Sautéed Green Beans with Heirloom Tomato Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 cups halved heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of filtered water
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane or minced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
• 1 giant handful of fresh basil leaves, ripped
• sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups of fresh green beans, end snipped

In a large sauté skillet heat the olive oil, garlic and shallots over a low flame. Cook through for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the cherry tomatoes, parsley, sea salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. *If you are using this marinara recipe for pasta or another dish, through in the basil, stir and it is ready to be served.

Once the tomatoes have simmered for a bit, add in the water, fresh basil and green beans. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the beans are cooked through {cover with a lid if necessary}. Eat ASAP - so yummy and so perfect for a light summer meal.

{serves 2-4}

For more information and recipes from Sherrie visit her blog, With Food + Love

Roasted or {Grilled} Garlic Scapes with Sea Salt

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch garlic scapes
• olive or coconut oil
• sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry your scapes. Break off the harder ends {as you would like asparagus} and cut into thirds. Drizzle a light amount of oil on the scape and sprinkle it with sea salt. Roast at 400 for about 15 minutes; flip over half way through. The scapes are scrumptious to eat when soft and golden brown.

To grill, prepare the same way with the oil and sea salt but do not cut them into thirds. Leave whole, toss on the grill and remove when soft and golden brown.

For more information and recipes from Sherrie visit her blog, With Food + Love

Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

I've made this with a huge array of veggies; it's a great way to use whatever is in the box this week!   Sometimes, we make it with chicken, sometimes not.  I've also served it over a bed of lettuce; the sauce from the stir fry acts like a salad dressing and the cold lettuce with the warm stir fry creates a pleasant contrast.  There are no quantities indicated for the ingredients because it's infinitely flexible--use what you have and however much you want of it.  Makes delicious leftovers too! 

Ingredients:
Soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
a mix of vegetables, such as snow peas, radishes, onions, scallions, mushrooms, carrots, bok choy,
        broccoli, etc.  Leave snow peas whole, julienne other vegetables or dice
garlic or garlic scapes, chopped
chicken breast, cubed (optional)
neutral flavored cooking oil (such as canola)
toasted sesame oil (a little goes a long way)
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
sesame seeds
salad greens (optional)

Method:
1.  In a bowl, mix equal parts hoisin sauce and soy sauce.  Whisk to dissolve the hoisin sauce.  A stir fry for a family of four usual takes about 2 Tbsp of each.   

2.  Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or wok.  If using the chicken, cook, unseasoned, in the oil until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3.  Cook the vegetables in the neutral oil.  Add them in reverse order of cooking time (radishes and carrots take longer to cook, snow peas only take a few minutes).  The idea is to have all the veggies cooked through at the same time.

4.  About two minutes before the veggies are finished cooking, add the garlic or garlic scapes.  Cook until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the sesame oil and a generous helping of sesame seeds to coat the vegetables.  Add the cooked chicken, if using, and the soba noodles.     

5.  Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce mix.  Be sure that everything is thoroughly coated by the sauce.  If it's not thoroughly coated, add a little more of both sauces.

6.  Serve as it is or over a bed of salad greens.

Quinoa Potato Salad

This riff on a potato salad made a wonderful summer meal.  Made without mayonnaise, it would easily transport to a potluck and is delicious warm, at room temperature, and cold.  It improves with a few days in the fridge as the vinaigrette soaks into the potatoes, making it ideal for leftovers!

Ingredients:
8 medium yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut in large cubes
1/2 c cooked, unseasoned quinoa
3 garlic scapes, chopped (you can substitute a mix of scallions and garlic when scapes aren't in  
       season)
1/2 cup peas
2 Tbps chopped fresh mint
white wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.  Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Boil under tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Drain the water.

2.  While the potatoes are boiling, saute the garlic scapes in a generous amount of olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the peas and cook just a moment more until tender.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Stir in white wine vinegar to taste to make a warm vinaigrette.  Stir in the mint and the quinoa.  Stir in the potatoes, coating generously with the quinoa-soaked vinaigrette.       

Citrus-Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Maple-Braised Root Vegetables

I whipped this up for a quick date night one evening.  It looks super fancy, but is remarkably easy and only takes about 30 minutes start to finish, including cooking time!

Ingredients:
2 Cornish Game Hens, spatchcocked
medley of root vegetables (I used beets, radishes, Harukei turnips, and carrots),
     cut into similar-sized pieces
handful of microgreens
2 Tbps citrus marmalade
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
white wine vinegar
olive oil for cooking
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.  Generously salt and pepper the hens top and bottom.  Preheat the oven to 400.  In a large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil.  Sear the hens, skin side down, until browned.  Turn them over and sear the underside.  Glaze the hens with the marmalade and place them in the oven to finish cooking.  Hens are fully cooked when the thighs register 165F.  When finished, remove from the oven, baste with the pan juices, and allow to rest about 10 minutes.

2.  While the hens are cooking, place the root vegetables in a small sauce pan and barely cover with olive oil.  Gently poach the vegetables over medium heat until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in maple syrup.  Cook a minute more to combine the syrup with the oil.  When serving, scoop veggies out with a slotted spoon; they will be coated in just enough oil/maple glaze. 

3.  Make a vinaigrette with the white wine vinegar, a bit of the marmalade, and olive oil.  Salt and pepper the microgreens.  Dress with the vinaigrette.

4.  To plate, place the root veggies in the middle of the plate, top with the hen (you can remove the legs to make it look better and plate them separately) and top with the microgreen salad.  Enjoy! 

Crispy Purple Potatoes with Fresh Oregano + Crumbled Egg

Ingredients:
6-8 small purple potatoes, thinly sliced [measures out to about 4 cups]
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 farm fresh hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil [or other preferred vegetable oil]
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
fresh oregano, about 1 tablespoon chopped
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
sea salt
course ground pepper

Scrub your potatoes well, slice them thinly with an extra sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Place them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. The water will draw out some of the potato's starch and they'll cook up crispier. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium-low. Spread the potatoes as evenly as you can and cook until browned on one side. Now add the vinegar, shallots, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper. Flip the potatoes over to crisp the other side.

After both sides are crispy brown and the potatoes are heated through top them with the fresh oregano and chopped egg. The warm crispy potatoes are the perfect compliment to the cold chopped egg. Try topping this dish with a fresh hunk of goat cheese [not pictured] it's unbelievably delicious! And, if you're into a vegan option, just eliminate the egg altogether. Friends, if you can't find purple potatoes in a store or farmers' market near you, get creative and keep it nutrient packed, try sweet potatoes instead!

LIVING SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE

Beet, Carrot, and Apple Slaw

A delicious, light taste of warmer weather with seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Serve it plain or over greens.

Ingredients:

1 golden or chiogga beet (red beets will die the whole slaw red); peeled and julienned
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1/2 apple (such as gala), julienned
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
spinach or similar green, washed and torn into pieces (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method:

1. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a non reactive bowl.  Whisk to dissolve sugar.

2.  Add julienned vegetables to dressing and allow to sit at room temperature (the longer they marinate, the tastier, but they absorb plenty of flavor in 20 minutes or so).

3.  Serve as is, or, if you prefer as a salad, drain and reserve the extra dressing.  Slowly whisk in olive oil to form an emulsified vinaigrette.  Season greens with salt and pepper and dress in the dressing.  Serve topped with slaw.  

Butternut Squash Sweet Potato & Leek Hash

Ingredients:
1/2 large butternut squash [or one small]
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium leek
2-3 tablespoons of preferred vegetable oil [I used rice bran]
1/4 garlic granules
sea salt
coarse ground pepper
2 eggs [optional]

Peel, halve and scoop out the seeds from the butternut squash. Peel and halve the sweet potato. By using a medium thick cheese grater, grate them them onto a tea towel or other absorbent material to soak up the extra moisture they'll release. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Cut the bottom and top off the leek. Peel the outer layer or two off the leek and slice into thin medallions. In a medium sized pan [I used my cast iron skillet] heat your oil over low to medium heat. Cook them while stirring occasionally until they start to become translucent.

Once the squash and sweet potatoes are done resting, toss them in with the leeks. Add a bit more salt, pepper and garlic granules. Mix together well, add in another dash of oil if necessary and cook on low for about 7-10 minutes. Allow the mixture to brown on the bottom. Stir or flip to brown the other side. Repeat until you've found your desired texture.

Once the hash is just about done and you're feeling in the mood for it, crack two eggs over top and cover with a lid. Remove from heat and do not lift cover, the eggs will cook themselves in about 5 minutes.

LIVING SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE

Cheesy pasta bake with winter squash, prosciutto, and brussels sprouts leaves

A great way to disguise winter squash for those, like my husband, who think they don't like it!


Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 lb pasta (I used whole wheat penne; the ridges were good for grabbing the sticky sauce)
2 small winter squash (such as acorn) or one larger winter squash (such as butternut)
1 block gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 container of marscapone cheese
parmesan cheese to taste, grated
1/2 cup milk
1/8 lb prosciutto, thinly sliced at the deli and then cut into ribbons
salt and pepper to taste
brussels sprouts leaves to garnish (peel them off the outside of the sprouts--you could also use frozen peas and add them at the last minute)
nutmeg to taste
pinch of brown sugar (optional, depending on sweetness of squash)
Olive oil for roasting squash

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cut squash in half (through the equator for round squash, lengthwise for oblong).  Scoop out seeds and pulp.  Place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until squash is completely softened (time will vary depending on variety of squash).  Alllow squash to cool and then scoop it out of the peel.  This step can be done in advance.

2.  Boil a large pot of water.  Add a healthy handful of salt and cook pasta until just al dente (a minute or so under package directions).  Drain.

3.  While pasta is cooking, place squash and marscapone in a food processor and whip until fluffy and thoroughly combined.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (it should be very seasoned, since the pasta will dilute the flavors).

4.  Add pasta back to cooking pot.  Stir in squash mixture, grated gruyere and parmesan, and a little milk as needed to form a sauce.  Taste for seasoning and adjust.

5.  Put pasta in an ovenproof dish and bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly (about 30 minutes).

6.  While pasta is baking, heat a little olive oil in a skillet to almost smoking.  Add prosciutto and crisp.  Set on paper towels to drain.  Add the brussels sprouts leaves to the prosciutto fat and cook until almost crisp.  Just before serving stir in garnishes and enjoy!