Month: June 2017

Greek Salad Dressing

A traditional Greek dressing made with fresh herbs. Serve on a Greek salad or any salad, pasta, or dress a cold vegetable plate.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves minced

2 t basil minced

1 T oregano minced

2 t Dijon mustard

3 T lemon juice

5 T red wine vinegar

1 t salt

1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Tools and ingredients

In a small bowl, combine together the garlic, herbs, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Then slowly add the olive oil whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Transfer to salad dressing container.

Note:

I used fresh herbs and lemon from my garden for the dressing. I used about three more times fresh herbs than I would dried herbs.

 

Flat Iron Steak Green Salad on Flatbread Pizza

A flat bread pizza topped with grilled flat iron steak and a big flavored salad finished with Southwestern toppings.

Ingredients

1 lavash(9 inches by 12 inches)

1 T olive oil

1/2 sour cream

1/4 C pasta sauce

½ C shredded cheddar¹

Steak

12 ounce flatiron steak marinated in favorite marinade.

Salad Ingredients

1/2 C cucumber diced

1/2 C tomato diced

2 T shallot diced

3 T cilantro chopped

2 T Kalamata olives chopped

2 C Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuce chopped

1/3 C white balsamic vinaigrette

¼ Crème or sour cream

1/2 avacado sliced

2 T Roasted Salsa Verde

Directions

Serves 2 or 4. Preheat oven to 450º F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make Salad

Chop and combine all salad ingredients (except romaine) in medium bowl Set aside.

Steak

Grill or broil steak to desired doneness and rest for 10 minutes. Slice the flat iron steak against the grain and set aside.

Flatbread Prep

Place flatbread on baking sheet and paint both sides lightly with olive oil. Transfer to oven and bake about 2- 3 minutes per side and remove from oven and cool.

Combine sour cream and pizza sauce in small bowl. Spread sauce onto lavash then sprinkle cheese. Bake for 3-4 minutes and remove from oven and cool.

Assemble the Flat Bread Pizza

Place the flatbread on large serving platter.

Combine salad ingredients, romaine, and steak. Add salad dressing and toss together.

Sprinkle the salad steak mixture onto flatbread. Add avocado slices and drizzle with crema and tomatilla salsa’.

Cut and serve,

Notes:

¹Use an aged cheddar cheese if possible/ It adds depth to the steak richness.

 

 

Frisée, Radish and Endive Salad

Frisée offers so many textures in a bite from the delicate slightly bitter lacy leaves to the crunch of its stem. The radishes offer spiciness. It is a stunning salad visually.

Ingredients

1 large head of Frisée or curly endive¹

6-8 radishes sliced thin

2 heads of endive rough chop

1/3 C sunflower seeds

Lemon Garlic DressingLemon Garlic Dressing

Directions

Serves 2-4

Wash and shake dry Frisée. Place on serving platter. Add endive, radishes, and sunflower seeds.

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Drizzle with dressing. Cut into halves or quarters and serve.

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NOTES:

¹I used organic Frisée . The heads are very large but tender and slightly bitter to the taste.

Gluten Free Peanutbutter Cookies

An easy to make gluten free cookie that is chocked full of peanutbutter and chcolate. It is has a nice crunch with the addition of the oats.It tstes good crumbled on top of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/3 stick buteer softened

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 C chunky peanut butter

2 t baking soda

3 C old-fashioned oatmeal

10.53 ounce bag Milk Cocolate M&M’s or chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 325º F  Parchment covered baking sheeys

In medium add butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla and whisk.

Add peanutbutter and mix until incorporated

Add oatmeal and baking soda and mix.

Add M&M’s and combine.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheet evenly spaced and bake 10-12 minutes. Do not overtake.

Let cookies rest a couple minutes and then gently lift with spatula to baking rack.

 

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet

Strawberry season is here and they are available in markets or at u-pick farms. The starwberry flavor is so refreshing to the pallet and you just want more.

Ingredients

2 C sugar

2 C water

2 pounds of  fresh strawberries

Directions

Cuisinart Yogurt/Ice Cream Machine and Cuisinart 7 or 12 cup food processor. Place Yogurt bowl in freezer 24 hours before making sorbet.

Simple Syrup

In small pan add water and sugar. Do not stir. Bring to boil and then simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. This maybe made ahead of time and refrigerated.

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Making Sorbet

Wash, destem, and halve the strawberries.

Add the strawberries to the food processor and puree until smooth.

Add 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup and  pulse until combined. Pour into large covered bowl and place into freezer for two to three hours.

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Assemble yogurt/ice cream maker and pour strawberry mixture into machine and churn for 15-20 minutes or until stiff.

Remove from maker and serve or place in covered container and freeze until further use.

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NOTE:

We use fresh organic strawberries. I have not made sorbet with frozen fruit.

Yogurt Waffels

A light fluffy textured waffel crispy on outside and soft on the inside. They do not get soggy after adding maple syrup.

Ingredients

 1 ½ C flour

2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

Pinch of salt

3 eggs

1 ½ C yogurt¹

1 t vanilla

3 T butter melted

Directions

Preheat waffle iron to medium setting  Serves 6

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl and set aside

In small bowl add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla than whisk.

Add egg yogurt mixture and butter to flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.

Spray top and bottom irons with PAM or lightly brush with melted butter. Ladle waffle makers recommended batter amount into the iron, Cook until golden brown about 6-8 minutes. Remove and serve with maple syrup or berry toppings.

Note:

¹Any yogurt can be used. I use plain Greek yogurt.

I do not add sugar. Maple syrup or berry toppings provide the sugar element.

These waffles can be frozen and reheated in a microwave or toaster.

Mussels in Thai Style Broth

Mussels in a delicious Thai style broth bursting with flavor served over a rice corn combination.

Ingredients

Rice

2 C jasmine rice

4 C water

1 t salt

Corn

2 ears of fresh corn on cob

1/3 C water

Pinch of salt

1 t butter

Mussels

2 ½ pounds mussels

3 C chicken broth or fish stock

5-6 dried hot chilies

3 inch lemon grass quartered

2 inches fresh ginger peeled and sliced

5 garlic cloves smashed

1 serano chili quartered optional¹

To Create Final Dish

1 Roma tomato deseeded and  chopped

1 lemon juiced

1/3 C cilantro chopped

1 T fish sauce

Directions

Rice

  • In medium pan, add rice and water and bring to boil.
  • Cover and simmer until rice is cooked until tender.

Corn

  • Wash corn and remove silk.
  • Remove corn kernels from cob and add to small saucepan with water and butter.
  • Cook until el dente then season. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mussels

  • Scrub mussels and remove beards.²
  • In large sauce pan, bring broth, chilies, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic cloves to a boil.
  • Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels open or about 5-7 minutes.
  • Discard mussels that do not open.

Assemble Final Dish

  • Stir hot rice and corn together and divide into four large soup/pasta bowls.
  • Remove mussels from broth and place on rice corn mixture.
  • Strain broth and then add tomato, lemon. cilantro, and fish sauce mixture and stir.
  • Ladle this this broth equally into the four bowls and serve.

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Notes:

¹We like spicy food so we added the extra chili to the broth.

²Our farm raised mussels usually are pretty clean and have few beards.

 

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s better than a chocolate chocolate chip cookie!  So good with a glass of milk and greater made into an ice cream sandwich.

Ingredients

1/2 C butter softened

1/2 C white sugar

1/3 C brown sugar

1 C plus 2 T flour

1 T Ghirardelli® cocoa mix

2 t espresso

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking powder

1 t baking powder

1 egg

2 T milk

1 t vanilla

1 ounce semi sweet chocolate grated¹

2 C Guittard® milk or premium chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 375º F   Parchment line baking sheets

In small bowl combine dry ingredients, mix then set aside.

In medium bowl mix butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add egg, milk, and vanilla and combine.

Stir in dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and grated chocolate.

Refrigerate for an hour. Drop by teaspoonful about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 – 12 minutes. Remove and cool on baking rack.

Note:

¹We use a microplane for grating the chocolate.