Roasted broccoli with lemon and pine nuts

 

My sister-in-law jokes that growing up, my mother-in-law swore that every childhood illness could be healed with a good night’s sleep and broccoli. If that’s true, then during the month of February you can catch me in bed every night at 8 p.m., and I’ll be serving up broccoli for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. Why? Well, if I might indulge in a little self pity, I’d love to summarize my month:

January 8: Fuss spikes a fever the day before her baptism. Hubbie has to truck down to the urgent care clinic as my family is pulling in the driveway. Diagnosed with ear infection and a shot of antibiotics saves the big day.

January 9-12: Fuss runs low-grade fever for five days. Feels ABSOLUTELY horrible. I know this because…

January 15: I get Fuss’ “bug.” Feel like death warmed over. Run low-grade fever for five days. Finally go see the doctor: bronchitis.

January 23: After a faux recovery, Fuss spikes another fever (on a weekend, of course).

January 24: Fuss’ fever goes as high as 104 degrees (at 2 a.m. of course). Worried sick. Meanwhile, Turbo gets horrible stomach bug and has to be quarantined in our bedroom. I disinfect the entire house, twice, then yell at him for touching things.

January 25: Go to the pediatrician. Yep, it’s pnemonia. Will this ever end?

January 26: Turbo feeling better but Mom feels sorry for me so comes in town to help. I get first night’s sleep in almost a month. Heavenly.

January 27: Mom gets Turbo’s stomach bug. Drives back to Carrollton with soda crackers and ginger ale. Feel really guilty…and even more paranoid that Fuss will get sick with yet another bug.

So, that pretty much sums it up.

And while everyone seems to be on the mend for now, I think I’ll stick to my broccoli regime just in case. To spice things up, I’ll need new and exciting ways to cook it…like this dandy little recipe. It’s inspired by the Barefoot Contessa, although hers is called Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli. Obviously, some tweaking was in order.

You start with the magical little green trees.

Place in an oven safe dish and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little garlic.

Roast in a 400 degree oven until nice and crispy, then top with toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Mmmmm. Short, simple, perfection. Enjoy and remember, eat your greens!

Roasted broccoli with lemon and pine nuts (Serves 2):

• Approximately 2 cups of broccoli florets
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• Olive oil to coat
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut enough broccoli florets from the thick stalk for 2 people (approximately 2 cups). Place in shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Toss to coat. Roast in oven until desired crispness, approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and toss with lemon juice and pine nuts. Eat three times daily to avoid stomach bugs and pneumonia. Hey, you can never be too careful.

Tuscan White Beans and Fiery Chipotle Turnip Greens

A couple of years ago Turbo and I took a trip to Tuscany. It was a family affair: mother- and father-in-law, sister- and brother-in-law. Between the six of us, we ate about an acres worth of olive oil, and drank enough vino to stun a small horse. It was fantastic. If the secret to life can’t be found in Italy, then I don’t know where it’s hiding.

Not surprisingly, my favorite part of the trip was the food. But it did surprise me to discover that traditional Tuscan fare isn’t heavy on pasta. Instead, they’re known for their hearty dishes, namely these delicious white beans. The recipe for the beans came from my foodie mother- and father-in-law, who masterfully recreated the dishes when we returned. But full disclosure, this dish was also inspired by my favorite Mexican restaurant and the food stand at Ketner’s Mill Fair, which served “beans and greens.”

So if you’re trying to sound sophisticated, this dish is Tuscan white beans and fiery chipotle turnip greens. If not, it’s beans and greens. Either way, it’s a winner.

This dish needs several hours of simmer time, so to make it worth your while you’ll want to make about a pound of beans and a mess of greens for leftovers. Plus, the beans are perfect for the white bean and cilantro pesto quesadilla I’ll be posting later….stay tuned!

So you start with, um, beans. I used Great Northerns.

You’ll want to pick through them and soak in a pot overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can cover with 6-8 cups hot water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes then cover and let stand for one hour. This softens them up and cuts cooking time.

Either way, when you’re done prepping them you’ll need to drain water, throw back in the pot and top with about 3 cups broth.

Throw in 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. You can also add rosemary. I didn’t but later thought it needed it. Just do how much ever feels right. Maybe tablespoon? You can be loose with this one. It’s an Italian recipe after all…

Now these bad boys will need to simmer until soft, which took about 2 hours for me. This would also be a great crock pot recipe but I’ve yet to try it, as I’m a slow cooker rookie.

Meanwhile, you gotta cook the greens, which you can cover with about an inch of water in large pot and simmer until softened – about 45 minutes.

(I highly recommend buying your greens pre-cut and washed in a bag. Sooo much easier and about the same price.)

To add the fire, I used canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These aren’t too hard to find. Even my grocery store has them in the Mexican food aisle. 

Grind peppers in food processor, then set aside about 3-5 tsp. of peppers and 2-4 teaspoons of the sauce. (You can keep the leftovers in fridge for some yummy sauces I’ll post later.)

Then saute half an onion, chilis and 1 teaspoon garlic until onions are translucent. Stand back, this can really singe your nose hairs.

Add a can of diced tomatoes and cook for about five minutes…

Then add your greens.

Yum.

Once both are done its time to make rosemary infused olive oil, just like with the soup. It’s just 1/4 cup olive oil heated over medium heat with a spring of rosemary.

After about 2 minutes, discard the sprig and add oil to the beans.

You’re ready to mangia (that’s Italian for “dig in”). Here’s the breakdown:

White Beans and Fiery Greens:

• 1 lb. Great Northern white beans, dried
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. rosemary, dried
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 lb. bag of washed and chopped turnip greens
• 1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 medium sized onion, diced
• 1-14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp garlic

Pick through beans and soak in cooking pot overnight with enough water to cover. Drain and return to pot with broth. Add next three ingredients and gently simmer until soft, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place greens in large stockpot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

Grind chipotle peppers in food processor until smooth. Set aside 3-5 tsp. of peppers and 2-4 tsp. sauce, depending on spice preference. Saute onion, chipotle peppers and sauce and garlic until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, stir and simmer to let flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Drain greens, add to onion/tomatoes/peppers mixture and stir to combine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add sprig of rosemary. After about 2-3 minutes, add to beans. 

Enjoy!

Black Beans

OK, so I did things backwards.  That’s really not unusual, I can be a bit scattered.  I used this black beans recipe for the nacho bites.  So it would have made sense to post this recipe first, but we didn’t eat the beans as pictured above until last night, and I wanted to give you the full effect (amateur photography and all).   

This recipe isn’t a one-hit wonder.  It takes some time to make so you really want to make it worth your while and cook in bulk. 

Why go to the trouble of making your own beans when you can just open a can, you ask?  Well, that’s like asking why drive a Lexus when a Honda will do.  It’s just that much better.  So when you have time – which I’m sure is at a premium – this recipe is well worth it.

Here’s your secret weapon:

Simmering the beans in chicken broth is key.  But again, I’m getting ahead of myself.  First you’ll want to soak the beans overnight in water (this isn’t mandatory but cuts down on cooking time).

Then drain them.

Now you add the broth and the spices (chili powder, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper).  Now I went a tad heavy on the chili powder, so if you don’t like spice you’ll want to cut back.

Add them all together, bring to a boil…

Then wait….and wait some more.  All told, you have to simmer them for about 2 hours.  When you’re almost done, add the onion so it doesn’t get too mushy.

You can serve over rice with tomatoes and avocado for a delish vegetarian meal.

Here’s the recipe!

Black Beans (6 servings):

• 8 oz of dried black beans (about half a bag)
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• Half a medium onion, finely diced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight.  Drain and put in large pot.  Cover with chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add 2 cloves garlic, cumin, chili powder, thyme, salt and pepper.  Turn heat down so beans simmer (low to medium low heat).

Simmer loosely covered until very tender (approximately 2 hours).  When almost done, add onion and remaining garlic.  Cook 5 to 10 more minutes.  Add more spices if needed.

Nacho Bites

Nachos without cheese?  Yes, that’s right dear reader.  And you don’t even miss it!  No, I’m serious.  I wouldn’t joke about something like this.

So while I’ve yet to find a solution for cheeseless pizza, I’ve at least cracked the code for nachos.  In fact, I’ve been eating so much Mexican food lately I’m starting to learn Spanish.  OK, not really, but I do love the cuisine.

I served these little gems this weekend at a birthday party and they were gobbled up by a bunch of male cheese eaters.  Now that’s quite a test market.  What’s the secret you ask? 

That’s right, avocado.  But I’m jumping ahead. 

First you have to make the adorable little cups to hold your nacho bites.  Now, I’ll admit there are a lot of steps to this recipe, so if you’re just serving a few folks you could make these like traditional nachos.  Or for a crowd you could do it as a layer dip with tortilla chips.

But if you’re feeling fancy, and have some extra time on your hands, I’d recommend the cups.  You can make them a few days before.  They’re just so cute, no?

All you do is cut regular tortillas with a cookie cutter…

Then push them into mini muffin tins like dees (sorry, that’s my Spanish accent coming out).

I discovered that folding them cuts down on torn tortillas.  But if you rip a few don’t worry, they’ll still work.  When you’re done they look like this.

Now just bake these in the oven at 375 for about 5 minutes.  When they cool, pop them out and you’re ready to roll.  Oh, except you have to make the filling.  For that, you brown some meat with taco seasoning (again, you could do this ahead).

I recommend making a lot so you can have tacos for dinner.  This is too much trouble to go to for just an appetizer.

Then you mix 1-1/4 cups meat, beans and salsa together.  I did it in Tupperware so it’s ready to transport (you’ll want to wait to assemble until party time so they don’t get soggy).

Now onto the guacamole.

I used 3 avocados, 1/2 lime so it wouldn’t brown before the party and a dash of salt.  I also added, wait for it, 1 tablespoon of mayo.  I know, that sounds awful doesn’t it??  But that’s what give it the creamy, cheese-like consistency. 

Just lay the tortilla cups on the platter, spoon the bean, salsa, meat mixture and top with guacamole.  Then stand out of the way as people dive for them.  (Ok, maybe not, but I do think they’ll be popular).

Nacho Bites (makes 48 bites):

• 24 Taco Size Flour Tortillas
• 1 1/4 cups taco meat, browned
• 1 1/4 cups jarred salsa
• 1 1/4 cups black beans, canned
• 3 avocados
• 1/2 lime
• 1 Tbsp. mayo
• Salt to taste

Cut the tortillas with a cookie cutter and place in mini muffin tins.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes.  Let cool before removing.

Combine avocado and mayo in food processor until creamy.  Add lime and salt and pulse to combine.

In a small bowl, combine taco meat, salsa and beans.  Spoon the bean mixture into the tortilla cups then top with the guacamole.

Snack attack: Popcorn

One of the hardest things about nursing (and this diet) is the constant, gnawing hunger.  Maybe it’s just me, but most days I’m ravenous.  But my rumbling belly has led to a new obsession: stove-top popcorn. 

My father-in-law taught me how to make it on the stove, viewing all microwave versions as culinary abominations.  He’s right, but I always settled for the bagged stuff until I had to give up butter.  (Oh butter, how I miss you!) 

But butter withdrawals aside, one of the benefits has been my discovery of popping my own corn.  You see, you CAN have delicious movie-worthy popcorn without butter.  That’s right folks, you heard it here first.  “How?” you might ask.

Well, it starts with the kernals.

I throw in a few handfuls – just enough to coat the bottom.  But before you toss them in, drizzle in a little canola oil.  Again, just enough to coat the bottom.

Cover the pot and turn the stove on high.  After about 2 minutes, your oil will heat up.  Once I hear it sizzle, I start shaking the pot back and forth over the eye, Jiffy Pop style (if you’re old enough to remember that.)

Once the popping slows, take it off the eye and let it rest.  When you’re sure it’s done, take a peep at your magical creation.

See?  You did it!  You really can pop your own popcorn!

Whew, I guess I got a little excited.  But the real magic happens when you pour it in the bowl.

 That’s when I drizzle it with butter-flavored grapeseed oil from Wildtree.  Mmm, mmm good.  You have to have a rep to order the stuff (ala Pampered Chef) but luckily the good folks at Wildtree can hook you up here.

If you simply don’t have the attention span for mail-order, plain olive oil works pretty well too.

And for heaven’s sake don’t forget the salt!  If you have a sea salt grinder, you’re one step ahead of the game.

Enjoy!

Popcorn (serves two, or one very hungry breastfeeding mama like me):

• 1/4 cup popping kernals
• 1-2 Tablespoons Canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• Butter-flavored grapeseed oil, or olive oil
• Salt

Pour the oil in a covered saucepan and add kernals.  Cover and turn stove to high.  When oil begins to sizzle, gently shake the pot back and forth over the eye.  When the popping slows, take off eye and let it sit until finished popping.

Pour into bowl and drizzle with oil and salt to taste.

Kale: A healthy love affair

I’m on a mission.  I want the world to love kale as much as I do.  Turbo is already a convert.  One down…

First, I should probably lobby the kale farmers for a better name.  It doesn’t really sound as delicious as it is.  (Turbo called it ‘kelp’ the first few times I served it.)  But since I probably won’t get around to writing my congressman or local farmer anytime soon, maybe I’ll start with telling you how I cook it.  Once you give it a whirl, I can almost guarantee you’ll like it!

So what’s with this cruciferous love affair?  Well, besides having as much calcium as a glass of milk, this dark, leafy green takes about five minutes to cook and doesn’t have the strong taste of its cousins, broccoli and spinach.  This recipe came from a healthy eating class I took from a group called Greenlight.  They also have a great recipe blog. 

So anyway, here’s what you do.  Start by washing the kale.  Some say you need to soak it for five minutes then rinse.  Usually I skip this step, but this batch came from the farmer’s market and had some critters on it. 

This is called Red Russian kale and truthfully, it’s not my favorite.  Normally I get the curly leaved variety from the grocery store.  It holds up better in cooking and has milder flavor.  It looks like this.

Either way, the first step is to separate the leaves from the ribs.  You can do it by pinching at the bottom and pulling up.

Now, that was easy.

Now rip up those beautiful green leaves into bite-sized pieces and put in a skillet, covered, with just a smidgen of water.  (Just enough to cover the bottom). 

Once the water comes to a boil, it’s pretty much ready.  I let it go for maybe 2-3 minutes more or until a little wilted and dark green.

Again, this is a little wilty for my taste. 

Next you just pour off the water, add a little olive oil, lemon and sesame seeds, and Voila!  You’ve got a super-food side dish. 

Kale (serves 2)

• Bunch of fresh kale, approximately 5-7 stems
• Lemon
• Sesame Seeds
• Olive Oil

Wash kale, remove stems and tear into bite-sized pieces.  Place in skillet, covered, with just enough water to cover the bottom.  Once water comes to a boil, cook for approximately 2-3 more minutes, or until dark green and slightly wilted.  Drain water.  Drizzle with olive oil, sesame seeds and freshly squeezed lemon to taste (approximately one-quarter slice).  Toss together and serve.

Succotash with a Splash

I recently read on the Onion.com that 10 million people are killed annually from stepping out of their comfort zones.  Thankfully, that didn’t happen to us last night. 

Of course, we weren’t attempting any harrowing tasks such as cliff diving or swimming with sharks.  Instead, I made my succotash with field peas instead of lima beans.  I know.  Pretty wild.

At any rate, the result was delicious so I wanted to share this divinely simple recipe.  I used field peas because I got them at the farmer’s market on Sunday, which meant I had to shell them.  It’s been a while since I shelled peas and let me tell you, it’s a labor of love.  So, I may continue to use frozen limas from here on, but the point is that no matter what kind of beans you use, succotash is a really easy side dish worth adding to your repertoire.  The secret is fresh corn, which thankfully is in season.

You just have to cut it off the cob first…

Then you wash the beans or peas.  (Skip this step if using frozen.)

You’ll need to boil the beans or peas until soft.  Frankly, I’m not positive on time here but I think about 5-10 minutes should do it.  (Just keep tasting them…we’re big “pickers” at our house). 

Then you throw them in a skillet with the corn and drizzle with a little olive oil (as Rachael Ray would say, “two turns of the pan.”) Give it a good stir and saute about 5 minutes or until it tastes right.  This is a picking recipe.

That’s it! It’s ready!  I feel like I should tell you to do something else as to not disappoint you on how short this post it.  But that’s why Turbo and I love this side dish – it’s fast.

I guess I could tell you how I served it – over rice, which is optional.  I also made fried okra, hot water cornbread and sliced tomatoes.  I added some chopped jalapeno to the cornbread batter because we like a da spice.  Mmm, mmm, mmmm and double mmmm.  In fact, it was so good we forgot there wasn’t any meat on the plate. 

Here’s the recipe…if you even need it.

Succotash

• Corn
• Lima beans (or other shell bean)
• Olive Oil (about 2 Tbsp)

Boil beans in water about 5-10 minutes.  When soft, drain and add to skillet with olive oil.  Cut corn off cob and add to beans.  Saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until corn is thoroughly warmed through.

Meme’s Fried Okra

Ok, so I’m kind of giving away a closely-guarded family recipe here.  Hopefully, my mom will still talk to me after this post. 

Okra is a much undervalued vegetable in my opinion.  You don’t hear too much about it outside of the South.  But besides being one of the few veggies able to withstand the scorching summers down here, it also has a respectable amount of calcium and Vitamin C.  According to SELF nutrition data, it contains 24 and 52 percent, respectively.  And, it’s at it’s peak right now…so run to your farmer’s market and grab some!

This is one of my favorite summertime recipes.  It’s quick, easy and, best of all, it’s fried.  So no matter where you’re from, give this recipe a shot.  I can almost guarantee you’ll make it again.

Start with fresh, whole okra.  (If it’s the dead of winter, frozen is allowed).

Give it a good wash and cut into about one-inch pieces, discarding the tops.  Now throw it in a bowl and dust with corn meal, salt and black pepper.

It doesn’t have to be thoroughly coated.  This isn’t Cracker Barrel-style okra.  Yeck.  This is much, much better…trust me.

Next add about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a heavy, oven-safe skillet and give it a good swirl to coat the bottom.  Toss the okra in the skillet and give it a little stir so the oil coats the okra.  If you like, you can add a “tig” more corn meal.  (Tig is Southern for just a little).  You can also add a skosh or a smidgen, which are slightly larger than tig.  Just eyeball it.

Now just toss it in a 425 degree oven.  You probably want to stir at least once while cooking.

Thirty minutes later, you have some golden brown, crunchy bits of heaven.

Mmmm….enjoy!

Fried Okra

• Okra, sliced into one-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp. self-rising white corn meal
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash and cut okra into 1-inch pieces, discarding tops.  In a medium bowl, toss okra with corn meal and salt and pepper to taste.

Add oil to heavy, oven-safe skillet and swirl to coat bottom.  Add coated okra and stir lightly to coat with oil.  Cook for thirty minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Hot Water Cornbread

This might be the closest I’ve come to that warm feeling you get when diving into hot buttered bread.  Sure, you can slather the fake butter on a piece of bread, but it’s just not the same.  It’s like a nod to butter – a watered-down version.  And while this doesn’t taste like buttered bread, it gives the same satisfaction.  At least it does for me.

It’s also really easy.  All it is is corn meal and, well, hot water.  First, start with self-rising white corn meal.  I like Aunt Jemima.  Something about her smile.

Getting the right consistency is key.  Basically, when you drag your spoon through it, it should leave a track that quickly closes back together.

I know, that sounds tricky but it’s pretty forgiving.  Especially if you add salt.  Anything’s better with pinch of salt.

Next, heat your skillet before you add the oil.  This is a little trick I just learned that helps prevent scorching when you’re pan frying.  Again, I prefer cast iron but if you’re not a convert yet, I guess a heavy duty skillet will do. But seriously, what are you waiting for?  It’s the original non-stick cookware. 🙂

You know the oil is ready when a little bit of batter sizzles.  If it pops wildly, back off the heat a bit.

Then you add your batter.  I use about 1/4 of a cup each.

It’s kind of like pancakes.  When they start to bubble, they’re ready to flip.

Mmm.  Now you’re ready to roll!  And yes, I realize most of the oil was absorbed.  I didn’t advertise these as health food.  But hey, you deserve it.

Here’s the recipe:

Hot Water Cornbread (three patties)

• 1/2 cup self-rising white corn meal
• 1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tsp. hot water
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Heat your skillet over medium-high heat.  I used 4.5 out of 7 on my electric stove.  (The heat is key).  Add 2 Tbsp. oil and wait until hot (about 3 minutes).

Meanwhile, mix corn meal and water to desired consistency.  This is something you’ll have to get the hang of, but I added 1/4 cup, stirred, then added 1-1/2 teaspoons, stirred, then added just a tiny bit more.

Spoon batter into skillet (approximately 1/4 cup each).  Cook until bubbles appear, then flip.  Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Sweet potato “fries”

Admit it, I had you at the word “fries.”

That’s okay, I’m a nut for anything fried.  This dish is slap-yourself-easy.  We have them probably once a week.

Slice your sweet potatoes into cute little coins as seen above.  The portions of this recipe are flexible.  Usually, a medium-sized potato will feed two people.

Next, toss these babies in a little olive oil and whatever spices you’re feeling like.  I usually do thyme, rosemary and garlic salt.  You can also do cumin and salt if you’re feeling saucy.

Line them up on a metal cookie sheet.  I find metal helps them crisp better.

Pop them in a scalding hot oven until browned.  I like to use convection because it’s twice as fast…and waiting isn’t Turbo’s strong suit.

Cook them until desired shade of brown.  As you can see, I like mine “extra crispy.”

Now sit down and get to eating!

To review…

Ingredients:

• Sweet potatoes (one medium-sized potato per two people)
• Dash of Garlic Salt, rosemary and thyme
• Olive oil to coat

Slice sweet potatoes into coins.  Toss in medium bowl with olive oil, garlic salt, rosemary and thyme.  Cook in 425 degree oven for 40 minutes (20 minutes if using convection).