Crispy Kale December 18, 2011

I’ve been trying to eat the winter vegetables in season now at the Durham Farmer’s Market. Spinach, lettuce, turnips, carrots, broccoli & beets have all been easy to work into my weekly rotation. But what to do with kale? Full of nutrients and vitamins, I wanted to find a way to incorporate kale into my diet, so I bought 2 big bags from Fickle Creek Farm this weekend. I decided to try roasting it the way I do most all of my other veggies. The result was a light, airy, crispy deliciousness. I think I’m hooked.

INGREDIENTS

• one bunch of kale
• olive oil
• kosher salt

Cut the leaves off the kale, removing & discarding the tough stems. Cut the leaves into 1″ -2 ” pieces. Wash & dry in a salad spinner. Put the kale leaves on a stainless steel baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 400 for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is crispy.

Stew with black beans, delicata squash, red wine & tomatoes September 17, 2011

My friend Gayle came over last Saturday morning and we went to the Durham farmer’s market together, bought our veggies and a doughnut muffin from Scratch and went back to my house to cook lunch. We started with a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella from Chapel Hill Creamery, basil from my back yard and olive oil & balsamic vinegar from my recent trip to Napa. Then we made this stew, adapted from Peter Berley’s Fresh Food Fast. It was good on its own as well as heated up later over rice. One day I want to try serving it over arepas (another Peter Berley recipe).

Gayle is an amazing cook who always feeds me dinner when I’m at their house, so it was fun to finally host her (though she did the hard part – all the chopping!). All in all, it was a fun, relaxing Saturday morning. We’ll have to do it again!

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. delicata squash, halved, seeded and cubed (a type of winter squash from the farmer’s market)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1 cup okra, thinly sliced
1 -1 1/2 cups dry red wine

In a large stockpot over high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion, kosher salt, and garlic. Saute until onion is lightly browned.  Add the poblano, squash, & okra and saute for several more minutes.

Stir in the beans, tomatoes, wine, corn, okra and sage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Gourmet Scalloped Potatoes September 17, 2011

Imagine offering to host a work dinner party for a friend, plan for it a month in advance, and then hurricane Irene decides to blow in the weekend of the party. Thursday night we shopped for groceries amidst people preparing to hunker down for the storm. Friday afternoon we had to go back to all the same stores to get everything they had been out of on Thursday due to the storm. Friday night we prepped. And then Saturday morning in the rain & wind we starting cooking. Until I took a break from chopping to look over my shoulder and saw a bushy tail under the dining room table.  We spent the next hour chasing a squirrel (who had come down the chimney) out of the house. Then, several hours later, the power went out. For what would be a total of 9 hours. We ended up moving the cooking to another location and the party to yet another location while the beautifully-decorated table sat unoccupied in the dark.

This potato recipe is one that my mom made when we were growing up. I decided to make it because I can hardly keep up with the carton of potatoes I get every week through the CSA. We sliced a total of 4 cartons of potatoes in preparation. After the chaos of squirrel and storm, this was the perfect comfort food to serve alongside filet & Madeira with button mushrooms. There wasn’t a bite left. And there were still potatoes enough at home for the church potluck on Sunday and my home group dinner on Monday. Maybe that’s why I can no longer fit in my skinny jeans!

Ingredients
Potatoes (any kind, I used a combination of red & gold potatoes) sliced very thin, leaving peel (but remove any bad spots)
1 medium chopped onion
Chopped curly parsley
Grated cheddar cheese
1 pt. whipping cream
Salt

Layer the following ingredients in a casserole dish: potatoes, sprinkle with a little onion, parsley, cheese and then a dash of salt. Continue layering in this order until the dish is filled to the top. Pour whipping cream over everything and bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until potatoes are tender. After about 30 minutes you’ll want to cover the dish with aluminum foil so the top doesn’t get too brown.

Black bean & corn salad July 30, 2011

This salad is fresh, yummy summer goodness, perfect in tremendous NC heat. The corn, bell pepper, jalapenos and grape tomatoes (my deviation) all came from my CSA box.

SALAD
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups corn
1 cup celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced (green pepper works, too)
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded & diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

DRESSING
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Mix all the vegetables together. Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then pour over the veggies. Stir to combine. Refrigerate to chill slightly before serving.

Note: This time I had a green pepper on hand, so I also threw in a few yellow grape tomatoes to add some color to the salad. I also 1 1/2 timed the dressing because I like a little extra.

Thai stir fry March 13, 2011

I’ve been missing the CSA and all of our fresh vegetables, so I finally broke down and hit the produce section at Whole Foods. I absolutely love the bok choy & fresh broccoli in this stir fry. It’s a reminder that spring, and all the fresh veggies that come with it, is on the way.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch of bok choy (about 1 lb.), washed and chopped
• 1 red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch of broccoli (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cut into florets
• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 3 Tbsp. dry sherry (or white wine)

SAUCE

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tsp. honey
• 1/8 – 1/4 cup brown sugar (to taste)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• dash of hot chili oil to taste (can also use chili sauce, cayenne pepper or a red chili pepper)

Prepare chicken by removing any excess skin and cutting into one-inch chunks. Add olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper (I don’t measure, just add enough to coat the chicken). Stir to coat chicken. Refrigerate. (Up to a few hours is ideal, but 20 minutes is fine.)

To make the sauce, add chicken broth, soy sauce, lime juice, honey and brown sugar to a pot at medium heat. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to med-low or low. Add garlic and cornstarch. Stir until sauce thickens slightly. Add the dash of hot chili oil (or something to add a little heat). Do a taste test to make sure it’s the right balance of sweet and salty and adjust accordingly. Turn off the heat.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan at medium-high heat. Add the chicken, flipping it after a few minutes on one side. Cook through. You might need to reduce the heat once it’s browned on both sides. Add the minced ginger, cook for 1 minute. Add carrots, bok choy, pepper, and broccoli. Cook for a few minutes, then add stir fry sauce and mix everything. Add the sherry or white wine, stir and cover for a few minutes until broccoli starts to soften.  Once it’s done, remove from heat. Serve with brown rice and chopped cashews.

Notes: You could also add onions and mushrooms to this stir fry. I use chili oil to add a little heat to the sauce because that’s what I had on hand. This summer when the hot peppers are in season, I might try adding one of those. Also, the next time I make it to the Asian market I’m going to buy fish sauce to substitute for the soy sauce.  I like my sauce on the sweeter side (why I add the brown sugar), but you can skip the brown sugar and only use honey.

Sweet potato and white bean soup with walnut pesto March 2, 2011

Adapted from Cooking Light.  The pesto was amazing. I spread it on whole wheat sourdough toast and dipped it in the soup. Next time I make this I might try adding a little sausage. Thanks, Chelsea, for sharing the recipe!

SOUP

• 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shallot
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4  cups  chicken broth
• 2  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
• 4  cups  chopped Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1  (19-ounce) can white beans (Navy, cannellini, great northern), rinsed and drained
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

PESTO

• 3/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 6  Tbsp.  chopped walnuts
• 3  garlic cloves, peeled
• extra virgin olive oil

Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots and onion;  cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in chard, pepper, salt, and beans; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the pesto, combine cheese, parsley, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor. Process until slightly blended. Pour in olive oil while continuing to process until pesto reaches desired consistency, scraping sides of bowl.  Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous serving of pesto.

Note: The pesto recipe makes enough for tomorrow night’s pasta.

Chicken & wild rice soup with sherry and fresh thyme February 23, 2011

And the soup craze continues… This morning I took the leftover rotisserie chicken from Monday’s night’s rotisserie chicken salad sandwiches, threw it in the crock pot, covered it with water, and turned it on low. After work, I had a pot full of chicken broth and falling-off-the-bone chicken to use in this recipe, which I came up with by reading every chicken and wild rice soup recipe I could find on the internet. For a thicker, creamier soup you could use less broth and some combination of half and half and whipping cream instead of milk. Also, if you like mushrooms, they’d be a good addition. You can also use white wine instead of the sherry (but I do love sherry!). The soup thickens in the refrigerator overnight and tastes even better reheated the next day.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 3 small-med celery stalks)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup wild rice
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

Whole wheat sourdough February 23, 2011

Many thanks to my neighbor and childhood friend, Andrew, for sharing this whole-wheat version of the sourdough bread my mom has made for years. For the past two weeks I’ve become a regular bread maker. If I start this process on a Friday morning before work, the bread  is ready to bake on Saturday morning. There’s nothing quite like the smell of baking bread filling the house. Not to mention having fresh bread for toast, sandwiches, croutons and homemade bread crumbs. It’s very economical, too!

SOURDOUGH STARTER
Put your initial starter in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.  When ready to bake, take starter out of the fridge and set it on the counter. Feed it with the following:

• 1 cup of warm water
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3 Tbsp instant potato flakes

Stir the starter, then let it stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours.  Stir again and take out one cup of starter to use in making bread. Return the remaining starter to refrigerator.  Keep refrigerated, loosely covered.  Feed again in 3-14 days.

INGREDIENTS
Mix the following in a large bowl:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup of starter
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 6 cups whole wheat bread flour (from the bulk bin at Whole Foods)

After dough is well mixed, drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with a clean dishcloth and let rise 6-12 hours (I let mine rise in the oven). Turn bread out on waxed paper sprinkled with flour.  Knead a few times to form a smooth mound, adding more flour as needed. Divide into three loaves. Place loaves in greased bread pans and let rise again for 4-8 hours.  Bake loaves at 350 for 25 minutes.

Sweet potato, sausage & spinach soup February 23, 2011

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  Even though we had a brief break from the cold weather, I’m still crazy about making soup. This year I wanted to get away from the usual favorites and try something new (sausage) without deviating too much from what’s in season (spinach, sweet potatoes). I served this to my home group on Monday night with rotisserie chicken salad sandwiches on homemade whole-wheat sourdough bread. They agreed this recipe is a keeper!

INGREDIENTS

• extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb. hot Italian sausage
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 1 lb. white potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 5 oz. bag baby spinach

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, stirring often (depending on the thickness of the sausages, this could take awhile).  Transfer sausage to a plate with paper towels to drain. Pour off most of the oil in the pot, leaving enough to cook the onions & garlic. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and white potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the potatoes in the pot, leaving some potato chunks.  Slice sausage into 1/8 to 1/4 inch rounds and add to soup. Stir in spinach and simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Honey-cumin salad dressing November 25, 2010

This salad dressing will make you want to grab a spoon to finish any that’s left on your plate. I always double or triple it because it’s just that good.

DRESSING
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon
2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cumin
freshly-ground pepper