Showing posts with label Sides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sides. Show all posts

Monday, December 30, 2013

Farro with Sweet Potato and Black Garlic

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As the holiday break neared, Anna and I commiserated (with good humor) about how busy we were. "Eh, it's going to be a Trader Joe's week, right?"

I knew exactly what she was talking about. I had already planned for a Trader Joe's week to make the busy season a little easier. My menu plan was based on whatever good stuff TJ's had to make meal time as easy as possible.

Here's one of the dishes I made, perfect for the post-holiday detox. This grain salad makes up for the stale holiday cookies we're all still nibbling. Delicious warm or cold, it's on the sweet side — a nice bridge as I retrain my taste buds to be happy with less sugary fare. It's filling and full of good-for-you ingredients. The photograph doesn't do it justice. I'm not sure it's possible to take a good photo of farro.

Everything in it can be found at Trader Joe's: fast-cooking farro, sweet potato, pomegranate vinegar, and — my favorite! — black garlic.

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If you're unfamiliar with it, black garlic is simply fermented garlic. It's savory-sweet, garlicky without the bite. TJ's just recently started carrying black garlic, but it isn't always easy to find. I didn't see it the last time I was there and was worried they had already dropped it. The manager admitted "it's been sort of a dog for us," but they do still stock it. You can find it in specialty stores and online (including Amazon).

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If you can't find it, no problem. Just sub some regular garlic. And if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, of course you can find these ingredients elsewhere.

Farro with Sweet Potatoes and Black Garlic

If you can't find black garlic, you can leave it out or substitute a clove or two of minced garlic, sautéed in a bit of oil. A bit of cooked sausage also would be a tasty replacement. Farro is one of my favorite grains, but if it's out of your comfort zone swap brown rice.

1 package Trader Joe's 10-Minute Farro (or 1 1/2 cups raw farro)
1 sweet potato, diced
1/2 head of black garlic, chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
olive oil

Dressing:
4 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate vinegar (or other fruity vinegar)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Cook farro according to package directions (if you're using raw farro, cook it however you do that — I've only used TJ's!). Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

Warm a spoonful of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced sweet potato and cook until soft and slightly browned.

Combine farro, sweet potato, garlic, walnuts, and dressing in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If salad is too dry for your taste, add a splash of olive oil and stir.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Pumpkin sourdough monster rolls




We had so much fun making these monstrous dinner rolls with friends! This is a choose-your-own adventure project: You can just set out store-bought dough with a handful of raisins for embellishment, or bread bakers could add pumpkin purée to homemade dough, or those of you with sourdough starter on hand could go all in and make pumpkin sourdough dinner rolls.


Pumpkin sourdough is delicious, but the real treat here is making the rolls together. It's a terrific after-school or rainy day activity. Enjoy some giggly, creative time together in the kitchen, fill your home with the smell of freshly baked bread, and savor your not-so-hard work with dinner.

I'll break this down according to degree of ambition: First, how to make rolls, then how to add pumpkin to homemade dough, and finally how to make your own pumpkin sourdough rolls from scratch.



Shaping monster rolls

Use whatever dough you'd like: store-bought, homemade, the sourdough below. Just tear off hunks of dough and make whatever you wish. I set out some past-their-prime spices for decorations — star anise, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, and cloves — along with raisins, nuts and seeds, and rosemary sprigs. Dust hands and dough with flour to make it easier to handle, and work right on the baking sheet.

The shaped rolls need to rise a second time before going into the oven. They'll double in size, and as they puff up they'll push out whatever raisins or nuts you've poked into the dough. So push them way in there: The raisins, for example, were almost buried in the dough but came out perfect. Dip a finger in a bowl of water and "paint" the dough to help stick down things like rosemary leaves.

Kids can also use scissors to shape the dough — they're a great tool to makes scales or spikes, for example. But wait until after the second rise, right before the rolls go into the oven. That's how I did the bat: I shaped long triangular wings, and just before baking I snipped the bottom of the wings and stretched the pieces apart.

Bake the rolls according to your recipe or the package instructions.



Adding pumpkin to bread dough

You can pumpkin-ify homemade bread dough easily: Just add a cup or so of pumpkin purée to your favorite recipe. You'll probably need to add flour to compensate for the extra moisture. Fresh or canned pumpkin work equally well, though you're likely to get more color out of canned (be sure to used plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie purée!).

To make fresh pumpkin purée, cut a sugar pie pumpkin in half, scoop out the strings and seeds, and pierce the shell a few times with a fork. Set the pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 90 minutes, until the center is easily pierced with a fork. Let cool, then purée flesh in a food processor or blender. If it's really wet, line a strainer with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and strain the pumpkin before using it.



Pumpkin sourdough rolls

Weight measurements are provided in parentheses, in case you prefer to weigh ingredients. You might need more or less flour, depending on how wet your pumpkin purée is. You can substitute wheat flour for some of the AP flour — I used equal portions of white flour, white whole wheat, and whole wheat. (Note that wheat flour weighs less: 4 ounces per cup, versus 4 1/4 ounces per cup of white flour.) This yields a sticky dough, so have plenty of flour on hand for shaping the rolls.

1 cup (8 ounces) "fed" sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (9 1/2 ounces) pumpkin purée
5 to 6 cups (21 1/4 to 25 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
melted butter, optional

Combine all the ingredients except butter. Knead by hand or in a mixer with the dough attachment until smooth. Let rise in an oiled, covered bowl until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Shape rolls on baking trays lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. Cover with a towel and let rise again until doubled, about half and hour.

Bake rolls for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees, checking frequently after 15 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter, if you'd like, for softness and rich color.


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Easy roasted tomatoes for instant meal upgrades


Easy oven-roasted tomatoes to fix any meal

I have fallen head over heels for roasted tomatoes. Roasting tomatoes slowly in the oven is an easy, hands-off technique to coax the deepest flavor from even out-of-season tomatoes. And having a stash on hand means you can upgrade almost any meal at a moment's notice.

A jar of roasted tomatoes keeps for nearly a week and is amazingly versatile. They're the magic elixir for fixing bland dishes. These are just a few of the ways I've used them:

    Easy oven-roasted tomatoes to fix any meal
  • omelets and frittatas
  • spooned over simply baked salmon, chicken, and steak
  • bean salad
  • pasta
  • salsa
  • cold and warm soups
  • grains
  • mixed with other roasted vegetables
  • plain, just as they are!
Sometimes I spoon just the juicy good stuff from the tomato jar. My boys don't care much for tomatoes, but they don't notice when I use the tomato juice to boost the flavor of their plain pasta or a vinaigrette.

We're enjoying the late tomato season here, but as fall settles in I'll rely heavily on roasted plum and cherry tomatoes to see me through to next summer. Those wintertime tomatoes are just ... sad. Roasting gives them such a boost.

Roasted peak-season tomatoes, however, are divine. If you're blessed with an abundance of late-season tomatoes — cherry tomatoes never want to quit! — try roasting and freezing some.

Easy oven-roasted tomatoes to fix any meal

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

This takes time, but not much work. If time is short, crank up the temperature by 25 or 50 degrees and shorten the roasting time.

tomatoes
garlic cloves (optional)
fresh herb sprigs, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Easy oven-roasted tomatoes to fix any mealHeat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil or a silicone mat. Core and slice large tomatoes and set on pan. Remove stems from cherry tomatoes and slice in half, and set on pan with cut-side down. Add garlic cloves and herbs, if using. Drizzle or mist with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake tomatoes for two and a half to three hours. The skins will be shriveled and darkened. Taste as you go and take them out when you love them. They'll get drier the longer they're in the oven.

Enjoy immediately, store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze. 

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Garbanzo, Zucchini, and Tomato Salad



The kids are savoring freedom from school and schedules, and I am too. I still have work, both professional and the unpaid domestic kind, and I'm a little envious of their lightened responsibilities. So I'm trying to lighten my own. This no-cook vegetarian salad is one way to make life easier for myself.

I often cook my own beans, but for the sake of simplicity I just open up a can of garbanzos for this one. If you're lucky enough to have a garden, you can probably harvest the zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs from your own back yard. I like the crunch of raw zucchini, which picks up just a little bite for marinating in the dressing for anywhere from an hour to a full day.

With just a few minutes of chopping and stirring early in the day, you're free to enjoy a lazy summer afternoon. Come evening, pull this out of the fridge, toss in some herbs, and serve with crusty bread.

Garbanzo, Zucchini, and Tomato Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
zest from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 small zucchini
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves garlic
chopped fresh herbs to taste, such as basil, thyme, mint, or lemon balm

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and lemon zest and whisk to blend dressing.

Trim ends from zucchini and quarter lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick quarter-moons. Add to bowl with dressing, along with drained beans and quartered cherry tomatoes. Peel garlic cloves and cut in half and add to bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir salad to distribute dressing and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or chill in refrigerator up to one day. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Kale Chips




My kids love kale! Yay!!! We'll... the truth is...

I mean, they love kale chips. Loaded with olive oil, garlic, and sometimes a bit of salt, those crunchy leaves are the ideal treat. My 6-year-old kindergartner loves it so much that he asked me to roast three full bags of fresh kale, planted and harvested by the students at school, to share with his friends. I was tired but enthusiastically spent 40 minutes in front of the oven on a hot night preparing their treat.

He told me that they all loved it so much. And I could believe it... See the photo below with the leftovers in the huge bowl?

I've been working with this recipe for years, and possibly every mom I've met in California has her own version. The important part is that kale is a wonderful source of nutrition and is the perfect pairing for black beans (see this classic Brazilian recipe here) and other vegetables. Or enjoy these chips on their own, as a wonderful snack.

Kale Chips

My favorite way is to make these is with green or purple kale. But dinosaur (a.k.a. Lacinato) kale works too. Make sure to get rid of the overly moist stems and leaf ribs and use just the shredded leaves. You also might want to use an olive oil sprayer.


kale leaves, washed and dried
extra-virgin olive oil, enough to spray or coat the whole batch
garlic powder
salt to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread kale leaves evenly on sheet and spray with olive oil (or drizzle olive oil over the leaves and invite little hands to mix the leaves with the oil). Sprinkle kale with garlic powder and, if using, some salt.

Roast for 5 minutes, then open the (HOT!) oven and use long tongs to turn the leaves to make sure they roast evenly. Roast for 5 more minutes and check. If the leaves aren't crunchy enough for your taste, roast just a bit longer. 

Friday, March 15, 2013

St. Paddy's Potato Patties



If parsley and spring onions could be picked out of the prattie's patties, we'd probably have just awesome reviews from the mini-chefs at the school's cooking club. But to our surprise most of the children ate the patties they prepared with enthusiasm, totally forgetting their dislike for green leaves. Maybe it was just the influence of a leprechaun... or the naturally green eggs brought by mom K, who cooks with me at school and has Easter Egger chickens that lay real green-shelled eggs.

So if you'd like to celebrate St. Patrick's in easygoing style, here is the recipe. It is really easy, and with a little help using a skillet or griddle, kids may have lots of fun making them. At school they shredded parsley, used kid-safe scissors to cut the spring onion, little finger tips to peel the potatoes, forks to mash potatoes, and lots of energy to pat the potato dough and press it flat on the griddle.  

If you want to add some Irish mystique to the cooking, you can — as we did — read Jamie O'Rourke and The Big Potato, by Tomie de Paola. Irish or not, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St Patrick's Pratties Patties

Ask the little ones to carefully pat the potatoes after you put them on the griddle, which helps the patties stay firm and cook all the way through. This recipe makes about 8 potato patties.

2 russet potatoes, baked with the skin on
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion (just the dark green part)
1 tablespoon parsley leaves (just the leaves), shredded

Preheat griddle to 350 F, or skillet to medium heat. Mash potatoes with the tip of a fork (or potato ricer) and transfer to a bowl.

Beat egg lightly and add to the potatoes, integrating the egg to the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle salt and garlic into the mix. Add parsley and spring onions, and mash a bit more to make sure that the potato mix is even.

Form little balls with a spoon, put on the griddle, and pat each one flat with the back of a wooden spoon. Grill for about three minutes on each side or until golden on both sides. 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Black bean hummus, two ways

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I love hummus. I love it with raw veggies, I love it spread on sandwiches, I love it with chips, I love it straight off a spoon.

And I love garbanzo beans, which usually provide the creamy base for hummus. But we've been enjoying garbanzos as a meal with increasing frequency (as in this delicious slow cooker dinner, or a version of this easy warm salad for lunch), and I don't want to see them yet again at snack time. Not even puréed.

Black bean hummus, however, is a completely different dip.

After toying with a few variations, I've settled on these two favorites. The first is bright and fresh, infused with oranges. The second is bolder and spicier, and just as delicious.

I prefer my hummus without olive oil. If you find it too thick for your liking, add more water or juice, or a bit of olive oil. If you have citrus salt, use it here.

Orange Citrus Black Bean Hummus

If you have citrus salt, use it here.

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
2 tablespoons orange juice
grated zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Paprika-Lime Black Bean Hummus

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
2 tablespoons reserved bean liquid
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you like it spicy, add a few drops of Sriracha.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

A Thanksgiving feast

As a food blog, we should be bursting with plans for the Thanksgiving meal. But we've been a little quiet, because we aren't preparing big feasts this year. My family goes out for the holiday meal — and I'm grateful to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor!

But if I were cooking, this is the meal I would plan:

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Best Spiced Nuts: Slightly sweet with a kick from garam masala and Sriracha — irresistible snacking while you wait for the turkey to be done.

Dry-Cured Rosemary Turkey: This is the sole entry here that isn't from this site. This was my go-to holiday recipe for years. The blend of seasonings is just fantastic. Get started on it right away: It cures in the fridge for three days before cooking.

Chestnut Sage Soup: I dream about this soup. Creamy chestnut puree with apples, sage, bacon, and vanilla notes... swoon.


Succotash in Squash: This is a showstopper vegetarian dish, scoring huge points for flavor, presentation, and history — a nod to Native Americans and Thanksgiving tradition.

Yams with Za'atar: Give the candied yams a rest. Instead of burying veggies in sweetness, bring out their deep flavor with za'atar spice. This dish is a cinch to make, which is a blessing on a busy cooking day.

Crunchy Marinated Green Beans: Instead of burying green beans in a casserole, show them off with a touch of Asian flavors.

Black-Eyed Peas Salad: With canned beans, this takes almost no effort. And you can make it the night before, so it's one less thing to tackle on Thanksgiving Day.

Rice of Many Colors: This kid-friendly dish is packed with protein and veggies, and easily adaptable to suit your family's taste.



Minute Bread: Tasty rolls with cheese baked right in — delicious!

Pumpkin Pudding with Cranberry Sauce: An unusual dessert that takes full advantage of fresh cranberries.

Pear and Cranberry Sauce Skillet Pie: This twist on a typical pie blends sweet and tart flavors for a perfect finish to the meal.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Roasted Sweet Peppers

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Sweet, colorful peppers have been a bargain lately at my local market, available for a fraction of their usual price. I scooped up a bunch and, with just a bit of work one evening, had myself a nice stash of roasted and marinated peppers.

They're ridiculously easy to make, and when you get fresh peppers for a good price it's more than worth the minimal effort to prepare them yourself. You can use your roasted peppers right away, put some up in the freezer, or make your own custom jar of marinated bliss.

Roasted peppers are a surefire way to jazz up almost any savory dish: toss some with pasta, add them to a frittata, put them on pizza, layer them on a sandwich, purée them into a dip, enjoy them as antipasti, sprinkle some into steamed veggies, serve them with simply cooked meats ... They're a delicious and versatile accompaniment.

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Roasted Peppers

If you have little ones who don't mind handling slippery foods, enlist their help slipping the charred skins of the cooled peppers.

red, yellow, and/or orange peppers
olive oil

Preheat broiler with the rack near the top of the oven. Oil a baking sheet, or cover the sheet with foil for easier cleanup. Wash and dry your peppers and set them in a single layer on the prepared baking pan, leaving a little space between them.

Broil peppers, making sure they're just a few inches from the top. Check them every few minutes, using tongs to turn the peppers as their skins char and blacken — in my oven, it takes about 20 minutes.

When peppers are well charred on all sides, remove them from the oven and immediately put them in a bowl. Seal the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap, or an inverted plate and set it aside for at least 15 minutes. (I let mine sit for up to an hour.)

When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them over a bowl to collect the deep, rich juices. Use a knife to scrape away the stem, seeds, and membranes. Discard these and the blistered peel.

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To store for a few days: Refrigerate the peppers in their juices and a little olive oil for a couple of days.

To freeze: Wrap portions of peppers in wax paper. Set packets on a plate or tray and put in the freezer for a few hours, then store individually frozen packets in a bag in the freezer.

For marinated peppers: Put peppers and juices in a jar. Add lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs such as thyme, basil, or oregano, plus salt and pepper. Garlic cloves, capers, olives, and mozzarella cubes are all terrific additions. The jar should keep about two weeks.

For fire-roasted peppers: Hold peppers — with tongs! — over a gas flame or toss them on the grill until charred, then put in bowl and follow the rest of the directions.

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Monday, July 30, 2012

Grilled Potatoes with Lavender


If you know me at all — or have read this blog for any length of time —you probably realize I'm a wee bit obsessed with purple things. Among the few purple foods, purple potatoes may be my favorite: They are so unabashedly vibrant! I haven't yet made purple potato pizza, but I'm still playing with potatoes and lavender.

This vegetarian side dish is perfect for a party. You can steam the potatoes early in the day, and then they take only about 10 minutes to finish up on the grill. The result is much like oven-roasted potatoes. This technique is especially nice on steamy hot days when you can't bear to turn on the oven.

I love this combination of lavender, lemon thyme, and red wine vinegar, but you can freely make substitutions to suit your taste — or what's in your garden.



Grilled Potatoes with Lavender

Be sure to use lavender that's free of pesticides. Feel free to substitute other herbs if you don't care for — or have access to — lavender or lemon thyme.

2 pounds small purple potatoes, or other new potatoes (I used a mix here)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive, grapeseed, or safflower oil, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
6 teaspoons fresh culinary lavender, chopped, or 3 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

Steam potatoes for about 10 minutes, until just tender. (If you have a pressure cooker, this takes just 3 minutes.) You can do this earlier in the day and store the potatoes in the refrigerator until you're ready for grilling.

Cut steamed potatoes in half and toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Spread on a grilling pan and grill over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn and grill another 5 minutes or so until crisp.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk together 1/4 cup of oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper, 4 teaspoons of lavender, and lemon thyme. When potatoes are done, remove from grill and toss with dressing. Serve warm.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

In season: Cherries

I'm so happy to see piles of cherries at the farmer's market: They're one of my favorite fruits for snacking on. I'm gearing up for an evening of pitting and canning cherries (a jar of cherries with simple syrup and vanilla bean is pure heaven in midwinter), but for now we're just nibbling handfuls and savoring their sweetness.

Fresh cherries take the spotlight in these recipes we've featured on Cook Play Explore: a fruity topping for vanilla-kissed scallops, a simple vinaigrette to dress up roasted beets, the sweet note in chicken salad, and the perfect sauce to drape over coconut-scented pudding. Read on for links and details


This recipe was inspired by a contest at Mango & Tomato — and to our delight, it took top honors! This is simple and elegant, a perfect entrée to share with friends on a gorgeous summer evening.



Earthy, earnest beets get all dressed up in a cherries and balsamic vinegar — just the right touch of sweetness to maybe coax the kids to try these delicious vegetables.

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Jicama brings crunch and Greek yogurt supplies the tang in this mayo-free chicken salad. Sweet cherries are the vibrant finishing touch. Delicious in a sandwich, on a bed of greens, or shoveled with a spoon.



Did your mother make molded puddings like these back in the day? Mine did too. But Anna's updated version takes this comforting treat to a whole new level, using coconut milk and an infusion of fruity flavor. Topping it all off, of course: a wonderful cherry sauce.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

In season: Spring peas and beans

CPE_garbanzos3_Mar2010

Some of our favorite spring vegetables are greening up local markets now: peas, fava beans, and in some areas fresh garbanzos. Read on to find out how to make the most of fava beans with none of the fussy work, what to do with fresh garbanzos if you're lucky enough to find some, and a fun way. Hit up the links with each for the full post and recipe.


It was love at first sight when I spotted these beautiful little beans at my local market — but I had no idea what to do with them. Apparently I'm not the only one who needed to learn how to treat them right: Our post on pan-roasting fresh garbanzos is one of the most popular recipes on Cook Play Explore.

CPE_garbanzo_Mar2010


I avoided cooking with fava beans for years, hating the time-consuming process of peeling and shucking each individual bean. Discovering I could grill them and devour them whole was a game-changer. I used to yank up the soil-enriching fava bounty in my garden to make way for summer vegetables; now I'm dragging out the harvest, trying to eat as many as I can. Toss them on the grill, sprinkle with a bit of lemon zest, and savor! (For another way to make easy work of fava beans, check out Chow's how-to on using the freezer to make shelling easy.)

100430_CPE_fava2


I adore this simple dip. I thought the bright green color might win over the kids, but they're fooled. This has peas! And spinach! No way! Ignore them. Make this. If they don't want any, more for you.

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Stuffed Shamrock Peppers


This greened-up take on stuffed peppers combines brown rice, ground turkey, and pesto for a filling, flavorful dish. Cutting the peppers in half should result in a shamrock shape — you'll have to use your imagination with these particular peppers, however. The ones I bought were too blocky. Pick peppers with more curves and you'll have more convincing shamrocks!

Stuffed Shamrock Peppers

For the meat, I chop up a handful of precooked meatballs. (Lemongrass Chicken Meatballs would go well here.)  You can substitute quinoa or Israeli couscous for the rice; leave out the meat for a vegetarian version. This serves four as a light meal or side dish; double the recipe for a more substantial serving.

2 green peppers
1 cup cooked brown rice
4 ounces cooked ground turkey or beef
3 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash peppers, cut in half, and scrape out insides. In a bowl, combine rice, meat, pesto, and tomato sauce. Place peppers, cut side up, in a baking dish. Fill each half with rice mixture. Cover dish with a lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover peppers and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted.

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