Kale Chips

A delicious appetizer for those who love salty things!

1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Rip kale mostly off of stalks and into bite size pieces

Wash and dry kale completely then spread evenly onto cookies sheets (preferably with edges)

Massage olive oil and salt into the kale pieces

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until kale looks really crispy

Serve immediately.

 

Orange Honey Glazed Carrots

2 lbs carrots, peeled (3 bunches)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons unsalted margarine

2 tablespoons honey

kosher salt

1 teaspoon minced gingerroot (i have actually never made with Ginger since I don’t usually have it in the house!)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

 

1. Cut the carrots diagonally in 1″ thick slices. You should have about 5 cups of carrots.
2. Place 1/2 cup water, the butter or margarine, honey, 2 teaspoons salt, and the ginger in a large sauté pan and bring to a boil.
3. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until all the water has evaporated.
5. Add the orange zest and orange juice to pan, tossing with carrots.
6. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are al dente (tender, but still resistant when you bite into them)and the sauce glazes the carrots.
7. Add the pepper and another teaspoon of salt to taste.
8. *This dish reheats beautifully. Undercook the carrots a bit and reheat them before serving.

Comfy Whole Grain Veggie Deliciousness

Or officially: Farro with Green Onion Sauce, Toasted Walnuts, and Asparagus
From Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients:
2 cups farro (or wheat berries?)
5 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp EVOO
12 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp  fine grain sea salt
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut on sharp diagonal, 1 inch pieces
Grated zest of one lemon
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Creme fraishe, for garnish- makes the whole thing comfy…
Fresh Parmesan for garnish- yeah, this too.

Combine farro and stock in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, 45 minutes to an hour or about half if it is semi-pearled.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chopped green onions and saute for 5 minutes, or until onions start to soften.  Stir in a couple pinches of salt. If you have a hand blender, transfer to a small bowl and lightly puree them, but don’t go overboard.  Alternatively, puree them in a food processor.  After a pulse or two, they will start to get to nice and creamy, but you want to maintain some nice big chunks of green in there as well.

When the farro is nearly cooked, stir in the asparagus.  Let the pot simmer for another couple of minutes, until the asparagus is vibrant bright green.  Some stock will still be visible in the pot.  That is fine; the farro will continue to absorb the liquid once removed from the heat.  Stir in the lemon zest, walnuts, and the salt.  Add more if necessary.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onion sauce, a dollop of creme fraiche, and parm.

Mom’s Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

Double pie crust (homemade or Pillsbury!)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 T torn basil leaves
1 T chopped chives
 

How to:
Preheat oven to 400.  Cover 9” pie pan with dough.  Cover dough with tomato slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, chives and basil.  Top with half the cheese and coat thinly with mayonnaise.  Add remaining cheese.  Roll top dough and fit over top of pie; pinch closed.  Bake until brown on top, about 20 minutes.  Makes six servings.  ENJOY!!
 

Lemon Linguini

1 lb. linguini
1/2 cup olive oil
zest from one lemon
juice from 2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
salt and fresh ground pepper
LOTS of parmesean cheese

(We usually add grilled chicken breasts or shrimp)

Cook linguini in boiling, salted water till done; drain well.

Combine next 5 ingredients in a large serving bowl.

Add pasta and toss well.

Sprinkle over salt and fresh ground pepper–add parmesean to taste.
Taken from The Summer Book by Susan Branch

Chimichurri Sauce

Makes 1 cup

 Mince:

2 cups fresh parsley leaves, packed

2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

salt to taste

 

Add; blend:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white whine vinegar

2 Tbsp. water

 

Mince parsley, garlic, and seasonings in a food processor or blender

Add olive oil, vinegar, and water; process until blended. 

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Filets with Chimichurri Sauce

Makes 12 filets; Total time: 45 minutes

 Prepare; Thread and Coat:

2 pork tenderloins (1-1 ½ lb. each)

12 strips thin-sliced bacon

Chimichurri Sauce (recipe below)

 

1. Prepare pork, trimming off silverskin and fat, then cut into 2”-thick filets.  Make the chimichurri. Prepare the grill for medium hot coals.

 2. Wrap a bacon strip around each filet, overlapping ends by 1”. Trim excess.

 3. Thread 3-4 fillets on each skewer; insert a second skewer for stability.  Brush with chimichurri.

 4. Grill skewers, covered, for 4 minutes per side, including bacon sides, basting each before the turn.  Cook for a total of 16 minutes.  Serve with extra chimichurri.

 

Chimichurri Sauce

 Makes 1 cup

 Mince:

2 cups fresh parsley leaves, packed

2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

salt to taste

 

Add; blend:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white whine vinegar

2 Tbsp. water

 

Mince parsley, garlic, and seasonings in a food processor or blender

Add olive oil, vinegar, and water; process until blended

Jane’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 16 oz. can plain pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 cups flour
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
12 oz. bag chocolate chips combined with 1/2 cup flour (keeps the chips from sinking)

1. Cream sugar and oil together; add eggs and pumpkin and mix well.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
3. Add dry ingredients, a little at a time, to pumpkin mix and alternate with water.
4. Add chocolate chips and flour mixture and mix.
5. Pour into 2 well greased and floured 9 x 5  loaf pans.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until done.  Cover the breads with foil for the last 30 minutes or the top burns.

Tres Leches Cake

This is an UNREAL dessert. Sprinkle chopped strawberries on the top for pure perfection.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Milk
1/2 of a 14 oz. can Sweetened condensed milk
1/2 of a 12 oz. can Evaporated milk
1/3 cup liqueur Frangelico, Brandy for example (optional)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Put your beaters and bowl in the freezer to prepare for whipping.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

When cake has finished baking, pierce it in 8 or 10 places with a fork or skewer, and let it cool. Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and liqueur and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Whipped Cream Topping: When ready to serve, combine the whipping cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup of sugar, whipping until thick. Spread over top of cake.

Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled with fresh fruit on top.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/4 dry white wine
some Asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 450

Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel one half and cut into 1/4 inch dice. Put remaining half cut side down in an oiled shallow baking pan with diced squash and season with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bake squash until tender and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Scoop out flesh and chop coarse.

In a saucepan bring broth and water to a simmer and keep it at a bare simmer.

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until translucent . Stir in rice and cook over medium heat until white. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup of broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout until absorbed. Continue simmering and and adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until about half the broth has been added. Stir in diced and chopped squash and continue simmering and adding broth in the same manner until rice is tender and creamy looking and still al dante, about 18 minutes. Just before it is done add Asiago cheese

Ben Breslauer’s variation: melt a pat of butter and some real maple syrup and drizzle over the top with a blob of blue cheese.