IT’S POPSICLE SEASON!!! I was cleaning my kitchen up this weekend and stumbled across my popsicle mold and got overly excited and ran right out to the store in order to make some popsicles immediately. I had a mango on hand, so I decided to go with a mango, coconut, and yogurt mix. It was so good. The only frustrating thing is the fact that you have to wait for them to freeze. I made them at night and ran to the fridge in the morning to eat one… because it’s summer, and therefor popsicles are an acceptable breakfast food…

Ingredients:
1 large mango, skin removed and chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 (13.5oz) can light coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut water

Simply mix all the ingredients in a food processor, and pour into the popsicle molds! Place in freezer until frozen – at least 4-5 hours, but I tend to do overnight just to be safe.

I’ve never fried chicken before, as I found it a bit intimidating, but over the long weekend I figured I would give it a shot! This sandwich was inspired by one I saw on Bon Appetit. I used a mixture of arugula and red cabbage for the slaw on my version, and left out the onions and jalapenos. For the actual frying, I used a canola and coconut oil mixture that I recently picked up at Whole Foods. I thought it would be a nice alternative to use, rather than ALL canola oil. Overall, pretty happy with my first fried chicken sandwich! Could get dangerous that I know how to make these now though. My beach bod might be it’s own special shape this summer….aka the shape of a fried chicken. Worth it!

Ingredients: (makes 2 sandwiches)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half crosswise
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 buttermilk (neat trick, if you don’t have buttermilk you can use 3/4 cup whole milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar – let it sit for 5-10 mins and you have yourself buttermilk!)
High heat oil for frying (I used Canola/Coconut oil mix)
2 brioche or hamburger buns
Butter, for toasting buns
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup bread & butter pickled, chopped into large chunks, as well as some of the juice.
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Cholula)

Start by making the slaw. Mix together the cabbage, arugula, and bread & butter pickles and juice. Place in fridge until needed. Next make the spicy mayo by simply mixing the mayo and hot sauce together. Also place in fridge.

In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Place the buttermilk in separate shallow bowl. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350 degrees using a deep fry thermometer. Carefully add both pieces of chicken to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb the remaining oil. Or alternatively you can place on a wire rack with a plate underneath.

In the meantime, butter both sides of the bun and toast in a pan for a minute or so.

To assemble, spread some of the spicy mayo on the bottom of the bun and top with the fried chicken, followed by the slaw. Enjoy!

WELL, yesterday I got lion’s mane mushrooms in my CSA bag and had never seen them before. At first I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to eat the mushroom, or throw some googly eyes it and keep it as a pet. But after looking them up, I learned they had the same texture of crab or lobster and decided to try making a “crab” cake with them! It turns out these mushrooms are absolutely delicious. I read on several sites that they are very good for your brain as well. So who knows, maybe after a few of these mushrooms my math skills will finally be further than that of a 5 year old… we’ll see!

Mushroom cakes:
2 cups lion’s mane mushroom, loosely pulled into chunks to resemble lump crab
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/3 cup chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
High eat oil (such as vegetable or coconut oil) for frying
2 eggs, for poaching
Fresh spinach

Hollandaise:
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the mushrooms in a baking dish with the garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, mixing about half way through, until the mushrooms shrink and brown a bit, and the garlic is soft.

In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, egg, lemon, spring onions, paprika, salt and pepper. When the mushrooms and garlic are done cooking, pulse in a food processor about 3-5 times, until you have smaller chunks. Don’t over-pulse though, you still want to have nice chunks of mushroom in there. Add the mushrooms to the bowl with the other ingredients, and add the breadcrumbs. Toss well until full incorporated. Using your hands, make small patties. You should have about 3-4 total. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and fry the cakes until golden brown – about 3 minutes each side.

Now to make the hollandaise! Add about two cups of water to a pot and bring to a simmer. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside. In a metal mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and lemon juice, whisking vigorously until it thickens and almost doubles in size. Next, place the metal bowl on top of the pot and turn off the heat. Immediately start whisking very fast, adding small drizzles of the melted butter a little at a time. Don’t stop whisking! Set aside and whisk in a little black pepper, cayenne, and a light squeeze of lemon juice. I like to take a piece of saran wrap and cover the hollandaise (by having the plastic wrap actually touch the sauce) so that a film doesn’t form and stays warm. When you’re ready to use, just remove the plastic wrap and give it a quick whisk.

To poach the eggs, boil some water in a medium sized pot. Add about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (helps make them fluffy) swirl the water with a spoon, then gently pour the eggs in one at a time. Cook for about :30-:60 seconds before removing them with a slotted spoon. I usually lift them slightly out of the pot and gently poke the centers until it feels a little firm but runny in the center.

Lastly, sauté the spinach quickly for about 1 minute until wilted.

To assemble, plate one of the mushroom cakes, then top with some sautéed spinach and a poached egg. Pour over some hollandaise and a crack of fresh pepper!

The BLT has always been one of my favorite sandwiches. It has everything you need… bacon, lettuce, tomato, and bread! AKA the secret ingredients to living a happy life. This week I got a HUGE tomato in my CSA as well as some beautiful frisée. All I needed to do was buy the “B” for the most epic BLT sandwich to ever grace my kitchen. I decided to get a little crazy and jazz it up even more by adding some spicy Sriracha mayo, smashed avocado, and a fried egg on top. BECAUSE WHY NOT, RIGHT?!

Ingredients:
4 pieces bacon
Handful frisée
2 tomato slices, 1/4 inch thick
1/2 small ripe avocado
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 egg
2 pieces bread (I used whole wheat)

Start by cooking the bacon until crisp, then set aside. Next, smash the avocado with some olive oil, a light squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl mix together the mayo and sriracha and also set that aside. Wipe out most of the grease from the bacon pan, then fry your egg until over easy or medium – depending on how runny you like it! Lastly, toast the bread.

To assemble, spread the smashed avocado on one side of the bread, then top with some tomato slices, bacon, frisée, and lastly the fried egg. Spread the spicy mayo on the other slice of bread and top. Slice in half and inhale entire sandwich as fast as possible!

Best pizza ever. I got these amazing beet and onion sausages from The Meat Hook, and the creamy burrata cheese and fresh ramps from The Brooklyn Kitchen. Two places you should definitely stop by if you haven’t already! It was definitely one of my favorite pizza recipes I have made so far. The sausage is so delicious, it has a subtle beet flavor, but nothing too wild. By the way, this was the first time I ever put burrata on a pizza, and it will not be the last. I was concerned that it would make the pizza watery, but it didn’t, it was perfection. And ramps… because it’s ramp season for only so long! Ramps are also called “spring onions” or “wild leeks” – they are in season for a very short time in early Spring, and people go nuts for them. They are from the leek family, but are stronger tasting than leeks and have a garlicky taste to them as well. Get em’ while you can!

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (I was lazy and got mine at Trader Joes!)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 beet sausages, casings removed (if you can’t make it to The Meat Hook, sweet Italian sausage would be a nice alt)
8 oz fresh burrata
6 ramps
1/3 tablespoon fresh Oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large floured surface, roll out your pizza dough. I like to roll it out, let it rest for a few mins (as it will scrunch up) then roll it out again to ensure it stays on the thinner side. Set aside.

Add a little olive oil to a pan and cook the sausage over medium high heat, breaking it up into smaller pieces until cooked thoroughly. Pour out any extra oil drippings. While that cooks, get a small pot of water boiling, and blanch the ramps (whole) for about 30 seconds. Then remove and set aside. For the burrata, simple cut it up in a bowl so that you have smaller chunks.

To assemble, place the dough onto a baking sheet. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on the dough, then lightly salt and pepper, and spread on the pasta sauce. Spoon the burrata all over the top, followed by the cooked crumbled sausage. Finish with the ramps and fresh oregano. Place in oven for 15-20 mins, or until the crust is golden brown and the top is bubbling. ENJOY!

Breakfast for dinner always feels special for some reason! I came home from work today and was looking at a bunch of lovely lemons that I got in my CSA this week, thinking of what I could make. Then I was reminded of these amazing lemon and ricotta pancakes that were on the breakfast menu at a restaurant I used to work at in Rhode Island. What I loved most is that they didn’t mix the ricotta into the batter like most people do, but instead put actual dollops of ricotta after pouring each pancake into the pan. It’s so delicious when you get individual bites with ricotta in it. So, needless to say, I made enough pancakes for a (non-existent) family of 5, then ate most of them myself. Because I do what I want!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (my go-to is King Arthur flour!)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Place the eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Using a standing mixer, or hand mixer, mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes, or until light and foamy. Stir in the melted butter, lemon juice/zest, vanilla, and poppy seeds. Next add the dry ingredients a little at a time until fully incorporated. Let sit for about 10 mins.

Lightly butter a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter, then immediately place nickel sized mini dollops of ricotta into each pancake. Cook until bubbles form and pop, then flip and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. A nice little trick I learned from my dad, is to butter the top of the pancakes right after you flip them. This definitely adds some magic! It’s also important to cover the pancakes once off the grill to ensure they stay warm. No one wants a cold pancake! Continue with the rest of the batter. Serve warm with maple syrup. Sharing is optional…

Ever had a samosas? They are small triangles of love filled with deliciousness. And you can’t eat just one! I had about 5 before hiding them from myself – which never works by the way, because as the person hiding the items, you know where they are, so you end up being the “finder” of the items about 5 mins later. I really loved these and was so glad they came out as great as I had hoped they would. They were fairly easy, too. The most time consuming part is the fillo dough, but even that wasn’t too bad. The yogurt dip was an afterthought and ended up being one of the best parts, so glad I went for it!

The following morning I made some hash out of the leftover veggie mixture, and topped with with a poached egg. It was SO GOOD. Adding a photo of that as well, just to make you jealous.

Samosas:
2 garlic cloves
2 large golden beets, peeled and cut into chunks
5 baby potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (this is what I had on hand, but you can use 1 regular potato)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large shallot, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced well
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Good pinch salt
1 box fillo dough, defrosted
Olive oil

For the dip:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the beets and garlic cloves in a large aluminum foil pack with some olive oil, and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Boil the potatoes and carrots together until fork tender, then rinse under cold water. In a few batches, place the beets and potato/carrot mixture in the food processor and mix until smooth, but still a little chunky. Saute the shallot and ginger in some olive oil, then add the combined vegetable mixture along with all add all the spices, adding more olive oil as needed. Mix well for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

For the fillo dough – place one sheet on a flat surface and brush with olive oil. Place another sheet on top, and brush that with olive oil as well. Continue until you have 4 sheets total. Cut the dough into 5 longs strips. Place a dollop of the mixture onto the end of the dough, and fold like you would a flag (see below video after the photos!) Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and cover with a damn towel until all samosas are ready for the oven. This will help the dough to not dry out. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the dip, simply mix all the ingredients together. Serve with the warm samosas!

Morning hash leftovers with a poached egg!

I’m so glad this came out great, because I was having one of those frustrating days where it seemed that the universe was testing my patience, and I needed the day to end on a happy note! The day started with me walking my usual 20 mins to the subway, to realize that I left my wallet in my other coat. Back home and back to the subway I went. Then when making dinner I realized I forgot to get ricotta, so I had to run back to the store, to soon realize that the ricotta I purchased was expired and moldy. Back to the store I go. So, I was relieved when this manicotti came out great. It was a nice reward for powering through the rough day I was having! Moral of the story, PASTA FIXES EVERYTHING!

Ingredients:
1 box manicotti shells
15 oz fresh spinach, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella chesse
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon dried basil (I wanted to use fresh basil but the store didn’t have any, if you use fresh use 2 tablespoons chopped)
1 egg
24 oz jar of marinara sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a large pot of salted water boiling. I like to add a little olive oil as well to help the pasta from sticking. Cook the pasta per the box instructions.

In the meantime, sauté the the garlic in some olive oil for a minute, then add the chopped spinach. Cook until the greens are wilted. Try to press out as much of the water as you can before setting aside, otherwise the ricotta mixture will be watery.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil, cooked spinach, salt and pepper. Place the mixture inside of a plastic Ziploc bag and twist so that you make a piping bag to fill the manicotti.

When the pasta is ready, rinse under cold water. I placed all the shells on a sheet of parchment paper to make clean up easy, and to help the pasta from sticking to my cutting board. Cut the tip off the corner, and squeeze the ricotta mixture into each pasta tube. Pour one cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, and arrange all the filled pasta in a single layer. Top with the remaining marinara sauce, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling a bit!

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese!

My sister gave me Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook (Plenty) which has some really beautiful recipes. One recipe in particular that I’ve wanted to make was the Broccoli & Gorgonzola pie, so when I got leeks, potatoes, and green garlic this week I though I would make my own version of the recipe! It came out so good. Most likely because anything wrapped in puff pastry is amazing. I definitely recommend making this if you’re not afraid of a little butter and cream!

Ingredients:
1 box puff pastry, thawed
6-7 baby potatoes, cut into small cubes
3 large leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped green garlic
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup chopped chives
1 teaspoon white pepper
Salt, to taste
Good pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
7 oz feta cheese, crumbed
1 egg, beaten (for the egg wash)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Frozen puff pastry comes already scored into thirds, so start with 4 sections and roll those out together on a floured surface until you have a circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Make sure it is large enough to fit in your tart pan. Roll out the remaining 2 sections of the dough for the top of the pie. Add the “bottom” dough to the tart pan and place in the freezer for 10 mins. Place the “top” piece of dough on a large plate, and place in the freezer for 10 mins as well.

Fill the bottom part of the pan with baking beans and bake for 20 mins or until golden brown. The beans help to keep the crust from puffing up. Remove the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.

To make the filling, boil the potatoes until fork tender. Run under cool water and set aside. Saute the leeks and green garlic in the butter until softened, then add the potatoes. Next, add the cream, chives, mustard, white pepper, and red pepper flakes. Salt to taste.

Pour the mixture into the into the bottom of the tart, and crumble the feta on top. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash, then cover with the “top” dough and press to seal the dough together. Trim the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash as well. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before digging in!