TALKIN' SNACK

Broccoli Steak with Garlic Butter and Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce

2 hot peppers (halved, seeds removed)

handful cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup slice almonds, toasted

½ teaspoon paprika 

1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

4 sprigs of italian parsley

salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Broccoli Steak

1 broccoli head

extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Garlic Butter

2 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, minced

Here’s another broccoli dish for your fall evenings. Though I would eat this with an actual steak and mashed potatoes on the side for the ultimate hearty dinner, this alone is kind of a genius replacement for meat for you vegetarians out there. Broccoli is pretty filling, and totally meaty. And cooking it in this fashion with garlic butter you’ve got all the flavors of a steak, minus the steak. 

As for the romesco sauce, this is my version of the traditional northeastern spanish nut and pepper based sauce. This sauce can be served with many different foods, though I really love spreading it on a plate with olive oil drizzled on top and eaten with bread. It’s spicy and nutty and totally warming to your belly. Perfect for this old weather.

Recipe inspired by Lady and Pups.

Serves two.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a baking sheet spread out the hot peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix everything together so it’s evenly coated. Pop in the oven and roast until tomatoes and peppers are wilted and cooked, and garlic is golden. About 10-15 minutes. Keep the oven on for the broccoli. 

Once roasted add the peppers, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor along with the toasted almonds, paprika, mustard, white wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. If you like it chunky pulse the food processor until you get the consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer sauce to a bowl, and drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Set aside.

Clean and peel the stem of the broccoli until you see the tender flesh. Quarter the broccoli head and season with salt and pepper. Place an oven proof pan on high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil. About 2 tablespoons. When oil and pan is hot, add the quartered broccoli cut side down on the pan and cook for about a few minutes, until you see them starting to brown. Leaving the broccoli on the same side, slide them into the oven and roast for 8-9 minutes. (Should be deep in color and caramelized). Then flip them over, to the other cut side down and roast for an additional 8-9 minutes. 

While the broccoli is roasted, make your garlic butter. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the butter until you see it starting to foam on top. Remove from heat, and clarify the butter by skimming off the foam using a spoon. Discard foam. Add the garlic and let it infuse while the broccoli steaks are roasting. 

Once broccoli is done, serve immediately with a drizzle of garlic butter on top, and the romesco sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Curry Rice with Peas and Spicy Egg

Curry Rice

2 cups white basmati rice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finally chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

salt

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups water

Peas

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 cup peas (frozen or fresh)

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Spicy Egg

4 hard boiled eggs, pealed

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon paprika powder

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

cilantro for garnish

Serves 4

Curry rice recipe from Saltie: a cookbook.

This is a great dish that can be made for breakfast, lunch and dinner in my opinion. This is kind of my interpretation of the traditional indian dish, egg biryani. Mainly because its a spiced rice with a spiced egg. I was originally making this dish with just a plain hard boiled egg on the side and when my sister told me about biryani I realized how similar this dish was to that. So I tried it out with a spicy egg and I was hooked.

Rinse the rice, then soak in water for 30 minutes. Once soaked strain completely. Place a medium pot on medium high heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot add the onion and garlic and add a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring around until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook with the onions for 1 minute. Add the rice, and mix everything together. If it seems too dry add more olive oil.

When rice is evenly coated with onions and curry powder add the milk and water and stir everything well. Bring liquid to a boil, cover the pot, then lower heat to a simmer. Cooked until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam more, then cool a little, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

While the rice is cooking start to prep your vegetables. In a medium sized pot, bring water to a boil. Have a bowl of iced water near by. Cut off the ends of the snap peas and slice them up at an angle. Blanch the peas and sliced snap peas for 30 seconds if using frozen peas, and 1 minute if using fresh peas. Strain them then plunge them in the ice water so to stop from further cooking. Once cooled strain the veggies completely and set them aside.

In a medium sized frying pan coat the bottom with olive oil and heat at medium. Once oil is hot enough, add the red onion and sauté till slightly shriveled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and snap peas along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook everything together for another couple of minutes.

Transfer veggies to a bowl, and using the same frying pan add a little more olive oil and have the fire on medium heat. Make slits going around each egg so to get some flavoring inside the egg. Add them to the pan and swirl the eggs around in the oil. Constantly be moving the pan around as the eggs can stick to the pan. Keep doing this till you start to see the eggs getting golden all around. Once golden add a good amount of salt and pepper, swirl around, then add all the other spices, swirl around. Keep moving the pan around till all the eggs are evening coated with the spices and have darkened slightly. Take off the fire. Slice each egg in half.

In four individual bowls portion the rice in each with a bit of the veggies on top. Add halved eggs to each bowl. Garnish with cilantro and eat immediately. Enjoy!

Homemade Coconut Milk, no blender needed!

2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened

4 cups water

cheesecloth

This recipe is so essential to me. When I figured out how to make my own coconut milk I was relieved to know I never had to buy another can of coconut milk again. I always disliked the taste that came from the canned version, and making my own obviously feels so much healthier. This is so easy to do that it’s not even question in my mind. 

Use this coconut milk in your cooking, baking, our just drink it alone. 

In a pot bring water almost to a boil. Or till you start to see small bubbles forming.

Place shredded coconut in a large bowl.

When water is ready pour it into the bowl with the coconut and let sit till it’s at room temp.

Using clean hands, knead the coconut in the water. Do this for about a minute. 

Dampen the cheesecloth and lay it over another large bowl. Slowly pour the coconut mixture over the cheesecloth making sure nothing spills over. Collect all the edges of the cloth and squeeze the milk into the new bowl. Make sure you get all or as much of the liquid separated from the coconut. 

Pour the milk into a large mason jar, and there you have it…coconut milk.

*Save the shredded coconut for another use like baking. 

Peach, Corn, and Cucumber Salad with Curry Vinaigrette

1 yellow peach

1 ear of corn

a little less than half a large cucumber

cilantro

Dressing:

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 shallot or small red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

a generous pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

One of the places I go to most frequently in my neighborhood has got to be Saltie. It’s an amazing sandwich shop which also serves seasonal salads, soups, lassi, and great sweets. Honestly, I think it’s probably my favorite place to grab a quick lunch. Also a couple years ago they came out with a cookbook which is amazing. A must have cookbook. All their unique sandwiches are served on their focaccia bread, and there salads are really interesting, always using seasonal items. They have this one sandwich for a couple weeks in the summer called the Walty which I really crave all year long and it’s silly how simple and delicious it is. It’s just Cucumber, coriander seeds, their mayo and mint sandwiched in their focaccia bread. That’s it. And it’s fucking amazing!

Anyway, a few weeks ago I went in and they were serving this salad consisting of peaches, corn, pickled peppers, some other veggies, with a curry vinaigrette. It was the embodiment of summer. At every bite. Summer. In my mouth. It was really good, and since summer isn’t quit done yet, I figured I’d give it a try my way and share it. 

*Dressing adapted from the Saltie cookbook’s Lazy Housewife Vinaigrette. 

Serves 1

In a mason jar add the garlic, onion, mustards, curry powder, salt, and vinegar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake to mix well. Unscrew the lid and add the olive oil. Close the jar again and shake. Set aside. 

*Dressing will keep in the fridge for 1 week.

Remove kernels from ear of corn using a knife. Blanch the corn kernels in boiling water for 10 seconds, strain, then add the corn to an ice bath to stop from cooking further. Once cooled, strain and place corn in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cut the peach in half, discard the seed and slice the halves. Throw into the bowl with the corn. Set aside.

Peel the cucumber and slice in half. Using a small spoon scoop out the seeds of the cucumber and discard the seeds. Slice the cucumber and add to the bowl with corn and peach slices. 

Little Gem Salad with Mustard Seed Yogurt Dressing

1 little gem lettuce

6 asparagus’

1-2 radishes, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1 tablespoon of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds

salt

fresh cracked black pepper

This time of year I’m all about the simplicity of a salad. You can get so many flavors with just a few ingredients. No need to fancy it up here as I see so often with salad recipes. It’s always daunting when you see a recipe online and the list of ingredients seem endless. I just don’t think that’s necessary when you’re dealing with beautiful fresh ingredients. Especially when you’re using seasonal veggies. Why mask their flavor with so many other flavors…it gets messy. Also, it’s summer…it’s hot, the less time in the hot kitchen, the better. 

Anyway, this salad serves wonderfully as a side with just about anything grilled. Double the recipe if you’re serving more. 

Serves 2.

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients to the dressing together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.

Fill a bowl with water and ice. Set aside.

 Bring a pot of water to a boil. Rinse the asparagus, trim the ends, and boil in the water for 30 seconds. Strain, and place asparagus in ice bath. Once asparagus is completely cooled, strain, dry, and thinly slice them at an angle.

Summer Squash Carpaccio with Ricotta

1 yellow squash

1 zucchini

1 patty pan squash

2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

5-6 fresh basil leaves

1 sprig of parsley

1/2 lemon, juiced

extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons

parmesan cheese

1 cup ricotta, homemade or store bought

fleur de sel

freshly cracked black pepper

This is such a good summer dish. It’s light, fast to make, pretty looking, and goes well with so many main dishes. Whether it be pasta, steak, fish, you’re good to go with this side dish. 

Serves 6-8

Using a knife or mandolin slicer, slice the squashes thinly. Lay the slices of squash on a large tray or plate. Season with some fleur de del and pepper. Set aside.

Mince the basil and parsley together. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, herbs, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper

Drizzle the dressing on top of the squash carpaccio. Sprinkle on the pine nuts, and add some shavings of parmesan cheese. Add more lemon juice, and or olive oil if desired.

Serve with a bowl of ricotta that’s topped with salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. You can also dollop the ricotta on top of the squash carpaccio.

After Workout Salad - Kale Salad with Golden Curried Chickpeas

2 handfuls of laminate kale, washed and dried

1 handful of snap peas

1/2 avocado

1 tablespoon of pepitas

lemon, juice from about 1/2

extra virgin olive oil

salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Golden Curried Chickpeas

1/2 of an 8oz can of chick peas

1 teaspoons of curry powder

couple dashes of cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

extra virgin olive oil

This is a great after workout salad. It’s filled with nutrients, and packed with flavor and I can’t get enough of it. This salad has actually motivated me to work out more knowing this will be my treat for myself after. It’s a little pat on the shoulder saying “good job.” 

You can make the chickpeas a couple hours before making the salad if you want to save time. But they’re best when they’ve just been cooked. I like to dress the salad first then add the chickpeas as to not have the chickpeas get soggy. Also, cook the second half of the chickpeas the next day the same way, because you will want this salad two days in a row. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain, rinse and dry the chick peas. Place on the baking sheet and season with curry powder, cayenne powder, salt,  and olive oil. Mix everything together using your hands. Taste a chickpea and adjust seasoning if necessary. Place in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and a little crisp. 

While the chickpeas are roasting prep the rest of the salad. Remove the thick stem from the kale and cut into shredded pieces. Place in a salad bowl. 

Slice the snap peas at an angle, thinly and add to the kale. Cut up half of your avocado and add to the bowl along with the pepita seeds. Season with salt and pepper, and dress with lemon juice and a good drizzle of olive oil. Toss. 

Granola

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup walnuts, broken up into small pieces

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup shredded, un-sweeted coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil, plus 1 tablespoon

1/4 cup of maple syrup, or agave

pinch of salt

I love making this granola. I make sure to have a filled up jar in the fridge at all times. Scooping a few spoonfuls on top of yogurt, and you’ve got yourself such an easy breakfast to make before work. Doesn’t take a lot of thought.  

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bold mix all the ingredients together so that everything is evenly coated with the coconut oil and syrup. Spread the granola mixture onto a large baking pan, making sure everything is spread out evenly in one layer.

 Pop in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Make sure to mix the granola up halfway through baking time to make sure everything is baking evenly. 

Heirloom Tomatoes, and Radishes with Carrot top, Garlic Scape Pesto

heirloom tomatoes

radishes (I used french breakfast radishes)

carrot top, garlic scape pesto

extra virgin olive oil

maldon salt

basil for garnish

As promised, a recipe using my carrot top, garlic scape pesto. Heirloom tomato season approaches, and simple recipes like this are key. I personally could eat an heirloom tomato like an apple, but this makes things a little more exciting, and how freakin pretty are those colors! The colors!!

Carrot Top Greens, and Garlic Scape Pesto

1 cup of carrot top greens

3 scapes

1 sprig of basil

1/2 cup parmesan

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper 

Tis the season for one of my favs. Garlic Scapes. These are the flower stems that grow from hard-neck garlic. And yes, they taste like garlic. I wish they were around all year long, but now’s the time, so go out there and get some. 

I love using them in pesto. They’re also fantastic grilled and served with a steak. The choice is yours. And a note on carrot greens; yes, you can eat them, and they’re delicious. They’re greens with a hint taste of carrots. Never throw these out. This pesto is a great way to use them, they also do really well in salads or used as a garnish. They’re also very good for you, packed with vitamin C, potassium, and protein. Prrrretty cool huh?

In a food processor, puree all the ingredients together until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice or olive oil if the pesto is too thick.