Kitchen Essentials

I recently completed our Sexy in Six program with a couple of outstanding women who asked really great questions throughout our six weeks together. One of the things they suggested would be helpful is a list of the top items I keep on hand in my kitchen. Follows is my kitchen essential list:

Food*

• Garlic and Onion--this is the foundation for just about everything I prepare, and both keep really well, which makes it easy to have on hand all the time.
• Seasonal Produce--there are ALWAYS greens in my fridge--usually some sort of lettuce and a cooking green of some sort, too. I like to browse fresh farmer's markets for additional items or enjoy the bounty from a friend's garden. In the grocery store it is often the case that fresh, in season produce is less expensive and more plentiful.
• Carrots--somehow this is a staple for us throughout the year. Great for eating raw, steamed up, juiced, or thrown into whatever I'm making. AND they are a sweet vegetable, which helps keep sugar cravings under control.
• Pantry Staples--we like beans at our house, so I generally have a can or two on the shelf in addition to dried beans (very inexpensive and much tastier than the canned variety). A great source of protein and fiber these little beauties are often combined with a whole grain (usually quinoa or brown rice) for a simple meal. I also like to keep a few cans of tuna and salmon in the pantry to make a cold salad or croquettes and add in some good omega fats. Speaking of fats, I use extra virgin olive oil for no-heat prep (salad dressing, hummus, pesto, etc.) and Wildtree grapeseed oil for cooking (order some by contacting me here.). I keep butter on hand, too, for baking.
• Freezer Fair--edamame is top of the list for our freezer, because they make a great snack eaten alone, are a nice twist on the traditional hummus recipe, and can be added to stir fry easily for a great protein source. The freezer also houses any leftovers, which then get pulled out and combined into a one pot dish that somehow always turns out tasty, even though the variety of flavors is vast.

*Whenever possible, I choose local, fresh, and organic.
 
Utensils

• Salad Spinner--used every.single.day. I actually have 2. Greatest tool for greens every invented.
• Knife and Cutting Board--Until I purchased a high quality knife, I had no idea that a knife that fits in my hand would make food prep so much easier. Now, I take it on vacation with me. Seriously.
• Knife sharpener--essential for keeping my knife in tip-top shape and preventing slips and possible injury.

Broccoli Salad with Avocado

This is such a simple supper that I have made it twice in two weeks. With the weather getting warmer, it keeps the kitchen cool and gets some raw goodness into our bodies. It's also the perfect combination of crunchy and smooth.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
juice of 1 lemon
4-5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons honey
1-2 bunches broccoli crowns, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
red onion to taste, chopped
1 can tuna, drained
1/4 cup raw almonds, dry roasted in skillet
1-2 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid, shake mightily, and set aside to let the flavors infuse.
2. Place next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and toss.
3. Taste dressing and adjust.
4. Pour appropriate amount over salad. Toss to coat.
5. Top with almonds and avocado slices.
6. Enjoy!

Pomegranate and Orange Salad

Holiday food is here. It seems greens are getting the shaft for most events I've attended this season, so I took this recipe to a family gathering and got several high 5 thank yous for the fresh glory (and beautiful color) it added to the food table.

For help getting the seeds out of the pomegranate, I searched YouTube and found plenty of suggestions (like this from Martha Stewart). Ultimately, you just gotta get in there and get your hands dirty. It's totally worth it!

Ingredients 
Juice from one Orange
Equal amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dollop of Dijon Mustard
Dollop of Honey
Sprinkling of sea salt
Fresh lettuce, washed
Pomegranate Seeds (as many or as few as you'd like)
Red Onion, thinly sliced crescent shapes
Slivered Almonds

Directions

1. Mix first five ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake vigorously. Taste and adjust seasoning. Shake again and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients and place together in large serving bowl (I like to stack them starting with lettuce, then onion, then pomegranate, then almonds).
3. Shake dressing again, taste, and adjust as needed. Pour over salad, toss, and serve.

Balsamic Glazed Beets

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs. beets- cooked, peeled, and sliced (click here for help)
Beet greens- washed
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T pure maple syrup or honey
1 T olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 t cinnamon

Directions
1.    In saucepan stir together vinegar, syrup or honey and olive oil.
2.    Add beets and greens and heat over moderate heat until heated through.
3.    Add cinnamon and salt & pepper to taste.
4.    Serve warm or at room temperature.
5.    Can be made one day ahead.

Arugula Apple Salad

I am grateful for the return of greens at our local farmer's market.
Also grateful for fall apples.
This is a quick, simple, delicious recipe that combines the two.

Ingredients
Arugula
2 fresh apples (I used Winesap)
Salted sunflower seeds
1/2 Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Rinse and spin the arugula in a salad spinner (so wish I had invented this essential kitchen tool).
2. Wash and cut apples into bite size pieces.
3. Squeeze juice of half lemon over greens and apples (hit as many apples as possible).
4. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Scatter a smattering of sunflower seeds on top.
6. Toss and enjoy.

Red, White, and Blue Dinner

Love this simple dish to celebrate the 4th (how many red, white, and blue meals can there be?), AND I didn't have to turn on the heat producers in my kitchen, AND my husband thanked me for not only a great meal, but also minimal kitchen clean-up. Set yourself up for a yummy holiday with this one!


Ingredients
Couple of peaches, skin removed or a healthy chunk of watermelon, seeds removed
A vine ripe, luscious tomato, diced
A sprinkling of blueberries
A bunch of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (this is the key ingredient--don't skimp)
1 can of chunk, white tuna, drained
Olive oil and rice vinegar to taste
Sea salt to taste
Salad greens (optional)


Directions

1. Combine everything in a bowl (NOTE: I cut peaches over the bowl to be sure to catch all the sweet juice).
2. Toss to coat. 
3. Taste.
4. Adjust seasoning.
5. Enjoy (cue patriotic music and fireworks)!

Tomato, Cucumber, Kohlrabi salad with Cilantro Pesto

The Easter Bunny was good to us this year bringing several little pots of herbs. One in particular has done extremely well--cilantro. So glad this one decided to be the herb of choice, because it's one of my favorites. I decided to use a chunk of our harvest to make pesto to serve as the dressing for the veggies multiplying in my fridge. It turned out so yummy I had to distract my four year old with a homemade popsicle to keep him from eating all the pesto on crackers (our preferred taste-test method). Hope it's a winner at your house, too!

Ingredients
1-2 garlic cloves
2 cups cilantro, washed*
1/2-1 cup parsley leaves*
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4-1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
sea salt to taste
Veggies that need eating--couple of tomatoes, cucumber, summer squash, kohlrabi, etc.
a little feta cheese ('cause feta makes everything betta!)
*I decided not to get anxious about the stems of the cilantro or parsley, because it was quite a lot of leaves to pull. Didn't seem to make a difference in the final product, so pull the leaves away from the main stem, but do it several leaves at a time to keep it simple. Also, small hands can help here!

Directions

1. Add garlic to bowl of food processor or blender and chop.
2. Add cilantro and parsley to garlic, chop, then add pumpkin seeds and chop.
3. With the blade running, add olive oil and sea salt.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Combine chopped up veggies and feta and toss with pesto to coat well.
6. Enjoy!

Simple Summer Snack

This is easy to make and keep on hand for a high protein, high calcium snack.

Ingredients
1-2 cloves garlic
Handful (maybe 1/4 cup?) of fresh, flat leaf parsley
juice of one lime (or lemon)
1 15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine first 3 ingredients and process. Scrape down sides.
2. Add beans, salt, and pepper and process. With the blade running, add olive oil.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Enjoy with fresh from the garden veggies (cucumber, squash, carrots, kohlrabi, etc.)

Quick Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers are one of those summer crops that can quickly overtake your fridge, which helps me understand why someone came up with the pickling option. Today, I found a simple way to enjoy cucumbers as a side dish (i.e. use up several at once!), leave the oven in the "OFF" position, and give thanks for cucumber's ability to keep me cool.

Ingredients
2-3 small to medium size cucumbers, washed and quarter chopped* (remove skin if you'd like)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Rice wine vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*I removed skin from some, cut in half, placed flat side down, and cut in half again. Then chopped into smaller pieces.

Directions

1. Combine cucumbers, onion, and parsley leaves.
2. Drizzle vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Cool off and enjoy!

Companions Quinoa Salad

There is a group of women ("Companions") for whom I am so grateful, I am dedicating this recipe to them. We gather twice a year for brunch to celebrate the conclusion of a study, and I took this as my contribution today. Our group is sort of like this salad--simple, yet complex and oh-so-rich and yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, washed in a fine mesh strainer
just under 2 cups water
3 T fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
leaves of your favorite green (I used rainbow chard and included the stems), finely chopped
feta cheese to taste (not much--maybe 1/8 cup to start?)
1-2 avocado, chunked
about 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a dry skillet
Additional greens (for eating and/or garnish)

Directions

1. Placed well washed quinoa and water in saucepan with tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Check at 15 minutes to be sure most of the water has been absorbed. Let cool. I like to make this the day before I plan to use it, so it's cool when I add remaining ingredients.
2. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake to mix. Set aside.
3. Add onion, greens, and cheese to quinoa. Mix. Shake lemon juice and oil once more and add to quinoa mixture. Toss to coat well.
4. Before serving, add avocado chunks and almonds.
5. Serve over greens.
6. Enjoy!
   

Kohlrabi--Friend or Foe?

From FarmgirlFare.com

Our CSA Season has started again-- FINALLY! I didn't realize how lost I was without it. Now that we're back in full swing, I love the assortment of greens and veggies that I find like treasures in my box each week. 

Well, I love most everything I find. I always seem to forget about the satellite-like space ship kohlrabi (doesn't it look like it's about to take off and start spinning around uncontrollably?) until it's purple bulb is staring me in the face reminding me of our contentious relationship from last season.

But today, I am claiming an unbelievable shift in our relationship. I discovered that the combination of kohlrabi and blueberries is really quite lovely. Maybe more than lovely. Dare I say delicious? Yep--think I'm going there, because I can't stop eating this salad I threw together in 7 minutes.

So, if you have had a sketchy relationship with kohlrabi in the past, I hope this little gem will put things right between the two of you. And if you've never tried kohlrabi, get on down to your local farmer's market and get some along with some blueberries and enjoy this treat--you'll be glad you did!

Ingredients
3 T olive oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t honey
sprinkle of salt
2 kohlrabi bulbs, skin removed and shredded
2-3 carrots, washed and shredded
3-4 kohlrabi greens, washed and finely chopped
1.5 cups fresh blueberries, washed

Directions

1. Shake first four ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste (I added zero, my husband added both).
5. Enjoy!

Pleasantly Pleasing Pasta

I'm working diligently this week and next cleaning out my freezer, fridge, and pantry. The project is long overdue, but something I like to try to do a couple of times a year, especially as seasons change. So last night I dug deep and threw together a pasta salad--from ingredients I had in the house--and it came out quite yummy.
I'll organize the ingredients by where I found them, but don't really have measurements or how much--I just used what I had.

For the Dressing:
I made a basic vinaigrette with ume plum vinegar, olive oil, and whole grain mustard. In the end I squeezed lemon over the salad, too, and in hindsight probably should have made a lemon vinaigrette, but the ume plum vinegar is one of my faves, so I use it every chance I get.

From the Freezer (finding more good stuff here):

• about a cup of corn 
• about a cup of green peas
• I tossed these with the hot pasta and let them thaw while the pasta cooled.

From the Fridge:

• couple of carrots, chopped
• some celery, chopped
• some chives, chopped
• some red onion, chopped
• a handful of kale, finely chopped (great way to add greens to just about anything)
• slivered almonds sprinkled on top

From the Pantry

• Eden Organic whole grain pasta (I always have some on hand--it's good stuff!)
• 2 cans tuna
• salt and pepper to taste

From the Heart:
Lots of Vitamin L(ove)!

Guest Post: Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

I have the great joy of being part of The Academy for Spiritual Formation #30. We meet together for a week, four times a year for two years. Last week was session 6. Only 2 remain. I am already grieving the end of this transformational experience. One of the things I will miss greatly is talking with my food friend, Blake. He is a chef trained in classic French and Italian Provincial cooking (*see below recipe for details*) and someone who continues to teach me so much about food. I am a simple cook--look around, see what I've got, throw it together in a pot, and dinner is served. Blake really stirs creativity within me to experiment and try new things. We were talking about salad dressings during one of our meals last week, and he shared one of his favorites with me, and with his permission I'm passing it along.

With the holidays coming up there will be full days devoted to food preparation, and I am putting this one on my list to include. Simple ingredients, a little extra time and vitamin L(ove) will make this recipe a new holiday favorite at our house. I hope the same for you.

Ingredients
2 shallots
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dijon mustard
Juice of one lemon
2-3 T honey
1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T fresh tarragon
1 t fresh thyme
1 t fresh mint (optional

Directions

Peel two shallots and brush them thoroughly with extra virgin olive oil.  Place them in a loosely enclosed aluminum foil tent with a dash of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste).  Place tent in a 350 degree oven until translucent (14 to 18 minutes).  Pull the shallots out of foil and place them on cutting board; let them sit until they return to room temperature (15 minutes).  Finely dice the shallots until fully minced into tiny pieces.  Pulverize the tiny pieces of diced shallots in a mortar and pestle until you form a paste.

Place the roasted shallot paste into the bottom of a large mixing bowl (stainless steel or plastic).  Add one (heaping) tablespoon of fine Dijon mustard.  Add sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste).  Squeeze in juice from one fresh lemon.  Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of fine quality honey (depending on sweetness desired).  Add 1 cup of fine quality white balsamic vinegar.  Add 2 cups of fine quality extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk until thoroughly incorporated.  Stir in freshly minced tarragon (2 tablespoons).  Add one teaspoon of fresh thyme (stripped from stem).  

For added "pizazz", add one teaspoon of fresh mint (optional).

*The French were the first culture to master the culinary arts.  They were so wealthy and had the leisure time to explore this realm.  However, most of their recipes originated with the peasant, working class.  Most French cooking is just an "artsy" recapitulation of a humble, modest peasant dish.  This same style of cooking spread wildly throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. 

Noodles with Tomato, Basil, and Feta

I was reminded of this great summertime supper, because I was looking for something easy, quick, yummy, and a way to use my CSA bounty. Enjoy!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes (depends on your pasta preference)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 Package noodles (Udon, Soba, whatever you like or have on hand)
2-3 Tomatoes washed and chopped (or a whole bunch of cherry or sungold tomatoes)
1 cup Basil leaves chopped
½-1 cup Crumbled Feta cheese
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
½ cup Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Tools/Equipment
Knife and cutting board
Stove and heavy pot for cooking pasta
Colander to drain pasta

Directions
1.    Cook pasta according to package directions.
2.    While pasta is cooking combine other ingredients in large bowl.
3.    Drain pasta.
4.    Toss tomato mixture together with pasta and enjoy!

Variations
For a nice twang, drizzle with a little Balsalmic Reduction (see below).
Use a little more or a little less of all ingredients to your taste.
Let tomato mixture sit for an hour before serving.

Balsamic Reduction
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
2 cloves garlic (if desired)- can leave whole

Place in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced and slightly thick- approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Take out garlic before serving. Flavor is pungent- use sparingly!