Today I was feeling like something a little special to end the week on, so I decided to roast a leg of lamb. To accompany the main meat dish, I decided to do a slight twist on the traditional mashed potatoes by making them with sweet potatoes instead of the typical russet. To lighten the dish up and help everyone get over the holiday gluttony, I made a mock caprese salad (I just dropped the mozzarella) with cherry tomatoes. Bon apetite.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless leg of lamb
8 cloves garlic
4 sprigs mint, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut slits in the meat and stick in the garlic.
3. Cover with salt, pepper, and mint.
4. Roast in a deep baking pan until this interior is 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes per pound.
5. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 cups lactose free milk
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stem removed and minced
2 Tbs lactose free butter
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water until potatoes are just covered.
2. Boil potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain and return potatoes to pot.
4. Use a potato masher and mash potatoes, add other ingredients and continue mashing until desired consistency and flavor is achieved. The milk makes the potatoes fluffy, but too much makes them soupy, so add milk incrementally.
Tomato Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 cartons cherry tomatoes in various colors to add interest
1 package basil, stemmed and chopped
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Combine tomatoes and basil.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss to combine.
Optional: Add mozzarella cubes for more flavor and fill to this dish.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Patricia making lunch
Good morning gang. Patricia is, once again, gracing us with her delicious cooking to determine if she really wants to take over my position while I'm gone and if you guys really want her to be my replacement. I will be posting a picture of her lunch when she kindly brings me a plate after all of you have been fed and we will share her recipes here with you. Let us know what you think.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Pasta Salad and Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
Yesterday while I was shopping I came across a fantastic product: veggie pasta. What the heck is that, you might ask? Veggie pasta is regular pasta with concentrated veggies added to the dough, like tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and more. the picture on the box inspired me to make pasta salad, which I think is a great way to get in all the veggies that make this comfort food into something healthy too. For the gluten free and lactose free constituency I made quinoa pasta and just cut out the feta. To accompany the pasta I made prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, a delicious blend of salty and sweet.
Pasta Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 12oz boxes of rotini veggie pasta (or other shaped pasta you have lying around)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs water
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 jar julienned roasted red peppers, drained
2 cans of green olives, drained
1 bag of super greens, chopped
1 package of crumbled feta
Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta and drain it according to the directions on the box.
2. In a container with a lid combine vinegar, water, and oil. Place lid on and shake until emulsified.
3. Mix together all ingredients so that everything is evenly coated with vinaigrette. Serve cool or warm.
Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cantaloupes, seeded rind removed and chopped
3 packaged of prosciutto
Toothpicks
Preparation:
1. Wrap mellon in a small amount of prosciutto and skewer with a toothpick to hold meat in place.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Pasta Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 12oz boxes of rotini veggie pasta (or other shaped pasta you have lying around)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs water
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 jar julienned roasted red peppers, drained
2 cans of green olives, drained
1 bag of super greens, chopped
1 package of crumbled feta
Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta and drain it according to the directions on the box.
2. In a container with a lid combine vinegar, water, and oil. Place lid on and shake until emulsified.
3. Mix together all ingredients so that everything is evenly coated with vinaigrette. Serve cool or warm.
Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cantaloupes, seeded rind removed and chopped
3 packaged of prosciutto
Toothpicks
Preparation:
1. Wrap mellon in a small amount of prosciutto and skewer with a toothpick to hold meat in place.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Simmered Chicken Breast, Sautéed Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Brown Rice
A request has been made for more meat heavy meals, so I made over 6 lbs of chicken. I'm not sure if you knew this, but a serving size of meat is 3 oz, or about the size of a deck of cards. At half a pound per person todays meal is almost three times the recommended serving of meat. To balance this abundance of meat I have paired the chicken with caramelized onions, sautéed kale and brown rice.
Simmered Chicken Breast
Makes 6 lbs
Ingredients:
6 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs sweet and spicy marinade
2 Tbs liquid aminos
pepper to taste
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup cold water
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add chicken, marinade, and liquid aminos to the pot, stir frequently until there is no visible pink on the chicken.
3. Turn to low and cook until the largest piece is no longer pink in the middle.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken pieces from liquid.
5. Boil liquid stirring constantly until desired amount of sauce is reached, pepper to taste.
6. Add cornstarch slurry and stir over heat until sauce thickens, pour over chicken.
Sautéed Kale
Serves 12
Ingredients:
5 lbs chopped kale
olive oil
everyday seasoning (can be found at Trader Joe's)
Preparation:
1. Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add kale until pot is 3/4 full so there is still room to stir. Stir constantly.
3. When kale has become a more vibrant green and cooked down a bit, add a few grinds of everyday seasoning and set aside covered in tinfoil to keep warm.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until all of the kale is used, serve warm.
Caramelized Onions
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
4 sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
Preparation:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until butter has all melted.
2. Add onion and stir occasionally until onions are glassy.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until the onions turn a lovely caramel color and have become nice and sweet.
Makes 6 lbs
Ingredients:
6 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs sweet and spicy marinade
2 Tbs liquid aminos
pepper to taste
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup cold water
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add chicken, marinade, and liquid aminos to the pot, stir frequently until there is no visible pink on the chicken.
3. Turn to low and cook until the largest piece is no longer pink in the middle.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken pieces from liquid.
5. Boil liquid stirring constantly until desired amount of sauce is reached, pepper to taste.
6. Add cornstarch slurry and stir over heat until sauce thickens, pour over chicken.
Sautéed Kale
Serves 12
Ingredients:
5 lbs chopped kale
olive oil
everyday seasoning (can be found at Trader Joe's)
Preparation:
1. Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add kale until pot is 3/4 full so there is still room to stir. Stir constantly.
3. When kale has become a more vibrant green and cooked down a bit, add a few grinds of everyday seasoning and set aside covered in tinfoil to keep warm.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until all of the kale is used, serve warm.
Caramelized Onions
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
4 sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
Preparation:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until butter has all melted.
2. Add onion and stir occasionally until onions are glassy.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until the onions turn a lovely caramel color and have become nice and sweet.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Roasted Root Veggies, Dandelion Blueberry Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Roasted Garlic and Sautéed Leeks
This morning I had a case of the Mondays; though I hate this phrase, it feels apt to describe how I felt this morning. Getting out of bed was such a chore that I didn't have time to go shopping and so this lunch is more eclectic than usual because I had to make do with what I had in my fridge. The result turned out pleasantly delicious, but it means that portion control is even more important so that everyone gets to taste everything. If I were to make the eggs again, I would double or triple what I made, but I stretched the meal with the leeks, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Enjoy.
Roasted Alternate Root Veggies
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 celery roots, peeled and chopped
1 lbs golden beets, peeled and chopped
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line three baking sheets with tinfoil and place one type of root veggie on each baking sheet so that they can be roasted separately.
3. Drizzle the root veggies with olive oil, about 2 Tbs per baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground tastes better.
4. Roast veggies, stirring about every 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pieces.
5. Combine all of the roasted root veggies and the artichoke hearts, place back into oven for a few minutes so that the artichoke hearts heat up.
Dandelion Blueberry Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bunches of dandelion greens, chopped
2 packages of blueberries
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
1 handful sliced almonds
red wine vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that they have a light coating of vinaigrette.
2. Layer the topping over the greens so that they don't fall to the bottom.
Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Sautéed Leeks
Serves 6 for just the eggs, with sides serves 12
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 cup lactose free milk
2 leeks thinly sliced
4 heads roasted garlic
1 jar julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute leeks stirring constantly until they turn a more vibrant green and start to smell good. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until a uniform yellow color with no variation.
4. Return empty pan to stove over medium heat, pour eggs into the pan.
5. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove cooked eggs and allow still liquid eggs to get access to the bottom, continue doing this until eggs are no longer liquid, light and fluffy is the goal. Scrambled eggs are overcooked when they exude water, so cook eggs until just before they release water.
6. Serve eggs with leeks, sun-dried tomato, and a clove or two of roasted garlic.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 celery roots, peeled and chopped
1 lbs golden beets, peeled and chopped
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line three baking sheets with tinfoil and place one type of root veggie on each baking sheet so that they can be roasted separately.
3. Drizzle the root veggies with olive oil, about 2 Tbs per baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground tastes better.
4. Roast veggies, stirring about every 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pieces.
5. Combine all of the roasted root veggies and the artichoke hearts, place back into oven for a few minutes so that the artichoke hearts heat up.
Dandelion Blueberry Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bunches of dandelion greens, chopped
2 packages of blueberries
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
1 handful sliced almonds
red wine vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that they have a light coating of vinaigrette.
2. Layer the topping over the greens so that they don't fall to the bottom.
Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Sautéed Leeks
Serves 6 for just the eggs, with sides serves 12
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 cup lactose free milk
2 leeks thinly sliced
4 heads roasted garlic
1 jar julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute leeks stirring constantly until they turn a more vibrant green and start to smell good. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until a uniform yellow color with no variation.
4. Return empty pan to stove over medium heat, pour eggs into the pan.
5. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove cooked eggs and allow still liquid eggs to get access to the bottom, continue doing this until eggs are no longer liquid, light and fluffy is the goal. Scrambled eggs are overcooked when they exude water, so cook eggs until just before they release water.
6. Serve eggs with leeks, sun-dried tomato, and a clove or two of roasted garlic.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Patricia's First Meal
Good morning gang. Today is a special treat: Patricia will be cooking her first meal for you guys and it smells fantastic. While I'm abroad there still needs to be someone to cook delicious and nutritious meals and Patricia is testing the waters to see if it will work out for you and for her. Today's meal is roasted chicken breasts with a wonderful spice rub, stir-fried veggies over jasmine rice, and a spinach salad. Let us know what you think.
Roasted chicken breasts
Serves 12
Ingredients:
5 lbs bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 Tbs dried marjoram
1 Tbs lemon thyme
2 Tbs dried sage
1 poof garlic powder over each piece, top and bottom
1 poof sweet smoked paprika over each piece, top and bottom
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
2. Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil and place the chicken breasts on it, trim any large globs of fat.
3. Combine black pepper, marjoram, lemon thyme, and sage to make a rub and apply liberally to chicken on top, bottom, and under the skin. Apply poofs of garlic and paprika. Squeeze the lime over the chicken to add just a little extra zing.
4. Bake for 15 minutes to seal in juices.
5. Lower temperature to 350 and bake until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, about 1 hour.
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
Stir-Fried Veggies
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 baby bok choy, bulbs and leaves separated and chopped
3 fist sized broccoli florets, chopped to bite size
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 bag baby carrots
2 bunches spring onion
1/2 inch finger of ginger, peeled and minced
1 bag spinach
1 bunch asparagus, wooden bits snapped off and chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 to 1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (optionally replace with soy sauce)
4 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the chopped wooden bits of the asparagus to break them down.
3. Add the peppers, spring onions, and bok choy bulbs.
4. Grind pepper over cooking veggies to taste.
5. In a separate pot steam the broccoli and the main part of the asparagus by adding an inches of water to the bottom of the pot and heating over medium heat until the veggies have turned a richer green and become fragrant.
6. Wooden asparagus ends are done when able to be pierced by a fork.
7. Set aside cooked veggies and in the large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
8. Saute the snow peas until they are slightly floppy yet still a little crunchy.
9. Combine rice, raw bok choy leaves, snow peas, and 2/3rds of the liquid aminos.
Spinach Salad
Served 12
Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
juice from 1.5 lemons
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs eucalyptus honey
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a jar with a lid, combine lemon juice, oil, honey, liquid aminos, and pepper.
2. Close jar and shake dressing to emulsify, adjust to taste.
3. Combine spinach, lettuce, and pear and serve with dressing on the side so that people can dress their own salads as they like.
Roasted chicken breastsServes 12
Ingredients:
5 lbs bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 Tbs dried marjoram
1 Tbs lemon thyme
2 Tbs dried sage
1 poof garlic powder over each piece, top and bottom
1 poof sweet smoked paprika over each piece, top and bottom
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
2. Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil and place the chicken breasts on it, trim any large globs of fat.
3. Combine black pepper, marjoram, lemon thyme, and sage to make a rub and apply liberally to chicken on top, bottom, and under the skin. Apply poofs of garlic and paprika. Squeeze the lime over the chicken to add just a little extra zing.
4. Bake for 15 minutes to seal in juices.
5. Lower temperature to 350 and bake until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, about 1 hour.
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
Stir-Fried Veggies
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 baby bok choy, bulbs and leaves separated and chopped
3 fist sized broccoli florets, chopped to bite size
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 bag baby carrots
2 bunches spring onion
1/2 inch finger of ginger, peeled and minced
1 bag spinach
1 bunch asparagus, wooden bits snapped off and chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 to 1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (optionally replace with soy sauce)
4 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package
Preparation:
1. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the chopped wooden bits of the asparagus to break them down.
3. Add the peppers, spring onions, and bok choy bulbs.
4. Grind pepper over cooking veggies to taste.
5. In a separate pot steam the broccoli and the main part of the asparagus by adding an inches of water to the bottom of the pot and heating over medium heat until the veggies have turned a richer green and become fragrant.
6. Wooden asparagus ends are done when able to be pierced by a fork.
7. Set aside cooked veggies and in the large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
8. Saute the snow peas until they are slightly floppy yet still a little crunchy.
9. Combine rice, raw bok choy leaves, snow peas, and 2/3rds of the liquid aminos.
Spinach Salad
Served 12
Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
juice from 1.5 lemons
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs eucalyptus honey
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a jar with a lid, combine lemon juice, oil, honey, liquid aminos, and pepper.
2. Close jar and shake dressing to emulsify, adjust to taste.
3. Combine spinach, lettuce, and pear and serve with dressing on the side so that people can dress their own salads as they like.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Rare Steak, Brussels Sprouts, and Two Salads
Today I felt like salad, but I had the dilemma of wanting two different kinds. Suffice to say, I made them both. To try and make up for my salad mood, I made steak, which has been requested and since I had a little left over in the budget, I decided to splurge and got you guys $50 of meat. To accompany the steak is a mushroom gravy that I made from the reserved liquid from yesterdays meal and sauteed brussels sprouts. Enjoy!
Salad #1
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 big box of spring mix
2 persimmons, peeled cored and chopped
2 handfulls of snap peas
white wine pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Coat leaves with dressing in small batches.
2. Layer heavy items on top of dressed greens.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 big box of spring mix
2 persimmons, peeled cored and chopped
2 handfulls of snap peas
white wine pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Coat leaves with dressing in small batches.
2. Layer heavy items on top of dressed greens.
Salad #2
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 big box of fresh herb mix
1 butternut squash, roasted peeled and chopped (left over from yesterday)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup roasted squash seeds (see recipe bellow)
sesame ginger vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Coat leaves with dressing in small batches.
2. Layer heavy items on top of dressed greens.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup raw acorn and butternut squash seeds
salt
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Wash and pat dry squash seeds, a colander is useful for this.
3. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
4. Lay out dry seeds so that none are overlapping, bake for 25 minutes or until the seeds puff up.
Rare Steak
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs of boneless New York steaks, thick cut
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides, with good quality meat that's all you need.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until fragrant.
3. Place the steaks in the skillet and leave them be until they start cooking up the side, it will change color about half way up.
4. Flip the steaks and cook until they have a good caramel build up on both sides (that means they have a nice brown crust instead of just the gray of cooked beef).
5. Let rest for at least 5 minutes to allow juices to settle into the flesh before slicing the steaks. Serve with gravy.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs of boneless New York steaks, thick cut
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides, with good quality meat that's all you need.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until fragrant.
3. Place the steaks in the skillet and leave them be until they start cooking up the side, it will change color about half way up.
4. Flip the steaks and cook until they have a good caramel build up on both sides (that means they have a nice brown crust instead of just the gray of cooked beef).
5. Let rest for at least 5 minutes to allow juices to settle into the flesh before slicing the steaks. Serve with gravy.
Mushroom Gravy
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients:
juices from yesterdays chicken and mushroom dish
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Heat juices over high heat, stir constantly.
2. Add wine and boil until the alcohol has all evaporated, salt and pepper to taste.
3. When the liquid is tasty, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to make everything equally thickened.
4. Remove from heat and serve with steak or other plain meats or mashed potatoes.
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients:
juices from yesterdays chicken and mushroom dish
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Heat juices over high heat, stir constantly.
2. Add wine and boil until the alcohol has all evaporated, salt and pepper to taste.
3. When the liquid is tasty, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to make everything equally thickened.
4. Remove from heat and serve with steak or other plain meats or mashed potatoes.
Brussels Sprouts
Serves 12
Ingredients:
brussels sprouts, ends removed and quartered
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium to high heat in a large pot.
2. Add the brussels sprouts and stir frequently until they turn a deeper color.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
brussels sprouts, ends removed and quartered
2 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium to high heat in a large pot.
2. Add the brussels sprouts and stir frequently until they turn a deeper color.
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