Life and Thyme

Pumpkin Pesto

2011-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am reminded, in a slap in the face type of way, that I've gotten too comfortable with something. It's usually not parenting, but last weekend as I was shrugging off my 1-year-old's fall, and helping her back up as I do so often - she's still working on stability, my mother in law noticed that her eye was bleeding. My sweet baby had slit her eyelid open and bashed up her eye, on my watch, while I was casually and nonchalantly responding to her cries. She's normally such a tough little girl. We've had tumbles down stairs, a fall on a bike, and countless other stumbles, all of which produced only a few tears. So I tend not to fret over her bumps and bruises these days. But seeing her eye in such bad shape made me re-think my easy-going attitude. She's totally fine, by the way. I think it's me that's scarred.

I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin pesto, not a just pumpkin seed pesto - there's a million of those recipes out there, but a pesto sauce made from actual pumpkin with a pumpkin taste. Maybe I was a little too confident. My initial attempts weren't that great. It either didn't have enough pumpkin flavor, or the spices weren't right. But actually, it was a good thing, because I really had to think and just experiment, and that's something I haven't done in a long time. So, this is me, reminding myself not to get so comfortable!

For the pesto:

2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons grated/crumbled Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons canned pumpkin (plain, no spices)
3/4 cup pepitas
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor add all ingredients minus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Blend until smooth, slowly adding in the reserved oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Excellent with squash filled raviolis or crackers with goat's cheese!

Fusilli with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Toasted Walnuts

2011-06-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

Summer orientation started this week, so life is busy, busy, busy. I was on maternity leave last year so I missed the whole shebang. But this year, I am making up for it. Presentations, presentations, presentations. It's the name of the game right now. Last week I was talking to parents about dropping their child off at college. Don't ask me how I am qualified to speak on this topic. I'm not; but I did a lot of research, and I had an amazing team helping me put it all together. It's a tough time...and I am SO glad I don't have to deal with it for another 14 years!

Believe it or not, one of the best parts of my job in summer is that we eat in the UCSB dining commons. They are award winning. They use as many local and sustainable ingredients as they can. And, they have a huge variety of food at every meal. Last week they had an amazing beet salad that I missed out on, so I was inspired to find my own beet recipe. This one was great. I was a little sceptical about beets and pasta, but the combo was super tasty. And easy...noticing a theme in this blog?! So, try this out for a quick, easy, fresh summer pasta; no orientation needed.

Recipe slightly adapted from Epicurius,

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large onions, quartered lengthwise through root end, sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bunches 2-inch-diameter golden beets with fresh healthy greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips

12 ounces fusilli pasta

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir 2 minutes. Scatter beet greens over onions. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl. Return water to boil. Add pasta to beet cooking liquid and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid by tablespoons to moisten. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve, passing additional cheese.

Kale Chips

2011-06-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

The kale chips aren't all that pretty, hence the pic of the raw kale!

We are making progress on our front yard. I am embarrassed to tell you, however, that we started this project when it was still 2010. The neighbors must roll their eyes at us. We work in fits and spurts, with long breaks in between. I guess they should be happy we've done anything at all. The yard was, BAD when we moved in, and it stayed that way for three years. So, removing the juniper bushes, painted green cracked cement walkway, and the AstroTurf covered porch was a huge improvement, even if we were left with a large mud pit. We replaced the crumbling retaining walls and the walkway is now a nice cobblestone path. But we still have big areas of what could only be referred to as "weeds". Between the kids, full-time jobs, and life, it is tough to get anything done. That's why I love simple, easy, delicious recipes like this one. We got to use some of our homegrown kale, which was great, and made us feel like we had actually accomplished something. You can add any seasonings you like, but garlic and paprika are particularly good. We tried making some with salt and vinegar and it came out pretty well - although we preferred the garlic and paprika.

Recipe - word of mouth, although there are loads of recipes online

1 bunch of kale, rinsed and chopped
olive oil to lightly coat kale
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic powder to taste)
light dusting of paprika, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chopped kale in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until well coated. Dust with the sea salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika and toss again. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until crispy. Enjoy!

Balsamic, Orange, and Rosemary Chicken

2011-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

There is a new friend at our house, but we are hoping he doesn't stay long.  He is not the best house guest.  Our dog seems to like him fine, but we aren't big fans of the trenches he is digging, or the holes he is creating in the yard. We have tried to reason with him, tempt him elsewhere, catch him in a humane trap with a promise of being set free in an open field, but he just won't leave. We attempted the vibrating stakes in the ground. The website for these promised to drive him away without harm. We were a little skeptical, but many of the reviews were positive, that is, of course, all except one reviewer who wrote: "Don't waste your money. The only way these get rid of gophers is if you accidentally stab one in the heart while pounding them into the ground." We had a good laugh about that. But so far, he seems to be right. I'm not sure the vibrating stakes have even deterred the gopher from the immediate surrounding area.   If anything, it seems we are now providing him free massage. No wonder he isn't too anxious to leave. Ugh, what to do? Any suggestions are welcome. We are running out of humane options.

As for the recipe, my very thoughtful and kind husband made this for me awhile back.  Wasn't that nice of him? I hope you will remember his kindness if my fear becomes reality, and we have to resort to a rather unfortunate method of getting rid of the gopher...

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
150ml fresh orange juice
150ml pint chicken stock
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
orange segments and fresh rosemary sprigs to garnish

1. Put the chicken between pieces of plastic wrap and flatten slightly by bashing with a meat tenderizer. Unwrap and sprinkle on both sides with pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then brown the chicken for 5 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Pour 2 tbsp vinegar over the chicken, add the orange juice and stock and sprinkle with the rosemary and salt. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and bubble gently for 5-8 minutes until tender, spooning with the sauce frequently and turning chicken halfway through.

3. Stir in the sugar, butter and rest of the vinegar, then sizzle for a few minutes until reduced and glossy.

4. Put the chicken in a serving dish, spoon the sauce over and garnish with orange and rosemary. Serve with rice and a crisp green salad.

Homegrown strawberries anyone?

2011-04-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm impressed. I'm bursting with pride. Andrew does most of the gardening and planting of our fruits and vegetables, and for good reason - he has a much greener thumb than I. But, I planted these! And they grew! And we got a lot of them! And they are good!

P.S. I'm not sharing; don't even ask...

Black Bean Brownies

2011-04-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

These days, I catch about 10 minutes of t.v. as I drift off to sleep at night. I saw this recipe on the Food Network the other night and kept myself awake long enough to make a mental note of the ingredients. Impressed that I could still remember them four days later, I decided to give it a shot. They were great! A little bit cakey but also very rich and chocolaty, and super moist without being greasy. They also had a really smooth texture to them which we all loved. And, seeing as they are, shall we say, full of beans, we just called them "healthy" too...

Recipe from Melissa d'Arabian, as seen on The Food Network:

1 Cup canned black beans, drained
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
1/2 Cup melted chocolate (can use melted chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 Cup mini chocolate chips

Blend beans and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, melted chocolate, and vanilla and blend for another minute or so until well mixed. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, flour, and salt. Pulse in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into lightly greased 9x9 glass baking dish. Bake for 23-27 minutes at 350 degrees.

Guinness Rarebit with Vegetables and Poached Egg

2011-03-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

My first St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a tad surprising. It's always been one of my favorite holidays and I was excited to experience it in a country where it actually had true significance. That morning, I pinched Andrew for not wearing green. I was met with an astounded, "Why did you just do that?" Me: "'Cause you're not wearing green." Andrew: "Why should I be wearing green?" Me: "It's St. Patrick's Day!" Andrew: "So?" Me: "So, I pinched you because you weren't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day." Andrew: "You are supposed to wear green on St. Patrick's Day? I've lived in Dublin for five years and I've never heard of that before." Me: (equally astounded) "What do you mean you've never heard of that?" Andrew: "Must be an American thing babe." Me: speechless, but here's what I was thinking: ("He's just not that observant. He's from England so he probably just doesn't know.") But, he was right. They don't wear green, they don't drink green beer, they don't say "top 'o the mornin' to 'ya," there's no pinching, they don't eat corned beef and cabbage, there's no such thing as the Guinness toast, there are no leprechauns, and they refer to the holiday as "Paddy's Day". That's with two "d"s not two "t"s. People go to church, there's a parade, and the day centers around drinking and music - with nary a shamrock in sight.

They don't eat rarebit on Paddy's Day either, but it felt like a very Irish meal to make - at least to an American...

Adapted from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

1/3 of a stick of butter
1 tbsp flour
50ml milk
50ml Guinness
8 oz. mature cheddar
1 tsp English mustard
Worcestershire sauce
4 large slices bread , toasted
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, cut into small strips
4 eggs, poached

Melt the butter in a small pan,stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Gradually mix in the milk, then slowly add the Guinness until you have a thick sauce. Bubble for a couple of minutes then add in the cheese and stir until melted. Mix in the mustard with a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce and season. Spread the mix over the bread then broil until golden and bubbling.

Meanwhile, saute the cabbage and carrots in a little butter until tender. Poach the eggs to desired hardness. Top the rarebit with the vegetables and an egg. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

Pasta and Veggies with Rosemary

2011-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, what just happened? Oh yeah, I had a second baby, went back to work full-time, and adopted a dog. Guess what took a back seat? Blogging, right..along with just about every other non-essential thing I usually enjoy doing. Things come up and I ask myself, "Is this going to take more than 10 minutes?" If the answer is yes, I'll usually pass. That's okay, I wouldn't trade it. But, I have had to scale back a lot of things, including time-consuming cooking projects. The other night I threw this together last minute and we really enjoyed it. It was quick, easy, and super tasty...just my style right now.

1/2 an eggplant, salted, drained, and then cubed in 1/2" pieces
1 zucchini, diced
1 tomato, diced
10-15 black olives, sliced
1 bunch spinach, chard, or other greens
3 Tablespoons good quality olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 pound pasta, any shape

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a frying pan, saute garlic gently in olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add eggplant and zucchini and stir occasionally 2-3 minutes. Add spinach or greens and stir occasionally until tender. Add remaining ingredients until well mixed. Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste.

NOTE: Salting and draining the eggplant will keep it from absorbing all the oil when you put it into the frying pan, so don't be tempted to skip this step. It really does make a difference.

Savory Bread Pudding

2011-01-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

Remember the Easy Bake Oven? I loved that thing growing up. What a great idea; independent cooking for kids. You didn't have to ask Mom to open the oven for you or help you stir thick batter. You just opened a little pouch of mix, added a couple tablespoons of water, got out a cereal spoon, and viola, ready to be poured into a cake pan the size of an English muffin, and put into the Easy Bake Oven to be cooked by the heat of a light bulb. Ten minutes later and you were enjoying a thumbprint-sized cookie or a small mouthful of cake. Yum! Once I tried to create my own recipe. I put some strips of raw potato in hoping to net a few french fries. I got distracted and came back to three charred inedible black potato strips. My Mom kindly showed me how to use the timer to "remind" myself to check the oven. This memory came back to me as I pulled my bread pudding out of the oven and thought, hmm, a little browner than I had intended. Glad I caught it before it got too dark.

We ate this for dinner, and really enjoyed it. It would also make an excellent dish for a brunch or Sunday breakfast. It's so versatile too. You could add any number of different vegetables and/or some chirizo or bacon if you feel the need for some meat. Just do yourself a favor and set the timer!

From Edible Santa Barbara, Winter 2010

3/4 loaf or about 1/2 pound of day-old bread
4 eggs
2 Cups whole or skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
black pepper
4 ounces grated cheese (Gruyere or cheddar)
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Olive oil

1 onion or 2-3 leeks, white portion only, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 small bunch of chard (or kale, or any other green), stems removed and leaves cut into thin slices
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes to loosely fill an 8-inch souffle dish or 2 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and combine until bread is thoroughly moistened. Stir in the grated cheese and chopped parsley and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until softened. Add the greens and a little salt. Reduce heat, cover and cook until greens are tender, 5 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the leaves. Add a little water to the pan if it dries out.

Place half of the bread mixture in the baking dish, then add the greens and onion mixture. Then add the remaining bread mixture. Top with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned on top. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna

2011-01-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to see a few old high school friends over the holidays. It has been a lot of years, but some bonds never change. I love seeing how people's lives unfold. Even though the end results were partly surprising, in hindsight, it's easy to see how choices from the early teen years have led them to their current places in life. For one, fame. For another, fortune. And, for another, philanthropy. All three, so impressive. In all honesty, it did make me question what I had accomplished in life...

This lasagna was a bit of an ego booster! It felt like something I threw together last minute, but got such rave reviews from our dinner guest (one of those successful high school friends). Plus, it was nice to make a vegetarian dish that didn't feel like it was lacking a key ingredient, aka meat!

From www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
cooking spray
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
3 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3.Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

4.Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

5.Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Red Chard Gallette

2010-12-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

December is typically a busy time of year. But here in Santa Barbara we are on a mad dash to finish all of our house projects before the family arrives for Christmas. Evenings and weekends have been devoted to our front yard, outdoor lighting, and our dining room. Projects in our house tend to drag on and on, but having family arriving next week has motivated us to get in gear. It makes me wonder if we need planned visitors every time we start a project! Needless to say, these projects have left me with little time for cooking, so I've been cycling through some quick and easy dinners. I will try to post some of them soon. For now, here's one of my favorite (quick and easy) appetizers. Greens are always delicious, but in this gallette, they really shine. This is also a great crowd pleaser for all those holiday parties!
1 red onion, sliced
1 bunch red chard, stems removed, and chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
pinch of sugar
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste

Caramelize the onions by frying in the olive oil and butter. Add a pinch of sugar as the onions start to cook. The onions should get good and brown. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove onions from pan and set aside. Add the red chard and pine nuts and cook until red chard is wilted and pine nuts are toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir onions in. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out prepared pie crust on a greased cookie sheet. Place filling in the center leaving about an inch and a half or two around the edges. Fold the edges up. Place in preheated 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat's Cheese

2010-12-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a week of turkey leftovers, and I am, to put it bluntly, a little over it. I hate wasting food, so I've made a couple of notes to myself for next year: BUY A SMALLER TURKEY! It's either that or INVITE MORE PEOPLE! In which case, I'll need to make another note to BUY A BIGGER HOUSE, and then FIND A HIGHER PAYING JOB!

Needless to say, after a week of turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, and turkey curry, I was ready for something totally different, and most importantly, vegetarian. This recipe did not disappoint. We used a butternut squash from our garden, but didn't have a second one, so used an acorn squash as the second squash. Both were delicious. I preferred the acorn squash, but Andrew preferred the butternut squash. I recommend trying both, and trust me, you won't have any leftovers!

From BBC GoodFood

Serves 2-4
2 small butternut squash (or 1 butternut and 1 acorn)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of dried chili flakes
1 tsp. thyme, chopped
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
handful of cherry tomatoes
1/4 Cup pine nuts
1/2 Cup goat's cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon parsley - chopped
1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Then cut a criss-cross pattern over the cut-side of each one. Mix together the garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili flakes, and thyme and brush this mixture over the flesh. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the flesh is tender.

2. To make the filling, put the zucchini, pepper and onion in a roasting pan and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season and roast for about 20-25 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges. Add the cherry tomatoes and pine nuts and cook another 10 minutes.

3. Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, and Parmesan. Arrange the roasted vegetables and goat's cheese in the squash halves. Scatter with the breadcrumb mix and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread

2010-11-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my wonderful husband and my beautiful daughters. You inspire me and fill me with love. Sometimes I wish I could freeze time and stay in any one of those amazing moments I have with you all. But then I remember that life moving forward means even more of those moments. Love you three!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. It makes a great day after Thanksgiving morning treat.

Adapted slightly from Bon Apetit
Makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 Cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 Cups sugar
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 Cups grated peeled sweet potato
1 Cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan(s) with non-stick spray. Stir together first five ingredients into medium bowl. Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla to blend in large bowl. Mix in zucchini and sweet potato. Add dry ingredients and walnuts and stir well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan(s). Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes-1 hour for a large loaf or 30-40 minutes for smaller loaves. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread to loosen. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Apple Pistachio Salad

2010-11-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

I walked into the local coffee house last week and they had a red wreath on the door and Christmas music playing. I'm all for enjoying the season, but can we at least get through Thanksgiving first? In high school I worked at a Hallmark store and we put the Christmas ornaments out in July. Yep, July! I remember wondering who on earth would be out shopping for Christmas ornaments in July, but believe it or not, there were some folks. "Folks," that's a good word for them. My fellow colleague at the store, of similar age, used to call them the crazy crafty ladies. I found myself admiring a few of the ornaments, and wondering (worrying) that maybe I'd turn into a crazy crafty lady myself in a few years. Thankfully, my eclectic collection ended up being recipes, phew! I am beginning to get into the holiday spirit with my cooking. I ran across this recipe the other day and thought it was a nice, healthy alternative to all the high calorie food that gets served this time of year. Of course I didn't have all the ingredients it called for, so I made some substitution. I've included my version and the original. I've made it both ways and found it delightful with either ingredient list. Enjoy and happy holidays!

Adapted from the recipes at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center

Salad:
2 1/2 Cups fresh apples, chopped 1/4-1/2" chunks
1 1/2 Cup celery, diced (or use cucumber)
1/3 Cup dried currants (or use tart dried cherries)
1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2/3 Cup shelled pistachio nuts

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-1 1/2 Tablespoons honey, slightly warmed if solid
pinch salt

Soak chopped apples in lemon water for a few minutes to prevent browning, then strain. Combine apples, celery (or cucumber), currents (or tart dried cherries), and nuts.

Make dressing by whisking together lemon juice, vinegar, honey, and salt.

Toss salad with dressing and mint. Serve immediately.

Note: If you plan to let the salad set for a while before serving, wait to add pistachios to prevent them from softening.

Celery Root and Apple Soup

2010-11-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

I must admit, the thought of celery root soup made me go, bleh! I pretty much see celery as a utensil for peanut butter and ranch dressing. And I struggle to think of anything that improves with the addition of it. But, I received my weekly shipment of organic vegetables and inside was a celery root. What was I supposed to do with it? It didn't look very appetizing and it smelled pretty strongly like celery. This recipe was included with the vegetables, and I figured I could either try it, or let the celery root rot in the bottom of the fridge. The fact that I actually spent time debating these two options tells you how little I care for celery. So, imagine my delight when this soup turned out so good. I didn't even have the pancetta that the recipe called for (which I assumed was to mask the celery taste), and still I loved it. I will definitely be making this again. The granny smith apples gave it a little bit of tang and a subtle bit of sweetness, and the celery flavor lingered just slightly in the background. Topped off with some chives, and it all came together beautifully; no peanut butter or ranch dressing needed!

From Bon Appetit
yield: Makes 6 servings

(NOTE: I skipped the pancetta, and rather than making the chive oil, I just topped the soup with chopped chives. It was wonderful, and cutting those steps made this super quick and easy.)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled celery root (from one 1 1/4-pound celery root)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled cored apples (Granny Smith work best) (from about 2-3 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Pinch of salt
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon)

Preparation
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery root, apples, and onion. Cook until apples and some of celery root are translucent (do not brown), stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer covered until celery root and apples are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.

Puree chives, grapeseed oil, and pinch of salt in blender until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange pancetta slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until pancetta is browned and crispy, about 18 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble pancetta. DO AHEAD: Chive oil and pancetta can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Rewarm soup over medium heat. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle pancetta crumbles over each serving. Drizzle each bowl with chive oil.

Inside-Out Eggplant Parmigiana

2010-10-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

This recipe seemed appropriate for the week I had. I got to work on Tuesday and discovered, much to my dismay, that I had my shirt on backwards. Even more unfortunate, was the fact that I had kissed my husband goodbye, dropped off both my children at day care, seen their teachers, fellow parents, and a few co-workers, all before realizing my error. How I miss the days when I had time to glance in the mirror before leaving the house!

So, dinner with "inside-out" in the title looked like the recipe for me. Thankfully this was amazing! We loved it. The egg patties and sauteed arugula were a nice twist on traditional eggplant parmigiana. I know it looks like a lot of directions, but it really wasn't that involved. It's worth it!

Adapted slightly from Gourmet, January 2009

For tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups crushed fresh tomatoes, skins removed
3 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pasta seasoning

For eggplant stacks

2 (1-lb) eggplants
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 lb arugula, coarse stems discarded, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb cold fresh mozzarella, ends trimmed and remainder cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices

Make tomato sauce:

•Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.

•Meanwhile, peel and crush tomatoes. Add to onion mixture in saucepan with red pepper, seasonings, 1/4 tsp salt and balsamic vinegar and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Keep warm, covered.

Bake eggplant:

•Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

•Cut 12 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from widest portion of eggplants. Brush both sides with 2 Tbsp oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt (total). Bake on an oiled baking sheet, turning once, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Leave oven on.

Make egg patties and sauté arugula:

•Stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, half of garlic, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, then stir in eggs and water.

•Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop 4 rounded 1/3 cups of egg mixture into skillet and cook, turning once, until patties are golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

•Add remaining Tbsp oil to skillet and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, then stir in 1/8 tsp salt.

Assemble stacks:

•Arrange 4 egg patties about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, 1 slice mozzarella, 1 eggplant slice, 2 more Tbsp tomato sauce, another eggplant slice, arugula mixture, and remaining eggplant. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with additional oil and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

2010-10-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

I promise, yours will be gone this fast too! It's a little piece of heaven this pudding. Just please, please don't do what I did. I swear you'll regret it, and you'll be mad that I didn't warn you. I mean, you may not even be considering it, but if you are, then I must try and stop you, because, well, it would be such a shame, and I'd feel so bad, and, I'm just not good with that kind of guilt. Plus, not warning you about the biggest mistake you can make with this recipe would be just plain mean, and I'm not a mean person. But, even if I was, I'd never be that mean. Because that would be really mean. We're talking really really mean. Sorry, am I getting off track here? There I go, already apologizing. I should just get on with it, you know, so I don't have to apologize. But truth be told, I bet you'd never dream of making this mistake anyway. So why am I worrying about it? Now I'm worrying about worrying! Things are really getting out of hand here. Just don't do it, okay? Promise? Pinkie swear? Good, thanks. Oh yeah, I haven't even told you yet. You ready? Fine, I'll just say it. Here goes. On the count of three. Did I mention that you really really shouldn't do this? Good, because I want to make sure you know that. Right, okay, so, here it is, big mistake: I only made half a recipe.

From Gourmet, October 2007
Serves 6

Notes: I made a number of substitutions to this recipe with great success. I didn't have cream so I used 2% milk. I didn't miss the extra fat. I was also all out of ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, so I used a good amount of pumpkin pie spice. This didn't appear to make any difference. I also sprinkled some on top after it was done, which added a little extra yummyness! Finally, I used salted butter but left out the added salt. This worked just fine. And, as I found out from reading the comments about this recipe, lots of people add chocolate chips and/or raisins. That didn't appeal to me, but then other people add bourbon, which I definitely would have added if I would have had it!

1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a bowl.

Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Beets, Beet Greens, and Orange Butter Chicken

2010-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Waste not, want not, right? I certainly learned this lesson growing up! If there were a few mere tablespoons of a dish left at the end of dinner, my Dad would insist we wrap it up and put it in the fridge. Once a week we'd have leftovers and I'd have to fight my brother for the couple of spoonfuls of our favorite dishes. Don't get me wrong, it's a happy memory. I did rather enjoy the rock, paper, scissors games to determine who got to eat the last of the tuna casserole. So, I guess that's why I was drawn to this recipe, a recipe where you use every part of the beet. After working hard to grow these gorgeous vegetables, it did seem a shame to throw the luscious leafy bits into the composter. And what a shame it would have been. The beet greens were the highlight. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll let you in on a little secret: I didn't even know you could eat beet greens before seeing this recipe...) Shh! Don't tell anyone! I promise. I will never waste them again!

Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2009
Serves 2

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel, divided
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
2 medium red beets with greens, greens stemmed and coarsely chopped, beets peeled and coarsely grated
3 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar, divided (or use balsamic vinegar)
1/3 Cup water

Mix 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon orange peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon orange peel, and the orange juice in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and saute until cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes each side. Place one chicken breast in center of each plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; stir until tender and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add beet greens; toss until leaves are tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar; stir 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon greens alongside chicken; cover to keep warm.

Add grated beets and 1/3 cup water to same skillet; cover and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking until beets are tender and water is almost evaporated, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar; stir 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon beets onto plates. Spoon orange butter atop chicken and serve.

Note: Be sure to season your chicken breast well. Also, I added some orange zest while cooking which gave it a nice flavor.

Fig, Arugula, and Blue Cheese Pizza

2010-10-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

It was an El Nino year my first and last years of college. I have memories of wading through the dining commons to get my lunch, watching my fellow students row a boat down our street, and playing mud football on the res hall lawn. On a campus where the only way to get around was to either walk or bike, you had little choice on rainy days but to get soaked on the way to class. These days, students wear rain boots and carry umbrellas, but in the mid-nineties, you'd rather have your Mom walking you to class than sport an umbrella. So as you might imagine, on rainy days the campus was filled with lots of students getting very wet. One rainy day I decided to wear flip flops. I got lots of comments and even an offer from my boss to loan me a pair of warmer shoes. But, wouldn't you know it, after about ten minutes inside, I was the only one with warm dry feet. Ever since then, when I get a slightly unusual idea in my head, I stop and think, ya' know, this might just be like wearing flip flops in the rain!

It's an interesting concept...salad on a pizza crust. I pondered this one for awhile, not sure if I'd like it. But we had fresh ripe home grown figs to eat, and it occurred to me that this might be the key ingredient to give this a shot. The verdict: delicious! The pizza crust with the sweetness of the figs, salty blue cheese and tangy vinegar, yum! Sound odd? Not convinced? Hmm, maybe you should try some flip flops next time it rains...

1 package ready made pizza dough (I used the whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's)
12 ripe figs, quartered
2-3 handfuls of arugula
1/2 Cup crumbled or diced good quality blue cheese
a little bit of very thinly sliced red onion
a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Prepare pizza dough as directed on the package. Brush with a little olive oil before baking. Bake as directed, removing from the oven once crispy and lightly browned. While dough is cooking, cut up figs, arugula, blue cheese, and red onion. As soon as pizza crust is done, transfer onto plate and top with arugula, figs, blue cheese, and red onion. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and top off with a light dusting of freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

2010-10-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Want to know how to speed up your life? Have a child. It's like putting life into fast forward. Want to know how to make it go even faster? Have a second one. Right now life is moving so fast I can barely keep up. It feels like just last week that I was bringing home our new baby daughter . But it has been almost four months. Maternity leave ended this week, and I headed in to work fairly convinced that they would send me home, chuckling that I had gotten the date wrong. It can't possible be October. I'm still hangin' out in August!

I decided I needed to cook something to get me in the fall spirit. Nothing says October like pumpkin. And anything with Nutella in it just has to be good. It was a yummy combo, and definitely helped me catch up to the current season!

Cupcake batter:

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 14.5 oz can of plain pumpkin
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
3/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar loosely packed
3 Tablespoons milk
2 eggs

Frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup Nutella
1/4-1/2 Cup powdered sugar

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper baking cups. In a medium bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs and milk. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until mixed. Spoon batter into cupcake pan. For a special treat you can add a teaspoon of Nutella to the center of each cupcake and cover with a little more batter. Place in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes. Yields 18-24 cupcakes.

For the frosting:
Mix together cream cheese and Nutella with an electric mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar until frosting reaches your desired consistency. Wait for cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.

Linguine with Roasted Butternut Squash Sauce

2010-10-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I grocery shop without a list. If any of you have been under the false assumption that I am supremely organized and have it all together, I have news for you. I'm not and I don't. I've survived this long in life simply because I have a decent memory, and after two children, I have to say, that too seems to be going. What was I talking about again? Oh right, my memory, yeah. Anyway, I don't totally meander about the store. I have a mental list, or shall we call it a feeling for what I need? But, rarely do I enter the store with anything written down. That would involve taking the time to scribble it and then remembering to bring it and then remembering to look at it. Who has the time? It probably won't shock you to hear that I often end up missing one or two ingredients for a recipe. I've been wanting to make this pasta dish for a long time now, but not surprisingly, I always seemed to be one or two ingredients shy and didn't want to sell it short by making substitutions. I'm so glad I didn't. You've got to try this. It was amazing, and definitely unforgettable!

Recipe by Marina (see her blog: http://www.yummymummykitchen.com/)
Serves 4

1 medium sized butternut squash

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1/2 a medium onion, sliced

pinch of sugar

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

8 sage leaves, torn

extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter
1 lb linguine, rigatoni or other favorite pasta, cooked al dente

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice squash lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Drizzle the garlic halves with olive oil and wrap loosely in foil. Place squash and garlic on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes for the squash and 30 minutes for the garlic. Cool enough to remove skin. Save half of the squash and garlic for a later use.
While squash and garlic are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of sugar, and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse the peeled squash, peeled roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and caramelized onions until smooth.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sage and simmer until fragrant and butter just begins to brown. Stir into the squash mixture. Thin with pasta water and/or milk until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cooked pasta and top with more Parmesan cheese.

Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

2010-10-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

The things I love most about growing our own vegetables are the little "surprises" we get. Maybe it's because we are amateurs, or maybe it's like this for all vegetable gardeners. I'm not sure. But we always think we know what we are planting, eagerly await the crop, and then somehow get a lot of some things and none of others. Sadly, our vision of the crop, and the reality, do not always match. We've had lots of luck with peas, squash, eggplant, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, sporadic luck with beets, zucchini, herbs, and cucumbers, and absolutely no luck with peppers, broccoli, or brussel sprouts. This year the zucchinis decided they wanted in on the 'no grow' list. A few of them rotted and the only other one stayed little but developed an unappealing hard skin. We did get a couple tiny ones that we ate, but nothing to brag about. So, imagine my surprise when I looked under the enormous leaves and saw 2 medium, beautifully formed zucchinis! I was so excited and I couldn't wait to search out a recipe. This was a great and healthy way to enjoy the fresh zucchini and makes an excellent side dish or light dinner.

Adapted slightly from Gourmet, July 2006

1 pound zucchini (about 2 large)

1 teaspoons salt

1/3 pound arugula, stems discarded and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (4 cups)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (on large holes of a box grater; 1/3 - 1/2 cup, or use pre-grated)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

handful of walnuts (optional)

Special equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer (I didn't have one. So, I just sliced my zucchinis very thin with a sharp knife.)

Cut zucchini crosswise into paper-thin slices with slicer. Toss zucchini slices with one teaspoon salt in a large colander set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes.

Rinse zucchini slices well, then drain, pressing gently on slices to extract any excess liquid. Pat zucchini slices dry with a kitchen towel.

Put arugula greens in a large bowl. Sprinkle with half the Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over greens and toss. Arrange zucchini slices over arugula greens, then drizzle with remaining oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, walnuts, and pepper.

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Bake

2010-09-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

The best thing about living in a house with no air conditioning, on the hottest day on record in Southern California, is...you can turn your oven on and it really doesn't make your house any hotter! Two days ago it was 110 at my house. Not the best day for a casserole, but oh well. This one was a keeper. There was just one thing that would have made it even better: 60 degree weather!

Adapted from a recipe in Rachel Ray magazine.

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
3/4 pound bow tie or ziti pasta
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pasta seasoning
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Cups pitted kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1/4 Cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 Cup bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through, until browned, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta and cooking water to the pot and stir in the crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and half each of the parsley, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

3. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish; top with the roasted cauliflower and remaining bread crumbs and Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle remaining parsley on top.

Traditional Cornish Pasties

2010-09-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look back on things that have happened in my life, and, had I not lived them, would never have believed it possible. Meeting my husband was one such experience. Go traveling in Europe, meet a fabulous man, and get married? No way, that type of thing doesn't happen to me.   But, in the year 2000 it did. Now, let me make one thing clear; I didn't head out on my trip hoping to find love, far from it. I was on a three-month journey of self discovery, and, for the first two weeks, I was just trying to ride a bike around Ireland and fix my friend Megan up with the adorable British guy on our tour (Andrew).   After a few days of trying to implement our plan, Megan said to me, "I think Andrew likes you, and I think you should go for it." What? I didn't see it.  But, a day later and I am pretty sure I was already in love with him. Fast forward ten years, and here we are, with two girls and a wonderful life together.

We've just returned home from a visit to Scotland and England to see his family. His parents are from Cornwall but spent most of their adult lives in the north of England, and now in Scotland. Andrew's Mum makes traditional Cornish pasties, and they are Andrew's favorite. I had the honor of learning how to make them on this last trip. It felt like learning a real family secret. Thank you Grace for teaching me and for taking the time to share a part of your family heritage with me. It means a lot.

The pasties have nothing to do with our vegetable garden, sorry. And, for those of you looking for a healthy, low-cal recipe, this isn't the one for you. But, they are worth the trouble for the treat, and they will make your heart smile, that I guarantee.

For the pastry:
8 ozs Plain Flour
Pinch salt
5 ozs lard and margarine mixed, try 2 ozs lard and 3 ozs margarine (I know what you are thinking, lard?   Really Suzanne?...Yes, it's one day, it will be okay, just don't tell your cardiologist!)
cold water to mix

1. Mix flour and salt, add fat and cut into small pieces
2. Stir with a knife (do not rub in). Mix to a stiff dough with water
3. Roll onto a floured surface to a narrow strip
4. Fold in three, give a quarter turn so one of the open ends is towards you and roll out again. Do this three times.
5. Cover pastry and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
6. Roll pastry as required, roll away from you and do not break the air bubbles that will rise

(We skipped the fold in three step, and just mixed it a bit with our fingers and cut it in half. It still came out perfect.)

For the filling:

1 Cup raw meat, cubed (traditionally they use steak, but you can use any meat you like)
1 1/4 Cup potatoes, sliced into small pieces
1/4 Cup onion, chopped in big pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 inch cube chunks of butter (enough so each pasty you make has three chunks on the top)

1. Once pastry dough is made and chilled, remove from fridge and roll out. Cut circle pieces using a plate as a guide.
2. Place enough meat, potatoes, and onions to fill, on top of rolled out circle of pastry dough.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place 3 chunks of butter across filling.
5. Moisten the edges with water and pinch together, pushing the whole thing over to the side once pinched.
6. Paint with egg yolk or milk and place on greased baking tray.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes.

Notes: Pasties are often served with pickled beets or chutney, weird by American standards, but very tasty! Since I don't eat beef, my mother-in-law always makes mine with chicken and corn. It's delicious.  Also, if you are up for a short cut, you can use ready made pie crust instead of making your own pastry.

Grace and me assembling the pasties!

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon with Spinach, Olives, and Golden Raisins

2010-09-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for technology. Something has to pretty much become standard before I incorporate it into my life. Had remote controls and power windows not become universal, I'm pretty sure I'd still be cranking my car windows down and getting up to turn the dial on my t.v. That's why it shocked my husband when I said I was going to buy an Ipod Touch. I'm not much for choosing the music we listen to. I've never ever downloaded a song. I'm sure he must have wondered what on earth I was going to do with an Ipod Touch. He probably figured it was one more piece of technology he would end up having to be the tech support for. Oh, but this is different. I have finally found a piece of technology I LOVE. Hand held access to the world, amazing! All the apps that are available, incredible! And my favorite so far (or at least a tie with Words with Friends, hee hee) is the epicurious app. Any recipe, any time, shopping lists, sensible ways to search, reviews. It's pretty darn amazing. Thank you Apple, thank you epicurious, and thank you science. I am in love, with technology...

Now here's a tasty recipe I found using the epicurious app.:

From Bon Appetit, February 2010

Serves 2, but easily doubled

2 9-ounce bags spinach leaves
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 5-ounce salmon fillets with skin
1/3 Cup chopped shallots (I used green onions)
1/3 Cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1/3 Cup golden raisins (I used regular raisins)
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey

Pour a few tablespoons water into a heavy large nonstick skillet. Place over medium-high heat. Add 1 bag spinach (skillet will be full). Using 2 wooden spoons, turn and toss spinach until most of leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining spinach leaves in 2 batches. Turn and toss spinach until just wilted but still bright green, Transfer cooked spinach to strainer set over bowl.

Wipe skillet dry if necessary. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Place in skillet skin side up. Sear until brown, about 3 minutes; turn fish. Cook until just opaque in center, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to plate; wipe skillet clean.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet. Add chopped shallot, halved olives, and raisins. Stir 1 minute. Add spinach; toss until heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mound spinach mixture on plates. Top with salmon.

Add balsamic vinegar and honey to skillet. Boil until reduced to glaze, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze over salmon and spinach and serve.

Lemon Chiffon Pie

2010-06-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is my great Aunt Frances' recipe. My Dad's family was full of great cooks and he was smart enough to gather these family recipes before it was too late. I love making stuff like this because you don't see these recipes very often as they are much more traditional than your trendy coconut milk lavender creme brule type desserts that are all the rage these days. Plus, it feels like a great way to honor the memory of these wonderful ladies in my family, most of whom passed away while I was still a child.

This pie is light and perfect for summer. And, if you have a prolific lemon tree in your backyard, like we do, it is a great way to use up some lemons! Enjoy!

(By the way, still pregnant, due on Friday, and beginning to think this may drag on for awhile...ugh!)

1 envelope Knox Gelatin
¼ cup cold water
4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar (divided)
½ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 cup fresh whipped cream

Bake pie crust according to package directions, if you choose a frozen one, or according to directions if you make your own, and let cool. (I regret being lazy and not making my own. The frozen one I bought sunk a little so we ended up with a rather thick bottom crust and not much on the sides.)

Add ½ cup sugar, lemon juice and salt to beaten egg yolks. Cook over boiling water until it is custard consistency, (coats a spoon). Sprinkle gelatin on top of cold water (at the last minute), then add to hot custard and stir until dissolved. Add grated lemon rind. Cool.

When it begins to thicken, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. To the egg whites you have added remaining ½ cup sugar.

Fill baked pie shell and leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Spread thin layer of fresh whipped cream on top. I garnished with some fresh blackberries and lemon rind.

Stuffed Tomatoes

2010-06-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just realized this is my second post in a row that starts with "stuffed." It must be some metaphor for how I am feeling right now, 38 weeks pregnant and "stuffed." Perhaps it is theapeutic to take out my uncomfortableness on vegetables. The more I stuff into them, the less I focus on how stuffed this baby is into me! You better hope this baby comes soon, otherwise watch out, I'll be stuffing broccoli stems!

My two year old actually helped me create this recipe. I was telling her that I was thinking about what to make for dinner and she said she wanted to help me chop tomatoes. The thought entered my mind, let's have stuffed tomatoes for dinner. I asked her what we should put in them and she suggested rice and cheese. And thus, the recipe was born. I didn't measure anything while I was making it, so this is my best guess. Basically you just need to make enough of the stuffing for the number of tomatoes you want to cook. I made four and that fed the two of us just fine (me and my husband (not my toddler - she just enjoys helping make them, not eating them)).

4-6 Roma or Beefstake tomatoes, tops sliced off and internal contents removed
1 Cup brown rice
1/4 Cup bread crumbs
1/4 Cup chopped bell peppers (I used yellow since that is all I had)
1/4 Cup black beans
1/4 Cup roasted corn
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup tomato pieces (salvaged from what you scooped out)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

De-seed and remove centers of tomatoes and set aside. Mix all remaining ingredients. Spoon into tomatoes and replace tops. Place in a well oiled baking dish, drizzle a little olive oil on the top and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until tomatoes seem soft. I served them on top of some grilled sourdough bread that I brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, and toasted on the BBQ for a couple of minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini with Garlic, Paprika, and Cheese Crustinis

2010-06-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

My mom forwarded me one of those cliche email forwards that talks about the specialness of being a mom. It was actually quite touching and made me laugh a few times with memories from my teenage years, specifically, learning how to drive. Shortly after getting my learner's permit I was out with my mom practicing in the Dodge Caravan and took a corner a little fast. We went rolling around the corner on two wheels. I found it funny. She, was petrified. Now that I have my own daughter, and another making an appearance very soon, I realize how terrifying it can be at times to be a parent. Will they make good decisions? Can I trust their friends? Who is watching over them when I am not there? Will everyone be kind to them? Will they be kind to others? Will they eat their vegetables? exercise? take care of themselves? The list goes on and on and on. The scary part is that most of the time I am not in control of any of these things, and neither is my husband. All we as parents can do is try to model the way, teach them values and morals, and hope for the best. I made this recipe tonight in hopes that we might get a vegetable and some meat down our toddler. No luck. Instead she ate plain bread, a few bites of mac and cheese, and some applesauce. When I offered her some of our food she told me she didn't like it, but maybe she will when she gets bigger. I guess we have something to look forward to in the teen years. If she keeps this up long enough it really will balance out all the new driver/first date/you did what? experiences.

Stuffed Zucchini (adapted from a recipe that came with a bottle of Smoking Loon merlot!)

4 medium zucchinis (mine were small so I used six)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 Cup onions, chopped

1 Cup ground turkey

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 Cup fresh bread crumbs

6 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

Boil zucchini about 10 minutes, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the pulp. Set shell aside and chop pulp. Heat butter and oil in a skillet, cook onions and ground turkey. Add zucchini pulp and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain. Into this mixture, add the egg, bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this into hollowed zucchini shells, mounding tops slightly. Place into a shallow, oiled baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and dribble a few drops of olive oil over each shell. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil, bake an additional 10 minutes to brown. Serve and enjoy. Serves 4-6 people.

Garlic, Paprika, and Cheese Crustinis

8 slices of nice sourdough bread (or whatever your preference is)

butter or olive oil

garlic powder

paprika

Parmesan cheese

dried parsley

Lay bread slices on a baking sheet and butter one side of each slice (or brush with olive oil). Sprinkle each slice with remaining ingredients. Put in the oven with the zucchini for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Brown under the broiler for a minute or two if needed.

Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

2010-05-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

What? What on earth is shakshuka?? I had no idea before about a week ago, but, since I have fallen off the blogging wagon recently, I figured I had to fix something with a catchy name! I know, I know, where have I been? I really thought it had only been a few weeks since my last post, but it has been a whole month, sorry. There hasn't been a lot of cooking going on recently. I am due to have a baby in a few weeks and have been super busy with finishing up work projects and home projects. Anyway, we have not starved for an entire month. I do have a recipe or two to share. This one was a huge success, and so easy. It also got us through the dry spell of no ready-to-pick vegetables from the garden.

Fun tip: I recommend calling up a friend and casually saying, "hey, want to come over for some shakshuka?"

Adapted from Saveur and http://www.smittenkitchen.com/
Serves 4 to 6

1/4 Cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chilies or 3 jalapenos, stemmed seeded, and finely chopped (I used canned jalapenos and it was decently spicy without burning your taste buds!)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained (I used a chopped tomatoes)
kosher salt, to taste
6 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
Warm pitas for serving (optional)

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands (or just use a can of chopped; I never really understood why you use whole tomatoes just to break them up!). Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 Cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt. (I found it salty enough without adding any additional, so taste before you add).

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce's surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping. Or, you could serve this for breakfast with some toast!

Linguine with Clam Sauce

2010-04-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

The parsley seems to be our best growing herb in the herb garden. When we planted it I thought I'd rarely use it, but it has been surprising how many recipes call for fresh parsley. Our daughter also got to take sprigs of it to day care to feed to the class guinea pig, Rosemary. The kids loved watching her munch away at it and the teachers appreciated the treat. Rosemary spent the weekend with us once and was in guinea pig heaven with all the fresh parsley she got to eat. But then, one day, we took parsley in. I watched as the kids fed it to her, and left feeling like it was just an ordinary day. Upon picking our daughter up, we all had notes in our mailboxes that Rosemary had passed away that day. Oh dear...my first thought, could it have been the parsley?? Oh please no. Hopefully Andrew did not put down some pesticide or slug pellets the day before, yikes! I read the note and talked to the teacher. She reassured me that Rosemary's demise was a result of heat stroke and not our parsley. Phew!

We are all going to miss little Rosemary. I can't pick parsley without thinking of her. So, when I made this recipe the other night I took a moment to mentally wish her well and apologize for not bringing parsley more often!

This recipe comes from a friend's mom. It's incredibly easy and so tasty. You can make it with fresh clams and fresh pasta, or use canned clams and dry pasta. Either way, it comes out great.

Serves 4
1 pound of linguine cooked
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons milk
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 10.5 ounce cans minced clams (or use fresh clams)
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of dried basil
Wondra flour

Saute garlic in butter and olive oil. Add clam juice only. Simmer 10 minutes. Then add milk, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, clams, red pepper flakes, and basil. Thicken sauce by adding more parmesan cheese and a small amount of Wondra flour. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately

Quick and Easy Frittata

2010-04-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

We are in a little bit of a lull right now with the garden. We have a lot growing but not too much ready for picking, with the exception of lemons, which seems to always be in season. We've had so many lemons on this little tree of ours that we ended up calling the Food Bank to donate the fruit. They came and picked our tree of every single ripe lemon just a couple of weeks ago, and today I could have filled another few bags with even more. We are hoping the peach tree looks up to the lemon tree as an extraordinary role model. Last year it failed to notice the exemplary behavior, and we ended up with just one so-so peach. But this year, we think it may have taken notice. There are a lot of budding peaches! And, there are a lot of budding apricots, and orange and grapefruit blossoms, and blueberries, and strawberries. If I wasn't so worried about jinxing it all I might mention something about jam and pie recipes being in my future. (Shh! Pretend I never said that.) Said what? Right, you get the picture. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. One thing we are counting however, is peas. There are a lot of those. And, we get a few sprigs of asparagus here and there and an occasional onion. It's not a lot to make a meal of, but thrown into various dishes they add a great burst of fresh vegetable flavor. Hence, the frittata. When you have some odds and ends, a frittata is a perfect solution. And the beauty is, you could add just about anything. I've listed a recipe and instructions below, but it's meant to be a guideline more than a recipe. You can have fun and clean out the fridge at the same time!

Serves 4

6 eggs, beaten and thinned with some milk
Seasoning salt
Seasoning pepper (or just use some regular salt and pepper and any favorite seasonings)
1 1/2 Cups of cooked filling (vegetables, meat, cheese, any combo that sounds good to you. I like caramelized onions, mushrooms, and spinach the best, but this time used peas, asparagus, broccoli, bacon, and parmesan cheese)

Beat eggs, thin down with a little milk, and season well. Set aside. Assemble fillings and place in a heated 10" non-stick skillet. Pour eggs evenly over filling. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat ~15 minutes or until nearly cooked through. Pre-heat broiler. Finish frittata in broiler. Let cook in pan or slide onto a plate. Serve warm or cold.

Quick Bread

2010-03-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I have made many attempts at bread. Some have turned out wonderfully, while others became heavy bricks only valuable to folks involved in organized crime. The good ones often took a lot of time and would consume much of a weekend day with two sets of kneading and rising. I was lamenting this to my mother one day and she suggested (gasp) that I buy a bread machine. Really? A bread machine? I put bread machines on a level with rice cookers and microwaves, handy, no question about that, but not real cooking. I wanted to find a bread recipe that was from scratch, homemade, easy, tasty, and quick (relatively speaking). I have a huge cookbook of breads from around the world, and not a single one of those recipes was quick or easy. I searched the web for recipes and managed to make a few mediocre loaves that were a small step above dense. Justifiably, I was starting to think that bread just wasn't my thing. I clearly didn't have the patience for it. But then, I starting collecting recipes for a little cookbook my daughter's school is creating, and low and behold, a quick bread recipe was submitted. I was skeptical, but I gave it a try. Delicious! Easy! Quick! Soft! Fresh! This bread was the real deal. So, look no further, homemade bread is now in your future too.

Recipe from Fuzzy Rogers
Makes 1 round loaf

3 Cups bread flour
1 1/4 Cups warm water
1 pkg. quick yeast (I used regular and it came out great.)
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 Tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you like your bread)
1/4-1/2 teaspoons onion powder (optional)
Rosemary and other herbs to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Combine 2 cups of flour, salt, sugar, herbs, and onion powder. Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add yeast/water mixture and olive oil to the flour mixture. Mix well with a mixer. Once uniform, add final cup of flour and mix well. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dough into a ball, toss onto a piece of cornmeal covered foil. Rub outside of dough with extra olive oil and dust with herbs as desired. Place on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa and Spinach

2010-03-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just can't go wrong with a vegetarian meal. It can be hard to make something filling enough for people who are used to having meat with their dinner. But, I think this recipe does the trick. It is packed with high protein quinoa and the squash is equally satisfying. It is also really easy to make and makes a nice quick dinner for two.

Adapted from "Squash Boats with Quinoa" recipe on www.sproutedkitchen.com

Serves 2

1 acorn squash

1 1/2 Tablespoons Agave nectar (or honey)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

3/4 Cup Quinoa

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 Shallot, minced

2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar (or honey)

1/4 Cup chopped walnuts (or pine nuts)

1 1/2 to 2 Cups fresh spinach

Salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Mix the olive oil and agave nectar and rub generously onto the flesh of the squash. Roast cut side down for 20 minutes. Then turn the squash cut side up and roast another 15-20 minutes or until soft.

While squash is cooking, prepare quinoa. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and add the quinoa. Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Meanwhile, saute minced shallot in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until soft. Add spinach and heat through just until it begins to wilt. Set aside. Once quinoa is done, transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for five minutes or so. Add the lemon juice, cardamom, a glug of olive oil, agave nectar, nuts, and a little salt to taste. Stir well. Then add the sauted shallot and spinach and stir.

Remove the squash pieces from the oven and let them sit about 5 minutes to cool down. Fill each cavern with desired amount of quinoa mix. Sprinkle the top with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

Chicken Marsala

2010-03-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

My Mom always said, never try a new recipe when you are having company over. Did I listen? Of course not. Who really listens to unsolicited motherly advice anyway? I've heard it all a million times before, 'practice makes perfect,' 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again,' 'slow and steady wins the race,' and a million other cliche sayings that go against my 'those who don't take chances, never get to drink champagne' life motto. But, I have learned that sometimes mother really does know best. This chicken marsala tasted GREAT, I just over did it a little with my carelessness. I took my eyes off of it for a minute and the sauce disappeared, and sadly the chicken was a little overcooked. NO! Luckily, my wonderful guests cut me a little slack and maybe, just maybe, had enough wine by the time it was ready that they really didn't notice. Yeah right, but I can dream can't I? Despite very little sauce, which would have perfected the dish and been a nice addition to the pasta and vegetables I made for the side, it was still really good. And so, I post this with the promise that I will make it again, a little more carefully, a little more slowly, and you'll see an even better updated post on how great the sauce is! (I 'borrowed' this picture from the blog I got the recipe from, www.smittenkitchen.com, one of my favorite cooking blogs ever! I will use one of my own when I make the recipe again.)

From www.smittenkitchen.com, original recipe from Gourmet
Serves 6

3 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Lemon Lime Pudding Cake Cups

2010-03-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

Who knew planting trees could be so controversial? The people of my neighborhood are, well, interesting some times. A local high school decided to make a service project out of planting trees along our street. How wonderful! Or, at least one would think. My two next door neighbors are adamantly opposed to this kind gesture, and I had the unfortunate luck of being home and outside today when they decided it was time to recruit me to their anti-tree party. These neighbors are generally nice people, a little on the crabby side, but we do cut them some slack for being of a few generations before us. I might be a bit crabby too after 50 years of listening to the teenagers skateboarding down the street. But, planting trees?! Can't we all agree that this is going to add value to the neighborhood? Won't shaded sidewalks be nice to walk down in the heat of the summer? Haven't studies shown that tree-lined streets have less crime? Isn't it just plain nice to look out your window and see a tree rather than just cars and cement? Apparently, not everyone agrees. I witnessed our mother-earth loving neighbor across the street interacting with my two crabby side neighbors, and let me tell you, it was a sight to see. The conversation went something like this, "Aren't we lucky to have people giving us a beautiful piece of nature?" "Lucky? You call having to sweep more leaves, lucky? Let me see how lucky you feel when the roots are lifting up the sidewalk, and the sap is dripping onto your shiny new car. We'd be lucky if these people would leave us alone." "Oh no, no, we can now have leaves putting nitrogen back into the soil, and shade for our yards and houses. It's going to be so beautiful." This was about the time I decided to excuse myself and go in to make my lemon lime pudding cakes. I could observe the rest of the scene play out from my kitchen window. What was the result? A tree in front of my house, the house across the street, but not either house next door. Oh well, there will be some shade and beauty, and, as consolation for me, the lemon lime pudding cakes were divine! But, I'm only sharing them with my across the street neighbor...

Recipe from www.bbcgoodfood.com, simply called Lemon Lime Puds
Serves 4
NOTE: This recipe is in weights rather than measures. You will need a scale!

50g butter
200g golden caster sugar
1 lemon , zested
1 lime , zested
50ml lemon juice
50ml lime juice
3 eggs , separated
50g all purpose flour
250ml milk

Ready in 45 minutes

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar and lemon and lime zest together in a mixer. Add juices, egg yolks, flour and milk one by one to make a smooth batter. Pour into a large bowl.

2.Whisk egg whites until firm - fold into the batter. Pour into 4 buttered ovenproof dishes and put in a baking tray half filled with hot water. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and set.

Roasted Beet Risotto

2010-02-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

We planted six beets this year and the birds ate all but one of the plants. So, having hoped to get half a dozen beets, we ended up with one. We looked at it a few times and debated if it was ready to pull out of the ground. We certainly didn't want to pull it out too soon, especially if it was our only chance at a fresh beet. Today, it looked just right. About half of it was poking up from the top of the soil and the leafy bit was fairly big. It turned out to be perfect timing. Now...what to do with this beet, hmm. We knew we couldn't go wrong with roasting it and putting it over some greens. But, I wanted to do something a little more interesting. I had bookmarked this recipe awhile back and thought it looked interesting. Having never made it before though, I hoped we wouldn't waste our only beet if it didn't turn out so great. And, I have to say, I am not generally a huge fan of risotto. It always seems like a lot of effort for a lackluster meal. Andrew feels the same way, so this really was a leap of faith. Well, I am now converted. This risotto was so good. The contrast of the tangy onions and the sweet beets all topped off with a little sour cream and dill. What could be better? It's comfort food at its ultimate best.

Adapted slightly from www.bbcgoodfood.com, called Creamy Beetroot Risotto. See the web site if you want the British measurements!
Serves 2 (easily doubled)

1 medium fresh beetroot
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp of butter
1/2 an onion , finely chopped
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
250g risotto rice
1/4 Cup of white wine
2 Cups hot vegetable stock
handful grated parmesan
4 Tbsp sour cream
handful chopped fresh dill

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and trim the beets and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 45 minutes - 1 hr until the beets are soft.

2.Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.

3.Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beets from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beet purée and chopped beet through the risotto, then serve with some sour cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.

Easiest Tomato Sauce Ever!

2010-02-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

I'm the simple type. I like to wear basics, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, and so forth. You don't often see me in anything too trendy or even colorful for that matter. I pack light. I'm not into gadgets or knick knacks. I just recently got a texting plan, and I probably wouldn't own a laptop if it wasn't for my techy husband. I like just about everything in my life plain and simple, except my food. I love spice and heat and interesting flavors. So, when I came across this recipe I thought, nope, not for me. I like lots of flavor in my pasta sauce! But, I just couldn't ignore the fact that people on cooking blogs everywhere kept raving about it. I couldn't imagine what could be so great with only 3 ingredients (4, if you count salt). There was no garlic, no olive oil, no basil, no red wine (sinful), just canned tomatoes, an onion, and butter. Butter, in tomato sauce? It didn't even sound right. Well, despite loving food that is anything but simple, I am a sucker for easy! And this certainly seemed easy. Amazingly, this sauce was anything but simple once it was done. It was rich, flavorful, sweet, savory, mellow and intense all at the same time. I wouldn't have believed it 'til I tried it and I highly recommend that you do too!

From www.smittenkitchen.com and Marcela Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Note: I used a potato masher at the end to further crush my tomatoes. I found it tedious to try and crush them against the side of the pan. The masher worked just fine.

Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir Fry

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was given a wok as a college graduation gift. I wrote my thank you note, swearing to use it often and promising creative stir fries if said person ever came to visit. Three years later, that wok sat collecting dust in my cupboard until finally, I sold it at a garage sale before packing up my life and moving to Ireland. I felt bad getting rid of such a nice gift, but I wasn't going to move it half way around the world or pay for a storage unit to store it. I made a mental note that once I returned home I'd buy another wok and promised myself I'd use it. Well, before getting around to buying one, another wok made its way into my life one Christmas. I sometimes wonder what vibes I give off to elicit such gifts. Either that or kitchen essentials are just obvious gifts for those who have recently moved into a new apartment. Regardless, a wok was clearly supposed to be a part of my life and I decided that I better start using it. This is a stir fry that I tried to re-create based on something my Mom used to make when we were kids. She used some type of bottled stir fry sauce, but I think this home made version is a lot better (no offense Mom!). Best of all, like any good stir fry, it is so easy to make and makes a quick, healthy, tasty weeknight meal. Oh, and if you don't have a wok, you can use a frying pan. It works just as well...

Serves 2-3
For the sauce:
1/3 Cup soy sauce (use La Choy if you need gluten free)
1/3 Cup juice from canned mandarin oranges
1 teaspoon pureed ginger
1 teaspoon pureed garlic
1 heaping Tablespoon honey

For the stir fry:
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 an onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 Cups sugar snap peas
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (reserve juice for sauce)
1/4 Cup chopped almonds or halved cashews

Heat sesame oil in a large frying pan, add onions and chicken and saute until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for the sauce and heat in a small sauce pan just until it boils. When chicken is cooked through, add snap peas and saute another 3-5 minutes. Add mandarin oranges, nuts and sauce and stir until coated. Serve immediately over white or brown rice.

Chocolate Chocolate Bundt Cake

2010-01-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

I’ve been having discussions recently about what the definition of “homemade” really is. If you make something from a mix, is it homemade? You did have to add ingredients, (even if it was just water), stir it, pour it in a pan, and put it in the oven for a specified length of time. There is some art to not over baking your brownies or burning the bottoms of your cookies, isn’t there? I took this cake to my monthly book club meeting the other night and got rave reviews from everyone there. A friend asked if I made it. I thought for a minute, a little puzzled as to what my response should be. There was a box of cake mix and a box of instant pudding involved after all. But, I didn’t follow the directions on either box. And, I added unlisted ingredients too. Does this mean I made it? Is it cheating to say I did? I guess you can decide. Regardless of the answer, I think you will find this cake too delicious to pass up, even if you are the “all from scratch” type of cook. I’ve made enough cakes in my life to know that if something is this easy, and this good, you can’t mess with it and try to make it any other way. This is my Mom’s recipe, although I’m sure she got it from somewhere, as she isn’t the type to make things up. I hope you enjoy it, and if anyone asks, you can tell them YES, you made it!

1 box devil's food cake mix
1 4.5 oz. box instant chocolate pudding
2 eggs
1 3/4 Cup milk
1 12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn over onto a cooling rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Turkey Meatball Soup

2009-12-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

If my Mom is reading this, she must be thinking how ironic it is for me to be posting something like meatball soup. After all, at the age of 13, I announced I was a vegetarian. I made this decision after catching a special on t.v. about cattle and chicken raised for slaughter. It was graphic enough to have converted even the most meat loving man into a vegetable and tofu lover. I'll admit it though, I fell off the veggie wagon my very first day. Yep, it's true. I couldn't last one day. A friend brought me lunch that day and had picked up hamburgers.  They just smelled so good.  One more day couldn't hurt, could it?  Apparently not. After that day, I stayed true to this cause for twelve years before deciding it was time for some protein in my diet again. I now call myself a "recovering" vegetarian, and I couldn't be happier with this decision. Don't get me wrong, that t.v. special is still vivid in my memory, but maybe time has lightened some of the more disturbing parts? I can now eat chicken, turkey, a little pork, and fish. Red meat still hasn't made it past my lips, but I'm okay with that.  Eating some meat has certainly made my life easier.  I get fewer weird looks, rolling eyes, and hippie comments.  There's more than one or two choices on restaurant menus.  And, no one feels like they need to make me anything special when I go to their house for dinner. Oh, and, my husband no longer makes the "wasting away" comments he used to make when I was cooking only vegetarian!

This recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. I skipped the sweet potato puree, but otherwise I followed it pretty exactly. Staying true to my vegetarian roots, I think you could probably make this with ground soy protein, if you so desire. The ground turkey was great though!  Also, the recipe says it serves 10, but those would be some pretty small servings! I'd say this serves six or seven as a meal.

3 ounces whole wheat pasta shapes
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with the juice
1/4 Cup carrot puree (cooked carrots blended with a little cooking water)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Cups reduced sodium chicken or beef broth
3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup sweet potato puree (optional, I skipped it)
1/4 Cup non-fat milk
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 pound ground turkey

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When pot is hot, add oil, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4-5 minutes.

Puree the tomatoes and their juice with the carrot puree in a food processor, then add to the pot along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the broth, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the bread in a large bowl. Add the egg, sweet potato puree, milk, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and paprika, and let soak until the bread is very soft. Stir to break up the bread, add turkey, and mix until smooth. Form into mini meatballs 1/2-inch in diameter.

Add meatballs to the pot. Simmer, covered, until the meatballs are no longer pink inside, 12-15 minutes. Stir in the pasta. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and some cracked pepper.

Zucchini Snack Cake

2009-11-14T16:13:00.000-08:00

We were gone for a week and came back to two 2-foot long zucchinis! It's a good thing our two-year-old doesn't grow that fast. We'd need a much bigger house. It has been tough to figure out what to do with these beasts. We could keep them next to our bed in case of intruders. We could organize a neighborhood softball game. Or, we could start cooking! Let's start with dessert (and call it a snack).

I saw this recipe around the time we were first planting our zucchini plants. I tucked it away, sure that I'd have some home grown zucchini soon. The cake comes out super moist and not too sweet. I might add walnuts next time just to give it one more dimension, but it was great as is. Also, the recipe said to bake it for 20-25 minutes, but my cake took about 35-40 minutes to get done.

From Edible Santa Barbara, Fall 2009
Makes 9 servings

1 1/2 Cups baking mix (I used Bisquick)

1 1/2 Cups instant oats

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3 Cup brown sugar

1/3 Cup maple syrup, agave nectar or honey

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Cup grape seed, olive or walnut oil

2 medium zucchini, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking dish with olive oil spray. In a bowl, combine baking mix, instant oats and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix together brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, oil, vanilla, and shredded zucchini. Stir wet ingredients into dry and spread evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or longer if needed, mine took 35-40 minutes), or until center is firm and top is golden brown.

**Shredded carrot or apple could be substituted for the zucchini.

Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

2009-11-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

England gets a bad rap when it comes to cooking. Ask anyone who has traveled there about the cuisine and you'll hear words like bland, greasy, and boring. Mayonnaise comes on everything whether you request it or not. There is one type of bottled salad dressing and it is simply titled, "salad cream". And, one does have to wonder, why no one was creative enough to name their favorite condiment anything other than, "brown sauce"? Interestingly enough, when we make our yearly trip to the U.K., I find myself looking forward to the food. Spend a little more time there and I think you'll agree that they actually have great food. I love going to the grocery store there because everything is so fresh. The dairy products and the breads are a hundred times better than what we have here. They've got excellent prepared grab and go sandwiches and salads. Add in some fish and chips, pub food, and Indian cuisine, and you could spend a whole month eating your way through the country. So, when I think English food, I think, yes please!

This recipe comes from a very famous English chef, Nigel Slater. We have at least four of his cookbooks in storage in England, which doesn't help us much, except that he tends to create very simple but delicious meals, so they aren't too difficult to remember. Andrew and I have been making this recipe since we met and I'm sure it will forever be a favorite of ours. We haven't seen the recipe in ages, so we have to make it up every time and guess the proportions. I could swear you add parsley, but Andrew insists there is no such green herb in this recipe. I usually add it for a little more visual interest. You wouldn't want anyone calling it boring!

Serves 2

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup Red wine vinegar
1/4 Cup Olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
pinch of salt (I usually skip it.)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in an oven proof dish. Mix the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and parsley with a wire whisk. Pour over the chicken. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through 15-20 minutes. Turn the broiler on and brown the chicken under it (2-5 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets). Serve with baby potatoes and your favorite vegetable. Pour remaining sauce over potatoes and vegetables.

Split Pea Soup

2009-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me the other day how I suddenly got into cooking. I thought to myself, suddenly? I've always loved to cook. I guess if you didn't know me as a kid, it would seem sudden. I have sort of been on sabbatical from cooking for about 15 years now. I loved to bake as a kid and was famous at home for my chocolate chip cookies. I had my parents and my brother convinced for years that I had a secret ingredient that made the cookies so good, when really, I was just following the recipe on the Nestle Tollhouse bag. My brother asked if he could watch the next time I made them and I told him he could, as long as he left the room while I added the 'secret' ingredient. He left the room and, just to trick him, I sprinkled a couple of oats on the batter. When he came back in, his eyes lit up, and he started shouting, "It's oats, her secret ingredient is oats!" My parents ran into the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about, and they too thought they had discovered my secret. While they all danced around laughing and celebrating, I smiled slyly and rolling my eyes thought, gullible, so gullible. I don't know if I ever admitted to my little fib, but if you guys are reading this now, well, I guess the jig is up. I had NO secret ingredient. The only thing I did differently from the directions was that I mixed all the ingredients in one bowl instead of separating out the wet and dry and mixing them slowly, but you already knew that didn't you? How this makes a difference, I will never know. What does this have to do with split pea soup? Nothing, except that as I was disregarding some of the steps in the recipe, it made me think back to the chocolate chip cookies and the 'secret' to their success.

The soup is very hearty and delicious. I like that you don't puree the whole soup. It gives it all a nice texture and variety. I used fresh thyme and parsley from our herb garden, but dried would be just as good in a soup I'm sure. I also forgot to put them in until pretty late in the cooking process and it still turned out great. So, feel free to mess with the direction if you see fit. It just may be the 'secret' to your success.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Soup, 2001

Serves 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (I left this out.)

2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Cup dried green or yellow split peas, rinsed and drained

4 Cups chicken or vegetable broth

6 slices bacon

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and saute until just slightly softened, 3 minutes.

Add the split peas, stock, 2 slices of bacon, parsley, marjoram, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered until peas are tender, 50-60 minutes. Discard the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, cook the remaining 4 slices of bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool. Crumble when cooled and set aside.

Coarsely puree 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender and return pureed soup to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Return soup to medium heat and simmer 5 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

Chicken Divan

2009-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the casserole...it really takes me back, to church potlucks, school luncheons, baby showers, weeknight dinners. It's the ultimate in comfort food. Right before our daughter Keira was born, we made three types of casseroles for the freezer to get us through those first weeks of exhaustion. Luckily our wonderful friends started showing up with food, so we didn't really need them. But, eventually we made our way through them, and it was great to have a ready made dinner to pop in the oven. This one was the favorite of the three, and guess where I found it? That's right, the church cookbook. I knew it tasted familiar. I decided it could use a couple more ingredients to make it a little more filling, so I added carrots and pasta, and that did the trick. It's tasty, filling, and guaranteed to bring back a few memories.

Adapted from the Les Dames de Chaminade Cookbook
Serves 8-10

3-4 Cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 large bunch of fresh broccoli, cooked
1 Cup carrots, cooked and sliced
1 Cup pasta, cooked
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 Cup mayonnaise (or plain yogurt or sour cream)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup soft breadcrumbs

Arrange broccoli in a greased 9x13" pan. Layer chicken, carrots, and pasta on top. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Heat in a sauce pan and pour over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Veggie Tofu Tacos

2009-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

I know what you are thinking...tofu tacos?   No thanks. I'll just find a blog with a good recipe instead. It's okay. I take no offense. I was once a member of the just say no to tofu club too. In all fairness, I had never had it, but I had already put it on my no-try list, along with other bland, slimy, meat substitutes.  I obviously did try it, eventually, and was sad to have missed out for so long. I mentioned this to a friend once and he replied, "Really? I thought tofu was one of those things like cottage cheese. No one actually likes it."

I got home tonight and had limited time to throw dinner together. I started making this with no intention of posting the recipe.  It was the first time I had tried making tofu tacos, and, honestly, I wasn't expecting much, and certainly didn't expect it to be blog worthy. But, after Andrew scarfed down his tacos and I had just one left, we looked at each other and said, "This was really good. Better get a picture." So, for the skeptics out there, just give it a try. After all, my meat loving husband loved it.  If I really haven't persuaded you, the good news is that it's just as good with chicken. Vegetarians - you can pretend I didn't say that.

Serves 2 (but easily doubled)

1/2 block of tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 Cup carrots, sliced
1/2 Cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 Cup zucchini, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
lettuce
6 corn tortillas
butter
seasoned pepper
cumin
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
sea salt
1 Tablespoon juice from a jar of pickled peperoncinis
1/2 Cup cheddar cheese, grated
taco sauce, salsa, diced onion, sour cream (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add the tofu and saute until browned. While it is cooking, sprinkle it with seasoned pepper, ground sea salt, a dusting of cayenne pepper and garlic powder, to taste. Add a tablespoon of juice from a jar of peperoncinis.  Let the juice evaporate as you continue to brown the tofu. When tofu is browned (about 10 minutes), remove and set aside. Put vegetables in the pan with a little more butter and saute 5-10 minutes or until they reach desired softness. Sprinkle with a little seasoned pepper and 1/2 tablespoon peperoncini juice while they cook. Once vegetables are cooked, return tofu to the pan and saute 1-2 more minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the tortillas on the stove or in the microwave. Place two tortillas on a plate, add some filling, a little letuce, some cheese, and some chopped tomatoes.  Serve with taco sauce or salsa, onions, and sour cream, if desired.

Gnocchi with Spinach, Ricotta, and Portobello Mushroom Sausage

2009-10-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

For better or for worse, this whole growing our own vegetables thing has dramatically reduced my trips to the grocery store. I love that I can figure out a whole meal simply by walking outside. But, at some point, you need some basic ingredients to actually pull together a dinner. Tonight I opened up the cupboard to some rice, a granola bar, a few canned goods, a bag of pasta, and a bag of gnocchi. I turned to the fridge…butter, yogurt, salad dressing, some ricotta cheese, half a jar of pasta sauce…sigh. The freezer was equally disappointing with a few frozen vegetables, a couple of leftover sausages, and a carton of ice cream. In the past, I’d just shrug it off, make us some pasta, and call it a night. But, tonight, I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was having that dreaded, “what’s for dinner?” moment, and I could see it in Andrew’s eyes too, not boring pasta again, please not pasta again. Okay, okay, I’ll search my recipes and find something. I approached this task with skepticism, but sure enough, you really can make something out of nothing. I found this recipe on the BBC Good Food web site: www.bbcgoodfood.com, added some chicken portobello mushroom sausages and viola! It was delicious. I had to use frozen spinach rather than fresh, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. If I made it again, I might throw in some roasted zucchini to add another dimension. But, if you are looking for a tasty and simple dinner, this is your recipe.

Serves 4

2 cups tomato basil sauce

1 Cup fresh spinach

1 package gnocchi, cooked

1/3 Cup ricotta cheese

2 chicken portobello mushroom sausages, grilled and sliced

parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the broiler. Heat the tomato basil sauce in a sauce pan until warm. Add the spinach and simmer a couple minutes until the spinach wilts. Season the sauce if needed. (I usually add some Italian seasoning and garlic powder to sauce that comes out of a jar.) Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi as directed on the package and grill the sausages on the barbecue untill browned. Mix the gnocchi, sauce, and sausage and put into an oven-proof dish. Spoon small bits of ricotta cheese onto the top. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and put in the broiler for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Parmesan and Parsley Crusted Salmon with Arugula and Roasted Tomatoes

2009-10-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

There is a long history of salmon fishing in my family, but I only know the stories from as far back as my grandfather. It was a hobby, not a profession for him. That being said, how much time does one need to spend at a hobby before we wonder if it is their profession?

I went salmon fishing a couple of times with my Dad, my Uncle, and my Grandfather, and, to be perfectly honest, I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. It was early in the morning. It was cold. It was windy. The water was rough, and the boat was rockier than I'd prefer. There was a lot of waiting around too. And in the end, we came home with no fish. How was this fun? The men in my family tried to convince me that it was just a bad day. I never had the patience, or desire, to sit through the number of bad days you needed before you had a great day. So, I decided, I'd rather enjoy land and the final cooked product, whenever it arrived.

The flavors of this dinner blend so nicely together. The juice of the roasted tomatoes adds to the fish and serves as a salad dressing for the arugula.  Unlike other fish recipes, I'd hesitate to substitute another kind of fish. After all, Grandpa would be so disappointed!

Serves 2 (but easily doubled)

For the tomatoes:

2 whole tomatoes, halved
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
parmesan cheese, grated

For the fish: (fish topping recipe adapted from BBC Good Food, http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/)

2 1-1.5-inch thick pieces of salmon
1/2 Cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Juice of half a lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese

Large handful of arugula

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Prepare the tomatoes on a baking tray or cookie sheet.  Salt and pepper the tomatoes, cut side up, and top with a little parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Put in the oven to bake while you prepare the fish (10-15 minutes).

Stir or blend together the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. (I did this in a little food processer.) It should be moist, but still crumbly.  Place salmon on a greased baking tray. Cover salmon with breadcrumb mixture. Place in the oven with the tomatoes and bake 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and breadcrumbs golden.  Remove fish from oven, turn the oven up to broil and move the tomatoes up to one of the top racks. Broil until tops become golden or tomatoes seem soft and cooked through (2-4 minutes).  Place fish and tomatoes on a plate of arugula. Serve immediately.

Spicy Chicken Lime Soup

2009-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Often my vision does not match the reality of my creation. Over the years, this has been especially true with art projects, Halloween costumes, sewing projects, flower arranging, and home decor...just to name a few. But, more recently, this has applied to gardening. Andrew and I had visions of pickling peperoncinis, roasting chilies for salsas and sauces, and the beauty of chili pepper plants growing in pots on the patio. Instead, we have one inch high seedlings that have decided that they are done growing, thank you very much. Apparently, they are satisfied with their dwarfed little height and being totally devoid of fruit, and no amount of TLC will convince them otherwise. Well, I, for one, have had enough of waiting. As sad as I was to have to buy all of these ingredients from the grocery store, I was delighted by how the soup turned out. I can admit it, it may have been better with home grown chilies...maybe. (But it was really delicious with canned chilies, and I am going to go out on a limb here and say it was much easier too.) The recipe is from Daisy Martinez, published in Rachel Ray Magazine, September 2009. My only addition was some roasted corn.

Serves 6

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons adobo sauce
6 Cups chicken broth
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 Cup roasted corn kernels
Salt and pepper
1 haas avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise
Crushed tortilla chips

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and garlic, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the onions begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the garlic and onions to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming off any foam. Stir in the cilantro, corn, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Place avocado slices in each bowl and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips.

Veggie and Caramelized Onion Galette

2009-10-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

As a little kid I was horrified by anything with onions in it, or near it, or ever remotely close to it. I could spot an onion from a mile away, and smell it from double that distance. The taste was so bad to me that I couldn't even eat a dish that my Mom picked all the onions out of. The flavor was still there. I remember my frustrated parents telling me that they knew I'd grow to like them eventually. NEVER! I'd say. But, here I am, thirty-some years later, posting a recipe full of onions on my cooking blog. I hate to admit it Mom and Dad, but you were...dare I say it...right. And, dear me, it's not the first time. I like tuna now, and olives, and I drink coffee, daily.

It's still a little hard, even for a convert like me, to admit that the onions really make the recipe. But, this one is a case in point. The beauty of this recipe is that you could make it with anything. I used zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and spinach, but any combo of vegetables, with the onions, would probably be terrific too. I cheated a little, since it was a week night, and used store bought frozen pie crust for the pastry. It was great, but I'm sure homemade would be even better. So, if you're feeling ambitious, knock yourself out, and let me know how it is. Also, I didn't really measure as I went along, so this is my best guess of the amounts. But feel free to add more onions!

Serves 2-4

2 small zucchinis, diced

1 small summer squash, diced

1/2 an onion, thinly sliced

1/4 Cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

5 or 6 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

1 Tablespoon of butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1/8 Cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 12-inch frozen pie crust, the flat rolled kind that comes in a box

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Caramelize the onions by cooking in a heavy skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter, a little salt, and a pinch of sugar. Stir occasionally until soft and lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil and a little butter. Saute zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, garlic, and salt over medium heat until softened, about 10-15 minutes. Add spinach in the last few minutes.

Combine onions, vegetables, and feta cheese in a bowl and set aside. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Roll out the frozen pie crust on a floured work surface and transfer to an ungreased baking tray. Spread filling evenly, leaving about an inch and a half around the edges. Fold up the edges, pleating as you go to make it fit. The center will be open.

Bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let sit for five minutes after removing it from the oven. Then, slide onto a serving plate and cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Brown Rice Pudding

2009-10-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is my grandmother's recipe. I never got to meet her, but I've been eating her food all my life. Apparently, she was an excellent cook, and the few recipes we still have around are testament to that. So good, in fact, that my Dad and my Uncle have had my Mom and my Aunt in the kitchen perfecting these recipes for years.  Grandma wasn't the type to stick to the instructions. She'd have a basic framework and just add and add until she thought it was right. My parents spent years figuring out her rice dressing recipe. And only after showing the basic ingredients to another relative did they learn of all the additional ingredients she used to add. And, despite my Dad and Uncle conceding that it was finally right, there are still annual Thanksgiving arguments about how much nutmeg or if we got the salt right.

Making this dessert tonight got me thinking about all of my grandparents. I was only lucky enough to meet two of them, and one of those, I only got to know for a short time as a young child. My daughter, on the other hand, has all four of her grandparents. I get teary sometimes when all four of them are together with her. It is such a special thing to know all of your grandparents and to get to have them all involved in your life.

I hope you enjoy this pudding as much as we do.  Like any good Grandma Ruth recipe, we all disagree about how much rice and how many raisins should be put in. If you like the custard part better than the rice part, add less rice, or vice versa. Not a huge fan of raisins?  Add fewer, skip 'em, or add some chopped nuts instead. I used brown rice this time, but usually I would use white rice. Which is better? You decide. I wrote the recipe as I have it listed, but feel free to use your own judgment. After all, that's how we do it in our family!

Serves 4

2 Cups milk

1 Cup cooked rice, cold

1 Tablespoon butter

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 Cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat milk, add rice and butter. In a separate bowl, add sugar, salt, and raisins to beaten eggs, then slowly stir them into the hot milk mixture. Pour into a greased baking dish and set in a pan of hot water. Shake a little cinnamon on the top. Put the whole thing in the oven (pan of hot water with baking dish of pudding in it), and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set. Serve warm or cold.

Vegetarian Lebanese-Style Stuffed Eggplant

2009-10-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

I had a friend E-mail me today asking if, when riding an escalator, English people stand to the right or to the left. He was also curious if, upon coming face to face with someone in England, and needing to move out of the way, you'd step to your left or to your right, as we do in the States. It made me recall the many dances I've had with strangers over my various trips to the U.K. I never seemed to be walking or standing in the correct place, not to mention looking the appropriate way when crossing the street. That sense of being out of your element is exactly how I felt when we first started gardening. I had never grown anything before, nor did I know what we were going to make with it all (assuming things would grow, of course). I loved to cook, but I hadn't done much real cooking in years. I was too busy dealing with a new baby, a full-time job, and our fixer-upper house. It has taken us some time to get everything right. Did we plant these far enough apart? Oops, it says to plant this in summer, it's January...How much water should we be giving this or that? How partial is partial sun? Why are all of our flower beds filled with vegetables and not flowers? (My question, not Andrew's...) What will we do with all this produce? (Another one of mine.) But, just as quickly as I learned to step to my left in the U.K., I started to love this new adventure. It was fun to plant seeds, to watch them take off, and to eat the fruits of our labor.

With growing eggplant though, we have a new mantra, "two plants, not six, two plants, not six, two..." Let's just say, we have A LOT of eggplant. I hesitated to post another eggplant recipe so soon after my first one, and so soon after lots of other food bloggers have posted this recipe. But, it was soooo good. I made a few changes to substitute a few ingredients I was missing, but it came out delicious. And now you've got two options, the vegetarian way I made it or the meat-eater way the original recipe was written (see parentheses below). You won't regret this one!

Adapted slightly from Gourmet Cooking...

6 Japanese eggplants (6-7 inches long)

1/2 Cup brown rice (or long-grain Jasmine rice)

1/4 Cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Cups chicken stock
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 Cup firm tofu crumbled (or ground lamb or beef chuck)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or allspice)
1/2 of a lemon
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Hollow out each eggplant using a melon-ball cutter or by digging in with a sharp ended potato peeler. Leave about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls. Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well.

Heat oil in a 12-inch or larger heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Saute onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts. Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.

Add rice, tofu, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands.

Stuff eggplant with tofu mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking). Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes-1 hour (cut one in half to test).

If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning if necessary. Return stuffed eggplant to sauce. Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Lemon-Basil Dressing

2009-10-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Even after five years of Andrew living in the U.S., there are still a few misunder-standings of language between us every now and again. We talked about growing peas this year, but ended up with lima beans and green beans. Apparently they sell pea seeds in the UK but here they are called shelling peas. So, when Andrew first went to buy pea seeds, he couldn't find any. From looking at the pictures on the seed packages, he came home with the afore mentioned beans. He showed them to me, and clueless of his strife, I responded, "why didn't you get peas?" If looks could kill, I wouldn't be writing this blog! We did end up finding and growing peas, which were wonderful, by the way. So good, in fact, that I have no recipes to share as we never once saved any to cook. Our two-year old loved opening the pods and eating the raw peas. Green beans on the other hand weren't quite as attractive. And, I have to admit, I struggled to get very excited about them at first either. But alas, we were eating from the garden, so I set out to find a use. I was so pleasantly surprised. The green beans were wonderful any way we fixed them. Now, the vines are finally on their last legs and just about ready to be pulled out. I figured I could get one more meal out of them, combined with the ends of our cherry tomatoes and the start of our arugula. This salad was so delicious I would make it every week if I had the ingredients. I hope you like it too!

Serves two

1 Chicken breast

10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 handful of green beans, trimmed

3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

2 Cups of arugula (or mix of salad greens and arugula)

little bit of lemon juice

olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Dressing: (Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

1/2 Cup loosely packed basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest

juice of half a small lemon

1-1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

Turn on the barbecue or grill to medium. Season the chicken breast, green beans, and cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and no longer pink inside, set aside to let cool. Spread green beans and tomatoes on a barbecue vegetable tray and roast over medium-high heat. The beans and tomatoes cook fast so watch them carefully, remove and set aside to cool.

To make the dressing, place basil leaves in a colander and dip into boiling water for 10 seconds. Place into a small food processer or blender. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, and pulse a couple of times. Add olive oil and blend until smooth.

In a large serving bowl, combine arugula, tomatoes, green beans, and mozzarella. Top with sliced chicken and drizzle dressing over the top. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Raspberry Banana Bread

2009-10-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

We planted four raspberry plants this year along our south facing fence. The plants were all short stubby bare sticks when we bought them. We treated them all with loving kindness, water, compost, some fertilizer. It was warm and sunny along the whole fence. We tried really hard to treat them equally and not play favorites. The result? Two of the four are now as tall as me. The other two have grown barely a leaf. Maybe someday after years of gardening I will know why. For now I can only speculate. Maybe the two small ones were expecting a Montecito address and our 1950's tract home just disappointed them? Who knows? We have faith that another year and they will grow to love their new home. Just between us, the tall ones weren't anything to write home about either. They produced a meager crop of pretty tart berries. But we figure we'll excuse all of the poor behavior this year and set our sights on next year. I struggled with what to do with this tiny crop, but here's what I came up with. The tartness of the raspberries is actually a nice compliment to the sweetness of the bananas.

1/3 Cup Agave nectar
1/3 Cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter, melted or very soft
2 ripe bananas
2 well beaten eggs
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup whole wheat flour
a few pinches of salt
1/2 Cup crushed raspberries, sweetened with a little agave or sugar, if necessary)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together except for the raspberries. Fold half the raspberries into the batter. Pour batter into medium sized loaf pan. Pour remaining raspberries onto the top and cut through with a knife to make a zig-zag design. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour, being careful not to over bake. Loaf is done when knife comes out clean.

If you don't have buttermilk, just put a little lemon juice into regular milk and let it sit for five minutes. Agave is a natural sweetener. You can use white sugar in place of the agave if you don't have any on hand. No whole wheat flour? Just use all purpose. I don't recommend all whole wheat though. The bread comes out a little dry if you do that.

Zucchini Cakes with Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce

2009-10-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

When Andrew and I first moved in together, we cooked all the time. I used to tease him that everything he made started with the same three ingredients: onions, garlic, and olive oil, and finished with a circus of odd condiments. He put chillies into EVERYTHING, which often added a little something to the dish, but sometimes, well...who really wants chili pepper in their pancakes? He was also a big fan of trying out those random ingredients you normally only buy when a recipe calls for it. You know, things like walnut oil, coconut milk, sardines, pickled gherkins, to name a few. He'd come home from the grocery store with a couple vegetables, a few chicken breasts, and a bag of condiments. I would think to myself, "when are we ever going to use horseradish mustard and Thai fish sauce"? But to his credit, he would try and eat everything he bought, and we had some of the most interesting food I've ever tasted. Luckily, it was about a 2:1 ratio. For every peanut butter and tomato sandwich he made, there were two really tasty marinades or main dishes. He taught me a lot about cooking without realizing it. He was (and still is) creative, fun, and approaches cooking with reckless abandonment. I love it! So now, whenever I decide to add an unusual spice, or trust my gut that an additional ingredient will really make the dish, I get a little nostalgic for those 'everything in the cupboard quesadillas'!

The zucchini cakes are a longtime favorite of mine that I had forgotten about until a friend suggested it after I mentioned pulling five zucchinis out of the garden. But the sauce, now that is a tribute to Andrew... and his love of condiments. Enjoy!

Serves 4 (as an appetizer)

For the Zucchini Cakes:

4 Cups shredded zucchini

1 teaspoon salt, divided

2 large eggs lightly beaten

1/3 Cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 Cup apricot jam

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 Tablespoon English mustard

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chili paste

pinch or two of salt to taste

Put zucchini in a colander with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Drain for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce and set aside. After 10 minutes, press out the water from zucchini with a paper towel. Whisk eggs and remaining salt. Add flour, baking powder, garlic, feta, paprika, and zucchini. Mix well. Spread olive oil in a frying pan and pour batter in to make 2 inch round cakes. Flip when bottom gets nicely browned and cakes have become slightly firm. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Carrot, Summer Squash, and Apple Soup

2009-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I met in Ireland and spent a little more than a year living there together while I was in graduate school. Having grown up in southern California, the Irish weather was a bit of an adjustment. Don't get me wrong, I knew it rained a lot there. But my perception of a lot of rain, and the amount of rain there actually was that year, were vastly different. I mean, it rained every single day of February, March, and April for goodness sake and probably every other day for the rest of the months! The Irish have a saying that if you can see the hillsides, it's about to rain, and if you can't see them, it is already raining!

It probably goes without saying that the Irish make incredible soups. I know I feel like doing nothing more than spending the day cooking up a soup when it rains. But. while I have a mere few days a year to perfect my soups, the Irish have 300+. I've never had a bad soup in Ireland. In fact it was always my favorite lunch there. Any pub or restaurant would have a soup of the day and brown bread any day of the week. And it was ALWAYS delicious.

It wasn't raining today, but it felt like fall. The sun had shifted just so in the sky and the air was a little cooler and crisper. It was time to finish harvesting our last crop of summer squash and carrots. Looking at these vegetables I was inspired to attempt a soup reminiscent of something I would have had in Ireland. I think I did pretty well!

Serves 4

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 an onion diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 medium fugi apples, peeled and sliced

1 large yellow summer squash (or 2 smaller ones), sliced and seeds removed

small handful of fresh thyme

2 Cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1/3 Cup Half and Half

Fresh ground pepper

Saute diced onion in olive oil 2 minutes. Then add carrots, apple, and thyme and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the squash and cook until carrots are tender, about 12-14 minutes. Add stock and simmer on low another 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Put in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to pot, add half and half and fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish with thyme leaves.

Lemon Feta Halibut with Roasted Corn Polenta

2009-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

We moved into our house two and a half years ago. The back yard was ugly, to say the least. There was painted green cement everywhere, gravel, and some paving stones that were laid out in a design fit for the bottom of a swimming pool. We had maybe one or two nice flowers, but mostly the yard screamed "LOW MAINTENANCE"! At the time, we were preparing the house to welcome our daughter who was to be born in just a few months, so the yard was the least of our concern. But as she grew older, we started to want somewhere for her to play and we both hinted to each other our secret desire to grow our own fruits and vegetables. Hence, the backyard redo project was born. Andrew dug 40 tons of dirt (seriously, 40 tons of dirt) out of the back hill. We terraced with beautiful stone work, planted grass, and sectioned off an area for vegetables. The entire backyard was gutted, and we had a clean slate, except for our one lone lemon tree. It seemed an odd choice to keep as we had to redesign the retaining walls to go around it, but there was something special about this tree. Our aging neighbor begged us to keep it as apparently this is how he had been getting his quota of vitamin C! Another neighbor said she'd be heartbroken if we took that tree out as the woman who lived in our house before us used to bake delicious lemon bars which she shared with the whole street. So, we found ourselves struggling to give this tree up. Thankfully, we kept it, and it is now a highlight of the back yard. It's incredibly prolific, so we are always looking for 'lemon something' recipes. I came across this one and thought, "Great, I might be able to use up two whole lemons!" Regardless, it's worth a try. The flavors blend so well together, it's pretty easy to do, and it comes out looking oh so gourmet!

I used halibut, but any white fish would do. Also, the polenta expands, so use a big pot!

From http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/

Serves 3-4 people

For the polenta:

1 Cup dry polenta

4 Cups organic low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 Cup feta cheese

1/4 Cup half and half

2 Ears of corn (use white corn if available)

1 Large onion, sliced thin

1/2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Handful of fresh chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

For the fish:

2 or 3 6 oz. pieces of halibut (or whatever is available near you)

1/4 Cup feta cheese

3 Tbsps. lowfat Greek yogurt (sour cream or mayo would work as well)

1/3 Cup chopped parsley, divided

1 Lemon, sliced very thin and a bit of juice

Fresh pepper

Turn on oven to 475 degrees.

1) Peel back the husk and silk of the corn and discard. Grill on the barbecue for ten minutes or so, rotating often. Remove to cool. Cut the kernels off.

2) Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil. Add sliced onion and saute over medium heat for 15 minutes or until brown in color. Turn off heat.

3) Prepare the fish topping. In a small bowl, combine the feta, yogurt, garlic salt, lots of pepper, little bit of lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of chopped parsley.

4) Coat a baking tray with cooking spray and put the fish skin side down onto the tray.

5) Season fish with a little salt and pepper. Then top with the feta-yogurt mixture. Lay a few thin pieces of lemon on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Put in the top rack and keep an eye on it while you proceed with the polenta. Fish should take about 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

6) Continue with the polenta while fish is baking. Bring stock and half and half to a boil. (The first time I made this I forgot to put in the half and half and it still came out great, so feel free to delete if you want to save a few calories!) Slowly pour in the polenta and stir until it begins to thicken, 5-8 minutes. Take off the heat. Gently fold in the caramelized onions, grilled corn kernels, lemon juice, chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, fold in the 1/2 cup of feta cheese.

7) To serve, put a good portion of polenta on the plate and top with lemon fish and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately. Excellent with a green salad on the side.

Grilled Eggplant Stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

2009-09-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, so unlike me to start a blog, but I'm giving it a try. I have an interesting life, lots of great things, and some not so great. So, I thought I'd write about it all and combine it with my new found hobby: cooking! Food can bring up so many memories and emotions and that's what I love about cooking. From the meals I shared with my husband when we first met, to the casseroles my Mom would leave warming in the oven on a night she stayed late at school, I can't eat anything close without thinking of those times.

I have a husband, Andrew, originally from England, who I met on a bike tour of the West Cork coastline in Ireland. We reside in Santa Barbara, CA thanks to a winning coin toss five years ago. Yes, you read that right! We flipped a coin, I won, and the rest is, well, history. Our courtship started in Rome with a magical weekend of eating, drinking, and merriment. I found this recipe which reminded me of those late, lingering, enjoyable dinners that you never want to end. Plus, did I mention my husband is an avid gardener? Eggplant, basil, and tomatoes are taking over our yard! So, here it is:

(Adapted from http://www.yummymummyfood.blogspot.com/)
Serves 4

For the Tomato Basil Sauce:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 cherry tomatoes diced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 Cup pasta sauce (any brand will do)
1 Tablespoon tomato puree
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook one minute, making sure not to burn the garlic. Stir in tomatoes and balsamic and bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato puree and pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in basil. While sauce is simmering, prepare the eggplant rolls.

For the Stuffed Eggplant:
4 Japanese eggplants, sliced lengthwise and grilled
1 1/2 Cups ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup thawed and drained chopped spinach

4 Cups of cooked penne pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cheeses together and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, the cheeses are already salty!). Stir in the spinach. Drop cheese mixture onto eggplant slices and roll up. Spread sauce on bottom of baking dish and place eggplant rolls seam side down on top of sauce. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Meanwhile cook enough pasta for four people (about 2 Cups of dry pasta (it doubles)). Toss pasta in a little olive oil. Remove eggplant from oven and scoop on top of pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.