Not Your Traditional Salsa Verde

I say this not your traditional Italian salsa verde because I didn't use a bit of parsley. Why you ask? Because I didn't have any. But I did have cilantro, mint and a bit of dill. So why not make salsa verde? But if you wanted to make a more traditional version, just use all parsley.

One of my pet peeves is having to buy fresh herbs in the winter time when I need them for a specific recipe. It's not even so much the cost (although, that does piss me off a bit) as it is that I always end up throwing away a lot of it because it doesn't always end up being used. How many recipes can I make with dill in a week? Or basil? Or cilantro? You get the picture.

I have to say this week, it all worked out and I didn't waste anything because I decided to make this salsa verde for the roasted chicken that we had for lunch on Sunday.

Salsa verde is essentially a green sauce that uses parsley as the main ingredient along with capers, garlic, anchovies and mustard. It is traditionally served with bollito mist. (boiled meat). You can use it for steamed or boiled vegetables, potatoes, roasted or grilled meats or boiled eggs. You can even marinate with it. Anything, really.

I used a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, anchovies and capers and then added the herbs that I chopped by hand. But you can definitely blend everything in a food processor and then stir in the herbs, mustard and olive oil.

Salsa Verde

1-2 cloves of garlic
2 anchiove filets
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup (packed) combination of fresh herbs, i.e., cilantro, mint, dill, parsley
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Finely chop the herbs. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, mash or blend the garlic, anchovies and capers. Stir in the herbs, mustard, vinegar and olive oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made ahead of time. If longer than a could of hours, chill and bring to room temperature before serving.

m xo

Irish Soda Bread

I could tell you that I wanted to make this Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's day and that wouldn't be a total lie. But the real reason I wanted to make this is because I wanted to show off my pretty measuring that I found in NYC this weekend at Anthropologie.
When I saw it, I had to have it. How could I not want to make something that needed a liquid measuring cup?

This is a traditional soda bread that I adapted a little by adding raw sunflower seeds and rosemary. I used dry rosemary because I didn't have fresh on hand but I wouldn't recommend it. The dry had no flavour what-so ever. I would have been better off with maybe anise seeds. They definitely have a lot of flavour. Next time for sure.

If you don't have buttermilk, just make your own as I did by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups of milk and letting it sit for 30 minutes. Voila! Buttermilk. 

This is a really great recipe to have on hand if you want to serve fresh, warm bread but don't have the time that usual bread recipes require because of the yeast. You will literally have this made in an hour. 

This bread is baked in a cast iron skillet to form a nice, crunchy crust.

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped (preferably fresh)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, sunflower seeds and rosemary in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and work it in with a fork until completely incorporated. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and mix until combined with a fork. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until it comes together. Form into a round disk and place in a cast iron skillet. Score a deep cross on top and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

m xo

Almost Salad Nicoise

I had it in my mind this morning that I wanted to make salad nicoise for lunch today. It must be this cold weather that we are experiencing and seems to be going on forever. I wanted to be transported to the south of France for a brief moment even though I've never been but can just imagine! Anything to get me through this winter.

I say this is an ALMOST salad nicoise because I didn't have the namesake of this dish, the nicoise olives.  I could have easily substituted kalamata olives I'm sure, but to be honest, I forgot. The salad was equally delicious without them. But please include them if you have!

Salad nicoise is essentially a composed salad made with green beans, potatoes, eggs and tuna tossed with a vinaigrette. You can either use canned tuna( I use Italian tuna in olive oil) or fresh grilled tuna which would be amazing!!

I left my  heart of romaine lettuce leaves whole because they looked so pretty, even if it was just me eating. Presentation is everything! Lol. But you can definitely tear them into bite size pieces. I used purple baby potatoes but any baby potato will do.

I think this makes a lovely lunch, especially with girlfriends and a bottle(or 2) of white wine.

Salad Nicoise

Vinaigrette
(this makes plenty of dressing, you will definitely have leftover)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, grated with a microplane or minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.

5-6 baby new potatoes
a handful of green beans, ends trimmed
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 hard boiled egg, peeled, halved or quartered
80g Italian tuna in olive oil
5-6 leaves of heart of romaine
1 tablespoon capers

Start by steaming or boiling your potatoes until tender. Set aside. Do the same with the green beans. You want the potatoes and the beans to be warm when you toss with the vinaigrette so they will absorb more flavour.
To assemble the salad, place the romaine leaves on a platter first and then arrange the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, tuna, egg and capers attractively on top. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

bon appétit
m xo

Surprise! Chicken Skewers

This recipe simply came about because I found these cute little bamboo skewers in my cupboard that I completely forgot about. I tend to buy things based on what I MAY need. It's a running joke with my family. My thinking is, what if I decided to throw a cocktail party at the last minute and didn't have any bamboo skewers? Well that would be terrible! This way, I'm always prepared. The only problem with that is, I usually forget what I bought and if I do remember, I forget where I put it!

These chicken skewers were tasty not only because of the marinade but also because of the gremolata that I threw on after they came off the grill. Gremolata is typically what you would serve with osso bucco and it consists of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. I basically wanted to mimic the flavours of the marinade. It makes any dish taste fresh and vibrant. It's also really good on roasted potatoes.

BTW, I made these on my stove top cast iron grill. There was no way I was going to stand outside in this polar vortex!

A tip if you are using wooden/bamboo skewers. Soak them in water before threading on the chicken. I forgot and they caught on fire…a little bit. No biggie. I had it under control. Ha!

These would also be amazing to pass around as hors d'oeuvres if you only skewered 1-2 pieces of chicken.

Chicken Skewers

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces
zest and juice of a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced or grated with a microplane
1 teaspoon herb de provence
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 skewers, wooden or metal

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

In the meantime, soak your wooden skewers in water and preheat outdoor bbq or indoor grill.
Thread 3-4 pieces on each skewer. At this point you can refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you wanted to do ahead of time.


When your grill is hot, cook them for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve.

Gremolata

1/2 cup of parsley
zest of a lemon
1 clove of garlic

Place the parsley on a cutting board and chop. Mince the garlic over it with a microplane grater, add the zest and run your knife over it to combine everything. Set aside.

m xo

Spinach Ricotta Pie

We usually have lunch at my mothers every Sunday, and it always includes a pasta and some sort of meat (usually meatballs in sauce) but since she has become a snowbird this year, sadly we have to fend for ourselves. Can you believe that?! Hahaha! Just kidding.

So for this Sunday's lunch I decided to make a spinach pie.  Well actually, we had to have it for dinner because I forgot you have to thaw phyllo dough for a few hours.

I usually make this pie with an olive oil based pie crust but I didn't feel like a doughy crust so I decided to use phyllo instead. I only used 3 sheets, so if you're trying to cut back on carbs, this is perfect but you can use more if you want a flakier crust. And a tip I got from my Greek friend, Lena, who got it from her grandmother, sprinkle a few droplets of water on the phyllo before baking. It makes it a little crispier. Thanks Lena!

The leftovers were great for breakfast.

Spinach Ricotta Pie

8 oz. bag of spinach (more or less)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
475g ricotta
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
zest and juice of a lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
nutmeg to taste
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
3 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil to drizzle on the phyllo dough




Preheat oven to 350F.  On medium heat put the spinach in a pan with a splash of water. Don't worry if the pan doesn't seem big enough, as the spinach wilts down, just add more spinach. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool and chop.

In the same pan, sauté garlic and shallot in olive oil until soft. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine spinach, sautéed onion and garlic, eggs, ricotta, parmesan cheese, zest and juice of lemon, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

In an 11inch tart pan with a removable bottom, place a sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. The phyllo will probably hang over the pan. Repeat with another 2 sheets. After brushing the 3rd sheet of phyllo, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Spoon in the filling and fold over the hanging phyllo all around the pie. Sprinkle some water and drizzle the dough with a little olive oil. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove the ring around the pie.

m xo

Just Imagine...Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad

Ok, so here's the thing. I really, really wanted to share this salad that I made with the leftover roasted cauliflower because it was that good! There is only one problem. I forgot to take a photo of it. Haha! I'm still getting used to this whole blogging thing. So sorry.

I love these kinds of salads and I rarely recreate the same one again because it depends entirely on what is in my pantry.

I like to include a grain of some sort, in this case quinoa, a vegetable, nuts or seeds for crunch, cheese for some saltiness, chopped herd or two and a little sweetness from dried fruit. Everything is to taste. You can sub the quinoa with any grain you have on hand really. If you don't like cilantro, sub in parsley or dill. Not a fan of almonds? Use pistachios or walnuts instead. Whatever floats your boat. Quantities are not even that important here.

I don't even make a dressing. A squeeze of lemon and oil of your choice.

I really hope you make this salad. It was yummy!

Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower Salad

1/2 head of roasted cauliflower
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup marcona or toasted almonds, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4-5 pitted chopped dates
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sumac
juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons walnut oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.

m xo

Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini

Tonight was one of those nights where we really didn't want a big meal for dinner so I decided to make it a "veggie only" meal.

I simply roasted cauliflower and zucchini(separately) and made a couple of sauces for them based on what I had in the refrigerator. Dill and mint.

These would make wonderful side dishes to serve with anything really.

Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Dill Sauce

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Place cauliflower on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
In the meantime make the yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Dill Sauce

1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir all the ingredients until combined. Serve with the roasted cauliflower.

Roasted Zucchini with Mint Pesto

4-5 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Place zucchini on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
In the meantime make the mint pesto.

Mint Pesto

1 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup marcona almonds, (you can sub regular almonds)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Drizzle over the roasted zucchini.

  

m xo