Sweet and Sour Marinated Beets

Posted on Apr 5, 2012 | 0 comments

People keep telling me that beets are an acquired taste. Apparently I acquired a taste for them early in life since I’ve always liked them – even the pickled ones in the jar. I don’t however like the mess beet juice makes. Be smarted than I was the day I fixed these. Do not wear a white shirt and use food safe gloves if you have them.

This is a quick marinade to give your beets a nice tang without the trouble of pickling. I like to peel, slice, and marinate them while still warm because I think it helps them slurp up the flavors. If you have a some really good hot peppers, slice one in half and add it to the jar. These are delicious in salads with a little Gorgonzola on top.

Sweet and Sour Marinated Beets

Ingredients

  • 5 medium beets
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1 smashed garlic clove (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash beets thoroughly
  2. Wrap beets in foil and bake until you can stick a knife through beets with very little resistance, about 1hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Peel beets and cut into slices or cubes.
  4. Put beets (and garlic if using) in a stain proof container. I like glass jars for this.
  5. Mix sugar and vinegar together until sugar has dissolved. Add salt if using.
  6. Pour vinegar mixture over the beets and store in refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 5 days.


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Almost Wordless Wednesday – Nashville at Night

Posted on Apr 4, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m taking a night photography class and I wanted to share some of my pics from around town.

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Banana Bread with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Posted on Mar 31, 2012 | 0 comments

I can’t believe a whole week slipped by me without doing a post. I kept procrastinating and before I knew it, the week was over. It’s been a hectic week and I’m happy for a day I can rest and relax. Maybe I’ll catch up on some reading. In the mean time, this is my first attempt at making banana bread and it was inspired by this recipe. I’ve never been a huge fan of banana bread but the chocolate chip streusel gives this loaf a whole different taste. Use very ripe bananas for this to get the full banana flavor. Pecans would work if you don’t have walnuts.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 very ripe mashed bananas
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan.
  2.  Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3.  Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into medium bowl.
  4. Beat sugar, butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and milk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
  5. Spread half of batter in loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel.
  6. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool coffee cake in pan on rack.

Cooking time: 50 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

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Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Herbed Couscous

Posted on Mar 23, 2012 | 2 comments

You may have noticed that my little corner of the internet has been heavy on meatless dishes lately. Veggies rule in our house – at least until Good Friday. I have to admit I’m getting into finding new ways to fix vegetables, grains, and beans without any meat to add flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ribeye steak or a piece of fried chicken but eating lighter feels pretty good.

Asparagus is one of our “go-to” vegetables. It’s great for nights when I’m short on time and it doesn’t take much to make it taste good. The real star of this meal is the Israeli couscous. A handful of fresh herbs with some lemon zest gives the couscous a delicious bright flavor. I estimated the amount of parsley in this because I literally torn off a handful and dropped it in the food processor. Feel free to use more or less according to your tastes. Unless you really like lemon, be mindful of the amount of zest you use. Lemon can brighten a dish but it can also take over if you aren’t careful. I used vegetable broth with salt but if you use low sodium or no sodium broth, add a little salt so it won’t be bland.

Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Herbed Couscous

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbls olive oil
  • lemon pepper seasoning
  • 2 cans vegetable broth 14 oz
  • 2 cups Israeli couscous, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
  • 2 scallions – green parts only
  • 1/4 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbls olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Spread asparagus out on a baking sheet. Toss with oil and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.
  3. Add cherry tomatoes and put baking sheet in oven.
  4. Roast for 10 to 13 minutes or until tomatoes start to blister and aspargus gets tender crisp. Remove from oven.
  5. Bring broth to boil in medium sauce pan and add couscous.
  6. Turn down to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
  7. While couscous is cooking, put parsley, oil, lemon zest, and scallions in a food processor. Pulse until there are no big pieces or stems left.
  8. Remove couscous from heat. Drain extra broth and put couscous in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley mixture.
  9. Serve.

Number of servings (yield): 4

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Almost Wordless Wednesday – Black and White

Posted on Mar 21, 2012 | 0 comments

I’m still playing around with the starkness of black and white photos. The absense of color really makes you look at the details. These are a few shots I took on recent photo walks.

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Smoky Chipotle Bean Dip

Posted on Mar 19, 2012 | 1 comment

 

 

This recipe was so easy that I’m almost embarrassed to put it on this blog. I needed to use up some pinto beans I cooked a few days ago and bean dip popped into my brain. This dip is full of flavor and has loads of possible variations. Since beans are low in fat and high in fiber, this dip is a relatively healthy snack that will fill you up. If you have don’t have any leftovers, use 2 14 oz cans of well drained pinto or black beans. Definitely don’t get hung up on the quantities. Use whatever beans you have and season to taste.  If you have chipotles in adobe  on hand, you can substitute 1 tsp minced chipotles for the chipotle powder.

Smoky Chipotle Bean Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 generous cups leftover pinto beans
  • 2 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 2 green onions, diced (green parts only)
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 black olives, diced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place beans in food processor and pulse until desired consistency. I like mine a little chunky.
  2. Put beans in bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well.
  3. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese before serving if desired.

Number of servings (yield): 8

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