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That Good Dressing

That Good Dressing

That Good Dressing

 

1 teaspoon pressed or finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons brown mustard

1 tablespoon each fresh, or 1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, and rosemary

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup any good vinegar (red, white or rice wine or apple cider)

1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to your taste)

 

Combine all ingredients in blender and whir until emulsified. Alternately, without a blender, combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the ingredients are emulsified. Taste and adjust the salt.

Keep refrigerated up to several weeks (but it probably will be used up quickly).

 

GREEK BLEND

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic

1teaspoon lemon zest

 

SUNSHINE BLEND

1/4 cup dried oregano leaves

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

2 tablespoons crushed lemongrass

2 tablespoons dried lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

 

ITALIAN BLEND BLEND

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons dried marjoram

2 tablespoons dried cilantro

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried savory

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

No Boil Baked Pasta

No Boil Baked Pasta

No Boil Baked Pasta

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2-3 C. Mix-ins, in any combination (See ideas below)

12 oz. uncooked rotini pasta (fusilli, farfalle, rigatoni, medium shells, ziti)

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

24 oz. water

2 tablespoons basil pesto

8 oz. shredded Parmesan

8 oz. fresh mozzarella (provolone, fontina, melting cheese)

Kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

julienne-cut basil, for serving

grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (pecorino, ricotta salata, grating cheese)

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, oregano, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add pasta, chosen mix-in(s), spaghetti sauce, water, pesto, most of the Parmesan, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover tightly with a lid or tin foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Top with freshly torn mozzarella and remaining Parmesan and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and turning golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan enjoy!

 

Add-Ins

 

  • Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked
  • Meatballs, cooked and quartered
  • Pepperoni, chopped
  • Rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • Roasted red peppers, sliced
  • Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
  • Zucchini, sliced and sauteed
  • Mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
  • Eggplant, sliced and sauteed
  • Fennel, sliced and sauteed
  • Spinach, chopped and sauteed
  • Escarole, chopped and sauteed
  • Black or green pitted olives, chopped
Crab Apple Jelly

Crab Apple Jelly

Crab Apple Jelly

 

3½ pounds firm, crab apples (8-9 cups) which yield 3½-4 cups of juice

Enough water to be level with apples in the pot (3-4 cups)

3  5-inch sprigs fresh rosemary

zest of half a lemon

about 4 cups granulated sugar (1 cup sugar: 1 cup juice)

 

Wash crab apples and remove leaves and most of the stems. Inspect fruit for rot and black spots. Discard less than perfect fruit. Place apples, zest, and rosemary in a 6-8 quart stainless steel saucepan. Pour water into the pot until it is level with the crab apples, about 3-4 cups. Do not add sugar, yet. Bring fruit and water to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat and use a potato masher to break up the apples. Return to heat and continue to simmer until fruit is soft — another 5 or 10 minutes. Do not cook longer because you will run the risk of destroying the pectin. Place a muslin-lined sieve over a large, clean bowl. Pour cooked fruit in and allow mixture to drain overnight. If you push it through the sieve with force, your juice will likely become cloudy. Measure juice. You should have about four cups. If you don’t, place a heavy object on top of the pulp to slowly release more juice. Sometimes I drizzle a little hot water over the pulp and use what drips out to make up the difference and get me to four cups.  Pour juice into a clean, deep, wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan that allows room for boiling a liquid that is going to froth and rise about four inches. Bring fruit juice to a simmer over medium heat. Add sugar and stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to medium and bring mixture to a low rolling boil. A rolling boil is when the entire surface of the liquid is boiling, not just the edges.  After five minutes start checking the juice for set point. Remove the pot from the heat each time you check.  At first, the rolling boil will be frothy and rise up the sides of the pot. Watch carefully and control the frothiness by adjusting the heat. Otherwise, the mixture will boil over and make a mess. As the mixture cooks, it changes from a frothy boil to a ploppy boil. Continue to test for sheeting until you reach set point. Immediately remove pot from heat it is reached. Skim any surface residue with a slotted spoon.  Here’s a photo of sheeting from my recipe for my oven-roasted strawberry jam. This set point test method works for both jellies and jams. Ladle hot jelly into clean, warm jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth. Cap them and turn them upside down and allow to cool. This helps give the jars a good seal without processing, but unless they are processed in a boiling water bath, they will need to be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Alternatively, you could heat process them. Crab apple jelly tastes equally great on toast or served alongside roasted pork or chicken

Huevos Rancheros Tacos

Huevos Rancheros Tacos

Huevos Rancheros Tacos

 

8 corn tortillas

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 large eggs

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup Pico de Gallo

Sour cream

½ avocado, peeled and diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

 

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the broiler to low.  Spread out the tortillas on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Broil for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the tortillas over so the toasted side is face down.  Divide the black beans among the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it next to the stovetop.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Crack two eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are cooked through, then flip. Transfer each egg to one of the tortillas on top of the black beans and cheese. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Sprinkle with pepper.  Top the tacos with 1 tablespoon pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Egg Roll in a Bowl

2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 onion, finely diced

1 pound extra-lean ground chicken or turkey

11/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups green cabbage, chopped or shredded into 1-inch ribbons

11/2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup fresh bean sprouts or 1 (14-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

2 scallions, finely chopped, for garnish

 

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and the garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground chicken. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, 7 to 9 minutes. While the meat is browning, mix together the remaining 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, soy sauce, broth, ginger, and black pepper in a small bowl. When the chicken is cooked, stir the sauce into the skillet. Add the cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. Stir to combine. Cover the skillet and simmer until the cabbage is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve in a bowl and garnish with the scallions and additional soy sauce to taste.

 

Serving Size: ¾ C.  Calories: 133; Total fat: 3g; Protein: 19g; Carbs: 7g; Fiber 2g; Sugars: 4g; Sodium: 356mg