1lb swordfish steak
1 tomato, chopped
Handful of bocconcini, halved or a sliced ball of mozzarella
Handful of fresh basil, sliced in chiffonade
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Premade or Fresh Pesto
Optional: Crusty bread
The Carnivorous Herbivore |
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I had a date night in last week, and felt very inspired when I thought of this dish. I wanted to make a fancy fish. I saw what the store had, and swordfish steaks were on sale, so I went for it. Of course I wanted to keep it simple; I opted back to the grill pan. But it still needed something... Pesto! Add a side caprese salad, and some good bread, and dinner was served! I love the pesto with the fish, as it just adds so much flavor. The caprese salad is my favorite summer salad, so I love making anything and everything with it. The basil in both brought the dish together. Perfect with a good white wine, and someone to love! You'll need: 1lb swordfish steak 1 tomato, chopped Handful of bocconcini, halved or a sliced ball of mozzarella Handful of fresh basil, sliced in chiffonade Olive oil Salt and pepper Premade or Fresh Pesto Optional: Crusty bread Let the swordfish hang out on the counter in it's package while you make your salad. Chop the tomato and slice the mozzarella. Lay out the leaves of basil on top of each other, and roll it up lengthwise. Slice the basil crosswise to create ribbons. Mix the basil with the tomato and mozzarella. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Now either make your pesto or take it out of the fridge (I bought a good-quality one from Agata & Valentina). Preheat your grill to hot, and season the exposed side of your fish. When your grill has come up to temp, spray the pan with cooking spray, and carefully lay the fish on the grill, seasoned-side down. Season the exposed side of the fish while you cook for two minutes, flip, and cook for two minutes more. Now flip again, but turn the fish to create x-shaped grill marks. Cook for one minute and flip, cooking for a last minute (total of three minutes per side). Remove the fish to a plate, and slice the steak in half, if needed. Serve with the caprese salad on the side, and some pesto drizzled over the fish, more on the side for your bread. Enjoy!
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Deer in the backyard. While I was at my Grandpa's, my Aunt, Cousin, and her two children spent the day with us. My mom decided on this dish, a family favorite of ours, for dinner. My mom found this recipe in the Boston Globe Magazine; it was the winner of a recipe contest, so you know it's good! We ate on the back porch, and the deer ate with us. My grandpa feeds the deer, as so many people fence them out nowadays, they can't move around to get to where they can eat. This dish is super-plentiful, though! Cooking the spaghetti in chicken broth creates this delicious creamy sauce, and this one-pot-meal is perfectly well-rounded. Share this dish with family and friends, as it's a real crowd-pleaser! You'll need: 2 lbs Italian Sausage, I like a mix of spicy and sweet, halved lengthwise and sliced in 1-in pieces (or use pre-cooked chicken sausage and cook the onion first in olive oil) 1 large yellow onion, chopped 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 lb thin spaghetti, halved or in thirds 2 10 oz bags baby spinach 1 cup half and half 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Optional: Side salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumber with balsamic vinaigrette Baguette with butter Note: This makes a lot of food. We had six adults eating this, and still had leftovers! But if you're making this for a large party, it's great to not worry about guests going hungry! Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the sausage. Once the sausage has begun to release oil (2 minutes), add the onion and cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Spoon or drain off fat if needed, then add 5 cups of broth and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. The spaghetti will soak up the broth as it cooks, but that is what you want. If it looks too dry, add more broth. Add the spinach and cover to wilt, in batches if you need to. Stir in the half and half and the parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce thickens. Serve with optional salad and bread. Enjoy with family! During my time away, I helped my mom cook dinner (and by "helped" I mean: stand next to her with a glass of wine and take pictures of her cooking. I love my mom!). This dish was very easy, and was done in less than thirty minutes. The fish recipe was from the April 3, 2011 New York Times Magazine, the sides are all my mom! Broiling the fish keeps it moist, and slightly caramelizes the tomatoes. Steamed summer vegetables and roasted potatoes round out the meal. Delicious with wine from Dad's wine cellar--we had a white Burgundy. First course was brie with crackers; dessert was Neopolitan ice cream strewn with blueberries. A wonderful dinner with family. Serves 4 You'll need: 3 whitefish fillets, we used catfish (about 1 1/2 lb) Salt and pepper, to taste olive oil 1 lb sliced tomatoes 2 tbs rinsed chopped capers 2 tbs chopped red onion Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish 1 ear corn, kernels removed 2 tiny zucchini, chopped 1 small summer squash, chopped Butter New potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed First, pierce your potatoes with a fork, and, in batches of four, microwave them on high for five minutes. Set aside. Chop your zucchini, squash and corn, and mix in a microwave-safe bowl. Dab the top with butter, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. Mix the tomatoes, capers, and onion, and drizzle with olive oil, seasoning to taste. Line a baking pan with foil, and spray with cooking spray. Set the fish on the pan, and season to taste. Top with the tomato mixture. Carefully slice the potatoes in half, toss with olive oil, and season to taste. Place the potatoes in an oven-safe dish. Set your oven to broil, and add the potatoes on a low rack, setting the other rack to the top position. When the oven is at temp, add the fish, and cook for five to seven minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the tomatoes are slightly caramelized. Meanwhile, steam the squash mixture for three to five minutes on high in the microwave. When the fish is out of the oven, top with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately, and enjoy! I love summer picnics. Take your friends and your dog (if puppies are allowed), and go outside to eat in nature... or "nature" if you live in the city! This time I was yearning for roast beef, but wanted something a little different from the usual mustard or mayo. I modified one of my favorite beef sauces to spread on the bread. Add some chips and fruit salad (don't forget the iced tea!) and you're ready for a picnic. I sadly missed a going-away picnic yesterday. The weather and my work schedule didn't allow me to get there... Bon voyage, Kelsey! I know you'll be amazing! You can read about her exploits at Shanghai'ed. You'll need: 1 demi-baguette 5 slices roast beef 2 slices fresh tomato, halved 3 leaves lettuce, ends trimmed 1 slice red onion, separated in half-moons Horseradish spread, recipe below For the Horseradish Spread: 2 tbs prepared horseradish 1 tbs Dijon mustard 2 tbs Sour cream Salt and pepper, to taste First make your spread. Mix the horseradish, dijon and sour cream, and season a bit to taste. Note: taste your spread. If you like it a bit spicier, feel free to add more horseradish or Dijon, and remember the other ingredients will make the end result less spicy! Slice your demi-baguette almost in half, leaving one long edge intact. Spread with all of the horseradish spread. Layer in the meat, tomato and onion, and season to taste. Add your lettuce and, using the back of a knife, carefully fold it into the sandwich so you can close it. Slice your sandwich in half, and wrap for easy carrying. Serve with your favorite picnic foods. Enjoy! After falling in love with hummus, I found out that although it is good for you in moderation, most pre-packaged brands have many more fats and preservatives that trump the nutritional value. Happily, I was recently at a friend's housewarming, and one of the guests brought a homemade hummus. His family recipe has almost no olive oil, and only adds a bit at the end for extra flavor, thus the nutrition is higher, and the taste is unbelievably good. I found a similar version at one of my new favorite blogs: The Shiksa in the Kitchen, and her recipe is below, with just a few additions from me (hummus thrives on personal preference, after all!). Serve with naan, pita, or sliced vegetables! To roast garlic, you'll need: 1 head garlic Olive oil Salt For the hummus (yes, I halved the recipe!): 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved 1/6 cup (8 tsp) tahini paste 3-4 roasted garlic cloves Juice of 1 lemon 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, more for garnish 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp cumin Pinch cayanne pepper Smoked sweet paprika and freshly chopped parsley for garnish To roast your garlic, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel off the outer skin of the garlic, so the separate cloves are visible, but not totally peeled. Slice the top quarter off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic in tin foil, and drizzle some olive oil over the top. Add some salt, if desired. Wrap the garlic tightly in the foil, and place upright in an ovenproof container. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the cloves have browned and are soft (see above). Note: be careful when you unwrap your garlic--there's hot steam inside that package! Let the garlic cool to room temperature. Another note: you might have extra garlic cloves after you make this recipe--try them on toast--they're delicious on their own. Meanwhile, get the rest of the ingredients together for the hummus. Place chickpeas, tahini paste, roasted garlic, lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and 1 1/2 tsp of the reserved chickpea water into your food processor. Pulse the food processor for about 60 seconds, until the mixture is smooth. Taste your hummus. If you feel you need extra anything (tahini, garlic, lemon etc.) add more to taste. If the hummus is too thick, add more chickpea liquid. Process again to blend the added ingredients. Transfer your hummus to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the paprika and parsley. Serve with pita, naan, or vegetables of your choice! Enjoy! A dear friend of mine goes away to work every summer, so we got together to say goodbye with a few others for a lovely dinner. This dinner was very loosely-based on a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, but was changed completely by my friend's request for olives in the meatloaf! I had never added such an ingredient myself, but it turned out delicious, and the pancetta kept everything moist and became beautifully brown and slightly crunchy, as we roasted it uncovered (Giada wrapps hers in parchment). The roasted veggies were perfectly simple, just olive oil, salt and pepper, and were a great accompaniment to something so complex. You'll need: 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 celery ribs, chopped 1/3 cup chopped green olives with pimentos 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme Salt and pepper 2 tbs tomato paste 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1- 1 1/3 lb lean ground turkey 8 slices prosciutto 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs 2 eggs The sides: 1 bag mixed new potatoes 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed Olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Now get everything for the meatloaf chopped and ready. Mix the ground meat well, and form into a loaf shape. Place the meat loaf in the loaf pan and gently wrap the pancetta over the top and around the sides, wrapping as completely as you can. Place the meatloaf in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes while you get the veggies ready. Meanwhile, place the new potatoes in a large pot of salted water, and bring to the boil. Let boil for five minutes. Drain. Toss the potatoes and asparagus with olive oil on a foil-lined sheet tray and season well. Place everything in the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes until the loaf is cooked through and the veggies are perfect. Enjoy! Another all-American dish is the sloppy joe. A few weeks ago, I went to a friend's house for dinner. I love cooking with friends as we always have tons of fun sharing and making food together. My friend Maya found this recipe on the food network website, and it's a perfect sloppy joe recipe: it's hearty and filling without being too watery, and the hint of barbecue sauce really brings all the flavors together. We ate this dish with a simple tomato cucumber salad, lightly dressed with a red horseradish, wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. We used a mixture of ground beef and veal for this recipe, but feel free to just use the beef if you aren't into eating veal. You'll need: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 2 pounds lean ground beef or a beef/veal mix 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup barbecue sauce (we used Jack Daniels) 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco 8 hamburger buns, split For the salad: 1 package cherry tomatoes, 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped Heat oil in a large skillet or pot with straight sides. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the vegetables. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, breaking up the meat as you go, until the meat is no longer pink and is fully cooked. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce to the skillet. Stir. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve on the buns. Meanwhile, chop your veggies for the salad, and mix together 1 1/2 tsp prepared red horseradish, 1 tbs red wine vinegar, and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Whisk in olive oil (up to 1/4 cup) to emulsify. Dress your salad, and serve with the sloppy joes. We toasted our buns, but that's an optional step. Enjoy! I have a confession to make. I did not cook this dish, but it doesn't mean I don't plan to!! My friend Maya is an amazing cook. She is adventurous, and always finds the best recipes in cook books and online, and she finds one flavor to add that really makes the meal pop. I went to her house for a party a while ago, and was completely wowed. We started with some cheese and crackers, and fresh cherry tomatoes for a summery flavor. Then we all sat down to this. It is a Rachel Ray recipe, but Maya served it with a simple baby arugula salad, some fresh bread, and perfect sauteed shrimp for a fancy touch. It was a delicious meal, and a wonderful time was had by all! All you need to make this a meal is to add some friends, great conversation, and a good glass of crisp white wine! You'll need: Olive oil, 2-4 tbs 2 cloves chopped garlic 2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 small yellow onion, chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp tumeric 1/4-1/2 tsp ground chipotle salt and pepper 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 28oz can fire-roasted tomatoes Greek yogurt and fresh bread, to serve Optional: 1 lb shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined Baby arugula with a white balsamic, lemon juice and olive oil dressing (recipe follows) Get a pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for three minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add the chickpeas. Season with the cumin, cardamom, tumeric, chipotle, salt and pepper. Stir in the stock, then the tomatoes. Simmer the soup for ten minutes to marry the flavors. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp for about four minutes, or until they have turned pink and are just cooked through. Now, using an immersion blender, blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully (and in small batches) blend the soup with a towel held over the lid. Serve the soup with a dollop of yogurt, a few shrimp over the top, and a good bread on the side. For the baby arugula salad, you'll need: Baby arugula 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice Salt and pepper 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup olive oil 1 1/2 tsp honey Combine the vinegar and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Whisk in the honey. Lightly dress the arugula with the dressing, reserving any extra dressing in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for future use. Enjoy! Faithful readers, I apologize for not posting yesterday. For the last four months, I have tried my darndest to get a post out almost every day (usually taking Saturdays off). Yesterday, I was just clicking away from my "edit" page to look at something, and I realized I hadn't saved. Unfortunately, by then I had to walk the dog, shower, and get ready for work. Sadly, I never got a chance to rewrite. So, finally: a gorgeous summer dish that works perfectly while dining outdoors and is complete with a cool glass of white wine! I took my inspiration from Ina Garten, making just a few alterations. My mom has a recipe for scampi that includes white wine in the sauce--I'll try that next time!! You'll need: 1/2 lb linguine 1 lb shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined 2 tbs unsalted butter 1 1/2 tbs olive oil 4 cloves minced garlic 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped Zest 1/2 lemon Juice 1 lemon Red pepper flakes, to taste Optional: Garnish of lemon wedges Parmesan cheese, to serve Place a salted pot of water over high heat to boil. Cook the linguine according to the package directions for "al dente" style. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and oil, and stir. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, making sure it doesn't burn. Add the shrimp and season to taste, cooking for about five minutes, or just until the flesh turns pink. Remove from heat. Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the sauce. Toss to combine all. Serve with optional lemon garnish and plenty of Parmesan cheese! Enjoy! I made this recipe a long time ago... as in the day the rapture was supposed to happen. I decided that if it was going to be the end of the world, I was going to eat something delicious beforehand! I got the inspiration for this dish from a friend who uses a similar combination of flavors for tacos. Here, I was running out of time (the supposed "exact time," I mean), so I used canned veggies, but feel free to use fresh if you wish. This made me a dozen empanadas, and I had a lot of extra meat left. Either slim it down by using less meat, make a double dough recipe, or use the filling in tacos or a taco pizza (coming soon!) like I did. For the dough: 2 1/4 cups flour (1/4 cup whole wheat) 1 stick cold or frozen butter, diced 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup ice water 1 tbs vinegar 1 egg For the filling: 3/4 lb ground beef 1/2 cup chopped vidalia or yellow onion 1 tbs tomato paste 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp cumin Dash of Chipotle powder Dash of cayanne 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 14.5 oz can diced tomato with green pepper and onion 1 8oz can sweet yellow corn Can Refried Beans (I like Amy's Low Salt Black Beans) 1 egg, for an egg wash Optional: cheddar cheese, shredded, and hot sauce First make your dough: combine the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, mix in the butter until it is the size of small peas. In a separate bowl, combine the ice water, egg and vinegar. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just to combine. When the dough has come together, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to a day if making in advance. To make the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little oil, and add the onion to the skillet. When it is just starting to soften, add the meat. Break the meat up with a spoon as you cook it. As the meat browns, add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, cumin, chipotle, cayanne and garlic powder. Mix to combine. Open and drain your cans of veggies. When the meat is cooked through, add the tomatoes and corn. Stir. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Working in batches, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until it is 1/8 inch thick. Using a round bowl or container as a guide, cut into 5 inch rounds. When all the dough has been prepared (I got 12 rounds), start filling! Open the refried beans and smear a teaspoon into each round, then spoon a tablespoon or two of filling into each round. Add the cheese, if using. Carefully fold the dough around the filling, and pinch the edge to seal completely. Place the empanadas on the baking sheet. When all are made, whisk your egg with a splash of water and brush over the tops. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let rest for five minutes, and enjoy with hot sauce! |
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