Half Assed Kitchen

Fruit smoothies

It's been so hot here in Seattle, there's nothing much to do but sit in the shade and sip fruit smoothies.

This is one of our favorite recipes. A combination that we make weekly and try to get our kids to guzzle. It's full of good stuff like fruit and yogurt, and it's high notes are infinitely refreshing.

Rating: 1/4 assed (completely simple)

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 cups frozen berries (we like blueberries and/or mixed berries)

1 cup orange juice

1 cup yogurt, plain or a fruity flavor

1 banana

Optional additions:

1 scoop protein powder

1 Tablespoon flax seeds (which is healthy, but makes the smoothie decidedly less...smooth)

Dump it all into a blender and mix well. Makes 3 to 4 six-ounce servings.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Blueberry muffins

 

It's blueberry season! The succulent little guys are popping out everywhere. What more classic way to use them than to bake blueberry muffins (never mind that it was ninety-three degrees in Seattle today--I had a hankering)?

This recipe is adapted from one found in Gourmet. It's rich and buttery and melts over your tongue from the first bite to the last.

Rating: Truly 1/2 assed (Simple, but not ridiculously so)

Here's what you need and how you do it

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter or margarine in a pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in milk, egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined.

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter/milk mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Makes about 1 dozen muffins.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Cool curry dip

It's July, and we realize that most of you probably are looking for recipes a little more refreshing than, say, crab bisque.

Our sister recently made a version of this cool curry dip. And it was perfect for swirling our vegetables in before popping them into our mouths.

This dip is tangy and tasty and takes five minutes (or less) to make.

Rating: 1/4 assed (super easy)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 cup light mayo (we used Veganise, which is delicious and lower in fat than even light mayo.)

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons red onion, minced

1 teaspoon horseradish

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch salt

Pinch garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and chill a couple hours (or not).

Serve with cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, or whatever veggies you like best.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Crab bisque

Crab bisque--it sounds fancy. Much fancier than it really is. Granted, crab can be on the spensy side, but this uses Dungeness (or whichever kind of lump crabmeat you prefer) which is cheaper than King.

Our neighbor, who manages a handful of fishing boats here in Seattle, brought us about two cups of cooked, shelled crab, so this recipe was a no-brainer for us. We know most of you aren't so lucky, but if you can find crab on sale, bisque is worth a try.

This was our first attempt at bisque and we were thrilled with the results. We used rice milk instead of dairy, which leant the soup a sweetness that contrasted nicely with the bite of red pepper flakes. Whichever kind of milk you use, though, this is a creamy taste sensation.

Rating: Truly 1/2 half assed if the crab is shelled, 3/4 assed if you have to shell it yourself.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 shallot, minced

4 cups milk (soy (unsweetened), dairy or rice)

1/3 cup flour

1 cup cream (or half-and-half or Silk Creamer)

1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked crab meat

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning (or paprika)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Black pepper to taste

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add shallot and heat until shallot is just turning transparent.

Whisk flour into 1/2 cup of the milk. Add to butter and stir until mixed. Gradually add rest of milk, cream, crab meat, salt, Old Bay, nutmeg, thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on medium low, stirring often.

We served with sweet potato fries and steamed green beans.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

White bean salad

We recently found this recipe on Elise's site and it has since become a staple in our Half Assed Kitchen. It's beyond simple and surprisingly delicious. We've made a few variations to suit our tastes (rinsing the beans, adding fresh parsley), but the body is the same.

It's a great little number to take on picnics. Double if you're serving a larger group of people.

Rating: 1/4 assed (super easy)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 14.5-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons chopped red onion

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons wine vinegar, red or white

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh, flat-leafed parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to help flavors set.

Serves 3 to 4.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Spaghetti Frittata

Please welcome Kristy, of Sassy Molassy and Book Worm Food Blog as she describes how to make a luscious spaghetti frittata.

Years ago, in one of those standard old cookbooks—Betty Crocker or Good Housekeeping, I can’t remember which, I saw a recipe for a frittata made with leftover spaghetti. I thought it sounded….interesting, kind of strange, and although I never made one, the idea lingered in the recesses of my mind. Until yesterday. Who knew something that sounds so odd could be so delicious! 

This recipe makes a great breakfast/brunch for two adults after the kids have had their cereal and gone off to play. I’d eat it for dinner if I didn’t have so many people at my table.

This recipe is for using leftover, unsauced spaghetti, because that’s what I had, so if yours already has sauce of some kind, you can skip right to the part where you pour the eggs over the pasta.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, lightly drained

Smidge of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste (I used sea salt)

6 eggs, beaten

Leftover pasta–about 6 ounces worth

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil, if you have it

Parmesan

Heat butter or oil in a large-but-not-deep-sided skillet. Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds (never brown garlic). Add tomatoes with about half their juice, season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down some and juice is reduced. Add pasta and stir to coat. Give it a minute or two to heat through, then reduce heat to low and pour beaten eggs over. Quickly stir things around so you have a somewhat even distribution of egg and pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and chopped basil, then just let it heat slowly so the eggs can cook without scorching.

When the eggs have mostly set, you have two options: flip or broil. I set a plate over the skillet, flipped the whole assembly over, returned the skillet to the flame, and slid the frittata back in, uncooked side down. Alternatively, if you have an overproof skillet, you can stick the whole thing under the broiler to finish cooking. Once both sides are done, flip it (if indeed you are flipping) back right-side-up. You will need to run a thin spatula around and underneath before doing this. 

Cut into wedges and serve!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Reubens with turkey and coleslaw

We ordered this twist on a typical reuben (normally with corned beef and sauerkraut) while eating lunch out a couple weeks ago, and we had to try it ourselves.

Turns out it's a super simple concoction with just a few ingredients, that is hearty enough for a summer dinner.

The creamy thousand island mixed with the bite of coleslaw and comfort of turkey is an amazing combo. We think we could eat it every day and be very content.

Rating: 1/4 assed (Super easy)

Here's what you need and how you do it

8 slices of good bread (can be white or multi-grain)

Butter

1/2 pound sliced turkey

1/4 -1/2 pound coleslaw (we bought ours at a deli)

4 Tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing

4 slices swiss cheese

Butter one side of each bread slice. Place four slices on griddle, butter side down (think grilled cheese, with more inside). Top each with turkey, coleslaw, Thousand Island, swiss and remaining slice of bread, butter side up.

Cook until bread is golden, flipping at least once, and swiss is melty.

Serves 4.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.