Wheat Berry Chick Pea Salad/Banana Nut Muffins

Happy Friday everybody!

It seems the warm weather is here to stay so I am sticking with another grain salad this week (even though I keep thinking about soup...). Because I recently came into possession of some wheat berries (thanks, Phoebe!), I am itching to turn them into a delicious, filling salad for you! To match the whole grain of the berries, there will be nice, plump chick peas making that lovely combo of a perfect protein. Then I will pile on the vegetables, including fresh spinach (and maybe some swiss chard if it looks good!), chopped carrots, sweet-tart crisp apple, and a touch of onion. I don't think that's quite enough, so I'm going to throw in some dried cranberries and bit of feta cheese. Heck, maybe even a handful or two of arugula! I will dress the salad with a simple but flavorful vinaigrette.

OK, read all those ingredients again - it's a veritable healthy food pyramid full of vitamins, fiber, and protein! A meal in itself, or a fantastic side to some grilled chicken or fish!

And for a healthy sweet dessert or snack, how about banana nut muffins with an oatmeal streusel topping? With omega-3 rich walnuts and a touch of whole wheat flour, these are good and good for you!

I will be cooking on Sunday and items will be ready for delivery (between 11:30-1p) or pickup (Monday afternoon/evening). When ordering, let me know what will work best for you! Deadline for ordering will be Saturday (5/19) at midnight!

Salad:

1 quart/$8        2 quarts/$15         3 quarts/$21         4 quarts/$28

Muffins:

4/$4 (minimum of 4, please/no maximum!)

Remember, I can take cash, checks, run your credit card on my nifty Square reader, or you can Paypal me!

Whole Wheat Mexican Pasta Salad!

Hey, remember me? I'm back and itching to cook something for you because I've missed seeing you all these last couple weeks! To celebrate Cinco de Mayo (albeit a day or so late), and to embrace this ridiculously warm (hot!) weather, I'm thinking that a cold pasta salad with Mexican flavors is just the ticket for this weather.

To make it healthy, I will start with whole wheat rotini pasta, add some black beans (and voila! there's that complete protein right there!), and a whole lot of fresh vegetables. I don't know exactly what vegetables yet because I want to see what looks good at the market, but I know there will be avocado, tomato, and roasted corn. And I think perhaps just a smidgen of fresh mango for a hit of sweet-tartness. The dressing will be a slightly spicy lime and cumin accented vinaigrette and will perfectly complement the pasta and vegetables. I can stop there for vegans, but if anyone wants, I will add chunks of pepperjack cheese for some extra flavor. Of course, this salad can be a meal in itself, but also a fine side to any grilled meat!

How about some cookies for dessert? Mexican orange sugar cookies, fragrant with a touch of anise and cinnamon sound perfect!

Prices:

Pasta salad:   1 quart/$8         2 quarts/$15         3 quarts/$21        4 quarts/$28

Cookies: Half dozen/$3

Please let me know by 10am Sunday (May 6) if you'd like to order! Deliveries/pickups will be on Monday (or otherwise arranged). Email me at clp772@gmail.com or cattmkitchen@gmail.com!

Empanadas!

I have mentioned my short attention span as it relates to cooking, right? By that I mean I get bored doing the same thing over and over, even if the "same" thing is really quite different from week to week. I guess I just don't like to be tied down. So that means this week I am cooking neither soup nor salad. I made some empanadas for dinner last night and they turned out so nicely that I thought they would be an excellent idea for this week's TMKitchen offering.

I will be making a few different types and all of them will include cheese or I can exclude it (which would make some of them technically vegan - and by that I mean only that they will contain no dairy and no meat).

Spicy potato (which went over quite well at the Rock n Roll Craft Show this year)
Black bean picadillo
Shrimp
Steak

Expect chilies, salsa, and the usual Latin flavors in each empanada (and yeah, I'm being a little vague because I don't quite know yet - but I promise they will all be delicious!).

In addition, I think a Mayan-style chocolate empanada is also a good idea.

To reheat, just wrap them in foil (but don't mix the savory and sweet in one foil packet!) and put in a 350F oven for about 10-15 minutes. Of course they would also work in a toaster oven or [very carefully] in a microwave. You can also freeze them for later!

Here's what you need to know:

$2/each (minimum of four, no maximum!) - Mix and match any of the varieties but be specific about whether you want cheese (melty white cheese and/or queso fresco depending on flavor).

I'm taking orders until at least noon on Sunday. The sooner you let me know, the better, please! Email me at cattmkitchen@gmail.com or clp772@gmail.com!

Asian Brown Rice and Tofu Salad/Mini-Madeleines

An overwhelming majority of respondents have voiced a preference for salad over soup this week, so that's what it shall be!

The salad will start with a base of nutty brown rice and a variety of vegetables including bean sprouts, peas, carrots, green onions, and whatever else might look good at the market. I will saute the tofu with ginger, garlic, and a bit of soy sauce so all the flavor gets absorbed by the tofu. For the dressing, there will be hints of sesame, sweet orange, ginger and garlic to bring all the flavors together.

Rather than a bread this week, I'm thinking a little dessert might be in order. And since I just acquired a mini-madeleine pan, mini-madeleines it shall be! Chocolate dipped if you so desire, plain if you don't! FYI, madeleines are a buttery French cake-like cookie (See photo below.) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_(cake) )

Salad
1 quart/$8     2 quarts/$15     3 quarts/$22     4 quarts/$28

Cookies
$5/doz (I can mix and match plain and choco dipped!)

Please get your orders to me by 10am Sunday! Thank you!

Since Sunday is Easter, I will save all delivery/pickups for Monday (or later, if necessary). When you order, please let me know when you would be able to pick up or be home for delivery. Thanks! Email me at clp772@gmail.com or cattmkitchen@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Red Bulgur and Fava Bean Salad

This is crazy warm weather for this time of year, but we may as well embrace it. Everyone is planting flowers and vegetables and getting ready for the season of just being outside. I also have it on good authority that it is safe to put plants in the ground even though there is still a chance for frost. A horticulture professor says that since it's been so warm and the soil is warmed up too, nothing but a multi-day frost (which is so very NOT likely) could hurt planted vegetation. Anyway, I'm craving lighter, fresher food and I hope you are too.

For the first warm weather offering from Tiny Montgomery Kitchen, I have gathered up some Middle Eastern-ish ingredients to make a healthy, filling, fiber- and protein-rich salad; sort of a tabbouleh, but different. This salad can easily serve as a main dish, with the whole grain and beans making a complete protein, but it can also be a nice side dish with a grilled protein. You could also serve it over a mound of spinach or spring greens.

I will start with red bulgur wheat and split fava beans, then add cucumber, a touch of sweet onion, tomatoes (if I can't find good grape or cherry tomatoes, I will use sun-dried), kalamata olives, feta cheese, and parsley for a lovely green brightness. The dressing is a lemony, garlicky vinaigrette made with olive oil, lemon juice, and a bit of white wine vinegar, plus fragrant blend of herbs and spices. To keep it vegan, I can leave out the feta; just let me know when ordering!

To continue the theme, I think whole wheat small pitas, with added milled flaxseed, are just the ticket.

Because my work schedule limits my cooking and delivery time, this week I must put a quick turnaround on letting me know if you are ordering. (In the future I hope to be able to announce and take orders earlier in the week!) Please let me know by 10am tomorrow (Sunday) so I can get everything made and ready for delivery/pickup by Sunday evening/Monday. Oh, and Happy Spring!

Bulgur salad:      1 quart/$8         2 quarts/$15        3 quarts/$22       4 quarts/$28

Pita (4):     $3

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Email me to order!  clp772@gmail.com or cattmkitchen@gmail.com

Soup! Italian Chicken Vegetable with Chick Peas and Stelline Pasta.

I've been daydreaming about this soup for days now, cooking it up in my head, adding and subtracting ingredients until it sounds just right. So here we have Italian Chicken Vegetable with Chick Peas and Stelline Pasta.

I will start with a homemade chicken stock, then stuff it with bunches of chicken roasted with Italian herbs, plump and nutty garbanzo beans, as many vegetables as I can cram in there (I'm thinking zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, celery and green beans - at least!), and gorgeous little stelline pasta stars. It's going to be beautiful, and it's going to taste amazing! You want some, right?

I think a nice skinny baguette will go very well with this soup. I might even suggest that you slice it up, brush with a bit of olive oil or butter, and toast it for a crunchy accompaniment to your soup.

Prices are as usual:

Soup:      1 quart/$8        2 quarts/$15        3 quarts/$22        4 quarts/$28


Bread:     $3/loaf

The tinyletter newsletter format, while a fantastic idea, never worked properly and I felt like I was missing communications from you (and you were missing communications from me), and Google Docs didn't work for everyone, so, for the time being anyway, I am going back to taking orders via my email addresses: clp772@gmail.com or cattmkitchen@gmail.com.

Split Pea Soup!

PLEASE PLACE YOUR ORDERS BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 AT 10:00AM!

This week's soup was suggested by the Boy. He took the simplest concept of celebrating St. Patrick's Day - wearing green - and translated it to soup. No high concept corned beef and cabbage soup for Tiny Montgomery Kitchen; no, we're going with the prettiest, greenest soup we can think of- Split Pea!  Carry your quart around on St. Patrick's Day and then no one can pinch you for not "wearing" green.

I have long loved split pea soup and have eaten my share of the canned variety back in the day. But why eat canned soup when you can have freshly prepared (and better tasting!) homemade soup? I take a couple of different directions than the average split pea soup. For instance, in addition to ham, I love the zing and zest of a touch of chorizo in my soup. Of course, my split pea is full of carrots , but I also include a smattering of potatoes to add some heft. I love a sprinkling of thyme as well, but I think my favorite part of Split Pea soup is the flavor of the fragrant and deeply earthy bay leaves.

I will also be making fresh loaves of bread with whole wheat and white flours, plus a bit of cornmeal for crunch and texture. Perfect for slicing and dunking into your soup bowl!

Prices:

Soup          1 quart/$8        2 quarts/$15       3 quarts/$22       4 quarts/$28

Bread          $3.50/loaf

To order, you can email me directly at: clp772@gmail.com or cattmkitchen@gmail.com. Also, please sign up for my email newsletter.

PLEASE PLACE YOUR ORDERS BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 AT 10:00AM!

Moroccan Vegetable Stew (Vegetarian) and Creamy Potato with Bacon

I'm a little late this week, due a bit to indecision and a few other factors. As is often the case, I couldn't make a decision so I'm offering two completely different soups this week. First, I'm revisiting a favorite I've made many times over the years. I started making Moroccan Vegetable Stew as a vegetarian alternative at Christmas dinner with my family. It's a hearty, thick stew, served over couscous. I begin this soup with an onion and garlicky base, add chunky tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, sweet peppers, and possibly more vegetables, depending on what looks good at the market. And the best part of this stew, to my mind, is the ample helping of plump chick peas (garbanzos) adding their creamy, nutty flavor. Spicing of this stew will include touches of cumin, turmeric, a little red pepper and paprika for heat, and the warm and slight sweetness of cinnamon.

The Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon is a hearty bowl of soup with simple, but flavorful ingredients. Potatoes, onions, garlic, butter, milk, and BACON, plus a nice sprinkling of black pepper for heat. And there's bacon! It's thick, rich, and will warm you up and fill you up!

To go with both of these soups, I'm baking a traditional Moroccan bread called khobz. It's slightly flat, round loaf which I will be making with white and wheat flours, with a little sprinkling of sesame and anise seeds throughout the loaf. I think those flavors will complement both soups perfectly!

Prices

Soup:       1 quart/$8      2 quarts/$15      3 quarts/$22      4 quarts/$28

Loaves:   $3/each

To order you can email me directly at: cattmkitchen@gmail.com or clp772@gmail.com. Also, sign up here to get my weekly newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/tinymontgomery

I can deliver to City addresses and the inner ring suburbs, though if you are further out, we can surely arrange some sort of meet-up. Pickup is always an option as well!