Lentil and Cous Cous Salad (left) and Mom's Potato Salad (right)

What to do when summer party time calls, but so does the hot, hot sun?  Why, make a light, easy, and fresh picnic salad, of course!  This recipe that I adapted, chock a block full of bright summer flavors is a perfect poolside dish and, because it contains no mayo, will keep fresher…longer (sounds like a jingle, doesn’t it?)  I served it at a recent summer BBQ and received the best compliment of all….an empty dish as the end of the day!

 ’

Ingredients

1 c lentils (I used brown)

4 T red wine or apple cider vinegar

1 ¼ cups water

1 c couscous

½ t salt

¼ c olive oil  

Juice of 1 lemon

½ c finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 bunch arugula, stems discarded and chopped (wash it well to get the sand out)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 – 6 radishes, chopped

 ’

Directions

Simmer lentils submerged under water for roughly 20-25 minutes, until tender and no longer toothsome. Transfer hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 2 T vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

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In a saucepan bring water to a boil and add couscous and salt. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 T oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

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In a small bowl stir together remaining oil and vinegar, and lemon juice.  Stir lentils and dressing into couscous; salt and pepper to taste. Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

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Just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and serve.

It only makes sense that I finally actually write down and share this recipe because it came to be about 2 years ago when I was but a newbie in the office.  I think it was my first or second company-wide event called BOF, Board of Fun.  This BOF brought us to LIT Kitchen where we would divide into four teams and compete against each other Iron Chef style while enjoying an open bar.  The secret ingredient was pork tenderloin.  Ready, set, go!

 

The race was on as we gathered around the list of other ingredients trying to make them into two complete meals without breaking a sweat.  You would think it’d be an easy task with 15+ ladies on board, but with that many women comes a gazillion more ideas.  Until the moment one of my coworkers learned about my food fetish and designated me team captain…  Ready, set, NERVOUS! 

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Now, being not quite an oldie, but weathered nonetheless here it is in all its fresh and naive glory!

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Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Southern Succotash

Serves 4.

 

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• Olive oil
• ½ t Garlic salt
• 2 t Cumin
• 2 t Chili pepper
• 2 T Brown sugar

 

Preheat oven (or grill) to 400F.  Rub the pork with olive oil.  In a small bowl, combine spices for the rub.  Rub pork with spices and let marinate for 30 minutes.  Bake pork for 30 minutes or until desired doneness.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes.  Slice diagonally.

• 1 T vegetable oil
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 package Gumbo veggie mix
• 1 16 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• ½ cup Goya Sofrito

 

Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion, and cook until soft about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another couple minutes.  Stir in frozen veggies and continue to cook about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and sofrito, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

• 1 cup Logan Turnpike Grits
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 T butter
• 4 oz shredded cheddar jalapeno cheese

 

In a saucepan, bring grits, butter, and broth to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until soft.  Stir in shredded cheese. 

For those nights when you want a fiesta without having to leave home, you can turn to this trusty spinach enchilada recipe, a much healthier rendition than the grease laden plates at your local standby.  This comprehensive meal is surprisingly simple to make, with a little help from a few canned shortcuts, and plated makes an impactful presentation.  Now it can be party time anytime, in the comfort of your own kitchen! 

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Eating Out, In!

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Spinach Enchiladas

Serves 2 dinner portions or 4 appetizer portions

 Ingredients

• 4-5 small flour tortillas
• 1 T olive oil
• 1.5 tsp butter
• ½ small yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 9-oz package spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 T cilantro, chopped
• ½ c reduced fat sour cream
• 1 c jack cheese, divided (ok to use 2%)
• 1 can enchilada sauce (red or green)
• 3 T pickled jalapenos, or to taste

‘

Directions

Heat oven to 350.

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Heat oil and butter in medium sized skillet until hot.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft but not brown, ~5 minutes.  Add spinach and cilantro and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Add sour cream and half of the cheese and cook until heated through and cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes. 

‘ 

Spray 8” glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread a bit of enchilada sauce on bottom of pan to coat.  Divide spinach mixture evenly amongst tortillas, spreading down the middle and rolling tortilla around mixture.  Place enchiladas seam side down in baking pan and spread tops generously with enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese and chopped jalapenos.

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Enchilada Assembly Station

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Bake enchiladas until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

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 Rice

 Ingredients

• 1.5 c water
• ½ c short grain white rice
• ½ c frozen mixed vegetables
• ¼ c salsa (or use leftover enchilada sauce from above)
• S&P to taste

 

Directions

Cook rice on stovetop or in rice cooker according to manufacturer directions, cooking vegetables and salsa with rice.  Season to taste. 

 ’ 

Assembly:

Heat one can of refried beans in microwave (be sure to cover or they will splatter.)  Serve enchiladas with rice and beans and sides of sour cream, cheese, and pickled jalapenos, as desired. 

Strata.  The savory sibling of sweet bread pudding.  A breakfast casserole or stuffing of sorts.  I do love a good strata. 

There are so many fabulous things about stratas I barely know where to begin.  How about with the fact that you can make them a day ahead and sleep in the morning of consumption?  Or what about the flexibility of knowing that you can use almost anything you have around as long as you have a few key ingredients that are standard pantry staples(see strata take 2)?  My new favorite thing about the strata is that I can bake it in the standard casserole dish, individual ramekins, OR I can bake it in one large pan and then use ramekins or cookie cutters to divide it into pretty little individual portions and then top with a poached egg.  As with bread pudding that can now be found in every variation from sweet potato to s’more, the sky’s the limit! 

 

I am very very excited because this weekend, possibly as you read this, I am staying at a Bed & Breakfast in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I found the Larelle House online (obviously) and have read nothing but rave reviews.  They have a wine & cheese happy hour on the porch each evening, a fridge full of goodies for a midnight snack, and, of course, the customary breakfast (with mimosas on Sunday).   All of the rooms have a different theme, the Hemingway room for example, and there’s even a hot tub out back since even Florida can’t be warm all the time.  There’s something so much more personal about Bed & Breakfasts.  Perhaps it’s the sole fact that it is in a house and not a massive corporate construct.  Or it could just be that you’re not staying in one of 300 rooms all manufactured to the exact same specifications, containing the exact same Tropical Breeze comforters, and not so functional desk with a Bible in the top drawer.  Either way, I.  Can’t.  Wait.  And think I might start a B&B log to note various ideas, recipes, and special touches so that one day I too might be able to host you at my own House. 

 

Spinach Strata

• 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
• 6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
• 2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 9 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

 

Strata Take 2

• 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 T fresh thyme, chopped
• 8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
• 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère
• ¼ lb ricotta cheese
• 2 cups buttermilk
• ½ cup white wine
• 6 large eggs

 

Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.

Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).

Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

**For my version I cooked onions for about 5 minutes, added the spinach, garlic, thyme, and wine, and cooked another 5 minutes.

Vegetarians often get the short end of the stick when it comes to stuffing, and yet, it is one of the most perfect foods to prepare easily (and deliciously) for the veg contingent. Here, root vegetables and vegetable broth stand in for the typical sausage / turkey juice combo, and the dish is baked independent of a bird (which, technically makes it a dressing, but I prefer to call it stuffing.) I predict that not one person will miss the meat as the leeks and sage impart the multi-faceted, savory flavor that stuffing is famous for. If, for some reason, any remains after the meal, this makes terrific leftovers, as well!

Winter flavors at their best

 

Read more…

 

Tear bread into small pieces and add to the vegetable mixture along with enough broth to moisten mixture (there should not be excess liquid.) Season to taste with S&P and remove bay leaves. Pour into a 13”x9” greased baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes until hot throughout and just beginning to brown on top.

Note: stuffing can easily be made 1-2 days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to bake.

Now that you have my Italian version of huevos, here’s a recipe that’s mas o menos traditional.  You can throw this together with leftovers from last night’s fish taco party with hardly any prep at all.  Feel free to sub V8 for tomato sauce and add some cilantro or guac on there too!  For the bean lovers, refried pintos might be another delicious side and are generally spread over the tortillas before topping with the eggs and sauce.  This hearty breakfast is definitely cause to rise and shine!

Eggs Mexicana

Serves 2.

 

• 2 cups V8
• 1 T chipotle sauce
• 1 t cumin
• 4 eggs
• 4 corn tortillas
• ½ cup Queso Fresco
• Sour cream
• Chipotle broccoli slaw

 

Heat the V8, chipotle, and cumin about 5 minutes until warm.  Crack eggs in center and cook over medium heat until desired doneness.  Top tortillas with eggs in sauce, sprinkle with Queso Fresco, and serve with sour cream and Chipotle Broccoli Slaw.

I found these recipes in the December issue Fine Cooking and decided to try them out at a recent brunch (note: vegetarian bacon can easily be substituted for vegetarians like myself.)   For those who have never had baked eggs, I highly encourage you to try them.  You’ll find yourself surprised and delighted at their light fluffiness.  As for the bacon—two words: maple, bacon.  Need I say more?

Plate perfect and brunch ready!

Eggs

Ingredients

2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened

4 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives

2 Tbs. heavy cream

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Butter 2 oven-safe 6-inch gratin dishes with 1 tsp. butter each.

Crack 2 eggs into each gratin dish. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the chives. Drizzle 1 Tbs. cream in each dish, starting over the yolks and working around the dish. Bake until the eggs are bubbly and browned on the edges but not quite set in the middle, 5 minutes. (For firmer eggs, bake an additional 1 minute .)

Heat the broiler on high. Broil the eggs, still on the center rack of the oven, until the center is just set, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oven immediately—the eggs will continue to set.

Bacon

Ingredients

6 slices thick-cut bacon

2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. pure maple syrup

1-1/2 Tbs. light brown sugar

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with the maple syrup and then sprinkle both sides evenly with the sugar. Bake until browned and crisp, 20 to 22 minutes.

Ok, so I forgot to post these last year and then again last week, so here you have it before another year flies by:

 

Awards show round 2 was nearly overruled by a second and most unfortunate basketball game against our biggest rival Duke.  Let’s be honest – nobody really likes Duke unless A – they went there or B – they went to Army.  And in the latter of the two cases, I’m pretty sure that had our honorable soldiers had the opportunity to share a state with the Dookies for four years they would feel differently.  Alas, we were able to do both and thanks to DVR were caught up with the Oscar’s by 11 aka bedtime…

 

The Oscars, for those like me who don’t know, are also called the Academy Awards.  And the Grammy’s are for music.  I am a fan of awards shows because it gives me a great excuse to try new recipes and sit around for multiple hours gorging myself with my girlfriends while we pass judgment on each and every celebrity all of whom look 10,000 times better than us even on a bad day.  That said, I know that a large percentage of them are not only sporting couture dresses, but are also donning sexy SPANX undergarments to hide the consequences of their last ladies night.  Ok I think that was enough secrets for one paragraph, onto the food.

 

While I made two apps and a dessert, I think the Baked Goat Cheese & Espresso Crunch Bars can support blogs all their own, so I’ll tell you about the Cinnamon Chick Peas.  Speaking of chick peas, I originally wanted our blog to be called ChicPeas; I had a logo, color scheme, and even catchy category names like ReciPeas…  Sadly, it got the veto.  Go figure.  The Cinnamon Chick Peas, however, made it into fruition and turned out to be a nice little TV snack.  I recommend making ahead of time and serving in a homemade wax paper funnel or cocktail glass.  Here’s the recipe from Epicurious:

  

 

 

before the soak

after the soak

Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons raw (or regular granulated) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

Don’t they look chic!

•  1 teaspoon salt

 

1. Soak the beans overnight in cool water. Drain and pat them dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

3. In a bowl, toss the beans with the vegetable oil and sugar.

4. Spread them in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Roast them in the oven until crunchy and no longer soft in the centers, about 45 minutes. (Stir them a few times to prevent burning.)

5. Immediately toss the beans in a bowl with the cinnamon and salt. Cool and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

I actually made these while I was experimenting for the Master Chef casting call.  They seemed a unique combination of sauces and flavors and they are!  Alas, my taste test panel concluded that they are better warm so they didn’t make the cut.  Speaking of making the cut, I’m pretty sure I, like the mushrooms, did not make the cut.  While I haven’t gotten the “we didn’t choose you for Master Chef, but come try out for our new Biggest Loser Bride” rejection email I also haven’t received any positive feedback or inquiries into the cavernous depths of my past which is rumored to be part of the background check.  Wasn’t a 12 page application enough?! 

 

I’m going to chalk it up to just not meant to be, this year anyway.  I at least got to try some good recipes and meet some interesting people!  With the Academy Awards coming up this weekend, this recipe would make a great pre-show nibble and it’s just as fancy as all the glowing movie stars that will be in attendance.  We don’t all end up on the big (or small) screen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy those who do.  Life outside of the spotlight can be just as fabulous and that’s just how I intend mine to be! 

 

Red Pepper Coulis

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey

 

Mushroom Cakes

Serves 4.

 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 ounces button mushrooms 
• 2 large potobello mushrooms (about 6 oz total, gills scraped out & sliced)
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko, plus additional for coating (I used home made)

 

Avocado Pesto

• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup coarsely chopped avocado (from 2 avocados)
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

 

Directions for Red Pepper Coulis:

Char peppers over gas flame or broiler until blackened all over.  Seal in plastic or paper bag; let stand 15 minutes.  Peel and seed peppers; place in blender.

Place garlic cloves in small dry skillet.  Cover, cook over medium heat until browned and tender, shaking skillet occasionally, about 7 minutes.  Cool, peel garlic; add to blender with peppers.

Add milk and honey to blender.  Puree until smooth.  Transfer to bowl and season with salt and pepper.

*Can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Directions for Mushroom Cakes:

Melt butter with oil in large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Add all mushrooms and sauté until browned and edges begin to crisp, stirring often, about 14 minutes.  Add garlic; stir 1 minute.  Transfer mixture to processor.

Add eggs, Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper to processor. Pulsing on/off turns, process until mushrooms are coarsely chopped.  Transfer to large bowl & mix in 1/2 cup of panko.

Divide mushroom mixture into 8 equal portions (1/4 to 1/2 cup each.).  Form each into 3/4 inch thick cake.

Spread additional panko out on plate and coat cakes with panko.  Place on rimmed baking sheet.

**Can be made 4 hours ahead: cover & chill.

Directions for Avocado Pesto:

Place pine nuts or cashews in processor, pulsing on/off turns, process until coarsely ground.  Add avocado, Parmesan, cilantro, parsley, and lime juice and process to blend.

With machine running gradually and 1/4 cup oil through feed tube.  Transfer to bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

**Can be made 2 hours ahead: cover & chill.

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Melt butter with 2 T oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Working in 2 batches. add mushroom cakes; cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.

To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup avocado pesto into center of each plate, using back of spoon, spread out to 5 inch round. Place 2 cakes on each plate and drizzle with red pepper coulis. Alternatively, you can plate them all together as shown in my picture.

Now that the contest is over, I can finally post this delicious losing recipe for those of you that, like me, feel it’s really a winner.  Every so often Katy and I like to try our hand at various contests.  Thus far we’ve won a Maggiano’s gift card, martini glass set, and free ice cream from our endeavors.  Woo hoo!  Yes, it would have been nice to win a trip to Aspen for the Food & Wine Festival, but in the end we don’t do it for the prize.  Motivation is a funny thing.  Sometimes it seems like I have it in all the wrong places and for all the wrong reasons, but I suppose every so often it really pulls through.  Take this pizza, for example.  Why was I so insistent upon concocting the perfect combination of ingredients, scouring multiple grocery stores, and gathering friends to chow it down?  The process, from concept to cookery, took over a month!  I don’t have any strong ties to PAMA, odds are we wouldn’t win, and it’s not like any of my guests had their hearts set on a pomegranate pizza, a strange sounding duo from the start.    Were I to direct all that motivation towards cleaning my apartment, work, or even working out – oh the places I’d go!  Alas, I am motivated to fill bellies and tell the tales of breakfasts, brunches, and lunches past. 

 

It was a especially cold fall Friday night.  The day was short with the extra hour of morning light when us lucky ones are still fast asleep.  After battling the Atlanta traffic and my less than stellar sense of direction in my car filled with fennel, flatbread, and cheese, I made it to Vinings Village for a glass of wine with a friend and her visiting Mother.  After lingering a little too long I jumped back in my car planning and plotting my To Do list all the while…………..

For Flatbread:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 ¼ cup water
• 1 t salt
• 4 T olive oil

 

*You can also use premade naan or any thin pizza crust

In a large bowl, whisk water into flour and salt.  Coat the bottom of a 12 inch pizza pan or large skillet in olive oil.  Spread dough in pan and bake for 20 minutes at 450 F until slightly firm to the touch. 

For Topping:

• 6 oz triple cream cheese
• 6 oz ground lamb (can sub pork sausage)
• 2 stalks of fennel, sliced
• 1 pomegranate, divided

 

Halve pomegranate and gather seeds.  Brown lamb or sausage over medium heat in a skillet, transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Sauté the fennel in the grease from the meat for about 5 minutes until soft, adding additional oil and salt if necessary.   Top flatbread with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes.  Cover melted cheese with lamb, fennel, and half of the pomegranate seeds and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.

For Sauce:

• 1/2 cup PAMA liquor
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1 T honey 

 

In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a simmer over medium heat.  Add remaining pomegranate seeds, reduce heat, and keep at a simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.  Drizzle over finished flatbread and enjoy!