Snack Time with President Obama

According to The Kitchn, President Obama opts for cheese, crackers, & pears when it comes to snack time. Butterfly crackers! Isn't this adorable? That's all. Just wanted to share the cute-ness.

Simple Supper: Grilled Chicken Breast, Carrot Ribbons & Pear with Curry Vinaigrette

I have a morning ritual. I kind of hate to admit it. It's a bit silly. But okay, I'll tell you. Here goes... With out fail, every week day morning while sipping my coffee I watch Everyday Italian. Yes, it's a bit much, I know. Some how, I've slipped into this comfortable habit. It's keeps me on my toes, so to speak. Or maybe I just like staring at Giada's gorgeous ..... um.. kitchen!

Regardless of motives, this ritual helps me fill out my weekly menu without much effort. On one of my many mornings curled up on the couch I watched the petite chef pour a stout curry vinaigrette over, of all things, pear slices! Mmmm-ing & ooo-ing she sung its praises. Now, I love pears tossed in a mixed salad with a bit of balsamic, but curry sounded a bit, well, odd. My interest perked, I had to give it a shot. And, as per usual, she was right.

Grilled Chicken Breast, Carrot Ribbons & Pear with Curry Vinaigrette
adapted from Giada de Laurnetiis

1 large chicken breast*

2 carrots, cut into 1/8" thick ribbons**

2 pears, cut into 1/4" slices

1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Bring a grill pan up to medium-high heat & salt & pepper the chicken breast. Drizzle the pan with olive oil & sear the breast until cooked through, about 6 minutes on each side. Set the chicken aside to cool.

In a blender blend the curry powder, vinegars, honey, salt, & pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending. This will give the dressing a thicker consistency. Toss together the pear slices, carrot ribbons, & parsley in a salad bowl & drizzle the dressing over the veggies. Toss to combine.

Slice the chicken breast in 1" strips. Make a bed of the carrot & pear salad & nestle the strips of chicken on top.

* The chicken is optional & not called for in the original recipe. I added it for a more complete meal, but you can just as easily skip it (this means you Gina!).
**To easily make carrot ribbons use a vegetable peeler. Peel down the entire length of the carrot. Make sure to turn the carrot after each peel - the ribbons are more consistent this way.

Simple Supper: Spanish Shrimp Salad

The wind whipped so much sand into our eyes & beer cans that the beach had to be abandoned this weekend. We quickly too refuge at the nearest tourist trap disguised as a beach side cafe & dove into tropical drinks & shrimp salads. The drinks were stronger than expected, but the salad (not unlike all their other food) - weak. Typical boiled shrimp plopped on top of wilted lettuce. No loss, by the second round of piña coladas & blue moons we would have been happy with just about anything.

Here's my alternative to that sad shrimp salad: Crunchy & light, this spanish shrimp salad bulks up on veggies & skips ubiquitous lettuce. Opting out of the usual boiled-to-death shrimp, warm roasted shrimp lends a smokey, hearty bite. Shrimp salad can be flavorful & hearty -- just don't look for it at beach side tourist cafes.

Spanish Shrimp Salad

1 small jamaica, peeled & sliced in 1" strips*

1 small red bell pepper, sliced in 1" strips

1 - 2 small cucumbers, sliced in 1" strips
1 tbsp. pimenton

1 dzn. shrimp, peeled & de-veined

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

1 small shallot, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F & line a small roasting pan with tin foil. Toss the shrimp in 1 tbsp. olive oil, pimenton, salt & pepper. Roast for 6 - 8 minutes or until they are bright pink. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Toss the sliced veggies* in a bowl with the cooled shrimp. In a small jar, add the remaining olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, shallot, cilantro, salt & pepper & shake vigorously. Pour the dressing over the veggies and shrimp.

*Jamaica can be a bit tough to peel. I recommend slicing the top & bottom 1/2" off & running your knife along the sides working your way down -- similarly to peeling an orange or grapefruit -- until add the skin is removed.

Lavender Dijon Chops with Thyme Sweet Potato Spears

Pork chops get a bad wrap. They're dry -- They don't have any flavor -- They're tough - are the complaints I hear most often.  All are true if you just slap 'em in a skillet or on a grill. Pork needs a little more coaxing than that. Brining combats pork's notoriously dry texture & a good marinade will punch up the flavor. So before you knock chops again try a good quick brine or marinade. 

A lighter take on classic Southern pork chops & mashed sweet potatoes, these lavender dijon chops with thyme sweet potato spears are perfect for a cool spring evening. The clean, tangy flavor combination of lavender & dijon compliments pork beautifully & the thyme really enhances the buttery sweetness of sweet potatoes.

Lavender Dijon Chops

2 4 - 6 oz. center cut pork chops
1/2 c. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh lavender, minced
1/4 c. dry white wine
a liberal splash of apple cider vinegar

Combine the dijon, olive oil, wine, & vinegar in a medium bowl. Toss the chops in the marinade & sprinkle both sides with lavender, salt, & pepper. Marinade for an hour or more in the refrigerator.

After marinating, let the chops come to room temperature & bring a grill pan up to medium-high heat. Sear the chops for 5 - 6 minutes on each side.

Thyme Sweet Potato Spears
1 medium sweet potato, cut in 1" thick spears
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
salt to taste
pepper to tastePreheat the oven to 400F. Meanwhile, toss the sweet potato spears in olive oil, salt, pepper, & thyme. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes in an oven safe, lined pan. 

Once cooled, salt once more to taste & sprinkle with a bit more fresh thyme.

Torta di Carciofi e Spinaci

There's something soothing about the modest combination of spinach & ricotta. It's nutty, creamy, flavor is so familiar -- reminiscent of childhood favorites like stuffed shells & lasagna. So, after last week's brief unintended cooking hiatus Luisa's torta stuffed with ricotta & artichoke hearts looked just perfect. 

This Italian meat (or in this case, vegetable) & cheese pie can be likened to a quiche or fritatta with a lighter, flakier crust. I like to use puff pastry, but some folks prefer a good pizza dough. Which ever you choose, a torta makes a nice & comfy dinner.

Torta di Carciofi e Spinaci, serves 6 - 8

recipe adapted from The Wednesday Chef

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
10 oz. artichoke hearts
1 c. frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 tbsp. olive oil

20 grates of nutmeg
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 c. fresh parsley, minced
1 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs

1/2 tbsp. salt
1/4 tbsp. pepper

In a medium sauté pan brown the artichoke hearts over low heat for 20 - 30 minutes in olive oil. In the last 10 minutes add the thyme & spinach to heat through. Remove the mixture to a large cutting board & coarsely chop the hearts. Let cool for 15 minutes.

While the mixture cools, butter a 10" or 12" round oven-safe baking dish & line it with the puff pastry. Some will hang over. Leave this for later.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 egg, & parmesan cheese. Grate in the nutmeg & add the salt & pepper. Fold in the artichoke mixture & pour into the puff pastry. Fold the remaining pastry over the filling & brush with the remaining egg. (You can sprinkle with a bit more parmesan at this point if you're a fiend like me!). Bake for 45 - 50 minutes & let cool for 10 before serving.

Smitten: Frigidaire Flair

Readers, I've let you down. I'm flailing. It's been a week of take out Chinese, late night burgers, & drive-thru windows. There was a bright rémoulade salad & simple roasted chicken mingled in the muck of lazy easy-access food. Eh, these weeks happen. Maybe if this sunner of a stove was shacked up in my kitchen this would happen less often.

Design*Sponge, in all of its things-I-never-knew-I-needed wisdom, posted a house tour earlier this week featuring this amazing mid-century stove, the Frigidaire Flair. "The Happiest thing that ever happened to cooking...OR YOU!".... so promises this 1962 brochure for the retro stove. With the oven nestled on top, its cooktop can be rolled in for storage. I'm not sure about the "happiest thing ever" business, but it would would be nice tucked in the little cubicle I call a kitchen. Maybe I'd be less inclined to dail up Red Pepper. Maybe.

Images, Design*Sponge, Dan Langdon.

Texan & Angeleno Guacamole

I've had a long standing love affair with avocados. My earliest exploits in the kitchen involved a fork, avocado, limes, & salt whipping up batches of rudimentary guacamole. I've stood by this basic recipe for ages & rarely stray from it. It's simplicity can't be beat. Tart lime juice, salt & avocados were meant for each other.

Well, I may have to eat my words after stumbling across Lottie + Doof's interview with CFDA winning designer Vena Cava's (my favorite!) Sophie Buhai. Sweet v. Salty, Chocolate v. Vanilla, & favorite restaurants were covered, but my ears (or eyes as the case may be) perked up when Sophie's LA style guacamole recipe came into play. She says "there are only too [sic] things you need to remember to get right: it should be a little chunky, not too smooth and it should be spicy, but not too hot." To top it off, this up & coming designer serves her guac right in the avocado shell. What a fantastic idea! Why didn't I think of that?

Laura's Texan Guacamole

4 ripe haas avocados

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

2 large limes, juiced

salt to taste

In a bowl combine all ingredients & mash with a fork. Add more lime & salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips -- homemade if you have the time, it makes all the difference!

Sophie's Angeleno Guacamole

4 haas avocados
1/4-1/2 red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup diced red onion)
bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 limes
1/2 habanero or serrano chile, stemmed and seeded (depending on how hot you want it you can add seeds)salt to taste
black pepper

Put pitted avocados in bowl. Add red onion, the juice of one lime, cilantro, and chile. Mash contents with fork. Taste, and add salt, pepper and more lime juice until is tastes good to you.

Top two & bottom two images, Lottie + Doof

Polenta Poblanos

As far back as I can recall, Thursdays have always been my favorite. Blame it on must-see-tv or the weekend's proximity, but Thursday really does it for me. I save the last real weeknight for special suppers - for the one thing I've been holding out all week - the one thing I've been itching to try. Earlier this week a smokey polenta stuffed poblano recipe caught my eye & I knew it was destined for Thursday night supper.

I can safely count Italian & Mexican cuisines among my favorites. Both have that can't-put-your-finger-on-it comforting richness to them. Both make the most of meager ingredients. And most importantly, both do beautiful things with cheese! Borrowing from Mexican & Italian staples, this Mex-talian dish is a perfect marriage. The creamy, tangy goat cheese polenta is a perfect foil to the smokey salsa & poblano peppers. Try serving this dish with a light rice pilaf, a black eyed peas, or my favorite Mexican mixed green salad (a simple combination of mandarin orange slices, red onion, & greens). Don't forget a good cold beer, Mexican please, or a yummy Mexican Martini.

Polenta Poblanos
recipe adapted from Real Simple

2 large poblanos

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. quick cook polenta

2 tbsp. goat cheese

1/4 - 1/2 c. smoked salsa* (or your favorite salsa)

1 tbsp. cilantro

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

salt to taste

Pre-heat the broiler & slice the poblanos in half length wise. Place them cut side down & drizzle with olive oil & salt. Broil for 5- 8 minutes or until the skin is slightly charred.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Meanwhile, bring the water to boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat & whisk in the polenta. Season with cilantro & garlic powder. Add the goat cheese & whisk together.

Stuff each poblano half with polenta & drizzle salsa & remaining goat cheese in an oven safe baking dish, and bake for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

*Smoked Salsa

1 dzn. cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro

1 small white onion (optional)

1 tsp. olive oil

Pre-heat the broiler & place the tomatoes on a lined baking sheet cut side down. Broil for 5 - 8 minutes or until the skins are lightly charred. Purée all ingredients in a food processor. This salsa will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Cuban Mixto Sandwich

They know who I am now. Well, they know me by order anyway. It's the kind of little coffee/sandwich shop around the corner that requires no effort -- in the best sort of way. You walk in. You plop down. You don't think twice about what you order. The Cuban. Spicy mayo, salty ham, & tart pickles are stuffed in this delicious little pressed sandwich. Always the bright spot during my 9 to 5 (or 11 to 5 as the case may be), I decided to replicate this spicy sandwich at home. As luck would have it, it's even better when paired with a tall, cold IPA.

Cuban Mixto Sandwich

1 medium loaf ciabatta bread, sliced in thirds

1/2 - 1 lb. smoked black forest ham

1 - 3 smoked chipotle peppers (depending on your heat tollerance), finely minced

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 dozen dill pickle slices (plus more for sides)

6 slices provolone or swiss cheese

Heat your grill pan over medium-high heat. Then whip the minced chipotle peppers with the mayonnaise (this can be done simple with a fork or in a food processor). Set the chipotle mayo aside then slice the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise then slice it into thirds (or fourths depending on how many you're feeding).

Spread the chipotle mayo on one slice of the bread & plain mayon on the other then fill the sandwich with the sliced ham, cheese & pickles. Press on the grill for 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until the bread turns golden brown & the cheese begins to melt.

Serve with your favorite sides. I like a simple green salad, pickle spears, or potato salad.

Simple Supper: Spring Green Fritatta

I'm not sure what to tell you about this lovely little fritatta. It's bright. It's light. It's fresh. It's green. It's a perfect meal for a spring evening (not to mention, it takes mere minutes to make). Meals packed with veggies - especially green ones - always feel like spring to me. Try this recipe with what ever vegetables are fresh & available to you, peppers, zucchini, & squash all work well. Heck, fritattas are even good with a handful of fresh herbs & some nice cheese. So, get creative & enjoy the spring bounty.

Spring Green Frittata
6 - 7 eggs

a small bundle of asparagus spears

1 c. frzn. peas

1 tbsp. fresh basil

1/2 tbsp. fresh mint

1 yellow onion, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. soft goat cheese

1/4 c. chicken stock

1 tbsp. or so italian bread crumbs

salt to taste

pepper to taste

In a cast iron skillet (cast iron is important here - it gives it a richer flavor) saute the onions in olive oil until the begin to brown. Pour the stock in & add the asparagus. Cover the skillet & blanch the asparagus for a few minutes until they turn bright green. Remove & reserve the asparagus for later.

Scramble the eggs together with salt & pepper, then pour the eggs, peas, & basil in & let them set. Once the fritatta has begun to firm, add the asparagus spears & crumble the goat cheese & bread crumbs on top.

Put the skillet in a 375F oven for about 10 minutes or until the top of the fritatta has turned golden brown. Let cool for a moment or two, garnish with fresh mint, then slice & serve.