Fireworks of flavor: 4th of July salsa!

30. June 2011 · 24 comments · Categories: Appetizer, cooking, food, recipes, Savory, Side dishes, vegetarian · Tags: , , ,

I’ve been promising you guys my family’s favorite salsa recipe and I finally got around to making it. As I mentioned in my last post, I visited my friends this past weekend and thought the salsa was a perfect appetizer on a lovely summer day. Plus, I wanted to get you this recipe in time for 4th of July. Obviously, it goes perfectly with any cookout along with some tortilla chips. Although, it’s so good that sometimes I just eat it with a spoon.

There’s nothing particularly special about the recipe, but my family has been making it for years. I’m not sure where it came from originally, but the recipe is called Brad’s Salsa…so thanks, Brad, whoever you are.

The ingredients are pretty standard for a salsa recipe. It uses canned tomatoes instead of fresh though. Is that normal? I’m not sure, but it makes one tasty dip. And for all you cilantro haters out there, I’m sorry, but this recipe contains a lot of it. I guess you could leave it out but it just wouldn’t be the same.

I think what makes it so amazing are that the ingredients are just so fresh. It’s best served after having mellowed out together for a day, giving it all a change to meld togetehr.

Because I made this on the weekend, I was actually able to take some pictures in daylight! I know. Amazing.

So here you go. Enjoy the pictures and the recipe. I hope you make it for this weekend’s festivities!


Brad’s Salsa
Recipe from Brad?

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Ingredients:

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (juice reserved), chopped
1 small can diced green chiles (in the ethnic/mexian aisle at the market)
1 Tbsp jalapeno, diced fine (optional)
1 red onion, diced fine
1 clove garlic, diced fine
tabasco to taste
juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients. Add some of the reserved tomato juice if desired. Let mellow for 12-24 hours in refrigerator. It tends to get more watery as it sits, so don’t overdo the tomato liquid.

*Note: if doubling this recipe (which I always do), be careful of doubling the chiles and jalapeno. Be sure to taste before adding more than a single recipe’s worth.

It ain’t easy bein green…

16. June 2011 · 12 comments · Categories: Appetizer, cooking, recipes, Savory, vegetarian · Tags: , , , ,

…and it really ain’t easy bein’ cilantro. Cilantro gets such a bad rap sometimes, and I don’t know why. It seems so nice and mild to me. It’s never caused any trouble. And yet for some reason, it has so many haters.

This could in part be due to the fact that some people are genetically predisposed to think cilantro tastes like soap. Weird, but true. I certainly hope you’re not one of those people. You’d be totally missing out. I also hope you’re not one of those people who lacks the gene for winking…because that’s just sad.

We happen to love cilantro in my family. We have an amazing fresh salsa recipe (I might post that near the 4th of July) and we always add way more cilantro than it calls for. Perhaps that’s why warm weather makes me want some cilantro.

So when I came across this recipe for Cilantro Lime Dressing, I thought I’d give it a try.I had hopes of it being really creamy, but it wasn’t so much, so I added in some light sour cream I just happened to need to use up and the result was delicious. Too bad it doesn’t photograph well.

I tossed it with green beans, orange slices, cucumer and fresh mint. It ended up being a fairly tasty combo but not worthy of putting on my blog (because of the combo of veggies/fruits, but not because of the dressing). I think in the future I’d just stick to dressing a plain old lettuce salad, but you can do whatever you want with it. I won’t judge.

Now if you don’t like cilantro, I can’t promise that you’ll like this recipe, but you could at least make it for everyone else to enjoy. Just understand that you’ll be missing out.


Cilantro Lime Dressing
Adapted from Everyday Health

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Makes about 1 cup

*This dressing is best after refrigeration because it gets creamier. Make a day ahead.

Ingredients
1.5 cups cilantro, packed
1/3 cup oil, olive, extra virgin
1/3 cups lime juice
1/3 cups orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, black
1 pinch garlic, minced
1/3 cup low fat sour cream

Puree cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, salt, pepper, garlic and sour cream in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Corn off the cob: fresh corn cakes.

14. June 2011 · 15 comments · Categories: Brunch, cooking, Dinner, food, recipes, Savory, Side dishes, vegetarian · Tags: , , ,

As the weather gets warm, I get the urge to eat fresh vegetables.

Maybe it’s because they sit enticingly on displays at the supermarket and fruit stands in nyc, or maybe it’s because I get so thirsty when it’s hot out that I crave juicy things.

Either way, I have no problem giving in to what my body asks for…especially when it’s healthy.

The corn this time of year, specifically, beckons me each time I go to get groceries. I’ve bought it twice in one week  now, and although I could eat corn on the cob at every meal, it begs to be made into something else. Plus, I have to think of Nate, who may not enjoy eating the same thing for 3 meals in a row like I do :)

It just so happens that on my daily perusal of other food blogs, I came across a recipe for fresh corn cakes. Both Nate and I love cornbread, and I figured the sweetness of the corn would make a delicious little cake.

I altered the recipe I found a bit, preferring cilantro to basil. Rather than making a whole salsa, I chopped up some fresh avocado and mixed it with lime juice and some more cilantro and served up some Trader Joe’s salsa on the side. The whole thing came together fairly quickly and can pretty much be made with items in your pantry. In fact, although it may not be quite as fresh tasting, I venture to say that frozen or even canned corn could be used in this recipe for corn cakes all year long.

Although I served these with dinner, they’d be just as well-suited for a summer brunch along with some sausage and bacon.


Fresh Corn Cakes
Adapted from EzraPoundcake

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Makes 12-14 cakes

3 ears corn, shucked
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal (if you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp buttermilk*
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
canola oil for frying

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs wit hthe back of a knife (or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.

Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.

Add flour, cornmeal, onion, cilantro, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.

Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine (do not overmix).

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough oil to barely cover the bottom and heat until sizzling hot.

One heaping Tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining corn cakes. Serve warm topped with a heap of chopped avocado tossed with lime and cilantro.

*If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 2 Tbsp milk with 1 tsp vinegar and let sit 5 min or until slightly curdled

A sophisticated update on a childhood favorite.

10. June 2011 · 14 comments · Categories: Brunch, cooking, food, recipes, Savory, vegetarian · Tags: , , ,

Who, as a child, didn’t enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches? Apparently my friends all associate these with my house because my mom used to make them for me and my friends for lunch when we had a playdate. For sleepovers, she always made banana chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.

While I still love a good grilled cheese (although I can’t even remember the last time I had one), I got the idea for this recipe from a blog I love, called Heat Oven to 350, and thought it sounded like a delicious, grown-up alternative to that American classic.

Rather than individually wrapped slices of processed American cheese, this version uses high quality cheddar, fresh apple slices, and  rosemary. The resulting combination is simple, yet tastes sophisticated. It’s a grown-up treat, and i bet kids would love it too!

Plus, it took less than 10 minutes to make…can’t beat that! And after taking his first bite, Nate proclaimed it delicious, and has since asked me to make it again less than a month later :)

Apple Rosemary Grilled Cheese
Adapted from Heat Oven to 350

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makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 slices multigrain bread
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp apple butter
1/2 Granny Smith Apple, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2-3 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, depending on how cheesy you like things

Spread butter over one side of each of the 4 pieces of bread.

On the other sides of 2 slices, spread the apple butter, then sprinkle with rosemary. Top with cheese.

On other sides of the other two slices, spread a little butter, and then place apple slices. Put two sandwich halves together.

Cook in a large skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Creamy Orecchiette with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Crunchy Cheese Topping

19. May 2011 · 11 comments · Categories: Baking, cooking, Dinner, food, recipes, Savory, vegetarian

As I’ve been saying, things are busy here. But I feel so bad not cooking at least a few times a week.

I wanted a yummy pasta dish and came across a recipe online for a pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce. It was pretty much like a mac n cheese sauce except that it used asiago for the cheese instead of cheddar or something.

You know how any cheese based sauce is thickened with flour? Well I wanted to add some protein to this recipe. I contemplated adding a can of chickpeas, but then I had a grand idea: chickpea flour! I told you about this flour a while ago…it makes an amazing pancake type thing called a socca, which i still haven’t blogged about yet (I promise I will).

Anyway, I have a bag of this garbanzo bean flour in my pantry and I thought it would make a great sub for the regular flour. 1/4 cup of it has 6 grams of protein, and I ended up doubling it. I think you definitely could have added more though, since it doesn’t really act as a thickening agent. You can find it at any health food store and some supermarkets may even have it. The brand I use is Bob’s Red Mill.

I also threw in a bag of spinach since it was near death in the back of my fridge. I’m sure it was happy to get turned into something tasty instead of being laid to rest in the trash.

This dish turned out totally delicious! If you use the pasta pot to make the sauce, you only end up dirtying two pans- perfection!


Creamy Orecchiette with Mushrooms, Spinach and Crunchy Cheese Topping
Adapted from Cooking Light

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Serves 8 pretty large servings

1 lb uncooked orecchiette pasta (or medium shells/farfalle)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sliced shallots
16 ounces sliced baby portobello mushrooms
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon dry sherry (or vermouth/white wine)
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour + 2 Tbsp white flour (or 1/2 cup white flour if you don’t want to use garbanzo bean flour)
3.5 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cup grated parmesan/pecorino romano
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Set cooked pasta aside.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms,  thyme, pepper; sauté 5-8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach and stir til wilted.

Add sherry; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Place flour(s) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Remove from heat; add 1.5 cup cheese, stirring until melted. Add pasta and mushroom mixture to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine.

Spoon pasta mixture into an 9×13-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes and then broil for 10 minutes or until cheese on top browns.

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