Etheral Mushrooms

This is a "Wow!!! What the heck is in this!!??" type of recipe. These mushrooms live up to their name and you will be the star of any party you bring them to. They are just heavenly and melt in your mouth. This is not my usual light dish, but remember I made these in honor of a chef and the occasion was special. If you generally eat healthy, a dish like this in moderation is perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while.

This recipe is from my parents' neighbor and she brings them to most gatherings, with all the neighbors drooling as she carries them in. After finally getting the recipe, my mom attempted to recreate them a couple of times and knew it just did not taste the same. She was sure her friend was holding out some secret ingredient. Turns out, the type of bouillon is the secret... try to use paste instead of the cubed version if you can find it. It does make a difference! This is the brand I found at Bristol Farms.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs regular white button mushrooms
• 2 cups Burgundy (Or just use pinot noir for a less expensive option)
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dill seed (I could only find Dill weed at my grocery store which worked fine)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp beef bouillon paste (or use 2 cubes if you cannot find the paste)
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon paste (or again, use 2 cubes if you cannot find)

Combine all ingredients except mushrooms in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms.

Reduce to simmer. Cook 5-6 hours with pot covered.

Remove lid and cook another 3-4 hours.

This is really the most simple recipe, but it does have a very long cooking time. Plan ahead. I find it best to make the night before. I let it simmer all night (even though it says 5-6 hours, I cooked it longer and thought it turned out better) then continue cooking with the lid off the day of your party.

Serve as an appetiser with toothpicks. The mushrooms will be very dark.

Love,

Sam

Raw Brussel Sprout Salad

This salad idea came from a combination of two different recipes I had read recently. I decided to combine them together.

If you are afraid of these little stinky vegetables, you are not alone. It seems that most people who have a strong dislike for any vegetable seem to name this one. I don't get it... I love them roasted or steamed.. and now raw in this salad. This is a great side dish for the summer because it is served cool or at room temperature and its an unexpected healthy twist on the usual side salad. I hope you try it.

First, you need to make the vinaigrette. Mix all ingredients except for the oil in a bowl. then slowly whisk in the oil until everything comes together. This vinaigrette needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before added to the salad, or you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time.

Vinaigrette:

• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 3 TBS finely chopped chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 lbs brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
• 1/4 freshly grated good Parmesan cheese (no green can!)
• 1 cup shelled pistachios

Using a mandolin or food processor with a slicing blade, slice the brussel sprouts. Mix together with the Parmesan cheese and dress. Toss in the pistachios just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Love,

Sam

Book Club

This past weekend was my turn to host our monthly book club meeting. This month we chose to read a beautiful chef's memoir titled Blood, Bones, and Butter written by Gabrielle Hamilton. She writes in a way that appears to be effortless and it really captivated me right from the beginning. It is amazing that this woman has been gifted with both the ability to cook and to write! I highly recommend it for your summer reading list.

I had so much fun planning the menu and trying to capture elements of the book as well as try to put my own spin on keeping some healthy elements. I don't know if I have it in me to run a restaurant after reading about her journey and how much work it really does take, but I certainly love hosting people, especially my girlfriends. I literally jumped out of bed that morning to start preparing. My husband thought it was cute.

I will post each of these three recipes on separate posts but here is a preview:

• Raw Brussel Sprout Salad made with a fresh vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pistachios
• Ethereal Mushrooms (cooked 15 hours and were heavenly like their name!)
• Balsamic Marinaded Tomatoes served over fresh Burrata Mozzarella

I tried to incorporate elements on the book while also trying to add some healthy elements. This is a great way to entertain. Focus on an inspiration but stay true to the way you love to eat. Gabrielle spends a month a year in Italy so of course I had to include Italian elements. The Burrata Mozzarella was inspired by a specific scene in the book where she gets married and her and her husband choose to serve each other big heaping spoon fulls of the creamy cheese instead of wedding cake. How cool is that? A true food lover!

These recipes are for you, Gabrielle! And I hope everyone else loves them too!

Love,

Sam

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

Today was Mothers Day. We celebrated by hosting brunch at our house and I made a simple and light meal with the women in mind. Fritattas are like a quiche except without the crust. It is started on the stove top and then finished in the oven. You can mold this recipe to whatever you have in the fridge. This can be a breakfast item... or served at lunch or dinner with a side salad. It really works with anything. This recipe makes a generous 6 portions.

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 shallot
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Begin by melting the butter over medium-low heat in a large non-stick pan. Chop the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.

While the vegetables cook, combine your eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add to the pan. Do not mix, simply allow the majority of the mixture to cook until only the middle of the egg mixture is a bit wiggly. For me, this was about 8 minutes. Transfer the whole pan to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes. The frittata should puff up slightly and turn a golden brown around the edges.

I grated a little extra cheese over the top. Cut into wedges and enjoy. I served the frittata along with smoked salmon and whole wheat bagels, and a mixed berry salad. I love how colorful the plate is!

Now, I know this is not the typical healthy recipe I like to post... but today was a special occasion. You could very easily trim this down by using egg whites only and eliminate the cheese.

Love,

Sam

Bob's Salsa

My husband loves tacos. And he was lucky to grow up eating them about once a week at home. His father makes the most delicious salsa, and I recently learned how simple it is to make. When I lived with girlfriends, we used to do a taco salad night at least once a week. We would cook lean ground turkey meat with taco seasoning, chop up some lettuce, add some black beans or lard free refried beans, and top with taco sauce or store bought salsa. I wish I would have had this recipe then!

The canned tomatoes in this recipe are sweet and the rest of the ingredients are fresh. You can easily double to triple if you are doing a taco night for a large group.

• 1 large can organic whole peeled tomatoes (I prefer Cento or San Marzano)
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 yellow onion
• 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
• 1 can diced green chilies (he uses the Ortega brand)
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I am sure it can be done with a food processor... but I have only ever seen Bob chop by hand so I suggest you do the same. It is that simple. Oh, and make sure to include the juice from the tomatoes.

Your taco night just got healthier.

Love,

Sam

Peggy's Salad Dressing

Stop buying salad dressing from a bottle. Stop it. You know you never use it all, and you have several bottles just waiting to go bad in your refrigerator door. Most of them are full of additives and preservatives - gasp! And its tacky on the dinner table. Make your guests or family something from scratch. It takes 2 minutes, its delicious, its better for you, and everyone will ask you what brand it is and admire you longingly when you tell them you made it yourself.

My dear friend Madeline taught me this recipe when we were in college. She learned it from her mother, Peggy. This is the original recipe, but I have made it with garlic instead of shallot, with walnut oil instead of olive oil, I sometimes add fresh lemon juice, and I have tried all different types in vinegar.

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped



• 2-3 TBS good olive oil



• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar



• 1 TBS Dijon mustard



• 2 tsp honey



• salt and pepper to taste

I usually start by chopping the shallot and mixing it with the salt, pepper, and mustard until it makes a thick paste. Then I incorporate the honey and vinegar. Last, I slowly pour in the olive oil while mixing all the ingredients together.

Drizzle it over mixed greens right before serving.

My Hiatus

OK, so its been many months since a new post. Let me explain:

First, it is not for lack of cooking. In the past months, I have perfected my chicken and rice soup with beautiful healthy greens blended into the base, gained a new level on comfort with many white fishes, and hosted many many dinner parties. I have developed a love affair with linen napkins and if it weren't for our 900 sq foot beach cottage limitations, I would probably have a more extensive collection.

So the truth is twofold 1) I got discouraged by other cutsie-fancyman-coloful-technical blogs. I don't know how to do those things, and I have come to terms with the fact that I honestly don't care to learn. I just don't. I just want to cook good food and write about it... not spend more of my time in front of my screen feeling lost and frustrated trying to compete with other more professional food blogs. 2) I started wondering why I was doing it? I'm not trying to make money, I am not trying to sell ad space, and many times its not my original recipe - I am simply sharing a recipe from someone else (yes, Ina Garten, it is usually you). I would post my updates on facebook and sometimes just felt a little too boastful about the whole thing.

I have talked to friends and my husband about this struggle and I needed a few months to just figure out my motivation. But I have come to the conclusion that I don't have a conclusion. I am over thinking the whole thing. I am not trying to brag, my original motivation actually came when my friend Ashley one evening asked me how I knew how to roast a chicken. She asked me to send her the recipe. So that night I posted my first blog. I love entertaining and I love cooking, and I thought this would be a wonderful way to share my ideas with others. It may very well be a recipe I got from someone else... or it may be my own adaptation... or it may be an original. Whichever it is, it is something I think is worth sharing.

I feel many women in my generation are not confident in the kitchen. I do not mean this as a judgement or to say that just because my comfort level is high that I am any better at cooking. But I started out following recipes EXACTLY and then slowly started learning it was OK to make little changes here and there and slowly my preference for kitchen flavors and themes evolved. It continues to evolve. I also feel like people eat out too often and too casually. Its important to eat right, and its important to check in with your family and friends over a wonderful meal. Its intimate to have someone in your home. And its an amazing gift to make them feel comfortable and taken care of. And since getting married and taking ownership of my kitchen, I have really developed a greater appreciation for men and women who have the ability to cook and entertain well.

Anyway, all that said to announce that I am back. I am ready to recommit to blogging. I will try not to post it too often on facebook. And I hope it inspires you to cook more.

Love,
Sam

Banana Nut Bread

I cannot say this is better than my moms famous banana bread, but it is a healthier version that stands up pretty well. You can really modify most recipes, and doing so to your favorite family favorites allows you enjoy them more often without the guilt.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 TBS ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBS organic milk
• 1 cup mashed ripe organic bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

I used walnuts for this bread, but you can use any nut you prefer, or no nuts at all. And to be honest, I probably used more than 1/2 cup.

Preheat oven to 350. Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

In your mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until light in color, scraping sides often. Add eggs, one at a time, then the milk, making sure the batter is smooth after each addition. Now add the flour and mashed bananas alternating 1/3 of each mixture until smooth and incorporated. Scrape down bowl one more time and mix again. Fold in nuts.

Pour batter into lightly greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes. Make sure to check after 60 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, remove from oven. If not, bake 5 more minutes and check again.

Let the loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes before cooling on rack.

Love,

Sam

Simple Garlic Hummus

Tonight I am cheating and using a pre-marinated curry chicken from Trader. I have never tried it before and am not sure how I feel about pre-marinated meats, but I will let you know.


So I have decided to make some simple homemade hummus to go along with it. Hummus is so quick and so simple to make at home if you have a blender. It is literally 4 ingredients, tastes better than anything you will buy, and is probably a lot cheaper too!

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2-4 cloves of garlic (depending how spicy you like it!)
• 2 TBS good olive oil, plus extra to drizzle on top

Blend all ingredients together, put into lovely little dish, drizzle with olive oil, and WA-LA! Your friends will be so impressed and you will love it.





Love,
Sam

Sundried Tomato Appetizer

This is an elegant and delicious and super easy appetizer to have out when your guests come over. It takes only a few minutes and whenever I make it, it never lasts long.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz package of goat cheese
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 jar olive oil marinated sun dried tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400. Combine basil, garlic, and the tomatoes (along with 1 TBS of that great olive oil they came in!) in a food processor until finely chopped. Place mixture over the goat cheese in a ceramic or glass baking dish and heat for 12-15 minutes. The goat cheese is great because will not lose its shape or melt, it just gets a little bubbly and the tomato mixture heats through.

Serve with a variety of crackers or bread.

Turkey Meatloaf

No offense to all the moms out there, but this is not your moms meatloaf. This delightful dinner is great anytime of year, but mostly this time of year with the weather starts to get cooler. And of course my recipe is modified to include more veggies, fiber, and less fat.

Ingredients:

• 1 large package lean ground turkey meat (about 1 lb)
• 1/4 lb ground pork (you can omit this but it does add flavor and keeps the loaf moist)
• 1 brown onion
• 1 (defrosted) box of spinach or one fresh bag of spinach
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup dry oats
• 2 TBS flax meal
• 1 egg
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 1 jar Chili Sauce (see picture below for my preferred brand)
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Defrost the spinach if you are using frozen by running under warm water in a colander. Strain of all liquid (using a dish towel or just your hands) and set aside.

Brown the onion in the olive oil and vinegar until translucent over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook 2 more minutes. Add the spinach and cook a few more minutes until combined.

Turn off heat and let cool, then add to a large bowl. Next, add the turkey, pork if you are using it, egg, oats, flax and about 1/3 of the jar of the chili sauce and combine with your clean hands.

Once the mixture is cohesive, form into 2 large loaves. I usually cook them side by side and often lay slided potatoes or sweet potatoes underneath. Form little gutters in the center of each loaf and slather with more of the sweet chili sauce. Bake Covered about 40 minutes, then take the foil off and bake another 10 minutes. Because "loaf" is not much a scientific measurement, be sure to cut into one of the loaves before deciding to stop cooking. If it still looks pink, give it 5-10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest under foil for 10 minutes before serving.
I hope you love this! It is really an easy and delicious comfort meal. Slice up your leftovers to make meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Yum.

Amalfi Salad

This salad reminds me of the food we ate in Amalfi last summer. I saw Giada make this salad a couple of weeks ago and it screams summertime in Italy.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Bake the prosciutto on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 12-14 minutes, until crispy. Grill the asparagus in a grill pan. While those two items are cooking, dice the melon and mozzarella. Make the vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper with a whisk.

Layer the salad with the grilled asparagus on the bottom, the cheese and melon in the middle, and sprinkle with the prosciutto by crumbling with your hands. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

Love,

Sam

INMAN'S Pasta Salad

Most of my girlfriends are well aware of this colorful and easy side dish. Inman or her mom would make this for us growing up. It was usually in the fridge for a sleepover or any kind of party. I recently made it for Michael's big 31st birthday. This dish could not be easier and I made a couple of changes to the original recipe to make it healthier. I'm sure you can guess, I added fiber :) I swapped the tri-colored pasta for a whole wheat brand, and added the broccoli to replace some of that lost color.

Recipe:

• 1 pound of whole wheat fusilli pasta (original recipe calls for tri colored fusilli)
• 1 small container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 small container of feta cheese
• 2 heads of broccoli lightly blanched ( I just threw the broccoli in for the last 2 minutes with the pasta)
• 1 can black olives
• 1/2 to 1 full bottle Family Recipe Italian "Newmans Own" salad dressing

Combine all ingredients and toss with the salad dressing. Make this recipe the night before or a couple days before your party. It gets better the longer it marinades! Double or triple the recipe to easily feed a big crowd.Love,

Sam

Tomato Artichoke Chicken Deliousness

This was a last minute "what do I have in the kitchen" meal that actually turned out great! I also was able to use these bizarre huge beans from our garden that Michael has been asking me to cook with. They kind of look like lima beans, apparently they are called "pole beans." He got the seeds from one of his fellow gardening friends and we never established their official name or how to eat them. Anyway, I added them to this already healthy and fresh dish, and they were great. But, if you don't have a pole bean plant growing in your yard, or you cant find anything at the grocery store that looks the same, or the recipe is perfectly fine without them.

Ingredients:

• 3 Chicken Breasts
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 shallots
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 can of tomato puree or diced tomatoes or tomato sauce (either will do)
• 1 jar artichoke hearts, cut into quarters
• 8-10 fresh cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 jar marinaded sun dried tomatoes
• 10 pole beans (shells removed)
• 1/2 tablespoon chili flakes
• salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown on each side in 1 tablespoon olive oil, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the rest of the olive oil to the same pan along with the diced garlic and shallots. Saute until soft over medium heat. Turn heat to high and add the white wine, de-glaze the pan (meaning scrape the bits of of the chicken off the bottom) for about two minutes. Add the artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, chili flakes and tomato sauce and cook about 3 minutes. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and cover. Let the dish cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. The flavors will come together and the chicken will cook all the way through. I added the crazy pole beans last as they only took a few minute to cook. Serve with big green salad or with pasta.


Love,

Sam

Spicy Pesto

This is a pretty non-traditional pesto recipe, but it was so delicious. I saw it of course on Giada's show last week and since I have recently purchased a beautiful new food processor, it was really simple to make. There are so many variations of pestos, and once you see how truly quick and fresh it is, you will have fun experimenting with different ingredients. A traditional pesto usually is garlic, basil, pine nuts, and olive oil. This one uses walnuts instead of pine nuts and adds in the chili and arugula for the kick. If you don't like it spicy, then just leave the chili out. I think an added health benefit is the spinach. It really doesn't add flavor, but its an incredible way to get greens into this pasta dish.

• 1 cup raw walnuts


• 2 cloves of garlic


• 1 (2 inch long) pepper - I used one of Michael's black chilies from the garden but Giada originally used a jalapeno


• 1 cup Parmesan cheese (original recipe calls for 2 cups, but I thought it was delicious with just the 1 and that cut out a lot of calories)


• 2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp black pepper


• 3 cups baby spinach


• 2 cups arugula


• 1/4 cup olive oil

Look how gorgeous that green is! Toss 1 pound of warm pasta (I use whole wheat fusili) with the pesto. If it appears too thick, add a few spoonfuls of pasta water and mix to thin out the sauce. Garnish with a bit more of the Parmesan and serve. I think if you are going to eat pasta, this has to be one of the healthiest ways with the omegas of the olive oil, walnuts, and greens...plus plenty of fiber if you choose a great pasta! I hope you like it.

Love,

Sam

Soba Noondles with Shrimp, Vegetables, and dipping sauces

My husband has been out of town a lot recently so my diet has included a lot of spinach & rice, dinners with girlfriends, and my favorite turkey meatballs from Trader Joes. Obviously not much to food-blog about. But tonight, he was home early so after a long walk (insert romance music here) I cooked him a new dinner. I read this recipe earlier this week from a Martha Stewart cooking magazine. I was curious about the soba noodles. They are made with buckwheat and whole grain flour. Very healthy. This dinner is perfect for summer because its light, quick, yet has a lot of different flavors. And I loved both of the dipping sauces!

Start by buying your favorite veggies and protein. I used carrots, snap peas, broccoli, and bok choy, and shrimp. I steamed the veggies plain but a wok would have been perfect as well. I lightly grilled the shrimp with salt, pepper, and a bit of lime juice.

I was very surprised I could not find the soba noodles at Ralphs... so I had to buy them at Trader Joes. Look for them in the Asian section or pasta/rice section. Cook these according to package instructions, mine took 6 minutes in boiling water.

Peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 3 TBS soy sauce
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 TBS sugar
  
  

Chilli-Hoisin Sauce:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 TBS chilli sauce
• 3 TBS white win vinegar
• 1 TBS hot water

Serve all items on a place and garnish with lime and cilantro. Keep both of the dipping sauces on the table.

Love,

Sam

Spring Pea Soup and New Salad

This week I made a very very spring inspired vegetarian dinner for my husband and myself. We had eaten terribly all weekend and he was about to leave for a 4 day business trip and asked for something healthy.

So I saw this wonderful fresh light soup on Barefoot Contessa this week and thought it would be perfect. The mint really made it refreshing and was a little surprise of flavor. And of course Michael loves when I use the herbs from the yard he so dearly loves. Ina's recipe:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 chopped leeks, white and light green parts
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche - but I used 2% Greek yogurt instead

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 about minutes, until the peas are tender. Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper. You can use a stick blender or regular blender to then puree the soup. I topped each bowl with a big scoop of the Greek yogurt. It adds the substance you need to make this a main course.

Our big green salad was fresh organic mixed greens, thinly slided fennel, toasted walnuts (10 minutes at 400) and blueberries. Instead of making a vinaigrette, I simply tossed it with this amazing orange infused olive oil (thanks mom!) and red white vinegar. I love flavored oils and vinegars. So much better than bottled salad dressing and so many ways to use them. If you have not used fennel before, it looks like this:

I sliced the bulb part, not the green part. Very thin, like you would slice an onion. It has this great fresh anise flavor. We both loved it and I was happy we started off the week right.

Love,

Sam

Beet Salad

Have you noticed beet salad popping up on every restaurant menu?! Remeber when it used to be the blue cheese and caramelized walnuts with cranberry combination? Well now beets are the new trendy salad star. I must say the best I have had was at Marche Moderne in Costa Mesa. It was served with this whipped goat cheese ice cream scoop creation. Sounds bizarre but it was light and delicious. I loved it. I have been ordering beet salad every time I see it on a menu, and finally decided I would try cooking them myself at home. It turned out to be pretty easy and was a Mothers Day brunch hit!

I found the recipe in one of my new cookbooks, Bouchon, by Thomas Keller. Another great wedding gift, thanks to Mr. Cameron Fine. I often read my cookbooks at night before bed. (WHAT?! That's not normal?) Anyway, don't be scared of roasting these delicious iron-rich treats.

Ingredients for the salad:

• Toasted walnuts (10 minutes on a cookie sheet in a 350 oven)


• 8 beets (I used both red and golden beets)


• goat cheese (I buy the log and then crumble myself)


• shallots


• Mache greens (sounds scary, but I am finding this salad green in most grocery stores now, even Trader Joes!)


• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Cut off the greens of the beets and trim stems to about 1 inch. Toss them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water, salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 350, covered with foil, for about 50 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and let cool. The recipe said to rub the warm beets with a paper towel to remove the skin but I found this advice confusing. It just didn't work for me. So I simply used a vegetable peeler, or you can use a small sharp knife.

Dice the beets and drizzle with a little olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Add the walnuts, shallots, and mache and toss in the vinaigrette below. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

Walnut Vinaigrette

• 1 tb Dijon mustard


• 1 tbs champagne vinegar


• 1/2 cup walnut oil


• 1tbs lemon juice


• 1 tsp honey (not in original recipe but I added it)


• salt and pepper

I don't have a picture of the final product because it was Mothers Day and I just plain forgot because we were all too excited to dig in. I think your family will love it too!

Love,

Sam

Where the Magic Happens

It may be small and crowded, but I am really making myself at home here. I love the open shelves and displaying all of my new fun wedding gifts. There is plenty of counter space and miraculously I have been able to fit everything. We also have a hutch in the living room holding my larger serving platters.

Some of my favorites things in this tiny culinary space:

• The light green kitchen aide. It is my grandmothers. She passed away while I was in college. My mom offered to buy me a new mixer as a wedding gift, but I think its so special to think about her every time I use it. A second copper bowl also came with it, but I am not sure of when to use the copper and when to use the metal. I need to do some research. And I love the color.
• Pasta maker (upper left shelf). I discovered this in the back of Michael's cabinets when I was cleaning them out to make room for me and all the new stuff. He thinks it is his friends, we haven't verified the owner, and so it sits on my shelf. I have only made pasta from scratch once, but I would love to give it a few more tries before it inevitably has to be returned.
• The (TWO!) french/dutch ovens. Obvi.
• The granite. It never looks dirty even when it is. Who wouldn't love that?
• The wide variety of vinegars and oils mostly purchased by my husband over the years. Why he has so many when he rarely cooks, I am not sure. I bet many of these were left from past roommates as well. I recently purchased a walnut oil and it is delicious. I used it in a vinaigrette for my beet salad on mothers day. (Post coming soon)

• The open spice rack. When I used to keep my spices in a cabinet, I would always forget about the items in the back. Now they are staring at me everyday and offer unexpected inspiration. (i.e. my addition of nutmeg to the creamed corn I made this week for my dads birthday).

Well, its cute and is mine and I am officially a nesting wife :)

I must also add a few pictures for my sweet husband, the household farmer. We are so lucky to have this little yard so close to the beach. He has planted a variety of herbs including oregano, parsley, mint, cilantro, and thyme. He also recently added raspberries, beans, beets, chard, and the latest addition was this little black chili plant that he bought at the Corona Del Mar farmers market this weekend.

Love,

Sam

Salmon

I generally prefer a sweeter marinade or glaze on my salmon, but I recently tried a new recipe with my sister and mom and it turned our pretty good. 3 simple ingredients in the marinade: fresh grated ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauce. I have tried the recipe with both a sweet or hot chili sauce, they both were great, but I prefer the spicier version. If you have never used fresh ginger before, do not be scared. Its in most grocery stores and it looks like a root. Peel the outside skin with a veggie peeler or knife, and grate like you would a carrot. Ginger is inexpensive and really adds a powerful flavor.

Marinade the fish for 30 minutes prior to baking. Reserve some of the sauce for serving. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes depending on thickness of the fish. My mom taught be the best way to check if the fish is done it to gently twist a fork into the center of the fish, if the fish breaks apart, it is done. if its still mushy and pink, it needs to cook longer.

We served our salmon this night with stir-fried snap peas and asparagus. Healthy and easy!

Love,

Sam