Green Onions | I Can Cook That

Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

I’ve mentioned on here many times, I really stink at getting an entire meal on the table. I can usually handle making the main dish and then I just scramble to throw a salad together and call it a meal. So when Cooking Planit told me about their app, it was like they had made it with me in mind!

The app, available for the iPhone and iPad (android coming soon) can also be accessed online. Your usage is synced up through your login, so you can browse on your computer, iPhone, and iPad seamlessly. (The app is currently on sale for $0.99 for iPhone and $1.99 for iPad)

The overall goal of Cooking Planit is to get a meal, sides included, on the table at the same time. The app includes tons of recipes that come already packaged as meals, but you can also mix and match to suit your tastes.

Once you choose your recipes/meal, you can add it to “My Cookbook” to store for future use. When you’re ready to go food shopping, just add the meal to your grocery list. The app gives you the option of planning for 2, 4, or 6 servings which I absolutely love! The grocery list can be viewed as a list by aisle (produce, dairy & eggs, canned goods, etc.), images (in case you have no idea what a leek looks like), or by recipe so you can see what you need for which recipe. Once you find and purchase your ingredients, just check them off and remove them from the list.

When you’re ready to get cooking, just bring up the recipe and click get started. The app will walk you through the meal, step by step, so that all parts of the recipe will finish at or around the same time. The app even shows you which cooking equipment, kitchen supplies, and appliances you need to make your meal, almost foolproof! It also lets you know how long it will take to make from start to finish. I liked being able to browse the recipes online at work, get the grocery list up on my phone at the supermarket, and then use my laptop at home to view the directions while I cooked. Super easy! The iPhone/iPad app also has voice control, so if you’re elbow deep in cooking, you can give voice commands like “Move On” or “Go Back.” When parts of the recipe need a timer, automatic timers show up at the top of the screen for you. The app will also tell you when to slow down so that all parts of the recipe finish at the same time.

So I decided to try it out and give the results below! I (of course) messed with the recipe slightly so my version is below. I chose “Sunday Supper” but changed it to Baby Back Ribs instead of Short Ribs and used my slow cooker instead of the oven.

Ingredients (serves 2):

Braised Baby Back Ribs

1 carrot, large
1 celery stalk, large
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion, small
2 lbs baby back ribs
2 cups beef stock, low sodium
1.5 oz tomato paste
pepper, to taste
5 black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
1.5 tablespoons flour
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon

Creamy Polenta

1 tablespoon green onions
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup polenta (yellow cornmeal)
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta

3/4 lbs Brussels sprouts
1 small shallot
3 slices Pancetta
2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
2/3 cup chicken stock, low sodium
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Continue reading Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

Vegetable Couscous Salad

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/3 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend

Salad:

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers)
2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Continue reading Vegetable Couscous Salad

Matzo Ball Soup

One of my favorite parts of learning to cook is having the chance to learn about cultures through different foods. I love paging through cookbooks that contain recipes I’ve never tried and learning something about the history and tradition behind these recipes. In preparation for Passover, I was sent a copy of The New Jewish Table, written by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Washington D.C.’s Equinox Restaurant. The cookbook takes traditional Jewish recipes and turns them into beautiful modern dishes.

The cookbook is filled with a ton of re-imagined comfort foods, and is broken into seasons to make the most of seasonally available product. The last few pages of the book also has suggested menus for Jewish holidays. I hope to cook through the Passover menu over the coming days because it all sounds so delicious (besides the gefilte fish, sorry haha.)

The Grays’ have filled the cookbook with personal stories and notes throughout that give a family feel and a background to their traditions which is a really nice touch. Each recipe is also labeled by type of recipe to make it easy to keep kosher: dairy, meat, parve, or mixed. Todd Gray’s childhood traditions are also present throughout the cookbook and include a few nods to traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. (I particularly liked these recipes because, well, what is more comforting that food from the Pennsylvania Dutch?)

This cookbook almost reads like a memory book and is filled with wonderful stories, photographs, and obviously recipes. The New Jewish Table would be great for someone who is interested in learning about Jewish traditions through food and those who have grown up with these traditions and are looking for a fresh update to their family favorites.

I decided to make the recipe on the cover, called “Not Exactly Aunt Lil’s Matzo Ball Soup.” The recipe is a more polished version of Ellen Kassoff Gray’s Great Aunt’s soup. It has noodles in it, but to make it for Passover, this version below has omitted them. Todd Gray’s spin on this traditional recipe turns a comforting dish into a truly beautiful dish. I altered the dish very slightly, but my version is below. To see the original recipe, be sure to pick up a copy of this cookbook.

This recipe falls into the “meat” category. It is also appropriate for Passover.

Ingredients:

Caramelized Shallots:

2 cups chopped shallots
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 teaspoon salt

Matzo Balls:

3 large eggs
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/4 cup club soda
1 cup matzo meal
1/2 cup chopped Caramelized Onions (above)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

One 3-pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
1 large yellow onion, quarterd
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 medium turnip, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch parsley, washed and blotted dry
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
12 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt

Garnish:

2 cups finely diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup finely diced turnips
1/2 cup sliced scallions, both green and white parts

Continue reading Matzo Ball Soup

Creamy Corn Risotto

I tend to make a lot of mistakes when cooking. I won’t read the directions entirely through or will completely forget to pick up an ingredient and then at the last minute need to improvise. This time around, I actually read through the directions beforehand and had everything I needed, except I waited to long to use the Lobster and it had already gone bad. What an expensive mistake! So this recipe was originally a Lobster Corn Risotto, sigh. Anyways, it was still delicious and worth sharing!

Ingredients:

3 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Continue reading Creamy Corn Risotto

Sesame Salmon with Green Onions and Lemon

I’ve been eating pretty crummy lately, a lot of take out and not a lot of thought about what I am eating. So it’s about time I tried a new salmon recipe. The latest Cooking Light has a recipe for Sesame Salmon that caught my eye. I made a few changes to the recipe (some intentional, some not) but kept the overall gist of the recipe in tact. Salmon is one of my favorite weeknight meals and this one is no different. The recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, great for a busy night.

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Cooking spray
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced green onions (about 2 bunches)
5 thin lemon slices, halved
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup baby arugula

Continue reading Sesame Salmon with Green Onions and Lemon

Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

I realized I have never posted a recipe for crab cakes. That is ridiculous! So today’s the day. I found this recipe for Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade in one of my Cooking Light recipes and altered it a bit for what I happened to have in my pantry.

Crab cakes:

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Remoulade:

1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon capers, chopped
3/4 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Continue reading Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

It’s funny how you can go years, even decades, thinking that you don’t like a certain food only to find you can’t get enough of it when you’re older. Fish tacos is one of those foods for me. They pack a ton of flavor but are a healthier option than other proteins (as long as the fish isn’t fried, that is). I also love how quickly you can cook them up, perfect for a weeknight dinner! Cooking Light always has the best taco recipes so I naturally went in search of a fish taco recipe there. I found this recipe in the myrecipes.com new cookbook: Myrecipes’ America’s Favorite Food Cookbook, which you can win by entering below!

Ingredients

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime rind (I just used the zest of one lime)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (I used the juice of one lime)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage (or romaine lettuce)

Continue reading Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry

I am very vocal about my love of Cooking Light and myrecipes.com in general. I think it is a fantastic resource to find delicious recipes of all kinds and sort them easily and helpfully. I was recently sent a copy of myrecipes’ America’s Favorite Food: 200 Top-Rated Recipes from the Country’s Best Magazines which is a collection of recipes from All You, Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Health, Real Simple, Southern Living, and Sunset magazines.

What makes this cookbook different than any I’ve ever seen, is that it incorporates a Scan-It/Cook-It technology. Once you download the free Digimarc Discover app onto your smartphone, you are able to scan photos and info boxes in the cookbook which opens up how-to videos, shopping lists, and related recipes. Brilliant!

When I scanned the photo of the recipe I was making (Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry Sauce), it opened a how-to video to see how to prepare the dish, which is a wonderful tool for beginner cooks. The recipe also includes a side bar with substitutes and even tips on how to cook fish without smelling up the whole house.

This is the perfect cookbook for all levels of home cooks and I’m happy to be able to giveaway a copy of this cookbook! Check out the widget below to enter…

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (or a punch of ground ginger)
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar (or 1 teaspoon stevia)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

Continue reading Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry

Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts

I need more sides in my life. Couscous is a great weekday choice because it’s so quick to make, maybe 20 minutes in total. This recipe is from the Fresh & Healthy DASH Diet Cooking Cookbook which I absolutely love. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute a encourages increasing whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean proteins and minimizing processed gains, high-fat meats and dairy, sugars and sodium… which is basically more just eating healthy versus a diet.

This couscous recipe is made with vegetable broth to give it some flavor with bites of pine nuts, dried cranberries, and scallions.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup couscous (whole wheat if you can find it)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 scallions, coarsely chopped

Continue reading Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I have no idea who decided that different foods should get taco-fied, but I am all for this movement. I love tacos, and Cooking Light comes up with the best taco recipes. These Kung Pao Chicken Tacos are everything I want in a meal: quick and easy to make, colorful, a hint of spice, and full of many ingredients I already had on hand.

Kung Pao chicken is a spicy stir-fry Chinese dish that includes peanuts, vegetables, chili peppers, and chicken. It is usually served over rice, but Cooking Light took some inspiration from Korean taco trucks and added the Kung Pao chicken to corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
3/4 cup diagonally sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges

Continue reading Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

Scallops Gratineed with Wine Garlic and Herbs

I am on a butter kick. Darn you, Julia Child, and your deliciously simple but butter-filled recipes. There are few things that change the taste of a meal as easily as really good butter. I’m talking full-fat, salted, hand-churned butter. Keep in mind, meals like this should not be a weekly staple. But my goodness are they fantastic as a treat. This recipe for Scallops Gratineed with Wine Garlic and Herbs is no different. I am obviously on a bit of a Julia Child kick at the moment as well which is well timed because her 100th birthday is coming up on August 15. Might I suggest making this lovely (but amazingly easy) recipe to celebrate? I made this as a meal for two, with a salad on the side. It would also make a wonderful appetizer, or just multiply as you see fit.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup minced yellow onions
1 tablespoon butter (I’m talking good butter, no substitutions here!)
1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 clove minced garlic
4 washed dry scallops
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flour in a dish
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 small bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese (I used gruyere)
1 tablespoon butter cut into 6 pieces

Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I am in love with all things warm-weather related, but one of my favorite parts of summer is the outdoor eating (surprise surprise). I used to work at a camp on the Chesapeake in Maryland and would spend one day a year stuffing myself with steamed Old Bay crabs. I now have friends who live in the general area and was thrilled when they decided to have a crab feast this past weekend. I, of course, wanted to bring something to eat with me and really had a hard time deciding what was appropriate: I needed a complimentary food that didn’t involve a fork and knife (when you’re covered in Old Bay, the last thing you’re reaching for is a fork). I finally realized the perfect accompaniment: cornbread!

This Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread is one awesome recipe, just be sure to limit your intake of these delicious squares, they are pretty darn decadent!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, green parts, plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Korean-Style Beef Tacos

Tacos are one of my go-to’s for a quick weeknight meal. However, there’s only so many nights you can make traditional tacos before you start craving some new flavors. Cooking Light’s Korean-Style Beef Tacos sounded like the best of both worlds: a quick meal with new spices. I ended up changing the method of cooking, but the ingredients remained the same. Cooking Light suggested topping the tacos with a Quick Pickled Cabbage as well, so I’ve included that below. This recipe does require you to marinate the beef for an hour, so plan accordingly. To make it a quick meal, you could also just marinate the meat overnight.

Ingredients for the tacos:

1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
the juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces flank steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
Salt, to taste
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) tortillas
3 tablespoons sliced green onions

Ingredients for the cabbage:

1 head of napa cabbage, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chile paste

Continue reading Korean-Style Beef Tacos

Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo this past weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about making some kind of Mexican-themed meal this weekend. So I was pretty excited when my boyfriend suggested Fish Tacos on Sunday. My trusty Cooking Light obviously had the perfect recipe to fulfill our craving. These Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa get an extra boost of flavor from toasting the cumin seeds before grinding. If you can’t find cumin seeds, ground cumin will work for the recipe as well, just skip the toasting part.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup sliced peeled avocado
2/3 cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
the juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 can black beans, rinsed
8 oz sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
the juice and zest of 1/2 a lime
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Continue reading Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

Shrimp Fried Rice

This dish for Shrimp Fried Rice is an attempt to make a takeout favorite a bit healthier. To do so, Cooking Light cut the amount of rice, added a bunch of veggies, and cut out some of the salt. So because of this, I think this recipe should more be called “Shrimp Fried Rice” (There’s a lot of shrimp, a little bit of fried, and an itty bit of rice. Have no fear, you won’t even miss it.)

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli florets
7 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup cooked long-grain white rice, chilled
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions

This recipe works best with day-old rice but I didn’t have the foresight to do that. So I made my rice in my rice cooker and popped it in the refrigerator.

To make, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli to a steam basket and steam over the boiling water for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. (I cheated and steamed my broccoli in my rice cooker after making the rice). Add to a large bowl.

Prepare your vegetables.

Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. If you have a wok, use it here. If not (like me) just use your largest saute pan. Add the peppers and snow peas and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Remove the vegetables and place in a large bowl with the broccoli. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the ginger, cooking for 10 seconds. Add the chilled rice and cook for 5 minutes or until the rice is lightly browned.

Remove the rice and add to the bowl with the vegetables.

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and Sriracha in a bowl. Set aside.

Wipe the pan with paper towels and return to medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil, you can use regular as well), and swirl to coat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.