Skip to main content

Tag: vegetables

Sesame chicken & kale salad

yholmes 1 Comment
We would like you to create timeless memories when we Cook for Labor Day, so we have done exclusive research on the various top recipes dishes or items that you should have for this upcoming day.
I should start labeling recipes as “Trader Joe’s Recipe”. Since they’ve opened a store near me I’m there every Sunday & I can’t get enough of their produce (and their prices). Just a tip, a food agency can help your product reach a wider market if you are running a food business.

Kale is a weird green. I put it in green smoothies and cover it up with lots of fruit. Outside of smoothies & soups, I think it’s pretty awful. Until now! I had this salad at a local Dallas eatery & paid 12.99/lb. It’s so simple… no need to pay more than I’d pay for a steak!

Use whatever vinegar you like (rice wine would be great) as it really breaks the kale down. It’s best the next day, but stays great for several days.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup grape seed oil
  • 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons orange & muscat vinegar (Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste

For the salad

  • 1/2 bag tuscan kale, cut, washed & tough stems removed
  • 4 Persian cucumbers, cut in half & sliced into half moons (or 1 english cucumber)
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 can mandarin oranges, rinsed & drained
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

DIRECTIONS

Mix the vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl. Add all of the other ingredients – toss, cover & let sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. It’s best the next day, but stays great for several days.

Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Blue Cheese

yholmes 1 Comment

Our Thanksgiving Feast included these crunchy, salty & sweet morsels. There wasn’t much leftover, but what wasn’t gobbled up for lunch my sister and I polished off the next morning for breakfast. Cold.

They are that good.

Make them for Christmas or heck for go crazy and make them for breakfast with some scrambled eggs.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 pound pancetta, cut into small cubes (or bacon)
  • 3 pounds Brussels sprouts, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup of blue cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cook the pancetta until crisp in a large skillet. Remove using a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup drippings in the skillet.

Combine the Brussels sprouts, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Place the sprouts on the prepared baking sheet and bake until tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the vinegar, brown sugar and mustard to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Pour the mixture over the sprouts, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with the bacon & blue cheese Serve immediately.

Serves 10.

Asparagus with Bacon, Shallots and Pine Nuts

yholmes Leave a comment

What a great side dish for the holidays. Fast, delicious and so addictive. Use bacon, use pancetta, use a different nut. Drizzle with a little meyer lemon olive oil if you have it on hand. You can’t mess this one up.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, cut into 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large non-stick pan, sauté bacon or pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and shallot and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic, lemon and orange zest and toasted pine nuts and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Chargrilled Broccoli with Chili & Garlic

yholmes Leave a comment

Another Ottolenghi win… simple ingredients and delicious leftover!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 mild red chilies (Fresno), thinly sliced
  • coarse sea salt
  • black pepper
  • lemon slices (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Separate the broccoli into florets and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes – don’t be tempted to cook longer! Remove immediately to a bowl of ice water, then drain and leave to dry completely.

Once the broccoli is dry, toss with 1/2 cup of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place a grill pan on high heat and leave for 5 minutes until smoking hot (or grill on your outdoor grill). Grill the broccoli in batches on the hot pan, turning to get lovely char marks on all sides.

While the broccoli is cooking, place the remaining oil in a small saucepan together with the garlic and chilies and cook on a medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Be careful not to let the garlic and chilli burn – they will continue cooking in the hot oil even when off heat.

Pour the garlic and chili oil over the hot broccoli and toss well. Season to taste and toss in lemon wedges. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Chargrilled Cauliflower with Tomato, Dill & Capers

yholmes Leave a comment

 On my most recent trip to London I came across a foodies paradise – Ottolenghi. When I walked in the front door my eye didn’t know where to look first! Beautiful floating layers of salads, whole grains, breads and OH MY desserts had my mouth watering. This cauliflower salad is a perfect example of why Ottoleghi is so successful – he brings bright and satisfying flavors to the simplest of vegetables.

I can’t get my nose out of his cookbook so expect lots more from Ottolenghi on The Fifth Tine.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon French whole grain mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • A good handful of arugula
  • 1 tablespoon dill, chopped
  • sea salt
  • pepper

DIRECTIONS

You can make the dressing in a food processor or by hand (we used the processor). Mix together the capers, mustard, garlic, vinegar and some salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously or run the machine while adding half the oil in a slow trickle. You should get a thick, creamy dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add the cauliflower to a large pan of boiling salted water and simmer for just 3 minutes. Drain and run under a cold tap to stop it cooking further. Leave in the colander to dry well, then put it in a mixing bowl with the rest of the olive oil and some seasoning. Toss well.

Heat a ridged griddle pan over the highest possible heat and leave it for 5 minutes or until it is really hot. Grill the cauliflower in batches – don’t over-crowd the pan. Keep turning until they are nicely charred all over and transfer to a bowl. While the cauliflower is still hot, add the dressing, dill, spinach and tomatoes. Stir together, taste and adjust seasoning again.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetable Thai Red Curry

yholmes Leave a comment

I do love a spicy curry on a cold night and this one couldn’t be easier. I decided to go vegetarian as I served this with grilled steaks (marinated in soy, pineapple juice & garlic). You can use any combination of vegetables and throw in some chicken if you want a one-pot meal.

This was inspired by a red curry I recently had in Montreal at ChuChai that was so aromatic with kaffir lime leaves. What a pity that “no one has them” in Dallas. I will order them online so this tragedy doesn’t replay. If you are lucky enough to have a stash of these lime leaves – omit the lime juice and use a lime leaf when simmering.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 14oz. can of coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste (I like Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry Paste)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 3 potatoes
  • 2 roma tomatoes, seeded & cut into wedges
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 4 ounces crimini mushrooms
  • 2 cups fresh green beans
  • 3/4 cup bamboo shoots, drained
  • 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
  • Juice of one lime
  • Handful of Thai basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Do not shake the can of coconut milk. Open the can and skim off the “cream” on top (roughly the top 1/3 of the can) and add it to a Dutch oven or large pan.

The first step is to “fry” the curry paste in the coconut cream. Add the paste to the coconut cream in the pan, stir and cook this over medium heat until the oils separate from the paste (about 5 minutes). Slowly, it will begin to cook down into a thick paste, then finally the aromatic oils will begin to separate from the paste. After you see the oil, add the chopped onion and cook the onion for about 1 minute.

Add the remainder of the can of coconut milk. Bring this to a boil then lower to a simmer. Add fish sauce and palm sugar and stir to combine. Add vegetables (except tomatoes) and cover the pot and simmer gently for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. I the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, add tomato wedges. When finished cooking, stir in the lime juice. Stir in a big handful of Thai basil leaves that are torn in half.

Serve with rice.

Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Aioli

yholmes 1 Comment

I couldn’t be happier that Laura Calder is on the Cooking Channel. Finally – a show that defies any preconceived ideas of fussy & pretentious French cooking.

On an unrelated note I am equally unhappy that Sandra Lee is STILL on Food Network.

French Food at Home is refreshing and carefree. Laura Calder is lovely. Her background music is even cute. She makes me want to buy a swing for my porch and fill glass carafes of stock and wine for my fridge. How pretty.

As are these beautiful artichokes she threw together. Perfect starter or snack for a lazy afternoon… which is how I enjoyed my Sunday (and wishing for a swing).

If you need direction on how to prepare an artichoke here’s a great video that breaks it down.

INGREDIENTS

For the aioli:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 head garlic, roasted*
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon

For the artichokes:

  • 6 large Jerusalem artichokes or 12 baby artichokes (poivrade variety, which are the tiny ones)
  • 1 to 2 lemons
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

To make the aioli: Beat the yolk with the vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Whisk in the oil, drop by drop, to make a thick mayonnaise. Squeeze the garlic out of the roasted cloves into the mayonnaise and whisk smooth. Season the aioli with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, to taste.

To prepare the artichokes: Trim the artichokes, rubbing with lemon as you go, until you are down to the core with a bit of stem attached. Halve. While you’re trimming, bring a pot of water to the boil. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into it and salt it. Drop in the artichokes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the size. Drain, and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the artichokes on all sides. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Serve with the aioli.

* To roast a head of garlic, wrap in foil and bake for an hour at 350 degrees F.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Maple-Chipotle Glaze

yholmes 2 Comments

I can’t imagine going back to regular corn after tasting this sweet and spicy combo. My dad has a fail proof microwave method (no dealing with pesky silks) and then I grill it afterwards to get the brown charred kernels.

I have to believe this would also be incredible slathered on salmon!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ears fresh corn (husks on for cooking)

DIRECTIONS

Bring first 5 ingredients to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until glaze is reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. (Glaze can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

This is my Dads quick microwave corn method – and it’s a huge success. Keep husks and silks on the corn. Cut the bottom and top off the corn. For each ear of corn, add 3 minutes to the total time. 6 ears of corn will cook a total of 18 minutes. Place corn in microwave and cook for 9 minutes. Turn corn over and cook another 9 minutes. (You can prepare the corn up to this point and wait to clean until ready to grill with the glaze). Remove the husks and silks.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush corn with some of glaze. Grill until lightly charred in spots, turning frequently. Transfer corn to platter. Brush corn with remaining glaze. Sprinkle generously with salt and serve.

Mufasa Corn

yholmes 2 Comments

Mufasa was one BIG goat…. here is the story.

There is a sweet lady named Susanne who once lived near Tyler and had many goats. I see this sweet goat-raising lady a few times a year and a meal is always in the story. I seem to always bring a dish with goat cheese and like clockwork she politely declines to indulge in my creation. She came clean and explained the taste of goat cheese smells just like those stinky goats!

The last meal we shared I made what I was calling a “corn and tomato succotash”. She officially renamed the dish in honor of her biggest goat (who was quite popular with the ladies)… Mufasa.

It works… and it tastes incredible.

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 ears sweet corn, cooked and kernels removed
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion, diced medium
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Boil corn for 7 minutes. Cut kernels from ears of corn. You can also use a large bag of frozen corn. Be sure to defrost, drain and dry the kernels (try to get the water off so they will brown in the pan). Add corn and onion to skillet over medium heat with 1-2 T olive oil. Cook on medium high until the corn has slightly charred. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes just to warm through. Stir in goat cheese and cream. Serve warm or room temperature.

Cherry Tomato and Feta Tart

yholmes Leave a comment

Recently I borrowed a friends State Fair of Texas cookbook full of winning recipes… one of which belongs to her husband. He is a proud blue ribbon winner for the best lasagna I’ve had in my entire life. This recipe book is full of innovative recipes and a tomato pie that called for bouillon caught my eye. What a strange ingredient! I can’t say it wouldn’t be just as delicious without the bouillon… but I believe it won her the blue ribbon.

It appears some things are just meant to be. I had cherry tomatoes that weren’t going to make it another week, basil that was developing brown spots, a disc of pie dough in the freezer and a nice hunk of feta leftover from last weeks Pistachio Crusted Chicken. It was delicious and would be perfect alongside Baked Shrimp Scampi for a simple and impressive make ahead dinner party menu!

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pea size pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the inside:

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 green onions, finely sliced
  • 5 large basil leaves, cut into long, thin strips
  • 1 Star garlic and herb bouillon cube, or chicken bouillon*
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pie crust recipe above or a store bought pie dough
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
  • 2 cups Mozzarella, shredded

DIRECTIONS

For the crust: In the bowl of a food processor combine the butter, flour and salt. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture looks like finely grated cheese. Add half of the ice water and pulse again. The mixture should start to come together to form a rough ball; if it still seems dry add the remaining water and pulse until it has formed a rough ball. Remove the mixture from the food processor to a clean work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This can be done a few days in advance.

Toss tomatoes, basil & green onions with the bouillon and olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and drain off any liquid that has developed from the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove dough from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before using to allow it to soften up a bit. Dust the dough and a work surface with flour. Roll out dough into a 10-inch tart shell and prick the bottom with a fork.

Spread 1/2 of the tomatoes into the bottom of the pie shell and top with 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat. Drizzle the top with a small amount of olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes on the middle oven rack.

*The STAR herb & garlic bouillon can be found at Jimmy’s Food Store for less than $2. I keep it on hand and use it when cooking rice and pasta. Chicken bouillon can also be used in this recipe.

https://www.barbieinablender.org