Vegan Roasted Corn Chowder August 14, 2012

With plenty of fresh corn coming in from my CSA crop-share, I decided to use it all at once by making a vegan corn chowder.  The recipe, inspired by Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Roasted Corn Soup, uses the corn stalks to make a rich broth.  It isn’t a quick soup to make, but the recipe can be made in stages (I made the stock and roasted the corn one night, and put it all together the following day) and is worth the effort.  The soup comes out creamy and rich without a hint of milk.  I used a little butter to give the soup a bit of richness, but you can easily use a “buttery” spread in equal proportions to make this soup truly vegan.  My corn was super sweet, but if it’s towards the end of corn season or the off season, you may want to add a little agave nectar or sugar to sweeten it up a bit.  This soup makes great leftovers and the taste actually improves after a few nights in the fridge.  Serve it with some warm sourdough bread and a salad tossed with basil vinaigrette for a light late-summer meal.

Zucchini Recipe Roundup June 26, 2012

The search for creative ways to use the green giants is upon us.  Here’s a roundup of some of my all-time favorite zucchini recipes.  Enjoy!

Iluminate The Night {Outdoor Lighting Roundup} June 7, 2012

 ‘Tis the season for outdoor entertaining.  When the sun sets, iluminate your nighttime fete with hip lighting options. From stylish hues to retro-inspired lanterns, there’s an option for every outdoor entertaining style.

 

Grilled Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad September 5, 2011

This recipe came about when I was cooking for a crowd but only had 4 ears of corn from my crop-share. Cutting corn off the cobb is a great way to make a little corn go a long way and mixing it with other complimentary ingredients, such as basil and tomato, adds a burst of summer flavor.

Grilling the corn makes the natural sugars caramelize and creates a nice charred flavor. This salad is a great use for late-summer corn, which generally has larger kernels that aren’t as tender and sweet as early-season corn.

Use the best ingredients you can find – super ripe tomatoes and fresh basil make this corn salad amazing.

 

Grilled Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad
4 ears of sweet corn
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
½ C. fresh basil, chopped
salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat grill. Shuck corn by removing husks and silk. (To remove pieces of clingy silk use a moist paper towel and wipe in a downward motion, from stalk to tip of cobb). Grill corn until slightly charred. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, stand corn vertically in center of large bowl and using a sharp knife, cut corn from stalk, allowing cut corn to fall into bowl. Squeeze any “milk” from empty husk into bowl and continue with remaining pieces of corn.

2. Add tomato and basil to corn and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be made up to 2 hours in advance and served at room temperature.

Serves: 6-8 as a side

Key Lime Pie with Macadamia-Graham Cracker Crust July 25, 2011

Key lime pie is a warm-weather favorite because of it’s refreshingly tart flavor.  A silky smooth filling and a nutty, crisp crust provide wonderful contrasts in texture.  I like to use fat-free sweetened condensed milk in place of the whole fat version.  I don’t think you’ll miss the extra fat and it keeps this pie nice and light.

I usually have all of the ingredients for this pie on hand – a can of sweetened condensed milk, bottled key lime juice and egg yolks for the filling.  It’s really that simple.  Use a store-bought graham cracker crust if you aren’t up for making one yourself, though a food processor makes quick work of it and the flavor/ texture is worth the added effort.  I’ve used almonds and pecans in this crust before – whatever I have on hand.  I especially like the macadamia nut crust with the key lime filling because they both remind me of the tropics.

Although key lime pie only takes about 30 minutes to make, it will need at least 8 hours in the refrigerator to firm up.  Serve slices topped with a dallop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries or raspberries all work well).  Key lime pie will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but it never lasts that long in our house.

Key Lime Pie with Macadamia-Graham Cracker Crust

9 sheets graham crackers

2/3 C. macadamia nuts, toasted

¼ C. sugar

4 Tbs. butter, melted

1 (14oz) can fat free sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 C. key lime juice

1 thin round slice of lime (optional)

1.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   In the bowl of a food processor, finely grind the graham crackers until they resemble crumbs.  Place crumbs in a medium bowl and set aside.  Without rinsing the food processor, pulse the macadamia nuts until broken into small pieces.  Add a little of the graham cracker crumbs to the nuts and pulse until finely ground (adding the cracker crumbs prevents it from turning into nut butter).  Add ground nuts to crumbs, along with sugar.  Mix until well combined.  Drizzle with melted butter and use a fork to moisten the mixture.  Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10” pie plate.  Bake the pie shell in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.  Leave the oven on and cool the shell on a wire rack.

2.              Whisk the condensed milk, yolks and lime juice together in a large bowl until well combined.  Pour into cooled pie shell and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Garnish with a slice of lime in the center of the pie, if you’d like.

Tomato-Melon Gazpacho July 18, 2011

This beautiful chilled summer soup is a twist on traditional tomato gazpacho – one of my favorite warm-weather appetizers.  The combination of sweet cantaloupe, acidic tomatoes and fresh basil make this gazpacho spectacular.  The ingredients are quite simple, so the flavor of the soup really depends on the quality of the ingredients you use.  I only make this gazpacho when tomatoes and melon are in season: Ripe tomatoes that taste earthy and acidic, and sweet melon that’s beginning to melt in the center are the two ingredients that make this soup.

Don’t let peeling the tomatoes deter you from making gazpacho.  It’s really very simple if you follow this method:  Cut a small x in the bottom (non-stem end) of the tomatoes and drop them into boiling water for about 10 seconds; immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.  When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to easily remove the peel.  While peeling the tomatoes isn’t absolutely necessary, it makes the soup more refined and is really worth the extra step.

Serve this soup as a summer appetizer for a dinner party, or serve it in martini or tall shot glasses at a tapas-style party.  Remember to chill the bowls or glasses (keep them in the fridge or freezer for a few hours) before serving.  If you want to make this more of a meal, add some grilled prawns (large shrimp) and sourdough rolls.

This recipe is inspired by Jean-George & Mark Bittman’s recipe in Simple to Spectacular.

Tomato-Melon Gazpacho

1 medium cantaloupe (2 ½ – 3 lbs), seeded and cut into chunks (discard the rind)

5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs), cored, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” pieces

1 ½ C. cold water (or 1 C. water and ½ C. ice cubes)*

12 basil leaves, divided

salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1.            Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in medium skillet over high heat.  Add melon to pan and cook until juicy (about 1-2 minutes).  Remove melon from the pan and place in blender.  Wipe pan clean and heat 1 Tbs. olive oil again over high heat.  Add tomatoes to pan and cook until juicy (again, about 1-2 minutes).  Remove from heat and add tomatoes to blender.

2.            Add water (and/or ice cubes), 10 basil leaves and remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil to tomato-melon mixture.  Puree until mostly smooth, leaving some chunkiness.  Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve cold, topped with chopped basil.

*I like to sauté the melon and tomatoes in advance and refrigerate them in the blender before pureeing the entire mixture so they have time to chill (you want to serve the soup nice and cold).  If you don’t have time to chill the ingredients after cooking, use ½ C. ice cubes in place of the water to keep the mixture cool.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad June 9, 2011

Today I am sharing one of my very favorite recipes with you.  As you probably already know, I love myself some quinoa.  It’s high in protein, filled with fiber, quick-cooking, gluten-free and super tasty.  This recipe combines so many flavorful ingredients with the quinoa and is absolutely delicious.  It’s the perfect picnic dish (I brought it to a BBQ in the park last weekend and it was devoured), as it tastes great with any grilled meat.  It would be a great addition to a shower brunch/ lunch buffet, or for any summer menu.  I like to make double and bring leftovers for lunch in the summer.  On a hot day, it’s filling enough on it’s own for a light dinner when served with a mesclun salad.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2 cups uncooked quinoa

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tsp. zest & 2 Tbs. juice)

½ Tbs. parsley, chopped

1 Tbs. shallots, minced

1 tsp. sherry vinegar

½ tsp. salt (or more to taste)

1 cup (about 10oz) grape tomatoes, halved

½ English cucumber (seedless), chopped

¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

12oz roasted red peppers, chopped (strained of liquid)

¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1.            Rinse quinoa under cold water until water runs clear (don’t skip this step – quinoa has a bitter outer layer that you need to rinse off).  Place quinoa and broth in medium saucepan and bring to boil.  Once boiling, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 15 minutes, or until liquid absorbs into quinoa.  Fluff quinoa with a fork.  Transfer to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature.

2.            Combine olive oil through salt in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.  Add in quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and peppers; toss to combine.  Add in feta, if using.  Can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Pistachio & Strawberry Salad with Mint Vinaigrette May 17, 2011

Jazzing up a salad for spring entertaining is as easy as adding a few special ingredients, like toasted pistachio nuts and sliced strawberries.  The mint vinaigrette gives the salad a fresh taste, and the strawberries and nuts provide great contrast in texture and flavor.  I love to serve this salad as part of a brunch menu.  I usually make extra dressing so I have it for a quick weeknight meal.  Add roasted or grilled chicken to this salad and you have yourself a healthy lunch or dinner.

This salad travels well if the ingredients are kept separate and tossed together when ready to serve.

Pistachio & Strawberry Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

1/4 C. shelled pistachios, toasted

1/2 C. strawberries, sliced

5 oz mesclun salad or baby romaine salad mix

1/2 C. mint vinaigrette (recipe below)

Toss salad ingredients with dressing in a large salad bowl.  Serve immediately.

Mint Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mint leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Agave nectar (or honey)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large food processor, blend the oil and mint until well combined.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until fully combined.  Maked about 1 cup of dressing and can be stored for up to 3 days.

Basil Infused Olive Oil August 18, 2010

Wondering what to do with the abundance of fresh basil this time of year?  I love to make basil infused olive oil and drizzle it over heirloom tomatoes, grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella and broiled fish.  I also serve it as a dipping oil with crusty bread, or toss it with any grilled veggie for a flavorful side dish.  It’s the essence of summer, concentrated into a simple oil. 

Basil Infused Olive Oil

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil and blanch basil for 5 seconds.  Drain and immediately plunge into ice water.  Once cooled, remove from water and pat leaves dry with paper towel.  Puree basil with olive oil in a food processor.  Season with salt and pepper.  Strain the basil oil through a fine mesh strainer and discard basil remnants.  Pour oil into a jar, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Basil oil will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 Photo Credit:  Lisa Barber

Simple Summer Appetizer – Cantaloupe Caprese Salad or Skewers July 27, 2010

Since the heat wave moved in I haven’t been able to turn on my oven.  As a result, I have gotten creative with my no-cook recipes.  A caprese salad is one of my favorites this time of year, when the tomatoes and basil are at their best.  But instead of tomatoes, I substitute cantaloupe and made a delicious hip twist on this Italian classic.  Serve this combo as a salad or on mini skewers for a party (or kids).  This is a savory recipe – think of it like a vegetarian version of cantaloupe and prosciutto, another delicious sweet-salty combo. 

Seed and cut one ripe cantaloupe into chunks or round balls (with a mellon baller).  Use one container of Bocconcini (mini Mozzarella balls) and a small bunch of fresh basil.  Layer cantaloupe, Bocconcini and basil on skewers and repeat until the skewers are full, leaving an inch or so at the end.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Instead of skewers, make a salad using the same ingredients and tossing until combined.  Serve with a nice glass of white wine or prosecco and enjoy!