Strawberry, Feta & Spinach Salad with Balsamic Syrup Vinaigrette

 "Foobitties" 

What? You don't know what foobitties are? 

You say Strawberry, We say Foobitty.  That is, since our youngest son, who is now nine, renamed them in his early language years.

They are still the sweet, juicy, red nuggets of deliciousness that beg to be eaten before you leave the stand.  Since he was about two, we've been getting strawberries from the source.  Not a plastic box from the grocery store that has been shipped and gassed to ripen.

Straight from the land where they were grown is how my kids have learned to eat them.

In Texas, when my kids were little, we had the opportunity to pick the foobitties ourselves at Gnismer Farms and which always made for a fun afternoon... 

 

And sweet memories of my curly-headed blondie saying this series of statements--"These are so beautiful, Mommy!" "This is so fun!" “I found the biggest strawberry ever” (editing note: He had grown past his two year old "foobitty" stage at the time of these pictures, but we still call them foobitties at home.), "Mommy, when we get home I am going to make you a recipe with these."

Here, in California, since the kids are 6 years older now and in school, we don't get to spend afternoons picking them, but there are strawberries stands every few miles.

No, we don't live in Watsonville, where the commercial farms are growing perfectly sized, tasteless berries.  Ours is a small suburban farm with lots of hard-working families who do all the planting, tending and picking themselves.  We get to reap the true benefits of the sweetest, reddest, juiciest strawberries you can imagine.

Getting home with our half-flat of berries still intact (after being swarmed by two, now much bigger, boys' hands) is the biggest challenge with all the "manual labor" out of the equation.

I try my best to do something interesting with some of them, but most of the time they are either lunchbox snacks or stirred into yogurt and granola parfaits.

When I do get my hands on some, a strawberry and spinach salad is one of my very favorite ways to enjoy these sweet treats in a savory way.

Strawberry, Feta and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Syrup Vinaigrette
If you have the luxury of having a high end, well-aged balsamic vinegar, you can use it without reducing (please don't reduce it!! in fact!) and you can try this, too!

1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 pint strawberries
 6 cups of spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions or spring onions
1/4 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted

In a small pan, cook vinegar over medium low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup (Congratulations...you've just made Balsamic Syrup).  Whisk in olive oil, salt and pepper and let cool.

Slice strawberries and place in a large serving bowl.  Top with spinach, cheese, scallions and nuts. 

Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss gently to avoid crushing berries. Serve immediately.

Print Page Copyright 2011 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Basil Pesto

If you don't have Trader Joe's nearby, I'm sorry!  If you do, go get a live basil plant.  When I replanted it, I was happy to discover 4 healthy litle starter plants instead of one like I usually have gotten in the past.  I simply separated them, replanted, pruned off the big leaves (making sure to leave tiny 3-leaved clusters beneath to encourage new growth)and watered.  Now I have healthy plants growing daily and can't wait to have a freezer full of pesto later this summer.

But in looking a the minimal pile of basil leaves, I knew that I didn't have enough to produce regular pesto, but I did have green garlic (Another green garlic recipe) and lemon zest.  So along with a small handful of blanched almonds and cashews (didn't have the typical pine nuts due to price and I felt walnuts would be too heavy), I blended it all with a little lemon juice and olive oil.

MMMMMM.....

A bright, citrusy pesto with Trader Joe's Gluten Free Corn Pasta.  I almost liked this pesto better than the original.  The more distinctly herbal flavor of green garlic along with the lemon zest really lightened it up.  Tossed with a good bit of the pasta water (essential part of true pasta making...always save at least a cup of pasta water before draining pasta to loosen whatever sauce you are tossing with the pasta) and freshly grated parmesan resulted in a creamy, but still not heavy sauce.

Since I'm watching calories, I had a small portion along with some grilled tuna so I wouldn't just eat a giant bowl of pasta (though I could have easily finished the entire dish!)  But this is a GREAT and very fresh Meat-Free Monday recipe!

Though we ate it all, this is definitely a recipe you can multiply and freeze.  Feel free to use it as a finishing sauce for grilled chicken, fish or vegetables for a low-carb meal.  Or toss with white beans or garbanzos for a quick bean salad.


Green Garlic and Basil Pesto

1/2 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped green garlic (or 2 cloves regular garlic)
1/4 cup blanched almonds, pistachios, cashews or pecans
zest of 2 small lemons or 1 large
juice of the lemon(s)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
hot water as needed

In a mini-chopper or blender, pulse the basil, green garlic, nuts and lemon zest. Add the lemon juice and olive oil, then pulse again.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon or two of hot water to loosen if the mixture is not blending well. When it is a cohesive paste, it's ready.  Taste and add salt as necessary.


Print Page Copyright 2011 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Green Plate Special - Fennel, Corn, English Peas and Asparagus

Blue Plate Specials are the working mans lunch - "a meat and three" as it's sometimes called in the South.  So to honor Meatless Monday, I decided we're having a Green Plate Special which was inspired by meals we enjoyed over this past weekend and what's available now:

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus, our meat stand-in, (okay, almost meatless Monday - it happens that way with rapidly growing boys who like their meat.) lemony shaved fennel and freshly shelled English pea (harvested from our tiny garden) salad, grilled first-of-the-season corn with Lemon Basil Butter and Steamed Potatoes with Fried herbs is our menu.

You see, this past weekend Kyle and I celebrated our 20th anniversary in Sonoma.  (Yes, we were married at the ages of 12 & 16...it was an arranged marriage...or at least this was the story that we told the schmoozing bartender who asked how it was possible we could be married 20 years!)

A mere forty five minutes after leaving our garage we were checking into the fabulous El Dorado Hotel on the square in Sonoma and setting off for a weekend of doing nothing but relaxing and finding the next amazing wine country meal.


We started the weekend with The Girl & The Fig, a restaurant we've wanted to visit since we moved to Cali in 2007.  We have been living the starving artist's life since that move but for our anniversary, we had set aside a little money so we could enjoy Wine Country.   (THE MOVE story is a long one, but if you don't know it already, here's the down and dirty version:  We moved here with no jobs and no house in September of 2007 with two kids simply because we had a dream of living and working in the food and wine mecca of the US.)

We first tried various condiments created by the Sondra Bernstein, owner/chef of TG&TF, on a trip in early 2007 prior to our fateful move at her then outpost, The Fig Pantry.  Fig Jam, Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette, you name it, we tried it and they were all good.  We didn't have time on that trip for the full scale restaurant visit so it went on our "bucket list" of restaurants.

With beautiful and simple French food, and totally unpretentious service, The Girl & The Fig was most definitely the highlight of our weekend. We will return many times over if for nothing else than a plate of Frites with lots of fried herbs, glass of wine and cheeses (see that cheese in the top right picture with the brown stripe?  It's Cowabunga from Bohemian Creamery, soft cow's milk cheese with cajeta - goat's milk caramel- running through it.  WHAT???)  But everything was amazing, even the typically boring chicken breast, was well roasted with a picholine olive pesto that was fabulously salty and perfectly paired with our Syrah.

Cafe LaHaye was a restaurant I had on my radar, not because of the buzz, although I found out later it's recently been written up like crazy, but because I liked the sides that I saw on their menu.  After our visit, I determined that they should stick to a vegetarian menu.  The fennel & English pea salad that accompanied Kyle's grilled pork chop severely upstaged the less-than-stellar piggy.  And my vegetarian pasta dish was so completely awesome that I atypically took home what I couldn't finish, which also meant a trip to a convenience store for ice to store it til we got home!  (It became my snack while watching the Grand Finale of Chopped All Stars!) A. MAZ. ING.

Oh, and next time you're in Sonoma, (for you all should be at some point in your life) Harvest Moon Cafe with it's totally unassuming facade has one of the best brunch items we've ever eaten (heavenly baked polenta with fontina, lacinato kale, tomato sauce, bacon and fried eggs on top) and only after leaving there did I find out that the chef is a Chez Panisse alums.

So now that I've completely digressed...back to the Green Plate.

There are really no recipes so I'll just give you pictures and steps:

Shaved Fennel & English Pea Salad - Remove the outer tough sections and then remove the core (first four pictures.) Thinly slice with a knife, food processor or mandolin a large bulb of fennel.  Massage the fennel with a little with salt and the juice of a lemon and set aside for 15-20 minutes.  Remove English peas from their shell (or use frozen if you just can't get fresh) and toss with the fennel. Drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and taste for seasoning.  Add salt and coarsely ground pepper as needed.

Grilled Corn with Lemon Basil Butter - Remember Paris in April? I had Lemon Basil Butter left and so after grilling the corn in the husks for 20-30 minutes, all that's left to do is slather on the butter.

Steamed Potatoes with Fried Herbs - Fry the herbs first:  Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a  skillet then toss the leaves only of thyme, sage and rosemary in and let them cook for a few seconds until crispy and slightly brown. You have to stay right there and watch or they will burn. Then simply steam quartered new potatoes until tender.  Toss with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, then toss the fried herbs on top.

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus -Peel the woody ends of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler.  Cut slices of Prosciuitto in half lengthwise and wrap around the length of the stem.  Roast or grill until the proscuitto is slightly crispy and the asparagus is starting to brown a bit.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper.

Let me know of any main dish veggies you like to make. 

Print Page Copyright 2011 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

FoodBuzz 24 x 24 "Paris in April"

There is one place that makes me sigh every time I think about it...

PARIS.

I've been twice.  It was love at first sight.  The photo above was a cafe down the street from the apartment we rented on our second trip with my oldest son who is now twelve.

Though it's now been over a decade since my last trip, I can still remember every sight, sound and smell like it was yesterday.

I've thought about doing a fabulous bistro meal the way I remembered it for years, and when my blog publisher sponsor, Foodbuzz, offered a generous stipend to produce this over the top idea and cover it for my blog, I jumped at the chance.

"April in Paris" is the quintessential song on the soundtrack of any movie set in Paris, but obviously with Northern California being a little short geographically of being in Paris, "Paris in April" became my theme..

Though all of the husbands were jealous, we decided this was a girlfriends only event.

In spite of this, my sweet husband agreed to help me.  We both loved celebrating Paris, and honoring my friends, by serving them and letting them experience all we have on our trips.

I have to admit, I haven't seen the Louvre (except for some pieces in a pass-through tunnel underneath) nor any other museums in the City of Lights, but I have had many food experiences. Talk to any food person and you will hear the same thing..."Paris all about the food".  But among them all, the standout experiences were the ones where it was a neighborhood spot and we were the only English speakers.  (Our very limited French allowed us to get tables in off-the-beaten path places.)

More a neighborhood spot, than a gastronomic paradise, a bistro is about as simple, yet as wonderful as you can get. To recreate this experience, I chose to concentrate on that simplicity and use that to develop our menu and setting.

We chose our backyard daytime event, over a candlelit indoor evening, to mimic the outdoor cafe that is common, even in the winter, in Paris. 

By the way, we chose restaurants on both of our trips by looking for dogs in the restaurants. Locals take their very well behaved dogs everywhere including restaurants, so if we saw dogs laying quietly by the tables we knew it was legit, not touristy. Our dog, Jake, complied by playing his part at our bistro recreation.

Bistro cuisine is the not the food that you would order on a breakneck speed hit-as-many-three star restaurants-as-you-can kind of trip.  This is the food you would order as someone who is meeting friends for a simple supper or Saturday lunch.  No fancy sauces or presentations that are so commonly associated with French cuisine. Starters are many times served family style or set out on a sideboard for diners to partake of at their leisure.  We followed suit.

Le Menu

Food Notes:  I kept my Cook What You've Got approach by using seasonal produce and what I had on hand to amp it up.  Even with the cheeses, I honored the idea of French cheeses - see the cheese plate below - while supporting local farms and producers who make very smiliar cheeses. The only real exception is the paté since ground pork and ham aren't normally on The List but everything else in the recipe I typically keep around.(Although I will probably try it with ground turkey sometime, which is on The List). 

 Kir Royale - Champagne with a splash of Creme de Cassis

Vichysoisse - Potato Leek Soups served cold and
blended until silky smooth with a little cream to enrich

Radishes with Basil Lemon Handshaken Butter and Grey Salt - See Recipe below.

Pâté de Campagne - Not typically a big charcuterie person, I enjoyed this as it was a pleasant balance of flavors with none of the more typical strong liver flavor.  It's like training wheels for the real thing.

Mushroom Omelets with Beet & Goat Cheese Salad  - See Below

L'Assiette de Fromage - Cheese Plate (French Equivalents)
Point Reyes Blue Cheese (Roquefort), Rouge et Noir Brie (Ummmm, Brie!)
and Vella Dry Jack (Comté) drizzled with honey and freshly ground black pepper.
Finished off with Quince paste and locally grown and very fresh walnuts.

Meyer Lemon Scented Creme Brulee with Farmstand Strawberry Sauce - See recipe below.

Espresso with chocolates - This is how it's done in Paris.  Never coffee with dessert.  It's intended to be a digestif and preferably with no milk. And there's always a tiny little treat along side.

  

Recipes

Radishes with Basil Lemon Handshaken Butter
I had just purchased a basil plant that needed to be replanted and trimmed to get the growth going.  I had a handful of leaves so I chopped them up with meyer lemon zest from my tree and added both along with kosher salt to heavy cream.  Twenty to thirty minutes of shaking later, we had very thick and creamy butter the consistency of whipped softened butter.

After draining briefly, I packed it into a silicone ice cube mold to make the little buttons of butter.
Serve with coarse grey sea salt for a very fresh, very Spring seasonal amuse bouche or snack.

Mushroom Omelets with Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
Again, no real recipe here.  We just whisked up eggs and cooked them like crepes - 1/4 cup of batter or so at a time rolling the pan to make a thin sheet.  Cook for a few seconds and flip, then they're done.  Mushrooms were sauteed with onions, garlic and fresh thyme then finished with 1/4 cup of cream.  Folded into omelets.

The salad is simply roasted beets, mixed greens and crumbles of goat cheese tossed with a simple vinaigrette of shallots, lemon juice, dijon mustard and olive oil.  (3:1 ratio of oil to lemon juice.)

Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee with Farmstand Strawberry Sauce 
Every year I wait and wait for the strawberry stand to open in April.  Finally two weeks ago I saw the familiar hand-painted strawberry sign signaling they were open.  They are super red all the way through and fragrant just like they should be!

2 cups heavy cream

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling

Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 6 1/2-cup ramekins into a 9 x 13 pan.  Have a pot of boiling water standing by.

Whisk all ingredients together well until sugar is dissolved.  Keeping the ramekins in the 9 x 13 pan, divide the custard among the ramekins. Place the pan into the oven then pour the boiling water into the pan until it's halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the middles are just set.  Remove from the oven and cool in the water bath.  Drain the water and dry off the water from the bottoms of the ramekins.  Return the ramekins to the pan and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Chill for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of sugar and then using a blowtorch (or place under a broiler), caramelize the sugar on top.  Let cool to harden the sugar then serve with the sauce. 

Strawberry Sauce:
1 pint very ripe strawberries (preferably from a nearby farm)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon

Blend all the ingredients together and then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to store. 

Print Page Copyright 2012 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Asparagus Two Ways

This is a two-fer in the recipe department, so hang on.

Roasted Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus AND Roasted Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

Here's how it goes, no real recipe here: I am a little strange in that I like prosciutto cooked so I wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus prior to roasting it at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let it cool for a minute and generously grind pepper on it.

Since we all are tightening our financial belts, I would say for a bunch of asparagus, you can ask the deli to give you 4-5 extra thin slices and then cut them into quarters. You can also use German Black Forest prosciutto which is more smoky and salty than Prosciutto di Parma which is what most delis will have. The German is a little less pricey, but still around $15 a pound. I only generally use about 2-3 ounces at a time and it certainly isn't an everyday thing.

You will find the salty prosciutto perfectly seasons the asparagus making it a fantastic opener with a glass of white wine or champagne. It's a great seasonal addition to a cocktail party since the roasting makes the prosciutto lean and less messy. It's also a great way to get kids to eat asparagus if they are into pork fat like mine are. (I fought the pork for awhile, but finally decided to go with nitrate/nitrite -free, naturally raised pork and use it judiciously so I could feel good about it.)

So back to the topic at hand...Risotto. After a hike with the boys after school yesterday, we were talking through dinner options. Pizza pasta came up in the conversation, then BBQ'd chicken, but the winning submission was Risotto.

You might be thinking - What? Isn't that a weekend thing when you've got more time? Actually, it's all about prepping and stirring then you have a pantry-friendly canvas for a multitude of seasonal meals. The technique is the same. Garlic and onion, boxes of chicken broth and rice and a little white wine are the basics, then add the veggies that you have or are available at the time. Fall - mushrooms and greens. Winter - roasted butternut squash and sage. Summer - grilled zucchini and basil. Spring - Prosciutto and fresh peas or Asparagus and mushroom as I did. I apologize for the repeat in ingredients. I don't know why I'm on this kick with this particular combo, but it's here again, sorry. Leave out the mushrooms and add lemon zest at the end if you like to create an even lighter, Springier version. I would have done it this way if I hadn't had mushrooms that were on their last leg.

Asparagus (and Mushroom) Risotto
Tip: Read through the entire recipe to find out how to shift from weekend to weeknight risotto.

5 sprigs fresh thyme
6-8 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 oz cremini mushrooms (or wild mushrooms if you have them locally), sliced, optional
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
2 cups arborio or canaroli (traditional rice used) rice
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1/2" pieces, tips cut off and reserved
1 cup parmigiana reggiano or grano padano cheese, shredded
zest of 2 lemons (if not using mushrooms)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine thyme and chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn to low.

Skip this step if not using mushrooms. In a 10" or bigger skillet with high sides, saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Generously salt the mushrooms and toss around to make into as close to a single layer as possible. Do not touch them for 5 minutes or until you start smelling roasted mushrooms. Lightly toss them again to turn as many as possible and return to a single layer. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are evenly browned and have lost most of their moisture. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil and butter to same pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add rice and toss to coat with oil and butter. Stir and toss rice until it is lightly browned then add wine. Stir until all wine is absorbed. Add about 2 cups (4 ladles full) of chicken broth to pan and stir until it is almost completely absorbed. Add another cup (2 ladles full) of broth and stir until it's absorbed. Keep adding broth, a cup at a time, and stirring for another 15-20 minutes. (I usually have a book and/or a glass of wine handy for this process. That is of course if I don't have someone standing in the kitchen that is in need of a good chat. If that's the case, we both have a glass of wine, chat away and take turns stirring.) When you try a bit of the rice and it feels the least bit crunchy in the middle you're about 5 minutes away. Add the asparagus (or other raw veg) at this point to make sure it cooks but remains crunchy. After the final addition of broth, add the mushrooms back in along with the shredded cheese and a good grinding of black pepper. Stir well and serve.

Weeknight option: Admittedly this is a bit much for a Wednesday so here's a shortcut (unless you have a friend around and you need a good chat then stick to the original.) The majority of the cooking is done in the oven so you have time to take a hot bath and read a book, or for those that are living in reality, time to put in a load of laundry, bathe the kids, do the dishes, pay the bills and read your kids a book. Disclaimer: I haven't actually tried it but Martha Stewart says it works so it must, right??**

Here goes...Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an oven proof dutch oven or very large saucepan. After the wine is absorbed, add 6 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven. Let cook for 20 minutes. Bring remaining broth to a simmer in a small saucepan and keep over low heat while the risotto is cooking in the oven. Add asparagus and cover again for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and add 3/4 cup broth (or more so it has a creamy texture), cheese and mushrooms. Season with black pepper and serve.

**Just so you know, my tongue is and will always be firmly planted in my cheek on any Martha reference.

Print Page Copyright 2011 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Ten Things to Do with Kale (Kale Pesto included)

I had to capture at least a bit of the color that occurred within all the green!

Earth Day. April. The one day in the one month that suddenly everyone is thinking "Green".  My veggie box was a celebration of Earth Day and Green.  The entire box was green. 

• Beets (with Greens)
• Red Russian Kale
• Spinach
• Collards
• Braising Mix (Bag of baby greens, not the lettuce-y kind, the braising kind)
• Asparagus
• Spring Onions (AKA Green Onions)
• Cilantro
• Oh, and not picture, carrots (with their Greens attached)

Bleary-eyed and in my Sunday veg-out-getting-ready-to-start-a-new-week mode, I flipped on a DVRed "Iron Chef". The profile on the challenging chef, Madison Cowan-from homeless in Manhattan to a successful chef with a food production company-is what makes good TV so I tuned in and I'm glad I did.

Secret Ingredient:   KALE!  Every form and colors.

Having been absent from the kitchen for 4 days due to a very busy food-and-wine event filled weekend, I remembered my Very Green Earth Day Friendly veggie drawer.  44 minutes later (thanks to DVR and FF button), I was filled with ideas (and my memory was "jogged"for things I've done in the past) for how to dispatch these greens!

NOTES ON GREENS
For those new to using seasonal veggies, greens in general are interchangeable for the most part.  Some preparations won't work on all, such as the Kale chips.  Spinach or beet greens just wouldn't work the same, but other than that, you can switch them all out. Beet greens are sometimes called the "Farmer's Green" since most people discard them (except Farmers and others like you, now, who are in the know).  Beet greens, turnip greens, chard, radish greens, spinach.  They all cook the same...FAST and they can be served raw.  Kale is a bit firmer (but can be massaged with salt and lemon juice into submission for a salad or slaw) and Collards are the most firm requiring a bit more cooking time, but can also serve as wraps (LIKE THESE! from Peas and Thank You).

10 Things to do with Kale
(At least pretend you are as excited as I was...)

• Sauteed Kale & Smoked Mozzarella Pizza - Garlicky sauteed greens, smoked mozzarella (or regular if that's all you've got), pitted oil-cured black or Kalamata olives = YUM and healthy to boot.  THIS IS DINNER TONIGHT for Meatless Monday.
• Kale Chips - Eat an entire bunch of Kale by yourself? YES, You Can!
• Flatbread with White Bean, Chard and Italian Sausage - (Pictured to the Left)
• Italian Chicken Soup with Kale Pesto - For Pesto, blend or process in food processor, one bunch of well-washed kale leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, 1 tsp salt, a large pinch of red pepper flakes, the juice of half a lemon and 1/4 cup of olive oil.  Blend well, then add more olive oil or warm water to thin the pesto. Stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Want more pesto recipes and uses for them? Order Rock Star In the kitchen recipes.
• Kale and Feta Breakfast Casserole (Kalyn's Kitchen) - Pictured to the left
• Kale Slaw - Shutterbean.com - Sub thinly sliced apples or other fruit for the cabbage if you don't have it.
• Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes (101Cookbooks.com) This. Roasted chicken. Dinner.
• Sauteed Greens & Black Bean Tacos - Another Great Meatless Monday option.
• Garlicky Sauteed Kale with Polenta - Saute sliced garlic in olive oil then add 8 cups of chopped greens and a good spinkle of salt to help the greens break down.  (If kale or collards, add a little water, too.) Add a little vinegar or hot sauce then serve over polenta. Need a recipe for polenta, Go here and scroll down...)
• Roasted Vegetable and Rice Salad  (GlutenFree Girl.Com) This looks so good, that I'm contemplating making it instead of pizzas now.  

Print Page Copyright 2012 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Weekly Menus Plus Quinoa Tabbouleh & Grass-Fed Kofta Kebabs

Okay, this was supposed to be out on Thursday. My life has been topsy turvy first with sick kids for a week then with a short recovery week (only a 4 day school week) before Spring Break.  But I still want you to see how my menu process goes each week anyway. This week's Last week's veggie box:

• Murcott Tangerines
• Spring Onions (More ideas for these, click here...)
• Leeks
• Asparagus
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Mei Qing Choi (Baby Bok Choy)

Other Seasonal produce in my fridge:

• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Mixed Greens
• Fennel
• Campari tomatoes (found a great deal I couldn't pass up.  They are never refrigerated, pesticide free and are still on the vine, so even though they aren't really in season, I cheated a little and bought them.)
• Baby Persian Cucumbers (farmers market find and so cute!)
• Radishes

With grass-fed beef in my freezer, I was headed in the burger route, but then I saw that parsley and spring onions were in the box and decided to go a Middle Eastern route instead.  So that was the start of my menu planning, but here's the rest with the Kofta recipe following:

1. Kofta Kebabs with Quinoa Tabbouleh, recipe follows
2. Asparagus and Leek Frittata with Strawberry and Spinach Salad Use this recipe for the salad subbing strawberries and feta for the citrus and salmon.
3. Grilled Baby Bok Choy and Chicken Satays
4. Shrimp and Lemon Pesto Pasta -used spring onions as part of the pesto
5. Grilled Salade Nicoise - Typically made from canned tuna, I found Ahi tuna on a great deal so will use that, but canned tuna is perfectly fine.  The dressing is made out of 2 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp olive oil, zest from lemon, salt and pepper to taste. (Lower fat version, you can sub 3 tbsp greek yogurt for 3 tbsp olive oil.) Then I'm arranging fennel, radishes, olives, cucumbers and hard-boiled Easter eggs---since we have a million!--- alongside the tuna over mixed greens.
6. Wild Card Night - This is usually Wednesday night before my veggie box comes on Thursday morning so I make a soup, pasta, salad, rice or egg dish using whatever I find left in my fridge from the week.

Kofta Kebabs with Quinoa Tabbouleh
8 wooden skewers soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water
2 cups cooked quinoa (This recipe makes perfect, fluffy quinoa!)
5 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped, divided (can use a mixture of parsley, cilantro, mint or any one of the three)
1/2 chopped scallion (spring onions)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes or jarred roasted red peppers (If you don't have awesome tomatoes around, definitely use roasted red pepper for color or just leave it out. This salad is really all about the green herbs.)
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta
3 cups shredded lettuce, mixed greens or spinach for serving
1 lb grass-fed ground beef, bison or lamb
1/2 very finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp each, cinnamon, ground coriander, ground cardamom, oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
lots of cracked black pepper

Mix the quinoa, 1 tsp of the minced garlic, 2/3 of the parsley, scallion and tomatoes or peppers in a medium bowl.  Mix in the salt, lemon juice and oil. Fold in the cheese and set aside to marinate.

Preheat grill.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, remaining garlic, parsley, onion, spices, salt and pepper.  Divide into 8 equal pieces and form around the skewers as shown in the picture to make football-shaped kebabs.  Grill, turning every 2-3 minutes to evenly brown and cook through.

Place a large handful of lettuce on each plate and top with one quarter of the quinoa.  Arrange two kebabs over the top and serve.

Print Page Copyright 2012 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got

Torched (Or Tortured) Lemon Curd Parfaits

Pic from Mustard's Site

It started out as a desire to make a Mustard's Grill style lemon meringue pie.

A chef friend had brought it to a gathering late one night after his shift (apparently and luckily for all of us, the meringue didn't quite reach the advertised "ridiculously tall" mark and was deemed unservable.) What appeared to be a simple pie, was actually an epiphany.

Without having prior knowledge of the pie's reputation, (when we lived in Napa Valley, we were dirt poor so no Mustard's Grill dining for us...but I can promise in the next few months I will report back on the full experience.) I immediately knew this wasn't my mama's meringue.  It tasted faintly caramelized and I knew it was made with brown sugar (confirmed by said chef friend).

A whole new complexity in the pie component I had grown up not really even liking (maybe because my Texas family called it "calf slobber" for some unkown reason), made me decide I had to make it.

Mike's the Tall one!

I decided to debut it during a dinner we were hosting to say a belated thank you to our friend Mike who had helped us with this awesome Sonoma event.

Not understanding the science involved in making a brown sugar meringue and also wanting to make the crust Gluten Free I had unknowingly placed two challenges between me and my pie.


The lemon curd was a no brainer.  I have a crazy producing lemon tree so plenty of Meyer lemons for that and with the lemon curd instructions in step 4 of this recipe it's super easy.

I used a shortbread crust recipe that I immediately knew upon removing from the oven wasn't going to be what I wanted.  It looked more like a big cookie since the middle puffed up and the sides melted down (and I even baked it straight out of the freezer!)  So I knew adding a 1" layer of lemon curd was just asking for trouble.  I did discover a great shortbread cookie recipe, I think.  I'll try it again later using as that instead of a crust and let you know!

Now for the meringue...who knew that you have to be a molecular scientist to do this deed!  I Googled brown sugar Italian meringue since I felt the texture was more that style than a traditional meringue and found this, the equivalent to a "white paper" for making meringue  Being more intimidated than ever, I decided to simply use an Italian meringue recipe I had used before and substitute brown sugar.  Realizing I wished I had that science background, I had a very enjoyable nougat going, but it was too heavy and grainy for the top of a delicate lemon curd.  (But hey, come to think of it maybe I'll try that again, too, adding some almonds and pistachios for a true French nougat.) Saving that for a snack later, I was back at square one.

Cut to 5:30pm with Mike due in an hour, I had to figure this thing out and Stat!  Lacking the lab coat and candy thermometer necessary for the brown sugar version, I simply made the  meringue from this recipe with organic sugar. The shortbread "crust" became a crumble when blended with almond flour and thankfully my lemon curd set up beautifully.  Layered into ramekins and torched (or tortured as my youngest son still calls it.), it was just as delicious though not as "ridiculous".

I'm still wanting THIS pie though! Mustard's here I come!


Okay...to sum all this up into one long recipe (as a consolation for the length, some make-ahead tips:  Shortbread and curd can be made a day or two in advance. Parfaits can be assembled in ramekins early in the day then torch (or torture) just before serving either with a real-live-go-to-the-hardware store blow torch or place briefly under broiler.)

Torched Lemon Curd Parfaits
Make each component then layer Lemon Curd and Shortbread Crumble in eight 6-oz ramekins.  Meringue on top only.

Shortbread Crust turned Crumble:  

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I use 1/2 cup each rice flour, tapioca starch and cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tbsp potato flour)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp butter, cut into pieces and very cold
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup almond flour

Lightly spray removable bottom tart pan(s) with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray.

Put the sweet rice flour blend, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Add the vanilla and butter pieces and pulse until the dough just starts to come together and form clumps. The dough will still be very crumbly -- gather some in your hand and squeeze it -- it should hold its shape when you open your hand.

Press the dough into prepared pan(s) evenly on the bottom and up the sides. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to help even out the bottom. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough all over with a fork to keep the dough from puffing too much while baking. Place the crust into the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the chilled tart crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the crust is golden brown. Let the crust(s) cool completely in the tart pan(s) before filling. (Only here is where I had to detour...I broke off half after it cooled and ran it in the food processor with the almond flour.)

The shortbread crust can be baked a day ahead. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. 

Lemon Curd:
4 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup Meyer lemon juice
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch of kosher salt

Whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, alternating between a whisk and rubber spatula (see note above), until the lemon curd has thickened to the consistency of pastry cream and coats the back of the spatula.

Remove the lemon curd from the heat. Add the butter a little at a time, stirring to incorporate completely. Season with the salt. Let the curd cool about 8 minutes, and then strain it into a small bowl or jam jar and cover with plastic wrap or into a pre-baked shell if making a pie or tart.

Meringue:
1/4 cup egg whites (about 2 large eggs)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch fine salt
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a standing mixer's bowl above the water.

Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch (135 degrees F) and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the whites at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to high and continue to beat to make a stiff, cool meringue, about 10 minutes. Spoon or pipe on top of the curd.

Print Page Copyright 2011 Christi Flaherty, Cook What You've Got