Tag Archives: food

Creamy Kale & Lemon Fettuccine with Pancetta

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I ordered some Tuscan Kale fettuccine from my CSA this week and it was delicious! Made locally in NY too, which is great. I’ve been craving a creamy pasta dish lately, so that is exactly what I made. I added fresh chopped kale to compliment the kale fettuccine. I also added a lot of lemon, mainly because I love lemon and kale together, but also because eating citrus with your leafy greens helps your body absorb more of the nutrients it contains. Double win. All in all a really nice Tuesday dinner!

Ingredients:
Tuscan Kale fettuccine (though this would work with any pasta!)
1/2 a small bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ounces pancetta, roughly chopped
1/2 cups half & half
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh parsley, for topping
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by chopping all of the necessary ingredients so they are ready to go as needed. I find it helps to get all the labor done before you start cooking. Also get a large pot of salted water boiling for the pasta. In a saucepan, drizzle some olive oil and cook the shallot for a few minutes. Next add the garlic, cooking for another minute or so. Add the panetta and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Toss in the kale and cook until wilted. Turn the heat down to low and slowly add the half & half. Let it come to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or so. You’ll notice that it thickens a little. Next add the Parmesan cheese followed by the lemon juice and zest. Stir well and salt/pepper to taste. At this point you can shake some red pepper flakes in there if you like a little heat. Lastly, add your pine nuts to a pan and toast them dry until lightly browned and fragrant.

Once the pasta is ready, strain it and set a cup of pasta water off to the side. Add the pasta to the creamy mixture and coat the noodles well. Add a little pasta water until you have the smooth consistency you like. Top with toasted pine nuts and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

BONUS PHOTO! My 8 month old nephew watching me cook my dinner via FaceTime. I tried to narrate my “show” for him like Julia Child, which I think he appreciated.

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Okay, now back to pasta…..

Grilled Romaine with Roasted Beets and Fennel

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I’ve always wanted to try grilling romaine, but never got around to doing it in the summer. Luckily, my oven is equip with a broiler so I was able to get a similar result during the winter months! I didn’t get the exact char I was going for, but without a grill it’s tough to do. It was still super delicious and nice to have a warm salad with some of my favorite things on top- beets, fennel, and blue cheese dressing! And of course, if you DO have access to a grill, then you can certainly cook the romaine that way too.

Ingredients: serves 1-2
1 small head of romaine
3-4 small golden beets, peeled and cut into small wedges
1 large red beet, peeled and cut into small wedges
1 fennel bulb, tops removed and thinly sliced

Blue cheese dressing: (from Skinny Taste)
5oz Greek yogurt
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the beets and fennel on a baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender. In the meantime make the dressing. Mix the Greek yogurt and blue cheese in a bowl then add the mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. When the vegetables are done cooking, turn off the oven and set the broiler on high. Place romaine on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil, followed by a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to wilt and the edges get a little toasted. Make sure not to burn the lettuce. I had a sweet little personal size romaine from my CSA so I only broiled one side, but if you use a large romaine lettuce from the regular supermarket, you’ll want to cut it in half the long way and broil both sides for sure. To plate, drizzle the romaine with the blue cheese dressing and top with roasted vegetables!

Lentil Soup With Kielbasa

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This is one of the best soups I have made to date. It was so delicious, and exactly what I needed after a day outside in 8 degree weather! I’m definitely trying to eat a little healthier and using the New Year as my motivation. I find that in the winter all I want to do is curl up on the couch and eat a nice warm baguette covered in butter. But it turns out the baguette diet is not trending right now, so I am trying other things until it comes around. Homemade soups are a great way to keep healthy (and warm) in the colder months. Just toss your favorite vegetables in a pot with some stock an herbs and your good to go. Then eat the soup by scooping into your mouth with a baguette.

Ingredients: Adapted from GlutenFreeMom (serves 2-4)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yukon gold potato, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
handful cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 oz cooked turkey kielbasa (I bought mine at Trader Joe’s)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy pot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant. Next, add the chicken stock and water, followed by the potatoes, carrots, lentils, dried herbs, and cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. After about 20 minutes add the tomatoes as well. I waited to add them because I didn’t want them to cook down too much over the full hour. When the hour is up and the lentils are fully cooked, add the kielbasa and cook just a few more minutes to warm the sausage through. Serve as is or with topping of choice- I added fresh avocado and loved it. Enjoy!

 

Potato and Shiitake Tart With Truffled Goat Cheese

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Pretty much anything you put on puff pastry is going to be great- it’s buttery, flaky, and delicious! So when I got some potatoes and mushrooms in my bag I thought I would experiment a little. This tart took about 30 minutes from beginning to end and was delicious. I think next time I will add more mushrooms and use some colorful purple potatoes as well. I actually thought I had purple potatoes because the skin had a purple tint, but they were white when I cut them open so not sure what type they were! Either way they were good. Next time I make this I think I will also roast the sliced potatoes in the oven first so they get a little browned before adding them to the tart. Th potatoes will look prettier that way. In the end I topped it with some fresh miner’s lettuce to add some nice color, but you could use other greens such as arugula.

Ingredients:
1 box puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 large potato, thinly sliced
1/2 large shallot, chopped
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and cut into chunks
5 ounces truffled goat cheese (I used half)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Truffle oil, for drizzle (optional)
Handful of pretty greens- such as miner’s lettuce or arugula- for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the thawed dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment. I sprinkled a little flour to help the dough from sticking. With a knife, make a 1/2 inch border around the tart, without going through to the other side. Poke some holes in the center of the tart with a fork to let the heat escape while cooking. Brush with the egg and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. You will see that it puffs up a lot when it cooks, but don’t worry! When you remove it from the oven, poke a few additional holes with a sharp knife then while wearing oven mitts, gently press down on the dough to release the air- it will flatten.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes until fork tender. Careful not overcook them! Alternatively, you could also drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they start to brown- which is what I will try next time. Remove and set aside. Add some olive oil to a pan and cook the shallots for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue for another 5 minutes until softened and cooked through. When the dough is ready, top with the potatoes, followed by the mushroom and shallot mixture. Break up the cheese and add as much as you like. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Once removed, drizzle with some truffle oil, fresh ground pepper, and a small handful of greens. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

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Who doesn’t love sloppy joes! They’re so yummy, and messy, and awesome. My mom used to make them with the Manwich sauce and they were so good. I had some ground beef on hand and thought I’d give it a shot as I’ve wanted to try making them for a while. Another really easy recipe that I will definitely be making again soon. I got some sweet brioche buns which were a nice alternative to the potato buns that I really wanted, but couldn’t seem to find anywhere. Knowing the sauce would likely make the bread soggy, I toasted the buns with a little butter under the broiler so they’d hold the sloppy joes a little better. All in all a successful dinner! I think next time I’ll add some roasted poblano peppers to the mix as well.

Ingredients:
1 lb 85%  lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the beef until browned. In the meantime, chop all of the vegetables and set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the ketchup, BBQ sauce, water, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. When the beef is browned, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so, then add the onion and pepper mixture. I did not drain the liquid from the beef because I bought lean meat so there wasn’t much to drain. If you have fattier beef and there’s a lot of liquid, drain most of it out and just leave a little. Once the onions and peppers have cooked down for 5 minutes or so, add the wet ingredients and mix well, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 15 minutes to allow it to thicken a little. Lastly, butter each side of the bun and toss under the broiler for a minute or so until toasted. Plate and spoon sloppy joe mixture onto your bun! Enjoy with lots of napkins.

Potato, Carrot, and Parsnip Soup With Sausage

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I’ve had a big craving lately for some homemade soup, so when I got a bunch of potatoes, carrots, and parsnips this week, I though it was a good opportunity to get my fix. Soups are great because they really don’t take very long to make, plus you can basically throw in whatever you like. I used sausage in this recipe but it could be substituted for any meat you like, or no meat!

Ingredients:
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
2 red bliss potatoes, skin on and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
4 cups water (or enough to cover your veggies in the pot)
2 Italian sausage links
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, optional

Add some oil to a heavy pot over medium heat and sauté the shallot until translucent, about one minute. Add the potatoes, carrot, and parsnips, then cover with water and bring to a boil. Once the potatoes are cooked through (about 10 minutes) turn off the heat. Take half of the soup and put it into a food processor, blending until smooth, then pour it back into the pot with the rest of the soup. Mix together to incorporate. Keep the soup on low heat while you cook the sausage in a separate pan. Once the sausage is browned, add to the pot of soup along with the fresh dill, paprika, and red wine vinegar. I added the vinegar because I felt like it needed a little acidity when I tasted it, but up to you if you add it! Ladle into bowls and top with a little more dill for garnish.

 

Leek, Mustard Greens, and Corn Pizza

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I could probably eat homemade pizza every night. It might sound sort of intimidating to make, but it seriously could not be easier! Especially if you buy pre-made dough at the supermarket, or at your local pizza place for a buck or two, which is what I love to do because it’s super fresh.

Ingredients:
1 ball of pizza dough
1 large leek
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
3 cups mustard greens, cut into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small can of tomato sauce
3 ounces St. Andre cheese
All-purpose flour
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. To trim the leeks, cut it where the light part meets the dark part, then toss the dark stuff. Cut them lengthwise then run the leeks under the water to remove any dirt. They can be pretty dirty sometimes so really make sure to rinse them well. Cut them crosswise in 1/4 inch slices. Next, remove the stems of the mustard greens and layer the leaves on top one another, roll them up together then slice 1/2 inch ribbons. Lastly, cut the corn off the cob.

Add some olive oil to a pan and saute the garlic for a minute. Add the leeks and cook for about 7 minutes until slightly browned. Next add the mustard greens and cook about 4 minutes until wilted, then toss in the corn, salt and pepper to taste, and cook everything together for another 10 minutes. While that is cooking, roll out your pizza dough. Make sure to flour the surface and rolling pin, and continue to sprinkle the dough with flour as you go. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Add the toppings to the dough starting with the tomato sauce, then the leek mixture, and lastly the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until everything is golden! Let cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Roasted Romanesco and Potato Soup

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Romanesco broccoli is one of the prettiest vegetables out there. I almost didn’t want to eat it because I loved the way it looked so much! It tastes like broccoli and cauliflower had a baby. Simply roasting it in the oven with some olive oil is really good, but I decided to go one step further and make a soup. This week it finally started getting cooler outside, so a big bowl of soup sounded perfect. For a quick topping, I make some easy Parmesan crisps in the oven!

Ingredients:
1 head romanesco, florets chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken stock
2 Yukon potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or 1/2 real onion)
Extra salt and black pepper to finish
Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chopped romanesco on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes. In the meantime, saute the garlic for about a minute or so in a large pot. Add the potato, chicken stock, white pepper, salt, and onion powder. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. When the romanesco is ready, mix that into the soup as well. At this point, you can either put the contents into a blender and blend until smooth, or if you have an immersion blender like I do, you can use that! Once fully blended, add the Greek yogurt (don’t let soup come to a boil again) and salt and pepper to taste.

To make the Parmesan crisps, simply form the cheese into a rectangular shape on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and broil for 2 minutes or until the edges are crispy and golden. Cut into strips or place the whole crisp into the soup!

**My intention was to add an onion to the soup, but once I got started I realized I didn’t have one! I used the onion powder in its absence which worked out okay. If I had the onion though, I would have cooked it down with the garlic until translucent, then added the potato etc.

Beet Burgers with Pickled Radishes

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I love beets, but roasting them all the time can get boring. I’m constantly looking for new ways to make use of them, so when I saw this beet burger recipe I was excited to give it a shot. Not all veggie burgers are great, but when you come across a good one (like Westville’s!) then they can be pretty awesome. I think the toppings are pretty important in making a veggie burger not taste so plain. I wanted to add something crunchy and has some great radishes this week, so I quickly pickled a few to top the burger with. I think it was the best part! The sweetness of the beet burger with the acidity of the pickles radishes were perfect together. I also added some Greek yogurt with fresh dill tossed in. I win.

Ingredients: (adapted from Food52)

Burger:
1/2 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
1/2 cup peeled and grated beets
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (though other nuts would work)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup cooked green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice, at room temperature
1 egg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Mesclun greens, for topping

Pickled Radishes:
2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by pickling the radishes. This is a quick way to pickle them and great when you need them fairly fast! Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the radishes and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes. These will keep up to a day. Next quickly make the yogurt sauce by mixing the Greek yogurt with the fresh dill and lemon juice, then set aside.

To make the burger- sauté the onion in a little oil over medium heat. Once translucent and a little browned, add the garlic, grated beets, sunflower seeds, raisins and paprika. Cook for about 7-10 minutes until everything has a nice brown on it. Place in the food processor and mix until chunky. Place the mixture in a bowl with the lentils and salt and pepper to taste. Next place the brown rice and egg into the food processor and pulse to create a thick puree. Add the rice mixture to the bowl with the onion/lentil mixture. Heat a skillet over medium heat and drizzle a little (high heat) oil. Form 4 burger sized patties with your hands and place in the skillet. Let cook for about 5 minutes then flip. Cook until both sides are nicely browned but not burned. To assemble the burger, place the patty on the bun and top with some dill yogurt, greens, and pickled radishes. Hope you like it!

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Galette

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This was my first attempt at a galette, and it definitely will not be my last! It was a lot easier than anticipated and absolutely delicious. Making your own dough sounds intimidating, but it is a lot easier than you think- give it a try!

Ingredients: (Food52)

Dough-
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling-
1 butternut squash, 1/4 inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10 garlic cloves, with skin on
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup fontina cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

To make the dough, place the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt into the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cold butter (make sure it is cold!) and pulse until the mixture is combined and the texture resembles small peas. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time while pulsing, you will know it is done when it sticks together without crumbling. Beware of over mixing! Place dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a disk shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours.)

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Cut the squash in half, then peel, remove any seeds, and cut into 1/4 inch slices and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and add the whole unpeeled garlic cloves as well. Cook for 25 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

While the squash and garlic cook, flour a surface and roll the dough out into a 12 inch circle. Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and put back in the fridge until ready to use.

When the garlic has cooled, peel the skin off and smash in a bowl. Add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Spread the ricotta mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Next add the squash followed by the fontina cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan around the border of the dough and crack some fresh pepper on top. Cook for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before digging in.