Spicy Okra With A Tangy Aioli & Roasted Cabbage With Blue Cheese

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This week my friend and I got fancy in the kitchen and made a GREAT dinner. We had recently tried some roasted cauliflower with an amazing buttermilk dressing, so that was our inspiration for the roasted okra. It was delicious! The okra was pretty spicy, so the tangy aioli helped to cool it down a bit. As for cabbage, we decided to just simply roast it and top it with some blue cheese knowing it would go well with the skirt steak we were making. Overall a really awesome meal- food is always best when shared with a friend!

We had these two dishes on the side of our skirt steak, which we simply pan seared with salt and pepper, and topped with cooked onions, parsley, and a few fingerling potatoes.

Roasted Purple Cabbage With Blue Cheese

Ingredients:
1 small purple cabbage, cut in half then into 1/2 inch thick slices
Olive oil
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Place cabbage slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until it begins to brown. Top with bleu cheese and place back in oven for 5 minutes.

Roasted Okra With A Tangy Buttermilk Aioli:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh okra, some halved the long way some kept whole
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons for the aioli
Big pinch of sea salt
Big pinch of black pepper
1/2 small onion (or 1 shallot) finely chopped
3 tablespoons buttermilk (to make buttermilk, just add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk)
3 tablespoons crème fraiche
1 small lime, juiced
Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes then add in the okra. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly charred.

While the okra cooks make the aioli. Mix together the 3 tablespoons olive oil, buttermilk, crème fraiche, lime juice, onion, and a pinch of pepper. Set in fridge until ready to use. (I forgot to take photos of the aioli when making it!)

To plate, drizzle a good amount of aioli onto a plate, then top with the roasted okra and a little more aioli sauce. Finish with some fresh parsley and serve right away.

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

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I get these quinoa bowls from a place near my office at least once a week. My favorite is the Mediterranean bowl, so when I got some eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes this week I decided to make it at home! It was perfect for a summer night, very fresh, light and easy to make!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 small eggplant, chopped
Small bunch kale, chopped small
Handful of green beans
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the quinoa. While it is cooking, add in the chopped kale and lemon zest. Next make the vinegar mixture for the green beans and tomato- mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Blanch the green beans for a minute or two, then add them to the vinegar with the fresh tomatoes and let soak until ready to plate. In a separate pan, add some olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened, then add the eggplant, green pepper, garlic scapes, nuts, and a little salt and pepper.

Plate some of the quinoa, then top with the eggplant mixture, green beans, and tomatoes. Finish with some feta cheese and a little drizzle of the vinegar.

 

Summer Squash Tacos With a Citrus Slaw

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I stayed at my sisters house last night to help with my one year old nephew while her husband was away for work. It’s a dreamy situation whenever I stay there- I get to be smothered with smooches from my mini nephew and spoiled by my older sister! I wanted to make them dinner, so I brought all my CSA veggies and whipped us up some summery tacos. My sister is a vegetarian so these were meatless. Vander (my nephew) had his own little deconstructed taco with all the same ingredients that we had- the kid will eat anything! It was a lovely family night…

Ingredients: Serves 2
4-6 medium flour tortillas
1 large summer squash, cut into medium thick strips
1 avocado, smashed
2 medium corn, cut off the cob
1 scallion, chopped small
2 green onions (or 1/2 small onion)
1/2 grapefruit, segmented and chopped small
2 radishes, sliced thin
1/4 baby cabbage, shredded
Small handful fresh cilantro
Olive oil
Crumbled goat cheese
1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat some olive oil and place the squash in a flat layer, cooking and turning occasionally until both sides are slightly browned and cooked through. While that is cooking, add some olive oil to another pan and cook the corn until slightly browned as well. To make the slaw, place the cabbage, cooked corn, scallion, green onion, grapefruit, and cilantro in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and a good squeeze of half a lime. Toss well and salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, smash the avocado and add a little squeeze of lime and some pepper.

I usually like to warm by tortillas by holding them over my gas stove until they get a light char on them. Fill the tacos with a spread of avocado, followed by some squash, cabbage slaw, goat cheese, and radishes. Serve with some sliced lime on the side. Enjoy!3

Summer Panzanella Salad

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I’m on a health kick right now- I’ve been going to the gym 3 days a week and trying to eat healthier! I feel so much better. It is really true, when you work out and take time for yourself, you feel much more energetic and positive. Not only is it good for your body, but good for your state of mind as well. I find that the small daily frustrations aren’t bothering me as much as they normally do!

With working out comes a more than usual hungry belly though, so this week when I got home I made myself a big salad including pretty much every item I got in my CSA this week, which was nice. I added some toasted pita bread to the salad to help with the carb cravings I knew I would have if only eating a big bowl of veggies. Overall a great fresh meal! I had some leftover veggies and dressing, which I ended up wrapping up in rice paper as spring rolls for lunch the next day. A surprisingly good snack!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

2 small green onions, thinly sliced (use the white part for the pickling and the greens for later)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Bread, torn into crouton sizes ( I used onion pita bread)
Two eggs
2 cups kale, chopped well (optional- a lot panzanella recipes do not include lettuce)
1 pound fresh green beans, halved
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 cucumber, skinned and sliced (I used lemon zucchini- they are round/yellow but taste like a reg cucumber)
1 medium tomato, sliced
Carrots, peeled into ribbons
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs fresh mint, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pepper

Start by pickling the onions. Place the chopped white onion in a bowl with the red whine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. To make the mint dressing, place the mint, olive oil, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar in a bowl and mix. Set aside.

Next, get a pot of water boiling and blanch the peas for a minute or before placing in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. In the same pot of water, cook the eggs for 6-7 minutes.

Add some olive oil to a pan and add the garlic scapes, onion greens, and pita bread. Tossing until the greens are cooked and the bread is toasted.

To plate- in a large bowl add some kale to the center, then the rest of the ingredients (carrot, cucumber, radish, green beans, the onion/scape/bread mixture, pickled onions, and sliced egg) then dress it with the mint dressing and enjoy!

Zucchini & Squash Spaghetti With Creamy Pesto

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It’s been pretty hot outside lately, and cooking with the stove or oven can only make is worse at times. I was craving something light and refreshing, so I went with a summery vegetable “pasta” – mimicking the spaghetti with squash and zucchini ribbons instead. It was really good! I loved the veggie pasta, it was satisfying without having all the extra carbs. This is a gluten free meal, and can also be a raw meal if you don’t blanch the vegetables at all!

Ingredients:
1 yellow squash, cut into small strips
1 zucchini, cut into small strips
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh basil
Small handful of cress
1 garlic scape
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons walnuts
2 tablespoons hemp nuts
1/3 cup water (or less as needed)
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese (optional)
Radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
Salt and pepper

Start by slicing the squash and zucchini into thin long strips so they almost resemble spaghetti. Set aside. Next make the pesto. Add the basil, cress, lemon, garlic scape, Parmesan cheese, nuts, olive oil and some pepper to a food processor. Blend well, adding bits of water as needed to get a smooth consistency. Set aside. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the zucchini and squash for about 1 minute until soft. Strain the water and add the squash/zucchini back to the pot along with the pesto. I like to add a few scoops at a time until I have the amount of sauce that I like. Plate the “pasta” and top with a small dollop of ricotta cheese and fresh radishes!

 

Broccoli & Kale Potato Cakes With White Wine Poached Eggs

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I saw a recipe recently where they poached the eggs in white wine and I was really curious what it would taste like. I love eggs, and I love wine, so it seemed like a match made in heaven for me. I also saw a few where they poached them in red wine- making the egg a pretty bright red color. I thought it gave the eggs a nice little taste, but it definitely wasn’t as strong of a taste I was imagining. The potato cakes were nice as well, I think next time I may add a little panko to help keep them from breaking in the pan. Overall a happy little Monday meal!

Ingredients:

Potato cakes:
1 small bunch broccoli, chopped (I used purple broccoli)
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
10 small potatoes, quartered (I used fingerling)
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Onion Sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Small handful fresh dill
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper
5-6 fresh chives or scallions

Poached eggs:
4 eggs
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon peppercorns

Start by placing the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook until fork tender, but make sure not to overcook! While those are going, saute the garlic in some olive oil for about a minute, then add the onion and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Next add the chopped kale and broccoli. Cook everything down until softened. When the potatoes are done, drain them and add back into the pot with the butter, egg, Greek yogurt, and some salt and pepper. Smash everything together, then mix in the cooked vegetables. To cook the potato cakes, form the cakes in your hand and place in the pan with some olive oil over medium heat. Flip them around 3 minutes. You want each side to have a little golden crisp to them.

To make the onion sauce, simply place all the ingredients in a pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Strain and set the liquid aside.

For the poached eggs- add the wine to a pan along with the bay leave and peppercorns. I put everything loose in there but next time I think I would tie them in a little cheese cloth so that the peppercorns don’t stick to my eggs! Once the liquid is boiling, crack the eggs right into the pan then cover and cook for about one minute. After about 30 seconds check with yolk to make sure it is not overcooking. You want the center to remain a little runny.

To plate, place two potato cakes on a plate and top with the poaches eggs, followed by a good drizzle of the onion sauce. Top with some fresh dill and sliced radishes!

 

Garlic Scape & Dandelion Green Pizza With Sweet Sausage

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I know I make a lot of pizzas, but I am forever curious about the different kind of funky ones I can make- and 99% of the time they taste awesome, which is a pretty high percentage in pizza land. This week I got garlic scapes which I have anxiously been waiting, as well as some dandelion greens which happen to be one of my favorite greens lately…they’re so great just simply sautéed. Anyway, I went over to my friend Meghan’s house and cooked us a pizza while we drank a very large bottle of wine. Overall a great night with some great local ingredients!

Ingredients:
1 small bunch dandelion greens, thick stems partially trimmed
3 garlic scapes
1 medium mozzarella ball
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 fresh pizza dough
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 385 degrees. Start roasting the garlic scapes in the oven with a little olive oil for about 10 minutes or until soft, but be careful not to burn them. While those cook, sauté the dandelion greens in a skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Set all the veggies aside once cooked. Next, brown the sausage and break it up well into crumbles. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large circle (or two circles if you have smaller pans like we did) To make the pizza, place the rolled dough on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Spread the mozzarella and ricotta all over the bottom, then top with dandelion greens, garlic scapes, and sausage. Cook for 20 minutes or until the bottom is golden and the toppings are melted and bubbling. Top with some fresh cracked pepper and a large bottle of wine!

Spring Onion Fritatta With Broccolini & Potato

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This weekend I stayed at my sisters apartment and brought my CSA goods to see what we could whip up. We ended up making a spring frittata that was really yummy and perfect for a light meal during this hot week. Perfect for any time of day, too!

7 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 large yellow potato, sliced and chopped
1 garlic scallion, sliced (or 1 large garlic clove- I just happen to have garlic scallions from my CSA!)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup broccolini, roughly chopped
1/8 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for topping, optional)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Add some olive oil to a large pan and cook the potatoes for about 3-4 minutes. Next add the garlic scallions, broccolini, onions, then salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the onions and broccolini are soft. In the meantime, whisk the eggs really well with water and pinch of salt and pepper.

Remove a little less than half of the veggies/potatoes from the pan and set aside. Place the rest of the mixture in a pie dish or baking dish and pour the eggs over the top. Place in the oven for 15 minutes then remove and add the rest of the veggies as well as the cheese and cook for another 15 minutes. Top with some fresh parsley and serve!

Minty Pea Orecchiette With Sausage & Artichokes

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This was a random weeknight pasta that was created using existing ingredients in my fridge. Sometimes I think the best meals are made that way- by grabbing what you have and experimenting! My mom is really great at opening the fridge and making something out of nothing, so maybe I picked this skill up from her (hi mom!) The whole meal took about 30 minutes and was really great. The pea and mint sauce gave it a fresh Spring taste. I think it would actually be a nice cold pasta salad as well, maybe swapping out the sausage for cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh mint
6 tablespoons olive oil (or more as needed)
16 box Orecchiette pasta
2 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from casing
1 can artichokes, quartered
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the pea and mint sauce. Add the peas, mint, and Parmesan cheese to a food processor and blend until combined. With the motor running, add the olive oil until smooth. It will be a thicker sauce. Salt and pepper to taste, then set aside. Next, add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and cook per the box instructions. At the same time, brown the sausage and artichokes in separate pans. Once the pasta is ready, toss with the pea and mint sauce then add the sausage and artichokes! Top with a little grated cheese.

 

Mini Lemon & Rhubarb Upside Down Cakes

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Rhubarb is finally in season! I absolutely love it. It’s tart and sweet at the same time, which is my favorite. There are so many things you can do with it as well. This week I thought it would be nice to make some mini cakes to bring into the office for my friends. This recipe was very easy to make, and super delicious. I made a little extra rhubarb topping so I could pour it over the cakes before serving. Overall a successful cake party at work. Happy summer!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Topping:
3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Start by beating the butter, vanilla, and sugar until light and fluffy. Next add the eggs one at a time, making sure to full incorporate each. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mix, followed by the lemon zest, folding it all in evenly.

To make the topping, melt the butter in a pan followed by the mint and brown sugar. Add the rhubarb and cook for about 6-8 minutes until soft. Make sure not to overcook or it will break down too much! Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups- using about one heaping tablespoon worth for each. Next, pour the batter over the rhubarb, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool in the pan. Once cooled, use a knife to loosen the sides of the cakes, then place a baking sheet over top of the muffin tins, and flip it over onto a flat surface. I ended up slicing a sliver of the bottoms off so that they would sit flat on the plate. Serve with a little extra rhubarb sauce. Enjoy!