Garbanzo and Brown Rice Burgers

It's not often that I make a point of eating meatless meals. It's usually just done, thrown into the rotation like any other meal. And while it's true that at times one of us will crave a big ol' juicy steak (that's usually me), some messy-face ribs (daughter), a comforting roast chicken (youngest son), some sticky carnitas (the hubs), a fat burger (oldest son), or some good greasy bacon (everybody) - I don't think any of us feels that we have to eat meat at every meal. We always have eggs, beans, lentils, or some other source of protein hanging around.

That said, there are a few meatless meals that I crave from time to time. Broccoli-Tofu is one of them. A platter loaded with roasted broccoli and cauliflower with a giant bowl of garlicky homemade hummus and grilled pitas for scooping everything up is another. And the soft tacos that I ate almost daily about 18 years ago are another - thick, homemade flour tortillas warm and stuffed with Mexican rice, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, guac, and sour cream {swoon}!

Yucca Flower, Mushroom, and Feta Frittata

One of the things I love about the house we moved into just over two years ago is the yard.  I mean, it's smaller than our old yard (but still good size)...but there are numerous edibles that were already planted in the earth.  Things that I can count on to pop up year after year without any work on my part.  We have a couple of ever-expanding grape vines.  There's lots of mint; while we all know how invasive mint can be, fortunately it grows under the grapes, so I don't mind a bit.  We have chamomile.  We have ground cherries (that I have yet to figure out how to beat the bugs and birds to, but one day...).  We have purslane (or verdolagas) which is one of my favorites.

But why, oh why, did I never make use of what is probably the most prolific feature of our yard - Yucca!?  I just never really thought about it until I saw Hunger and Thirst using yucca blossoms.  Well, duh!  We have them in the front yard, the back yard, and on the side of the house.  I need to brush up how to use each part.  By the time I thought of it, I'd already missed the young, tender stalk (which looks a bit like...and here tell tastes a bit like...asparagus).

I'm still looking into using the root...because if I use the root, doesn't that mean I won't have the plant anymore?  Hmm...we'll see.  But since the gorgeous, milky-white flowers are in bloom right now, I knew that would be a great place to start experimenting.  The petals would make a great addition to fresh, raw salads.  I think they taste slightly reminiscent of mild cauliflower.  They also pair well with eggs, which is why I started with a simple egg dish.  Although, I do think that using yucca flower makes it seem elegant.  How crazy is that?  A simple back yard ingredient transforming a dish to elegant...kinda backward if you stop to think about it.  I can't wait to experiment with the abundant yucca that is waving in the breeze outside my window at this very moment.  I need to find a use for the seeds...I usually use the dried pod as an ornamental in autumn.  Until then, enjoy this frittata.

Fragole con Limone e Menta (Strawberries with Lemon and Mint)

Picture, if you will- bright red, early summer strawberries...tiny new mint leaves bursting that leave your fingers smelling divine...accents of bright, sunny lemon...with a hint of sweetness sitting in a fizzy bath of sparkling wine.  I wish that I'd been able to find some teeny-tiny ruby red wild strawberries, I think they would be totally seductive.  That said, this fun dessert is not diminished by using whichever strawberries you can find locally grown.  Enjoy the summer's bounty in any way you can.

Fragole con Limone e Menta

Strawberries with Lemon and Mint

from Jamie's Italy

Put a few strawberries into frozen bowls.  Squeeze a little lemon juice over them and add a good sprinkling of sugar, a tiny bit of lemon zest, and a little torn fresh mint.  Also really nice with a swig of prosecco or other sparkling wine.

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cookbook review: 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know + "marry me" vs. "still married" Lasagna

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know comes from Cindy Leive and the Editors of Glamour Magazine.  It begins with the fascinating tale of Engagement Chicken (including an engagement hall of fame...people who made the dish and in turn received a proposal) and the now cult-status recipe for the chicken.  It is followed up by 99 equally enticing recipes with fun names like He Stayed Over Omelet, Make it in the Car Artichoke Dip, Forget the Mistake You Made at Work Margarita, Baby, It's Cold Outside Crabmeat Soup, Instant Seduction Pork Chops, Bikini Season Baked Salmon, It's Almost Payday Chili, and Impress His Family Chardonnay Cake just to name a few!

If the introduction to the book and the fabulous fairy-tale origins or Engagement Chicken weren't enough, each section is packed with tempting recipes that are accompanied by fun explanations and ideas about when to serve that particular dish.  Tucked into some of the sections (which include breakfast & brunch, nibbles, drinks, soups & salads, mains, seafood, pasta, meat-free mains, sides, cheap & easy meals, and sweets) are some great Kitchen Basics such as Five Breakfasts for Very Busy Women or How to Make a Perfect Cheese Plate.  Bringing up the rear of this fun, fabulous cookbook is a MENU section in which you can find the perfect way to fit starters, mains, sides, and sweets together for a fabulous dinner party or intimate affair (with some more kitchen basics to help you along).

I love the recipes in this cookbook.  I think it's the perfect give to give a young woman venturing out to "find herself" and start an independent life.  Whether she's going off to college, moving into her first apartment or home, getting engaged (though you may want to get this into her hands before then if she's really wishing it would happen soon...the lore of Engagement Chicken is strong), or even getting married.  That said, I think it's a fun addition to any woman's kitchen.  I know I've enjoyed it and will continue to cook from it and loan it out to friends.

Marry Me Lasagna

from 100 Recipes every woman should know

serves 4-6

or  
Still Married Lasagna
from me

 serves ~12

I wanted to include the actual recipe from the book since I'm reviewing it, but I couldn't help myself in changing it up.  After all, I'm not in need of a "marry me" lasagna...so I went for a "still married" version of it.  Either one will be delicious.  My version will include the things in green!  I didn't leave out anything called for, just increased a few quantities and added a few extra ingredients.  If I make it this way next time (and for some reason, I never seem to make lasagna the same way twice), I will double the ricotta and cottage cheese...and probably increase the mozzarella and parm, too...cheeseslut that I am.

3 (4-5) c. Marinara Sauce
8 oz. (~16 each) uncooked Lasagna noodles
1 (15-16 oz.) container Ricotta cheese

4 oz. small curd cottage cheese

3 eggs

1 Tbs. Italian Seasoning

6 oz. baby Spinach

2 c. freshly grated mozzarella
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan
Basil leaves, finely chopped (chiffonade) for garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Cook lasagna noodles until al dente, drain, and let sit in colander.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, eggs, and Italian seasoning.

Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish (or lasagna pan).  Top with a layer of noodles (4), followed by ½ (⅓) of the ricotta mixture.  Repeat with second layer of marinara, noodles, and ricotta mixture.  Layer spinach over all of this (this will be right in the center of the whole dish).  Finish with last layer (do two more layers) of noodles (and ricotta mixture...ending with noodles) and then spread ~¾ marinara over the noodles (leave a little for serving).  Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan.

Slide into the oven and bake for ~1 hour, or until top is golden and filling is bubbling around edges.  Noodles will be tender when pierced with a knife.  Remove from oven and let cool ~15 minutes before serving.  Cut into thick slices and garnish with basil.  Serve drizzled with extra marinara (put a spoonful of marinara on plate and serve a slice on top...I like it underneath so as not to mess with my cheesy top layer).  I love serving lasagna with a green salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and a bottle of wine...or milk.

*I received a free copy of this book to review. I received no compensation and all opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.

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*Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen is hosting PPN this week.

Roasted Vegetable Salad w/ Garlic & Rosemary

 The sun shines deceptively through my windows.  As I close my eyes, I let the glass of the kitchen window act as a conductor and feel the warmth kissing my cheek.  But one simple motion...pressing the button on the screen door and descending onto the top step...reveals that sneaky trick that the sun is playing.  The day that I can go out and till the garden is still a few weeks off, but I am glad that I still have some good end of winter tubers and some some veg from the market to roast up.  I don't mind sitting by the window with the sun streaming in and playing along with this deception...as long as I can have a bowl of this and a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine to keep me company.

Roasted Vegetable Salad w/ Garlic & Rosemary

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

serves: ~4

1 large russet potato, peeled & cut into 1" cubes

1 large sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1" cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 yellow onion, cut into bite-sized chunks

2 c. mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, halved if large

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

¼ c. olive oil

1½ Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil.  Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain and let sit in strainer for a minute or so.  Preheat broiler.

Toss potatoes with all of the rest of the ingredients except the vinegar.  Spread veggies on a broiler pan that has been lined with foil (so that you can keep all of the gorgeous juices that escape the veggies).  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and broil for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through.  You want the veggies to be slightly crisped and brown at the edges.

Pick up the foil by all four corners, taking care to keep all of the juices in the center, then pour the roasted vegetables and any accumulated liquid into the bowl.  Toss with the vinegar.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serve this as a main course with some good bread and cheese...perhaps some warm, sweet cherry tomatoes from the vine in summer.  Or serve as a side dish with a simple fish or bean dish.

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Fried Eggs on Garlicky Fried Rice w/ Chile Vinegar

Fried eggs perched atop garlicky fried rice?  Oh yes, it's what's for breakfast.  Or lunch.  Or possibly even dinner.  Yes, I feel for garlic the way some people feel about chocolate.  It makes me happy.  If I see a recipe, article, blog post, book, tv show...whatever!...with some form of the word garlic in it, I have to investigate.  One of these years I hope to get to a garlic festival so that I can roam free amongst my own kind.  Fortunately, the hubs is one of us.  But wouldn't it be great to feel the affirmation of those around me?  To be welcomed by the soft yet sharp, subtle yet pungent whisper of garlic riding the breeze.  Perhaps I should look into the public school system and living conditions in Gilroy.  Hmmm.  I'm off to do a little research while you enjoy a plate of garlicky goodness.

Garlic Fried Rice w/ Chile Vinegar & an Egg

adapted from (My Favorite Philippine Breakfast) Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

makes 2 svgs.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, sliced thinly

2 c. cooked Brown Basmati rice

2 eggs (or more if you wish)

coarse salt, to taste

chile vinegar (mine is jalapeños & de arbol in cider vinegar), to taste

Heat oil in large skillet or wok and fry the garlic pieces until barely golden.  Remove garlic and reserve.  Stir-fry the rice until hot and well coated with oil.  Take off heat and stir in reserved crispy garlic slices.  Remove to plates and quickly fry up (or cook however you wish) the eggs and slide them on top.  Sprinkle with salt and serve with the chile vinegar so each person to splash on as much as they like (or take a chile from the vinegar and eat it with the rice).

Chocolate, Brie, and Basil Panini

Well, Giada and I went round and round in the kitchen these past six months, but I think that all in all, we made peace.  Things started off a bit rocky with the Sage & Lemon Chablis...and don't even get me started on that Egg Salad that should not have been (and should never be again).  But really that was the worst of it.  The Herbed Cheese Polenta and the Linguine w/ Chicken Ragú were both pretty good, actually...and the Little Stars w/ Butter & Parmesan were simple, quick, and fun.  We had a few other kitchen adventures that were pretty successful and maybe even one or two that weren't.  But my absolute favorites are the three things that I KNOW I will make again because I can actually say that I loved...even adored them...and just thinking about them makes my cheeks start to tingle.  My TOP 3 adventures in the kitchen with Giada over the last six months were (in no particular order): Gnocchi w/ Brown Butter & Thyme, Meatball Sub, and Cheddar Scallion Ciabatta.  For my arrivederci to Giada over at IHCC, I decided to make something that I had bookmarked from her since the very first we we started cooking with her, but hadn't gotten around to making yet.  I thought that I may never find the time to do it if I didn't do it now.  This is a seemingly odd combination...chocolate and brie together.  In a sandwich.  With basil, I might add.  Take a look at how it all worked out...

Chocolate, Brie, and Basil Panini

slightly adapted from Everyday Italian

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices sourdough or other crusty bread 

olive oil
2-3 oz. Brie cheese, thinly sliced (I prefer the higher amount)
1-2 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer the lesser amount)
few leaves Basil, thinly sliced 

Preheat a panini press (or a George Forman Grill or a pan w/ a press).

Drizzle a bit of olive oil on both sides of both slices of bread. Grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, ~1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place cheese on one slice of bread, top the cheese with chocolate chips and then add basil. Top with the other slice of bread.  Return sandwiches to the grill/press until the chocolate begins to melt, ~2 more minutes.

Serve.

So, which list do you think this panini made it onto?  Actually, the "good" list.  I would, however, cut back a bit on the suggested amount of chocolate...and add to the amount of cheese (which are reflected in the lower and higher amounts in the ingredients I listed, respectively).  I may not make it all that often, but I have a feeling a craving could creep up on me from time to time.  So, I'm happy that I finally tried this sandwich and I wish Giada a fond farewell!

And since this was our very last week...our very last day, actually...to cook with Giada over at IHCC... We're all set to get naked and join the revolution (starting tomorrow) with Jamie Oliver for the next six months. I hope you'll join us!