sustenance

food. recipes. restaurants. food news.

 

i made poached eggs over spinach and mushrooms for brunch today and it was soooo good! i served it with my texas hashbrowns and toasted whole wheat and rye bread. the spinach-mushroom mixture is so nourishing. eating it just makes me feel like i'm doing something healthy for myself and my family . this recipe will become a favorite, for sure.

as always, i changed up the recipe a bit. i added a chopped serrano chile and used white button mushrooms instead of the cremini. i also use an egg poacher instead of poaching eggs in the water bath. i have tired and tried to poach eggs using the water bath technique, but fail miserably every time. on the subject of eggs, i try to only use organic brown eggs. if i can't find them, i at least buy pesticide and antibiotic free eggs.

Poached Eggs over Spinach & Mushrooms

4 large free-range chicken eggs
1 tsp light vinegar
1 T. olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
1 medium tomato, seeds and excess pulp removed, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
10oz package frozen spinach, thawed and excess water removed
salt and black pepper to taste

Bring water to a high simmer in a 10-inch skillet with 1 tsp of vinegar.

In a separate non-stick skillet heat 1 T. olive oil and sauté onion and mushrooms for 5 minutes over medium heat stirring frequently.

Add tomato, garlic, spinach, salt and pepper and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

When water comes to a high simmer poach eggs for about 5 minutes, or until whites are firm. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place over spinach mixture.

Serves 4

Cooking Tips: Make sure you do not add any salt to the poaching water for the eggs. The salt has a tendency to dissolve the egg whites. By making sure there is enough water in the poaching pan to cover eggs, you avoid the eggs sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want the eggs to float while they cook. This also avoids breaking the eggs when you remove them with the slotted spoon. It is also important that the water is at a steady simmer without boiling. You may want to lay the spoon with the egg on a towel briefly after removing egg from water. This allows the towel to absorb some of the poaching water, and won’t dilute the flavor of your mushroom, spinach mixture.

i snagged this recipe at: http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=126

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:27 | link | comments (2) |
all recipes, vegetarian recipes

this stuff is so addictively good. i could eat it straight from the bowl, but i used it in some black bean and cilantro-lime rice burritos i made instead. yummmmm.

corn salsa

• 2 cups corn (fresh, canned, or frozen[no need to defrost])
• 2 T. cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1-3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
• juice from 1/2 a lime
• salt to taste

roast the corn in a hot skillet, stirring constantly, until it is hot and starts to carmelize. pour corn into a bowl and let cool. stir in the remaining ingredients.

posted by: artichoke72 at 20:47 | link | comments |
all recipes, vegetarian recipes

panera bread

the third time was not the charm for panera bread (www.panerabread.com). we went for dinner tonight, our third visit since the popular chain opened in our area last year. we were hoping this visit would be better than our past visits, but it really wasn't.....the restaurant is just so-so.

tonight, we ordered their "you pick 2" combo deal, in which you choose two of the following: any bowl of soup, and half sandwich, or any half salad for $5.99. i got a turkey artichoke panini on basil pesto focaccia and a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. the sandwich sounded better than it actually was. it was regrettable. there was very little turkey on the panini and it did not have a single piece of artichoke in it. the twangy taste of the asiago-parmesan cheese just didn't make any improvement to the sandwich. the creamy broccoli cheddar soup was plesantly orange and contained minute specks of broccoli. it was filling and tasted good enough. my husband ordered the smokehouse turkey panini on three cheese bread and was less than impressed. again, the ingredients (smoked turkey, smoked cheddar, and smoked bacon) were not abundant. to make things worse, the three cheese bread was bitter. on the other hand, he did like the vegetarian garden vegetable soup.

on our last visit to panera bread, i got the portobello and mozzarella sandwich on rosemary and onion focaccia. the sandwich was seriously lacking the mushrooms. the onions on the foccacia were so charred that it was unappetizing. the whole sandwich was a total disappointment. in contrast, my husband odered the coronado carnitas sandwich and absolutely raved about it. the marinated pork, caramelized onions, and mozzarella were dressed with a spicy ancho chile lime sauce and grilled between two slices of fabulous ciabatta bread. unfortunately, that particular sandwich is no longer on the menu.

my son always gets the peanut butter and jelly on honey wheat.  it's excellent, especially when the bread is fresh.  chips, a pickle, and chocolate milk are included for $3.35.

panera bread has an array of fun beverages that include coffee drinks (both frozen and hot) and jones sodas. my husband is particulary fond of the i.c. honeydew green tea.

most of the breads we have tried at panera bread are beyond good. the substancial honey wheat and the toothsome, chewy french baguette are our favorites. the sourdough looks excellent. they also have bagels and scrumptious looking pastries and cookies.

panera bread has the potential to be a better restaurant. their breads, bagels, pastries and coffee drinks are all delightful, but the sandwiches need much improvement. i don't know if it's just the fredericksburg location, but it seems that skimping on the ingredients is the norm. we have yet to leave panera bread feeling satisified and wanting to go back. i want to have a reason to go back because i really want to like panera bread.

posted by: artichoke72 at 02:04 | link | comments |
restaurant reviews

charlottesville, virginia

we went to charlottesville, virginia today to have dinner with friends. we stopped off at the whole foods market on the way home.

for dinner, our friends took us to a tiny restaurant called continental divide (located at 811 w. main in charlottesville). they described the food as tex-mex, but being from texas prompts me to disagree.  i think neuvo southwestern may be more accurate. the label doesn't matter much in this case because the food at continental divide was impressive.

to start off, we got the red hot blues nachos, red hot blues tortilla chips topped with melted monterrey jack and goat cheese crumbles, and further accented with chopped red onions and green onions. i'm a big fan of red hot blues (www.gardenofeatin.com) and i love cheese (especially goat cheese) so i think that the people at continental divide are geniuses for combining these ingredients. the nachos were even better than i anticipated and they will be emulated in my own kitchen for years to come. for the entree, i had a grilled veggie burrito served with black beans and red rice. the burrito contained smoky grilled vegetables (yellow squash, sweet onions, earthy portabello mushrooms, and red bell peppers), creamy goat cheese, tomatoes, mixed wild lettuce, and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette all wrapped in a spinach herb wrap/tortilla. the substancial burrito was excellent and flavorful. my husband got a chile rubbed pork tenderloin taco, also served with black beans and red rice. the spicy pork was tender and tasty.  my husband enjoyed the tacos very much.

continental divide is often very busy and since it's such a small place, the wait for a table is usually long. stick around and sample some of the 75 different tequilas they offer because the food is well worth the wait.

the whole foods market (www.wholefoods.com) is a food lover's paradise that emphasizes quality over quantity. the store is such a treat for the senses with it's vibrant produce and sweet aroma of fresh baked bread from the in-store bakery. ordered bulk bins full of grains, dried fruits, nuts, candies, coffee, cereals and granolas, spices, mixes, and snacks are fun to peruse. rows and rows of wine and imported and handcrafted beers and a large deli area with an olive bar and dozens of artisan cheeses are other attractions within the store.

while at whole foods, i was able to get some items that are hard to find in fredericksburg. cashew butter, wasabi peas, blue sky soda, and good german hefe weizen beer were some of the items i purchased. i also got some huge artichokes, artisan goat cheese, organic tahini, wild rice, organic coffee, and of course, some red hot blues.

posted by: artichoke72 at 00:42 | link | comments (2) |
restaurant reviews

shrimp risotto

i made shrimp risotto for dinner tonight. it was very good.

1 cup arborio rice

1 pound shrimp

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ cup dry white wine

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

2 T. butter

¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 T. heavy cream

have the vegetable stock simmering in a pot close-by before you begin. in a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat olive oil over low heat and sauté onions until translucent. add rice, stir to coat with oil and sauté with onions for about 5 minutes to toast the rice. add the white wine slowly (you may want to add the wine to the pan away from the burner), stirring with a wooden spoon. once the rice has absorbed the wine, add 1 cup of the vegetable stock, stirring often. continue adding the stock (about ½ cup at a time) as the rice absorbs the liquid and the pan becomes dry, until all the stock is absorbed. this should take about 20 minutes (the risotto will become creamy). about 3 to 4 minutes before the risotto is done (about the time you add the last bit of stock), add the shrimp and cook until done. add the butter, parmesan, and heavy cream. stir to combine and serve immediately.

risotto is very easy to make (and very hard to mess up) and it always seems to impress. you can add a variety of ingredients to a basic risotto recipe to create endless combinations. shrimp is my favorite, but i also like mushroom, or a combination of fresh vegetables. it's a great way to incorporate seasonal vegetables into your menu. asparagus and baby peas in the spring. corn, tomato, and zucchini in the summer. wild mushrooms in the fall. winter squash in winter. it's all good.

posted by: artichoke72 at 01:37 | link | comments |
all recipes