Quinoa Beets & Portobello medley

Unfortunately I have been on hiatus due to Spring Break and other distractions, and I have neglected my postings. During the break I thought a lot about Carol Adam's book The Sexual Politics of Meat, and her other book The Pornography of Meat. I have decided (for the time being) to try a vegetarian diet.....well, more pescetarian. I know I know!! Coming from the girl who cooked steak two weeks ago with no problem! This will not be easy by any means! The smell from Addison's pepperoni pizza alone made my mouth water.. But this is only because I am accustomed to an omnivore's diet. The more I read about the meat industry (mass produced) or (organic/grass-fed), the more I have found my personal feminism sympathizing with the idea of speciesism. This transition from meat eating to vegetarian eating will take discipline .. and at some level it's difficult to know where to draw the line. With vegetables and fruits, I'm still concerned with the working conditions of the laborers picking our produce in the fields, and that there are no pesticides or harmful chemicals etc. So SOMETHING's gotta give! Is there a way to be a perfect consumer activist?! Well, I'm trying!!

At any rate, I had a lovely time at the grocery store buying beautiful fuchsia beets to prepare for last nights meal. I sauteed the greens from the beet plant with garlic and onions. I made a delicious quinoa mixed with edamame, garbonzo beans, sweet onions, and feta, and then cooked portobello mushroom strips to go along with everything.

How to cook Beets:

-Wash the beets and trim the ends off before cooking
-Slice the beats into 4 quaters and place into a baking pan
-Roast the beets at 425 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes (cover the pan with foil) or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife. Slip off the skins under running water and slice or dice.

Beet Greens:

-Trim the greens from the stems off of the beet
-Wash in a salad spinner
-Add olive oil to a sauce pan and sautee for 5-10 minutes (with garlic and sweet onions)

Portobello Mushrooms:

-Cut one large portobello into strips
-Add olive oil to a pan
-Sautee for 5-10 minuts

Quinoa:

-Place 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of vegetable stock into a saucepan
-Bring to a boil
-Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all the stock is absorbed (10-15 minutes)
-When it is done, the grain will appear soft, and the "germ ring" will be visible along the outside edge of the grain
-Add garbonzo beans, edamame, and sweet onions to a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes
-Mix into the quinoa
-Garnish with feta cheese

Beets with ends chopped
Beets placed onto a baking pan
Beet greens ready and washed
Sliced portobellos
Sauteed garbonzo beans, edamame, and sweet onions to be mixed into the quinoa

Steak in Buttery Cream White Wine Sauce with Mushrooms & Garlic

We ate like Spaniards tonight, and ended dinner around 10:45. Earlier this evening, I decided to make steak. I hardly ever eat steak, but I had a rough day today..so I splurged. Currently I'm rereading Carol Adam's book The Sexual Politics of Meat (and she would be very disappointed in me), but I'll have her know cooking for an hour in the kitchen was therapeutic--I'm sorry Carol!! My guest of honor was Addison! I hear steak and potatoes is the way to a man's heart.

I decided to accompany the steak with some Spanish tapas called "Patatas Bravas" (fancy for fried/roasted potatoes), and some roasted asparagus. I made a buttery mushroom & garlic white wine sauce to put over the steak (because I had left over mushrooms and white wine from last night).

Patatas Bravas:

1 cup (1-inch) cubed peeled red-skinned potatoes
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Mix the potatoes and spices together in a big bowl with some olive oil. Add the mixture into hot oil on a skillet for 5 minutes. Take out of the skillet, and put it on a cooking sheet (along with any other vegetable you intend to roast). Roast at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (Use your judgement). Easy as PIE!

Steak Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter (okay maybe I used 6) Paula would be proud...
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
add salt & pepper to taste

Steak:

I cooked it on each side for about 4 minutes each to get a juicy medium rare.. (in a generous amount of butter & olive oil) OKAY! ROUGH DAY!

So here was the process:

Potatoes mixed with olive oil and spices before going into the skillet...

HEAVEN!!!!!
Steaks being cooked (in some butta)

roasted and toasted potatoes out of the oven w/ steak & sauce.
Lighting made the the glare in his glasses..Oh well, swoon!

That's my plate... you can tell because I'm unapologetically dipping my Patatas Bravas in Ketchup.

Sunchoke Soup & Bleu Cheese Arugula Salad

I searched all over town for Sunchokes today. I called Earth Fare and went to the Daily Co-op, but could not find anything! So, instead I planned to make Artichoke Soup, but when I went to Kroger (of all places) lo and behold... I spotted Sunchokes! Beaming, I went with my original recipe, and had such a lovely dinner with my friend Joshua, my guest of honor. And If I do say so myself.... it was not too shabby for my first attempt.

I must admit, I had never had a Sunchoke until a couple of weeks ago when I was working at the Fourcoursemen. Their Sunchoke soup was soooo good, I wanted to make my own! A Sunchoke (also called a Jerusalem Artichoke) is a root vegetable -- a species of Sunflower native to North America. They look pretty rugged, but they taste so earthy, sweet, and rich. Their relatively one-dimensional taste goes perfectly with other contrasting flavors, which is why I had so much fun adding different garnishes.

Along with the Sunchoke Soup, I decided to make an Arugula Salad with crumbled Bleu Cheese and Radishes with a smooth Lemon Vinaigrette (*why is that word so damn hard to spell?). I toasted a delicious Luna Sourdough baguette to dunk into the soup. Yuuuum!

Sunchoke Soup Recipe:

1 pound of sunchokes scrubbed and cut into 1/2 thick slices
1 shallot chopped
1 red-skinned potato
2 heads of whole garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 table spoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon diced ham
1 table spoon pesto
+ salt & pepper for taste

In a baking sheet arrange the chopped Sunchokes, Shallots, Potatoes and whole Garlic. Drizzle Olive Oil over the cut vegetables and set the oven for 375 degrees. Roast for 35-45 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Add the contents to a blender and purree (add 2 cups of vegetable stock to assist the consistency). Add pureed vegetables to a soup-pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2 more cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Garnish with crispy bits of ham, 1 table spoon of pesto, and drizzled Olive Oil. Add salt and pepper to taste!

Arugula Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon shallots, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette
--salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Add Bleu Cheese and Radishes onto Arugula.



Roasted vegetables straight out of the oven.
The puree (it took about 5 minutes to get it milky smooth)

Proud Amateur

This is not your ordinary food blog. I do not claim to know all of the answers, or get everything right on the first try. I am simply here to learn, share my dishes, and engage with others through feedback and new ideas. I love food--especially good food. Be it appetizers, entrees, or desserts...there is always room for improvement, and I intend to discipline myself and improve my culinary skills through my postings. Let the recipes begin!