Partial eclipse of the sun!

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Germany/France 2011

I finally got around to gathering up all the photos from our trip to Garmany and France last year.  The best part?  Dragging an 18 month old around of course!  Thanks to Ned and Mona for hosting, they were most gracious.

Food Trends for 2012

biergarten in tubingen

Dried seaweed and algae as snacks.  Low in calories, low in carbs, heaps of vitamins and minerals.  And don't forget about iodine, which is going to make its big comeback this year.  Since no one is eating iodized table salt and everyone has gone Kosher salt, goiter is going to rear its ugly head and the only thing that's going to save us is kelp chips. 

Kale is still hot.  Kale chips with truffle salt.  Kale, chopped fine, makes a divine intervention into otherwise plain white rice.  Kale juice is the next logical step because it takes so much masticating to consume it.

Almond butter is coming back.  I just re-upped at the health food store with the "grind-your-own" machine.  Peanuts kill.  Almonds are one of the more civilized nuts.  Throw a tablespoon in your kale smoothie - not kidding.

Chia remains on its warpath.  Like a platoon of Incan warriors marching up the coast, chia continues to work its way into the parlance of the water cooler.  This superfood is not only beginning to dethrone Flaxseed as the big Omega 3 champ, but it is dipping its mitts into baked goods too as a fat substitute.

Hempseed is seeing another renaissance.  Not since Bill Clinton didn't inhale have I seen as many hemp products on the shelves of Main Street.  It is also high in Omega 3, protein, fiber, and tastes great.  Tastes like the '60's as I'm told.

Dhal Curry for Gringos with Roasted Cauliflower

Being the cheapskate that I am, I loaded up on dried beans at the health food store the other day.  Pinto, black, fava, and just for kicks I grabbed two kinds that I've never worked with before: mung and adzuki.  I've been making curry with lentils for so long and calling it Dhal that I didn't even realize Dhal could be made with mung beans.

I discovered a recipe over at Lisa's Kitchen for Creamy Mung Dal Curry while Googleing "what do I do with mung beans?" and thank the lard, because her recipe sounds fantastic.  I made a variation and even though this is quite different from Lisa's I used hers as a base.

Once you plan ahead enough to soak the mung beans the night before, this comes together pretty easily.  There is another hour or so of cook time, but there isn't much meddling.  If you don't use butter, like I did, it can be vegan. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of cauliflower, washed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
• 1 cup mung beans, soaked in water overnight 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon powered ginger
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 can tomato paste
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400.  Toss the cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and roast until the edges of the florettes brown, about 30 minutes.

The technique is a straight-foward curry.  In a large pot over medium-high heat, bloom the spices in about 2 tablespoons of oil stirring often.  I used 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil but you can use anything you like. Have the tomato paste ready and once things start to smoke, about 4 minutes in, dump the paste in and stir like crazy.  

Cook the paste for a few minutes, stirring continuously and add the can of tomatoes and the coconut milk once the paste starts to stick to the pot.  Add the beans and enough water to cover them, if necessary.  

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the beans are soft, 40-65 minutes. When the cauliflower is roasted, stir them into the mung beans.

Once the mung beans are soft, serve over Coconut Saffron Basmati Rice, wrap in tortillas for Awesome Dhal Burritos, or serve in lettuce wraps.  Top with a dollop of yogurt and curl up to a bad comedy.

Serves 4

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

 Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

My husband ended up with an unusual gift this year from the white elephant Christmas exchange at his work........a HAM!

I guess we were the perfect people to receive such a gift as we cooked it right up and saved the ham bone for further use. I was craving a home cooked comforting soup the other night and got this going on the stove.

I used pinto beans because we had a giant bag of them sitting around but it would also be great with cannellini beans or navy beans. This is the perfect soup on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsly chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 ham bone with some ham left on it
• 10 cups water or chicken broth (or combination)
• ½ teaspoon herbs de provence
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups dried pinto beans, sorted and soaked overnight

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat and add onion, celery and carrots. Saute until vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add ham bone, water/broth, herbs de provence, and bay leaf.

If the ham bone is not covered add some additional water.

Bring liquid up to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 2 hours. Remove ham bone and pull off any remaining meat. Chop the meat into desired size and add back into the soup.

Check soup for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Optional garnishes: Top soup bowls with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil or pass around some of your favorite hot sauce.

Serves 6