Last week I had my first Plant People Interactions exam.  Two things happened, first, I studied far too much; and second, I didn’t study the easiest stuff sufficiently and therefore I can tell you about the essential amino acids (the protein building blocks that the body cannot create) but didn’t remember how the banana ended up on two continents.

I did however; make some very delicious food to help me study.  My Spicy-Sweet Potato and Pea Sauté with quinoa is a nutritious and of course delicious vegetarian meal. The natural sugars in the sweet potato take on carmel notes, which enhance the smoky toasted cumin. The brightness of the peas adds a fun visual and flavorful compliment.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Whole cumin seed

1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin seed

1 tsp hot curry powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne

1 sweet potato cubed (1 inch sides)

A smattering of frozen peas

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

Salt and pepper

1 cup quinoa

As frequent readers know, my spices are always flexible. I tend to use them liberally and “to smell” so whatever hits my fancy aromatically, I toss into the mixture. Feel free to adjust per availability or appetite.

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered until the grain is cooked, about 15 minutes. (Times will vary considerably, careful!)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan until hot but not smoking. Then add the cumin seeds until brown and aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add cubed sweet potato and sauté until cubes have nice brown edges about 5 minutes. Next, add the spices and stir until potatoes are coated and spices fragrant, about 30 more seconds.

Now its time for the rest of the ingredients, dump in the can of tomatoes, a handful of frozen peas and just enough water to allow the sauce to simmer and cook the potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Finally, remove the cover and cook on high to thicken sauce. Enjoy your veggies on top of the quinoa. Perhaps you would also like a simple green salad with sliced radishes and oranges, but that’s just a passing whimsy.

Ok so what did I eat? My sweet potato is a tuberous root, simply a puffed up root that gets all starchy. It’s a great source of vitamin A because like other orange vegetables, it’s rich in beta-carotene which the body changes into Vitamin A which helps keep eyes in good shape. The green peas are seeds and are 21% incomplete protein. This means they lack some of the essential amino acids (those which need to be eaten ‘cause the bod can’t make ‘em). Luckily, the other ingredients like quinoa and sweet potato help complete the protein combos and deliver usable energy.

Haven’t learned about tomatoes yet….don’t worry , I’m getting there.

Well, that’s it for now…. pretty soon I get to share my weekend adventures, which include all together to much eating and imbibing.

Upcoming Restaurant Reviews

Shokran

Avec

Frontera Grill

After a week of relatives (and eating/drinking), relatives (and bowling), relatives (and more drinking)…..why not continue the debauchery? I got back into Minneapolis on Sunday and headed over to a friends house for dinner.  Between three of us, we cleaned out a bottle of good tequila and made exquisite french bread pizzas.

Photo by Justin Evidon and his iPhone

Here are some of the ingredients and combos we used:

Fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella with prosciutto
Peppadew picante peppers (in the olive bar!), chicken and cheddar cheese with hot pepper flakes
Rosemary mushrooms with chicken and spinach

To throw a fun pizza making party, start with a few loaves of take and bake baguette, and back them about half the time it says on the package.  Then scoop out some of the bready inside to make room for toppings.  Have your favorite tomato sauce available as well as a few different cheeses (feta, mozzarella, cheddar), a meat or two (I usually choose chicken and one kind of ham or sausage like selection) and plenty of vegetables (spinach, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, onions etc.)

So easy, so fun, so tasty.  And may I recommend you wash these down with a few glasses of tequila?

December tastes good with Jameson and Ginger Ale, a first course of cheeses and bread and this beautiful Rosemary Chicken with Tomatoes and Beans.

Rosmary Chicken Photo by Justin Evidon

What are you getting from this combination of deliciousness (besides the possibility of a hangover?)

Skinless chicken breasts and navy beans are healthy, low calorie ways to take in some protein; the tomatoes help stave off colds (and cancer) with anti-oxidants and vitamins A and C;  and rosemary tastes great and helps immune system stimulation and increased focus!

This week’s Sunday Night Supper is coming to you on a Tuesday. My apologies. I promise a new system next week so you can actually MAKE the meal on Sunday if you feel so inclined.

This week, it turned a little colder and I feel drawn to big pots of hot, steaming foods. Now, Moroccan stew might not be the first thing that jumps into your mind, but bear with me. This ménage a trois of squash, carrots and spices infuses my house with the scent of warmer lands and my stomach with healthy, delicious brain food.

First off, I need to say that this recipe requires a lot of spices. Now, spices might seem a little pricey at the outset, but that large upfront cost is going to allow you to travel to India on a Tuesday, march around Africa on Thursday and seduce a Frenchman on Saturday.

Moroccan Squash and Carrot Stew

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

Now, that looks horribly and complicated and intimidating. It is not. Let’s do this in plan English and we can get an idea of what is going on.

Step 1: Combine the spices and S & P in a small bowl and set aside. Now, you can use what you have, but paprika, cumin and chili are essential (and ESSENTIAL for you to have forever) Ginger and turmeric greatly enhance the flavor

Step 2: Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot until they smell really delicious. About five minutes.

Step 3: Toss the spice mixture in with the onions and stir until onions are coated

Step 4: Add one cup water, double the amount of tomatoes called for (juicier this way), a squeeze of lemon juice and bring to a boil.

Step 5: Add the squash and carrots and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

While that is happening…..

Step 6: melt butter in a large pan and sauté some garlic and a little onion (the idea that you have to put carrot here too is silly in my opinion) until brown, about 5 minutes

Step 7: add a few dashes of turmeric—for color and flavor—and stir around a bit.

Step 8: add 1cup quinoa and 2 cups water, boil, then cover and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Step 9: stir in chopped cilantro and mint. If you choose to buy only one, go with the cilantro.

EAT!

Ok, so it is not really Sunday anymore, just took me a while to post this bad boy…here goes:

Dancing in my delicates while cooking over high heat has to be one of my favorite activities. On Sunday, I threw together an easy clean out the fridge meal while grooving to Solid Gold.

For throw together meals, the quantity all depends on what you have. The “recipe” below was for two or three servings, dinner on night and lunch the following day plus a snack.

What you need:
2 skinless boneless Chicken Breasts
Fresh or frozen spinach (judgment call on how much)
1 Chopped onion
2 ish cloves chopped garlic
Olive oil
Spices (depending on what you have will determine what genre this dish falls under)

I was feeling like Indian flavors, so I reached for the garam marsala and whole cumin seeds while I assembled the rest of my ingredients…

In a large pan, start two dashes of olive oil heating over medium. When hot, but not smoking, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. If using whole seed spices, add at this time, let ‘em warm for about 30 second and then toss in the cubed chicken.

Sear chicken until light brown on all sides and add the remainder of your ground spices, about 2-3 teaspoons worth. This will eventually create a little moisture, at this point, add the spinach and ¼ cup water (less or more depending on amount of spinach). Saute until chicken is cooked and spinach wilted.

Serve with some salt and pepper and rice (if you have it, I didn’t!)

Only 7 days ago, The Stained Glass, a classic wine-lover’s outpost in Evanston opened a lower priced, beer intensive annex called The Cellar. And in five days, I’ve already been there three times, tried nearly half the menu, a Dirty Bird martini and of course, hand crafted artisan beers from around the world.

The Cellar has a great thing going. The menu has three parts, Europe, America and Other Worldly. On my first meal, my compatriots and I hit every category with a drink to match.  We started with three mini burgers: lamb, beef and salmon with shoestring potatoes.  Each meat was succulent in its individual “meatiness” and the softer flavor of the salmon was not overpowered by the lamb. Along with a glass of Leffe Blond Ale from Belgium, I was a happy camper.  I also tasted a little bit of Orrechetti Pasta with kale, white beans and veal meat balls as well as the muscles in ginger beer.

On my second visit,  I got my mouth on a few fish tacos ceviche style with avocado and red onion,  a smoked salmon flat bread with arugula and goat cheese and lastly, the increasingly popular soft shell crab Jibaritos.  This is an interesting dish-  two “buns” made of fried plantain house the crab, flash fried in his shell, with mango mayonnaise and onion.   Though it may become the signature dish,  it does need some work. A bit heavy and a mouth full of chewing, but a great idea.

Wednesday night was the grand opening.  A perfect Evanston evening: great staff, great food, delicious wine.  They were pouring a 2008 Alta Vista Torrontes and a 2006 Old Vine Malbec, both out of Argentina. From passing trays of appetizers, I sampled the bacon wrapped-chorizo stuffed dates, Cubano and Tramezzini sandwiches, tempura vegetables, more tacos and of course, more burgers.

At the end of the night (yes, I stayed the whole time) they brought out a huge bottle of liquid, a totally sexy 2 feet of something delicious.  Instead of the cliche champagne, a liquid the color of burnt carmel poured into my glass.  Smooth, rich and slightly sweet, this Belgian temptation was a tribute to the greatest beer menu I have ever seen.

Things to eat right away: Fish Tacos, mini burgers and salmon flat bread
Maybe take a pass: Orrechetti pasta (not as interesting as other things and you have to LOVE mussels to like the ginger beer steamed flavor dish (I do)
What I’m trying Next Time: Maryland Crab Cake, Braised Short Rib (with marrow potatoes!)
Other Note Worthy Crumbs: Killer date spot, the location every budding college romantic has been waiting for.

check back for photos soon!

Cheers Evanston!