cooking – Page 17 – Well Dined

29
Jul
2013

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

categories: Recipes

Melissa of Smells Like Brownies has been doing a CSA this year, so for one of our weekly vegetarian lunches we decided to use up some of the beets and lettuce she had received. This super delicious and filling salad involves sweet roasted beets, fragrant toasted walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. Simple and fresh – this is a great way to enjoy beets!

Warm Beet and Chèvre Salad
from Smells Like Brownies
serves 2

Ingredients:
3/4 lb beets (about 3 medium)
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
1 tbsp honey
salt and black pepper
1 wheat baguette, cut into 1/4″ slices
1 medium head lettuce, such as Bibb or Boston
1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
4–6 oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap the beets tightly in foil and roast them for 1–1.5 hours, or until they are soft enough to pierce through the thickest part with a butter knife. Unwrap the beets and let them cool 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Lightly brush the baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set the slices on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven for 3 minutes.

Rinse and tear up the lettuce. Sprinkle the toasted, chopped nuts and oregano over the greens.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off the flesh. Cut the beets into slices or wedges and sprinkle over the salad.

Top the salad with crumbled goat cheese and a drizzle of the oil and vinegar dressing.

26
Jul
2013

Homemade Veggie Burgers

categories: Recipes

Oddly enough, Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) and I both ended up with no plans for the 4th of July this year. So we decided to go about our weekly vegetarian lunch as usual and, in spirit of the typical holiday food, decided to try making veggie burgers. Based on her memory of a particularly delicious restaurant version and a couple of online recipes, we came up with our ingredients.

Mushrooms and lentils were to be the base; with the help of carrots, onion, garlic, and cheddar cheese.

We seasoned with salt and pepper, thyme, and dry mustard, then bound it together with breadcrumbs and egg. We saved the “fancy” breadcrumbs (panko) to form a bit of a crust on the outside of the patties. We learned the hard way that you definitely want to let the mixture chill in the fridge for about 30 min before you form the patties, or you will have a hard time. (more…)

24
Jul
2013

Fig, Mascarpone, and Goat Cheese Galette with Coconut

categories: Recipes

This rustic beauty came about by accident. I had intended to make a cherry pie, but my plans for obtaining cherries fell through. So I ended up with some pie dough and nothing else. I went to the store to see what fruit was available and found some Turkish figs. “This could definitely work,” I thought. Then I thought of a creamy smear of mascarpone underneath, and oh! What if I added in some goat cheese, too?

So I dumped a container each of goat cheese and mascarpone cheese into bowl with some honey and mixed them together. Then I got to thinking, “What about some cardamom in here?” So in it went.

I rolled out my pie dough and spread the cheese mixture over it. I only ended up using half of it, but it made a great dip for crackers and fruit so that was fine. I arranged the quartered figs over the spread and then had another thought. “You know what goes great with cardamom? Coconut!” So I dug out some sweetened coconut flakes from the pantry to sprinkle over the top. A brush of cold water and sprinkling of turbinado sugar later, and my masterpiece was ready to bake.

I threw a lot of ingredients into here, but they ended up blending perfectly. The spread sort of merged with the flaky crust to make a creamy base for the figs; and the coconut came out perfectly toasted. Bonus? My husband was out of town and I got to eat the whole thing myself! This recipe may have been an accident, but I will definitely be making it again. (more…)

22
Jul
2013

Caprese Stuffed Burgers

categories: Recipes

Hello, Summer! Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil, all stuffed inside a hearty burger – oh yeah, baby!

This is a fairly straightforward recipe, the key is in the setup – have all of your ingredients close by and ready to go. Season your beef however you like (I put bacon in mine!) and form into thin patties; make an indentation in the center.

Load up with halved grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella bits, and ribbons of basil.

Place another thin patty on top and seal the edges to encase the filling.

Then grill as you normally would!

Inspired by Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom

17
Jul
2013

Mexican Style Quinoa Salad

categories: Recipes

This vegetarian/vegan meal that I made with Melissa of Smells Like Brownies is perfect for summer. It is light and fresh (but still filling), takes advantage of summer produce, and is packed with protein.

All you have to do is combine the ingredients – corn, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, scallions, jalapeno, black beans, cooked quinoa.

Then toss with a dressing of lime, olive oil, honey, and cumin.

Top with some fresh cilantro (or parsley if you, like me, are not a fan) and your perfect summer lunch awaits! You can serve it warm, cold, or room temp – doesn’t matter. The ingredient list is also totally flexible, go with whatever ratio of quinoa to veg you like, take out the stuff you don’t like, add in something you do, make it yours. (more…)

12
Jul
2013

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli

categories: Recipes

I recently bought a pasta roller and learned to start making my own pasta (you can read about my first adventure here). One of the very first things that I made on my own was this gorgeous roasted beet and goat cheese ravioli.

Here is my lovely pasta roller!

This is my ravioli press – lay a sheet of pasta over it, and use a plastic mold to press down and form pockets.

Then place the filling into the pockets – check out the crazy fuschia color of the beet filling! (more…)

08
Jul
2013

Garlic Scapes

categories: Recipes

I saw these guys at the Farmers Market and though, “What the heck are those?” So out came the phone and Google searching commenced. Garlic Scapes, as it turns out, are a shoot that grows out of the top of the garlic plant. They need to be removed so that the plant can focus on growing the bulb instead of flowering. This is fortunate, because the also happen to be insanely delicious. They taste like garlic, but without the bite, and can be used like scallions.

I bought myself a big handful and set about looking up recipes. The most common way to use them is in a pesto, so of course I did not make that… because I’m weird.

Instead, I made carbonara – with guanciale (cuz I’m legit) and peas (which put an end to my legit-ness, but I don’t care cuz I love peas). You are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about, I don’t blame you. Here is a link to a great article about the do’s and dont’s of real carbonara. TLDR (too long, didn’t read for all you non-techies) – while bacon and pancetta are acceptable, guanciale is the best; peas are a definite don’t.

I also made biscuits – with garlic scapes, Gruyere, and goat butter (another new obsession of mine). (more…)

05
Jul
2013

Roasted Radish Flatbread with Honey

categories: Recipes

So this little beauty came about due to inspiration from Bev Cooks and the need to get rid of a lot of leftover ingredients from other meals. Sort of a clean-out-the-fridge-in-the-most-delicious-way-possible sort of thing.

I had leftover ricotta from this recipe, with you may recall from last week. Well, not really leftover since I purposefully made double the amount I needed.

And I had little nubs of radish left over from this Spring salad I made inspired by this Martha Stewart recipe. I didn’t post about it but it had butter lettuce, shaved radish and fennel, blanched peas and asparagus, and fresh mozzarella in a lemon juice and sour cream dressing. (more…)

27
Jun
2013

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Seared Scallops

categories: Recipes

You guys know how much I love homemade ricotta. In case you don’t – it’s A LOT. I’ve also been kind of obsessed with peas lately. So I was super excited to try out this recipe.

I had never made scallops at home before, so I was pretty nervous. But as it turns out, it’s pretty easy! Just make sure that you buy them no more than 1 day before you want to cook them, keep them on ice if you aren’t going straight home, and store them in the coldest part of the fridge. Also, be warned that your house will smell like seafood after you cook them.

As for the pasta – whole wheat linguine, lemon, peas, thyme, and of course – fresh ricotta. Fresh and light and creamy deliciousness!

Here’s one more shot to tide you over… (more…)

25
Jun
2013

Peas and Carrots

categories: Recipes

You know that Forrest Gump quote, “Jenny and me was like peas and carrots.”? I could not stop saying that while making and eating this dinner. The classic duo of peas and carrots, back together again in the form of soup and risotto.

This pea soup has a base of English peas, sugar snap peas, and leeks. So much green!

But more importantly, it has bacon. You start by crisping the bacon and removing it. Then, in the same pan, you cook celery, onion, and leek in the bacon fat before adding chicken stock and rosemary. Meanwhile, blanch the peas. (more…)

Tag: cooking