My Global Kitchens

No Cream Cauliflower Soup

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Marilyn

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Cauliflower Soup with Croutons

Cauliflower is my friend and one of my “go to” vegetables – I prepare something cauliflower centric at least once a week. When I saw a similar recipe to what is here in the New York Times Food section, I put it in my “to make” folder. No cream but it tastes creamy! I loved it and will make it again time and again.

I didn’t add fresh rosemary to the olive oil – to me, rosemary has such an overpowering flavor. BUT I might infush the olive oil with a little saffron next time to liven up the color and drizzle on top at when serving. This was a hit with the adults and kids in our family! Make it this winter before you move on to summer vegetables. You won’t regret it.

No-Cream Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp fruity extra virgin olive oil – I use the oil I brought back from Tuscany
1 medium yellow onion, skinned and diced ½ inch
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth (Better Than Bouillon but I make it a little more dilute than suggested on the jar)
2 ½ lbs cauliflower, cored and broken into 1 ½ inch florets
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Juice of one lemon
Wedges of lemon to serve
Good olive oil to drizzle on top for serving

Instructions

In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium low. Add the onion and slowly cook until tender – about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a half minute, being sure the garlic does not burn.

Add the stock, cauliflower, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is very tender.

Remove from the heat and reserve a few cooked pieces of cauliflower for serving.

I usually blend the soup with an immersion blender right in the stock pot. Transferring it to a blender is too much effort and mess! The soup thickens as it cools. Taste and season with additional salt/pepper.

Serve hot, swirling a bit of olive oil on top and a piece or two of cooked cauliflower that you reserved. I pass lemon wedges and accompany this with a nice salad and rustic bruschetta. Cauliflower soup keeps in the refrigerator, covered, for a week.

Posted in Soups | Tagged No Cream Cauliflower | Leave a comment

Thai Quinoa Vegetable Salad

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Marilyn

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Colorful Thai Quinoa Vegetable Salad

In mid-September, I helped plan a stick-to-your-ribs kind of salad as an accompaniment to fish and Lemony Red Lentil Soup for the evening meal prior to Yom Kippur. The original quinoa side dish appeared on one of the pressure cooking sites I like to frequent, and it seemed intriguing. I love edamame beans, this seemed easy and could be made one day ahead of the meal.

The directions seemed fairly straightforward and simple, although I had never cooked quinoa in a pressure cooker. The recipe stated that the quinoa would cook in one minute. I measured the water and rinsed the quinoa, sealed the cooker but put a silicone sling and bowl to hold the quinoa inside. (Full disclosure, the recipe did not call for this modification but I figured I was the Queen of Pressure Cookers and the sling and bowl would make cleanup a snap). It seemed to be taking a long time to have quinoa come to full pressure…and then my smoke alarm went off with the “lady” saying there was smoke in the kitchen. I took the cooker off the stovetop and opened it (it hadn’t started to pressurize). The silicone ring had burned and the bottom of my pot was blackened and a mess.

Not to worry, between baking soda and salt and Oxiclean, I got the pot back in tip top shape. I regrouped and made the quinoa the old fashioned way and it was simple. Everything else came together easily and the result was more than I hoped for. My three grandkids and the five adults loved this dish, and I will be making it many more times this fall and winter.

Thai Quinoa Vegetable Salad

Makes 10 servings

Salad Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well until the water runs clear
1 ½ cups water
½ tsp table salt
1 cup frozen shelled edamame beans, defrosted and dried
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded on a box shredder
½ English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced the same size as the edamames
1 bunch (5-6) green onions, cleaned and sliced thinly – use the white and light green parts only
2 ½ cups finely shredded raw red cabbage

Dressing Ingredients

1 Tbsp Tamari sauce
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp peeled and grated ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp avocado oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Garnish Ingredients
½ cup roasted salted peanuts
⅓ cup fresh chopped herbs-we used basil, dill and cilantro combined

Instructions:

Combine rinsed quinoa and water and salt to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cover for 20 minutes until water is absorbed. Take off the heat, fluff and let cool

Add the rest of the ingredients to the cooled quinoa. Gently add the dressing and taste to see if you want it spicier or sweeter. You can stop here and keep the salad in the refrigerator for a day before serving.

Top with chopped herbs and salted peanuts right before serving.

Cooks note: I really thought this was going to be a salad much like the broccoli cabbage salad I recently posted. It is quite different and for me, a little more unusual.

Posted in Salads & Dressings | Tagged Thai Quinoa Vegetable Salad | Leave a comment

Bubbie’s Famous Chocolate Cake

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Marilyn

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Piece of Cake!

Bubbie is the Yiddish word for Grandmother, and the nickname my children used to call their paternal Grandmother. Bubbie was quite a character: she was a red headed Iowa born girl with long long slim legs and movie star looks. She was difficult, messy and a true character.

Bubbie wasn’t an adventurous cook. In fact I cannot remember any cookbooks she owned other than a paperback Joy of Cooking. She made the same meals over and over: pot roast, chicken soup, chopped liver and poppyseed cookies. She managed to add a lot of Crisco and butter to every single dish, and of course everything tasted delicious and was presented in a beautiful way.

Like most of us, Bubbie had a signature dish. Hers was chocolate cake. Every special occasion such as a birthday, a trip or a visit to her in Palm Springs she would end the meal with her chocolate cake. Her four kids and later the grandkids would devour said cake with gusto accompanied by a tall glass of milk. She would kind of sort of measure everything, dump it all into a stand mixer, turn the speed to “high” with flour and cocoa flying through the air. Then she would proceed to talk on the phone for a few minutes and voila, the cake was done.

The devil was in the details as they say. In this case the “details” happened to be the frosting. Because she did not measure but rather dumped in powdered sugar and then milk the frosting came out a little different every time. Everything was stirred wildly in an old metal saucepan. The frosting was good but not consistent, and a lot of sighing and moaning happened. It always tasted great but the frosting at times was soft, sometimes it was too solid…and by chance it was often just right.

I watched her make this cake a couple of times and I did take a few notes but the frosting was an enigma. I should have weighed the box of powdered sugar and the milk, but what did I know? Fast forward to the past few years, where my kids and husband demand Bubbie’s Chocolate Cake for various occasions. I always get very nervous when it comes to the frosting, but this December when I made the cake for my Grandson and his friends I did a lot of searching on the internet, and I have it down. By the way, my awesome daughter and son-in-law let my 13 year old and his three buddies ate the remaining chocolate cake for breakfast! I highly approve.

Perfect for Breakfast

Bubbie’s Famous Chocolate Cake

Makes 12 really big servings

Cake Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
¾ C cocoa (sift first) – I used Hershey’s justs like Bubbie
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup boiling water
1 stick melted butter

Frosting Ingredients

5 squares unsweetened melted chocolate (Hershey’s or Bakers is old school fine)
¾ stick melted butter
2 tsp. vanilla
About ¼ cup milk
2 ½ cups powdered sugar to start PLUS another cup for later (sift before measuring)

Cake Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 with the rack in the center of the oven. Use my special nonstick goop or Pam to spray a 9 x 13 metal pan.

Place sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, eggs and milk in a mixing bowl. Mix then add boiling water and melted butter.

Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat on medium for three more minutes. Pour into a 9 x 12 prepared pan (the batter is very runny).

Bake for 35-40 minutes in the middle of the oven. (I needed 40 minutes). Remove to a rack and partially cover with a dish towel while it cools so it stays moist. You can frost the cake after two hours and it may seem a little warm which is OK. Personally I wait three hours until it is totally cooled down before frosting.

Frosting Instructions

Melt chocolate and melted butter together slowly in a saucepan, then remove from heat for five minutes.

Meanwhile combine the vanilla, milk and powdered sugar (sift another cup or so to add later if needed) together with a spatula until smooth. I discovered this method when I was trying to make the frosting less daunting!

Add this powdered sugar/vanilla/milk mix to the barely cooled chocolate/butter and beat by hand with spatula or whisk. Add ¼ more cup sifted powdered sugar at a time until it is loose but tastes good. For me, I had a total of about three cups of powdered sugar. The frosting should be shiny.

Spread on the cake, covering the entire top. Cool before covering. The frosting layer here will be about ⅓ inch thick…it is intense!

Keep at room temp for up to five days. This recipe also makes 24 cupcakes that will take about 25 minutes to bake.

Posted in Cakes & Pies | Tagged Bubbie’s Famous Chocolate Cake | 2 Comments

Steelhead and Brown Rice Bowl

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Marilyn

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Simple & Delish Steelhead Salon & Brown Rice Bowl

This “recipe” came to me at a time when I had all the components in my fridge, and had frozen a side of steelhead that I wanted to quickly use. It hit the spot, and I ate this for lunch three days in a row, sharing only one time. Marinating the veggies is easy and different!

Steelhead and Brown Rice Bowl

Serves 4

Main Ingredients

¼ cup tamari
1 ½ Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp honey (taste and add more if you want more sweetness)
4 6-ounce servings of skin-on steelhead
1 cup thinly shredded carrots
1 cup persian cucumbers (baby cucumbers, skin on but sliced the long way thinly
1 cup red onion, peeled and sliced into half moons then separated
1 cup thinly sliced colored sweet peppers (red, yellow, or a combo)
1 cup thinly sliced radishes (optional)
1 cup pea pods, optional
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp Furikake, optional
Black and white sesame seeds for garnish
Green onions for garnish (optional)

Vegetable Marinade Ingredients

2 large limes
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Combine tamari, rice vinegar and honey in a bowl and whisk. Put half this mixture in a zip lock bag that will hold the salmon and add the fish (pat with a towel first so it is dry). Squish it around to coat the fish and put the sealed bag in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or for a few hours if you are rushed. Save the other half to pour over the steelhead once it is cooked.

To marinate the carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers and radishes, I use the same instructions for my Lime-Infused Bermuda Onions. Shake the mixture and pour a little over the veggies (I do the onion separately so it doesn’t “bleed” onto the other veggies). Put in the fridge and let it marinate a bit, then drain before using.

Remove fish from the tamari mix and discard the marinade. Heat a fry pan or grill and cook the steelhead flesh side down for a few minutes, then flip over so the skin is at the bottom and cook to your liking. Remove the fish from the pan.

To serve: combine brown rice with a little Furikake, which is roasted sesame and seaweed. The furikake is optional but I happen to love the flavor. Cover with the fish and drain the marinated veggies and make sections of each on top of the rice, leaving room for the steelhead. Drizzle the remaining reserved marinade over the fish, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Posted in Fish & Seafood | Tagged Steelhead and Brown Rice Bowl | Leave a comment

Smoke Alarm Steak Salad

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Marilyn

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Smoke Alarm Steak Salad (AKA Superfood Bowl)

We have been traveling to Antigua Guatemala fairly frequently over the past several years. Six weeks in Seattle, a month in Antigua…it is a nice routine that allows me time at home with my family and friends combined with another life of speaking Spanish, sunny weather, volunteering, and living a simple life.

Before each trip I play a game with myself to see if I can use all the fruits, vegetables and perishable/non-freezable items in my refrigerator and cupboards. There are potatoes and sweet potatoes to deal with, lemons and limes (I zest and squeeze and freeze these), etc. By the time I leave I am generally down to the bare nubbins and I give the remaining usable items to my kids.

This is how my deconstructed salad came to be. I had walked the Greenlake path with my friend Barri a couple days before, and we had lunch at Retreat. I ordered a Chicken and Greens superfood bowl that was really good and contained a lot of the ingredients I ended up using to create my own version at home. This turned out to be spectacular, if I do say so myself!

I used sliced steak since I hadn’t had a speck of meat in months, and I had a tiny bit of meat in my freezer. This is where the title of this recipe comes in. I pulled out my trusty cast iron pan to grill up the steak and, for the first time in recent memory, set off my smoke alarm. Which wouldn’t be such a big to do. However … my daughter in law was here when I made this salad and she told my son Jake about it. So he decided to try it out and wouldn’t you know it – he set off his smoke alarm as well. So – voila … “Smoke Alarm Steak Salad.” but I digress…

If you don’t have (or eat) steak, leftover grilled chicken would be more than fine as well. Pickled onions and roasted sunflower seeds are always in my fridge, cherry tomatoes came from Jakey Boy’s garden, arugula had been hanging out in my vegetable drawer and I had an odd sweet potato that I peeled, cubed small and tossed with olive oil and chili powder.

This balsamic salad dressing is one that I make often, here and away from home. It makes a lot and is simple (requires no kitchen equipment) and the balsamic vinegar doesn’t need to be top drawer. Keep this dressing recipe handy in your fridge because it keeps for weeks on end. In fact, I always make a batch at the beginning of a stay in Antigua.

Accidental Superfood Bowls

Per person for a superfood bowl

Salad Ingredients:

Sliced steak or sliced grilled chicken, hot or cold-a handful
2 handfuls of fresh arugula
¾ cup fresh cherry tomatoes, cut in half
About 1 tablespoon pickled red onions
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds (toasted chopped nuts would also work here)
½ raw sweet potato
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp ground chili powder
½ tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (this could be cilantro, dill, basil, tarragon, whatever your heart desires)

Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the sweet potatoes – peel and cut into ⅓ inch cubes then toss with olive oil, chili pepper and salt. Roast at 425 degrees on a foil-lined cookie sheet in your toaster oven for 15 minutes or until brown and soft in the center. Cool.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together, taste and add more honey or vinegar if needed. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a month. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.

I combine the salad ingredients in sections and toss it together as I eat it. Drizzle with the dressing.

Posted in Meat, Salads & Dressings | Tagged Smoke Alarm Steak Salad | Leave a comment

Baked Oatmeal

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Marilyn

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Baked Oatmeal

I am always on the lookout for “make ahead” breakfast items. This includes scones, breads, refrigerated Muesli, egg bites, etc. And then I happened upon a recipe for Baked Oatmeal. I looked further at many different versions of this dish and settled on a recipe in the Joy of Cooking. It seemed intriguing and within the span of a week I have made it twice, just for the two of us.

I must admit I have eaten this not only for breakfast, but as an afternoon snack when I craved something chewy, healthful and filling. And today I am taking half my batch to my youngest Seattle grandsons to see how they like it!

Hot Out of the Oven!

Baked Oatmeal

Makes 6 servings