Cooking up something good...

Well, it has been almost a month over a month since my last post.  My camera has some really great photos of dishes I've made here at home but something has kept me from finding the time to post. 

Enter this little guy!

My husband and I welcomed our son a couple weeks ago.  He has been a complete joy.  We are doing our best to get back into a routine, granted it will be a completely new routine.

I do have some great recipes to share with you, here's to hoping I can do that real soon!

Enjoy!

Chinese Five Spice Turkey Burger with Cucumber Relish

Recently I added a bunch of seemingly random shows to my DVR from Cooking Channel.  One of which was Everyday Exotic hosted by Roger Mooking, whom I think is a riot on Heat Seekers.  So fun! The premise of the show is to take one spice or ingredient then create a meal where is makes several appearances.  The first show I watched featured Chinese Five Spice, a blend of star anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper.  Roger used it to make Lamb Burgers with Cucumber Relish and a Five Spice Aioli.  I created my own version and loved every bite!!

Ground turkey is such a healthy option for burgers but can be bland in my opinion. It definitely needs some excitement to transform into a satisfying burger.  This recipe did that for me!  The shallots and garlic provides tons of flavor while helping to keep the burger moist.  The Chinese Five Spice gives a great shot of intense flavor that is warm and somewhat unexpected in a burger.  I do think that that Cucumber Relish and Five Spice Aioli are a must.  In the future I might make the Aioli with Greek Yogurt but the creamy texture was perfect with the relish on this burger.  

I know it is cold outside but fire up your grill, I think you'll be glad you did.

Chinese Five Spice Turkey Burgers Cucumber Relish

adapted from Everyday Exotic

2 lbs of lean ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1 shallot, finely minced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 TBS of Chinese Five Spice

1/4 tsp of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients well but be sure not to compress the meat too much.  Form into 8 loose patties and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Cook on the grill over medium low heat, turning as little as possible until cooked throughout or an internal temperature of 165degrees is reached.  Let rest for 5 minutes under a foil tent before serving.

Cucumber Relish

adapted from Everyday Exotic

2 TBS of canola oil

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp of salt

1/8 cup of rice wine vinegar

1 TBS of sugar

1 English cucumber, seeded and finely chopped

Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.  Add the onions, garlic and salt then cook for 4-5 minutes until soft.  Add the jalapeno and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Add the sugar and rice wine vinegar, stir well and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until the vinegar reduces by a 1/3.  Stir in the cucumber and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the cucumber is soft and the relish has come together.  Turn off the heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Five Spice Aioli

1/4 cup of light mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 a lime

1 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spice powder

Combine all the ingredients and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve the Turkey Burgers.

Assembly:  Use neutral rolls that have been toasted.  Top each burger with 1-2 TBS of aioli and 2-3 TBS of Cucumber Relish.  Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato and Walnut Pesto Crostini

Millions of households will be tuning into the Big Game today and many of them do so simply to enjoy the food that surrounds the festivities.  While I'm sure everyone would claim something different as their favorite, my husband and I are currently in love with this tasty bite.

It is incredibly quick to prepare and the flavors are classic.  I especially love how it is reminiscent of summer.    You easily could omit the cheese which is my preference.  By roasting the tomatoes you intensify their flavor and sweetness.  The walnut and pecorino pesto is a great compliment to the baguette and mozzarella.  Honestly, this might be a perfect bite.

Roasted Tomato and Walnut Pesto Crostini

1 baguette, sliced

8-9 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2" slices

1 cup of fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 cup of toasted walnuts

1/2 cup of grated Pecorino cheese

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

6oz of fresh part-skim mozzarella, cut into 1/2" x 1" slices

Preheat the oven the 400degrees.  Place the baguette pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Once done3use one of the garlic cloves, rub over the surface of the crostini pieces.  Lightly another baking sheet and place the tomato slices in a single layer.  Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the tomatoes over.  Bake for another 8 minutes, the tomatoes are done when most of the water has evaporated.  

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, walnuts, cheese, black pepper and remaining garlic cloves.  Pulse until coarse then stream in the olive oil.  You know you are done when the pesto is smooth but still firm.  

To assemble, spread about 1 TBS of pesto over each crostini.  Then top with a slice of tomato and mozzarella.  Enjoy!

The Flat

My husband and I decided to do a getaway this weekend in Charlottesville, VA.

For a quick mid-afternoon snack we landed at The Flat. An incredibly small crepe shop. My goodness were we in for a treat.

I opted for The Awesome, a crepe filled with spinach, ham and cheddar cheese. It was incredible but much more than a snack. I easily could have made a meal out of my selection.

My husband chose The Taste of Adam. His crepe was filled with chicken, sliced apples and Brie. He savored every bite!

Charlottesville is a great small city that is totally into the local eating movement. All of the meat and cheese in our crepes came from local farms. How fun is that!

What recent snack have you enjoyed?

Cherry Almond Biscotti

I have been on a huge tea kick lately, all kinds... rooibos, herbal mint, raspberry leaf and oolong.  My husband's favorite is Scottish Breakfast tea.  I'm openly jealous of the caffeine his includes.

When sitting down with a nice cup of tea there just seems something proper and right about having a small sweet bite to enjoy alongside.  This recipe for Cherry Almond Biscotti is great because it is small and not too heavy on the saturated fat.  It boasts just 1 TBS of canola oil for the entire batch.  I love the combination of almond and cherry too!

I hope you'll consider making them for a cold evening soon.

Cherry Almond Biscotti

adapted from The Kitchen Sink

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 large eggs, plus 1 egg white

1 tablespoon canola (or other neutral) oil

1 tablespoon almond extract

1/2 cup of dried cherries

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 tsp of turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In a stand mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. With the mixer running, slowly add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in cherries, almonds and poppy seeds. Press the dough into a log (roughly 12″ by 3″) on the lined baking sheet.  Dust with 1 tsp of turbinado.

Bake log until lightly browned and almost firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Cool log on sheet 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Carefully transfer log to cutting board, reserving parchment paper.  Slice the log crosswise into about 12 even slices.  Stand biscotti upright on the lined baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet.  Enjoy!

Winter Chicken Soup

Each new year comes an increased resolve in my house to focus on healthy eating. For us that means low sodium, lots of vegetables and lean protein. We're not perfect and I would be lying if I didn't confess that our favorite pizza place still makes an occasional delivery. Nonetheless we try and I find great joy in preparing a healthy meal that is still delicious.

Tonight we enjoyed this Winter Chicken Soup. It was healthy and left both of us completely satisfied.

I was lucky to have some leftover chicken breast carcasses so that I could make stock. Homemade stock is one of those things this is amazing to have if you have the time. However I'm not so naive as to think that it is possible all the time.

Another two ingredients that have been appearing more lately are kale and no sodium added canned tomatoes. Both add tons of nutrients and flavor.

I hope your family enjoys this soup as much as my husband and I did.

Winter Chicken Soup

2 TBS of olive oil

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 26oz box of no-sodium chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken

5 cups of chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium)

6oz of egg noodles

4 cups of kale, chopped

In a large stockpot over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, celery and carrots with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes until the soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and chicken, be sure to combine well and then simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and hold for 30 minutes. Add the egg noodles and kale then stir well. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with a piece of crusty bread. Enjoy!