Posts

Tool Tip: Avocado Knife (and the Common Kitchen Tools That Have Replaced It)

Truth be told, my kitchen drawers are emptier than one might guess, mostly because I buy few – and keep still-fewer – single-purpose utensils. But here's the thing. ONE TOOL Once upon a time, I was enamored with an avocado knife, that's the avocado-shaped specialty knife shown on the left, there. For years, it worked great, earning a permanent home here because it was small and yet ever so practical for piercing and loosening the avocado pit, slicing the skin and then scooping out the flesh. You could say, I suppose, that this single-purpose tool was in fact, yes, multi-purpose! VS THREE TOOLS And then again? That avocado knife has been replaced by not one but three "tools" – not purchased especially but ones I keep on hand and use for other purposes many times a day. First, a serrated knife, technically it's a tomato knife but I use it ALL the time. (Use it to slice the avocado open.) Then a serrated spoon, technically it's a grapefruit spoon and again,

Day 273: Slow-Roasted Stuffed Red Onions with Lavender & Thyme

Elegant, yes? And unusual too. And considerably fussy (especially for more than a couple of people) although all the prep is done ahead of time so perfect for company. They were also forgiving with oven time (while the onion picture was taken after 35 minutes in the oven, the onion eating happened after a whole 'nother hour in the oven thanks to an unexpected last-minute grocery run) . And tasty? That too. And perfect for an all-courses-lavender dinner party . NEXT TIME I'd .... include the chopped bacon; cook the stuffing first in a skillet, as if for a turkey; use smaller onions; repeat the individual servings but with smaller onions, in smaller ramekins placed right on the plate. FROM THE ARCHIVES For other out-of-the-ordinary vegetable recipes, see here in the Recipe Box . SLOW-ROASTED STUFFED RED ONIONS with LAVENDER & THYME Bookmark or print this recipe only Hands-on time: 30 minutes (about 15 for scooping out the onions) Time to table: 1 hour, 45 minu

Day 272: Carrots Braised in Marsala ♥

braise [BRAYZ] A cooking method by which food (usually meat or vegetables) is first browned in fat, then cooked, tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a lengthy period of time. The long, slow cooking develops flavor and tenderizes foods by gently breaking down their fibers. Braising can be done on top of the range or in the oven. A tight-fitting lid is very important to prevent the liquid from evaporating. (Thank you, Epicurious.) I must have skipped class the day braising was covered. (This is when my home ec teacher-mother should chime in how I would know ALL about braising had I only taken Foods I in high school -- which I refused to since she was teaching it -- instead of passing out to Foods II. It was a sweet joke between us; according to her, anything I didn't know, and there was and is much, was covered in detail in Foods I.) But I'm catching up! This is the first time I've braised anything and already I'm imagining fennel and leeks and

Day 303: Roasted Cauliflower & Tomato ♥

A fresh take on roasted cauliflower, adding Indian-style spices and a touch of heat. Gorgeous! Low Carb, Paleo, very Weight Watchers friendly. Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". ~recipe & photo updated 2010 & 2015~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ Oh so waaaay back on Day One, I roasted cauliflower and called it yummy. But this version, spiked with Indian-style spices and pepper, is spectacularly yummy. February tomatoes being what they are, I nearly skipped them but am glad I didn't. The tomatoes add moisture, texture contrast and a bit of acid that pairs beautifully with the creamy cauliflower. 2015 UPDATE: Call me pleased when a recipe I loved way-back-when in the first year of A Veggie Venture tastes just as good Рbetter? Рagain. The tomatoes, the jalape̱o, the spices, they all add to the mixture, making it more than the sum of its parts. I've also learned the importance of a touch of oil when roasting vegetables. They will "cook" wit

Day 271: Oh Baby! Quinoa Pilaf with Raita ♥

Rumors were as thick as cold queso over at Belly-Timber on Friday. For awhile there, it looked like Chopper and Mrs D were asking this weekend's Paper Chef participants to what, cook like babies? to baby the cooks? or somethin' crazy like that. But oh no, it was all just part of the fun. (See resident baby-cook chortle.) In honor of the brand-new (er, what'd she say? infant?) year of 2006, what Belly-Timber really wanted was for everyone to cook with a baby something. Baby food. Baby lambs. Baby forks. Something baby. (New to Paper Chef? It's a monthly food fest where foodies and food bloggers from all over the world head for their respective kitchens to cook with the same four ingredients -- this month the four are quinoa, cashews, yoghurt aka yogurt and the baby-something business. Then we all come together -- online of course -- to drool and compare. It's patterned after Food TV's Iron Chef though without the sweats and frowns. And it's great fun --

Day 270: Green Bean, Carrot & Apple Medley

This gets high marks for "great color" and likelihood of "on-hand ingredients". But I was hoping for another magical combination like, say, tomatoes and spinach with peanut butter or carrots with chutney or cabbage with apple or beets with red onion or tomatoes with stale bread or tomato with zucchini or broccoli with oyster garlic sauce or green beans with pine nuts or peppers with anchovies or cauliflower with capers or squash and pear or mashed potatoes and carrots . (Wow! When you've been doing this for more than nine months, the magical combinations begin to add up!) And that didn't happen. Still it was 'good enough' and no-fat and high-fiber, low-cal and low-carb too. And I wonder, with the apple-juice sweetener, if it might be a kid favorite? NEXT TIME: I'd skip the apple entirely. GREEN BEAN, CARROT & APPLE MEDLEY Bookmark or print this recipe only Hands-on time: 15 minutes Time to table: 15 minutes Serves 8 1 cu

Kitchen Parade Extra: Tin Foil Chicken & Veggies ◄

Once the holiday ruckus is finished, it's time to ease back into real life again, you know, January. Kitchen Parade continues its quick supper series, this week with the classic and ever-flexible chicken and veggies cooked in tin foil. It's simple. It's spare. And it's featured in this week's Kitchen Parade column .