I embraced cheesiness on Valentine’s Day with a homemade, heart-shaped pizza for two. Shape the pepperoni into hearts by cutting a small triangle at the edge (easier to do in a stack), and cut the two opposite sides on a diagonal. For the bell peppers, cut narrow slices and make sure to leave the curvy ends at the top of the pepper. Then cut the slices in half and shape into a heart.
Confession: this recipe does not actually contain paprika. But When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I did technically get the idea from a turkey paprikash recipe in the September issue of Everyday Food.
Here’s my pork (faux) paprikash recipe:
Cut pork tenderloin into 2-inch pieces of equal thickness. Saute in 2 tbsp butter, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Move to a plate and cover with foil, but leave juices in pan.
Saute onions in juices, and add tomatoes and the remaining butter. Cook on medium for a couple of minutes, then add chicken broth. Bring back to a simmer. Stir in yogurt, then add pork back in and sprinkle a bit more salt if you like.
I let the whole thing simmer for an extra 10-15 minutes on low, while my rice cooker went to work. Traditional recipes use egg noodles, but the rice really soaks up the juices. The pork was nice and tender too.
Verdict? David liked it, and it was a perfect segue into fall stews.
A $5 salad might not seem like a steal, but unlike it’s wimpier counterparts, this bowl full of wild rocket arugula, Cypress Grove goat cheese, sliced almonds and fresh peaches will actually fill you up. (There’s nothing worse than saving a buck and being hungry afterwards.)
If you’re not able to make it to Bair Island Tap & Eatery in San Carlos, you could easily make your own hearty version at home. In general, I’ve discovered goat cheese really coats dishes (and your stomach) well. And you can’t go wrong with nuts, dark leafy greens and tree fruit in any combination.
Chopped endive and fuji apple, with Caesar dressing = bitter + sweet.
I’m always in search of fresh, handmade pappardelle, so when I found it at Bi-Rite Market, I was excited to get to work on a new recipe. With leeks on hand, I searched around and found this recipe.
I enjoyed the process of cleaning and prepping the leeks – they’re such a gorgeous color. And the rosemary smelled delightful.
But things took a turn for the worse when I (ignored the recipe) and dumped the entire breadcrumb mixture into the finished pasta. Those thick, buttery ribbons got lost in the sandy coating.
Lesson learned: treat breadcrumbs like salt, unless you’re making Mac & cheese or gratin.
Salad: romaine lettuce, oranges and pecans in homemade dressing (orange juice, olive oil, semillon, salt and pepper)
Pasta: Turkey meatballs with pear; bok choy sautéed in pecans and pear, plus chicken stock added towards the end. Add cooked meatballs to bok choy mixture, then combine with cooked angel hair.
Night 1: boiled spaghetti in low sodium chicken broth; added spinach towards the end. Meanwhile, sautéed sliced zucchini in olive oil. Served zucchini over pasta with Parmesan.
Night 2: sautéed broccolini and bok Choy (cut into 1-2 inch slices) in olive oil; covered and steamed until slightly tender. Added soy sauce and leftover noodles from night 1 and cooked until warmed through. Voila!
When I see kale in my fridge, I immediately think of soup. It’s the easiest way to tame the beast – those tough and rough leaves. So, tonight I made a satisfying, hearty and healthy soup.
First, I sauteed one chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. Next I added diced Yukon Gold potatoes, and chopped kale (stripped off the spine). Once kale was sufficiently wilted, I added two cups of chicken broth and two cups of water. I brought it back to a boil for a few minutes, then added two cans of white beans.
Delicious and I didn’t feel guilty about having multiple seconds!
Last year we attended a charming heirloom tomato tasting in the oak tree-shaded garden of a picturesque farmhouse at Picchetti Winery in Cupertino. It was a picture-perfect Indian summer afternoon, with the added bonus of tasting a rainbow of delicious, organic heirloom tomatoes, olive oil and inspired appetizers.
TomatoBash is back this Saturday, September 24 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. – registration details here.
It doesn’t hurt that you can pick up a bottle of wine in the tasting room and bring it over to the garden – just keep an eye out for wandering peacocks on the property!
5 meals, one main ingredient: turnips, from Farm Fresh to You. Most of the heavy lifting took place Sunday night. Here’s how it went down:
Sunday: made a half portion of Risotto with Turnips and Bacon while cooking remaining pack of bacon in the oven; simultaneously made Peas and Turnips with Bacon and Dill Butter (minus the dill); experimented with soup made from turnip greens (no good)
Monday: made turkey meatballs with fresh squeezed orange juice, breadcrumbs and egg; served with peas side dish
Tuesday: had peas side dish for lunch; BLTs for dinner with leftover bacon
Thursday: made spinach fettuccine to go with leftover meatballs and homemade cream sauce – half a stick of butter, one giant spoonful of risotto, parmesan cheese and lowfat milk all cooked to a simmer in a saucepan.
Who knew turnips could be such an adventure?!
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