Reminiscing through Food

My Grandma was an amazing cook.  Being born and raised in Lebanon, she set the bar high on mediterranean food.  Whenever we came to visit, there was always so much delicious food. Stuffed zucchini, cabbage rolls and grape leaves simmering on the stove, kibbeh, fatyers, olives and Syrian bread... I could go on and on.  In keeping up with my Lebanese heritage, (and my garden surplus) stuffed peppers and zucchini was the meal to make.  If you really want to feel Mediterranean tonight, serve with a bowl of kalamata olives and sop up all those juices with some yummy flat bread. Enjoy!

Hollowed out zucchini and peppers

Stuffed and ready to eat! 

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil

1 onion diced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 carrots

1 celery stalk

1lb ground lamb or beef

1 c. of rice cooked, but only about half way( they will finish cooking later)

1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes

2t. salt, 1t. pepper

1 T. cumin

2 t. corriander

 2T. chopped fresh parsley

5-7 hollowed out peppers or zucchini (or a mixture thereof)

Sautee onion, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil until onions are translucent,  about 5 minutes.  Put cooked veggies into a large bowl to cool.  Add the ground meat, rice, half of tomatoes and spices to the bowl of cooled veggies, mix until well incorporated.  Spoon mixture into hollowed out zucchini and/or peppers. pour the other half of tomatoes in dutch oven or large pot along with 1c. of water.  Add the stuffed veggies into the pot, making sure that they are snug. Cover, bring to a boil and and continue to let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Enjoy!

What's for DInner?

This delightful summer pasta, came about when I was still pondering the age old question "what's for dinner" about 4pm yesterday.  I took a look in my garden and pantry and what did I see?  TONS of basil and a variety of pastas.  A quick google search, a few ingredients at the store, and I was ready to roll on my shrimp pesto pasta.  It might have been a little last minute, but this pasta did not disappoint.  

Shrimp with pesto cream sauce

Pesto

• Pesto:
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago

Pasta:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined and slice in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, plus more if needed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 lb spaghetti, cooked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 chopped tomatoes

For the pesto: In a food processor, puree the nuts, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth. Next, add the basil and mint and pulse until the leaves are minced. Add the cheese and pulse 4 to 5 times. Finally, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to finish. This recipe will make more than what you need for the pasta, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the pasta: In saute pan over high heat, add the oil and allow to heat up. Next, add the shrimp, sprinkle with a touch of salt and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the shrimp until medium doneness, about 2 minutes, stirring throughout the time. After the shrimp are medium, add the onions and allow to cook until translucent, another 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup pesto, stir, and then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream and allow to reduce by half the volume, 2 to 3 minutes. Finally, add the pasta and stir. Finish seasoning with salt, pepper and additional wine if necessary. Top with the parsley and tomatoes.

This was adapted from a recipe from Food Networks, Robert Irvine, to visit the site go here

All American Meal

For our Sunday night dinner I decided to go for a traditional summer BBQ.  Although I was just feeding my husband, daughter and I, this meal can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.  The peach crumble made for a perfect sweet treat to cap off this yummy slow cooked Sunday meal.

Spice Rubbed Ribs with Oven Fries and Caprese Salad

For the ribs:

1 rack of St. Louis style ribs

1/2c. brown sugar

2T. salt/ 2t.pepper

1/8c. cajun seasoning

1/8c paprika

1T. cayenne

Pull off the silver skin from the ribs if present (the whitish layer on the backside of the ribs).  Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, taste for additional spices (do you want it saltier, sweeter, spicier etc.). Rub spice mixture all over ribs.  Put ribs in parchment lined foil and place on grill on indirect heat (you want the grill to be around 300 degrees). Grill for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove ribs from foil and grill on direct heat a 5 minutes per side to char the surface.

For the potatoes:

2 russets

salt/pepper

2T. olive oil

parmesan

1 garlic clove

Set oven to 425 degrees, and place a baking sheet in the oven while it heats up. Cut each potato into 8 wedges.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet  in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, turning once.  The potatoes should be golden brown.  Grate cheese and garlic on top of the potatoes when the come out of the oven.

For the caprese:

Halve  a few cherry tomatoes and dice some mozzarella, add a handful of chopped basil.  Stir in a drizzle of good olive oil and red wine vinegar  add salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Peach Crumble 

 (recipe from  Ina Garten.  I omitted the blueberries)

Ingredients

For the fruit:

• 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.

Soup's On!

It is hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner.  Here in Denver we had a little glimpse of fall weather this past week; overcast, cool and breezy.  It gave me just the inspiration I needed to cozy up with a nice bowl of soup and crisp bread.   All of the flavors of summer, and my garden, show up in this soup, making it a perfect end of season meal.  

Vegetable and White Bean Soup

Soups are so versatile, I encourage you to add/subtract whatever you desire into this soup. 

Working with a large stock pot or dutch oven, I sautéed onion, carrot, celery, yellow squash, diced tomatoes and garlic with olive oil salt and pepper until the onions became soft and translucent. Add around 6 cups of chicken stock t o the veggies and bring to a simmer.  I added a bundle of herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage tied up with kitchen string) to the pot.  Once the soup comes to a simmer add fresh cut green beans (cut into 1" pieces).  Allow the soup to simmer away until the carrots and green beans are tender, add a 15oz can of white beans (I used navy beans) and heat through. Serve with baked country bread and parmesan. Enjoy!

My Zucchini Runneth Over

Are you sick of zucchini?  I'm proud to say I'm not... yet.  If you have ever grown your own zucchini you know that they just keep on coming until it freezes.  It can be a tough job to keep up.  Of course you give some to your friends, family, babysitter, and neighbors but somehow you still have a drawer full in your crisper.   These fritters are a great use of your zucchini overflow and a perfect side to my stuffed chicken.  Bring it on zucchini, I am loving your versatility!

Stuffed Roasted Chicken Breast with Zucchini Fritters

For the Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts about 1 lb (boneless, skinless)

1/4 c. Roasted tomatoes (recipe below) or you can substitute sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

3 oz Goat cheese

1/4 lb sauteed chard (you can use any dark leafy green)

salt, pepper

olive oil

Set oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch-long slit in thick side of each breast. Insert knife, and without enlarging opening, carefully work around inside to form a pocket (make sure you do not go through the other side). In a small bowl combine tomatoes, goat cheese and chard, mix together with a fork until combined.  Stuff each chicken with goat cheese mixture. Place on baking tray (I lined mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup.) Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear (internal temperature of 160 degrees with an instant read thermometer).  Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, serve with remaining tomatoes and fresh herbs.

For the Fritters

• 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
• 1 t. salt/1/2t. pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon) 
• 2T chopped basil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 
  
• With a box grater, grate zucchini into a bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, basil, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan. You may need to do this in multiple batches and add more oil as you go.  Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Top with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and basil.

Roasted Tomatoes

tomatoes- any kind will work (I used cherry)

garlic

basil

thyme

salt pepper 

olive oil

Slice tomatoes in half and seed, unless they are small then no need.  Toss tomatoes with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet cut side up and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours.  You want the tomatoes to still be slightly moist, and not burnt.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge, enjoy!

Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

Roasting vegetables brings out a beautiful sweet and savory flavor that is hard to come by with any other cooking method.   This is one of those meals with no recipe required.  Literally put your favorite veggies, beans, cheese in between a couple tortillas top with your favorite toppings and call it a day. If you roast off the veggies earlier in the day (you could even do it the day before) you can have dinner ready in 10 minutes. So easy, so tasty.

For my quesadilla I roasted summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and onion (3T. olive oil, salt, pepper)  in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  I used 2 taco sized whole wheat tortillas, on one side I spread refried beans, topped with roasted veggies then shredded cheddar cheese.  I place the other tortilla on top and put it in a heated skillet with some canola oil.  It cooks for about 4 minutes/side or until the tortilla is crunchy and browned.  I topped mine with  plain greek yogurt, my favorite salsa and green onions.  Yum!

Pork Belly

Let's face it, pork belly is simply amazing. It is gracing the plates of most note worthy restaurants these days, and is an inexpensive, delicious, little bite of goodness.  This was the first time I personally made pork belly at home, and I can assure you it won't be the last.  I saw this meal on The Today Show. I mostly followed the recipe for this particular meal.  A few switch ups included using green jalepeno, instead of red, thick brown rice noodles and I added a thinly sliced red pepper to the mix.  The meal was divine!!   

I have supplied the recipe below but if you prefer to watch a step by step video go here . Enjoy!

• For the pork belly:
• 1 1/4 pounds fresh pork belly, skin and fat scored (if your pork belly does not have the skin, just score the fat)
• For the noodles:
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 6 ounces rice vermicelli (maifun)
• 2 medium carrots (8 ounces total), peeled, julienned
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, cut into thin slices
• 1 red jalapeno chili, very thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1/3 cup toasted shelled peanuts
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Preparation

To roast the pork belly:1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a rack on a baking sheet. Season the pork belly all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and press the seasonings into the scored surface of the pork.

2. Set the pork belly on the rack on the baking sheet and roast until the skin begins to puff or until golden brown all over, about 35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cover the pork with foil. Continue roasting until the pork is very tender and brown all over, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

3. Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the pork into 4 equal slices then cut the slices into 1/2-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, to prepare the noodles:1. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk the lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil until the sugar has dissolved.

2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

3. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with enough of the sauce to coat and moisten. Refrigerate while finishing the pork belly.

Serving

1. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy sauté pan over high heat until very hot. Add the pork belly pieces and sauté until they are crisp on all sides, about 2 minutes.

2. Toss the carrots, mango, chilies, half of the green onions and the remaining sauce with the noodles. Divide the noodle mixture among four bowls and top with the pork belly pieces. Sprinkle the peanuts, mint and remaining green onions over and serve.   

Serving Size

Serves 4.

search for more recipes in TODAY Food

Eggplant Parmesan

I try to have a well stocked pantry and fridge, so I can make a handful of go to meals when I'm less than inspired to think of one.  Eggplant parmesan is one of those I can make mostly from what I have stocked (with the exception of the eggplant of course).  

I tend to make mine a little differently from your standard recipe.  I choose not to top the eggplant with cheese or marinara (I like to keep it crispy!) instead leaving that for the baked pasta.  I also like to bake the eggplant after pan frying to ensure the inside is nice and creamy while the outside stays crunchy and delectable. This time around I served it up with some arugula and a squeeze of lemon,  which adds a  nice peppery flavor to cut the richness. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.  Cheers!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 lrg or 2 med eggplant
3/4c. flour
2 eggs beaten
2c. panko or breadcrumbs
salt/pepper
parmesan (1/2 c. divided)
1/4c. olive oil
1/2 lb spaghetti
1 jar of marinara
1T. brown sugar
6-8 oz mozzarella
basil

For the eggplant:

Heat oven to 400.  Slice the eggplant into 1/2" discs.  Set sliced eggplants on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet.  Liberally salt each side of the eggplant and allow to sit for 30 min. (this draws out excess moisture).  Meanwhile set up a 3 plates. Add flour to the 1st, eggs to the 2nd, and *panko to the 3rd, add a pinch of salt to all three dishes and 1/4c. parmesan to the panko. Heat up a sauté pan with 1/4c. of olive oil on med-high heat.  Rinse off each eggplant slice and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the eggplant slices in the flour, egg, and panko, in that order.  Place coated eggplant in pan cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp, work in batches until complete, add more olive oil as needed. Place cooked eggplant on the cooling rack that is still sitting on the cookie sheet and put in oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.

For the pasta:

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook spaghetti until short of al dente (it will cook in the oven too). Meanwhile heat up the marinara, add 1T. of sugar if you'd like (it really amps the flavor).  Combine pasta and marinara in an oven proof dish and top with Mozzarella, put in oven until cheese melts and browns a bit. 

The eggplant and pasta should come out around the same time, top with parmesan and basil, enjoy!!!

*cooking note: I used panko on half and breadcrumbs on half, both were delicious, but Panko was our clear favorite.

Wonderful Delicious Stir Fry

There are about a million different combinations for stir fry, and it comes together so quickly and easily that I really can't think of a better weeknight meal.  Have I mentioned it's light and healthy too?  This particular stir fry is a simple mix of steak, green beans, onions and basil.  Make it your own by adding your families favorites in the mix. Enjoy!

Steak and Green Bean Stir Fry

3/4-1lb Flap steak (if you can't find flap meat,  skirt steak or flat iron steak will work)
2t. canola oil divided
1/2 lb Green beans, trimmed
1 Onion sliced thinly
1T. garlic minced
1T. ginger minced
1/4 c. Soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1t. cornstarch
1 lime
handful of basil leaves
cooked rice


Put the flap steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to cutting (this will make it much easier to slice)  Slice meat as thin as possible against the grain, this step is VERY important in order to have tender meat. Heat 1t. canola oil in a wok or large skillet on high heat, (make sure the pan is very hot).  Add the steak and cook until browned, this should only take a few minutes.  Remove steak from pan and set aside.  Add the other 1t. of canola oil then add green beans and onions and sauté a few minutes until the onions become slightly translucent.  Add 1/4 cup of water and put the lid on for about 10 minutes or until the green beans are tender.  Meanwhile mix garlic through lime in a small bowl.  Make sure to taste the garlic sauce to see if if needs tweaking.  (I prefer slightly sweet sauce but you can always add a little spice in the sauce as well).  Once the beans and onions are nice and tender take lid off and add the garlic sauce, let this all cook together for about 2 minutes and sauce thickens slightly.  Add back in the steak and basil and cook another minute to combine the flavors.  Serve over cooked rice. Enjoy!

Zucchini Oatmeal Bars

I probably should begin by telling you that I am not a good baker,  baking catastrophes in my kitchen are not hard to come by. Luckily these zucchini oat bars were not one of them. I found a recipe online and tweaked it to fit what I had available in my kitchen.  The result was a moist, and delicious snack bar.  They were a hit with my husband and 2 year old daughter not to mention I was able to use up some more of that garden zucchini that keeps on coming. Win, win.  

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (1 large or 2 med) 

Set oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  In a different bowl add sugar, oil and whisk until combined.  Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.  Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the sugar mixture , next add the zucchini, stirring until just combined.  Place in a oiled 13x9x1" pan and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and batter has pulled away from the edges slightly.  Let cool and then eat them up!

Dinner for One

Tonight for dinner I was on my own.  Initially I thought I would just go to my favorite pizza shop and get take out, but after harvesting the vegetables from my garden, I thought why not just make something?  There is no reason not to treat yourself to a lovely meal even if it's just for 1, besides, more leftovers! While I am usually not a fan of breakfast for dinner this frittata brings some serious flavor, and it's so easy and versatile. It also happens to go perfectly well with a nice glass of Chardonnay, who knew? 

My garden loot for the day

Summer Vegetable Frittata

  I have decided not to give a true recipe to this meal because it's so versatile. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Use any veggies/fruit that you enjoy, and sauté until softened with salt and pepper to taste in a nonstick skillet that can be transferred to the oven. Next, add 5 or 6 eggs beaten, 1/4c. of milk, salt pepper (mix these together before adding to skillet). Top with cheese if you please!  Once egg is added to the skillet of veggies try not to mess with it, let it cook until the egg releases from the sides with a spatula.  Then put in the oven until the eggs set, around 15 min. That's it!  Serve with fresh herbs of your choice if you have them.  Enjoy, I sure did! 

Don't let this little slice on my plate fool you, I had two.

Surprise Visitor

This weekend my husband and I had an old friend come by.  We were a quick stop between his weekend in the mountains and the airport, but none the less I had the urge to feed him (it was dinnertime after all).  Both recipes listed below can easily be done in advance, just set the squash in the oven 30 minutes before serving and viola!  We had a great visit, and a good meal, entertaining accomplished.  

Starter: 

Roasted chickpeas, sausage, a nice sharp cheese and apples 

You really can't go wrong with some cheese, cured meat, and fruit in my opinion. The addition of the roasted chickpeas, gave a unique twist to a somewhat average appetizer.

For the Chickpeas:  

Set oven to 325 degrees. Drain and rinse 1, 15oz can of chickpeas and put onto paper towels to completely dry.  Toss chickpeas with 1T. olive oil and spices of your choice. I used 1 1/2 t. of Emeril's Essence. If your looking for a little kick cayenne would be a great addition.  Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, let cool and serve at room temperature.  Trust me, they are addictive little suckers!

Dinner:

Stuffed Squash with wild rice

I have squash and zucchini growing like crazy in my garden right now, this was a great way to use them up! The combination of both was nice and colorful, and was what my garden offered that day.  That being said, the general consensus around the table was the yellow squash were slightly more tasty than the zucchini in this recipe, they cooked down a little more and were nice and sweet.

*5-6 med sized squash/zucchini 

*1 med onion

*2 med tomatoes (use canned if you don't have fresh, just drain off liquid)

*1 c. wild rice cooked  (follow package instructions)

*1 c. orzo cooked  (follow package instructions)

*1 lb sausage (I used spicy chicken sausage from my farmers market)

*salt, pepper

*2 t. Italian seasoning

*sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the zucchini and squash in half lengthwise,  hollow out middle with a spoon, so it looks like a boat. Sprinkle with salt.  Sauté onion in a little olive oil until translucent.  Dice tomatoes.  In a large bowl combine onion, tomatoes, wild rice, orzo, sausage (no need to cook before hand), Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with a spoon until well combined and fill up the squash and zucchini with mixture.  Top with cheese.  Lay your stuffed squash on a rimmed baking sheet and put in oven for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and sausage is cooked through.  Enjoy!

Cheese!

I know, I know, the idea of making your own cheese sounds ridiculous.  Why make it when you can so  easily buy it?  The answer is in the taste, and it is so surprisingly simple to make you will wonder why you haven't done it before. Seriously. If your looking for a wow factor at your next get together, this is it. 

Ricotta!

For delicious Ricotta, you will need:

1 gallon milk (whole milk preferably, not ultra pasteurized)

2 t. salt (recipe I use calls for 1 but it's not enough in my opinion)

1 t. citric acid

a large non reactive pot

cooking thermometer

butter muslin or cheese cloth

Pour milk into pot with citric acid and salt.  Heat milk to 195 degrees, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. When the curds and whey separate, turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Line a strainer with butter muslin and gently pour the curds into the cloth.  Tie the cloth and hang to drain for about 1/2 hour, depending on your desired consistency. That's it, time to eat! It keeps if the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If your looking for cheese making supplies www.cheesemaking.com can satisfy your every whim.  The the ricotta recipe above is also from the website.

Freshness in a Bowl

  My garden, while small, really escalates my cooking and proves time and time again, how much better homegrown produce tastes, looks and smells. This dish needs no recipe as it is more of a template. Use what's in season (from your garden or farmers market preferably) and sit back and enjoy the beautiful simplicity that is summer.

My garden hitting its peak! 

Summer Veggies with Tagliatelle

    

This dish comes together as quickly as it takes to boil and cook the pasta.  Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook pasta to al dente.  Meanwhile cut up veggies, (I used onions, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes and basil).    Sauté veggies with salt, pepper (except tomatoes and basil) in a little olive oil until crisp tender.  I added onions first since they take a little longer.  When pasta is done add to the veggies, then add tomatoes and basil and a small amount of pasta water to make everything come together. Top with parmesan cheese if you please.  Super fast and completely satisfying. Enjoy!  

Comfort meets Garden

  Being smack in the middle of potty training my almost 2 year old daughter, going to the store wasn't an option yesterday. I have to admit these are some of my favorite nights to cook, when I am forced to be creative with what I have.  I had some skirt steak in the freezer, butter, milk, a few baby potatoes and veggies from my garden.  

What I came up with was a beautiful steak house dinner, comfort food anyone?

Grilled Skirt Steak, with jalapeño mash, sautéed green beans and 

creamed chard

For the steak:

Pull out steak at least 30 min. (if not an hour) prior to cooking to bring up to room temp.   I seasoned mine with rosemary, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, but use whatever you have on hand.  I grilled the meat on med high heat for 2-3 min on each side for a med to med rare. Let rest 10 min after cooking.

For the mash:

3/4 lbs of small yukon gold potatoes

3 turnips

salt/pepper 

4 jalapeños

1/2 c. milk

1T. butter

Peel and cut turnips into small chunks.  Put potatoes (whole) and turnips in a pot and fill with cold water, heat and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile dice jalapeño, keep seeds and ribs if you really like some heat, and sauté in small pan with a little olive oil until softened, set aside.  Drain potatoes and turnips and return to pot, add jalapeños a pat of butter and milk and mash with a potato masher (i keep the potato skins on, but remove if you like), season with salt and pepper to taste.  Put lid on and keep on stove to keep warm while everything else comes together.

For the creamed chard

1 bunch of chard (any dark green would do)

1/2 milk

salt 

pepper 

nutmeg 

Chop chard into small bites, removing stems (you can always reserve them for another recipe).  In a skillet with a small amount of olive oil wilt down chard, add milk (I would use whole milk or half and half).  Let mixture simmer until milk has thickened slightly, add a pinch of nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over steak.

Since the sautéed green beans are fairly obvious (steamed and tossed with salt and olive oil) I chose to omit them from the recipe

Enjoy! 

Sweet Summer Goodness

I love food. I love making, eating, seeing and smelling it. That about sums it up. 

Simple, fresh, high quality ingredients and a little time in the kitchen can make dinner special every night.  I recently have been asked by friends and family to start documenting all things food.  With a beautiful new Cannon camera in hand, I am ready to post away.  I hope this inspires you to make some delicious food in your kitchen.  Cheers!

Kate

 Grilled pizza with pureed corn, ricotta, tomatoes and basil:

(a twist on a Cooking Light Aug 2012 recipe)

*Pizza dough -I used store bought whole grain pizza dough for this recipe 

*Corn- 2 cobs

*Parmesan Cheese-1/2 c. grated

*garlic- 1 clove minced
*olive oil - 2T.

*salt, pepper

*ricotta -8oz. i used homemade but it can be store bought (FYI, homemade ricotta recipe coming soon)

*tomatoes- 1 large or 2 med

*basil- handful

 Heat grill to med heat.  Bring the dough to room temperature, lightly spread a little olive oil over the dough and spread out into whatever shape you'd like. In a small food processor add corn cut off the cob, cheese, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Puree corn mixture until combined but still chunky. Cut your tomatoes in slices, season with salt and pepper. Gently place the dough on grill and cook for 5 min or until crust begins to brown. Flip pizza, spread corn mixture on cooked side of dough, place tomatoes and ricotta on top of corn.  Close grill lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until topping are heated and crust is browned, even slightly charred.  Top with torn basil leaves, eat and enjoy.  (wine note: a chilled dry french rose pairs beautifully with this pizza).