Guacamole

What goes better with margaritas than some guac and chips? If you've ever ordered guacamole at a restaurant that makes it at your table, you already know the basics. There are two reasons why they prepare it that way. First, avocados start to turn brown the longer they are exposed to air, so it really is best as fresh as possible. Also, by preparing it at the table, they can add whatever you like to it! Here's a basic recipe and some suggestions for how to spice it up.

I recommend 1 avocado for 2 people to have as a snack with chips or an accoutrement with dinner. So double this recipe as needed for your crowd, but don't make more than you think you'll need as it doesn't keep well.

1 ripe avocado (flesh gives a little when squeezed, but not firm or soft)

1 T. freshly-squeezed lime juice (1/2 a lime)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t. coarse salt

Cut avocado in half and plunge the knife blade into the pit and twist to release the pit from the flesh. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl and add lime juice, garlic and salt.

Mash the avocado with a fork and mix all ingredients together. Taste and add more salt, garlic or lime juice as desired.

Add any of the following herbs and veggies for some extra spice and pazazz.

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped red onion
• Chopped jalapeño peppers
• Diced tomatoes
• Chopped chives

Mix these into the guacamole or just use them to garnish the top and let them get mixed in as people scoop with their chips.

Kale Slaw

For Memorial Day, if you're looking for a side-dish to bring to the cookout that won't compromise the work you've been doing to get ready for bathing-suit season, this is it! Not only is Kale full of nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C and calcium, but this slaw has no mayo or sugar. I have two variations of dressing that I will use depending on what else is being served, but the veggie bases remains the same.

I bunch kale, chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss with one of the dressings below. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Dressing 1

I make this if we're having a main course/meat that is sweet, like barbecue or salmon, or heavy, like burgers or brats. The mustard provides a nice contrast and holds up to rich foods with bold flavors.

Whisk together:

2 T. Dijon mustart

2 T. cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing 2

I make this if we're having something lighter, like fish tacos, shrimp or grilled chicken. The citrus juice brings out the flavor in these lighter meats.

Whisk together:

2 T. olive oil

2 t. lemon juice

1 1/2 T. orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

Aunt Susie's Egg and Brie Toast

When I went to visit my Aunt Susie over Easter, she made this for breakfast and I fell in love with it. It's so easy that you could whip it up on a weekday morning and start your work day like it's a day off!

This recipe is for one, but just double, tripple, etc., depending on how many you're serving. Use a double-burner griddle and cook them all at once.

1 slice of bread

1 T. butter

1 egg

1-2 slices of brie cheese

1/2 t. fresh thyme, chopped

Heat a griddle pan over medium-low heat. 

Butter both slides of the bread and toast on the warmed griddle. 

Spray the griddle on the other side with non-stick spray and fry your egg, sprinkling it with a pinch of salt. 

Flip bread once toasted and top the toasted side with brie. Flip egg once white has solidified. Once egg is cooked to your desired firmness, place it on top of cheese while bread continues to toast on the second side.

Sprinkle tyhme on top and season with salt or pepper as desired. Serve with fresh fruit or a light salad to make it brunch or dinner appropriate.

Vegetable Stock from kitchen scraps

The first recipe for homemade vegetable stock I made called for 11 whole vegetables and only yielded four cups of stock. The thought of throwing away all these perfectly good vegetables once I had cooked them weighed on my conscience so much that I tried to cook things like meatloaf or fritters to incorporate them into. I quickly realized that I had already cooked all the flavor and nutrients out of them, and that I was never going to make such a wasteful recipe ever again!

I started thinking about all the vegetable scraps I throw away each time I cook, and decided to try collecting them for vegetable stock instead. I now keep a gallon-sized storage bag in my freezer at all times and once it's full with perfectly good peelings, ends and other leftover vegetable scraps that never made it into a meal, I boil them and have something delicious.

 There are a few guidelines to know before you start your freezer bag collection.

1. Always wash your vegetables well. Since you're saving peelings, you want to be sure there's no dirt on them.
2. Save scraps that are perfectly edible, but may not be either aesthetically or texturally pleasing (such as the top end of a carrot or the exposed side of a half-used onion that has gotten dry in the fridge). Don't save anything that you wouldn't eat, like a bad spot cut out of a potato. Remember, you're looking for flavor!
3. You will want a good variety of vegetables to give your stock a complex flavor. If your freezer bag only has potato and onion scraps, it's probably not going to be the best tasting stock.
4. You don't have to chop the scraps you add to your freezer bag. Big (1-2") chunks will do and be easier to remove at the end.
5. Not every vegetable is good in a soup stock. Any cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale) should not be used. You also wouldn't want to use peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes. Root vegetables work best, in addition to some herbs. 

Vegetables I use:

• Carrots (clean peelings, ends and green tops)
• Parsnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Turnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Thin-skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold (clean peelings)
• Celery (ends and leafy tops)
• Onion and garlic (ends, no paper)
• Leeks (ends)
• Swiss Chard (the hearty stalks)
• Tender fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, savory

In addition to a 1 gallon freezer bag full of a mix of the above vegetables and herbs, you will also need:

10 cups cool water

3 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

Add frozen vegetable scraps to a large stock pot. Cover with water and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the lid and let cool. 

Scoop out cooked vegetables with a mesh strainer and gently press any excess liquid back into the pot. Once you have removed nearly all the large vegetables, pour your remaining stock through the strainer. If the stock still has small pieces of vegetable matter, line your strainer with a coffee filter and pour through again.

Either use your stock within three days or freeze it.

Choucroute Garnie (avec Biére)

Translated from French, this is Packed Sauerkraut with Beer. The idea for this recipe came from one of my favorite food/cooking shows, The Splendid Table. The host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, had a caller ask what to make with sauerkraut. My attention was piqued, having made sauerkraut the last few summers and still having a few quarts in my pantry. Lynne's suggestion was a Choucroute Garnie, a dish from the heavily German-influenced Alsace region of France, that pairs pork and potatoes with a mound of classed-up sauerkraut. I took Lynne's suggestions, along with some cues from Jacques Pépin's recipe in Food and Wine, swapped out the wine for some beer and called this our St. Patty's day dinner. There's sausage, cabbage, potatoes and beer, so I think it counts, even if it is German!

2 T. bacon grease or peanut oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh thyme
1 qt. sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 12 oz. beer
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb. beer brats
3 lbs. thin-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes), cut into 2" chunks
1/4 c. butter
1 T. dried marjoram

Ingredient notes:

• If you don't have your own homemade sauerkraut, buy some that is refrigerated in the grocery store, not the canned stuff! 
• You can use any beer, but I would choose one that you're going to want to drink with dinner. I used a flavorful pilsner. If you use a sweeter, full-bodied stout or porter, you may want to omit or cut back on the brown sugar. 
• Jacques used pork ribs in his recipe, that he coated in salt and brown sugar the night before. Next time I make this, I'm going to try that in place of the brats. Again, you would want to omit the brown sugar in place of this.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably one with a lid), melt the bacon grease over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté until onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add sauerkraut , beer, sugar, pepper and bay leaves, and stir to combine all ingredients. Once the beer begins to boil, add brats and remove from heat. Put a lid on the skillet or top it with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until brats are cooked through.

While brats are cooking, prepare potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender but not mashable. Drain potatoes and return to the pot you cooked them in. Add butter and marjoram and stir to coat.

Serve each brat on a mound of sauerkraut with potatoes on the side. Accompany with some spicy or grainy mustards and sweet pickles. 

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

This healthy, veggie-stuffed meatloaf has an Italian accent. You could serve pasta on the side instead of mashed potatoes and think you're having spaghetti and meatballs!

2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz. mushrooms, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

1 T. Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 lb. ground turkey

3/4 c. plain breadcrumbs

1 cup Roasted Tomato Sauce (or any chunky marinara sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften. Add onion and red pepper and saute another 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and set aside to cool.

Whisk eggs, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt and pepper together. Add turkey, breadcrumbs and sauteed veggies. With your hands, gently mix just until combined. Press into a loaf pan and top with 1/2 cup marinara sauce. (Warm the other 1/2 cup of sauce and reserve for serving.) 

Bake for 45 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle reads 185 degrees.

Pesto

If you grow basil in your garden, you'll get to a point in July or August where you can't use it fast enough to keep it from bolting. That's when it's time to make pesto! The peppery flavor of basil combines with spicy garlic, and savory nuts and cheese to make this a rich yet bright sauce that can be used in myriad ways -- on a pizza or pasta, in a salad dressing or marinade, as the spread on a sandwich or wrap, etc.

Blanching the basil leaves will help your pesto retain its bright green color. I think it's worth the effort, especially if you aren't planning on using the pesto immediately, but you can skip this step. Pesto will stay good in the refrigerator for about 10 days or in the freezer for several months.


4 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic, quartered
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t. salt


In a small saucepan that you can rest a mesh strainer in, boil water (about 1 inch from the top). In batches, place the strainer full of basil leaves into the boiling water for 20 seconds, then remove and submerge in ice water until cool. Squeeze any excess liquid from the basil and set it aside. Repeat until all leaves have been blanched.

Add your garlic to a food processor while it's running. Stop and add basil leaves and pine nuts. With blender running, slowly add olive oil. Once the mixture is pureed, add Parmesan and salt and pulse a few times. Store in an air-tight container with plastic wrap covering the surface of the pesto to keep air away from it, or immediately add it to your favorite recipe.

Ranch Dressing

Buy the wings, but make the ranch! Homemade ranch dressing is easy to make and so much more flavorful than what you can buy in a plastic bottle. Use it as a salad dressing or dipping sauce and you'll be glad you took a few minutes to make it fresh. Make it lighter by using low-fat ingredients or yogurt instead of sour cream.

You can easily double this recipe and save some for other recipes in the coming days. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonaise

1 T. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 t. salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the seasonings to diffuse into the dressing. If you want it to be a more pourable dressing, add some more buttermilk.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas

What makes risotto so creamy is the starch in the rice breaking down as you add your cooking liquid and continually stir. This is also why it has a reputation for being tedious to prepare. If you heat your chicken broth in advance, it will make the process go a bit quicker. The finished product is well worth the effort you put into stirring. Add a side salad and call it dinner!

6 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced (or 2 cups dried mushrooms)

1/4 t. dried thyme

1/2 cup chopped onion or shallots

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 T. butter

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken stock in a medium saucepan. If using dried mushrooms, boil your broth and add the mushrooms. Cover and let sit off the heat for 10 minutes or until reconstituted. Remove mushrooms from broth, press the liquid out and sauté them in less oil and for less time than if yo were using fresh.

Return the broth to the heat and keep it warm until you're ready to add it to the recipe. Add frozen peas to the broth to thaw them.

Meanwhle, in a large pot, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir to coat in the oil, adding more oil if needed. Add thyme and cook mushrooms until they soften and reach desired brownness. Season with salt and pepper and remove mushrooms and their juices from the pan. Remove peas from chicken stock and add them to the mushrooms. Season the stock with salt, to taste.

Add another 1 T. of oil to the large pot and sautee onion for 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice and coat in oil. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to toast the rice. Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Continue stirring until wine is absorbed. Gradually add warm chicken stock (1/2 cup at a time), and continue stirring, adding more stock as it is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes).

Once the rice has absorbed nearly all of the stock, add mushrooms and peas and warm the mixture through. Remove from heat and add butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and serve hot.

BEV NOTE: Enjoy with a buttery California Chardonnay

Pesto pasta

I love to make my own pesto in the summer when my basil plants are growing faster than I can use them. I put some away in the freezer for winter to be reminded of the fresh flavors of summer. Adding some vegetables to the mix makes this a great stand-alone meal.

1 cup homemade Pesto or store-bought
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 T. olive oil

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 t. coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

freshly ground pepper

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces (fresh or frozen)

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine noodles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes (cut-sides up) in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with thyme sprigs and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender but still holding their form. Remove thyme sprigs and set aside. 

While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes. reduce heat slightly and boil potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. 

In a small saucepan, add 1/2 inch of water, green beans and a sprinkle of salt. Boil the water and steam the green beans until slightly tender (time depends on if you're using fresh or frozen). Drain excess water and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water when you drain it. Return pasta to the pot you cooked it in and add roasted tomatoes and their juices, potatoes, green beans and pesto. Stir, gradually adding enough pasta water to help the pesto coat the pasta and vegetables. Serve hot.

BEV NOTE: Pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio

Roasted Tomato Sauce

The peak of summer, when our garden tomatoes are ripening so fast they're falling off the vine, is like Christmas to me! I have to admit that I don't love the taste of a raw tomato... it's got to be salted, sauced, or heated to some degree to make me crave it. This recipe for roasted tomato sauce does all three, and I can't get enough. The only trick is finding a summer day that's cool enough to want to turn on the oven! Once you've got the sauce made, you can use it in a thousand quick dinners throughout the week (like my no-bake lasagna recipe below), or freeze it to save for a winter day when the delicious taste of a vine-ripe tomato is still several months away.

Ingredients

2 lbs. Roma and grape tomatoes, cored*
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T. chopped fresh oregano
1 T. chopped fresh thyme
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

*These smaller varieties of tomatoes lend themselves to this recipe because you don't peel or seed the tomatoes here. They have thin skins, small seeds and are naturally sweeter than the larger varieties. I only core the romas. Grape tomatoes are too small to worry about a core.


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe skillet, large enough so the tomatoes are not overlapping too much. You want them in a single layer so they can roast evenly. Toss to coat the tomatoes with the oil and spices.

Roast for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir so any blackened areas are facing down. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes. Keep your eye on them so they don't char, but get lightly blackened on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to warm or room temperature.

After the first 30 minutes of roasting.

After the second 20-30 minutes of roasting.

Add tomato mixture to food processor, in batches if necessary, and pulse until chunky thick.

Before serving, reheat and add any other desired seasonings or spices to accommodate the recipe you're using it in. For my no-bake lasagna, I use it as is!

No-Bake Lasagna
Serves 4

Lasagna isn't a typical summer dish, but when you don't have to bake it, it's a quick dish to whip up on those days you wouldn't think of turning on the oven!

Ingredients
Roasted tomato sauce
1 lb. lasagna noodles, cooked and cut into squares
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. sautéed vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, mushrooms)
4 stalks fresh basil

Instructions

Reheat tomato sauce over low heat. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions, and then cut into squares. Sauté vegetables in 2 T. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I usually use just one veggie variety, but you could mix and match, or even use meat instead.) Combine ricotta cheese with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup parmesan (reserving the rest of the parm for a topping).

To assemble lasagna, set out four serving plates and start with a light layer of tomato sauce on each. Top with one lasagna noodle square. The filling layer is ricotta cheese, sauteed veggies, a few torn basil leaves, and a little sauce. Repeat this two more times, making three layers of noodles and filling.

Top with one final noodle, a little more sauce, a sprinkle of parmesan and a few more basil leaves. This is so hearty and delicious, you don't need a salad or a side of garlic bread. Just a glass of wine and you're set!

Rosemary skewers

During a trip to the farmers market this weekend, one of the vendors threw in some dried rosemary sprigs with our purchase, and gave us a cooking tip for using them. Once you take the rosemary needles off, keep the woody stick and use it as a skewer. Brilliant!

A few tips: 

• You'll need sprigs that are at least 10 inches long. The best way to find a skewer-worthy sprig of rosemary is in a home garden where it has been allowed to grow into a bush. If you don't grow it yourself, seek out a neighbor who does. I'm sure they wouldn't mind sparing a few sprigs... I certainly don't!
• If you're using the skewers to grill over an open flame, be sure to use them within 5 days of being cut from the bush. If the sprigs dry out too much, there's a chance they could catch fire!
• The sprig gets thinner from the base to the tip. No need to whittle a point for your skewer. Just use the narrow tip to spear your food once all the needles are removed.
• For lighter food like shrimp, fish or vegetables, the sprig alone will give you a rosemary flavor. If cooking chicken, beef or pork, you may want to include some of the chopped rosemary needles in your marinade. It's a very strong herb, so a little goes a long way!
• If you don't use the needles for your marinade, keep them in a jar with the lid open for a few days until they dry out. Then store for future use (like roasted potatoes!)
• Substitute a rosemary skewer in any existing kabob recipe, using your usual meat, veggies and marinade. Or skewer meats that you're adding to another recipe, like I did with my shrimp tacos below.

I tested it out at the first opportunity on some shrimp tacos. I normally just marinate the shrimp and then sauté them. Instead, tonight I skewered the shrimp with my rosemary twig. Here's my recipe for rosemary skewered shrimp.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. shrimp
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 T. olive oil
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 medium-sized corn or flour tortillas
lettuce
avocado
salsa

Instructions

In a shallow dish, combine garlic, oil, lime juice and salt and pepper. Add shrimp and let sit for 10 minutes. Heat a stove-top grill pan to medium heat. Remove needles from two 10-inch rosemary sprigs and skewer 4-5 shrimp per sprig. Add shrimp to grill plate and pour in extra marinade. Cook about 1 minute per side. Remove shrimp from heat and from skewer. Add shrimp, avocado, salsa, lettuce, and any other toppings you desire to your tortilla.

Serves 2 with the addition of some chips, beans or rice on the side.