Zucchini this & that

Earlier this week I received a farm box overflowing with fresh fall veggies.

So many veggies, so many possibilities… So much zucchini!

First, I made zucchini bread. { I really want to try this recipe next time.}

Then, I made soup.  It was delicious and quite nutritious; the perfect meal for a chilly autumn day.

Now, I need to figure out what to do with the remaining zucchini… Oh, my.

 

Spinach & Zucchini Soup

serves 6

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

*If you'd like a richer version of this soup feel free to finish the soup with a splash of cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt in place of the finishing drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe from Heidi Swanson @ 101cookbooks

Kale is the New Black

Last night was Fashion Night Out & yet I found myself planted in front of the TV eating kale chips.  Considering that I work in retail and live & breathe fashion, it seemed a bit comical to me.  But, then I got to thinking… Kale really is the new black.  It seems to be popping up everywhere in local restaurants & I have been eating it every chance that I get! 

It is delicious in chip form.

Also, roasted as a side dish …

{1 bunch of kale (chopped) + 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + Squeeze of lemon + ½ teaspoon red chili flakes}

OR

{1 bunch of kale (chopped) + 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + Dash of Salt + 1 teaspoon Cumin}

*Bake at 300F for 10-12 minutes. 

I have even been eating it for breakfast!  Just put an egg on it…

Kale & Eggs

1 Serving

2 large handfuls of chopped kale

½ yam (sliced into ¼ inch coins)

1 shallot (sliced)

1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it)

Dash of salt

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine kale, yam, shallot, oil & spices.  

Spread evenly onto foil or parchment lined cookie sheet.   

Bake for 15 minutes.  Kale should be crispy, but not browned.

Prepare 1 egg over easy or poached.   

Serve kale & yam mixture in a bowl, top it off with your egg and enjoy!

Fruits of Summer

Summer is coming to an end and while I certainly welcome fall, I will miss the fruits of summer.  Nothing beats biting into a perfectly ripe peach, or eating juicy berries by the handful.

The below recipe has been my go to fruit salad recipe for the season.  I like it because it there is minimal work involved & the added ingredients allow for great dimension.  

 I typically prepare this salad on a Sunday evening & bring to work throughout the week as a snack option, but this also makes for a great party salad.  If you are making it for a larger group, I recommend doubling the recipe.  

Fruit Salad

4 Servings

2 red plums, pitted and sliced

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon of sugar or honey

1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped

3 mint leaves, coarsely torn (about 1 tablespoon)

Toss plums, raspberries, and blueberries with sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon; let stand 15 minutes.  

Serve sprinkled with pistachios and mint.

{Also, feel free to sub in the fruit of your choice.  It is ideal to have at least one tart fruit & one sweet to balance the flavors, but you can tailor to your needs.  Toasted walnuts are also a great substitute for the pistachios.}

Scalloped

A sweet boy I know delivered fresh Alaskan scallops to my door & I was thrilled because I have wanted to try this scallop linguine recipe for a while now. 

In my opinion, you really don’t have to do much to scallops since they are pretty rich & delicious on their own- which is why I felt that the below recipe seemed perfect (and it was).

The combination of texture & flavors within this dish were right on. The only thing I would do differently next time (if I were in the mood for something a tad heartier) is add ¾ cup browned pancetta to the mix.

Linguine with Scallops

Serves 4

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces linguine (3/4 box)

1 cup frozen peas

16 sea scallops (about 1/12 pounds), patted dry

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 Tablespoons Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread crumbs with lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt & pepper.  Bake, tossing once, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking.  Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water & drain the pasta; reserve the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat.  Season the scallops with ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper and cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Wipe out the pasta pot and cook the butter over medium- high heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the pasta and peas; scallops, tarragon, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup of reserved cooking water and toss to coat (add more cooking water if the pasts seems dry).  Serve sprinkled with the toasted bread crumbs.

Enjoy!

*Real Simple Magazine September 2011

Taco Tuesday

Here we are.  It’s Tuesday & these tacos are worth raving about.  Not only are they quick & easy to make, they are one of the better taco combinations I have had in my little life. 

I realize that the spinach & ricotta medley seems a little offbeat for a taco recipe; however, I assure you, these tacos are scrumptious.

I think my Tuesday dinner guests would agree that this recipe deserves a permanent place in the Taco Tuesday rotation…

Ricotta Spinach Tacos

Serves 4

8 ounces ricotta (preferably fresh), at room temperature

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Kosher salt (to taste)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 white onion, sliced into ½- inch thick rings

2 bunches fresh spinach (about 1 pound), stemmed

½ teaspoon ground cumin

8 to 12 corn tortillas (depending on size)

Salsa verde, for serving

Combine the ricotta, cilantro and 1 clove garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the onion and cook without stirring until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir and continue cooking until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the chiles, spinach (in batches) and cumin and cook, stirring, until the spinach begins to wilt.  Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, about 3 more minutes.  Season with salt; transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or wrap in a damp towel and microwave 1 to 2 minutes.  Divide the spinach mixture among the tortillas, top with the ricotta mixture and a spoonful of salsa verde and fold.  Serve with more salsa.

{These tacos are great on their own, but are also great with black beans on the side}


*Food Network Magazine, April 2012

Sweet & Savory: Watermelon Salad

I find joy in experimenting with summer fruits and grilled everything.  How sweet it is to pair the unexpected… For example, an odd couple like {watermelon + feta } makes for a surprisingly delicious salad.

This easy recipe was a big hit at a recent lunch party.  It’s so refreshing!  It would be great on a plate with lamb sliders or jerk chicken.

Watermelon + Feta Salad

Serves: 8

1 small red onion

2-4 limes, depending on juiciness

One 3 lb. sweet, ripe watermelon

 8.75 oz feta cheese

Bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bunch fresh mint, chopped

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 oz. pitted black olives

Black pepper

Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice. Two limes' worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks.  Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

Add onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime.

Serve immediately!

Summer Kick- off

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend.  Can you believe we are already kicking off summer?  How did you spend your long weekend? 

Mine was spent visiting with some of my dearest friends and family.  Naturally there was a lot of food involved…

For our Memorial Day BBQ, I prepared my favorite pasta salad recipe.  It was a hit!  Ingredients like sundried tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, and feta cheese give the dish a Mediterranean flare- a nice update to the standard pasta salad recipe.

The recipe is as follows:

{***** } Pasta Salad

 Serves: 4 to 6

Kosher salt

1 pound tricolor pasta, such as bow tie or fusili

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Freshly ground pepper

2/3 to ¾ cup extra- virgin olive oil

1/3 cup diced sun- dried tomatoes

¼ cup basil, julienned

¼ cup diced onion

2-4 large pickled pepperoncini peppers, diced

3 tablespoons halved black olives

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 ½ ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 ½ tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Gradually whisk in enough of the oil to make a smooth dressing; season with salt and pepper.

Combine the sun- dried tomatoes, basil, onion, pepperoncini, olives and oregano in a bowl.  Add the cooked pasta, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Add the vinaigrette and both cheeses and toss.  Chill until ready to serve.

*Original recipe per Nick Anthony