Thursday, April 26, 2012

pizza!


Last night we made pizza with multigrain dough, fresh mozzarella, parmesan and ramps.



AND another one with asparagus, roasted peppers, pesto and eggs!


Monday, April 9, 2012

kale, raddichio, white bean and halloumi salad


There is nothing like a refreshing salad with a great vinaigrette. Wait, check that. There is nothing like a refreshing salad with a great vinaigrette TOPPED WITH FRIED CHEESE. We combined some bitter greens that we love and usually keep around the house with a dressing made from some of our favorite fresh herbs, and tossed on some seared Halloumi just to knock it out of the park. This salad is hearty enough to have as a meal, but such a great palate cleanser that it could be used as a side as well. Since the greens are so hearty this salad can last dressed for a day or two in the fridge. We had the leftovers with some poached eggs and toast the next morning. OMG!!!

Ingredients:
Lemon, Parsley and Chive Vinagrette
Juice of 2 Lemons
Parsley, 1/2 bunch
6 Chives
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 head radicchio, roughly torn
1 head dinosaur kale, roughly torn
1 can Artichoke Hearts, drained and quartered
1 can white beans, drained
1 package Halloumi, sliced into 1/2" slices, pan fried then cut into bite sized pieces

This one is fast! In your blender/food processor/magic bullet/ninja machine/whatever, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

Wash and dry all of the greens and combine with the artichoke in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Top with beans and Halloumi and wait for it... wait for it... EAT!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Spring Minestrone with Parmesan and Chive Meatballs


It's Spring! Well, almost. While it is sunnier and the days are longer, it's just not warm enough to give up soup yet. So we took some inspiration from a recipe from Bon Appetit and tweaked it a little to fit what we had in our pantry, and increased some measurements to get about 6 servings. The leftovers are AWESOME!!!

Ingredients:

12 oz. Grass Fed Beef
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs, maybe a little more
6 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan (3 for meatballs, 3 for garnish)
1 Egg, beaten
Olive Oil, for sautéing
2 Qt. Veggie Stock, we used home made
3 Carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
1 Bunch Lacinato Kale- You know, the dinosaur kind. Chopped pretty finely. No giant pieces.
2 Large Shallots, finely diced
4 Cloves Garlic, finely diced
1 Cup Ditalini Pasta, cooked al dente (measurement is precooked)
6-8 Leaves of Basil, chiffonade for garnish
6 Chives, finely chopped (half for garnish, half for meatballs)
salt and pepper to taste

Let's-a make-a meatballs! Combine beef (you could totally substitute chicken or turkey), egg, breadcrumbs, 3 Tbsp. of Parmesan, half of the chives, and some salt and pepper and mix well. You can add more breadcrumbs if you need to get them to form. In a non-stick pot (we used a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat saute the meatballs until browned on all sides. Don't have a non-stick pot? You might need a little oil then. Don't worry about cooking them through, that will be the soups job. Go ahead and take them out and set them aside, but don't get rid of that pot yet!

While you are cooking the meatballs, its a great idea to cook and drain the pasta. You can also set that aside as well.

Now in that meatball pot, add in about 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil and toss in the garlic, shallots, and carrots. Saute' these until the shallots and garlic start to turn translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the veggie stock, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots begin to get cooked through. At this point, you can toss in the meatballs, pasta, and kale. Cover again and simmer for another 10 minutes and then season to taste.

Grab some bowls, garnish with basil, chives, and Parmesan and get your slurp on! We served this with some pesto toast, but you could use crackers, other crusty bread, or whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!