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comfort food: lucille’s wild rice casserole

September 18, 2019 //
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…or is it hotdish? believe me there has been more than one conversation in my life about the difference in terms, and at one point i had myself convinced it was a ‘regional’ thing (minnesota hotdish/iowa casserole), but really i think it is ultimately a ‘you say poe-tay-toe, i say poe-tah-toe’ thing. just google it. it will make your head spin.

growing up in minnesota, we would make the trek down to see my grandma lucille in iowa during the holidays, and one time in particular she made us this dish. i specifically remember it being the first time i had ever eaten wild rice, and this crazy vegetable called asparagus. although i don’t remember my grandma’s cooking to be all that exceptional, and the dish was a concoction of campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, canned mushrooms and asparagus, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and (msg laden?) bouillon cubes, so really not that healthy, but i absolutely loved it!

now in adulthood, i have adjusted some of the less healthy components for homemade and fresh versions, swapped sour cream for greek yogurt, and use bacon from peads + barnetts, who specialize in happy pigs. i’m guessing it was a bit harder to make a run to the closest market from your farm outside of dubuque, iowa back in the late 70s in the middle of winter, and probably even harder to find fresh asparagus, or maybe even mushrooms? granted i am fortunate enough to live in southern california where i am able to shop for organic, sustainable produce and meats at the hollywood farmers market, but you can find fresh organic mushrooms and asparagus year round, and some version of quality bacon at your local grocery stores.

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ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked wild rice
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe (note: you will need 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 c. stock, 1/2 c. mushrooms diced small, 1 tsp herbs de provence, s+p)
  • 8 oz greek yogurt
  • 8 oz cremini (brown or baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • .25 oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked, chopped (reserve liquid)
  • 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed (about 8 oz)
  • 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 package (about 1 lb) quality bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
  • salt + pepper
  • garlic powder

directions:

rinse your wild rice, add to the water, and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and let cook for 45-60 mins until done. you might have to strain any excess water.

OriginalPhoto-566793549.654439meanwhile, make the homemade cream of mushroom soup. in a small sauce pan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour on tbsp at a time, add herbs de provence, whisk in broth, whisk in milk, stir in mushrooms, add salt and pepper to taste. heat and stir until desired thickness. set aside.

OriginalPhoto-566790913.273679soak porcini mushrooms in hot water (just covered) until soft, about 15 minutes. chop up mushrooms, and reserve the liquid. meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp butter and sauté the garlic and mushrooms until golden brown.

OriginalPhoto-566790685.524911combine the cream of mushroom soup, greek yogurt, and all mushrooms in a bowl and stir. add reserved mushroom soaking water as needed to thin the mixture enough to be easily spreadable.

OriginalPhoto-566793413.501765fry bacon so it is crispy, and crumble. make sure to wash your hands after licking your fingers clean after crumbling.

OriginalPhoto-566792898.332573preheat the oven to 375 degrees. in a 10×15 glass pyrex baking dish layer the ingredients. start with the wild rice. sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, pepper and garlic powder. spread the mushroom yogurt sauce evenly over the top. snuggle the asparagus together however you see fit.

OriginalPhoto-566794761.476349season a little more with salt, pepper and garlic powder. evenly layer with grated cheese. top with crumbled bacon.

OriginalPhoto-566799515.510756bake for 35-40 mins until bubbly and cheese is melty.

OriginalPhoto-566801128.685684honestly, it is one of the best comfort meals i make. thanks to grandma lucille for bringing comfort into my life. here she is with my mom, back before i was even born.

LindaLucille66even though she was my mom’s stepmom, she was always just my grandma. fortunately, i know a few times over how comforting step parents (grand and otherwise) can be to a child. many thanks to dave, armella, matt, ann and lois for everything.

(i’m thinking my next post will be about grandpa matt’s amazing cereal parings. he loved sugared cereals, but armella would only allow them if he mixed them with a healthy one.)

 

 

 

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Categories recipes

danny’s hot tomato jam

August 31, 2019 //
1

my dad was a great cook. i have a lot of memories of him in the kitchen whistling while listening to music (emmylou harris, bob dylan, lucinda williams, et al.) while concocting whatever dish was to be placed in front of us. even though hot tomato jam wasn’t a meal, it is a component of one of my favorite food memories to date. this is definitely the family recipe i would like to see passed down, and along to as many other families as possible.

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at one point he created a recipe book of favorites, and of course in danny dries fashion gifted us them for christmas one year. the first recipe listed under ‘appetizers & oddments’ was danny’s hot tomato jam. he was a writer, as well as an artist, but he did not mince words while creating a recipe, so the instructions were left up to your own interpretation. thankfully my sister kate did some R+D on this one with some edits prior to my attempt at making my first jam. i must say her choices were pretty spot on and (gasp!) might have even improved upon pops version.

let’s hope mine fairs well…

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yield: 6 cups

ingredients:

  • 6 lbs tomatoes
  • 12 cups of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1-2 lemons, juiced, rind slivered thinly
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 stick of cinnamon

directions:

bring a large pot of water to a boil, tall and wide enough for the amount of jars you will need. have an ice bath ready in a large bowl to cool the tomatoes in once blanched. cut Xs in the bottom of the tomatoes, and a circle around the stem hole.

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put tomatoes into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. remove and place into the ice bath to stop them from cooking. peel the tomato skins off, and remove the stem tops. crush them with your hands into a large pot. cover with the sugar, add the pepper flakes, cinnamon, lemon, vinegar, and grated ginger. mix well.

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let stand in the fridge for 8-10 hrs, or overnight.

stir well and separate the juice from the pulp through at strainer.

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bring the juice to a boil, reduce to a decent simmer until it thickens and cooks down by about half, for about an hour. (NOTE: kate let hers reduce by half, but i only reduced by maybe 1/4, so i might have been at too slow of a simmer? she ended up only yielding 6 cups, and i ended up with 12 cups, and after opening a jar, mine was so thick it was almost un-spreadable…like an adhesive you could bond metal objects for years.)

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add the pulp, and simmer until the jam begins to pearl and thicken. continue to stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn. this can take 2-3 hours, but don’t overcook. (NOTE: i think this is where i went wrong. since i didn’t initially reduce down the juice, it may have taken longer to reduce the pulp and whatever happens when sugar cooks too long happened and became cement.)

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while cooking prepare the jars and lids. (kate used the technique in the serious eats jam recipe and slightly edited here):

place jars (on a rack, if you have one. if not, mine were fine without) in a large pot. cover the jars with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. let boil for 10 minutes, and then turn off the heat. let the jars rest in the hot water. meanwhile, put the bands and tops in a saucepan and cover with water. bring to a simmer, and remove the pan from the heat until ready to use.

once the jam is ready, ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. warning: this can be messy, and hot, so use caution. wipe the rims and jars clean with clean paper towels or dishrags. cover with lids and screw on bands until just barely tight. (you will fully tighten them later.)

place jars back in the pot covered in water. cover pot, and bring to a boil over high heat for 15 minutes. turn off heat, uncover pot, and allow jars to rest undisturbed on cooling racks for at least 6 hrs or overnight. when they have cooled completely, seal them tight.

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my dad died in 2010. shortly there after, i came to his loft in nyc after a cross country flight, little sleep, and very hungry. my sister kate was there. she made me a grilled cheese sandwich in his toaster oven, and spread his hot tomato jam on it. it was the best tasting thing i could imagine…still is.

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vegan cauliflower coconut curry with lentils

June 7, 2017 //
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let’s be honest, i am a card carrying omnivore, and with the exception of maybe eggplant and okra, i love most food and will eat just about anything. that being said, i am also health and environmentally conscious, so i am always looking to find different ways to limit my meat intake, but also not lose the all important protein factor.

eat food. not too much. mostly plants. -michael pollan, in defense of food

i have always loved curries, whether it is indian or southeast asian, and often think of them as being, at the very least, a vegetarian option, so it was easily enough to make one vegan, plus i am always looking to incorporate more turmeric into my diet. also, i think because of the spices and coconut milk this recipe has a lot of flavor, and with the lentils and peas you get the protein. i don’t miss the meat.

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ingredients:

  • olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 small cauliflower (with leaves, if possible), chopped in the small florets and pieces
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized disks
  • 2 cups baby potatoes, cut in half or bite-sized
  • salt + pepper
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp madras curry
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste, i like it spicy)
  • 2 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
  • 1/2 cup mixed lentils (any kind will work just adjust cooking time accordingly)
  • 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
  • 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 cup peas
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

instructions:

heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium high heat. it should be enough to cover the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven. i use my 7.25 qt le crueset. add the garlic and onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. stir in the cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes with a few generous sprinkles of salt, and several grinds of fresh ground pepper.

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let cook about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to brown a bit, and a fond starts to form on the bottom of the pan. add the ginger, turmeric, and tomato paste. mix to combine.

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add the dried spices and mix in well until all of the veggies are covered.

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add the vegetable stock, and use a wooden spoon to scrap the fond off the bottom of the pan. add the lentils, bring to a boil, and then add the coconut milk. bring to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are done, about 20-40 minutes depending. it should be the consistency of a thick stew, but you can add a little more vegetable stock if it thickens too much, or would prefer it a little more soup like. add salt to taste.

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add the lemon zest, juice and peas at the end, allowing enough time for them to warm, about 5 minutes. stir in the cilantro off heat.

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serve with basmati rice.

makes about 8 cups.

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Categories meatless monday, recipes

spicy garlic + ginger chicken (aka arik’s chicken)

June 2, 2017 //
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hat tip to my friend arik for this recipe. he is one of my best friends, and among many other amazing things, a great culinary wizard. he made this dish for me years ago, and it is still a favorite to this day. i often make it to top a salad of little gems with spicy glazed pecans, gorgonzola + honey mustard dressing, but it also pairs well with a side of cole slaw and mexican grilled corn. although, this recipe uses boneless skinless breasts, cooked on a grill pan indoors, i have marinated whole chicken parts and put them on the grill outside, and has turned out delicious as well.

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ingredients:

  • boneless and skinless chicken breasts (sliced into cutlets if too thick)
  • garlic, at least one clove per breast, sliced thin
  • fresh ginger, at least one tbsp per pair of breasts, minced
  • limes, the juice of one per pair of breasts
  • serrano chile, one per pair of breasts, sliced thin
  • cilantro (optional. i had some on hand, so added it.)
  • olive oil, enough to coat
  • salt + pepper, to taste

sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the breasts. put all of the ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag, making sure to distribute the marinade evenly. place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

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heat up a grill pan if you have one, but i’m sure a regular skillet would do the trick too. i like to add the bits of garlic, ginger and serrano to the pan as well. depending on the thickness of the breasts, cook each side 5-10 minutes. once out of the pan, let them rest for 5 minutes to keep in the juices.

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note: i’ve made this with kumquats instead of the lime and serrano, for a less spicy but still citrusy version.

 

 

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ribs with homemade BBQ sauce

September 4, 2015 //
0

just in time for the labor day…otherwise known as national grill + drink with your friends + family day!

this baby back rib recipe is about as easy as it gets, and although it calls to finish them off in the oven under the broiler, there is no reason you can’t put them on a hot grill to get that extra added char. i was given the recipe from my friend linda, the farmers market fairy, who says she jotted it down from the chalkboard at mccall’s meat and fish co. a few years ago. both sources i trust in all things food, so you will not be disappointed. i get my baby backs from peads and barnetts at the hollywood farmers market, and they are outstanding.

as far as the sauce, everybody has an opinion on bbq sauce, and i will not try to sway those that want their sauce the way they want it. this is how i like mine: tomatoey, tangy, spicy with just a bit of smoke. the base of the recipe comes from a family friend, who’s sauce i had the pleasure of having slathered over perfectly grilled chicken wings at my stepmom’s 60th birthday in upstate new york a couple of years ago. i was fortunate enough to have him share his recipe with me. i made a few adjustments. the biggest being that i chose to make my own heinz chili sauce (i prefer to use as little processed food as possible), which i got a cheat from the spice guru at food.com. i made a few other slight adjustments in regards to spices mostly because of what i had on hand in my kitchen, but for the most part i give credit to nick fox for what i consider my favorite bbq sauce.

the ribs:

  • rack(s) of baby back ribs
  • apple cider vinegar
  • dry rub of choice (i use a combo of penzeys bbq 3000 and a friend’s special mix called bacon sugar)
  • salt

splash a tablespoon (or so) of apple cider vinegar on each rack and massage in. let them sit for about 10-15 mins.

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rub in a couple tablespoons of your favorite dry rub and sprinkle with salt.

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wrap in plastic wrap, and then in foil.

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place on a baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 hours at 225á´¼. unwrap and peel away the plastic being careful of the steam. the plastic will be melty so make sure not to leave gooey bits behind.

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slather on your favorite bbq sauce (see recipe below).

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put them under the broiler for a few minutes on each side until they have a bit of char. warning: keep an eye on them, and do not get distracted.

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cut them up between the bones, and by all means slather on more sauce.

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the sauce:

sauceingredients

as written and sent to me, with my adjustments and changes in parenthesis.

  • 2 1/2 cups heinz chili sauce, or 2 bottles (i doubled the spice guru’s recipe at food.com to equal 2 bottles, using garlic instead of onion flakes, and spicy instead of sweet chili powder)
  • 2 tsp tabasco (scottie b’s chipotle fever smokin bbq spicy pepper sauce)
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp tarragon (dried)
  • 2 cups finely chopped onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (large)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar (sugar + molasses)
  • 2 bay leaves, crumbled
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water

combine in a pot and bring to a boil, then turn to low and simmer 30 minutes. strain through a fine mesh strainer.

sauce

makes about 4 cups

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uncle vito’s meatballs

May 6, 2015 //
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photo by rafiel chait

vito is not my uncle, but i think everybody wants an uncle like him. i did have the pleasure of meeting him prior to the wedding of his nephew (don) and his soon to be bride (lauren), who are two dear friends of mine, late last year. he made a huge batch of his meatballs for the occasion, and did a demonstration on how to make them to a few lucky bastards who were out at the house my friends were to be married at earlier in the week. of course, i wanted to be there for that, but sadly, i was stuck at work. thankfully, my friend the groom made a video of it, and i am forever grateful.

this video is not only helpful to see how the meatballs are created, but adds a touch of the innuendo that runs in the family, and also shows uncle vito making the meatballs in a manner that i truly believe is the way to cook…by feel, by taste, by smell, by love, and most importantly, by your family and friends.

dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.

-julia child

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the sauce:

  • splash of wine
  • 1 can of crushed red tomatoes (28 oz)
  • 1 can of tomato sauce (14 oz)
  • 1 3/4 cans of water (using the crushed tomato can)
  • 1 tsp of parsley flakes
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, + more to fry the tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 cans of tomato paste (6 oz each)

in a large pot combine add all the ingredients in order, except the tomato paste. put on medium-high heat, stir and bring to a decent simmer.

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meanwhile start the meatballs. once you have mixed the meat for the balls, fry the tomato paste in some olive oil for a couple of minutes until the oil is incorporated into the paste.

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add it to the sauce and stir, plus a little more sugar if needed, but i found the sauce pretty sweet as is. reduce to a slow simmer while you make, roll and fry the balls.

the meatballs:

  • 5 pounds of ground beef (80/20)
  • 7 eggs
  • splash of olive oil + more to fry balls in
  • 2 pounds of italian sausage, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, + more for adding
  • 1 cup fine bread crumbs, + more for adding
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder, + more for adding
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil, + more for adding

start with half of the ground beef and crumble into a large pot. add the rest of the ingredients. then crumble the remaining ground beef as well. add another big dash of parmesan, breadcrumbs, basil and garlic powder.

then dig in with both hands. add a splash of olive oil to grease the wheels. ‘pound it, push it down, keep mixing it well…from the bottom, and then push it.’ do this til firm, but not wet. if it feels too wet, add breadcrumbs…i ended up adding about 1/4 cup more.

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squeeze ice cream scoop sized balls (about 2 inches?) 10 times by hand, and then roll in your palms. i ended up with just a little tad bit more than 40 balls, so i used the remaining into a smaller tester ‘veet ball’.

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add a good layer of olive oil to a large fry pan, add meatballs (8-10 per pan, they can be snug), and over medium-high heat brown and turn. careful not to cook them too quickly. let them brown nicely, then add to the sauce. you can continue to use the same pan for the next batch. i found i didn’t need to add additional oil, since the fat and juices of the previous balls worked fine to fry the remaining balls.

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on this particular night i made linguini and veetballs, but i got some nice italian baguette to make meatball sandos for lunch the next day as well:

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i found this will make about 35-45 balls, depending on size, plus of course one tester veet ball.

• on a sad note, we lost uncle vito this past week. i didn’t know he was sick, and only found out when my friend posted his wonderful video of his uncle vito making his amazing meatballs. i feel so fortunate that i was able to meet him, and now pass his recipe on to you, so we can all enjoy. RIP UNCLE VITO!
 
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Categories how to, recipes

homemade cheez-its

April 12, 2015 //
3

a big part of my philosophy on cooking and eating is of course using products and produce that are organic, sustainable and local, but also unprocessed, or what i like to think of as ‘what would laura ingalls wilder do?’ she lived in a day where everything was made from scratch, all foods were basically what we know as organic today, and definitely pre-GMO.

she also didn’t grow up with processed snacks such as cheez-its in her cupboard like i did as a young girl. granted the list of ingredients in cheez-its isn’t nearly as long as many processed chips, crackers or snacks in the same demographic, and they don’t have the evil monosodium glutamate in them, but i have definitely cut way back on my intake of these addictive lil cheesy nibbles due to their processed nature. of course, when craft services puts out the little single serving bags on the table at work, they are very hard to resist, and i usually tuck one away in my set bag to eat in guilt later when i can blame it on the ‘late hours’ or ‘i’m tired’ or ‘i don’t want another fucking piece of fruit’.

so, when my upstairs neighbor, who is a chef, posted a picture on instagram of homemade cheez-its, i about lost my shit, because i fucking love cheez-its!

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thankfully she was willing to share her recipe.

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ingredients:

  • 9 ounces (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 7.5 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 2-4 tbsp ice water
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

directions:

in the bowl of a food processor add the flour, baking powder, paprika and salt. pulse to combine. add the butter and cheese, and pulse until very well combined. add 2 tbsp of ice water and pulse until the dough is just wet enough to come together when squeezed. add up to 2 tbsp more water if necessary.

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divide the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. press each half of dough into a flat square, wrap well, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

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working with one square at a time, roll the dough out to a scant 1/8-inch thick. using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into 3/4-inch wide strips, and then in the other direction to make 3/4-inch squares.

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use a wooden skewer, or chop stick, to poke a hole in the center of each square.

transfer squares to a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze the dough until firm, about 10-15 minutes. do the same with the other square of dough.

preheat the oven to 350Ëš F.

brush the squares with the egg white and sprinkle with salt. gently break the squares apart and transfer the parchment onto a different baking sheet that hasn’t been in the freezer.

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bake until puffed, set, and browned on the bottom. make sure to bake them well, so that the finished crackers are crisp. (completely frozen dough may take extra time.) start checking them at 15 mins, but can take up to 20-30 mins.

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transfer the parchment with the crackers to a cooling rack. store cooled crackers in an airtight container.

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makes about 5 cups.

thanks to chef jamie lauren for the recipe, and my renewed addiction. 

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Categories recipes

creamy brussels sprout soup

February 9, 2015 //
0

another episode of ‘cleanin’ out my fridge’: the brussels sprouts edition.

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yesterday after my trip to the farmers market, i was putting away my veggies, and came across a bag of these cruciferous vegetables from a couple weeks ago that i needed to use.

i have a few different ways i like to prepare these wee cabbages. simply roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper is easy enough, but recently i have been slicing them thin, sautéing with olive oil, shallot, fresh lemon juice, tossing with pecorino romano, toasted sliced almonds, and finishing with a little bit of red wine vinegar. this was my inspiration for this soup.

of course, when i am cooking from the hip, i often don’t actually write down amounts as i go, or take photos, so the list of ingredients will be approximations, and you only get the one photo.

ingredients:

  • 3 cups brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 leek, white part cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin
  • 4 cloves of garlic, diced small
  • 3 celery stalks, diced small
  • 4 carrots, diced small
  • 2 tsp fresh savory, minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 cups stock (i used homemade turkey stock)
  • 1 cup spinach, chopped coarse (optional)
  • cream, to taste
  • salt + pepper, to taste

garnish:

  • toasted sliced almonds
  • pecorino romano, grated
  • chives, minced
  • red wine vinegar, drizzle

in a large dutch oven, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. add the brussels sprouts, some salt and pepper, and cook until soft and browning. add the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, savory and a little more olive oil, salt and pepper. combine and allow to cook down a bit. add the wine, and scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. add the stock, bring to a boil, and then let simmer over medium-low heat until all the veggies are soft. this is when i added the spinach. honestly, i doubt that it added much flavor wise, but i had a little bit in the fridge that was just beginning to wilt, and thought it might add a little green color back into the soup, which it did. once the spinach becomes soft, but hasn’t lost it’s color, i turned off the heat. i used a hand blender to purée the soup until creamy. (i’m sure a regular blender or food processor would do the same thing.) slowly add cream to your liking.

garnish with almonds, pecorino romano, chives and drizzle with red wine vinegar. enjoy!

serves 4.

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Categories recipes

mexican grilled corn

May 25, 2014 //
1

the first corn of the season started showing up at the farmers market a couple weeks ago, which means any cookout, BBQ, or gathering that has a grill, i will be asked to make mexican grilled corn. happily i will abide, because it is so damn good. i first came across this recipe in the october 2009 issue of cook’s illustrated, and without a doubt it is the number one dish my friends ask me to make during the summer months.

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ingredients:

  • 6 ears of corn, husks + silks removed
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, minced
  • 1-2 medium garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 oz pecorino romano cheese, about 1/2 cup
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • vegetable oil for cooking grate

 

mix together the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, 1/4 tsp chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, lime juice and cheese in a bowl.

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add the remaining 1/2 tsp of chili powder and salt to the vegetable oil and whisk together. brush this oil mixture all over the corn.

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once you have heated your grill to hot, wipe the grate with a paper towel wad and tongs dipped in vegetable oil. put the corn directly on the grill and shut the lid. check after about 5 minutes, or if you start hearing it pop, and rotate so all sides get brown, about 10-15 minutes.

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transfer to a platter or dish, and slather on the sauce.

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this is a perfect side to bring to, or make for any BBQ or grilling event you might be having for this memorial day. please take note that this monday is not our national day to have a cookout, but to honor and remember the men and women who have died while serving in our armed services. peace + love.

 

 

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wild rice, beet + kale salad

March 11, 2014 //
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as winter melts into spring, i get excited when the produce at farmers markets starts changing, but here in southern california it seems as though beets and kale are here year round. that is just fine by me. this salad blends the merging seasons well with earthy wild rice, sweet golden beets, and crunchy green kale.

photo (9)

ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice, cooked yielding about 3 cups, let cool
  • 3 medium golden beets, roasted, peeled, let cool and diced
  • 1 bunch of kale (i prefer lacinato for this recipe), blanched, drained fully and chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced small or minced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

directions:

in a large bowl mix together the cooled wild rice and beets with the kale and onion. in a small bowl add a generous pinch of salt to the vinegar, and slowly whisk in the olive oil until it emulsifies. toss dressing into rice mixture. add salt and pepper to taste.

makes about 4-6 cups

tip: for breakfast the next morning, sauté a little and add to scrambled eggs with goat cheese.

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