The New Beginnings New Year Smoothie

by Sarah Steimer

Time to start the new year with something healthy! This bad boy was like drinking a whole breakfast, and is probably healthier than most handfuls of cereal we shove in our food holes. I mean, what?

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Pop to It!: Spicy-sweet curry popcorn

by Sarah Steimer

I’ve never had a sweet-and-salty curry combination, but this was pretty rad. Once again, I gobbled through this bowl of popcorn in no time and mentally added this to my list of movie-watching snacks. Spicy-sweet curry popcorn and maybe a bottle of dark winter ale? Absolutely.

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Chickpea salad with coriander and cumin

by Sarah Steimer

This salad has simple ingredients that end with a big result. The chickpeas and seasonings are so earthy, but the salad on top really cools things off and brightens the entire dish.

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Slow-cooker chicken tikka masala

by Sarah Steimer

I cut up the chicken and mixed the sauce the night before so I could just toss all the ingredients in the slow-cooker the next morning. What could be better than having lunch (or dinner) ready and waiting? Especially when it makes your apartment smell like the best and coziest Indian restaurant.

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Curry roasted cauliflower

by Sarah Steimer

This quick side dish could also work well as a soup or salad topper. Roasting the cauliflower brings out a nutter flavor that compliments the curry seasoning.

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Meatless Monday: Curried mixed bean soup

by Sarah Steimer

As far as soups go, this was a pretty quick recipe (perfect for lunch). I served this with a few slices of dense, multigrain bread, but it would also be great with rice or crumbled crackers.

• olive oil
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 15 ounces, or about 2 cups, mixed beans
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups water (depending on what consistency you prefer)
• salt

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry and chilli powder, cooking over low heat just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two longer.

Add the beans and water to the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the soup to thicken for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Makes about 3-4 servings.

Recipe adapted from: Fuss Free Cooking

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Lickety Split: Sweet and fiery peppers

by Sarah Steimer

Bill has been getting Sweet Fire Pickles from Stover’s Farm at our farmer’s market, and they served as the inspiration for this recipe. In fact, I even washed out one of their jars and reused it for my version. Oh – and if you’re wondering what the red is, those are just mature banana peppers (that’s right, not all are yellow).

NOTE: For any of these peppers, de-seed them entirely or at least some, depending on your heat tolerance.

• 3 medium-sized banana peppers, sliced a little thinner than a 1/2-inch thick
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, sliced thin
• 1/4 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced a little thinner than 1/2-inch thick, then quarter these pieces
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt OR canning salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  

  My dad likes to make “refrigerator pickles” for his hot dogs in the summer. It’s a simple combination of cucumbers, onions, water, sugar, vinegar and dill (I’m probably forgetting something). This is like the amped up version of that, and I went with a chicken brat instead of a hot dog.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the vinegars, salt, sugar and turmeric until everything has dissolved. Add the vegetables to the liquids and mix thoroughly. Transfer the vegetables to a 16-ounce jar first and cover with the liquid, making sure everything is submerged. If necessary, add water to cover the vegetables.

Refrigerate for about three hours before using. These pickles can be kept in the fridge for about two weeks.

* Lickety Split is our August guide that features recipes for quick pickles, or pickles you can make in minutes and store in the fridge. See all of our Lickety Split pickle recipes here.

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Zucchini boats with ground meat

by Sarah Steimer

Ahoy, brah. I only made two boats, but cooked the full amount of meat - which I just froze with the tomatoes for later use.

• 2 medium zucchinis, stems cut off
• 1 pound ground meat – I used ground chuck, but turkey or another beef would work just fine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil
• teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• shredded Parmesan (optional)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Place the zucchini, whole, in a glass baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, or until you can easily insert a fork into the squash.

In a saute pan, brown the ground meat – being sure to drain the excess juice. Add the onion, pepper, garlic and tomatoes and let simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add the basil and turmeric, if using. Season with salt and pepper.

Once cooked, remove the zucchini from the oven and let cool just enough to work with. Cut in half and scoop out the center of each half. Fill with the ground meat mixture and return to the oven if it cooled off too much. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves four.

Recipe: Sarah Steimer

Photo: Sarah Steimer

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