Braised Kale

Here is Emeril's recipe for braised kale. It's a healthy and delicious side dish. I'll eat kale with breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions/shallots
1 teaspoon salt
12 turns freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 cups (firmly packed) torn and stemmed kale pieces (I used both dino and curly varieties)
2 cups chicken stock (water will work too, but stock is more flavorful)
Splash cider vinegar

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, kale, and stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes; add a splash of cider vinegar in the last minute of cooking. Remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

Pesto & goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin

Devoted blog readers - I am now staffed on a new case. My goal is to keep up the cooking/blogging, since I am lucky enough to be working on a client in town... but... we'll see. For now, I'm still trying to catch up on my previous cooking frenzy.

Last week I made dinner for two lovely Dallas ladies: M&M. M&M are working gals (also at Bain), so I had to share the joys of beach time with them. This dinner was relatively easy, but needs a little planning time. Preparation took ~30 minutes, and cooking time was close to an hour. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pork loin (I used tenderloin, which is a bit smaller and harder to work with....)
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
2 Tablespoons goat cheese
3 Tablespoons pesto (I used a fresh one from Whole Foods)
2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
Salt
Pepper

Tools: Food processor, butcher's twine or satay sticks to keep the stuffed loin together, and a sharp knife.

Preparation

For the stuffing:
Combine the mushrooms, goat cheese, bread crumbs, and pesto into the food processor. Blend until combined. Taste and season if needed.

For the meat:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

To begin, you will need to fillet the tenderloin into a 1/2-thick, flat piece. I won't try to explain how, just watch this video for technique.

Once your meat is flat, season both sides with salt and pepper and stuff with the mushroom mixture. I used bamboo sticks to keep the meat together, but if you have butcher's twine, have a go at trussing.

Next, sear the pork loin in a hot pan or cast-iron skillet so the outsides get a nice brown color. Once seared, pop into the oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Check the internal temperature of the meat around 40 minutes. The pork is done if the internal temperature is 160F.

Serve with braised kale.

Red peppers stuffed with bison, wild rice and lentils

Just a random dinner on a weeknight. Healthy and filling! I could see myself making this again, but with slight modifications. For instance, It's probably better to stuff half peppers instead of full ones. Also, I tried my best to make it spicy and the jalapeño AND serrano AND cayenne were not enough. Hmm... Also, I want my stuffing to stay together better, maybe an egg would help? Not sure, but it's delicious regardless.

Ingredients

4 Red bell peppers (medium sized), cut off tops and remove seeds
1 bunch green onions (regular would be fine too)
1 serrano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup spanish pardina lentils
1/2 cup wild rice (or any other whole grain)
Salt to taste
Grated cotija cheese and cilantro to garnish

To prepare the stuffing:

Boil water in 2 small sauce pans. Cook lentils by bringing water to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. At the same time, cook wild rice the same way, but boil for 30-40 minutes (until tender.

Meanwhile, start the bison. Sauté the onions, garlic, and serrano for 2-3 minutes. Add bison, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and cook until browned (medium), probably 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Drain your lentils and rice, season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Mix together with the bison and stuff the peppers with the mixture using a spoon and lightly packing down mixture. Add cotija cheese on the top and bake for ~40 minutes. *** Note: I think next time I will boil the peppers for 2 minutes to get them softer and then they will only have to bake for 20 minutes or so. ****

Garnish and serve w/salsa.

Whole wheat Rosemary Olive No Knead Bread

This loaf has got it going on. It boasts a crunchy crust with a soft and fluffy inside delicately perfumed by olives and rosemary. NOM NOM NOM!


You've probably heard about the famous "No Knead" recipe from Jim Lahey (see NY Times article). The recipe yields delicious homemade artisan bread with little effort. The magic of yeast and time (18+ hours to rise) is enough to convert any novice into a professional baker. My first attempt at homemade bread was pretty good - I followed a simple version of the no knead recipe from the Italian Dish blog. I had success and a delicious plain white loaf.

I was hooked, but if you know me, I am always trying to incorporate whole grains into my baking. Next, I tried a recipe for a 100% whole wheat loaf. This recipe involved a crazy flour called "vital wheat gluten" to boost the gluten chains (erm..?)This effort was a DISASTER.

I consulted a foodie friend, Odile of Fruippé. Her blog is a dazzling array of sweats and savory recipes that will leave you amazed and hungry. Odile, with her infinite baking wisdom, pointed me towards this recipe. I adapted her adaptation and I think you should adapt mine and keep the party going.

Olive rosemary artisan loaf

Adapted from Nourish Network’s Kneadless Olive Rosemary Bread

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached, organic bread flour
1.5 cups organic white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives (Greek)
4 sprigs coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
16 warm ounces water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Preparation
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours, salt, yeast) as well as the rosemary and olives. Pour in the water and mix until it all comes together. Make sure all the flour is incorporated, but try not to over handle the dough (remember, it's kneadless!)

Cover the bowl partially and let it sit for 20 minutes on the counter- I used a lid that has a small air hole. This allows your dough to give off gases. Odile plastic wrapped her bowl, and opened it after 30 minutes, then closed it.

Place your bowl of dough in the fridge and forget about it for at least 18 hours. I read that your dough can sit in the fridge for up to 14 days! In fact, the longer the yeast has to act, the tastier your bread will be.




18 hours later, you should have a bubbly bowl of sticky dough ready to be baked. Dump your dough onto a floured cutting board and fold it over itself twice so you create surface tension on the top and a seam on the bottom. Watch this video from the Italian dish for pointers.

Once shaped, place your bowl upside down over the dough and let it sit for 15 minutes.

After 15 mins, dust a small kitchen towel with flour (necessary) and polenta (optional). Place the dough on the towel and fold the towel over it to cover. Place this package of joy into a plastic grocery bag and tie it up. Let it sit for an hour (the final rise!!)

About 15 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put your dutch oven w/lid on into the oven. The dutch oven creates a humid environment for the bread and also gives it an even crunchy crust.

Plop your bread into the hot dutch oven, and be sure to cut a few slits in the surface. This will not only make your bread pretty, but also helps when the bread rises. Pop the lid on and bake for 30 minutes at 425. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for another 30 minutes.

Tadaaaa - fresh bread! Cool your bread on a wire rack and try to wait for a few minutes before tearing into it. I've already devoured 1/4 of my huge loaf... carb overload and I love it.

Blueberry Cornbread mini muffins (Alice Waters recipe)

I recently bought two mini-muffin trays from Michael's and I've been on a mini-muffin baking spree! Mini-muffins are a convenient grab-and-go snack to take to work (and they will definitely make your co-workers jealous).

Alice Water's cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup AP flour
1 tablespoon sugar (optional, I used it)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
1 cup blueberries (my personal addition)

Prep

Preheat the oven to 425F and butter mini-muffin tins. Alice says you can use this recipe to make one 8-inch round or square loaf (may need longer cooking time). Also, you could pre-heat a cast iron skillet, butter it, and bake for a crispier crust.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together milk and egg separately. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the milk/eggs and stir until smooth. Stir in the melted butter and add blueberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake:
12-15 minutes for mini muffins.
20 minutes for pans.

Note: this cornbread isn't sweet, so add a little jelly and enjoy!

Valentine's chocolate yogurt snack cakes

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

From David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris on Smitten Kitchen's blog

Makes 16 or so mini muffins

Ingredients

7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain, low-fat yogurt (mine was 9% fat from Central Market brand)
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I didn't have any, tasted fine!)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the pan or coat w/non-stick spray.

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat. You could also melt the chocolate in the microwave by zapping and stirring in 15 second increments.

3. In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth.

5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake for 20ish minutes or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust w/powder sugar and serve. I added hearts because I baked them for my boyfriend his roommates on Valentine's day. Needless to say, they all love me (and the muffins!)

White whole wheat pappardelle

The Italian grandmother in me loves making homemade pasta. I've done it a couple times now, and it's always exciting. This time I opted for a whole-wheat version. I'm obsessed with white whole wheat -which comes from a different variety of wheat than normal whole wheat flour. It's still a whole-grain, but has a softer texture that I've found works well as a substitute for AP flour.

Ingredients



2 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur's)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
A tiny bit of water, as needed


Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a large deep well into the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt.

Stir the eggs and salt together and then gradually incorporate the flour from the sides of the well. Work the ingredients together until it forms a rough and sticky ball. If dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour. If dough is too dry, add a few drops of cold water.You can also mix everything in your kitchen aid w/the dough hook attachment.

Scrape the dough that sticks to the countertop or cutting board and press the dough into a rough ball and knead as you would bread. Knead for 5 minutes. Dough should be very smooth and elastic.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Unwrap the ball of dough and cut into 1/8 pieces (golf-ball size), keeping the remainder wrapped in plastic wrap.

Following your pasta machine manufacturer's instructions, feed the flattened piece of dough into the machine. Fold the dough into thirds, then feed again into the machine. Repeat folding and rolling two additional times.

Increase the roller setting one notch. Sprinkle the pasta lightly with flour and feed through the rollers again, unfolded.

Turn the roller setting another notch and repeat the rolling, then continue without folding the dough until you get to size 6 or 7. I made mine a little thick, so next time I want to get it thinner.

Cut the pasta using a pizza cutter into fat strips.

To freeze pasta, place loosely in a large ziploc bag and place flat on a freezer shelf. Thaw frozen pasta for about 15 minutes before cooking in boiling water. Do not store at room temperature - your pasta will attract mold.

Serve w/your favorite tomato sauce or rabbit ragu.

Wintry Rabbit Ragu w/homemade wheat pappardelle

According to the Chinese calendar, we are currently in the year of the Rabbit. My off-beat sense of humour decided that my rabbit ragu is a really tribute to the upcoming year. If the year is as delicious as my creation, then oh what a sweet time we'll all have. However, something as wonderful as rabbit stew does not come cheap. First, rabbits are expensive ($30/rabbit!). Second, not all high-end grocers have rabbit (I got mine at central market). Third, you probably have to thaw your little 4-legged friend, which takes longer than expected.

So, a word of caution: allow ample time to procure/thaw/debone your rabbit. Otherwise, you'll end up like naive me: eating dinner at 10:45pm... Oops!

Rabbit Ragu

Adapted from a New York Times recipe found on http://mixbakestir.com

Ingredients:

1 rabbit (~3 lbs), cut into 8 pieces, bone in
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
Pinch of red-pepper flakes (mine was generous!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup seeded, chopped San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces pappardelle
Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating


Preparation

Step 1: Thaw your rabbit ahead of time!! If you don't have the time, however, you can give the rabbit a "bath" of lukewarm water to thaw. Change the water every 10-15 minutes. It will probably still take an hour, but you can start chopping and prepping everything else.

Step 2: Watch a video on how to butcher a whole rabbit. I was lucky enough to have practiced during a cooking class last May, however, it was still VERY tricky. You will need a boning knife and I found kitchen shears very helpful. Alternatively, have your butcher do this step for you!

Now you are ready to.....


Pat the rabbit pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and brown the pieces, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the red-pepper flakes, garlic and tomato paste, stirring for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine, turn the heat to high and boil to burn off the alcohol, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and thyme. Return the rabbit pieces to the pot, spacing them evenly so they are partly covered by the liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rabbit is falling off the bone, about 2 hours.Turn the pieces at least once. Time enhances the flavor and gives the rabbit it's texture, so don't be in a hurry.

Turn off the heat and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Remove the rabbit from the sauce and let cool; then pull the meat from the bones (Don't eat too much of it!). Shred some pieces and leave others large. Return the meat to the pan and simmer the sauce until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the butter, piece by piece. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pappardelle until al dente. Before draining, save a cup of the pasta water. Toss the pappardelle with the sauce over low heat, adding pasta water as necessary if the sauce is too thick. Divide among pasta bowls and top with the grated cheese.

This makes about 6 servings - Boyfriend and I had rabbit ragu for at least 2 more full meals!

Enjoy!

Life on the beach

Work-related travel definitely came between me and my blossoming food blog. What a tragedy! Recently, however, I've been living the good life of a consultant "on the beach" (read: not staffed). This grace period has been a lovely break from the M-Th grind of business travel and resulted in some fruitful cooking adventures.

I have ambitious plans to update with new recipes and photos, but in an effort to take the first baby step, I'm going to post some long-due photos from previous kitchen endeavors. No recipes, because frankly, I've forgotten them by now! I hope you still enjoy the pictures.

Simple & delicious grilled cheese and tomato sandwich



Summer Quinoa salad



Blueberry steel cut oatmeal



A trip to the farmer's market: Grilled flank steak & peppers, sauteed greenbeans, bitter greens salad w/radishes and reduced balsamic vinaigrette



The accident: Quinoa cookie squares (quite yummy actually!)



Indian spiced okra

My yelp career

In an effort to give back to the yelp community, I've started to review restaurants and local businesses. Since my job is probably going to take over my life for the next 6 months to infinity, I'll probably have more time to review restaurants than actually post recipes (sad, I know!). Still, I will link to my reviews in case you care to check out what I think about everything & anything!

Recently reviewed:

Afrah - Middle eastern/lebanese.
5 stars

Oishii Sushi - Japanese
4 stars

York Street - amazing, modern american
5 stars

The Jalopy (Austin) - Rotisserie chicken paninis
5 stars - if only I give more....

I don't only give good ratings..

Deep Sushi - sushi bar
2 stars

Banh Mi Ba Lee- Vietnamese sandwiches
3 stars

I'll keep linking my reviews - let me know if they are helpful!

Perfect poached eggs

Breakfast - I can't find the words to describe how much I love this meal. I used to skip breakfast in lieu of coffee and perhaps a piece of toast. Then two important people in my life made me see the endless possibilities for this meal. Both my boyfriend and my sister are breakfast aficionados. In particular, they like eggs. Fried eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs... runny yolk - always, please.

After a long battle to learn how to poach "pretty eggs" - you know, restaurant style - I've finally mastered the art. It's not that hard, but sometimes I think my lack of coordination impairs me in the kitchen :P

For anyone else who has struggled poaching eggs - this is the post for you. It's nothing new - I didn't reinvent the poaching wheel. It just works for me.

Poached egg

Ingredients:
Egg (organic, cage-free & fresh!)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I've used other kinds when not available)

Tools:
Small pot
Ramekin or small cup/bowl
Bowl of cold water (if you are poaching multiple eggs)
Slotted spoon (it's almost impossible to get the eggs out of the water without one)

Heat water until it's just about to boil, but not boiling. If you have a thermometer, 180-195F is perfect. Add vinegar.

Crack your FRESH egg into a the small bowl. It's important to have a fresh egg because the whites will cling to the yolk better and thus stay together as you poach.

Create a whirlpool in your hot water with a wooden spoon. Don't be shy with the speed of your vortex, you need this motion to encourage the egg whites to wrap around the yolk. This step is the KEY to a "pretty" poached egg. So, create your whilepool and then pour your egg into the center from the ramekin. Do this as close to the water as you can to keep everything clean.

Set a timer for 4 minutes and wait patiently.

With a slotted spoon, remove your beautiful bundle of egg-iness and place into the cold water bath. Then, poach the rest.

Once you are down poaching like a maniac, you can warm up all the eggs together in hot water for 30 seconds. This way- you can serve everyone at the same time!

Long live eggs!

Piquillo "Rouille"

I put quotes around "Rouille" because technically, I did not make a traditional Rouille. What is Rouille? you ask. According to wikipedia, it means "rust" in French and is a spicy saffron-y cousin of aioli (mayonnaise). To me, it holds much more appeal than mayonnaise ever will. While you have to be careful not to separate your concoction, fresh Rouille will be a staple accompaniment to seafood dishes (like mussels) in my kitchen. This recipe was adapted from F&W magazine.

My crime in making the "Rouille" - I did not use saffron. Oops? Maybe next time.

Piquillo Rouille

Ingredients

1/4 cup homemade fish stock (plus 2 tablespoons to dissolve saffron)
Large pinch of saffron (in my kitchen, you can omit this)
One 1/4 inch slice of peasant bread, no crust
1 egg yolk - fresh & organic for best results
1 jarred piquillo pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, smashed in mortar & pestal or chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Dash of Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation

I had a little trouble using Poin's food processor for the job because it was too big. I ended up using the mortal and pestal, which I read is an option. If you have a smaller food processor, I think it would work or just use the M&P from the beginning.

So, if you are using the saffron - heat 2 tablespoons of fish stock in the microwave for 30 seconds and add the saffron to dissolve.

In a large bowl, soak the bread in the remaining 1/4 cup fish stock.

In the food processor or M&P, puree the soaked bread, egg yolk, piquillo pepper, garlic and lemon juice until smooth. Add the saffron stock. With the machine on, SLOWLY, and I repeat, SLOWLY pour in the olive oil. Seriously, if you do it too fast, then your Rouille will separate and you'll be heartbroken. If you are using the M&P, add the olive oil little by little and mix well before adding more.

Season with cayenne and salt and serve!

This will keep for a few days, but don't wait too long to consume because the flavor changes after 1 night in the fridge and the raw egg is (sorta) a hazard.

Fennel Mussels

I may be behind the curve, but I recently discovered that Food & Wine magazine is quite the publication. I picked up a copy at CM the other day and found a myriad of interesting recipes. When I read an article on a Sonoma winemaker who "forages mussels from the nearby coast," I was instantly attracted to the idea of cooking my own. Poin and I tend to judge restaurants on how well they make mussels, so I decided to put myself to the test. Turns out... mussels... ain't that hard! And... bonus ... $12.00 will feed two people easily - much cheaper than ordering a bowl at a good restaurant. Btw - for Dallasites, The Grape makes a scrumptious batch.



Served with piquillo rouille and made with homemade fish stock.

Fennel Mussels

Ingredients

2 lbs of Mussels (Prince Edward Island or PEI)
1 head of fennel, cored and diced plus 1/4 cup of chopped fronds
1 medium onion (I used half of a large white), diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 3/4 cups of fish stock (or bottled clam broth)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Preparation (less than an hour)

In a large pot, heat up your olive oil. Be sure to always heat your oil when cooking because if you don't, then your onions tend to soak instead of cook. Add the diced fennel, onions, and garlic and cook for approx 7 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in the fish broth and bring to a boil. The F&W recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Pernod, but I omitted this b/c I didn't feel like buying it. Turned out fine!

Add the mussels, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Shake the pot as the mussels cook and try not to open the lid because the steam is important! After 5 minutes, you should find that all of the mussels have opened. Pile them into a bowl and discard any that stayed closed. Stir in the butter to the broth (don't worry, it's not very much butter!) and add the fennel fronds and parsley. Season with salt and pour broth over the mussels. Serve & enjoy!

Addicted to tomatoes

Drool. When i saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog yesterday, I had a faint idea of the amazingness that slow-roasted tomatoes produce. Today, my taste buds delighted in the true glory of the tomato. Basically, when you slow-roast a tomato, you produce something similar to sun-dried tomato. Only, these are better! I'll never go back!

Seriously, these are like candy. Addictive crack-cocaine candy. I am salivating on the keys of my mac as I type. It took all my will power not to pop morsel after delicious morsel into my mouth before dinner. I can't wait to make these into a brushcetta or put them into my next pasta sauce. Or perhaps they'll accompany an omelet tomorrow? Who knows!

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes

Ingredient
1 box of cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt
Finely ground pepper
Olive oil
**eassssyyy

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 225.

Cut tomatoes in half and arrange on parchment paper. Include a clove or 2 of garlic (I didn't have any!). Drizzle each tomato with a drop of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 3+ hours. I went grocery shopping and signed a lease for my new apartment and they STILL weren't done. Mine took about 3.5 hours.



Smitten Kitchen says you can store them in a jar in oil in your fridge. Other sources say you can freeze them too! Summer all the time!

Crimini Criminals!

I've been thinking about stuffed mushrooms for about 2 months. My fungi fantasies can be traced by to a fateful afternoon when Tanya and I visited one of our favorite eateries: Portabla. Discovered two years ago by Poin, Portabla has been a regular on our Austin go-to's. Their paninis are inspiring and the chicken salad is the best I've ever tasted. Anyways, I am digressing. On this glorious afternoon, John, one of the owners, was preparing a tapas plate for a catered event. He had a spare stuffed mushroom that he generously let me taste.... and I was hooked.

Fast forward 2 months, and I created my own delectable darlings. These would be great to take a party as an appetizer!

Spinach and Feta stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

Ingredients

3 shallots diced
1 clove of garlic minced
14 Crimini mushrooms, caps & stems
1 big handful of fresh spinach leaves (substitute with thawed frozen spinach)
1.5 ounces of feta (I used Bulgarian from Central Market, only $2.00 for a whole block!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove the stems and dice. Saute on stems on medium/high heat with shallots and garlic for 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add spinach leaves and cover pan with a lid to wilt the leaves. Then saute together until spinach is cooked.

In a food processor, mix together sauted items and feta cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and place mushroom caps. Fill each cap with spinach feta mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes.



*These can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. I warmed them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and served. Yum!

After reflecting, Poin & I decided that they were pretty "f***ing" good, but could possibly benefit from sage and..... pancetta. Mmmm. pork.

Australia!

You know when you go on trips and you just crave food from home?

Well, I did not experience taste-realted-home-sickness during my time in Australia. I loved the produce there - almost everything is local due to strict quarantine rules. You can shop from markets more easily than visiting a (frowned-upon) supermarket. The approach to eating is less processed - across the board. Chain restaurants aren't popular and ethnic cuisine is on every corner. Authentic thai, halal butchers, fresh lebanese bread, flaky french pastries, and delicious coffee. Everywhere.

Australia may only conjure images of koalas and beaches, so I compiled images to illustrate the deliciousness I experienced. *I did take other photos of non-food items, btw!


Roasted pumpkin and feta on turkish bread with poached organic eggs. Sydney.


Fresh vegetables at the Victoria Markets. Melbourne.


Grilled lamb chops with cous-cous and butternut squash. Melbourne.


Lemon mojitos. Sunshine Coast.


Fish & Chips! Sydney (post 6 hour bike ride. no joke)


Lebanese Meat Pizza (Anthony Bourdain ate here!). Melbourne.


My knife skills! Melbourne.


Kangaroo Pizza. Kangaroo, btw, is a sustainable meat choice in Australia. Sydney.


Wine. Morning Peninsula.

meatballs

Amazing meatballs. Recipe isn't set in stone, so feel free to experiment.

1/2 lb beef & lamb each
2 eggs beaten
2 tbspoon grano padano
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs + more for coating
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary and oregano
1 teaspoon dried chili
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all the ingredients, shape meatball and coat in breadcrumbs. Lay on parchment covered baking sheet, and bake on 375F until done (20 minutes?). Yum!

Traditional Hummus

Just a recipe I wanted to keep handy. No pics, but awesome hummus.

From Alba's Lebanese Kitchen

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas or 3 cups from can
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 1/4 cup tahini
2/3 cup lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
parsley and olive oil for serving

The secret (I think) is to soak your dried chickpeas w/the soda bicarb overnight. Then, blend everything together in your food processor and enjoy.

Traditional Tabbouleh

Another handy recipe. No pics, just great tabbouleh.

1/4 cup fine burghul
2 bunches flat parsley
5 tomatoes finely chopped
1/3 cup spring onions (8)
1/3 cup mint chipped
150 ml lemon juice
150 ml olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak burghul for 30 minutes - drain.

Combine all the ingredients, mix, and serve!

Quinoa Tabouleh

KEEN-wah. Perhaps you've heard of this funky healthy grain? While some are skeptics, I am in love with this groovy south american wonder. It's full of protein and produces a subtle nutty aroma as it cooks. You can serve it hot as a replacement for rice or mix it cold into virtually any salad. Best of all - it keeps me full! As a chronically hungry person, being full without feeling weighted down is fantastic.

You can find quinoa in pre-flavored boxes, which are pretty tasty and easy to prepare. Or, just buy it in the bulk food section and follow my directions. Try it out! If it doesn't seem right the first time, try again. It's worth it!

Quinoa Tabouleh

Ingredients

1/2 cup Organic Royal Quinoa (unflavored) - makes about 1.5 cups cooked
2 -3 cups of hot water
Bunch of flat Italian parsley - roughly chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes - sliced in half
Half a cucumber - diced
Fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Lemon zest
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Fresh feta to sprinkle on top

Preparation

In a small pot on medium heat, I added the dry quinoa and toasted for 2 mins with a little olive oil. Before the grains brown too much, add enough water to cover and set a timer for 10 minutes. Stir and cover.

Every 3 minutes, check on the quinoa and see if the water has been absorbed. The grains will expand as they absorb water, so keep adding water half a cup at a time.

After 10 minutes, taste a little bit to determine the texture. Like rice and pasta, undercooked quinoa feels too chewy and hard. When it's just right it will be soft, but not limp.

Once you reach this consistency, drain any unwanted water, turn off the stove, and let the quinoa sit covered.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop your veggies and add to a medium bowl.

Once the quinoa is cool, mix with veggies. Add lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a little more olive oil if desired, sprinkle with feta and serve! I toasted some thin flat bread in the oven and used it as chips.

I hope you enjoy this nutritious lunch as much a my mom and I did!