One of my favorite summertime beverages is an ice cold Arnold Palmer. This time around, it was especially good because I made it with some of my homemade lemonade and some freshly brewed iced tea. This stuff is insanely refreshing. YUMMM!
Labyrinth Day: Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza
Today is the 25th anniversary of one of my favorite movies, Labyrinth. It was one of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid, and back in college, I used to have an annual viewing party in my dorm with a bunch of friends. In honor of this anniversary, I wanted to make something for dinner that would incorporate food from the movie, but it was tough. The only food I could think of was a peach, so I found this recipe that incorporates peaches into a pizza. This is a really different pizza than anything we've had before. I bought some 7" whole wheat pizza crusts and used those. I think it would have been better with some fresh herbs or green onions on top, but we did enjoy it.
Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza
Cooking Light May 2011
Ditch the tomato sauce and give pizza a makeover by topping with fresh peach slices and two types of cheese. A drizzle of tangy balsamic reduction provides the perfect balance to the sweet summer fruit.
YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 2 pizza wedges and 1 ½ teaspoons balsamic reduction)
TOTAL: 20 MINUTES
1 (10-ounce) prebaked thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
⅓ cup (about 1 ½ ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 medium unpeeled peach, thinly sliced
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil evenly over crust. Top evenly with ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, chicken, Gorgonzola cheese, and peach slices. Top with remaining ¼ cup mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 11 minutes or until crust browns.
3. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes). Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza. Cut pizza into 8 wedges.
Amount per serving
Calories: 384
Fat: 12.5g
Saturated fat: 4.9g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
Protein: 24.3g
Carbohydrate: 42.5g
Fiber: 2.1g
Cholesterol: 46mg
Iron: 2.9mg
Sodium: 643mg
Calcium: 264mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Flour's Famous Banana Bread
Dino has been saying that this is the best banana bread that he's ever had, and I agree - it was really tasty...but it was kind of a hassle to make. It dirtied up a ton of pans, and it stuck to the loaf pan, which is something that I haven't run into with other banana bread recipes before. I don't understand the point of the parchment paper. I think it would have worked better if the pan was greased instead. Either way, it was worth the hassle, because it tastes wonderful! I used some Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzeys, and it really enhanced the flavor. Yum!
Flour's Famous Banana Bread
Food Network - Recipe courtesy Chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery in Boston
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
½ cup oil
3 ½ bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, creme fraiche, and vanilla. Fold in dryingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Swiss Chard with Raisins and Almonds
The Garden Fairy strikes again! Today, in addition to some more loose leaf lettuce, she brought in some rainbow chard for me. We planned to have some leftover Tofu Rigatoni Casserole tonight, so I found a recipe to make a quick side dish with. Chard can be bitter, so I figured that a recipe with some sweetness would be nice. This one was perfect! The smoked paprika was subtle in the background, and the raisins really added great bursts of sweetness to the slightly bitter greens. I loved the crunchy almonds on top, too, although next time I'll toast them in a dry skillet. I thought that oil was unnecessary. This is another dish that would get 4 ½ stars, but since we don't give out half stars, it gets a solid 4. This was easy and delicious. Yum!
Swiss Chard with Raisins and Almonds
Gourmet February 2008
yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 20 min
total time: 30 min
Toasted almonds contrast beautifully with sweet, tender raisins and earthy chard.
½ large onion, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick (1 cup)
2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 pounds Swiss chard, center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup water
¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds with skins
Cook onion with ¼ teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Sprinkle with paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chard in batches, stirring frequently, until wilted, then add raisins and water. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt.
Cook almonds in remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle almonds over chard.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Father's Day: Smoked Coffee-Marinated Pork
We wanted to grill for Dino's dad for Father's Day, and when we decided to make this recipe again, I looked it up on my blog and realized that the last time we made it was on Father's Day last year - go figure! This time around, Dino wanted to use a piece of apple wood that we got from the orchard last year when we went apple picking. He had to look up how to smoke pork tenderloin since it's something that can be pretty tricky. There was a lot of smoke, and it really made this pork even better than the few times we've had it before!
Dino's directions for how to smoke this dish on the grill:
Pork tenderloin is considered to be too lean to smoke but I still wanted to add a nice smokey flavor to this spicy, complex marinade. I found some very useful suggestions over on Chowhound. I don't own a smoker, just a standard charcoal grill. To recreate what I did:
Preparation:
* Soak applewood or hickory chips in beer or water for at least 1 hour.
* Fire the coals and arrange them split on both sides of the grill,
leaving room for a drip pan in the center.
* Place the tenderloin directly over the smoking chips for a few minutes
on each side, then move it above the drip pan.
* Cook for 15-20 minutes and check the temperature.
* The tenderloin is done when the center temperature is ~150°F.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Father's Day: Grilled, Marinated Zucchini Squash
We were at a birthday party a few weeks ago, and the birthday boy was working the grill. One of the dishes was something so easy and delicious that I just had to make it at home! His wife marinated sliced zucchini in Italian dressing and they grilled them a few hours later. They were so flavorful! So we bought a bottle on roasted garlic Italian dressing and poured it into a bag with sliced zucchini in the morning. Dino grilled them and they were scrumptious! They're tangy and the charred bits are really exceptional. I forgot to slice them lengthwise instead of in coins, which makes them easier to flip on the grill (and they won't fall through the grill grates as easily). We used a vegetable pan on the grill to hold them so they wouldn't fall through. These were SO good, I'll definitely make them again!
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
As a side note, I was standing up on a chair to take this aerial shot of this dish, and when Dino saw it, he said I'm now banned from doing things like that until after the baby is here. It's so strange to have your center of gravity shift, and it's not really noticeable since it happens so subtly. So it's good that he's looking out for me, but I am kind of bummed that I won't be able to take shots like that as easily for a while now. He's gonna be a good daddy 🙂
Brazilian Bell Pepper and Onion Vinaigrette
Bell peppers and onions make this classic, colorful, no-cook, Brazilian Bell Pepper and Onion Vinaigrette a perfect addition to any summertime meal.
My father-in-law and I picked up this dish from some Brazilian hang glider and paraglider pilots upstate at his brother's flight park a few years back. It's super simple and delicious (if you enjoy raw onions and peppers).
Trust me, the bad breath is totally worth it. We've been calling it "vinaigrette" but I know that can't be the right name. There's no oil in it, and I can't find anything online that's similar enough to use that name instead.
If anyone knows the right name for this, please let me know. It's one of our favorite things - it's great over freshly steamed white rice. Yum!
Looking for more simple side dishes? Check out some of our favorite recipes:
- Cucumber & Cannellini Bean Salad with Dill
- Roasted Honeynut Squash with Burrata, Pomegranate + Pepitas
- Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Patatas Bravas with Chipotle Aioli
- Skillet Garlic Parmesan Bread
- Bourbon-Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Asian Broccoli Slaw
- Garlicky Sun-dried Tomato Studded Couscous
- Rosemary Roasted Asparagus + Tomatoes with Toasted Sunflower Seeds
- Roasted Butternut Squash & Broccolini with Truffle Salt
- Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette
- Roma Salad with Caper-Dill Vinaigrette
- Quick Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
- Creamy Cucumber, Avocado, Chickpea, & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
- Bourbon-Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Garlicky Broccoli Rabe
Supper Club: Lychee Mojitos
A few weeks ago, we were having dinner with some friends at Sweet Grass Grill and everyone was ordering cocktails. I wanted to find something "fancy" enough to order without alcohol but still feel like I was having something special. So when I saw that they had lychee mojitos, I knew that's what I wanted. They were SO good that I asked the bartender how he made them. He gave me a list of ingredients but I didn't want to press my luck by asking for amounts. He said he added sugar, but we figured it'd be plenty sweet without extra sugar. So we bought some canned lychees and tried them out and got it almost exactly like the ones we had there! Everyone loved them!
Lychee Mojitos
inspired by Sweet Grass Grill, Tarrytown, NY
20 ounce can lychees in syrup
2 cups ginger ale
1 lime, cut into wedges
8-10 sprigs fresh mint
rum (optional)
Pour lychees with syrup into a blender and pureé until smooth. Pick leaves off of the mint sprigs and tear them in to pieces. Muddle the mint leaves and lime wedges in a pitcher. Pour in pureéd lychees and ginger ale into the pitcher. Fill serving glasses with ice. Add a shot of rum and fill with the lychee mixture. Garnish with mint sprigs and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Supper Club: Grandma Suraci's Stuffed Artichokes
My husband's grandmother used to make stuffed artichokes that his family always raves about. So when we picked the vegetarian theme for this month's Supper Club, he was excited to try to figure out how she made them. He said the results were exactly like hers! We saved some to give to his parents, and they loved them too. I'm posting the before photo instead of the after, because let's face it - cooked artichokes are gray and don't look appetizing at all. I've had a bit of an artichoke aversion since I got pregnant, so I didn't enjoy them as much as everyone else, but they were a big hit!
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
In addition to the kale, my coworker also gave us a big bag of loose leaf lettuce that she grew. I came across a recipe over on dine and dish that looked really interesting, and I had just the right amount of roasted red peppers leftover from when I made chicken a la king to use up. This dressing is rich and creamy - it's kind of like a thousand island. It was pretty sweet, so it's not a dressing I'd use every day, but it was nice on this super fresh salad. It was good, but not something I'll probably make again.
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
Dole Salads
¼ cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
3 Tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
Serve over salad with toppings of your choice.
Big Flavors Rating: 3 Stars
Orzo with Kale
A very generous coworker of mine (who apparently has a garden bigger than my entire house!) was kind enough to bring in some fresh produce for me today. One of the things she brought in was fresh kale. I've only cooked with kale a few times, and have been pretty happy with the results, so I was anxious to try out a new recipe. I came across this one, and it was great! The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. I had a few things really working in my favor - the kale was super fresh, a fantastic chunk of Parmesan in my fridge and awesome turmeric from Penzeys that's so much more flavorful than the stuff I used to use. This dish comes together pretty quickly. The garlic gets nice and caramelized in the pan, which imparts a ton of flavor. For my kale, I didn't need to cook it another 10 minutes uncovered - it was perfect after the first 10 minutes. This is a simple and delicious vegetarian dish that I'll most likely be making again!
Orzo with Kale
Allrecipes - Sunaina
"A light summer dish. Great with white wine."
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min
Ready In: 35 Min
Yield 5 cups
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1 large lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil; sprinkle the turmeric over the boiling water and stir in the orzo; return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Scrape into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic in the hot oil for a few seconds until it begins to bubble. Stir the kale into the garlic, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking and stirring until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir the kale mixture into the orzo along with the lemon juice, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 206 | Total Fat: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 2mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Rhubarb-Raspberry Linzer-esque Pastries
I wanted to make a dessert with some of the Rhubarb-Raspberry Jam that I made last week. I remembered that I had a sheet of puff pastry in the freezer, so I decided to make something kind of like linzer tart cookies, but with the pastry. I cut the pastry into rectangles after it thawed, and made them kind of like ace cards, cutting hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs out of the middle of some of the rectangles. I lined a cookie sheet with a Silpat and spread some of the jam on the bottom pieces of pastry and then laid the pieces with cutouts on top. I baked them at 430°F until they were nice and brown on top. I didn't remember to brush them with egg or milk before I popped them into the oven, but they turned out great regardless. You could make this with any kind of jam or preserves that you have on hand, and you'd have a simple and delicious dessert in a snap!
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Seasoned Pork Chops with Balsamic Shallot Glaze
The inspiration for this recipe came from this steak dish that I made a while back. Basically, I did the same procedure, but with pork chops. I patted them dry and seasoned them with some of Penzey's Mural of Flavor on both sides and fried them in olive oil. When they were cooked through, I took them out of the pan, added in some chopped shallots and sauteéd until soft. Then I added a big splash of balsamic vinegar and stirred until thick. I poured it over the pork chops and added some parsley from my herb garden. It turned out really well, although I think I prefer it on beef.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Zen Temple Dumplings
I hadn't made these fantastic dumplings for quite a while, so I thought I'd make a new batch. This recipe makes a TON of dumplings - the filling ended up being the perfect amount for the entire package of wonton wrappers (48). They're a lot of work to make, but sooo worth it. Plus, they freeze extremely well...you may need to add a minute or two to the steaming time if you put them in straight out of the freezer. These are delicious little vegetarian bundles of joy, and we absolutely love them!
Zen Temple Dumplings
Cooking Light
Dumplings:
1 ½ teaspoons coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves, garlic peeled
1 cup (2-inch) slices asparagus (about ½ pound)
¼ cup (1-inch) pieces green onions
1 can (8-ounce) whole water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 package (8-ounce) mushrooms, stems removed
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
36 wonton wrappers
Cooking spray
Sauce:
⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced green onions
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
To prepare dumplings, drop ginger and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add the asparagus, ¼ cup green onion pieces, and water chestnuts; pulse 4 times or until chopped. Add mushrooms, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon salt; pulse 4 times or until mixture is finely chopped. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon about 2 teaspoons mushroom mixture in the center of wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water. Bring 2 opposite corners together. Press edges together with fingertips to seal, forming a triangle. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray while assembling; lightly cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and mushroom mixture.
Add water to a Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil. Coat a metal vegetable steamer with cooking spray. Arrange 9 dumplings in steamer, slightly overlapping. Steam dumplings, covered, 8 minutes or until tender. Remove dumplings from steamer; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.
To prepare sauce, combine ⅓ cup soy sauce and remaining ingredients. Drizzle over dumplings.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 4 dumplings and 2 teaspoons sauce)
Rhubarb-Raspberry Jam
I really love rhubarb, and I wanted to use up the rest of last season's stash from my freezer as well as some fresh rhubarb that's growing in my garden right now. I came across this recipe, and it looked perfect! It was my first time making homemade jam, and it was really easy! You have to let the rhubarb, lemon juice and sugar sit in the fridge overnight, but other than that, it comes together pretty quickly. It has a lovely balance of sweet and tangy, and it was great on English muffins. I think I may try to make a tart or some kind of dessert with some of it since it doesn't last too long.
Rhubarb-Raspberry Jam
Bon Appétit April 1994
yield: Makes about 2 cups
This jam has a good, concentrated flavor: The only liquid comes from the rhubarb and berries interacting with sugar and lemon juice. The quick-to-prepare jam also makes a nice filling for tarts.
4 cups 1-inch pieces fresh rhubarb (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ½-pint basket raspberries
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Combine rhubarb pieces, sugar and fresh lemon juice in heavy large Dutch oven. Cover and refrigerate until juices form, stirring occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight.
Bring rhubarb mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil until rhubarb mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add raspberries and boil until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes longer. Remove jam from heat. Stir in ground cardamom. Cool jam completely. (Jam can be made 1 week ahead. Store in covered container in refrigerator.)
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Smoked Paprika Pork Chops with Bell Pepper and Corn Relish
This pork recipe is pretty simple to make, and it's pretty tasty, but it wasn't too special. It fit the bill for a quick weeknight meal, and that's exactly what I needed.
Smoked Paprika Pork Chops with Bell Pepper and Corn Relish
Cooking Light April 2005
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup prechopped red onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced fresh ginger
⅓ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 (15.5-ounce) can no salt-added whole kernel corn, drained
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 ½ teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
4 (4-ounce) center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onion and ginger; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add chopped red bell pepper, ground coriander, dried thyme, and corn; cook 3 minutes or until the bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon relish into a bowl.
Combine remaining ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and paprika; sprinkle evenly over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with relish.
Amount per serving
Calories: 263
Calories from fat: 30%
Fat: 8.9g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g
Protein: 27.2g
Carbohydrate: 19.8g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 62mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 508mg
Calcium: 39mg
Big Flavors Rating: 3 Stars
Cheese Crisps
I got an advance copy of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy to check out, and let me tell you, it came at the perfect time. I've been really busy lately, and I haven't been cooking a ton, so a book that has easy yet elegant recipes inside is just what I need right now. I decided to try out this appetizer recipe, and it was great! I love how versatile it can be - I can imagine putting any combination of ingredients in it to make beautiful hors d'oeuvres for a dinner party. I love that you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake them, too. These are nice and crispy, and the pine nuts toast up beautifully in the oven. I used fresh rosemary from my herb garden, and it really added great flavor. The only change I made was to bake them on a Silpat instead of parchment paper.
Cheese Crisps
The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy - Robin Donovan & Juliana Gallin
These pretty little pastries make a festive appetizer on their own, or use them as a fancy garnish for soups or salads.
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 ounce (about ⅓ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (optional)
Lay the pastry out on a work surface and sprinkle the cheese, nuts, and rosemary (if using) evenly over the top. Starting with one of the long sides, roll the pastry into a tight log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Lay a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of a baking sheet on your work surface. Unwrap the pastry log and, using a sharp or serrated knife, cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices on the parchment paper about 3 inches apart. Place another piece of parchment paper over the pastry slices and roll with a rolling pin until each slice is about ¼ inch thick. Slide the parchment with the pastry slices onto a baking sheet and remove the top piece of parchment. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and pastry is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing with a spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes about 15 to 20 crisps.
Make it ahead: The pastry log can be assembled and kept, wrapped in plastic, for at least a couple of days in the fridge. When you're ready to cook the crisps, just slice, roll, and bake.
Serve it with:
-Caramelized Onion Soup or Parsnip and Apple Soup
-Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad or any salad of mixed greens with vinaigrette dressing
-As an alternative to plain croutons with a classic Caesar salad
Change it up: Instead of Parmesan, pine nuts, and rosemary, try:
-4 ounces crumbled blue cheese and 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts
-4 ounces crumbled feta cheese and ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-¼ cup Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
-¼ cup store-bought pesto and 2 tablespoons pine nuts
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Mother's Day: Burgers
Dino has a skill for making delicious mixes for hamburgers. I don't think he ever makes the same mix twice, but whatever he does, it always turns out delicious!
We decided to fire up the grill for Mother's Day, so he made a batch. I watched as he was mixing it up this time, and this is what he came up with (amounts are approximate).
I topped mine with extra sharp cheddar (that he melted on while it was on the grill), tomato, raw onion, dill pickles, mustard, mayo and ketchup, and had baked beans on the side. Yum!
Mother's Day Brunch: Crepes with Fresh Fruit, Nutella and Crème Fraîche
I suggested doing brunch at our house this year for Mother's Day, so Dino and his dad made a big batch of crepes. They were phenomenal!
They dusted them with powdered sugar and served them with sliced bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Nutella and crème fraiche. WOW.
These are definitely going to be requested more often! Dino made this recipe once before, but this time around, he read through some of the comments on the recipe and adapted it a bit based on them.
Sprecher Root Beer Float
One of my favorite things from when I lived in Wisconsin is Sprecher root beer. That stuff is seriously amazing. Now that I'm in New York, I don't get tempted by seeing it at the grocery store every week. I don't drink soda too often, but this stuff is hard to turn down. Whenever I have friends from WI coming to visit, I ask if they'll bring some Sprecher out for me. So back in September, some friends came to visit, and they brought me a 4-pack. I've been rationing that stuff like you wouldn't believe! So much so, that I decided to use my third bottle (that's right - I still have one left!!) to make a root beer float. It's been years since I had one of those, and I figured it would be extra awesome with Sprecher...and it WAS! The only thing that would have made this better is if I would have made homemade vanilla bean ice cream. This was a real treat!
Herb Rubbed Pork Chops with Peach Sauce
It’s been quite some time since I’ve made this dish for dinner. It’s one of our favorites! It’s really easy to put together, and it’s nice and sweet and spicy.
I always end up just frying the chops in a skillet in a little bit of olive oil instead of broiling them, I’ve used thin-cut pork chops as well as big, juicy ones. It works great with both!
We really enjoy eating this with black beans and rice topped with some raw shallot or red onion and a bit of salt. Yum!
Herb Rubbed Pork Chops with Peach Sauce
McCormick
1 teaspoon McCormick marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon McCormick thyme leaves
1 teaspoon McCormick garlic powder
¼ teaspoon McCormick ground red pepper
1 pound boneless lean pork chops, trimmed
*** for peach sauce ***
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sherry wine
½ teaspoon corn starch
¼ teaspoon McCormick ground cinnamon
1 can (16 ounces) juice-packed, sliced peaches, drained
1. Combine marjoram, thyme, garlic, and red pepper. Rub on both sides of pork chops. Broil on high, 4 minutes per side, or grill 3 minutes per side. Cover with foil to keep warm.
2. To prepare the peach sauce, combine cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, sherry, and cinnamon. Bring to a low boil; simmer 5 minutes. Add peaches and simmer an additional 3 minutes.
3. Top pork with warm peach sauce to serve.
Nutritional notes:
Calories: 308, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 104 mg, Sodium: 86 mg, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 36 g
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Broccoli Salad
We went to a BBQ at a friend’s house over the weekend, and he said to bring a side or dessert. I didn’t want to bring something that anyone else would be bringing, so I went for one of our favorite salad recipes. It sounds like a weird combination of ingredients, but it’s super addictive. It’s fresh and crunchy and sweet and cool, and is just the type of unexpected hit that I like making for parties like this.
Broccoli Salad
Cooking Light June 2002
4 cups broccoli flowerets, about 1 ½ pounds
1 ½ cups green grapes, seedless, halved
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup raisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup fat free plain yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture, and toss well. Chill for 1 hour.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup).
Nutritional notes:
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 150 Calories; 4g Fat (24.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 81mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Baked Kale Chips
I had picked up a bunch of kale to make chips with a while back, and it ended up sitting in my refrigerator for too long, which unfortunately made these turn out not too great. I've been sick and kept putting off baking them, and it ended up ruining them. I didn't know it until after I baked them, but luckily, they're super easy to make, and I'll definitely try it again. Kale gets nice and crispy in the oven, and kale chips are a great, healthier alternative to potato chips. I'll rate these the next time I try it, since it didn't get a fair shot this time around.
Baked Kale Chips
Allrecipes - LucyDelRey
"These are a low calorie nutritious snack. Like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one. They are great for parties and a good conversation topic."
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min
Ready In: 20 Min
Yield 6 servings
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 58 | Total Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg
Garlic Whipped Potatoes
Usually, when I make mashed potatoes, they look something like the picture above. This time around, I wanted to make them extra smooth so Dino could eat them with his sore jaw. I peeled and cut a bunch of potatoes into cubes and boiled them with 2 cloves of garlic and a bay leaf in salted water until the potatoes were tender. I drained the water off and used an immersion blender to make them silky smooth. I thinned them with some chicken stock (I figured this would also add a nice amount of flavor, since Dino wasn't going to be able to eat solid foods for a while), added in a little butter, and seasoned them up with salt and pepper. They were really good! I forgot to take a photo of them, but I'll definitely use this method again.
Citrus Lift
There's a restaurant nearby that makes a juice that's a combination of celery, apples, oranges and lemons, and we really love it. I woke up with a sore throat yesterday, and I thought this would be a great drink to try to recreate. It turned out really great, and it made a lot for us to enjoy for a few days.
Citrus Lift
Inspired by Nevaeh Cuisine
1 bunch of celery
5 apples
5 oranges
3 lemons
Using a juicer, process celery, apples, oranges and lemons. Whisk and enjoy!
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Farm Fresh Eggs with Toast & Home Fries
We have some friends that have a family-run Angus farm up in Ghent, NY. In addition to beef, they also raise chickens, and we finally got to try some of these beauties.
Farm fresh eggs are so much richer and tastier than the usual ones you can buy in the store. Dino cooked a few of these up with some toast and home fries (made in the cast iron skillet from the potatoes that I boiled but we didn't end up using on St. Patty's day when my slow cooker died).
If you're able to try farm fresh eggs, I highly recommend it. They're delicious!
St. Patty's Day: Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage FAIL
Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that my dad, after hearing about how hectic and stressed things have been for me lately, had flowers sent to my office today. He's never done that before, and it was such a sweet gesture. He's the best!
And now for the bad news. After inviting my in-laws over for our annual St. Patty's Day Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage - a fantastic and easy recipe that I've been making for a few years now - it appears that my slow cooker has died. Of course, I only found this out after turning it on this morning, working a day of pure insanity in the office and coming home to find that the heating element has decided to no longer work. No warning, nothing. Just a slow cooker full of uncooked, barely warm to the touch meat, onions and cabbage. The timer appears to work, but it just doesn't heat up anymore. I'm sad, because this slow cooker was AWESOME, and I've had it for about 5 years now, and I don't think it's still under warranty. But I'm gonna see if I can finagle something without having to drop money on a new one.
Had this worked out, we would have had our fourth annual St. Patty's Day tradition at home. Instead, we headed up the street to the diner and had it there instead. Well, at least the Guinness was cold!
Couscous, Garbanzo Bean, and Cucumber Salad
I saw this recipe from the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen and thought it looked like a great, quick and simple vegan main course. I didn't have any bulgur, so I used couscous, and all I can say is WOW. This one was fantastic! We absolutely loved it! And with the couscous, it all came together in a snap! The cumin in the dressing was the perfect spice to accent these flavors. I'll definitely be making this one again and again. Yum!
Bulgur, Garbanzo Bean, and Cucumber Salad
Bon Appétit October 2010
2 cups whole grain quick-cooking bulgur (11 to 12 ounces)
2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 ½-pint containers small red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced unpeeled English hothouse cucumber
1 cup diced roasted red peppers from jar
⅔ cup (packed) chopped fresh dill
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 tablespoons olive oil
Cook bulgur in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add garbanzos and next 4 ingredients.
Whisk vinegar and cumin in small bowl. Whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper; pour over bulgur to coat salad. Season with salt and pepper.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Guest Post on Beantown Baker's Friday Favs
Jen over at Beantown Baker is showcasing some of her favorite blogs every Friday, and I wrote the guest post for today. If you've never been to her blog, you really must - it's a fantastic resource for tasty food and drool-worthy photos.
Birthday Cupcakes - XBox 360 RRoD
Anyone who knows very well knows that I'm a huge gamer nerd. Yep, I even worked at Gamestop my last year of college purely for the employee discount. It was awesome. Anyway, my brother drove out here from Indiana to visit, and since his birthday was at the end of February, I decided to make him some birthday cupcakes. Since I've had the unfortunate experience of getting the infamous "red ring of death" on my Xbox 360 a whopping FOUR times now, I thought a little gamer nerd humor would be great. This recipe says it makes 12 cupcakes, but the box mix I got says if you're making cupcakes, it can make 24. So I made 12 cupcakes and took the rest of the cake mix and filling, swirled them together and made a square cake to go with it. After a 12 hour drive to NY from Indiana, he was greeted with this awesomeness. It turned out really well - he said they may have been the best cupcakes he's ever had. I picked these 2 recipes from Allrecipes and they both worked wonderfully!
Self-Filled Cupcakes I
Allrecipes - Star Pooley
"A new twist on plain chocolate cupcakes!"
Yield 1 dozen
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), or to the temperature recommended on the cake mix package.
2. Prepare chocolate cake mix according to package directions, but do not bake. In separate bowl cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended, then stir in chocolate chips.
3. Line cupcake tins with cupcake papers. Fill ⅔ full with chocolate cake batter. Add 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture to the center, and top with more cake batter.
4. Bake according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool and frost with chocolate or cream cheese frosting.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 355 | Total Fat: 17.8g | Cholesterol: 38mg
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Cream Cheese Frosting II
Allrecipes - Janni
"This is a wonderfully creamy frosting that goes well with pumpkin bread, carrot cake, chocolate cake, on cookies, or between cookies. If you want chocolate frosting, add ¼ to ½ cup cocoa, according to how rich you want it."
Yield 3 cups
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 140 | Total Fat: 10.4g | Cholesterol: 31mg
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Winter Gimlet
I saw this post over at The Paupered Chef and thought it looked like something Dino would love. He's been into drinks with bitters lately, so I sent this recipe his way and he rushed downstairs and mixed one up. It's too strong for my taste, but he really enjoyed it.
Winter Gimlet
The Paupered Chef
Makes 1 Drink
Paper-thin slices of lime, for lining glass
2 ounces Old Tom Gin (preferable Ransom brand)
½ oz lime juice
1 ounce brown sugar simple syrup (instructions below)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
To make the brown sugar simple syrup, combine equal parts brown sugar and water in a mason jar or other sealable vessel. Shake like hell until the sugar is dissolved. Alternatively, you can heat it gently in a saucepan until dissolved, then cool.
Layer the lime slices along the inside of the glass, slightly overlapping. Add gin, lime juice, and simple syrup over ice and stir gently to combine. Finish with bitters.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Tofu Triangles in Creamy Nut Butter Sauce with Scallions
I love new ways to make tofu, and this one was great! The sauce is more like a thick glaze that coats the tofu. The peanut butter makes it really rich. The only thing I changed was to pour in the entire batch of sauce - I don't know why half would make sense. I used water in the sauce to keep it vegan, but I think vegetable stock would have been great, too. I served this over steamed jasmine rice. I'll definitely make it again.
Tofu Triangles in Creamy Nut Butter Sauce with Scallions
This Can't Be Tofu! - Deborah Madison
Tofu Triangles:
1 carton firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil, for frying
2 scallions including the greens, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds
The Creamy Nut Butter Sauce:
¼ cup regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon tamari
¼ cup sesame paste, peanut butter, or cashew butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white or light brown sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or chili oil
2 scallions, finely chopped
⅓ cup water or stock
Pinch salt
1. Slice the tofu crosswise into scant 1/ 2-inch slabs, then cut each slab into 2 triangles. Blot with paper towels.
2. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet and add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and fry over medium-high heat until golden. Turn and cook on the second side.
3. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small food processor and puree until smooth. Taste for salt and add a little extra, if needed.
4. When the tofu is done, pour in half the sauce and cook until bubbling and partially reduced.
5. Turn off the heat, scatter the scallions and sesame seeds over the top, and bring to the table.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
Rigatoni alla Pastora (Shepherd's Style Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage)
This recipe is simple to put together if you use store bought sausage and ricotta. I used hot sausage and whole wheat pasta, and it turned out great. It was pretty easy for a weeknight meal.
Rigatoni alla Pastora (Shepherd's Style Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage)
My Calabria - Rosetta Costantino
Serves 6 to 8
¾ pound (350 grams) fresh sweet or hot Italian sausage or Fresh Homemade Fennel Sausage Calabrian Style (page 211)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (450 grams) Homemade Ricotta (page 14) or store-bought whole-milk ricotta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (450 grams) rigatoni or penne rigate
Freshly grated pecorino cheese, optional
Ground hot pepper, optional
Remove the sausage casings. With a table knife, break the sausage up into small chunks about the size of an olive. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-centimeter) skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes. Keep warm.
Press the ricotta through a sieve into a large serving bowl. Add salt to taste and several grinds of black pepper.
Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a boil in an 8-quart (8-liter) pot over high heat. Add ¼ cup (35 grams) of kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Just before the pasta is done, whisk a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water into the ricotta to warm it and make it creamy and saucelike.
Set aside ½ cup (125 milliliters) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage and toss over high heat just until hot throughout. Transfer the pasta and sausage to the bowl with the ricotta and mix well, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to moisten the pasta. Add pecorino and hot pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Black Forest Ham and Cheese Scones
I'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, and I was thrilled a few months back to find out that one of my favorite NYC restaurants, Alice's Tea Cup, had released a cookbook!
The restaurant is a ridiculously cute tea shop that has a whimsical menu and especially tasty baked goods.
The place is decorated with all things Alice in mind, and they even have fairy wings for little kids and will dust them with glitter when they arrive. I can't say enough about how much this place rocks.
Anyway, I picked up the cookbook and was excited to try out two of the recipes tonight. The scones turned out really good. It's nice to have savory scones instead of always sweet ones.
I did have a little trouble while making these, because I was so afraid of overmixing them that I may have undermixed them instead.
They didn't brown on top, so I brushed a little more buttermilk over them after they had baked longer than what the recipe called for.
It probably didn't brown well because I didn't mix the dough quite enough, but they still tasted really good. My store didn't have any chives, so I used some green onion tops instead.
The parts where the cheese melted out and got crispy were especially good. These were kind of like self-contained ham and cheese sandwiches. Yum!
Black Forest Ham and Cheese Scones
Alice's Tea Cup - Haley Fox & Lauren Fox
Makes 10-12 scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup diced cheddar cheese (½-inch dice)
½ cup diced Gruyere cheese (½-inch dice)
¾ cup Black Forest ham
¼ cup minced chives
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the cheese, ham, and chives to the dry mixture and combine thoroughly.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the buttermilk and buttermilk into the well. With clean hands, combine the ingredients until all the dry mixture is wet, but do not knead!
4. Turn mixture onto a floured surface and gather the dough together. Gently pat the dough to make a disk about 1 ½ inches thick.Using a 3- or 3 ½-inch biscuit cutter cut out as many scones as you can and lay them on a nonstick baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough together lightly to cut out more scones - just don't knead the dough too much.
5. Bake the scones for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Pork Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Peppers
This recipe was pretty easy to put together, and it was good. The only thing I didn't like about it was that this was the first time I used anchovies instead of anchovy paste. They dissolve, but for some reason, the bones ended up bugging me. Anyway, we enjoyed the sweetness and crunch from the bell peppers, and the balsamic at the end finished it off nicely. I served it with some Israeli couscous with garlic, peas and Parmesan.
Pork Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Peppers
Cooking Light January 2011
Total: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and about ½ cup bell pepper mixture)
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick medallions
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
4 canned anchovy fillets, drained and mashed
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 ½-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 ½-inch strips
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn pork over. Add 1 teaspoon rosemary, anchovies, garlic, and bell peppers; cook 7 minutes or until peppers are tender and pork is done. Drizzle with vinegar. Top with remaining ½ teaspoon rosemary.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 215
Fat: 10.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 25.2g
Carbohydrate: 5g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 78mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 441mg
Calcium: 26mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Italian-Seasoned Roast Chicken Breasts
This chicken was OK - it was nice and juicy, but the flavor combination wasn't our favorite. Rosemary is such a strong flavor that adding another really strong flavor like fennel seeds seemed to be a little overkill for us. Having rosemary did inspire me to make another batch of Crash Hot Potatoes though, so that was a bonus.
Italian-Seasoned Roast Chicken Breasts
Cooking Light March 2011
Lean breast meat needs to be shielded as it cooks, so leave the skin on (and enjoy it—see Nutrition Note).
Total: 53 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Loosen skin from chicken by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub rosemary mixture under loosened skin over flesh; rub over top of skin. Place chicken, bone side down, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Coat skin lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast registers 155°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand for 10 minutes.
Nutrition Note: Since chicken breast meat is low in calories and saturated fat, you can eat the skin and still keep saturated fat within allowable limits. If you like dark meat, which is higher in saturated fat, remove and discard the skin.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 240
Fat: 12.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 6.3g,poly 2.1g)
Protein: 29.5g
Carbohydrate: 1.8g
Fiber: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 82mg
Iron: 1.2mg
Sodium: 366mg
Calcium: 24mg
Big Flavors Rating: 3 Stars
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and Tarragon Peas & Carrots
No, this was not another attempt to get my cauliflower-hating friend Jerry to stop reading my blog. This was one dish with cauliflower that even cauliflower lovers like me and Dino didn't enjoy. But I can't blame the cauliflower. This recipe was all over the place. We didn't feel like the 3 components went together at all. Dino kept saying, "but the scallop part is REALLY good" - but all that portion consisted of was properly pan-searing scallops that were seasoned with salt and pepper. The flavors of the rest of the dish just did not mesh well. The cauliflower portion was way too thin, and it wouldn't have made enough for 4 people. In the magazine, the peas & carrots were listed with the recipe. I definitely won't be making this one again.
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree
Cooking Light March 2011
Pair sea scallops with a cauliflower and potato puree for an elegant yet weeknight-friendly meal. Tip: Patting the sea scallops dry before cooking helps ensure a great seared crust.
Total: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ½ cup puree and about 4 scallops)
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
1 cup cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
1 cup water
½ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ½ pounds sea scallops
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove scallops from pan.
3. Pour cauliflower mixture in a blender. Add ½ teaspoon salt, butter, and red pepper. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Serve puree with scallops.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 232
Fat: 8.9g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 23.8g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 54mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 632mg
Calcium: 46mg
Tarragon Carrots and Peas
Yield: 4 servings
1 cup sugar snap peas
⅓ cup water
1 cup matchstick-cut carrot
1 ½ teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
⅛ teaspoon salt
Place sugar snap peas and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and butter; cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in tarragon, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, and salt.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 41
Fat: 1.5g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein: 0.0g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Fiber: 0.0g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.0mg
Sodium: 150mg
Calcium: 0.0mg
Big Flavors Rating: 2 Stars
Chicken Larb
This was a nice spin on a lettuce wrap. I would have never thought to wrap something in a raw cabbage leaf. The coolness from the cucumber is great, and I think that adding chile paste at the end is key, because that heat really makes the flavor pop. Dino added some hoisin sauce to his wrap, and liked it better that way.
Chicken Larb
Cooking Light January 2011
Total: 27 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 filled cabbage leaves)
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
⅓ cup chopped English cucumber
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 cabbage leaves
Thai chile paste (optional)
1. Combine curry paste, chicken, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Remove pan from heat; stir in cucumber and next 3 ingredients (through juice). Place 2 cabbage leaves on each of 4 plates; divide chicken mixture evenly among leaves. Serve with chile paste, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 174
Fat: 4.9g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 26.7g
Carbohydrate: 4.1g
Fiber: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 507mg
Calcium: 29mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Garbanzo Beans and Greens
This was a surprisingly hearty recipe that we really liked. The cumin really warms it up, and the yogurt cools it at the end. Unfortunately the leftovers didn't heat up too well, so if I make this again, I'd either cut it in half or have a few people over for dinner so I didn't have any left.
Garbanzo Beans and Greens
Cooking Light January 2011
Substitute escarole or another hearty green like collards if you don't like kale. Serve with torn baguette bread to soak up all the tasty juices.
Total: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 center-cut bacon slices
1 cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 ½ cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped fresh kale
½ cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
4 lemon wedges (optional)
1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 ¼ cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Wine Match: An inexpensive selection, the 2008 Turning Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon (California, $8) has black cherries, oak, and a nice, smooth taste to counterbalance the meaty bacon and beans and earthy greens in this hearty dish. --Gretchen Roberts
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 216
Fat: 4.2g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 15.1g
Carbohydrate: 33.7g
Fiber: 6g
Cholesterol: 4mg
Iron: 4mg
Sodium: 595mg
Calcium: 197mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Supper Club: Thai Noodle Salad
This was the other recipe I picked for Thai night. It was a little more involved than the shrimp, but it was relatively low maintenance. The peanut sauce was good - better than the one I made a while back - but still not as good as Ina's. I think I'm going to have to make that one again, since I keep comparing everything else to it! I did use whole wheat pasta, which could have made it a little drier than it should have been. Dino squeezed a little lime juice on his and said it helped it out a lot.
Thai Noodle Salad
Bon Appétit January 2003
12 ounces linguine
4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
8 green onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ cup honey
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce*
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup finely shredded carrots
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl; add 3 tablespoons sesame oil and toss to coat.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 green onions, garlic, and ginger; sauté until onions soften, about 2 minutes. Add honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce; whisk to blend. Simmer sauce 1 minute. Cool to room temperature. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Add sprouts and carrots; mix well. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with remaining green onions.
*Optional: use Gluten Free
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Here's a shot of the whole meal (minus the soup that I slurped down before taking a photo):
And an awesome dessert, inspired by Thai iced coffee:
It was another great Supper Club event!
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