Cook: Fancy BLT's with Roast Tomato Basil Soup and Kale Date Almond Salad

Last night's dinner was delicious! We enjoyed fancy BLT's made with Trader Joe's Sprouted Sourdough bread, Maple bacon (from Costco), Cheddar, Avocado, Romaine Lettuce and Tomato with a small smear of Mayonnaise.  As a busy mom of two boys, I made the salad and soup ahead of time during my toddler's nap. Here are the recipes for Tomato Soup and the Kale Salad. We enjoyed these Chocolate Cupcakes for dessert :)

Drink: Green Smoothie - Grapes, Pineapple, Banana and Spinach!

Last month, after months of pining for the Vitamix Blender (I had seen it in action at a few of my friends' homes and was thoroughly impressed) - J and I broke down and purchased one from Costco.  60 smoothies later (we have at least a smoothie a day) - we're still as thrilled with it as we were on day one. I haven't tried to make the hot soup or hummus yet - but have gotten pretty good at making tropical and berry smoothies. Today, I decided to incorporate some veggies into our daily smoothie. I found this great recipe online and wanted to share!

Ingredients (makes 2 tall glass servings)

• 1 cup (160 g) green grapes
• 1/2 cup (78 g) pineapple chunks (I used frozen)
• 2 cups (60 g) fresh baby spinach, packed  (I used the prewashed spinach in a bag) 
• 1/2 ripe banana, peeled
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) ice cubes

Directions
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid. Use tamper if necessary but I did not find I needed it. I used the "Smoothie" preset on the latest Costco Vitamix version. However, if you do not have this option, you can select Variable 1, turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately.

Cook: Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Last weekend, we went to the Brentwood farmers market for the first time! We usually visit the Santa Monica market, but our friends highly recommended this one so we decided to give it try.

It must be tomato season, since heirloom tomatoes were going for $2.50 a pound (normally you can find them in CA grocery stores for $4.99). There was one stand selling cherry tomatoes - 3 pints for $5! I picked out the super sweet orange variety, a small yellow(squash shaped) variety, and some juicy looking red ones.  Then I had to figure out what to do with all these tomatoes!  I found this recipe for roasted cherry tomato pasta, and followed it with a few modifications. It was a big hit and was super delicious and easy to make!

Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes Recipe, Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half*  (I used the 3 pints minus a few bruised tomatoes = prob closer to 5 cups, and only cut the larger sized red ones in half. The orange and yellow ones were small, so I left them as is) 
• 12 garlic cloves, cut in half (I did use this quantity and it was perfect!)   
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 lb pasta (I used bowtie)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used a little less)
• 1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. In a  bowl toss sliced tomatoes, sliced garlic, oil, basil, salt, hot pepper flakes and ground pepper.
2. Place in a 9 X 13 metal cake pan or baking sheet pan with edges,  and roast at 400°F for approximately 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are shriveled and the garlic tender.
3. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water while tomatoes and garlic are cooking.
4. Drain and return pasta to pot.
5. Add garlic tomato mixture and parsley, tossing to coat.
6. Serve with sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
7. If you don't have any fresh Parmesan try other sharp hard cheeses such as Romano or Asiago.

Cook: Roasted Cauliflower (and Broccoli)

As you may have noticed, I love eating vegetables and one of my favorite ones to prepare them is by roasting them in the oven.  I recently came across a ready to cook package of colorful cauliflower and broccoli at Trader Joe's. Although the package recommended microwaving them, I knew there was a tastier way to prepare them.

Cook: Roasted Fennel with Parmesan

Recently, I was introduced to a new vegetable by my friend Anna. Sure, I had heard of fennel before, and occasionally have used the seeds for seasoning...but I had never ever eaten an actual fennel bulb until she brought it over for one of our potluck dinner with friends. It was a first for J as well. One thing was for sure, it would not be our last- we both loved the exotic taste that is reminiscent of licorice or anise.   It makes for an excellent and easy vegetable side dish!

Cook: Pea & Mint Soup with Proscuitto

This is one of my favorite spring/summer soups. It is light and refreshing, and incredibly satisfying. Who knew that peas and mint would make such a good pair!  Apparently, it also makes a good ice cream flavor.  Green pea and mint was the special flavor at Sweet Rose Creamery the other day!

This is a very very easy soup to make. It is also very inexpensive. You can choose omit the creme fraiche to make it dairy free if you prefer. You can also substitute yogurt or sour cream for the creme fraiche.

Pea & Mint Soup with Proscuitto (recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices of proscuitto (or pancetta)
sea salt and black pepper
large handful of mint (approx 6 sprigs, leaves only)
1 lb bag of frozen peas
3/4 cup (175ml) of  creme fraiche (you can use sour cream or yogurt)

1. Heat the olive oil in the skillet, sprinke prosuitto with some black peppe rand cook over high heat until golden brown and crisp, turning once. Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil
2. Bring a small pot of salted water to boil - add mint leaves then bring back to a boil. Add peas and blanch for 2-3 min until they are just tender and still bright green. Drain (reserving some of the liquid)
3. Tip the peas and mint into a blender. Add just enough reserved liquid to cover and whiz to a smooth puree. (I used an hand blender and did this in the pot I cooked the peas)
4. At this time you can choose to drizzle with oil and add a couple dollops of creme fraiche if you like.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse to combine.
5. Pour soup into warm bowls and dollop some reserved creme fraiche on top. scatter with crisp proscuitto and serve!

Cook: Grilled Mexican Corn

I remember the first time I was introduced to Grilled Mexican Corn - it was love at first bite at Cafe Habana in Soho, New York. (There is an outpost of Cafe Habana in Malibu, CA - but we have not tried it yet). The corn was sweet, buttery and grilled so that the kernels were almost caramelized. It was seasoned with lime and loaded with cotija cheese. YUM.

J and I grill corn all the time.  It is hands down our favorite way to prepare corn. J has actually mastered a delicious grilled corn that is prepared by basting it with parsley and butter. However, since I love grilled mexican corn so much, I decided to try to make it on my own. To my delight, it actually isn't hard to make at all!!!

Ingredients:

• Corn on the cob
• melted butter (a couple tablespoons for brushing on corn)
• Mayonnaise (1/4 cup is plenty, in a small bowl)
• grated parmesan (if you can find cotija even better, but parmesan will do)
• fresh limes, sliced into wedges
• paprika

Directions:

1. Warm up grill to med- high heat. You can also do this on a grill pan on the stovetop but it will take a little longer. 
2. Remove the husks from the corn (if necessary).  Brush melted butter all over the corn.
3. Place on heated grill. Grill until corn is cooked, with some caramelized spots. 
4. Remove from heat. Squeeze lime juice liberally over corn.
5. Brush with mayonnaise 
6. sprinkle with parmesan
7. sprinkle with paprika

Serve with lime wedges. Yum!  Below - the corn from Cafe Habana - photo taken the last time we were in NYC!  ok. So the home made version doesn't look quite as glam but it tastes pretty darn good!!! :)

Cook: Parmesan Crusted Baked Kumato Tomatoes

I was buying produce at Trader Joe's the other day, when I came across these beautiful and exotic tomatoes. J loves tomatoes, and we recently enjoyed the fried tomatoes he made. We were craving them again, but wanted to a healthier (baked, not fried) version.

I decided to try out a new recipe with these tomatoes - I loosely followed the recipe on the Kumato website.

Ingredients:

• 4 (or more, depending on your appetite!) Kumato Tomatoes, cut in half
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp (or a few shakes of) fresh cracked black pepper 
• 1 tsp lemon zest, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated (I used a combo of parmesan/romano that I already had in our fridge)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Lightly oil or spray with PAM cooking spray a baking pan.
3. Arrange tomato halves cut side up in the baking dish
4. In a medium bowl, toss bread crumbs with pepper, lemon zest, melted butter and parmesan cheese until well blended.
5. Sprinkle each tomato half with the crumb mixture, and bake for 20-25 minutes until crumbs are golden brown.

* If you can find them, Kumatos are quite delicious! :) Otherwise, you can probably make this with any firm tomato.  I had oregano on a whim but you can add different seasonings to your liking. I actually had quite a bit of crumb mixture left over, so you can probably use it for more servings of tomatoes, depending on the size.  

Cook: Baked Sweet Potato

I like to post easy recipes because a lot of our friends have asked - "How do you guys eat like that (both of us work full time in pretty demanding fields) on a weeknight?" The most important secret, is keeping your fridge well stocked (F stops at the grocery store on the way from home 1-2 times a week). The second tip is knowing how to make things that require little prep or fuss.

This is probably the easiest recipe ever.  To make baked sweet potatoes as a side, preheat oven to 400F. Wash and dry two sweet potatoes (for 2 servings), place on a baking sheet or pan. Roast until done (30-40 min).  If you want, you can add butter and/or cinnamon, but we find them plenty delicious on their own.

We served them with roasted brussel sprouts (recipe also posted today), baked tomatoes (recipe posted tomorrow) and pork chops.

Cook: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

J and I both hated brussels sprouts when we were kids. But now, we love them!

What changed? Well, they became trendy in the past few years, and we decided to give the "superfood" another shot.  We were skeptical the first time we ordered them at a restaurant, but were blown away at how delicious they were. The roasted brussels sprouts were caramelized and melted in our mouths, not at all like the bitter predecessors we had eaten in our childhoods.

Roasting brussels sprouts is incredibly easy and makes for a great nutritious side.  We loosely follow this recipe by Ina Garten, varying the quantity or sometimes throwing carrots into the mix.  The basic is to lightly coat the sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussel Sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Cut off brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull of any yellow or dried outer leaves. Mix the brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35-40 minutes (time may vary depending on your oven), until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.
4. Shake pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.
5. Serve immediately (If desired, may sprinkle with more salt )

Cook: FJ Steak Dinner #2 - sides = grilled portabella, roasted kale

Last night, we defrosted the remaining steaks that we bought the previous week at Costco, and made a bunch of new sides to go with it!  We did grilled red peppers again (one of our favorite go to vegetable sides!) but mixed it up with portabella mushrooms and kale.

Grilled portabella caps:  (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 portabella caps
• 1/8 cup olive oil (other recipes recommend 1/4 c canola)
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix the above ingredients together
2. wash portabella caps and remove stems, blot dry
3. place portabella caps gills side up in dish and pour marinade over.
4. Let marinate for 1 hour
5. Grill for 10 min

Roasted Kale  with Sea Salt and Vinegar
(Makes 2-4 servings of kale chips (we love to eat vegetables, so this may in fact serve more!) recipe adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen which shows step by step instructions)

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of kale
• 1 to 2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil to toss kale in.
• 2 tablespoon vinegar (we used sherry vinegar, but any vinegar you like the flavor of will work)
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F/150C. 
2. Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard, then tear the kale leaves into same-size pieces. Wash torn kale pieces and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels until they're very dry.
3. Put kale pieces into a large Ziploc bag (or use a bowl if you don't mind getting your hands oily.) Add half of the olive oil, seal bag, and squeeze the bag so the oil gets distributed evenly on the kale pieces. Add the other half of oil and squeeze the bag more, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly "massaged."
4. Open the Ziploc bag and sprinkle the sherry vinegar over the kale leaves, then seal bag and shake to spread the vinegar out over all the leaves . Add a salt to taste. 
5. Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until they are mostly crisp, about 35 minutes. We checked every 10 minutes or so and turned some pieces over. We didn't mind if there were still some softer parts on some of the kale leaves as we like the combination of crisp and softer parts.
6. When chips are done to your liking, (sprinkle with salt if still needed) and eat immediately.

Cook: Southern Supper - Collard Greens, Fried (Red) Tomatoes

On Sunday, we teamed up with our friends S and A for a fun day of cooking (brunch recipes will be posted later this week, in time for you to make next weekend!). For dinner, we decided on a Southern theme, centered around A's mac and cheese. Since his recipe is proprietary, we will share the recipes that we cooked.

First of all, we grilled some ribs (Tony Roma's) and sausages (bratwurst) from Costco. This is as easy as it gets - take out of the package and grill! The results are fantastically tasty. We also heated some homestyle baked beans.

For sides, J whipped up two things from scratch. Recipes below:

Southern Greens with Red Onion and Bacon (Serves 8), adapted from epicurious

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into fourths

3 medium red onions, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 lbs (or 2 bags) of Ready to Use "southern greens blend" from trader joe's

(If you can not find prepared ready to use southern greens, you can use 4 pounds collard greens (preferably small leaves), coarse stems and ribs discarded and leaves and thin stems washed well, drained and chopped coarse )

Directions:

In a deep heavy pot cook bacon in 2 batches over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons drippings and in drippings remaining in kettle cook onions, stirring occasionally, until browned slightly and softened. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and about half of bacon to the pot, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add about half of collards, tossing until wilted slightly, and add remaining collards, tossing until combined. Simmer collards, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in onions and simmer, covered, 30 minutes more, or until collards are very tender.

Serve collards topped with remaining bacon.

Fried (Red) Tomatoes: (Adapted from Best Fried Green Tomatoes @ allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

4 large unripe tomatoes (preferably green but you can use firm red ones)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Slice tomatoes 1/2 in thick, discard the ends.

2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium sized bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate

3. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt and pepper on another plate

4. Dip tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to comletely coat.

5. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan), heat over medium heat.

6. Place tomatoes in the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on size of skillet. Do NOT crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other.

7. When tomatoes are browned, flip and fry on the other side.

8. Remove from oil with slotted spatula. Drain on paper towels

Serve HOT!

Cook: Cucumber sunomono

Recipe courtesy of S

Ingredients:

1 large English cucumber, or 2 to 3 Japanese cucumbers

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 drop soy sauce

Directions:

Peel and slice cucumbers into very thin slices. Sprinkle sliced cucumber slices with salt and let stand a few minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture. Combine vinegar, sugar, and soy in a bowl and mix well. Pour the vinegar mixture over cucumber slices and mix well. Serve in individual dishes.

Cook: Roasted Edamame

Another recipe courtesy of S and A!

Roasted Edamame

Ingredients:

1 - 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (no need to thaw)

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss to coat

Arrange the beans in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.

Roast, uncovered, at 375 degree 25-30 min stirring once, until the beans begin to brown

Serve hot as vegetable side dish or cooled as a snack

Cook: Sauteed Broccolini

J is working late today so I decided to return to the gym for the first time in over a month (maybe two - gasp!) By the time I got home, I was tired and hungry. So I decided to give the Trader Joes premade Chicken Marsala a try. 3 minutes in the microwave and total yum! I had bought a couple bunches of broccolini (aka baby broccoli) the other day so I googled a recipe and voila - within ten minutes had a delightful and healthy weekday supper.

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart:

Olive oil (approx 3 tablespoons)

2 bunches of baby broccoli (1 1/4 lbs)- stems trimmed.

salt and pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic

Heat Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, add garlic. Then, add baby broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until baby broccoli has turned bright green and is tender (about 9 min). Serve immediately!