Wild Leek Pesto

It's that time of year when the wild things start sprouting up and there's only a two-week window to get outside and collect them. I went to the spot where the wild leeks grow and gathered enough for a few meals, far fewer than I usually harvest because the number this year were low. I take only the tender leaves and leave the roots intact. The leaves make a wonderful pesto.

I thought I'd simply make a classic pesto and substitute the leek leaves for basil, but when I opened the fridge to get out some parmesan cheese, I saw the anchovies and my instinct told me they would work really well with the leeks. I spotted a lemon in my fruit bowl and that looked like a good thing to add as well. I have to say the pesto was outstanding!  If you try this recipe, I suggest experimenting with the lemon and anchovies until you get the flavor you love the most.

Here's my recipe:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



3/4 cup of leek leaves
6 basil leaves (from a plant that was on its last legs)
1/4 cup black walnuts, chopped
Half a lemon
2 small tomatoes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 anchovies
1/2 cup olive oil
seasalt to taste (I used 1/4 tsp.)

STEP ONE:





Squeeze lemon juice into a food processor and add
all the other ingredients. Process until smooth.
Done!

STEP TWO:





Cook some pasta (I used ziti) and mix in the pesto.
I served it with green beans and tomatoes stir fried
with ghee and fresh garlic and served it on top of the
ziti.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

One Pan Meal with Chicken and Vegetables

Shopping for a few days worth of meals is always exciting. I love to see what's out there in season and buy organic, fresh and slightly flawed. It's hard to know what's really organic since there's been some slack oversight on the organic market. One way to tell is the appearance of the product. If it's not perfect, it's probably going to be okay. That's not to say that all organic produce is flawed in appearance, but the stuff that is is usually the real deal.

I bought some fresh squid ink fettuccine at Union Market because tomatoes look so beautiful set against the black color. I believe that food not only has to taste good, but it also has to have aesthetic appeal. Tomatoes and squid ink pasta are an artful combo.

This dish is made in one pan. Everything goes in almost at once and is set on a medium low flame for about an hour.  Here's what I did:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:
















Chicken thighs, tomatoes, cauliflower, red onions, fingerling potatoes,
carrot, half a lemon, chopped jalapeno pepper, fresh squid ink and regular fettuccine,
sea salt, pepper, oregano, Mediterranean herb mix

STEP ONE:




Heat 2 T. oil in a big pan. Add about a 1/4 tsp. salt, a generous grind of pepper, 1/2 tsp. turmeric and 1/2 tsp. oregano. Turn down the heat and allow the herbs and spices to infuse the oil for a few minutes.

STEP TWO:



Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken pieces. The chicken will seal in the flavor of the oil and turn a golden brown in just a few minutes. Turn pieces, allow to sizzle for a couple more minutes and then turn the heat to low. Sprinkle generously with the Mediterranean herb mix.

Start water for pasta.

STEP THREE:






Add the potatoes, onion rings, carrots and chopped jalapeño. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I had some red wine on hand, so I added about a 1/4 cup to the pan.  Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the cauliflower is almost tender. Squirt some lemon juice on top once you remove the pan from the heat.

Cook the pasta until al dente.





I served this dish with a spinach, avocado and fig salad with a simple lemon juice and olive oil
dressing.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Pork Stir Fry with Dandelion Greens and Walnuts

I found some beautiful dandelion greens and decided to make a stir fry with them and with all the vegetables left in the fridge that needed to be eaten as quickly as possible. I also picked some kale that lasted through the winter, all spring and summer and is still hanging around! Since I'm committed to using what I have on hand to prepare meals, most of the dishes I post can be made with whatever YOU have on hand. The idea is to cut down on food waste by cooking what you already have before going to the market.

The following dish was quick to make and tasted very good, but I have to say that it would have been better without the pork. I don't like boneless pork chops but thought they would do okay if thinly sliced and flash cooked. Not really. They were a little tough. Next time, I'll just make it a vegan dish or add some chicken or shrimp.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Cabbage, dandelion greens, brussel sprouts, scallions,
red and green chili peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, garlic, lemons,
walnuts, boneless pork chops, olive oil, green curry
paste, fish sauce, organic tamari, sesame oil

STEP ONE:



Preheat oven to 450. Cut cabbage into large chunks.
Place cabbage, brussel sprouts, red and green chilis,
and walnuts on a broiler pan and sprinkle with olive
oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about
35-40 minutes.

Cut the pork into thin strips and marinate in 2 T.
tamari, 1 tsp. green curry paste, 2 T. fish sauce or mix
to taste. Set aside.

STEP TWO:





Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add thinly sliced
potatoes, red chili peppers (whole), sliced garlic and scallions.
Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Turn to low if the
potatoes cook too fast or the garlic starts to brown.

STEP THREE:






Add the mushrooms and cook until golden. Then add
the dandelion greens. Cook until almost wilted. Add
tamari to taste as you cook the mushrooms and greens.

STEP FOUR:









Add the pork strips to the wok/pan along with the kale.
Cook on high heat for about 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables
from the oven and add to the wok. Mix and adjust seasonings.
Cut a lemon and squeeze the juice into the pan. Add 1 tsp. of
sesame oil.  Spoon into bowls (I served it over rotini) and ENJOY!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Spontaneous Breakfast Pancakes

Well, it's time to leave our pretty home up in Deep Creek, MD to return to the hustle and bustle of the D.C. area in Arlington. I'm not quite ready to leave, but that's life. There's always a next time!

I'm looking at the food we have left in the fridge and on the counter and see some eggs, milk, a zucchini, half of a large potato, a piece of red onion, a few cherry tomatoes, some cilantro and dill, some Jarlsberg cheese, some bacon and half a loaf of a good harvest bread. The inspiration arises to make potato pancakes. They're not the healthiest breakfast food in the world, but when you occasionally feel like splurging on calories, go for it!

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Potato, zucchini, Jarlsberg cheese, cilantro, butter,
flour, red onion, flour, paprika, salt and pepper. I
forgot to add one egg!

STEP ONE:



Grate the potato, zucchini and cheese into a large
bowl.

STEP TWO:



Mince the red onion and add to the mixture with
salt and pepper to taste.

STEP THREE:



Add a generous amount of paprika along with the
chopped cilantro. Add an egg and a T. of flour.



STEP FOUR:



Heat some vegetable oil in a pan along with a T.
of butter. Allow butter to melt and start to sizzle.
Squeeze excess moisture from the potato mixture.
Form into balls and add to the oil and butter in the
pan.  Flatten with a spatula. If the mixture is too
wet, add a little more flour.

STEP FIVE:




Cook until golden brown.  Add more salt to taste
once you transfer to a plate and enjoy alone or with
some eggs, bacon and toast to round out a full
(and filling) breakfast. I made open-faced sandwiches
to go with mine.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Quick Chick with Corn and Beans

I had some boneless, skinless chicken breasts on hand along with some corn on the cob, green beans, tomatoes, parsley and coriander.  This was a cinch to make and tasted really good.  I don't have a picture of the cutting board this time because I wasn't staging anything to post.  Halfway into preparing this meal, I started to take some photos because I wanted to share the recipe, so this post is sort of a mish mash. This is a great weekday meal because it's quick and easy. Don't worry about the pesto; I had some in the freezer from a batch I made with wild leeks I found while hiking.  I'm sure this chicken would taste great without it. If you have a shellfish allergy, omit the chili shrimp sauce as well. It would taste good with some black bean sauce or a dash of tamari.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

Corn on the cob, green beans, tomatoes, chicken breasts, lemon,
flat leaf parsley, coriander, leek pesto, chili shrimp sauce (in Asian
section of markets), garlic powder chicken broth, sea salt, pepper, olive oil.

STEP ONE:



Heat one T. of olive oil in a skillet. Cut the corn off
the cob and mix with green beans cut into 2-inch pieces.
Cut small tomatoes in half. When oil is heated,
add to a skillet. Add 1 tsp. chili shrimp sauce
and a T. or two of leek pesto. Mix and saute for
about 10 minutes on a medium low heat.  Add
chopped parsley and coriander just before you
take off the heat and stir.  Meanwhile, pound
the chicken breasts between wax paper until about
a half-inch thick.



:

Grate a T. of lemon zest and chop up some fresh sage.
Sprinkle garlic powder on chicken along with a little
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with sage.
In a very hot skillet, sear the chicken breasts on both
sides in about 2 T. of olive oil and then let cook
about 5 minutes per side (or less).  Remove from the
heat.

STEP THREE:



Scrape the pan with the yummy bits to loosen them.
Add about a half-cup of chicken broth. If you have
white wine, pour in a little. Cook the pan juices
for a few minutes (if you add wine, let it simmer a
little longer).  It should reduce a little. There isn't
much to scrape up since these are boneless, skinless
breasts, but you can still get a nice flavor.

STEP FOUR:



Arrange the plates and pour the pan juice over the
chicken.  Eat and enjoy!  I added some potatoes to
this meal as well.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Upright Oven Baked Bird

I came across this recipe on my friend Rhonda's Facebook page: Bundt Pan Roast Chicken by Delish.  I decided to try it the following evening since I had every single ingredient on hand (including a sprouted onion and a sorry looking carrot) but the chicken.  It's super easy to do and convenient too since all the ingredients are in one pan and baked together.  The result is a crisp-skinned baked chicken that is done in about one hour.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Small, organic, free-range chicken, 5 red potatoes, two carrots,
one medium onion,  6 garlic cloves, two lemon halves,
fresh thyme, rosemary from the garden, seasalt, black pepper,
olive oil.

STEP ONE:


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the vegetables,
smash the garlic cloves, slice
the lemons. Keep the herbs whole.



Drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables, herbs
and lemon slices, add some salt and pepper to taste
and place in the bundt pan.

Take the neck and giblets out of the chicken's cavity
and rince the chicken. Pat dry. Place the chicken over
the pillar on the bundt pan (the recipe said to cover the
hole with tin foil which I forgot to do). Drizzle the chicken
with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

STEP THREE:



Bake uncovered for one hour or until the skin on
the bird is golden brown and crisp.

This is a classic roast chicken recipe. I'll try adding
different seasonings to the chicken and vegetables when I
want bolder flavors. But this is a keeper. So easy and tasty.
I'll also try covering the hole with tin foil next time to see
if there's any difference in the time it takes to brown the bird
or if it becomes even crispier.  I ended up cooking this chicken
for about 65 minutes.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

A Tasty Side Dish with Quinoa, Wild Rice and Vegetables

I took what I had in the fridge which was down to the wire and came up with this side dish for some salmon I planned to serve.  I'm sharing it because it was really good! Makes 3-4 servings.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Half of a butternut squash, one Japanese eggplant,
a few peppers (small ones in different colors), a cup
of wild rice and quinoa mix, half a large yellow onion,
parsley, cumin seeds, sea salt and pepper.

STEP ONE:



Cook the quinoa/rice mixture according to directions.
Cut all the vegetables and place in piles on the cutting
board. This makes it much easier to prepare.
If you have very small peppers, keep them whole.

STEP TWO:



Heat 3 T. of grape seed or other high-heat tolerant
oil in a wok or large, deep skillet. Place 1 T. cumin
seeds in oil and allow to sizzle until they start to
lightly brown. Add a T. of butter if desired. I did for
more flavor. Irish butter is divine!

STEP THREE:



Add the squash and eggplant to the wok and cook for
about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

STEP FOUR:



Throw in the onions and peppers and allow to cook
until golden brown and soft, about 6 minutes. The
eggplant might absorb much of the oil, so you may have
to add a little.*

STEP FIVE:



Add the quinoa/rice mixture to the vegetables and
stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

STEP SIX:



Sprinkle chopped parsley and basil on top and serve.

*You can try salting the eggplant and leaving it for
about an hour to "sweat" out excess moisture and
supposedly, a bitter taste. But truth be told, this technique
has never made that much of a difference for me.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!