My friend, Christy, is an inspiration to me. She’s a great cook. A really great cook. She makes healthy foods taste great! She’s a homemade savvy, down to earth, super awesome friend.
She and her husband, Rick, are instilling great eating habits in their four kids. They don’t do much in the way of processed foods. I applaud and admire this. They don’t tell their kids they can’t have anything processed, or occasional treats. But, the majority of their food is made by Christy.
I admire this!
Christy gladly shared her favorite recipe for Granola Bars. They are a staple in their home. I’m going to make them as soon as I finish typing this post, to eat the rest of this week, and to take with us to Paris (I’m writing this way in advance… no working for me while we’re away!!).
Happy Eating!
Christy’s Homemade Granola Bars
Author: Christy Durrance (adapted from Kitchen Stewardship)
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
4 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 c. oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 t. baking soda
¼ c. wheat germ, optional
¼ c. flax seed meal, optional
2 cups total of any combination of the following extra goodies (or anything else that sounds good to your family in a granola bar): Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
Seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc.)
Chocolate chips
Chopped, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, apricots, etc.)
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Cocoa powder (up to ¼ cup)
Instructions
Place butter through vanilla in bowl of stand mixer. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add old-fashioned oats, flour, baking soda, wheat germ (optional), and flax seed meal (optional), and continue to beat with mixer until oats are broken up into smaller bits.
At this point, add 2 cups total of any combination of the extra goodies.
Press firmly into a 9×13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars (I often cover and put in the fridge for a few hours which makes cutting a bit easier). Best stored in the refrigerator or freezer, though they travel just fine.
This was one of those days when lunchtime was inspired. Usually, I make the quickest and easiest something or other‚ that I can eat at my desk. Often it’s PB&J, or almonds, fruit, and cheese. But today was different. I don’t really know why.
Whatever the reason, I thought of the head of butter lettuce (which I do believe is my new favorite kind of lettuce) that was waiting in the produce drawer. I hate it when I wait too long to use lettuce and it goes bad. That’s a sad sad fate.
Then all sorts of yummy toppings popped into my head.
Tuna for protein. And almonds too, for the protein and the crunch. Chopped, so it seems like there are more.
Super ripe pears that just made it into the fridge yesterday, because I’d forgotten that they were hiding in a bowl. An apple. I ordered 10 pounds of apples two weeks in a row. It’s taking a while to get through them. I don’t mind.
I’m totally in love with peony grapes. I’m not crazy about how awkward it is to get the seeds out, so I halved them and scraped them out before tossing them into the salad.
We have a couple cucumbers in the fridge that need to be eaten. Cucumber is a nice accompaniment to tuna. Also adds a nice crunch. I love a good crunchy salad.
I like a few small chunks of cheese in a salad anything. Today I chose gruyère, because that’s what I had on hand. It’s my current best cheese. I have to cut just one or two slices when I eat it, or I can easily eat half the brick.
For the dressing, I made a simple vinaigrette, my go-to recipe. It has balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, dijon, and maple syrup.
Combining all of this was a good idea. I wasn’t sure how the fruit would go with the tuna. But, I loved it. There’s all sorts of sweet, savory, salty, acidic flavors going on. At one moment deep mellow, the next light and fruity. Oh, and it’s healthy. I love that healthy tastes great. No cardboard-like food for moi! And, bonus, there’s lots of tuna and dressing leftover, so it will be perfect for making a tuna sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch, and maybe another salad the following day.
If you don’t like tuna, some shredded chicken would be lovely. If you want to add croutons, I think that would be swell. If you don’t like gruyère, try an aged sharp cheddar.
This would go well with the Leek and Potato Soup that I made for dinner yesterday. I wanted to have some, but was just too hungry to wait for it to heat up. Maybe next time. 🙂
Happy Eating!
Hearty Butter Lettuce, Fruit, and Tuna Salad
Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Salads, Lunches, Fish, Cheese, Gluten-Free, Fruit, Vegetables, Quick and Easy
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Tuna: 1 can tuna
1 t lemon balsamic vinegar (or 1 T lemon juice)
1 T olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
Dressing: 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon balsamic vinegar (or 1 T lemon juice)
1/2 T maple syrup
1/2 t dijon mustard
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
1/3 C olive oil
Salad: 4 C butter lettuce, washed and torn
2 slices cheese, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 pear, chopped
10 peony grapes, halved
18 thin slices cucumber, peeled
12 roasted and salted almonds, chopped
Instructions
Combine tuna ingredients.
Whisk together dressing, adding oil last – streaming it in slowly as you whisk, creating an emulsion.
Make two salads. Place 2 C lettuce in a bowl and top with fruit, cucumber, cheese, nuts, and 2 T tuna. Drizzle with dressing. Repeat on second salad.
It seems like more often than not, as of late, when it comes time for dinner, I’m too pooped to make anything, well, good. Don’t worry, we’re not starving or anything. I’m sure we’re even getting a fairly nutritious diet. But, we haven’t been eating as well as we could be.
Even though I was bone tired last Wednesday, I decided that we needed something full of veggies, good fats, and whole grains.
Rice lends a nutty, wholesome, hearty aspect to this dish.
The veggies range from carrots with the slightest hint of a crunch, to eggplant that melts in your mouth.
The herbs, some fresh, some dried, add an earthy, savory comfort.
The olive oil adds a bright finishing note that’s not like anything else I’ve ever tasted.
It’s a good dish, this one.
If you’re out of eggplant ideas, I’m here for you.
If you love zucchini but can’t think of another way to prepare it, I’ve got you covered.
If you’re exhausted and would rather crawl into bed than fix dinner, I understand.
If you love food, good food, food that’s wholesome and nutritious, I’m with you.
Happy Eating!
Mediterranean Veggies and Rice
Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Rice, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Vegetables, Herbs, Quick and Easy
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
1 – 1 1/2 C leftover rice
1/4 C water or vegetable stock
1 T olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 small skinny or 1 small fat eggplant, peeled and sliced
1/2 t (or more) salt
pinch pepper
1/4 t dried basil
1 t fresh oregano,
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1 t fresh savory
1/4 t dried parsley
1 t fresh thyme
2-4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/4 C tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C kalamata olives, chopped
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T water
parmesan cheese, shaved, for topping
olive oil, for topping
Instructions
Re-heat leftover rice with water or stock.
Generously salt eggplant and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry, then chop.
Heat skillet and add oil. When oil is hot, add carrot, zucchini, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add eggplant, herbs, and red pepper flakes and cook 5 minutes more.
Add garlic, tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar, and water. Cook 1-2 minutes more.
Combine with rice and let stand for a few minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve topped with a drizzle of good olive oil and some parmesan cheese.
Notes
If using uncooked rice, cook 1 C rice in 2 C water or stock. Cook according to directions on package. Cooking time will increase, but not by much, as the rice will cook while the veggies do.
There is plenty of roasting that goes on in our home, no matter the season. But, there’s just something about the cool, crisp days of autumn that invite cozy, warm, roasted meals… and SOUP!
As we’re getting close to the end of tomato season, why not combine the end of summer with the cool of fall.
I’m into it. I’m always into soup.
Especially this one.
Ever since I was a kid, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup was a comforting meal. We usually had it on cold and rainy days. I have a distant memory of one of the two times I went to summer camp, it was a rainy day and we had this meal. That was a long time ago, but I can still feel the warmth of the soup, the crunch of the sandwich.
There are plenty of great soups to be bought at the grocery store. Some include roasted red peppers, some are just full of tomatoey goodness. But, there is something to be said about homemade tomato soup. It just can’t be beat.
I made this soup on my show for the first time last fall. I had made homemade tomato soup once before, and ended up blending the plug that goes in the center of the lid of my blender (hadn’t learned the lesson about blending soups with a towel covering the hole, not the plug… now I know… now I use a hand blender…) and spraying hot soup all over the walls, counter, and myself. I had the choice to laugh or cry. I laughed. Some of the soup was salvaged. It was good, but it didn’t compare to this one… This one’s a keeper.
Make a huge batch and freeze it for an even colder winter day. That’s what I plan to do.
Happy Eating!
Roasted Tomato Soup
Recipe Type: Soup, Main
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 60 mins
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 4-6
Comforting, homemade tomato soup. Perfect for a chilly fall day.
Ingredients
10 tomatoes, each one cut in 6 or 8 pieces
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, tip chopped off
4 C veggie stock
1 1/2 C water (or stock)
1-2 t salt
3/4-1 t pepper
1 t sweet paprika
1 t fresh thyme
1/2 t dried oregano (or 1 t fresh)
1/3 C garlic chives
1/2 C basil
3 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 T olive oil
1 T heavy whipping cream (or half and half, or milk… whatever you use in your morning coffee) per bowl
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onions and carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast veggies for about 30 minutes (carrots might not be tender, that’s OK, we’re par-baking them, as they will cook more later).
Add stock, thyme, oregano, garlic chives, paprika, salt, and pepper to soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until veggies are done roasting.
Add roasted veggies to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook 15-30 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
Add basil and balsamic vinegar and cook 5 minutes more.
Using a hand blender (or a regular blender – if you do this method, please remove the plug in the lid and cover it with a towel instead, this allows steam to escape, and results in a non-disastrous soup making experience… trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way), submerge into soup, then begin to blend. Be careful, it may splash, and it’s very hot (I know you know this). Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a drizzle of good olive oil.
Serve it topped with a drizzle of cream, alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.
Notes
This soup will freeze and reheat well. To store, cool on counter for a while, then place in the refrigerator. Once it’s completely cooled, freeze in an airtight container. It can be reheated to use in pasta sauces, to add to Minestrone Soup, you could add pasta to it, other veggies, or just reheat it and have it with another grilled cheeeeeeese! You could also eat it chilled, as a Gazpacho.
So I had this idea. I’m beginning what I hope will be a regular series based on my experiences in planning dinner parties around our seasonal produce. I’m going to share plans, tips, suggestions, recipes, thoughts, and ideas. I think it sounds like fun. I can always talk about food…
There are people who are experts at party planning. I know some of them personally. I respect and admire their skills.
I am not such a person.
I do, however, love to menu plan and enjoy spending time with friends and family. One of my favorite things to do when hanging out is eat. Food makes things even more fun, so says me.
We are fortunate to have access to amazing organic produce. Our weekly menu is generally planned around what we get in the box. So are the dinner parties that we throw.
And what’s more fun than a themed dinner party?! Maybe lots of things… but I sure enjoy them.
For this first event we kept it small. Six friends: Dave and Bekah, and Nolan and Joanna, and us. I was inspired to get creative with roasting fruit. Figs and grapes are in season right now and are both so yummy when roasted. They get this deep, rich sweetness that is so different from eating them fresh. They are the main component to this meal. All the other dishes were created to compliment them.
Lucky figs.
Lucky grapes.
For our appetizer I made crostini with grapes, havarti cheese, and one sliver of lemon zest. They were gooey, bright, and really tasty (or so I gather – of the 18, I only got 1 ;)).
I made a simple salad with lettuce and tomatoes. The dressing was a basic vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and roasted garlic.
The main dish was Roasted Chicken with Gorgonzola and Figs. The chicken was topped with figs, salt, pepper, and browned butter (which I had to make twice because I burned it the first time), then roasted for about an hour. For serving, sweet caramelized onions and tangy gorgonzola cheese are piled on top.
I made two sides. One was more of a classic; a simple every day dish. Steamed carrots with butter and honey. But, they didn’t taste normal or boring. The second side was wilted kale with walnuts and bacon. Ok so bacon (good bacon) is always a winner in my book. In this dish it was no different. The bacon worked so well with the nuts and the wilty wilty greens.
And then, dessert. This may have been my favorite part of the meal, and I’m not a sweets person. I roasted some figs. Nothing on them – just figs, parchment paper, and a 375F oven. I melted some chocolate over a double boiler (which was actually a glass bowl resting on a pot of boiling water). I whipped some cream, sweetened slightly by coconut palm sugar, with a hint of vanilla. The figs were a bit crispy, kinda caramelized, super deep and sweet. They’re topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate. Then cinnamon is sprinkled over it all. Not too much, just a hint.
We have a tiny apartment, so we don’t have room for a large dining table. Um and the dining room is my office, so we really don’t have room. But, we make do. We added a couple leaves to the table and plopped it into the middle of the living room (about 4 feet from where it normally lives, leafless). We squeezed 6 chairs around it. It still left just a small surface area, so the centerpiece was a bowl of grapes from the week’s box. Oh and the bowl was a family heirloom – it used to belong to Husband’s grandma. I set the table with mismatched china that we’ve collected over the years. We used silverware that was also from Husband’s grandma, wine glasses that we found at a yard sale, cloth napkins that were a wedding gift. To be honest, with the friends that we were hanging out with, I knew that we were just happy to be together, eating, sharing, fellowshipping. So, there wasn’t too much pressure to have the perfect table or even the perfect food… from them… the pressure was all from me. 😉
A few things that either I did do that are a good idea, or that I will do next time:
Let my friends contribute. Making all the food myself is a daunting task.
Write out a plan. Figure out what can be made ahead of time (the day before, the morning of). It helps things run a lot smoother and allows for less panicked, more relaxed cooking. For example, I made a list of things that could be done early (you don’t have to make a list, I just love lists). Then in the morning I chopped fruits and veggies, roasted the garlic, cooked the bacon, and made the salad dressing. It made the afternoon much less stressful.
Have an appetizer for guests to snack on while I finish last minute preparations, photographing, and setting up.
Let guests know that I’m going to be taking photos/videos. (The photos will look better and guests will be much happier if they know in advance that they’re not just there for the food. ;))
Last modified on 2013-10-27 23:51:50 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
Green Salad with Tomatoes and Maple Vinaigrette with Roasted Garlic
Recipe Type: Side, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Fruit
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
8-10 C lettuce, torn
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
dressing: 3 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 to 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
1 T maple syrup
1 t dijon mustard
3/4 C olive oil
Instructions
Drizzle garlic with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, squeeze pulp from 3 cloves garlic and mash with a fork. Set aside.
Whisk together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, maple syrup, and dijon. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking as you do, creating an emulsion.
Chicken is roasted with browned butter and figs then topped with some sweet caramelized onions and tangy gorgonzola cheese.
Ingredients
1 t olive oil
6 cloves roasted garlic
2 T butter
1 to 1 1/2 C water
6-8 chicken breasts
8-12 figs, sliced in 4
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 onions, sliced
1 T honey
1/4 C (or more) gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Drizzle garlic with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, squeeze pulp from 6 cloves garlic and mash with a fork. Set aside.
Brown butter in a small skillet (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn).
Grease a large ovenproof dish. Add water. Add chicken. Top with figs, salt, pepper, and then drizzle browned butter over.
Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 170F.
Add onions and honey to a dry skillet. Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from oven and top with mashed roasted garlic, caramelized onions, and dot with gorgonzola.
Last modified on 2013-10-27 23:51:45 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
Steamed Carrots with Butter and Honey
Recipe Type: Side, Steamed, Vegetables
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
4 large carrots, cut into chunks
water
pinch salt
1-2 T honey
1 T butter
Instructions
Add water to the bottom of a pot with a steamer basket (about an inch deep, or not touching the bottom of the basket). Add carrots to the steamer basket. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes or so.
Last modified on 2013-10-27 23:51:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Wilted Kale with Walnuts and Bacon
Recipe Type: Side, Vegetables, Meat, Pork, Nuts, Stove Top
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 T olive oil
3 bunches kale, stems removed, sliced into long ribbons
pinch nutmeg
salt
pepper
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 C walnuts, chopped
Instructions
Cook bacon. Drain on paper towel. When cooled, crumble and set aside. Discard fat from pan (or reserve a bit for cooking).
Add olive oil (if all bacon fat was discarded), when hot, add kale and some seasonings. Use tongs to turn and mix kale, as it wilts down, add more kale and more seasonings. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until all kale is wilted. Add 2 T balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with walnuts and bacon.
3.2.1255
Roasted Figs with Whipped Cream Chocolate and Cinnamon
Figs are roasted and topped with a cloud of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Ingredients
12-18 figs, quartered
1/2 to 1 pint whipping cream
1/8 to 1/4 C coconut palm sugar
1 t vanilla extract
3.5 oz. dark chocolate
cinnamon, for topping
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place figs on baking sheet with a bit of space between them if possible. Roast for 10-20 minutes, or until figs are slightly crispy and caramelized.
Whip cream with sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer or by hand. Whip until stiff peaks form.
Heat about 1 C water in a pot. Place a bowl in the pot – it needs to be large enough so that it rests on the edge of the pot on its own and does not touch the boiling water. Break chocolate into pieces in the bowl. Stir with a spoon as it melts. Once melted, remove from pot (carefully, bowl will be hot).
Spoon figs into a bowl and top with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve immediately.
There is plenty of roasting that goes on in our home, no matter the season. But, there’s just something about the cool, crisp days of autumn that invite cozy, warm, roasted meals… and SOUP!
