Eat your Greens

Looking for a new salad? Here are two of my new favorites.  If you don't have the time to make the dressing, go for balsamic vinaigrette.  It works just as well.

Baby Lettuces with Feta, Strawberries and Smoked Almonds:
*make sure to use smoked and not regular almonds... it makes all the difference

Ingredients: 2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 small shallot, minced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup EVOO
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
12 cups packed assorted baby lettuces (about 6 oz)
1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved
4 oz feta (preferably French), crumbled (1 cup)
1 cup smoked almonds,

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, honey, shallot and vinegar.  Stir in the EVOO and season with salt and pepper.  Put the lettuces in a big bowl.  Add the strawberries, feta and almonds.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve.

Nectarine and Blue Cheese Salad with Plum Vinaigrette:

Ingredients: 2 black plums, halved, pitted, chopped
1/2 cup EVOO
4 tsp ume plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
12 cups (lightly packed) mixed greens (such as arugula or frisee)
4 nectarines or peaches, halved, pitted, cut into eighths
8 oz firm blue cheese, such as Cabrales, sliced
1/2 cup almonds, preferably Marcona


Bring plums and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing plums with the back of a spoon, until plums have completely broken down, about 15 minutes.  Pour plum mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much purée as possible; discard solids in sieve. Let purée cool.  Add oil, vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. water to purée; whisk to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Divide greens among plates. Scatter nectarines, cheese, and almonds over, dividing equally, and drizzle some of dressing over. Season with salt and pepper.DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

***This vinaigrette also goes well on a salad with apricots, goat cheese, and pistachios.

PC: Food and Wine and Bon Appetit

California Chili

The minute the leaves start to change, the only thing I crave more than Fall clothes is a hearty bowl of chili. Since I love trying modern classics, I decided to try Giada's California Chili and let's just say it was love at first bite.  The quinoa and toasted pine nuts add the most perfect crunch to the spicy and savory chili.  Like always, I served it with Ina's corn muffins (I keep them in the freezer), and crushed blue tortilla chips, white cheddar, and onions.  It was a Sunday love fest.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and chopped
• 2 large poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (dark meat)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups low-salt chicken broth (preferably organic)
• One 15 to 16-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
• Simplest Quinoa and Pine Nut Pilaf, recipe follows
• Assorted garnishes, such as chopped onion, shredded white Cheddar, chopped tomatoes and/or sour cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, poblanos, celery and onions. Saute until the vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the turkey and saute until no longer pink, breaking up the turkey with the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to blend. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to blend. Add the broth and beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors blend and the chili thickens to desired consistency, stirring often, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon Simplest Quinoa and Pine Nut Pilaf into deep bowls. Ladle chili over. Serve with garnishes.

Cook's Note: Other garnishes that you could offer: chopped radishes, pickled jalapenos, crumbled cotija cheese, tortilla chips and/or pico de gallo.

Simplest Quinoa and Pine Nut Pilaf:

• 1 1/4 cups whole grain quinoa (about 7 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth (preferably organic)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
• 1/3 cup pine nuts

Place the quinoa in a fine sieve. Rinse under cold running water 1 full minute. Set aside to drain.

Bring the broth, salt and pepper to a boil in heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the quinoa stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scatter pine nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet. Toast the nuts until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.

Mix the cilantro and pine nuts into the quinoa.

PC: Foodnetwork.com

Spaghetti Burger

What do you do when you feel like a hearty bowl of spaghetti yet your husband feels like a juicy burger? You combine them (of course) to create a sensational Spaghetti Burger! Thanks Rachael Ray for letting me kill two birds with one stone with this quirky, yet awesome, burger combo. (It's all about the compromise, I tell you).

On the same note, this burger is spicy and the real deal.  I served it with roasted eggplant wedges to keep it balanced.  I'll definitely be making it again and again.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed (I used 1/2 lb hot turkey sausage)
2 cups cooked spaghetti, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce
4 tsp finely chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning blend
6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
12 slices sourdough (I used sourdough hoagies, scooped out)
**Sky's addition: sliced provolone and extra marinara sauce for topping

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, sausage, and spaghetti.  Add the parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, 2 tsp garlic and the Cajun seasoning.  Mix well and form into 6 oval-shaped patties.

Preheat the stovetop grill (or grill pan) on medium heat.  In a small bowl, mix the butter and remaining 2 teaspoons garlic.  Spread the butter on both sides of each bread slice and grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Set aside.  Grill the patties for 6-7 minutes per side.  Top the bread slices with a patty, sliced cheese and a dollop of heated marinara sauce.  Set the remaining bread slices into place.

Serve with roasted eggplant wedges or baked french fries.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
PC: Rachaelraymag.com

Asian Made Simple

Asian food is one of my favorite go-to's for week night cooking.  It's flavorful, comforting, and therapeutic since it requires a lot of chopping and handling.  After sampling a few of my friend's flavorful dishes at a recent Cooking Club, I'm never at a loss for a better-than-takeout meal.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Servings: 3

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt/pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper (1 good pinch of each).  Coat the chicken in cornstarch and then the egg.  Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken in two batches until browned (the chicken will not be fully cooked through).  Place the chicken in a greased 9x13 pryex.  In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce and pour evenly over the chicken.  Bake for one hour and turn every 15 minutes.  Serve with brown or white rice and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Allyson Becker from Lifeasalofthouse.blogspot.com

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
Servings: 2
12 oz sliced beef tenderloin (Whole Foods will do this for you)
1 tbsp soy bean oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp garlic
2 oz soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp rice wine
2 oz green onion sticks, 3" long

Heat the oil in a saute pan.  Add the beef and cook for 30-60 seconds or until cooked.  Beef should be slightly browned around the edges and gray throughout the rest of the surface.  Add the garlic and toss for about a minute.  Add the rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil.  Cook and reduce the sauce around the beef until all sauce has caramelized onto the beef (it should take around 5 minutes).  The pan should be dry before proceeding.  Add the green onion and toss into beef.  Serve with rice.

Recipe courtesy of Emily Hoffman from P.F. Changs

Martha's Cashew Chicken
Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil, such as safflower
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3/4 cup raw cashews (4 oz), toasted

In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.  Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.  Add remaining oil and chicken to skillet along wtih garlic and white parts of scallions.  Cook, tossing often, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes.  Return first batch of chicken to pan.  Add vinegar, cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.  Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water, cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in scallion greens and cashews.  Serve immediately over white rice, if desired. 


PC: Tablefortwoblog.com, pfcb.com, Martha Stewart

Star Power

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Last night I combined two of my favorite Food Network stars' recipes to create a perfectly balanced and delicious Greek-like meal.  Although the meatloaf isn't a traditional Greek dish, the feta and sun-dried tomato tie it all together to give it that major Opa! factor. 

For those of you short on time, this dish is great because you can prepare it in advance and pop it in the oven when you're busy bathing your kids and putting them to bed.  Allow an hour for cooking. 

 Giada's Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Bobby's Greek Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette

PC: GiadaDelaurentis.com & Sweetandsaucy

For the Kiddos

Cooking for my boys (husband included) is my favorite thing in life. So it's no surprise that I make elaborate meals 4-5 nights a week for both man and baby. 

Last night I took out my trusty cookbook, The Baby and Toddler Cookbook and made Cheesy Pasta Wheels that ended up being part of the adult dinner as well.  Like any quality kid-friendly recipe, it was simple to make and is versatile since you can use whatever vegetables your kids will eat.  I used Jack and Wyatt's favorites: summer squash, zucchini, and broccoli and it was a success (which isn't always the case).   

Here's the cookbook (sold at Williams-Sonoma)

And here's the recipe: 

Cheesy Pasta Wheels

Ingredients:

1 cup dried wheel-shaped pasta or macaroni

1 cup chopped broccoli florets (or veggie of your choice, cut into bite-size pieces)

3 tbsp heavy cream (I used whole milk)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes, then add the broccoli to the pasta, stir and continue to cook until both the pasta and broccoli are tender but not mushy, 2-3 minutes longer.  Drain well in colander, shaking out excess water.

Leave the pasta and vegetables to drain in the colander and return to the saucepan to the stove.  Add the cream and butter to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the butter is melted and the cream is bubbling.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Return the pasta and vegetables to the pan and stir gently to mix well.  Let cool slightly before servings.  

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  

Other veggie ideas: asparagus, peas, or cauliflower. 

PC: My Baby Bites

Summer Sundae

One of my favorite things about Summer is farm fresh fruits and vegetables available everywhere you turn.  So no matter what's on my nightly dinner menu, I always include a seasonal roasted veggie that my husband and I inhale like potato chips.  

After a dozen or more meals of the same old (delicious) roasted Summer veggies, I tried Food & Wine's *Grilled Broccoli with Chipotle-Lime Butter and Queso Fresco and became instantly obsessed.  The lime and honey-chipotle combo creates a magical combination that will make you forget you're eating your broccoli 'like a good boy (or girl)'.  Finally, the queso fresco ties it all together as the cherry on top of this vegetable sundae. 

*Since I didn't feel like slaving over the grill after putting my boys to bed, I roasted the broccoli instead at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes (flipping it every so often). It was divine and is definitely my new favorite side. 

PC: Confections of a Foodie Bride