Hot Weather Salad

Man, we are having a heat spell! I am on the coast and feeling it, but I feel so sorry for my friends and family 30 miles inland who are just baking in this heat!

Anyway, the last thing I want to do today is cook...with heat, anyway. I looked through my vegetable bins and decided that a couple of salads fit the bill for tonight. But not green salad. We eat green salads almost everyday in the lunches we make for toting to work. We got some beautful kale last week in our SLO Veg box and I think I still have some. The star salads will be Kale salad and a Quinoa salad. I saw the Quinoa salad on Pioneer Woman's post this morning and I knew it would be something my hubby would love. I googled some kale salad recipes and found one with a yogurt/mayonnaise base that sounded perfect. All I needed was a nice red onion, so I planned to pick one up from the store when I ran into town today.

Two salads paired with olives, a pickle and baguette slices, plus an assortment of salami, makes a great hot weather meal. I really liked the kale salad--it had just the right touch of sweetness.

Earlier in the day, I cooked the quinoa in my rice cooker. I wanted to get that out of the way before it got too hot. After it was cooked, I put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. Then I checked on all my other ingredients for both salads: Greek yogurt, check; raisins, check; mayonnaise, check; fresh basil, check, olive oil, check, balsamic vinegar, check. I guess I will need to stop at Trader Joe's to get some mozzarella balls, "ciliegine" I think they are called, and some cherry tomatoes. I would substitute pumpkins seeds for the sunflower seeds. So cheese balls, tomatoes and a red onion.

I went ahead and soaked the kale in water, then spun it dry in my salad spinner. I gave it a rough chop and called it good. The seeds and raisins go in last, so that is all the prep work I could do until I bring home that red onion.

I woke Taylor up and told him to get ready so I could give him a ride in to school. Its nice when classes don't start until 11:00 am. Make late-night video-game life so much more manageable. I packed up some things to drop off at my storage unit and headed to town. Some of it was Taylor's grandmother's china dishes, so I made sure to point out the boxes to him. Someday he would be unpacking this stuff with his future spouse as they set up a household. Along the way I also dropped off items for the Thrift Store as we are downsizing and I need to clear things out. What the heck, I might go through the car wash while I am in town, too.

So off I went to town, dropping off the kid, leaving stuff at the Thrift Store and storage units, through the car wash and on to TJs. I love that store. first thing they do is give you a bite of some gourmet cheese as you walk in the door. Today it was Gruyere. But I was on a mission for mozzarella balls, so down the aisle I went. I found some nice Heirloom cherry tomatoes in a variety of colors, all in one package, so that was perfect. Maybe a nice baguette to serve alongside, too. We had received a gluten-free baguette from Edna's Bakery in our box last week, but it was so fresh and delicious, it didn't last one night in our house, so I need more! I checked out the salami assortments and found a tray with three different kinds in it...hub would love that! Some more cheese slices, some eggs, coconut milk, pasta and vitamins...that should do it.

I got home with all my stuff, and guess what? I forgot to get a red onion! I had to make a quick trip down to the local Mexican market, where I made a beeline for the produce and picked out a couple of huge red onions. Gheeesh! Must be the heat.

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Here is Pioneer Woman's quinoa salad recipe: 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/quinoa-with-tomato-basil-and-mozzarella/

Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Salad

Description Tomato, basil, and mozzarella are glorious together. Throw in quinoa and a simple vinaigrette and they’re heavenly!

Ingredients

• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 cups Red Quinoa
• 4 cups Water
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 cup Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 8 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella, Cut Into Small Cubes
• 24 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Preparation

Combine olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper in a jar. Put on the lid and shake vigorously. Set aside.
Prepare the quinoa by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil, then adding the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Pour quinoa out onto a baking sheet and spread into a single layer to cool quickly.
Once the quinoa has cooled to room temperature, throw into a large bowl and toss in the tomatoes and mozzarella. Stir gently while adding 2/3 of the dressing. Stir in the basil. After everything is incorporated, give it a taste; add more dressing if it needs it, or reserve the rest of the dressing for another use. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
NOTE: It’s best to make this at least a couple of hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Salad will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days; the mozzarella slightly softens as time passes, but it’s still delicious!

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I found a nice recipe for Kale salad on AllRecipes.com:

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/222323/creamy-kale-salad

Kale Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped kale (ribs removed)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Mix kale, red onion, and raisins in a large bowl.
2. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl; pour over the kale mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over the salad and toss to serve.

Mexicali Tacos, corn, zucchini and black beans

Fish tacos can be the most refreshing meal! I like them because they are fast, filling and satifying. I like to make fish tacos with corn tortillas, doubled up so they don't crack and lose the filling in your hand.

We got some Pacific Grenadier in our last SLO Veg box, and since I already had some corn and zucchini on hand, Mexican-style fish tacos came to mind. I seasoned the fish with a simple blend of salt, pepper and garlic (Santa Maria-style seasoning), then coated the filets in flour and fried them in coconut oil until the coating was crispy and browned. I warmed the tortillas in the microwave because I don't like really greasy, pan fried tortillas, and laid them on the plate to be filled. Four small filets weighing one pound makes enough fish filling for about eight tacos. The fish tacos were garnished with cojita cheese and cilantro.

The real reason I wanted Mexican food tonight, though, was for the corn-on-the-cob. I boiled the corn and coated it with real Mexican creme from our little Mexican market down the street. Then I sprinkled my taco seasoning blend on top of the mayo and rolled each ear in crumbled cojita cheese. I think this is the best thing to eat in the world!

Our dinner also included black beans straight-out-of-the-can, spiced up with the taco seasoning, and some pan-fried onion, garlic and zucchini seasoned with the Santa Maria-style blend. I also made some mugs of Red Beer (Equal parts V-8 and beer, splash of lemon, Worchestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce, sprinkled with taco seasoning). Then I grabbed the apricots that were perfectly ripe and made an apricot crisp for dessert.

Definately one of my favorite meals!

I get so excited when I get the box and all kinds of recipes go dancing through my head. Tonight I picked just two things, the zucchini and the apricots, and made our dinner.

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Taco Seasoning:

1/2 C chili powder

1/4 C onion powder

1/8 C ground cumin

1 Tbs. garlic powder

1 Tbs. paprika

1 Tbs. sea salt 

1 tsp. ground oregano

Blend all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Use 1-2 Tbs. to a pound of ground meat and add one cup water. Simmer to blend flavors.

Cap'n Moody's Smoked Albacore Carbonara with English Peas

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Fresh green peas and pasta, with some local smoked albacore to boot! Mix that in with a creamy cheese sauce and you have a comforting dinner that is sure to hit the spot of the men in my house. I just better have enough leftovers for my lunch tomorrow.

Just look at those large lush peas! They taste so sweet, its hard to not eat the whole bowl-full, raw! The recipe also calls for leeks, which also came in our box from SLO Veg this week, along with the peas and canned albacore.  I even have some good cheese, a Parmesan-Romano, to make the sauce with. I think I will also add in some mozzarella cheese for extra creaminess.

Thursday is usually fish night around here when we get our SLO Veg tote delivered with the SLO Fresh Catch pound of fresh caught ocean fish. However, it's been pretty darn windy around this area lately, and so SLO Veg tells us that due to gale force winds, the local fishermen were not able to get out to sea this week. So we got canned albacore, which is a fantastic treat, I'd say! http://www.sloveg.com/eathealthy.cfm


Captain Moody's recipe on SLOFreshCatch.com calls for penne pasta, but we are having linguine because I don't gotz no penne! I have resisted the urge to run down to the market and get some penne, so give me some credit. Linguine will be fine. The smoked albacore is the key ingredient, anyway. The sauce looks just like creamed tuna that you put on toast, only fancier. Of course, this will be a not-so-fancy TV dinner, one that we eat from the coffee table while we chat, surf the web and watch TV shows all simulaneously in the living room.

I even made a litte antipasto dish with some of the"Celebrity" tomatoes from SLO Veg. I quartered three littler ones and doused them with some Balsamic vinegar. Then I paired them with some Mediterranean olives and we have an appetizer. I love it when simple comes together so deliciously!




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Here is Captain Moody's pasta recipe on SLOFreshCatch.com:

http://www.slofreshcatch.com/april-22-24-2014-smoked-albacore-caught-by-captain-moody-and-smoked-albacore-corbonara/

April 22-24 2014 Smoked Albacore Caught by Captain Moody and Smoked Albacore Carbonara

Posted on by margie on April 22nd, 2014 | 0 Comments »

This is a lighter version of pasta carbonara. For people who want the flavor, but not the bacon, smoked abacore is the perfect substitute!”

 Serves four

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoonsall-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/3 cupgrated Romano cheese
• 1 cup green peas
• 6.5 ounces smoked albacore, flaked
• 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute leek in butter until tender.
3. Stir flour and garlic powder into the butter and leek. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to just below boiling point, and then gradually stir in cheese until the sauce is smooth. Stir in peas  and cook over low heat for 4 minutes.
4. Toss in smoked albacore, and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve over pasta.

Sunday Breakfast in Bed

I had a cocktail on the beach last weekend that was so much fun. A Bloody Mary with heaping garnishes: asparagus, bacon, olives and prawns! It was a splurge, for sure, but what a treat!

When I saw the asparagus in our SLO Veg box this week, I immediately thought of this cocktail. So thinking ahead, I saved out a couple sticks of bacon from Lee's breakfast on Saturday, and made a quick batch of brine for a bundle of asparagus spears. I put the spears into the tall canning jar and poured the hot brine into it. I added a clove of garlic, a red chili pepper, and a half teaspoon of pickling spices. The jar had more room, so I peeled and quartered some carrot sticks, too, keeping them rather long to stick out of the cocktail glass. Sadly, I did only pickle one jar. More in the future! I also had on hand pimento-stuffed green olives and some large cooked shrimp, so all the essentials were in place.

"Don't get up yet", I told my husband. "I am making you breakfast in bed."

Then I brought in this meal.The cocktail for two was 1/2 cup vodka, 1-1/2 cups V-8 juice, a dash each of lime, lemon, Worchestershire sauce and hot sauce, stirred together. Then I moistened the rims of the tumblers with olive brine and dipped them in seasoned salt. I put in three ice cubes and poured in the cocktail. Garnishings were one stick each of bacon, asparagus and carrot, three prawns, then I laid a skewer of three olives on top of the ice cubes.

Here is the brine recipe found on cooks.com that I used:  

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/gn9q0621/pickled-asparagus-or-okra.html

Bobby Flay's cauliflower and mushroom mac and cheese

Big beautiful cauliflower. Nice and white, really fresh and straight from the farmers via SLO Veg. I wanted to cook it six ways, but then I sat down to watch "Beat Bobby Flay" and knew I had to make a cauliflower mac and cheese. I didn't have the exact same ingredients as Bobby used, but I had cheeses, mushrooms and milk. Sounds like a perfect storm, eh?

One ingredient he got dinged on was the White Truffle Oil. One judge thought using mushrooms and truffle oil was redundant. Well no worries here...I don't have any truffle oil. I think I will use some of my expensive (for me) basil-infused olive oil that I picked up in Monterey. That will give it an earthy finish, for sure, even if the mushrooms I am using are regular old white mushrooms from the grocery store, not wild mushrooms. I have a blended Mexican cheese mixture and some parmesan cheese, so that will have to suffice for the more worldly asiago and fontina cheeses Bobby used. I think the boys will still eat it. They are not cheese snobs, they are more like cheese hoes. Cheap ones.

I cooked the cauliflower in my big everyday pan and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes to soften. But I don't have any pasta, so my next step is to run down to the market to pick up some supplies. I also need cream cheese for the frosting on the strawberry cake I am making that I saw on "Pioneer Woman" this morning. Funny how it all influences my cooking decisions.  When Lee left for work I was thinking pork chop suey, but now its gonna be fish tacos (using our fresh rockfish from Slofreshcatch.com), mac and cheese and strawberry cake. Pretty sure there won't be any complaints, as long as I make enough.

Cauliflower and Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Mushrooms:
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 small shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped to a paste
1 1/4 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mac and Cheese:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cavatappi pasta (or other curly pasta)
5 to 6 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering dish
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces fontina cheese, grated
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Breadcrumb Topping:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/4 cup Calabrian chiles in oil, patted dry and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
White truffle oil, for drizzling
Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

For the mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Increase the heat to high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the mac and cheese: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl.

Put the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water, cover loosely with foil and cook in the oven until soft.

To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 7 minutes, adding more milk if the sauce is too thick.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a blender with 1 cup of the milk and blend until smooth. Add the cauliflower puree to the bechamel and stir until combined. Slowly whisk in the fontina, Monterey Jack, asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano until smooth, adding more hot milk if too thick. Mix in the nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the mushrooms and stir well to combine.

Butter a 10-inch baking dish, transfer the pasta mixture to it and bake until bubbly and the top is lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.

For the breadcrumb topping: While the mac and cheese is baking, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the anchovy paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chiles and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the mac and cheese topped with some of the breadcrumbs and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Garnish with parsley leaves.

© 2014 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cauliflower-and-mushroom-mac-and-cheese.html

Strawberry Go-Go Cake like Pioneer Woman makes

Luscious strawberries? Inspiration from Pioneer Woman's show? That's a go-go!

I love strawberries. When I was in high school, I planted 90 strawberry plants for my Future Farmer's of America project. I kept a record book on them. Mom and I made a lot of strawberry jam and strawberry shortcake. I should have tried to sell them at the Farmer's Market, but I guess I was way to busy with my social life. Oh well...anyway, I love strawberries!

You see those strawberries we got this week? Humongous! They are really sweet, too. I don't know if they are from Bautista Farms or which local grower, I will have to ask Rachael from SLO Veg about that, but they sure are lovely. They usually end up in a smoothy because I don't have time in the middle of the week to make something, but really strawberries are nice eaten right out of the basket, or sliced with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or dipped in sour cream and rolled in brown sugar...all good!


But my Mom used to make strawberry shortcake in a 9x13 sheet pan using her sweet biscuit dough recipe, and that's what I like. Ree's recipe this morning reminded me of my Mom's cake, so I had to try it out. I deviated slightly by substituting 1/2 cup of coconut flour to give the cake a more dense texture and see how that turns out. Mom used Bisquick, but I don't keep that around...I prefer to mix my own. Also, I had the foresight to use a springform cake pan. My cake came out at little crispy on the edges, and I don't think it would have come out of a regular cake pan in one piece. I was a little nervous about slicing it in half, so I waited until it really cooled down.

Ree's frosting looked really, really good with butter and cream cheese as the base. I decided I must try it out, and then I can make it for my daughter's birthday in June if it turns out okay. She loves strawberries and angel food cake, but this may be a nice twist.

So my cake fell a little in the middle, probably due to the heaviness of the coconut flour. It just made my layers not exactly level, but after I cover it with sweet, mashed strawberries and luscious cream cheese frosting, I don't think anyone will notice.

This is Ree's recipe which I followed, except for the flour. I put the changes in parenthesis. I probably didn't use 1-1/2 pounds of powdered sugar, either. Maybe like a pound. Not sure because I didn't weigh it. But I guess I should have, because I didn't have enough to frost the cake all the way down. Sigh. Oh well, I am sure it will taste good anyway, despite its flaws. The guys know better than to complain, too.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/strawberry-shortcake-cake.html

Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Ingredients

Strawberry Shortcake:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, 

plus more for greasing
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

(1 C flour + 1 C cocnut flour)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plus two tablespoons sugar
3 whole large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, plus more to garnish
Icing:
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt

Directions

Special equipment: 8-inch cake pan that's at least 2-inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan.

Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. In stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until no longer jiggly like my bottom, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven. Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem the strawberries and mash them. Sprinkle the strawberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

For the icing: Combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice the cake in half to make two smaller cakes. Spread the strawberries evenly over each cut side of cake, pouring on all the juices as well. Place the cake halves into the freezer for 5 minutes, just to make icing the cake easier.

Remove the cake halves from the freezer. Use a little less than one-third of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer of cake on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining icing around the sides.

Leave plain or garnish with strawberry halves, serve slightly cool.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/strawberry-shortcake-cake.print.html?oc=linkback

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Tonight I was going to bake some pork chops. I had three big, thick ones that I seasoned with my special sweet and spicy pork rub. I wanted to roast some sweet potatoes to go with the pork chops and had something in mind like this recipe I found on Audrey's Apron:
http://audreysapron.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/roasted-spiced-sweet-potatoes/

I had similar ingredients on hand, like three sweet potatoes that needed to be cooked before they went bad. They had started to grow a few sprouts, so I cut those off and peeled them and diced them into nice bite-sized cubes. Then I drizzled on a little bit of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons worth. Instead of searching for all the spices in my cabinet, I just grabbed the Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub that I had just used on my pork chops and sprinkled that onto the sweet potatoes. Then I added a dash of cinnamon and a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar. That should do it. Into the oven they go for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn at least twice.

Since I also had a nice bunch of asparagus from our SLO Veg tote , I laid it alongside of the sweet potatoes and drizzled on a little olive oil, then seasoned it with coarse salt and some panko bread crumbs. I put the entire pan shared by both vegetables into the oven and let it go for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables twice. A little bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled onto the asparagus completed the seasonings. 

Here is my pork rub recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub

2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs coarse sea salt
1 tsp each: cumin, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and chili powder
1/2 tsp each: black pepper, white pepper

*this makes enough seasoning to fill a little spice jar

Mix ingredients and sprinkle on pork roast or chops. Sear the outside on a grill, then place in a baking dish. Bake in a 375 degree oven. Pork roasts take about 20 minutes per pound. Pork chops will usually cook in 30-45 minutes, depending on their thickness. 

A bit of carmelized onions and apples complete this dinner plate of pork chops,   sweet potatoes, and asparagus.