Fresh Pesto

Fresh basil from the garden.

Pesto is super easy to make and freeze.  I feel a tremendous joy in clipping off the stems and leaves of basil as it smells sooo good! These stalks were gleaned from those that were "bolting" which means sending up flower stalks and going to seed.

After rinsing the leaves in the sink, I let them dry on the counter then picked the leaves off and placed them in a blender.

Traditional pesto is made with olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, basil (of course), and Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper (or even hot red pepper flakes) may be added as desired.

For freezing purposes, I leave out the Parmesan cheese and add it in later after the basic pesto sauce has defrosted and we are ready to use the pesto.  You can also leave the cheese out entirely for a vegan sauce and it is just as good.

One of the things I love about pesto, or any of the fresh herb pastes we make for recipes, is the ability to swap out ingredients, in this case nuts.

If you would prefer to use walnuts instead of pine nuts, go for it. Walnut basil pesto is delicious. Another fun thing to add more depth to your pesto is to lightly roast your nuts first to enhance their contribution to the sauce.

2 C. fresh basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/3 C. pine nuts
1/4 - 1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

Place the basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and puree for a few seconds. Add the olive oil slowly while the processor (or blender) is running and until you get the consistency that you like. Note that you may not add all the oil called for.

If you prefer to freeze your emerald sauce, then stop now before adding the Parmesan and divvy it up into containers or zip-locks and stock it away for a future meal.  If you wish to use the sauce right away, stir in the Parmesan and enjoy.  (Or no Parmesan if going vegan.)

Experiment with consistency and enjoy.

- Kim Fielding

Chile Rellenos - Vegan Style

Cooked chiles stuffed with cashew
cream cheese, herbs, veggies, and spices.

Chile rellenos, traditional style, have always been a rare indulgence. With the time it takes to make them, all the fat and frying involved, and the guilt afterwards for eating way too much of this fatty yet yummy food, my family doesn't go there very often.

Along comes Kris Carr with one of her most recent cookbooks "Crazy Sexy Kitchen".  When we saw the picture of her Chile Rellenos with Red and Green Sauces, we just had to try it.  However, as I have said before, I have trouble following a recipe so I adapted a little here and there.  My past experience though tells me that all of her recipes are PERFECT just the way they are printed.

Chiles are abundant in our garden as end of season crops.  We have serranos, habaneros, cayenne, jalapenos, and poblanos.  That isn't counting the gentle black and red peppers which we will be stuffing this week.  This chile relleno recipe works well with poblanos or anaheims.

Serves: 6
Prep and cook time:  about an hour

6 poblano or Anaheim chiles
2 tsp. olive oil

Cashew-Jalapeno Cheese filling:
2 C. raw cashews, soaked in water about 30 minutes to soften
3 Tblsp. lime juice
3/4 C. water
2+ Tblsp, nutritional yeast
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 C. finely diced yellow, orange, or red bell pepper (or a mix)
1/2 C. finely chopped cilantro
2 shallots, minced
1-1/2 Tblsp cumin powder
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste

Sauce:
Kris Carr uses two sauces in her beautiful book version.  An ancho pepper puree and a cilantro mint puree. Both are divine.  The cookbook will give you those recipes.  I chose to use one of my own salsa verdes which I had prepared with tomatillos from the garden.

Roast the chiles.  Preheat oven to broil.  Rub the chiles with the oil and place on a metal baking sheet. Broil for one minute on each side. Watch carefully!  You want the skin to soften and bubble but not burn. Remove the chiles from the oven and set aside.

While the chiles are cooling, prepare the filling.  In a blender, add the drained cashews, lime juice, and water.  Blend on high until completely smooth.  Pour mix into a bowl and add the nutritional yeast, minced onion, jalapeno, peppers, cilantro, shallots, cumin, oregano, and salt.  Mix together gently with your hands until blended.

Back to the chiles...

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Make a slice down the length of the roasted chiles and gently open up a pouch. Spoon the Cashew-Jalapeno filling into each of the chiles using up all of the filling.

These chiles weren't roasted first.  We decided we liked
them roasted after making this batch.  But hey, you
can skip this step if you like or want to save time.

Cook in an oiled baking sheet for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.

The smell of these cooking is really nice.  Place a spoonful of sauce
on the plate and place a stuffed chile on top.

We made a salad with chopped greens and yellow tomatoes from the garden.

 Dress the salad with a light vinaigrette and place a portion over the plated chile with sauce.

The finished meal.

Serve with your choice of side dishes.  This meal features fresh melon and home-made bread.

This was devoured by my men who all loved this.  Even my carnivore husband ate every last bite.

Calories and nutrition for one large vegan chile relleno with 2 tablespoons tomatillo sauce and 1/2 cup dressed salad is approximately 600 calories.  This serving includes 8 g fiber, 21 g protein, and almost 43 g fat, most of which is mono- and poly-unsaturated with only 7 g being saturated.  Then there is a full compliment of vitamin C, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and selenium. Oh, and lots of other minerals and vitamins too.

Don't be put off by the fat calories in this recipe.  A traditional chile relleno would be stuffed with cheese, breaded and fried, and paired with beans and rice.  There would be more fat calories, most of which would be saturated from the cheeses, not to mention the frying.  Beans and rice pile on the starches of which you honestly only need one serving.

Explore and enjoy.

- Kim Fielding

Garden Chards Stuffed with Risotto

Oh my, this was good.  Chards, collards, or any large leafy green
are great wraps for any filling.  

Many years ago, dear Dr. Mariam mentioned something to me that made such simple sense, I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it myself.  We were enjoying someone's home-made dolmas.  They were soooo good.  I was marveling at the precision of the grape leaf wound around the filling when she said "...you know, you can use any leaf to wrap around a filling."  Or something like that.   Oh wow.  This opened up a whole new way to think about the chards, kales, collards, and even lighter lettuces in our garden.

Fast forward, I now use dark leafy greens in place of pasta for such dishes as caneloni or lasagna. For an elegant touch, I poach butter lettuce leaves briefly then wrap them around tender morsels of fresh salmon and bake.  Lettuces and dark leafy greens are prolific growers and we used to see them "bolt" before we had a chance to use them all up.  Thankfully we have found another way to use them. And, just like with regular pasta, if I am using these greens in an Italian-style dish, I double the recipe and freeze in portions for future use.

One basic thing though when using any lettuces as a wrap is to remove the tough spine.  Since chards and collards are large leafed, I run my knife along the edge of the spine and end up with two halves which means two wraps.  Same with the butter lettuce except that this lettuce leaf is smaller so I carefully cut around the thickest part of the spine but leave the rest of the leaf intact. After a brief dunk in simmering water, the whole leaf is softened and usable and we manage to gently wrap our parcels so no holes are left to let precious juices leak out.

Simply run your knife along the spine and remove it.  Voila!  Two usable halves.

The following recipe is inspired by Rosalind Creasy and her book the Edible Italian Garden.  She lives in our neighborhood and has conspired in the past with such notable chefs and growers as the Sebastianis and Paul Bertolli who was the chef at Chez Panisse restaurant for many years.

I followed a recipe for mushroom risotto (well not really because I always add my own inventions....) that was vegetarian.  Rosalind's recipe includes prosciutto and beef stock which I imagine is divine. This is the thing, once you are comfortable with preparing a filling and you have a vegetable wrap, you can create anything!

Serves:  6
Prep and Cook time: about an hour

Six or more large chard leaves, large stem removed
Risotto, recipe below
Tomato Sauce, I used organic canned from Costco with nothing else added
Cheese for topping, optional

Risotto:
2 Tblsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 portobello mushroom, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
3 - 4 cups vegetable broth, or more (I use water if more moisture if needed)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion and mushrooms until they are tender, about 7- 9 minutes.  Add the rice and stir so that the rice is coated with the buttery onion and mushroom mix. Add the white wine and stir for a few minutes until most of the wine moisture is gone.  Enjoy the heady aroma!

Start adding the vegetable broth, one cup at a time, stirring to incorporate the moisture throughout the rice.  Some people say you have to stir the whole time while adding the broth.  I don't do that because I am distracted by getting my baking dish ready, simmering the chards, and opening my can of tomato sauce....ya di ya.  Anyway, make sure you stir it often enough and note when it is starting to look dry and need another cup or so of broth.  When it is "to the tooth" (slightly crunchy but close to being creamy) add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly.  Remove from heat.

While the rice is cooking, bring a large skillet of water to a simmer.  Dip your halved chard leaves into the water to soften.  This takes a minute or so for each leaf.  Remove and set aside.  Your wraps are ready.

Prepare your baking dish by spooning tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start wrapping!  For each chard leaf, add about 2+ tablespoons mushroom risotto mixture on the leaf and roll up.  Fill your baking dish with the rolls, seam side down, and top with tomato sauce until each roll is covered. The last topping of cheese is your choice.  The original recipe recommends Gruyere, however, I just used a bit of leftover Parmesan and some left-over Swiss cheese.  The topping is not the most important part of the recipe.  Once you bake this and eat it, the nugget is what is inside.

Ready to cook.  We didn't really need to add the goopy cheese on top.  It
would have been fine without it.  Or possibly just a fine grating
of Parmesan.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with a greens salad dressed with vinaigrette and, if you desire, a slice of rustic bread.  Hmmm.

Approximate calories per serving (considering about two roll-ups per person) is 285 calories.  Add in about 10 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 10 grams fat of which the majority is vegetable based,   There are approximately 35 g carbs total for diabetics who need to watch those numbers.  A daily requirement of iron and vitamin A is included in this delightful bundle.

Vegan option:  replace the butter with preferred oil and eliminate the cheese.

Have fun with this recipe!

- Kim Fielding

Berry Coconut Smoothie

Fresh blueberries and strawberries were the inspiration for today's smoothie.

My super blender has a single serving option and I chose the smaller container to make this.  I filled it about 2/3 up to the max fill line with blueberries.  Then I added strawberries, 1 large spoonful of coconut oil, and 1/2 cup of applesauce.   Blended until smooth, this was yummy!

This became thicker the longer it sat so adding water might help keep it easier to drink.   No worries though if you like it thick because it makes a delicious pudding-style breakfast.

Son #3 helped himself - there is not much left!

1/2 batch of this berry smoothie offers about 140 calories and almost 1/2 your daily requirement for vitamin C.

- Kim Fielding

Filet of Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

In our last post, we featured sea scallops with mango avocado salsa. Here we offer another dinner suggestion using the salsa.  Fresh filet of sole, served on lettuce, topped with salsa, and with a side dish of couscous.  Diced peppers and green onions added to the rice would be a nice addition.

Calories for 5 ounces filet of sole, 1/3 cup salsa, 1/2 cup cooked couscous (or other pasta such as orzo) offers 475 calories and over 100% of your RDA for vitamin B-12 and selenium.  Two important roles for selenium are to offer antioxidant protection and support healthy thyroid function.

- Kim Fielding

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Mango Avocado Salsa

Sea scallops are a rare treat for us.  They are somewhat expensive but each one weighs about 2 ounces so you only need to eat two or three for a main course.  Serve one scallop per person as a first course.

Mangos are everywhere in the stores right now and are one of our favorite additions to salsa.  They pair nicely with avocados and are a wonderful compliment to seafood or chicken.  This salsa is so sweet and good, I had to shoo my sons away from eating it all with spoons before dinner!

Serves:  2

Prep and cook time:  about 20 minutes

4 large sea scallops, patted dry with paper towel

1 Tblsp. butter

1 Tblsp. vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Mango Salsa:

1 mango, cut into cubes

1 avocado, cut into cubes

2 Tblsp. coconut milk (I used "Lite")

squeeze of half of a lime

dash of hot sauce or red pepper flakes, optional

Prepare the mango salsa.

The pit of a mango is fairly flat.  Using a sharp knife, slice the mango
along the pit to create two halves and the center.  Cut around the edge of the pit
and cube the rest of the fruit to get every last bite.

Score each half into squares.

Invert the mango and slice off all the cut pieces from the peel.

Mango, avocado, coconut milk, lime and optional hot spices are
mixed together and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil together in a skillet and saute scallops about 2-3 minutes per side.  They should have a light golden color.  The texture will be soft and creamy on the inside.  

Lightly season with salt and pepper before adding to the skillet.

For a nice presentation, scallops were placed on baby lettuces with a side of limes.
Top with salsa and serve.  

A nice side dish for this main course might include rice salad with chopped vegetables, steamed broccoli, or mixed grilled summer squash.

Calories for the scallops and about 1/3 cup of salsa comes to approximately 540 calories.  1/2 cup steamed rice is about 100 calories.  This main course , including steamed rice, offers over 5 grams fiber, and over half your daily requirement for protein, vitamin B-12, selenium, phosphorus, and manganese.  Phosphorus is an essential nutrient and is found in every cell in our bodies.  Most of it is stored in our bones and supports bone strength and bone and calcium metabolism.  Phosphorus is a major component in ATP which provides energy to our cells.  Thankfully, phosphorus is found in most foods and dietary deficiencies are virtually non-existent.

- Kim Fielding

About My Cooking Style.....

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for your support and following.  I have a confession to make.

I cook "on the fly".  I prepare food by feel, smell, mood, what is freshest in the garden, and what is at the Farmer's Markets.  But it is with difficulty that I follow a recipe.  I love to feature, in Mariam's and my blog, foods that come lovingly out of my kitchen.  I can tell you how to make it but I may not always be clear on exact amounts.  This is where the "Experiment, Explore, and Enjoy" concept comes in.  I wasn't always a good cook.  Some say that there is an intuitiveness to my craft.  I say it comes from lots of trial and error.

Don't worry about mistakes made in the kitchen.  Unless you are burning it down of course!

Bring friends and family in to help with prep.  Someone can tend the BBQ grill while you toss a salad.  Others can slice the bread or set the table.

Our dinner tables are the place where we gather, talk about our days, share silly stories, raise our children, and turn off the outside world while we enjoy each other's company.  If something prepared isn't perfect, it will be better the next time.

A good dose of healthy food, family time, and laughter, is a great boost for anyone.

Servings;  I guess it depends on who shows up
Prep and Cook time:  We will see!

Nutritional analysis:  Nothing better than a happy dinner table to set the mood for the rest of the week.

Grilled Squash and Scallions

This looks like a messy splurge, and it is.  Totally yummy!

Fresh zucchinis and scallions from the garden are featured in today's salad.  Inspired to make something refreshing for dinner, a lemony vinaigrette seemed the perfect response for our hot summer nights.

Start by grilling zucchini and scallions.  I tossed both with a little olive oil and lightly seasoned them with salt and pepper.

These cooked up quickly.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Prepare a vinaigrette.  2 parts extra virgin olive oil and 1 part lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Adjust the acidity of the dressing as desired.  (This means add more oil if you need to lighten the acidity).

Place mixed spring lettuces on a platter and arrange the grilled vegetables over.  Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with lemon zest and coarsely chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

Serves:  4
Prep and cook time:  15 minutes

Each serving offers approximately 250 calories, about 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, and a generous amount of vitamin E.  Per WebMD, "Vitamin E is an important vitamin required for the proper function of many organs in the body.  It is also an antioxidant.  This means it helps to slow down processes that damage cells."

Enjoy!

- Kim Fielding

Roast Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Sauce

Potatoes Are Us these days.  They can be quite dull after a while unless you take them to task and explore completely new ways to prepare them.  This particular potato recipe was adapted from another favourite blog "Oh She Glows" written by Angela Liddon. Love this site.  She is a genius and her blog is easy to read and her recipes are delicious.  

Angela Liddon's version uses new potatoes and smashes them. Super fun.  I was looking for a slightly more classical look and decided to simply slice russet potatoes and top them with her special sauce. Avocado Aioli Sauce.

Oh my.

The men in my family loved this.

Aioli is basically a Provence-style mayonnaise traditionally made with olive oil, garlic, and seasonings.  It includes egg yolks and is prepared just like our current mayonnaise that we buy in our stores.  The recipe below suggests adding Veganaise which doesn't contain eggs for those who are vegan.  Make sure the sauce is used up the day you prepare it because otherwise it will turn brown.

Slice the peeled potatoes into about 1/4 - 1/3 -inch slices.

Toss with olive oil.  The potatoes were roasted and the slices turned
 over half-way through cooking time to get a nice brown on both sides.

Serves:  6

Cook and prep time:  about an hour

3 large russet potatoes, peeled

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Fresh chopped parsley

Avocado "Aioli" Sauce:

Two garlic cloves, smashed

One large or two small ripe avocados

1/4 cup mayonnaise (Veganaise is preferred)

1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice potatoes and arrange them in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and turn slices over so they are coated.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 15 minutes.  Turn the slices over to finish cooking.  They should be crispy on the outside and slightly puffed.

While the potatoes are cooking, whir together the aioli ingredients in a blender.  Start with the garlic then add the rest of the ingredients. You will want to make the sauce as creamy as possible.

One of many presentation ideas.  A great side-dish for any meal.

Plate the roasted potatoes and spoon the avocado aioli over.  Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over. Voila!

http://ohsheglows.com/2014/10/15/crispy-smashed-potatoes-with-avocado-garlic-aioli/



- Kim Fielding

Roasted New Potatoes with Garden Herbs and Garlic

You should smell my kitchen when these potatoes are cooking! Our continuing yield of new potatoes has me inspired to revisit good ole tried and true recipes.  This particular adaptation comes from one of our regional favourite cookbooks, Annie Somerville's Fields of Greens. Published in 1993, this is one of those books that continues to provide insipiration for cooking vegetarian.  Annie's restaurant, Greens, is still celebrated in San Francisco for innovative cuisine.  Located in Fort Mason, Greens restaurant is situated right on the bay and the views are exquisite!  Let's see, amazing food and amazing views....  this restaurant is a precious gem.

Cut potatoes are seasoned with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands.  Place ten or so unpeeled garlic cloves around the potatoes and top with fresh herbs.  This roast pan includes fresh rosemary, sage, and oregano.

Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Even before baking, this smells yummy.

Fresh thyme is also a great herb to add to this mix.

The finished product.  

With fresh new potatoes, a dollop of olive oil, fresh herbs, and dashes of salt and pepper, there is nothing artificial.  Remove the roasted garlic and herbs before serving.  Top with fresh herbs for presentation.

This recipe features just over two pounds of potatoes.  Adding in about two tablespoons of olive oil, the entire recipe contains approximately 1050 calories.  Divide by six and that is 175 calories per serving.  Divide the recipe by eight servings, and that is only 130 calories each.  This recipe provides a substantial source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, and niacin.

- Kim Fielding