Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

There were a few beautiful red bell peppers in my refrigerator, and we were about to go away for the weekend.  I had already had them for several days, and the idea that they might be spoiled by the time we got back from our trip was just too depressing.  I had the genius idea of roasting them, figuring it would buy me a few more days.

Now that we're home, I decided to use the roasted red peppers to make a pasta sauce.  But you need not stop at pasta with this one, my friends.  This sauce is spicy and sassy.  Saucy, if you will.  It would do wonderful things on top of meat, chicken, fish, or yes, pasta.  It could jazz up a platter of grilled vegetables.  It could jazz up your life, in fact.

The diced fire roasted tomatoes I used already had spicy chilies in them, but if you have regular fire roasted tomatoes without chilies, you might want to add red pepper flakes or cayenne, or some other source of heat.  This sauce is velvety smooth, and the heat helps to give it an edge that it craves.  And you will crave it too, I promise.


Home made roasted red peppers are a beautiful thing, but of course you can use the jarred ones, too.  Just drain and rinse them first.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

makes about 4 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 roasted red bell peppers, chopped

one 14.5 ounce can of diced fire roasted tomatoes with chilies

a pinch of dried oregano

salt

2 teaspoons good quality balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about one minute, until fragrant and starting to turn golden.  

2.  Add the bell peppers and the diced tomatoes with their juices.  Stir to combine, then season with oregano and salt.  Bring to a bubble, then stir in the balsamic.  Reduce to a bare simmer.  

3.  Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can marry and the sauce heats through, and thickens just slightly.  Turn off the heat and let sit for a minute.

4.  Transfer the sauce (carefully) to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Serve hot over pasta, meat, or veggies.

Enjoy!

Zucchini and Cilantro Soup with Chile and Mint

Looking for a soup that is transcendentally delicious?  Yep, this is it.   Here we have another example of how well zucchini pairs with fresh herbs, only now we have it in soup form.  You could serve this soup chilled on a hot day, or hot on a chilly day.  It's easy-going like that.

I have to say that when you taste this soup, it's not obvious what it is exactly.  It tastes like a delicious vegetarian tortilla soup.  You know there are herbs, you know there is spiciness, and you know there is a generally Mexican flavor.  But zucchini?  You might not have guessed.  This is a great way to use up zucchinis when you're sick of zucchini, or if you are trying to fool your picky children or husband into eating zucchini.  Or, you can feed it to zucchini-lovers and see if they recognize their favorite squash.  It's up to you.

This soup is rich and refreshing at the same time.  It's pretty amazing.  It's pretty great.  You should try it.

Zucchini and Cilantro Soup with Chile and Mint

adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped

2 medium-sized zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro, stems and leaves divided, chopped

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped mint

2 corn tortillas

salt to taste

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

juice of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the chile, zucchini, cilantro stems, onion, parsley, and mint.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and zucchini is starting to get tender, about 10 minutes.

2.  Tear up one of the tortillas into pieces and add it to the pot.  Add a healthy pinch of salt and stir.  Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot.  Cook for about 15 minutes, or until zucchini is very tender.  Remove from heat.

3.  Stir in the cilantro leaves (save a bit for garnish if you like).  Let the soup cool slightly, then puree in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender, until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

4.  In a small skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high.  Cut the remaining tortilla into strips and add to the hot oil.  Cook until crisp, then set on paper towels to drain.  Serve the soup garnished with a small mound of tortilla strips and reserved cilantro.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Bran Muffins

I love blueberry muffins, in case you couldn't tell.  These are yet another variation, with plump fresh blueberries and a more rustic muffin base.  Thanks to the use of wheat germ or wheat bran (your choice), these are muffins you can feel pretty good about eating.  They're high in fiber and low in fat.  They also happen to taste great.

You can find fantastic blueberries right now, so it's a great time to give this recipe a try.  The muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, so they have that extra edge that is hard to identify. They'll make an excellent breakfast before all your barbecue-ing on memorial day.  Muffins make an excellent breakfast any time, in my opinion!

*Note:  the original recipe said it makes 12 muffins, but I got 16.  So have a second muffin tin around just in case.

Blueberry Bran Muffins

adapted from Mad Hungry

makes 12-16* muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup wheat bran or wheat germ

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper or reusable liners.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.   In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, maple, sugar, oil, and milk together.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just mixed together.  Stir in blueberries and wheat bran or germ.

3.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way (more if you want your muffins to spill over the top).   You may need to use a second muffin tin for the extra batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!

Penne with Zucchini and Mint

This pasta is perfect for a weeknight.  We had some special impromptu dinner guests tonight, and it was easy to quickly pull this together while visiting at the same time.  Pasta with vegetables are a no-brainer, but pasta with zucchini and mint is a particularly special combination.  This duo is not only healthy, but it is refreshing and unusual enough to make even simple pasta with garlic and olive oil interesting.  The citrus works wonders, too.

Great zucchini is popping up at the farmers markets now, so make this now!  It's easy, delicious, and healthy.  The norm in my kitchen, or so I like to think.

Penne with Zucchini and Mint

adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. whole wheat penne pasta

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch half-moons

juice and zest of one medium-sized lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook penne according until al dente.  Drain.

2.  While the pasta water is coming to a boil, put the olive oil and sliced garlic into a deep skillet over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently, and cook until garlic is lightly golden, about 6-8 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add zucchini, stir, and then put a tight lid on the skillet.  Let cook for 6-8 minutes, or until zucchini is just tender.

3.  Add lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper to the zucchini.  Add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir everything to combine.  Stir in parmesan and mint leaves just before serving.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Challah French Toast

Some dishes need no introduction.  Strawberry challah French toast - I think it speaks for itself.  Think fluffy, slightly sweet and cinnamony French toast kissed with super-ripe, juicy strawberries.   Now you can stop drooling and make it for your breakfast.

Challah is by far the best bread for any French toast, in my opinion, but of course you can use whatever you have on hand and see how it goes.  Cut the slices of bread nice and thick, about half an inch, so that it can soak up the egg mixture without getting soggy too fast. 

French toast is good.  Strawberry challah French toast is better.  Welcome to the weekend!

Strawberry Challah French Toast

makes 2 slices

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 medium sized strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 thick slices Challah or similar bread

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a medium bowl, sprinkle the sugar over the sliced strawberries and toss gently.  Let sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon to combine well.  

3.  Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and let it melt.  

4.  Dip the slices of bread in the egg mixture to coat both sides and the edges, and transfer to the skillet after the butter has melted.  Don't be tempted to raise the heat from medium.  Let cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip to cook the other side.  If it resists when you try to lift it with a spatula, wait another minute or so before flipping.  Then you can flip back and forth every minute or so until both sides are golden-brown and the bread no longer looks soggy.

5.  Serve the French toast topped with the strawberries.

Enjoy!

Snap Pea and Carrot Salad with Ginger-Cucumber Dressing

The other night with our burgers, we ate this incredibly refreshing salad.  You might think all salads are refreshing, but this one really takes it to another level.  Not only are the veggies in the salad crisp and rejuvenating, but the dressing itself will wake up your taste buds in the best kind of way. 

Sugar snap peas and carrots are magical vegetables, in my opinion.  They are sweet and crunchy and juicy.  They also happen to smell and taste delicious.  Toss them with some lettuce and a cucumber-ginger dressing, and you have a bordering on transcendental salad.  This is seriously good salad, folks.  Seriously. 

Cucumber and ginger go together so well - one is mild and the other is hot, but together they are a powerful duo.  This is the kind of salad I imagine you'd be served at a fancy spa in the desert somewhere.  Or you could just make it at home, like I did.  I'm thinking the latter is a lot less expensive.

Snap Pea and Carrot Salad with Ginger-Cucumber Dressing

adapted from Simple Fresh Southern

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 large handful sugar snap peas, stems trimmed, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded on a box grater

1 small head romaine, sliced into 1/4 inch thick ribbons

salt to taste

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 English hothouse cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Toss snap peas, carrots, and lettuce with a pinch of salt in a large bowl to combine.  Set aside.

2.  Put the ginger, cucumber, oil, and vinegar in a food processor with another pinch of salt.  Process until the dressing is smooth and thoroughly combined.

3.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.  Season to taste with salt, and serve.

Enjoy!

Spicy Corn Chowder

Holy lord is this soup spicy.  Granted, I made the bold choice of leaving the seeds in our serrano peppers.  I think we each drank two glasses of water along with our soup (great dieting strategy - you get full faster! Okay I'm only kidding, but it's sort of true). 

I love the flavors of this soup - only I drowned them out a bit with spice.  I'd recommend you de-seed your serrano chiles and then put them in the soup.   The result is a sweet yet spicy corn chowder with delicious salty bacon on top.  It's a little creamy and a little crazy.  It's lovely. 

This post might seem out of the blue, but believe it or not, sweet corn is popping up already in the farmers market!  I got some in my CSA bag last week, much to my shock.  So it seemed perfect to make full use of the corn as this soup does - cob and all!  You are literally milking the corn for everything it's worth.  It's a labor of love, but the corn rewards you.  It really does.

Spicy Corn Chowder

adapted from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Healthful Cooking

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 ears corn, husks removed

1/2 cup half and half

1 small yellow onion, cut into a large dice

1 medium-sized red skinned potato, cut into a large dice

2 serrano peppers, seeds and ribs removed, and diced

2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

salt to taste

2 slices uncured, nitrate-free bacon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cut the corn kernels from the cob over a large bowl to catch them.  (It's easiest if you invert a small bowl inside the large bowl and rest the cob on the small bowl as you slice off the kernels - the large bowl will catch them.)  

2.  Use the blunt side of the knife to scrape the cobs afterwards to get all the "milk" out.  Place the corn, cobs, and milk in a medium Dutch oven or soup pot.  Add 3 cups of water and turn on the heat to high.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes.

3.  Pour the mixture into a sieve over a large bowl, so the bowl catches the broth and the corn gets caught in the sieve.  Discard the cobs  (try to squeeze the juices out if you can, but don't burn your hand).  Set aside half the corn.  Pour half the corn broth back into the empty Dutch oven.

4.  Place the other half of the broth and corn into a food processor or blender, and add the half and half.  Puree until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

5.  Add the onion, potato, and serrano peppers to the broth in the Dutch oven and turn the heat to high.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Pour the creamy corn broth mixture into the pot, add the green onions, and season the soup to taste with salt. 

6.  While the soup cooks, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, flipping often, until crispy.   Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crumbled bacon.  (Leave off the bacon if you want this to be vegetarian).

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake

This is one of those great in-between treats that isn't quite desserty enough to rule it out for breakfast.  It's a bit more cakey than banana bread, but not as sweet as your typical cake.  You can have a slice with a cup of coffee and feel good that you're starting your day right.

There is no refined sugar or flour in this cake.  There is, however, chocolate.  And banana.  And honey.  It's like a big healthy muffin in the form of a cake.

As you might be able to tell, I'm having a hard time classifying this cake.  Hence the term "snack cake."  I think snack cake is a nebulous category of food, not quite pigeonholing itself in the realm of dessert, breakfast, or after-school snack, so that it can work for any of these three.  The bottom line is, you'll like it.  Your kids will like it.  And the world will be a better place if you make it.

(Okay, I made that last one up.)

Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake

makes one 8 x 8 cake

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/4 cup honey

1 egg
3 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray an 8 x 8 cake pan with cooking spray.

2.  Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix the banana, milk, honey,  egg, and oil together.

4.  Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet.  Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.  The mixture should be thick but wet - if it's too dry, add a splash more milk.

5.  Stir in chocolate chips and then transfer batter to the prepared pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Gratin

There aren't many vegetables that I don't like, but there are those I tend not to choose (to put it nicely).  Cauliflower is one of those vegetables.  Still, I belong to a CSA, and the dutiful thing is to use all the produce I can, even the items I'm not so crazy about.  When I saw a recipe for Cauliflower Gratin, I thought perhaps I'd found that dish that would win me over.  (I've tried before, but it didn't quite do the job).  After all, it's cheesy and crunchy and creamy - what's not to love?

Well, it is really tasty, I have to say....for cauliflower.  If you like cauliflower already, you are going to *love* this.  If you don't, well, it will make cauliflower a bit more tolerable.  (I'm really selling this, aren't I?)

The crunchy bread crumbs, the melted cheese, and the creamy finish serve as a tasty backdrop to the still-slightly-crunchy cauliflower, the way the major cast members of a gratin are prone to do.  Serve it along with some of your favorite things, and it becomes a nice well-rounded dish.  We had ours with grilled chicken and roasted brussels sprouts.  Yum.

Cauliflower Gratin

adapted from Food Network Magazine

serves 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup half & half

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

pinch of salt

1/2 cup shredded cheese (gruyere or mozzarella works)

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place the cauliflower florets in a shallow baking dish or casserole.  

2.  Whisk together the half & half, mustard, and salt in a small bowl.  Pour over the cauliflower.  Top with shredded cheese and bread crumbs.

3.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork but still has a bit of crunch, and the topping is brown and crunchy.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Potato, Spinach and Bread Soup

Soup doesn't need to be fancy or complicated to be completely delicious.  This recipe is for an extremely humble soup; the kind of thing you'd imagine would have been considered "peasant" fare in a less enlightened time.

Well, peasant fare or not, it's incredibly tasty, easy to prepare, and comforting as any good soup should be.  There are shockingly few ingredients - most of them are already in the name.  This is definitely a meal in a bowl - you don't even need bread for dunking, as it is already in the soup! 

The flavor profile is simple and familiar, but these elements all together are not entirely obvious.  Give it a try and see.

Potato, Spinach and Bread Soup

adapted from Jack Bishop's Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

4 1/2 cups vegetable stock

4 cups packed spinach leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups cubed (1/2 inch) day-old whole grain baguette

extra virgin olive oil for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place the potatoes and vegetable stock in a medium soup pot or Dutch oven.  Turn the heat to high and bring to a rapid boil.  Cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.  

2.  Reduce heat slightly (but keep a bubble going) and add the spinach, pressing it down into the liquid gently.  Salt and pepper to taste, then place a lid on the pot and cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are falling apart and spinach is tender.

3.  Turn off the heat and stir in the bread cubes.  Cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes, allowing the bread to soak up some broth.  The soup will be quite thick.

4.  Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!

Mocha Cake with Mocha Nutella Frosting

For mother's day, I wanted to make a dessert that felt mother-ish.  Particularly, one that my mother would like.  We also were going to have a group of 18 people, so it had to be something that could stretch for a large group.  First, I thought to do a sheet cake.  Second, I thought chocolate.  Third, coffee.  Voila - Ellie Krieger's mocha cake!

I changed the frosting to a different one I found on Tasty Kitchen because the original recipe called for a cream cheese frosting, and my mother is not a fan.  Instead, I made a Mocha Nutella frosting that was out of this world.  The combination of the moist mocha cake and the sweet nutty frosting was absolutely fantastic.

This one is a crowd pleaser, for sure.  It's tasty, it's pretty, and it's different than your typical chocolate cake.  Make it for your next family gathering!

Mocha Cake with Mocha Nutella Frosting

adapted from The Food You Crave and Tasty Kitchen

makes one 9 x 13 cake

INGREDIENTS:

for the cake:

Cooking spray

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

2 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)

for the frosting:

1 tablespoon nonfat milk, plus more for texture

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

3.  Whisk together melted butter, canola oil, eggs, and egg whites until well combined.  Fold in the yogurt, vanilla, granulataed sugar, and dissolved instant coffee.  Mel the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microve for 90 seconds on high (careful not to burn it!)  and stir it into the batter.

4.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just incorporated - do not overbeat.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool completely on a rack.

5.  Make the frosting:  dissolve the instant coffee in a tablespoon of milk and set aside.  Beat the butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer on high.  Add the dissolved coffee and milk and beat well.  Add additional milk as needed to achieve a smooth frosting consistency.  Frost the cake when it has cooled completely.

6.  As a nice added touch, grate a little chocolate on the top for decoration.  Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Shaved Asparagus with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Did you know you can eat asparagus raw?  I don't know if that necessarily means you'll want to grab a stalk and start gnawing on it, but when you shave it thinly with a vegetable peeler and toss it with a simple lemon vinaigrette, it's pretty divine.  Add parmigiano to the mix, and a bit of sea salt, and you're in business.

This recipe comes from Mario Batali's latest book, and it is a great example of the beauty of simplicity.  When you have excellent produce, you shouldn't mess with it too much.  If you can find a way to eat it raw, all the better. 

Mario includes this in the antipasti section of Molto Gusto, but I think it works great as a salad or a side dish, too.  Try it out and see what you think.  I'll bet you've never had anything quite like it.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmigiano-Reggiano

adapted from Mario Batali's Multo Gusto

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch medium asparagus, tough ends snapped off

1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon warm water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long diagonal shavings.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be thin.

2.  Put the cheese in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and warm water.  Whisking constantly, drizzle in the oil slowly to create a loose emulsion.  Add the asparagus and toss everything together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Scones

Berry season is well underway.  When I saw that this month's issue of Everyday Food had a whole feature on raspberries, I had to get in on the action. 

These scones are easy.  These scones are flaky and buttery.  These scones are studded with fresh raspberries.  I think that should get you up out of your seat and high-tailing it to the nearest market for fresh berries. 

As with any scone, these make an excellent breakfast pastry, or a nice accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea.  Or you could just have them for dessert.  Or lunch.  Or a midnight snack.  No one has to know.

And a note:  any time you see buttermilk in a recipe and don't feel like buying it, you can substitute the same amount of milk, and add a squirt of lemon juice or a teaspoon of vinegar, let it sit for about five minutes, and then use it.

Raspberry Scones

adapted from Everyday Food

makes 16

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for work surface

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg yolk

6 oz. fresh raspberries, washed and gently dried

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2.  In a food processor, pulse the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine.  Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.  

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk.  Slowly stream in through the feed tube of the food processor and pulse until the dough just comes together.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

4.  Form the dough into a cohesive piece and flatten into a 1 inch thick square.  Sprinkle the raspberries over the top.  Knead gently, just a few times, to get the raspberries into the dough.  Warning: it will be squishy and messy, and that is okay.

5.  Cut the dough into relatively even pieces - you should easily get 16 fairly small scones.  Place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Lemon Tarragon Pasta

Sometimes you need something genuinely quick and easy to pull together for dinner.  For instance, when you've just returned from a way-too-long business trip to Dallas, Texas, and you are starving, but have next to nothing left in the fridge because your husband lived off cereal and take-out during your absence. 

Yes, the reason I haven't posted all week is for the above-stated reasons.  And I got home ready to eat just about anything, but not just anything.  I still wanted something wholesome and tasty, something that would say, "Yes, you are home, and you get to eat home-cooked meals again."  So I whipped together the perpetual comfort food: pasta. 

This is based on a pasta dish my mother used to make a lot when I was in high school.  It's simple, flavorful, and definitely hits the spot when you need something quick and filling.  You can make it a side dish alongside chicken and/or veggies, or fish, or you can just make a salad to go with it.  I sauteed some chicken sausage and mushrooms to have with it, and my belly is very happy now.  No more Tex-Mex for me.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

You probably already have all the ingredients for this - if you don't have tarragon, you can easily substitute basil (even dried basil if you're really desperate). 

Lemon Tarragon Pasta

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

salt

4 ounces whole grain spaghetti or angel hair

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, probably about 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta.

2.  At the same time that you add the pasta to the water, heat one tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  As soon as it's hot, reduce heat to low and add the garlic.  Cook, stirring, for less than one minute, until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn it.  Add the tarragon and lemon zest, and season lightly with salt.  Cook, stirring, for another minute.  Add lemon juice and stir.

3.  Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.  Drain pasta and return to the pot.  Add the lemon and tarragon mixture and the reserved cooking liquid, and stir well.  Stir in remaining oil and salt to taste.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Polenta

It's pretty clear, if you browse this site, that I love polenta.  I don't often make it the two-step way; that is, cooking it, cooling it, then cooking it again.  This method of making polenta results in a more solid base that can be topped with any number of things and possibly even treated as a finger food.  It's kind of fun, really.

This variation not only involves the two-step cooking process, but it mixes good old broccoli into the polenta itself, making it hearty and chunky and more like a meal than an appetizer.  I chose to drizzle marinara sauce over the top, but you could eat it plain, with meat, or with other veggies on top.  It's basic and good.

Broccoli Polenta

adapted from Veganomicon

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

pinch of salt

1/2 cup polenta (the grain, not the pre-prepared stuff)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups very finely diced broccoli, florets and stems

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring the broth and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you add it.  Add the broccoli and olive oil, stir well, and reduce heat to low.  Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

2.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  By the end it should be very thick.  Transfer the polenta to a small greased baking dish or casserole, and refrigerate for one hour.

3.  Preheat the broiler (preferably in your toaster oven, if you have one).  Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.  Cut the set polenta into squares and transfer to the baking sheet.  Cook under the broiler for 7-10 minutes, or until golden-brown.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Mmm, yum.

Okay I guess I should say more than just that.  Sweet potatoes are a delightful blend of sweet and savory, starch and veggie, angelic and naughty.  Mash them up and bake them into a biscuit, and suddenly you open up all kinds of possibilities.  Have them with a little butter and jam, or some honey, and you've got a sweet treat.  Have them with some prosciutto or ham, and you have a savory snack.

These came out fairly small, more like a soft little cookie than a biscuit, so if you want a heartier biscuit that you can do a bit more with, you might want to double the size (thereby cutting the number of biscuits in half - yes, I can do basic math!)

As with most baked goods, if not all, these biscuits are best straight out of the oven.  But you can eat them cool, too.  They're versatile like that.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

makes 12-16, depending on size

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

2/3 cup milk (I used skim)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 375.  Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife.  Let cool, then peel and coarsely chop.  Mash the sweet potatoes.  You will have a little over a cup of mashed sweet potato.

2.  After the sweet potatoes are cooled and mashed, preheat the oven to 450.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix sweet potato, milk, and butter.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir gently to combine to a soft dough.

4.  Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or make them bigger if you like).  You don't need to space them out too much because they won't really spread.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Enjoy!

Steamed Baby Artichokes

I love artichokes.  They have such an indescribably magical flavor - a combination of earthiness, sweetness, and springiness.  The big globe artichokes can sometimes seem like an awful lot of effort for not a lot of food, and that is when it's a great idea to pick up a bunch of baby artichokes.

The baby artichoke is almost entirely edible.  There are a few tough outer leaves that need to be stripped away, but otherwise they are ready to get in your belly.  There is no choke to avoid, so you can treat it basically as one big artichoke heart.  And the heart is what it's all about, after all.

This dish would be great as an appetizer, or as part of a tapas ensemble.  It also works as a side dish.  You could cut up the artichokes smaller and put them in a pasta dish, if you like.  But I think they are best alone, drizzled with the simple chive vinaigrette, and savored.

For prep purposes, just trim the stem and pull off the toughest outer leaves.  Then your baby artichokes are ready for their steam bath.

Steamed Baby Artichokes

serves 2-3 as a side dish or small plate

INGREDIENTS:

8 or 9 baby artichokes, trimmed

kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 small lemon

1 teaspoon finely chopped chives

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a pot.  Place a steamer insert into the pot (the bottom of the insert should not be touching water) and place the artichokes in the insert.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Cover and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender.  You should easily be able to insert a fork into the artichokes and pull it out again.  Remove from heat.

2.  Cut the baby artichokes in half and lay them on a platter, cut side up.  In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon, chives, and a pinch of salt.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the baby artichokes.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Buttered Fresh Peas & Green Beans

Can we just take a moment to step back and appreciate the fact that spring is well underway?  When you go to the farmers market (at least on this side of the country), you see a whole lot of green.  It is a beautiful thing.

Last weekend I picked up a magnificent batch of skinny green beans and fresh English peas.  I was super excited about the peas.  You see, I grew up hating peas.  I mean really, really hating them.  And I still don't really like frozen peas unless they are tucked into a paella or pureed to some unrecognizable form.  But fresh English peas are a whole other ball game - crisp and plump and wonderful.

When you have produce this good, it's a shame to mess with it too much.  So I simply blanched the veggies just enough to take the raw edge off them, then immediately drained them and tossed them with butter, parsley, and salt.  The end.  Fin.  Let's eat.

The result is this magnificent side dish that would be superb alongside some fresh fish, or even just tossed with some butter lettuce and served as a salad.  I ate a plate of it all by itself, and it was a beautiful thing.

Buttered Fresh Peas & Green Beans

serves 3 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

salt

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and then cut into 2 inch lengths

1/2 lb. fresh English peas (shells removed)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or mint

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Add the green beans and blanch for about one minute.  Add the peas and blanch for an additional 30 seconds.  Drain immediately.

2.  Return the blanched veggies to the pot and toss with the butter, parsley or mint, and a healthy pinch of salt.  Serve.

Easy peasy! Enjoy.

Red Bell Pepper Soup

My husband and I are both coming down with nasty colds right now, so soup was the obvious choice for dinner tonight.  This soup is packed with Vitamin C, which will hopefully help us kick this illness to the curb.  It also happens to taste fantastic. 

Bell peppers are remarkably underrated.  They come in most of the colors of the rainbow, and they house an incredible depth of flavor.  Red bell peppers in particular are sweet and slightly sharp at the same time.  There's a lot more to them than their beautiful color.

This soup really showcases the glory of the red bell pepper.  Thanks to a little bit of rice, it has a nice creamy starchiness when it's pureed.  It's incredibly comforting and somehow refreshing at the same time.  It's exciting to find such a great red pepper soup that doesn't involve roasted red peppers, but the bell pepper in its unadulterated form.

Red Bell Pepper Soup

adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple food

serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

salt

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

2 cups low sodium veggie or chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons short grain brown rice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

pinch red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and season with salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring often.

3.  Add the broth, water, rice, and vinegar.  Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover the pot.  Let simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.  

4.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor, until completely smooth.  Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Veggie Hash and Eggs

There is something incredibly satisfying about eggs for meals other than breakfast.  This meal can, of course, be breakfast, but it is so easy to whip up that it's an excellent candidate for a quick after-work supper.  You take whatever veggies happen to be in your fridge, chop them up, saute them in olive oil, and fry up a couple of eggs to put on top.  Voila. 

I had some leftover cooked beets from the other night's salad, so I used those, as well as some spinach and zucchini.  I threw in some feta too, but this meal certainly didn't need cheese to complete it.  It's healthy, easy, and different enough that you can forget it is basically the easiest meal on earth.  Use whatever veggies you like.

It also would be excellent hangover food, if you happen to have had a bit too much to drink the night before.   Just sayin'.

Veggie Hash and Eggs

serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cooked and peeled medium-sized beet, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 baby zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

salt to taste

1/4 cup cubed feta cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beet, zucchini, and spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted and the zucchini is getting tender.  

2.  Push the veggies to the side of the pan and crack the two eggs into the vacant space.  Fry them up - cook until starting to set, then flip with a spatula and cook on the other side, about 1 minute per side.  Toss the chives and feta with the veggies just before removing from the pan.

3.  Put the veggies in a bowl and top with the eggs.

Enjoy!