Saturday, July 14, 2012

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart with Thyme

this is a compilation of two different recipes. One called for only goat cheese, and one called for only ricotta. I used both. Instead of a traditional pastry dough with butter, i used olive oil instead. Getting those good fats in whenever possible. And i think you dont really lose anything when you substitute oil for butter with savory dishes. If it were a cherry pie, which i made for dessert, definitely keep the butter. Roll your pasty dough into about a 12 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Put this in the fridge to cool. Take two large zucchini and slice them into small discs, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Put them in a bowl with a sprinkle of salt and let them sit for about 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini and put them back in the bowl. I mixed 4 oz of goat cheese with about 3 oz of ricotta cheese, zest of one lemon, and a handful of fresh thyme. I got my thyme from momma stein's garden. Thyme makes an incredible ground cover. So you can plant it and it grows year round, covers bare spots in a bed, and provides the kitchen with delicious fresh herbs. Take your pastry and spread the goat cheese mixture evenly to the edges. Then take the zucchini and arrange it in concentric circles until all of the cheese is covered. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool slightly then slice like a pizza and enjoy!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are probably one of my favorite things to eat ever. I like to make this grilled eggplant recipe using mint and feta, but the grocery store was fresh out of eggplant. I swapped sweet potato instead. I sliced the potatoes into thin disks, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and tossed them in olive oil and salt. I grilled them just until they had nice grill marks on both sides. Finish them in the oven on 350. When they are hot out of the oven, sprinkle some crumbled feta over the hot potatoes. Then i drizzled them with a simple vinaigrette; olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, cumin, diced shallot, and a little bit of chili powder and cayenne pepper. I think it would be just as good with maybe goat cheese or some queso fresco. I didnt add any fresh herbs to this batch, but sprinkle whatever you have growing in the garden and enjoy!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Loren's Birthday French Toast

Today is my mommy's birthday, and she requested french toast for breakfast. Luckily we had all the necessary ingredients on hand. I sliced some whole grain bread. Then soaked it in the egg mixture. I like to add milk, orange zest, a little sugar, and grand marnier to the eggs. Then i take about a half cup of greek yogurt and mix it with orange juice, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Throw it in the freezer while the toast cooks so it will firm up. Then i just slice up whatever fruit we have on hand and make a fruit salad. I like to fry the toast in grapeseed oil, it has no flavor and gets pretty hot. When the toast is done, top it with a big spoonful of the yogurt and toss the fruit salad over the plate. Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler!!!

It's summer, so cobbler is in order. My brother picked a whole bucket of peaches on the side of the road in norman. this lead to peach cobbler attempt number one. I chopped up the peaches then made a batter. I poured the batter into a cake dish then sprinkled in the peaches. It was good, but not quite a traditional peach cobbler. Very easier, and i think it would have worked better with berries. Attempt number two happened in edmond when my mom got some peaches from the farmers market. I used a recipe from my favorite gourmet cook book. You chop the peaches and let them soak in a little sugar, only 1/2 cup, lemon juice, and a drop of almond extract. The topping is a pastry topping; flour, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt and sugar, and buttermilk. I topped the peaches with dumpling sized balls of the topping. sprinkled with sugar and baked for 40 minutes on 400 degrees. It was perfect, not too sweet or too heavy. using only 1/2 cup of sugar was key.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Swai in Agrodolce

I intended to make striped bass in agrodolce, but had no time to make it down to the asian market where they sell good fish. I had to settle for whatever looked decent at Crest down the street. The lady convinced us to buy Swai. it was cheap and looked fresh. apparently, swai is farm raised vietnamese catfish. it goes by many different names. It has the texture of catfish but the very mild flavor of tilapia. we went with it and i would have preferred striped bass because it is one of my favorites, but oh well. The agrodolce sauce is an italian sweet and sour sauce. I got my inspiration from my favorite cook book "Gourmet Today". everyone should buy it on amazon. Start with a whole lot of shallots in a heavy pan with olive oil. after they are just tender add 3/4 cups red wine, 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cut water, 1/4 cup sugar (or tad less i thought), 1/4 cup golden raisins, and two bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. cook this down until the sauce thickens and the shallots are tender, about 40 minutes. salt and pepper the fish and pan fry it in a little olive oil. the recipe i was following said to finish the fish in the sauce. The fish had so much water in it that it ruined the consistency of the sauce and made it too thin. i would just finish the fish in the pan next time and pour the sauce over. I served it with red lentils cooked in broth, with chopped walnuts. and some broiled bok choy. other than the consistency of the sauce it was very good. the sauce could hold up to chicken or pork well.

Summer white bean dip with pesto

So i went to one of my favorite okc restaurants, Cheevers, and split the white bean hummus appetizer with my girl Sica. It was delicious, but kind of heavy, and was topped with a pesto. I stole the idea and made my own. Hummus is one of the most delicious and healthy things you can eat. it is also SO EASY TO MAKE. take one can cannelini beans, one can chick peas, two cloves garlic, juice from one lemon, about two table spoons tahini, and a little salt in a food processor. blend until the mixture is smooth. for the pesto, i used some basil leaves, fresh from the farmers market, and some fresh flat leaf parsley. add the zest of one lemon, about three cloves garlic, salt, and a handful of almonds. I love adding almonds to pretty much anything i make in a food processor. extra protein and good fats, and they add some much needed texture to many things. blend all it in the food processor. Top the bean dip with a hefty
spoonful, or two, of the pesto and serve with veggies. my favorite is sliced english cucumber. or serve with pita if you dont care about carbs.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Spicy lentils with coconut milk and green curry

following the clams, i had leftover green curry paste and coconut milk. I also had a bag o' lentils and some chilies and bell pepper. I cooked a red onion in a heavy saucepan with the green curry and some oil. Then added the lentils and coconut milk and some water and some bird chilies. Cook the lentils down until tender, drain any extra liquid. Then add some diced bell pepper and green onion. Perfect little lentil salad. I served it up with some grilled bok choy, dressed in a little soy and siracha. And also with some grilled eggplant and green beans. vegan feast.