A Pot of Versatile Veggies - Refrigerator Remnants

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a new recipe.  Between making sure I provided a few posts with helpful tips and holiday entertaining, and focusing on fulfilling orders from my customers, I let a period pass without dedicating time to share recipes. Although those may be some reasons, truth be told, the more obvious one is that without our usual entertaining schedule, I’ve been less motivated to experiment and haven’t had the need to invent new dishes to serve guests.  That part makes me a bit sad. Ok, a lot sad.

Even though we haven’t been entertaining doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking.  On the contrary, I’ve actually been cooking up a storm, doing more than ever since I starting providing weekly meal service to select customers in my local area, plus baked goods via shipping.  Plus, I’ve had some catering opportunities pop up as well.  So cooking has been firing up my kitchen, it just didn’t feel like there was anything to blog about.

Or so I thought. As life often does, it shines a light on a topic and then energy is sent forth which appears in full bloom. Here’s a clear example of what I’m talking about. Did you ever think about a friend and then suddenly that friend calls you? It’s like sending out a smoke signal, and you get a return response. That energy swirls around us constantly. It happened just like that to me recently. I had been talking to three friends about the fact that I have not blogged about a recipe in quite some time, and expressed my mixed emotions about it. So, imagine my surprise and thrill when I got the spark to create again. That particular day while I was doing my usual refrigerator ‘cleanse and see what’s still viable’ exercise, I felt a sudden reminiscent pang of my old something from nothing style.  It dawned on me that I have been creating dishes for JuanCarlos and myself all along but just hadn’t been focused on photographing, documenting and writing about them.  When I looked at this batch of veggies that needed some love and attention, I thought this could be worth sharing if nothing else but to motivate you to clean out your fridge. Admittedly, this recipe is not earth shattering. In fact, it’s quite basic. But it’s significance is greater than the recipe itself. One, it motivated me to photograph and document again. And two, hopefully it will inspire you to go through your fridge and figure out what to do with your miscellaneous food items. I should create an ongoing series entitled: Refrigerator Remnants.  You see, inspiration is everywhere.

Fennel, Celery, Rainbow Chard, Garlic, Onions, Carrots. The absolute basics.

Basically, this process is nothing more than pulling out all those unused items in your fridge that are at their last hope for use, and then coming up with a plan on how they all play together.  As I mentioned, this ‘recipe’ isn’t rocket science.  It’s actual a pumped up mire poix or soup base but without the liquid.  But it is hearty, tasty, versatile, and most of all met the requirements of using items that might have ended up in the trash a few days from now. 

This pot of veggies can be used as a side dish to any protein: meat, chicken, fish, beans or tofu.  It can be a main with a heaping helping of rice or couscous or even piled on top of a baked potato.  Or can even be part of a taco filling or quesadilla.  I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to serve up this veggie packed plate. Feel free to use any of my suggestions but I’ll let you figure out how you want to serve them up.  For now, I encourage you to go through the exercise of rummaging through to find your Refrigerator Remnant Recipe. Remember, these were the items and amounts that I had in my fridge. The goal here is to inspire you to create with whatever you have, and balance the flavors with the amounts you have. For instance, even though I had a ton of celery, the fennel was what was most pronounced in the combo below.

Here’s mine:

Ingredients

2 med onions (approx. 2.5 c )
4 lg carrots (approx. 3.5 c)
4 c celery
3c fennel
2 garlic cloves
12c red Swiss chard
Olive oil, salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Cut all the vegetables into large chunks.

As I said, a pumped up mire poix.

2. Cut and discard the ends/toughest part of the Swiss Chard. Then cut the remaining ribs out and chop them into smaller pieces..

3. Cut the leafy part of the Swiss Chard into strips.

4. Pour oil, salt and pepper into the pot to heat up then add all the vegetables except the leafy parts of the chard. Add whatever spice combo you desire. See below of different combos to try.

5. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until tender but still al dente. You don’t want these to cook down so much that they become mush. You want a tooth bite to them.

6. Add Swiss Chard leafy parts, cover and cook over low flame for 5-8. minutes until wilted.

I didn’t add any additional spices since I made such a big batch I didn’t want to commit to one spice profile. I figured I would enhance it each time I warmed it up. This worked out fine as the anise from the fennel really flavored the dish to the point of not needing anything else.  But this is one of those dishes where anything goes.  Make it your own.  Here are some spice combos to try.

Italian Flavor: Dry Thyme | Oregano | Red Pepper Flakes | Cannellini Beans

Indian Flavor: Turmeric | Cumin | Cinnamon | Cloves | Curry | Coconut Milk

Middle Eastern: Cumin Seeds | Fennel Seeds | Sumac | Cardamom | Chick Peas

French: Herbs de Provence | Tarragon | Chives | Chervil

Spanish: Saffron | Pimentón de la Vera/Paprika | Cayenne Pepper

Mexican: Cilantro | Chili Pepper | Cumin | Allspice | Coriander

And here is how I served it up.

I had leftover ginger/red onion paella rice so I shaped it into a large patty and fried it up.  Then topped it with veggies.  For JC I added the leftover chicken thigh he had from the night before.  I know, I know, nothing earth shattering here, but I know I have some viewers who get overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to do.  This is just one way of culling everything together.

Leftover ginger/red onion paella rice. Perfect for making fried rice patties.

Note about the rice patty. Since this was leftover paella rice that had been previously sautéed with oil, ginger and red onion it had a natural stickiness to it that allowed it to hold the shape without any binder. If you only have long grain rice then you will need to add a binder of egg and flour in order to hold the patty together.

Why make one when you can make two. This fried rice patties are so delicious.

Use a cast iron pan with oil and high heat to get a crispy exterior.

Golden brown perfection.

Use the same ring for the veggie mix placement makes a nice, neat presentation.

The bigger chunks make this a more hearty side dish.

Using the same ring mold that you used to make the rice patties, place on top and fill with the veggie mixture, and pack tight.

I added chick peas to my mixture to add protein.

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Marinated Feta

Over the past year, I’ve been whipping up a little marinade for the plain feta cheese I buy. Of course, I still use plain feta in a slew of other ways, but for months I took real joy in serving it as an appetizer all on its very own. Feta has an intensely tangy flavor but it is a simple cheese that I wouldn’t normally serve on just plain. The way to make something simple sing is to joosh it up a bit.

I landed on the idea to smother it in flavor while I was reminiscing about how I used to marinate olives when I lived in Miami. Back then the city was not the culinary mecca it has become today, and marinated olives weren’t as readily available. I know that seems hard to believe given their ubiquity, but that was way before there were so many cool markets with speciality items or olive stations. So, I would buy a variety of plain olives and then make a citrus, spice oil mixture in which to marinate them. Heck, when you don’t find what you want or need, you simply have to rely on your own talents to create it. That’s what I did then, and continue to do now. That old Miami olive mixture made me think of how yummy something similar would be on feta cheese.

*Side note about feta that I just learned from my Bulgarian brother-in-law, Peter. Much like Champagne, the word feta can only be used when referring to the cheese if it is produced in a traditional way in particular areas of Greece. Who knew? Now we do. All other cheeses made in different parts of the world can only state that they are fresh sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese ripened in brine. So interesting, and a tidbit I thought I would share. That said, as much as I would like to be a stickler for food correctness, it’s much easier to write feta, rather than a longer description of the cheese. Is that bad?

Back to the marinade. As I stated, I’ve made this before and it was enjoyed by my guests, but I noticed a real uptick in its wow factor. Whenever I’ve offered it up, it has been a home run. So much so that I was forced to make it in much larger quantities. Once people get a taste of it, it’s like tortilla chips and salsa, you just can’t stop eating it.

The ingredients that provide major zing: Cilantro, lemon, scallions, parsley, black pepper, olive oil, feta, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Ingredients

7 oz. Feta cheese (sheep’s milk cheese in brine. I prefer the French one, as it it softer and milder)
*if you wanted to double the about of cheese the below marinade ingredients will be enough

2 T Scallions, sliced thinly
1/2 c Clilantro leaves loosely packed, minced (3 T)
1/2 c Parsley leaves loosely packed, minced (3T)
1-2 Garlic cloves, crushed (1 t)
2 t Dry Oregano
1/8 t Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
1 t lemon zest
2 t lemon juice
2/3 c olive oil
a few twists of ground pepper

It’s the small touches of red pepper flakes and garlic that really bring a zing to this dressing.

Instructions

I feel silly telling you what to do, but here goes.

Cut, chop, mince, crush according to ingredient list above.

It is so essential to use the freshest ingredients, always, but more so when you are making a raw dressing like this one. Freshness and brightness are key.

Give the herbs a good mince, and the scallions a thick slice.

The zest and juice of lemon adds a brightness and acidity that rounds out all the flavors.

Gently cube the feta and place in an airtight container. (I prefer a glass container.)

Salty, briny, delicious French feta

You can make the cubes any size you want. I like small ones.

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together.

Crushed garlic

Dry oregano

Red Pepper Flakes

Add all the ingredients and whisk together until combined.

Pour over the cheese, lovingly.

Pour the mixture all over the cheese ensuring every last piece is covered.

Note, that there is no salt in the ingredients. That is because the feta is brined in salt and you definitely do not need any additional. However, since the dressing amounts above make about twice what you need to marinate 7 oz of feta, you can do one of two things. You can add salt to the remaining marinade and use it to top fish, chicken or pork. Or you can simply double the about the feta, which is what I do because 7 oz may be enough for your crew, but it’s definitely not whenever I serve it. When you are ready to serve this up, remove it from the fridge at least 15 minutes prior so the oil comes back to room temp.

When I say it can be slathered on everything, I mean it. Naturally, it’s divine on crusty bread. A no brainer. But I’ve seen guests dollop it on salad. Eat with grilled shrimp. Top polenta, rice and pasta with it. Need I go on. As a matter of fact, we social distanced at my sister, Alyssa’s house this past weekend, and we literally had a slew of foods that this feta worked so well with. Pasta with pesto and shrimp, chick pea salad with fennel and herbs, sautéed string beans, a big salad and grilled sausage. We all made a big plate and mixed it all up together, and amazingly it was a medley in our mouths.

I recently made breakfast tortilla/tacos from leftover roasted veggies and decided to add some zing by topping them with this marinated feta. It took these already delicious tacos to another level.

Roasted cauliflower, onions, sautéd spinach on corn tortillas topped with marinated feta.

I love when something takes on a whole new versatility. Marinated ‘feta’. It’s a very good thing!

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3 Dips a Dipping...

Life with an obsessive buyer.

Well, I guess that’s the view from hubby, JuanCarlos’, seats. I buy things; be it material scraps, vintage dishes, glassware, and even food ingredients with big ideas. Sometimes with no specific ideas at all, I just love how they look and I’ll figure it out later. Maybe that is what I should have called this blog. Buy it Now - Figure it Out Later.

In the looking good category, I’m often tempted by the olive bar at specialty stores. Or the condiment and cheese aisles. Who wouldn’t? They are stocked with alluring foods. So, it’s no wonder that when you open my fridge you will encounter jars and containers of what JC likes to call stragglers. Annoying stragglers, to be exact. We differ greatly in our view points. I love having these food items around because they come in handy in a pinch. On the flip side, my husband finds these types of jars, containers and “dangling participles’ quite annoying. The main reason: he doesn’t have much use for these ingredients, hence the questioning as to why we need so many of them. Which often leads to him needing to shift, maneuver around and rejigger them in the fridge. Of course, I see the absolute need for these, but I’m willing to consider his point of view; me as condiment hoarder for the ‘just in case’ moment.

In an effort to keep the peace around the holidays (at least that is what I’m telling him), I decided to make him happy and clean the fridge from condiment craze. Yet, we all know the real reason. I’m a serial something from nothing, experimentalist. I can’t help myself from looking at ingredients and seeing what they could be. And what perfect timing, as we look down the barrel of the final few holiday parties and gatherings left in the year, a trio of dips comes in handy. Dips are not just useful for dipping, but great to spread on sandwiches, or on the base of pizza or stuffed breads, dollop on a salad or tacos, or dang near anything else you can think of.

Here are 3 dips for dipping. Or spreading or whatever you want to name them, for use in whatever way you choose.

Avocado & Sour Cream Dip

Ingredients
1/2 c avocado, cubed
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c scallions + 1 T for topping
1 garlic clove, rough chop
1 T parsley
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Instructions
In a mini blender, buzz up the parsley, scallions and garlic first. Then add the avocado and sour cream. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Buzz again and taste for seasoning. Easy, breezy.

Chop up the scallions and garlic first. It helps to blend them up better.

Chunks of avocado give it a creaminess.

Fresh parsley and lemon give this dip a zip.

Avocado & Sour Cream dip. Creamy and tangy.

Roasted Pepper & Goat Cheese Dip

Ingredients
1/2 c marinated roasted red peppers
2/3 c goat cheese
1/4 c walnuts, roasted

Instructions
Roast the walnuts for 8-10 minutes in the oven or in a saucepan on the stove. Then using a mini blender, buzz up them up into small pieces. Remove from blender, then add the peppers and goat cheese and blend until you have a chunky consistency. Add the walnuts back in, and blend only until full combined, or you can simply stir them in. Taste for seasoning. Since I bought the marinated roasted peppers there was no need to add any additional seasonings.

Goat cheese makes it creamy and tangy. Peppers makes it sweet.

Walnuts give a crunch. A wonderful combination.

Gorgeous bright color, full of tang, sweet and crunch.

Olive & Feta Cheese Dip

Ingredients
1/2 c oil cured black olives
1/2 c green olives
1/2 c feta cheese
1/4 c scallions, rough chop
1 garlic clove, rough chop
1/2 c parsley leaves
1/4 c olive oil
1 t lemon juice

The set up for something special.

Instructions
In a mini blender, buzz up the parsley, garlic and scallions. Add the black and green olives and buzz until it creates a paste. Add olive oil and lemon juice and blend until combined. Then add the feta cheese. Since the olives and feta have enough flavor and salt content, this dip should not require any additional seasoning. But always taste to see if you need more lemon juice or oil.

Toss the scallions, garlic and parsley in.

Buzz it up until coarsely chopped.

Add the olives. Then the oil, lemon juice and feta.

Olive tapenade with feta is a hearty dip, perfect with boiled potatoes for dipping.

Bright, crunchy and super green string beans are a fresh and delightful addition to this platter.

New and fingerling potatoes are the perfect size and consistency for dipping. They also make for a hearty bite.

Did you see how easy it was to whip up not one but three dips? These were just one of those days when pulling ingredients out and seeing what works together creates ramekins full of goodness.

In my defense of stocking our fridge with these awesome ingredients, we had one of those ‘just in case’ moments when we needed to bring appetizers to a party. Perfect timing, I’d say, as I just finished making these dips and they were picture ready for the party. Pure evidence that having dangling participles in your fridge isn’t a luxury or a nuance but an absolute necessity. I feel redeemed and justified in my condiment collecting craze.

A colorful medley.

Fresh and inviting. So, go ahead and invite someone over. Pop some bubbly and dip away.

Dip, spread or dunk your way to a New and Prosperous Year.

Avocado & Sour Cream Dip Recipe

Roasted Pepper & Goat Cheese Dip Recipe

Olive & Feta Cheese Dip Recipe

Post Note: While I was in North Carolina visiting my nieces, my youngest niece made all 3 of these dips for us to snack on. Then we brought the leftovers to my oldest nieces newly purchased townhouse, which we helped her moved into. These dips were the perfect snack as we unpacked, unwrapped and set up her new abode. Everyone loved them. I guess these 3 dips a dipping are even more handy that I originally thought.!

Fish & Bean Soup

You know the old saying, “Soup Is Good Food”.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s soothing. It’s filling. It warms your belly, and your soul. It cuddles you from the inside out. For me, it really doesn’t matter what time of year it is, I tend to always enjoy a bowl of soup. Naturally, soup fulfills its goals most definitely during the fall and winter months.

Soups can run the gamut from super complicated and time consuming endeavors, all the way to ‘throw it all in a pot and cook’. From thin, clear broths to thick, chunky stew types. From vegetarian to hog filled meat pleasers. No matter what kind you are making, the key is flavor layering. Building up flavor profiles one by one gives depth and makes the soup richer.

Even though I featured this soup with a simple ‘how to’ in my recent blog post Monday Night Dinner, some of you asked for more specifics. So if you ask, I want to deliver. Whatever I can do to make cooking easier, and a pleasure for you. JuanCarlos was the one who made this soup for our guests that evening. I have made versions of this by adding spinach and scallions. You will see that the add on possibilities are vast. Savoy cabbage would be great, or a scoop of rice. But I like to enjoy it like this, clean and pure to let the broth sing and the fish shine.

So, here goes it. This recipe and the steps are so easy you won’t believe that it takes practically no time to cook. The determining factor is the kind of fish used and how they are cut. Shrimp, Calamari (Squid) and Monkfish all cook in the same time, and super fast. I mean, 5 minute FAST!

I would venture to say if you had all your ingredients out and ready to cut, you could make this soup in 20 minutes start to finish.

Get the timer ready!

A few simple ingredients make a fish soup that will be remembered.

Ingredients

3/4 lb Monkfish, cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 lb shrimp, cleaned/deveined, cut into bite sized pieces
2 calamari bodies, cleaned, cut into rings
1 c onion, diced
3-4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 c parsley, chopped
2 qts broth (fish or vegetable)
1/4 t red pepper flakes (add more if you like more heat)
1.5 t salt
1/4 c Olive oil

Instructions

1.Cut the onions, garlic and parsley. Add the onions and garlic to a pot with oil, salt and red pepper flakes and
cook over a medium low heat, softly sautéing them. Then add the parsley, and cook slowly.

The aromatics. This is the beginning of flavor building.

Build up the flavors and let the onions and garlic flavor the oil.

Then add the parsley and let it do the same.

2. Meanwhile, clean and cut the fish into bite sized pieces.

Monkfish comes in a long strip. I cut in down the middle, then cut small 1” cubes.

For soups, I usually get a smaller shrimp and then still cut them in 1/3’s so they are small enough to fit on a spoon.

No one should have to take the time to clean squid. Buy it cleaned. Just make sure the inner cartilage is removed. Then slice ringlets.

All the fish is ready to go while the aromatics are cooking.

3. Once the aromatics have softened (you don’t want caramelization, just a translucent cook through), add the
beans and their liquid. Slowly warm through.

4. Add the broth. If you only have 1 quart of broth, do as I did and add quart of water. Just make sure that you
taste for seasoning since water isn’t seasoned where I come from. Bring to a boil.

5. Lower heat to a simmer and add all the fish pieces. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes until the fish is tender.
DO NOT cook longer or the fish will get overdone and rubbery.

Monkfish in the pot.

Squid next.

Shrimp ahoy.

Taste the calamari and make sure it’s cooked through. Also, taste for seasonings.

Look at how beautifully cooked and tender each piece of fish is. A bowl of Good Food.

All that is left is to serve it up immediately, garnish with more parsley and enjoy a warm bowl of clean broth with hearty protein. It will warm your soul, bring a smile to your face, and joy to your heart. Seriously, how much more can one ask from a soup?

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Spicy Eggplant, Potato, Carrot Hash

Well, I’m back to my usual something from nothing tricks. The way I usually cook. Just pulling items out, in whatever quantities I have and figuring things out as I go. No real plan. Only agenda is to feed my hunger. When I’m in this mode, I don’t measure. But because I love you, I cut up whatever ingredients I took out and measured each one. This way you would have approximate amounts as a guide. For those of you who don’t necessarily need to follow a recipe for amounts, have fun. For those who usually use follow a recipe to a T, I encourage you to use your taste buds as a guide for judgement on approximating amounts. Look into a pot and say, I think that is enough onions, or carrots, or whatever. Once you get a feel for it, you will feel empowered. But, if you like sticking to a recipe, that’s cool, too.

AND as usual, the impetus for this creation emerged when I remembered buying white eggplant, but neglected to make it during the week. Panic struck when I wondered if I waited too long. Then relief filled my heart when I saw they were still in good shape. And so the story began; out came the eggplant, and with the fridge door swung wide open I started pulling ones item out at a time, looking through the drawers and shelves, and cupboards to see what else might be available.

Here’s what I came up with. After I pulled everything out and chopped it up, I would have just starting cooking. But as promised, I measured it all for you. I very much appreciate that you take the time to read and try these recipes so I want to make experimenting easy and fun.

ingredients

• White eggplant (4 c cubed)

• Heirloom carrots (2 c cubed)

• Long hot peppers (1/2 c sliced)

• Red onions (2.5 c sliced)

• Idaho Potatoes (4 c cubed)

(You will need 3/4c oil, salt and pepper to taste.)

When I saw this pile of gorgeous veg, I immediately thought HASH. No, not the kind you smoke; the yummy, crispy kind you usually have with eggs. Only I planned on making it as a side dish for dinner.

Since each of these ingredients takes different cooking times, my approach was to cook each separately and then bring them all together at the end. While I was cooking my mind kept ping ponging thoughts on whether this would need a salsa. There was mint, parsley and cilantro standing by in the fridge. It got me thinking about making a chimichurri style dressing to brighten the whole thing up in the end.

Salsa Ingredients

1/4 c fresh mint leaves
1/3 c Olive Oil (you can use less if you want it less liquidy)
1 large garlic clove
1 T, shallot, minced (optional)
1/2 t lemon zest
squeeze of lemon juice
Salt, preferably coarse

I use a mortar and pestle but you can also use a mini blender to combine the ingredients.

Here’s how this something from nothing adventure turned out.

The salsa line up.

Instructions

1. Cut and slice all the ingredients as noted above.

Heirloom carrots. Yellow and purple gorgeous chunks.

What a beautiful array of potatoes, onions, spicy peppers, white eggplant. Ready and willing.

2. Start with the potatoes first because they will take the longest. Add them into a hot cast iron skillet with 1/4 c oil, add salt and pepper. Then turn the heat to medium low. Once they are crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, remove them and set aside.

Nice bite sized chunks.

Is there anything more satisfying than crispy potatoes? I think not.

3. In the same pan, add 1/4 c oil, then add the eggplant and half the sliced onions, salt and pepper. Cook until they have a nice crust. Remove and set aside.

Get a good sear so the eggplant don’t get mushy. You want a nice bite to them.

4. In the same pan, add 1/4 c oil, carrots, remainder of the onions and peppers. Cook until done.

Look at how bright and vibrant this looks.

Cook until the vegetables are softened and nicely caramelized.

5. Add everything back in the pan and cook until all the flavors meld together.

Add everything together to combine and let the flavors marry.

6. Make the Chimichurri style salsa by smashing garlic, cilantro, salt in a mortar and pestle (or a mini blender). Add some lemon zest and juice and oil and whisk together.

The salt and pepper act as a abrasive to mince the mint.

Lemon zest brightens and makes all the ingredients sing.

I made my salsa more on the liquidy side so I could drizzle it on. You can add as much or as little oil as you desire.

A medley of robust flavors.

The combo of the vegetables was quite tasty. The zesty salsa only amped up all the flavors. I ate it for lunch, dinner, and I might have even had a little for breakfast, too. I even added some broccolini to it.

With some sautéd broccolini, this made a tasty lunch dish.

Other uses:

• Put this combo instead an omelette, or just scramble it into eggs

• Grilled flank steak or shrimp and serve it fajita style

• Smash it together, form patties and sear them into little pancakes

  I leave the rest of the serving ideas to your imagination. What’s in your fridge this weekend? Go explore!

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