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You are here: Home / 2016 / Archives for June 2016

Archives for June 2016

Perfect Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta & Tomato Sauce Recipe

June 26, 2016

Perfect Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta & Tomato Sauce Recipe

The above photo may very well be the best food shot I’ve ever taken. I have a few others that I think are really good, but this one takes the cake. And to think, it was totally unplanned.

I think I shared this in a previous post, but if I didn’t, I’ll share it again. The way these recipe posts work is like this: I usually begin cooking around 5pm and continue on until I’m finished. If things go well, the entire ordeal usually takes about an hour. Now, I know I’ve shared this part – by the time I’m done with the cooking, I’m usually so hungry that I’m not really focused on taking any photos. The photos I take during the process aren’t the challenge, it’s the ones at the end. Unfortunately, those “end” shots are the ones I need to choose the lead photo for the entire post from, so they’re important.

Anyway, last night’s recipe took a bit longer than many of the others I’ve taken part in. It required that I make some sauce and then do some baking. It took time. Since I had only eaten breakfast so far for the day (I do that a lot), I was practically starving. By the time I was finished cooking, which took me about 2 hours, the last thing I wanted to engage in was a photo shoot. But, me being me, I took a few photos and then went to hide at my computer to review them. This is the best one I got and it was the one I was going to use for this post:

Vegetable Lasagna

Don’t get me wrong – I like the picture. It’s just that once I heard Laura snapping away in the other room, I headed back to see what was going on. She had taken the initiative to place a piece of the lasagna on the spatula for more of an “action” shot, which I liked a lot. I pretty much copied her and was able to walk away with the photo you see at the top of this post. Not bad, even if it was an afterthought.

The Recipe

This is the last recipe I’ll be posting for this round. When I go grocery shopping, I usually pick up enough food for three to four meals. I already posted the earlier ones, so this will be it for a few more days. That is, until I head back to the store. That’s fine, because this one is somewhat involved, but totally worth it. There’s no way you’ll be able to eat the entire lasagna in one night, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers. We probably have about two more night’s worth in the refrigerator.

What I really love about this vegetable lasagna is the garlic and red pepper flakes in the sauce. I also enjoy the texture and how substantial the veggies are. In the entire lasagna, I use one eggplant, two red peppers and three zucchini. That’s pretty good and quite filling.

Vegetable Lasagna in Casserole Dish

I’ve been wanting to get back into larger dinners for some time. While I do love my sandwiches, I also truly enjoy many things that cook in a casserole dish. I think it’s the weight of them and the fact that I won’t be cooking for a few nights. I say that far too much – that I’m a lover of the leftover. I know.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Curtis Stone and his book What’s For Dinner? for the inspiration for this recipe. I did change things up quite a bit, but his original recipe was just as awesome. I’m a huge fan.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

For the Sauce

2 Tablespoons Regular Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
5 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Cups Dry White Wine
2 Large Cans (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
Salt
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
Ground Black Pepper

For the Vegetables

1 Medium Sized Eggplant, Trimmed and Sliced into 1/4 Inch Slices, Lengthwise
Salt
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Ground Black Pepper
3 Zucchinis, Trimmed and Sliced into 1/4 Inch Slices, Lengthwise
2 Red Bell Peppers, Trimmed, Cleaned and Cut into 16 Pieces Total, Lengthwise

For the Lasagna

12 Dried Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles
1 Pound Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Sauce

Warm a large pot over medium heat. When it’s to temperature, add the 2 tablespoons of regular olive oil. Then, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook, while stirring, for about 5 minutes to soften both ingredients. After that, add in the 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, the 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and the 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Finally, add in the 2 cups of dry white wine and raise the heat to high. Let boil for about 10 minutes or until the wine has reduced by half.

When the above part of the sauce is ready, go ahead and add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and let cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes.

After the sauce has cooked, season with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and add in the 1 tablespoon of dried basil. Also add the 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Stir and remove from heat. The sauce is finished.

Ricotta Cheese & Tomato Sauce

Prepare the Vegetables

First, pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. Then, in a small bowl, add the 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, the 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Whisk together well.

Vinaigrette - Balsamic Vinegar & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Place the eggplant, the zucchini and the red bell peppers on two large baking sheets. Then, brush both sides of all vegetables with the vinaigrette. When finished, place both baking sheets into the oven and let cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are somewhat soft. The goal here is to infuse the vegetables with flavor while softening and dehydrating them a bit. When finished, remove the trays from the oven and store for later use.

Here is a photo of the eggplant slices after I removed them from the oven:

Baked Eggplant Slices

Assemble the Lasagna

First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, in a 13x9x2 casserole dish, add about 1 cup of tomato sauce. Spread it around.

Tomato Sauce in Casserole

After that, add 4 dry lasagna noodles. Break and arrange if necessary.

Lasagna Noodles in Casserole

Next, add a layer that consists of 1/3 of the vegetables, another 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce and then a layer that consists of 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Roasted Vegetables in Casserole

Adding Another Layer of Tomato Sauce to Casserole

Adding a Layer of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese to Lasagna Casserole

Once those layers are down, add another 4 dry noodles, another 1/3 of the vegetables, another 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce and another 1/3 of shredded mozzarella cheese. After that, add the final 4 noodles and another 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Top things off with the remainder of the vegetables and the last of the tomato sauce over that. Keep the remaining mozzarella cheese for later.

After all the layering is finished, cover the casserole with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Let cook for 45 minutes. Then, remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese across the surface and place the casserole back in the oven. Let cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven, turn off heat and you’re done. Cut into appropriate sized pieces and serve.

The Final Dish

I don’t think I need to state how much I enjoy dishes like this. Lasagna is very high on my list and is only topped by eggplant parmesan. Both are really great and this recipe stands up to my expectations and experience. If you decide to give this a try, please let me know what you think. Also, please feel free to give suggestions and alternative ingredients and methods in the comment area below. I’m all ears.

Individual Piece of Vegetarian Lasagna

Piece of Vegetable Lasagna on Plate

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner


Pesto Double Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwich Recipe

June 23, 2016

Pesto Double Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwich Recipe

I’ve always had a reputation for making stunningly good grilled cheese sandwiches. Just ask Laura. She loves them. The way I go about making them is a bit different than most people go about it. While the traditional grilled cheese sandwich consists of two pieces of white bread with some yellow cheese situated between them, I tend to favor some type of a roll as a container, lots of mayo, salt, pepper, some fabulous type of cheese with a few slices of tomato to boot. If the roll has sesame seeds stuck to the outside of it, all the better. Heat up a pan, dump in a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and heat that bad boy up. Now that’s how to make a great grilled cheese sandwich. It’s perfect every time.

Although, believe it or not, I’ve never actually grilled one of these sandwiches. I guess the more appropriate phrase would be fry. I’ve created many fried cheese sandwiches.

The Recipe

This recipe uses the oven as a grill. While you can certainly use your grill if you’ve got it going for some other reason, it’s much simpler and more efficient to use the oven because the entire cook time is only about ten minutes.

My version of this recipe uses a large loaf of Italian bread. I’m not a fan of those fashion breads, such as Focaccia and Ciabatta. I mean, they’re awesome and all, but they happen to be expensive and for the time it takes me to get one of these sandwiches from my lips to my belly, I’d rather go with a more legitimately sized and less expensive version of almost the same thing. I know, I know, they aren’t the same thing, but when you see what’s going on with this recipe below, trust me when I tell you that your focus won’t be on the bread. It’ll be on what’s inside of it.

The pesto in this recipe adds some nice flavor. The Brie cheese adds a velvety texture, while the Swiss, tomato and balsamic vinegar drive all the flavor home. There aren’t many ingredients with this one, but when it comes to flavor, the combination of what’s there works well to satisfy.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Curtis Stone and his cookbook called What’s For Dinner? for the inspiration behind this recipe. Although I made many changes, I still got the idea from him.

Ingredients

Makes: 1 Large Sandwich (cut into 6 pieces)

5 Medium Sized Ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 Loaf Italian Bread (wide)
1 Cup Pesto
8 Ounces Swiss Cheese, Shredded
4 Ounces Brie Cheese, Sliced Thin

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you’re a lover of Focaccia or Ciabatta bread, by all means use that with this recipe. There are no rules here – only flavor and texture. Your preference is what matters most.

Pre-Heat Oven

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees and arrange the racks so one of them is in the center position.

Prepare the Tomatoes

Trim the tomatoes and cut all of them into 1 inch pieces. Then, place them in a medium sized bowl and add the 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of ground black pepper for flavor. Mix together and let sit until you’re ready for them below.

Diced Tomatoes Marinading in Glass Bowl

Cut the Bread & Apply Pesto

Slice the loaf of Italian bread lengthwise and spread the cup of pesto edge to edge on the inside of both pieces.

Loaf of Fresh Italian Bread

Cut Italian Bread

Basil & Garlic Pesto Spread on Loaf of Italian Bread

Add Brie & Swiss Cheese

Add the slices of Brie cheese to only one side of the bread. Add the shredded Swiss cheese to both sides evenly.

Shredded Swiss Cheese & Brie Cheese Slices on Italian Bread

Put Bread in Oven

Place the two pieces of Italian bread on the center rack of the oven, cheese side up. Let bake for about 10 minutes or until you see the cheese has completely melted. This step will also ensure the bread has toasted nicely.

Melted Cheese on Italian Bread

Add Tomatoes

Once the bread is out of the oven, go ahead and use a slotted spoon to add the tomatoes to the bottom half of the loaf, leaving the liquid in the bowl behind.

Adding Tomato Pieces to Melted Cheese on Italian Bread

Add Top, Cut & Serve

All that needs to be done now is to add the top of the loaf to the tomatoes, cut the sandwich into 6 pieces and serve.

Huge Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Cut Into Pieces

The Final Sandwich

As you may have already guessed, Laura and I weren’t able to finish this entire sandwich last night. You know what that means – more leftovers, which I absolutely love. This was a really great grilled cheese. If you decide to give it a try, please let me know what you think.

Pieces of Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Italian Bread

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Lunch, Sandwiches


Broccoli Slaw Wraps with Feta, Cream Cheese & Olives Recipe

June 21, 2016

Broccoli Slaw Wraps with Feta, Cream Cheese & Olives Recipe

It’s been a while since Laura and I have eaten any type of a wrap. Back a few years ago, that’s all we would eat. Of course, that’s before I began digging around in the world of food. Now, there’s far too much out there to enjoy beyond wraps. I think the primary reason we used to eat so many was due to pure laziness. I can remember saying, “Really? I have to figure out something to make for dinner every single night for the rest of my life?” I recall thinking that this whole thing was some sort of a bad joke. I’m pretty sure everyone has hit that point in their adult lives – coming to terms with the fact that there are absolutely no ideas about what to prepare for dinner simmering to the surface, while the clock is ticking away. Wraps help during those times. You can put anything in a wrap.

Today’s wrap is different. This one actually took some time to put together. I had to prep the broccoli slaw and mix up the feta and olive spread. I used to whip up something – anything – to stick in a wrap, but those days are long gone. Thanks to this blog.

The Recipe

For this recipe, store brand tortillas are fine. Sure, you can go for those colorful tomato and spinach flavored ones in the gourmet section, but if you’re like me, you’ll just grab some regular 7 to 9 inch flour tortillas from either the Goya section or the, in my case, Hannaford brand ones near the Goya section. Either one is great.

In the ingredient list below, I’ll tell you that you should prep your own broccoli slaw using julienned broccoli stems, carrots and red cabbage. I did this last night. It’s of my opinion now, however, that you might want to purchase some pre-made broccoli slaw from the produce section of your favorite grocer. Last night, I discovered that the art of the julienne is absolutely crazy and that I never want to partake in it again. Honestly, in the beginning, I thought I was hot stuff. After about three or four slices though, I realized the benefit of machinery. I was disappointed in myself for what I had gotten in to. Making the broccoli slaw took about an hour. Simply put, that’s not productive.

On the other side of things, the homemade spread is awesome and didn’t take much time at all to put together. Minced olives mixed with cream cheese mixed with feta cheese is a really good idea. Those three ingredients, combined with a few others in the world of acidity and herbs, make for some really great flavor. If there was a winner in this recipe, it would be the spread.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Paulette Mitchell and her cookbook called Vegetarian Sandwiches for this fabulous vegetarian recipe. It’s Inspirational and perfect for the summer months.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 Wraps

1/2 Cup Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese, Crumbled
10 Black (or Kalamata) Olives, Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
4 Tortillas
3 Cups Broccoli Slaw (Store Bought or Homemade)
2 Plum Tomatoes, Sliced 1/8 Inch
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

For the Broccoli Slaw

Either purchase this slaw already prepared at your grocery store or make it yourself. To make it yourself, use these ingredients:

4 Full Broccoli Stems, Peeled & Julienned
3 Medium Sized Carrots, Peeled & Julienned
1 Cup of Red Cabbage, Finely Chopped

Step-by-Step Instructions

There’s room for enhancement in this recipe. For my next few preparations, I think I’m going to add some balsamic vinegar and maple syrup or honey to the broccoli slaw. Those ingredients would add more of an enveloping flavor to the slaw.

Prepare the Spread

In a medium sized bowl, add the cream cheese (at room temperature), the feta cheese, the olives, the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, the oregano and the garlic.

Olive & Feta Cheese Spread in Glass Bowl

Mix all the ingredients well and set the bowl aside for later use.

Mixed Olive & Feta Spread in Glass Bowl

Prepare the Broccoli Slaw

If you’ve decided to go with the store bought slaw, just measure out about 3 cups and place it in a bowl. If you’ve decided to make the slaw yourself, prep the ingredients and do the same thing – measure out about 3 cups and place it in a bowl.

Homemade Broccoli, Carrot & Red Cabbage Slaw in a Glass Bowl

Slice the Tomatoes

At this point, go ahead and trim both ends off of both tomatoes and slice them into 1/8 slices.

Sliced Plum Tomatoes in Glass Bowls

Assemble the Wraps

Arrange the four wraps on your counter top. Then, divide the olive and feta spread among them. Smooth the spread all the way around each wrap until it almost meets the edges. Then, divide the broccoli slaw among the wraps and push it around until it’s uniform across the entire area. Finally, add the tomato slices in a single row across the center of each wrap and add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper across everything.

Assembling Ingredients on a Wrap

Finally, roll each wrap up tightly and cut in half. You’ll have to place each piece aside one another so they don’t come unrolled. You could do that or use a few toothpicks to achieve the same effect.

The Final Wrap

I like these wraps. They’re perfect for lunch or dinner. Personally, I’d save them for dinner because, even though you wouldn’t think it, they’re quite filling. Enjoy!

Broccoli, Carrot & Red Cabbage Slaw Roll-Ups

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Lunch


Garlicky Spaghetti with Kale, Lemon & Romano Cheese Recipe

June 16, 2016

Garlicky Spaghetti with Kale, Lemon & Romano Cheese Recipe

The gardening season is upon us. From here on out, as much as I can, I’ll be incorporating what I grow in the back yard in my recipes. This is an extremely exciting time of the year for me because every morning, I get to walk outside to see how much our crop has grown overnight and even more importantly, I spend less at the grocery store. You’d be surprised at how much produce Laura and I purchase every week – our shopping cart is probably more than half full of items just from that one aisle.

Kale Growing in Garden

Two ingredients are featured in today’s recipe. One is kale, which I grew in a raised bed over the past few weeks, and the other is lemon, which, unfortunately, I didn’t grow. I live in Maine and even though it’s possible to keep lemon trees alive indoors, it’s not a very popular one for outdoors. Since we arrived in this state, we’ve experienced -23 degree temperatures. Not good for lemons at all.

The Recipe

I’d have to describe this recipe as one best suited for summer. It’s fresh, light and airy. It uses relatively few ingredients and it’s simple to prepare. All in all, I think I like it.

The amount of kale used in this recipe depends on you. You certainly could get away with half of what’s recommended, or you could double up, if you’re like me – someone who loves kale. Since it’s cooked in boiling water, it reduces in volume. The huge pile of kale you start off with becomes manageable very quickly.

I’d also advise cooking the pasta on the al dente side. I got lucky last night and pulled the pasta out of the water at just the right moment and I have to say, it was wonderful. Even if I stopped it from cooking a minute sooner, I still think it would have been fine because of all the olive oil in this recipe. Pasta continues to cook after it’s out of the pot, so absorbing some oil wouldn’t have been a bad thing.

If you’re a lover of the lemon, feel free to apply it liberally in this recipe. The instructions call for two tablespoons of juice, but I see no issue with adding three. Also, if you have the lemons, zest away. There’s enough pasta and kale to compensate for any additional flavor.

I’d like to thank Curtis Stone and his cookbook What’s For Dinner? for this recipe. It’s another one of his awesome creations (with a twist or two of my own). I recently discovered that Curtis offers a few additional cookbooks, so I’ll be on the lookout for those. When it comes to cooking and having an imagination about food, that man rocks.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

1 Pound Kale, Sliced Thin
1 Pound Spaghetti
3/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
5 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
Zest From 2 Lemons
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 Ounces Romano Cheese, Grated

Step-by-Step Instructions

Don’t limit yourself to Romano cheese. If you prefer Parmesan, go for that. Whatever strikes your fancy.

Cook the Kale

In a large pot, add 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

When the water is boiling, add the sliced fresh kale to it.

Fresh Sliced Kale in Glass Bowl

Let the kale cook for about 5 minutes and then remove it with a slotted spoon or a sieve. The goal here is to remove the kale, but leave the water in the pot. Place the cooked kale in a bowl for later use.

Cooked Sliced Kale in Glass Bowl

Cook the Pasta

If the water in the pot isn’t still boiling, bring it back to a boil and add the pasta. Let the pasta cook between 7-10 minutes, stirring and tasting it often. The minute it becomes tender and doesn’t stick to your teeth, remove it from the heat and strain it in a colander. Before you do that though, reserve about a cup of the flavored pasta water. You may need it later on, depending on the consistency of the final dish.

Heat Skillet & Combine Ingredients

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s to temperature, add about 1/2 cup of the extra-virgin olive oil. Then, add the 5 teaspoons of minced garlic and let cook for about one minute. Don’t cook so much as to allow the garlic to change color. All you want to do is open it up so it begins to smell good.

After that, add the kale to the pan and stir all the ingredients together well.

When mixed, add in the lemon zest.

Lemon Zest in Glass Bowl

Stir in the lemon zest as well. This is what things should look like at this point:

Cooked Kale & Lemon Zest in Cast Iron Skillet

When those ingredients are well coated with the olive oil, go ahead and add the spaghetti to the skillet. Also add in the remaining oil, the lemon juice and the Romano cheese. Again, mix well so all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Spaghetti & Kale in Cast Iron Skillet

Cooking Spaghetti Pasta in Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

At this point, you can season to taste with salt and pepper. The reason I waited until the very end for this step is because you need to know what the combined ingredients taste like first. Even though it would have been simpler to season earlier on, you wouldn’t really know what you were seasoning. So, season, stir and taste. Then repeat.

Plate & Serve

It’s time to plate and serve. Divide the spaghetti and kale mixture between 4 large bowls, add some more grated Romano cheese to the top of the pasta and serve.

The Final Dish

Here is a photo of the final dish in a bowl. The olive oil really adds some color to the pasta. If you’ve got good oil, this should be a treat. Enjoy!

Kale & Pasta in a Bowl

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner


Baked Cod with Asparagus & Melted Leeks in Cream Recipe

June 14, 2016

Baked Cod with Asparagus & Melted Leeks in Cream Recipe

If you’ve followed this website for any amount of time, you know that I’ve enjoyed my fair share of cod. I’ve also cooked asparagus in a variety of ways. One thing I’ve yet to taste is what’s called melted leeks. This was new to me. When I saw a recipe for them in a cookbook and read the ingredients involved, I quickly new I had to give them a try.

The Recipe

In this recipe, the asparagus is delicious. It’s coated with olive oil, shallots and paprika. Honestly, I’m not sure how it can be better. The cod is wonderful as well. I pan roasted it in the oven with some olive oil. I lightly seasoned it with salt and pepper and it came out flaky and tender – just the way it should. It was great. While those two elements were as I expected them to be, I wasn’t ready for the slow cooked leeks and onion. Wow. Curtis Stone wasn’t lying when he said, “The leeks become so tender they virtually melt into the creamy sauce.” It’s true. They do. And when they’re cooked slowly like it’s called for in the recipe I found in Curtis’ book What’s For Dinner, they become sweeter. To top things off, the texture is to die for. If there’s one area I would focus most of my attention on in this recipe, it would be the melted leeks. Hands down.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

For the Leeks

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Large Yellow Onion, Coarsely Chopped
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
2 Large Leeks (white and light green parts), Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
1 Cup Heavy Cream

For the Asparagus

1 1/2 Pounds Asparagus, Trimmed
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Shallots, Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Paprika

For the Cod

4 6-Ounce Skinless Cod Fillets, Cut Evenly
2 Teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

I would suggest taking your time with cooking the leeks. The whole endeavor will take a hair over 30 minutes, so enjoy. They cook over low heat, so there will be plenty of time to prep the fish and asparagus.

Prep & Cook the Melted Leeks

Warm a large skillet over medium-low heat. When it’s to temperature, add the butter and olive oil and let the butter melt completely. When ready, add the chopped onions to the pan.

Coarsely Chopped Onions in Glass Bowl

Chopped Onions in Cast Iron Skillet

Let the onions cook for about 5 minutes. Stir often. When the onions begin to soften, add the minced garlic to the skillet and continue cooking, while stirring, for another 2 minutes.

When that’s finished, add the cut leeks to the pan, along with a pinch of sea salt, and let cook for about 15 minutes. You’ll need to stir during this time as well because it’s important for the leeks to soften like the onions did.

Cut Leeks in Glass Bowl

Adding Cut Leeks to Cast Iron Skillet

After the leeks appear visually soft, go ahead and add the 1 cup of heavy cream, along with another pinch of salt, to the skillet.

Adding Heavy Cream to Cast Iron Skillet

Cook and stir for about 10 minutes. If you’d like, you can season to taste with some ground black pepper at this point as well. While continuing on with the rest of the recipe, you’ll want to keep the skillet warm over very low heat.

Prep the Asparagus

Add the 1 1/2 pounds of trimmed asparagus to a medium sized bowl. Also add in the 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, the 2 tablespoons of shallots, the 1 teaspoons of paprika and a pinch of sea salt. Mix well and set aside for later use.

Marinading Asparagus with Paprika & Olive Oil in Glass Bowl

Cook the Cod & Asparagus

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Add the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to another large skillet. Also, add the 4 cod fillets to the skillet and add a pinch or two of sea salt to the tops of the cod. When the oven is warm, add the skillet with the cod in it to the center rack of the oven and let cook for about 10 minutes or until you see the sides of the cod begin to separate and become flaky. When that happens, remove the cod from the oven and turn off the heat.

While the cod is cooking, warm another large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is to temperature, add in all the ingredients that are in the bowl with the asparagus.

Cooking Asparagus in All-Clad Stainless Steel Skillet Pan

Cook the asparagus over the medium heat for 10 minutes or so or until you see that it’s tender, but still bright green. If you go too far here, the asparagus will begin to brown and will be overcooked.

Plate & Serve

At this point, all the parts of this recipe should still be warm. Line up 4 plates and divide the melted leeks among them. Then, add 1 piece of cod per plate and top with an even amount of asparagus. Serve.

The Final Dish

This dish beat my expectations. At first glance, it looked like it would be challenging to prepare, but it wasn’t tough at all. It simply took some time and patience. Said and done, it was well worth the wait.

Cod, Asparagus & Melted Leeks

Cod with Asparagus & Leeks in Cream Sauce

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If you’ve enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful, please share it with a friend. Also, if you’d like to continue reading and would like our posts sent directly to your email inbox, simply sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send each and every post directly to you. Thanks!

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner


Italian Omelet with Roasted Peppers Sandwich Recipe

June 12, 2016

Italian Omelet with Roasted Peppers Sandwich Recipe

By looking at the above photo, you may be tempted to think this is a small sandwich. I can tell you that it’s not. If I could have taken a decent photo, I would have put my hand next to it. It’s huge. I’m guessing it weighed about four or five pounds.

I found this recipe in Paulette Michell‘s cookbook called Vegetarian Sandwiches. She calls it an Omelet Focaccia Sandwich because, well, she used facoccia. When I was in the grocery store looking for the necessary ingredients, I passed by some facaccia. It didn’t meet my needs. I picked it up, turned it around a few times, grimaced and placed it back on the rack. Too thin. It was at that moment I decided to blaze my own trail. I walked over to the other side of the specialty bread table and grabbed a loaf of Italian bread. I figured I’d have more fun if I made this sandwich the way I know how to make it. Large and in charge.

The Recipe

The original recipe calls for 4 eggs, I used 8. It also calls for 1 teaspoon of herbs, I used 2. Double the onion, double the pepper and double the goat cheese. Needless to say, Laura and I have leftovers for lunch today. The sandwich was so large, even after being cut in half, there was no way for us to finish it last night. I can’t say I’m disappointed about that either because of the whole leftover thing.

There’s a lot of flavor in this sandwich. The ingredients used are very good. One thing brings out the flavor of another and so on. I thought I would enjoy the peppers the most, but surprisingly, what I feel really popped was the herbes de Provence. They stood out tremendously. I actually smelled them before taking my first bite. I think it’s the fennel seed and the rosemary that made the day. Delicious.

When preparing this recipe, I suggest you purchase and extra loaf of Italian bread. Even though one is fairly large, I wasn’t able to fit all the doubled up ingredients on it. We decided to add them to our salads, but if we had another roll or something like that, we could have made more sandwiches. I’m just trying to think outside the box here.

Ingredients

Makes: 1 Huge Sandwich

1 Large Loaf of Italian Bread (the wide kind)
8 Ounces of Goat Cheese
8 Large Eggs
4 Tablespoons Water
2 Teaspoons Herbes de Provence
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Sized Yellow Onion, Sliced Thin
2 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Butter, Unsalted
2 Cups Fresh Spinach, Coarsely Chopped
1 Cup Romano Cheese, Shredded
2 Red Bell Peppers, Roasted (see recipe)
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’ll explain how to make the roasted peppers below, but if you’re interested right now, you can check out this recipe. Head down to the Prepare the Roasted Red Bell Peppers section.

Prepare the Bread

Slice the loaf of Italian bread in half and then spread the 8 ounces of goat cheese on the insides of both pieces. It helps to warm the goat cheese some, so it’s not crumbly. You want it to spread easily, like mayonnaise.

Halved Fresh Italian Bread

Goat Cheese Spread on Italian Bread

Prepare the Eggs

Crack the 8 eggs into a medium sized bowl. Add the 4 tablespoons of cold water and whisk well. Then, mix in the 2 teaspoons of herbes de Provence. Once finished, set the bowl aside for later use.

Omelet Egg Mixture

I’m not sure if herbes de Provence is sold in stores. It probably is, but it sure wasn’t where I go shopping. Because of this, I had to make my own. The ingredients consist of dried basil, fennel seeds, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme. I went with equal parts of each herb and things turned out wonderfully. Having most of these ingredients on hand is more likely than finding this overall ingredient in a grocery store.

Here’s what the mixture looks like:

Herbes de Provence - Dried Herbs

Turn on Your Broiler

At this point, go ahead and turn your oven broiler on low. You’ll need the oven to be warm for the next step.

Prepare the Roasted Peppers

Making roasted peppers is very simple. Here’s how to do it. Cut 2 whole red bell peppers in half and clean out the insides. Also, remove the stems.

Take the 4 pepper halves and place them, insides faced down, into a large skillet. I always use my Lodge cast iron skillet for this.

Red Bell Pepper Halves in Cast Iron Skillet

With the palm of your hand, push down on each of the peppers so they flatten out. Then, drizzle some regular olive oil over the pepper halves and brush the oil in so it’s uniform across all the skin. You can lightly salt the peppers at this point as well, if you wish.

Place the skillet in your oven on low for about 10 minutes. This step is meant to warm the peppers and to soften them slightly. Things won’t look very different inside the oven during this time.

Next, increase the boiler heat to high and closely monitor the skins on the peppers. They will begin blistering and will change color very fast. Once they begin to char and look like the photo below, remove the skillet from the oven and turn off the heat.

Roasted Red Bell Peppers in Cast Iron Skillet

Once the peppers have finished cooking, transfer them to a cutting board and slice each half into 1/2 inch pieces. Place them in a bowl for later use.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Slices in Glass Bowl

Prepare the Onions & Garlic

Warm the same skillet over medium-high heat on your stove top. Then, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to it. After that, add the sliced onions to the pan. Cook the onions, while stirring, for about 5 minutes or until they soften up nicely. Then, add in the 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Cook, while stirring, for another 1 or 2 minutes.

Sauteed Onions & Garlic in Cast Iron Skillet

When finished, place the onion and garlic mixture in a bowl for later use.

Cook the Eggs

Keep the same skillet over the medium-high heat on your stove top and add the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan. When the butter begins to bubble and is completely melted, add in the egg mixture.

Let the eggs cook for 1 minute and then take a spatula and push the sides of the eggs in towards the middle. The goal here is to get the entire omelet to cook without flipping it. By pushing the sides towards the middle, you’ll move the cooked sections and allow the raw egg to make its way to the edges to firm up. I took a photo of mine about half way through the process.

Cooking an Omelet in a Cast Iron Skillet

Keep doing this until all the raw egg is firm. Then, remove the pan from heat and turn off the stove.

Pre-Heat Oven

Turn your oven on to 300 degrees.

Assemble the Sandwich

Spread a large piece of aluminum foil on one of your counter tops and place the bottom of the Italian loaf on the aluminum foil. After that, fold the omelet in half inside the skillet and slide it onto the bread.

Folded Omelet on Italian Bread

At this point, you can season with some sea salt and some ground black pepper.

Next, add the onion and garlic mixture on top of the omelet.

Adding Onions & Garlic to Omelet

And then add the chopped spinach on top of the onions and garlic.

Adding Spinach to Omelet

Continue with adding the shredded romano cheese and the sliced roasted red bell peppers.

Adding Shredded Romano Cheese to Omelet

Adding Roasted Red Bell Pepper to Omelet

After all the ingredients are added to the sandwich, place the remaining bread on top.

Omelet Sandwich

Wrap Sandwich & Heat in Oven

The sandwich is finished. All that’s left is to heat it up in the oven so the cheese melts. To do this correctly, you’ll want to wrap the entire sandwich in the aluminum foil. I did this in the photo below, but what’s no shown are the two additional pieces that I added to each end.

Sandwich Wrapped in Aluminum Foil

Once it’s wrapped, you can place it on a baking sheet and in the oven for 15 minutes.

The Final Sandwich

This is what my sandwich looked like after I pulled it out of the oven and unwrapped a portion of it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was thoroughly heated through and smelled great.

Finished Italian Omelet Sandwich

And this is what it looked like after I cut it in half. I enjoyed this even more.

Omelet Sandwich Half

Omelet Sandwich Halves

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Lunch, Sandwiches


Thai Curry with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas & Cilantro Recipe

June 10, 2016

Thai Curry with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas & Cilantro Recipe

Curry, by far, is one of the most dynamic and tasty things you can put in your mouth. Every single time I eat curry, I’m astonished at what I’ve been missing when I’m not eating it. And to think, it’s not a terribly challenging area of cuisine to undertake. Actually, it’s very simple.

For the past few days, I’ve been craving something that would fill my belly up. Even though I’ve been preparing many dishes that have been wonderful to enjoy, I’ve missed those “stick to my ribs” types of meals. And oddly enough, I’ve also been desiring some butternut squash. Ask me why. I have no idea. So when I stumbled across one of Curtis Stone‘s recipes called Thai Red Curry with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas, I thought it was a sign from above. As I said, I love curry and I happen to know that anything butternut squash really fills me up. This recipe was perfect.

The Recipe

As I was eating this dish last night, I turned to Laura and said, “This is really good. It’s filing too.” And then I continued eating. I only got half way through my bowl because I had just finished a huge salad and we added some Jasmine rice under the curry, but seriously, the butternut quash hit the spot. Since I doubled up on the ingredients when preparing this recipe, we’ve got lots of leftovers, which is perfect because I already want some more.

The Thai red curry paste this recipe calls for will make you say “Wow.” It packs a punch. I picked up a small jar of it at my local grocery store for a few dollars and used the entire amount in this dish. That, combined with the coconut milk is to die for. If you’re not familiar with Indian or Thai cooking, I highly encourage you to give a simple recipe like the one I’m about to share with you below a shot. It’s difficult to mess up and the outcome will certainly be surprising. I’m a huge fan.

Ingredients

Remember, I doubled up on these ingredients, so the photos below will show twice as much food. You may want to consider doing the same since this dish is so good and easily refrigerated for later enjoyment. The ingredient list I’m including below will cover the normal recipe quantities.

Serves: 4

1 Butternut Squash (about 2 pounds)
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Thai Red Curry Paste
1 Can Chickpeas, Drained & Rinsed (15.5 ounces)
Sea or Kosher Salt
1 Can Coconut Milk (13 ounces)
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Step-by-Step Instructions

There really ins’t much prep time for this recipe. You should be able to finish everything necessary in about 10 minutes. And the cooking time will take about 30 minutes, so you should plan accordingly for that.

Prep the Squash

Trim both ends off the butternut squash and then peel it in its entirety. After that, slice it lengthwise, clean out the seeds and then cut both halves in half inch pieces. Place everything in a bowl for later use.

Sliced Butternut Squash in Glass Bowl

Heat Pot & Add Ingredients

I used my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven for this recipe because I had a lot of material to deal with. If you’re preparing the recipe with the ingredient list above, you can use a regular pasta pot. I had to go larger because I doubled up.

Warm the pot over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and the 1/3 cup of Thai red curry paste. Stir both ingredients for about a minute or so until things begin to smell wonderfully.

Thai Red Curry Paste in Lodge Dutch Oven

After that, toss in the sliced butternut squash and mix well until each piece is coated with the curry paste and the oil.

Thai Red Curry Paste Mixed with Butternut Squash in Dutch Oven

Add in the 1 can of chickpeas and stir well again.

Adding Chickpeas to Sliced Butternut Squash

Finally, add the 1 can of coconut milk, 3/4 cup of water, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Making Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry

Simmer & Reduce

After about 10 minutes of covered simmering, remove the lid and add in the chopped cilantro. Stir well.

Adding Chopped Cilantro to Butternut Squash Curry

Keep the cover off and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften the butternut squash and to reduce the liquid a bit. The squash should be tender after the 20 minutes.

Season & Serve

After about 20 minutes of simmering, stick a fork into the pieces of squash to make sure they’re soft. Also, season with some salt to taste. If everything is good, plate and serve. You can also add some more cilantro as a garnish at this point.

The Final Dish

I loved this recipe. It’s definitely on my “repeat” list. I can’t get over how good that curry paste and coconut milk is when they are combined. Also, I’d consider this a hearty meal because of the squash and the chickpeas.

Squash & Chickpeas Curry

Thai Red Curry with Squash & Chickpeas

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner


Spicy Garlic, Lemon & Beer Southern Shrimp Recipe

June 6, 2016

Spicy Garlic, Lemon & Beer Shrimp Recipe

I know there are a few folks out there who are going to more than enjoy this recipe. It’s got punch, so if you like punch, it’s for you. It’s a combination of cayenne pepper, hot sauce, lemon juice and India pale ale – all smothering some delicious and tender shrimp. When that’s combined with some toasted French bread, you know there’s a party going on.

Before I continue with this post, I’d like to thank Laura for, once again, coming to the rescue during the final stretch of the recipe preparation and photography. As I was taking pictures of what I had made, I quickly realized that I was running out of ideas for how to present this dish. I snapped a few shots and called it a night. I usually do these things during the evening and then write the post the next day. I wasn’t happy with my photography, but after my lady showed up in the kitchen and helped out, things took a turn for the better. She added some of the beer I used to the “set” and then made a few other changes. Before I knew it, the pictures of the dish started looking much more like something someone might arrange on their own table.

To be honest, I’m more of the make it and eat it type of a person. She’s got the creative flair. I can even take care of a lot of the photography, but when it comes to food styling, I fall short. It’s not in my blood. She’s got it though and I’m lucky to be so close to such talent.

The Recipe

This is one of those New Orleans recipes that you might find down on a bayou. Like I mentioned in the opening of this post, it’s got some zing. There’s lots of garlic and spices and some herbs to round things out. It’s meant to be a fun dish. When finished, you can toast up some French bread and dip it in the broth that comes with the shrimp. You can even make little shrimp sandwiches with the bread, or put the shrimp in wraps. That’s what we plan to do with the leftovers. Just to keep things interesting.

This dish only takes a few minutes to prepare. Shrimp cooks fast and there’s nothing to bake or roast. Even the prep is easy, so I would seriously consider this recipe for summertime barbecues or any time you want somethings that’s tasty and fast. But remember, it’s got garlic. You have to like garlic if you’re going to like this recipe.

I’d like to thank Curtis Stone and his cookbook called What’s For Dinner? for this recipe. He calls it New Orleans “Barbecued” Shrimp with Amber Ale, but after the changes I made, I felt my title was more appropriate.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 Servings

2 Pounds Frozen Large Shrimp, Peeled and Cleaned
4 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
8 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup India Pale Ale
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (Tabasco)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Dried and Crumbled Rosemary
8 Slices of French Bread, Toasted

Step-by-Step Instructions

I believe you can use any type of ale for this recipe. After all the other ingredients are included, it’s impossible to taste what type of beer has been included. I would, however, caution you to stay towards the richer beers and not something light and cheap. You’re likely to miss out on something good if you go light.

Thaw & Strain the Shrimp

Add the frozen shrimp to a large bowl and then fill the bowl with water that’s room temperature. Let the shrimp soak for about 10 minutes to thaw them out. Then, pour them into a colander and shake them up a bit. Try to get the shrimp as dry as possible.

Add Garlic & Shrimp to Skillet

Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. I used my 12″ Lodge cast iron skillet for this because that’s the biggest one I have. Once the pan is hot, add the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the minced garlic. Then, add the cayenne pepper and stir up a bit.

Roasting Minced Garlic in Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

The goal with this step is to take some of the edge off the garlic by cooking it for about a minute or so. You don’t want to go so far as to actually brown the garlic because that’ll add a bitter taste to it. One minute is fine for this.

Next, add 1 teaspoon of regular table salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix everything in the pan a bit and then pour in the shrimp. Stir the shrimp well for about 1 minute until it’s entirely covered with the oil.

Raw Shrimp in Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

After that, add the 1/2 cup of ale, the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and the 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes while stirring well.

Cooking Shrimp in Cast Iron Skillet

Add Remaining Herbs & Simmer

Add in the finely chopped parsley, the 1 teaspoon oregano, the 1 teaspoon thyme and the 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Cook, while stirring, for another 1 minute. When the shrimp is visibly cooked through, remove the skillet from heat.

Cooked Shrimp, Beer, Herbs & Spices in Skillet

Toast French Bread & Serve

After the shrimp is finished, go ahead and toast up the 8 slices of French bread. I have to warn you here – the French bread is awesome when it’s dipped in the broth, so be sure to include a good amount of broth in each bowl. When the bread is ready, place 2 slices at the side of each bowl and add the shrimp and broth.

The Final Dish

Whenever I get to this part of the post, for some reason, I always think back to the dish. I go back and forth in my mind in an attempt to think of what was best about it. In this case, while the shrimp was spicy and delicious, I have to go with the bread and broth. The bread soaks that broth up and it turns something regular into something garlicky and wonderful. The moral of this story is: don’t forget the bread.

New Orleans Shrimp & French Bread in Bowl

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner, Seafood


Orecchiette & Broccoli in Brown Butter Sauce Recipe

June 4, 2016

Orecchiette & Broccoli in Brown Butter Sauce Recipe

Up until a few days ago, I had no idea what orecchiette was. Come to find out, it’s merely another shape of pasta. It sort of looks like small shells, but it’s a bit thicker with more firmness. It’s made up of the same exact ingredients as most other pastas, so I could have easily substituted the orecchiette for something else. Since this was a new experience for me, I decided to go with what the recipe called for.

The Recipe

I’ve been making so many sandwiches lately that I almost forgot there were other types of dishes to enjoy. I had to switch tracks to get back to something I could put in a bowl. When I found a recipe titled Orecchiette with Brown Butter, Broccoli, Pine Nuts and Basil from Curtis Stone‘s cookbook, What’s For Dinner?, I get excited. I thought about how much something like this was right up my alley.

I’m glad I went ahead with this one because I really liked it. Any time I get to toast pine nuts, or in this case, pecans, I know I’m in for a good time. There’s such a distinct difference in flavor when you toast these things. Also, browning butter and using it as a highlight in a recipe is to die for. When butter is browned, it gives off a nutty flavor, which can really add to the flavor profile of a dish. In the case of this recipe, an entire stick is used and the nutty butter flavor truly shines through.

I made a few substitutions for this recipe. First, I switched out the pine nuts and used pecans. While both of these ingredients are quite expensive, I already had a bag of pecans in the refrigerator from a previous recipe. In my opinion, using pecans is better than using pine nuts anyway. Also, I switched out the basil for parsley. The grocery store I shop at didn’t have the large bag of basil that I usually purchase and I wasn’t about to spend $5.99 for only four ounces of the stuff. I’ve got 18 basil plants growing in the garden right now, so I’ll have to save up all the recipes that call for it and put them together in a few weeks. I think it’s smart to use what’s in season.

Growing Fresh Basil in Garden Outdoors

When I was shopping for broccoli, I found that there were two types offered; one was called regular broccoli and the other was called broccoli florets. The regular broccoli had nice long stems and the broccoli florets had short stems that wouldn’t have offered the same distinctiveness after being trimmed from the head. Even though the regular broccoli was a tad more expensive, I decided to purchase it. I wanted a specific look for this dish.

Overall, I enjoyed this bowl of food. There are relatively few ingredients, but what there is offers a lot of flavor. It does need seasoning with salt and pepper, but it’s filling and fun to watch come together.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 Servings

1 Pound Fresh Broccoli
1 Pound Dry Orecchiette
1 Stick Butter, Unsalted
1/2 Cup Parsley, Chopped
1/2 Cup Pecans, Toasted and Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Step-by-Step Instructions

Of course, if you’d rather use basil, by all means, use that. Again, I decided to go with what was available at the time. If I were to prepare this recipe again and if I had an abundance of basil on hand, I’d definitely go with it.

Prep the Ingredients

To start off with, you’ll need to prep all the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. It’ll be much faster and simpler if you have everything in front of you before you even turn the stove on.

First, trim the broccoli so you’re left with individual pieces. Try to keep the stems as long as possible. You’ll get more food out of the deal and it’ll look better to boot.

Washed & Trimmed Fresh Broccoli in Glass Bowl

I put the orecchiette in a bowl simply to take a photo of it. I wanted you to know what it looks like. I also like to see my ingredients on the counter, ready for use. It brings me comfort.

Dry Orecchiette in Glass Bowl

Next, I washed and coarsely chopped the fresh parsley. I stored the ingredient in a bowl.

Chopped Fresh Parsley in Glass Bowl

Finally, I coarsely chopped the pecans and toasted them in a small skillet over medium heat. I knew they were finished when I could see them changing color and they became fragrant. Also, when I tasted one of the pieces, it had much more of a crunch to it than if it hadn’t been toasted. Hands down, toasted pecans are awesome.

Coarsely Chopped & Toasted Pecans in Glass Bowl

Cook Broccoli

In a large pot, add 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of regular table salt. Bring the water to a boil. When boiling, add the broccoli pieces and let cook between 3 and 5 minutes. The goal here is to cook the broccoli until it turns bright green and becomes somewhat tender. Don’t overdo it because you’ll be cooking it a bit more later on.

Cooked (Boiled) Broccoli in Glass Bowl

When it’s finished, scoop all the broccoli from the boiling water with a slotted spoon, shake off and place in the same bowl you took it from. Keep the water boiling.

Cook the Orecchiette

Pour the pound of dry orecchiette into the same pot the broccoli cooked in. The water is flavored from the broccoli and the salt, so this should offer a nice outcome. Also, don’t worry about the water being slightly green. That only adds to the fun. Cook the pasta, while stirring, between 8 and 11 minutes or until it’s just tender enough to be eaten. Don’t overcook the pasta. It should be right past the point of sticking to your teeth.

When finished, dip a measuring cup into the pasta water and scoop out 1/2 cup. You’ll likely need this flavored water later on. After that, strain the pasta in a colander and set aside.

Cooked Orecciette Pasta in Bellemain Stainless Steel Colander

Brown the Butter & Add Broccoli

Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. When to temperature, add the entire stick of unsalted butter and cook, while stirring, for about 2 minutes. When you start seeing small droplets of brown in the butter, add the broccoli to the skillet and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Cooked Broccoli in Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Add Remaining Ingredients

After the broccoli has cooked in the skillet for a few minutes, go ahead and pour the orecchiette pasta in along with the broccoli. Stir everything together. Then, add in the 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, the 1/2 cup of toasted pecans and the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir those ingredients into the others. Salt and pepper to taste and if the mixture is too dry, add in some of the reserved cooking water, while stirring, until it’s to the desired consistency.

Broccoli, Orecchiette & Toasted Pecans in Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

When finished, divide among some plates and serve. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over each dish as well.

The Final Dish

This is a nice dish. It’s fairly quick to prepare, so it would be good for almost any night. Also, it tastes great and is rather filling, so it’ll satisfy even the toughest of customers.

Broccoli, Orecchiette & Toasted Pecans in Bowl

Pasta & Broccoli Recipe

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dinner


The Real Deal Egg Salad Sandwich with Veggies Recipe

June 2, 2016

The Real Deal Egg Salad Sandwich with Veggies Recipe

I’ve been a fan of egg salad sandwiches for most of my life. I’m not sure what it is – probably the fact that they taste great and are off the beaten path. I don’t eat them very often and when I do, I always enjoy. The thing is, I’ve oftentimes wondered how to take the regular egg salad sandwich up a notch. You know, break free from the typical recipe of hard boiled eggs and mayonnaise we all know from when we were kids to something more substantial. Perhaps a wider variety of flavors and something else mixed in with those eggs. Well, if you’ve ever thought about something similar, you’re in for a treat today.

The Recipe

The first area this recipe focuses on is flavor and that can be found in the dressing. With the use of yogurt, dill, mustard, honey and garlic, things become very tasty. In my opinion, we’ve already taken a step up from regular mayo. Next, the recipe focuses on texture and the ability to fill the belly. Of course, we have the hard-boiled eggs, but we also get to enjoy some carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper and capers. Okay, the capers add some flavor too.

I prepared this recipe last night and Laura and I ate some sandwiches for dinner. Surprisingly, they were heavy – meaning they weighed a lot. These weren’t any regular egg salad sandwiches. They were really filling, which I always like. I picked up some “farmer’s bread,” which is a more rustic version of regular bread. I put the ingredients on that and I found things to be very satisfying.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Paulette Mitchell for her cookbook Vegetarian Sandwiches. I pulled this recipe from that and added some of my own tweaks to it. It’s a winner.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 Sandwiches

As a note, I doubled up on this recipe as I made it last night because I would like some more sandwiches today, so the photos will show more than what you’ll end up with if you follow the amounts below. I encourage you to double up too. If you’re going to spend the time preparing this, you may as well make enough for the next day as well.

For the Dressing

2 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Dill
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Honey
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper

For the Sandwich

3 Hard-Boiled Eggs (find recipe here)
2 Tablespoons Carrot, Minced
2 Tablespoons Green Bell Pepper, Minced
1 Tablespoon Celery, Minced
1 Tablespoon Sweet Onion, Minced
1 Tablespoon Capers, Rinsed
4 Slices of Good Bread
Mayonnaise (find recipe here)
Pub-Style Mustard
4 Large Tomato Slices
Alfalfa

Step-by-Step Instructions

Feel free to make the dressing and sandwich mix early and store in the refrigerator for a day or so. The ingredient flavors will have time to come together and the result will be an even more flavorful sandwich.

Make the Dressing

In a medium sized bowl, add the yogurt, the dill, the mustard, the lemon juice, the honey and the garlic. Mix well. Then, add some salt and pepper to taste and mix well again.

Egg Salad Sandwich Dressing

Make the Sandwich Filling

Prep all the vegetable ingredients. Then, add the carrot, the green bell pepper, the celery, the sweet onion and the capers to the same bowl the dressing is in and mix well.

Egg Salad Sandwich Vegetable Filling

After that, peel and slice up the hard-boiled eggs. Add them to the same bowl as the rest of the ingredients are in and mix well.

Egg Salad Sandwich Mix

Assemble the Sandwich

Lightly toast the 4 pieces of bread. Then, put two pieces each on two plates. Spread some mayonnaise on one side of the sandwich bread and some pub-style mustard on the other.

Sandwich Bread with Mayonnaise & Mustard

After that, add some of the hard-boiled egg mixture on top of the pieces of bread with the mayonnaise on them. Then, add two slices of tomato on top of that and finally, add some alfalfa to the top of the tomato. This is what the sandwich should look like.

Egg Salad Sandwich

The Final Sandwich

I’m getting hungry just from writing this post. As you can see, this sandwich recipe wasn’t very challenging. Most of the time was taken up during prep. That’s why I doubled up on those ingredients. At this point, I’m glad I did because I know what I’m eating for lunch today. It’s a great sandwich. If you do decide to give it a try, please let me know what you think.

Egg Salad and Vegetables Sandwich

Two Sandwich Halves

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Lunch, Sandwiches

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