veggie stir fry

For as long as I can remember, I’ve talked with our kids about caring for our planet. We talk about trash that ends up in the ocean, fossil fuels that weaken our ozone layer, and polar bears who are losing their sea ice. We pick up trash in the neighborhood, bring our own Tupperware to restaurants, and have been known to pull a plastic water bottle or soda can out of a trash can and bring it home to recycle. (I know. That’s disgusting.) And more recently, those darling little environmentalists have corrected my behavior.

“Mom, turn off the car. You’re wasting gas.”

“Mom, you really shouldn’t be using that straw.”

Andrew, who is already drafting plans (very vague plans, mind you) for massive ocean clean ups, is my darling who takes these lessons to heart. In fact, I took him to Party City to buy decorations for his birthday party, and when he realized we were there to buy paper products that would end up in a landfill, he shook his head at me and told me we already had plates at home. We left the store with nothing, and I served dinner to all the guests on our regular dinner plates. Bless.

I continue to read over and over again that the best thing I can do for the planet is to cut back on meat consumption. So that’s what we’ve been doing. Not vegetarians, but we’ve consciously cut back on our meat consumption this past year and aim for 3-4 vegetarian dinners each week. Some recipes are not well received—I’m looking at you Black Bean & Quinoa Tacos—and others have quickly become regulars in the rotation. This Veggie Stir Fry is one of the favorites, and shows up in every monthly meal plan.

Note: I don’t measure the vegetables, and I use this recipe as a way to load up on veggies while also clearing out anything that needs to be used. If you only have 1 pepper, don’t run out to the store for another. If you don't like mushrooms, don’t use them. If your kids really carrots, add six instead of four.

One More Note: And while I’m at it, I don’t measure the sauce ingredients either. (And this is why I’ll never write a cook book.) I add each ingredient with a heavy hand because a good sauce makes everything better.

Serves: 4-6 Total time: About 30 minutes

The Sauce:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce or coconut amino if you’re into that stuff

• 3 TB honey

• 1 TB (minimum!) fresh ginger, minced—I actually use a microplane to grate it.

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp corn starch

The Stir Fry:

• small spoonful of coconut oil

• 3-4 cups broccoli florets

• 4 large carrots, sliced

• 2 bell peppers, sliced

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup snow peas

• 2/3 cup frozen edamame shelled

• 1 small can of sliced water chestnuts

• handful of cashews

• rice for serving

Sauce: Whisk all of sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Sauté Vegetables: In a large pan or wok, heat the coconut oil. Cook broccoli and carrot slices in oil for 5-7 minutes. Then add bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and snow peas. Sauté for another 5 minutes until softened. Add edameme and water chestnuts for last 2 minutes of cook time.

Add sauce to vegetables: Stir in the sauce with cooked vegetables, and cook for 1 minute with veggies until sauce thickens. Serve with rice and top each serving with a some cashews.

Enjoy!

creamy broccoli cauliflower soup

It’s cold and rainy this weekend in Cincinnati, the crazy in-between weather where we fire up the grill one night and curl up by a fire the next. We contemplate buying watermelon because it’s going to hit 80 this week, but we also turn on the heat because there is a frost warning tonight. We don’t know if our table should have creamy soup or tulips. I say do both.

Soup season is all-year-round for me. Since this one packs 12 cups of veggies, and my family licks their bowls, I will happily make it no matter the weather. Some broccoli soups are so thick I can turn my bowl upside down with no movement. They’re also so loaded with heavy cream and cheese that I feel like I need a Zumba class afterwards, but also know I’d never make it more than 10 minutes. Instead, I made up my own with lots of veggies, including cauliflower which gives it a good creaminess without as much cheese. I don’t measure my veggies exactly and always err on the side of more. Happy spring(ish).

Serves: 6 Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup butter, divided

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2 1/2 cups half & half

• 3 cups vegetable stock plus a few more splashes

• 4-5 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (This is about 3 heads of broccoli.)

• 4-5 cups cauliflower, cut into bit size pieces (This is 1 large head of cauliflower.)

• 2 cups carrots, chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper

Special Equipment: Immersion blender (or blender)

Soup

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in large pot. Sauté the chopped onion and set aside.

2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in the pot and sprinkle the flour over the melted butter. Whisk for 2-3 minutes to create your roux. Stir constantly as you add the half & half.

3. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and reserved onions. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. You want your veggies nearly covered with liquid, but it’s ok if some are not. The veggies will cook down, but feel free to add a splash more of broth if needed.

5. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. At this point, it is your call how chunky or smooth you want your soup. Blend to you personal liking. I prefer a bit chunky. (If you do not have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, and be sure to loosen the center cap for steam to escape.)

6. Remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the nutmeg and cheese. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Enjoy.

lemon almond cake

I am here for any cake that can pass as breakfast, and this one includes two of my favorite flavors: lemon and almond.

I made this cake for breakfast last Easter and have every intention of doing so again this year. The ingredient list is minimal, and I can easily make it on Saturday night once all the kids are in bed. In fact, I think it taste better after sitting overnight. It is not overly sweet—just the right kind of sweet to have with coffee. It’s simple, special, and feels like Easter. And did I mention lemon AND almond? (Insert jazz hands.)

The small down side is you need to clean your mixing bowl and attachment midway through the prep work. It sounds worse than it is, so if you’re looking for something to make this Easter—or anytime this spring—here is my recommendation.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, separated

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour (not almond meal)

• 2 lemons zested

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 cups sliced almonds (optional)

• powdered sugar for dusting

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. If you question your need for parchment paper, let me help you out. Yes. Yes. You do need parmenchment paper. Why? See here.

2. Separate the 4 eggs, and put the yolks into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the yolks and sugar on high for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and lightens.

3. While that is beating, grab another bowl and whisk the almond flour, lemon zest, and baking powder.

4. Use a rubber spatula to fold the almond flour mixture into the yolk mixture. Once that is mixed, transfer it back to the bowl you used for dry ingredients and clean out your bowl and attachment. (Confused yet?)

5. Add the egg whites into the clean mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.

6. Fold the whites into the almond batter a large spoonful at at time. The batter will thin out and lighten in color. Do not over mix.

7. Transfer to the prepared pan. Sprinkle with sliced almonds (if you want a bit of crunchy texture) and bake for 25-30 minutes.

8. Let it cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen. Flip onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, and flip back onto your serving plate.

9. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with lemon slices.

edible is a requirement: the mexican brownie disaster

Even as a teenage I remember browsing through my mom's cookbooks, marking recipes that peeked my interest, but rarely seeing any through to fruition. In part, this was due to my mother's love-hate relationship with the kitchen. Love because she believed strongly in family dinnertime and was happy to open our home and table to guests. Hate because she didn't actually enjoy cooking and certainly wasn't looking for opportunities to mix, chop, roast, or blend more than absolutely necessary.  Market Day Chicken Stir Fry was a go-to and family favorite.

I, on the other hand, thought it might be exciting to try something new and create something delicious, so 16-year-old Joy eagerly volunteered to bring a dessert to a Fourth of July lake house celebration. I'd torn out this recipe from my mother's Good Housekeeping magazine, and the fact that the brownies were made from more than a box, an egg, water, and oil was already pushing me into uncharted culinary territory. 

The recipe for mocha cinnamon frosting required a foreign ingredient to be brought into my parents' house: coffee. Neither of my parents are coffee drinkers, so we rarely ventured down the coffee aisle in the grocery story. I'm pretty sure the small container of instant coffee we purchased for these brownies in 1999 is still in my mother's cabinet. 

It was with great enthusiasm that I set out to create these brownies, reading and rereading as I meticulously followed each step.  The 9x13 pan of brownies was cooling on the table as I began the frosting - dissolving coffee, melting multiple chocolates, stirring, and whisking.  I was so close.

The last step. 

"Stir in confectioners sugar until well blended and smooth."

I scooped up that cup of sugar, poured it into my mocha goodness and stirred. 

Smooth never came.

My inexperienced baking skills mindlessly skipped over the word confectioners, never even pausing to question what that word might mean. All I saw was sugar, and all I was left with was a grainy, sand-like frosting, filled with granulated sugar.  

In case you know even less about baking than I did and are totally confused at this point, allow me to clarify, lest you replicate by mistake. 

Confectioners sugar=powdered sugar=yummy, smooth frosting=total win 

Granulated sugar=regular sugar=grainy, sand-like frosting=big oops for Joy

Oh, but wait.  It gets better.

I served them. 

To people. 

I poured that gritty frosting onto my cinnamon spiced brownies, packed them in a cooler for the lake house and served them to my friends. 

There is a lesson to be learned here: when it comes to food, perfection is a lofty standard, but edible is a requirement. Many disasters can be stomached and might even turn out surprisingly delicious - see Orange Chocolate Cake. However, you need to know when those imperfections have gone too far, resulting in pity bites and leaving your friends smiling to your face and spitting crunchy brownies out behind your back. 

Know when to call it quits. There can be dignity in dumping a pan of brownies into the trash.

Make it again, make something new, or stop by a bakery, but please don't serve every disaster - even if you spent money on unusual ingredients - even if you spent your entire Saturday afternoon cooking - even if it was going perfectly until the very last step. (Insert heavy sigh.) 

Although my dad and brother will never let me forget the day I served the grainy Mexican Brownies, I have since made these with confectioners sugar multiple times, and they are divine. 

Mexican Brownies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

• 2 cups granulated sugar (That's the regular sugar!)

• 5 eggs

• 1 TB vanilla

Mocha Frosting

• 1 tsp. instant coffee (I have also used espresso or strong brewed coffee, and both work fine.)

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 bar (3.5 oz) milk chocolate, chopped

• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

• 2 TB butter

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• pinch of salt

• 3 TB milk

• 1 cup confectioners sugar (That's the powdered sugar!)

Prepare Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Line the pan with foil, extending the foil over the rim, and grease the foil.  Yes, I know this is a lot of greasing and lining, but you'll thank me later.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in granulated sugar. Stir in eggs, one at a time until well blended. Add vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture, and stir until well blended.

Spread the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool brownies completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:

* Note* This frosting is more of a glaze to pour on the brownies rather than a thick frosting to smear.  

In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in vanilla.  If you are using espresso or strong coffee, just stir in the vanilla.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, butter, cinnamon, and salt.  Heat on medium-low until chocolates are melted. Stir occasionally.

Remove from the heat, and use a whisk to stir in the coffee mixture and milk.

Stir in confectioners powdered sugar until well blended and smooth.

Spread warm frosting over cooled brownies.  Let stand for at least 20 minutes for the frosting to set.

When the frosting has set, use the foil edges to lift the brownies out of the pan. Peel away foil from the sides and cut brownies.

Betcha can't eat just one....

A similar essay was first published on Her View From Home.

stolen tulips & bbq chicken salad

It was Mother's Day 2007. Stephen and I had been married just over a year and living in a spacious but sketchy apartment in the suburbs of Chicago. We invited my parents, my brother and his wife, and both of my grandmas into our apartment for a three-tiered tower of various bruschetta and an absurd amount of this salad.

California Pizza Kitchen had been a family favorite in my childhood home, and despite the extensive pizza offerings on their menu, my mom always gravitated toward this salad. I was able to hunt down the recipe, and it was a perfect choice for Mother's Day lunch.

Stephen and I decorated our tiny table with a lovely, yet stolen, bouquet of purple tulips. I do not condone stolen tulips, but our budget barely left room for chicken breasts let alone fresh flowers. So we got creative - or perhaps unlawful. There was a community of "luxury" townhomes nearby with an enormous display of tulips surrounding their entrance sign. On our way home from church (from church!), Stephen pulled into the entrance and u-turned around the large island of tulips, setting up our car for a quick getaway. He sprung into action, flying out of the driver's side door and yanking up tulips in a manic fashion. He dove back into the car with a mass of flowers clutched against his chest, threw them in my direction, and squealed out as he shut his door. I was stunned by the speed and agility I had just witnessed.

I started to wonder if he had stolen tulips before.

We were so cute. You see those purple tulips? I didn't pay for those...

*****

BBQ Chicken Salad: Adapted from California Pizza Kitchen

Serves 4 as a main dish

The chicken in this salad is best served cold, so I would recommend grilling it the night before or earlier in the day. However, I don't always plan ahead that well. The salad will still be delicious if your chicken is warm or room temperature.

Also, the fried tortilla chips are fun to make at home and can be made ahead of time; however, if the idea of making your own tortilla strips is a total turnoff, you can buy these in bags at the grocery story. No shame.

Grilled Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons salt

• about 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Get your grill set for medium heat.

Mix the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Pour over the chicken and let it marinade at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Let the chicken cool and cut it into cubes. Toss with BBQ sauce and keep chilled. 

Tortilla Strips

• about 12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

• vegetable or canola oil for deep frying

Using a heavy frying pan, heat a couple inches of oil. Carefully add strips and submerge into the oil with a metal slotted spoon. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Carefully lift out of the oil using a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel.

Salad

• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned, dried, and chopped

• 1/2 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned, dried and chopped

• 12 large basil leaves, chopped

• 1 pound jicama, cut into matchsticks (see below)

• 1-2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can sweet corn, rinsed and drained (even better if you grill some corn alongside the chicken!)

• big handful chopped cilantro

• 1 pound tomatoes, diced - or cherry tomatoes cut in half

• about 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

• about 1 cup of your favorite ranch dressing

***I buy jicama in the produce section at Kroger, so hopefully you can find it at your grocery store. It is a large, round root vegetable that looks similar to a turnip. However, its flavor and texture is somewhere between a potato and pear. Just try it. You'll like it.

To assemble the salad, mix the lettuce, basil, jicama, cheese, black beans, corn, cilantro, ranch dressing, and half the tortilla strips. Top the salad with tomatoes, chicken, the rest of the tortilla strips and drizzle with BBQ sauce.

And I would like to formally apologize to the fancy townhome community down the road from Country Glenn Apartments in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

We should not have stolen your beautiful tulips, even if there were hundreds.

Even if we had no money.

Even if it was Mother's Day.

Even if the entrance sign by our apartments only had cigarette buds and old condoms.

No excuses.

I'm sorry, and I owe you some tulips.

Or some BBQ chicken salad.

P.S. This is another except from the book I am writing for my children.