You gotta keep your head up...

There is not anything much tastier than a large bowl of macaroni and cheese. The ultimate comfort food. Naturally I had to make some adjustments to the standard variety. The elements of this mac and cheese include roasted chicken, creamy goat cheese, and fresh rosemary. This is soothing, but elegant enough to entertain with.  The sharpness of the goat cheese is softened by the roasted chicken, and the rosemary adds a fresh from the garden flavor. The wonderful thing in regard to pasta and cheese is it can easily be transformed with many pantry items and spice variations. So I encourage you to switch up your traditional mac and cheese routine. 

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound dried rigatoni

1 quart heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove fresh garlic, crushed

8 ounces goat cheese

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

salt and pepper to taste

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add the oil and rigatoni to the water and cook according to the directions on the package, 10-12 minutes.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, pour the cream into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic to the cream and bring it to a simmer - take care not to let it boil over. Allow the cream to reduce by about half.

Stir in the goat cheese and chicken and continue cooking cooking it till the cream coats the back of a spoon.

Thoroughly drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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It's been a long road to here...

The spread I am providing you with today is truly versatile. It is similar in texture to hummus, but contains cashews, walnuts, and soy milk...SO healthy!!! So far my favorite use for this is on whole greain bagels with a bounty of toppings. These alone would be a lovely sunday brunch, as you could assemble a fun topping bar. I have also included a recipe for pea soup and this pairing is a perfect summer lunch on a patio. The pea soup is highlighted by the brightness of fresh ginger, and I chose to serve the soup cold so that all the flavors were given the opportunity to shine. A dollop of Greek yogurt adds an ever so slight amount of tang desired.

Lemon Pepper Cashew Walnut Spread

makes about 2 cups - you will have leftovers!

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup raw walnuts

3/4 cup soy milk 

1/2 juicy lemon plus a pinch of zest

4-7 generous dashes of fine black pepper and 2-3 pinches of salt

Also grab:

slices of tomato and onion, herb salad mix, bagels (of course), fine black pepper - garnish: slices of lemon (from the other half)

optional but lovely:

sliced avocado, sprouts, sliced white peaches, sliced apple, chopped garden herbs, edible flowers

Directions:

Soak your raw cashews in salted water until tender.

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add them to a blender or food processor. Also add: lemon, soy milk and half the walnuts. 

Blend from low to high for a few minutes until the mixture becomes smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add in more walnuts as needed to achieve a hummus-like consistency. Blend until nice and smooth.

Do a taste test and add more spices and salt as desired. If you are serving the spread within a few minutes - place it in the freezer to chill and thicken up a bit. If serving later - just place in the fridge - covered - until needed.

Bagels! Toast them. Add the spread. Then tomato, onion, greens and pepper on top. Garnish with lemon zest or lemon slices.

I served my bagels alongside a light herb salad and a small bowl of pea soup for some added protein.

Pea and Ginger Soup
EVOO 1 T
Yellow onions 1/2 C diced
Garlic 2 cloves grated
Ginger root 1 T peeled and grated
Veg Stock 3 C
Fresh hulled peas 4 C
Fresh mint 2T minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Plain Greek yogurt and fresh chives for garnish

Instructions:

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and saute until soft. Be careful not to brown. Add stock and peas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until peas are tender, about 7 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender), blend until desired thickness is reached. Stir in mint. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with a dollop of yogourt and a garnish of fresh chives, or serve chilled.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Looking like a pair of clowns, clowns, clowns...

Do I ever have a WOW for you...stick with me while I introduce you to possibly the most delicious savory pizza I have created. I had a version of this recently, and have tweaked it quite a bit, now I would not change a thing in my recipe below. I am sure you see the strawberries in the picture, and may be leary. I will reiterate this is a savory pizza. It starts with a whole wheat crust. Sitting atop the crust is a vast array of caramelized figs, feta cheese, goat cheese, peppery arugula, cheddar, strawberries finished with a balsamic reduction. I know it sounds too much, but each elements compliments one another in perfect harmony. I normally use all purpose flour for my pizza dough, but these flavors needed a sturdy backing of whole wheat. I am sure if you step out of the box with me on this you will not be disappointed. 

• 1 whole wheat thin pizza crust (using the pizza dough recipe I have already posted only with whole wheat, you may find this by clicking on Breads on the right hand side of my blog)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 green or black mission figs
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ¼ cups baby arugula
• 4 medium size strawberries, sliced in half
• ¼ cup crumbled goat’s cheese
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Balsamic glaze:

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

In a small sauce pan, combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 10 minutes until it reduces to about a half.

Set aside (it will thicken as it cools)

Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle olive oil on pizza crust. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 5-6 minutes. (The dough is uncooked at this point) In the mean time, slice the figs into thirds and dip slices in brown sugar making sure they’re well coated.  Arrange fig slices in a large hot non stick skillet. Cook the figs at medium heat for about 3 minutes, until they start to caramelize. Turn them over, add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes. Set aside. (Note: Don’t skip the lemon! It will keep the sugar from crystallizing) . Once the pizza crust is out of the oven, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with baby arugula, caramelized figs, strawberries, feta and goat’s cheese. Season again with salt and pepper for extra flavor. Bake at 400F for about 7 minutes, until the cheeses melt and the arugula starts to wilt.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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And I believe this may call for a proper introduction, and well Don't you see, I'm the narrator, and this is just the prologue?...

Steak and potatoes, a classic summer grilling combination. There are a few variations to the recipes I have posted today. First I placed a dry spice rub on a flat iron steak, grilled it, and then once I removed the meat from the heat I doused it in a marinade. I have read of this method before, but this was the first time I put it into play. The warm meat soaked up all the delicious sauce, which led way for a moist delicious cut. As for the potatoes, I made grilled sweet potato fries with a vibrant cherry salsa to top them. The fries were seasoned with lime, cumin, and pepper flakes (these flavors paired beautifully with the sweetness from the potatoes). The cherry salsa has a bite from fresh grated ginger, and the final element is roughly chopped pecans. These are simple variations that will turn your average steak and potato meal into something out of the ordinary.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 scallions, sliced thin

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

flat iron steak (2-3 lb)

Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, scallions, 2 tablespoons sugar, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and 1½ teaspoons pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and sugar has dissolved. Pat steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill steak until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to 13 by 9-inch pan and poke all over with fork. Pour marinade over steak, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer meat to carving board and slice thinly against grain. Pour marinade into serving vessel. Serve, passing marinade at table.

grilled sweet potatoes with cherry salsa 

notes: You kind of have to par-boil or par-steam the sweet potatoes before grilling. It’s only, 5 minutes of stove steaminess though. 

for the sweet potatoes:

3 small-medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges or rounds

1 1/2 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (or to taste)

pinch of chili flakes

salt and pepper

for the cherry salsa:

heaped cup of de-stemmed sweet, black cherries, pitted

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated

zest and juice of 1 lime

black pepper

to serve:

a handful of pecans, roughly chopped

salt to taste

Place a large pot with about 2 inches of water on medium heat. Bring to a simmer and place cut sweet potatoes onto a steamer basket (or boil,  if boiling it will only take 3-4 min) . Lower steamer basket into the pot, put a lid on top and steam the sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Remove wedges with a pair of tongs, placing into a large tupperware container.

Cover the cooked sweet potatoes with the grapeseed oil, lime zest, lime juice, ground cumin, chipotle, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the cherry salsa: chop the pitted cherries roughly and place in a medium bowl. Add the sliced green onions, grated ginger, lime zest, lime juice and black pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

Heat a your grill or grill pan to medium-high. Place marinated wedges, cut side down (as opposed to peel-side down) on the grill. Flip wedges after about 2-3 minutes. Cook other side for another 2 minutes and remove sweet potatoes from the grill.

To serve: Place wedges face up on a plate, season with salt if you like and cover with the cherry salsa.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear...

A simple summer meal today, tuna sliders with a poppy seed slaw followed by vanilla custard popsicles for dessert. Canned tuna has so many uses, I prefer Italian tuna packed in olive oil (I think the quality is higher). These tuna patties are packed with flavor and have a crispy outside from the panko crust. The poppy seed slaw that tops the sliders carries bright and light flavors from Dijon, lime, and fresh parsley. These are simple, and come together quickly. The patties are moist and do not need much more than the slaw, but you could put a little mayo on the buns if desired (even add in some capers and lemon juice for a tarter taste). I have also included another addition to my popsicle experiments, this time vanilla bean custard. These were sweet, creamy, and delicious a perfect followup to the tuna sliders. 

poppy seed slaw

1 small red cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 tablespoons (raw) sugar

sea salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 fresh lime, juiced

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Toss the shredded red cabbage, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing it to brine.

Combine the poppy seeds, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lime juice, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper in a jar. Close the jar and shake until it’s well mixed (or stir well if you can’t find the lid). Pour the dressing over the slaw and add parsley. Toss everything to combine. Keep slaw in the fridge until the tuna patties are ready.

crispy tuna sliders

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 fresh red chile pepper, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 green onions, finely sliced

1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley

4 cans of tuna ( I used Italian tuna packed in olive oil), drained

1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

canola oil

8 slider buns

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red chile pepper, rib of celery, cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic won’t burn. Take the pan off the heat and let the garlic mixture cool for about 10 minutes.

Whisk together the egg, cream, Dijon mustard, green onions, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, the garlic mixture, and a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the tuna and breadcrumbs.

Lightly flour your hands and shape about 1/4 cup of tuna mixture into a patty. Repeat with the rest of the tuna mixture. Dredge the patties in flour before putting them in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat in a large pan, and fry the tuna patties for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain the patties on paper towels.

Place each tuna patty on a slider bun and top with slaw to serve.

Note: I halved this recipe, using a whole egg and 1 fat garlic clove for the tuna patty mixture, and everything turned out deliciously. Regular breadcrumbs instead of panko would work, too.

Vanilla Bean Frozen Custard Pops

2 cups  whole milk, divided 

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

In a heavy saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups milk and the cornstarch.  Bring to a boil over med-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, ~ 7 to 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the last 1/2 cup of milk, the whole egg and the yolks, sugar and salt.  Using a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the bowl and then add the halves.  Stirring constantly, add the egg mixture to the thickened milk mixture.  Cook, whisking constantly, over med-high heat until the mixture returns to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl, then cool over an ice bath.

If using conventional ice pop molds, divide the mixture among the molds.  Cover and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.  If using sticks, insert them into the molds when they are part frozen, about 1 hour.  Then continue to freeze until solid, about 5 more hours.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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You know its funny how freedom can make us feel contained...

I had invited a few people over, and I wanted to serve a hearty appetizer. My go to for entertaining is a cheese plate with fruit and honey. For this gathering I decided to give it a slight twist. I made five different kinds of crostinis (for some reason one managed to escape the photograph) each with a cheese and fruit pairing, some were dressed with herbs. It was not only appealing to the eye, but delicious as well. This method actually turned out to be a great idea because my guests were able to simply pick them up, since I had previously completed the assembly. The only addition to this platter of delights was a small dish of honey for drizzling if desired. You may use any combination of fruit and cheese that you like, and you do not need to have five different types. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy this concept.

Cheese

• Greek Cheese (a type of Feta)
• A sheep’s cheese
• Fresh Goat Log
• A sharp Blue
• An aged guouda

Fruit

• Cherries, pitted and halved
• Peaches, stones, halved and sliced finely
• Strawberries, sliced finely
• Figs, sliced into small chunks
• Pears, sliced and chopped

Herbs

• Chives
• Basil
• Mint

Bread

• Half a baguette, sliced into small discs
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method

Brush the discs of baguette with olive oil. Place under a heated grill, until golden brown – this should take about 5 minutes or less. Chop the fruit into small pieces. Slice the herbs into thin strips and cut the cheese into small bite size pieces.  Now, it really is just a case of assembling them altogether. I paired the sheep's cheese with cherries and a single chive. The peach is paired with soft goat cheese and basil –it tastes summery and divine. The pears work really well with the crumbly sharp guouda (my favorite) and the figs are delicious with the creamy Bleu.  Lastly I assembled strawberries with Feta and mint. I added a little black pepper to these. It really is up to you, what cheese and fruit you use. This plate serves as a great little Summer snack.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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It's these little things, they can pull you under Live your life filled with joy and wonder...

Today I have a super simple, but satisfying appetizer. Spicy warm corn dip. I used fresh corn for this, but am sure when it is not in season canned corn would work just fine. I was in charge of bringing an appetizer to a recent dinner party, and decided this was a dish that would cater to almost all taste buds. I knew the dinner menu was going to have a Mexican flare, so this was truly fitting. You simply combine corn, cheese, chipotle peppers, a jalapeno, and some spices and then bake. Once the dish is removed from the oven a simple garnish of cilantro, onions, and tomatoes delivers completion. I warmed the tortilla chips I served alongside, but this is a personal preference. This will certainly be a go to dip for me in the future (excellent for game day). 

Spicy Corn Dip

Ingredients

• 2c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1c jack cheese, grated
• 1 chipotle in adobo, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2c mayonnaise
• 1/4t garlic powder
• 4 ears corn, cooked and taken off the cob
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 2T cilantro, chopped
• 2T green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together cheeses, chipotle, jalapeño, mayo, garlic powder, and corn. Reserve remaining ingredients. Spread into a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, melted, and bubbly around edges. Sprinkle tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions on top of hot dip. Serve promptly with corn chips.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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