Menu for week 4-24-11

So the weather this April has been quite crazy...days of 80 degrees and beautiful blue skies, to rainy afternoons full of thunder and lightening...we have even had localized flooding up around where we live. Mother Nature is certainly not wanting to make up her mind on what she is throwing our way!

I found a few new recipes that I am excited to try this week (out of my new "Cooking Light" Magazine...I hope you will like them too!

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus adiitional for garnish
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.
If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.
Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.


Pea Shoot Salad with Radishes and Pickled Onion

1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 cup shelled fresh English peas
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups pea shoots
10 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and teaspoon sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add onion; let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Cook English peas in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt for 2 minutes. Drain; rinse peas with cold water. Combine onion, peas, pea shoots, and sliced radishes in a large bowl. Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Drizzle oil mixture over pea mixture; toss gently.

Gemelli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios, and Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette


8 ounces uncooked gemelli (short twisted tube pasta)
1 cup (1 1/2-inch) cut Green Beans (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped shelled pistachios
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind, divided
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup)

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add green beans during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse pasta mixture under cold water; drain well.
2. Place the pasta mixture, pistachios, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 tablespoon lemon rind in a large bowl; toss gently to combine.
3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind, shallots, Champagne or white wine vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add salt and black pepper; stir with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture, and toss gently to coat. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Easter Week 2011

So I am loving all the "green" around my house, it means that spring is FINALLY coming. Some of my flower buds are blooming and to me that means we must be close to the Easter holiday. One thing I always LOVE is my Grams flowerbed this time of year, I have so many Easter pictures standing beside her rows and rows of daffodils and blue bells, she certainly has a "green thumb" in our family. I bought myself an indoor balsam fir right around Thanksgiving and my family named the plant "Hope" (as in hope you live thru the New Year, because I can kill anything, even a cactus). Today when I came downstairs to open the curtains in my front room I realized my plant is drying up and dying, I am so sad (Tony says the plant lasted much longer than he thought), not sure how I feel about that comment!

Carrot-Apple Salad

1 cup grated apple
1 cup grated carrot
8 green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Toss ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Broccoli Waldorf Salad

4 c. fresh broccoli
1/2 c. uncooked raisins
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 c. crisp fried bacon, usually about 1 lb.
1 c. apples
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar

Mix all ingredients except last 3. Then mix last 3 together and coat the first mixture with it. You can add more or less of the ingredients you like best.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

2 cups heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together cream and chipotle puree until smooth.

In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cream, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cream has been absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned.

Week of April 4th

So I am really excited about the menu this week, we have a few goodies back that have been gone from the menu for quite some time...plums, and brussel sprouts!

At our house we fight over the brussel sprouts, and all I do is oven roast them as the recipe states below...I can almost PROMISE your family will love them...we use lots and lots of parmesan cheese on them straight out of the oven!

As for the recipes with plums I thought I would try a sweet and a savory one this week...as it is still cold enough to have something warm and yet hopefully warm enough to grill!! :)

Plum and Apple Cobbler

1 3/4 lb cooking apples
12 ripe plums
juice of 1 lemon (or an orange for variety)
1 tbsp cold water
4oz golden brown sugar
~A little butter for greasing
==============================
For the cobbler:
4oz self raising flour
1tsp cinnamon
2oz butter
2oz golden brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
4tbsp milk
2oz walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325* F
Butter the oven dish well.
Peel, core and slice the apples.
Place them into a bowl of water with a little lemon juice added, to stop them from browning.
Halve, stone and quarter the plums.
If RIPE plums are used, they do not need to be peeled as the skin will break down in the cooking.
Put the apples into the saucepan with the lemon juice, water and sugar.
Bring to the boil and then cover and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the plums and cook for a further 5 minutes, still stirring occasionally.
Pour the fruit into prepared oven dish and set aside.
Sieve the flour and cinnamon into the mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter over the fruit mixture, leaving gaps where the fruit peers through.
It looks sparse at this stage but it will expand in the baking process.
Scatter the walnuts over the batter if you are using them and then sprinkle a little brown sugar over to give an extra crunch and shine.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until the topping has a crisp golden brown crust and the fruit is bubbling.
Try not to open the door until near the end of as the topping is still technically a sponge - be patient!

Grilled Shrimp-and-Plum Skewers with Sweet Hoisin Sauce

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
3 plums, quartered
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
Sweet Hoisin Sauce
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 1/2-inch) julienne-cut green onions (optional)
1 lime, quartered (optional)

Preparation
Prepare grill.

Toss shrimp, plums, ginger, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Thread 3 shrimp and 3 plum sections alternately onto each of 4 (10-inch) skewers.

Spoon 1/2 cup Sweet Hoisin Sauce into a cup; place remaining sauce in a serving bowl. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook for 4 minutes. Turn kebabs, and brush with about 1/4 cup sauce. Cook 4 minutes. Turn the kebabs; brush with about 1/4 cup sauce. Cook 2 minutes, turning once. Serve remaining 1/2 cup sauce as a dipping sauce. Garnish with onions and lime wedges, if desired.



Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts:

1 lb brussel sprouts (trimmed and halved)
olive oil
fresh cracked pepper and sea salt
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375

Prep brussel spouts and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place on a baking sheet, single layer only

Roast 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. They will have a delicious nutty flavor and still be slightly crunchy!