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.

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