Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Asparagus Arugula Salad with Ricotta and Goat Cheese

June 16, 2011

Time for our anniversary trip recap! Apolinaras and I got married over Memorial Day weekend in 2004 and we always try to take a little vacation over the holiday weekend to celebrate. This year we went to Portland, Maine, which is a super fun foodie destination right on the ocean. We headed up on Saturday and started our adventure by leisurely checking out the Kittery Outlets, which are about halfway between Boston and Portland. I scored the cutest mini trifle dishes and French onion soup bowls at Crate and Barrel, which will definitely be making an appearance soon!

We were famished after all our hard work shopping, so drove over to the Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier, where we chowed down on New England classics – lobster rolls, clam chowder, corn, and exceptionally fresh mussels steamed in white wine. Mmm, just thinking about this meal makes my mouth water! The staff was really friendly and we definitely plan to go back when we’re in the area again.

Of course, by the time we got to Portland and checked in our hotel (we stayed at the Portland Harbor Hotel, which had a fantastic central downtown location and very lovely rooms – I recommend it!), we were hungry again. Luckily, I had already asked for some restaurant recommendations on twitter and was armed with Adrienne’s reply – “555 is great, Frog and Turtle (in nearby westbrook) is my fave, and I’ve heard good things about Nosh.” Since we were craving a few beers, we headed to Nosh Kitchen Bar for a few local microbrews and sandwiches. Nosh is in the Arts District and I thoroughly enjoyed my Nosh Burger (pork and beef patty/blue cheese/bacon/fried egg/roast garlic jam/brioche bun) and Apolinaras liked his duck gyro. Our waitress also had some fantastic beer recommendations (from Allagash and the Maine Beer Company), so we left feeling very satisfied.

The next day we rolled out of bed, snuck in a little time at the gym, and had breakfast at Becky’s Diner, which is a sentimental favorite of ours because we had breakfast there a few years ago during our anniversary trip up to Bar Harbor. The blueberry pancakes hit the spot!

We spent the afternoon wandering around the (windy!) harbor and city and also did a tasting at the Shipyard Brewing Company. I was really looking forward to this because I love their blueberry beer, but I would probably skip it next time and just go straight to Allagash (which we visited the next day!).

Our next stop didn’t disappoint though – we checked out Duckfat. I could have seriously eaten a boatload of their fries, which as the restaurant name implies, are fried in duck fat and phenomenal – yum! They have a variety of dipping sauces and both Apolinaras and I were happy with our respective choices of Thai Chili Mayo and Truffled Ketchup. Although the sandwiches were pretty tasty as well, next time we’d just go back for beer and fries!

After stuffing ourselves with fries, we wandered back to the hotel to freshen up and I did a little leisurely blogging while enjoying some wine.

For dinner we visited Five fifty-five, where Apolinaras feasted on creamy five onion soup, wild boar ragu, and carrot cake ice cream, and I had an asparagus salad, their signature truffled lobster mac and cheese (incredible – I savored every bite!), and a smores dessert. I definitely want to attempt to recreate the mac and cheese at some point, but the first thing I did when we got home was actually make a twist on the salad. It was described on the menu as featuring “baby arugula, charred asparagus, house ricotta, salt roasted almonds, pickled vidalias, and truffle vinaigrette.” What I especially loved about it was that there was a smear of ricotta cheese underneath the salad, so you could get some in every bite. I’ve never seen this before and thought it was just genius. So, last weekend I made my own version of their salad with a ricotta and goat cheese spread underneath a pile of arugula and asparagus. I did lightly dress the greens with a lemon vinaigrette, but the cheese is the star of this salad. I’ll recap the rest of our trip in my next post!

Asparagus Arugula Salad with Ricotta and Goat Cheese
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch long pieces (I had 4 cups cooked)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bunches arugula (7 ounces after chopping off the stems)
1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
4 ounces goat cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place asparagus on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast at 400˚F for 8 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a medium nonstick skillet. Sauté onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until well blended. Place arugula, roasted asparagus, cooked red onions, almonds, and dressing in a large bowl and toss until well mixed.

To serve, mix goat cheese, ricotta cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth. Spread ricotta cheese mixture evenly onto six plates. Top evenly with salad, making sure part of the ricotta mixture is still showing. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 287 calories, 22.8g fat, 3.5g fiber, 12.6g protein per serving
Cost: $2.18 per serving

26 Comments - Leave a comment!

Indian Meatball Naanwiches

June 12, 2011

I’m back and feeling ready to post! To be honest, I had lost a bit of my blogging mojo over the past several weeks. I was plagued by writer’s block and couldn’t motivate myself to even get into the kitchen. But, I felt a lot of pressure to keep posting on a regular schedule, which is sort of silly because my blog is my creative outlet and is supposed to be fun – I never want blogging to start feeling like a second job. Anyway, I’m going to try and stop being so hard on myself and just take a break if I need it from now on!

I’m definitely feeling very refreshed and ready to cook now. I’ll post recaps of our trip to Portland and my college reunion soon, but first I wanted to share these Indian Meatball Naanwiches. When I returned from my conference in Newport, our fridge was pretty bare, but I did manage to find some ground turkey and naan in the freezer, which served as the inspiration for this dish.

These naanwiches are a fun twist on traditional meatball subs. The spiced meatballs contain a hefty amount of garlic and ginger, and are packed with cumin, ground fennel seeds (don’t leave these out – they really elevate the meatballs in my opinion!), and cayenne pepper. Since I wanted the tomato sauce to compliment the meatballs but not overpower them, I kept it pretty mild by only stirring in a touch of garam masala. I also added golden raisins for a bit of sweetness and Greek yogurt for some creaminess. These naanwiches were really tasty, but I think they would have been even better with some fresh cilantro on top to bright them up. So, I went ahead and added the cilantro to the recipe below and already can’t wait to make them again with it!

Indian Meatball Naanwiches
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
3 pounds ground turkey

Tomato Sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt

Assembly:
7 pieces of naan, warmed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
To make the meatballs, heat oven to 375˚F. Place the garlic, ginger, cumin, ground fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Gently but thoroughly mix in the ground turkey and shape the mixture into 21 meatballs. Place meatballs on a large cookie sheet and bake at 375˚F for 20 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat canola oil over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. Sauté red onion for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; mix in garlic and garam masala and sauté for 1 additional minute or until fragrant. Stir in golden raisins and tomatoes and cook 1 more minute. Place mixture in a food processor and pulse for a minute or until smooth. Stir in Greek yogurt and salt.

To assemble the naanwiches, top half of each piece of naan with three meatballs. Evenly spread sauce and cilantro on top. Fold naan over and serve. Makes 7 naanwiches.

Nutrition: 460 calories, 17.0g fat, 2.1g fiber, 33.7g protein per naanwich
Cost: $2.19 per naanwich

29 Comments - Leave a comment!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

June 3, 2011

Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

I’m very excited to be featured on Jen’s blog, Beantown Baker, as part of her Friday Favs series today! You’ll find my recipe there for these Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. They have a peanut butter cookie bottom filled with a Reese’s cup and are topped with a layer of eggless peanut butter cookie dough and a touch of chocolate ganache. I thought these would be the perfect little decadent treats to take to a summer potluck or BBQ. I’m going to my 10 year college reunion this weekend and then heading to a science conference in Rhode Island next week, so I hope you enjoy checking these out while I take a little break from my kitchen and computer!

20 Comments - Leave a comment!

Caramelized Pineapple Pulled Pork Flatbreads

May 29, 2011

I hope everyone is enjoying the long holiday weekend! Apolinaras and I are celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary with a mini vacation in Portland, Maine, and the eats have been phenomenal so far. I’ll have a full recap soon! In the meantime, I thought sharing the recipe for these Caramelized Pineapple Pulled Pork Flatbreads would be the perfect way to usher in the summer.

I topped warm pieces of naan with BBQ pulled pork, caramelized onions and pineapple, and a touch of cheddar cheese. This is my version of a semi-homemade meal since I bought the smoked pulled pork from Costco and mixed it with a little jarred BBQ sauce. I also used frozen naan instead of making pizza dough. Of course, caramelizing the pineapple and onions takes a little bit of extra time, but I did this the night before so it the meal would come together quickly. I also actually caramelized several onions and a whole pineapple, so I had extra to use in other recipes like this one!

Caramelized Pineapple Pulled Pork Flatbreads
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped pineapple, patted dry
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 pieces naan
2 cups pulled pork with BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions, cover pan, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.

Meanwhile, heat over broiler. Place pineapple on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle brown sugar evenly on top. Broil for 5 minutes or until caramelized.

To assemble, top each piece of naan evenly with pulled pork. Sprinkle caramelized pineapple and onions on top. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 644 calories, 34.8g fat, 2.8g fiber, 29.8g protein per serving
Cost: $2.24 per serving

22 Comments - Leave a comment!

Hawaiian Omelet

May 25, 2011

There are a fair number of cooking techniques that I have yet to master, and one that I’m particularly interesting in conquering is how to make the perfect omelet. I feel like it’s always mentioned on Top Chef how cooking eggs is a measure of a chef’s skills and well, my omelet making ability is decent, but I’m glad no one is judging my prowess in the kitchen by how they turn out! Half the time the top of my omelet rips when I attempt to fold it over and the other half of the time I make a mess when I’m coaxing it out of the pan and onto my plate. Any tips?

I actually attempt to whip up omelets pretty regularly and this is an exceptionally tasty version inspired by some leftover caramelized pineapple chunks. They were screaming Hawaii to me, so I went with it, and folded the pineapple into my omelet, along with bacon and gruyere. It’s pretty decent looking, huh? Well, that’s because I covered the rip on the top with some toasted coconut! Haha, it went with my theme and covered my mistake!

Hawaiian Omelet
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup caramelized pineapple chunks
1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons toasted coconut

Directions:
Place turkey bacon in a greased nonstick skillet and heat over medium for 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, and salt in a small bowl. Pour whisked eggs into a well greased 10-inch nonstick omelet/sauté pan. Use a spatula to push the cooked part of the eggs from the outer edge to the center of pan, until mostly set, then pat semi-cooked eggs down until they cover the entire pan. Let cook an additional minute, as needed, or until set. Spread turkey bacon, pineapple, and gruyere evenly over one side of the eggs so half the circle is covered, then fold the other half circle of eggs on top. Heat an additional minute or until cheese is melted. To serve, sprinkle omelet with toasted coconut. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition: 586 calories, 40.8g fat, 1.9g fiber, 41.1g protein per serving
Cost: $3.79 per serving

20 Comments - Leave a comment!

Sweet Chili Apricot Shrimp Skewers over Israeli Couscous

May 21, 2011

Apolinaras really enjoyed the last Israeli couscous dish I made. In fact, he said it would have been a 10 if I hadn’t included the spinach in the salad, haha. He snuck another box into our cart at Trader Joe’s recently, which I thought was pretty cute, and since he’s completely spoiled, I decided to whip up a dish featuring the couscous and some tasty shrimp for him the very next day.

I basted the skewered shrimp with a sauce mixed up from Thai sweet chili sauce, apricot preserves, and a touch of rice wine vinegar. Then I cooked the shrimp up quickly on my grill pan and served them atop a bed of Israeli couscous with red onion, red pepper, and corn. This was such a lovely light summer meal!

Sweet Chili Apricot Shrimp Skewers over Israeli Couscous
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Shrimp:
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup low sugar apricot preserves
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Israeli Couscous:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 1/3 cups Israeli Couscous (1 8-ounce box from Trader Joe’s)
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups cooked corn

Directions:
To make the shrimp, soak 6 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Thread shrimp onto the skewers. Place sweet chili sauce, apricot preserves, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Brush shrimp evenly with about half the sauce with a pastry brush. Heat a greased grill pan over medium high heat and cook shrimp for 2 minutes on each side, or until pink and cooked through, basting well with the remaining half of the sauce while cooking.

To make the couscous, heat canola oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan; add onion and red pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add couscous and sauté 2 minutes or until light brown. Add chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, put on lid, and simmer for 8 minutes or until broth is absorbed and couscous is tender. Mix in corn. Serve by evenly distributing couscous on three plate and placing shrimp skewers on top. Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition: 476 calories, 9.3g fat, 6.9g fiber, 38.0g protein per serving
Cost: $4.80 per serving

22 Comments - Leave a comment!

Gnocchi with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Gruyere

May 16, 2011

Apolinaras and I finally checked out Foundry on Elm, a newish hot spot in our neighborhood, on one of our recent date nights. It was packed on the Tuesday evening we went and we could see why after we tried the creative cocktails. Mine was called the Bee’s Knees and was a mix of gin, lemon, and honey syrup – yum! Most of the food was pretty tasty as well, and I especially savored every bite of the spaetzle, which was mixed with ham, exotic mushrooms, hazelnuts, and aged Comté. I actually wanted to recreate this dish at home and couldn’t believe it when Deb from Smitten Kitchen posted about how to make spaetzle the very next day!

Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to trying the recipe yet, but I did take inspiration from our meal and used some gnocchi from Trader Joe’s to whip up this super quick weeknight dinner. I mixed the gnocchi with pancetta, mushrooms, garlic, gruyere, and walnuts. This came together in just 20 minutes and we really enjoyed it. In fact, we had a little scuffle over who got the leftovers the next day for lunch!

Gnocchi with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Gruyere
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 17.6-ounce package whole wheat potato gnocchi from Trader Joe’s
1 4-ounce package pancetta
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Prepare gnocchi according to package directions and drain.

Place pancetta in a large nonstick skillet and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Place pancetta in a small bowl and add mushrooms to the pan; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add mushrooms to the bowl with the pancetta. Place olive oil and butter in the skillet and sauté gnocchi for 3 minutes. Mix in pancetta and mushrooms, gruyere cheese, walnuts, and salt and stir until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 728 calories, 44.2g fat, 4.6g fiber, 25.3g protein per serving
Cost: $2.73 per serving

19 Comments - Leave a comment!

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Asparagus Tart

May 12, 2011

Of all the specialty baking pans stuffed into my overflowing kitchen cupboards, my tart pan emerges the most often. I often feel sorry for some of my underutilized dishes (ahem, not that I’ve actually never used my year old mini cheesecake or bundt pans or anything like that….), but I really like how a humble recipe can be elevated to something special enough to serve to company simply by using a tart pan. This creation is certainly no exception. I’ve been thinking about making a light ricotta and goat cheese asparagus tart all winter and immediately scooped a huge bunch of asparagus into my shopping cart when it became in season so I could put this plan into action.

The filling of the tart is a lovely mixture of ricotta, goat cheese, lemon zest, and asparagus, but the chickpea crust, an oldie but goodie that I originally created a couple years ago now, is what makes it special. By pulsing chickpeas, whole wheat flour, olive oil, and a bit of lemon zest in the food processor, I made a flavorful soft chickpea dough that bakes up beautifully. It compliments the filling nicely and is pretty healthy too. I can’t wait to serve this at a dinner party!

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Asparagus Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Tart Crust:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt

Tart Filling:
15 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces goat cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces thinly sliced asparagus

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pulse chickpeas, flour, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor until soft dough forms. Spread dough evenly over the greased tart pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes at 350˚F or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese, goat cheese, egg, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in asparagus and spread mixture evenly into partially baked crust. Bake an additional 45 minutes at 350˚F or until filling is set. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and cut into wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 317 calories, 5.5g fat, 4.6g fiber, 17.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.24 per serving