Kale, Garlic & Bacon

How depressing that it's nearly been a year since I last posted. What a shame. Things got busy I guess and I just never got around to getting some things posted.

Anyway, let's work on fixing this.

We've been battling feet of snow this winter here in the Greater Boston area. And I've been trying a few new recipes. Lately I've been using more kale. Yes, it's a superfood and all that. But I've also been trying to find other ways to incorporate it.

One simple way is to use it in salad and mix it with romaine or other greens. Just make sure to remove the thick stems.

Another idea I had was to make it into something akin to a collard greens type of dish. Garlic, caramelized onion and bacon come together for a lip-smacking delicious side that elevates the kale from something nutritious to something delicious.

Kale, Garlic & Bacon

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 bunches of kale, leaves only, no thick stems
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and then crumbled (you can be fancy and use pancetta)
• 5-8 cloves garlic
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced in half moon pieces
• 1-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• Peperoncino or red pepper flakes - pinch or to taste
• salt
• pepper

METHOD:
1) Cook bacon. (When I made this I had cooked about 10 slices, some of which were consumed for breakfast).
2) When bacon is done, take it out of the oil and place on paper towels or paper to drain.
3) While bacon drippings are still hot, add onion and saute until transparent. You might need to add a little oil (olive or vegetable).
4) Then add bacon and garlic and saute until fragrant.
5) Add kale, a handful at a time. Stir once the kale on the bottom starts to wilt.
6) Add salt, pepper, peperoncino and balsamic vinegar.
7) Cook until all kale is sauted and tender to your taste, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Eat it as a side or use it to dress up a sandwich like below. YUM!

A photo posted by Jane G (@caff) on Feb 16, 2015 at 10:11am PST

Mother's Day Puffed Cauliflower Cheese

For Mother's Day I made Puffed Cauliflower Cheese to go along with some BBQ Chicken and grilled asparagus. I love cauliflower and feel it's underused. So I went looking for an interesting recipe to try. I was really tempted to try a souflee, but I got a bit chicken. I still haven't attempted one yet.

I made a few changes to the recipe. I sauted some onions and garlic in the butter. And when I steamed the cauliflower I threw in a smashed garlic clove. During the cheesy roux making process I threw in a few red pepper flakes. Everyone was happy with the result. I think this is a recipe I might play with a bit.

Give it a try.

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

Slightly modified risotto recipe from Lidia Bastianich's "Lidia's Family Table". Key to this is to stir a lot as the result is creamier and yummier (tip: use a wooden spoon with a thicker handle for more comfort).

Ingredients:
For Squash:
1/2 - 1 lb butternut squash, cleaned and diced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1-2 tsp dried thyme
1-3 TBSP ground sage or 3-4 leaves fresh, crushed and shredded

For Risotto:
5-7 cups water or stock (heated to almost a boil - keep it hot and near your risotto pot)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
10 oz or more minced onion, leek, shallot, etc.(can pick one or combine) (2 cups or more)
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli Rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1-3 TBSP ground sage or fresh
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2-3 tsp dried thyme

For Finishing:
1/2 - 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Grana Padano
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 TBSP EVOO or Butter
Pepper & Salt to taste

Directions:
Put diced butternut squash in bowl. Add 1/2 the thyme, season with salt and pepper and add just enough olive oil to coat. Place in 400F oven for 25 minutes (I like to put mine on a rack that keeps it off the baking tray to help heat circulate). Then place under broiler for 5-10 to brown a little more if needed. You can also drizzle with a little maple syrup or agave syrup to help sweeten up the squash.

Saute 1/4 cup oil, onions and 1/2 tsp salt, and about 1 TBSP sage over medium heat. Cook slowly and stirring frequently with wooden spoon until they take on a golden color (8-10 minutes). Add 1/2 cup water/stock and cook until ALL water is gone (5-10 minutes), and only glistening onions remain.

Once water is gone, add rice, raise heat to medium and stir, to coat with oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes to toast the rice (don't let them scorch or color). Add wine and stir until liquid is gone. Add 1 1/2-2 cups of hot liquid (enough to barely cover the rice). Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt....stirring often at first and then constantly as mixture thickens. Adjust heat to maintain a very gentle perking. When can see the bottom of the pan and all liquid is absorbed, add another 1 cup of liquid. Stir to blend, often as thickens. Add 2 cups liquid...and continue until consistency is reached.
(You should have added at least 5 cups if hot liquid).
Taste and check for seasoning of sage...add more if desire. (I usually stop after or around this step--after adding 5 or so cups--but you can keep going.)


Remove from heat, stir in 1-3 TBSP olive oil and grated cheese. Add in squash. Taste & season with salt and pepper.

Nosh.

Yay for eggplant

This looks so divine! Melanzane sott’olio (pickled eggplant under oil). Will have to try this! Yum.

Recipe: Middle Eastern Inspired Chickpea Salad

I love chickpeas. And I've been trying to think of ways to incorporate them more into my cooking. Last weekend I bought some supplies to make a chickpea salad, but didn't get around to actually making it. But today I did and I was pleasantly surprised at how it came out.

I kept it pretty simple, which is what I've learned to do when I'm first "creating" a recipe. In the past I got too creative and ended up with stuff that wasn't so tasty. But starting basic, with combinations you know are good together (like carrot and cumin), make for a good foundation to see how it works. Then, you can go crazy. ;) I think this would also be good with the addition of artichoke hearts, corn, and maybe even some marinated mushrooms.

Ingredients:
- 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion, diced or minced
- 2 cucumbers, seeded and diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBSP apple cider vingar
- 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil (I didn't measure but it's around there...taste as you add)
- 1-1/2 TBPS Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 TBSP cumin
- 2 TSP oregano
- 2 TSP onion powder
- 2 TSP garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste (Wait to add salt until it's sit for a bit, because you don't want the salt to pull too much moisture out of the veg).

Directions:
In a bowl, mix your vinaigrette dressing by combining the vinegars with the olive oil and whisking together. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, onion and garlic powder. Whisk again to combine. Add in the onion, chickpeas, cucumber, carrot and red pepper. Stir to coat with dressing.

Then put it in the fridge to let all the flavors combine for at least an hour or two.

Then add in some fresh chopped parsley, and grape tomatoes if you desire. You could also add in some cilantro and feta.

Eat it as is, or serve in pita pocket with dollop of tahini or thick yogurt (like greek style).

Recipe: Green Fingerling Potatoes

Made up this side dish earlier this month and was happy with how it came out. I figure if I was happy with it, you lot might want to give it a go.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fingerling potatoes (diced into bite size pieces (halved or whole would work too depending on how you want the finished product to look)
2-4 pats of butter or olivio
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4-1/2 red onion, minced or diced + sliver
5 cloves garlic - 4 minced, 1 smashed
handful of fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/2 handful of fresh mint, chopped fine
4 scallions, diced
2-3 TBSP of basalmic vinegar
salt & pepper

Directions;:
Fill a pot (the one you use for boiling potatoes) with the fingerlings and then add water just to cover. Smash a garlic clove with the back of a knife (or a clean soup can), and add it to the pot. Cut a sliver of the onion, smash it and put it in the pot. Add salt. Cover and let cook until the fingerlings are a dente (you will cook them again, so you don't want them to overcook).

While the potatoes cook, prep for the next step.

When the potatoes are done, drain away the water and set aside.

In a saute pan, melt the butter. Add minced garlic. When the garlic is arromatic, add the fingerling poatoes. Stir gently to combine and coat the potatoes well. Add your mint, scallion and parsley. Stir. Add balsamic vinegar, stir. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Enjoy.

Leftovers ROCK in a frittata.

Recipe: Israeli Couscous with Cranberries and Pecans

The internet is awesome for crowd-sourcing information. Last year, I was at a BBQ and someone brought this awesome couscous salad from Whole Foods. A quick google search and voila--I found what appeared to be at least--a very close recipe to try to replicate it on my own. After enjoying this recipe a few times, I think Israeli couscous is my preference over the smaller sized couscous, only because it's got a bit more meat to it. Of course, couscous in any shape is delicious.

Israeli Couscous with Cranberries and Pecans (a la Whole Foods)
(via chowhound)

Serves: 4-6

Time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients:

Salad:
2c Israeli couscous, uncooked
1c dried cranberries
1c toasted pecans, quartered
2 scallions, minced

Dressing:
3T canola oil
1.5T champagne vinegar
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1⁄2 the orange you just zested
1⁄2 t turmeric
1⁄2 t dried thyme
1⁄2 t dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the couscous. When it's done (roughly 8-10 mins, or when it's al dente), drain it but do not rinse. Set aside and let cool while you mince the scallions, toast and chop the pecans, and make the dressing.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, orange zest and juice, spices and salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, cranberries, pecans and scallions. Pour the well-whisked dressing over it and toss to combine.

4. Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend the flavors. Enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

One supermarket near where I work has a decently large take-out section for the working folk in the area. One item that I was drawn to try was their corn and black bean salsa. And I was glad for it as it was very tasty. So tasty in fact that it inspired me to try to make my own creation.

Since it's corn season, I decided to try this with fresh, sweet corn on the cob. It added a perfect sweet balance to the concoction. When corn is not in season, I'd think you could get the same results with canned or frozen corn.

I figured I'd start out simple and if that was successful, in the future I could experiment to make it more fancy. Although, sometimes simple is good enough on its own.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

1 15.5oz. can black beans
3 cobs of corn
1/2 red onion, diced
Canola oil
Olive oil
Vinegar
Oregano, dried
Kosher Salt
Pepper

1) Get a pot of water boiling. Add fresh corn cobs and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
2) When the corn is finished, take them out of the pot and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, or you can place in an ice water bath.
3) Using a knife, cut off the corn kernels from the cob. (Be careful as they do have a tendency to bounce all over the place as you cut them from the cob.) Place in a mixing bowl.
4) Open can of black beans. Pour into colandar or something so you can rinse them off. (You don't want to have any of the liquid from the can on it as it's very starchy). Place in mixing bowl with the corn kernels.
5) Dice 1/2 a red onion and add to mixture.
6) Start by adding about 3 TBSP canola oil (this is approximate, I didn't measure the oil this time.) Stir to coat. Then add 1-2 TBSP olive oil until the entire mixture is well coated.
7) Add about 1 TBSP, or slightly less, vinegar. Stir to combine.
8) Season with about 1 TBSP dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
9) Mix to combine.
10) Use immediately or cover and put in fridge to allow flavors to mingle.



I ate this right away, but am looking forward to see how it tastes after the flavors have had chance to mingle together. I'm guessing it will be even more fantastic.

Another way to cook the corn would be to throw it on the grill for a bit. And I'm sure that would be fabulous too, giving it a bit of smokey flavor. Also try adding some fresh parsley and cilantro into the mix, which I would have done if I had some on hand. And perhaps a bit of garlic would be good, since that always makes things even more tasty.

Try this on tacos, on grilled meats, or alone as a side. Your imagination is the limit. :D

Tasty Links: 060207

Fried Baby Artichokes! Oh that prickly green tasty treat! It's funny that when I moved to the East coast from the West coast, it seemed most people I met had never tried one before, or didn't even know what one was. Thankfully they are plentiful and easy to find now. Downside is that they have traveled rather long distances by the time they get to the supermarkets here that they aren't always worthwhile. When shopping for your 'chokes, make sure you look for tight heads and check the cut end of the stem - you don't want it to be too brown and dried out.

Ginger Carrot muffins sound delicious. I'd love to try these with a Cream Cheese Frosting. Ooooh yes. :)

Baking911 seems to be an interesting site that might be handy down the road for, well, baking.

Fried apples sound fantastic. A wedding possibility? hmmm. Sounds like Maple Roast Chicken would be good too.

Veggie Pasta Salad

This is so easy to make. I created it on a whim and I'd guess you could add tuna or chicken to bring it from a side dish to a complete meal.



Ingredients:
1 lb. Pasta - I like whole wheat veggie Rotini
1 8oz. bottle your favorite Creamy Italian dressing (I like Ken's)
1 red bell pepper
1 cubanelle pepper (or green bell pepper)
1-2 cans of large olives, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced (can use vidallia or red or whatever)
1 sm. can sweet peas
1 package brocolli slaw (contains shredded brocolli and cauliflower hearts, carrots and cabbage)
1-2 packages of grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Directions:
Follow directions on pasta package and cook pasta. You can rinse it but I do not. To speed up cooling after draining, cover a baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and spread the hot pasta evenly. Place in fridge - check and stir occasionally. It will cool down your pasta very quick. Warm pasta is OK but you don't want it hot.

In a large bowl (this makes a TON), combine all other ingredients except for dressing. Add cooled pasta. Cover with dressing. Stir to combine.

Chill and let the flavors mix. Then enjoy!

Note: You could easily substitute whatever veggies are in season as well.

Sweet Potato Praline Brulee

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, mashed or pureed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large egg yolks
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons gold rum
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Praline Topping:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 tablespoons gold rum
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put the mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the
pineapple, rum, nutmeg, and ginger, and stir well to combine. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins.
Using a spatula, spread the sweet potatoes so they are even on top. Bake
15 minutes.

In a medium fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the
remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook just until warmed through,
about 2 minutes. Spoon the praline onto the tops of the sweet potatoes in
the ramekins, dividing the evenly among them.

Using a kitchen torch, fire the praline until it bubbles vigorously. Serve
immediately. Serves 6 - 8.