baked zucchini and caramelized onion dip
June 14, 2013 § 38 Comments
Recently I saw a post on Reclaiming your Castle for baked zucchini. Her post struck a cord with me because when I was 18 years old living in my first apartment and not knowing much about cooking, I would go to the market and bring home random vegetables not knowing what in the world I was going to do with them. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with zucchini. As a little girl I loved zucchini. I remember walking through my dad’s garden and selecting one zucchini and asking my mom to cook it for me. Kindly and patiently she sliced it into rounds, boiled and put a pat of butter on it. I sat at the dining room table all alone enjoying my little bowl of comfort. There was a time when boiling vegetables (a little too much) was the default recipe for getting them on the table for a houseful of hungry folks. Therefore, at 18 years old when I discovered a breaded and baked zucchini recipe I was intrigued and knew it was going to be the first vegetable I wanted to learn to cook, rather than boil. And I remember cooking it over and over again. I used an egg dip, seasoned italian bread crumbs and dotted each one of them with butter before baking in a preheated 425° oven for approximately 25 minutes until nice and crispy. Revisiting this recipe after two decades (or so!) was like walking back into that little apartment kitchen.
This is a great side dish for the little ones around your table. Please visit Sara’s site for a more detailed recipe!
What really made these delicious was the caramelized onion dip. I followed Sara’s recipe with one minor change. I used greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise. Don’t get me wrong, I love mayonnaise. I didn’t have enough in house and I happened to have a full tub of yogurt. Honestly, this is the same recipe I make for our potato chips while we are watching games during football season.
c a r a m e l i z e d o n i o n d i p
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 cup greek yogurt
Melt the butter in a non stick pan over moderate heat. Add the sweet onion slices and cook stirring occasionally until the onion softens and caramelizes. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes, on medium-low heat. When the onions are a nice brown hue and caramelized remove from heat and cool.
Place the onions, vinegar, honey and mustard in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and stir in the yogurt.
Serves 4.
buon appetite.
roasted garlic scapes
June 10, 2013 § 47 Comments
flower tops from elephant garlic
When cooked, garlic scapes have a very mild garlic flavor with a texture and taste somewhere between asparagus and artichoke. The whole spear may be eaten, as is. The previous statement was copied from the little piece of paper stuck in the rubber band of the bunch of scapes I acquired at Whole Foods. I brought them home because I loved how they looked. Even if I didn’t cook them I could put them in a vase! The little paper from the rubber band said to steam, sauté or puree’ into a wonderfully mild garlic soup. Or chopped raw they are very hot and will spice up your baked potatoes, salads or dips. I decided to roast them. A few years ago I had planted garlic and amateur as I am as a gardener when the tops popped up looking somewhat similar to these…they were very curly actually…I didn’t do anything with them other than be amused when I visited the garden bed. The buds did open up, flower and go to seed.
A drizzle of olive oil, coarse sea salt and ground pepper. Roast in a 425° oven for roughly 25-30 minutes. These were so unique and delicious. I roasted them until the tops were crispy. We especially enjoyed the crunchy tops.
roasted garlic scapes
buon appetite.
linguine with chicken sausage (linguine con salsiccia di pollo)
June 4, 2013 § 40 Comments
Pasta with a parsley pesto is sufficient for a midweek dinner. However, with a strapping young lad at the dinner table I decided to add chicken sausage to give it a little substance. Dinner does not get any easier than this. Dinner is ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. For us, a one dish meal.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 pound of good quality linguine
- 1 pound of italian chicken sausage
- 1 large bunch of parsley
- 4 scallions
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3/4 cup of freshly grated pecorino romano
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- a shake or two of red pepper flakes
Place a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Cook the sausage and prepare the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.
If the sausage is in casings, remove the casing and break up the ground chicken in a skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 smashed garlic cloves to the skillet. Continue to cook until nice and brown. Lower heat to keep warm.
For the parsley pesto, place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended. If you are not using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, scallions and garlic, place in a bowl with pecorino, olive oil and pepper flakes and stir well.
Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.
Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto and sausage.
Divide into serving bowls and serve with freshly grated pecorino.
Serves 4
buon appetite.
clean out the fridge challenge “stew” !
June 1, 2013 § 46 Comments
My blog friend Dolly Rubiano has challenged me and mumandleahcook to a little clean out the fridge recipe posting. How fun! Well, this did present a challenge for me because, you see, it is a bit rare for me to over purchase at the market. I am very precise when it come to shopping and using everything I bring home. I always have the regular items such as, milk, eggs, cheeses, a little lettuce of some sort, and usually a few beers and maybe some chilled wine. What do you do with all that? I could make a salad and put an egg on it! I already posted that here. I stood at the refrigerator looking at some carrots and two large parsnips. Then I knew I had to raid the freezer too. Again, I do not usually have too much stored in our freezer, typically buy fresh and use right away. I did have some stewing beef. I decided then I would make a beef stew, smashed potatoes and caramelized parsnips. I had brought the carrots and parsnips home a few weeks ago thinking I would use them in a soup. I have to admit I did have to peel them, they were looking a little “over ripe”. This caramelized parsnip recipe is like eating a delicious coconut!
Not much in the fridge!
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 pound stew beef
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced into very fine bits
- 4 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup rose’ wine
- 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
- 3 cup hot water
- 6 carrot, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Add the beef and brown it over high heat until it is nice and brown on all sides. Salt the beef as you go. Add the onions and fry until it has softened. Add the butter, garlic and thyme and cook until butter is melted and the garlic is aromatic. Add the wine, cook until it has evaporated and add the tomato sauce. Stir well. Add 3 cups of boiling water, cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 -3 hours stirring occasionally. The meat should be very soft and tender after 2 – 3 hours. Thirty minutes before you are ready to serve add the carrots, cook uncovered until tender. Sauce should be fairly thickened when done. Turn off heat and allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.
c a r a m e l i z e d p a r s n i p s
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons turbinado raw cane sugar
- snipped chives
- salt
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place cut parsnips in a baking dish, drizzle melted butter and sugar on top. Toss to mix well. Add snipped chives and a little sprinkling of salt, cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until tender.
My “clean out the fridge” dinner was fantastic! It helped that it was 50° and raining all day so when the stew was simmering the aroma was as good as a warm blanket. I was very happy to top the dish off with fresh herbs from my garden. Basil on the smashed potatoes, chives on the the parsnips and thyme on the stew.
Thank you Dolly and Sandra for a fun little blogging experience!
Serves 4.
buon appetite!
simple midweek baked cod
May 30, 2013 § 45 Comments
An easy baked cod recipe. I made this fish on a evening after a long day at work and it was perfect. I realize how important a simple midweek dinner recipe is when I get home ready to drop. These cod filets went together easily. I served them with dill mashed potatoes and an arugula salad.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 4 cod fish filets
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt
- 1 lemon, sliced thinly into rounds
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- several sprigs of thyme
M e t h o d
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay out 4 large pieces of parchment paper on your counter. Coat both sides of your fish with panko bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and place one filet on each piece of parchment paper. Place a few lemon slices onto fish, a sprig or two of thyme, 3 smashed garlic cloves and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on each. Close up the parchment by meeting the tops together and rolling them down. Fold the end underneath to seal. Place the fish in a baking dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes. You may check one by carefully unfolding to make sure it is done and seal it up again.
Serve right away, allowing your dinner companions to open their own parchments!
dill mashed potatoes
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- handful of fresh dill, stems removed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt / pepper to taste
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced potatoes and fresh dill. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and return to the pot over a medium low heat and allow the additional water to steam out. Turn off the heat, add butter and smash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper according to your liking.
Serves 4.
buon appetite.
lamb chops with minted pea mash
May 28, 2013 § 36 Comments
It is still cool and rainy here in Seattle. Memorial Day usually inspires outdoor grilling, however, the rain never stopped yesterday. Turned out to be a perfect day to grill indoors and perhaps make a fennel and gruyére gratin. This was the first time I cooked lamb and it was delicious. I always thought in order to have succulent lamb it needed to be braised for hours in a stew. We used the most simplest stove top grilling technique and we were pleasantly surprised how well it turned out. I wonder how many other cooking misconceptions I have! The fennel gratin was a perfect accompaniment to this dinner. Unlike a potato gratin the fennel is light and the gruyére gave it a comforting element needed for a cool rainy day.
Served with a minted pea mash and a fennel gruyère gratin.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lamb cutlets
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- a few wedges of lemon and/or fresh mint to serve
Method
Heat a ridged grill pan and brush both sides of lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the cutlets over high heat until browned on both sides. I cooked for 4 minutes each side and they were medium rare.
This was suppose to be a mint puree. It turned out a little thicker than I expected and instead of thinning it out I decided to keep the consistency as a mash. Very enjoyable. I seem to have been a little stuck on peas and mint lately in my posting. I just love using what is in season and freshly harvested.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. of fresh peas
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- sprinkling of salt and pepper
- about 8 mint leaves
- 1 squeeze of lemon
Method
Cook the peas in boiling water until tender, then drain. Stir in the butter until it melts. Transfer peas to a blender or food processor. Add the cream, salt and pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Serve warm.
f e n n e l a n d g r u y è r e g r a t i n
Ingredients
- 3 fennel bulb, trimmed of outer leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated gruyère cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Method
Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim the fennel tops and save any feathery fronds for later. Quarter the bulbs and cook in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Drain well and place the fennel in a buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle the reserved fronds on top. Season with salt and pepper, pour on the cream and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes. I sprinkled a few uncooked fronds on top after baking.
Serves 4
buon appetite.
vegetable risotto (risotto di verdure)
May 24, 2013 § 48 Comments
In a previous post I mentioned my admiration for Tessa Kiros and her fine cookbook Apples for Jam. I adore this cookbook and in my opinion it is written for me. My particular copy is far from being gently used. The dust cover is tattered and torn and many of its pages are a bit warped and spattered with the ingredients the recipe is calling for. I thought about picking up a nice new crisp copy, but then realized I couldn’t possibly replace my characterized volume. On a visit to the library the other day I acquired another one of Tessa’s cookbooks, Venezia. Looking through the recipes I stumbled upon this vegetable risotto. With all ingredients in season I decided we would have this for dinner. Being a borrowed book from the library I just better keep the pages clean!
This risotto recipe was terrific. It had all the substantial textures and flavor you want from a spring vegetable risotto. The crispy artichoke was a impressive way to top it off. When you prepare the artichokes I found it is very important to make sure you completely cut the tough parts of the leaves off. Next time I prepare this I will use baby artichokes if they are in season. I treasure baby artichokes because the whole globe is tender therefore no need to cut so much away and the hairy choke is nonexistent.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus (about 12)
- 5 cups of hot vegetable broth
- 1 large artichoke (6 baby artichokes)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 3 or 4 young zucchinis, sliced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- all-purpose flour, for coating
- light olive oil
- handful of mint sprigs
Method
To prepare the artichoke, trim away the tough outer leaves and slice off the top. Halve the artichoke and remove the hairy choke. Cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.
To simplify the process, have all your ingredients prepared and measured before you start cooking the risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and sauté the onion until softened. Add the asparagus, zucchini and peas and sauté on high heat for a few minutes. Add the rice, mix through the vegetables to coat well. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow it to bubble away. Add 2 cups of hot broth, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the broth has been absorbed. Add another cup of hot broth, stirring gently. Do not allow the risotto to get too dry. Continue to add a cup of hot broth when necessary as it is absorbed, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and gently add butter, parmesan and parsley.
Just before your risotto is ready, drain the artichokes, pat dry with paper towels and lightly dip each side in flour. Using a non stick skillet cover the bottom with olive oil and fry artichokes until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer onto paper towels to s0ak off excessive oil.
Serve the risotto with a heap of fried artichokes, fresh mint and extra parmesan.
Serves 4.
buon appetite!
greek chicken cutlets and tzatziki
May 22, 2013 § 26 Comments
Here is a delicious Greek chicken recipe for you to make. I have been able to find chicken cutlets at most markets these day. If you can not find cutlets you may simply slice a chicken breast horizontally into three flat slices. You could pound them out a little more with a meat mallet if you like. Served with tzatziki, spanokópita, mache’ salad and greek olives.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets
- a dusting of all purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- salt and pepper
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of large capers, chopped
- 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons of hot water
Method
Lightly pat both sides of chicken in flour. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the smashed garlic over medium high heat and cook until the garlic is aromatic. Add the chicken and fry until golden. Turn the chicken over, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook other side until golden. Turn again, season and squeeze in the lemon juice, add the capers, parsley and hot water. When it starts to bubble put a lid on the pan and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and serve right away.
t z a t z i k i
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of full fat plain greek yogurt (I really like Fage)
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and grated
- 1 handful of dill, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
Using your hands, after you peel and grate the cucumber, squeeze out the excessive juice. Place in a bowl and mix well with all the other ingredients. Taste and add salt to your liking.
serves 4
buon appetite.
spinach pie (spanakópita)
May 20, 2013 § 40 Comments
While traveling abroad I had the opportunity to learn a bit about Greek culture and become acquainted with traditional Greek cooking. During this time I spent several weeks with family and friends in Athens as well as on a small island called Siphnos. I learned Greek cooking to be simple, wholesome and solely based on fresh seasonal ingredients. There is no place for canned or packaged foods in a Greek kitchen. My fondest memories are gatherings around tables in a quaint taverna savoring slow braised lamb, a freshly shredded cabbage salad, tzaziki, dolmades, and one of my favorite comfort foods gigandes plaki…giant white beans. Potatoes were sliced and fried in olive oil right then and there if your ordered french fries. I still have a clear image of a taverna owner walking out to the seashore, pulling in a net, collecting a fish and returning to his kitchen to cook it for me after I requested it from his menu. Fresh, simple and organic. 
Spanakopita was one of many dishes I learned to prepare from a very dear acquaintance while staying in her family’s home in Athens. Not long after she rose out of bed she would begin cooking the meal of the day. The aromas coming from her kitchen kept your appetite stimulated throughout the day. Spanakópita is such a delightful side dish and quite easy once you get the hang of working with the fillo. It is important to keep the fillo humid by lying it flat in between a clean, damp kitchen cloth, preventing it from drying out. Purchase a good quality feta cheese. If possible find a bright white sheep feta packed in brine. Most spanakópita recipes call for cooking the spinach filling prior to “filling” the pie. I think the cooking time in the oven is sufficient. Ingredients
- 2 large bunches of spinach, washed, dried and chopped
- bunch of spring onions, chopped
- handful of dill, chopped
- small handful parsley, finely chopped
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 package of fillo sheets
- 1/2 cup butter melted (1 cube)
Method Preheat oven to 350°. If you are not using pre-washed packaged spinach, wash spinach very well and dry. Cut off stems and chop. Place in a large bowl and add chopped spring onion, chopped dill, feta and eggs. Using your hands mix well until all ingredients are fully combined. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter and brush a little onto a 9 x 12 baking dish. Open your fill0 package and lay them flat in between a clean damp cloth folded in half. Place two fill0 sheets on the bottom of your baking dish and brush with butter. Make sure to keep your fillo sheets covered at all times to keep them from drying out. Continue placing two sheets at a time and brushing with melted butter until you have a good bottom base, approximately 10-12 sheets. Put your spinach filling in and continue layering fillo two sheets at a time and brushing with butter for another 12 sheets. I create a little more dramatic top by folding the fillo as you would a fan and placing them on top to fully cover. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and place in over for approximately 30 minutes until the top is well browned. Serves 4-6 as a side dish buon appetite.
linguine pesto and roasted tomatoes (linguine e pomodori arrostiti)
May 18, 2013 § 26 Comments
I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen in the middle of the week. I am so content when I am able to chop by hand instead of using a food processor. Normally midweek I return home just before 6pm. I am usually very hungry and you can only imagine how ravenous my 15 year old athletic son feels. I do not like to purchase convenient pre-made packaged foods, and for this reason I keep my Tuesday to Thursday dinners simple. Two or three ingredients, nothing too fancy, wholesome and satisfying. With all that said, this dinner fits well into a midweek menu. I understand the best pesto is hand made, not using a food processor. If you have the time it is well worth chopping this by hand. Otherwise, it is a very nice mid week “whirled in the food processor” dinner!
For an extra creamy texture I added 4 ounces of soft goat’s cheese to this pesto.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Prepare tomatoes for roasting and make the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.
r o a s t e d c h e r r y t o m a t o e s
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Toss tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes, depending on what size you are using. Once the skins are wrinkly and they look roasted remove from oven and set aside.
p e s t o
- 1 large bunch of basil, leaves only
- 3 cloves of garlic
- small handful of raw pine nuts
- 4 ounces soft goat’s milk cheese
- 3/4 cup freshly grated good quality parmesan
- approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended.
Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. I used one pound of linguine. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.
Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto.
Divide into serving bowls and serve with roasted tomatoes and freshly grated parmesan on top.
Serves 4
buon appetite!
COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE 