Something toasted

I love the idea of an opened faced sandwich this time of year. Who doesn't like a pizza-like size of grilled bread topped with seasonal produce, spreads, cheeses & cured meats? I grew a fondness for bruschetta while traveling in Italy. I can still taste the toasted piece of sweet baguette slathered with fig spread, topped with melty robiola cheese & paper thin slices of prosciutto from Enoteca Fuori Porta in Florence. This time of year I like to recreate that perfect patio lunch at home with minimal effort, using ingredients from my garden. The only thing missing is the Ponte Vecchio Bridge on the Arno River in the backdrop.

Bruschetta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Ricotta 

Ingredients:
4 cups assorted cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Four 3/4" thick slices of country-style bread
Olive oil for drizzling on the bread
1 garlic clove, peeled & halved
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste
12 basil leaves
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Balsamic reduction (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Toss tomatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread out on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for 2 hours. (If you are like me and love to multi-task, throw these in before heading to a yoga class. They will be ready by the time you get home.)
3. The tomatoes are done once they have shriveled some and show signs of golden brown. Pull baking tray from the oven and use a spatula to gently press the roasted tomatoes to extract some of their juices. The less juice in the tomatoes the better they will sit up on the toasted bread.
4. To toast slice of bread, preheat broiler or outdoor grill. Drizzle one side of bread with olive oil. Toast, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Rub toasts with cut garlic.
5. Put the ricotta along with the lemon zest in a small bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Divide the ricotta spread between the 4 pieces of toasted bread. Lay 3 basil leaves on each one. Mound the tomatoes on the toasts. Season with sea salt and more freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle with a balsamic vinegar reduction if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature

Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Franny's Cookbook

Pumped up Corn on the Cob

Of all the summer produce that evokes memories of home, sweet white corn on the cob is at the top of my list. Having grown up in Northern California, I know that you can't drive far this time of year without getting lured in by the hand painted farm fresh produce signs that decorate so many suburban and country roads. I haven't seen true white corn at the market yet but it hasn't stopped me from buying fresh multi-colored corn which is less sweet than white but still delicious this time of year. Shuck it, grill it and eat it plain with a little salt and butter or give it a little pizzazz like I have done here with sriracha, the hottest condiment around right now. Enjoy corn on the cob while it's in season especially because its canned & frozen counterparts can't compare in terms of flavor, color, texture and the experience that comes with cooking outdoors.

Spicy Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, must be at room temp
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 ears of corn, shucked, split in half & slathered with a little olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Zest & juice of 1 lime
2 limes, quartered
course flake salt such as Maldon

Directions:

1. Heat your grill to high.

2. In a small bowl, combine the butter with garlic salt, sriracha and chili powder using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Place butter mixture in the center of a dinner size plate.

3. Put the prepped corn on the grill, close the grill hood, and cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until all sides of the corn are slightly charred. When the corn comes off the grill, immediately roll each ear in the spicy butter then sprinkle with cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and flake salt. Serve each cob with a lime wedge.      

Serves 4-8

Recipe adapted from www.camillestyles.com      

                               

Summery Salmon Salad

I love this time of year! The produce seems brighter, meals are lighter, days are longer and the possibility of eating outside isn't out of reach. This summery salad is versatile. Add fresh summer produce that you love and have one hand. Buy wild caught Alaskan salmon while you can too. It's worth every penny and can be cooked indoors or out. The fragrant basil vinaigrette is really just a pesto minus the cheese. Store leftovers in a jar and add it to pasta, use it as pizza sauce or spread it on sandwiches.
 
This is seasonal salad that screams dining al fresco! Enjoy!

                            

Seared Salmon, Green Bean & Potato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
 
Vinaigrette:
2 cups  loosely packed fresh basil leaves 
2 cloves garlic, peeled & left whole
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
¼ - ½ cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
 
Salad:
1 pound green beans, tail trimmed and cut in half or left whole
1 ½ pounds fingerling or small red potatoes
¾ cup artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup baby tomatoes, halved or hydrated sundried tomatoes
6 pieces wild caught salmon (4 oz each)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 large handfuls of mixed greens
6 hardboiled eggs*

Directions:

1.      Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients. With the motor running add the olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Taste & adjust seasoning. Set aside.

2.     Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Once water comes to a rolling boil, add green beans, and cook for 2-4 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove beans from water with a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, drain beans & place in large salad bowl.

3.     Meanwhile carefully add the potatoes to the saucepan, bring water back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through when pierced with a knife but still firm, about 8-12 minutes depending on the size. When the potatoes are done, drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and let cool in to room temperature. Once cooled, halve potatoes and add to the salad bowl. Add artichoke hearts and baby tomatoes to the bowl as well. Set as aside.

4.     To cook the salmon, season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add 3 fillets, skin-sides-up, and sear until undersides are well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and sear until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.

5.     Assemble the salad: in a large bowl separate from the veg, toss the salad greens with just enough vinaigrette. Once lightly dressed, mound a handful of greens on each plate. Next toss the set aside veg with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Divide dressed veg between all six plates. Finally top each salad with salmon. Lightly drizzle vinaigrette over each salad if desired. Place 2 hardboiled egg halves on one side of each plate.

Note: leftover vinaigrette will keep well in a jar in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Top pesto with a film of olive oil to keep its bright green color after each use.

*to hard-boil eggs, place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with 1” of cold water. Bring water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat, remove saucepan from hot burner, cover and let sit for 11 minutes. Shock in an ice bath (ice water) to stop the cooking. Peel & halve.

Serves 6
Recipe adapted from Mediterranean Fresh

 

Homemade granola - better than store shelve bags & boxes

Got 15 minutes? Make homemade granola. It won't take you longer than 15 minutes to prep your ingredients and get them in the oven. If you keep a decently stocked pantry, the ingredients are probably at your disposal. If they aren't, they won't be hard to find. Seek out your nearest grocery store that has a decent bulk section. Warning - this stuff is addictive and your living quarters are about to smell like a bakery.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
4 cups old fashion oats

1 1/2 cups nuts – any combination (I like half raw almonds, half pistachios, slightly crushed)

1 1/2 cup seeds – any combination (I like raw sunflower seeds, flax seed meal & raw pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes/chips

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light is fine too)

1/3 cup Grade B Maple syrup (the real stuff)

1/4 cup honey

5 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil to make it vegan

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup dried fruit – optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F

2. Place the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut and salt in a large bowl. Place the sweeteners, butter* and vanilla in a small saucepan and heat on medium, stirring often, until the sugar has melted & the butter has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let it come to a rolling boil for 1 of the 5 minutes. *If using olive oil, whisk it into the melted sugar mixture after it has boiled. Pour hot liquid over the dry goods and using a rubber spatula, stir to evenly coat.

3. Divide the granola between two rimmed baking sheets that have been lined with parchment. Reynold's brand now sells a non-stick pan lining paper that has foil on the underside & parchment on the top which is fantastic because it will stay put in the corners. Spread the granola out until it’s flat and evenly distributed. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the trays from front to back & top to bottom halfway through the baking process. After 30 minutes, take out the trays and use a heatproof spatula to stir granola. Rotate the trays again and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Take trays out of the oven and let cool completely. Mix in dried fruit if desired. Store in an air proof container. Eat by the handful, serve with milk or layer with Greek yogurt & berries to make a delicious parfait.

Makes roughly 12 cups of granola

Note: it's a forgiving recipe so feel free to play around with the ingredients some

Recipe inspired by Bi-Rite Creamery's Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones Cookbook

 

Simple black bean burgers with a side of healthy

Black bean burger topped with pineapple salsa & avocado

True Food Kitchen's raw vegetable bouquet with tzatziki

I love a good homemade black bean burger. I love them so much that I have written about them before (here). With a few simple ingredients, most of which I have on-hand, I can forget about eating meat for a night without hesitation. That’s actually most nights for me. Who needs meat when you have filling fiber & protein rich black beans topped with avocado as a substitute? On the side of my burger, I enjoy raw veggies & tzatziki dip as inspired by the uber healthy True Food Kitchen Cookbook. Those traveling to or residents of Phoenix, Colorado, San Diego & LA can have TFK's bounty year round but for those of us inland, TFK's cookbook is a good substitute for the health conscious home cook. To round out the meal I garnished my black bean burger with a simple pineapple salsa & avocado.

For a stunning party presentation as seen in the second photo, serve the veggies with the tzatziki dip in a big bowl or colander. This idea was taken straight from the True Foods Kitchen in Phoenix. I couldn't resist sharing. I hope you do too!

Black Bean Burgers with Avocado & Pineapple Salsa

Burgers:
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded or chopped (about ½ cup)
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed & drained (I like Whole Food's 365 brand no-salt added)
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup bread crumbs (I use whole wheat which I keep in my freezer)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup of water
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup store bought or fresh made pineapple or mango salsa

Black bean burger instructions:

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and let cook, stirring often, until tender & slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add in the carrots & a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until carrots become soft, about 5-10 additional minutes, again stirring often to prevent a burnt mess. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl.

2. Add beans, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, chili powder, salt, cilantro and water to the bowl with onion mixture. Use a large spoon, fork or your hands to mash it all together. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Using your hands, form the bean mixture into 6 equal sized patties. In a nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry 3 patties for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crisp. Before pan-frying the remaining 3 patties add the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and once heated, begin cooking the patties 3 minutes per side. Serve on toasted whole wheat buns with salsa, sliced avocado & a side of raw veg with tzatziki dip.

Serves 6
Black bean burger recipe from Chloe's Kitchen

Note: black bean burgers freeze well. Freeze each on a parchment lined sheet tray. Once frozen pop them into a Ziploc & defrost individually as needed.

Raw Veggies & Tzatziki

Tzatziki dip:
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 scallion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Seasonal veggies of your choice:
green and yellow green beans (blanched)
snow peas
broccoli stems
thin asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
cherry tomatoes
long and thin carrots or baby carrots
cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise
Red and white Belgium endive, separated into spears

Dip instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the mayo & yogurt. Whisk in the remaining dip ingredients. Taste & adjust seasoning. Chill & serve as desired.

Makes 2 1/2 cups
Recipe from True Food Kitchen

Simple Chinese chicken salad

The finished dish - Chinese chicken salad

blanching snap peas



napa cabbage 



rainbow radish

peeling ginger with the back of a spoon

salad ready to be tossed with miso sesame dressing

By this point in the winter season, I have had my fill of stews, braises and other comforting one pot meals. Now it's time to start thinking about spring! Lighten up your dinner table with a crunchy, colorful and slightly nutty Chinese chicken salad. This is no Wolfgang Puck Chinese chicken salad nor is it a riff my favorite from Comforts in San Anselmo, California. Rightfully so, those salads have serious followings. They are destination salads with a sweetness I enjoy but dare not touch. Instead, my version of a Chinese chicken salad has been influenced by a sugar snap pea salad from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook which also happens to be this month's cookbook project. Enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad
1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1/2 lb sugar snap peas

1/2 lb napa cabbage, leaves stacked & cut into thin strips (3 cups)

5 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded like cabbage

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 radishes, quartered & thinly sliced

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

1 tablespoons sesame seeds, well toasted (heat a dry skillet over medium high heat, shaking pan constantly, until golden brown, about 4 minutes)

1/2 cup shredded carrots (or grate one medium carrot)
1 seedless tangerine, peeled and split into sections (or use canned)

Sesame-miso dressing

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons miso paste or low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) or 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large bowl, place shredded/chopped chicken. Set aside.
2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set on your counter while water snap peas cook. Boil sugar snap peas for about 1 minute, or until just barely cooked but still crisp. Scoop them out of water with a large slotted spoon and drop into ice water to stop the cooking. Once they have cooled, drain and pat dry. If desired, cut peas on the bias into thin slices or leave whole. Toss in with the chicken.
3. To the salad bowl also add the cabbage, romaine, almonds, radish, scallions, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, carrots and tangerine segments.

4. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place all but the sesame and olive oil in blender. Give it a quick whirl to combine the ingredients and chop the garlic. While the motor is running, slowly drizzle the oils through the removable inner lid until the dressing comes together. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

4. Toss salad with half the dressing. Taste and add more if needed. Sprinkle salad with the remaining sesame seeds. Serve mounded in the center of each plate.
Note: this salad also tastes great without chicken.

Serves 4-6

Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with Sweet Potatoes & Kale

Delicata squash de-seeded & sliced

Sqash & sweet potatoes covered in salty miso curry glaze

 

Kale removed from center stalk & roughly chopped

Deliciousness - kale, squash, sweet potatoes & delicata squash

A dish that incorporates delicata squash, sweet potatoes, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) & kale is what I consider soul food! It's nourishing, from the earth and layered with sweet & salty flavors. Enjoy this little gem of a recipe, another Super Natural Everyday experiment gone well.

Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with Sweet Potatoes & Kale

12 ounces delicata squash (long, small yellow with green striped squash or peeled & cubed butternut squash)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup miso paste (red or white)
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 lemon, freshly juiced
1 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into small chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped kale, center stems removed
1/3 cup pepitas, toasted, or tamari pumpkin seeds (look for them in the bulk section)
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1.     Preheat the oven to 400° with a rack in the middle of the oven.

2.     Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick half-moons. The skin of this squash is edible so don’t worry that you haven’t peeled it.

3.     In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, miso, curry paste & lemon juice. Combine the sweet potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-curry paste. Use your hands to toss well, then turn the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet; arrange in a single layer. Reserve bowl for later use in step 4. Roast for 15 minutes, until the veggies are starting to brown.  Pull out of oven; using tongs, mix the veggies & let rest before proceeding to the next step.

4.     Using the original squash bowl, toss the remaining curry paste mixture with the kale leaves. Once coated add the kale to the baking tray with the squash & sweet potato. Toss everything together as gently as possible. Put tray back in the oven and continue roasting for 10-15 more minutes. Keep a close watch to avoid burnt squash or potatoes.

5.     Toss the roasted vegetables gently with pepitas and cilantro. Serve family style in a large bowl or on a platter.

Note: to make this a meal, serve with your favorite grain such as quinoa. Toast pepitas in a hot, dry, large skillet until golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes with continuous movement in the skillet.

Recipe adapted from Super Natural Everyday