Sauteed Kale with Balsamic and Bacon

AKA, "My New Favorite Way to Eat Kale."

Well, hello there!  Things have kind of reached a fever-pitch at home, and I'm currently a chaotic mix of crazed cleaning frenzy and trying to find my inner piece.  I'll let you guess which is winning?

Really, tho, I'm getting surgery this Friday to remove a fibroid, and it's got me in a bit of a tailspin.  I've never had surgery before - other than getting my wisdom teeth removed - so I'm trying to prepare myself, but really, I'm very nervous about the whole thing.  So, I'm feeling more than a little spastic and unsettled and of course, I most likely won't be able to blog recipes for a few weeks.  (But you can bet that I'll have worn holes in the pages of my Food Network magazine while I'm forced to be way less mobile than I'm used to.)

Charred Green Beans

Happy Good Friday!

I've been on a huge roasted vegetables kick lately.  I don't know if it's because it seems like less work to toss a pan of veggies into the oven while I'm working on the main course or if it's because roasting veggies brings out new flavors.  

Apricot Glazed Carrots

I have to admit - the idea of a glaze on cooked carrots didn't immediately appeal to me.  But I kept bumping into recipes and commenters who raved about how much their kids loved the recipes.  So I figured, if kids love it, it can't be too far out there in the Fancy Food Galaxy, right?

Thai Stir-Fried Greens

(When will she ever tire of recipes for dang greens?!)

Here!  A "Happy St. Patrick's Day" bouquet for you! :) 

This recipe is basically a Thai-style way of cooking greens.  You could use just about any green, but the original recipe called for Chinese broccoli, or rapini, so I went with that.  It's been years since I last had rapini, and I'm starting to tire of the kale and spinach that I eat my way through every week.  (Of course, I type this as I'm sucking down my daily green smoothie.)

I love me a good Asian-style sauce for cooking veggies, because it makes eating vegetables so easy, yummy, and healthy.  This green side would work well with our Vietnamese Chicken from last week, but I think it would be best on its own, with some protein added to it.  The greens have a strong flavor, and I'd hate to overpower the chicken because it was just so fantastically delicious.  In the future, I plan to make this recipe with some diced chicken breast and mushrooms added.  With some chili garlic sauce thrown in for good measure.  Yummmm....



I promise that my next recipe with have zero green in it!

Still Asleep,

         

Thai Stir-Fried Greens
adapted from The Kitchn

1 bunch Chinese broccoli, rapini, or other sturdy green
2-3 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Wash the broccoli and shake off excess water. (You want some water still clinging to the leaves, as that will help with the cooking process.) Chop the stalks into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Chop the leaves into bite-size pieces.

In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Swirl in the oil. Add the garlic and stir briefly, until sizzling and fragrant. If the stalks are very thick, add them to the pan first, stirring for 1-2 minutes before adding the leaves. Otherwise, add both stalks and leaves to the pan, followed by the sauce. Stir and toss the vegetables frequently until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are tender, about 3-5 minutes. Makes 2-3 servings.

Additional Notes:
• You can add a protein like shrimp, chicken or tofu to the stir-fry. Increase the amount of sauce and stir-fry the protein for a few minutes before adding the garlic.

• Although this recipe is fantastic with dark green, leafy, slightly bitter vegetables, the sauce will work with virtually any sturdy vegetable (cauliflower, carrots, celery, etc.), so feel free to mix it up.

         

Ingredient Lineup:

Note:  Not what a Southerner has in mind when they say "big ol' mess a'greens":

Two minutes later:  Lil' ol' mess a'greens.

"Hi, my name is Rory.  And I follow Sara around the house, begging for these oyster greens things.  They're so yum that I'll do ridiculous tricks and pose for photos just to get my paws on some scraps."

Sage Stuffing

Oh, sage, how I love thee.  You taste amazing (especially with butter), and you look just beautiful (5 points to the first person to guess my favorite color!).  


Last year, I took my gramma's stuffing recipe and threw in fresh sage, simply because I had it on hand.  And, oh what a fantastic decision that was.  It pushed an already yummy recipe to perfection.  


I have a few tips for making stuffing:
- Opt for larger cubes and strips of dried bread to keep your stuffing from becoming a gooey paste.  You can buy bags of stuffing cubes from your grocery store bakery.  


- If you don't like mushrooms, don't use 'em.  Throw in something else!  People add all kinds of things to their stuffing; there are a million variations.


- If you don't like giblets, don't use 'em.  My gramma also used to add sausage to her stuffing, and a popular variation is to make it with oysters.  Go right ahead.


- You can prep all the veggies a few days early and store them in your fridge to save time on Thanksgiving Day.  Once you have the ingredients prepped, it only takes about 15 minutes to get it all cooked and mixed and into the pan, ready for baking. 


- You can call it dressing if you want, and we'll all still know what you mean :)


Sagey Sagey,

Sage Stuffing

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. celery, diced
3/4 c. onion, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, diced
4-6 fresh sage leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1lb. dry, day-old bread cubes
14oz. (or more) broth from turkey giblets (or chicken broth)
Turkey giblets, optional

Optional:  Place turkey giblets into a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3”. Boil on low for 1-2 hours, while you’re preparing the other dinner items. Add more water if necessary, to keep the giblets well covered. Remove giblets from broth and finely chop for stuffing. Strain and reserve broth for stuffing mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion, and mushrooms, and sauté until nearly tender, about 3 minutes. Add sage and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 more minute. Remove from heat.  Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and giblets, and then stir in bread cubes. Stir in enough broth to moisten all of the bread well, without making soggy.

Bake until stuffing is hot and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

         


       

Ingredient Lineup:

After combining the bread cubes with vegetables and sage,

add 14oz. broth, or enough to moisten the bread without its becoming too soggy.

Savory Polenta

A few weeks ago, I was standing in the Italian foods section of Trader Joe's and found myself staring at a log of polenta.  I'd had it once before, with Italian food, but I had no idea what to do with it to make it taste any good.  But it was fairly cheap, and I'm sick of pasta with our red sauce, so I threw it into my cart.  Last week, I finally dug it out of the cupboard and sliced it up and pan-fried it in some butter, olive oil, and garlic and served it as a side with dinner.  Huh.  Not too shabby.

One of my twitter pals encouraged me to make my own polenta from scratch and swore it was really simple and much tastier.  I whipped out my trusty Italian Bible of a cookbook by Marcella Hazan and found an entire section devoted to polenta!  But her recipe required stirring a hot pot for a solid 20 minutes.  Ummmm... no thank you.  At least not until October when the weather cools back down.  So I went Googling and found Alton Brown's method with a lot of excellent reviews.  His method uses the oven for heat and you only stir once every 10 minutes.  Much more do-able!  Plus, I could get to work on other things during my 10-minute spurts of cook time.

We loved this recipe.  It's sinfully rich and creamy, and the parmesan gives it a flavor very similar to homemade macaroni and cheese.  We ate it warm from the pot as a side with bbq chicken - perfect!  Also, at the bottom of this post, I include photos for storing leftovers.

Want to know the difference between grits and polenta?  Watch Alton Brown explain it in this video.

Enjoy!






Savory Polenta
adapted from Good Eats

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. finely chopped red onion (I used a sweet yellow Vidalia onion)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 quart (32oz) low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 c. coarse ground cornmeal
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 oz. Parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large, oven-safe saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of kosher salt and sweat until the onions begin to turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.

Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking, to avoid lumps. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, a pinch of kosher salt, and pepper. Once they are incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan and stir until melted.

Serve as is, or pour the polenta into 9x13" cake pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.  Once set, turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into squares, rounds, or triangles.  Or, shape your leftovers into a log and chill; then simply slice circles that are 1/2" thick.  Saute in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, or grill.  Serve with your favorite sauce or cheese.

Ingredient Lineup:

Use coarse grained corn meal for this recipe.  When you shake the container, you can hear the grains, unlike shaking a container of flour.  I love using coarse grained corn meal in my cornbread recipe too; it makes the texture so amazing.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, making sure there are no lumps:

Place covered pot in the middle of your oven:

A silicone "spoonula" works awesomely for scraping the bottom of the hot pot.

After the polenta is finished baking, stir in butter, salt, and pepper until smooth and combined.

Then stir in parmesan cheese until thoroughly melted and the polenta is creamy.

Tastes the yummiest when served right away and still warm:

But, to save any leftovers for slicing and pan-frying:

Spoon your still-warm polenta into a log shape at the edge of a large sheet of parchment paper:

Begin rolling snugly in the parchment:

Twist the ends gently toward the center, tightening until the polenta
has squished into a log shape and is uniform in thickness:

To serve:  Slice the cold polenta into 1/2" slices.  Lightly oil a skillet (cooking spray works great) and heat over medium-high.  Cook the polenta slices a few minutes each side, or until lightly browned.  Top with cheese or your favorite sauce.  Or both :)

    

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter Sauce

Asparagus has been my favorite vegetable since I was in grade school. My grandparents used to lease out a section of their ranch property to an asparagus farmer, and we often got to can or freeze some of the harvest.  Asparagus fields are also fantastic for playing hide-and-seek in, but that's another topic for another day... :)

Even though this recipe has more words in its title than ingredients in its list, hands down - it's our most favorite way to eat asparagus.  Bo requests it all the time, and I willingly oblige.  It's just too easy and too delicious not to whip up while your main dish is cooking.  And the smell of browning butter is something to behold.  If I could bottle that scent up, I'd be a go-zillionaire.
 
Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter Sauce

adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake asparagus for 12 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, until golden and fragrant*. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the roasted asparagus and serve immediately.

*  You'll know the butter is ready when you see little dark brown bits in the bottom of your pan that look burnt.  And you'll want to lick the pan because the smell is just so heavenly.

Ingredient Lineup:

The butter is just melted...

And then clarifying (becoming clear)...

Hurrah for the browned bits!

Gratuitous Asparagus Photos.

Mushroom & Barley Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mushroom & Barley Green Peppers

8 oz. Pkg. button mushroom - chopped (about 2 cups)

2 yellow onions - chopped (about 1 cup)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 cup cooked pearl barley

1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese (I like the Jalepeno variety)

Salt & Pepper

3 large bell peppers

1 cup marinara sauce

1. 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
   2.Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring until the onions are browned.
   
   3.Stir in the barley, salt & pepper to taste. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and set aside.
   
   4.Rinse the bell peppers. Slice in half from top to bottom. Remove and discard the seeds and pith.
   
   5.Spread the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan.
   
   6.Stuff pepper halves your mushroom and barley mixture.
   
   7.Sprinkle tops of peppers with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
   
   8.Tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
   
   9.Bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
   
   10.Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking

I love that I created this recipe myself and that you can change the flavor by changing the cheese to whatever you have on hand. When cooking the barley for this dish I like to add 1 Knorr vegetable boullion cube to the cooking water.


Enjoy!

   

Carmelized Squash

Today I wanted to share with you a really flavorful way to prepare butternut squash.  Squash is so inexpensive right now while it's in season.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  You will need to peel the squash and scoop out the pulp.  Next cut the squash into large chunks and place on baking sheet.

Pour melted butter over the squash.  I use about 1/8 cup.

Next sprinkle on brown sugar. Again I used about 1/8 cup.

Season with salt & pepper.

Now, with clean hands, mix it all up.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Mmm! The outside has a nice bite because of the carmelization and the inside is soft and steamy.

What's your favorite way to cook butternut squash?