Fresh Fig Compote with Crystalized Ginger and Honey

Fresh Fig Compote with Crystalized Ginger & Honey

Whole Foods had figs on sale.  There are two things in this sentence that greatly appeal to me. 1) Figs; 2) Sale.

I bought two pints.  One of the black really sweet kind and then the normal greeny/purple kind.  I decided to make a compote.  Why?  Well, two reasons really...

First, I love bread.  If you know me, this is not a shocker.  This gives me an additional reason to eat bread!  I can smear this lovely gooey compote all over it.  Mmm.

Second, I love pork. And... we have a pork roast to make this week.  How awesome would a pork roast be with a side of fig compote?  Pretty darn awesome.  So... I'm really killing two birds here.  :-)

Here we go!

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh figs
1/3-1/2 cup water
1/4-1/3 cup honey (eye balled it)
3 medium pieces of crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (or so) of nutmeg -- because it goes in everything.  :-)
1-2 tablespoons of butter or butter substitute
(Earth Balance)











Directions:

1) Cut stems from the figs, then quarter them.  Measure out your ingredients, then combine everything EXCEPT the butter in a small to medium pan and simmer on low for about 30-40 min until it thickens and the figs are soft.

2) Place into a food processor and pulse to smooth, get chunks out.  Add butter, quickly pulse again.

3) EAT.  Or put in an air tight jar to enjoy for a bit... on toast, on ice cream,
on pork, as an alternative to a jelly in a PB & J...  the ideas are endless.

Frangelico Poached Nectarines

Frangelico Poached Nectarines

Jane is sick today.  :-(  That means we are home together, resting and playing.  I wanted to make her something delicious, and something of a treat for my husband too, as I was a little short with him earlier today, with sick not listening 2 year olds and uppity old women at the doctor's office.  Given my Irish guilt...I looked around to see what I could make for us.  The way to a heart and all...

Whole Foods had nectarines on sale... so there we go.

I bought a bunch of these the other day, thinking, maybe a pie? A crumble? A crisp?  But nope.  They were destined for a delicious sugary syrup and poaching.  Here you go folks, a match made in heaven: buttery and velvety nectarines and a rich almond Frangelico... Whoa!  Top with your favorite whipped topping (dairy or non-) and you have yourself a very classy, easy and tasty dish.  Not too terrible for you either, given its crisp/crumble/pie counterparts.  :-)

The Holy Nectar of Frangelico...

Ingredients:

However many nectarines (or other fruit: pears, peaches, etc.) you want.  I did 7
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 tablespoons Vanilla
1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur.
Water










Directions:

1.) With a paring knife, lightly score an "X" on the bottom of the nectarines.  This will let you get a fingernail under it to peel them later.

2.) Place them in a large enough pot that the water can cover them.  Combine water, vanilla, frangelico and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and you can easily pierce them.

3.) Remove from heat, and with a slotted spoon, place/transfer the nectarines to a bowl.  Let cool.  (15-20 min.) When they are cool enough to handle, peel them.

4.) Place them in a serving container or storage container and then pour as much of the delicious liquid back into that container with them.  They can float around in there for a few days.  :-) YUM.

Vegetarian Kale Chorizo Frittatta

Vegetarian Kale Chorizo Frittata


Today's recipe is a result of a "Kale Challenge" by my husband.  He bought a bunch of kale from the supermarket and challenged me to make something delicious with it.  Well, I looked around the house and saw that I had a package of soy chorizo, which I had been itching to try since my friend, Tanya, raved about soy chorizo scrambles.  Given my time frame, need to be able to have free hands while chasing a 2 year old, this is what I came up with.   I also decided to bake it, and not cook it in the pan, as this was far easier for my lifestyle.




I should note that this is not vegan, as obviously it has eggs.  However, it is dairy free and meat free.  If you do eat dairy, I *highly* suggest using real cheese (maybe a 1/2 cup of cheddar, parmesan, or whatever you fancy.  Maybe even a wee bit of milk in the egg when you whisk it to make it fluffy).  I used dairy free vegan cheese.  It was alright, but I think next time I will just leave it off.  It didn't add anything.

If you are not vegetarian, then I also suggest using regular chorizo.  I think the texture would be awesome.  Though, to be fair, the soy chorizo has a great flavor.  It is a bit weird to cook, but the tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

1 package soy chorizo
1 bunch of kale (about 2 1/2 cups when steamed/wilted)
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cheese (dairy free or not..)
8 eggs, whisked
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons of fresh diced herbs (I used sage, lemon thyme and parsley)

Note:

I cooked the soy chorizo, wilted/steamed the kale and did all the chopping ahead of time and placed everything in the fridge.  I think you could easily do this the night before or several hours, etc. before dinner, if you are like me and don't want to do it all at once with the kiddo running around or if you have other things to cook.  Then about 40 min. before dinner, I put it all together.

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1) using a vegetable steamer, steam all of your kale.  Be sure to remove the leaves from the stalk, as the stalk is very hard and not that great to eat.  I just tore them off, placed them in a steaming basket and steamed them for about 10 min or so until they were soft.   Remove and set aside.

2) In a nonstick skillet cook your soy chorizo on a very high heat (per directions).  It won't really crumble like normal sausage, but you can brown it to your desired liking.  Once that is done, set aside
.

3) In a small pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sautee your shallots and garlic until fragrant, then add your herbs.  Sautee for a minute or so more, combining all well.

4) in a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs, (milk if you want it), cheese (dairy or non), salt and pepper.

5) Take a pie dish/plate (8.5-9" or so), and lightly coat it with the remaining olive oil.  I used my fingers to ensure it got everywhere and didn't pool.  Place your onion/garlic/herb mixture in the bottom.  Then place the cooked chorizo on top of it.  Next, layer the kale on top of that.  Press flat.  Pour the egg/cheese mixture over that and bake for 40 min. or until it looks done and is firm in the middle, brown on top.

Extra note:  I had a bit of rotelle pasta left over from another dish (the kind that looks like wheels).  I placed some of those on the bottom of my pie plate with the herb mixture to give the bottom some structure.  You could use any type of pasta if you wanted to do this too, just a little to give a layer.  Also, towards the end, I turned on the broiler and browned the frittata this way.

Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken & Forbidden Rice Pudding

Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken & 

Forbidden Rice Pudding

    

Today I felt like eating something light, delicious and Asian themed.  My good friend Dallice came to dinner, so I especially wanted to cook her something tasty.  She is a very well travelled person with a keen eye for beautiful things, tasty food and fun.  I didn't want to disappoint.  :-)  Of course, she is also an excellent realtor- so (shameless plug) - should you need an excellent realtor or property manager in Boulder, go to her business Silver Fern Homes.

So here is what I made her.  Asian noodle salad, grilled sesame chicken and for dessert -- Forbidden Rice pudding (with fruit and candied ginger).   I will say this about my cooking today.  I cheated on some things.  So kill me, its "semi-homemade" (God I feel like Sandra Lee... except with way better food).

OK. Here we go...

Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken:

Ingredients:

For the salad:

3/4 of a package of linguine noodles, cooked, drained and cooled
1 package of "cold slaw" mix from Whole Foods (or Dole or whatever).  It should have cabbage, carrots, and the like all shredded.
2-3 cups of fresh spinach
5-6 small red, yellow and orange peppers (I get the mixed bag of small peppers) diced
1-2 cups of bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, diced/chopped

For the dressing (Paleo friendly!)

1 lime juiced
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
7 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons agave (to taste)
a small drizzle of molasses (optional)
1 nub (about 2-3 tablespoons) grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced/diced
1 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1) Cook the noodles in a large pot of water (10-12 min. boiling).  Drain, set aside.

2) Dice/ Chop veggies necessary, place in bowl with noodles (I don't mix it... I like to see how pretty before serving).   Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve (say 1/2-1 hour).

3) Before serving, use 1/2 of the dressing to dress the salad.  Toss with tongs, etc.  Place remaining dressing in a serving dish to let each person dress their salad as the wish (DYOS 'dress your own salad').

4) Grill the chicken.  :-)  I cheat here. I buy the Sesame Chicken skewers at Whole Foods.  Then I just throw them on the grill and go from there.

For the dressing:
I mix all of this in a large measuring cup.  Makes it easy for pouring.  Basically, mix it all together, then whisk it.  Place in fridge until ready to use.  Wait to put the cilantro in until right before you mix it.  Otherwise it gets wilty.

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A Southern Flair: Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ, Pickled Red Onions & Southern Black-Eyed Peas

Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ, Pickled Red Onion 

&

 Southern Black-Eyed Peas

The past Independence Day, I went to a BBQ at my friend's home.  Her brother and another friend of ours had a "smoke off" for smoked pulled pork.  Both porks were pretty darn good, but my friend's brother brought with him several BBQ sauces to use on the sandwiches.  Amongst them, Carolina Sauce.

If you have never had Carolina BBQ you are missing out.  It is fantastic!  It is a mustard based sauce, and it is sweet and tangy, with a little bit of smoke.  MMMMmm.  So this got me to thinking.  Why not just do the pulled pork in the sauce?  I mean, I was using the pork as a vehicle for the sauce anyway, why not just drown it in there?

So, here is my take on pulled pork, Carolina style.  I am, however, stealing my friend's recipe for the sauce.  :-)

To add to this scrumptious swine, I thought about the topping.  Most people do a slaw of some sort.  But my husband hates mayonnaise.  I mean hates it.  I think at one point (or every time it is brought up) he calls it "unfit for human consumption."  I like it.  Cest la vie.  So, what to make.  I am going to try to highlight the tang in the sauce...

So, I pickled me some red onions!  That recipe is below too.  Yes.

OK, but that is just the sandwich right?  I mean, it isn't a whole meal.  So here are the bonuses: Southern Black-Eyed peas and grilled peaches (and corn
).  You have yourself a fine meal.

Here is what to do:

Carolina BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons granulated garlic (I used fresh minced garlic though)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider (as it isn't fall, I couldn't find any, so I just used a good apple juice)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups prepared yellow mustard

Directions:

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl.  Add the lemon juice, vinegar, apple cider and worcestershire.  Blend with a whisk until the spices are dissolved.  Then blend in the molasses and mustard.

Note:

1) I did all of this sauce prep in the slow cooker bowl.

2) After it was all combined, I placed the pork roast in the slow cooker, turned it to get it all covered and then I set it on low for 10 hours.

About 8 hours in, I removed the pork, and pulled it with two forks.  I then replaced the pulled pork back in the sauce until it was time to eat.  You'll want to turn off the slow cooker about 20 min or so before you eat.  Otherwise the pork will be really hot and you'll have to wait for it to cool down to taste it.

3) When you are ready to eat, place the pulled pork on a bun, top with pickled onions and serve.

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Pickled Red Onions

I love pickled red onions.  My toddler does too.  Go figure.  Here is a pretty easy and fool-proof recipe.

Ingredients:

2 firm small red onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
3/4- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 sprigs of rosemary
several sprigs of thyme
several juniper berries
5-6 cups boiling water

Directions:

1.) Put a kettle with your 5-6 cups of water onto boil.   Fill a re-sealable mason jar with the white wine vinegar, sugar and salt.  Stir to mix, then add 1/2 of your herbs.

2.) Slice the onions (I do it in half first, then I cut them into thin strips so they are easy to eat with your fingers.  Peel and dice the garlic.

3.) Par-Blanch the onions.  Place them in a strainer over the sink, then slowly pour the boiling water over them and let drain.

4.) Add the onions to the jar.  Top off with apple cider vinegar and the rest of your herbs.  Wait at least 30 minutes to eat, ideally at least a couple of hours.  The onions should look bright pinkish/purple when ready.

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Dueling Bruschettas: summertime cherry-basil bruschetta vs.summer grilled peach, pineapple and mint bruschetta

Dueling Bruschettas

This blog is my first "dueling" recipe attempt.  I am hoping that any of you interested in these recipes will report back with your favorite.  The first recipe is from Angela Liddon's The Oh She Glows Cookbook.  I suggest this vegan cookbook for anyone, as most of her dishes are awesome.  I made this recipe as directed.

The second recipe is my own version.  I am a bit biased, but I think mine is better.  To be fair, though, they have different flavors and textures, and it is kind of like comparing red wine to white.  They are just a bit different.

So here we go!  Dueling bruschettas!


Summertime Cherry-Basil Bruschetta: A rich, tart, sweet, tangy and basil heavy fruit bruschetta.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and finely chopped
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 fresh baguette, sliced on an angle into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
balsamic reduction for drizzling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, strawberries, basil, mint, onion and vinegar. Set the bruschetta topping aside for 10-15 min. for the flavors to develop.

3. Brush one side of each piece of bread with oil and place them oil side down on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 5-7 min. watching closely until golden.

4.  Spoon the bruschetta topping onto the toasted bread.  Drizzle each piece with some of the balsamic reduction, serve immediately.

Summertime Cherry-Basil

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Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes.  I love them mashed, baked, fried, grilled, steamed, boiled, whatever. I love them.  I also love them as a breakfast potato...  yes.  Here is an idea for you to have sweet potatoes for breakfast (or, in my house "Brinner" - i.e. "breakfast for dinner").  You can make these as a side potato like I will show here, or you can use them in a breakfast hash.  I will note how to do the hash at the end.


Ingredients:

2-3 large sweet potatoes
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 of a large red onion
1 tablespoon earth balance or butter
4 tablespoons olive oil (EVOO)
salt
pepper
garlic salt
5-6  fresh rosemary sprigs


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.  Cut the sweet potatoes into bite size chunks, place in a large mixing bowl.  Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems (to do it, pull them in the opposite direction from them growing - that is, in a downward motion).  Dice and place in the bowl with the potatoes.

Next, cut the onion into bite size pieces - a rough chop.  Mince the garlic now too.  Heat a skillet on medium-high, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter (or butter substitute).  Sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant and translucent. About 5-7 minutes.  Add a dash of salt and a couple grinds of pepper and stir often.

Now, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into the potato and rosemary mixture and stir/toss to coat.  Salt and pepper to taste.  I use garlic salt here... there is no such thing as too much garlic.   Combine the onions, garlic and potatoes and mix well.  Then, place onto your baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or so, then toss/turn the potatoes.  Bake for another 20-25 minutes.  (total time about 40 min or so).

remove and cool...

And serve with your favorite breakfast items...

For a sweet potato sausage hash:

Make the potatoes as listed above.  In a cast iron skillet cook sausage and then add the potatoes when the sausage is almost cooked through.  Make a little well inside the potatoes for an egg or two (little egg pockets).  Then crack and egg in each.  Place the skillet an oven 400 degrees or so for 15 minute until the egg is cooked.  Remove and serve.  If you do the potatoes right before and don't do them ahead and have them in the fridge, you don't have to cook them as long, as you are putting them in the oven for the egg.