Arugula Nectarine Salad

I've been feeling summery. Walking up and down Sacramento St. in sandals and skirt during today's sidewalk sale, enjoying live jazz music, a roving magician, and friendly purveyors of goods - all I could think about was a salad, but a special salad. I'd procured a beautiful, local finishing olive oil from March Pantry during today's festivities, and then picked up a bottle of chilled Grgich Fumé Blanc from Wine Impressions. I let these purchases inform my choices at the market. Some baby arugula - I knew just the dressing to make! - and a nectarine; even if they're not quite perfect, yet, my mood insisted. And I built from there.

Now I know plenty of anti-arugula naysayers, who claim the leaf is too bitter for a salad. To them I say two things: 1. BABY arugula, and 2. Dress it right. I used what I remembered from a Cook's Illustrated recipe for an arugula salad with oranges and radishes. It's a simple dressing with a lime juice base. The light tartness compliments the arugula to mask any bitterness. Pair that with the sweetness of nectarine and chevre, toasty pine nuts, and grassy olive oil - well, that's summer right there.

Arugula Nectarine Salad

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side salad. Multiplies well for a larger group.

4 cups baby arugula
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbs pine nuts
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 small dollop dijon mustard
3T high quality extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 nectarine, sliced thin
2oz. chevre or other mild goat cheese
Cilantro (optional)

Toast coriander in a small, dry pan over medium high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add to lime juice. Wipe out pan and return to heat. Toast pine nuts in pan for a couple minutes until golden brown, stirring often. Set aside. Into the lime juice and coriander, whisk dijon, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, whisking constantly.* Toss arugula with the dressing and divide evenly between individual plates. Top each mound of greens with a portion of nectarine slices, toasted pine nuts, and dots of chevre. Sprinkle with coarsely ground sea salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and a few ripped up cilantro leaves.

*For me, the beauty of this combination is the tartness of the lime juice. If someone is overly sensitive to sour flavors (like the husband man), try whisking in a bit of honey to taste before adding the olive oil.

Welcome Spring with Asparagus Soup

The first produce of Spring is here: asparagus! I whipped up a quick soup to savor its arrival using a Williams Sonoma recipe for inspiration, but making it my own, of course.

Asparagus Soup

Serves 2-3 as an entree, 4-6 as a starter.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 leek, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp paprika
2 bunches asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, separated
1/4 cup buttermilk (optional)
juice of half a lemon
fresh ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in pan over medium. Add leek and sauté a few minutes until soft. Add garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and half a cup of the broth. Cover and steam until asparagus is tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer contents of the pan and the remaining broth to blender. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer to a pot on the stove and heat over medium low until hot, without letting it come to a boil. Stir in buttermilk, if using. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Salt to taste, if needed. Top with black pepper, paprika, and a drizzle of high quality olive oil.

Steak, Stir-Fried

I realized I couldn't even remember the last time I cooked red meat. I guess that explained the craving. So I picked up a steak at the butcher and threw this quick stir-fry together from items in my crisper and pantry. Super yummy lunch; this really hit the spot. As good as just about any Chinese delivery.

Easy Broccoli Beef

Serves 4.

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, chopped into roughly 1inch cubes
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground or fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
about 10 dashes chili oil
1 Tbsp. Truvia stevia sweetener (or 2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar)
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil, divided
2 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, cut into roughly 2 inch strips
1 yellow onion, cut into roughly 2 inch strips
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
2 cups cooked brown rice

Sprinkle cubes of steak on all sides with garlic salt and pepper. Set aside to rest for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, in bowl or measuring cup, mix cornstarch with soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, chili oil, and sweetener/sugar. Add beef broth and blend with a fork. Set aside. Blot steak cubes dry with paper towels. In large skillet, heat one tablespoon of the cooking oil over medium high heat. Add steak cubes in one layer. Sear on one side without turning for about 1-1 1/2 minutes, until just browned. Flip the chunks and sear for another 1-1 1/2 minutes until browned on the other side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of cooking oil to the skillet and swish it around to recoat the surface. Add broccoli, bell pepper, and onion to the pan and stir-fry until the broccoli is just tender, about 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Add pressed garlic and continue to stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add steak cubes back into the skillet with the vegetables and toss to combine. Blend sauce mixture again with the fork. Pour over skillet contents. Toss everything together over heat until sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Mound 1/2 cup rice on each plate. Divide stir-fry evenly into four portions and pour over rice.

Silky Sweet Potato Soup

Are you sick of soup, yet? Neither am I! Good thing, too, because I got a new toy. Way back in the day when my blog was a fresh little newborn, I discovered a trick that guaranteed a velvety vegetable soup. I cooked the vegetables, whipped them in the KitchenAid mixer, and then "strained" them by pressing them through a mesh sieve. It was time and work intensive. I knew the process would be greatly simplified by a ricer. Well, take a look at the America's Test Kitchen recommended tool my parents gave me as one of my holiday gifts! I couldn't wait to give it a spin and instantly had its inaugural soup in mind.

I've made simplistic sweet potato soup before - stew sweet potato chunks in milk/dairy substitute and butter/butter substitute, mash 'em up, and mix with more liquid to reach the desired consistency. Easy peasy! But I knew I could make it smoother and more delicious with a couple tweaks. The leek and turnip add richness and complexity to balance the slight sweetness. You don't need a ricer to make this soup, but if you can get your hands on one, you'll find that the texture goes beyond even velvety, all the way to silken.

Silky Sweet Potato Soup

Feel free to use milk and butter in place of my vegan non-dairy substitutions. Serves 4.

1 bulb leek, dark greens removed, diced
2 medium white/yellow sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into half-inch slices
1 medium turnip, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into half-inch slices
4 Tbsp butter substitute (I like Light Smart Balance Buttery Spread)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups light unsweetened soy milk, approximate

1. Spray large pot with Pam and heat to medium. Sautee leek until soft, 5-10 minutes. Add sweet potato, turnips, butter substitute, sugar, salt, and one cup of the milk. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes fall apart with a fork, about 35-45 minutes.

2. OPTIONAL: Strain and reserve cooking liquid. Press vegetables through ricer using medium-holed plate. Discard tough fibrous parts remaining in the ricer's bowl. Add reserved cooking liquid back to the vegetables.

"Riced" sweet potato mixture.

3. Add about a cup and a half more soy milk to the vegetables. Blend using your preferred method: in the blender (may require two batches), with a hand or stand mixer, or with an immersion blender. Return to stove and slowly add more soy milk until desired consistency is reached, approximately one and half more cups. Heat over medium until hot. Salt to taste if desired. Garnish with a sprinkle of brown or turbinado sugar.

Acorn Squash Soup with Yogurt

I first got the idea for this seasonal soup from Google. No, not a Google search, a Google menu. My husband often makes everyone he knows jealous by regaling them with magical culinary tales from this mystical campus in Mountain View. One day he sent me a menu that included a creamy vegetable soup that included yogurt in its ingredients instead of cream. As cream gives me a tummy ache, I got very excited by the prospect. Once Fall and my annual autumn soup cravings came around, I decided to see if yogurt in a squash soup was a winner.

Well, it took a lot of squashes (at least I like the seeds!) and a number of batches - some that went down the drain (even a little turmeric can be too much) - but I think I've finally conquered the squash and yogurt soup. Through trial and error I learned a few things:

1. Less is more when seasoning. Also, I found that warm, sweet flavors worked better than savory herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage.

2. Regular yogurt works better than Greek. Despite really, really wanting to use Greek yogurt, the results were tart in an off-putting way, and adding more sugar just threw off the balance of flavors. So, while Greek yogurt doesn't ruin the soup and will be fine in a pinch, regular yogurt is preferable.

3. Stir in the yogurt at the end, off heat. The instant the yogurt melts into the soup, the color softens and the texture becomes creamier - exactly the results we're looking for. Let it heat in the soup for even a short time and the yogurt separates into white specks, throwing off the color and texture. Stir the yogurt into hot soup just before serving, or divide the yogurt between bowls as a garnish and let people stir it in themselves so they can fully relish the beauty of the experience. I know that sounds cheesy, but it really is pretty.


The final result is sweet, but not cloying, and incredibly smooth and velvety while maintaining the full squash flavor instead of masking it the way cream might. I call success! So here's yet another recipe that lets you make a dish creamy without actually using any cream.

Acorn Squash Soup with Yogurt

Serves 4. This recipe halves well as a way to use squash leftover from a previous meal.

Flesh of one cooked acorn squash, about three cups
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

In blender, puree squash with 2 cups of the broth until smooth. Remove to pot and stir in remaining half cup of broth as needed for desired consistency. Stir in sugar and spices. Heat until just hot without letting it come to a full simmer. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt until fully incorporated, or divide between four bowls and add a 1 Tbsp dollop of yogurt to each bowl, allowing your guests to stir it together themselves. Garnish with a swirl of maple syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar.

A Lighter Creamy Pasta Sauce

Paaaastaaaaa. *drool* If you have the same Pavlovian response that I do to even the mention of creamy pastas, then you might also share my remorse in the carbo fat bomb nature of the dish. I've found a lighter way to create my favorite creamy pasta sauces without sacrificing on flavor or creaminess. In fact, what would you say to a plate of creamy pasta with 12 grams of fiber, 19 grams protein, and 2-3 servings of vegetables, all while staying under 500 calories and 10 grams of fat? I would think you would say, "Yes, please!"

This is my big one people. I use this trick to make creamy clam sauce, creamy garlic "alfredo" sauce, creamy tomato "rose" sauce, and creamy white wine sauces. I've shared this secret with very few people, and now I'm sending it out to my loyal readers (all three of you). To introduce you to my favorite trick, here are a couple versions of creamy, yet much lighter, vegetable farfalle. The unexpected twist: low fat cream cheese. Neither cream nor butter required.

Squash and Vegetable Farfalle in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Do not substitute the non-dairy milk alternatives with regular dairy milk. Milk will curdle when mixed with the wine. Serves 2-3.

6oz Whole Wheat Farfalle (I like Mara's Pasta because it has a lot of fiber and protein and stays under 200 calories per serving, but many brands, such as Barilla and Ronzoni, have their own healthier whole grain lines)
1 cob corn, kernels removed
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 Tbsp shallot, minced
1/2 medium acorn squash, cooked, peeled, and chunked
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup unsweetened original flavor almond milk or unsweetened original flavor light soy milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 Tbsp low fat cream cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat pan sprayed generously with Pam over medium-high. Sauté carrots and corn for 6 minutes, or until carrots are nearly tender-crisp. Add shallots and sauté another three minutes, or until shallots start turning translucent and carrots are tender-crisp. Add spinach and squash and continue sautéing another couple minutes until the spinach wilts, salting to taste as you stir. Remove vegetables to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low and respray empty pan. Add almond milk and wine; bring to an almost simmer. Add cream cheese and heat until melted and fully incorporated, stirring often and salting to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of the parmesan and stir gently and minimally to prevent the cheese from clumping as it melts. Add vegetables and mix thoroughly, yet gently. The squash will melt into the sauce as you stir. Take this final opportunity to add any additional salt or pepper to taste. Toss in pasta and remove from heat to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan to garnish.


Vegetable Medley Farfalle in Creamy White Wine Sauce

You can grill vegetables on the George Foreman instead of sautéing, if you prefer. Do not substitute the non-dairy milk alternatives with regular dairy milk. Milk will curdle when mixed with the wine. Serves 2-3.

6oz Whole Wheat Farfalle (I like Mara's Pasta because it has a lot of fiber and protein and stays under 200 calories per serving, but many brands, such as Barilla and Ronzoni, have their own healthier whole grain lines)
1 small bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, chopped on the bias
1 small eggplant, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened original flavor almond milk or unsweetened original flavor light soy milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 Tbsp low fat cream cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup cashews
Lemon wedges

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat pan sprayed generously with Pam over medium-high. Sauté asparagus, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion until tender. Add garlic and tomatoes and sauté another 30 seconds to one minute until garlic becomes fragrant, salting to taste as you stir. Remove vegetables to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low and respray empty pan. Add almond milk and wine; bring to an almost simmer. Add cream cheese and heat until melted and fully incorporated, stirring often and salting to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of the parmesan and stir gently and minimally to prevent the cheese from clumping as it melts. Add vegetables and cashews and mix thoroughly, yet gently. Take this final opportunity to add any additional salt or pepper to taste. Toss in pasta and remove from heat to serving dish. Drizzle with juice squeezed from the lemon wedges and sprinkle with remaining parmesan to garnish.

Another Hearty Soup

And thus continues my experiments with using V8 as a base for soup. This time just a cup gives a rich twist to a classic beef barley soup, just in time for a nasty head cold. I've been trying so many home remedies, but nothing works like homemade soup and a steaming mug of ginger tea with honey and lemon.

Again, I used vegetables I had on hand in the crisper, but this would be equally as good with peas, corn, green beans, or zucchini in any combination instead of, or along with, kale and broccoli.


Tomatoey Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

America's Test Kitchen asserts that whole sirloin tip steaks make the best beef for soup, or alternately blade or flank steak. I used very affordable chuck stew beef and it turned out terrifically. This makes a large pot of soup, enough for about 8 large servings. It could be easily halved.

1lb beef, trimmed of fat and gristle and chopped into half-inch pieces
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery heart, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup V8
1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid 
3 packed cups kale, prepared*
2 cups small broccoli florets
4 1/2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup barley


Marinate beef in soy sauce for 15 minutes. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes or until onion starts to turn translucent. Remove vegetables to a bowl. Add beef, with marinade, to pot and brown, stirring often, for 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add red wine vinegar plus 1 Tbs of the V8 and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly. Combine all ingredients in pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a strong simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is soft and vegetables are tender. 


As with most soups, this is great leftover after all the flavors have had time to meld. The barley will continue to soak up moisture overnight and get puffier, which makes it even better. Keep extra beef broth on hand to add to leftovers to replace lost liquid. 


*To prep a head of kale, remove and discard the toughest stems and ribs and coarsely chop remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Harvest Tomato Soup

I have been CRAVING autumn vegetable soups like CRAZY, but San Francisco's Indian Summer weather has just not been cooperating. Temps in the 80s put a damper on hovering over the stove or crock-pot or roasting vegetables in the oven. We'll occasionally get a break in the heat, just enough to get my hopes up and start planning a grocery list, but every time it turns out it's just teasing me. Well, yesterday did not get nearly as hot as forecasted, and it even cooled off after the sun went down, so I decided to wait no longer and pounced, making a quick, simple vegetable soup to take advantage of this window of opportunity, however brief. I dare to hope that Fall is really here, because now my head is swimming with all the soups I want to make and I don't want to stop now I've started.

I took the inspiration for this soup from the nerdiest of places, which makes me even happier about it. Wil Wheaton of Star Trek and Internet fame recently posted the recipe for a soup he made to combat a nasty case of sinusitis. It fit all the qualifications I desired for last night's meal: quick, full of whatever vegetables looked good in the market and that I had in the crisper, and with something different from my usual recipes to inspire me. The difference that caught my eye: he used tomato juice as the base. Of course I tweaked the recipe and made it my own, and I encourage you to do the same. This soup can be extremely versatile. I already have big plans for other ways I can use V8 (which I used instead of tomato juice for added flavor and nutrition) to pump up other soups.

The husband man said it was probably the healthiest thing he's eaten in 5 years, yet he still enjoyed it. Of course, he said it would be better with barley (his response to any barley-less soup) and pork (his response to any porkless dish of any sort). I do think some ham, pancetta, or bacon would be great in this, but I was in the mood for a veggie-only soup. I also have an idea brewing for a slightly less tomatoey beef barley version I'm sure will please him. Big plans, my friends, big plans.


Harvest Tomato Soup

Wil's version was completely vegan. Omit broth and replace with water or vegetable broth to take it back to vegan status. Serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a starter.

1 Tbsp oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 stalks celery hearts, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cobs corn, kernels removed
3 packed cups prepared* kale
1 can tomatoes, with liquid
1 can kidney beans, with liquid
3 cups V8
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions, celery, and carrots for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. 

Bring to a boil. Reduce to a strong simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. 

*To prep a head of kale, remove and discard the toughest stems and ribs and coarsely chop remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Mushroom Tacos

Only three weeks left in the 500 Taco Summer. Here's another delicious way to up your numbers.*

Mushroom Tacos

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp oil
1 8oz package sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp salsa, drained of excess liquid
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6 corn tortillas
Cotija cheese and salsa to top

Heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add carrot and celery and saute a few minutes on medium high until tender. Set aside. Heat second Tbsp of oil and add mushrooms. Saute a few minutes until just moist and tender, using a wooden spoon to break up large pieces into smaller pieces. Add soy sauce and 1 Tbsp salsa (I used Casa Chica's medium roasted salsa). Saute/simmer for a few more minutes. Add carrots and celery to mushrooms and continue to saute until combined. Add pressed garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. For a drier filling, drain excess liquid (I happen to like all that flavorful drippiness). Warm  tortillas in a dry pan and top with mushroom mixture, salsa, and crumbled cotija. You can also use crispy taco shells, if you prefer.  Makes 6 tacos.

*By the way, I'm at 111!

Farmers' Market: Salmon Orzo

Have y'all tried Google Hot Pot, yet? Oh man, it's fun. It's where I've been doing all my food writing the last few weeks. You can find my new slate of reviews there; my Hot Pot nickname is "vhamster." Anyway, for the most of you who haven't yet heard about it, Hot Pot is a new recommendation engine. You can rate and review places (especially restaurants, in my case), and Google works its algorithmic magic and recommends other places you'll love, like Netflix does with movies. The more you rate, the more accurate the results. If you do the whole social networking thing, you can see what your friends like and have that factored into your recommendations, too. That's really helpful when you want to see, say, what sushi places in Berkeley your friends recommend. Or say you have that one friend who's a pizza expert. You can check out his reviews when you get a hankering for some cornmeal crust. As a major bonus, the UI is so much super fun. I can rate and review like 25 places in the time it takes me to do 5 on Yelp. And you get 10 "BEST EVERS" to distribute how you like, which I've been super stingy about using so far. Anyway, I can go on and on about it. The husband man is one of the lead software developers on the project, so I know way more about it than the average user. They've only had a soft release so far, so you can get onboard as an early adopter. I'm totally hooked.

But, awesome as Hot Pot is, it can't keep me from my blog forever! The JCC had one of it's random farmers' markets today, so I have INSPIRATION. Of course, they never really advertise these markets, which only happen every three months or so, so I'm always caught without cash and bags. Too bad, because it's been a long time since I could walk to a farmers' market. I decided to focus the limited resources in my wallet on some smoked salmon, one package cold smoked lemon pepper and one brick hot smoked cracked pepper. My mind is reeling with all the fun stuff I'm going to do with them, but for tonight I made a tried and true recipe I invented years ago, my famous Salmon and Vegetable Orzo. The recipe is very simple and lets the flavors of all the ingredients really sing. It's a great way to showcase quality salmon and veggies. Sweet, ripe tomatoes and fresh spinach perfectly compliment the smoky salmon and mild bocconcini.

Salmon & Vegetable Orzo

Serves 2

4 oz. orzo pasta

half a small or medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2-3 very large handfuls fresh baby spinach

Salt & pepper to taste

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes (I like Sweet 100s), halved

2-3 T chopped black olives

4 oz. cooked salmon (I love the smoky, salty flavor of hot smoked salmon in this, but you can use any cooked salmon), loosely shredded with a fork (the pieces will break down further as you stir it all together, so don't make the shreds too small)

half a dozen or so bocconcini fresh mozzarella balls (I like the marinated ones for this so I can use the oil, but you can use ones packed in water), quartered

2 T shredded parmesan

1/2-1 T oil from the marinated bocconcini, or olive oil 

Cook orzo in salted water according to package directions. Meanwhile, preheat skillet sprayed with Pam to medium heat. Sauté onion for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add spinach and continue to sauté. Add fresh ground salt and pepper as the spinach wilts. After spinach has wilted most of the way, add tomatoes, olives, and salmon. Heat until just hot. Add drained orzo, bocconcini, parmesan, and oil. Toss over heat until bocconcini begins to melt. Salt and pepper to taste.