Kale Chips 01/24/2011
Ah, kale. You are so delicious. Why wouldn't I sprinkle oil and salt on you and put you in the oven? Seriously, I've been wanting to try these for awhile and I was amazed at just how easy it was. I made them for my birthday party the other night and they were a great complement to the White Bean Dip and pita chips I set out. (Though they are kind of messy--I picked up a lot of little green kale-ness off the floor the next day.) This one comes from the Smitten Kitchen. Delish! 1 bunch Lacinato Kale 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 300*. Rinse kale and pat dry. Remove thickest stems and chop into chip-size pieces. Spread on a cookie sheet (or two) and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Add Comment White Bean Dip 01/24/2011
Good gracious it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. It’s not like I haven’t been cooking, maybe it’s just that I’ve been cooking the old standards for awhile. I do that a lot—buy the staples that’ll make a few easy dinners and appetizers so that I always know I’ll have something on hand. One of those things is the Lemon Curry Hummus I always make, filled with protein and easy to take to parties. But I’ve been making it so long that I decided it was time to swap it out for something new and exciting. A friend told me about this easy white bean dip from Giada de Laurentiis. She’s the queen of easy and delicious and I always feel fancy cooking her food. That being said, I took this on our annual hut trip in December along with some pita chips (sturdier than crackers when you’re getting stuffed in a backpack with 30 pounds of other goodies). True to form, it was easy and delicious. 1 15 oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed (these are also called White Kidney Beans, I’ve learned) 2 cloves Garlic 2 tbsp Lemon Juice 1/3 cup Olive Oil 1/4 -1/2 cup Fresh Parsley Salt and pepper to taste Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender, but I found that it tends to chop up the parsley a little too finely and you end up with a green white bean dip, which confuses people.) Put in a fancy bowl and serve with pita chips, homemade or otherwise. Roasted Brussels Sprouts 01/04/2010
They're all the rage this year, right? I've never loved brussels sprouts, but I guess it's all in the cooking. My friend Carolyn raved about this recipe, especially the smoked paprika, which I went out and bought specifically for this dish. Man oh man is it good! I even put some in with some tomato sauce and pasta. 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, washed and cut in halves 1 tbsp Butter 1 Onion, cut into big wedges 1/2 clove Garlic, chopped into big pieces Salt Pepper Smoked Paprika Preheat oven to 425*. Sweat the onion and garlic in butter, about 4-5 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and saute for a minute more, adding salt, pepper, and paprika. Transfer to a large cookie sheet, and roast, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Serves 4-6. Snap Pea, Walnut and Feta Salad 09/30/2009
We bought a huge bag of those sugar snap peas at Costco the other day. It's true you can just eat them raw and they're delicious, but they're also very tasty in this just-steamed format. The warmth of the peas help melt the feta a bit, combining to make one delicious salad. Salad 3 cups Sugar Snap Peas 1 cup Feta, crumbled 1 cup Walnuts, crumbled Dressing 1 tbsp. Olive Oil 1 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar 1 tbsp. Brown Mustard Salt and Pepper Trim the ends off the snap peas if desired. Place them in a saute pan with a half cup of water, and cover. Steam for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, mix dressing ingredients together. Drain water from peas, mix with feta and walnuts, and top with dressing. Serve with a light pasta. Tomatoes Provencale 09/11/2009
I began looking through my recipes to see what we should do with all the tomatoes that are about to burst out of our garden...we've had a bunch of red cherry tomatoes, but it's the huge black heirlooms and beefsteaks that we'll soon be inundated with. I'm thinking this little recipe might be perfect for the heirlooms, alongside a fresh salad and a hearty pasta. 4 large Tomatoes Olive Oil for brushing tomatoes1/4 cup fresh Bread Crumbs 3 tbsp fresh Parmesan, grated2 tbsp fresh Parsley, minced 1 small garlic clove, minced Salt and pepper Halve the tomatoes horizontally and trim the ends so that they will stand level, cut side up. Scoop out a small amount of the tomato pulp to make room for the filling. Brush them all over with the oil and bake them, cut side up, on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 325* oven for 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients, with salt and pepper to taste, and divide the mixture among the tomatoes. Drizzle oil over the tomatoes and broil them under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. If you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden (like we do) and are tired of sauteeing or grilling them, try this fabulous recipe. My friend Lex gave me the idea for the tzatziki, so I made this one up on the fly. I grated the zucchini by peeling off short strips with a veggie peeler. Patties 2-1/2 cups Zucchini, coarsely grated/peeled 1 tsp Salt, divided 1 Egg 1 Egg yolk 1/2 cup Flour, and more as needed 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled 1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped 1 tbsp fresh Basil, chopped 1 tbsp fresh Dill, chopped 1/3 cup Olive Oil, and more as needed 1/3 cup Corn Oil, and more as needed Toss zucchini strips and ½ tsp salt together. Let stand five minutes, then transfer to sieve/strainer. Press out excess liquid, and put zucchini in a dry bowl. Mix in egg, yolk, ½ cup flour, feta, and ½ tsp. salt. Mix in green onions, basil, and dill. If batter is very wet, add small amounts of flour at a time until batter is thick enough to drop into oil by spoonfuls. Heat olive and corn oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into oil, and fry patties until golden brown, about five minutes per side. Add more oil if necessary. Transfer finished patties to paper towel and keep warm in a low oven. Tzatziki Sauce 4 oz. plain Greek Yogurt (I used Fage’s “Total”) 2 tbsp. Cucumber, grated 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice 1-1/2 tbsp. fresh Dill, chopped Dash Garlic Powder (or real garlic, though the powder incorporates better) Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve chilled with warm patties. Arugula Salad 08/25/2009
I'm planning on making this one tonight--it's the perfect light complement to heavier dishes. I think I'll serve it with some zucchini fritters and a tomato and goat cheese tart...recipes to come later! 2 bunches Arugula, washed, dried, and torn 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 Lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper A chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano In a serving bowl, drizzle the arugula with the oil, squeeze in the lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well mixed and taste for seasoning. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces of Parmigiano over the top. Look like a total rock star to your friends who are used to iceberg lettuce in their salads. Summer Vegetable and Sourdough Panzanella 08/07/2009
This little recipe came floating into my inbox yesterday via MNN...perfect since we had made plans with our garden friends to cook dinner with ingredients from our bounty. At this point we were able to supply the squash and basil, but we're hoping that the peppers and tomatoes will soon come from the backyard too! We used rosemary sourdough bread (fresh from the store, no need for it to be stale) which added a ton of flavor. We also took the liberty of setting out some feta cheese to top it off. Note: Give yourself plenty of time--the finished bread and veggies need 30 minutes to marinate together before serving. 3 cups Sourdough Bread, cut into 1″ cubes (try rosemary) 3 tbsp Olive Oil 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped 1 Yellow Squash, sliced on a diagonal 2 Bell Peppers, seeded and cut into 1″ squares 6-8 Cherry Tomatoes cut in half 1/2 Red Onion, cut in 1″ squares 6-8 Fresh Basil leaves, cut in strips 3/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled (optional) Vinaigrette 3 tbsp Olive Oil 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp Dijon Mustard Salt and Pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350*. On a baking sheet, spread the chopped garlic, onion, squash, peppers and tomatoes and coat with one tablespoon olive oil (no need to overdo it on the oil). Roast for 15-18 minutes, stirring once, until just starting to soften and release juices. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Toss in the bread cubes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the cubes are crusty and slightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. To make vinaigrette dressing, firmly whisk together all ingredients until blended. Season with salt and pepper. In a serving bowl, toss together the bread cubes and vegetables. Pour dressing over the bread and vegetable mixture and then set aside for thirty minutes to let it absorb the flavors. Before serving, stir in strips of fresh basil, and set out feta for diners to sprinkle on if desired. Broccoli and Almond Salad 07/06/2009
My grandma sent me this one...the recipe is for one serving, so if you're feeding two, double the recipe (and so forth). Thanks Gram! Greek Salad 07/01/2009
 This is so easy and so good. Perfect side salad with a little oomph! Measurements are a little vague depending on your taste (and the availability of package sizes). While dill is the more traditional herb for a dish like this, basil will perk things up a bit and also be very delicious. 1 large cucumber 4-6 oz. crumbled Feta 10-12 oz. grape tomatoes 5-6 oz. pitted Kalamata Olives 2 tbsp. fresh Dill OR Basil Salt and Pepper to taste Chop cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and herb. Combine in large bowl, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. | good eats
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