Whole Wheat Berry Pancakes

28 02 2010

Sunday morning at the Dignan household and we just made the most awesome pancakes. I thought I would share them right away in case any of my readers are inspired to make Sunday brunch. This recipe originally called for buttermilk which I did not have. So I substituted plain yogurt and milk until I got the right consisitency. Read the rest of this entry »





Variation to the Maple-Ginger Roasted Vegetables

25 02 2010

Another variation to the Maple-Roasted Vegetable recipe is to  omit the pecans, ginger, syrup and nutmeg and toss the vegetables with olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Roast for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender and browned. Toss the roasted vegetables with some feta cheese and 1 cup of pomegranate seeds. Sound pretty huh?





Types of Potatoes

25 02 2010

I was looking at a recipe that I used for gnocchi and it called for baking potatoes. Now I know that Russet potatoes are good for baking but I was wondering what is technically the difference between baking potatoes and boiling potatoes. So I did a little research on the internet and found this article which explains it well. This should eliminate confusion as to what type of potato to use in your recipes.

Read the rest of this entry »





Fig and Almond Bread Stuffing with Fennel

25 02 2010
I keep finding recipes that I used at Thanksgiving time. I thought I could wait to post this until closer to Thanksgiving, but then I thought I might lose it. Also, why is it that we all love a good stuffing, but we only eat it at Thanksgiving time? And actually it is technically not a stuffing, but a dressing, since I am not actually stuffing anything.  So here is a vegetarian stuffing that you might enjoy even in these colder months for something hearty. You could serve this with a side vegetable and a salad and be perfectly satisfied. I just love the hint of fennel in this stuffing, a beautiful mild licorice flavor. Read the rest of this entry »




Baked Cheesy Polenta with Greens and Spicy Tomato Sauce

24 02 2010
I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge success. The sauce is particularly yummy and very easy to make. I use it on lots of dishes besides polenta, like pasta and pizza. The other great bonus to this recipe is you can make it 24 hours in advance. I love that particularly when I am too busy the day of a party to get all the cooking done. Read the rest of this entry »




What to do with the rind of Parmesan cheese

23 02 2010

I was guiding a gourmet market tour here in Denver recently with Culinary Connectors, and I learned something very interesting at the Truffle Cheese Shop. When you buy a hunk of fresh Parmesan cheese, you usually have a rind as part of that hunk that is inedible. So instead of throwing it away, throw the rind in stocks or sauces while they simmer to add a lovely Parmesan essence. What a great tip! I can’t wait to make my next tomato sauce and try it out.





Maple-Ginger Roasted Vegetables with Pecans

23 02 2010
I just found this recipe which I made at Thanksgiving for a vegetable side dish. It was really delicious and is perfect for a wintertime roasted vegetable dish. I love roasted vegetables. Somehow roasting brings out the earthy characteristic of root vegetables and caramelizes them beautifully. If you prefer, you could roast the same vegetables with fresh sage, thyme and rosemary tossed with olive oil instead of the pecans, ginger and syrup. Read the rest of this entry »




Wehani and Wild Rice Stew with Cremini Mushrooms, Winter Squash, and Kale

21 02 2010

You can actually use other types of mushroom as well as any type of whole grain rices or other grains in this recipe. Experiment and see what combinations work best.

1/3 cup Wehani rice

1/3 cup wild rice

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled, sliced into thick rounds

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp coarse sea salt

2 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil

1 large onion, diced

½ pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbsp minced fresh sage

1 small or ½ large winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch chunks (about 4 cups)

1 small bunch kale, tough stems discarded, leaves sliced into thin strips (4 cups)

1 to 2 tbsp soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds Read the rest of this entry »





Baked Portobello Mushrooms with blue cheese, pecan crumbs and sage and smoked paprika aioli

21 02 2010

These mushrooms make a good side dish or main course with a salad or roasted beets  on the side. An aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise. This one is reddish in color due to the paprika. Use the leftover aioli to make a yummy tuna or salmon salad sandwich.

4 cloves garlic

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

9 oz olive oil

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste

½ lb butter

1 bunch sage leaves

¼ cup pecans

1 slice whole wheat bread

4 large Portobello mushrooms

2 oz. Blue cheese Read the rest of this entry »





Thai Green Curry of Eggplant, Chickpeas, and Green Beans

19 02 2010

This is an easy curry if you have Thai green curry paste on hand that you can buy in jars in the Asian section of the grocery store. Of course, you can use any vegetables you have on hand. If you find kafir lime leaves, add one or two to the stew for a nice flavor. These leaves are used in the same way we use bay leaves to flavor stocks. Serve over brown jasmine rice. Read the rest of this entry »