Posts Tagged ‘rosemary’

Unrecipe of the Week: Crab and White Bean Salad

April 1, 2013

This beautiful salad inspired by Mario Batali, is filled with springtime flavors, and hearty ingredients. The white beans and crab make it filling enough to serve as a light main course, as well as a starter.

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For the salad:

Drain and rinse 1 can of cannellini beans and place in a bowl. Add some finely diced red onion, and about a teaspoon or so of diced fresh rosemary and marjoram. Add the zest and juice of a lemon, season liberally with salt and pepper and chill until ready to use.

Before serving, mix in 1 pound of lump crabmeat, and drizzle with mint oil. Add a quick grind of fresh pepper and enjoy!

For the mint oil:
Blanch about ½ cup of fresh mint leaves in boiling water for 15-30 seconds. Drain and squeeze dry.

In a blender or food processor, puree the mint with ½ – ¾ cup of olive oil. This can also be done a couple of hours in advance and set aside until ready to serve.

photo: indigo jones

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Unrecipe of the Week: Mustard Chicken

March 13, 2013

This is a great weekday dish, that is full of flavor and quick to prepare. While butter and cream can make it extra delicious, a lightened up version using olive oil and half and half tastes pretty yummy too! Pick your degree of richness, and your fresh herb of choice, because hey, that’s why we call it an “unrecipe”.
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Chicken Breasts With Mustard Sauce

Season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper and saute them in olive oil or butter ( or a combination of the two) on both sides, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and place the chicken in the oven to keep warm.

Add a chopped shallot to the pan and saute until transparent. Scrape the shallots and the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle it with flour.  Stir the flour until blended, and add about 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup half and half or cream, and about a 1/2 cup white wine (or champagne if you happen to have some open!) and whisk, allowing the mixture to thicken, but stay smooth and lump free. If it gets too thick, add more wine or broth. Mix in a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard, and some fresh herbs of your choice. Tarragon, thyme or rosemary are all good options. Put the chicken breasts back into the pan, and allow to simmer for a few minutes to start to absorb the flavors of the sauce.
Place the chicken on a plate, and pour the sauce over it. Garnish it with a sprig of fresh herbs if you are feeling fancy, and enjoy!

photo: Glasshouse Images

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CSA Tuesday

October 3, 2012

It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time to pick up our farm selection from the CSA. Today’s assortment is more balanced than it has been:

There is a huge butternut squash, a head of lettuce, some young broccoli rabe without any florets ( the jury is out on that one until it’s cooked),red potatoes, a beautiful bouquet of kale, some rosemary and a bunch of celery.

I am thinking about a simple vegetarian dinner tonight, especially if it prevents me from having to go back out in the rain again!

Any great ideas out there?

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Herbal Essence

July 18, 2012

Did you know that you could freeze and preserve fresh herbs in olive oil?

The oil not only reduces the browning and freezer burn that can affect delicate herbs, but it also creates a delicious herb infusion that can be used anytime.

According to The Kitchn, it is best to use stronger herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano.

The herbs can be chopped, or left in larger sprigs.

Pack the wells of an ice cube tray about 2/3 full of herbs.

Pour extra virgin olive oil over the herbs.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Remove the herb infused cubes from the tray and store in containers or plastic bags.

Use the cubes as you would olive oil, for sautéing garlic and onions, and enjoy the taste of fresh herbs as they spread throughout your dish.

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Unrecipe of the Week

May 14, 2012

My friend Amanda suggested that this recipe for Socca, a Middle Eastern flatbread, would be the perfect “unrecipe” for us. We just tried it, and we think she’s right!

This is adapted from Mark Bittman, who is the ultimate unrecipe chef.

Socca

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine 1 cup garbanzo flour*, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 ½ cups of water in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and cover with a towel until it is the consistency of a thick pancake batter. (This shouldn’t take much longer than it takes to heat the oven, but can be left standing for several hours.)

Add enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of a 12” skillet.  Add 1 shallot, finely chopped and some fresh chopped rosemary, spreading it evenly in the pan.

Put it into the hot oven, until the oil smokes and the shallots start to sizzle (a few minutes). Add the batter and return the pan to the oven for about 40 minutes, until the batter has browned and the edges become crisp.

At this point, it should be easily  release from the pan. Cut it into wedges, and enjoy!

*Garbanzo flour, or chickpea flour, can be purchased at Whole Foods Market, or any health food store or Middle Eastern food market. It is gluten free.

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Unrecipe of the Week

November 11, 2009

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These nuts combine the perfect blend of salty and sweet, and hot and spicy. It’s an easy way to make simple mixed nuts a special treat.

Warning: they can be addictive!

Spiced Nuts

1 1/4 pounds of mixed unsalted nuts (you can buy them mixed or create your own combination)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons coase salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Toast the nuts in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and and toss the warm nuts in the mixture until evenly coated.

Enjoy!

Tip: Nuts go from warm to burnt very quickly. Check on them frequently, and shake the pan from time to time to avoid burning them.

photo: Glasshouse Images

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