Tag Archives: dinner

Roasted Corn and Smoked Mozzarella Pizza

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I remembered that I had some fresh corn and decided to stop by the local pizza shop in my neighborhood to pick up some dough on my way home. Corn on pizza is amazing. If you haven’t tried it before, I really recommend it! It’s sweet and gives a nice texture to the pizza. I like to add something a little salty with it, like prosciutto, to balance it out. Pizza at home never disappoints me, it’s always a good idea.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough, store bought or homemade
Smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced
Fresh corn, cut off the cob
3 slices prosciutto
1/2 shallot
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Start by cutting the corn off the cob and chopping the shallot. Add both to a pan with some olive oil and cook over medium heat until the corn starts getting a tiny bit browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Flour your surface and rolling pin, and roll out the dough. Make sure to keep adding flour as you roll. Brush the dough with a little olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste. Next add the smoked mozzarella, corn, and prosciutto. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden.

Eggplant and Mushroom Meatballs

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I had a huge eggplant on hand and decided to give these “meatballs” a shot. They were so easy to make and delicious! I love regular meatballs, with actual meat, but these were really flavorful and had a nice texture to them as well. So whether you’re a meat lover or a veggie lover, you’ll like these! I ate mine on their own with a little sauce, but they would be great with pasta, over some polenta, or with some melted cheese on a sub!

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped
5 baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, about 5 large leaves finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roughly chopped
1 large egg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the eggplant and add it to a large skillet over medium heat with about 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cook until the eggplant becomes soft, adding more olive oil and a little splash of water at times if it becomes too dry. Remove from heat and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Next add the shallot and cook until translucent, followed by the mushrooms until soft and cooked down.

Smash the eggplant with a wooden spoon a little to break down the pieces. Add the mushrooms, shallots, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, basil and egg. Mix well with your hands until fully incorporated. Roll two inch balls of the mixture and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping half way through, until golden brown. Serve with sauce and more grated cheese!

Zucchini Fritters with Basil Lemon Sour Cream

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I’ve always wanted to try making zucchini fritters and for some reason thought it would be a little more difficult than it was. I had a huge zucchini from my veggies this week and decided to give it a try- it couldn’t have been easier! I also had some leftover basil from last week and decided to incorporate that into my sour cream with some lemon, which was really delicious.

Ingredients: (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon course salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, add to a bowl with the 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes. Next, add the zucchini to a colander and squeeze out all the liquid with the back of a big wooden spoon. Really make sure to take the time to get it all out! Place the zucchini back in a large bowl and add the onion, egg, and pepper. Mix together. In another small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder then add it to the zucchini mixture.

Heat your skillet over medium high heat (I used my cast iron pan) and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scoop a few spoon fulls of the zucchini separately in the pan (I found doing 3-4 at a time worked best) then get sit for about 4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for another 4 minutes until that side is golden as well. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel to absorb some of the oil. Finally, place all the fritters on a baking sheet and throw in the oven for about 10 minutes to make sure they are crispy and delicious.

In the meantime, chop the basil and zest the lemon. Add this plus the lemon juice to the sour cream and mix well. Once the fritters are done, top with the sour cream and enjoy!

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Cod with Lemon and Vegetables

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I try to eat fish as often as possible, but it isn’t always the easiest thing to cook. Many times I have overcooked it and just ended up with an apt that stinks of fish. Now when I cook it, I make a little “fish bag” with lemon and whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. It steams the fish perfectly and comes out great every time!

Ingredients:
1 pound white fish (I like cod best, but tilapia is nice too)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of mushrooms, thinly sliced
Couple of asparagus
Half small white onion, thinly sliced
Small red potato, very thinly sliced
Crushed red pepper
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice all of your vegetables- you can really use whatever veggies you like, just make sure to slice everything thin enough that it cooks all the way through. Place your fish on a piece of aluminum foil, which should be large enough that you can fold into a “pocket.” Add a little olive oil on the fish and top with a few mini pieces of butter, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Top with sliced lemon then add your vegetables. Cook for 25 minutes. Be careful when opening the bag, the steam is very hot!

Angel Hair with Garlic Scapes and Tomatoes

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I had never eaten garlic scapes before (that I know of anyway) and I am totally in love with them now! I got them in my CSA and decided to try a simple pasta dish with them, which came out great. They have the texture of asparagus kind of, but with a light garlicky taste to them. If you haven’t tried garlic scapes yet, I suggest doing it! Their season is short though, so get them while you can!

Ingredients:
Angel hair pasta
2 Italian sausages
2 garlic scapes
Asparagus
Cherry tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the garlic scapes, asparagus, and tomatoes. Toss in olive oil then roast together in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the asparagus is fork tender and the tomato skin is starting to pop. While that cooks, remove the casing from the sausage and cook in a pan until browned, also cool your pasta. When the vegetables are done roasting, chop the garlic scapes then toss everything together with the pasta. Add some good olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Fettuccini with Corn, Pancetta, and Shiitake Mushrooms

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I don’t cook shiitake mushrooms very often, but I got a bunch in my CSA and needed to figure out what to do with them. This pasta worked out though! The sweetness of the corn and the salty pancetta helped to give the mushrooms a nice flavor.

Ingredients:
4 oz pancetta
1 can of corn
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half & half)
1 lb fettuccine
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper

Start by bringing your water to a boil for the pasta. Heat a large skillet and add the pancetta, without oil, browning it for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, wash the mushrooms, remove their stems, and chop to your preferred size. Add the mushrooms and half of the corn to the pancetta, cooking until the mushrooms give off some liquid.

While that cooks, put the remaining corn in a blender along with the cream, and blend until smooth. Next, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer so that you have a nice thin liquid. Add this to the mushroom-pancetta mixture and cook until everything thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. If you like a little heat sprinkle in some red pepper flakes as well. Finally, toss in your cooked pasta and mix well to distribute the sauce. Top with fresh chives or parsley!

Vegetable Pot Pie

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It’s starting to get a little warmer outside, so I have been trying to get in all my winter favorites before Spring is in full bloom! Like pot pie- I have never made it before, but I absolutely love it. Creamy vegetables, flaky golden crust…how can you go wrong! I decided to make this one without chicken, reason being that I couldn’t find any chicken that I trusted at my grocery store. If I’m going to eat meat, I have to feel good about where it comes from. My pot pie came out great and totally warmed my little heart up. And yes, the entire thing was gone in about two days. I do what I want!!!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
10 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup mushroom broth
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup fresh chives, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg yolk (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
7 ounces store bought puff pastry or pie dough (I used pie dough)
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Chop all of your vegetables, potatoes, and fresh herbs so they are ready to go. Also have your dough thawing now if you haven’t started this already.

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Next, melt the butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the leeks, celery, onions, and carrots. Toss together and cook for a minute or two until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook about 5 minutes to allow the mushrooms to release some liquid. Sprinkle in the flour and mix throughout. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the mushroom broth followed by the milk. Bring to a simmer until the liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the frozen peas, parsley, and white vinegar. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste. I ended up adding a sprinkle of paprika as well.

Pour the vegetable mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish. Top with the dough and trim any excess hanging over the edges. I ended up making little leaves with my leftover dough pieces! Next, tuck the edges into the sides of the dish and brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Cut a few slits so the top can vent and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before digging in. Bon appétit!