Lunches

Flash Cooking & Asparagus

23 May 2009 by Jean Johnson
Flash cooking is the term I've coined for getting veggies ready pronto. Here's the way I describe the technique in Hippie Kitchen, the second in my measurefree trilogy due out this fall: Flash Cooking To flash cook vegetables, start with a puddle of water, spices if you’re in the mood, and ...

Rolled Ups (Crepes) for Mother’s Day

8 May 2009 by Jean Johnson
Crepes if you must, but as in the recipe below from Cooking Beyond Measure (page 38), we just call these easy babies Rolled Ups. Crepes have an aura of being special--and hard to make. Special, yes. But au contraire on the latter. For those who really think crepes are beyond them, ...

Cooking for the New Economy, Thai-Style

10 April 2009 by Jean Johnson
Who better than to take cues for economizing than the Thais. For centuries these creative southeast Asian cooks from  have used local, seasonal ingredients and a flair for building flavor right in the bowl to regale eaters far and wide. Americans, in particular, have fallen in love with Thai food ...

Soupy Soup with Cauliflower and Limas

28 March 2009 by Jean Johnson
Soupy Soup, a dish from Cooking  Beyond Measure, is named after the elderly lady doggie who used to live next door. The spring day I first pulled the soup together, the weather was warm enough to draw me and my bowl outside. Who was waiting by the daffodils but the ...

Spring Salad on a Theme of Tabouleh

16 March 2009 by Jean Johnson
Who says tabbouleh must always be made with Bulgar wheat and the requisite parsley and mint. Surely not a creative cook who understands grain salads. Ditto for Spring Salad on a Theme of Radishes and  Jicama from Cooking Beyond Measure. No need to start with spaghetti squash if there's a ...

Toasted Sesame Oil & Balsamic with Beets & Gorgonzola

26 October 2008 by Jean Johnson
As usual, it's what you put on your foundation that makes or breaks a meal. Buried under all the Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts are nothing more than beets, garbs, and beet greens plus Swiss chard. Here's how it all worked. My first catering job appeared last week, so I turned to ...

Fresh Carrots

8 August 2008 by Jean Johnson
Cooking Beyond Measure includes a Carrot Slaw with Frozen Grapes (page 142) for the winter. Once you discover how marvelous carrots are grated on the fine side of your box grater, though, you'll probably be like me and grate them up no matter the time of year. ...

Homegrown Sprouts and Cereal

4 July 2008 by Jean Johnson
My friend Laura generally checks a cookbook out from the library first to see if she wants to purchase it. That makes sense, as does Amazon's habit of putting sample chapters up for viewers. In the spirit of all that and because Cooking Beyond Measure is just weeks away from hitting ...

Favas So Tender You Don’t Have to Double Shell

30 May 2008 by Jean Johnson
Later in the season when fava beans are more mature, it does pay to shuck them not only out of their white velvet pods but also out of their individual shells. Now, though, favas go great to the table easily once removed three or four at a time from their ...

Quitensential Spring Supper: Asparagus and Eggs

11 April 2008 by Jean Johnson
This meal isn't new with me. Most every inventive cook these days makes a version of this great dish. Every mouthful is so delicious. More it's a one-skillet flash cooked pull together.Still, as you can see it's so beautiful that I chose it for the cover shot on Beyond Measure. ...