Broccoli Crunch Salad with Prosciutto and Feta

(about 4 servings)

I haven't set foot in Whole Foods since I left Texas. The closest one is in Seattle, I think. It's all fine. There's a small country market nearby that has great produce, sustainable fish and seafood, a good butcher and an adequate bulk food and spice section. I don't give WF much thought these days, although I was thinking about their Broccoli Crunch Salad the other day. I used to grab a tub or two whenever I was too lazy or busy to make my own.

This version is less sweet and more savory. It contains prosciutto in place of bacon and I have gotten into the habit of adding feta cheese of late because I love that briny goodness.

3.5oz mildly smoked lean prosciutto, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey, or more to taste

6 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces 

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp cashews, toasted
3 tbsp dried currants
salt, if needed

Fry the prosciutto in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until it's browned and crispy. Stir in the red onion slices and cook until they are limp. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, apple cider vinegar and honey in a large bowl.

Add the broccoli, prosciutto and onion mixture, feta, cashews and currants. Toss until everything is evening coated with the dressing. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed.

Serve. This salad keeps really well, refrigerated.

Easy Dill Bread & Butter Pickles

(about 1 1/2 pints)

Last week as I was patiently sorting through the pickling cucumbers at the market, I noticed a woman watching me and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She made her way over to my side, began to indiscriminately toss baby cukes into her bag by the heaping handful and asked me what I planned on making with mine. When I told her I was thinking about bread and butter pickles, she broke out into a hearty laugh. At that moment I realized just how ridiculously obsessive it was of me to try to get that bag full of perfectly matching cucumbers. :)

She went on to suggest I bathe my cukes in a brine for a few hours; that my pickles would be crunchier if I did. I followed her advice and you know what? These pickles were pretty darn crunchy.

Gotta love great tips from perfect strangers!

3 tbsp non iodized salt
1 cup hot water
2 cups cold water
1 lb baby cucumbers, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch disks
1/4 yellow onion, sliced

4-6 sprigs fresh washed dill
2-4 slices garlic (optional)

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1 tbsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed

Combine the salt and hot water in a bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Stir in the cold water, then add the cucumber and onion slices. Set on a kitchen counter for 3-4 hours.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

Place the cucumber and onion slices into sterilized jars tucking in a dill sprig here and there as well as the garlic, if using. Set aside.

Combine the vinegar, water, evaporated cane juice or sugar, mustard seed and celery seed in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Remove from heat and divide between the cucumber filled jars. Top up with cold water if the vinegar mixture doesn't completely reach to the top.

Cool, then cover the jars and refrigerate. Give them a gentle shake every day or so.

The pickles will be ready to eat after 3-4 days and will keep refrigerated for about a month.

Mediterranean Green Beans Braised in Tomatoes

( 4 servings)

There's something very satisfying about braised green beans. For me in some respects they are close to the ultimate comfort food. Served with a bit of rice, is all I need.

Cooking the beans in an aromatic sauce of tomatoes and onions creates a dish that tastes rich and flavorful. The richest element here is the olive oil which you could easily reduce by half if using a non-stick pot.

Braised green beans are delicious served hot or at room temperature. I usually make this dish with dill and mint, however this time I swapped those out for fennel seeds, cardamom and coriander. Those flavors did not disappoint; they were an interesting and pleasing change.

1 tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 medium onion, chopped

14oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb green beans, trimmed (if using frozen, defrost first)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot fitted with a lid.

Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, cardamom and coriander. When the mixture becomes fragrant after 30 seconds or so, quickly stir in the onions. Cook until the onions become soft and translucent; about 5 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and their liquid. Cook for a minute or two, then stir in the green beans.

Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 25-40 minutes, depending on how soft you like your green beans. Check halfway through and add a small amount of water if the beans appear too dry.

Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve hot or at room temperature. These beans reheat really well, in case you decide to double the recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Prosciutto & Gremolata

(4 servings)

I often don't bother to puree my butternut squash soup because I prefer a bit of texture. The crispy bits of prosciutto and gremolata topping add interesting flavors to this delicious winter soup.

1 medium butternut squash, about 2 lbs
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup lean prosciutto
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cardamom
a pinch or two cayenne
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup half and half

2 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash, then cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the squash onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake the squash for about an hour or until the flesh can easily be pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool until it can be handled.

While the squash is baking in the oven, begin making the soup on the stove top.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and fry until crispy. Remove the prosciutto bits with a slotted spoon and reserve for later (leaving what remains of the olive oil and fat in the pot) .

Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pot. Adjust the heat as needed and cook the vegetable mixture, stirring from time to time until softened. Stir in the thyme, cardamom and cayenne and cook for another minute or two.

Stir in the vegetable or chicken broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Set the heat to low and cover the pot until the squash is ready to add.

Using a spoon, scrape out the flesh from the baked squash. Discard the peel. Mash up the flesh with the spoon and then add it to the soup. You can puree the soup using an immersion blender if you like. I prefer my soup a bit chunky, so I don't bother with this step. Cook the soup (covered) for about 20 minutes.

Prepare the gremolata by combining the lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Stir the gremolata into the reserved prosciutto.

When you are ready to serve the soup, stir in the half and half and cook for another minute or two. Check and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Divide the soup between 4 bowls. Sprinkle each with the prosciutto and gremolata mixture.

Duxelles

(about 2 cups)

Duxelles, an intensely flavored mushroom paste is one of the components of Beef Wellington, however it has many other uses. It can be used to flavor eggs, soups, sauces or gravies. It can fill the cavities of meat, fish or poultry. It can be combined with stuffings or fillings for pastries or pasta, or simply spread onto little toasts.  It freezes really well.

1/2 oz dried porcini
2 lbs white or crimini mushrooms
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp butter
2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry port, Madeira or red wine

Using a small coffee grinder or mini food processor, grind the porcini into a fine powder. Empty into a medium sized bowl.

Clean the mushrooms, finely chop them and add them to the porcini. Stir in the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a non stick skillet or saucepan (with a lid) over medium low heat. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so then stir in the shallots. Cook the mixture until the shallots are translucent and soft.

Add the porcini mushroom mixture to the garlic and shallots, then stir in the port, or whatever you are using. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet or saucepan and leave for about 30-40 minutes. The mushrooms will sweat a great deal. About halfway through the cooking time, give everything a good stir.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the Duxelles are on the dry side. Check and adjust for seasoning, if needed. Remove from heat.

Moussaka

(about 6-8 servings)

Moussaka is usually considered a Greek dish although there are different versions of it to be found throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. The seasonings might differ a bit as well as the vegetables used. It might be served hot or cold, with or without the creamy cheese enhanced béchamel.

Whenever I make moussaka, I prefer preparing the meat sauce the day before because it just tastes so much better when the flavors have had the chance to meld.

meat sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 3/4 - 2 lbs lean ground lamb or beef
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1/2 cup dry red wine
15oz can crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large pot (with lid) over medium high heat. Cook the lamb or beef until it's nicely browned. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook until the onions have softened.

Stir in the salt, oregano, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and allspice. Cook for about 2 minutes while stirring, then pour in the wine and continue to cook another minute or two.

Stir in the tomatoes and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the sauce to gently simmer for about an hour or so.

Check and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator overnight or until you are ready to assemble the moussaka.

eggplant
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 large eggplant

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small container and allow to fuse for at least 30 minutes or longer.

Wash, then slice the eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place the slices in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Lightly brush the tops with the garlicky oil. If there's any oil left over, set that aside to grease the baking dish later.

Place the sheet into the middle of the oven and broil the slices until the tops are lightly browned. My oven has a Hi and Lo broiling setting. I used the Hi setting and it took about 12 minutes for the eggplant to be done.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and allow to cool.

béchamel
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 2/3 cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup pecorino romano
2 pinches nutmeg/mace

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth mixture. Stir in the salt and cook, stirring until the sauce thickens; about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk a small amount of the hot sauce into the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture back into the béchamel. Stir in the cheese, reserving a tablespoon or so to sprinkle over the top of the casserole later. Stir in the nutmeg or mace and set aside.

To assemble

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 3 qt baking dish with any leftover garlic oil or use extra olive oil. Place a single layer of eggplant over the bottom of the dish and cover that with a layer of meat sauce. Repeat and continue until all of the eggplant and meat sauce has been used up. The baking dish I used measured 8.5" x 11" x 3". I ended up with 3 layers of eggplant and 2 layers of meat sauce.

Spread the béchamel over the top of the layered eggplant and meat sauce layers. Sprinkle the reserved pecorino romano over the top.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the casserole is bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

String Beans Braised in Apple Cider

(3-4 servings as a side)

This is a terrific way to prepare string beans, especially if there are a lot of larger and tougher beans mixed in. The longer the beans braise in the cider the more tender and flavorful they become.

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 lb string beans, trimmed and sliced  diagonally if they are large
1/2 - 3/4 cup apple cider
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring from time to time until the onion is translucent.

Add the string beans and 1/2 cup apple cider. Place the lid over the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook the beans for about 60-90 minutes. Check the beans every 20 minutes or so and add more cider if the beans look dry. I had used slightly more than half a cup of cider by the time the beans were tender and to my liking. There was a small amount of liquid remaining in the pot (one or two tablespoons) when the beans were ready.

Check, and adjust the seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Microwaved Corn on the Cob

Yesterday while I was out for my walk, I stopped by the U-pick farm. A neighbor mentioned they were selling freshly picked corn for 25¢ an ear, which is a bargain in this neck of the woods. I grabbed a few for snacking.

Corn is quick and easy to prepare in the microwave if you are just cooking one or two ears. It beats bringing a pot of water to a boil.

per serving
1 ear corn, leave the husk on, 
but trim the ends (see photo below)

serve with butter and/or salt

The fresher the corn, the less time to microwave is required. I have been giving these freshly picked ears (cooking one at a time) about 3 minutes at the high setting, using a 1000 watt oven (adjust accordingly). You might have to add an extra minute or so if the corn is a few days older. To cook two or three cobs at once, increase the time by 1-3 minutes. You might have to experiment a bit with your oven until you get a feel for it.

Remove the corn from the oven and allow to sit for about 2 minutes. It will be hot.

Carefully peel back the husks and enjoy.

*If you remove the husk and the corn is not cooked enough to your liking, then wrap the cob in a moist paper towel and microwave it a bit longer.

Red Chard with Currants & Feta

(4 servings)

Almost everywhere I go here on the Olympic Peninsula, I come across bunches of beets and chard. Both crops appear to be abundant here. The chard especially always looks very colorful and inviting; bunches of rainbow and reds.

I wanted to try something a bit different with the chard (other than braising it with lemon and garlic). I found an interesting recipe on Epicurious which added currants and feta cheese. The finished dish was delicious! I will definitely make this again.

adapted from Epicurious
1 bunch chard, about 1 lb
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
a few grinds of black pepper
2- 3 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp dried currants
1/3 cup crumbled feta

Wash the chard and shake off the excess water. It's not necessary to dry. Trim off the very ends of the chard, then cut the stems into one inch pieces. Set aside. Cut the leaves into one inch ribbons. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until it begins to brown. Quickly add the reserved stems and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the sliced leaves. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes evenly over the chard and add the water and currants. Cook about 3-5 minutes. (I cooked mine for 5 minutes. That was too much for me personally. I would have preferred it crispier. So, watch the chard carefully until you like the texture.)

Remove from heat and stir in the feta.

Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese & Walnuts

(4-6 servings)

My move left me sore and exhausted, but I'm thrilled that's behind me. I have spent the better part of two weeks taking it easy and recuperating at a friend's house. My friend has the most amazing kitchen. Thing is, she doesn't cook and I have been so tired, I haven't felt much like cooking either. Instead, I have been happily consuming frozen dinners and small containers of yogurt, lol.

This beet salad will probably be the last thing I prepare for a while. (In a few days I'll be on my way to Santa Fe, MN.) I haven't cooked beets nearly as often as I did a few years ago. Back then I was consuming about two pounds of them a week. Too much of a good thing has its disadvantages.

This salad of roasted beets, blue cheese and toasted nuts is delicious. It makes me wish I'd made more use of this fabulous kitchen.

2 lbs small beets
3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp very fine orange zest
1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as needed

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Wash the beets and trim off the leaves if they have any. Reserve those for another use. Place 2-3 beets onto squares of foil and enclose the foil around them until you have a small packet. You will have two to four of them depending on the size of your beets.

Place the packets onto a baking sheet and bake for about 50-70 minutes or until the beets have softened and can easily be pierced with a knife. Remove from oven. Open up the tops of the packets to prevent them from cooking further and cool until they can be handled.

Slip the peels off the beets, cut them into small wedges and place them into a large bowl.

Combine 3 tablespoons each of the vinegar and orange juice and stir in the orange zest. Taste, and add more vinegar or juice to your liking. Pour this mixture over the warm beets and toss until they are evenly coated. Cool the beets to room temperature.

To serve, top the beets with toasted walnuts, blue cheese and parsley. Add a pinch of salt and cracked pepper, if desired.

Bacon, Lettuce, Cucumber & Tomato Salad Rolls

(8 rolls)

I'm moving soon, so I have been working at clearing out my pantry as productively as I can. I used my last tin of chickpeas for a tasty hummus yesterday, then packed up my food processor last night. This morning I came across half a package of Vietnamese spring roll wrappers and used those for my salad today.

Bacon, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, pickle and caper salad dressing went inside these wrappers. The rolls really didn't take that much time to make and they were delicious! Vietnamese wrappers are made from tapioca starch and rice flour; perfect if you can't tolerate gluten.

salad dressing
1 large dill pickle, finely diced
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 generous tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Combine everything in a small bowl and set aside

rolls
8x  8-9 inch sheets rice spring roll wrappers
lukewarm water for soaking the wrappers
about 2-2 1/2 cups washed and dried spring lettuce mix
2/3 of an English cucumber, cut into 5 inch long matchsticks
2 large Roma tomatoes, cut into long matchsticks
freshly cracked black pepper
8 slices of bacon, cut in half and fried until crisp, drained and cooled

assembly
Soak the first rice wrapper in the water, then remove and place it evenly onto a flat surface. Drop another wrapper into the water to soften.

Place the lettuce towards one end of the wrapper leaving about an inch of space at the sides and about two inches at the top. If you are using a spring mix, then position the stems of the leaves inwards to prevent them from piercing the wrapper.

Spread about one generous tablespoon of dressing over the centre of the lettuce, then top with one or two more leaves. Place some cucumber and tomato over the leaves and sprinkle a bit of freshly cracked pepper. Add two half slices of bacon.

Gently pull the top edge of the rice wrapper over and tug it in underneath the lettuce and bacon filling. Roll towards you for about half a turn or so. Try keeping it as snug as possible. It might take a few tries to get the hang of it.

Pull the outer edge of the wrapper in towards the centre of the roll, then do the same with the other side (see photo above).

Finish rolling up the salad roll and set aside. Repeat until you have used up all of the wrappers. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Salad

(4-6 servings)

Freshly roasted bell pepper salads are wonderful! I've always had a fondness for red peppers, but if you prefer a colorful salad you could use two red, two yellow and two green bell peppers instead.

I've kept the seasoning for this salad simple, but if you are inclined, you could add a bit of fresh minced garlic, parsley or mint!

6 red bell peppers
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat *oven to 450°F.

Wash, then cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds and place them cut side down in a single layer on a lined (foil or parchment paper will work) baking sheet. You can use an unlined sheet in a pinch, however you might end up with a bit of a cleaning chore.

Place the peppers into the middle of the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes. When the skins have begun to blacken and puff up somewhat, remove the peppers from the oven. Allow them to cool. *I roast these in a small counter top convection oven, you might have to adjust the heat and/or roasting time a bit if using a larger conventional oven.

Slip the skins off the peppers. Slice the peppers into bite sized strips and place them into a bowl.

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzle one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to start. Toss the salad and taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. I will often add a touch more vinegar later because the peppers will release a bit of liquid if they have sat a while.

Polish Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

(6-8 servings)

This salad is similar to Russian salad, sans the ham. I love the bits of apple in it, but you can leave that out if you prefer.

I made my own lemon flavored mayonnaise using olive oil which was much better tasting than store bought. I followed the instructions (link below) and used an immersion blender as suggested. The next time I will try a food processor to see how that turns out.

30 second lemon mayonnaise, adapted from here
1 cup olive oil at room temperature
1 pasteurized whole egg at room temperature
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp very fine lemon zest
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Place everything into a 1 pint mason jar (with a lid for storage). Place an immersion blender into the jar, allowing it to rest on the bottom. Turn on the blender and and when you see the olive oil and egg begin to thicken, slowly lift the blender up (while it's on).

When everything in the jar looks like it's emulsified, turn the blender off. Taste and add more salt and pepper (or lemon juice) if needed.

The leftover mayonnaise will keep for about a week, refrigerated.

salad
4-5 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1 medium turnip, peeled
3-4 carrots, scrubbed clean
1/3 - 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise
3-4 tbsp plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
3-4 dill pickles, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 cup peas, frozen are fine
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Bring the potatoes and turnip to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the carrots. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain and cool.

In a large salad bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard.

Dice the cooled potatoes, turnip and carrots and add to the bowl. Add the apple, dill pickles, green onions, eggs and peas. Toss until everything is evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Allow the salad to sit for about 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to meld a bit.

Asparagus with Tangy Browned Butter Sauce

(3-4 servings)

This is a great recipe. It's quick and easy and packed full of flavor. I've tweaked it a bit, but you can find the original recipe by following the link below.

recipe adapted from here
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 lb asparagus
salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 small clove garlic minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tsp sodium reduced tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lightly coat a baking dish with the olive oil. Set aside.

Wash and trim the asparagus. Shake dry and place into the baking dish. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake the asparagus for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Prepare the sauce while the asparagus is baking in the oven.

Place the butter, garlic and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Set over a medium flame. Stir until the mixture becomes a golden brown.

Remove from heat and stir in the tamari and vinegar. Set aside until the asparagus is ready.

Drizzled the sauce over the asparagus and serve.

Raw Turnip, Apple and Carrot Slaw

(4-6 servings)

Recently I tried turnips for the first time. They hadn't been at all what I expected, and their taste and textures were quite different raw or baked. I love them raw; somewhat peppery and nice and crispy.

Raw turnips are delicious in this fresh salad!

1 large honey tangerine
2 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 clove garlic, minced
2 turnips
1 crisp apple
3 medium carrots
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the tangerine in half and squeeze out the juice; you should have about 1/2 cup, give or take. Combine that with the vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Set aside.

Slice the tops off the turnips (where the leaves came out) as well as the bottoms. Peel them and then shred them into a large bowl.

Wash the apple, cut it into quarters (you can leave the peel on if you like) and remove the core. Shred the apple into the bowl.

Wash and scrub the carrots and shred those into the bowl as well.

Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and toss until everything is evenly combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Serve.

Garlic Roasted Turnips

(4 servings)

Turnips, they are foreign to me. To my knowledge my mother never served them to us. I'm not sure if she wasn't familiar with them or if she just didn't care for them. Whenever I saw turnips at the market I just walked past them and headed toward more familiar veggies, like carrots and asparagus.

Well this month turnips are in season in Texas and I thought it was time I gave them a try. They weren't at all what I expected. I was told to peel them and as I did, I was struck by how much their aroma reminded me of radishes and kohlrabi. They also had a wonderful crisp texture.

A friend mentioned they were delicious roasted, and I thought that would be easy enough to try. Well, I'm sold! Turnips are delicious! I will definitely have them again soon.

2 lbs turnips
1 (generous) tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Remove a thin slice of turnip from the top where the leaves were and the very bottom where the root is. Remove the remaining skin with a knife or potato peeler. I was tempted to leave the skin on, but everyone I asked gave me an emphatic, "no!"

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the turnips into sticks that are about 1/3 of an inch thick. Place into a large bowl.

Drizzle the olive oil over the cut up turnips. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. You might want to ease up on the pepper a tad because the baked turnips appear to accentuate the peppery taste more than usual. Toss until the turnips are evenly coated.

Place the turnips onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper). I bake everything in a small counter top convection oven and my 13x9 inch baking sheet wasn't large enough for the turnips to lay flat in one even layer. This was fine. Halfway through baking I gave them a good toss.

Bake the turnips for about 40-50 minutes or until they have browned nicely. Give them a good toss about halfway through baking.

Corn Spaghetti with Wine Braised Veggies

(4 servings)

For this simple gluten free dish I used the vegetables straight out of the freezer; the total prep and cooking time worked out to less than 30 minutes!

2 cups dry white wine
3-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1-3 pinches red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 lb (gluten free) corn spaghetti
1 cup frozen loose chopped spinach leaves
2/3 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, sliced (from a jar)
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, for serving

Pour the wine into a saucepan (large enough to hold the cooked spaghetti) and set over a medium flame. Add the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Simmer the mixture until the wine has reduced by half.

While the wine is simmering, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package until al dente. The water will look cloudy. Drain the spaghetti and rinse it in cold water. Set aside.

You will probably be able to stir the frozen spinach, corn and peas into the reduced wine mixture before the spaghetti is done. Cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the cream. Reduce the flame and cook gently for another minute or two. Stir in the sliced red pepper and parsley. Keep warm until the spaghetti is ready.

Add the drained spaghetti to the vegetable sauce and stir well. When the pasta has heated through, remove from the stove. Divide between 4 plates. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Blackened Tilapia with Artichoke Hearts

(2 servings)

When I first considered this combination I thought it was a great idea; spiced fish served with wine braised artichokes. However, when everything was on the table, I wasn't as sure. I loved the fish on its own as well as the artichokes, but was the fish too strongly flavored? The friend I served this to last night thought the two together were perfect! He went on and on about how fish was never his first choice, yet he would love to eat this again, any time!

I thought the fish might have been a bit too overwhelming for the wine braised artichokes; perhaps coating just one side of each fillet would make me happier. I might give this another try at some point.

1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 pinches cayenne, or to taste
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 (6oz) tilapia fillets
1 cup dry white wine
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-2 tsp anchovy paste, to taste
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Combine the paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne on a plate. Set aside.

Brush the butter on the tilapia, coating both sides. *Dredge the fish through the spice mixture, shaking off the excess. *I dredged both sides of the fish in the spices, but in retrospect I think it might have been better to only coat one side of the fish in order to tone it down a bit, (but still butter both sides if you try this instead).

Heat a non-stick skillet over a medium high flame. When the skillet is hot, add the fish. If you have a microwave, then fry the fish about 3 minutes per side or until the fish is slightly underdone; set aside. If you don't have a microwave, then fry the fish about 4 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily, cover (to keep warm) and set aside.

Pour the wine into a saucepan and stir in the garlic and anchovy paste. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by half.

Add the artichokes and simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the cream, lower the heat and leave until ready to serve.

If you partially cooked the fish, place each piece on a dinner plate. Cover loosely with paper towels and microwave on high for about 1 minute (I used a 700 watt oven, you'll probably need less time for a higher wattage oven).

Spoon the artichokes and sauce over each plate, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw

(about 4 servings)

Cabbage and carrots are in season in Texas at the moment. Both these vegetables found their way into this delicious coleslaw.

1 tbsp onion, grated
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated
salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste

Combine the onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar and honey in a large bowl.

Add the red cabbage and carrots. Toss. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Toss again and serve.

Crispy French Fries

I have never made proper french fries. The closest I have come are the oven baked sweet potato fries which I love and make frequently. This year at our company white elephant gift exchange I received a lovely cutting board with a picture of a dog on it (it looks like a pug), a five pound bag of russet potatoes and a french fry cutting tool. To both my surprise and relief, not one person tried to "steal" my gift!

The french fry cutter turned out to be an amazing tool. It cut the potatoes into perfect pieces; not too thin, not too thick. A couple of recipes were included and they all suggested frying the potatoes twice for extra crispiness.

water
cider vinegar
about 1  russet potato per serving
peanut oil
salt

Combine about 1 tbsp of vinegar per quart of cold water and set aside.

Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into the desired thickness for french fries (see photo). Drop the potatoes into the vinegar water and leave for a minute or two. Give them a good stir then drain the potatoes.

Fill up a heavy pot with oil leaving at least 3 inches free on the sides (in case the hot oil bubbles up). Heat the oil to 350°F.

Using a towel dry the potatoes, then carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry them for a minute or two, just until they begin to lightly brown. Remove them from the oil and place them onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. At this point you can leave them until you are ready to serve them or wait about 5 minutes, then fry them again.

Fry them a second time at 350°F. until they are nicely browned. Remove them and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and serve immediately.