Running With Quills: VEGGIE TALES or EG bites off more than she can chew.

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

VEGGIE TALES or EG bites off more than she can chew.

ANYONE CAN COOK: That’s one of the messages of the delightful 2007 animated feature film from Disney/Pixar, “Ratatouille.”

Have I mentioned before here at RWQ that “Ratatouille” is one of my favorite movies of the past several years? If not, let me go on record right now: This is a clever, funny, poignant, even thoughtful movie, AND it’s set in Paris, a city I love. Plus, “Ratatouille” has the cutest little furry hero who is also a talented chef and a wonderful human being.

Well, not exactly a human being. More like a . . . rat.

I’ll admit at first the thought of a rat in the kitchen kind of put me off my “feed.” But before long I ceased to think of Remy as a rat and began to think of him as “Little Chef.”

At this point you may be asking yourself, where is this little rant of Elizabeth G's going? Patience, my friends, and all will be revealed.

I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but the movies lie. They're pure fiction. EVERYONE CANNOT COOK. For example, I can’t. Which makes it even more amazing (one could say mind-boggling) that I have finally learned how to “make” the perfect salmon filet.

Yes, me!

It’s the easiest recipe in the world, too. (How else could I manage it?) And I’m going to share it with you in exchange for the VEGGIE TALES mentioned in the title of this blog.

Here's the deal: I’ll tell you how I made the perfect salmon filets AND then you’re going to volunteer an easy vegetable dish to go with them. Emphasis on the “easy.” Remember, this is me, the cooking-challenged Quill. (But if I have to eat one more bag of frozen peas and corn . . . well, you get my drift.)

So here are the ingredients you’ll need for the Perfect Salmon:

~2 fresh salmon filets, 6-8 oz. each (fresh, wild Alaskan salmon, if you can get your mitts on it.)
~3 Tablespoons of good olive oil
~3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
~salt and pepper to taste

Place the salmon filets in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the olive oil and lemon juice over the salmon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Heat a nonstick electric fry pan (or any nonstick fry pan, I suppose) to medium high. Lift the filets out of the marinate and place them in the fry pan for 3-4 minutes, skin-side down. (Might be a good idea to have one of those splatter screens handy so you don't get hit by any flying hot oil.)

Then put the lid on, turn the heat down to medium and wait. This was the tricky part. I didn’t want to overcook the salmon (as I’ve done numerous times before), but I also don’t like my salmon rare on the inside. So I waited another 4-5 minutes.

TRUTH TO TELL: At that point I tested my filet and it was still a tad rare for me, so I popped it into the microwave for one minute. (Sacrilege, some will say.) Anyway, then it was perfect . . . for my tastes.

I even concocted a little sauce on the side using several large dollops of mayonnaise blended with a dash of dill weed, lemon peel, and Beau Monde (again to taste.)

The salmon was delicious! And my husband is still raving about it.

Now it’s your turn to help me out. I need some simple veggie dishes to go with my triumphant salmon filets. So, spill the beans and please share them with me.

Bon Appétit!
~EG

35 Comments:

EliG said...: Buttered Worts:
Miscellaneous greens or herbs, leeks, cabbage, sauteed in butter. Simple, yummy, and it can be different every time depending upon what you have available. It was a great way to get the most out of our CSA boxes since we would use the bits of greens left after cleaning up the veggies to add different flavor notes.; 7:50 PM
EliG said...: Butter worts: forgot to say that you want to roughly chop everything.; 7:52 PM
Anonymous said...: A steamer - just like a micro - follow the time in the booklet and you can layer. Start with the potatoes, add broccoli and if you still need more greens a bit of spinach on top. A dash of Brag's ammino acid for extra flavor, but I'm a health nut.

Zues; 9:20 PM
Michele L. said...: OH MY! Salmon tastes best when raw! It is delicious! You need to buy it fresh though and eat it the same day. My husband does a good job cooking salmon and he does it simply in a pan in some butter with lemon, pepper, and garlic sprinkled on it. Yum!

The best vegetable I have found are by Green Giant and they are the steam bags. So simple! Just pop the whole bag in the microwave and heat for indicated time. Then cut open carefully and stir. Eat right away!

Other great vegetable dishes are broccoli cooked crisp, tender. My secret for cooking broccoli is putting the whole head of broccoli in a pot with a little water, 1/4 cup or so. The idea is to steam it. Then, bringing it to a boil never taking lid off. Turn the pot off, leaving the lid on. Let sit for 10 minutes. Just before serving broccoli, melt butter in a small dish. Then drizzle butter over broccoli on your plate and sprinkle with some sea salt. It is absolutley perfect that way!

Another great vegetable dish is fresh aspargrus. Cooked the same way as the broccoli but add about 1/2 cup of water and drizzling the butter over it at the end. You have to wash aspragrus before cooking and breaking off the end. To break aspragrus grab the spear at both ends with your fingertips and slowly bend it so it breaks into 2 pieces. The spear will naturally break at its tender/tough point.

Also, our favorite starch to go with salmon is yellow rice. It comes in a package already seasoned and it is so cheap!

Michele L.; 9:42 PM
talpianna said...: Slice and dice yellow summer squash and onion. Saute in olive oil until done. (Start the onions first.) Also start with diced garlic, or use garlic powder. Season with lemon pepper.

Consider this recipe a free gratis for nothing gift, as I am hopeless at cooking fish, so your recipe does me no good.; 10:03 PM
DFender said...: Hiya EG...
I hate cooking. I love to bake. The HHP is the cook in our house... thank the heavens! LOL. However, I do know HOW to cook and will when the mood strikes. An excellent, easy vegetable side:

Baby red-skinned potatoes
Chopped green onions
Garlic
Butter (or substitute)
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Cut potatoes into large cubes (uniformity not required) and boil in water until soft (around 20 minutes or so). Drain. Toss with the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Uhm... I don't measure (blame my Gramma) but this is pretty easy to make "according to taste". Enjoy!

Deb; 3:43 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Okay, EG, I'll give your salmon dish a try but my track record cooking fish is not great.

However, I am into vegetables! Two tips from one who loves them.

First: I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a tasty vegetable that comes from the freezer or a can. I'm sure they're still nutritious but they lack flavor. So, buy fresh whenever you can. Even in the cold heart of winter you can usually find fresh red and yellow bells peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.

Second: Sauteeing in butter is always good (those flat pea pods are exquisite this way) but as far as I am concerned the best, easiest and tastiest way to cook almost any veggie from sliced red bell peppers to broccoli and asparagus is ROASTING. Simply slice veg into small pieces that will cook quickly (leave asparagus whole, of course), toss in good olive oil, sprinkle with salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast at anywhere from 350 to 370 degrees until the biggest pieces are cooked tender, usually about 7 minutes.

Off to buy more salmon for the big experiment!

--Jayne; 6:42 AM
Stella said...: EG:

Zues has already mentioned me favorite vegetable cooking method--steaming. I have a small basket to put inside a regular pan for tiny quantities and a large double steamer for major veg-outs.

I also like tasty veggies and usuall add a few chopped onions to the pot, regardness of the veggie.

Cheers, Stella; 7:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Simply wash and leave whole green beans or asparagus, or, with broccoli and cauliflower, separate into spears, then place in a shallow pan in a single layer with about half an inch of water and cover tightly. Turn the burner on high and stand there until steam comes billowing out from the edge of the lid (less than a minute) then turn off and remove from burner. Drain the water off and replace the cover and let stand. You may salt or not, butter or not, but you will always enjoy a lot. I use this prep that I call "blanching" to make and store veggies for the week. They are still crispy and go well in salads or just with a little cheese and crackers. (Beechers flagship is a favorite)

Lynne Thomas; 7:18 AM
Kristi said...: Roast your veggies. Turn the oven to about 425. Take out a cookie sheet. Chop vegetables into similar-sized pieces (make them look like each other...your choice whether you want huge pieces or tiny french-fry sized ones or what). Spread into a single layer on cookie sheet. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over them, and wiggle them around on the sheet until everything has a little oil on it (not swimming, more like a lightly coating of tanning oil). Sprinkle salt and pepper (or, if you feel fancy, any spice blend you happen to like...or cinnamon and sugar if you're doing sweet potatoes). Put in the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how big you cut the veggies (The only rule is to take them out before they burn). Take a spatula and stir them once or twice while they cook, if you're motivated.

This works well with zuccini, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, asparagus, white potatoes, carrots, onions, portabello mushrooms, (insert your favorite veggie here), and any combination thereof.; 7:43 AM
Anonymous said...: Hello,

The best veggies ever were recently made by my mom. She took asparagus, placed them on a cookie sheet. Sprinkled olive oil, salt and garlic powder over them. Placed in oven 8-12 minutes (depending on whether you want crunchy asparagus or not) @350 degrees and there you have it. Delicious.

I think this could be done, with most any veggie.

Enjoy!; 8:57 AM
Molly said...: Broccoli and cauliflower make an easy summer salad. Here's what I do:

Cut raw broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. If you have a green or red pepper on hand, chop that up, too. In a bowl big enough to hold the vegetables, mix Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise, if you prefer) and Ranch salad dressing. Stir in the vegetables and serve. If you want to toss in some sunflower seeds or bacon bits, go ahead. If you prefer sweet salads, you can toss in some honey or sugar instead of the Ranch dressing.

It's a cool, crispy salad and very easy to toss together.; 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...: I cut chunk size (about an inch)
1 or 2 Red Capsicum(peppers?),
2-3 zucchinis,
1 large eggplant
+ I take the stems out of couple of cups of baby mushrooms and place them all in a bowl. I then add a slosh of olive oil (maybe around a 1/4 cup, some the juice of a lemon and handful of roughly chopped fresh basil and lots of cracked pepper and mix. Then I cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.Toss it around if you remember whenever you open the fridge... This is great to BBQ. Charred is good. Alternatively roasting works pretty well too. This is fantastic with almost anything and if any is left over it works pretty well as antipasto cold.

Thanks for the salmon suggestion it's been one of my argh not sure what to do dishes.

Catherine; 11:38 AM
Catherine said...: Love salmon, can't wait to try!
My easy veggie's

Cut up your favorites--bells, onion, asparagus, brocc's, pea pods, anything

Heat nonstick skillet on high, add 1-2 tbls olive oil

dump in the veggie's and cook for 5-6 mins, or until desired tenderness. Stir occasionaly

Easiest veggie's I've ever made!

Catherine; 12:49 PM
susan andersen said...: Michelle L, gotta disagree. Ulk. Hate raw fish. (It's a texture thing) Love it cooked, though. Not that I have much experience cooking it. That's a benefit of being married to a Norwegian--he does all the seafood cooking. And splendidly, too.

I agree with both the roasters and steamers. For sauteing something different than what's already been mentioned, you might try swiss chard. I cut off the tough ends of the stems and pare down the part that runs through the middle, then chop it up and toss it in a hot pan with olive oil and a little butter. Stir it around for a minute or two, throw in a dash of balsamic vinegar and cook until tender. Top with a sprinkle of kosher salt (LOVE this on everything) and some fresh pepper.

I'm not crazy about a lot of cooked greens because they tend to be mushy, but chard has those thicker red veins that maintains a little crispness. You just slightly wilt the rest to whatever texture suits you best.; 12:56 PM
Anonymous said...: Ummmm. The only good vegetable is one on someone else's plate. {evil grins all around}

That said, my "company dish" is broccoli salad. I (or lately, my husband, bless him, because I hate to chop even more than I hate to cook!) cut up broccoli florets (not much of the stems because they are usually tough) into small pieces (I use one "bunch" of two heads), add 1/4 to 1/2 onion depending on onion size, cut into small pieces, about a cup of shredded cheddar, and (optional) some cooked bacon (3-4 slices usually), also cut into very small pieces.

Then I mix up a dressing of 1/2 cup mayo/salad dressing (think: Miracle Whip type stuff) and 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons vinegar, pour it over the veg's and let it sit for about an hour before serving.

This recipe is extremely forgiving and always very popular with everybody when I take it to gatherings. I think the dressing is what makes it special - it's sort of sweet/sour at the same time.

Try it! I hope you like it ~

LynneW; 1:22 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: elig, Zues, Michele L., talpianna, Deb, Jayne, Stella, Lynne T., kristi, anonymous, Molly, anonymous/Catherine, Catherine, Susan, LynneW---

Thank you everyone for sharing your veggie recipes and for taking the time to post them to the blog. I'll be printing out the final version later this week and taking it to my kitchen.; 5:33 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Oops, hit the "publish" button too soon. (It's that quick trigger finger of mine.:-)

I just want to add that I can't wait to try the recipes you've suggested. These should definitely get us out of the veggie "rut" at our house.

A huge thanks to one and all!
~EG; 5:39 PM
Lori Foster said...: EG, I love veggies, almost all veggies. But my idea of cooking them is usually to steam them and add a little butter and salt, so no creative recipes from me!

Whenever I do something different, I'm sure it's not healthy - like breaded, fried zuchinni. LOL
Yeah, not healthy at all - but oooooh so good!

Lori; 4:15 AM
Elizabeth Guest said...: lolololol I can only dream about breaded, fried zucchini, Lori. Can't actually indulge. I'm trying to do that whole healthy, fairly low-carb version of life.
:-)

But keep your thoughts and recipes coming, folks. I'm not going to print this out until all the results and comments are posted.
~EG; 8:27 AM
Caffey said...: A few years ago, I have many zucchini left and really wanted to do something different. I found this recipe for Zucchini boats! We love them here! I so can't wait til we have the Zucchini from the garden this year. I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for but I love to share this one and too hope I'm not repeating anyone! Enjoy EG!!!

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

4 zucchini squash (approx. 7 inches long)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Cut squash in half lengthwise. With small melon baller, start about 1/2 inch from end and scoop out middle of squash, making sure not to take out too much.

Brown meat, onion and garlic in Teflon pan until no longer pink. Drain, add basil, oregano and Worcestershire sauce. Fill up boats with meat mixture and arrange in glass baking dish. Cover evenly with tomato sauce and top with cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until squash is tender. Makes 8 boats.; 11:24 AM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Thanks, Caffey, you gave me a great veggie recipe that really is for a whole dinner, too. Talk about killing two birds (or turkeys) with one stone. :-)

~EG; 4:51 PM
talpianna said...: My recipe above also works with zucchini. One can also add tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce.

Incidentally, the recipe also works in the microwave, but you have to cut it down (at least if you aren't cooking for more than one or two) to 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

You can also do artichokes in the microwave. Wrap in plastic wrap and cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on number and size.; 5:16 PM
Anonymous said...: You all are definitely making me hungry...

Off to raid the fridge.

Louis; 5:25 PM
Ranurgis said...: It's downright lowering to see so many people with cooking talent. I'm not one of them though I hope that when I have an electric stove again (instead of an old gas one on which the five pilot lights were on all the time driving the heat up even more before I had them shut the thing down), I'll get to be a little more domesticated. Right now I'm reduced to a toaster oven and a microwave oven--not exactly made for haute cuisine.; 8:53 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: talpianna, Like Louis, I'm getting hungry just reading these wonderful recipes. And I LOVE artichokes, although I've never tried to make them in the microwave.

ranurgis: But, thank goodness, for microwaves, because some meals that's all I have the time or energy to use. :-)

Happy and healthy eating all!
~EG; 6:43 AM
talpianna said...: EG, somewhere I have a wonderful book on vegetables--a guide to them including how to choose them, how to cook them by various methods (including microwaving), and recipes. Can't find it at the moment; I used to keep it in the car so I could take it into the supermarket with me.

Incidentally, my favorite dip for artichokes is plain lemon butter; but for a low-cal version, make concentrated vegetable bouillon from granules and add lemon juice.; 4:42 PM
talpianna said...: Anyway, I've always thought of the artichoke as not so much a vegetable as a career....; 4:43 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: talpianna said: Anyway, I've always thought of the artichoke as not so much a vegetable as a career....

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Thank you for making me laugh during a "working" weekend.
~EG; 9:18 AM
Ranurgis said...: I'm definitely not complaining about being reduced to "inferior" cooking methods. Even when I had an electric stove at my mother's house, I usually resorted to toaster and microwave ovens.

I'm like you, Elizabeth. The only thing my sister could pick out of my limited cooking repertoire as being a "specialty" of mine was a pasta salad with shrimp--when I could afford them--and vegetables. Now I make do with tuna most of the time although chicken bits and the like can definitely be substituted.

Like others here, I'm a big fan of artichokes, as well as avocados which, to my great satisfaction, are on the "good" fat side of the ledger. I enjoy both of these with salad dressings of a little oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs to taste.; 10:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Late entry in the veggie stakes!

I heard my colleague just today talking about taking a bag and throwing in her olive oil and seasonings and veggies, then layering a roasting. She is doing summer veggies: squashes, asparagus etc.

My recipe that I don't see here is Spaghetti squash. Take and deseed and either cube and cook in microwave with a little water, or halve, deseed, and roast. When you pull it out, you run fork through it and it looks like spaghetti *kind of*
You can serve with butter, salt,pepper or add spaghetti sauce!

SusanB; 9:43 AM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Thanks, SusanB, for the bag idea and the squash recipe! I was waiting to print out just in case some yummy recipes came along at the end. :-)
~EG; 6:50 AM
rea720 said...: When I cook Salmon for my family I usually cook asparagus and tomatoes. It's really simple too...

First pre-heat the oven to 350*, I start my salmon on the stove and pan sear one side, then when I flip I add a little more extra virgin olive oil and add the asparagus and tomatoes. Into the oven for seven or so minutes until the Salmon reaches 145 to 150*. After a couple minutes stir the vegetables so they cook throughly on all sides.

When preparing all of the above I pre-season the Salmon with a pinch of sea salt, and fresh grind black pepper. I dice roma tomatoes to approxametly one inch size pieces. I also cut the asparagus to approxametly three inches in length. Make sure to sprinkle the salt and pepper blend on the veggies to before cooking.; 8:47 AM
rea720 said...: Ooo I forgot to mention,

If you cook extra Salmon and do not want to reheat it you can make Salmon Croquettes out of the leftovers. This recipe can also be used for chicken and turkey.

Oven 450*

1 cup diced protien
2 cups soft bread crumbs (I use extra rolls from a previous dinner, dice and toast in my toaster over for 5 minutes)
1 tbs mayonaise
3 tbs chicken broth (veggetable broth for those who do not eat meat)... may need a bit more depending for moisture.
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp of seasoning (old bay for seafood, poultry for the rest)
dry finly chopped bread crumbs as needed
Optional: You can add in a vegetable if you like as well. I add 1/2 cup cranberries when I make this dish with turkey.

Mix all ingredients except for the finly chopped bread crumbs in a med-large mixing bowl. Mix until moisture level is sticky. Roll into small palm sized balls. Place balls in the dry bread crumbs to evenly coat. Place on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165*.

Serve with any veggies for a side

Croquette sauce...

1 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup broth (again depending on kind)
1/2* tsp salt
1/2* tsp pepper
1/2* tsp seasoning
1* tsp parmesean cheese grated
* to taste...

melt butter in a sautee pan on med heat, when melted whisk in flour until golden. Then wisk in broth and seasonings. The sauce will thicken as you wisk.

any questions just email me...
Enjoy Rea :0) rea720@aol.com; 9:03 AM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Thanks for continuing to share your recipes. They all sound delicious and I'm looking forward to trying them!

Maybe we'll end up doing a RWQ cookbook! :-)
~EG; 6:50 AM

Previous Posts

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

VEGGIE TALES or EG bites off more than she can chew.

35 Comments: