Author: bhills61

Go Green Salad

(serves 6-8)

½ pound French green beans, blanched

½ pound frozen peas, blanched

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and blanched

Choose asparagus with tight tips!

1 – 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, quartered

3 celery stalks, sliced thin on the diagonal

½ – 5 ounce container of arugula

Shredded chicken ( I used breast meat from a rotisserie chicken)

1 C basil pesto

Salt

Cracked pepper

1/3 C toasted pine nuts

Parmesan Reggiano shavings

EVOO for drizzling

For blanching: Fill a stock pot half full with water and cover. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 T salt and drop in green beans. When color becomes vibrant and “Spring” green, remove French beans to an ice bath. Repeat the same procedure for the peas and asparagus. The asparagus and green beans will soften a little more after cooling in the ice bath. Please do not overcook the vegetables. A bit of “tooth” is desirable. Drain all vegetables and place on a towel-lined cookie sheet for further drying. Place in the refrigerator. This can be done earlier in the day for night-time service.

To assemble: place green beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes, celery, chicken, arugula and pesto in a mixing bowl. Toss gently (hands work best) making sure to evenly coat all ingredients with the pesto. Season with additional salt and cracked pepper. If mix looks a bit dry, add a spritz of EVOO. Place salad on individual plates and garnish with parm shavings, toasted pine nuts, and a kiss of EVOO.

This with good bread and Dry Creek Fume Blanc or Bending Branch Picpoul Blanc….perfect summer meal. Enjoy!

Shrimp Quesadiva

(makes 4 large quesadivas)

¼ C olive oil

5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 pound 31/40 shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 T chipotle puree

1 t red pepper flakes

1 t salt

White wine for deglazing

4 large flour tortillas

Cheddar/Jack cheese blend, shredded

Cilantro pesto

Olive oil for brushing tortilla

For chipotle puree: Add one small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see photo) into a blender along with zest from half an orange. Puree until smooth. If necessary, a small amount of water can be added for a smoother texture. This stores in the refrigerator for 8-10 days. Delicious in hamburger meat for burgers or tacos, tasty in soups, or our orange chipotle cole slaw. Many uses. Spicy, smokey, slightly sweet too. I once had white cheddar and chipotle mashed potatoes. Wow.

For shrimp: place olive oil in a preheated skillet. Swirl it around and add garlic. Careful not to burn your garlic. Let it just release its flavor and then add the shrimp. Add chipotle puree, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until mix thickens and shrimp become just firm to the touch. Add a splash of dry white wine and reduce. Remove from heat. This step can be done ahead and shrimp can be refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the quesadiva.

Assembling the quesadiva: Spread an even layer of cilantro pesto on half of the tortilla. Leave a border. Add cheese mix (again, leave a border) in a nice even layer. Not too thick. Place 7-8 shrimp on top of the cheese and drizzle a bit of the chipotle drippings on the shrimp. Fold over and brush the top with olive oil. Place top side down in a non-stick skillet that is preheated to a medium – medium low temperature. Careful as they can burn before the cheese has a chance to melt. Brush the other side with olive oil and continue to carefully flip back and forth until a golden crust forms and the cheese is thoroughly melted. Cut into four wedges and serve with mango pico.

Where’s my Dos XX?

Cilantro Pesto

5 garlic cloves

5 bunches cilantro, rinsed and dried, large stems removed

1 C roasted pumpkin seeds

¼ C fresh lime juice

1 t salt

½ t pepper

Olive oil

Using a food processor, drop garlic cloves through the feed tube while machine is running. After garlic is fully minced, add cilantro, pumpkin seeds, lime juice, salt and pepper to the bowl. Pour about 2 T of olive oil into the bowl. Turn processor on and add additional olive oil through the feed tube until desired consistency is achieved. It should be spreadable. Not too thick, not too runny. See photo. Pesto can be stored for several days in the refrigerator or it can be stored in the freezer for later use. This is great on the shrimp quesadilla, grilled pork, burgers or cheese enchiladas. Flavor galore.

Basil Pesto

2 – 4 ounce bags fresh basil, stems removed

¾ C toasted walnuts

6 garlic cloves

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 C grated parmesan cheese (a middle-of-the-road parmesan is fine, like DiGiorno)

Olive oil

top off with a thin layer of olive oil

Using a food processor, drop garlic cloves through the feed tube while machine is running. Once garlic is fully minced, add remaining ingredients – except olive oil. Turn machine on and drizzle olive oil through the feed tube until desired consistency is achieved. See photo. This makes about 2 cups of pesto. Once you go to the trouble of making pesto, you might as well freeze some for future use. Great on pasta, sandwiches, salads, flatbread, soup and more. This recipe uses walnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts. Gentler on your wallet. AND just as tasty.

Mango Pico

2 large mangoes, peeled and diced small

1 small red onion, diced small

1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

2-3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

1 sweet red pepper, trimmed and diced small

Zest of one lime

Zest of half an orange

½ t salt

2 T fresh lime juice

2 T olive oil

Prep all ingredients according to specifications. When you go to a Mexican restaurant, look at how they prepare pico de gallo. Is it fresh and diced well? When preparing the mango pico, chop ingredients in a uniform manner. Nothing should be extremely smaller or larger than the other ingredients. Take pride in this tedious exercise. Balance of flavors and a nice presentation depend on your efforts. If you want to make ahead, just prepare the vegetables, mango and zest. Add the lime juice, olive oil and salt about 30 minutes prior to service. The addition of these start to break down the other items. I like the mango pico to have crunch and freshness. Often it can be slimy and past its peak.

Panzanella Salad

4-5 slices of stale ciabatta bread, cubed and baked

1 ½ pounds of gourmet cherub tomatoes, halved

1 large shallot, finely diced

4 balls fresh mozzarella, cubed

8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn into larger pieces

12 pitted Kalamata olives, diced small

Simple vinaigrette

For ciabatta bread, slice into ¾ inch thick slices. Stale bread works best. It absorbs the olive oil better. Who doesn’t have some stale bread? Generously brush each side of the sliced ciabatta with EVOO. Cubed the bread into bite-sized pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden in color. Remove and cool. The rest is an assembly of ingredients. None of the remaining components are critical measures really. I call them subjective measures. I like lots of basil. Some may like more olives. Your food passion makes the call. There should be some balance of flavor! Combine ingredients and dress with a simple vinaigrette prior to serving. The “croutons” have a nice light crunch. This is a great summer salad. Wonderful tomato choices now too. Heirlooms, homegrowns, cherubs, all good. Mix it up for color and variety. Enjoy this bite of summer goodness.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

¼ C olive oil, plus another ¼ C of olive oil

1 center cut ham steak, trimmed and diced

1 yellow onion, diced small

4 celery stalks, diced small

4-5 carrots, diced small

classic mirepoix or holy trinity, many good things begin here

5 whole cloves

1 T dried thyme

6-8 bay leaves

1 pound split peas, rinsed

8 C chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

In a preheated soup pot, add ¼ C olive oil. Add diced ham and cook over medium heat until ham pieces develop a nice brown color. Please be patient. Develop good color. You should not rush this with high heat as you can burn the ham and develop a bitter taste. Remove browned ham to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off remaining oil. Add the remaining ¼ C of olive oil to the pot and add celery, onion, carrots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables release their liquid. Continue to cook until liquid starts to evaporate leaving a nice brownish color on the bottom of the pan. See photos! Remember, brown = flavor. Browning the ham and veggies is the most important step in the recipe as depth of flavor is being created. The rest is simmering and waiting for the peas to cook. Once veggies have started to brown and your pot has a nice coloring on the bottom, add a small amount of stock and deglaze. Reduce down to a thick liquid. Add remaining stock, cloves, thyme, bay leaves and peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until peas soften and break apart. If soup is too thick, add more stock. Add reserved ham pieces and continue to simmer. Adjust seasoning at this point with salt and pepper. Serve this bowl of comfort with croutons and enjoy a real classic.

Coconut Almond Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache

(makes 15 medium-sized macaroons)

1 – 14 ounce bag of sweetened flake coconut

2/3 C flour

½ t salt

2/3 C almond slices, toasted

1 – 14 ounce can of condensed milk

1 t vanilla

Combine coconut, flour and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well with your hands. Break up clumps of coconut. Add almonds and gently mix. Try to keep almonds from breaking. Add condensed milk and vanilla. Pour vanilla over condensed milk. Mix well using a “folding type” motion. Lift from the bottom of the bowl up. Once blended, portion batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet using an ice cream scoop. Don’t pack the scoop. Just use it as a form. (Tip: spray your baking sheet with non-stick baking spray first and then press parchment onto baking sheet. Acts like “glue”.)

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 minutes. Rotate and bake another 15 minutes or so or until golden brown. Careful when opening the oven door as coconut smell can burn your eyes. Remove macaroons to a cooling rack. Before serving, dip the tops of the macaroons into chocolate ganache. These satisfy chocoholics and coco NUTS. The chocolate ganache is always best dipped fresh. Store macaroons without sauce. Then, dip before you serve.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

4 ciabatta rolls, split open

2 medium-sized eggplant, peeled and sliced in rounds

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 C of feta cheese, crumbled

Large bunch of fresh mint

Roasted red pepper aioli

Peel and slice eggplant into ½ inch rounds. Brush one side generously with olive oil and a spritz of salt and pepper. Place, oil side down, into a preheated grill pan. Brush with oil and season the other side. Cook until eggplant softens and is marked. Do not overcook. Just look for marks and a slight softening in texture.

To assemble the sandwich: spread both sides of the ciabatta bread with the aioli. Layer on eggplant, red onion, feta and mint. See photo. Brush tops of sandwiches with olive oil and place in a Panini press for grilling. Alternately, place sandwiches back in your grill pan and weight the tops and flip over to crisp the other side.

Just crisp up the bread. No need to heat all the way through. Slice on the diagonal and serve. These are incredible. Flavor packed, great texture, and punches of freshness.

Marinated Olives

1 C pitted Kalamata olives

1 C pitted Manzanilla olives

Zest of 1 small lemon

Zest of half an orange

1 ½ t Herbes de Provence

½ t red pepper flakes

1 ½ t fennel seeds

1 T minced garlic

3-4 bay leaves

¼ C EVOO

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Let olives marinate for several hours before serving. They can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature.

Herbes de Provence is a savory mix of dried herbs including rosemary, thyme, savory, marjoram and lavender.