Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

  • 6 June 2011 Spinach Souffle

    Adapted from: Welland, D. 14-Day Clean-Eating Meal Plan. Clean Eating Magazine. (Vol 4, Issue 5). June 2011. page 80.

    Spinach souffle
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    My Comment: I spotted this recipe in Clean Eating Magazine and decided 25-plus years was enough time between souffles. Years ago, I watched Julia Child on television,  and I used to make a cheese souffle every once in a while.  Needless to say, the buttery base was quite a bit more heavy than this version.  This one seems a bit healthier.  It remains, however, a bit complicated for a fast fix on a weeknight; be sure to read through the entire recipe first!

    Ingredients

    4 eggs, separated
    1 large white potato, peeled and diced
    1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
    2 TBSP olive oil
    1/2 medium yellow onion, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
    1 clove garlic, minced
    3 TBSP whole wheat flour
    1 cup low-fat milk (we used Rice Milk)
    1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
    Olive oil cooking spray

    Method (long, read through it first)

    1. Add egg whites to a large mixing bowl and place in the fridge to keep cold. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and set aside at room temperature. Ensure that the over rack is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 F.

    2. Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add potato, return to boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain potato and add back to dry pot. Heat on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until dry. Set aside.

    3. Squeeze liquid from spinach and set aside. In large saucepan heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened – 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for additional 1-2 minutes.

    4. SLOWLY whisk in the milk until smooth and mixture thickens – about 1-2 minutes. Add nutmeg and pepper. Gradually add cheese, mixing until incorporated. Remove mixture from heat. Temper egg yolks by adding about 1/2 cup hot cheese mixture to yolks, beating constantly. Then whisk egg yolks back into cheese sauce, beating constantly until incorporated and smooth (about 1 minute).

    5. In the bowl of large food processor, add potato, spinach, and cheese sauce; puree for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth.

    6. Remove egg whites from refrigerator. Beat with an electric mixer on high-speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

    7. Use a spatula, gently fold egg whites into spinach mixture. Mix 8 6-oz ramekins with cooking spray. Fill each until about 1/2 inch from the top. Place directly on middle oven rack and bake 25-30 minutes or until well-browned.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

    Serves 8.  Nutrition: 177 calories,  8 g fat, 14 g fiber, 12 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates.

  • 30 May 2011 Veggies on the Barbie

    Adapted from The Whole Deal. (May/June/July 2011). Austin TX: Whole Foods Market. p 18.

    My Comment: I saw this in the Whole Foods Flyer and decided to

    Grilled Veggies
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

      give it a try — not as a recipe but as a cooking method suggestion.  Usually when I attempt to grill veggies they come out really under- or over-cooked…. this time, perfection! I use a charcoal grill; the purist in me gave up on gas grills about 2 years ago. Not a big fan of the messy charcoal dust, but less of a fan of a tank of explosives next to my house. 

    The veggies listed are suggestions and I have to admit I used whatever I had: eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and some corn on the cob. I also was excited to use some oregano right from my herb garden to finish things off.  Made for a great lunch leftover too.

    Suggested Ingredients

    Green pepper (quartered)
    Eggplant, cut crosswise into  1/2 inch rounds
    Red Bell pepper (quartered)
    Yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch slices
    Zucchini cut into 1/2 inch slices
    Chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, basil… your choice)
    2 TBSP red wine or sherry vinegar
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/4 tsp fresh pepper

    1. Preheat the grill to high heat. BRUSH THE GRILL WITH EVOO (use a paper towel and LONG tongs — check out America’s Test Kitchen to see about grilling tips)

    2. Working in batches, arrange the veggies on the grill and cook, flipping once until tender and beginning to thaw (3-5 minutes for squashes, 6-8 for peppers and eggplants)

    3. Spread out to cool slightly on a large baking sheet

    4. Roughly chop the cooked vegetables to a uniform site and toss with herbs, vinegar, salt and pepper on a large platter.

    Serve warm at room temperature — or serve cold.

  • 29 May 2011 Couscous with Seven Vegetables

    Couscous with Seven Vegetables
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

    Adapted From Welland, Diane. Clean Eating Magazine Recipes. Downloaded from the net on May 22, 2011.

    My Comment: One of my sisters is an experienced world traveler and on her trip to Morocco, she brought back a packet of an interesting spice: Ras El Hanout.  This recipe is seasoned with this spice blend from Morocco — if you can’t find it (and I never have), you can make a small batch by following the link on Clean Eating’s website.  I enjoy Northern African recipes; the combination of veggies and raisins over couscous is delightful. For our meal, I did not include the Tilapia — still healthy and satisfying.

    Ingredients

    3 tsp olive oil
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 TBSP Ras El Hanout
    1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (1 inch pieces)
    2 small turnips, peeled and diced (1 inch pieces)
    1 medium zucchini, diced (1 inch pieces)
    2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
    1/4 head cabbage (about 1/2 lb) cut into 1 inch chunks
    1/2 red pepper, cut into chunks
    1/2 cup green beans (about 2 oz) cut into thirds
    1/2 to 1 tsp Harissa or any chile past or hot sauce (we liked more)
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/4 cup raisins, soaked for 1o mins in 2-3 TBSP warm water & drained
    3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
    16 oz white fish (tiapia, haddock, sole) cut into chunks
    1-1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided

    Instructions

    1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat and add garlic and Ras El Hanout. Quick stir until brown. Then add next 5 ingredients. Pour in enough water to cover vegetables. Cover and cook 25-30 minutes until vegetables are soft but not fully cooked. Add pepper, beans, Harissa and salt. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until tender.

    2. Ladle out 3 cups of broth and vegetables (1-1/2 cups each). Puree in blender until thick. (I used a 4-cup measure and hand blender – easier). Add back to stew.

    3. Mix in raisins and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and place fish on top of the mixture. (If you are using the fish DO NOT mix it in or the fish chunk will break up). Cook covered for 10-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

    4. While fish is cooking, boil 1-1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Take off heat and add the couscous, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Flluff with fork. To serve, place 1/2 cup couscous in a bowl, Pour 1 cup of the veggie-fish mixutre over top and sprinkle with 1 TBSP cilantro.

    Serves 6. Nutrition: Calories 280, Fat 3.5 g, carbohydrates 40 g, Fiber 8 g, protein 19 g.

  • 22 May 2011 Tomato & Spinach Dinner Strata

    Adapted from: Gorman, Rachel Moeller et al. Cooking class: The Joy of Meatless. Eating Well. (Vol 10, No 3) May/June 2011. page 52.

    My Comment: A casserole for the end of May? You bet! And this one was a good

    Tomato & Spinach Strate
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

     one. I tweaked the recipe to include soy milk in place of cow’s milk and, Ezekiel bread for the wheat bread.  Still delicious. The casserole sits in the fridge for at least 2 hours, so making the day before is suggested.

    Ingredients

    4 tsp olive oil (divided)
    1 medium onion chopped
    8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
    1/2 tsp ground pepper divided
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 15-oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
    1 10-oz package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
    1/8 tsp nutmeg
    2 cups prepared marinara sauce, divided
    6 slices whole grain bread (stale is okay) — see my comment
    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    3 large eggs
    1 cup low-fat milk (see my comment)
    1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
    2 TBSP fresh parsley for garnish

    Method

    1. Coat a 7×11 baking dish with cooking spray.

    2. Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions first and then the mushrooms. You do not want to brown the veggies — just soften them (takes 4-5 mins). Season with salt and pepper.

    3. Combine ricotta, spinach and nutmeg and add another 1/8 tsp pepper in a separate bowl. Set aside.

    4. Spoon 1 cup marinara into baking dish. Break each bread slice into roughly 4 pieces, arrange half the bread on the bottom of the dish (don’t worry if there is not enough to completely cover).

    5. Spoon ricotta mixture over the bread and then layer with a second layer of bread (use the rest of the bread here). Now scatter the mushroom/onion mixture on top of this layer. Top with mozzarella and spoon the remaining sauce on top.  The pan will be very full.

    6. Whisk eggs and milk in small bowl. Pour this mixture over the casserole — poke holes (I used a paring knife for this) through the casserole (especially the bread) so that the egg mixture is evenly distributed and soaks into the bread and saturates it.

    7. Cover the casserole with an oil coated piece of foil and let sit in the fridge for 2 hours minimum (overnight is okay).

    8. Preheat over to 375. Bake the strata UNCOVERED for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until puffed and golden – about 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish.

    Serves 8. Nutrition: Calories 317. 15 g fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 5 g fiber.

  • 20 May 2011 Thai Shrimp and Carrot Salad

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market. Thai shrimp and carrot salad. Downloaded from the web on May 15, 2011.

    Thai Shrimp and Carrot Salad
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson Photography

    My Comment: Just my opinion, but I think this recipe needs some serious tweaking.  Realizing that the lack of oil was possibly purposeful, I still need to say that the dressing needs something – sesame oil maybe? Not enough hot pepper flakes and honestly, almost every Southeast Asian noodle/salad dish I’ve ever eaten has some kind of sweetening to offset the lime and vinegar.  

    Lesson learned: even on a first pass through a recipe, go ahead and follow your instincts.

    Ingredients:

    8 oz. uncooked brown rice noodles
    1/4 cup lime juice
    1/4 cup rice vinegar
    1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    1/2 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp – tails removed
    3 cups carrots
    1/2 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
    1/2 cup sliced shallots
    1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

    Method

    1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse until cool, then drain and place in a large bowl.

    2. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice, vinegar and crushed red pepper to make a dressing.

    3. Toss noodles with 2 TBSP of the dressing. Toss remaining dressing with shrimp, carrots, peanuts, shallots, and mint.

    4. Serve shrimp mixture over the rice noodles.

    Serves 6. Nutrition: 290 calories, 8 g fat, 61 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 24 g protein

  • 12 May 2011 Vegetable Rosti with Tomato-Corn Relish

    Adapted from D’Andrea, Aurelia. Veg Boot Camp: Vegetable rosti with tomato-corn salsa. (June 2011). Issue 385, Vol. 37, No. 5. p. 63.

    My Comment: Lots of prep to this recipe, but well worth it. The grater disk on my food processor made it quick work. 

    Vegetable Rosti
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson,

    Ingredients

    For Tomato-Corn Relish

    3 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernals
    2 small tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
    1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
    1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP chopped onion
    3 tsp olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced

    For Rosti

    2 medium white potatoes
    2 large carrots
    2 small zucchini
    1 cup chopped onion
    1/4 cup all purpose flour
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 large eggs, lightly beaten

    Method

    1. To make corn-tomato relish: combine all ingedients in bowl. Set aside.

    2. To make rosti: grate potatoes, carrots, and zucchini onto clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel around the vegetables and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Transfer vegetables to bowl and stir in onion, flour, and garlic. Fold in eggs and season with salt and pepper if desired.

    3. Coat large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 TBSP rosti mixture for each patty, shaping with spoon to make patties. Cook 2 to 3 minutes (more like 5 for me) or until bottoms are crisp. Carefully flip with spatula and cook 2 minutes more (again more time) or until browned on both sides. Serve with Tomato-Corn Relish.

    Serves 4.  Nutrition Info: (per 6 Rosti and 3/4 cup relish) 328 calories, 12 gprotein, 8 g fat, 57 g carbs, 8 g fiber.

  • 08 May 2011 Heart-Healthy Dried Fruit Scones

    Adapted from: Chang, Joanne. Flour: Spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe. (2010). San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC. p. 50.

    My Comments: Lucky enough to live in the Boston Metro area (well, that’s a

    Flour Bakery Dried Fruit Scones
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson Photography.

    little stretch – a 40 minute ride puts me downtown though), I’ve been to 2 of Flour’s locations.  If you have too, you know how awesome this bakery/cafe is — no wonder lines stretch around the counter and there’s SRO!  Last week, I treated myself to Joanne Chang’s cookbook and this recipe seemed like the place to start for me.

    Recently I have been told to try to cut wheat products from my diet. Not willing to give up on my love of baking, I am discovering some new flours to use. Today I substituted a gluten free baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill.  Since I don’t have to totally eliminate wheat, I kept about a cup of the wheat flour in the recipe. Not sure how a total replacement would have gone, but this substitution was just fine (yes indeed I have had this scone at Flour!).

    I’m not publishing Joanne Chang’s recipe here; seriously — if you love baking buy the book! 

    As this inaugural foray into Flour’s recipes takes place on Mother’s Day, we treated ourselves to quite a breakfast spread: smoked salmon (for Adrien), Vermont brie, raspberries, homemade vanilla/honey yogurt sprinkled with homemade granola, and of course, the scones. I don’t think we’ll be eating again until tomorrow.

  • 07 May 2011 Sugar Snap and Snow Pea Stir-fry

    Adapted from d’Andrea, Aurealia. 28 day eat green challenge: Veg boot camp. Vegetarian Times, Issue 385, Vol. 37, No. 5. (June 2011). p 77.

    My Comment: Sometimes I’m not sure of what I’m doing in meal planning — so when I hear of an already mapped out meal plan, my ears really perk up.  Vegetarian Times has started just such a program and, should you be interested in finding out more you can find information on the vegetariantimes.com website.

    This recipe was published in the June 2011 launch of the 28-day challenge.  It caught my eye because the protein is coming from cashews – yummy! This made plenty of stir-fry; I served rice with Adrien’s portion — but ate mine au naturel.

    Sugar Snap and Snow Pea Stir Fry
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson Photography.

    Ingredients

    1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
    1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
    2 tsp cornstarch
    1/4 tsp chile-garlic sauce (go ahead and add what you like – I used a tablespoon)
    1 TBSP vegetable oil (I used canola)
    1 medium red onion, halved, cut into wedges and pulled apart (about 1-1/2 cup)
    1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)
    1 cup raw unsalted cashews
    1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
    8 oz. sugar snap peas
    8 oz. snow pea pods
    8 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces

    Method

    1. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, chile-garlic sauce and 1/2 cup water in small bowl and set aside.

    2. Heat vegetable oil in wok over high heat (remember to heat wok first, then add the oil). Add onion, bell pepper, cashews and ginger, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until onion and cashews begin to brown.

    3. Add snap peas and stir fry another minute.

    4. Add snow peas and green onions and stir fry 2 to 3 minutes more.

    5. Add soy sauce mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until sauce has thickened and vegetables are coated with sauce.

    Serves 4.  Nutrition: 324 calories, 10 G protein, 20 G fat, 30 G. carb, 6 G fiber.

  • 04 May 2011 Miso Baked Tofu

    Adapted from Bittman, Mark. How to cook everything vegetarian. (2007). New York: John Wiley & Company. p 641.

    My Comment: We’ve been incorporating tofu into our meals since we were

    Miso Baked Tofu
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

      first married… never mind how long ago that was. In those days we went to Erewhon (remember them?) and bought chunks of tofu out of a bucket; it wasn’t readily available in regular food markets. And mostly I stir fried tofu — so when I read Mark Bittman’s recipe for baked tofu, it seemed like it was time for a change.

    The neat thing about the way Mark Bittman organizes his “How to cook…” books is that once you’ve got the basic recipe down, there are a gazillion variations on a theme, allowing for endless variations.

    Bon apetit!

    Ingredients:

    Miso
    Sake, white wine, vegetable stock or water
    16 oz. block of tofu

    Method:

    1  Preheat the oven to 350 F. Dry the tofu with paper towels – don’t be too compulsive just blot the excess – and sprinkle with salt. Place on a tray covered with foil and sprayed with vegetable spray.

    2. Bake for about 1 hour undisturbed. The tofu is done when the crust is lightly browned and firm. Remove and use immediately or cool, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    The Miso Variation:

    Thin a couple of tablespoons of any miso with either sake, white wine, vegetable stock or water just to brushable consistency. After blotting off the water, brush the tofu liberally with this mixture and bake as directed above.

    Serves 4 or so.

  • 27 Apr 2011 Eggplant Scallopini

    Adapted from Katzen, Mollie. Moosewood cookbook. (1977). Berkeley, CA: Ten-speed Press. p 168.

    Eggplant Scallopini
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    My Comment: Adrien and I disagree on mushrooms — I *LOVE* them; he puts up with them. This was a truly tasty dish (mine without the pasta) – how have I missed it in all the years that I’ve had the Moosewood Cookbook? I don’t cook with butter, so I’ve updated this recipe to use all olive oil.

    Ingredients:

    4 cups cubed eggplant
    1 lb. chopped mushrooms
    3 cloves crushed garlic
    1 cup chopped onions
    1 cup chopped green pepper
    2 TBSP olive oil and 2 TBSP butter
    1 cup Marsala
    1 bay leaf
    1 tsp basil
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 cup tomato past
    1 cup freshly grated parmesan
    fresh black pepper
    1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
    2 medium tomatoes, chopped

    Method

    1. Heat the oils in a large heavy skillet. Add the onions, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and bay leaf and saute 5 minutes.

    2. Add the eggplant and another 1/2 tsp salt, stir and cook covered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    3. Add mushrooms, remaining slat, spices (except parsley), peppers, tomatoes, and paste. Mix well and simmer covered, 10 minutes. Add Marsala and parsley. Cover and simmer over low heat, about 15-20 minutes.

    4. Just before serving, mix in the parmesan cheese.

    5. Serve over pasta and pass around some extra parmesan.

    Serves 4-6 generously.

    Weight Watch Points to be determined.