Organic – Page 19 – morestomach

Garlic Panna Cotta + Curried Root Vegetable Soup

Published on November 26, 2014June 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach10 Comments

super quick post,
because i know it’s turkey week
and with that comes great responsibility,
that responsibility being putting on stretchy pants.

here’s to gratitude —
we are spending the long weekend with dw’s cousins in NY,
there’s gonna be hiking
eating
lots of eating
a jaunt into the city
we’re unplugging,
see you next week!

meanwhile, if your table is missing one thing
i doubt it is,
but if it you need something,
i have this soup.
it’s over at Honest Cooking,
where i’ll be contributing every so often,
when the mood strikes.

head over for the fancy looking,
but super simple soup: garlic panna cotta + curried root vegetable soup

have a great weekend friends!

chickpea & sausage stew

Published on November 17, 2014December 9, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach7 Comments

oh, mid-autumn.
in most cases,
i can be found bundled up,
ensconced in lap blankets,
fingers tangled in yarn,
dw next to me reading
or perusing the internet.
upon the early setting of the sun
there isn’t much that can
inspire us to be out
in the dark,
not when we can be snuggling
and noshing on comforting fares,
mostly of the sweet variety.
ahem.

now that the cold has settled,
permanently it seems,
my cooking leans towards
the measured and lazy.
this is the time i tend
to slow down my pace,
finding comfort in a pot of soup,
a pot that feeds us for a week straight,
the kind of dish that
warms us through and through,
sometimes even coercing me
off the couch for seconds.

chickpea & sausage stew
serves 6-8

*note: this is a soup that we are having for lunch this week. the whole having a huge pot of soup on the stove on sunday to feed us during the week has been such a relief for me, not having to worry about packing lunches. the repetition hasn’t gotten to us, yet, and hopefully it won’t, because seriously, lunch during the work week is my least fave meal to deal with.

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 lbs Italian sausage, thawed and casings removed
2 TBL tomato paste
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
4 cups homemade chicken stock, or leftover water that cooked the garbanzo beans, or combo of both
1 1/2 cups dried garbanzo beans, soaked at least 8 hours, cooked until tender, reserving water
head of kale, washed and rough chopped
1/4 cup of teeny tiny pasta, like acini di pepe (optional)
kosher salt and pepper

heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. saute onions until soft & translucent.

throw in the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned.

add in the tomato paste and parsley, cook for a few minutes.

add in the liquids, along with the garbanzo beans. bring to a boil.

throw in the kale, allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

if using, add in the acini di pepe.

season to taste.

BAM!

other soups & stews:
autumn harvest soup
3 bean chili
vietnamese beef stew
caribbean oxtail stew
miso ramen bowl
chicken pho
portuguese chicken + chorizo curry

za’atar socca + middle eastern smashed avocado

Published on November 10, 2014November 9, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach18 Comments

we’ve been travelling
these last few weeks,
with just two more trips
before the year is out.
as with tripping
there’s been eating
and with eating
there’s been the lament
about expanding waistlines
spending of money
exhaustion
lack of time to be bums.
for all our desires to
be elsewhere
there is just something about
being home.

last weekend
we were in ky
and one of the many, many
delightful dishes
we consumed
was a pita + crushed avocado appetizer
at a local middle eastern
cafe.
it’s simple, really.
guacamole
with a Mediterranean twist.
rather than chips,
it’s served with pita bread.
my version is with socca
topped with za’atar.

za’atar socca + middle eastern smashed avocado
inspired by grapeleaf
socca adapted from dolly & oatmeal

socca
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 cup lukewarm water
4 TBL olive oil, divided
healthy dash of za’atar, for the batter and after baked

preheat oven 450F
prepare two 8″ cake pans by drizzling 1 TLB of olive oil in each. set aside.

in a mixing bowl, or glass measuring cup with a lip, mix all the ingredients and remaining olive oil.

pour batter evening into prepared pans. bake for 12 minutes. remove pans and carefully flip the socca over. bake for additional 3-4 minutes.

allow to cool completely before removing from pan. smear with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle, generously, with the za’atar. if you’re up to it, toast until just warmed through and crispy around the edges.

smashed avocado
2-3 ripe avocados
5-6 chive blossom stalks (or you can use half a small red onion, diced)
bunch of cilantro, rough chopped
handful cherry tomatos, halved or quartered
1 garlic, finely minced
healthy squeeze of lime
salt/pepper to taste
seed of half pomegranate

in a bowl, thoroughly mix all the ingredients. you’re aiming for a guacamole-type of concoction.

BAM!

three bean chili -vegan

Published on October 13, 2014October 19, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach19 Comments

it began with a simple idea:
lunch.
what can i make that will
last a week in the fridge,
will warm us through,
be easy peasy to put together,
and still be delicious
by the very least,
4th day,
ideally 5th day?

chili.
stew.
soup.
same thing.

as i told dw
“we are going to have stoupli
the entire winter.
prepare thyself.”
this is likely going to be
an ongoing theme around these parts.
~~sorry about that~~
bring on the cold!

what do you have for lunch?

three bean chili
as inspired by will cook for friends and something for sunday

*note: it’s early in the season, or late, but i was able to use all fresh vegs. as the season progresses i will likely turn to canned tomatoes and the make up of the recipe will differ slightly depending on what vegs i can get at the market. adjust accordingly, use your best judgement.
**note: we don’t do canned beans, we’ve been trying our hand with dried beans. by all means, for convenience and preference, use canned if that works for you!
***note: the use of cocoa powder and coffee is not new. for Cincinnati chili, it uses a very generous amount of cocoa and wendi once fed me her commitment chili that has coffee in it. it adds a dark richness to the stew. if you’re against caffeine, or darkness and whatever, use broth or water.

a swirl or two of olive oil, enough to coat the pan/pot
1 cup dried black beans (soaked overnight, cooked for approx 2 hours, until al dente)
1 cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans (soaked overnight, cooked in crockpot on high for approx 2-3 hours, until al dente)
1 cup dried navy beans (soaked over night, cooked for approx 2-3 hours, until al dente)
1 huge, gigantore ripe tomato, rough chopped (a can of whole tomatoes is fine)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
1 big tomato, rough chopped (a can of tomatoes is fine if not using fresh)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
2 bay leaves
2 heaping tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBL spoons italian seasoning
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp, more or less, smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups strong black coffee
1-2 cups leftover cooked bean liquid (or water or stock is fine)
salt/pepper to taste

one of the things that i’ve learned from watching cooking shows and competitions: season well! for every layer of vegs that i add to the pot, i sprinkle in salt & pepper.

in a big pot, heat olive oil at medium high heat. add in the diced onion and saute until translucent. next add in the other vegs, being sure to season between layers and allowing each veg proper saute time. you’re building flavors, don’t skimp.

add in the dry seasonings and mix thoroughly.

pour in liquids, coffee and bean liquid (or water), bring to a boil. lower temp to gentle simmer and cook until beans are soft, up to 45 min – an hour.

*if using canned beans, don’t add the beans until the final 30 minutes. but do allow the other vegs to simmer in the liquids.*

this is even better the next days when all the spices mingled and got merry.

serve with toast, sometimes i added diced avocado if i was feeling fancy, other times, i ate it simply.

BAM!

blueberry swirl + coconut macaroons

Published on October 6, 2014October 5, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

“Mr. McDowell. Sir, I was wondering, did you happen to catch the professional football contest on television last night? Oh it was most exhilarating. The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay, and in the end the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pig skin through a big H. It was a most gripping victory.” – Coming to America

i get the basics of football,
what i don’t get,
i fake.
or ignore.
or if i’m feeling curious,
i ask what’s going on.
dw & i are casual ravens fans.
casual.
not rabid.
or biggest.
we know that if the ravens do well
then the city does well.
it also means the majority
of our friends will be nicer,
and our FB feeds aren’t
dotted with bad words.

these blueberry speckled macaroons
aren’t really seasonal.
they’re leftover blueberries
i froze right at peak,
saved for special occasions,
like watching our purple team
with friends,
who instead dotted our afternoon
with bad words.

blueberry swirl + coconut macaroons
adapted from my chocolate + coconut macaroons, which was adapted from the Splendid Table

*note: any bright hued berries will do, the more vibrant the color, the better. truth be told, sans berries and the end result is still delightful. in the original post, i used just one bowl. in this reincarnation, i dirtied the food processor set and an ice cream scooper.
**note: i have to painfully but truthfully admit, this isn’t an original recipe. it was inspired by things we make who adapted it from a resource i cannot bear to mention. it makes use of egg whites and raspberries and almond extract. un gamine dans la cuisine recently made a blueberry version, too.
***note: i only used sweetened shredded coconut flakes because that’s what i had on hand. typically i like to use a mix of sweet & unsweetened. keep in mind, if unsweetened flakes are used, sugar may need to be added. use your best judgement.

2 large eggs
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes
generous pinch of salt
good squeeze of half a lemon
zest of lemon, amount at your discretion
1 scant cup of thawed blueberries, give or take
if mixture seems a bit wet, add up to 1/3 cup almond or coconut flour. use your best judgement*

preheat oven to 350F.

in a food processor and whiz to break the flakes down a bit. if you need to, scrape down the sides. add in the zest & lemon juice and pulse to distribute the citrus love. scrape. add in the eggs, one at a time, whizzing and scraping in between.

scrape one last time.

now this is where it gets tricky. this is just an aesthetic thing but the goal is to have streaks of blue & white, so you’re not aiming to pulverize the berries and integrate them into the coconut flake mixture.

add in the berries, pulse a handful of times, just enough to break the berries, you want to stain the mixture, not dye it.

scoop with an ice cream scoop onto parchment papered cookie sheet.

bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

allow to cool on wire rack.

BAM!