Recipes
Recipes for 7/25
Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)
Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.
Recipes for 7/18
Grilled Eggplant – a Leah Beckett original recipe!
For marinade:
- Mix olive oil and vinegar (both red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar work well)
- Add a pinch of herbs: basil, cilantro, dill; whatever you would like
- Let sit for 2 hours
- For a more herb-infused oil, put oil in a pan, heat up with herbs and let it cool down in a cool, dark place (pantry is fine). Add vinegar when ready to use.
For eggplant:
- Cut eggplant in half (lengthwise), and then again so you have four 1/2 inch pieces
- Soak in salt water for 10 minutes and rinse with fresh water
- Add marinade to each side of eggplant, let sit
- Grill 15-20 minutes total, only flipping the eggplant once. (Otherwise it gets rubbery.)
Recipes for 7/11
Lemon Basil Lemonade
Lemon Basil Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/2 of one lemon
1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; add sugar, lemon basil leaves and lemon (without squeezing it) to the water and stir.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down and allow the mixture to remain at a simmering boil for about 5 minutes. Cool the mixture to room temperature.
3. Strain the basil leaves, and discard the lemon. You can refrigerate the lemon basil sugar water in an airtight container.
Old Fashioned Lemonade
• 1 lemon
• 12-ounce glass filled with ice
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Basil Syrup (Use this according to your sweetness preference.)
1. Squeeze lemon juice from one fresh lemon into a glass filled with ice. Add some lemon basil syrup according to your preference to how sweet you like your lemonade,then fill glass with filtered water.
2. Put another glass on top of the glass and shake the mixture well.
3. Garnish with lemon and lemon basil.
Lemon Basil Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves, without skin
- Marinade
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped lemon basil, or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
- juice of 2 lemons, or about 1/3 cup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- fresh basil or fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Put chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap; gently pound to even thickness for even and quick cooking. Combine marinade ingredients in a plastic food storage bag; add chicken and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Heat an oiled grill pan, grill rack, or broiler pan. Arrange chicken on hot pan or rack and grill or broil for about 10 to 12 minutes, turning often. Serve with fresh basil leaves or parsley, if desired. Serves 4.
Recipes for 7/5
Collard Greens Sandwich Wrap
Remove larger part of stem from the green leaf or slice the leaf's vein down the middle.
If raw, soak in warm water and vinegar or heat water in a medium pan and throw the collard green leaf in for about 3 seconds.
Converter Kale Salad/Collard Greens Salad
- 1 bunch Kale/Collard Greens, torn or chopped
- 1 cup raw Almonds, chopped
- Dressing: 1/3 cup Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbls Olive Oil
- 3 Tbls Agave Nectar or Coconut Nectar
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Garlic Powder to taste
Recipes for 6/20
Lemon Basil infused Olive Oil
4 cups of leaves, two cups of good olive oil, and very gently heated it for about 10 minutes, then let it sit in a cool dark place for a day or two. Strain, and store in the fridge.
Lemon Basil Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts someone flattened (don’t have to be thin but I like to flatten a bit)
- 3/4 white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth/ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup lemon basil;
- lemon pepper 1 teaspoon for the chicken / 1/2 teaspoon for the sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- flour, s/p, olive oil and butter to saute the chicken in
- Scallions as a garnish
You mix 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning with about 3/4 cup flour in a baggie or in a bowl and dredge the semi flattened chicken in the flour mix. Then saute the chicken breasts along with the lemon slices in a blend of butter and olive oil until brown on each side. Just until done. Remove and set aside and cover. Now the sauce. Add the shallot and a little more lemon pepper and cook until the shallot is soft, just a minute, add the wine to deglaze and broth and cook 2-3 minutes until it slightly reduces. Add the lemon basil, thyme, lemon slices and chicken back in and cream and cook another minute. Remove, add the lemon and serve over your favorite pasta or rice. I love to garnish it with scallions and the lemons I cooked 1 or 2 on each breast make a great presentation.
Both recipes from chowhound.
Braised Bok Choy (with Optional Shiitake Mushrooms)
This healthful, nutritious vegetable dish is a flavorful accompaniment to your favorite Asian-inspired fish or chicken dish. You can also serve it over steamed brown rice for a satisfying vegetarian meal.
Serves 4
8 baby bok choy or 3 large bok choy
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce, or liquid aminos
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 – 2 large cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon raw, unhulled sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Slice baby bok choy in half, or cut larger bok choy into chunks. Cover bottom of a large skillet with ½ inch water, place bok choy in pan and drizzle with tamari, soy or liquid aminos. Cover and cook on high heat until bok choy is tender, about 6 minutes. Remove bok choy from pan and keep warm. Add shiitake mushrooms and garlic (if using) to pan and simmer until liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency and mushrooms are tender. Pour mushrooms and liquid over bok choy, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Turnip Greens, Old Fashioned Style
5 lbs. fresh turnip greens with roots
1/2 lb. salt pork
6-8 c. water
2 tsp. bacon drippings
Green onions (opt.)
Pick and wash turnip greens several times. Tear into bite size pieces. Peel the turnip roots and slice. Rinse salt pork and cut into 2″ pieces. Combine salt pork and water in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add turnip greens; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add turnip roots and bacon drippings; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until greens and roots are tender. Serve with green onions, if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Joi Choi Tomato Based Vegetable Soup
In a large pot, combine:
A half a head of joi choi sliced into midsize pieces
1 can tomato paste
2 cups of diced seasoned tomatoes (homemade or canned – either will work)
A few sliced carrots
2 diced potatoes (I par cook them)
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp parsley chopped (or you can use flakes)
2 sliced onions
1 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
To kick it up a notch, you can add some red pepper flakes
Add water or vegetable broth to cover veges and fill pot Simmer 2 hours or until joi choi is tender.
Recipes for 6/13
Cashew Curried Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 can (13.66 ounces) coconut milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish or soy sauce
- 8 cups chopped bok choy
- 1 small sweet red pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup salted cashews
- 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
- Hot cooked brown rice
Directions
- In a large skillet, saute beef in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Spoon 1/2 cup cream from top of coconut milk and place in the pan. Add remaining oil; bring to a boil. Add curry paste; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until oil separates from coconut milk mixture.
- Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce and remaining coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add bok choy and red pepper; return to a boil. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the cashews, cilantro and beef; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 5 servings.
Recipes from 6/6
Asparagus Soup
We all love asparagus cooked on the grill with a little salt and pepper, or with sun dried tomatoes, but have you thought about asparagus soup?
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup minced shallots
- 1 cup minced leeks, whites only, well rinsed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, garnish
Trim the attractive top tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the tough woody stems, lower the heat and simmer to infuse with asparagus flavor, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard, reserving the stock.
Add the decorative tips to the stock and blanch until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove with a strainerand refresh in an ice water bath. Drain on paper towels and reserve for the garnish. Reserve the stock.
In a medium stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When foamy, add the shallots and leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped asparagus stalks, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved brothand simmer until the asparagus are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
With a hand-immersion blender or in batches in a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. If serving right away, return to medium heat and add the cream and reserved asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until the soup is warmed through, about 3 minutes.
Alternatively, if serving the soup later, do not add the cream and let cool at room temperature (or in an ice water bath). Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, add the cream and asparagus tips, and warm the soup gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
To serve, place the soup in a soup tureen and sprinkle with cheese. Ladle into demi-tasse cups or smallcoffee or tea cups, and serve.
Bok Choy Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 10 leaves bok choy, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
Preparation:
Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the seasonings (the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil), and the chopped garlic.
Add the bok choy. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, until the bok choy leaves turn dark green and are wilted and tender. Serves 4 to 5.
Garlic Bok Choy
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola is good) or peanut oil, for stir-frying
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 pound bok choy, stalks cut diagonally and leaves cut across in 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, chili paste or chili powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste (I used less than 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
- Asian Sesame oil, to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
- Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add garlic and chili paste, chili powder or red pepper flakes if using and stir-fry briefly, for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is aromatic. Add the bok choy, adding the stalks first, and then the leaves. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and stir-fry on high heat for 1 minute.
Add the water or chicken broth, cover the wok and simmer for about 2 – 3 minutes, until the leaves are dark green and the stalks are tender but not too soft.
Remove the wok from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and season with pepper to taste. Serves 3 – 4
This easy Chinese recipe allows you to get all the nutritional benefits of bok choy in a simple, flavorful soup. Feel free to increase the nutritional value by using homemade chicken broth, or adding cooked chicken or raw, peeled shrimp.
Japanese Steakhouse Ginger Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions:
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins