Fried Green Tomatoes

This time of year the farmer's market is one of my favorite places to visit.  The produce found at a local market is usually less expensive and certainly more fresh and flavorful than anything you will find at your neighborhood grocery store.  It is an experience in itself to go and walk the market and see what local products are available.  This past weekend  my market was filled with peaches, blueberries, strawberries, okra, peas and corn at every stand, but the tomatoes were the real show stoppers.  They were represented in every color, shape and size.  Inspired by the green variety, I decided to try out fried green tomatoes as a side dish for dinner on Sunday night.  Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious; these tomatoes will be popping up again on our menu very soon.

Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves 3-4
Courtesy of SimplyRecipes.com

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

This summer heat is brutal already!  I have been working hard on finding some fun side dishes for summer meals, that meet the following criteria:  few ingredients, simple preparation, served cold.   The first one I have for you, is this Watermelon and Feta Salad.  Cool, light, and easy to prepare- it hits all the marks!  More to come!

Shelled Edamame and Feta Salad

Shelled edamame have become one of my favorite meal additions. They are low in calories and fat, high in protein and fiber and are packed with vitamins and minerals.  The coveted combination!  There are seemingly endless options of how you can incorporate them into your regular diet.  Most grocery stores now carry them in the frozen section either shelled or in pod.   I purée them into a dip, roast them, add them to stir-frys and salads, and even snack on them just straight out of the bag.  I have been wanting to try a salad with the shelled edamame as the base and though this is very similar to the Chickpea and Feta Salad that I posted a few months back, I do feel that it is worthy of its own post!  Make it a day in advance and it is even better!

Shelled Edamame and Feta Salad

Serves 4

2 cups shelled edamame

2 tablespoons minced shallot

¼ cup diced carrot

¼ cup diced celery

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl combine the edamame, onions, carrots and celery. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper and salt. Pour over chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Gently mix in feta cheese.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Black Beans with Spinach and Rice

To accompany the chimichurri steak that I made on Saturday, I decided to stick close to authentic Argentinean fare and serve black beans and rice as a side. I personally think that black beans and rice alone are delicious, but with a few extra ingredients, they can be truly outstanding. There is wonderful Argentinean/Cuban restaurant in Raleigh called Oakwood Café that serves sides of spinach and rice with their grilled meats. I honestly devour it every time we go! Inspired by a black beans and rice recipe and method from Cookthink.com (a wonderful cooking resource) and my favorite spinach and rice dish from Oakwood, I have come up with my personal favorite!

Black Beans with Spinach and Rice
Adapted from Cookthink.com
Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups canned (or cooked) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken) or 2 cups of the cooking liquid if you've cooked dried beans
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups fresh baby spinach

Prep the ingredients. For less chile heat, slice the serrano open, and remove and discard the chile’s white ribs and seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350F and put the rack in the middle position. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the onions, salt, pepper, garlic and serrano. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and soft, 6-8 minutes.

Add the rice and beans to the Dutch oven and stir. Cook, stirring often, until the rice toasts a little, 3-5 minutes. Pour in the broth. Add the marjoram and ground cumin and stir to combine. Cover and cook the dish in the oven until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, 20-30 minutes.

Immediately add the baby spinach to the rice and beans, stir and recover for 3-5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Almonds

Friday night is my favorite night of the week to cook. I pour a big glass of wine, turn on the music and all of the chaos of the week fades away. Each Friday, though I know the answer, I ask my husband for any special requests he may have. Without fail he always responds “steaks”. I can’t complain, I love them too! Considering that our main course does not change often, I have been in search of new side dishes that can add a little variation to this meal. I am pretty traditional and like to serve a starch and a green with my meat. For my green last week I tried out this recipe and thought it was a creative and delicious addition to my side dish collection. Blue cheese and steak…it is not rocket science!

Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Almonds
Serves 3-4

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3oz. crumbled blue cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring pot of water to a boil. In a separate pan, melt olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add shallot and cook until shallots are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes. Then drain, rinse with cold water, pat dry and add to pan with the shallots. Sauté 2 minutes and then add the almonds and blue cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently and serve immediately.

*Shortcut- If you are looking for a shortcut, you can steam the green beans in the microwave and eliminate the blanching. To steam them in the microwave add a tablespoon of water to the bottom of a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave for 2-3 minutes and then check the beans. You do not want them to be too soft, so do this cautiously.

Coconut Rice

As easy as making plain rice, but a whole lot better!  Sometimes I will sauté onion and garlic before adding the rice and coconut milk for a little extra flavor.  

Coconut Rice
serves 2-3

¾ cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups lite coconut milk

Place rice in a saucepan with coconut milk and salt. Place the pot over high heat and, bring the liquid to a boil.
Stir and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with fork and serve.

Artichoke Gratinata

Recently I have been researching new and interesting side dishes that can act as the star of my meal instead of the main dish. When I ran across this recipe in Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites I knew I had to try it. I absolutely love artichokes and anything that has “golden breadcrumb crust” in the recipe! The combination of the marasla, artichokes and garlic topped with a buttery parmesan/panko mixture (I used panko in place of plain breadcrumbs) is truly delicious. With spring right around the corner, this is an excellent side for your next dinner party.  It presents well and always impresses!

Artichoke Gratinata
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4 

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Marsala wine
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs ( I used panko)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the artichoke hearts are starting to brown at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer the artichoke mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.

Melt the butter in the same skillet used to cook the artichokes. In a small bowl mix the melted butter with the panko. Stir in the Parmesan and top the artichokes with the bread crumbs. Bake until the top is golden, about 10 minutes.

Potato and Leek Gratin

I stumbled upon this recipe on the Williams Sonoma website over the holidays while trying to find a new potato recipe for our holiday feast. I ended up making a few adjustments to it, but overall kept the integrity of the original. The simple combination of leeks and potatoes is classic and with the addition Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg this gratin is quite indulgent! My major shortcut was using frozen leeks which saved a great deal of time not having to clean the leeks as they usually require special attention in that department. We absolutely loved this gratin and will most certainly be making it again in the future. I always enjoy dishes that you can stick in the oven and forget about for a while, and this is one of them. Allow yourself enough time, as it takes 1 ½ hours from start to finish, but the prep time is minimal.

Potato and Leek Gratin
adapted from Williams Sonoma

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups of leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well, cut into 1/4-inch rings
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
1 1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
3 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

In a 12-inch nonstick fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and salt, stirring to coat the leeks with the butter. Saute for 5-10 minutes or until leeks are soft and translucent. Add the thyme, nutmeg, pepper and cream and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses. Layer one-half of the potatoes in the baking dish and spread one-half of the leek mixture on top. Sprinkle with one-half of the cheeses. Repeat the layering one more time.

Cover the dish, transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the crust is golden brown, about 15-30 minutes more. Let the gratin stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Chickpea and Feta Salad

It was almost 70 degrees here this weekend!  After all of the freezing cold weather we have been having, I jumped at the opportunity to have a picnic.  We packed lunch and headed to the park for a few hours, and it was wonderful!  It got me thinking about picnics, cookouts, and potlucks and all of the yummy food associated with them.  Good picnic food essentially has two requirements: food that can be served at room temperature and transported easily.  I found this recipe a while back on a food blog that I check occasionally, Aggies Kitchen, and decided to try in out in preparation for the warm spring months ahead.  With just a few adjustments, I was very satisfied with the results!  I think this would be wonderful as an appetizer served with pita chips, served as a side dish, or even as the main component of a fresh salad.  Bring on the warm weather!

Chickpea and Feta Salad

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can of chickpeas

½ green onion, sliced thin

¾ cup diced cucumber (peeled with seeds removed)

½ cup diced bell pepper

½ cup crumbled feta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon. fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers and feta.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper and salt. Pour over chickpea mixture and toss to combine.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Mexican Rice Salad

This rice and bean salad is one of my all time favorites. I love it because it truly gets better the longer it sits, so I can make it a day in advance!  This is a great use for the left over rice that is in your refrigerator and can be made with anything you have on hand, so feel free to throw in some fresh corn, jalapeños, or anything else that you would like.  The lime juice and cilantro should be fresh for the best results.  I used to mix the “vinaigrette” separately, but now I just mix everything together in one bowl.  Saves and step and one less bowl to clean!  This salad is best served at room temperature.  

Mexican Rice Salad
4 side dish servings


Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice (I prefer Basmati)

1 can black beans- drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin
dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of hot sauce (I use Texas Pete)

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons of red onion, shallot or green onions

Juice of one lime give or take

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped tomato or avocado (optional)

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients together and let them sit for at least one hour, but preferably longer.  

Easy Parmesan "Risotto"

Calling all risotto fans, this one is for you!  I truly love risotto, but consider it a weekend specialty because during the week I simply do not have the time to stand over the stove and stir my risotto to perfection.  Until now that is!  I tried another recipe from my new cookbook How Easy is That and once again, Ina Garten has delivered an innovative method that simplifies my cooking efforts.  This “Easy Parmesan Risotto” is truly EASY!  The most important detail is that you choose the correct pan for the oven cooking.  It really should be a Dutch oven or any sort of oven proof pan that has a tight fitting lid.  The second most important detail is using a quality Parmesan cheese.  It does not need to be fancy, but it should not come out of a green can!

I cut the recipe in half because I was only cooking for two, added an extra splash of wine,   a few more green peas and topped it with sautéed shrimp for a complete meal.   This was a treat, especially for a Wednesday night!  I cannot wait to try variations of this recipe.  Enjoy!

Easy Parmesan “Risotto”

Barefoot Contessa 2010

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

¾ Arborio rice

2 ½ cups simmering chicken stock (DIVIDED- read instructions)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ dry white wine

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¾ cup frozen peas

Directions

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

·         Place the rice and 2 cups of the chicken broth in a Dutch oven (reserve other ½ cup for later), cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

·         Remove from the oven and add the remaining ½ cup of chicken stock, Parmesan, wine, butter, salt and pepper and stir for 2 minutes until the rice is thick and creamy.

·         Add the peas and stir until heated through.  Serve hot.