Mizuna in the Box

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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