Category Archives: eatin’ & drinkin’

make it/ illustrated: ramp pesto

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bkp_rampshere’s a special treat that i’m really excited to share! i’m teaming up with my friend and amazing artist erin mcgill to bring you an illustrated version of the occasional “make it” post. first up is a tasty ramp petso… eat it on this, eat it on that, eat it on everything – while you can, of course. these babies are almost at the end of their springtime run.

i love erin’s artwork – from animals to food to streetscapes, she manages to capture something truly delightful. i hope you will look forward to seeing her work here as much as i am! recipe for ramp pesto below…

bkp_ramppesto (recipe and images provided by erin mcgill. see more of her work here, or follwer her on twitter: @wallcojr)

make it: chia chocolate pudding

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bkp_5_6_13_chiachocpudding1i’m not normally much of a chocolate person but i do have a taste for it once in a while. i’ve been trying to cut back on sweets, too, but i don’t think this really counts as anything to feel bad about. unlike the pudding that comes in a little disposable cup and has absolutely zero nutritional value, this version actually brings something to the party – lots of protein, natural sweeteners, and, it’s dairy free. i like it better than the real thing.

bkp_5_6_13_chiachocpudding2

chia seed chocolate “pudding”

add 1/2 cup filtered water to 2T chia seeds. let it sit and thicken for about 10 minutes, transfer to the vitamix, and add:

1 cup raw unsalted cashews, 5 or 6 dates, (remove the pits!), 1T unsweetened cocoa powder, 1T maple syrup or agave nectar, 1t vanilla. start with 1/2 cup of coconut milk (or almond milk) and pulse, adding more milk to achieve desired consistency. i usually add about 1 cup of the milk total. also, if you like a stronger chocolate flavor, you can add another tablespoon of the cocoa powder.

it’s good to eat right away, but i think it’s even better once it sits in the fridge for a few hours. it seems like the chia seeds keep thickening even once they’re ground up, and the texture is just great.

bkp_5_6_13_chiachocpudding(photos by laura kinsey for bklynprairie.com)

 

eat it: sesame noodles

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sesamenoodlessesame noodles…. ever since realizing that i can totally make these at home, they’ve become a bit of a problem. a little bit healthy and a little bit not, i want them at almost every meal. this dish has everything – great texture, great flavor….they’re irresistible to me.

now, for you by-the-book types, i know my version is kind of japanese and maybe kind of thai, and kind of not really authentic at all. but this is how i do it, and it’s good!

for the sauce:

2T tahini

2T creamy peanut butter

1T each of mirin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and siracha. either regular sesame or toasted sesame oil is fine, and you can add some hot chili oil as well, if you have it!

1t grated ginger

juice from 1/2 a lime

for garnish:

handful of rough-chopped cilantro, thinly sliced scallions, and sesame seeds.

for the noodles:

the options are many. in the picture above, i used regular old pasta noodles (actually my last choice – just what i happened to have on hand) but you can use ramen, udon, rice noodles, or buckwheat soba noodles. my new favorite noodle is the black bean “spaghetti” from the brand Explore Asian. they have two ingredients (black beans & water!) and about 25 grams of protein per serving and almost half your daily requirement of fiber. they’re a perfect backdrop for the sauce.

the sauce! oh yes. easist thing ever – mix everything in a bowl, and toss with the cooked/rinsed/drained noodles. scatter the sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro over the top. if the sauce seems a little thick, add a tablespoon or so of the pasta cooking water or regular hot water to thin it out.

(photo by laura kinsey)

 

eat it: beans & greens

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bkp_beansngreens_3-26-13this has become one of my favorite go-to healthy lunches. it’s simple, cheap and quick. yes, it involves the tiniest bit of cooking and you will have a sautée pan to wash, but it’s worth it. i swear it is…

what you’ll need:

half a bunch of kale (i like the tuscan kale, or cavolo nero, for recipes like this) washed & ready to use

7 oz. white cannellini beans (about half a can)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c white wine

2 T diced canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, OR 2 T tomato paste*

juice from half a lemon

1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)

olive oil for the pan

make it:

take your kale leaves and cut in half. i remove the stem from the lower half because they get kind of tough at that end, but skip it if you don’t mind a little extra chew. rinse and drain beans so they’re ready to go. set both aside.

put a glug of olive oil in the sautée pan, add minced garlic clove and crushed red pepper. turn on the flame. when garlic starts to sizzle, add kale leaves. before the garlic starts to smell weird and burn, add the lemon juice, white wine, and tomato paste. using tongs, turn kale leaves over and around in the pan for about 2-3 minutes. add beans, and pop the cover on for another minute or two so beans can heat through. if the pan starts to make that hissing dry sound, add a splash more lemon juice or wine.

transfer to a bowl. dress with another little glug of olive oil, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. sprinkle with sliced scallions and EAT.

* i use about 2 tablespoons of a fresh tomato sauce made from canned San Marzano tomatoes that i try to make and just keep on hand. tomato paste works well too, as would some chopped fresh tomato or 2 tablespoons of canned diced tomatoes, just straight out of the can. if you buy tomato paste – buy it in the tube! you can use a little at a time and it’s won’t go bad like it will if you try to save the remainer of the can. i love the kind from Amore. (i’m dying to try their anchovy paste in something, too!)

recipe and photo by laura kinsey for bklynprairie

friday favorites

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possibly the most hilarious thing ever.

i can’t read 50 shades of grey. i just can’t. i heard the writing is baaaaad. and the voice on the e-book sounds like your mom. well, not YOUR mom. just like a mom. i’ve heard.

anyway, i like a parody and i like cookbooks and i like chicken so this book might make it onto the shelf. i needed a recipe for “Dripping Thighs” anyway.

you can read more about it… oh, everywhere…

huffington post

follow this cookbook on twitter

actually, while you’re on twitter, follow @RuthBourdain, too. worth it.

coverage on eater.

does anyone remember this alluring chicken photo from the nytimes dining section last september? it has it’s own twitter, too.

and a facebook page with a modest 490 followers devoted to 50 shades of bacon. amazing.

enjoy!

 

happy hour…

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in an effort to hang onto that summer feeling for a few more weekends (at least!), i bring you a cocktail recipe, courtesy of my montana-living friend, tammy. she made these watermelon-jalapeño margaritas for me in july and they honestly taste like summer in a glass. (hello, #thingsimaddictedto)

here’s how:

blend one medium watermelon + 1-2 jalapeños (save a few slices for garnish!) in a vitamix or regular ol’ blender until liquid. strain and set aside. you can do this a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge, too.

to serve, combine 2 oz. premium tequila and 6 oz. watermelon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake it up, and pour into a salt-rimmed rocks glass. add your jalapeño garnish… maybe a squeeze of lime… and it’s done!

if you really want to go nuts, make a pitcher using this ratio: 10-12 oz. premium tequila to 32 oz. watermelon juice.

(photo courtesy of tammy watson)

dream dining 4.0: atera

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this looks like a place to try. the new york times review suggests that while the snacks are a little bizarre (see what looks like a peach pit above?!?), the main courses are amazing. the review in new york magazine describes everything in a way that makes it almost impossible to tell if the reviewer hated or liked the experience of eating here. 

the pictures remind me of eating at mugaritz in spain, especially the photo on the lower right that looks like a rock but is actually a beet. cooking like this is really intriguing to me. obviously, this is nothing i can recreate at home, so it’s a pleasure to have a meal like this out in a restaurant. it’s going on the list!

(image credit)

summah foods!

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these photos just scream “summer food”, don’t they? limeade with fresh mint. corn on the cob. b.l.t. sandwiches with in-season tomatoes. those frosty-looking delicious stone fruits. i love all of this stuff…. but the last few weeks have been super busy and as a result, sort of dry as far as cooking is concerned. i already have that dreaded feeling that summer is over, it’s all over! i have to remind myself there’s still plenty of time left to the season. we still have tomatoes to look forward to, after all.

these images help.

the photo of the b.l.t. reminds me of something else. i need to get my hands on some vegenaise. no idea why that stuff is so good… but it is. my friend tammy, (who actually is a vegan), force-fed me some when i went to cleveland a couple weeks ago, and now i’m hooked.

(from the top: 1/2/3/4/)