Foods and getting a big block of cheddar cheese. And eating at least half of it in one sitting b/c thats the way I do. So far still happy with it- need to start excersizing though. I think that's like half the point. Which I'm not doing. I will today...

So I suppose those are my blunders. Nothing else too intersting entered my menu- looked like the rest of the week. I'll look for a good recipe for tomorrow's dinner. Ciao!

Day II and #1 Quantum Wellness

2008-07-16T21:44:00.002-06:00

I have officially begun!

Yesterday was almost vegan but I made some grilled shrimps for dinner that I had at home and didn't want to waste. Also, I had coffee and cereal- which are, though vegan, not part of this cleanse.

Today!

breakfast (not so much)
snack: apple and peanut butter
snack 2: hummus and raw green beans
lunch: japanese garden salad and veggie tempura ( i think the tempura was a no-no ) and a by-accident fortune cookie
snack: potato chips
dinner: another tofu scramble with this time swiss chard, spinach, leeks, olive oil, s and p and lemon juice. mmmm

the coffee is the only truly miserable part!! so miserable. but i am really enjoying the rest of it.

m

Day I Quantum Wellness Menu

2008-07-14T23:07:00.002-06:00

Hi there,
I'm officially starting Wednesday with the sister, but I made a valiant effort today and am feeling good, though tired due to little caffeine:

Breakfast: Tofu Scramble: sauteed yellow onions, olive oil, tomatoes, tofu, salt, pepper, and fresh mint leaves... yummy.
Mid Morning Snack: organic apple and organic peanut butter.
Lunch: Leftover tofu scramble (even better with all the juices having sunk in), a sauteed balsamic/olive oil portobello cap, and some vegetable minestrone soup. ICED TEA.
Dinner: Brown rice, sauteed swiss chard, garbanzo beans, dill, olive oil, salt and pepper, half a lemon's juice, and PARMESAN.

Other than the things in caps I did it! Tomorrow I'll be having shrimp for dinner, and then I'm doing it!!

Quantum Wellness Recipe Preparations

2008-07-13T20:52:00.006-06:00

This Quantum Wellness business is something my sister has put me up to, but considering my habits as of late, I'm feeling up to the challenge. I have just returned from the L.A. Wine Fest, and am full of wine/beer/liqueur and cheese for long enough. Eeesh. The wine at the L.A. Wine Fest turned out to be mediocre to bad... with maybe Twisted Oak being the best thing there. The other good thing being the learned knowledge of City Sip, a wine bar about to open in my hood, the wonderful Echo Park (Echo Parque!!)

So! I have not read this Quantum Wellness book and don't think I want to based on my prejudice towards Kathy Freston's look. I know that reasoning is as shallow as the aforementioned "look", but seriously, she's all about being good to the earth and yourself and your body etc etc and she looks like she's first in line for the Botox clinic. Not so sure about it. But underneath that I definitely believe in working towards a more conscious, mindful life. In all departments. Here goes.

What do I eat?!

I went to Trader Joe's and to the Atwater Village Farmers Market today and just bought a bunch of things that were within the rules of the 21 day cleanse. However... now is the challenge of actually making meals out of lots of veggies and various soy- product. I also just looked back at my meager blog and realized my favorite salad and with some ease my soups will be good Quantum Wellness recipes. This is where the blog gets serious I'm thinking. Photos and all.

soup soup soup potato soup

2007-10-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

So, to my surprise the onset of "fall" in LA still means soup. There were a few days at the end of summer where the temperature dropped ever so slightly and everyone wore pants and wanted to eat soup! I wanted soup all the time for like 2 weeks. Thus, my potato soup.

boil little creamer potatoes. drain. mash ever so slightly.
in another pot with some water boil carrots onions celery and add a good chunk of butter towards the end, and add in the potatos. salt + pepper too.

add cheese (lite harvarti= delish) to serve. cheesy and tasty and buttery and not too too heavy.
(i tried adding milk too the next day and it got too heavy)

so simple. so delish.

LA Farmers Markets!

2007-08-05T14:29:00.000-06:00

I love these joints. The new Atwater Village Farmers Market is so cute and so close to my house. Just got some great produce and bread baked this morning! Off to make some great things... i'll report back later.

john's enchiladas

2007-05-06T19:46:00.000-06:00

i've never made this but here's hoping i will before i forget they exist.

corn tortillas
chihuahua cheese
lil cooked steak pieces if you are john
no lil steak pieces if you are me (maybe something else, refried beans?)
sauce. (salsa verde, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, mexican orgeano

bake it. luurrve it.

favorite edamame salad

2007-05-06T19:37:00.000-06:00

since i am master cleansing currently... figure i'll blog!

romaine
dill
shelled cooked edamame
bean sprouts
avocado
carrots
cucmber

dressing: lemon juice, soy sauce, peanut oil, and reice wine vinegar mix it up so it tastes delish. and it DOES.
it's so delicious. it's fergalicious. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Turkey White Bean Chili

2007-03-07T20:45:00.000-06:00

cooking light's recipe for turkey white bean chili is SO good, add a little extra lime, a little less beans, omg SO good. mmmm even the sizemore went for more.

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups diced yellow onion (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 1)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 lime wedges (optional)

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes. Add oregano and beans; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
Place 2 cups of bean mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Add turkey, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

oscars spinach artichoke dip

2007-02-27T19:33:00.000-06:00

for our party we used this recipe, inspired by cooking light's 5 star classic but doctored by Dr. RK of the EK

1 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine all ingredients, but set aside a lil mozz and parm- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and then 10 more minutes after sprinkling the top with that extra parm and mozz. Serve with tortilla chips or the like.

this one was the crowd favorite!

cucumber salad, clam sauce

2007-02-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

1. we figured out the secret to cucumber salad ! sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. mmmmmmmm
2. clam sauce! iron! clam sauce! iron! : boiled clams, strain the juice and use it in marinara... then rinse the clams and add them in and simmer mmm clam sauce! iron!

prosciutto wraps with port sauce

2007-02-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

Wrap: Fennel bulb, 1 zuchini, 1 yellow squash, dill havarti cheese, dried basil, pepper, prosciutto over rice.
Sauce: 1 cup port 1 cup chicken broth 1 tbls of butter

Explanation: Idea came from A. fennel is yummy B. fennel has a bulbous round shape C. I had zuchini and sqash and rice in the fridge already. D. that roundness of fennel... i should go with that- wrap it! D. I had port in the house- that never gets used.

Process: I cut the fennel any which way to make it seem like it would work. I had never cut fennel before. The smaller rectangular (as opposed to triangular) pieces worked best for a wrap. Small = 1"x2" or so. Same size pieces of the zuch/squash and the cheese. My cheese was in thin slices. From top to bottom I had fennel, zuch, squash, cheese, prosciutto wrap, pepper, dried basil. *It's important to NOT add salt along with that pepper. Prosciutto= super salty already. I baked this in a glass dish for 40 minutes on 425. Mmmmm. For the sauce, just put all that stuff in a sauce pan and simmer until it's only 2/3 a cup. This took me a while. I was using heat too low. I'd go for a steady medium setting. I ate it with the lil wraps over the rice and the sauce on top of it all.

Next time: I think next time I'm going to not use the wraps. While really pretty for a little appetizer, it's just too much saltiness from the prosciutto. And the havarti gets lost. It's too melty of a cheese. It just runs all over the bottom of the pan, and you can't taste it in the wrap. The solution is: a casserole! Next time, I am going to use like an orechiette not rice, and ricotta instead of havarti. And tear up the prosciuttos into lil bits, and cut the veggies smaller, and reduce the sauce some of the way, then pour it in there and bake it all like that for a while. The sauce is worrisome- I don't know if it will turn into a big problem and just reduce way too much? Maybe with like 10 minutes left I'll add it in.

Moral of the story: potential is here. Such good flavors, I just am not satisfied with their arrangement. To be continued...

The EK's Roasted Vegetable Soup

2007-02-06T20:13:00.000-06:00

Tonight's soup is inspired by Ina Garten's recipe for roasted vegetable soup. I did not come close to following her recipe, but was delighted with the result of my experiment.

Roast: Yukon gold potatoes, Sweet onions, Carrots, Yellow squash, The holy trilogy (oliveoil+salt+pepper)
Blend: With some broths
Garnish: With wonder cheese (parm), baby dill and parsley

I made these veggies last night, put them over whole wheat fusili, and stirred in some balsamic and butter while everything was hot. Delish dinner. The leftover veggies, (I made a bunch extra because I wanted to try this soup) I stuck back in the oven after I ate dinner, realizing that my handicapped blender I inherited along the way in college, might struggle if the veggies had any crisp left in them. So I roasted them to a good roasty level, took them out of the fridge today, and dropped em right in the blender with some beef broth and some chicken broth. To my delight, it all mixed together well, and I left some chunks in there to remind me it was veggies not baby food. I poured the blended mix in a saucepan, tasted it after it had simmered a lil while, and wasn't in love. I stuck in some leftover brown basmati rice I had in the fridge, and that helped a little. I was starving though, so I stuck it in a bowl and *here's the kicker* dressed it with a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese, plenty of fresh dill and fresh parsley, and voila- I had acheived superb! Truly, superb. I ate 3 bowls, gave my (wonderful!) roommate a taste and proceeded to start a blog. Given Chicago's blast of below-zero frozen depression that coincided perfectly with the Bears anti-climax in the superbowl, this soup was perfect today!