the thin chef

One of the best parts of my former job as a magazine editor was working with the wonderful, talented ladies in the company’s test kitchen. All culinary school grads, these women create dishes that not only look beautiful in the magazines, but also taste as good (or sometimes even better) than they look. I worked closely with two of these gals—Loren and Chantel. We spent many long, tiring, but ultimately fun and rewarding days together, and I miss them so much. They became friends and colleagues, which I think is a difficult balance to actually attain.

The food they make is creative and always delicious. I had a really hard time at photo shoots waiting to eat the leftovers. (Sometimes I would sneak a bite, but I think they always knew.) There are many recipes of theirs I have tried, but I want to share this recipe with you, one that Chantel created, because I’ve made it many, many times, and it’s always wonderful. I often make substitutions according to what I have on hand, but the quinoa, dressing, and crumbled pecorino stays the same. There’s something magic in that combination. The recipe below includes my suggestions for substitutions I’ve made.

Chantel and Loren, I miss you girls. But you’re often in my kitchen with me when I cook your recipes, which makes me miss you just a little bit less.

Chantel’s Quinoa Salad
Serves 8 to 10

1/3 cup white quinoa (feel free to use all white, if that’s all you can find)
1/3 cup red quinoa
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and roasted, cut into 1-inch pieces (green beans work here, too)
1 cup cooked yellow split peas (I often use green when I don’t have the yellow on hand)
3/4 cup crumbled pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans (walnuts and almonds also work nicely)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (green onions are fine, too)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon roasted garlic puree (sometimes I use a small clove of very finely minced garlic)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place quinoa and red quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse under cold running water, using your fingers as a rake. Drain well. Cook quinoa, uncovered, in a saucepan of salted boiling water, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in the fine-mesh sieve.
2. Fill the saucepan with 1 inch of water, and bring to a simmer. Set sieve with quinoa over saucepan (sieve shouldn’t touch water). Cover with a folded kitchen towel, then place a lid on top (lid does not need to fit tightly). Steam until quinoa is fluffy, and dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and remove lid. Set aside, still covered with towel, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
3. Place cooked quinoa and red quinoa in a large bowl. Add asparagus, split peas, pecorino, pecan pieces, and red onion. Stir gently to combine.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic puree, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture, and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, or keep in fridge for up to 4 days.

*Note: If you’ve never made quinoa before, the cooking method above is my favorite way to make it, no matter how you’re planning on eating it. It ensures fluffy, separate grains. Also, quinoa (if you didn’t know) has a very high protein content, so this could really be a one-dish complete meal.

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Fried rice is comfort food at its best—carbs, fat, and salt. I’ve eaten and loved it since I can remember. When I was little, there was Jum-Bo, our go-to Chinese takeout place. Their pork fried rice is among the best I’ve ever tasted…and even though I haven’t had it in years, I still remember that perfect balance of salty-greasy-chewy-sweet of the pork and rice.

When I was in high school, there was Miss Le, a lovely Vietnamese lady and a teacher at my brother’s elementary school. To thank my parents for helping out at the school, she lovingly made us dinner several times. Each of those dinners included a heaping plateful of fragrant Vietnamese fried rice. Different from the Chinese version, hers was softer, and flavored with fish sauce and rice vinegar. A memorable and truly special treat.

In college, there was Steamers, a tiny shack of a place that served sloppy joe sandwiches on onion bread, spicy coconut curry, and cheesesteaks. Oh, and fried rice. Huge, overflowing plates of freshly made fried rice. The cooks sweat over bright, hot orange flames that lick the bottoms of the perfectly seasoned woks. Not particularly Asian, the rice includes veggies, eggs, and meat, and is simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and the burnished copper-hued seasoning of the well-loved wok. That’s it, and it’s wonderful.

Is your mouth watering yet?

My version swaps brown rice for white, and isn’t too heavy on the oil. The trick is to cook everything separately and to use day-old rice. You can cheat by making the rice about 3 hours in advance, spreading it out on a cookie sheet, and refrigerating it.

I always add in some locally grown broccoli when it’s in season for the sake of having something green…and because it’s delicious. You can use your favorite veggie—baby bok choy and mustard greens both make tasty (and healthful) additions.

Shrimp and Pork Fried Rice
Serves 2 big appetites as a main dish, with leftovers

5 to 6 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 small head broccoli (about the size of a man’s fist), cut into tiny pieces
1/2 medium or 1 small yellow onion, diced
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 pound lean pork (tenderloin or boneless center-cut chops work well), cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups brown rice, cooked, cooled, and refrigerated for at least 6 hours
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat a large wok or skillet over almost-high heat. (*See note, below.) Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add broccoli and onion; toss in oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp. Remove from skillet onto a plate, and set aside.

Return pan to heat, and add 1 teaspoon oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add eggs. Cook eggs until firm, breaking into bite-size pieces. Transfer to plate with veggies. Wipe pan carefully with a paper towel to remove any egg remnants.

Return pan to heat. Add another teaspoon or 2 of oil; add pork in a single layer. Don’t stir for at least 1 minute, to get a nice sear on the meat. Cook until mostly cooked through, then transfer to plate with eggs and veggies. Repeat process with shrimp, keeping in mind that shrimp cooks very quickly, and will cook further when tossed with the rice.Ttransfer cooked shrimp to the plate with everything else.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add rice, in a single layer, and let cook without stirring for about 2 minutes. Toss rice, and continue cooking for another few minutes until rice is coated in oil and golden in color. Add veggies, eggs, pork, and shrimp, tossing to combine. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, tossing to coat. Taste, and add salt or additional soy, if desired. Serve immediately.

*I put my stove on an 8 out of 10. You know your stove best, so adjust accordingly—you want the pan nice and hot, but you also want to give food a chance to cook through without burning.

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Maybe you’re like me. When someone is hurt, sick, going through a life change (like having a new baby), or otherwise in need, I bring food. I cook because I know that when I’m out of sorts in any way, sometimes dinner (or lunch, or breakfast for that matter) falls to the bottom of my priority list. It’s always a relief to look in the fridge and see a lovingly prepared dish waiting for me.

Oftentimes those dishes are comfort food. Creamy, cheesy pasta casseroles, hearty pot roast, chili, and things like that. Finding comfort in a big bowl of warm, homey food can be perfect. But sometimes—especially when someone is sick or recovering from surgery or from having a baby—lighter, more wholesome foods seem to fit the bill.

Something that can stay in the fridge for up to a week, or—even better still—freezes well, is the only way to go when delivering food to someone. The next few days, I’m going to share some go-to things you can prepare with love and bring to someone who needs a little TLC.

First up is a simple salad that combines whole grain (brown and wild rice), dark leafy greens, bright red peppers, and a sweet-salty dressing to bring it all together. It’s super healthy, mild enough for recovering/sensitive stomachs, and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge. I’d call it just about perfect for a feel-better nosh.

Healing Rice + Vegetable Salad
serves 4 to 6

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups finely chopped kale
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted piquillo peppers (or regular red peppers)
2 tablespoons white miso paste
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cups cooked brown and wild rice mix (about 1 cup uncooked)

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add pepper flakes, and cook for 30 seconds. Add kale (be careful! it will splatter if it’s wet) and stir with tongs until it’s coated in the oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring, until kale is bright green, somewhat wilted, and browned in places, about 4 minutes.

Transfer cooked kale to a large bowl. Add chopped peppers, and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together miso, mirin, and vinegar until combined. Add rice to the bowl with kale and peppers, stirring very well to combine. Pour dressing over everything, and toss again until everything is coated. Taste, and add salt if you think it needs it. (But it likely won’t because miso is salty!)

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving…overnight is even better. Salad keeps, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.

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After a weekend of indulging in one too many cupcakes and other not-so-good-for-us foods, last Monday night called for a clean, healthy dinner. Grabbing some of the CSA squash I had stashed in the freezer in August, and a bunch of beautiful red mustard greens and locally grown tomatoes from last week’s box, I made a brothy, rustic soup to detox our systems.

This soup actually came together a little randomly. I originally planned on a minestrone when I grocery shopped, so I had beef broth and a parmesan rind on hand for that. They went in. So I guess this is a minestrone-like vegetable-barley soup. If you’re making this now and you live anywhere north of, say, Orlando, definitely use canned tomatoes instead of the pale, mealy ones available in the grocery store. Even our CSA box tomatoes are realllly pushing it w/ their ripeness, but cooking them in the broth helped a lot.

I wanted something for body besides the veg, so I added some quick-cooking barley, mainly because we were starving and didn’t want to wait an hour for the soup to cook. In hindsight, I wish we’d waited—the quick-cooking kind of barley isn’t even close, texture-wise, to pearled barley. Other than that, I think this was a pretty tasty soup…not my best work, but good for a simple, healthy meal.

Vegetable-Barley Soup
serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 quarts low-sodium beef, chicken, or vegetable stock (the richer the better)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 parmesan rind (optional, but highly recommended)
1/3 cup pearled barley
2 big handfuls stemless dark leafy greens (such as mustard greens, Swiss chard, or kale), chopped
3 cups chopped summer squash
Grated parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil, for topping

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add oil and onions, and cook until onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and stir frequently until everything is soft and gold. Pour in broth, then add tomatoes (with any accumulated juices), herbs, and parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Taste broth, and add salt if needed.

Add barley, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer soup for 30 minutes. Add greens and squash, and stir to combine. Cook 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the vegetables are very tender and the barley is cooked. Remove herb stems and parmesan rind. Top each bowl with a generous amount of parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve.

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It’s so chilly in Birmingham right now, especially in the wake of Ida’s daylong downpour yesterday. I woke up thinking of a comfy bowl of hot oats. At this point, there’s probably not much I can tell you about oatmeal that you don’t already know. But I had this idea today, and it turned out to be a yummy one: I cooked my oatmeal in Georgia apple cider. I also added chunks of Alabama apples and a generous dose of cinnamon while the oats cooked, so the whole thing ended up like the interior of a sweet-tart apple crumble. I prefer tangier flavors to sweeter ones, so I didn’t add any brown sugar, but I might next time to round it all out. At the last minute, I spied a bag of shredded coconut and decided to toss some in. It was absolutely perfect.

How do you like your oatmeal? Do you have any favorite cooking liquids besides the standard water and/or milk? Add-ins that make it a go-to breakfast? Do share. I’m rediscovering my love of this rustic morning food.

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I’m a little late on this, but I figured I’d add my voice to the overwhelming number of food-blog posts written in response to last month’s announcement of Gourmet magazine’s closing. I’m still shocked and disheartened by the news…as schmaltzy as it sounds, it kind of felt like a mentor or a personal leader was leaving me. I remember picking up the magazine when I was in college and completely losing myself in the pages, finally understanding my interest in food and writing could actually lead to a career. Stories on faraway places and beautiful—if not intimidating—recipes never failed to inspire me. Ruth Reichl is someone I have long admired, and I think what she did at Gourmet was fantastic. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Luisa posted on Twitter that she was going through all of the Gourmet.com web-exclusive recipes and saving those she wanted to try. Rumor has it that when the magazine closes its doors, the web site will be kaput, too. I followed her advice and searched the Gourmet.com archives. I found 40 or so recipes to print and save. (I was like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep, grabbing anything that looked good, lest it be gone tomorrow!)

Among those was Roasted Cauliflower Barley Risotto, a lovely twist on classic risotto. Chewy and perfect, this is the kind of dish that sates you fully on a cold night…but would also taste great in the middle of summer paired with a glass of chardonnay. Even if you don’t want to make it this week, or even this month, do yourself a favor and print this recipe today, because there’s no telling if you’ll be able to get it the next time you think to make it. And you should make it…it’s absolutely fantastic.

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In the love-hate spectrum of tofu, I am most definitely on the love side. Like cilantro or licorice, tofu is one of those great dividers in the food world. I’m certain more Americans hate it than love it, but probably 90 percent of those people have never even tasted it. It just looks weird, mushy, and strange, and that’s enough for them thankyouverymuch.

At first glance, I don’t blame those skeptics. It’s a jiggly block of creamy white stuff that resembles solid cottage cheese or wet styrofoam. But here’s the thing—and I’m seriously not making this up—tofu really doesn’t taste like anything. This is a big advantage of the stuff, because you can flavor it with just about anything you want.

Growing up, we ate it with a cornmeal crust, fried in the wok…and we ordered it as part of Buddha’s Delight whenever we got Chinese takeout. Due to my adventurous little palate and my parents who also love tofu, it’s always been something I enjoy. Jason, on the other hand, was a tougher sell.

Tonight, I finally tipped the scales in tofu’s favor. Cooked in a hot, lightly oiled skillet until golden, the tofu gets super crisp on the outside, but stays tender and creamy on the inside. Tell me that doesn’t sound delicious. Served alongside a ridiculously easy stir fry of whole-wheat lo mein noodles (or, really, whatever noodle you have on hand) and some greens (I used the beautiful organic Swiss chard I got at Whole Foods today), the tofu soaks up the sauce and adds a nice crispness and meatiness to the whole dish.

Try it, just once, and see if you don’t agree.

Sesame Noodles with Greens and Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu
serves 2

1 package extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large bunch dark leafy greens, roughly chopped
1/2 pound lo mein, udon, or soba noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed

Cut the tofu in half widthwise (through the middle) and place the 2 halves on 2 layers of paper towels. Top with another layer of paper towels, and then top with a clean dish towel. Place a cookie sheet on top of the tofu, and place a big can or 3 small cans on top of the cookie sheet, and press lightly. Set aside for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons oil. Taste, and add more of whatever you think it needs. Set aside.

Cut the tofu into fourths, then again corner to corner to make 8 triangles. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Heat until oil shimmers, then add the tofu in one layer. Cook for 8 minutes or so on each side, sprinkling lightly with salt after flipping. When tofu is very crisp and golden, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Keep the plate near the stove to keep the tofu warm.

Heat a large saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and add the greens. Toss until they are mostly wilted. Add the noodles and the sauce, and toss to combine. Cook until everything is hot and the greens are cooked.

Top the noodles and greens with the tofu, and serve immediately.

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This week has been kind of meh. It’s just been one of those weeks where the days seem to drag, and nothing goes the way you really want it to…there’s nothing specific under my skin, just a collective feeling of meh.

I should have come home and run, but all I wanted to do was sleep. Since that wasn’t a viable option, I chose the next best thing: comfort food. I filled Clotilde’s olive oil tart crust (a favorite of mine) with a mix of corn, sauteed swiss chard, and a chipotle-spiked mix of eggs and milk. I topped half with goat cheese (Jason’s doesn’t like it) for a finishing touch. You could omit the corn altogether, and use spinach or another leafy green—just be sure to really squeeze out all the water.

You can cook the filling while the tart crust par-bakes, and then the whole thing bakes another 30 minutes, so dinner’s ready in under an hour…30 minutes of which you can do something else, like watch an episode of Friends or something more responsible like fold laundry or vacuum the living room.

Creamy and satisfying, but not too heavy or rich, filled with veggies for a boost of vitamins and all the other good stuff that comes along with the leafy greens. In short, a perfect midweek meal to break up the blahs.

Swiss Chard + Corn Tart
makes 1 9-inch tart, serves 2 with leftovers
{Prepare the tart crust per Clotilde’s instructions, but in a 9-tart pan, and bake it for at least 20 minutes, or until it’s crisp and golden. It won’t cook much more when the eggs and filling are inside. Fresh corn is all but gone from the markets so I used my pantry standby, Del Monte Summercrisp corn, which is canned but I find to be crisper than many frozen varieties.}

1 large bunch swiss chard, washed but not dried
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
Pinch salt and pepper
4 large eggs
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/2 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1 teaspoon adobo
Small handful oats
3/4 (11-ounce) can Summercrisp corn, or 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400º.

Separate chard leaves from tough stems. Slice the stems, and chop the leaves into bite-size pieces. Add the stems and oil to a saute pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until stems are beginning to soften. Add onion, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the chard leaves, and toss to combine. Cook, tossing, until leaves are wilted but still hold their shape, about 4 minutes.

Pour the chard mixture into a seive over the sink, and press with the back of a spoon until the mixture is dry. When it cools, squeeze with your hands to remove any extra liquid.Whisk together eggs and half-and-half until uniform. Add the chipotle, and whisk to combine.

Sprinkle the oats in the bottom of the baked crust (a trick from Clotilde to soak up any excess liquid). Evenly spread the corn over the bottom of the crust, then top with the chard mixture, pressing so it’s evenly spread around the crust. Pour the egg mixture over the filling, then sprinkle with goat cheese, pressing very lightly to slightly submerge.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until center is set and tart is puffed and golden-brown on the edges. Cool slightly before serving.

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If you are like me, regularly drooling over fabulous foodie blogs like 101cookbooks.com, chocolate and zucchini, and Last Night’s Dinner, you’ve hopefully heard about Rancho Gordo beans. But if you haven’t, consider this my hearty endorsement.

I must admit, I’m not tough to please in this department. I love beans. Refried beans, lima bean soup, black beans and rice, white bean dip, three-bean salad…I love ‘em all. But aside from once making the aforementioned lima bean soup with a ham hock and Publix brand dried limas, I’d never cooked beans from scratch. Why take all that time when canned beans are so easy?

…Because they taste so much better, that’s why. Truly. And Rancho Gordo heirloom beans…well, they’re in a class all their own. I’ll let their Web site explain more. I got my dad a few varieties for Christmas, and he loved them, so I’d been meaning to order some myself. I finally got some, but then it took me a month and a half to get around to cooking them. But, the day finally came, and I am here to report that They. Were. Awesome.

I ordered black beans, craberry beans, and Christmas Limas. I decided to try the Christmas Limas first. I soaked them for 5 hours, then cooked them for another 3 1/2 hours. With nothing but water and a dash of salt in the last 30 minutes of cooking, the beans cooked beautifully and created a mohogany-colored pot liquor. The beans themselves were nutty, tender, and creamy. Fabulous.

I ate a bowl—plain, save for some Louisiana hot sauce—for lunch one day, but I wanted to try a little something more…exciting, so I built a vegetarian salad using the beans, some veggies, a zesty lime dressing, and a few handfuls of cooked whole-wheat couscous. It ended up being a light, filling, healthy one-bowl meal.

Veggie-Couscous Bowls
serves 4 as a side, or 2 for dinner with leftovers
Of course I now must recommend dried heirloom beans for this salad, but if you must, canned beans will work in a pinch. One 14.5-ounce can of drained, rinsed black beans or butter beans would work well here.

1 small lime, zested and juiced
Extra-virgin olive oil (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 pound dried Christmas Lima beans, cooked and drained

In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest and juice. Whisk in olive oil, tasting as you go, until you get a dressing that you like. (We like ours on the very tangy side, but just keep tasting as you drizzle.) Add salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dice the avocado, and put it directly into the dressing. Set aside.

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, and then stir in the couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, combine the avocado and dressing, cucumber, red pepper, and beans. Toss gently to combine. Add the couscous, and toss to evenly coat everything with the dressing. Serve.

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Have you tried quinoa? It’s this fantastic, crunchy little grain that’s native to the Andean region of South America (largely Bolivia and Peru). It’s light and fluffy, and each tiny grain pops just so in your mouth. It’s very mild tasting, so it’s perfect with nearly any flavor you want to give it.

Sometimes I make it, plain, cooked in chicken broth, as an alternative to rice. It cooks in a flash (just 20 minutes) and it contains more protein than any other grain. It’s also great as the base to salads. In short, it’s a really great pantry staple. You can find it in bulk bins, some grocery stores, and health food stores. Whole Foods sells a big bag of it for around $3.

For a healthy Friday afternoon lunch, I made a pot of quinoa, tossed it in a gingery vinaigrette, and loaded it with veggies for a colorful, healthy, and filling one-bowl meal.

Asian Quinoa-Vegetable Salad
Makes about 3 lunch servings or 2 dinner servings

1 cup quinoa
1 small bag frozen shelled edamame, corn, and red pepper mix
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sriracha (Asian chile-garlic sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 handfuls washed baby spinach

Wash quinoa in a fine-mesh seive until water runs clear. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook quinoa for 10 minutes. Drain in the fine-mesh seive, and fill the saucepan with 2 inches water; bring to a boil. Set the seive with quinoa over the saucepan (don’t let seive touch water). Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and the pan lid, and steam for 10 minutes, or until quinoa is dry and fluffy.

Meanwhile, cook edamame mix according to package directions.

Combine vinegar and grated ginger in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add sriracha and soy sauce, and whisk in oil until dressing is uniform in consistency. Add cooked quinoa and spinach, and toss well. Add the cooked edamame mix, and toss again. Add extra soy sauce and sriracha to taste.

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