Our Geek Life

The Taste of Fall — Pumpkin Risotto

Posted by shegeek at October 12th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

I still don’t have the food blog up, but I wanted to share this absolutely fabulous risotto that I made tonight.

I roasted a pie pumpkin yesterday after cutting it into large chunks, tucking cloves of garlic in between the slices, drizzling generously with olive oil, and adding a little sea salt and pepper.  I cooled it overnight in preparation for making the risotto today.

I don’t often cluck about what I cook, but I must say that this is absolutely fabulous.  I need to write down the recipe to share on the new blog once it goes up.  But for now, I’m sharing the pictures below to keep you anticipating this recipe.

Categories: Geek Eats
Tags: Pumpkin, Risotto, Vegetarian

Breakfast Revolution

Posted by shegeek at August 2nd, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Can you smell what the g33k is cooking?

We are a pancake family.  I love French toast a bit better than pancakes, but we can keep that between us. *wink

Last weekend during g33kapalooza, I whipped up the truly mouth-watering and decadent Nutella stuffed French toast.  It requires a little bit more effort than quick and easy, but it’s definitely not labor intensive.  The hardest part is waiting for the french toast to bake.  These rich and uber-tasty stuffed breakfast sandwiches are not for every day, but for a nice brunch I think they are a must!  I suggest serving these with real maple syrup, bacon (real or veggie) fresh berries and mimosas.

I had every intention of making brunch this morning.  A visit a while back to Bakerella’s site (one of my favorite sites), I was determined to make the blueberry pancakes with orange maple butter that she made at the end of June.  Lingering exhaustion and a long list of to-do’s meant I was not able to make brunch.  It was more like brinner, but it was worth the wait.

I did alter the recipe a bit, and will alter it further when I make these again. And, oh yes, I will make these again. I felt like the batter was a little too poofy. We like thinner pancakes that are a bit crispier at the edges. I’m thinking that adding more buttermilk will help with this. They were still completely wonderful, make no mistake.

So what do you think of our Sunday Brinner? Are you hungry yet??

Categories: Geek Eats
Tags: breakfast revolution, brinner, french toast, nom nom nom, pancakes

Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Couscous Cakes and Feta

Posted by shegeek at May 25th, 2009 | No Comments »

Dressing

2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl sour cream or greek yogurt
1 tsp finely chopped mind
5 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Couscous cakes

3/4 cup couscous
Kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon ( about 1 1/2 tsp)
3 tbl oil (vegetable or canola)

Salad

 8 oz baby spinach, washed and dried (about 6 lightly packed cups)
1-14 oz can artichoke bottoms, drained, rinsed and sliced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. crumbled feta (about 1/4 cup)

Make the dressing

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, sour cream and mint.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the Couscous cakes

 Put the couscous and 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water to the couscous. Cover the bowl and let sit for 4-5 minutes.  

Coarsely chopped the garlic in a food processor.  Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the chickpeas and 1 tsp. salt.  Pulse until coarsely chopped.

Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork.  Stir in the chickpea mixture, eggs and lemon zest until well combined.  Press the couscous mixture into a 1/4 cup measure, smooth the top and invert the measuring cup to release the cake onto a plate.  Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture to make 9 cakes. 

Heat 1 tbl oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot.  Add 5 of the couscous cakes to the skilled and use a spatula to lightly flatten the cakes so they are about 3/4 inch thick.  Cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 tbl oil to the skillet to cook the remaining cakes.

Assemble the Salad

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, artichokes, and tomatoes with about three-quarters of the dressing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Divide between 3 large plates.  Top each salad with 3 couscous cakes, sprinkle each salad with feta and drizzle the remaining dressing.

Categories: Geek Eats
Tags: Recipes, Vegetarian