French Lentil and Roasted Beet Salad

I was really nervous for this meal as I had never had beets or lentils, but it was great! :)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 pound beets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup lentils

1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 2 teaspoons chopped leaves

1 bay leaf

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Dressing (directions below)

1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cups mixed greens

6 ounces aged goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim all but 1 inch of the beet stems. Put the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and seal the foil to make a tight package. Put the package in the oven and roast for about 1 hour. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them (skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure). Dice the beets and set aside.

While you roast the beets, put the lentils in a saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Put sprig of rosemary and bay leaf (tie it together if possible) along with smashed garlic, onion half, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, about 25 minutes. Strain the lentils and discard herbs and onion.

Put the warm lentils in a bowl and stir in half of dressing. Cool the lentils completely, then add the beets, parsley, and chopped rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly dress the greens with a bit of the dressing and divide among plates. Spoon some of the lentil salad onto the greens, crumble goat cheese over each serving, and drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the Dressing:

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

Whisk the vinegar with the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make smooth, slightly thick. Stir in the shallots.

Enjoy!

Grilled Mahi Tacos with Escabeche

This was a great meal! Very refreshing flavor. Lots of fun to make! :) There are a lot of separate recipes, but they are quick and easy to make and taste amazing when they all come together!

Ingredients for Salsa:

2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (we couldn't find them, so we used poblano peppers)

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium high heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant. Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with very hot water and set aside until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, roughly chop and puree the chiles in a blender with the orange juice, honey, salt, and a bit of water. Blend in olive oil. Set aside.

Ingredients for the Escabeche:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 to 3 jalapeños, thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 red onion, halved and sliced

3 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients except cider vinegar and cook until carrots are crisp-tender. Add 1 cup water and the cider vinegar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until just soft, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Ingredients for Fish:

6 5 to 6 ounces of mahi mahi filets (we only purchased what we needed!)

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat or prepare an outdoor grill. Brush the filets all over with a little olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Lay the fish on the grill and leave it until you see distinct grill marks and can lift without the fish sticking. Flip to the other side and do the same. Brush with some salsa and then prepare the tacos.

Ingredients for Tacos:

12 to 24 corn tortillas (depending on who is eating!)

12 sprigs fresh cilantro

Grill tortillas until slightly charred but still pliable. Lay a sprig of cilantro on a single or double tortilla and top first with some of the escabeche and then a piece of fish - half of a filet per taco. Top with sour cream, if desired, and additional salsa.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas

This was a great quesadilla recipe that I will definitely keep on hand and make again soon! Jay came home for lunch and loved the way it made the house smell!

Ingredients:

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (we used 2 smaller ones)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pickled jalapeno, minced, plus 1 tablespoon of the jar juices

1 19 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8 inch flour tortillas (we used 4)

2 cups cheddar cheese (recipe calls for white cheddar, but we used regular cheddar)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the chicken until nicely browned on both sides. Cool the chicken and then tear into bite size pieces.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, and some black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are dry. Transfer mushrooms to a small bowl.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the onion, garlic, jalapeno and the jar juices, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the beans and mash them into the onion mixture until the mixture is smooth but still dotted with bits of bean.

Lay the tortillas on your work surface and spread 1/4 of the beans on half of each one. Follow the beans with 1/4 of the cheese, half of the chicken, half of the mushrooms and finally the rest of the cheese. I spread the mixture out on the whole bottom of the tortilla and topped with an additional tortilla.

In a clean skillet (or panini press) fry each quesadilla in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

Muffuletta

I was really looking forward to trying this meal and it was really great! Super easy to make and a light meal to have when you don't want anything too heavy!

Ingredients for Olive Salad:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small rib celery, thinly sliced

1/2 cup small cauliflower florets

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 cup pitted large green olives, finely chopped

1/4 cup pitted black olives, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped jarred pimiento

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (i left this out)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Put the oil, water, carrot, celery, cauliflower, thyme, and oregano in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce the heat to medium low and then simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the olives, pimiento, and salt (I left the salt out because I thought the saltiness of the olives would be enough). Cool, then add the parsley.

Ingredients for the Sandwich:

1 6 inch round Italian bread with sesame seeds (I could only find a long loaf, so I only used half)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced provolone cheese

6 ounces sliced mortadella

4 ounces sliced soppressata

Slice the bread in half horizontally, then pull out some of the inside each half to make a pocket. Brush the inside of the top half with olive oil. Pack the bottom half with the olive salad. Layer the cheese and meats over the salad and top with the remaining bread. Wrap the muffuletta very tightly with plastic wrap. Place the sandwich in a broad, shallow container and weight it with something heavy for atleast 1 hour at room temperature. Cut muffuletta into quarters and serve.

Enjoy!

Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry-Maple Syrup

We made these in the beginning of May and somehow slipped through the cracks with never getting on the blog! *This was also during my no picture time due to camera acting weird, sorry!*

They are simply amazing and a must make ASAP!

Ingredients for Pancakes:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blueberry Maple Syrup (recipe below!)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large glass measuring cup. Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture to make a thick batter - take care not to overmix or the pancakes will be dense. In another bowl whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula to fold the whites into the batter.

Heat a large cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat the surface lightly with butter. Using about 1/4 cup per pancake, pour the batter into the skillet, leaving space between pancakes. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancakes and the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook about 1 minute more. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes hot with warm Blueberry-Maple Syrup.

Ingredients for Blueberry-Maple Syrup:

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Toss the blueberries with the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils and the blueberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Serve warm.

These were simply to die for and because there are no pictures...you are going to have to take my word for it! :)

Enjoy!

Summer Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing

This was a great salad! :) Christine and James came over for dinner and we had this with some yummy chicken from the grill! It was a great meal! A little bit more ingredients than I was expecting, but well worth it in the end!

This has a homemade ranch dressing and I will include the recipe at the end.

Ingredients for Salad:

8 ounces small red-skinned potatoes, halved

Kosher Salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)

1 cup chopped fresh green or wax beans

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped

Ranch Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups torn mixed greens (we used the Spring Mix bag)

1 cup sprouts (optional)

Put the potatoes in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and salt it as well. Add the corn, beans and broccoli to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop out the vegetable and plunge them immediately into the ice water. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry, and add to the bowl of potatoes along with the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss the salad with 1/2 cup of the dressing.

When ready to serve, toss salad with the greens and sprouts. Pass the remaining dressing at the table!

Ingredients for Ranch Dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup

2 buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt and with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing. (This can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days)

Enjoy!

Chili - Rubbed Pan - Roasted Chicken with Pico de Gallo

This was a super easy meal and definitely one that we will try again! Really great fresh flavors and overall an amazing meal! Add it to your menus soon! :)

Ingredients for chicken:

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil (we used peanut)

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin on (we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

2 teaspoons chili powder

Kosher Salt

Ingredients for pico de gallo:

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes; halved

1/2 to 1 jalapeno, stemmed and minced with seeds

1/4 medium red onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus pinch for garlic

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Warm corn tortillas (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with chili powder and salt to taste. Lay the chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook until brown. Turn the chicken, transfer the pan to the oven and cook until firm, basting occasionally with the pan drippings, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, make the pico de gallo: Toss the tomatoes with the jalapeno, onion, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the paste into the salsa with the olive oil and cilantro.

Enjoy!