Makin' Moroccan

The great thing about Moroccan food is that it smells as good as it tastes while it's cooking. this slow braised meal full of delicious spices like Cinnamon, Turmeric, Cumin and Cayenne had Cordy doing back flips to get my attention. She was about coming out of her skin desperate to get me to let her share in the feast. Today I am glad to be of a superior species with opposable thumbs because, Cordy Girl, You are missing out!

The recipe was inspired by this recipe here on Epicurious, but I adopted a few variations and made it my own.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken with Roasted Shallots and Mixed Dried Fruit

4 chicken thighs
4 chicken legs
1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Flour
8 Shallots, peeled and left whole
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 orange, juiced
1/4 cup Mediterranean Mixed Dried Fruit (dates, apricots, tart cherries)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat peanut oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and dust with flour. Brown chicken about five minutes on each side until golden brown on all sides. Be careful not to crowed the pan, it's best to do in two batches as ideally you do not want the chicken pieces to touch while browning. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add shallots to the pan, lower to medium heat and saute several minutes until golden brown. Add spices (cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne) and saute stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 18 minutes until shallots are soft. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover and summer another 25 minutes until chicken is done (juices should run clear when stabbed with a fork in the thickest part of the meat.) Remove the chicken and shallots to a serving bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.

Turn the heat back up to medium high and simmer the broth until it thickens slightly. Add the dried fruit and cook another two minutes until well heated. Stir in the Cilantro. Pour over the chicken and serve.

We had this with roasted delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, and dotted with butter and brown sugar. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until done.

Gaming Dinner

Since Don and I moved back to Bellingham, Gaming has been a regular part of our weekly routine. We currently have three campaigns going which we rotate between Tuesdays and every other Friday. It's been a vital part of our social life as not only do we have great fun with an activity we enjoy so much, but it's with some of our closest and dearest friends. Shortly after we moved here and joined the group we started doing weekly dinner rotations on gaming nights. Seriously, we have a schedule and everything. It's been an exciting adventure as we have some very culinarily talented friends among our group so each gaming session brings a new variety of home cooked delights as we each try to one up the last hosted dinner.


This week Don and I happened to be up for rotation and we stole this one straight from Cora Reuter which she prepared for us when we were in Tacoma last week. Not only is it delicious but it's inexpensive and feeds an Army. Cora, if you are reading this I was SHOCKED after I mixed all the noodles, veggies, cheese, and sauce together in a giant bowl that it all actually fit in my pyrex dish! Thanks Cora for bringing this recipe into my life and I'm excited to pass it on. The recipe is called "Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables" is by Giada de Laurentiis and can be found on the Food Network Website. No huge modifications or improvements here. This one is perfect exactly as written. Follow the instructions and you can't go wrong. It's even vegetarian friendly.


The other thing that is great about Gaming Nights and every once in a while entertaining for 8 to 10 people is that it gives you a great opportunity to use up things like a giant head of red cabbage that it would take just the two of us weeks to get through. Last night I made a warm red cabbage salad seasoned with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with feta and toasted sunflower seeds among other surprises.

Balsamic and Feta Warmed Red Cabbage Salad

1/4 cup of Sunflower Seeds
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 head of red cabbage, quartered, cored, and then shredded into thin strips
Olive Oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 Tablespoons dried currants
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Couple of springs of fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 cup Pomegranate Seeds

Toast sunflower seeds in a small warm dry skillet over medium heat. The seeds are done when slightly golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool so they do not burn.

Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium high heat, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Saute red onion and garlic a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently so as not to burn he garlic. Add shredded cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook cabbage tossing with the tongs frequently until cabbage is moist and softened but not totally wilted. Remove from heat. Add sunflower seeds, feta, currants, Balsamic Vinegar and chopped rosemary and toss thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated. Serve immediately and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Monday Night Burgers with Rosemary Roasted Beets and Pomegranate Almond Dressingless Salad

There are many reasons that I love my husband. But on this particular night, at the top of the list is the fact that he had this awesome meal ready and waiting for me when I got home from Church Council tonight.

Monday Night Burgers

Olive Oil
1 Pound Ground Beef
Salt and Pepper
2 Thick slices sweet onion
Lettuce
Tomato
Hamburger Bun
Dijon Mustard
Prepared Horseradish

The burgers couldn't have been simpler and so tasty after a hard workout followed by a long council meeting. Don cooked up the patties in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil and seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper. Then sauteed the onion rings in the same skillet after the patties were done cooking. We served on lightly toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, dijon mustard, and prepared horseradish for garnish.

Rosemary Roasted Beets

1 Red Beet, peeled, chopped, and stemps removed
Couple of sprigs of chopped rosemary
2 Cloves of Garlic Sliced
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

The roasted beats were all for me as Don will have no part of this vegetable. We are blessed to be in a marriage where neither of us are picky eaters and both excited about trying new things, but this singular produce item remains the one thing on his 100% boycott list. But we received one this week in our Organic Delivery so I was excited to try it out. I have never had a fresh farm to table red beet in my life, though we experimented with a couple of golden beets we received last winter. I was excited to see how different it was from the canned variety. Don simply tossed the beats together with fresh rosemary, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Then roasted in a baking dish on 400 degrees for 30 minutes. I loved them!

Pomegranate Almond Dressingless Salad

2/3 Bunch Green Leaf Lettuce, Torn into bite size pieces
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup whole plain almonds

The salad perhaps was my favorite part. By the time I was done eating my burger and beets, I didn't feel like dirtying another bowl so I considered skipping the salad all together. However, as I was standing over the salad bowl, I reached in absent mindedly for a few bites and discovered that this salad needed new dressing. It was delicious as is. The fresh green leaf lettuce rapped easily around the pomegranate seeds and almonds for an easy appetizer finger food. The sweetness of the pomegranates combined with the crunch of the nuts, and the fresh earthy crispness of the lettuce were too good to be true. Before I knew it, I ended up eating a whole servings worth right out of the serving bowl and saved myself an extra dish to clean up.

Fettuccini with Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts and Cinnamon and Dried Fruit Port Sauce

I found the inspiration for this recipe on www.foodandwine.com when I was googling new recipes and uses for swiss chard. We have varied it slightly and posted our revised recipe below. It was quite simple to make and such a fun combination of flavors you wouldn't normally expect to go together. It's also a great vegetarian option.

3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped dried appricots
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup tawny port
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 ounces spinach fettuccini
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Toast the pine nuts until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Swiss chard and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook until the chard is wilted and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the apricots, currants, port, and cinnamon and simmer until the port is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce, Parmesan, pine nuts, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Chicken Piccatta with Kale and White Beans

This was declared the best dinner we have had in quite some time. The ingredients are all so simple but oh so flavorful. It get's high marks in all the major categories: taste, quick, easy, and frugal. I present to you:

Giada De Laurentiis' Chicken Piccata

with

Sauteed Greens with Cannellini Beans and Garlic

Click on the links for the full recipe.

Don's Most Perfect Stir Fry Ever

We just had the most delicious stir fry. It's an improvement on a former recipe we tried from Epicurious called Stir-Fried Beef, Broccoli and Yams. Our additions and revisions are definitely for keeps and have earned this a permanent rotation in the early household. Wanted to write it down while it's still fresh.


Ingredients

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons oyster sauce*

1 to 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

1 pound Ribeye Steak (sirloin or flank would work nice too)

2 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided

3 Stalks Celery, sliced diagonally

4 cups broccoli florets (about 8 ounces)

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon bottled ground ginger

1 teaspoon bottled ground cloves

1 small box of Trader Joes Pad Thai Noodles (save sauce packet for another use)

Stir first 4 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set sauce aside.

Season Steak with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large wok over high heat. Add beef ; sear on both sides about two minutes until no longer pink outside. Transfer beef mixture to cutting board and let rest.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add broccoli, yam, celery, garlic and ginger. Toss to coat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add sauce. Cover, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add beef mixture. Toss until sauce coats beef, and beef is to desired degree of doneness. Add noodles and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.

Roasted Red Cabbage, with Carrots, Apples and Sausage

We adapted another recipe winner tonight. This started as a post from Epicurious called Roasted Sausages, Apples, and Cabbage. I changed the type of sausage and used carrots instead of red onion to make the most of ingredients we had on hand. The best part was that I had it ready for Don and served up by candle light after getting home from an extremely long 11 hour day of work. It definitely was the right thing at the right time and really hit the spot. We served with crusty rolls and a cold glass of dry Strongbow Hard Cider. THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT. Next time, I would serve this along side mashed potatoes for sure.

Roasted Sausages, Apples, and Cabbage with Caraway Bon Appétit October 2005

Serve this hearty meal with mustard, a side of mashed potatoes, and ice-cold dark German beer. Yield: Makes 2 servings Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds 3-4 carrots, cut lengthwise and then cut into two inch sections 1/2 head red cabbage sliced into 1 inch thick wedges 2 small apples (we used Gala), quartered, cored 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, divided 3 Italian Chicken Sausages, casings removed and crumbled Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix oil, thyme, and caraway seeds in small bowl. Arrange carrots, cabbage, and apples on heavy large baking sheet. Drizzle oil mixture over. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle 3/4 teaspoon vinegar over cabbagemixture. Roast 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium frying pan over medium high heat. Saute sausage crumbles until lightly browned. Add sausages to baking sheet; cook until sausages brown and cabbage is crisp-tender, turning once, about 10 minutes longer.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Roasted-Sausages-Apples-and-Cabbage-with-Caraway-232875#ixzz11S9X9gJ9

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Mushrooms, Red Onions and Garlic

In the past I have searched for recipes by going to my favorite cooking websites and using their intra search options. Since we've resumed our Dandelion Deliveries however, I've decided to go wider on the world wide web and see what comes of just entering a few key ingredients on Google. It's been quite exciting and has led me to lots more independent and adventurous hobby bloggers like myself. The above photo comes from a blog called "For the Love of Cooking" and came up from a simple search of "roasted fingerling potatoes." By the way, they don't call them "fingerlings" for nothing. I really did feel like I was slicing up a bunch of fat juicy digits. I have to give the blogger credit for this award winning combination and perfect carmelization and presentation as well. I roasted mine a little bit too long so some parts got a bit charred but it was still delicious. However, not quite as photogenic. I hope the blogger doesn't mind that I stole her photo since I'm using it to promote her website anyway. Check out the blog, and do try this recipe. It will not disappoint!

Sweet Cucumber and Radish Salad

Our Dandelion organic deliveries are back and we have been having some fun in the kitchen again. I love this recipe which combines sweet salty vinaigrette with cool crisp vegetables. It makes a great simple side salad year round. For complete recipe visit: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/Sweet-Cucumber-and-Radish-Salad-241171.

Grape and Feta Salad

This is one of my favorite salads. Ingredients are as follows:

Spring Mix Salad Greens
Green Grapes, halved
Red Grapes, halved
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Crumbled Walnuts
Prepared Raspberry Vinaigrette

Delicious Cooking Light Dinner

Our delicious dinner tonight. Click on the links below for the full recipes.

Bacon, Arugula, and Shrimp Salad

Yellow Pepper Soup

Cindy's Roasted Potatoes with Spinach & Gorgonzola

One of my all time favorite masterpieces:

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 small red potatoes (about 3/4 pound), quartered
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, thyme, peppers, potatoes, bell pepper, and spinach in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until veggies are done and cheese is melted.

Ham, Collard Greens, and Egg Noodle Bowl

Once again, I have to give my friend Camille credit for this recipe. She posted it one time in her blog and I have been dying to try it. The recipe actually originates from the March 2005 Issue of Cooking Light and can be found on http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1031673.

Begin by cooking 3 1/2 cups organic egg noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoons butter in a large dutch oven. Saute 2 cups smoked diced ham about 5 minutes until well caramelized.

Add diced carrots, onion, celery, red bell pepper, crushed garlic, and dried thyme. Stir and saute another 5 minutes until vegetables are just softened.

Add greens and stir constantly for 60 seconds (Collard Greens is recommended but we used Kale.) Add 4 cups homemade organic chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Add egg noodles, freshly ground black pepper, stir and heat through. Serve immediately.

Turkey Burgers with Grated Zucchini & Carrot

I sometimes like to sneak vegetables into my diet. Even though I know they're there, I feel so subversive, like I'm getting away with something. This recipe was once served to me by Camille and I just tried them on my very own for lunch today. Turkey burgers incorporate shredded zucchini and carrots with a little bit of egg for binding and dried thyme, salt, and pepper for a delicious seasoning. Be careful to cook all the way through. Keep the setting on medium and cook slowly about 5 minutes on each side until all traces of pink are gone. For a full printout of this recipe, please visit http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1617870. Even though our hamburger buns came from the freezer to Don's disdain, he still declared them "good stuff."

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-and-Tomato Sauce

Last recipe post and then I think I am caught up for a while. We're not fond of casseroles in our house, mainly because we don't much care for pasta. But Eggplant I do love and this is about as close as we get to a "casserole." We tried this new recipe from Cooking Light. It was fun and different, quite tasty overall. Don thought it was good but wasn't overly impressed. Reader reviews on the website gave it five stars though and I would certainly make it again make it again. Just look at the beautiful melted cheeses, mushrooms, and eggplant oozing out of the tomato base. How can you not love it? You might also recognize the Bacon and Garlic Infused Kale Raab from an earlier post. For a full printout of the recipe, click on http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222191.

Chinese Make In: Stir-Fried Beef, Broccoli, and Yams

Sorry, I didn't get a better picture, but this one was too good not to share. Why get Take Out when you can have Make In. Next time you are in the mood for Chinese Food, try this delicious and easy stir fry recipe made with Flank Steak, Broccoli, Yams, and homemade sauce. So simple and tasty and way healthier than Take out. This was so good on it's own we didn't even bother to make rice to go with it. For the full recipe visit http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Beef-Broccoli-and-Yams-352549.

Thai Shrimp Stir-Fry with Basil

Here is a delicious adaptation inspired by a giant unused tub of basil and adapted from a Food Network recipe. For the original recipe visit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-shrimp-stir-fry-with-tomatoes-and-basil-slimmed-recipe/index.html, but we have made quite a few changes below:

Thai Shrimp Stir-Fry with Basil

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Water
2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
1 Teaspoon Red Chile Flakes
4 Teaspoons Organic Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon ground fresh ginger (we use the refrigerated kind from the jar)
1/2 Cup Diced Yellow Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into one inch pieces
1 Bunch green onions, cut into one inch pieces
1 Jalapeno, minced
3/4 Cup Fresh Torn Basil Leaves
1/4 Cup Fresh Torn Mint Leaves
Juice of one lime

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the onions, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir-fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

This was definitely a hit as Don ate two huge bowls! Probably best anyway as shrimp doesn't usually make the best leftovers.

Spiced Rub Pork Tenderloin with Mango Sambel and Zucchini Pancakes

What would you do with a Mango and some Zucchini? At the Early Household we make Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mango Sambal and Zucchini Pancakes! We went the first five years of our marriage never eating pork because we didn't know how to cook it and it always seemed too dry. Over the past year, we've started to learn new ways to prepare it and are beginning to appreciate this very tasty OTHER white meat. We're particularly fond of tenderloin with it being both lean and affordable. The meat responds so well to a variety of spices particularly in shades of red and brown such as Paprika, Chipotle, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cummin, and 5 Spice Chinese Powder. It also lends itself extremely well to fruit salsas, chutneys, and tapenades. This particular recipe includes a Mango Sambal (traditionally a Malaysian paste like condiment made with Chiles - I had to look it up). In this case the sambal acts like a salsa incorporating fresh diced Mango, Rice Vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and serrano chiles for a bit of heat. It pairs amazingly well with the southern style spice rub made up of brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, cumin, salt, onion powder, dried thyme, and garlic powder. Delicious! Additionally, as a cooking light recipe, if you adhere to the recommended portion sizes it's only 208 calories! For a full printout of the recipe, please visit http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=356645.

While Don worked on the pork dish, I undertook the Zucchini Pancakes. Here we have another awesome Ina Garten recipe from the Food Network. Talk about a great way to use up an abundant harvest of zucchini. These make a great side dish. Think of these little cakes as a great substitute any time you would think to serve cornbread with a meal. They're just as tasty (even better in my opinion) and have far more nutritional value in them then a box of starch. Eggs, Flour and Baking Powder bind together the freshly grated Zucchini and Red Onion, just like a traditional pancake. These could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and they toasted up quite well the next day so they make even better leftovers than stale cornbread. For a full printout of the recipe, please visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/zucchini-pancakes-recipe/index.html.

Go Greens!

OK, so I am a bit behind in our food blogging. We've been doing really well actually, for the month of April cooking healthy fresh meals and staying away from eating out. Every time we do I'm reminded how much cooking is sooooo worth the effort. Everything is so fresh, you can use good quality ingredients, know where you food is coming from and season to your own specifications.

Our Organic produce deliveries from Dandelion Organic Delivery continue to be a huge source of inspiration in our kitchen. Nevertheless, with the season opener of the Bellingham Farmer's Market the other week, I decided it couldn't hurt to get out their and check out the competition. The idea of mass fresh foods available with the ability to hand pick my own order was a little intriguing. After parousing the market one Saturday morning in the rain with Don, I am even more impressed by the Dandelion deliveries than I was before. Seeing everything layed out and displayed that is grown here locally, I can see that Dandelion really has done a tremendous job of capturing a very accurate and fair sampling of what is available here, while still getting a great discount on things shipped in for variety. Not only that, but they do a great rotation and with them I am sure to continue to get a balanced variety of root vegetables, leafy greens, colorful veggies, fleshy fruits, citrus, etc. than I would if I were simply driving my own destiny.

Tuscan Kale

It's also been a great way to discover new produce. All winter long we received various forms of hearty greens such as kale, collard greens and swiss chard. I'd never cooked with these items before and just assumed I would not like them. Mostly because they're typically served braised and wilted and I did not think I liked my greens cooked. Since the only thing I had to compare it to was spinach which becomes a limp soggy sludge if heated more than a few seconds, I expected similar results. However, I had no idea that these much sturdier, much hardier vegetables can stand up to the heat, retain their structure and taste and even absorb some amazing flavors without breaking down when cooked correctly.

Boc Choy Raab

And THEN came Spring..... I have discovered Raab. I LOVE Raab. Broccoli Raab, Cabbage Raab, Kale Raab, sooooo many varieties! If you see these little guys at your farmers market grab them! They are so easy to cook with and such a treat. So here's the scoop on Raab. Raab is a part of the Brassica Family, a genus of the Mustard family. These are known as overwintered plants, probably because they harvest at late winter, early spring in March. Beat that April Asparagus! It is most tender right before the little florets begin to sprout into white and yellow pedals. The stems, leaves, and florets are all edible. You can serve it raw in salads, cooked in stir-fries or soups, or simply braised in a little olive oil and garlic. Here are a few recipes that have worked just swell for us that you may want to try.

Bacon & Garlic Infused Kale Raab

1 Slice Bacon, roughly chopped
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3-4 Cups Roughly Chopped Kale Raab
Salt and Pepper

Heat nonstick skillet over Medium High Heat. Add Bacon and saute until browned, add Garlic and olive oil and saute 60 seconds stirring frequently being careful not to burn. Add Raab, toss to cover in garlic and bacon and saute a few minutes until tender. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Sweet Onion & Feta Risotto with Braising Kale

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Sweet Onions, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio Rice
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2/3 Cup Crumbled Feta
1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper
2-3 Cups Braising Kale (tender dark green velvety leaves)

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute one minute. Stir in rice. Mix together chicken broth and wine. Add 1/2 cup of broth mixture at a time, stirring constantly until fully absorbed before adding the next batch of liquid. The whole process will take about 30 to 40 minutes. Once rice reaches the desired consistancy (you may not need all four cups), add cheese, salt & pepper to taste and stir in chopped kale. Remove from heat and serve. Making risotto can be a very labor intensive process but the flavors are amazing. It's well worth the effort if you can spare the time. The leftovers typically hold up quite well too as opposed to other rice dishes.

Spring Has Sprung Frittata

Spring has sprung and along with it is starting to appear a fun new variety of vegetables in our weekly organic deliveries including the welcome April Harvest of fresh Asparagus. Just like my last entry on Pizza, Frittatas are also a great way to incorporate all kinds of combinations of vegetables into your diet. Tonight's recipe is something we came up with on the spot using the following ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
1 Bunch Asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1/2 Cup Canadian Bacon, Diced
5 Large Free Range Eggs
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Large Clove Garlic, Crushed
Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Shredded White Cheese Blend (such as Gruyere, Parmesan, and Mozzarella)

Preheat Broiler. Heat Olive Oil in a Cast Iron skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and saute three minutes until soft. Add Peppers, Asparagus, and Canadian Bacon. Lower heat to medium low and cook, covered for 6 minutes until asparagus is just barely tender.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, crushed garlic, salt & pepper. When the six minutes is up, remove lid and pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables. Turn heat back up to medium and cook about 5 minutes until eggs start to set but are still runny on top. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and place under broiler. Broil a few minutes until cheese melts and starts to brown in spots. Remove from oven, slice into wedges and serve.