Sometimes, the best dishes come out of error. While busy testing recipes this weekend, I had a thought to try serving the Key Lime shrimp that I was playing with over a quinoa dish. But once I tried to make said dish, my trusty supply of quinoa was nowhere to be found. (I later discovered it in the only cabinet that I didn’t check.) Not willing to be deterred, I grabbed Israeli couscous and used that instead.

You’ve probably already noted that there are no shrimp to be seen in this photo. No, I am not spreading the recipes out over two days. No, they weren’t so good that I didn’t photograph them. Quite the contrary – I intended for them to appear together but the recipe was an epic fail.

But that’s okay. The couscous – originally an afterthought – turned out to be a wonderful star of a dish. The creamy avocado goes so well with the soft, fluffy couscous. And the red peppers add a bit of sweetness and crunch to the dish. It’s subtly flavored, and so, so good. Will devoured a big bowl when I made it.

Eat this within a day of making it, since the avocado won’t last beyond then. But chances are that it won’t last that long anyway.

Avocado and Red Pepper Israeli Couscous
serves 4, as a side dish
Click here for the Printable Version at Tablespoon

1 3/4 cup water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup diced red pepper
2 tbsp key lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the water and olive oil in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 12 minutes or so, until the water is fully absorbed.

Add the avocado, red pepper, lime juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Have leftovers? You can save this in a tightly covered container for up to one day.

A few years ago, I read a blog post where the author declared their undying love for sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes. I’d never seen or heard of this … thing (not knowing what it was, I couldn’t decide if it was a vegetable or what). Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I discovered sunchokes for sale in a new local Whole Foods store. Of course I bought them right away and rushed home to cook them, right? Well, no. Actually, I made a mental note to purchase them next time and picked up my beloved daikon radishes instead.

Last week, I found myself back at the same Whole Foods and grabbed about a pound of sunchokes to try.

Sunchokes are a root vegetable that looks a lot like a potato with a hint of a knobby ginger root. Raw sunchokes are said to have the texture of water chestnuts, though I felt like it was little more like a raw radish (the red, round kind). When you cook them, they get creamy and smooth. The taste? They don’t have any overwhelming taste when raw (read: kind of bland) but when roasted, they take on a slight sweetness with hints of potato and artichoke heart. Actually, my husband and I agreed that the taste bears a stunning likeness to Terra chips.

I think the true test of a new food (and yes, this was a new food to me) is whether you would eat it again. I definitely will. And as with most veggies, they taste great when roasted. These will likely hit my table again this weekend.

Easy Roasted Sunchokes
serves 2

This recipe is a cinch to double or triple to serve more people.

1 lb sunchokes
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Rinse the sunchokes under cold water, scrubbing lightly to remove any dirt. Cut into quarters and place onto the baking sheet. Don’t over-crowd them though, they need their space.

Drizzle the sunchokes with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Cook for 35-45 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meet quinoa. It’s a good-for-you “grain” (I’ll tell you why that is in quotes shortly) that looks and behaves similarly to couscous … though the two are not related. It can be used in place of rice or couscous for whatever you might be making.

But what is it? Well, it’s natural — not processed or anything. And lately, it seems that everywhere I turn, I hear about this unfamiliar food. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is a relative of ultra-healthy leafy green veggies and also high in antioxidants, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. In fact, contrary to popular belief, it’s not actually a grain (hence the quotes above).

So, after hearing and reading about it, I got really curious. Is quinoa something that my family might like? Could it be a healthier take on our fav sides of couscous, rice or potatoes?

Quinoa is one of those foods that will take on the flavors of whatever you cook it with, making it pretty versatile as a side dish. The first time I made it (after heading a few towns over to the natural foods store where I could buy just the amount we needed from the bulk bin), I cooked it in chicken stock and seasoned it with garlic and basil. It was very good. Will practically inhaled his and once Paige was finally convinced to try hers, she ate most of it too. As for Shawn, he said that while it’s not his favorite, it’s definitely something he will eat again. I really liked it myself.

I’ve since refined my method, using vegetable stock instead and adding in cheese. It’s got a lovely nuttiness that works so well with the combination of basil, garlic and Parmesan — it reminds me of a good summer pesto.

As for locating quinoa? Not the easiest thing. In fact, my search made me wish I had bought more from the get-go. It certainly wasn’t the easiest thing to find. On my first trip to look for it, I came up empty handed at two stores. Then I headed to that health food store and found it. After that, I gave a closer look at one of my local grocery stores and found one (yes, one) bag of it, on the top shelf, with the couscous and rice. So, lesson learned: you have to really seek this one out … and you should. It’s really very good.

Here’s what you need to know (and what I learned from my food-loving friends on Twitter):

• To make, you use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa.
• You cook it basically like couscous — boil the liquid, add the quinoa, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Then you season and serve.
• Rinse it before cooking. This is very important.
• People who’ve tried it largely love it.

Have you had quinoa? What flavors do you like to mix it with?

Garlic, Basil and Parmesan Quinoa
serves 4

2 cups vegetable broth/stock
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped (alternatively, use 3 cubes fresh frozen basil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt (sea salt or Kosher)

Bring the broth/stock to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the basil, garlic, cheese and salt until fully combined.

Serve immediately.

It’s really hard to believe that I went for so many years without ever tasting a single sweet potato. My mother didn’t like them, and by extension neither did I. As far as I can remember, I think I had my first one at about age 19 in the fry form (cause seriously, anything in the fry form has to be good, right?).

Since then, I have discovered that I adore the naturally sweet and moist flesh. It’s just so good. And sure, the traditional casserole is delicious, but it’s the sweet potatoes themselves, seasoned and roasted, that I really love. And as luck would have it, Shawn and our kids do too.

I’m fortunate to have a very adventurous eater in Will, who’s now nearly four and a half. He’ll try absolutely anything, and has even been the catalyst for me trying a few new things (anchovies? those were Will’s idea). Paige tends to be less adventurous on her own, but she adores her big brother and will eat anything he does.

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s really quick and easy to make. Prep takes just minutes and it’s out of the oven in about a half hour. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Do you have kids? What kind of eaters are they (adventurous, cautious, etc)? Share in the comments!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
serves 4

1 very large sweet potato or two smaller ones, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a heavy, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it with cooking oil spray and set aside.

Cut the sweet potato into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes and place into a large boil. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cinnamon, paprika and salt. Pour over the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Pour the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring/turning once or twice.

Serve hot from the oven, with a sprinkle of sea salt (if desired).

What I am cooking with: a large metal mixing bowl, a silicone spatula from Williams-Sonoma for stirring, Circulon 11-by-17-Inch Metal Cookie Pan and a metal slotted spoon for turning the potatoes

Of course, the commitment has changed things a bit in my kitchen. While I seemed to cook with a “better with bacon” philosophy last year (and still have some bacon grease in the freezer to prove it), this year, I am turning to healthier oils and fats. As a result I am rediscovering the joys (and health benefits) of trading oils for spray oils. You use less. (TIP: buy an oil mister and put canola oil in it for a cost-cutting spray. Be sure to label it if you use one for olive oil as well.)

Unfortunately, some of my very favorite recipes are not waist friendly (like my mouthwatering Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots. Mmmmm). However, Brussels sprouts are still very good for you, and I do love them, so I couldn’t possibility give them up entirely. The solution: a healthier, flavor-packed recipe that uses a quick cooking method and delivers excellent results. This is it for Brussels sprouts.

When I served these at a recent dinner, they were polished off in no time (in fact, a few adults, ahem, made sure that no scraps from the kids went to waste either. They are that good).

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Vinaigrette
serves 4-6

cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into 1/2 inch disks
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add Brussels sprouts. Salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the sprouts are softened and most are browned. Remove from heat, pour sprouts into a large bowl and set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced garlic. Cook, stirring and tossing for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and softened — don’t let it brown, or the garlic will become bitter. Immediately remove from heat and spoon garlic into a small bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk together until emulsified.

Pour the vinaigrette over the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary to achieve desired seasoning.

Serve hot, warm or cold … they’re delicious no matter what the temperature is.

Devour.

We love us some potatoes in this house. Whether its some quickly whipped up mashed potatoes, which can be a quick and versatile starch to accompany meals, or baked fries and roasted potatoes, it’s tasty stuff.

In terms of types of potatoes, we are pretty open.

A sampler of types of potatoes:

• Red potatoes are great for boiling, roasting, baking and potato salad. But they are too wet for hash browns.
• Idaho potatoes are a great all-purpose potato that can be used for hash browns, baked potatoes, roasting, fries or mashed potatoes.
• Fingerling potatoes are great for roasting.
• Yukon Gold potatoes are good for mashing and roasting.
• New potatoes are best for potato salad. They also are good for roasting.

Potato FAQs:

• Should potatoes be peeled? They can be, but the potato peel is the most nutritious part of the potato, so if you eat it, you’re getting the healthy bits.
• What if a potato has turned green a little? Do not eat it. The green shows the presence of alkaloid, which in potatoes can be toxic to humans.
• What if a potato has eyes? Pick off the eyes and cook as normal – as long as the potato is still firm and has no patches of green anywhere. Click here for more info.

Two Cheese Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
serves 4

2 cups fingerling potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Slice the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise and place in a large Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into Ziploc bag.

Add the olive oil to the Ziploc and seal. Shake vigorously until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Pour the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, until browned and fork-tender. Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking.

If desired, finish with a touch of sea salt.

In the past, when I have bought leeks, they have sat in my refrigerator until they turned brown, moldy and emitted a disgusting juice that my husband would clean up. That’s the not-so-pretty truth. I’ve wanted to try them, have bought them and then haven’t done a thing with them. Sad, but true.

Until now, that is.

The worst part isn’t that I let produce sit in the refrigerator until it rotted. No, sir, though that is a bad thing in of itself. The worst part is that when I finally make them, I discovered that I really like leeks. Go figure. They have a somewhat sweet flavor with a mild onion-y flavor. It’s more of a hint of onion flavor, really. Mmmm.

I wasn’t sure how to cook them, so I stuck with an old standby: roasting. This ultra-simple preparation really lets the natural flavors of vegetables shine. The result was fantastic and worth the effort. I can’t wait to try leeks in other dishes now!

Roasted Parmesan Leeks
serves 4

4 leeks, tough outer leaves removed
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut leeks into 2 inch pieces and split down the middle. Place in a water bath to remove dirt.

Remove leeks to an oven safe pan, shaking excess water (you want them to retain some of the water though).

Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Toss leeks. Top with Parmesan and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

——————————————-

Since leeks are an ultra-healthy vegetable that is believed to help prevent ailments like cancer, this is a perfect submission for Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays.

I can’t help but smile when I think of my grandfather.

My grandfather was a tall man who loved airplanes and motorcycles (though an accident in his youth left his leg permanently injured). He owned a small prop plane for years and flew whenever he could. And he was dedicated to work and family.

He grew up in a German-American family in the New York area. My grandfather didn’t always like to speak of his family, but when he did he used to tell me stories about his childhood, his family and where they came from. He would sit on his slate blue couch, which had a scratchy woven fabric that I can best liken to burlap — though I know it wasn’t and he and my grandmother had chosen it specially. I would sit in an armchair near his rotary phone, directly across from him.

I wish I spent more time in that seat when I got older . . .

One story in particular that I remember him telling me late in his life was about how our last name came to be so Americanized. Honestly, you would never know we were German from hearing it. Apparently when my German great-great grandfather went through Ellis Island, the customs people couldn’t understand the heavy German name and simply changed it to a much simpler name. There was a vague relation between the German name that began with a V and the eventual W-name — very vague.
I wish I could remember what the original name was.

It makes me sad to think that there were all these stories that he had to share, but I cannot remember them well enough to pass much along to my own children. I never knew any of his family – his parents, grandparents or his sister – they were all gone long before I came. But I pass along what I can.

It’s all I can do.

My grandfather grew up in a family that ate traditional German food everyday. That remained his favorite variety of foods throughout his life (though he really enjoyed Chinese food and Italian as well). If he was alive today, I think he’d love this cabbage — it was always among his favorites when we’d dine at German restaurants. This was an experimental recipe that just came together perfectly on the first try.

If you make it, do it justice and service it with a hearty meal of the wurst of your choice and some tasty sour kraut — preferably my grandfather’s favorite packaged brand: Silver Floss.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
serves 8

1/4 cup salted butter
1 1/2 – 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage and cook for about five minutes, until it begins to wilt.

Stir in the honey, apple juice and balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

Cook, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes until the cabbage is tender.

This is equally tasty warm or cool.

I was never a fan of baked potatoes. But last year, I suddenly developed a taste for them. Perhaps it was just that until last year I had never had a baked potato with toppings or fillings. Growing up, it was always bake, squeeze, pop on plate. Sometimes there would be a pat of butter thrown on top and perhaps some salt, but never any exciting toppings like cheese or bacon.

These days, baked potatoes are a staple in our home. They are filling and help us eat smaller portions of protein — definitely a good thing. Potatoes are also inexpensive. But, be sure to eat the skin too – that’s where all the nutrients are.

I made these with delicious, golden-fleshed Yukon Gold potatoes, which are fantastic for mashing (and that is kind of what you do with the filling).

This is another toddler approved meal component. Will loved “finding” the hidden bits of bacon and cheese and ate nearly his whole (small) potato. And they aren’t that bad for you — all in all, they are about 380 calories or so (this is an estimate based on my calculation on SparkRecipes.com). So, if you serve them with a bit of veggies and a small hunk of lean protein, this can still be a pretty fit meal.

Cheddar Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
serves 4

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1/3 cup milk (I use 1%)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese, plus 1 tbsp
4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick each potato a couple of times with a fork. Place on the rack in the oven and cook for an hour. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before handling.

Cook the bacon and discard any fat drippings.

Slice a thin strip off the top of each potato. Scoop out insides into a medium bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper to the bowl. Using a potato masher, mash well.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheddar and bacon. Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Divide the remaining tablespoon of cheddar among the potatoes. Return to oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

————————

I thought this would be a great recipe to share for Eating Leeds’ Potato blogging event. Did you know that this is the International Year of the Potato?

Anyway, back to the food. I’ve been on such a spinach kick lately. What’s not to love? It’s high in iron, versatile and tasty when cooked just right . . .

This spinach is creamy, as the name suggests and has a nice punch of flavor from the garlic and salt. Pretty simple, but delicious. Oh, and totally toddler approved. Will eats this stuff up in mass quantity every time I make it (and you couldn’t pay me enough to eat spinach as a child!).

Creamy Ricotta Spinach
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups spinach (raw)
sea salt
2 tbsp ricotta cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (don’t let it turn brown!) until softened. Add spinach and toss to coat. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the spinach. Cover and cook until wilted (it only takes a few minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta and more salt, if desired.

Serve immediately.