summer Archives - domenica dreams of calamari

August 5, 2018

Healthy Summer Grain Bowl

It’s been sooo hot (or at least soo hot for us coastal San Diegans) so I’ve been trying to come up with sneaky ways to avoid turning on the oven at all and still having protein/veggie rich meals. I love love love smoked fish but it can sometimes be pricy. This peppered rainbow trout from Trader Joe’s is the bomb and is also only $4 for a pack that has 4 servings. Thanks Trader Joe’s! Another shoutout to my dad’s friend, Tom, for supplying us with a steady source of avocados from his tree!

{serves 2}

2 servings of peppered rainbow trout or your favorite kind of smoked/cured fish
2 eggs
2 handfuls lettuce
1 cup bulgur (uncooked)
1 large tomato
1 small/medium avocado
5 slices cucumber
1 can garbanzo beans
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 splash red wine vin
salt/pepper
olive oil

soft boil eggs
cook bulgur according to package instructions
drain garbanzos and rinse, then move to a medium sized bowl and stir in dijon, red wine vin and salt and pepper to taste
halve and slice tomato and avocado, slice cucumbers
assemble bowls: a handful lettuce each, a spoonful of bulgur and garbanzos in each, distribute avo, tomato and cucumber evenly
peel eggs and place in each bowl and lastly don’t forget the fish!
dress with olive oil and more red wine vinegar

July 21, 2018July 21, 2018

Burrata, Tomato, Prosciutto and Nectarine Salad

It’s been very hot and this just sounded like the perfect thing to eat yesterday. This salad is a great Summer salad because you can chill it and it’s very refreshing. Not to mention it’s a gorgeous! The nectarines make it sweet, the tomatoes make it tart, the prosciutto makes it nice and salty and the burrata makes it creamy and decadent! Can’t forget basil and balsamic for depth of flavor! We grew these nectarines and they are AMAZING, also my uncle grew the basil which is also amazing. I will never get sick of burrata. Or prosciutto.

{serves 4 as a side salad}

2 nectarines
2 cups tomatoes
3 (long) slices prosciutto
7 large basil leaves
1 large ball of burrata
a splash of balsamic

cut nectarines into bite sized pieces
cut tomatoes in half
dice or slice prosciutto to the best of your ability
slice basil leaves in long thin strips (you can also choose to tear prosciutto and basil)
layer nectarines, tomatoes, prosciutto and basil into a long, somewhat flat dish
drain burrata and lay it on top, cut a + into the burrata and spread it over the lovely produce
drizzle balsamic on top and garnish with basil leaves!

July 21, 2018

Smoky Portobello Risotto

I get very excited to got to Costco and see what’s new and this week they had… beautiful portobellos! I love love love mushrooms so it was an exciting find. We saw a recipe for a smoky mushroom risotto and loosely based this off of it, tweaking it with what we had. We added these mini peppers for a little flavor contrast and color.

{serves 4}

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 shallots
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 pat butter
3 small portobellos
1/2 cup sweet mini peppers (optional)
pinch smoked sea salt
pinch black pepper
3 cups low sodium bone broth (or chicken broth)
1/2 tbsp coconut aminos

to garnish:

basil
red pepper flakes
parmesan

heat butter and 1 tsp olive oil over low heat, slice shallots thinly and cook them slowly to caramelize them
in a big pot over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil and coat the uncooked rice in the oil to lightly toast it
add one cup of broth stirring continuously
add additional cups as the liquid gets absorbed
cook risotto for 40 minutes, stirring often
meanwhile season mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of coconut aminos and a bit of smoked sea salt
grill (or bake on a sheet) them until well done, dice them once they cool
when the risotto is done, season to taste with smoked salt and pepper
add the sweet mini peppers and mushrooms
garnish with sliced basil, parmesan and red pepper flakes

May 19, 2018

Easy Peasy Blueberry Scones

I used bon appetit’s blueberry scone recipe with a few tweaks. I used buttermilk instead of heavy cream and I think if anything it made them fluffier and less sweet which I love! I also added nutmeg for a little more depth of flavor and used fresh blueberries from our garden. We’ve been trying to grow blueberries for years without much luck but this year we have quite the crop so I had to showcase them in a recipe. I love this recipe because there are very few ingredients (no butter!), it’s simple and quick, and the result is comforting and beautiful. Enjoy!

1 lemon
1/3 cup + 2tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour + some for dusting
1 cup + 2 tbsp old fashioned oats
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pinch nutmeg
1 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk
2 tbsp honey
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 lg egg yolk

{makes about 8 BIG scones}

pre-heat oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
zest the lemon on a microplane into a big bowl, add 1/3 cup sugar and rub these two ingredients together with your fingertips until they smell very lemony
add in 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of the oats, all of the baking powder, salt and nutmeg and whisk to combine
in another small bowl whisk together 1 1/3 cups buttermilk and the honey, this is a bit tricky but it will come together
then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined
using a plastic spatula gently fold in the blueberries
liberally flour your work surface, I used a big cutting board but you can use your countertop too; flour your hands as well
transfer the dough to your work surface and from a square that’s about an inch thick
using a sharp knife (rinse under hot water before each slice for cleaner cutting) cut an X then a + shape into the square so you have eight triangles
using a slotted spatula transfer each scone onto the baking sheet
in a small bowl whisk together then egg yolk and remaining 1 tbsp of buttermilk; brush this onto each scone
sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of both oats and sugar onto the scones

August 22, 2016August 22, 2016

Tomato, Nectarine, Feta and Basil Summer Salad

We have tons of super-ripe tomatoes and can’t stop buying stone fruit at the farmer’s market so we started playing around with this salad idea. We’ve made it at least five times this summer and it’s seriously the perfect combination of summer flavors, in my honest opinion.

{serves 4}

3 large tomatoes
3 firm but ripe nectarines (mix of yellow and white)
6 sprigs basil
1/2 cup sheep’s milk feta
1 splash good quality olive oil
1 dash balsamic
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
a bed of arugula

on a large plate lay a bed of arugula
with your sharpest knife, slice tomatoes and nectarines
arrange them on top of the arugula and crumble feta over the top of that
then julienne the basil and arrange that
then (right before you’re about to serve, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and grind pepper over

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016

Baba Ganoush

this is a super simple recipe but the flavors combine beautifully and continue to develop as you let it sit.

1 large eggplant
2 cups tahini
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp grainy mustard
1 squeeze lemon (optional)

roast eggplant directly over a grill or open burner (careful in fire alarm sensitive areas), until skin is completely blackened and blistering
remove from fire are let cool a bit then put it in a plastic bag
when it has cooled down enough (20ish minutes) peel off the skin. alternatively, cut the eggplant in half and scoop the insides out with a spoon
in a large mixing bowl, mash the eggplant and add tahini, mustard, capers and lemon juice

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016

Goat Ricotta with Fresh Caramelized Figs

for the caramelized figs:

7 figs
1 pat butter
2 tsp honey
splash balsamic

cut tops off figs and cut them into 1/4 inch pieces (or somewhere around there)
in a small sauce pan over medium temp melt butter then add figs, honey and balsamic
stir occasionally and gently, taking care not to break down the figs
when figs have absorbed the honey and balsamic and are are looking glazed, remove from heat

for the ricotta:

4 cups goat milk
3/4 kosher salt
2 1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
4 sprigs thyme (optional)

bring milk and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice or vinegar; stir gently until mixture starts to curdle. let stand 5 minutes.
pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth set over a medium bowl. chill until cheese is spreadable, at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours (the longer it strains, the thicker it will be).
mix thyme in later if desired
Original recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fresh-ricotta*you can also make ricotta with plain old cows milk and it’s delicious

August 2, 2016August 8, 2016

Tomates Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes)

{serves 8 as a hearty side}

8 large tomatoes
salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil if you’re not feelin it)
1 large shallots
2 garlic cloves
16 oz spinach (fresh)
1 grilled (or baked) and chopped sausage (spicy Italian preferably)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred/canned works fine)
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
5 oz fresh goat cheese
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped thyme and rosemary (plus more (not chopped) for pretty garnishes)
8 dollops kalamata olive tapenade
3 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

pre-heat oven to 350ºF; cut tops off of tomatoes and scoop out the insides with a melon scooper (leaving a 1/4 inch or so thick wall so they don’t completely collapse (reserve the insides)) ; then lightly salt the insides
heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; meanhwile chop garlic and shallot
once butter has melted add the garlic and shallot and sauté until they’re opaque then add the spinach and sauté until slightly wilted then take off heat and let cool
at this point the salt in the tomato bowls will have probably brought out some water, add that to the tomato insides bowl
in a large mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach concoction, 3/4 cups of the tomato insides, pistachios, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, breadcrumbs, sausage and herbs
then bake at 350º F for 20 minutes, remove from oven, top with the tapenade dollops and put the tomato hat/lids back on and bake for another 10 minutes

June 16, 2016June 18, 2016

Herby Summer Gratin with Squash and Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower
1 medium sized summer squash
generous sprinkle turmeric
1 cup chicken broth
1 egg
2 tbsp mustard
1 clove garlic
1 pack dill (15ish sprigs)
juice of 1/2 of a lemon and zest of a full lemon
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
10 leaves sage
2 tbsp asiago
pinch nutmeg
5 pats butter
pepper
2 shallots

parboil cauliflower for 10 minutes (so that it’s still firm but easily stab-able with a knife), then let cool
cut cauliflower and squash into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in a big pot
mince garlic and add to the pot
add chicken broth, mustard, turmeric, nutmeg, 1/2 the dill (destemmed and minced), lemon zest and lemon juice
add pepper to taste then mix in an egg
pre-heat oven to 350º F
in a small bowl combine bread crumbs, the other half of the dill (destemmed and minced), sage and asiago (grated or cut in really small pieces)
melt 3 pats (fat slices) butter and incorporate into the bread crumb mixture
in a large, shallow baking dish spread cauliflower-squash mixture evenly and bake for 45 minutes
meanwhile melt the other 2 pats butter (and a splash olive oil) over medium low heat and slice shallots
put them in the melted butter and let them cook slowly
remove from oven and spread bread crumb mixture over the top and continue broil for 2 more minutes
serve with extra mustard!

August 17, 2015August 21, 2015

Pickled Blueberry and Burrata Black Rice

When I saw the recipe for pickled blueberries I thought it sounded interesting and I wanted to try it. But never during the process of buying the ingredients and pickling the blueberries did I think about what I was going to do with such a strange flavor combination. They were very salty but still a little sweet and the rosemary gave them a nice earthiness but they were definitely not something you want to snack on by themselves. They sat in the fridge for a couple of days becoming saltier and saltier while I pondered what to do with them. Food52 suggested pairing them with ice cream but I’m not much of a sweets person and I am most definitely a cheese person so my mind jumped to a mellow cheese like ricotta or mozzarella.

My mom had picked up this black forbidden rice at Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago and we were trying to figure out a recipe to try with that too. I decided to throw them together with some sweet golden raisins and caramelized shallots to balance the saltiness, pistachios for crunch and burrata to pull it all together. Burrata is the king of mellow cheeses in my opinion. If you don’t know what it is, you should go get some and read this.

2 cups forbidden black rice
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup roasted pistachios
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 pint pickled blueberries drained
1 roasted shallot
1/3 cup chopped pickled onions
1 sack burrata

cover a baking sheet with parchment and roast shallot in skin at 300° for 45 minutes or until skin is golden brown and it’s soft on the inside
cook rice according to directions
let rice cool and move to a large mixing bowl
when shallot is finished, let cool and slice
add raisins, blueberries, onions and the shallot to the bowl of rice and mix
divide the burrata and dollop onto the rice when you’re ready to serve