Recipes
Potatoes and Anaheim Gratin
The pepper adds a nice little kick to this standard potato gratin.
4 large or 6-8 med/small r usset potatoes, sliced thin, skins on
2 Anaheim chile roasted peeled seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated (this could be reduced, even to 1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream or sour cream or milk
Butter an 11x7 baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/2 cheese, and 1/2 chiles. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layers, ending with potato slices. Mix the stock and cream in a separate bowl. Pour over potato mixture. Bake in a 400-degree oven, about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and liquid is absorbed, and the top is browned. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Asian Cabbage No Mayo Salad
This salad/slaw blend will keep well in the fridge for several days. You can even dress it and put leftovers in fridge. But I tend to make a lot of the undressed veggie blend and bag it, and make the dressing. And then I dress enough for each meal.
Combine in a bowl:
1 small head green or savoy cabbage, cored and shredded (or swap for some grated beets)
1 head napa cabbage, shredded
6 stalks kale, stems removed, leaves shredded (or mustard greens)
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced (or anaheim)
8 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias (can omit)
Asian vinaigrette, combine in a bowl:
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin*
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon minced lemon grass*, optional
Braised Napa Cabbage
Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, has crunchy leaves that pair well with a light sauce. Similar to bok choy, but more delicate. Napa cabbage is more elegant than regular firm-headed green cabbage and sautees beautifully. The high heat carmelizes the cabbage leaving a sweet subtle flavor.
3 tsps vegetable oil
1 small head (about 1 pound) Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 piece fresh ginger ( 1/2 inch), cut into matchsticks
1/4 c water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 c soy sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tsp of the vegetable oil . When it is very hot, add half the cabbage. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until leaves begin to brown. Remove them from pan. Use 1 teaspoon of the remaining vegetable oil to cook the remaining cabbage in the same way; remove from the pan. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Cook the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Stir the soy sauce into the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Return all the cabbage to pan, stirring well to coat it all over. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallions and vinegar.
Corn Fritters
This recipe comes to you courtesy of the blog Diary of a Locavore. It calls for 2 cups of corn, but don't feel you need to be spot-on with this measurement; a little more or a little less isn't going to matter. I've made these with both white flour and whole-wheat flour, with equally good results. When using whole-wheat flour, though, I use just a tad (maybe about 1 tablespoon) less than the 1/4 cup called for here. These make an excellent addition to a breakfast for dinner meal and kids absolutely love them!
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Using a medium-sized, sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels off the corn cobs. It's easier to do this if you lay the ears flat on the cutting board, rather than standing them up. Don't worry about separating the kernels, which usually come off in chunks (see the photo above); this will happen naturally when you mix the batter. Set the corn aside.
Separate the eggs. Put the egg yolks into a medium-size mixing bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir, then add the corn and stir again—just enough so that everything is nicely mixed together. Beat the egg whites until stiff and then gently fold them into the batter.
Heat your griddle or frying pan to medium hot, oil it lightly, and then drop pancake-size dollops of batter into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes, or until you start to see little dimples forming on the top of the pancakes, then flip them and cook another minute or so. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Kale, Tomato & Potato Frittata
This recipe is just a starting point for you. Feel free to incorporate other veggies into it!
10 eggs
1/4 cup Vermont cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb. potatoes, rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch kale, stems and inner ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
1 tomato, medium dice
Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk eggs and cheese together in a large bowl.
In a large, cast iron or a non stick/oven ready pan, heat 2 tbsp. oil. Add onion and potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add kale and saute until wilted. Add egg mixture and incorporate vegetables and eggs. Cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Gently lift the edge of the frittata and tilt the pan to allow for the egg to get underneath. When the frittata starts to form, place in the oven and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Tapping on the center with some spring says it is done.
Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Run a rubber spatula around the edge to loosen the frittata. Place a plate large enough to cover the pan over the pan and CAREFULLY invert it on to the plate. Serve warm with a salad.
Grilled Green Beans
This is a great approach to enjoying your green beans - kissing the vegetables with a little smoky char. Be sure not to skip the step of covering and letting the mixture stand; all steams to perfect doneness in that time. If you don't have a grill basket, grill on a large piece of heavy-duy foil. From Cooking Light, June 2014.
1/2 small red onion, vertically sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Place a grill basket on hot grill; preheat for 5 minutes.
Place onions, garlice, and green beans in a large bowl. Drizzle with canola oil; toss well to coat. Arrange mixture in hot grill basket; cover grill, and cook 7 minutes or until beans are lightly charred, tossing occasionally. Place bean mixture in a large bowl; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
This recipe will give you beautiful pickles in 2 days! You can eat them as they are in the fridge, but the flavor is best after 2 days.
2 Cucumbers
2 cups cold water
1/3 cup white wine vinegar - you can change this to suit your taste, but I wouldn't use balsamic. believe it or not, the cheaper vinegars give me the best pickling flavor
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
5 whole peppercorns
fresh ground pepper (from a grinder is best)
1-2 cloves garlic.
optional flavor additions: fresh dill, jalapeno pepper, onion, habanero pepper, etc.
Slice the ends off your cucumber and cut into spears. Peel your garlic and cut up into about 8 pieces per clove.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Put the spears, garlic, and juice into a large Ziplock bag or mason jar. If you want to add some dill or something else add it now.
Put the bag or jar into the fridge. If you're using a bag you'll want to shake it up every few hours to incorporate the flavors into the cucumbers.
After 2 days the flavors have really worked their way into the cucumbers, but they start to taste pickly after one night in the fridge. Enjoy!
Huevos Rancheros
A classic Mexican breakfast, huevos rancheros are technically fried eggs served on hot corn tortillas and smothered in cooked salsa. But in my house the "huevos" can mean eggs either scrambled or fried. When they're fried the runny yolk mixes in with everything.
2 eggs per person, fried or scrambled
1 corn tortilla per portion
Black beans, cooked with some sauce
Salsa
Creme Fraiche
Cooking oil
Warm the beans and salsa on the stove top separately. Heat oven to 200F. In a skillet heat a tsp of cooking oil in the bottom of pan on medium and place tortillas in pan for a minute or so on each side to just heat up. Keep warm in oven. Cook eggs desired way. To assemble the dish put the corn tortilla on the plate first, then the eggs and cover with warm beans and salsa, top with creme fraiche. Yum.... Be creative and add pickled jalapenos, some sweet corn kernels or your favorite braised greens. Anything goes.
Citrus-Massaged Raw Kale Salad with Toasted Nuts, Dried Cherries & Parmesan
I love this salad because it's so versatile - you can change it depending on what's in your pantry or fridge or whatever you're in the mood for! The main thing is to soften the kale up using some acid – you can use lemon juice or vinegar - this relaxes the kale and makes it softer and easier to chew.
1 bunch kale (about 1 lb), rinsed and dried, center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
Juice of 1-2 lemons, or 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or almonds
1/4 cup dried organic cherries, cranberries or currants
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheeses plus some bigger shavings to top the salad with
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the thinly sliced kale in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil (add more of either thing if you feel like there’s not enough to cover everything.) Massage the mixture with your fingers until all of the kale is well-coated and looks a bit darker in color. Let sit for a half hour (or not, if you’re in a hurry!)
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Top with the shaved cheese and serve.
Below is a picture of the kale salad for today's lunch. I just love how the oil, lemon juice and syrup separate! I put the kale on top of a bed of beet greens (mesclun would work well here) and added beets, peaches, and walnuts.
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