Recipes of the Week–September 20, 2016

Pot-roasted chicken with butternut squash and sage from: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/16/pot-roasted-chicken-with-butternut-squash-and-sage-skye-gyngell-a-taste-of-home

1 lemon, halved

2 fresh bay leaves (dried is fine too)

A small bunch of fresh sage

1 whole chicken, cavity rinsed out with water, drained and excess fat around neck trimmed off.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

1.2kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

Put half the lemon, 1 bay leaf and half the bunch of sage inside the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.

Heat a large, heavy-based pot or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat till hot. Brown the chicken a little on each side, for about 10-15 minutes or so in total. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion to the pan and cook till it’s slightly softened, stirring occasionally. Put the chicken back into the pan, and add the remaining ingredients, finishing with the chopped tomato.

Give it all a big stir, making sure that the vegetables are nestled around the chicken. The meat doesn’t need to be covered by the liquid. Once the lid is on, the chicken will steam and become nice and tender.

Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low, so it simmers away gently for about 45 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thigh: the juices will run clear if it’s cooked.

When cooked, pull apart the chicken and put in bowls with the vegetables, covering everything with lots of sauce. Serve with steamed green vegetables.

 

Butternut Squash Crostini Recipe with Cashew Cheese from: http://www.organicauthority.com/butternut-squash-crostini-recipe/

For the cashew cheese:

½ cup cashews (soaked for 8 hours or overnight)

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

½ lemon, juiced

½ teaspoon sea salt

 

 

For the butternut squash:

1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

For the crostini:

2 baguettes (gluten-free in necessary)

1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Add butternut squash to a bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

Add roasted butternut squash to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Butternut squash should have some texture but be mostly smooth.

Meanwhile, add cashews, almond milk, lemon juice, and sea salt to a high-speed blender. Blend, scraping down sides as needed, until smooth.

Slice baguette into ¼ inch slices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 6 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Remove from the oven.

Top each baguette with one tablespoon or so of cashew cheese and a dollop of butternut squash. Lightly press the butternut squash down with a fork to adhere it to the baguette. Garnish each crostini with a few pieces of thyme. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Savory Clafoutis With Corn and Swiss Chard from: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018280-savory-clafoutis-with-corn-and-swiss-chard?action=click&contentCollection=Food&module=RelatedCoverage&region=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article  

¾ cup whole milk

 ¾ cup crème fraîche

4 large eggs

2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, more as needed

1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère or Cheddar (about 4 ounces)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large or 3 small leeks (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 cups corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears, or frozen and thawed)

1 large garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or minced

1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (8 cups)

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fresh lemon juice, for serving

Red pepper flakes, for serving

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together milk, crème fraîche, eggs, flour, parsley, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Whisk in 3/4 cup Gruyère.

Heat olive oil in a 9-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until they are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn, garlic and a pinch of salt; cook until garlic is fragrant and corn is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard leaves a handful at a time, and cook until they are wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Season the mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Pour crème fraîche mixture over the corn and chard mixture, and then sprinkle the remaining Gruyère and the Parmigiano on top. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until custard is lightly set, about 40 minutes. Serve topped with a sprinkling of lemon juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Recipes of the Week–September 13, 2016

Roasted Red, White & Blue Potatoes from: http://www.finecooking.com/item/50511/homegrownhomemade-roasted-red-white-blue-potatoes

·       1-3/4 lb. baby red, white, or purple potatoes, or a combination, scrubbed and halved

·       3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

·       1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

·       2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar or coarsely ground in a spice grinder

·       Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

·       Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       12 large cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Arrange them cut side down in a well-spaced single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan, making sure to scrape out and include any herbs and oil stuck to the bowl. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the potatoes with a spatula and scatter the garlic cloves over them.

Continue roasting, stirring every 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender enough to pierce easily with a skewer and the skins are browned all over, crisp, and bit shriveled, about 45 minutes more. Serve immediately.

 

Crusty Onion Bruschetta From: https://www.onions-usa.org/recipes/36-Crusty_Onion_Bruschetta

·       1 French bread baguette (about 8 ounces)

·       4 ounces light cream cheese

·       1/2 cup nonfat or low fat ricotta cheese

·       2 teaspoon dried oregano

·       2 teaspoons dried basil

·       1 cup pizza sauce, canned

·       1 medium onion, cut into paper-thin wedges

·       1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

·       Parsley flakes (optional)

Directions

Split bread in half lengthwise. Pull out some bread from center of each half, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Beat cheeses and herbs with fork and spread mixture along length of both bread halves. Place a ribbon of pizza sauce and a single layer of onions over cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake on baking sheet at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until onion is tender and tips are slightly blackened, but crust is not too dark. Sprinkle with dry parsley flakes if desired. Cut crosswise into narrow strips.
Makes 8 servings.

 

Zucchini tots from: http://myzucchinirecipes.com/zucchini-tots/

• 1 large zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 1 medium onion
• 1 egg
• 3-4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 100 g grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• salt
• black pepper

Grate one unpeeled zucchini using a cheese grater, season with salt and combine it, then set it aside in colander, let the liquid drain out from zucchini. After 10 minutes’ transfer it in a clean dish towel an drain as much as you can, removing the excess of water from the grated zucchini.

Shred the carrots, cheese and onion, transfer them into a large bowl, combine them together with the zucchini, egg and breadcrumbs. Season the mixture with oregano, salt and black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or spray it with cooking spray.

Spoon one tablespoon zucchini in your hand and form a tot. If the mixture is too wet and sticky, add more breadcrumbs. Place the tots on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the tots for 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Serve them warm with your favorite dip.

Recipes of the Week–September 6, 2016

Roasted Beets with Sauteed Greens from: https://whatscookingamerica.net/KarenCalanchini/RoastedBeets-SauteedGreens.htm

6 to 8 small beets with greens attached
Olive oil
Butter
Coarse salt or sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 426 degrees F.  Line a small sheet pan with non-stick aluminum foil (this saves on clean-up).

Wash, rinse, and drain until all traces of garden soil are removed from the beets and their leaves (use a small vegetable brush if needed), leaving the skin intact.

Cut off the leaves, leaving about 1 inch of green on each beet (the red stems can be cut up and used if one desires - I discard them when I use beet greens because they need to be cooked longer than the greens).  Set the prepared beet greens aside to use later in the recipe.

Cut each beet in half and then cut the two halves in half, leaving a little green on the top of each wedge.  Place the beets on the prepared baking pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the beets and toss to coat well.  Dot each beet with a little butter and then sprinkle some salt and pepper over them.  Place in the oven and roast until the beets are soft and well caramelized, approximately 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets. Just before the beets are done cooking, heat a little olive oil in a saute pan.  Roughly chop the set aside beet leaves (greens) and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the roasted beets and the sauteed beet greens tossed together.

 

Spaghetti Squash with Red Sauce from: https://draxe.com/recipe/spaghetti-squash-red-sauce/

medium spaghetti squash

1 pound Grass fed ground Beef

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 mincec garlic cloves

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

28 ounce can organic crushed tomatoes

16 ounce can organic tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Half the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scrape out any seeds.

Place on a baking sheet rind side up and bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is easily pierced with fork.

In a separate skillet over medium high heat, cook the beef.

Add in onion, garlic, salt and pepper and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes.

Drain any excess grease in skillet.

Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.

When spaghetti squash is cooked through, scrape out with a fork into a separate bowl.

Serve squash in bowls and top with beef sauce.

 

Using Sage: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ingredients-fine-foods/45-things-to-do-with-fresh-sage/

Best Pairings for Sage Recipes

– Sage + eggs (i.e. in an omelette)
– Sage + chicken (i.e. roast chicken with sage and lemon inside the cavity)
– Sage + lamb (i.e. in lamb burger patties)
– Sage + fried liver + croutons
– Sage + polenta
– Sage + onion (i.e. in stuffing)
– Sage + white beans (i.e. in white bean hummous or an open sandwich)
– Sage + apple
– Sage + pineapple
– Sage + roasted peanuts 

Sage uses

– Sage butter on gnocchi
– Sage butter on ravioli, especially pumpkin ravioli
– Sage butter on trout
– Sage olive oil with pasta and parmesan
– Put some leaves into pesto with other herbs.
– Add sage to duck sausage.
– Add sage to bean dishes.
– Infuse honey with sage.
– Use with parsley, rosemary and thyme in chicken risotti and soups.
– Add along with fresh parsley, basil, thyme, and rosemary to tomato sauces.
– Deep-fry the leaves and serve as an appetizer, or use as a garnish for poultry, meat dishes, or pasta.

Recipes of the Week–August 30, 2016

Eggplant Pasta Recipe: from: http://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/eggplant-pasta-recipe/

·       15 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 can

·       1 large onion, chopped

·       2 cloves garlic, chopped

·       2 medium eggplants, ends trimmed and cut into 1" chunks

·       1 pound italian sausage, 5-6 links

·       1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

·       salt, to taste

·       black pepper, to taste

·       1 pound rotini, optional and prepared separately

In a 6 quart slow cooker add the diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, eggplant and salt. Mix well then place sausage links on top, covering with sauce.

Place on low for 6-8 hours. Season with more salt and pepper if needed and stir in basil. Serve on top of pasta.

 

Zucchini Carrot Muffins Recipe from: http://www.foodfanatic.com/2016/01/zucchini-carrot-muffins/

·       1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

·       1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

• 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup finely grated zucchini, about 1 small
• 1 cup finely grated carrots, about 2 medium

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin (or 12 cup regular muffin tin) with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, yogurt, zucchini and carrot (if you don’t want any visible veggies this can be pureed in a blender or food processor instead).

Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Divide the batter between the 24 prepared muffin cups, heaping it up in each cup. For regular sized muffins, the 12 cups were filled to the top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes (or 22-24 minutes if making full size muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Notes

• Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• These muffins can also be made with grated apple replacing the zucchini, which makes them slightly sweeter without increasing the sugar. They’re great both ways, so use whatever you have on hand!

 

Heirloom Tomato Cheddar Tart with Everything Spice

from:  http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/heirloom-tomato-cheddar-tart-everything-spice/

• 1 sheet frozen puff pasty, thawed
• 1/3 cup basil pesto ( homemade or store-bought)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4-6 heirloom tomatoes
• olive oil, for drizzling
• Everything Bagel Spice
• 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds (or another tablespoon white sesame)
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried onion
• 2 teaspoons dried garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the thawed puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet and prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch boarder and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and top the tart with tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with everything bagel spice. Top with basil. Slice and EAT! :)

Recipes of the Week–August 23, 2016

Shrimp with Swiss Chard from: http://naturalfitfoodie.com/shrimp-with-swiss-chard/

½ lb Swiss chard

7 oz prawns or shrimp

2 cloves of garlic

½ cup white wine

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the swiss chard, drain and chop it

Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 20 mins. Drain

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan with chopped garlic

Add shrimps and cook for 1 minute

Add swiss chard and white wine

Cook altogether on a low heat until wine is absorbed

Add salt and pepper to taste

Swiss Chard with Asian Seasonings  From: http://relish.com/recipes/stir-fried-chard-with-asian-seasonings-video/

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

3 drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Gradually add chard; as one batch wilts, add another.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until tender and most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

 

Red Haven Peach & Caprese Salad from: http://galbanicheese.com/recipes/?recipeId=10564

16 oz Mozzarella Fresca™

1 Red Haven Peach , cut in wedges

1 tbs Red Onion , thinly sliced

1 Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Flake Sea Salt

2 tbs Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)

1 tsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1 large Basil Leaf , torn

1 Basil Leaf Top , garnish

Wash peach, cut in half, remove pit and cut each side in 4 wedges.

Slice about 5-6, ¼” slices of fresh mozzarella and cut in half, creating half-moons.

Arrange the peaches and mozzarella on a plate like it fell from the sky.

Top with sliced red onion and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt.

Drizzle salad with Extra Virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Garnish with torn basil and basil top.

Serve immediately.

 

Sweet Corn Flans with Tomato-Corn Relish From: http://www.mastercook.com/app/Recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=10199618

3 ears fresh corn, shucked

2/3 cup 1% milk

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 cup corn reserved from flans

6 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into small dice (3/4 cup)

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar

4 (4- to 6-ounce) ramekins

• Make flans:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook corn in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Cut off kernels with a sharp knife into a bowl, scraping ears. Reserve 3/4 cup for relish and purée remainder in a blender with milk until smooth. Force corn purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding skins.
• Whisk together eggs, salt, and cayenne until blended and whisk in corn purée.
• Pour flan mixture into lightly oiled ramekins and bake in a hot-water bath just until set, about 40 minutes.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and cool on a rack. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.
• Make relish:
• Stir together corn, tomatoes, onion, and basil. Stir in oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
• Run a thin knife around edge of each flan, then invert flans onto plates. Spoon relish over them.

Cooks' notes: ·Flans and reserved corn for relish may be chilled, covered, up to 1 day.