Charred Artichokes aka Charred-i-chokes

Back home, before a husband, a house, a baby and a real job, I was a happy hour junkie. I still love eating and drinking at happy hour, it's cheap, the food is often fun and the right size, it's early, and if there is outside seating, I'm in seventh heaven! 

A few years ago in Santa Barbara, there was this restaurant called Chad's that fit all of my requirements for fantastic happy hour. AND it was conveniently within walking distance of my house and my dearest friend's house. AND within walking distance of our work. AND since we both worked in the same mall AND usually the same shift... well you get the idea, we were there a lot. Chad's made a charred artichoke appetizer that was delicious. Toasty and dusted in salt and pepper, charred on the edges and something crazy like $4. Ahhh. Love. 

Charred Artichokes aka Charred-i-chokes - inspired by Chad's of Santa Barbara

2 large globe artichokes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Boil whole artichokes covered in a large pot of salted water until a fork inserted in the base of the leaves - not the stem - sinks in easily. (The stem will cook pretty fast, so it's not a good test point. The artichokes I used were really large, and took about 40 minutes.)

When the artichokes are done cooking, remove them from the water and let them rest for a few minutes, until you can touch them enough to slice them in half. With a small paring knife, cut out the hairy center and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Get your grill nice and hot, and place the artichokes cut side down. With the olive oil, you may get some flare ups, but that's OK. It just adds to the smoky char and it's awesome. Let the artichokes get nice and toasty for about 7 minutes. They are sturdy, so you can check them a bit. Flip them over and grill about 3 more minutes.

Chad's restaurant served these with a variety of dipping sauces, I like this light, aioli-ish dipping sauce to go with ours.

Lemony Dipping Sauce
Enough for 2 large artichokes

1/4 cup mayonaise
2 tablespoon olive oil
grated lemon rind from 1 lemon
Lemon Pepper to taste

While the artichokes boil, mix together all ingredients and store in the fridge. The dipping sauce is best if it has a while to rest and chill before you eat it.

A few things about this recipe...

Baby artichokes work just as well, just adjust your boiling time.
You can grill these on a griddle pan over the stove if you don't have, or don't want to fire up the outside grill. 
You can eat the stem of the artichoke and it's delicious. 

Enjoy!!

Made this time last year: Pappardelle with White Truffle Butter

Dijon Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Last month, my husband’s boss had a fiscal year-end celebration for his team and their families at his house.  This was the second year in a row he had this and the food has been great both times.  But this year, the one thing that stuck out to me (of all things) was this healthy, light, and tangy potato salad that was served.  I did what I normally do – gave my kudos to the chef and asked her what the heck she put in them.  Once she told me, I knew I could make it at home myself…so I did!

This Dijon vinaigrette potato salad is a French-style potato salad.  Honestly, it was my first time having it.  Why is it that potatoes can be paired with anything and be delicious???  Okay, sorry for the tangent.  Many of us in America are used to the potato salad swimming in mayo and mustard.  They have zero nutritional value and are heavy and filling.  Don’t get me wrong, I have had my share of the cholesterol-laden potato salads too, and many are quite yummy.  But it’s nice to find a healthier alternative when you want some variety. 

Dijon Vinaigrette Potato Salad

6 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

¼ c white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried basil

¼ c sliced green onion

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 mins or until just tender; drain.  Cool for 30 mins.

Tip: Potatoes are done when a knife or fork easily pierces the potatoes with little to no resistance. 

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add warm potatoes; toss gently to coat.

Note: Leftover Dijon vinaigrette can be used for salads for the next few days.  Store in the refrigerator.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

I made this potato salad as a side to a healthy Sunday dinner.  I served this with roasted chicken wings, roasted tomatoes and asparagus.  The potato salad paired well with these lighter options.  It made for a colorful, easy, and flavorful Sunday night.

Homemade Rainforest Crackers

I am crazy happy when Whole Foods has set out cheese tasters. Half because I am in love with cheese, and half because they usually have Rainforest Crackers out. These are amazing crackers in every way: they are crispy, fruity, tangy, herby, and more expensive than I can fit into the old food budget. So, I made my own! I'd been wanting to make these for at least 2 years, but only just gave it a whirl. I am so pleased with the results, and totally stoked to have found a way to have these crackers in my house more often. We ate these with a little goat cheese and a drizzle of honey. Scrumptious!

 

Rainforest-like Crackers

Preheat oven to 350

Makes about 4 dozen crackers

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar mixed with milk)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons chopped dried dates

2 tablespoons chopped apricots

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

Chop up pecans, apricots, dates and rosemary. Leave sunflower seeds whole. Set aside the fruit and nuts. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl mix together the sugar, molasses, and honey. Then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the nuts and fruits.

The batter will be very thin. Pour into 2 2x5 inch bread pans sprayed with cooking spray (I used coconut oil.) The batter will only fill these about half way. Bake for about 30 minutes.  

Let the loafs cool completely on wire racks and then freeze for about an hour (or a lot longer) and then slice very thinly. 

Arrange crackers on a parchment lined baking pan and cook for 10 minutes and then flip. Cook for 7 more minutes and let the crackers cool completely on wire racks. Eat!!

A few things about this recipe...

The add-ins could be SO many things!! Raisins, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts. You could leave out the rosemary, or use thyme. Like biscotti, these could be a zillion flavors.

The batter was REALLY thin, but these cooked up very well. 

We sliced into the warm bread and it was DELICIOUS. The bread with a little butter would be a good treat in itself.

I only cooked up one of the loafs and it made 2 dozen crackers. The second loaf is wrapped in plastic and kicking it in my freezer until I need more crackers.

These stored well in a glass tuperware for 3 days. 

Made this time last year...

Roasted Strawberry Shortcakes

Banana Nut Muffins

Chocolate Cheesecake Marbled Brownies

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Betty Crocker has a recipe for a lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon that looks amazing.  However, in the spirit of being the “no pressure cooker” I decided to change it up, make it easier, and make it my own.  That’s what being a no pressure cooker is all about, right???  Whenever possible, I try and find the easiest and quickest way to make a delicious dish…then…I share it with all of you.

I made a number of changes to this recipe.  One of the main changes was not using fresh white bread crumbs.  I used panko.  Panko provides a fantastic crunch that I feel balances well with the soft and delicate texture of the salmon.  Also, I didn't feel like putting white bread in a food processor.  Here, I season the salmon first and then I brush with a mixture of margarine and lemon juice.  This helps keep the salmon moist and also gives it part of the lemony flavor that goes so well with seafood.  The salmon receives another citrus punch because the crust mixture is made with lemon zest.  The flavors come together so well that you may not ever make salmon another way again!

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

*inspired by Betty Crocker

 

4 salmon fillets

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp pepper, divided

cooking spray

3 tbsp butter

juice from one lemon

¼ c panko breadcrumbs

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1 tsp lemon zest (~1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Season both sides of salmon fillets with half of the salt and pepper.  Place seasoned fillets on a baking sheet lightly coated in cooking spray.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add lemon juice and stir to combine.  Brush the top of fillets with about half of the butter mixture.  Set butter mixture aside.

Note: I lightly patted the salmon with the butter/juice mixture so that I wouldn’t brush the seasoning off.  I recommend you do the same :)

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs, zest, and remaining salt and pepper.  Add remaining butter mixture and stir well so that breadcrumbs are evenly wetted.

Fact: Herbs de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs and often includes lavender.  The brand I used combined thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, and lavender.  This mixture is known to be traced to South France and has a multitude of uses but pairs really well with grilled meat and seafood.

Press breadcrumb mixture over top of salmon fillets.  Bake uncovered for ~15 minutes.  Turn oven on broil and cook until breadcrumbs are golden in color.  Serve immediately.

I served this dish with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli.  It made for a great weeknight meal that was balanced, healthy, and quick!  If you don’t have herbs de Provence at home, you can try tarragon, Italian seasoning, or oregano. 

Chocolate Mug Cake

This is a recipe I kind of wish I didn't know how to make. This is too fast, too easy and too yummy. I learned this recipe when I was a brand new mama, desperate for a treat and trying to get a shower, meal, laundry and my own nap into my tiny gentleman's sporadic nap time. A bit of googling, a few trials and errors and a few more successes, I have a tiny bite of cake ready in less than 2 minutes. Fabulous!

Chocolate Mug Cake - adapted from Budget Bytes
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt 
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
1 tablespoon full-fat yogurt (or sour cream)
2 tablespoons milk (I use whole milk)
Raspberries and powdered sugar if you're fancy

In your mug, mix together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Then mix in yogurt and milk. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down sides and microwave for 50 seconds. Eat. Marvel at the magic that you just made a tiny cake in 50 seconds. Relax.

A few things about this recipe...
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and a few raspberries if you want. Or top with frosting if you have any hanging around.
It's not too sweet. If you want it sweeter, add another teaspoon of sugar. 
This is only 185 calories. Awesome. 
An excellent twist is to put a dollop of peanut butter in the middle of the batter before microwaving. Awesome. 
You can swap in a tablespoon of coffee for one of the tablespoons of milk. Also awesome.
Since the investment of time and money in this recipe is close to zero, I feel great experimenting with this tiny bit of dessert.

Enjoy!!

Made this time last year... Lettuce Wrap Salad and Chicken with Balsamic Peppers

Braised Beef Short Ribs over Penne

I’m somewhat of a short rib fiend.  No…seriously.  If I go to a restaurant and they have any form of short ribs on the menu, then I’m probably ordering it.  Obviously, it’s not something you can indulge in very often since red meat is loaded in saturated fat, but red meat also has iron, which is important for all of us.  AND…since I’m pregnant, I can use iron as an excuse to have just a few more beef short ribs than usual :)

As many times as I have had beef short ribs at restaurants, I have never actually made it myself.  So, I looked for a recipe online.  Lo and behold, I found Giada’s short ribs over penne.  The reviews were great, and the ingredients sounded intriguing, so I didn’t look any further.  Giada never lets me down!  I did make some slight modifications to her recipe, but overall, it doesn’t require any changes.  My version is just a little more simple to make, which I’m sure you’ll appreciate.

Braised Beef Short Ribs over Penne

*slightly modified from Giada de Laurentiis

4lbs beef short ribs

salt and pepper

¼ c olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 whole, peeled, canned San Marzano tomatoes

1c red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

2c beef stock

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1lb penne pasta

¼ c grated Parmesan

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Season ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  In batches, add ribs and brown on all sides (about 8-10 mins).  Remove ribs and set aside.  Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently for 2 mins.  Add the wine and mustard.  Bring mixture to a boil and scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Return ribs to pan.  Add stock, cover the pan and place in oven for 2 hrs and 15 mins or until meat is fork-tender and easily falls off the bone.

Tip: Make sure to use a plastic or wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits so you don’t scratch the bottom of your pan.

Remove ribs from the cooking liquid.  Remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones.  Using 2 forks, shred the meat to desired thickness.  Stir the shredded meat into the sauce.  Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

Modification: Here’s where I made a big change.  Giada’s recipe calls for a smooth sauce.  After removing the ribs, she puts the sauce in a food processor and then returns it to the pan.  I thought this was too much work and unnecessary.  I don’t mind some lovely chunks of tomatoes and onions in my sauce.  Once you stir back in the short ribs, it works perfectly.

In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente.  Fill serving bowls with pasta.  Top with shredded short ribs, grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley.

This was truly a restaurant-quality dish.  Save this one for a nice Sunday dinner or when you’re entertaining friends and you want to show off a bit.  It also is a little time consuming since braising is a slow-cooking method.  If you make extra, it warms up wonderfully so you can take portions to work for lunch throughout the week. 

Bon Appetite!!!