a little of each

A family's cookbook

Sugar Snap Salad December 24, 2012

Filed under: Sides,Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:15 am
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, trimmed, stringed, cut in half on diagonal
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon white (or red) wine vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon sumac plus more for garnish
  • 1 bunch radishes (about 6 ounces), trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint (or more or less to taste)

Instructions

Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Cook peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; transfer to bowl with ice water to cool. Drain peas; transfer to a kitchen towel-lined baking sheet to dry.

Whisk oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, vinegar, and 3/4 teaspoon sumac in a small bowl. Toss peas, radishes, and cheese in a large bowl. Can be made a day ahead. Cover dressing and salad separately and chill.

Add dressing to salad and toss to coat. Season salad with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.. Garnish with mint and sprinkle with sumac.

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Lemon Rosemary Turkey Meatballs

Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:06 am
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MeatBall Army

MeatBall Army (Photo credit: Mr. Usaji)


Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, cut into chunks (I omitted)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried, divided
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (or substitute more chicken broth)
  • 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Place onion, garlic and lemon zest in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried) and pulse just until the mixture is finely and evenly chopped (but not mushy).

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and gently mix in turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper until combined. Use a generous 2 tablespoons each to shape the mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Place flour in a shallow dish and roll the meatballs in it to lightly coat. (Reserve the remaining flour.)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add meatballs and cook, turning once, until brown, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add wine (or 1/2 cup broth) to the pan, increase heat to medium-high and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the can of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and return the meatballs to the pan along with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried). Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a serving bowl.

Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 8 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour in a small bowl (discard any remaining flour); whisking constantly, add the flour mixture to the sauce along with butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Serve the sauce over the meatballs.

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Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette December 21, 2012

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:47 pm
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

In blender or food processor, combine juice, vinegar, honey, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend till well combined. With blender on, slowly add in oils till emulsified.

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Tortilla Slaw

Filed under: Sides,Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:43 pm
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Ingredients

    For the Dressing

    • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
    • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 3 Tablespoons honey
    • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • salt and pepper

    For the Salad

    • 4 cups finely shredded cabbage
    • 2 cups tricolored fried tortilla strips
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
    • 3/4 cup Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

    Instructions

    For the Dressing

    In blender or food processor, combine juice, vinegar, honey, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend till well combined. With blender on, slowly blend in oils till emulsified.

    For the Salad

    Combine all ingredients, tossing to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

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    Lemony Potato Salad

    Filed under: Sides,Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:29 pm
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    English: Golden Flesh Yukon Gold Potato

    English: Golden Flesh Yukon Gold Potato (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     

    Ingredients (serves 6 to 8)

    • 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
    • 5-6 ounces pancetta (or bacon)
    • 4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
    • Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
    • 2/3 Cups olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
    • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
    • 1 clove garlic, pressed
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    Finely mince garlic and rosemary. Zest and juice the lemon. Add the juice, zest, herbs, and oil to a bowl and whisk everything together.

    It’s not necessary to peel the potatoes. Bring them to a boil and let them simmer until they’re soft, probably about 30 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. To test one, just grab it out of the water with some tongs and pierce it with a fork. The fork should easily go to the center of the potato. When they’re done, let them cool for 15 minutes before handling.

    Chop the potatoes, and then mix in the celery, pancetta, parsley, and all of the dressing.

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    Shaved Zucchini Salad

    Filed under: Sides,Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:21 pm
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    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds medium zucchini, about 4
    • 1/2 Cup fresh basil, chopped
    • 1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
    • 1/3 Cup olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
    • Pinch of salt and pepper
    • Pinch of red pepper flakes
    • Parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    For the Dressing

    Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

    For the Salad

    Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry skillet. Watch carefully. Set aside. Shave the zucchini into long, wide ribbons. Chop the basil. Toss all ingredients, except the parmesan, together. Serve garnished with parmesan.

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    Ricotta Gnocchi

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:11 pm
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    Prep Time: 45 minutes

    Cook Time: 15 minutes

    Ingredients (serves 5)

      For the Gnocchi

      • 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
      • 2 eggs
      • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 1 teaspoon pepper
      • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
      • 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

      For the Sauce

      • 3 tablespoons olive oil
      • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
      • 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
      • 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
      • 6 basil leaves, finely shredded
      • Salt and pepper to taste
      • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

      Instructions

      Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.

      Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

      Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

      While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.

      To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.

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      Baked Winter Squash Soup

      Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:08 pm
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      Ingredients (serves 12)

      • 2 acorn squash (about 2 pounds each)
      • 2 butternut squash (about 2 pounds each)
      • 1 stick of butter
      • 8 teaspoons dark brown sugar
      • 3 carrots, peeled and halved
      • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
      • 10 cups chicken broth
      • 3/4 teaspoon ground mace
      • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
      • pinch of cayenne pepper
      • salt, to taste
      • creme fraiche, for garnish

      Instructions

      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

      Cut the four squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds.

      Place the squash halves, skin side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Place 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in the cavity of each squash half. Arrange the carrots and onion slices around the squash. Pour two cups of stock in the pan, cover it tightly with aluminum foil and bake for two hours.

      Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Scoop the squash pulp out of the skins and place it in a soup pot. Add the carrots, onions, and the cooking liquid.

      Add the remaining eight cups of chicken broth, and the mace, ginger, cayenne, and salt. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

      Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return it to the pot, adjust the seasonings and heat through. Serve each portion garnished with a dollop of creme fraiche.

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      Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

      Filed under: Appetizers — alittlemoreofeach @ 12:56 pm
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      English: A basket of garlic (allium sativum) o...

       

      Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

      • 2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
      • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 1 cup panko or white, unseasoned bread crumbs
      • 24 large button or cremini mushrooms, stems removed $
      • 2 teaspoons olive oil
      • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

      Instructions

      In a small saucepan over low heat, slowly cook garlic and cream until garlic is soft enough to mash with a spoon, about 45 minutes. (Cream will be reduced and thick.) Remove from heat and mash garlic into cream with a fork, making a rough purée. Stir in salt and panko and mix thoroughly.

      Preheat oven to 450°. Lay mushroom caps, top side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Brush edges with oil and fill centers with garlic cream.

      Bake until starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes. Lift mushrooms from any released liquid and arrange on plates or a platter. Sprinkle with pepper.

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      Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

      Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 12:52 pm
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      Ingredients

      Turkey Broth
      2 tablespoons unsalted butter

      2 onions, chopped
      1 celery rib, chopped
      1 smoked turkey or chicken carcass, cut into 4 pieces (see note)
      3 cups white wine
      6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

      Soup
      1 cup wild rice
      2 carrots, peeled and chopped
      1/2 tsp dried thyme
      1/4 tsp baking soda
      1/4 cup all-purpose flour
      1 cup heavy cream
      3 cups chopped cooked turkey
      Salt and pepper

      Instructions

      For the turkey broth: Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions, celery, and turkey carcass until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and chicken broth and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Strain broth, discarding solids.

      For the soup: Wipe out Dutch oven and toast rice over medium heat until rice begins to pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in turkey broth, carrots, thyme, and baking soda and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 1 hour. Whisk flour and cream in bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk flour mixture into soup. Add turkey and simmer until soup is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.