Meat and Vegetable Sauce

This recipe is for a very large batch of meat sauce that you can use for a variety of dishes.  It's not your traditional bolognese though I take some of the techniques from the one I use.  This meat sauce came out of the need to cook something for my kids with ground beef.  While they both eat plenty of vegetables I like a one pot meal where I can include lots of veggies, and so this is more like a goulash or a stew.  Actually, the first time I made this I called it hamburger helper and showed my daughter an old ad for the boxed dish on YouTube.  She got pretty excited.   I even simmered the macaroni with the sauce, a bit of cream and lots of shredded cheddar.  I had fully intended this dish to only be for the kids but after my husband devoured a bowl I was happy I had a recipe for the whole family to enjoy.  Find yourself a lazy Sunday and make a batch of this.  I'll also share the recipe below for some stuffed shells I made with this sauce.

1 medium zucchini
2 cups baby spinach 
4 medium carrots
3 ribs celery
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2 lbs ground beef
12 oz tomato paste
1/4 cup basil pesto 

In a food processor, pulse celery, onion, garlic, zucchini, carrots and spinach until pureed.  You may need to do this in two batches.  Coat the base of a dutch oven with olive oil and heat on medium.  Dump veggie puree in and let cook down.  This will take about 20 minutes.  You want all the water to cook out.  Season with some salt and pepper during this process.  When the vegetables are cooked down add in the beef and really, really brown it well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Once the meat is browned add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes or so.  Now you want to pour in a few cups of water and let this simmer for an hour, and then add more water once it has cooked down and essentially keep doing this all afternoon.  What, you have other things to do?  Just kidding, I know, we are all busy and of course you need to be home for this but you don't have to be standing in the kitchen the whole time.  Once the sauce is deep and rich I like to stir in some basil pesto but you could also add in your preferred seasoning like some thyme or other herbs.  As I mentioned, for the hamburger helper I boil macaroni until it still has quite a bite to it, and then I drain the water and let the pasta simmer with lots of sauce.  I add some milk or cream and let it soak that up, and then shred in some cheese and stir off the heat until the melts.  Here is what I did later in the week with the sauce:

1 large bunch kale (any variety)
1/4 c basil pesto
12 oz ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic
1 egg
jumbo shells (about 20 shells)
mozzarella cheese (about 12 slices from a fresh log)

Wash kale and remove ribs.  In a food processor, pulse ricotta, kale leaves, garlic, pesto and egg until pureed.  Add a generous amount of salt and pepper and pulse again.  Cook jumbo shells in a large pot of boiling water until it still has quite a bite to it.  Let cool.  In a casserole pan coat the bottom with olive oil and then the meat sauce, being as generous as you wish.  Spoon the kale ricotta filling into the shells and place on top of the meat sauce.  Once you are done spoon more meat sauce over the top of the shells, and then layer with slices of cheese.  This doesn't need to be followed exactly, if you have shredded, dry cheese that would work as well.  Bake at 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10.  I had a small amount of the ricotta filling left after assembling the shells.  I used it as a base for a pizza I made later in the week.  

Yellow Birthday Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Ohmyword, this cake.  Pour yourself a tall glass of cold milk (or a cappuccino), cut yourself a piece, and all your worries will melt away.  I mean, not all, but if you already live a life of privilege and your biggest worry is your broken dryer, then they will.  We really need to bring this kind of old school, yellow birthday cake back in style.  I think the boxed versions ruined it for us all.  I don't really understand boxed cake mix.  I mean, it's nearly the same amount of dishes and it takes the same amount of time to bake, so what's the point of ingesting food dye when the yellow should be coming from an egg yolk?  And don't even get me started on icing in those tubs.  That shouldn't even be considered "food".  This is a safe place to say that, right?  The frosting on this cake is really what did me in.  I have a lot to learn about baking because I hadn't even appreciated there are frosting recipes that don't involve butter and powdered sugar.  This frosting is the most heavenly consistency and if you are chocolate lover, well, you'll be reminded why you're a chocolate lover.  I hope you have a loved one with a birthday coming up so you can make this cake.  The recipe comes from a YouTuber I discovered, Laura Vitale.  She is a beautiful Italian girl whose enthusiasm is infectious.  Her recipes fall into more of the comfort food category than healthy, but there are some great recipes posted.  

Yellow Cake 

3/4 c butter at room temperature (1.5 sticks)
1 1/2 c sugar (recipe calls for 1 3/4)
3 eggs
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c milk
1/4 sour cream

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c heavy cream
8 oz dark or semi sweet chocolate 
4 T butter
2 T light corn syrup (I used Organic, otherwise I worry all the non-GMO bloggers will hold a protest outside my house)
1 t espresso powder (I skipped so the kids could eat the cake)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  In a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or large bowl with a whisk cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla, sour cream and milk and combine.  Add in remaining dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.  Pour into pan and spread until even.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely and then frost.  For frosting, place chocolate in a bowl and set aside.  In a small saucepan heat butter, cream and corn syrup until it comes to a boil.  Remove immediately from heat and pour over chocolate.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes and then stir until smooth.  Let rest for 15 minutes before frosting.  

Mehan's Roast Chicken

Everyone has their favorite roast chicken recipe and this one happens to be mine, so I thought I would share.  I roast a chicken once a week and it never lasts long enough.  Just like my daughter did at his age, my son loves it fresh out of the oven. I love having it for sandwiches for myself and the kids for lunch or playdates.  Sometimes it's dinner, freshly carved on a warm croissant with some mustard, pesto, arugula and lately, some tomatoes.  The only caveat is I always get my meat from my local halal butcher because it is, by far, the freshest meat available, in my opinion.  I have him cut a whole chicken in half and that is how I roast it.  If you are buying your meat at the grocery store I think your options are a whole chicken, or in pieces, so adjust cooking time accordingly, or ask your butcher to cut a whole chicken in half.  The key is to marinate it overnight in a buttermilk herb dressing.  The herbs are quite flexible as I've gone with a large variety that I'm growing, but some have now, um, died, so I just use what I have around.        

1 whole chicken, cut in half
zest from 1 lemon
1 c buttermilk (milk with a splash of white vinegar) 
1 t salt (or more)
1 t pepper
2 cloves garlic
two large handfuls of herbs (sage and basil are my favorite.  I also have added thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary) 
4 T butter

In a high power blender blend together lemon zest, salt, pepper, garlic, buttermilk and herbs.  Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour in marinade.  Let marinate overnight in fridge.  Next morning, take chicken out and allow to come to room temperature.  Place on a roasting pan and lay sliced butter across skin.  Roast in oven at 425 for about 50 minutes.  I can generally tell when my chicken is done by the way it looks and feels but you probably want to use a meat thermometer.  Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.   

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Oh, Summertime.  You and your delicious, delicious fruit.  I saw a picture of blueberry crumb bars on my Instagram feed and had to make this recipe.  I feel like I'm always making larabars or millet flour banana bread with flax seeds that it felt really good to be baking a traditional fruit dessert.  Everyone has gone all #paleo and #whole30 that it almost felt sinful making this recipe.  This is a home run kind of a treat, the kind that everyone loves.  It tastes classic, with well balanced flavors and textures and I am so making this again, and again, and again.  I adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  I added more blueberries and some shredded coconut.  Not the sweet, baking kind, the healthy kind.  And I changed up the topping by adding in some rolled oats.  You can easily just follow the link and adhere to the original suggestions. While they are technically bars, heat a piece up and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you feel like you're eating a crisp or crumble, or pie.  We all love blueberries, so please make this before the end of the summer, you'll love blueberries even more for being so darn giving.     

1.5 c sugar
1 t baking powder
3 c flour
1 c butter (2 sticks)
1 egg 1/4 t salt
zest and juice from 1 lemon
5 c blueberries (you could easily do 4)
5 t cornstarch
2 T c shredded coconut
1/2 c rolled oats
1 T grape seed oil
1 T brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl with clean, dry blueberries, add cornstarch, lemon juice, coconut and 1/2 cup sugar.  Stir gently.  In another bowl mix 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.  With a fork or pastry cutter blend in butter and egg.  Butter is suppose to be cold but mine was actually at room temperature.  Dough will be slightly crumbly.  Pat 3/4 of the dough into the baking pan.  Dump and spread blueberries over base.  Add oats, brown sugar and grape seed oil to remaining dough. I loved the added texture the oats give, but they need some moisture which is why I added some grape seed oil.  You could easily add some more butter.  Sprinkle remaining dough mixture over top of blueberries.  Bake for 45 minutes or until slightly brown.  Keep an eye on it toward the end, all ovens are different and you may want to add foil if the topping is getting too brown too soon.  Cool completely before cutting it, in fact, I chilled it in the fridge overnight.  Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Pink Bean Dip

I remember when I found out I was expecting a girl I began preparing myself for the infiltration of pink into my life.  I knew that no matter what you do, many girls seem to develop a love for the color pink.  Her nursery was grey and white, and in fact, her room is still grey and white, but she definitely prefers the color pink.  I rarely buy her pink clothes and toys, but with two grandmothers that spoil her she gets a lot of pink things in her life.  And she loves them.  Sigh.  She loves pink.  This dip is pure genius for pink loving girls.  It is so incredibly healthy, and I am only mildly ashamed to admit I got my daughter to devour it by calling it "pink princess toast" when spread on whole grain crackers.  We dipped veggies in it, pretzels, stirred it into pasta and even scrambled eggs.  It was a big hit.  This recipes comes from the Washington Post.

15 oz cooked (or canned) white beans
1 clove garlic
1/3 c olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1/2 roasted beet 
salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Store in an airtight container.  Will keep in fridge for up to a week.

Crab Cakes

I'm not one to whip up crab cakes at home very often, but my mother called before they were headed out of town and said she had some extra lump crab meat she needed to give me.  Oh.  Ok.  These were quite a treat and if I find myself in possession of more crab meat soon I will definitely make them the same way.  The decadent addition that makes you think "why are these so good" is the crushed crackers.  The original recipe called for saltines, but I actually happened to have an old sleeve of Trader Joe's version of Ritz crackers which provided such a perfect, buttery, salty binder for the cakes.  We found these so moist they were great served alone.  Recipe is adapted from here.  

16 oz lump crab meat
20 Ritz crackers
1 egg, beaten 
1/4 c mayo
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon

Pulse crackers in a food processor until fine.  In a medium bowl whisk together mayo, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning and juice from 1/2 a lemon.  Fold in crab meat and cracker crumbs.  Let sit in fridge for 1 hour.  In a large pan heat some oil (like grapeseed).  Scoop crab meat mixture about 1/3 cup at a time and form into cakes.  Cook until golden brown on each side.  Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.  Squeeze remaining lemon juice over cakes and serve.  

Strawberry Vinaigrette

I feel as though this has been a particularly good season for strawberries, but we have been extra spoiled this year as well.  My father's garden has yielded the most incredible strawberries I have ever tasted, truly, and my mother in-law brought a half flat with her (carry-on) from Southern California.  We are currently plowing through more in California from a road side stand.  While desserts are often the first category of recipe one wants to chose in order to highlight the fruit, savory salads are a perfect alternative.  Instead of simply tossing some sliced strawberries in a salad I decided to blend up a dressing.  Tossed with a fresh baby spinach salad topped with toasted pecans and crumbed goat cheese and, well, you know how good it will be.  

8-10 strawberries
1 t honey
1 T dijon mustard 
1/4 c olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper    

Wash, dry and prep strawberries.  Place all ingredients in a high power blender and blend until emulsified.  If you want a creamer dressing, add a spoon of mayo, buttermilk or sour cream before blending.  You could also add a clove of fresh garlic before blending for some spice.  Store in refrigerator.  

Warm Corn Salad

It's almost that time of year again.  That time when I feel that mounting pressure to MAKE ALL THE SEASONAL PRODUCE hashtag givemeallthefarmersmarkets.  As much as I love this time of year, I also can resent it as I want so badly to squeeze in mounds of recipes while ingredients are at their peak but the reality is with two young kids it can be hard to accomplish this.  I mean, I could, but we'd never leave the house.  I actually put my CSA box on hold as I just couldn't keep up with all the produce that needed to be cooked within days.  Yeah, #firstworldproblems.  I love summer corn, as does my husband, my daughter and now my son.  I love to simply sautee sweet corn with some butter, paprika, salt and pepper and call it our side.  This salad is a bit more impressive and I love the complimentary vegetables.  In August, the addition of sliced cherry tomatoes is even better.  This is truly a no recipe, throw it together kind of a dish, but here is the general idea.  

~ 4 ears corn, kernels sliced off
1/2 onion, chopped
fist full of green beans, prepped and chopped
1 cup mushrooms, any kind you like, sliced

In a medium saute pan heat some olive oil and butter and cook the mushrooms until tender.  Remove from pan with a spoon.  Add onions and saute until golden.  Add corn and and green beans and saute until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, paprika and some italian seasoning if you feel like it.  Stir in mushrooms.  

Meatloaf

Meatloaf has always been and still is one of my favorite dishes.  It can be done so poorly but when it's done well it's so incredible satisfying.  Also, I like any dish that yields enough for leftovers.  I've posted a meatloaf recipe before but like most dishes, it has evolved over the years and I've settled on my favorite preparation, at least for now.  I find meatloaf pairs perfectly with pasta with basil pesto, but every so often I'll make mashed potatoes and French green beans.  This meatloaf takes a few steps, but I assure you it's well worth it.  One thing to note, I make large batches of fresh bread crumbs in a food processor and freeze them in storage bags.  When I make meatloaf I simply add in these bread crumbs.    

2 lbs ground beef (85/15)
1/2 c fresh bread crumbs
1/4 c milk
2 eggs
3 carrots, prepped
3 ribs celery, prepped
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 T ketchup (check the ingredients and buy organic)
1 t paprika
1 t mustard powder
1 t Worcestershire
salt
pepper

for the glaze:
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c mustard
1 T honey
1 T brown sugar
1 t balsamic syrup
for added flavor add Sriracha or miso paste

In a food processor pulse the carrots, celery, onion and garlic until they are completely pureed.  In a medium pan heat some olive oil and cook the veggies.  Add in paprika and mustard, some salt and pepper.  Cook until water has evaporated.  Let cool.  In a large bowl mix the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt, pepper and cooked veggies until everything is well mixed.  In a medium roast pan pat and form the meatloaf into the shape of a football.  With your hand press a channel on the top of the meatloaf for the glaze.  Spread glaze all over meatloaf, allowing more to fill up the channel.  Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes.       

Salmon Cakes

I have a confession.  I'm not the biggest fan of wild caught, Pacific salmon.  Gasp.  I know.  You could care less.  It's just that I find even the higher qualities like Sockeye can oftentimes be rather tough and gamey.  Farm raised on the other hand, ohhhhh, it's just so fatty and creamy.  I have, however, found my favorite way to prepare wild caught, Pacific salmon.  I use a lower quality, the Silverbrite/Keta, which I find to be nice and mild and turn them into moist, flavorful salmon cakes.  They are so easy, so forgiving, and pair perfectly with salads and simple pastas.  I buy them frozen, at Trader Joe's and throw them in some cold water the morning I plan on cooking them.  I roast a few fillets for a few minutes, pull them out and forget about them for a while.  Then, when I have a few free minutes I'll pull the meat off and mash in all the flavorings.  I'll shape them into patties and then pan sear them at dinnertime.  My son is 1, which means he eats any and everything.  My daughter is 2 going on 3 which means she does not eat any and everything.  I wouldn't qualify her as picky, but she is definitely particular (she is obsessed with pesto but will not eat store bought, restaurant or my mother's pesto, only mine) and she is going through a phase where she thinks "it smells stinky" when I cook fish.  Yet she'll devour fried fish at our local Fish and Chips pub or shrimp tempura at a sushi joint.  But I don't care, I make these all the time because the rest of us love them.  

1 lb salmon (Silverbrite/Keta)
1/2 c panko
1 egg
2 T mayo or sour cream
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 t paprika          
1 t Old Bay seasoning
1 t Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper

Place thawed fillets in a small roasting pan.  Lightly salt and pepper.  Roast at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Fork off meat into a medium bowl.  Stir in panko, eggs, mayo, garlic, paprika, Old Bay and Worcestershire.  Form into medium sized patties (~6).  Heat a combination of olive oil and salted butter in a pan.  Sear on each side until light brown and crisp.     

Raw Kale Salad

I'm not sure why I'm calling this a raw kale salad, as opposed to a kale salad, maybe because it just makes me sound super healthy.  I do a lot of things with kale, like add it to smoothies, make pesto out of it, make chips, and braise it, but for some reason I hadn't tried the raw salad.  And now that I have, there is really no turning back.  It's such a meaty, satisfying salad.  I've fallen in love and I've already made this salad twice in the past four days.  They key is to really make a standout dressing that is thick enough to coat the leafy greens, and the real treat is garlic toasted bread crumbs which add such a flavorful texture.  You'll have to judge how much dressing to make based on the amount of kale you've got but a little does go a long way.

1 large bunch green, curly kale (though you could easily use Tuscan/Lacinato)

1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic
some olive oil

for dressing:
2 T olive oil
1 t balsamic syrup
1 T mustard
dash of curry powder
dash of paprika
pinch of salt
black pepper
1 T miso paste
1 T mayo
juice from 1/2 lemon

Wash and prep the kale by tearing off leaves from the thick stalk, then chop.  In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients for the dressing until smooth.  Toss/massage kale with the dressing using your hands.  Toast the breadcrumbs on a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and one clove of garlic, pressed.  The salad can sit in the fridge, dressed, for a few hours, but you'll want to sprinkle and toss kale with breadcrumbs right before serving.  

Milano Cookies

I think I've mentioned this before, but my mother was basically the Pakistani version of Michael Pollen when I was growing up.  My dad composted and grew vegetables and my mother made everything from scratch.  She didn't understand canned or frozen or boxed food and Little Debbie was basically banned from our house.  We weren't even allowed to have honey nut Cheerios, we had to drizzle real honey onto plain Cheerios.  Thank goodness for my best friend, Tricia, and her well stocked pantry or I never would have known the childhood joy that could come from Peeps.  For some reason, the only cookies that were ever brought into the house when I was little were Pepperidge Farm Milanos.  They seemed so special, and they were delicious.  When I saw a posting for the homemade version I just couldn't get them out of my head.  I had to make them.  I was sure the result wouldn't be as good as the original, but I was wrong.  These are definitely going to become one of my favorite cookie recipes.  The recipe is actually very simple, and comes together quite fast. The only headache in my opinion (since I'm not a huge baker) is having to use a pastry bag to make the classic oval shape.  You could easily scoop these out with a spoon and skip the pasty bag and end up with round cookies.  This recipe on Food52 is adapted from Martha Stewart, and I adapted it slightly by skipping the orange zest and using less sugar.  I also microwaved the chocolate instead of dealing with a double boiler.  If you've ever been a lover of Milano cookies, make these.   

2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1 c (2 sticks) soft butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 t vanilla extract
8 oz dark chocolate (good quality)

Cream the butter and sugar (I used a hand beater).  Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add flour (and salt) and beat until incorporated.  Scoop batter into pastry bag with a 1/2 inch opening and pipe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment into 2 inch strips.  Bake at 325 for 15 or until edges just begin to turn brown.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  The recipe said this makes over 3 dozen, I got about 18 sandwich cookies.  Melt chocolate by microwaving (if you so dare).  It will take about a minute, but do it in 15 second increments and stir.  Spoon some chocolate in the middle of one cookie and press until chocolate just reaches edges.      

Steel Cut and Quinoa Oatmeal

Those that know me know that I'm not a breakfast person (except when I'm pregnant).  I just can't seem to stomach anything breakfasty first thing in the morning.  A cup of coffee is mandatory, nearly always followed by a green smoothie, and then I like to run on an empty stomach for a few hours.  I am, however, quite passionate about making breakfast for my family.  I take scrambled eggs and omelettes very seriously, and I believe weekends are for sprouted millet flour waffles and pancakes (yes, I heard how that sounded).  My daughter loves a warm bowl of steel cut oats, often with the added texture of quinoa.  This recipe for overnight oatmeal is incredibly simple.  You can adjust as you like with spices and additions like cinnamon, brown sugar, honey, dried fruit and nuts.  We also sprinkle chia seeds and sometimes stir in some ground flax for added fiber.  

1/2 c quinoa, rinsed
1/2 c steel cut oats
4 c water

Bring quinoa and oats to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Cover, turn off and remove from heat and let sit overnight.  

Broccoli Salad

As you can see, there is more to this salad than just broccoli, but the heads of broccoli were the inspiration.  We decided to grill some burgers over the weekend and I wanted a hearty, raw broccoli salad to go along with them, but softened with some tender potatoes.  I also added some crisp, finely chopped bell peppers and thinly sliced swiss chard and tossed everything with a creamy, lemony mustard dressing.  The result was a fantastic summer grilling salad that I'll definitely be making again.  The ingredients and textures are well balanced and I definitely recommend throwing something like this together for a BBQ.  Of course this recipe isn't precise, so be creative and improvise and adjust seasonings as you go.      

Serves 4

2 small heads of broccoli, chopped (somewhere between medium chunks and finely)
8 yukon gold potatoes, boiled, cooled, and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
5 leaves of swiss chard, finely sliced, leaving thick part of the rib

Dressing
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t curry powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t olive oil
1 t balsamic syrup
1 T mustard
1/4 c mayo
juice from 1 lemon

Wash, prep and chop and veggies and toss in a large bowl.  In a small bowl whisk all the ingredients for the dressing.  If you don't have a balsamic syrup or glaze just omit.  You could always make your own at home but I definitely recommend adding this to your provisions.  It can really elevate many meat dishes, roasted vegetables or salads.  It lends a soft, sweet, umami flavor.  My favorite way to use it is in the summer on tomato bruschetta.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.  Let the salad chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. 

Homemade Larabars

I'm not sure why I'm calling these Larabars since I've never had a Larabar but that's what everyone else on the Internets are calling them, so there you are.  These are very similar to these coconut energy balls I had made, in fact you could simply shape this mixture into balls instead.  On a side note, I remember when I was young, family and friends would bring Medjool dates back from trips abroad and they would be such a treat.  Then Middle Eastern stores started popping up and we could get them there.  Now, they're at Trader Joe's.  How things have changed.  Also, if you add some ghee and milk to this recipe you've basically got date halwa, which Pakistanis have been making for, well, forever.  But back to the Larabars, there are so many varieties you can try at home.  This is a great resource for other combinations.   

1-2 c cashews (raw)
1 c dates, pitted 
1/4 c shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 T chia seeds
1/2 t salt
1 t water  

You really need to judge the amount of water to add based on how moist the dates are.  My dates were incredibly moist and I added some water and mine could have been a tad less sticky.  I also wanted mine heavy on the nuts and not too sweet which is why I added 2 cups cashews to 1 cup dates while a lot of recipes have equal parts.  I actually added additional nuts after blending everything which wasn't so smart as the sticky mixture wasn't going to pulse up the new nuts (hence some chunks of nuts).  There is really no wrong way to make these.  Pulse cashews, dates, coconut, chia seeds and salt in a food processor until mixture becomes fine and starts to clump together.  Slowly drizzle water in order to make it form a ball.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and press and flatten mixture into it.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so and then lift up paper, and cut into bars.  Store in fridge.  

Asparagus Risotto

I've been on a big risotto kick lately, not sure why.  Perhaps the cold, wet weather, but I could really crave risotto anytime.  I used to hate making risotto but then at some point something shifted and I didn't mind it.  I suppose once you've made something several times it becomes easier and more manageable.  Except for quiche.  I'll never be good at making quiche.  The best part of asparagus risotto is the asparagus, in season now, so go pick some up and make this comforting dish soon.  

1 bunch asparagus, washed, trimmed, chopped
1/4-1/2 c frozen peas (depending on preference)    
1 c arborio rice
1/2 onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1/2 c white wine
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
4 c chicken stock
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 T basil pesto
1 t lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon

Heat some olive oil in a medium sized pot.  Add asparagus and cook for a few minutes, you don't want them fully tender and want them to still be bright green.  With a spoon, remove asparagus into small bowl.  Add some butter, about 1 T (optional), and then onions, and then garlic.  Saute until fragrant.  Add rice.  Allow rice to really toast up, this takes a few minutes and is an important step.  The grains should start to get a light brown color.  Next add in white wine and allow to reduce down for several minutes.  Finally, start the process of adding the stock, 1-2-3/4 of a cup at a time, and stir for several minutes until it's absorbed.  I don't warm my stock, I simply use it at room temperature.  Once the rice has become tender but still with a slight bite to it, add in lemon zest, juice, and pesto.  Next stir in the frozen peas and asparagus and remove from heat.  Lastly, stir in cheese.  

Black Bean Mini Burgers

A good veggie burger can be hard to find.  This, my friends, is a good veggie burger.  I love that they have a crunch to them, like falafel, but without being fried, and I love how light yet filling they are.  This recipe is adapted from The Washington Post, and while it is called patties in the recipe, it can be adapted into a hefty burger, or a mini burger, and can be enjoyed many ways.  I snacked on them with some cottage cheese, but you could load up a bun and have one, or stuff some into a sliced pita with some tzatziki.  The Post also give the suggestion of placing them on top of a salad, which is perfect.  The original recipes calls for a sweet potato, which you could of course try, but I think yukon gold give the right taste.  Add in some berbere spice and you have an incredibly tasty veggie burger.  

4- 8 servings

1 medium onion
8 cloves garlic
4 small yukon gold potatoes
28 oz black beans (canned, or home cooked)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Berbere spice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup panko (or any bread crumbs)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Peel and boil the potatoes until tender, and then drain and mash.  Chop the onion. Mince the garlic or run it through a garlic press. Drain and rinse the black beans, then place them in a mixing bowl.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and stir to coat; cook for about 1 minute, then stir in the garlic, and spices. Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of black beans. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash most of the beans and blend in the onion mixture. Lightly beat the eggs, then add them to the bowl, along with the potatoes and bread crumbs. Season generously with salt and pepper. Use clean hands to divide the mixture into 8 equal balls, then flatten the balls into patties, arranging them on the baking sheet spaced about 1/2 inch apart as you work. Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease it lightly with cooking oil spray (coconut preferred).  Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisped and golden brown; use a thin metal spatula to turn them over, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.

Serve hot.  

Farro Salad

Is farro the new quinoa?  Does anyone care?  I do love all the whole grain and whole wheat varieties available these days.  Between quinoa, barley, bulgur, millet and farro there are so many textures and tastes to make great dishes from.  The combination of soft and sweet butternut squash with the nutty bite of farro works incredibly well in this dish. I find if I have a big container of this kind of dish in the fridge my hunger will always be satiated, which is so ideal as a busy stay at home mom.  This also makes a great lunch to take to work.          

12 oz of pearled farro 

sea salt

4 cups water or stock

3 cups chopped butternut squash

1 red onion, sliced

1 t fresh thyme

3 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 c sliced cherry tomatoes

1/2 c toasted nuts (optional)

1/4 c crumbled goat or feta cheese (optional)

chopped cilantro

1 t lemon juice

Toss the squash and onion with vinegar, some olive oil, thyme and salt and lay on a baking sheet.  Roast at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Boil salted water with the farro for 15-20 minutes (until farro is tender).  Drain.  Toss the farro with the squash and onions, add cilantro and cherry tomatoes.  Drizzle a bit more of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Salt and pepper.  Toss, and garnish with nuts and cheese if desired.  Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Lemon Cream Cheese Tart

Hello and Happy New Year!  I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted.  I don't know where the time has gone which is a complete lie I know exactly where it's gone.  We moved to a proper house in the suburbs (loving my new kitchen) and I'm now home full-time with two kids, busy cooking for myself and my husband, a toddler and a baby on solids.  Though I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I haven't exactly had time over the past few months to try out new and exciting recipes.  But hopefully that is now changing.  Here is a recipe for a delicious cream cheese tart.  I know the last thing everyone probably wants right now is a dessert recipe, so feel free to file this one away, but it does have a fresh citrus theme so it might be a nice change from the rich, dark, sinful holiday desserts.  I was in the mood for a lemon tart but wasn't in the mood to make a pastry shell from scratch nor your typical sabayon, so I was thrilled to discover this recipe.  It's ridiculously easy to make.  I hate the crumbs that are involved when slicing into a tart like this, but it's worth it for the flavor, and the lack of hassle.  Also, cream cheese and condensed milk are a delicious combination.  I'm going to try that out as an icing sometime soon.   

Lemon Spring Tart

1.5 c graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter melted (1/2 c)
3 T sugar
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T lemon zest

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in a bowl.  Press into tart pan.  Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.  Beat condensed milk and cream cheese in a medium bowl until lightly whipped.  Stir in lemon juice and zest.  Pour into tart shell, bake at 350 for 28 minutes.  Let rest for two hours before serving (can be served chilled).  See?  Ridiculously easy.