Food: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Almond Brittle

Yes, Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas is now upon us. We’ve done the decorating and cookie baking and gift shopping and now it seems all that is left is to finish wrapping all the presents (unless you're one of those "day before Christmas" shoppers). But seeing how delinquent I've been in writing a blog entry recently (and the fact I'm still in disbelief Christmas will be here this weekend), right now I’ve decided to take some time out from gifts and wrapping paper and circle back to revisit Thanksgiving.  I know, I know...why circle back to the last holiday when the big one is upon us?  Because in this case, my Thanksgiving this year actually involved a perfect little sweet something for Christmas and a recipe I think you’ll all enjoy.

First I'd like to give you some context behind good-ol' "turkey day" in my family.  Like most of you, Thanksgiving for us involves a rather large meal with tons of homemade food (I think one year we had enough desserts for each person to have an entire pie...so maybe that doesn't make us normal).  But one thing that might make our Thanksgivings different is for years our meals were spent with a relatively small crowd (our family of four and a couple of close family friends).  Since it was the same group year after year and we spent the entire day eating and socializing together, we started creating annual activities to go along with the food and friendship...a tradition I like to call "holiday craft corner."  The craft making after meals was a good memory maker over the years and included such things as decorating novelty Christmas trees to making ornaments to designing jewelry.  The past couple of years this tradition has faded some (our family friends have moved away and my sister and I have gotten married and introduced a couple new faces to the table).  So this year, instead of the usual crafts, my Dad started a new tradition and taught my sister and I how to make his "famous" almond brittle.

My Dad's brittle is something that seems to instantly vaporize at parties.  If we give boxes of it away for gifts, the recipients usually end up fighting with their spouses or kids about who gets to eat the last piece (I've even known one person to hide the candy from the rest of their family members).  My Dad even made some of this candy for the cookie table at my sister's wedding and a couple of people were upset when they didn't also discover it at my wedding.  Yes, this candy causes hoarding-like behavior because it’s really, really, really good. If you could imagine the perfect sweet, this would qualify: it’s crunchy, buttery, sweet, and salty all in one. Not to mention melt-in-your-mouth. It’s decadent with some melted chocolate on the top but just as wonderful without.

Just to note, my Dad does claim a few tips that help lend to his candy making success.  And since he's being making it for years, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t quite turn out the first time around...you have to develop an eye and a knack for knowing when the perfect color has been reached (even if it falls outside the timing guidelines in the recipe).  And you'll learn if you burn the batch it will taste bitter and if you undercook it, the mixture won’t harden the way you want it to.  But enough about that...I want to give you some things you can use as solid directions to go along with the "practice makes perfect" caveat:

• Tip # 1:  Use a good quality butter to avoid sub-par results (my Dad also swears by using pre-salted butter)
• Tip #2:  Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet to cook the candy (benefits of using cast iron for making candy are even and consistent heating and being virtually stick resistant)
• Tip #3:  A flat-bottomed wooden spoon works best to stir the boiling candy and scrape it off the bottom of the pan
• Tip #4:  If making multiple batches, clean the cast iron pan between batches

J.L.’s Famous Almond Brittle
(This is a family recipe that was passed down to us from my Mom’s Aunt Catherine)

INGREDIENTS

• ½ lb real butter
• 1 c sugar
• 3 t water
• 1 c sliced almonds
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

• In a well seasoned cast iron skillet, add the butter, sugar, salt and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly
• Keep the mixture at a boil while continuing to stir and scrape down the edges of the pan until the color changes to a light golden brown (Usually occurs ~7 min); Continue cooking the mixture about a minute longer until it becomes toaster brown (be careful not to overcook or it will burn and become bitter)
• Remove from heat, quickly stir in the sliced almonds
• Spread on buttered cookie sheet with a buttered spatula and cool completely
• Coat with chocolate if desired and break into serving pieces

Special Note: If you want to top the brittle with chocolate coating, here are the instructions...

• In a double boiler, melt a 50/50 ratio of almond bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring to blend
• When mixture is completely melted, spread with a buttered spatula over the almond brittle and allow to cool before breaking into bite-size pieces

Food: Chicken Baked on Bread

Chicken. Baked on bread. "Hmmm…," you might say. "That sounds a little bland and boring. Are you talking about plain white bread topped with plain white chicken, baked together in the oven? I don't know about that…it sounds interesting?"

But keep reading…you know I'm not the type to give you soggy, sad, blah recipes (at least I hope you don't view my posts to be such!). Maybe I can convince you that chicken baked on bread is actually a quite wonderful thing - simple yet sophisticated and surprisingly flavorful and savory.

So I probably should give you a little background on the inspiration for the recipe below. Food & Wine's Melissa Perello came up with this (I've modified it slightly from her version) while thinking about Judy Rogers' brick oven chicken. For those of you unfamiliar with Judy or her San Francisco restaurant (the Zuni Café in Hayes Valley), Ms. Rogers is famous for her dry brining technique for poultry (in fact, her turkey recipe is the one I've used the past two Thanksgivings with sublime results). It seems practically everyone has posted the Zuni roast chicken recipe (or a version of it) on their blog. If you do a search, tons and tons of websites show up. So, yes, the chicken is that good -and- that popular. So why settle for an alternative?

A couple of years ago, my friend Christine and I actually visited Zuni and ordered the famed "Chicken for Two." It's a meal that's really an event since you place your order and wait an hour for the chicken to bake…drinking a glass (or two) of wine and conversing over appetizers. In the end, we decided that although brining does make chicken wonderfully juicy and delicious, we were a little disappointed in how salty it was (you definitely wanted to drink a lot of water afterwards) and it was a rather long time to wait for dinner. The experience at home is not much different.

When deciding to brine a chicken for roasting, you have to plan ahead. To brine is a couple-day process requiring dry rubbing salt on a bird, wrapping it up, placing it in a refrigerator, turning it over after a day or so, and so forth. Besides that, to make a perfect roast chicken, you have to find a very small, whole frying chicken - which many grocery stores unfortunately don't like to carry, meaning a trip to your local butcher. Also, the bread salad is made separately…i.e. once you do get around to cooking you're stuck with multiple pans and oven temperatures (not super handy if you don't have two ovens at your disposal). As you can see, although the recipe results are generally wonderful, the prep work is not.

Whew! So after all that, this is where I get to the part about the ingenuity behind chicken baked on bread. First, Melissa's recipe calls for using pieces of chicken (rather than an entire bird), significantly reducing the overall cooking time. Second, there's no brining involved and the chicken is skinless, meaning a lower fat and lower sodium dish. Third, it's a one-dish meal (less mess in the kitchen!). And to top it all off, baking the chicken on top of the cubed bread gives the sourdough a wonderfully crispy, caramelized outer shell with a dense, chewy, savory inside. What could be better?!?

So if you're looking for an elegant, relatively simple, modern take on chicken and stuffing, chicken baked on bread could be for you. It'd be fantastic for a casual dinner shared with friends and is snap to throw together. It's also something that could be served any time of the year - Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall...Just add different ingredients to compliment the seasons. Send out the invitations!

Chicken Baked on Bread
Adapted from Food and Wine (December 2010)


INGREDIENTS

• 1 small loaf day-old sourdough, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
• 1 large bunch of Baby Spinach (about 1 1/2 pounds) torn into pieces
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, capers, raisins, spinach, shallots, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and black pepper. Spread the bread in a large enameled cast-iron casserole (MM: My enameled cast-iron pot wasn't quite big enough...so I ended up using a tagine - which worked out fine but upped the cooking time slightly).
• Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and arrange them over the bread. Cover the chicken with a piece of parchment paper and close the casserole with a heavy lid. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes.
• Remove the lid and parchment paper and increase the oven temperature to 400°. Bake the chicken for 12-15 minutes longer, or until golden on top and cooked through. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the bread and greens.

Food: The Slanted Door's Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

I'm currently planning trip to California for my Mom's 60th birthday. She's never been to the West coast and I can't wait to show her my favorite city (San Francisco) as well as charming Carmel-by-the-Sea and decedant Wine Country. Jonathan and I took a similar trip a couple of years ago and he told me it was one of his favorite vacations - super relaxing, scenic, and, of course, full of great tasting food adventures.

When I think of San Francisco, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building (you should have assumed one of my favorite things has to do with food!). The Ferry Building is a special place with scrumptious restaurants like The Slanted Door (Vietnamese cuisine) and Taylor's Refresher (California-style roadside dining), and fine-food specialty shops like the Cowgirl Creamery (cheese), Acme Bread, Miette (cupcakes), and Scharffen Berger (chocolate). So it's only appropriate that the recipe below happens to come from my favorite Ferry Building restaurant (The Slanted Door).

The smells and flavors of this Asian-style chicken dish combined with heavenly scented jasmine rice are wonderful. And paired with the fact it only takes 30 minutes to throw together (start-to-finish), you can't really go wrong - it's faster (and better) than just ordering carry-out. To dress up the flavors and textures, I often like to serve the chicken with peeled and steamed edamame (many grocers like Trader Joe's offer this option on the frozen foods section).

So...with that said, what better meal could you make for yourself during the work week? This is a wonderfully fast, healthy, and flavorful dish that can make any night seem like a special evening. You'll feel good about yourself...even if you didn't make it to the gym tonight :)

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

Source: Food & Wine - recipe by Charles Phan

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c fish sauce
• 1/4 c water
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1 t finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 t coarsely ground pepper
• 2 dried red chiles
• 1 T vegetable oil (I like "Smart Balance")
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (MM Tip: If you prefer the texture of white meat, chicken breast also works well in this recipe)
• 1/4 c cilantro sprigs, roughly chopped (MM Comment: I used a little more cilantro than this and it gave the dish a bright, fresh flavor)

DIRECTIONS

• In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles.
• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the fish sauce mixture and the chicken and simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Food: Salmon with Lentils and Mustard-Herb Butter

"Oh, can you feel the love tonight?" Are you ready? Yes, I'm talking about February 14 - and it's rapidly approaching! Do you know what you're going to make to surprise that special someone? (I know, planning isn't all that romantic. But a wonderful dinner certainly qualifies as being such.)

If you happen to live in the North, then chances are Valentine's Day generally occurs on a cold, blustery, winter day (sigh). One where romance doesn't consist of enjoying a beautiful sunset on a beach but rather cozying up by a roaring fireplace (that is, if you're lucky to have one in the comfort of your own home) and avoiding going outdoors and shoveling snow at all costs. It also (hopefully) means treating your sweetie to a lovingly prepared, warm, homecooked meal that mixes comforting flavors and smells with a beautiful presentation. Accompanied, of course, by a delicious, delictable glass of wine. Maybe this one, perhaps (yes, yes - you CAN do red wine with fish).

The recipe below (which originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Gourmet) is what I suggest you make this year to woo your Valentine. I love the complimentary combination of flavors and the simplicity of its preparation. And the fact you can make the herb butter and caramelized onions the day prior, if you'd like, and cheat on the lentils by buying the pre-steamed variety in the refrigerated section at Trader Joe's, makes it a no-brainer for those in a time crunch. I think this is my favorite way to enjoy salmon lately. It's a perfectly paired combination of warm nutty lentils, sweet caramelized onions, crisp-crusted, meaty fish, and citrusy, tarragon-infused, dijon-mustard butter. Wow - that was rather long-winded statement for such a simple dish. Are you swooning yet? Or at least salivating? I must say, this recipe is also very French - oh là là - which, by default, makes it very romantic, oui?

I apologize that the photo I've posted doesn't do the recipe justice at all. Unfortunately all I had with me was my iPhone - so the colors look rather drab and dark, not like a wonderful Valentine's gift at all. But when you pair deep brown lentils with juicy pink salmon and bright green herbs, it IS a sight to be seen. So basic yet oh so lovely and wonderfully flavorful.

For dessert, you can never go wrong with this cake. Or you could make it easy and just pick up some special cupcakes or cookies from your local bakery. Either way, you're sure to impress the one you love. Bon appétit!

Salmon with Lentils and Mustard-Herb Butter

Adapted from Gourmet

INGREDIENTS

• 5 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1 T chopped chives
• 1 T chopped tarragon
• 2 t dijon mustard (this one is rather wonderful)
• 2 t fresh lemon juice

• 1 package pre-steamed lentils (found in Trader Joe's refrigerated section)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

• 4 (6-oz) pieces of skinless salmon fillet
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

• Make the mustard-herb butter (can be prepared 1 day in advance): Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate and soften slightly prior to serving.


• Prepare the lentils: In a heavy skillet on medium-low heat, sauté onions in the 1 T of olive oil until translucent and slightly carmelized (~10 minutes). Drizzle with 1T of lemon juice, stir in lentils, and keep warm on low heat.


• Cook the salmon: Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t fresh ground pepper. Heat 1 T unsalted butter and 1 T olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Then sauté salmon, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6-to-8 minutes total.


• Plate: Serve the salmon over the lentils, topped with mustard-herb butter (and a sprinkle of left-over tarragon, if desired).

Food: Cabbage and Brussels Sprout Salad

A couple of weeks ago one of my coworkers brought this salad in his lunch. Due to the bleakness of winter and the drabness of our office space, there was much oohing and ahhing over the bright colors, and the melding of iridescent purple with fresh green. Then came the talk about how this could probably be considered a "super foods" sort of meal. Everyone appeared quite impressed...and potentially a little jealous. But the coincidence was, I had already added the ingredients for this salad to my grocery list the day prior...My colleague and I had both apparently nabbed the recipe out of the latest Food and Wine magazine in the same week.

There are a bunch of things to like about this salad: It's relatively simple. It has wonderful flavors - almost like a modern, super healthy coleslaw (it may become my replacement for the regular kind once summer rolls around). It's bright and colorful. It's hearty. It would fit with multiple seasons (hence my previous comment about summer). It's a booming combination of flavors - sweet, tart, spicy, nutty, and bright. And it's so super fulfilling.

The first day we had this was for lunch as a side to a wonderfully warm and crisp Jarlesburg and Tuscan Pane (an awesome bread found at Trader Joe's) grilled cheese sandwich. A couple of days later I turned it into a main dish enhanced with shavings of Grana Padano. It even went great for dinner one night along side an Amy's Organic California-style garden burger. Like I said, this is a salad that is versatile. It goes just as fantastic with a vegetarian meal as it would with a smoky, juicy steak. It will also last for several days without turning into a soggy mess. And if your kids (or spouse) are currently afraid of brussels sprouts, this may be a salad to help hold their hand and ease them into a wonderful world they are definitely missing from their lives. You will make this again - maybe even crave it. I promise.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cabbage and Pine Nuts

Slightly modified from a recipe by Nicolas Jammet of Washington, DC's Sweetgreen - published in Food and Wine

Ingredients

• 1/2 c pine nuts
• 1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 2 T honey
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t chile powder
• 1 small head of red cabbage, very thinly sliced (~6 cups)
• 1/2 c dried cranberries
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized and tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the honey, mustard, cayenne and chile powder. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the toasted pine nuts and cranberries. In a small skillet, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 1 minute. Scrape the garlic and hot oil over the cabbage. Add the brussels sprouts and toss, then add the dressing, toss again, and serve.

Food: Shrimp Enchiladas with Parsnips and Sweet Potato

Are you ready? Ever thought of combining shrimp with parsnips and sweet potatoes? Me either. Until this came along - the best recipe I've stumbled upon in the past couple of months. And to make it even better, meat lovers love it too (trust me, two meat-and-potato types just enjoyed this with me a few evenings ago). The dish is so tasty and comforting, I'm considering adding it to my Christmas party menu. Spicy, sweet, fulfilling, warm...Southwest flavors combined with sweet and nutty root veggies. What else could you ask for in the perfect Fall meal? My mouth is still salivating. Seriously. My tummy is full but my taste buds are asking for more.

If you're looking for a pairing, this dish actually goes great with an earthy Malbec but would also be nice with a light, balanced white. And it'd be great even without the shrimp if you're looking for a meal to satisfy vegetarians. I was even tempted to use the filling as a mashed potato substitute...so feel free to freeze any leftover filling to use as a quick side for a future meal.





Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Slightly Modified from Bon Appetit - October 2010 (Molly Stevens)

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 anaheim pepper, halved, seeded
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
• 1 jar tomatillo salsa (MM Recommendation: Frontera)
• 1/2 cup sour cream, divided
• 8 ounces cooked, peeled, de-veined shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 12 5 1/2- to 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas
• 8 ounces crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (about 2 cups)
  

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine parsnips, sweet potatoes, and red onion in large bowl. Add ground cumin, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, chili powder, oregano, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; toss to coat. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast vegetables until soft and browned in spots, turning occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool. (Note: This could be prepared the day before - just refrigerate and allow to come back to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas).
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. With machine running, add garlic and jalapeño through feed tube of processor and process until finely chopped. Add cilantro and drained green chiles. Using on/off turns, process until coarse puree forms. Add salsa; process to blend. Transfer salsa mixture to large deep skillet. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and stir over medium-low heat just until warm (do not allow to boil). Remove from heat. Cover and keep warm.
• Measure 1 cup roasted vegetables; set aside. Transfer remaining vegetables to processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to large bowl.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, cook until just softened, about 15 seconds per side (do not allow to brown). Transfer tortillas to paper towels to drain.
• Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture over bottom of long baking dish. Place 1 tortilla on work surface; sprinkle generous 2 teaspoons crumbled cheese down center. Top with generous 1/4 cup roasted vegetable filling, and sprinkle with chopped shrimp. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and filling. Scatter reserved 1 cup roasted vegetables over enchiladas. Spoon remaining salsa mixture over. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Food: Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa

It's football season...and the end of summer. So what could be better than some warm, spicy, steak tacos with a hit of tart, citrusy lime, and cooling avocado and cucumber? This meal is a reminder that the warm weather isn't quite gone yet -and- it's a more grown up and tangy tailgating treat than blah, blah, boringly simple burgers and brats. The "salsa" has quite a bit of lime juice in it...so it keeps quite well when stored in the refrigerator overnight. In fact, if you have leftovers, feel free to lose the corn tortilla and make a simple salad out of the salsa and shredded cabbage...add a little bit of crumbled feta and you have a refreshing lunchtime treat. And (can you keep a secret), did I mention this meal as a whole is pretty darn healthy? Bonus! This is definitely a recipe to add into your monthly rotation.


Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Ellie Krieger - Food Network

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
• 12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
• 3 cups shredded red cabbage (MM Tip: Buy a pre-shredded bag from the salad section)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 8-10 minutes on each side for medium-to-medium-well, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Wrap in foil to keep warm/steamed. Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Cucumber-Avocado Salsa:

• 1 large English cucumber, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
• 2 avocados, cut into chunks
• 2 limes, juiced
  
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 hot Anaheim chile, seeded and chopped
  

Place cucumber and avocado in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Food: Zucchini Pesto

OK...I know I'm hugely guilty of not posting things in over A MONTH. But did I mention my little sister was getting married? The wedding was actually this past weekend...and it was beautiful and fun and EXHAUSTING :) So now that I've had a little recovery time, I'm back in the game for sharing more recipes with you.

Farmers Markets are in full swing now. And it couldn't be better that one of my favorite veggies (zucchini) is in abundance (along with other wonderful summertime produce). So in case you still have a bunch of it in your fridge right now, or a craving for a wonderful summer dish, here's a quick and easy pasta recipe that uses a couple of zucchini as the base for a fresh, pesto-style sauce.

Also, if you happened to make my Sugo-stype caramelized onions in bulk and froze some, these work perfectly in this dish. If you don't have any, though never fear. You can caramelize some in the skillet using a quicker-cooking method. If you don't know how to do this, drop me a note and I'll post some instructions.

Zucchini Hazelnut Pesto with Bowties

Adapted from Bon Appetit, Oct 2009

Ingredients

• 1 small zucchini (~2 cups shredded)
• 2/3 c toasted hazelnuts
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T finely grated lemon peel
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 c plus 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t truffle salt
• A handful of fresh green beans, stemmed and snapped in half
• 1 14.5 oz box of bow tie pasta
• 1/3 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Caramelized onions

Directions

• Fill a pot with enough water to cook one box of pasta, salt generously, and bring to a boil. Cook pasta per directions.
• When pasta is al dente, reserve 1 c of cooking liquid. Then drain, return to cooking pot, toss with 1T olive oil, and set aside.
• In a food processor, combine zucchini, hazelnuts, lemon juice, truffle salt, and garlic. Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture resembles a thick, green sauce.
• In a small pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water, heat to medium, and steam green beans a few minutes until cooked but slightly crispy.
• Toss bowties with "pesto" and green beans. Top with caramelized onions and freshly grated parmesan and serve!

Food: Glenda's Glorious Rhubarb Pie

Sometimes I like things that are a little different, things that aren't what they appear to be. Which is probably one of the underlying reasons as to why I like rhubarb. Rhubarb likes to play outside of its designated category...like a tomato, for example. A tomato, although a fruit, is generally not found in a fruit salad or a fruit smoothie (and for good reason...). So is the case for rhubarb when it comes to the vegetable world. Although it is a vegetable, rhubarb won't ever be seen in a succotash or a ratatouille. Instead this veggie prefers to be slightly sweetened and baked into a pie or stewed into a sweet, tangy, warm, gobby mess of goodness.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is right at the top of my 10 favorite things to eat. And I'm sure some of you who have never had rhubarb are thinking I must be nuts. But trust me. This is a dessert I often requested in the spring when growing up (and still request even now as an adult). A couple of years ago I discovered a local pie place carried rhubarb pie, and you can imagine I was pretty excited. But it truly doesn't hold a candle to the recipe below.

DISCLAIMER: I know parts of this probably came out of a cookbook at some point, so I'm making a disclaimer in advance that if you know where this recipe originated, please send me an e-mail with the source…I want to give credit where credit's due…especially in the case of one of my favorite things :)

Besides my mom's classic pie recipe, here are a couple of other ways you should try rhubarb:

• Roasted Rhubarb (with Greek Yogurt)
• Rhubarb Raspberry Betty (via the Wednesday Chef)
• Country Rhubarb Cake (via the Wednesday Chef)
• Stewed Rhubarb with White Wine and Vanilla Beans (via Orangette)

Glenda's Glorious Rhubarb Pie

via MM's Mom

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 2 c flour
• 1 t salt
• ⅔ c plus 2 T shortening
• 5 T cold water

Filling

• 1⅓ to 1⅔ c sugar
• ⅓ c flour (MM note: or more...this is your thickening agent)
• ½ t grated orange peel
• 4 c fresh rhubarb (cut into ½" pieces)
• 2 T butter

DIRECTIONS

Crust

- Combine flour and salt in a bowl and cut in shortening with a pastry cutter. Make sure shortening is thoroughly combined.

- Sprinkle in water and mix to form dough.

- Roll dough into two, round pie crusts.

- Line pie pan with one crust, set the other aside.

Filling

- Heat oven to 425 degrees.

- Stir together sugar, flour and orange peel.

- Place half of the rhubarb into pastry lined pie pan and sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture.

- Repeat with remaining rhubarb and sugar; dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cut slits in top,sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

- Bake 40 to 50 min. until juices begin to bubble through slits in crust.

- Remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking.

Food: Thai Chicken Burgers

I apologize for the lack of recipe posting the past few weeks. I've been doing a lot of traveling and a lot of working outside...so generally when I have had some time to spend on the computer I've been too exhausted to do so. I know I have some catching up to do.

The night I decided to make this recipe, I came in from working in the yard to discover the power was out. So between being exhausted from a full day outside, an ice cold shower in the dark, and being worried each time I opened the refrigerator, I wasn't quite sure if I even wanted to make dinner anymore. And when I continued on my way to mixing together these "burgers," I wasn't quite sure how they'd turn out seeing as I measured and mixed together the items by the light of two candles. I was definitely thinking I might have to make a late night pizza run.

But, I ended up having luck on my side. The entire meal could be prepared and cooked without power. The chicken patties turned out better than perfect (nicely spiced with a crisp, outer shell). And the power came back on right before we were ready to eat - so we could actually see what we were eating.

A simple salad to throw together to go alongside this tasty sandwich involves mixing together a bag of broccoli slaw, ~1/2 c bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, and shitake mushrooms and tossing the mixture with the peanut-lime dressing I usually reserve for soba noodles.

This is definitely a "burger" recipe that is being added to my summer grilling rotation.

Thai Chicken Burgers

MM Original

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 t hot curry powder
• 1/3 c coconut milk
• 1/2+ c panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, finelt chopped
• 1 T Thai Red Chile Paste
• 2 T natural peanut butter
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• Vegetable Oil (Use a neutral flavored oil like Smart Balance)

TOPPINGS

• Round pear slices
• Sesame topped egg buns

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients (except the oil) in a large mixing bowl, using your hands to ensure a consistent mixture throughout. The mixture should not be sticky, so keep adding panko until you get a nice "hamburger" style texture.

Form mixture into 5-6 uniform patties. Brush oil on both sides.

Grill on Direct, Medium-High heat for 8-10 minutes until cooked through, turning once during cooking process. Feel free to brush a little more oil on the patty as it cooks.

Top with a sliced pear and serve on a fresh, sesame egg bun.

Food: Soba Noodles

Now that we've seen some 80 degree temps here in Detroit (OK...so not 80 degrees consistently, just scattered here and there like the tree pollen all over my driveway), I've started thinking about summer foods. For example, burgers (or rather anything) on the grill, fresh seafood, salads... So today I've decided to share with you one of my favorite, one-dish, "salad" recipes for the warm weather - Peanut Soba Noodles.

This is one of my standard summer staples. It's fresh, super easy and quick, tastes of wonderful Asian flavors, has hearty and good-for-you Soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles, and is scattered with veggies galore. Just thinking about crunchy and slightly spicy, thinly sliced radishes, sweet and crisp sugar snap peas, and cilantro (yes, those of you who think this tastes like soap can leave it out but you really don't know what you're missing) is enough to get my mouth watering. It also has one super special ingredient that I'm sure you won't mind using on a sandwich or some crackers later - gooey but super tasty natural peanut butter (yes, the stuff that you have to stir and put in the fridge afterwards).

I know you're going to enjoy this one because not only is it fast, tasty, and fresh, it's one of those things that after you make it once you don't really follow a recipe any more...you just begin to throw in whatever strikes your fancy - shredded carrots, golden raisins, green onion, diced apple, water chestnuts, bok choy, etc. - you get the picture. It also keeps very well in a container to throw in your lunch box - in case you want to take some to work for your lunch (eating them with chopsticks, of course). But pack a napkin and a Tide pen just in case you're a little sloppy with the noodles :)

I think I'll have a second helping.

Asian Peanut Soba Noodles

MM

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz of soba noodles (or one package), cooked per instructions, drained, and rinsed well (use your fingers to help you get each individual noodle rinsed)
• 3 T fresh peanut butter
• Juice and zest from 1 lime
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1/2 T sriracha (you can always add more on top once you serve it)
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 c fresh, chopped cilantro
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 handful of sugar snap peas
• 1/4 c roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS

• In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy, lime, vinegar, sriracha, and honey
• Toss together with the cooked/drained/rinsed soba noodles, cilantro, radishes, sugar snap peas, and peanuts
• Serve in bowls and slurp up with chop sticks (or twirl around a fork like you're eating pasta)!

Food: Turkey Breast Roulade

This morning when I went outside, I saw one of the first true signs of Spring. Sure, the birds have been chirping more in the mornings and the sun is rising sooner and setting later and the snow is finally starting to melt with daily temperatures in the 40's (can't believe I'm excited about 40-degree weather)! But the real indication of Spring was just outside my front door...the first peeks of a hyacinth rising from the ground. I couldn't have been more excited. Seeing this sent me into daydreams of late spring flower planting and summer vegetable harvests and the smell of freshly cut grass. But I digress....I'm getting ahead of myself and the season...back to the coming of Spring.

With the arrival of Spring, many of our minds are filled with thoughts of Easter. After all, it's been the Lenten season for a few weeks now. And if any of you have checked your calendars lately or started planning trips to visit relatives over the holiday, you've probably realized that the holiday is less than a month away! Oh my, that's really soon!

An Easter tradition for many of us includes a morning filled with family, church, and Easter egg hunts followed by a lovely afternoon meal. And although ham is generally a common main dish for a lot of folks, if you're having a smaller gathering this year, I recommend making a little change to your menu. This year, try serving turkey roulade. "Oh, that sounds too fancy and difficult," you might say. But honestly, it's really simple and the smell of apricots, golden brown turkey, walnuts and sherry is nothing short of heavenly. Unlike Thanksgiving, this turkey doesn't need all the rich sides like stuffing and candied sweet potatoes and cranberry relish. There's so much flavor in it, it'd be perfect served with some uncomplicated, oven-roasted sweet potatoes (olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, coarsely cracked pepper), tender green beans, and a simple roll with a twist like these light and fluffly coconut bread rolls. Is your mouth watering yet?

Apricot Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade
Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 2-to 2-1/2-pound boneless turkey breast half
• 1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (2 slices of fresh bread pulsed in the food processor)
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots*
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans*
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth or stock
  

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 325F
• Butterfly turkey breast and place between two sheets of saran wrap or wax paper
• Pound meat to about 3/4 inch thickness
• Slice into 3-4" wide strips and pound slightly thinner to even each strip out
  
• In a mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, apricots, pecans, garlic salt, sherry, rosemary, and 2 T olive oil, mixing well
  
• Spoon "stuffing" on the flattened turkey breast strips, starting from the center and spreading out to cover the strip, leaving a border around the edge
• Fold the side edges of the strips in and roll from one end to the other, securely fastening the opening with toothpicks or tie with heavy string
  
• Stir together mustard and 1 T oil; set aside
• Place a large, oven-safe skillet on the stovetop, add 1 T olive oil and pre-heat to medium-high heat
• When the oil is hot, add turkey roulades, cooking until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side
• Pour the chicken broth/stock over the turkey
• Brush the tops of the turkey with the mustard-oil mixture
• Move the skillet to the oven and cook until the turkey breast registers 170 degrees F, about 45 minutes
• Remove from the oven and let the dish stand for a few minutes prior to slicing the turkey breast
  

* MM Tip: A small food processor works well to chop the two of these ingredients at one time without your hands getting sticky from the apricots