Tag: very good recipes

Waiting (Impatiently) on a Garden and Pesto Pasta Salad

I love our community garden. Ever since I put my tomatoes, peppers, and squash in the ground I’ve been excited to reap the rewards. Here’s the problem. Gardens take time. The whole sunshine, rain, and TLC thing is not an overnight process. Our weather has been far from cooperative. It got a little too cold right after we planted. Then it got really hot and we were watering everyday. We of course wished for rain and guess what? You know the saying, “when it rains, it pours”? Yeah, that’s what’s been going here for a few too many days. In spite of all that, the garden is flourishing. The plants seem to enjoy the constant precipitation with little sunny interludes. They are bigger everyday and I can even see growth from morning until evening.049

While there is an abundance of baby lettuce, some tender young kale, and lovely radishes, the big-ticket items have yet to set fruit (an industry term). I’m like a child waiting for Christmas. I’ve been good and my proverbial stocking has been hung, so where is the big payoff? This is where patience comes into play. Mama D’s summer kitchen (and imagination) is swimming with ideas for healthy summer dishes bursting with garden fresh produce. Until my very local thing comes along, grocery store produce will have to do. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

A recent supper was a one dish wonder, Pesto Pasta Salad. Multigrain rotini joined green beans and tomatoes in a homemade pesto dressing. Smoked Mozzarella added a bit of protein and a dusting of Pecorino Romano topped it all. It is easy to make and lends itself to all kinds of variations. It all began with my Roasted Garlic Pesto. This is a recipe that I have revised and tweaked over the years until it is perfection, at least in my eyes. It involves the usual suspects; basil (from the pot on my balcony),

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parsley, olive oil, pine nuts, and of course garlic. This is where my version takes a right turn from the traditional recipe. I roast the garlic. Forty minutes or so in the oven and the bitter edge of garlic-ness is mellowed into something more subtle, slightly sweet and dare I say it, more complex. I also give the pine nuts a quick toast to enhance their flavor as well.

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Everything gets blended in the processor to create a rich and savory paste that improves anything it touches. For this recipe, I made just what I needed, but when the basil is plentiful, a big batch is just as easy to make and it freezes beautifully. I usually measure 1/4 cup portions into individual zip top sandwich bags. The small bags go into a larger freezer bag and can live happily for several months in the freezer ready to ad that yummy touch to soup, pasta, or grilled meats.

Roasted Garlic Pesto
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Servings
1-1/2 Cups
Servings
1-1/2 Cups
Roasted Garlic Pesto
Print Recipe
Servings
1-1/2 Cups
Servings
1-1/2 Cups
Ingredients
Servings: Cups
Instructions
  1. Cut the top off the head of garlic (just enough to expose the cloves a bit). Place in the center of a square of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap sealing completely but leaving a little breathing room. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the kitchen smells wonderful and the garlic feels soft. Unwrap and allow to cool.
  2. Toast the pine nuts on top of the stove. Place them in a dry non-stick pan and toast over low heat shaking frequently to prevent burning. This should take 6 or 7 minutes.
  3. Place the basil and parsley leaves in the bowl of a processor. Squeeze the cooled garlic into the bowl. Add the pine nuts. Pulse to coarsely chop the ingredients.
  4. Add the grated cheese and pulse to combine.
  5. With the motor of the processor running, stream the olive oil into the feed tube. Stop as soon as the mixture is the texture that you like. (Do not process until smooth).
  6. Scrape the pesto into a bowl. Check for seasoning Add some ground pepper and a pinch of salt if you want.
  7. It is now ready to use. It can be frozen in 1/4 cup (or whatever amount you like) packages. It will keep in the refrigerator for a week. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on the pesto before you put it in the refrigerator to help preserve color and flavor.
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This pesto was transformed into a dressing for my pasta salad. Multigrain rotini was my pasta of choice. I like how the dressing clings to the spiral ridges. My vegetable additions, alas, came from the refrigerator instead of the garden. In spite of all of  my coaxing, the beans aren’t even a glimmer in the plants’ eyes and the tomato plants are bearing some tiny yellow blossoms, but nothing more. While the mini heirloom tomatoes and haricot vert made a delightful salad, I look forward to making this again in a few weeks with my own homegrown bounty.

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I turned my pesto into a lighter dressing by adding some vegetable stock and a shot of white balsamic vinegar. I used a Smoked Mozzarella because I had it on hand (this may be becoming my new mantra), but any cheese with a bold flavor would work. Some grilled chicken would also make for a wonderful main dish salad. Prepare this salad the day ahead to give the flavors some time to get to know each other better, just take it out about an hour before serving for maximum flavor.

Pesto Pasta Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Pesto Pasta Salad
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. About 3 minutes before the cooking time is over add the green beans.
  2. At the end of the cooking time drain the pasta and beans and rinse well with cold water. Pour the beans and pasta into a large bowl.
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl.
  4. Whisk the pesto, stock, and vinegar together until well blended. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss to coat well. Taste and add salt and/or pepper if needed.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is better.
  6. When you are ready to serve, toss well and check for seasoning. If the salad seems dry add a little more vegetable stock or a splash of olive oil. Sprinkle the Romano cheese on top and serve.
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So, the garden keeps on growing in spite of a visit from some hungry deer last night. I’ve waited this long, I guess a little longer won’t hurt.  Love, Mama D

 

 

 

Heading Into Summer with a Slew of Slaws

Do you remember when every sandwich you got in a restaurant came with cole slaw? Casual burger joints served a paper souffle cup of creamy slaw. Fancier places put that dollop of tangy goodness in a little metal cup. Then there were the places that gave you an ice cream scoop of slaw. It was actually enough to call a serving of vegetables. There are still places that serve a side of slaw, but often it’s as a substitute for fries. It seems that a complimentary cup of cole slaw has all but gone the way of car hops and table side juke boxes. I, for one, would love to see this tradition return. The cole slaw, not necessarily the car hops, but a little music that I could choose while I eat instead of management’s idea of dinner music would be great. In the meantime I’ll create slaws in my kitchen and this is the perfect time to start.

As summer officially gets rolling, Cole Slaw will be making appearances at parties and cook outs. The days of cole slaw only being cabbage and carrots swimming in a creamy dressing are all but gone. Now slaws come in lots of variations but, they usually hold to the original meaning of being a cabbage salad (from the Dutch “koolsla”). The main ingredient can be cabbage or any of its cruciferous cousins. In a broader definition I’ve heard that any shredded vegetable salad can be a slaw. With all the veggies, fruits and dressings out there,the only limitation is a cook’s imagination. 

I like making slaws. It’s one of the only salads that you can make ahead that actually gets better. While lettuce gets soggy the longer it sits, cabbage salads get sweeter and mellower with a little time. I’ve shared a few recipes and before I give you my latest take on the cabbage salad, I thought I’d stroll down memory lane and give some links to previous adventures. Just click on the red links to see where I’ve been.

Cabbage slaws can complement most any cuisine and can even become a main dish with the addition of a protein. My Asian Chicken Salad comes to mind. Red cabbage, broccoli and carrots join grilled chicken in a spicy oriental inspired dressing. Crispy rice noodles and sliced almonds gilt this Asian lily.DIGITAL CAMERACole Slaw can even become a seasonal dish with the addition of fruits and flavors of a particular season. Apple Cabbage Slaw with Honey Mustard Dressing and Walnuts tasted like fall when it was paired with roasted pork tenderloin and sweet potatoes.DIGITAL CAMERAI’ve even borrowed an idea from another blogger for “Kaleslaw”. After I read the Proud Italian Cook’s post about this salad whose time had come, I had to make one of my own. This was a direct to Facebook post of a “non-recipe” recipe. I didn’t go to the kale-o-naise route, but my garlicy dressing hit all the right notes.

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The other thing that I like about Cabbage salads is that a few ingredients can come together to create a salad that is as tasty as it is colorful. Add the fact that it can be made ahead and this is a cook’s dream come true. That is definitely the case with this Orange Honey Mustard Slaw. Broccoli slaw blend, red bell peppers and green onions provided the vegetable action and created a symphony of color, too.

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The dressing was only four ingredients, but they came together to create a delicious tangy sweet coating that had that extra zing of citrus.

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If you want to really put that orange flavor up front, add a little grated orange zest. In fact, that’s where I’ll head next time. So with minimal chopping and mixing and a brief respite in the fridge, I had a side dish that was wonderful with grilled pork chop sandwiches. However, this salad would be great next to any sandwich, metal cup or ice cream scoop optional.

Orange Honey Mustard Slaw
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Orange Honey Mustard Slaw
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Place the broccoli slaw in a large bowl. Add the onions and peppers.
  2. Combine the mayonnaise, orange juice, honey, and mustard in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until the ingredients are completely blended.
  3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Toss to coat well. cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as 24 hours.
  4. Serve with your favorite sandwich or grilled meat.
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So, shred that veg, blend that dressing and come up with your own “Koolsla”

 

 

 

 

Cleaning Out the Fridge Quiche

The refrigerator is a wonderful invention. It allows us to keep a supply of fresh food at the ready. It provides a safe haven for the treasures we find at the store, keeping them safe until we are ready to turn them into something wonderful. I confess that sometimes I buy a little more than I can chew and open the refrigerator to find an array of food that has begun to lose its luster.

What’s Mama D to do? I don’t have the heart or the budget to throw it all away, and it is still quite usable. The time has come to combine things into a delicious meal and quiche is a perfect solution. Flaky pie crust and creamy custard are the blank canvas that will hold the vegetables and meats that the fridge has to offer.

This adventure included some crimini mushrooms and asparagus along with some thyme and onion. They were a bit past their prime, but perfect for this quiche.

DIGITAL CAMERAMy protein of choice was peppered bacon.  I found three lonely slices that I chopped up and browned on the stove.

The veggies were chopped and cooked in the same pan (minus the drippings, but with the yummy brown bits) to give them a little extra love before they jumped into my “not home-made” crust. Yes, the crust came out of the fridge, too. Would homemade pastry make this dish better? Maybe, but I had a box of the pre-made variety and it needed to be used,too.

Whatever pastry crust you use always “blind bake” it before you add the fillings. Once the dough has been fit into your vessel of choice, line it with some parchment paper and fill it with dried beans. Bake it in the oven until it is nice and golden. A clear glass pan allows you to check the bottom as well. Remove the beans and paper and add your fillings. No soggy bottom crust here.I topped the sautéed goodies with some grated Swiss cheese. Any cheese will work here. Use what you love or what you have on hand. Only use about a cup. The custard is rich enough and you want the veggies to be the star here.

DIGITAL CAMERAEggs, cream, and milk create a luscious custard that only requires a little salt and coarse ground pepper. I’m not a fan of nutmeg, a traditional ingredient here, but add some if it floats your boat. In fact you can add any herb, spice, etc. It’s your quiche after all.

When you are ready to add the custard to the quiche, put it on a rimmed baking sheet. This too, is a required step. The pie will be very full and eggs being eggs, it will grow before it sets. A baking sheet is much easier to clean than an oven. I speak from experience.

DIGITAL CAMERAThe quiche needs to bake for 30 – 40 minutes then it needs to set for at least 20 minutes more. Add the blind baking step and you are approaching the 2 hour mark on prep time. If you like a late supper (and this is the perfect dish for that) make it part of your weeknight wonderland. I think it’s a delightful Sunday night supper that puts a delicious topper on the weekend.

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Cleaning Out the Fridge Quiche
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This is my version of quiche. Feel free to use whatever fillings you want.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Cleaning Out the Fridge Quiche
Print Recipe
This is my version of quiche. Feel free to use whatever fillings you want.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
Blind Bake the Crust
  1. Fit the pie crust into a pie or quiche pan. Use a fork to poke small holes all over the crust. Place a sheet of parchment paper into the crust (crumple it a bit to allow it to fit better). Pour dried beans onto the parchment paper. A pound of dried beans will fill a 9 inch pie plate nicely.
  1. Bake the crust in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes. The crust should be light golden all over. Do not rush this step; the non-sogginess of the crust depends on it. Remove the crust from the oven. Carefully remove the parchment paper and beans (these will become your official "blind baking" beans). Set the crust aside.
Filling
  1. Chop the bacon into thin pieces and cook in a medium fry pan over medium high heat. The bacon should be crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Remove the drippings from the pan but leave the brown bits of deliciousness.
  2. Add the onions to the fry pan and cook for 4 minutes or so until they begin to soften.
  3. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the asparagus and cook for a few more minutes until the asparagus is tender crisp.
  4. Add the reserved bacon bits back to the pan along with the thyme leaves and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more.
  5. Pour the vegetable/bacon filling into the pie crust. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
  6. Beat the eggs until the are very thick. Add the cream and milk and beat with a whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add salt and pepper and any other spices or herbs you like.
  7. Place the filled pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully pour the custard into the crust stopping when it is filled to the top. You may have a little custard left, but not much.
  8. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. The filling should be puffed and golden and a knife should come out clean when poked in the center.
  9. Remove the quiche from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
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This is far from the traditional preparation for a quiche. It doesn’t however, make it any less delicious. This is a versatile recipe that can be adapted any number of ways. Have some fun with it and come up with your own fridge cleaning masterpiece.

 

Weeknight Wonderland- Orange Sesame Chicken Tenders

Some weeknights feel like dinner can’t get on the table fast enough. Other nights, a little delay of reinforcement can be a good thing, as long as it doesn’t take too long. It doesn’t matter which you choose, as long as you can get some of the prep done ahead of time. That’s where marinating comes in.

Marinades don’t always mean that something is going on the grill, in fact, this chicken bakes in the oven after an overnight soak in a citrusy and spicy marinade. It doesn’t go in the oven naked either. It is generously coated in crunchy toasted panko bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Sesame oil, sriracha, and soy sauce give this marinade a distinctly Asian flavor. Fresh orange juice and zest along with orange marmalade give it a citrus zing. Garlic makes it yummy and a little chicken stock helps you not miss the oil.

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The recipe makes a lot of marinade, but it is going to do double duty, marinating the chicken and creating a wonderful glaze for the finished tenders. The do-ahead/time-saving feature here is that you can marinate the chicken for 24 hours. Make the whole batch of marinade and pour half of it over the chicken. It can relax in the fridge overnight along with the reserved marinade (in a separate covered container, of course). The longer marinating time lets the flavors really permeate the chicken.

About 30 minutes before show time, remove the tenders from their marinade and let them drain on a rack. Lightly toast the panko crumbs and sesame seeds in a dry pan then pour them in a shallow bowl. Clean and dry the rack and place it in a foil lined baking sheet. spray it lightly with cooking spray. Coat each tender with the crumb mixture and place on  the rack.

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These will take about 20 minutes or less in the oven. While they bake, you can reduce the reserved marinade. This will take about the same amount of time that the tenders do. Isn’t that convenient?

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Sesame Orange Chicken Tenders
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Servings
2
Servings
2
Sesame Orange Chicken Tenders
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Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Combine the first six ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to mix things up completely.
  2. Put the chicken tenders into a zip-top bag. Add half of the marinade mixture and seal the bag. Put the chicken and the jar with the remaining marinade in the refrigerator. Allow the chicken to marinate for up to 24 hours.
  3. When you are ready to prepare the chicken, remove the tenders from the marinade and allow to drain briefly on a wire rack. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  4. In a small dry fry pan over medium heat toast the panko and sesame seeds tossing often until the crumbs are light golden and the sesame seeds begin to become fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and allow to cool slightly.
  5. Roll the tenders in the crumb mixture pressing the crumbs in to create a nice thick coat.
  6. Wash and dry the rack you drained the chicken on and put it on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Spray it all lightly with the cooking spray.
  7. Place the coated tenders on the rack leaving plenty of space in between. Bake for 15- 20 minutes. The chicken should be golden brown and feel firm. While the chicken bakes, cook the remaining marinade.
  8. In a small fry pan, heat the remaining marinade over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer,thicken and reduce for about 15 - 20 minutes. If the glaze seems too thick add a little more stock. Continue to cook as necessary until the glaze is the consistency you like.
  9. Remove the tenders from the oven when they are ready . Transfer to serving or individual plates and drizzle with the glaze. Serve with sides of your choice.
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Choose sides that are quick as well. A precooked rice pouch that you can add your own special touches to and a vegetable that stir fries quickly keep time within the 30 minute range. Another time saver is to have ingredients do double ( and even triple) duty. I sliced the whole bunch of green onions; the tops went in the rice, and the bottoms joined the broccolini. The carton of stock just stayed on the counter so I could add it to the veggies and the glaze as needed. It also served as the cooking liquid for my rice.

I opted for home cooked brown rice which added an extra 15 minutes or so to my prep time but it was the passive kind; the stove did the work. A little sesame oil and chicken stock perked up the flavor of the rice. I stir fried the broccolini with a little garlic and ginger that played very nicely  with the onions. Start to finish it took less than 15 minutes.

The combination of flavors and textures was amazing. The best part is that it was super easy and with a few do-ahead steps, quick to fix. It was a satisfying dinner that will appear again in Mama D’s Kitchen. Give it a try in your kitchen.

 

 

Weeknight Wonderland – a Meatless Minestrone for Mondays and Beyond

Even though our nest is now empty, sitting down at the end of a day with good food,  good wine and good company is the best. I’ve shared my crazy split shift life before and how it impacts everything, even cooking. Just as I’ve learned to create in a small kitchen, I am learning to create dinner in stages, and weekends are my favorite secret weapon. A little time spent cooking ahead on the weekend eases the time crunch Monday through Friday.

This soup was a Meatless Monday dinner, but it got its start on Sunday. That’s when I thawed out some of my homemade vegetable stock. I heated my trusty soup pot and used  it to sweat onions and carrots in a little olive oil.DIGITAL CAMERASome Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, lots of garlic and a couple of bay leaves livened things up.DIGITAL CAMERAI added the thawed stock along with a can of fire roasted tomatoes and let everything get happy for twenty minutes or so.DIGITAL CAMERAOnce it cooled a bit, I stored it in the refrigerator until Monday night when I got home from work, An extra bonus here, the flavors had plenty of time to get well acquainted with each other at their sleepover in the fridge.

The vegetable medley that I chose included zucchini, green beans, and artichoke hearts. I decided to give the squash and hearts a little extra color so I lightly browned them. I liked the color it added and there was a richer depth of flavor that the quick saute imparted. I actually did this during my mid-day break so that they would be ready when I got home. The other late arrivals were a can of chickpeas and a little orzo pasta.DIGITAL CAMERAThe final cooking was easy peasy. Once the stock base came back to a simmer, I added the beans and pasta, followed shortly by the green beans, then the zucchini and artichokes. The whole process took about 20 minutes or so. I toasted slices of multigrain French bread and topped them with a blend of Italian cheeses. They made a lovely topping  for the soup.DIGITAL CAMERA

The short cooking time of the veggies kept them nice and crisp. I opted to cook the pasta directly in the soup. It added just the right amount of pasta to the soup. DIGITAL CAMERAIf you are going to make this farther ahead or plan on reheating it the next day, you may want to cook the pasta al dente in water, drain it and refrigerate it to add as the soup heats.  Pasta has a strong inclination to soak up as much liquid as it can hold, which is an amazingly large amount. What was soup the first time around becomes a much more pasta-centric dish after a day or two. I’m a “cook the pasta separately” kind of gal, but once in a while, I like to eat soup with a fork, but that’s me.

 

Meatless Minestrone for Mondays and Beyond
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Meatless Minestrone for Mondays and Beyond
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook for several minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
  2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and the bay leaves to the pot and cook another minute or two, stirring frequently.
  3. Pour in the can of tomatoes, juice and all and the vegetable stock. Bring up to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. At this point you can cool the stock and refrigerate until the next day. You can also complete the recipe at this time if you want.
  4. Coat a non-stick pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the artichoke hearts and cook for 5 - 6 minutes or so turning once until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
  5. Repeat the above process with the zucchini slices.
  6. When you are ready to complete cooking the soup, (re)heat the stock to a simmer. Add the chickpeas ans pasta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring it once or twice.
  7. Add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes or until they are the amount of tender crisp you like.
  8. Add the browned artichokes and zucchini and simmer everything gently until it is all heated through. This should only take a couple of minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
  9. Ladle into four soup bowls and top each with two of the toasted bead slices (recipe follows) and a drizzle of olive oil.
Cheese Toasts
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat the bread slices on both sides with olive oil cooking spray and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Toast for 8 minutes, turning once. Top with the cheese and return to the oven set on broil and cook until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.
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By now you should know that this recipe is just a guideline. Change up the beans, the pasta, and the vegetables too, for that matter. If you have the time, the whole soup can be made in one day…just continue the cooking steps once the stock is done. Monday will be here before you know it (damn it), so give this a try. Hey, live on the edge and make it on Tuesday or Thursday.