Honey-Glazed Carrots with Cilantro and New Blog Features!

So I haven't blogged in almost three months.  I really didn't want to post one recipe in November and one in December.  I wanted to come back when I was ready to devote more time to it and really make it a commitment in my everyday life.  I've decided that there is no time like the present.  In order to blog more and to utilize my great collection of food magazines and cookbooks, I am introducing two new features to my blog.  One is what I am calling Magazine of the Month.  I am going to take one of my many magazines from my numerous subscriptions and cook 3-4 recipes from that magazine during the current month.  The recipe above is from this month's choice.

Everyday Food January 2012: The Light Issue

Another addition to my blog is what I am calling my Current Cookbook.  I am going to pick one cookbook and cook 4-5 or more recipes from that book.  At the end, I will write a comprehensive review of the cookbook and give it a rating.  I have so many, yet I rarely cook from them, I just love to look through them and get ideas about what I want to cook.  This isn't a bad thing, I just want to try so many recipes from these books, now I am giving myself the chance to do it.  My first choice for my Current Cookbook is America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution.  I thought it would be a good choice for these cold winter months, and I also just got a new slow cooker that I am eager to try out.

So onto the recipe.  Like I said, this is from Everyday Food, and the reason I picked it was because it had an interesting method for cooking the carrots.  You place the carrots in a skillet with a little olive oil, then you cover it for water.  As the carrots boil in the water they become soft, and then the water eventually evaporates.  The carrots then begin to caramelize in the skillet and pick up those lovely charred spots that add a lot of flavor to the carrots, add in some honey time to bring in a bit of extra sweetness.  You then deglaze the skillet with a bit of water or broth.  The carrots are finally tossed with a bit of cilantro for some brightness.  I really love this technique.  It's so delicious and the carrots and cooked wonderfully.  I will definitely use this method from now on.

Honey-Glazed Carrots with Cilantro  

   serves 4

• 6 medium sized carrots, halved lengthwise and chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons of broth, white wine, or water
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, combine the carrots and the olive oil.  Add just enough water to cover the carrots (about 2 cups).  Cook over medium-high heat until the water is evaporated and the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.  

At this point, cook, tossing often until the carrots are light golden brown with some charred spots. Season with salt and pepper.   Add 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons broth, white wine, or water.  Stir and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, until the carrots are glazed, about 2-4 minutes.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Print Feature:

Another great feature that I have added is a "Print/PDF option" to the blog.  This means if you click on the icon below, you will be able to print or save a pdf of this blog post.  I really love this feature on other blogs, because when I see a recipe I like, I like to print it out immediately or save it as a PDF onto my computer, so I can use it later.  Anyway, I hope you like the new features, and I hope to be around more often!

Pinterest:

I don't know who has checked out Pinterest yet, but it's a great website where you can "Pin" different things on your personal pinboard. It's a place to share all the wonderful things you see on the web.  People use Pinterest to remind them of ideas for cooking, organizing, decorating, you name it.  If you see  a recipe you like here, and you want to "pin" it, that would be wonderful.  Just click on the button below, and you will be able to do that.  

Pin It

CEiMB: Shortcut Collard Greens

We haven't had a Craving Ellie in My Belly Recipe in the past few weeks, as our site leader has been out of contact for the past few weeks. We hope all is well for her. Fortunately, Joanne of Apple Crumbles and Peggy of Pantry Revisited stepped up to the plate, and picked this week's recipe, Shortcut Collard Greens from from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.

I really like collard greens, I think they have a nice flavor and texture. The way that I usually have them is slow cooked for hours with a ham hock or bacon, therefore, I was interested when I read that this recipe only takes about 10 minutes to complete. It involves first microwaving the greens to soften them, and then adding them to a skillet with onions and Canadian bacon. The recipe also calls for other ingredients that I thought would a twist to the typical collard green recipe. You add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and crushed red pepper. This makes for a nice flavor combination. The crushed red pepper balances nicely with the sweetness of the maple syrup and the saltiness of the Canadian Bacon. I also like the slight bite that the vinegar adds to the dish. I cut down the amount of onion the recipe called for because collard greens really cook down, and I felt that the whole small onion would overwhelm them, so I only added half the amount. I also added a minced garlic clove along with the onion. A quick note, the collard greens still had quite a bite to them after 5 minutes in the microwave, so if you like the texture to be a bit softer, I would add a couple minutes to the cook time. This was a quick, unexpected side dish, that I will definitely make again. Thanks to Ellie for another great recipe!

Green Beans and Corn with Salsa

If you are looking for an easy, healthy side dish, then this is a good choice. You simple saute green beans in a skillet, stir in corn, then add fresh salsa. I can't wait for summer to come, so I can make this again with ingredients from my garden. I used a store bought fresh salsa this time, but next time I am going to use my recipe for Pico de Gallo. This dish makes a lot, so it is great for parties and gatherings.


Green Beans and Corn with Salsa

2 lbs. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed, cut into large pieces
1 lb fresh or frozen corn
2 cups fresh salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil to medium-high in a large skillet, add the green beans and saute until they become crisp-tender. Add the corn and heat through. Finally mix in the salsa, and simmer the dish until everything is hot and the flavors had blended. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve warm at room temperature.

Smoky Black Beans and Corn

I am always looking for quick and easy side dishes. I love black bean and corn salsa, so I thought I would make something similar with a little more body as a side dish for some chipotle chicken skewers I got from Trader Joe's. This dish is easy to throw together, and you can do almost anything you want to it to suit your tastes. You can stir in some cheese and cilantro, or add mor spice by including jalapenos or minced chipotle peppers from a can (in this case, I just use the adobo sauce from the can, but I have added the chipotle pepper as well to increase the spiciness). It is really simple to make this side dish your own.


Smoky Black Beans and Corn
serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Goya Adobo with cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
• 1 1/3 cups corn, fresh or frozen (If frozen, don't thaw)

• Heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, add the onion and poblano pepper, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute longer.
• Add the black beans and the water, smashing some of the black beans with a spoon or the back of a spatula to thicken the sauce.
• Mix in the Goya seasoning, cumin, and adobo sauce. Reduce the heat to a low and allow the sauce to thicken and the beans to heat through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
• Stir in the corn, and continue to cook until the corn is warmed through, add more Goya seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.

French Potato Salad

I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law this weekend, and I wanted to serve a potato salad, but most potato salads are covered in mayonnaise (which I like), but I wanted to keep things a bit lighter because I was preparing a lot of other dishes. I decided to make a French Potato Salad that I saw prepared by the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. The potato salad is dressed with a light vinaigrette and a bunch of fresh herbs. I added some fresh green beans from my garden as well. It is easy to prepare (you can make it the night before you plan on serving it), and it tastes great. If you are in the mood for a different type of potato salad, I highly recommend this one.


French Potato Salad
serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound small white boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces (I used fingerling potatoes)
  
• 1 pound small red boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are still firm, but easily pierced with a fork. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the pot so they will cook through as well Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes and green beans to allow them to steam for 5 more minutes. Place in a medium bowl, and toss gently with the chicken stock. Allow the liquid to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my favorite side dishes. It is extremely simple, and it tastes great. Any potato would probably work in this recipe, but I like to use fingerling or small new potatoes. They are not as starchy as other types of potatoes and remain creamy on the inside while the outside develops a crispy crust. I am just posting the simple base recipe for roasted potatoes, but you can also mix things up by adding smoked paprika, parmesan cheese, or herbs such as rosemary and thyme. They are all wonderful variations on a great dish.


Easy Roasted Potatoes
serves 3-4

• 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet and scatter the garlic cloves amongst them. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to evenly coat every piece with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread the potatoes back out into a single layer. Place the potatoes in the oven and roast until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside, but give easily on the inside when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower

I was never a huge fan of cauliflower. To me it was very bland, and it smelled when it was cooked, and the only way it tasted any good was when it was covered in mounds of cheese. That was, until I tried roasting it. Roasting it brings out the natural sweetness in the cauliflower. It takes on a different flavor that boiling it or steaming it can't do. And the great thing is that you can season it so many different ways. I have posted a few different options at the end of this recipe.


Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
-Remove the core of the cauliflower and slice into uniform pieces or divide into small florets. (I like to try and slice it because it provides more surface area for the cauliflower to brown and get crispy.)
-Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Toss the cauliflower to distribute the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
-Roast until the cauliflower is golden brown, crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle, about 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.


Options:
-Season with cumin, ground coriander, and smoked sweet or hot paprika for smoky Spanish flavored cauliflower.
-Season with curry powder and garam masala for Indian spiced cauliflower

-Add some garlic and crushed red pepper to the cauliflower before cooking for a spicy version of roasted cauliflower

-After roasting, add some grated parmesan cheese to the cauliflower

Potato-Tomato-Zucchini Gratin

This dish was made in an attempt to use up some of the vegetables I had around the house. My garden is slowing down, and I am trying to get the most out of my fresh vegetables before winter comes. The combination of potatoes with tomatoes and zucchini works really well together.


Potato-Tomato-Zucchini Gratin

Serves 4

• 1 lb. red potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 small zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, divided
• salt and pepper

-Preheat the oven to 400 degreees.
-Heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the potatoes and onions, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until the potatoes and the onions are soft, but not fully cooked, about 7-10 minutes.
-Transfer the potato-onion mixture to a baking dish (I used a glass pie dish), and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 tablespoon each of oregano and thyme.


-Layer the tomatoes and zucchini on top of the potatoes and onions, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and herbs on top of the tomatoes and the zucchini.
-Bake until the zucchini and the tomatoes are soft, and the cheese is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.


Notes: This is a very simple dish to prepare, and it tastes great. Make sure to season the vegetables lightly with salt because the cheese is very salty. Also, you must make sure to cook the potatoes before adding them to the dish because they will take much longer to cook than the tomatoes or the zucchini.

Summer Vegetable Medley

I am going to apologize in advance, but over the next three or four weeks, the majority of my recipes are most likely going to include either zucchini or tomatoes, or both. It is that time of year, and my garden is overflowing with both. I don't mind, but it's all I have been cooking (and freezing) lately. Pretty soon my peppers, eggplants, and cabbages will all be ready for picking, but until then, it is zucchini and tomato recipes.

Summer Vegetable Medley

serves 4

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into half moons
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons chives, snipped
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons mild goat cheese


-Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat
-Add the red onion and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes
-Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and corn to the skillet and cook until the zucchini and tomatoes are soft and the corn is heated through, about 6-8 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper
-Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley and chives
-Transfer to a serving bowl and crumble the goat cheese on top of the vegetables, serve immediately


Notes: This is a delicious side dish. It is so quick and easy, and the goat cheese adds a nice flavor to the vegetables. I highly recommend it.