NJ Epicurean

Delicious Madrid on a Budget! Part I

2011-12-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have been on hiatus for a while and really have missed checking out my favorite blogs! I miss you all! Since I have been gone, our house went under contract and we are scheduled to close on our next home at the end of next month. I need to pack up the whole house - what a daunting task! I really wish that it was in the budget to hire movers to pack for us - oh well it will get done somehow!

We just got back from visiting our daughter who is studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. The timing wasn't perfect with everything going on with the house but there was no way that we weren't going to make it to Spain to visit our daughter. We booked the flights long ago and were determined to enjoy Spain on a shoestring!

Matt and I both worked a full day, took the train to Newark airport and boarded the plane to Madrid. That was the very same day that we signed the contract for the new house. Faxing of forms, juggling funds for the down payment and making sure that everything was in order at work and not missing the train or forgetting our passports - STRESSFUL. Luckily Matt's co workers came up with Euros we could borrow so that we had a little cash in our pockets!

We arrived in Madrid a little bedraggled and headed for the Metro - only 2,50 € to get to our hotel versus 32 € for a cab. One problem - we had two close to 50 lb. bags, a laptop and carry ons - oh and I am terrified of escalators! I can go down no problem but up... that's a problem. My poor husband had to take both large bags and I ran up all the flights of stairs and grabbed my bag off when we got to the top. We must have made quite the impression! Pink line, blue line... we arrived at Plaza de España, our home for the next 10 days. 10 days of great food and plenty of wine!

We settled into our hotel - Suites 33 on Calle de Leganitos. The hotel was small but quite adequate. The location was perfect and we had free wireless and a small kitchen. The kitchen had a stove but no cookware - odd. I did at least have the forethought to bring a paring knife, ziploc bags and a wine opener.

While we were waiting for our daughter, we headed out on Calle Gran Vía to look around. We had our first of many jamón sandwiches (amazing!) and bought some wine. Ham is everywhere- literally hanging everywhere!- in Madrid. Our favorite sandwich was from Don Jamón on Calle Gran Vía - made with Iberian ham, a bargain at 2,30€. So simple but so good. Thinly sliced Iberian ham and tomato slices on fresh bread. We also tried Museo del Jamón's Serrano ham sandwich which was good also and cheaper at 1€. Iberian ham comes from acorn-fed Iberian pigs and Serrano ham is from white pigs. For 3,30€ we had a sandwich-off between the two ham sandwiches. We returned to Don Jamón a couple more times during our trip. Oh how I miss the ham and the inexpensive but wonderful wine of Spain!

Jamon Iberico Sandwich from Don Jamon

Ashley met us at our hotel. We were positively exhausted so we had dinner at a cervecería near our hotel. We had fried calamari, tortilla española (Spanish omelet), croquetas and empanada gallega de atún (Galician tuna empanada). We were also served a complimentary olive plate. After an inexpensive but tasty meal of typical Spanish tapas we headed back to the hotel.

The next day we went to El Corte Inglés, a large supermarket below a huge department store where we bought bottled water, wine, beer, orange juice, croissants and chocolate. Wine is super inexpensive and I really liked the Rioja and Ribera del Duero - wonderful reds. We just loved the Valor dark chocolate bars with almonds. We became regulars at the market. A few notes on the supermarket:

You need your passport if paying with a credit card (they let us use a driver's license)
You cannot touch the produce (you ask for what you need and it is weighed for you or in some markets you put on plastic gloves and weigh/price yourself)
You can buy single beers (Mahou is the regional beer)
Bring your own bags (you pay for bags)

We spent the day getting familiar with the city and walked countless miles. We visited the Prado (Madrid's famous art museum), which is free to visit on Sundays, so of course we visited on Sunday! Our dinner pick was Casa Mingo, an Asturian cider house that was established in 1888. Many restaurants in Madrid are closed on Sundays and Casa Mingo is open so it was a perfect day to go. They have an amazing homemade hard cider that is an unbelievable bargain at 5,30€. We ate delicious roasted chicken (10€), chorizo in cider (3,40€), salad and bread. The chorizo was my favorite and the salad was the only disappointment. It was very plain and looked pre-packaged but everything else was really good. I wanted the queso cabrales (aged blue cheese) but I couldn't have eaten it all myself... I craved it from then on...It was approximately 40€ for three of us. Bargain!

Right next door to the restaurant there is a lovely church San Antonio de la Florida with the most beautiful frescoes painted by Francisco de Goya. A must see! Free admission too!

The next few days Ashley had classes so Matt and I continued to explore the city and eat well. We visited the Mercado de San Miguel which I was extremely excited for. We did have some amazing ham there but I found it to be very pricey. We had a few bites to eat and moved on.

We wandered the rest of the day and got lost! We walked completely in the wrong direction from our hotel and it was raining, pouring actually. We eventually found our way to familiar territory but we were quite a distance from our hotel, as we were near the Prado. We stumbled upon the best fried calamari sandwiches with salsa bravas (mildly spicy tomato-based sauce) at a bocadillo shop on the Paseo del Prado. So good and such a bargain at 3,30€. Not low calorie but just delicious! Good thing we walked so far! We nicknamed it grumpy guy's calamari. In Spain, takeaway doesn't seem to be popular and is kind of frowned upon. In Madrid, meals are enjoyed for hours, not eaten on the streets. I really like that but we were starving and wanted to get back to our hotel so we asked to take it to go and then (yikes!) asked if he could cut the sandwich in half! Grumpy guy's reaction was too funny. But hey, the sandwich was worth it and we walked all the way back another time and brought Ashley!

At this point in the trip, I started really feeling like I needed a healthy meal. We had way too much salty and fried foods and few vegetables. We do not eat that way at home. I was determined to find somewhere for a healthy dinner. I was so grateful that we brought a laptop and I could research. I stumbled across good reviews of Al Natural, a vegetarian restaurant near the Prado. Sold! Ashley, Matt and I went for dinner. We had a complimentary appetizer of the most wonderful spinach and pear croquetas. I plan on writing in to Bon Appetit magazine in hopes of attaining the recipe. So good! We also had the best veggie burgers of our lives. Who would even think that a veggie burger could be that good?! Eggplant with a pistachio sauce and a wonderful salad were also enjoyed. Rolls were served and put on the check even though we did not order it. Apparently that is done in Spain. No big deal as the rolls were excellent and they were only .70€ a piece. Ashley enjoyed a vegan apple cake and tea for dessert. We were also given complimentary after dinner drinks of rum with honey. The atmosphere was very relaxing. Fabulous meal! We returned another day for lunch.

To be continued... churros con chocolate, Indian food, tapas, pizza, the best croissants and more!

A Great Grandma Pie in NJ - Krispy

2011-07-24T10:36:00.000-04:00

Admittedly I am a pizza addict. I could probably eat it ever day if I let myself! A while back I posted about the different regional pizza styles and vowed to try them all. Well grandma-style pizza can be best described as a thin-crust Sicilian. It appears to have originated in Long Island and spread to the other boroughs of New York. A friend who grew up in Brooklyn highly recommended Krispy Pizza to me. They have their original pizza shop in Brooklyn and a newer shop in Old Bridge, NJ and they serve a fabulous grandma pie. The crust which is cooked in an oiled pan was perfect. The pie was topped with real fresh mozzarella - no imitation cheese here! The sauce was light and tomatoey and the perfect amount of fresh basil was dusted across. Oh my! Maybe a trip to Chicago for deep dish next?!

Grilled Coleslaw and What's Up with Nitrates?

2011-07-22T09:10:00.004-04:00

Grilling time is here and who doesn't love a good hot dog? Sure, I try to eat a healthy diet but every once in a while just crave a good old fashioned grilled hot dog! Some of my very favorite hot dogs are homemade from D.A. Barsch German Butcher Shop in Toms River, NJ. If you are ever in the area it is a great place to check out - fabulous German sausages and cold cuts. They make a mean potato bratwurst!

I couldn't make it to the butcher so I picked up a pack of Trader Joe's all-natural no nitrate added hot dogs since they were giving out samples which were quite tasty. I got a nice cabbage in my CSA box and wanted to make grilled coleslaw from a recipe I found on foodandwine.com. The grilled coleslaw was fabulous and made for a fantastic hot dog topping along with some spicy Kosciusko mustard - my favorite!

Did you know that all-natural and organic hot dogs still contain nitrates? Manufacturers use celery juice and sea salt which are naturally high in nitrates to cure the hot dogs as opposed to chemically produced sodium nitrates. There was an interesting article on the subject in The New York Times. My takeaway is that all hot dogs are cured and contain nitrates. Are natural nitrates found in celery healthier? Is it worth extra to purchase no nitrate added products? Are nitrates really harmful? Nitrates come from nitrogen found int the air and soil... I'm not sure of the answer. The quality and source of the meat used may be the most important aspect of a good hot dog. I will continue to splurge on an occassional hot dog, emphasis on occasional, and will definitely make the grilled coleslaw again - anything in moderation!

Grilled Coleslaw

Kristin Donnelly - Food and Wine

One 3-pound head of green cabbage, cut through the core into 8 wedges Vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 pickled jalapeños, seeded and minced, plus 2 teaspoons pickling liquid from the jar

1.Light a grill. Brush the cabbage wedges with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the cabbage over high heat until charred, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface. When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, finely slice it crosswise with a sharp knife.

2.In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the cider vinegar, jalapeños and pickling liquid. Add the shredded cabbage and toss well. Season the grilled coleslaw with salt and pepper and toss again.

Kale Caesar Slaw

2011-07-17T11:49:00.000-04:00

Who knew a raw kale salad could be so fantastic?! This salad was so good that I ate the leftovers for breakfast - a little weird but since there is egg in it, I think it counts as a breakfast food! The leftover salad may have been even better than the fresh one. I loved the traditional Caesar dressing ingredients paired with the crisp kale. Tasty!

A big thank you to Tami and Bill from Earthen Harvest. The CSA season has been great! The vegetables are all so fresh and wonderful. I look forward to each and every box! The kale was tender and delicious - perfect for a salad. The recipe was a find from the July issue of Bon Appetit. Two of my favorite things are getting new food magazines in the mail and my weekly vegetable box on the doorstep - actually the CSA newsletter that comes earlier is fun too! The little things in life can bring so much happiness!

Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw
Courtesy Bon Appetit, July 2011

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
14 ounces Tuscan kale or other kale, center stalks removed, thinly sliced crosswise (about 8 cups)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a blender; purée until smooth. With machine running, slowly add oil, drop by drop, to make a creamy dressing. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Separate egg white from yolk. Place egg white in a coarse-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press egg white through strainer with the back of a spoon; scrape egg white from bottom of strainer. Repeat with egg yolk, using a clean strainer and bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover bowls separately and chill.

Toss kale and dressing in a large bowl to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and sieved eggs.

Kohlrabi, Fennel and Blueberry Salad

2011-07-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

One of this week's CSA box items was kohlrabi. What to do with kohlrabi? Well I started hunting around for some interesting use for it and turned to the ever reliable Food and Wine ingredient search. The search brought me to Top Chef Stephanie Izard of Chicago's Girl and The Goat's Kohlrabi, Fennel and Blueberry Salad. A quick Google search revealed just how well-liked this salad is so I became sold on making it. I had wonderful local organic blueberries on hand - bonus! All I needed was the fennel and some goat cheese.

While I was making this salad, with the help of Cailyn, I really began to doubt my sanity! So many ingredients - could this possibly work and actually taste good? Cailyn claimed that the combination of ingredients sounded disgusting and Matt walked by and said, with a look of disgust, "there are blueberries in the salad?" Well, once the salad was all assembled it looked pretty and fresh. All of the components were really delicious on their own (I tasted along the way...) Crisp kohlrabi, toasty almonds, juicy blueberries... and the cheese I chose Cypress Grove Midnight Moon goat cheese - amazing! I love, love, love this cheese.

We all sat down and with trepidation took our first bites of the salad. Well it was amazing! I absolutely adored the salad and every last bite of it disappeared. If you see kohlrabi at your local farmers market or get it from a CSA box, make this salad - you won't regret it! Thank you Stephanie Izard!

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

2011-06-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

On Sunday afternoons, Matt and I head to Manasquan Beach. I bring food magazines, which I resist reading earlier in the week, and Matt brings his Kindle. I love summer! I don't bake that often but these lovely lemon muffins from Cooking Light just called to me. The use of olive oil really appealed to me. I have been experimenting with replacing olive oil for vegetable oil where possible. I made Swiss chard lasagna a few days ago and had just enough ricotta left over for the recipe (full disclosure: not part-skim as called for in the recipe). These muffins had a wonderful texture, were moist, and lightly lemony. The turbinado sugar (raw sugar) on top was also a nice touch. I imagine that this recipe could be easily adapted with other citrus fruits (meyer lemons, oranges, etc.) or complemented with fresh berries. Perfect!

Tuscan Lemon Muffins
Maurren Callahan, Cooking Light - May 2011

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (7 9/10 ounces)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I used whole milk ricotta)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack

Mustard Greens in the Box

2011-06-23T18:31:00.002-04:00

Mustard Greens - oh how I love this cholesterol-lowering cruciferous vegetable!

Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and Goat Cheese

I was lucky to get nice big bunches of mustard greens in my CSA box over the last two weeks. Thanks to inspiration from Bon Appetit, I made these tasty mustard green creations. If you haven't had mustard greens in a while (or ever) don't be afraid to pick some up. They are super healthy and really delicious with a little spicy kick.

Well aesthetically this dish is a little odd and kind of screams Christmas (not what I was going for in June!) The taste, however, was phenomenal - sweet, creamy, salty, tangy and even a little bitter. I added a few shrimp because; well, just because I like shrimp! The risotto recipe is quick with little fuss. I stirred the mustard greens in at the end just to wilt them. I will be making this again! Bon Appetit Recipe Link

Goat Cheese Pizzas with Indian-Spiced Tomatoes and Mustard Greens

The recipe is for topping and flatbreads. I shortcut it by using store bought naan for the crust. Well, I love pizza! This Indian style pizza was no exception! The topping is amazing and I can't wait to make this again. Seriously good!

Topping
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 large shallots, finely chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes with added puree
2 cups chopped mustard greens

For topping:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and next 5 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Add greens; stir until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place breads on baking sheet. Spread 1/4 of topping over each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.

Mizuna in the Box

2011-06-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

My CSA box is back and so am I! I survived (sort of) our biggest deadline date of June 15th. It was quite a taxing season - pardon the pun! Cooking is now all about what's in the box. This week we received beets, French breakfast radishes, kale, mustard greens and mizuna. Great box! Oh but mizuna, that's a tough one and Matt claims that he hates it. I was determined to cook every bit of these lovely vegetables! Well, I am proud to say that we ate all of the mizuna and loved it! So this is what I made:

Mizuna and Goat Cheese Quiche with an Olive Oil Crust

My daughter Cailyn found an olive oil crust recipe that she wanted to try. We didn't want all of the butter or God forbid lard found in most pastry recipes. We need to reserve our butter consumption for the radishes! The crust recipe couldn't have been any easier and it was tasty - who knew?!

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt together. Whisk the water and olive oil together. Combine the flour and oil/water with a fork. Press into a pie plate. Crust in minutes!

I used my go-to quiche recipe found here and substituted sauteed mizuna for the asparagus. (Wash the mizuna thoroughly, remove stems and chop). I baked the quiche at 400 until set (35 - 40 minutes). Fabulous!

Soba Noodles with Mizuna

I was inspired by this recipe from the lovely blog Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies. I changed up the recipe a bit by stir frying the carrots, using about 2 inches of minced fresh ginger instead of dried and cooking the garlic for about 30 seconds (with the ginger). The carrots were sweet and still had a bit of crunch to them -yummy. What a delicious and healthy lunch!

Roasted Whole Red Snapper and...

2011-05-17T22:53:00.001-04:00

My birthday is this week and I have been reflecting back over the past year. It has been a year of change - change that I did not necessarily want. “People are always telling me that change is good. But all that means is that something you didn't want to happen has happened.” - Meg Ryan

I had two kids at home, a sweet little dog and a nice, suburban home. Well change is inevitble, kids grow up and dogs grow old... The perfect home is suddenly too big and not quite what and where you want it to be. Yes, with very mixed emotions we are putting our house on the market.

While this year has been filled with change, it has not all been bad. Matt and I not only got used to our empty nest but are enjoying our time together. My recent health scare has really gotten me to ramp up my healthy eating and exercising. I just got a clean bill of health and feel great. (Thank you so much for all of the well wishes!) We've seen both of our daughters settle happily into college life and look forward to their arrival home this week. Yay! Life is good.

On the food front - I made my own bread! I finally picked up Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a book that I have wanted forever. I made the basic no knead recipe and boy was it good. If you are a bread lover like me, this is a must have cookbook.

I also cooked a whole fish! Red Snapper was on sale at Whole Foods and despite my trepidation, the whole fish was super easy to make and just delicious. I was inspired by this recipe on Food and Wine's website. Parsley, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and capers with a little oil stuffed into the fish and roasted on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for 30 minutes - phenomenal!

I think I will tackle homemade ice cream next! (I attempted once before and it was a big fail.)

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful spring! I am beginning to dream of farmers markets and CSA boxes... won't be long.

Seared Sea Scallops with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette

2011-04-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally sprung and I am enjoying fresh asparagus once again! I am extra excited for the local crop which will be available soon. In addition to a nice bunch of asparagus, I had some fresh spinach. I decided that fresh scallops would be great with my spring vegetables. An orange vinaigrette, courtesy of Martha Stewart, made for the perfect light meal. In the original recipe, Martha pairs the vinaigrette with pork tenderloin and sauteed spinach, which is super tasty. I thought that the vinaigrette would work well with scallops. Boy was I right - delicious! I seared the seasoned scallops in a cast iron skillet coated with a little olive oil. I roasted the asparagus and sauteed the spinach with olive oil and garlic. I served the scallops over risotto - perfect! The vinaigrette came together in a minute with the help of the food processor. I will be repeating this meal soon! The vinaigrette is so good that I will be trying it on salmon too!

Garlic - Orange Vinaigrette
courtesy Everyday Food

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

By the way, NJ got a nice mention in the May edition of Bon Appetit as producing some of the country's very best asparagus. Yes, I can attest to it, we do have some of the best asparagus!

On a side note: Thank you so much to everyone for your kind words both regarding the loss of Chloe and my health scare. I received a message from the doctor's office that my results are improving. I will do follow up tests in another two weeks.

Tears in NJ

2011-04-04T19:17:00.001-04:00

March was not a good month for me... I am heart broken over the loss of my sweet little Cocker Spaniel Chloe. She was the best dog ever and we were blessed to have her as part of our family for so many years. Normally she would be at my feet - snoring loudly... oh how I miss her and wish that I could have kept her here with us forever...

Thank you so much to everyone for sending well wishes my way. I appreciate each and every comment so much. I will be having more tests done on Thursday and I am hopeful that I will get better results.

This week's Eat. Live. Be. topic is "Creative Ways to Eat all Your Fruits and Veggies".

I love, love, love vegetables and eat plenty each day. Omelets are a great way to incorporate vegetables into breakfast. Big salads, vegetable rich soups and sandwiches loaded with veggies make great lunches. The focus of dinner is usually in-season vegetables with an accompanying protein and starch. I like to add zucchini or eggplant to pasta. Fresh greens like spinach or arugula are also fantastic wilted in pasta. I even like to add greens to my favorite food - pizza! Below is one of my favorite pizza combinations - amazing!

Basil Pesto, Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, Tomatoes & Arugula

Getting enough fruit in my diet is slightly more of a challenge to me. Here are some ways that I incorporate fruit into my diet.

Mix fruit and granola into yogurt.
Fruit with pancakes, waffles or French toast makes a great weekend breakfast.
Fruit is also fantastic added into a salad.
Freeze some grapes - so good!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Freshly squeezed grapefruit or orange juice
Peanut Butter & Bananas - Matt's favorite not mine!

The key to getting more fruits and vegetables in your diet is to make sure that you have plenty of fresh options on hand. I once again joined a local CSA for the season. During the winter, I have enjoyed fresh boxes of organic produce from Suburban Organics. I encourage everyone to support their local farms this season. I would love any ideas that you have on enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eat. Live. Be. and Please Forgive My Absence

2011-03-28T19:25:00.000-04:00

A quick note on where I've been: Unfortunately I wasn't away somewhere fun for spring break! A few weeks ago I got disturbing results from routine blood work which surprised me since I thought that I was the picture of health. I felt and still feel just fine. I've been tested for everything under the sun from Celiac Disease to Wilson's disease - all negative. The specialist said that she is convinced that a supplement that I was taking is the root of the problem... she is hoping that it will be out of my system and everything will normalize within two months. I will have levels checked again in two weeks and pray that what she suspects is the case.

On a more cheerful note, I did have my daughters home over the last couple of weeks - which I loved! Despite my busy work schedule and all of the medical appointments, we did take a whole day off together to shop and of course eat! I miss them both already...

This week's Eat. Live. Be. topic is Go-To Lunches.

Nine times out of ten my lunch is dinner leftovers. I like to make extra and wrap it right away so it is ready for lunch the next day. I also love soups and stews in the wintertime. In the summer, I prefer salads and tomato sandwiches! I can't wait for big ripe Jersey tomatoes - *drool*. I really don't like cold cuts; therefore my sandwiches are usually comprised of chicken, tuna, or are vegetarian. For an all-ready option, I love Buck's tuna salad and the cranberry tuna salad from Whole Foods - a little pricey but delicious - still way less expensive than the cafeteria at work!

Today's lunch was Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Onions, Blue Cheese and Arugula on Ciabatta - delicious! The chicken is marinated in white balsamic and topped with herbs de Provence. I grilled the chicken and sauteed the onions last night. I heated the chicken and the onions at lunchtime, added sliced blue cheese and topped it with arugula. What a fabulous lunch! So good!

I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit.

Marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts for at least two hours.

For the marinade:

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Remove the chicken from the marinade and sprinkle it with herbs de Provence. Grill the chicken until cooked through. Serve with sauteed onions, sliced blue cheese and arugula on a ciabatta roll. Enjoy!

Eat. Live. Be. Topic #8: Let’s Talk Portions

2011-02-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to curb my portion distortion, I use luncheon plates and salad forks. I prefer a fuller small plate than an empty dinner plate. There is something more satisfying about eating from a full plate. I also like to pre-portion my food and resist the urge for seconds by wrapping the leftovers, placing them in the refrigerator or freezer before I eat. I use a kitchen scale when portioning meat and fish and a cup measure for cereal. Another trick is to fill at least half your plate with vegetables before adding the protein or starch. I don't buy cookies or chips so I don't have to worry about portioning those items :) Pasta is where I go the most astray - I over make it and overeat it! I have banished the pasta bowls that I used to use and pasta is now also served on a luncheon plate (piled high!)

Individual Crustless Quiche

Here are a few links to delicious portion controlled dishes from some of my favorite sites:

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins topped with Spinach and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes For the Love of Cooking
Individual Potato Gratins Stacey Snacks
Mini Ricotta, Eggplant and Pasta Timbales Proud Italian Cook
Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese One Perfect Bite
Dad's Rice Pudding Kalofagas
Lasagna Cupcakes The Kitchn
Crustless Quiche Mark Bittman
Bouchons au thon Journey of an Italian Cook

Muffin tins, ramekins, cookie and biscuit cutters are all great tools to use when creating individual portions. Sharing is another way to exercise portion control - half the calories! I would love to hear any ideas that you have to keep portion sizes under control.

Summer Foods in February

2011-02-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

I am positively craving summer foods! I want corn on the cob, grilled clams and fresh local berries! One problem - it is February...This is the time of year when I am officially done with winter. No more snow - please! I want to wear flip flops and sunscreen.

I guess that summer will be here eventually, but in the meantime, I made a summer meal in February. On the menu was Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa (a delicious and simple five star recipe from Cooking Light), saffron rice and Cornmeal-Olive Oil Cake with Balsamic-Macerated Strawberries and Basil. Delicious!

I followed Emeril's recipe for the cake but he serves his with poached peaches in rosemary-honey syrup (I will try this when good peaches are available). I used a biscuit cutter to make individual cakes and served them with balsamic-macerated strawberries and fresh basil.

Cake Recipe Courtesy: Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs, egg yolk, milk, olive oil and lemon zest until frothy. Add the sugar and honey, and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs adhering.

Macerated Strawberries - granulated sugar, balsamic vinegar, sliced strawberries

Favorite Healthy Grab and Go Snacks

2011-02-21T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Eat. Live. Be. topic of the week is "Favorite Healthy Grab and Go Snacks".

The key to healthy snacking is to have healthy foods on hand and ready to go. Dips are great. They can be made ahead of time and portioned out into single serve containers. I like to stock up on nuts and fruit at Trader Joe's and I always have a container of fresh ground almond butter in the refrigerator. Cut up vegetables and seasonal fruit are always great options. I don't think that I can pick just one healthy snack favorite so I will go with my top ten. Happy Snacking!

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

Favorite Healthy Grab and Go Snacks

Yogurt with Fruit and Granola
Mixed Nuts/Dried Fruit
Hummus with Vegetables or Pita Chips
White Bean Dip with Pita Chips (pictured above)
Roasted Chickpeas
Frozen Grapes (So Good!)
Almond Butter on Whole Grain Bread or Crackers
Olives and Cheese
Tuna/Chicken Salad on Whole Grain Crackers
Mediterranean Organic Orange Marmalade or Cascadian Farms Strawberry preserves on a Whole Grain English Muffin

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Simple Arugula Salad

2011-02-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

This week's Eat.Live.Be topic is about healthy advice from the experts. Since I have been religiously checking food labels and avoiding processed foods, I will share the following links with information on the topic:

I just love Michael Pollan's advice to not eat anything that your great-great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food or ingredients that are unpronounceable/unrecognizable (see the Unhappy Meals link).

I recently discovered David Rocco's Dolce Vita on the Food Channel and I love it! He makes simple delicious Italian food and focuses on quality ingredients. I saw him make an arugula salad with cubed pears, grana padano cheese and toasted pine nuts dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I made it right after watching the show since I was fortunate to have all of the ingredients in the house. It was just delicious. I recommend the show and the salad!

GRANA/RUCOLA/PEAR SALAD

Trader Joe's Shrewsbury, NJ Update

2011-02-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update on the new Trader Joe's for those who are anxiously awaiting the grand opening like me. I took a drive by on my way home from work on Friday to see if I could get an idea of when the store would be opening. The sign is up, the shelving is being installed inside and the staff has been hired. Maybe it will open next month? I hope so!

Chinese Take-Out at Home

2011-02-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

I had a craving for Chinese take-out but I am trying to stay on track with eating well. So what to do? ...

I made a healthier version of chicken and broccoli at home. I already had a nice bunch of beautiful, organic broccoli and boneless chicken breasts on hand, so chicken and broccoli stir-fry it was. I love this Food Network Kitchens recipe because it is A: delicious; B: uses the broccoli stems in addition to the florets - no waste; C: it's easy to put together; D: it's way healthier than take-out! I like to be able to control the quality of ingredients and ultimately calories. Give this stir-fry a try - guaranteed you will love it!

Carrots, mushrooms, red peppers, water chestnuts and corn all would make great additions - a stir-fry is a great way to use up the produce that you have on hand.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry
Courtesy: Food Network Kitchens

Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients

1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
About 1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

Eat. Live. Be. Results Update:

It is the first Monday of the month and time to reflect on the progress of my goals. Well my pantry looks as bad as ever - big fail in that area! I am making a really big effort to use what I have in the house and have resisted the urge to overbuy (especially produce). I even put my vegetable box on hold for now. I have been religiously reading labels and eating really well. I also have been exercising regularly - yay me!

Kale and White Bean Soup

2011-02-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

I completely missed Monday's post! I've had a crazy busy week and haven't quite gotten my act together... Snow, ice, more snow, and work... and a few unexpected obligations and now it's already Wednesday! This week's Eat. Live. Be. topic is sharing your favorite healthy lifestyle change. Hmmm, what is my favorite?

Well, I have gradually been making healthy lifestyle changes. I have recently added regular exercise and guess what? I don't hate it! I actually kind of, sort of, like it! When I miss a day, I am disappointed. WOW!

Healthy eating is a choice that I've made, not a punishment. I enjoy fresh vegetables and whole grains. I have scaled down the amount of meat that I eat and I don't miss it. I mostly buy organic vegetables and meats from local farms. I cannot tell you the last time I ate fast food and I avoid any processed, well heavily processed foods. Olive oil is my oil of choice and I avoid butter - though I do love Kerrygold Irish butter which I became addicted to after a trip to Ireland. I had a slice of whole grain bread slathered with Kerrygold butter with my soup the other day and I don't regret it! I also still do love pizza ;) and succumb frequently to chocolate cravings. Overall, I eat a very healthy diet and it is way better than five years ago!

Another change that I have made is to eat throughout the day. I now enjoy breakfast. This may be my favorite change since it does of course involve extra food! I was guilty of not eating all day, then coming home and more than making up for it. Now, I do not leave the house without something healthy. I really like yogurt sprinkled with granola and fresh blueberries. Almond butter on whole grain bread is something I can grab without any thought. If I have extra time I like mini omelets made in a muffin tin or healthy pancakes. I really look forward to breakfast now and I feel a lot better with that simple change.

I have also changed my attitude. I don't care about a number on the scale or about being a certain dress size. I just want to feel good and receive clear doctor reports (cholesterol, glucose, etc.). I am not dieting, just treating myself well!

I want to share a recipe for Kale and White Bean Soup. It is delicious with bread and butter (Irish butter of course!) Healthy, quick and delicious!

Kale and White Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, chopped,
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 can of white beans drained (cannellini)
1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
grana padano cheese, grated
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the carrots and onions. Saute over medium heat until softened, stirring often. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Next add the chopped kale and cook until it is wilted down. Season with salt, fresh pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Add the chicken stock, beans and tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve with plenty of fresh grated grana padano cheese and some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Style Beef

2011-01-24T19:38:00.001-05:00

Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 Challenge Week 3

This week the group is talking about their biggest challenge to living a healthier lifestyle. I really thought about it and I think that planning and prioritizing (or lack thereof) are my biggest challenges. Planning healthy meals and actually having everything on hand to make what I plan is key. I don't know how many times I have been missing one ingredient from five potential meals! Straying from a healthy meal plan can be dangerous since my fall back tends to be pizza or pasta. Planning is also extremely important in my goal not to waste. I still struggle with overbuying produce! There is something about a bunch of beets or a big bell pepper that I find irresistible - okay I'm weird ;) I also have to keep in mind that I am cooking for two, not four when the girls are at school.

I have been trying hard to stay on track. I have made it a habit to pack a healthy breakfast to eat at the office every day. The few extra minutes are well worth it since I feel better and tend not to eat as much the rest of the day. This morning I had yogurt with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of maple granola - so good. I also have made it a point to not deprive myself when I really want something. When I had a craving for nachos, I had them. I just made sure that my plate was filled with plenty of lettuce, avocado and salsa. I added shredded beef, cheddar cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips. It was so delicious and satisfying! No more craving and not too much guilt. When I crave chocolate, I have a square of Trader Joe's dark chocolate with Valencia peanuts - delicious.

A healthy lifestyle takes some planning and requires making some time for yourself. The time that you give yourself to exercise or make a healthy meal will be rewarded. Have a wonderful week!

I want to share the recipe that I used for my nachos which would be great for upcoming Super Bowl parties. I used 2 lbs of rump roast which was really lean since it was grass-fed beef (from Simply Grazin'). Yes, I spent $12.50 on meat for tacos/nachos! I hardly ever buy beef, so when I do, I buy really good quality. The meat goes a long way too so actually it is a good value.

Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Style Beef
Courtesy: Cooking Light

2 lb. london broil or lean beef roast (trimmed of fat)
taco seasoning - homemade or from a packet
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Coat the trimmed beef with taco seasoning. Place in slow cooker. Top with chopped green chilis, chopped onion and white vinegar. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Shred with two forks.

Perfect lean, tasty shredded beef for tacos, burritos, nachos, etc. Enjoy!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-01-17T08:01:00.014-05:00

The weeks have just been flying by since Christmas! I blink and it is another Monday! My daughter Ashley is heading back to Swarthmore today to begin her second semester of Sophomore year. I loved having my girls home for such a long break - Cailyn will be home for a few more days but back to school they must go...

Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 Challenge Week 3

How do I stay motivated to keep up healthy habits when the weather is so cold?

Healthy Recipes using pantry staples and winter produce
Exercise Indoors
Countdown to spring
Good support system

Winter food doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy. Think dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens, escarole and Swiss chard. They are so good for you and readily available during the winter months. They are fabulous in soups and stews which are perfect when the weather is frigid. I used the tip I gave last week to find this fabulous and super easy recipe from foodandwine.com. I searched under "soups and stews", selected winter as the season, checked "healthy" and "staff favorite". The search resulted in 13 great sounding recipes. I selected the Quick White Bean Stew with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes by Joe Bastianich. The fact that it's quick and vegetarian (not to mention positively delicious) make this a keeper that I can't wait to make again. Canned beans and tomatoes make it the perfect pantry meal. In the spirit of using what was in the pantry I used Great Northern beans instead of Cannelini. All I needed was the chard. I served it with some toasted Ciabatta rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil - so good! My whole family loved it - no leftovers! If you don't like meatless meals a few shrimp or some Italian chicken sausage would make a nice addition.

I just bought a Mobia by Nautilus exercise machine. It is a cross between a treadmill, an incline, and stair stepper. I try to walk daily or at least several times a week at the boardwalk or the local reservoir but the weather has officially done me in! Three feet of snow and freezing cold weather has kept me indoors. Well the cash outlay will keep me motivated so I will definitely be using the machine. I really like it so far. I watched cooking shows while on it this morning. Is that wrong?!

Countdown to spring! Scroll all the way down to the bottom of my page to see my new widget and see how many days until spring.

Lastly a good support system helps to keep you on track! Thank you all!

Quick White Bean Stew with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes
Courtesy: Joe Bastianich

Ingredients

2 pounds Swiss chard, large stems discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
One 16-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt

Directions

1.Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chard and simmer over moderate heat until tender, 8 minutes. Drain the greens and gently press out excess water.

2.In the saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the beans and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes. Add the chard and simmer over moderate heat until the flavors meld, 5 minutes. Season the stew with salt and serve

Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 - Challenge Week 2

2011-01-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 - Challenge Week 2 Topic: Where do you turn for support/community in your healthy goals?

WOW a week has gone by already and here it is week 2 of of the challenge! Last week was very busy as it was back to work after two weeks of vacation! I did manage to start my organizing and used a lot of what I had in the house supplementing with only a quick run for fresh vegetables - no waste! I have been pondering this week's challenge topic and have identified the following sources of support for my healthy goals:

Bloggers like you! Thank you so much for the comments, emails and general support! You are the best!
Magazines - I am kind of addicted! Real Simple, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Everyday Food, Edible Jersey, Whole Living body + soul, Bon Appetit, NJ Monthly... and I love food magazine websites with great search engines... One of my favorites is foodandwine.com. I search "healthy" and "staff favorite" - you can't go wrong! Cooking Light, Everyday Food and Epicurious have great searchable websites as well.
Perusing healthy cookbooks keeps me on track too. One I recommend is Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.
Mark Bittman - I find his words very inspiring and I love his sensible approach to healthy eating.
Family - my family is really supportive of my healthy lifestyle changes. Thank you Matt, Ashley & Cailyn!

Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 - Challenge Week 1

2011-01-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

Sarah of sarahscucinabella.com and Cate of sweetnicks.com came up with the idea of Eat. Live. Be. for a Better 2011 in which they will be competing to be the first to achieve a 40 pound weight loss. Go Sarah and Cate! They have invited fellow bloggers to join in with posts each Monday related to a certain goal related topic to keep everyone on track and motivated with their New Year's resolutions. (The participating bloggers are listed at the bottom of the post.)

What are my goals?

1) Not to Waste Food - Yes, I am guilty of wasting food too often and it drives me crazy. I have a tendency to go crazy at farmers markets and then stress about trying to use everything while it is still fresh. I also apparently hoard DeCecco pasta, different types of vinegar and marinara sauce - although I make my own 99% of the time (marinara sauce that is, not vinegar)! Expensive ingredients only needed for one recipe are also problematic.

My grandparents never wasted anything, not one string bean or pea. Their garbage can was the tiniest one I had ever seen, unlike the monstrosity that is picked up with a fork lift-like arm from in front of my house each week. I recycle what I can and really try not to waste but... well... I will work on it...

2) Get Organized - which will help me with the first goal - take a look at my pantry - scary! Anyone have any advice on this one? It is kind of organized chaos and I know where to find things most of the time!... yes I need to work on it! Oh, and I have a cabinet filled with canned goods too! I will get the pantry organized and continue on to the other problem areas!

3) Don't buy anything with more than five ingredients in it - words of wisdom from the great Mark Bittman - "In a store, there are very few foods that have more than five ingredients that aren't junk food." I already avoid buying junk food but will religiously stick to Mark Bittman's advice in 2011! I won't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, MSG, artificial colors, hormones, antibiotics - ick!!!

In addition to these goals I plan on continuing changes that I have made in the past year(s):

Buy organic and local foods
Never eat fast food
Eat vegetarian meals at least twice a week
Limit wine, cheese and chocolate :(

Please feel free to join in next Monday! Topic #2 : Where is your support community? - Where do you turn for support/community in your healthy goals? Share online support centers/ real life, etc.

Please check out the following lovely blogs to see the other participant's New Year challenges. I am excited to see the other posts!

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
Faith - http://www.clickblogappetit.com/
Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
Jenna - FireMom - http://www.stopdropandblog.com/
Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/
Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
Patsy - http://www.friendsfamilyandfood.blogspot.com/
Tri-Fit Mom - http://www.trifitmom.blogspot.com/
Claire from Cooking is Medicine www.cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
Allison from http://www.sweetflours.blogspot.com/

2010 - New Jersey Organic Farms

2011-01-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

2010 was the year that I completely gave up buying conventional supermarket meats and eggs. All of the farms that I purchase meats from are organic or use organic farming methods and treat the animals humanely. The best meals begin with fresh, quality ingredients. Once you make the switch to farm fresh you just can't go back - trust me! We are lucky to have some really wonderful farms in New Jersey and I keep discovering more all the time!

Merrick Farm Organic farm, grass-fed beef, CSA Farmingdale, NJ (Monmouth County)

Griggstown Farm Market, Poultry, eggs, pies, CSA Somerset County, NJ

Podere di Melo, European Style chickens,duck, pastured pork Lambertville, NJ Hunterdon County

Simply Grazin Skillman, NJ (Somerset County) (meat is available to non- members at Whole Foods stores in NJ, CT, NY)

Cherry Grove Farm, grass-fed beef,pork, sausage, cheeses and eggs Lawrenceville, NJ (Mercer County)

Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse Artisanal cheeses, breads, grass-fed beef Milford, NJ (Humterdon County)

CSA Box from Earthen Harvest, Jackson, NJ (Ocean County)

2010 was also the year that I joined a CSA for the first time and enjoyed fresh organic vegetables for the entire growing season. I miss my weekly boxes but recently discovered Suburban Organics which delivers fresh organic produce all year long. I was very happy with the box that I received and will be ordering again!

Suburban Organics Small Fruit and Vegetable Box

With all of the snowy weather we've had, I have been craving some nice warm cookies with a cup of tea. I was inspired to make Snickerdoodles when I saw the recipe listed in Food.com's top 10 recipes of 2010 list. Pretty darn good! Oh, and the snow total in my town was 36" - quite a bit more than the "over 20" that I guestimated!

Happy New Year!!! May everyone have a happy, healthy, prosperous and delicious 2011!

Snowed In

2010-12-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We have over twenty inches of snow and our street is impassable but I have my family safely at home and a pork roast in the oven - life is good!

Chloe isn't sure if she likes the snow!

View from our front door

A Visit to Bobolink Dairy

2010-12-21T16:08:00.032-05:00

I have been out of the blogging loop for a while. I have been suffering from the winter blues and it is only the first day of winter! I hate the short days and cold weather which leave me a little (or a lot) uninspired... I have been plagued with a number of odd occurrences lately including keys locked in the trunk at a market, my wallet left at Whole Foods, being stuck in an elevator (yes only for a few minutes but long enough for a panic attack!) and a broken computer... Equipped with a new motherboard, two weeks of vacation time, and my wits about me (hopefully) - I'm back.

Last Sunday Matt and I took a ride out to Hunterdon County to visit the new home of Bobolink Dairy. The dairy recently moved from leased land in Vernon, NJ to its permanent home in lovely Milford, NJ. The dairy specializes in artisanal raw-milk cheeses from grass fed cows and freshly baked rustic breads. We attended the "Meat and Greet" which entailed a tour of the dairy and a tasting of cheeses, meats and breads. The tickets were $5 a person and we sampled fabulous products and got to take home a loaf of fresh baked bread - what a bargain! I also learned a lot! Despite the rainy weather and the slip sliding through the mud, we had a great time.

Cave-Ripened Cheddar

Jean-Louise

Rosemary Epi

Nina and her husband Jonathan are the owners and they are extremely passionate about their work at the dairy. The quality of their cheeses is attributable to the condition of the cows which live a stress free life out in pastures. The domain of their website is cowsoutside.com - and that is just what you find at the dairy - cows outside. The cows do not receive antibiotics or hormones and eat the grass in the fields, as they should. Jonathan has a long history of making award winning artisanal cheeses. He started out making his cheeses with ordinary milk. Running his own dairy has given him complete control over the quality of the milk and its handling at every point resulting in the best possible cheeses.

If you get the chance, Bobolink is a great place to visit. Their cheeses also can be shipped and would be great for the holidays. They are also at the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC on Fridays. I brought home the Jean-Louis (amazing!) and the world's best cave-ripened cheddar. The breads are also fantastic. We brought home the Rosemary Epi and the Cranberry Walnut. I froze them and have been indulging on delicious hunks warmed in the oven - so good! I grew up in Hunterdon County and it is so nice to see that one of the old farms is being preserved and worked by such nice, passionate people. We are also fortunate that we have some of the world's best cheese right here in NJ.

The Last CSA Box of the Season

2010-11-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

I have had several requests to review my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Basically the idea behind a CSA is that you team up with a farm before the growing season starts by purchasing a share or perhaps a half share depending on your family size and needs. I purchased a full share for $675 which is a share for 4-6 people. The farmers get some up front cash and a stable customer base, the share purchaser gets boxes of ultra-fresh vegetables throughout the growing season. The purchaser shares in the bounty of the farm but also bear the risks of a potentially bad season. Well the end of the season has arrived and this morning I retrieved my last box from the front porch - *sigh*. Winter is now officially imminently upon us.

While it was a great beach and tourism season here at the Jersey Shore, it was one of the toughest growing seasons in many, many years due to the lack of rain and excessive heat over the summer. The fall brought extremes in temperature between warm and cold. All of these conditions affected the crops and we actually missed two weeks of the CSA (24 weeks instead of 26). Some of the crops were not able to withstand the adverse weather conditions.

I would say that a CSA definitely is not for everyone. You have to know going in that farming is extremely weather dependent. We had our Tuesday night delivery rescheduled for Thursday night a couple of times. It was hard to use all of the fresh vegetables between Friday and the next Tuesday's delivery. Also, you may receive quite a lot of a vegetable that you don't necessarily love or know how to prepare. Think lots of radishes! Well, I made radishes every which way and learned to really like them! Radish greens are fantastic by the way! You also have to know that you can't rely on the box for all of your vegetable needs. You have to supplement from other sources. I wish that salad greens were available for more weeks and I also wished for more fresh herbs. Those were the items that I purchased regularly during the season.

Sometimes I felt that communication from the farm was kind of lacking but their business is farming not PR. There were a couple of instances of computer problems which delayed the receipt of the emailed weekly newsletter. Also since I never have actually seen the farm, I feel like I am missing a connection to it. I think that it would be nice to have a day to visit but again they are farmers not tour guides...

The passion for farming was evident in the quality and freshness of the vegetables. I enjoyed the challenge of finding ways to use certain vegetables. I also tried mizuna and kohlrabi for the first time this year. My particular CSA delivers and they somehow are able to stealth in without making a sound - they must double as Santa's elves! Overall I feel that my investment paid off. When you think of all the ways that you can spend (blow) $28 dollars in a week (which would be even less in a better growing season), isn't a box of fresh organic vegetables for your family a good purchase? Can't a family easily spend that at a fast food restaurant, on a takeout meal, or on a few cocktails? You have to be patient, flexible and creative and you will really enjoy a CSA share. Would I participate in a CSA again? Absolutely!

Shares are limited so now is a good time to contact a CSA in your area if you are interested in joining for next season.

What was in the boxes?

Salad Mix
Mizuna
Scallions
Beets
Spinach
Broccoli
Strawberries
Summer Squash
Cabbage
Chives
Sweet Corn
Cantaloupe
Sweet Peppers
Sweet Potatoes
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Collards
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Turnips
Winter Squash
Zucchini
Green Beans
Hot Peppers
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard Greens
Onions
Snow Peas
Potatoes
Radishes
Rutabaga

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Quick Huevos Rancheros

2010-11-13T12:26:00.001-05:00

Okay - while this is by no means traditional huevos rancheros since hey there is no ranchero sauce, it is quick, Mexican-inspired and really, really delicious! I cooked the eggs sunny side up in a mild olive oil and put the lid on for the last minute to set the tops a little. I served the eggs generously sprinkled with fresh ground pepper over top of Trader Joe's all-natural Salsa Autentica. It is not chunky or thickened and is the perfect consistency to serve with the eggs. I also turned to Trader Joe's for the black beans on the side. They are already seasoned with onions and peppers and are a really nice and healthy alternative to meat on the side. Vegetarian refried beans would be good as well. A few Garden of Eatin' tortilla chips and some slices of avocado for good measure. Voila! A fast, tasty and healthy weekend breakfast! Oh, and of course the key is farm fresh eggs. Happy Saturday!

How I Make Eggplant Rollatini

2010-11-07T09:55:00.002-05:00

Eggplant rollatini - lightly fried, stuffed with creamy cheese, and topped with fresh marinara - oh yeah! Remember in the 1990's when chicken Francaise, penne with vodka sauce, Caesar salad and eggplant rollatini were served at every party? Maybe it was just my area, or my friends but that was party food to me for the better part of a decade. I have lots of happy memories associated with these Italian- American favorites! I love that the eggplant can be made ahead of time and is just delicious reheated. There are lots of versions of eggplant rollatini but this is how I make it:

Ingredients

Eggplant:
1 medium eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch lengthwise slices (I leave the skin on)
1 cup of seasoned flour
3 whole eggs plus 1 egg white (reserve egg yolk for filling)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan reggiano
dash of salt and pepper
olive oil for frying

Filling:
1 cup of fresh ricotta
reserved egg yolk
1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
1/3 cup grated parmesan reggiano
dash of fresh nutmeg
dash of salt and pepper
prosciutto di parma (optional)
fresh basil (optional)

Cut off the eggplant top and thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Dredge the slices in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, tapping off excess. Dip in egg batter (eggs, parm., salt and pepper). Fry in hot skillet coated with olive oil over medium to high heat. Make sure that the oil is nice and hot before adding the eggplant or it will be soggy. Also be sure not to crowd the pan. The eggplant will need to be fried in batches - add oil as necessary. The eggplant cooks quickly (about a minute or so per side). Drain eggplant on paper towels.

Mix together the filling ingredients through the nutmeg. Spread an even layer of the filling onto the eggplant slices leaving a little space around the edges. You can add a slice of prosciutto and/or a fresh basil leaf if desired. Roll up the eggplant slice and place in a 9x12 baking pan coated with a little olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Top with your favorite marinara sauce and some extra grated parmesan cheese. I usually make my marinara homemade but I do like Rao's and Silver Palate jarred marinara in a pinch - they are both really good. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN LOVE ~ Creamy Pumpkin Custard

2010-11-01T01:00:00.006-04:00

Pumpkin time is upon us! A time for family, friends and giving thanks. I was invited by Carmen of Baking is my Zen to participate in a collaborative pumpkin dessert post to celebrate the season. I was happy to join in and hope that you check out all of the delicious pumpkin desserts that the other bloggers posted. Enjoy!

Bonnie of Sweet Life

Pumpkin Pie Tamales

"Why should tamales be limited to only dinner... why not dessert?"

Carmen of Baking is my Zen

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

"After making fat-free desserts one Thanksgiving, everyone in my family missed the Pumpkin Gooey Butter

Cakes. lt is now a 'must' that I bake this cake for Thanksgiving."

Gloria of the Ginger Snap Girl

Pumpkin Pots de Creme with Candied Spicy Pecans

"Pumpkin rocks! Need I say more?"

Hannah of Adventures in Domestic Cooking

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

"I got this recipe from Taste of Home and added some extra spices to it. Haven't heard a bad thing about it! Actually, gave it to a friend as a birthday present. And, everyone who tried the cake in his family wrote a note about how much they liked it."

Rebecca of Beurrista
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

"Remembrances of a fun weekend getaway with college girlfriends"

When looking for the pumpkin recipe that I would contribute, I came across this creamy pumpkin custard with rum-raisin compote described as "the texture is somewhere between a creme brulee and a light and airy cheesecake" - adapted from a Gina DePalma recipe - I was sold!

Creamy Pumpkin Custard with Rum-Raisin Compote

Recipe courtesy of Traca Savadogo

Seattle Food Examiner

Gingered-Beet Salad with Shrimp

2010-10-31T11:56:00.002-04:00

I am forever looking for creative ideas to use what I have on hand. I had beets and I had shrimp - something told me that the combination would work! I did a little looking around with help from Google and stumbled across a beautiful gingered-beet salad with oranges on the lovely blog Caviar and Codfish which was adapted from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Gingered-Beet Salad recipe. Since I didn't have any oranges, I sought out the original recipe from the New York Times. Roasted beets, grilled shrimp, ginger, sherry vinegar and chives = delicious! This was our Friday night appetizer and I am still thinking about it!

Happy Halloween!

Warm Salad of Mustard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas

2010-10-24T12:50:00.002-04:00

I received a big bunch of mustard greens in my CSA box and searched for an interesting way to prepare them. I stumbled across this 5 star Cooking Light recipe with black-eyed peas. I was able to find the black-eyed peas at Whole Foods after striking out at three local supermarkets. It is funny how some foods are so hard to find in certain areas.

I thought that the greens were spectacular. I loved the little bit of heat from the jalapeno, the sweetness of the balsamic, the crunch of the bacon, and the creaminess of the black-eyed peas. Matt thought that the caraway was a little overpowering. I only added 1 1/2 teaspoons instead of 2. Next time I will scale it down to about 1 teaspoon. I should have bought an extra can of black-eyed peas when I was at Whole Foods since this recipe is a keeper. I am hoping for more mustard greens this week! They are such a nutritional powerhouse and are quite delicious too!

Warm Salad of Mustard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas Recipe - MyRecipes.com:

Ingredients
2 bacon slices, chopped
12 cups torn mustard greens, stems removed (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (I suggest only 1 teaspoon)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add greens; cook 4 minutes or until wilted. Combine greens, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl, set aside. Add oil to pan. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, garlic, and jalapeño; cook 1 minute. Add peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, and bring to a boil. Add pea mixture to greens mixture. Sprinkle with reserved bacon."

Embracing Fall Foods

2010-10-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

I love summer and had a hard time letting go of it this year. Gone are the tomatoes, the fresh corn and the peaches... but I am finally accepting of the fact that fall is here and it sure beats winter. Fall also is just beautiful right here in NJ. The trees have some nice color, the days have been relatively warm and the crisp cool nights are perfect for sleeping. Fall foods tend to be heartier and homier to me than summer foods - a nice change of pace but I have to watch the calories!

Here are some of the fall foods that I have been enjoying...

Thanksgiving Day Sandwich from Hinck's Turkey Farm in Wall, NJ
Fresh roast turkey on a hard roll with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy - Why wait for Thanksgiving?!

Classic Meatloaf with a brown sugar, ketchup and apple cider vinegar glaze - total comfort food!

Sweet Potato Wedges - Peeled sweet potatoes cut into wedges, tossed with kosher salt, cumin, and a little vegetable oil - baked at 400 degrees on a sheet pan until lightly browned and crispy - Delicious and healthy too!

Rutabaga from the CSA box - delicious simply boiled, mashed with butter, milk, salt and pepper

Product Raves

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - salty, sweet and incredibly delicious!
Red Jacket Orchards Apple Cider from New York State - they have been making the cider for 50 years- no wonder it's so good!
Wemrock Orchards Apple Cider Donuts made in Freehold, NJ - donut perfection!

Pizza, Pizza

2010-10-17T14:40:00.001-04:00

I love pizza - always have, always will! I read an interesting article a while back on Serious Eats which identifies 21 regional pizza styles. I am determined to try them all at some point and this past week I had two.

My daughter Ashley was home on break this week. Yay! The day that I took off from work to spend with her was rainy so we planned on going to one of our very favorite pizza places, DeLorenzo's, and catching a movie. DeLorenzo's serves up the best Trenton tomato pies (one of the 21 regional styles). We had sausage and sweet peppers as the toppings - fantastic! Our waiter Brian was great too! This place is a must try if you are in the area. We saw the movie Catfish which is an independent documentary thriller about a young New York City photographer that meets a girl on Facebook. It has a very surprising and disturbing twist in the end. It is definitely worth seeing.

This weekend was parent's weekend at Conn. College. We had a great time visiting with Cailyn ( I still miss her terribly). The weather ended up being just great and the campus is beautiful, especially at this time of year. We took a ride into nearby Mystic and tried New England Greek-style pizza (one of the 21 regional styles) at Angie's. The crust was flaky and buttery, thick, but not at all heavy. It was very different from NJ pizza but also very tasty.

A Few Days in Vegas

2010-10-10T08:17:00.009-04:00

Life has been crazy lately! My brother surprised me recently with the news that he was getting married - in 3 weeks! - in Vegas! I had never been to Las Vegas and honestly never really had the desire to go there. Matt and I booked our flight and headed out on Friday night. We stayed at The Venetian Hotel where the wedding took place. Our suite was really nice and had a great view of the City with the mountains in the background. My brother was in one of the amazing "rock star" suites. We had a great time just hanging out in my brother's suite enjoying plenty of good wine that he brought from California.

We also enjoyed plenty of good food. My two favorite meals while visiting were chicken and waffles from Bouchon and Wagyu steak from Valentino's. Both restaurants were located right in The Venetian Hotel and the food at each was absolutely delicious. Our server at Valentino's was so cute and said "don't worry, all of us foodies take pictures of our food" when I was embarrassed at being caught with my camera out! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me for the wedding dinner. The cake was from Freed's bakery in Las Vegas and was awesome!

What I didn't do in Vegas - gamble, see a show, or go to a nightclub... I really am not a Las Vegas person but I am glad that I went just this once. I have never seen my brother happier. I also now know why Las Vegas is called "Sin City"!

La Bistecca: Australian “Wagyu” Flat Iron Steaks Tagliata Served with Arugola Salad and Sautéed Zucchini

Whole Young Chicken Cooked Under a Brick Served with Spinach Risotto (Matt's dinner)

Chicken & Waffles - Roasted chicken, bacon and chive waffle, Tahitian vanilla bean butter, sauce chasseur

In the past two weeks I've been to Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas. I am glad to be home! My daughters are also both home for the weekend, so I am happy as can be. I have missed checking out my favorite blogs. I promise to visit next week!

Easy And Delicious Weeknight Shrimp

2010-09-29T18:32:00.001-04:00

One of my very favorite and super fast weeknight dinners is Grilled Shrimp with Feta, Cilantro and Lime as adapted from Bon Appetit. I guarantee that you will love this quick dish! I marinated a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of lime juice, 3 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. I sliced one red onion, spooned a little of the marinade from the shrimp overtop and sauteed until softened. I removed the onions and coarsely chopped them. Next, I added the shrimp to the hot pan used for the onions and cook until just done, reserving the marinade. I combined the shrimp with the red onions, cooked orzo, a chopped tomato (I used an orange heirloom), a nice hunk of imported Greek feta (crumbled). I brought the remaining marinade to a quick boil, removed the garlic, and poured it over the shrimp, gave it a toss, and added some extra chopped cilantro. Oh my was this good! This was on the table in less than 30 minutes. The original recipe calls for grilling, more olive oil, and no tomato - it was raining so no grill for me! I could go for this again tonight - yes it was that good!

Watermelon, Feta And Black Olive Salad - Farewell to Summer

2010-09-23T18:14:00.007-04:00

I am going to miss summer's bounty! I have been enjoying tons of fresh, local produce and although it is officially fall, I don't want to say goodbye just yet. This week we received watermelon in our CSA box and I finally made Nigella Lawson's Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad which I have vowed to make for quite a while. I was sure that I would love it since I am an olive and feta freak. Kalamata olives, imported Greek feta, watermelon and red onions from my CSA box and some fresh mint from the mint fairy at work combined with parsley, lime juice, olive oil and fresh black pepper - perfect combination! Some kind person leaves cups of fresh mint in the kitchen at my office - I am not sure who it is but I appreciate it! WOW - this salad sure did not disappoint. It was just delicious - so refreshing and flavorful!

Happy fall everyone! I am heading to CT to visit my baby. I can't believe that I haven't seen her since August!

Watermelon, Feta And Black Olive Salad

Courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

1 small Red Onion

2 - 4 Lime depending on the juiciness

1½ kg sweet, ripe Watermelon

250 g Feta cheese

fresh Flat-leaf parsley

fresh Mint chopped

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

100 g pitted Black Olives

Black pepper

Method: Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp.

Two limes’ worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point).

Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl.

Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape.

Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime.

Celebration Corn-Tomato Soup

2010-09-18T11:37:00.002-04:00

Fall is right around the corner but I am still hanging on dearly to summer. I saw this recipe in an email newsletter that I received from a NJ farm and just had to make it. This soup is great for the transition from summer to fall foods. It has lots of fresh summer ingredients (corn, tomatoes, peppers, and basil) which are lovely in a warming soup - perfect for the cool nights that we have had lately. Delicious!

Celebration Corn-Tomato Soup from the Griggstown Quail Farm and Market newsletter. The recipe is courtesy of Amy Cotler, farm and food activist, and author of the The Locavore Way.

I do love the warm days and cool nights at this time of year and the return of some favorites - Mallomars and Honeycrisp apples! Have a great weekend!

Eggplant Several Ways

2010-09-14T15:47:00.000-04:00

I have been blessed with tons of eggplant in my CSA box- which fortunately I love. I already have posted six different ways that I prepare eggplant and I really wanted to find new ways to enjoy an old favorite. This is what I came up with:

Lilli's Eggplant Roll-ups courtesy of Ciao Chow Linda - wow was this good! Thanks Linda!

Eggplant Caviar courtesy of Michael Symon. What a healthy and delicious snack - I gobbled up the whole bowl!

Eggplant and Tomato Sandwich with Garlic-Thyme Mayo courtesy of Curtis Aikens - Now that's a good sandwich!

Eggs Fried in Olive Oil

2010-09-12T08:26:00.001-04:00

The secret to any egg dish is good eggs! We have been buying ours from a local farm in Howell, NJ (Squankum Brook Farm on Victory Rd.) and they are so good! This is the same farm that I blogged about with the great "on your honor" cart. Supermarket eggs cannot compare and with the latest salmonella scare - no thank you!

Sometimes the simpler a meal, the more spectacular. Take for example, fried eggs. How could something so ordinary be worthy of posting about? Well in this case it is all about the method and freshness of the eggs. Add a 1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil to a pan and heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add an egg. Spoon the excess oil in the pan over top of the egg to cook the yolk. Continue spooning the oil over top until the egg is cooked to your liking. I like the white to be a little crispy and the yolk to just begin to set. Trust me this is so good!!

I served the eggs with a piece of toasted Italian bread rubbed with a garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil, a few Kalamata olives, and fresh tomatoes with feta. The tomatoes were sliced and topped with feta, oregano and olive oil - heated in the microwave for a minute (idea found here). Delicious!

Note the bright orange yolks - perfect for dipping!

Lousy Picture - Great Chicken!

2010-09-08T17:57:00.000-04:00

Well, to be honest, this doesn't look that appetizing -but looks can be deceiving! This quick dinner was inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe for Crispy and Sticky Chicken Thighs with Squashed New Potatoes and Tomatoes. I scaled down the amount of chicken to 4 pieces and didn't have cherry tomatoes or new potatoes so I used what I had on hand. The recipe also called for boneless chicken. The recipe was very adaptable and the flavors were fantastic! My husband loved it so much that I decided that I must post it regardless of the poor photo. I loved the simple bright flavors of this dish. Arugula tossed with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper was the perfect complement to the chicken and vegetables.

I only had medium sized red potatoes, so I quartered them and boiled until softened in salted water. I also had bone in chicken thighs, which I seasoned with salt and pepper. I browned the chicken in a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil while the potatoes were cooking. I also took two medium sized tomatoes which I boiled for about a minute and peeled once they cooled. The cooked potatoes, peeled tomatoes (squashed), and browned chicken were all combined on a baking sheet and drizzled with a good amount of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. The sheet pan went into a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. "Set it and forget it," a la Ron Popeil. Such simple flavors but truly delicious. Lovely!

Labor Day Weekend Eats

2010-09-06T07:40:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh... Labor Day Weekend, the signal that summer is winding down but rest assured I will be holding on to the season as long as possible. In NJ, the weather is just gorgeous in September - warm days and cool nights. Here at the Shore, the crowds subside, and the locals really get to enjoy what the area has to offer. We still have lots of delicious fresh summer produce available and my beloved NJ tomatoes. This weekend we enjoyed some good old classics and made use of the grill and the picture perfect weather for dining al fresco.

I can't believe that my daughters went to college just last weekend - it feels like at least a month has gone by. I am still struggling to get used to how quiet the house is and I just plain miss them! On the bright side, I won't have to fill out all of those back to school forms or attend back to school night - I'm really trying to see the bright side here!

Happy Labor Day!

Cheddar and Horseradish Burgers (horesradish, worcestershire, salt, pepper) with caramelized red onions served on an English Muffin - unbelievably good!

Grilled Strip Steaks with caramelized onions, thyme, and balsamic vinegar - I don't eat steaks often but boy does a good steak taste delicious every so often!

Fresh NJ Corn served with cayenne and lime - delicious and low calorie.

Homemade roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, NJ tomato and basil served with crusty Italian bread, good olive oil and good balsamic - I can make a meal of this alone!

The classic 1970's shrimp cocktail but I roasted the shrimp instead of boiling and added a bit of sriracha to the cocktail sauce - fantastic!

Grilled Double Eggplant Pizza - I call this "double eggplant" because I added roasted eggplant to my marinara and then topped the pizza with white eggplant slices - delicious!

Quick Pickles

2010-09-02T17:23:00.000-04:00

I had some fresh, local kirby cucumbers on hand and decided to try a "quick pickle" recipe. I came across a Rachael Ray recipe that had great reviews and I had all of the ingredients - bonus! These were easy as can be to make and were quite delicious. I thought that there was a good balance between the sweet and sour. The pickles had a nice crunch and were even better a day or two later.

Quick Pickles
Ingredients

1/2 cup white vinegar
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove cracked garlic
2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1 bay leaf
4 kirby cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Directions

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

Pizza - My Ultimate Comfort Food

2010-08-31T21:24:00.000-04:00

Boy have I come to hate the term "empty-nest." After a lot of tears, I am now settling into "my new normal." My sadness at the loss of daily interaction with my daughters has given way to excitement for them. I look forward to the phone calls and text messages which keep me in the loop with what is going on in their lives. It looks like I will survive!

Pizza is my ultimate comfort food and I always seem to crave it when I am feeling depressed. Well, I have had pizza a lot lately! My daughters and I went to lunch at Pete & Elda's in Neptune, NJ before they left for school. The girls have gone there since they were babies. Matt and I went there once a week when we were dating. The place is insanely crowded even at the oddest of times which is a testament to how popular it is. The crust is cracker thin and the sauce is like nowhere else. I think that it is a love/hate thing with Pete & Elda's pizza, but we are in the love group. It almost shouldn't be called pizza since it is so different. It just is Pete & Elda's - a Shore classic. An order of garlic bread with cheese and fried calamari - perfect!

On move-in day at my younger daughter's school we went for pizza before heading home. We had a delicious clam pizza. It tasted especially good after our dining hall lunch - my daughter has no worries of the freshman fifteen! I need to send lots of care packages...

Matt and I had a nice dinner for two last night and what else did we have? PIZZA!
Pizza with Figs, Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Balsamic, and Arugula

Thank you to Matt for putting up with a basket case! We won't be having pizza tonight!

Favorite Chicken Sandwich

2010-08-22T16:58:00.000-04:00

My girls are getting ready to head off to college so this week has been all about favorites. They each made a list of favorite home cooked meals. One favorite that made both of my daughter's lists is our family's favorite chicken sandwich. This sandwich is inspired by one served at Frankie's Bar and Grill in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. It is like a Cheers and is a favorite of locals. There is a big open flame grill behind the large bar, and they serve some great burgers and sandwiches.

Our long time favorite is their grilled chicken sandwich. Grilled chicken breast, melted muenster cheese, crisp bacon slices, lettuce, tomato slices, served on a hard roll with a side of mayo. I like to add some sliced avocado, too - perfect! This is one tasty sandwich! Two must have ingredients are: really good hard rolls, which we are so lucky to have available in our area, and fresh summer tomatoes. These particular hard rolls are from Colonial Bakery in Lavalette, NJ - so good! A good quality bacon is essential also. So simple, yet so delicious!

Did you know that a staple NJ breakfast is a hard roll with butter? I don't partake too often because of the fat and calories but a good hard roll with butter is awesome. It's apparently a New Jersey thing unheard of in other parts of the country. I love NJ.

"Friday Shrimp" on Tuesday - An Aarti Party!

2010-08-18T19:07:00.003-04:00

My daughters and I got hooked on The Next Food Network Star. I rarely watch the Food Network but was really drawn into the show this season. Our favorite contestant, and ultimately the winner, was Aarti. Aarti "experiments adventurously with Indian flavors and incorporates them into American classics." We loved her personality and that she brought something different to the Food Network (and she's a blogger!).

My daughter Ashley really likes Indian food so I have been dabbling with different Indian spices and dishes. Since *gasp* college is right around the corner for both of my girls, I have made an effort to have a really nice meal each night featuring their favorite foods. So in honor of Aarti's win, we had an Indian inspired dinner featuring Aarti's dish "Friday Shrimp." I served the shrimp with basmati rice, Bihari Green Beans Masala, and homemade garlic naan. It was a feast!

We loved the shrimp but next time I will cook the garlic a little before stuffing the shrimp to mellow it slightly. I loved the turmeric and coriander seasoning and the crisp fennel salad - just perfect! The green beans were so delicious and would make a fabulous vegetarian main dish. The spices combined with the coconut milk and crunchy almonds were fantastic! The garlic naan was fluffy and buttery - need I say more?! Oh, and we definitely don't need to worry about vampires! So much garlic!

Bihari Green Beans Masala

Yield 2 to 3 servings
Time 40 minutes
Recipe courtesy Julie Sahni

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or light olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Method

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until light golden. Remove from heat and transfer almonds to a plate or bowl; set aside for garnish.

2. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili pepper flakes and salt to the unwashed sauté pan, and return to medium heat. Sauté until the onion is tender and begins to fry, about 4 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk and green beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the beans are tender, about 6 minutes.

4. Sprinkle beans with lime juice, and toss lightly. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with almonds and cilantro. If desired, serve accompanied by plain cooked rice or roti flatbread.

The Beautiful Jersey Shore

2010-08-15T15:54:00.001-04:00

I took a break from blogging this past week since my brother was visiting from California. I look forward to catching up on everyone's blog postings this week. Unfortunately, I recently took vacation time from work and was only able to take one extra day off this past week. For my day off, we decided to stay close to home and visited Island Beach State Park, which is about five minutes from Seaside Heights, home of the "Jersey Shore" house. Well, the park may be close to the boardwalk area of Seaside, but it is also worlds away, and it highlights the beauty of coastal New Jersey. This is probably one of the last places that you would find Snooki and crew! Oh, and by the way, I have lived in New Jersey my whole life and the MTV show couldn't be any further from a true depiction of the Jersey Shore that I know and love! If you have never visited the beach towns of New Jersey, please do- they are just lovely.

Island Beach State Park is $6 per car load on weekdays and $10 on weekends - a bargain! There are lots of trails to hike, and it's a great place to fish, crab, and ride bikes. You can see lots of wildlife including osprey, foxes, turtles, and butterflies. It is a great place for a picnic lunch or a lobster bake.

Along the way, there is a great homemade donut shop, one of the few remaining in Central New Jersey. The shop is Obco's on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River just across the bridge from Seaside. The donuts are made fresh every morning and the shop closes once they are sold out. This place has been around for years, and the donuts are light and delicious. Don't worry- you can get lots of exercise at the park to work off the donuts!

Donuts from Obco's - 547 Fischer Boulevard, Toms River, NJ

PA Dutch Farmers Market

2010-08-09T00:55:00.000-04:00

While having a conversation with my cousin, it occurred to me that I rarely go to supermarkets. "Then where do you buy milk?" my cousin asked. "At the Amish market," I responded. She asked if I go all the way to Pennsylvania for milk. I suspect that she thinks that I am losing my mind! No, the market that I go to is in Kingston, NJ, just outside of Princeton. I buy the majority of my meat there and also milk. The three shops that I generally visit are Beiler's Meats, Stoltzfus' Poultry, and Smoker's Deli. I love all of the different cuts of meat available at Beiler's that are hard to come by in the grocery store (short ribs, hangar steaks, ground lamb), and the quality is unbeatable. From Stoltzfus' I always buy the ground turkey, chicken cutlets, and I also love their chicken apple sausages. Smoker's deli has great slab bacon, Canadian bacon, and no-nitrate hot dogs.

I love that all of the meat comes from family-owned farms in nearby Lancaster County, PA. I have never purchased anything that didn't seem fresh or was a little off, as happened regularly when I used to buy supermarket meats. While I do not believe that they are certified organic, the farms produce all natural meats. The market is open Thursday - Saturday only, and surprisingly the Amish accept credit cards! There are also coupons available on the market's website. I find the staff to be extremely friendly and accomodating. Everything is packed in freezer bags, clearly labeled and dated. Stoltzfus' even provides ice for my cooler. I try to resist buying a hot pretzel from the snack bar on the way out but usually succumb to the urge. They are so delicious!

PA Dutch Farmers Market, 4437 Route 27, Kingston, NJ

Chipped Prime Rib from Beiler's

One of the indulgent sandwiches that I made with the chipped prime rib. Green bell peppers and onions were in my CSA box this week so I made cheesesteaks. Delicious!

Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-07T11:24:00.001-04:00

It is so hard to go back to work after having a whole week off! The alarm clock going off at some completely hideous hour, rushing to get ready, grabbing my laptop and heading to the Garden State Parkway - ugh! Well, I did enjoy listening to my audiobook and was glad that I had taken the time to make these homemade muffins. I enjoyed having one with my cup of coffee as I checked a week's worth of emails. The little things can make life so much nicer!

Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins
Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2.In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

3.With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

4.Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

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Bangain Bhartha that's bangin'!

2010-08-02T07:34:00.001-04:00

I love eggplant so much. It is definitely in my list of top 10 foods. I make Italian and Greek inspired eggplant dishes but never have tackled an Asian eggplant recipe. The first time that I had an Indian eggplant dish was in the spring at a restaurant in Media, PA near my daughter's college in Swarthmore. It was so good and has left me craving it ever since. It is a vegetarian dish made with roasted eggplant, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, peas, and lots of spices. Savory, sweet, spicy, creamy - perfect. Served with basmati rice and garlic naan - oh yeah! Well, when I got several eggplants in my CSA box, I just knew that I would have to try and recreate the baingan bhartha from Shere-E-Punjab.

I searched all over trying to find a recipe that seemed to match what I had at the restaurant. I distinctly remember peas and tasting garam masala. The waiter had asked how spicy I wanted the dish and I responded with 8 out of 10. He seemed a little surprised that I would want it so hot but it was perfect for me. I can handle spicy food. I finally found a recipe that seemed just about right on the blog showmethecurry.com - I followed their spice mixture pretty closely but did not have asofoetida so I went without it. I used only one jalapeno (I could have used a little more heat) and grilled two Japanese eggplants totaling just over a pound. I also used five plum tomatoes. The resulting dish was fantastic! I served it with basmati rice. I also made garlic naan from the same site - so good! It was great to step out of the box and try something new. The bad thing about this - no leftovers and I am already craving this dish again!!

Cabbage Beet Coleslaw

2010-07-31T11:34:00.000-04:00

I have been trying hard to make sure that I do not waste any of my lovely CSA vegetables. At the end of the week, I was left with a couple of beets, some shredded cabbage, bell peppers, and a cucumber. Well, who knew that cabbage and beets could be such a winning combination?! I stumbled upon this recipe for cabbage beet coleslaw from the kitchn. I loved the complexity of flavors - sweetness from the beets and honey, crunch of the cabbage, acidity from the vinegar, citrus from orange zest, zing of the dijon, and the distinctive taste of the caraway - delightful. I enjoyed this salad even more for lunch the next day. The perfect way to use the cabbage and the beets.

The next day I made stuffed bell peppers ( stuffed with ground turkey, arborio rice, locatelli romano cheese, bread crumbs and eggs). I topped the peppers with homemade marinara and fresh mozzarella- delicious! I served the peppers with a side of cucumber salad. Another successful CSA week. Have a great weekend!

Jersey Fresh and the Honor System

2010-07-28T19:01:00.001-04:00

It is the simple things that make me happy and restore my faith in humanity. In my area, there are many roadside stands where people put out home grown vegetables and a can or box to collect the proceeds; all on the honor system. I love this particular stand on Victory Rd. in Howell, NJ. It makes me smile. Fresh eggs, honey, and home grown vegetables all available on the honor system - I love that it works!

A Visit to Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen and a Favorite Recipe

2010-07-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

When I began blogging just over a year ago, I had no idea of what to expect. Actually, I thought that it would be a good way to keep track of recipes and to be able to share them with my daughters who are quickly growing up. I also hoped that maybe, just maybe, someone might be interested in my perspective of New Jersey and what it has to offer to the food world. I didn't realize what a great and large community exists and that food bloggers are some of the nicest people that I had never met.

Well, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow blogger this past week. I commented on this post on Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen. I expressed that I would love to see Susan's fabulous vintage recipes find and she responded with the generous offer to stop by and take a look. I happily took her up on the offer and had a nice visit in Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen. She has a lovely home and beautiful garden. I also had the pleasure of meeting her three wonderful children. I happily perused the recipe collection of the 91-year-old foodie that Susan stumbled upon. It was just amazing; there were recipes from everywhere-newspapers, friends, church members- all meticulously filed with lots of notes for ways they could be improved, substitutions, etc. Apparently, the perfection cake recipe still needed improvement! The recipes are from the 1950's and forward. I also looked over Susan's massive cookbook collection - amazing! I left with copies of recipes from the 91-year-old foodie, a zucchini from Susan's garden, and the friendship of a fellow blogger- how great is that?!

A favorite in the vast collection seemed to be the Choir Cookies which I will be making and posting as soon as the weather cools down. In the meantime, I will share one of my most requested recipes for zucchini casserole.

Below is my adaptation of a family favorite recipe that my mother acquired from an Italian neighbor when I was a child. The garlic bread topping is so delicious! Removing the bread crusts would make it prettier but I hate to waste. I guarantee that you will love this simple, rustic casserole! Every time I make this, the entire 9 X 12 pan is devoured. I'm actually guilty of eating the leftovers (if any) for breakfast - it's that good!

Please don't let the fact that it looks kind of sloppy or the far-from-artisan bread cubes deter you from trying this!

Zucchini Casserole
6-8 medium zucchini sliced crosswise 1/2" thick
1 large onion diced
3 tbs. butter
3 tbs. olive oil
1 28 oz. can whole peeled San Marzano or plum tomatoes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3/4 - 1 cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese
Salt to taste
approx. 10 slices white bread - cubed (enough to cover the casserole)
garlic butter - melted butter with garlic salt

Steam the sliced zucchini until tender and drain well (I blot it with paper towels). Meanwhile, dice the onion and saute it in the butter and olive oil until the onion is tender and transluscent. Add the canned tomatoes, cheese and salt to taste to the onions. Crush the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon and simmer about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the tomato mixture to the zucchini in a large casserole dish (9X12). Top the dish with cubed white bread and drizzle with garlic butter. Place in the oven at 375 degrees until the casserole is heated through and the bread is lightly toasted and brown.

Grimaldi's in Brooklyn

2010-07-23T10:34:00.001-04:00

My daughters and a friend went to a concert on Governors Island (between Brooklyn and Manhattan) to celebrate my daughter Cailyn's birthday. Still uncomfortable with the idea of them navigating their way into the City alone and returning late at night, the plan was to drive in and then my husband and I would continue on to knock two things off of my bucket list: 1. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and 2. Eat pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. I chickened out about walking the bridge due to the forecast of scattered thunderstorms with potentially dangerous lightning. I figured on top of the Brooklyn Bridge is most likely not the safest place to be in an electrical storm! Luckily the weather held out and no storms materialized.

Matt and I drove across the Bridge and got on line for the famous Grimaldi's pizza. The shop next door even rents chairs for $3, and offers of $1 dollar water bottles came from strangers. We waited outside for about 50 minutes before we got the much anticipated call to come in. We were seated with six other couples at a table for eight. They made use of every bit of floor space. The tables were cute with checkered tablecloths and the walls were littered with celebrity photos. I anticipated this being a one time deal, although with a certain charm it was touristy, loud, crowded - but then came the pizza. The pizza was perfect! The crust reminded me of my beloved NJ tomato pies, but the sauce was different as was the sauce to cheese ratio. The cheese was a good whole milk mozzarella. I loved it! We then proceeded to take a walk in the lovely waterfront park down the street. The views are amazing! I'll have to return on a cooler and clear night to walk the Bridge and would love to take a pizza to go and eat it in the park.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Peaches and Prosciutto

2010-07-21T11:14:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to check out a local farm for some time and finally made it over when the farmers were there. The farm is Merrick Farm in Farmingdale, NJ and I just love it. An interesting fact is that scenes from the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds were filmed at the farm. The farmers, Juan and Susan, are such nice, friendly people. They oozed passion for organic farming and even have grass fed beef available from their own cows! They also run a CSA and since it was a pick up day when I went by, a lot of produce and fresh eggs were gone. They did have Swiss chard, kale, arugula, and fresh garlic. I didn't want to leave empty handed so I picked up two bunches of the fresh picked arugula and some fresh garlic. My daughter and I took pictures at the farm which I will post soon. I will be back at the farm to buy some beef.

I have been craving grilled peaches since I saw this delicious salad on Stacey Snacks. I decided that the arugula would be perfect with grilled peaches and I added some crispy prosciutto and goat cheese. I tossed the salad with grapeseed oil and reduced balsamic vinegar. Before grilling the peaches, I sprinkled them with light brown sugar and a little balsamic a la this Williams-Sonoma recipe. My daughter Cailyn stated that this was the best salad she has ever had! Peppery, sweet, salty, tangy, salad goodness. Delicious!

Today is my baby's 18th birthday and we will be in New York City. Happy Birthday Cailyn!!

The Best Swiss Chard and Pasta Recipe

2010-07-20T11:32:00.001-04:00

I absolutely adored this pasta recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. It was so easy to make and the flavors worked together beautifully. I loved the bitterness of the chard combined with the sweet onions and tomatoes, the brininess of the Kalamata olives, the crunch of the pine nuts, and the sharpness of the Romano cheese - perfect! The recipe calls for whole wheat spaghetti but I had fresh linguine on hand. I used only one large bunch of Swiss chard and one large onion but otherwise followed the recipe. I am hoping for Swiss chard in my CSA box again this week and I will happily eat another plate of this delicious pasta! This pasta is also super healthy and only contains one tablespoon of olive oil.

Every so often I stop by Casa Di Trevi in Roselle Park, NJ to pick up some fresh pasta. You can easily pass this place by since it is in a warehouse on the side of a busy four-lane highway. They are mainly a wholesaler that sells pasta to restaurants and specialty stores but there is a small retail store. I have tried their fresh cut pastas and homemade ravioli - delicious! Their fresh linguine was perfect with the Swiss chard recipe.

Roasted Zucchini and Tomato over Angel Hair Pasta

2010-07-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

I love simple meatless pasta dishes in the summertime. I also really like roasting vegetables since it is such a healthy and delicious cooking method. I had lots of zucchini on hand and also some fresh New Jersey tomatoes and fresh dug garlic from a local farm so I came up with a quick pasta dish.

I sliced two zucchinis into half moons and cut up two tomatoes into large chunks. I added two cloves of thinly sliced fresh garlic and tossed the vegetables in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I roasted the vegetables on a sheet pan at 400 degrees. When the vegetables were nearly done, I cooked some fresh angel hair pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. I topped the pasta with the roasted vegetables and deglazed the baking sheet with the reserved pasta water to release any delicious bits stuck on the pan and added it on top of the pasta. I topped the pasta with fresh chopped basil and crumbled feta cheese. Easy and delicious! The only down side was turning on the oven in our seemingly never ending heat wave!

I am happily on vacation this week. Happy Monday!

Cranberry Tuna Salad

2010-07-18T09:33:00.000-04:00

I love the cranberry tuna salad at Whole Foods! It is addictive, which is something that I never would have thought that I would say about tuna salad. While searching around, I discovered that I am certainly not alone and many have tried to recreate this salad. I am not sure how close this came to the Whole Foods recipe but it sure was delicious. There may not be dill in the Whole Foods recipe but I like the flavor. I came across variations with additions of celery, carrots, lemon juice, parsley, and slivered almonds. The combination of tuna and cranberries is so good!

2 cans albacore tuna drained and finely flaked
Hellmann's mayonnaise to taste (I used about 1/3 cup)
1 small onion diced
1/3 tsp. dried dill
3 tablespoons dried cranberries

Blueberry Buckle

2010-07-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

There are crisps, crumbles, brown betties, slumps, sonkers, grunts and pandowdies but I am going with the buckle as my favorite type of fruit cobbler. Yes, definitely, hands down, the buckle. I absolutely loved this recipe. I had it last night for dessert and again this morning for breakfast - be warned the buckle is dangerous but also crazy delicious!

Trader Joe's is Coming to Monmouth County NJ!

2010-07-10T10:15:00.006-04:00

I have been making my monthly pilgrimages to Trader Joe's in Westfield or West Windsor for quite some time. I really like many of their pantry and ready-made items. I find the selection to be similar to that of Costco, which I also like, but in much more reasonable quantities. The cheese selection is particularly nice and inexpensive. Trader Joe's is now coming to nearby Shrewsbury, NJ - yay!! No wine at this location, however - oh well. I am just happy that they are inching closer to home!

Panino di Prosciutto e Fontina - Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

My panini grill came in handy this week as I refused to turn on the oven - it has been absolutely sweltering here! I made these delicious paninis in minutes. Two slices of fontina cheese, one slice of prosciutto di parma, fresh spinach leaves, freshly ground black pepper on sliced Italian bread brushed with olive oil and grilled - simple and just perfect! Look for fontina at you local TJ's! Have a great weekend!

New Favorite Potato Salad

2010-07-07T18:31:00.000-04:00

My family is very picky about potato salad. My husband hates pickles in his potato salad, my one daughter despises hard boiled eggs, and the other doesn't like a lot of mayo or it to be “pickly.” I don't like raw white onions in mine. No one likes hard potatoes. Yes, we are hard to please when it comes to potato salad! Well, I came across this recipe for Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad and we all loved it! Yes, we all loved it! It is my new favorite potato salad recipe. The only change I made was to use red potatoes since that is what I had in the house. Thank you Dave Lieberman!

Here in NJ we are having a major heat wave - over 90 degrees every day, and it was over 100 yesterday. Even the beach doesn't offer much relief. The grill is our friend, as is the pool! Stay cool!

Fresh New Jersey Blueberries - Emery's

2010-07-05T10:32:00.001-04:00

This time each year I have to take a ride out to New Egypt, NJ for the world's best blueberries at Emery's Berry Farm. The farm is organic which is great since blueberries are on the "dirty dozen" list of foods that you should only eat organic. You can pick your own berries or buy freshly picked in their farm store. Warning! Once you enter the farm store I guarantee that you will leave with unplanned purchases! They have gorgeous fresh baked goods and lots more (jams, jellies, syrup, honey, granola...). We picked up an apple butter barbecue sauce and some delicious blueberry pastries.

Unfortunately, farming is so weather dependent and while the weather here in NJ has been perfect for beachgoers - 30 days without rain and most days above 90 degrees - the weather is hurting the blueberry production. We also had a late frost this year. The farm still had plenty of berries but limited purchases to four pints per customer. We happily bought up our four pints.

Did you know that the official fruit of New Jersey is the blueberry and it was first cultivated in Whitesbog, NJ? Blueberries are not only delicious; they are high in nutrition and contain antioxidants. I would love to know your favorite recipe for blueberries. I want to make good use of the beautiful berries. Since I am off from work today, we are enjoying a late breakfast of what else? - blueberry pancakes!

You can see how dry the fields are - so sad!

Kielbasa from Pulaski Meats in Linden, NJ

2010-07-03T08:15:00.005-04:00

One of the best things about living in New Jersey is the availability of so many different types of authentic and delicious ethnic foods. Over the Fourth of July weekend everyone loves to cook out and traditionally I think hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, etc. Well my daughter Ashley suggested grilled kielbasa which she discovered that she really likes when she had it at a picnic at college. I grew up eating kielbasa and I do like it but don't think to make it often. I guess that I never really introduced it to my daughters - surprising.

Not far from where I work is a wonderful Polish delicatessen and market, Pulaski Meats in Linden, NJ. When you walk through the doors you are hit with the most wonderful aroma of smoked meats. Every type of Polish delicacy is here at your disposal - meats, breads, desserts, pantry items, and homemade pickles. They serve a fantastic kielbasa and sauerkraut sandwich for $3.50. Polish is the language spoken at the store and I felt like I stepped into Eastern Europe. I had my camera in tow and planned to take some photos but alas a dead battery. So, I grabbed a homemade kielbasa, potato and onion pierogies, a loaf of hearth baked rye bread, a few pickles and headed home to grill. The kielbasa was perfectly spiced - just delicious, and the pierogies were the best I've ever had. It was a great quick dinner and the perfect start to the holiday weekend.

Sauerkraut and Onions
adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr.

2 tablespoons melted butter
1- 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 sliced onion
3 cups drained sauerkraut
chopped parsley

Melt the butter and sugar (depending on your taste) in a saute pan and cook until it becomes golden. Next add the sliced onion and saute until softened and lightly golden. Add the drained sauerkraut and heat thoroughly. Lastly add the chopped parsley. Serve with the grilled kielbasa and a good mustard for dipping.

Photo from the Pulaski Meat Products website

Spring Salad with Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

2010-07-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

Fresh roasted beets are so delicious and are nothing like the dreaded canned, pickled variety! The beets are nice and sweet once roasted - just lovely in a salad. I washed the beets then individually wrapped them in aluminum foil and roasted at 375 for about an hour. Once roasted it is easy to peel the beets by rubbing the skin off with your fingers. I sliced the beets once cooled to room temperature and added them to some mixed baby greens tossed lightly with white balsamic vinaigrette and topped with crumbled goat cheese. My family loved this salad and since I got a lot more beets in my CSA box this week, it will be making an appearance again soon!

Vinaigrette

1 small diced shallot

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2/3 cup olive oil

Combine the shallot and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Weekend Appetizers

2010-06-28T18:03:00.003-04:00

Pita Crisps with Feta-Radish Spread

This spread was the perfect way to use the fresh radishes from my CSA box. Feta, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and radishes pulsed in the food processor - simple and tasty! I loved this!

Crisped-Prosciutto and Avocado Crostini

My latest addiction is manchego cheese - I just love to eat it with my other addiction - olives! This crostini was great. It is hard to go wrong with creamy avocado, salty prosciutto, and manchego on crostini.

Pork Tenderloin Tacos

2010-06-26T10:37:00.001-04:00

I have been trying hard to find great uses for all of my CSA items. Each week I have received radishes - a vegetable that I had only eaten occasionally in the past. They really are quite delicious fresh. So how to use the last few radishes in this week's box?

Weeknight meals have to be pretty quick and simple after a long day at work and the commute home. I had a pork tenderloin which I love - versatile, quick cooking, and delicious. I also like spice rubs because they have the ability to flavor meat so much more quickly than a marinade. So I decided to make pork tenderloin tacos and use the radishes in a salsa - this is what I came up with adapted from this Cooking Light recipe -

Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

1 1lb. pork tenderloin cut into strips
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all spices and coat the pork tenderloin evenly. Sautee the pork in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet until just done.

Black Bean, Corn, and Radish Salsa

1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all salsa ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Serve the pork tenderloin in warmed corn tortillas with the salsa and your favorite guacamole. These tacos were healthy and delicious!

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche

2010-06-23T23:29:00.000-04:00

I thought that I had found most working farms within a hundred miles of home, but it looks like I missed one right under my nose. I saw this post on Serious Eats for fresh eggs in Howell, NJ, and of course I had to head out there as soon as possible. I know that NJ is often the butt of jokes, but it really is a beautiful state filled with lots of gorgeous farmland. The farm in the post is Iceberg Farms, which is only 6.2 miles away from my home but well off the beaten path. It may only be a few miles away, but it is worlds away from my suburban shore community. The farmer, Bill, was so nice and accommodating. He gathered my eggs while I waited with his three canine friends and watched chickens run about. The eggs were a mere $2.50 per dozen and fresh as can be. I am looking forward to trying some of Bill's honey, produce, and fresh berries as well.

It is still super busy at work, and weeknight dinners have been a challenge to pull off at a decent time. On Monday, in honor of “meatless Monday,” I made an asparagus and goat cheese quiche. I was armed with fresh eggs, asparagus, and scallions from my CSA box, goat cheese from Costco, and a frozen Trader Joe's pie crust. I put this together in minutes and popped it into the toaster oven since it was so hot and I didn't want to heat up the whole house. I served it with a side of sautéed kohlrabi greens - also from my CSA box. The meal was quick, healthy, and delicious. I am a fan of kohlrabi greens - who knew? That is what is great about the CSA- I get to try new things that I ordinarily would not have. Delicious!

Quiche Filling

3 eggs well beaten
3 thinly sliced green onions
1 & ½ cups whole milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup steamed asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
6 oz. fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the asparagus to the pie crust and add dollops of the goat cheese. Combine all other ingredients. Pour the custard mixture over top and bake until set.

Cailyn's (and Martha Stewart's) Strawberry Cake

2010-06-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

I am not much of a cake person but this cake that my daughter Cailyn made was incredible! She had friends coming over and wanted to make dessert. We had beautiful fresh strawberries from our CSA box and she had seen this recipe on Martha Stewart's website. I can't believe how fast that she put this together. So simple and it came out moist and so delicious. In the reviews, a commenter described this cake as "tastes like a cross between light, fluffy angel food cake and buttery pound cake - just the right density." I would agree and it is not overly sweet. The fresh berries are so good . She served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - perfect dessert! We loved it so much that she made it again! The only 10 inch pan that we had was a springform pan and it worked out well.

Have a great weekend! Happy Father's Day to the dads!

Ingredients

Makes one 10-inch cake

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

2.Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

3.Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

4.Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Weekend Festivals - Part II

2010-06-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

New Jersey Seafood Festival - Belmar, NJ

Tens of thousands of people attend the wildly popular annual seafood festival in Belmar. I wasn't sure that I wanted to go this year since it is always so crowded and finding parking is a pain. It is also the first year in a while that one of my daughters was not working at the Key Club lemonade stand. My younger daughter graduated from high school last week from the parochial school in Belmar. I am so proud of her but I am still a little sad to say goodbye to the high school years. *Sigh*

Well, late on Sunday it began to rain lightly and I decided that I wanted to stop by the festival. The crowd had thinned out a lot due to the rain and we got a close parking spot. The sun came back out and it was just perfect. My husband and I shared a tilapia wrap from 10th Avenue Burrito - delicious! We also got 20 shrimp for $5.00 (from Klein's) and $10.00 lobster dinners (from Mr. Shrimp) (1 1/4 lb. lobster, drawn butter, and corn on the cob) which we brought home and ate with our daughters. I visited my favorite local establishments only but everything looked tempting - and no I did not eat a fried Oreo!

Weekend Festivals - Part I

2010-06-14T10:03:00.006-04:00

33rd Annual Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Festival

Holmdel, NJ

Souvlaki - $6.00

Grilled Chicken Pita - $6.00

Delicious Desserts starting at $1.00

It was an absolute picture perfect day on Saturday here in New Jersey. We relaxed at the beach and then headed over to a nearby Greek festival. We sampled the souvlaki, the grilled chicken pita, loukoumades (6 for $3.00), and galaktoboureko ($3.00). There were also salads, dolmades, spanakopites, gyros, keftedes, pastisio, moussaka, and more. The quality of the food was just great and the prices were very reasonable. Everything was homemade and just delicious. We also enjoyed the festive music and traditional dancing. Local festivals are a fun way to sample different types of cuisine and support a local church without breaking the bank. I found a listing of Greek festivals across the US - http://www.greek-fest.com/greekfest.shtml Opa!

CSA Mizuna with Indian Spiced Chickpeas

2010-06-12T12:09:00.003-04:00

Well this was an especially rough week at work, as our biggest deadline of the year is June 15th. The earliest we ate dinner was 9pm. No natural daylight left even on one of the longest days of the year as evidenced in the photos! As late as I may get dinner on the table, I prefer home cooking to takeout especially when I have beautiful CSA ingredients to use.

I received another huge bunch of mizuna in my CSA box that I was determined to put to good use. This is an ingredient that I had not previously used so I have been doing some experimenting. I made it with orecchiette and sausage which was good but my family prefers broccoli rabe. I also have added the mizuna to salads and made a stir fry. My very favorite use for mizuna was added to Indian Spiced Chickpeas - so delicious! I served the chickpeas as a side with Martha Stewart's Indian Spiced Chicken burgers (from Everday Food: Great Food Fast) on garlic naan but this could easily be a vegetarian main course. I had the leftovers for lunch the next day. Perfect!

Indian Spiced Chickpeas
Adapted from http://www.god-dess.com/services_recipesMay03.html

2 cans chickpeas – drained and rinsed
¼ c oil
1 c finely-diced onion
1 inch finely minced peeled ginger root
4 cloves minced garlic
1 t turmeric
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1 chopped jalapeno – seeded and diced
1 14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes - drained
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c water
3 cups coarsely chopped mizuna
1 c yogurt
1 c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until softened. Next add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and spices and cook for about a minute. Next add the chickpeas, tomatoes, lemon juice and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the mizuna and cook until wilted. Lastly stir in the yogurt and chopped cilantro.

Weekend Eats at the Jersey Shore - Crab Shack Brick, NJ

2010-06-06T11:35:00.007-04:00

I love this time of year and I love eating outside on the patio - sans the annoying flies! This weekend we enjoyed some local seafood - steamed crabs and grilled clams. We got the crabs already steamed and seasoned from The Crab Shack in Brick, NJ. The place is really a shack as its name implies but has some great local crabs and other seafood at reasonable prices. I find it charming that you can dine at wooden tables right next to big bushels of live crabs! We also picked up a couple of dozen little neck clans to grill up. I love that the clams tell you when they are done. Simply place them on a hot grill and once they open up, they are done - no guesswork involved. Serve them with a little drawn butter and enjoy! The crabs are a little messy and involve a little work, but are so good.

I also made homemade barbecued pulled pork sandwiches for the first time and they were just delicious. I may insult Southerners who can make great traditional pulled pork but I was happy with the results. I bought a boneless pork shoulder, brined it overnight (in a Ziploc), then seasoned it with a dry spice rub, popped it in the crock pot with Emeril's wet mop sauce and after six hours on low we had perfect crumbly and delicious pork. The weather was so hot, that it was nice to use the crock pot and not heat up the whole kitchen. I mixed the pulled pork with Hoboken Eddie's barbecue sauce and served it on a roll topped with coleslaw. As much as we had of the pork, it sure disappeared fast! Delicious!

The dry rub and brine solution are from the blog kevinandamanda.com. Thank you!
Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brine Solution (I halved the recipe)

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 qts cold water
1 1/2 tbsp dry rub mix
1 bay leaf

Eureka! Farm Fresh Eggs in Monmouth County, NJ

2010-06-04T19:06:00.000-04:00

Eggs fresh from a farm are so good! If you buy supermarket eggs please do yourself a favor and try them from a local farm or farmers market. You won't be sorry! The yolks are a deep yellow, and the taste and texture are great. I used to travel quite far to buy fresh eggs but just discovered a farm right on my way home from work on Red Hill Road in Middletown, NJ. There is a small, hand painted sign on the side of the road just past the entrance to the Parkway South. I love traveling back roads - you never know what you will find!

For years, many have been foregoing the delicious yolks in eggs, hence the ever popular egg white omelets. I recently read an interesting article in Cooking Light which relieves any guilt associated with enjoying whole eggs. Eggs are so versatile, nutritious, and delicious - perfect for a meatless Monday!

Random CSA Box Recipes and a Duck Rescue

2010-06-01T21:10:00.001-04:00

Well, I really enjoyed my first week of CSA vegetables. Tonight I get to put the box out on the porch for week 2. I am so excited to see what I'll receive. Below are a couple of the ways that I prepared the vegetables this week. I also made a delicious stir fry with the mizuna but it was too dark for good pictures.

Quinoa Salad with Pickled Radishes and Feta

This was such a light, refreshing, and healthful salad. I had the leftovers for lunch today - delicious!

Strawberry Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
CSA spring mix, almonds, feta, and fresh strawberries

My daughter Cailyn's favorite salad dressing:

Honey Balsamic Dressing
Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, olive oil, and soy sauce until the honey has dissolved, and the dressing is smooth.

We had some unexpected Memorial Day guests in our pool.
Don't worry! My husband Matt rescued all of the baby ducks.

CSA Vegetables - Asparagus, Radishes, and Chives

2010-05-30T07:33:00.002-04:00

When looking for inspiration on how to prepare our CSA vegetables, I poured through cookbooks, my latest food magazines, and searched some of my favorite food sites. One of my go-to sites is foodandwine.com. They have a great advanced search that has steered me in the right direction many times. My daughter Ashley was helping with the search and came across this recipe on foodandwine.com. She searched for orecchiette, asparagus, and goat cheese since we had all of those ingredients on hand. I went a little crazy and bought a bunch of DeCecco orecchiette because my local grocery store hasn't carried it in a long time and suddenly it was back, and on sale. I also bought goat cheese at Costco - so you know that we had plenty. Oh, and of course we had the gorgeous, fresh asparagus from my CSA box. The bonus is this recipe also uses chives which were also in my CSA box.

With delicious fresh produce and recipes like this one, I could easily, and I mean easily, become vegetarian. My family loved this pasta! Easy, healthy, and delicious - just perfect! I later noticed that this recipe is on the list of Food & Wines users' 30 favorite recipes list. This would be perfect for a "Meatless Monday". The only changes I made were to up the amount of goat cheese (I know- very bad - but it was so good!) and I also added fresh chive flowers.

I served the pasta with herbed butter and radish crostinis. I had come across an Ina Garten recipe for herbed butter served with whole radishes and toasted French bread. Stacey, of Stacey Snacks (another go-to site), suggested sliced radishes served on bread with a "swipe of butter". Stacey is an expert, so I knew that butter, bread, and radishes were the way to go! I decided to add some herbs (dill, scallions, and parsley) to my butter, and serve it on crostini with sliced radishes. Just delicious!

Creamy Goat Cheese and Asparagus Orecchiette
Recipe by Scott Conant
Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

3/4 pound orecchiette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
3/4 pound medium asparagus spears, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese (I used 4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon snipped chives

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until just al dente. Drain the orecchiette, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking water.

2.Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

3.Add the orecchiette and the reserved cooking water to the skillet along with the lemon juice and zest; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the orecchiette is al dente and the asparagus is just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the goat cheese and chives and stir until melted. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese.

My First CSA Box

2010-05-26T17:38:00.002-04:00

I received my first CSA box today! It was like Christmas morning! What's in the box?

Asparagus
Chives (with blossoms)
Mizuna
Radishes
Zesty Salad Mix (Red Russian Kale, Arugula, Baby Red Leaf Lettuce, Baby Green Leaf Lettuce)
Scallions (Yellow)

Now the fun part - what to make? I would love suggestions especially regarding the radishes and mizuna.

Fresh Picked New Jersey Strawberries

2010-05-23T16:42:00.001-04:00

Did you know that a serving of fresh strawberries contains 140% of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C? They also contain flavonoids which help lower bad cholesterol. Better yet, they are low in calories and just delicious! Enjoy them when they are available locally. These are a few of the ways that I have been enjoying the fresh berries:

Fresh Picked Strawberries from Cedar Hill Farms, Red Hill Road, Middletown, NJ $5.50/qt.

Sourdough French Toast topped with fresh strawberries - scrumptious!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries made with Valrhona Dark Chocolate - oh my!

Lemon Cornmeal Birthday Cake with Strawberries

2010-05-20T19:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday and a very nice birthday it was!

I received lots of birthday wishes from dear old friends and...

My father made me this beautiful windowsill herb garden that I just love! The perfect gift for me!

My mother gave me a gift certificate for a pedicure at a local spa - Ahhh...

I have three new cookbooks to add to my collection - thanks Cousin!

My husband gave me these pretty flowers although he wasn't supposed to buy me anything - thank you Matt!

Cailyn's friends called and sang Happy Birthday to me - love them all!

My daughters were both home for my birthday dinner - priceless!

NJ strawberries are finally here and they are so delicious! Fresh strawberry season in NJ goes by very quickly. I wanted a cake that I could top with strawberries that would not be too heavy or too sweet. Lemon Cornmeal Cake was just perfect! The cake recipe was adapted from Everyday Food's Orange Cornmeal Cake. I substituted the zest of two lemons for the orange zest that was called for in the recipe. I also used white wine instead of orange juice. I absolutely love this cake! I could write a poem about it! A great thing about it is that there is absolutely no butter or dairy in this cake. Make sure to use a good quality, mild flavored olive oil ( I used Frantoia). I'll be making this cake again soon! I also will be enjoying every moment of strawberry season in NJ.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

2010-05-18T17:20:00.004-04:00

Oh how I love Michael Psilakis's Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad from Food and Wine. He describes it as being "like pork souvlaki tossed with a salad." Spring greens, grilled vegetables (asparagus, onions, and tomatoes), sliced grilled pork tenderloin, prosciutto di Parma, and a zingy vinaigrette - perfect! It is a healthy and hearty main course salad. Great sides are olives, feta cheese, pita bread, and tzatziki. The asparagus was grown in NJ - now all I need are local tomatoes! I am so happy that grilling season is here! Opa!

Tzatziki Recipe
1/4 cup grated English cucumber
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Combine ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for approx. one hour before serving.

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-05-16T12:30:00.003-04:00

I love Ina Garten's recipe for homemade granola bars because it is so versatile and delicious. Making your own granola bars is nice because you know exactly what is in them. You can feel free to use any dried fruit that you like or even chocolate chips. I used 3/4 cup of Craisins and 3/4 cup of apricots since that is what I had on hand. You can also control the level of sweetness. I accidentally bought sweetened coconut so I decreased the brown sugar to 1/8 cup which worked out just fine. The bars also freeze well. Just make sure to press the mixture firmly into the pan and definitely use parchment paper to line the pan. They tend to break apart easily but any broken pieces are great to have with yogurt.

No excuse to not have a healthy breakfast! I will be grabbing one tomorrow morning as I head for the Garden State Parkway at 7:15 am. Monday morning commutes... ugh...

Homemade Granola Bars
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients

•2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
•1 cup sliced almonds
•1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
•1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•2/3 cup honey
•1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
•1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
•1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
•1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Pan Seared Grouper with Broccoli Rabe

2010-05-12T16:34:00.000-04:00

The seafood market had some nice fresh grouper - a fish that I have not had in ages. I wanted something different so I decided to bring some home. I had a bunch of broccoli rabe in the refrigerator. I do love broccoli rabe! So once again inspired by a menu item at a local restaurant, I put together this dish of pan seared fish atop of garlicky broccoli rabe, with cannellini beans, and grilled tomatoes. What a perfect combination of flavors - super healthy as well. On the side, we enjoyed fresh bread with roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella, and olives. I think that I may have a problem - I am an olive addict! Happy Wednesday!

Scallops with Tomatoes, Shiitakes, and Olives

2010-05-09T09:39:00.000-04:00

The idea for last night's dinner was inspired by a dish, "Day Boat Halibut, pan seared, with chardonnay, nicoise olives, shiitake mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil", served at a local restaurant in Point Pleasant Beach (Daniel's Bistro). Well, unable to get halibut from the seafood market, I decided to buy scallops. I have raved about our local scallops before - they are so fresh and delicious!

I seared the scallops in a pan with a little olive oil and butter. Once the scallops were cooked, I removed them to a plate. I added the shiitake mushrooms followed by Nature Sweet tomatoes (the ones in the net bag) cut in half. I deglazed the pan with some chardonnay and let some of the wine cook off. Next, I added some olives - the wrong olives! I could not find Nicoise in any of my local markets and instead used what I had, which was black olives. Not the best idea - I should have substituted maybe Kalamata or Gaeta because the black olives didn't quite work. Lastly, I swirled in a pat of butter, some fresh basil, and added back the scallops.

Even with the slight olive debacle, the dish was just delicious. My husband pushed the olives to the side and thoroughly enjoyed the scallops. I would not hesitate to make this again but with different olives.

I definitely need a Whole Foods or Wegmans closer to home!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

2010-05-04T17:22:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love Giada's recipe for Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil. This is a great weeknight meal for me because it is quick to prepare and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. Frozen shrimp, garlic, shallots, lemons, linguine, and olive oil are basic pantry items in most homes. I am a huge fan of arugula and generally keep a small tub of the Earthbound Farms or Olivia's Organics in the fridge.

I follow Giada's recipe except that I leave the lemon zest in the lemon oil instead of straining it out. I omit the lemon zest in the pasta step since I leave it in the lemon oil. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil. I used Frantoia and it was fabulous. Trust me this is delicious!

Chicken Piccata

2010-05-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

Chicken Piccata is one of my "go to" weeknight meals. It is so quick to make and the taste outweighs the effort. I love the lemon caper sauce - just delicious! I make it so often that I don't really follow a recipe or measure ingredients but it is very close to Giada's recipe. I like her proportions of lemon juice, chicken stock, and capers. You can always adjust the amount of lemon juice to taste. I also use her idea of whisking butter into the sauce at the end.

I served the chicken with Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle. I was a little skeptical about a flavored pasta but it was surprisingly delicious - you can really taste the lemon and fresh pepper. I tossed it in a little olive oil and it was just great. Some roasted asparagus on the side and we had a fabulous dinner in a flash.

Chicken Piccata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Simple Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

2010-04-27T16:55:00.003-04:00

I love making a roasted chicken - nothing is simpler and it is always a family favorite. I generally buy the small (3lb.) chickens, simply add a whole sliced lemon and some fresh thyme to the cavity, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 400 until cooked through. Delicious!

Well, this week I bought a larger chicken (about 7lbs.) and wanted to make something different than my old standby of late. I went with an old favorite, a one pan chicken with vegetables. I seasoned the chicken with salt, and freshly ground pepper. I added fresh thyme and a couple of bay leaves to the cavity and roasted at 375. When the chicken was half done, I added peeled, sliced red potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. I would have added some parsnips if I had any. Turnip would also be great. I tossed the vegetables every so often so that they did not burn.

Well, let me tell you how delicious the veggies are! They get caramelized and are just heavenly! They are the star in this dish. I could just eat a plate of the vegetables for dinner! So quick to throw together on a weeknight and I love only one pan to clean!

A Visit to Eastern Connecticut

2010-04-20T20:42:00.000-04:00

Pizza from the famous Frank Pepe's New Haven, CT

Falafel from The Pita Spot Mystic, CT

Captain Scott's Lobster Dock New London, CT

Lobster Roll and French Fries from Captain Scott's Lobster Dock New London, CT

Scene from Conn. College

Scene from Conn. College

This weekend my husband, daughter, and I visited Eastern Connecticut to attend Admitted Students' Day at the college that she will be attending in the fall. On the way up, we detoured into New Haven to enjoy one of Frank Pepe's famous tomato pies - delicious! You know that it will be good when there is a line outside of the place at 3pm!

We stayed in the picture perfect town of Old Saybrook, CT and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the hotel's waterfront restaurant. We also ventured into Mystic, CT and enjoyed fabulous falafels from The Pita Spot. The restaurant was adorable, spotless, and everything sounded so good. We will definitely return to sample more from the menu.

It was perfect weather for touring the beautiful campus. My daughter is now officially a member of the Class of 2014. We enjoyed a celebratory lobster roll at Captain Scott's in New London before heading home to the Jersey Shore. I love what I know of Eastern Connecticut and look forward to getting more familiar with the area.

Angel Hair Pasta with Scallops and Arugula

2010-04-17T14:15:00.001-04:00

We are fortunate here at the Jersey Shore to have the sweetest, most delicious day boat scallops available locally. They bear no resemblance to the water added scallop products found in most grocery stores. The scallops are so fresh and sweet that I am tempted to eat them raw! They are also a bargain at $10.99 per pound from my favorite seafood store, Point Lobster Company in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. I have been a loyal customer for years and I absolutely love the place. I highly recommend them for fresh lobsters, scallops, flounder, and fluke.

I was looking for a nice light preparation for the scallops and came across this recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website. I loved the combination of the shallots, peppery arugula, briny capers, and the crunch from the pine nuts. The flavors complimented the fresh scallops without overwhelming them. This is a great light meal to eat on the patio with a glass of wine.

Angel Hair Pasta with Scallops and Arugula

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. large sea scallops, side muscle
removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Leaves from 2 or 3 large fresh thyme sprigs,
minced
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 shallots, minced
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed
and drained
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 large bunch arugula, preferably small
leaved, stems removed

Directions:

Rinse the scallops and dry well with paper towels. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy fry pan over high heat, warm the olive oil until it shimmers. In batches without crowding, add the scallops and sear until nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over and brown the other side, about 1 minute more. Return all the scallops to the pan, add the lemon zest and thyme, and cook for a moment. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter and shallots to the pan. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 3 to 4 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, add the lemon juice and stock to the fry pan and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.Drain the pasta well and add it to the fry pan. Add the scallops and any juices that have accumulated, then add the capers and pine nuts. Toss over low heat to finish cooking the scallops and mix the ingredients, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Transfer to a warmed large, shallow bowl, add the arugula leaves and toss gently. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Quickest Dessert Ever!

2010-04-12T17:12:00.004-04:00

Fresh strawberries are abundant and inexpensive in the supermarkets right now. I, of course, love local strawberries and can't wait until June to have some fresh picked but I couldn't resist picking some up now. I could smell sweet strawberries as soon as I walked in the door of the supermarket!

I have been very busy and have not been devoting my usual amount of time to preparing meals and have been pulling out lots of short cuts. I decided to make pound cake, with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert with the berries. My first shortcut was to pick up an already baked butter pound cake from - yes - the supermarket! Honestly, I don't think that a homemade cake would have been that much better and was a huge timesaver. I washed and sliced the berries which took all of about two minutes. Now for the secret that I have turned to many times...I added 1/4 cup of raspberry preserves to a microwave safe bowl and microwaved for thirty seconds. I gave it a quick stir. I let it cool for a minute and then tossed the sliced strawberries into the melted preserves. The melted preserves add the perfect sweetness to the berries and I love the strawberry/raspberry combination. I am not sure where I picked up this trick but I think that it is great for those times when you need a quick dessert that is impossible to mess up! I served the strawberries on the pound cake and topped with fresh whipped cream. I did make the whipped cream which took only minutes. Quick and delicious!

Thank you all for the kind comments about my daughter. They were much appreciated!

Warm Lobster Roll

2010-04-04T17:32:00.002-04:00

Easter blessings to all!

Warm Lobster Rolls
Serves 4

3 1 1/2 pound lobsters
4 New England style hot dog rolls
Melted butter

Bring an extra large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobsters once the water has come to a full rolling boil. Make sure that the lobsters are fully submerged. Cook uncovered for 11-12 minutes after adding to the pot of boiling water. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the tail and claw meat from the shells. Chop the meat into bite size pieces (1-2").

Brush the flat outsides of the rolls with melted butter and toast on a griddle pan until lightly browned. Fill the buttered rolls with the lobster meat. Serve with melted butter, coleslaw, and French fries. Enjoy!

Favorite Coleslaw

1 head shredded cabbage
2 shredded carrots

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons grated onion

Shred the carrots and cabbage. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients. Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots with the dressing. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Spring Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, and Prosciutto

2010-03-30T17:07:00.002-04:00

"Spring has sprung, the grass is ris; I wonder where the birdies is?" I have no idea of the origin of that silly poem but I remember my grandfather reciting it to me as a kid and can't help but think of it at this time each year! Happy spring everyone!

I am so ready for warm weather, and fresh, lighter foods. It is also great to see fresh asparagus abundantly available. I made this spring pasta dish with what I had on hand and thought that it was just perfect. I have been extraordinarily busy and this came together quickly, and was delicious.

My next post will be in honor of my daughter Cailyn. She was accepted to her first choice college yesterday!

Spring Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, and Prosciutto

¾ pound favorite pasta
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano.
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
½ cup petite frozen peas, defrosted
1 cup reserved pasta water
6 oz. sliced prosciutto
6 tablespoons sliced basil
salt and pepper to taste

Boil asparagus for 3 minutes in a large pot of salted water. Remove to an ice bath with tongs or a spider. Reserve the water for cooking the pasta. Cut asparagus into 1 ½ inch pieces. Cook penne in the water that was used to cook the asparagus. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic, and cook until it is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Be careful not to burn the garlic. Next add the peas and the prosciutto. Lastly add the asparagus. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the contents of the sauté pan to the pasta in a large serving bowl. Toss to combine. If the pasta is dry add some of the reserved pasta water. Add the basil and grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss and serve immediately.

Perfect Corned Beef Baked in Foil with Braised Vegetables

2010-03-22T19:40:00.005-04:00

Well the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day continues at the Jersey Shore. The weather this weekend was picture perfect following the terrible storms of late. There was a large turnout for the annual Seaside Heights, NJ St. Patrick’s Day parade which had been postponed by the storm. The local Irish pubs were also hopping. Since we had Irish stew on the 17th, I still had not made corned beef and cabbage. I can’t imagine the entire month of March going by without having it at least once!

I really don’t like the traditional boiled corned beef and vegetables. In my daughter’s words “it is flubbery!” The vegetables get soggy and get coated with fat – yuck! The boiling hunk of meat is just extremely unappealing to me.

Well a few years back, I began cooking my corned beef in the oven wrapped in foil. Simply soak the corned beef brisket (3-4 lbs.) in a pot of water to remove some of the salt. After a half hour or so rinse the brisket and pat it dry with paper towels. Line a shallow 9x13 baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Pour ¼ cup of water over the brisket and seal the foil tightly around the brisket. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for four hours. Trim the remaining fat and be sure to slice the meat against the grain. This method makes perfect corned beef!

I really like braised vegetables as opposed to boiled ones. The method is so simple but absolutely outstanding. Simply cut a trimmed cabbage into wedges, add a sliced onion, two peeled and sliced carrots, and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a ¼ cup mild flavored extra virgin olive oil (I used Frantoia) and ¼ cup chicken stock. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it in the oven with the corned beef when two hours of cooking time remain. Once the corned beef is out of the oven, raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover the vegetables and continue cooking until lightly browned (approx. 10-15 minutes). I added a capful of balsamic vinegar before returning the vegetables to the oven based on a suggestion found here– great idea - just delicious! I also served potatoes tossed with Irish butter and parsley. Perfect corned beef and cabbage dinner!

St. Patrick's Day Favorites - Beef & Smithwick's Stew & Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

Beef and Smithwick's Stew

I love St. Patrick's Day! What a great holiday - no pressure, just good traditional food, festive music, the "wearin' of green", and a beer or two. Since I am half Irish (my mother is 100% Irish), I like to celebrate each year. Oh, and a great way to start the day is a green bagel (not Irish but very Jersey Shore)! This year I made an Irish stew instead of the Irish-American classic of corned beef and cabbage. I saw the recipe for Beef and Guinness Stew in the March issue of Cooking Light and decided that would be dinner on St. Patrick's Day. I followed the recipe fairly closely but substituted potato for the turnip and Smithwick's for the Guinness Extra Stout. Smithwick's (pronounced smitiks) is an Irish Ale from the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. When we were in Ireland, it was the favorite of the local pub goers (it is a lighter ale). My husband prefers it to the Guinness, so I figured why not try it in the stew. It was absolutely delicious!

Irish Soda Bread

What would St. Patrick's Day be without a slice of Irish Soda bread slathered with Kerrygold butter? I have been searching out a good Irish soda bread recipe and finally found one that I loved. I prefer a moist and slightly sweet soda bread that I can enjoy with my Bewley's Irish tea. This family recipe is courtesy of Kathleen Reynolds, an editor for Edible Jersey Magazine. I am so glad that Kathleen shared it in her e-newsletter!

3 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar (scant)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 TBS carroway seeds
1 cup raisins
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350
Grease loaf pan.
In large bowl, mix dried ingredients well- including raisins.
Add buttermilk, stir until blended.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Best Blueberry Pancakes

2010-03-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

This is the very first recipe that I ever posted and I think that it is deserving of a re-post. My family loves these pancakes and it is my go-to pancake recipe. Blueberry pancakes are my favorite which is only natural since the blueberry is NJ's state fruit. I can't wait for some fresh blueberries from Emery's Blueberry Farms in New Egypt, NJ! If you live anywhere in the area it is a great place to visit and pick your own fresh, organic blueberries. I made these with frozen blueberries from Trader Joe's - still very good. The whipped egg whites make these pancakes nice and fluffy. A little pat of Kerrygold Irish butter (love it!) and some warmed real maple syrup - perfect pancakes! Have a great weekend!

Recipe found here.