25 Mar 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
On Thursday evening I stopped by my grocery store to pick up a few things that I need for the next week. My Fairway has a great olive section with barrells full of different types-castelvetrano (I’ve visited there!!) , kalamata, pitted, unpitted etc.. but they also have sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes and mushrooms. The list goes on and on. You get your own container and fill up on what you want. Since they’re all the same price you can mix and match whatever you want in the same container. I knew I was going to pick up some more quinoa and I felt like having a nice salad for dinner. A mediterranean salad came to mind. Sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta and oh yes! I have about 2 cups of baby spinach in the fridge at home (I was supposed to use it earlier in the week but didn’t so I’ll be glad to use it up!!).
This turned out to be a delicious briny, bright, super tasty concoction of many of my favorite flavors. In my mind I was back sitting at this cafe in Siragusa, Sicily, where Husband and I visited in October 2010. Is this not the cutest place ever?
I had a huge bowl of it for dinner and I had a large bit left over for lunch the next day. I did not put the dressing on the left-overs but kept it in a small container until I was ready to eat.
I put some of my favorite ingredients in but if you don’t like kalamata take them out and put in black olives. Play around with it! Perhaps different cheese (queso fresco would work) or adding artichokes or peppers. The amounts below are really just estimates. I didn’t measure as I was going. I also made a basic viniagrette which worked really well with the other ingredients. Enjoy!!
Quinoa Mediterranean Salad
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa, cooked as per package instructions, and cooled (yield about 2 cups). I like to use chicken stock instead of water.
- 1/2-3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped small
- 1/3-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped small
- 4 cups baby spinach, stems removed, washed and chopped small
- 1 peperoncini pepper, chopped small
- 3ozs feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2-1 clove garlic, minced fine
- 1 tsp italian seasoning (or combo of oregano, basil etc..)
- 1 tsp honey (if needed)
**Note: If you’re omitting the cheese you don’t have to cool the quinoa in the ingredients list above. I cooled it because I didn’t want it to heat the feta. Feel free to eat it warm with everything else**
Instructions (really it can’t be any easier? I feel like I’m insulting you by even writing these):
- For the salad: add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- For the dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well to combine. (I generally use a measuring cup and give it a few long whizzes with my immersion blender.) Taste. Add honey if needed. Whizz again.
- Pour dressing over the portion of the salad that you intend to eat right away. Set the rest aside.
20 Mar 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Holiday, Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker
Tags: beef, slow cooker
I invited my Mom and Grandma over for dinner this past Saturday for a St. Patrick’s Day feast. We play a mean game of Scrabble and drink a lot of wine at our get togethers-they’re always really fun. Our delicious dinner below. We had the, corned beef, double roasted potatoes and sformato of carrots along with wine and bread. It was delicious! I will post the recipies for the carrots and potatoes separately. They will be listed under the ‘holiday’ tab to the right.
All too often corned beef is served after it’s been boiled to death and the fat sticks to it in a most revolting way. Unfortunately the carrots, potatoes and cabbage that people throw in with it rarely stay crispy or retain any of their original flavor-they are merely vegetables that taste like corned beef and are mushy. Ew. Really. It turns my stomach just thinking about it. That’s why I made the potatoes and carrots separately.
Well I say no more!!! Corned beef can be absolutely delicious if prepared properly. The corned beef recipe makes corned beef the way I always wanted it to be-not mushy, not fatty and after being in the oven the tips of the top layer of meat are actually a bit crispy. And the recipe is really pretty darn easy! The sauce that goes with it has a clean, slightly sweet, tangy, briny taste that allows you to alleviate the need for additional mustard all together if you want to (but I still had a blob on the side-I can’t get enough mustard). It reheats beautifully.
Stout Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
For the Brisket
- 2.5-3lb flat cut corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
- 1 pint Murphy’s stout
- 1 scallion, sliced thick
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 pinches fennel seeds
- Splash of cider vinegar
- A few peppercorns
For the Glaze
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2-3 tbsp grainy mustard
- 1&1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Remove brisket from wrapping and rinse. Pat dry and place in slow cooker with the fat side down.
- Add everything for the brisket above to the slow cooker on top of the beef, set it on low and cook for 6-7 hours.
- When it’s cooked and the meat can be easily separated by pushing through it with a wooden spoon remove the brisket and set it aside. Remove all of the fat that you can and discard.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Strain the liquid in the slow cooker and discard the remnants. Place the strained liquid in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to boil and then simmer a while to reduce slightly.
- Place the brisket into a shallow baking dish, pour enough liquid over to cover it half to ¾ of the way and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
14 Mar 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker
Tags: chicken, quinoa
I really do like spicy and sweet foods-especially when I can let them cook all day and then put them over something delicious when I’m ready to eat with a minimum of effort. Yes-lazy days at their best. That day for me was Sunday this past weekend. I wanted to catch up on some shows that evening and have a yummy and really easy dinner too so I made this delicious chicken and put it over quinoa which, I’m so happy to say, is easier than rice to cook. I always seem to burn or undercook rice. Anyway this chicken turned out so delicious-moist, flavorful, pretty darn waist-line friendly and enough for left overs the next day or 2. I served it over quinoa for no other reason than I’m bored of (fill in the blank) over rice. And it was yummy!!
Spicy Honey Chicken (over quinoa) in the slow cooker
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 breasts)
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp dried onion
- 1 tsp sriracha (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 medium scallions, chopped for garnish
- quinoa, prepared as per package instructions
Instructions:
- Combine ingredients from soy sauce through (and including) sriracha in a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Set aside.
- Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker, season with pepper and then pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 3.5 hours.
- After 3.5 hours remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate. Remove any bits of fat from the sauce in the cooker.
- Mix the cornstarch and water well and then add to the sauce in the slow cooker and and then cook on high for 20 minutes to thicken. While the sauce is thickening shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- After the 20 minutes add the chicken back into the cooker, stir to combine.
- Serve over quinoa and garnish with the scallions.
Adapted from skinnytaste.com
11 Mar 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
Tags: arugala, celery root, orange
Recently I was looking through my Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Cooking Light Magazine and came across a salad named ‘Celery Root & Arugala Salad’ with the heading ‘Love This Ugly Root Vegetable’. How can you resist a title like that?! It’s almost a challenge!! So I took the challenge. I knew that my store had celery root (also named celeriac) as I had seen it the week before and, since I hadn’t ever eaten it, I was curious. I’m so glad that I tried it! It takes a bit like celery, but a bit of a lighter taste, and has the consistancy of jicama. It’s crunchy, it’s tasty, it’s inexpensive. It would be great on tacos or salads or burgers etc…
The salad turned out great. I changed the name because I felt the oranges played a far more important role than the arugala. It’s so easy to make-just a few minutes of prep, a few minutes resting the ingredients in the dressing and voila! delicious!! This salad also keeps extremely well. I had left overs the next evening and everything was still good and crunchy and delicious so it’s a great salad to make to bring to work the next day for lunch. Isn’t that just gorgeous?
Celery Root and Mandarin Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups matchstick-cut peeled celery root
- 2 cups thinly diagonally sliced celery
- 1/4 cup very thinly vertically sliced red onion
- 3 cups satsuma or other mandarin orange sections cut into 3s (fresh not canned if possible)
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
-
Combine extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add celery root, celery, and onion; toss to coat. Let celery root mixture stand 30 minutes. Add orange sections, arugula, and parsley; toss gently to combine.
If you’re not sure of what to look for at the store or what’s inside here you g.
Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2013 Issue.
07 Mar 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Lunch, Main Dish
Tags: chick peas, sandwich
I like Falafel. I rarely have it but I do like it. When I came across this recipe I was pretty excited to make it at home. Since I also had these pickled red onions in my fridge at home I knew it was going to be delicious. The falafel were so easy to make. I used my small food processor and it just fit-but it worked.
These had great texture and you can go either way with the herbs and spices-more or less. They cook fast too. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I should’ve put them on a pita bread but I didn’t have pitas and didn’t want to buy a whole pack for 2 falafel patties. So I used burritos. They worked great! I also made up the yogurt sauce to go on top. Recipe below.
Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- garlic clove, chopped
- handful of flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1⁄2 tsp harissa paste or chilli powder
- 2 tbsp plain flour
To serve
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- pita, tortilla, burrito or sliced bread
- tomatoes
- lettuce
- pickled red onion (recipe here)
- greek yogurt sauce (recipe below)
Instructions:
- Place chick peas in the food processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, spices, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into two to four (your preference) patties with your hands.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the burgers, then quickly fry for 3 mins on each side until lightly golden.
From BBCGoodFood
Yogurt Sauce
This is to my taste. If you don’t like dill or raw garlic change it up.
- 1 small container plain greek yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 garlic clove
- salt
- fresh lemon juice
Mash the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Add it along with everything else to the yogurt and stir. Schmear it on the falafel.
25 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Holiday, Lunch, Main Dish, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: burritos, chicken, slow cooker, tacos, tortillas
It’s official. I love my slow cooker. I was looking around online for a new recipe and came across a chicken recipe for the slow cooker. I adapted it a bit and the recipe below was born. Really easy and super tasty. The chicken in this recipe was really nice and moist, easy to shred and the veggies, herbs and spices are just right for a great balance of taste.
I like that this can be made in either 6 hours or 10 hours (great for weeknights after work). I would assume it freezes well but we didn’t have enough left to try.
I made a burrito/taco bar including sliced avocado, sliced tomato, lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and large tortillas. Husband at his like tacos and I made burritos out of mine and put them on the panini press to heat and make the tortilla crunchy. YUM! I had 2. I was a pig. But they’re GOOD! And since it’s pretty low cal and low fat and since I used fat free sour cream and low fat cheddar cheese I didn’t feel so bad.
Santa Fe Chicken for the Slow Cooker
Chicken Ingredients
- 1&1/2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken breast
- 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
- 4 oz can green chilies
- 10 oz frozen corn
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
- salt to taste
Toppings:
- Fat free Sour Cream
- Low Fat Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- Ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
- Avocado, sliced thin
- Salsa
- Cilantro
Instructions:
- Place everything except the chicken listed in the ‘chicken ingredients’ in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Place the chicken on top of the combined ingredients.
- Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving shred the chicken with 2 forks (you don’t need to remove the chicken from the cooker-just stick your forks in and shred). Stir it all back together and let it all come together for the remaining 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is finishing cooking prepare the taco/burrito bar and lay out toppings.
- Serve on tortillas with toppings.
Adapted from skinnytaste.com.
22 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Holiday, Lunch, Side Dish
Tags: beets, carrots, veggies
I like doing my grocery shopping on Friday evening, on the way home from work. My local Fairway Market is only about a mile away and is empty at that time so I have time to browse and pick up some fun stuff. Last time I was there I noticed they had some really pretty maroon carrots. Next to those were golden beets. Aren’t they gorgeous? I’d never had maroon carrots or golden beets either at home or out. I was curious how they tasted and really-they’re gorgeous!! They are delicious and pretty and just a nice change all around. I started wondering what a carrot soup made with the maroons would look like-or carrot cake. Might be fun.
I couldn’t name this post just ‘roasted veggies’. They’re too colorful for that.
So I brought them home and peeled them and cut them up and put them on a cookie sheet with foil to roast. Watch out-the maroon carrots’ juice stains. Wear an apron.
What came out of the oven was a veritable stained glass window of veggies. So pretty and DELICIOUS!!
Roasted Jewel Veggies
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch golden beets, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds then halved
- 1 bunch maroon carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 bunch regular carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- extra virgin olive oil
- fleur de sel
- freshly ground white pepper
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400.
- Line a cookie sheet with foil.
- Lay the veggies on the foil, drizzle with olive, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and roast for about 15 minutes.
I had to include this photo because it’s just really pretty. Look at that carrot streaked with orange-just gorgeous.
19 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
This is a good, thick, hearty, not spicy (but could be), chunky, not soupy chili. You could easily make it spicier by adding some heat or if you have some bell peppers laying around or another can of beans you can put those in as well. Feel free to make it just as it is or to adjust to your taste.
Also please excuse the photo. I forgot to take a photo the night I made it so I had to take one at work with the left overs (which were really good by the way).
Chili Chili Bobili in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
- 1 4oz can green chilis (not drained)
- 1 15oz can yellow/white corn just drained
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet brown the beef over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until garlic is fragrant.
- Add everything into the slow cooker along with the meat, mix thoroughly, and cook for 6-6.5 hours on low.
Serve with ideas: rice, egg noodles, tortilla chips, freshly shredded cheese, sliced scallions, hot sauce or cornbread.
13 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Appetizer, Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: kielbasa, potatoes, tomatoes
This soup is really easy to make and very delicious!! I’d never had anything like it!! Tart sauerkraut, yummy kielbasa, potatoes and onions-how can you go wrong?! This is the time to go to your local Polish shop and get the best kielbasa you can. While you can use the regular supermarket ones using a great kielbasa really makes such a huge difference. Don’t forget they freeze well so you can buy a lot and keep them for later too.
Since we got a big snow storm on Friday night/Saturday I made this for lunch on Saturday and it was perfect. What a delicious meal on a snowy day.
1/13/14 Note: I made this soup this past Saturday morning. The tomatoes at the store didn’t look very nice and I knew that I had a can of tomatoes in the cabinet at home. The result is a variation that I think I like more than the original. It makes more of a tomatoey broth.
- 7 cups water/sauerkraut liquid instead of the 8 cups below
- 15oz can crushed tomatoes and their liquid—omit both the plum tomatoes and tomato sauce below.
Sauerkraut Soup
Ingredients
- 1lb bag sauerkraut drained, liquid reserved
- 8 cups water/sauerkraut liquid
- 1lb kielbasa-the best quality you can find, cut into 1/4 inch rounds, then in quarters.
- 1/4 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
- 1 80z can tomato sauce
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb red potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Add enough water to the reserved sauerkraut liquid to equal 8 cups.
- Place the sauerkraut, water, kielbasa, caraway seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, tomatoes and tomato sauce into a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- In a small pan saute the onion and garlic until soft then add it to the soup pot.
- Place potato cubes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then, when just before cooked fully, drain and add to the soup pot.
- Return the soup to a boil then reduce to simmer for an hour.
Here’s the kielbasa I used-just over 1lb. If you have a little more or little less it’s fine.
Note: This soup freezes well so feel free to make extra and put it away for a later lunch or dinner.
My friend Michelle gave me her recipe and I’ve adapted it to this-enjoy!!
11 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: marinara, san marzano tomatoes, sauce, tomato
This is my go-to marinara sauce. I make it in large batches at a time and freeze a few ziplock bags and/or containers with about 3 cups or 1 quart capacity. It’s a great base sauce in which to add meat, veggies, herbs etc.. to make it different each time or it’s great on it’s own with pasta, in dishes like lasagna or my eggplant parmesan.
Many people put carrots in their marinara but I don’t. If you prefer to add it by all means do so. I also only use San Marzano tomatoes. Some argue that the taste is no better than other tomatoes but hey, it’s my sauce and I do taste a difference so I use them:) If you don’t want to you don’t have to but I ask you to try it at least once-and make sure you get the San Marzanos from Italy. Those famous cans with the white backgrounds and purple and/or red tomatoes on the outside aren’t from Italy-they’re from Jersey. Read the labels. Spend a little extra for the best quality that you can get.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 small yellow onions, finely chopped
- 6 medium sized garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 28-32oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes (or peeled and crush with a potato masher)
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium heat add the olive oil. When it’s hot add the onion and garlic and saute until they’re translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the celery and saute until they’re soft, about another 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for between 1 and 3 hours.
If you’re going to package up the sauce for use at another time leave it out to cool.
Note: if you’re using peeled plum tomatoes you can crush them with the potato masher after you’ve added them to the pot. Crush as much or as little as you like.
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