Category: dinner

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Chard with Anchovy and Crushed Tomato Dressing

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We get a lot of chard in our CSA and I always tend to steam or saute it with some garlic and vinegar or citrus. And that’s always good but this time I wanted to try something different. Chard is full of vitamins and it’s actually better wilted so it is a great vehicle for warm sauces, unlike other daintier leafy greens. Anchovies and capers give this a salty-umami Mediterranean taste and the warm yellow tomatoes balance it with a little sweetness.

  • 1 bunch chard
  • 4 anchovies in olive oil
  • 15 yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lg garlic clove
  • splash red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp capers
  • red chili flakes
  • pepper
  1. slice chard off of ribs then julienne the leaves (long skinny slices), I like to roll together a few pieces then slice them to save time and make them more uniform, put chard in a mixing bowl
  2. drain olive oil from the anchovies and heat it (the oil) over medium heat in a sauce pan
  3. mince the garlic and add it to the pan, once garlic is opaque add anchovies and mash with the back of a fork, add red chili flakes
  4. add capers, tomatoes and red wine vinegar then cover the pan for a minute
  5. uncover the pan once the tomatoes appear to be deflating a bit then carefully squash them with the back of a fork (angle them away so that you don’t squirt yourself or your kitchen with hot tomato juices)
  6. pour the sauce over the chard and cover for a couple minutes until chard is just starting to wilt, then mix it all together, finish with pepper

© 2015 – 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Use-Everthing-in-the-Fridge-Before-Spring-Break Quiche

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I embrace having perishables when I’m about to go out of town. It’s the ultimate motivator to use only things you have/things you have open.  This week is spring break and last weekend I realized we still had quite a bit of perishable items that needed to be attended too. Luckily they were all things that lent themselves swimmingly to a Mediterranean quiche. And it worked out quite well if I do say so myself.

  • 1 can garbanzo beans
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • olive oil (optional if pesto is oily)
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1/2 clove garlic
  • salt (truffle salt if you have it!)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1/2 cup soft herb-garlic goat cheese
  • 1/2 cooked sausage (I used garlic-gruyere)
  1. line a baking dish with parchment and pre-heat oven to 350°F
  2. drain and rinse garbanzo beans
  3. dice tomatoes roughly and mince garlic
  4. pour garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pesto and olive oil (if using) into the prepared dish, stir well then bake for 20 minutes, taking out and turning occasionally
  5. once garbanzo beans start browning, mash them with the back of a fork and add goat cheese in globs and mix in until incorporated
  6. in a separate bowl, whisk eggs
  7. slice spinach and add to eggs
  8. pour the egg mix over the garbanzo bean mix and return to oven
  9. bake for about 25 minutes or until it starts to separate from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Pasta in Red Wine Mushroom-Tomato Sauce with Swiss Chard

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There’s nothing like a hearty red sauce on a rainy day. When I was growing up my mom always used to make big batches of red sauce on rainy days (which weren’t often because I grew up in San Diego). I remember coming home to the smell of a full-bodied pasta sauce that had been simmering all day. It was like her version of baking cookies.

  • 1 can tomatoes (diced ideally)
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 10 crimini mushrooms
  • 1 large shallot
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 pats butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt/pepper
  • pasta (to serve four)
  • 1 bunch swiss chard
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for grating)
  • 1/4 cup saucisson (dried sausage) or prosciutto
  1. melt butter in large pot with olive oil over medium low heat
  2. mince garlic and slice shallot, add to the pot
  3.  slice mushrooms and add to the pot when shallots are browned
  4. add the wine and let simmer until mushrooms turn dark brown
  5. dice saucisson into small pieces and grate parmesan, add to the sauce
  6. add tomatoes, cover and let cook down, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes
  7. cook pasta according to directions
  8. in a medium sized pot steam swiss chard briefly, then drain and add to the sauce, grate parmesan and add to sauce then add pasta into the pot, serve with crusty bread and more parm and red wine

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Savory Porridge with an Egg on top

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This photo doesn’t do this meal justice. It can really be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I am a big fan of slop. Indian slop, Mexican slop, Turkish slop, it seems like every culture has their own version of some mushy grain or bean

  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 cup cooked steel-cut oats *
  • 1 spoon greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 1/2 tomato
  • cracked black pepper
  • drizzle balsamic vinegar (optional)
  1. cook an egg to your liking (I like sunny side up or poached)
  2. slice spinach and tomato
  3. in a bowl stir together oats, yogurt and mustard (sometimes I sub sriracha)
  4. add spinach and tomatoes (or whatever other vegetable fixings you’d like)
  5. slip the egg on top and top with capers, pepper and balsamic

*For events like this, I like to keep some cooked steel cut oats on hand. I cook them in advance and keep them in the fridge- they keep for about a week. They’re super versatile; use them for sweet or savory mush meals like this or sprinkle them over salads to make them a little more substantial.

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© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Squid, Shrimps and Clams with Parsley-Lemon Sauce

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I love shell fish but it’s kind of a luxury for this college budget thing. Luckily Trader Joe’s has affordable frozen bags of good-quality shell fish to satisfy my needs. I threw together this light meal for some of my friends one night after class and it was a nice change from the normal proteins.

  • 1  pack frozen shell fish from Trader Joe’s (thawed)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • generous amounts black pepper
  • sprinkle of sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  1. mince garlic and heat olive oil in a sauce pan
  2. add garlic to the pan
  3. once garlic turns opaque, add shell fish
  4. cook over medium-low heat, add paprika, black pepper and salt
  5. meanwhile, blend lemon juice, parsley and other tbsp olive oil in a food processor
  6. take shell fish off heat once they’ve turned white
  7. you can either stir the parsley-lemon sauce into the seafood mix or serve it on the side

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Tahini Roasted Veggies and Beans

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I really love tahini. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a Middle Eastern paste made of ground sesame seeds and it’s delicious. It’s one of the key ingredients in hummus but I really like the roasty flavor it acquires when it is baked. It’s great baked with meat (can you say lamb?!), beans or vegetables.

  • 10 small carrots
  • 12 small brussels (halved)
  •  1 lemon
  • 1 lg garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp tahini (depending on thickness)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp tamari (can substitute soy sauce)
  • 1/4 cup cannelini beans
  • 1 tbsp water
  • olive oil
  • black pepper
  1. in a small bowl mix tahini, tamari, cumin, lemon juice and water
  2. pre-heat oven to 350°F
  3. mince garlic and add to the sauce, juice half of the lemon into the sauce as well
  4. line a baking dish and spread the carrots, beans and brussels in it; drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with pepper
  5. pour tahini sauce over everything
  6. bake for 20 minutes or until tahini starts turning golden brown and brussels are roasted to your liking

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Baked Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Mac n Cheese

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Two of my favorite things are food and friends. I aim to enjoy both as much as possible. I love cooking with friends too and last night I had the pleasure of making some tasty, unconventional mac n cheese with my friend, for my friends to eat on our cute patio with some beers and good conversation. What more do you need? ‘Twas a delicious night.

*guest chef spencer moore, recipe interpreted by domenica berman

**serves many people

 

 

 

  •  2 sweet potatoes
  • 500 grams/17.6 oz pasta
  • 1/4 cauliflower
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 pats butter
  • 3 cups mixed cheeses (we recommend raw cheddar, sharp cheddar and gouda)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • olive oil
  • salt/pepper
  1. poke sweet potatoes with a fork a few times, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil and bake at 350°F for about an hour, until soft and mushy, remove and let cool
  2. in a food processor, blend them with a little olive oil and either water, milk or chicken broth to thin
  3. blend cheeses in the food processor (might want to clean it first) until it’s a curdy texture, cottage cheese-like
  4. move your sweet potato sauce into a medium sized skillet and gradually add in cheese as you go
  5. season with salt and pepper to taste
  6. cook pasta but slightly under cook it (like 3 minutes under the suggested time because you’re going to bake it after)
  7. mince garlic and heat butter in a medium sized sauce pan, then add garlic to the butter
  8. cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces and throw em in the sauce pan, cover and cook over medium high heat until tender
  9. pre-heat oven to 350°F
  10. mix the sweet potato sauce into the pasta, add the cauliflower when cooked through
  11. spread the pasta concoction into a large rectangular baking pan and sprinkle bread crumbs over, bake for 20 minutes or until starting to brown
  12. remove and sprinkle parm over, put under broil for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy

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© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Carne Asada Enchiladas

summer bulgur-heirloom tomato saladA couple of weeks ago we were feelin carne asada enchiladas but we didn’t know where to buy good carne asada so I decided to make some. It was all ingredients we already had and it isn’t hard at all, it just takes some time to marinate so planning is key. These were some tasty enchiladas.

carne asada: (or 2 lbs store bought carne asada)

  • 2 lbs flank steak (or other thin sliced steak)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lg jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 limes (juice)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground papaya seeds (optional, they are a meat tenderizer)
  • 3/4 of a corona (or other mexican beer)

enchiladas:

  • 1 can green enchilada sauce
  • 9 large flour tortillas
  • 2 lbs carne asada (or a little less)
  • 1/4 cup asiago
  1. to make marinade, combine all ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl
  2. add steak and turn a few times so that all sides are well coated, get in there with your hands
  3. cover and let sit in fridge for 1-4 hours, if it sits for longer than 4 hours the acids will make it get tough and you don’t want that
  4. pre-heat oven to 200°F
  5. heat a skillet on high heat and sear the pieces of steak
  6. once one side browns, flip it, once both sides are browned remove and put in a baking dish
  7. do this for all of steak, then cover with remaining marinade and beer, steak should be covered or almost covered in liquid
  8. cover with foil and bake for an hour and a half
  9. remove from oven and let cool
  10. remove pieces of steak and slice thinly, then return to the marinade and let soak for at least an hour (the longer the better)
  11. pre-heat oven to 350°F, fill a shallow bowl with the enchilada sauce and wet tortillas on both sides, one by one, lay the tortillas in a large baking dish, fill with carne asada and roll up
  12. continue with all tortillas or until you run out of meat
  13. pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and bake for 30 minutes
  14. remove and grate cheese on top then return to oven for 8 more minutes

© 2014 – 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Sauteed Chard with Dates and Garbanzo Beans

summer bulgur-heirloom tomato salad
This was another attempt to use up large amounts of greens before they wilted past the point of no return. I love making warm wilted greens in the winter instead of salads. It’s so much more satisfying and comforting. The combination of sweet dates and savory spiced garbanzo beans adds complexity and takes these healthy greens to a whole new level. If it wasn’t already good enough, another reason to eat chard is its’ plethora of health benefits. It has lots of antioxidants, vitamin C (for immunity), vitamin K (for bone strength), omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron (red blood cell production).

According to “nutrition-and-you.com”, regular inclusion of chard in the diet has been found to prevent osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin-A deficiency; and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers

  • 1/2 can garbanzo beans
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large bunch green chard
  • about 8 cups-worth spinach
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 10 dates
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt pepper
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  1. heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and mince garlic
  2. add garlic to the pan with the cumin paprika and chili flakes
  3. drain garbanzos and add them to the skillet, stirring to coat them in the spices
  4. continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until garbanzos start to brown a little bit
  5. slice chard and spinach and add chard in batches to the skillet, pit and slice dates
  6. in the first batch add the water and cover for 1 minute
  7. then remove cover and add more chard, flipping so that the already cooked greens are on top
  8. continue this process until all of the chard and kale are cooked about evenly, turn the heat down
  9. add the sliced dates and mix in, remove from heat and move to a large mixing bowl
  10. squeeze lemon juice in and mix, adding salt and pepper to taste

© 2014 – 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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Cauliflower Curry

summer bulgur-heirloom tomato salad
So today while I probably should’ve been studying for the midterm I just realized is coming up next week, I decided to spend some time making curry. It’s not as time consuming, difficult or ingredient intensive as most people assume but it is definitely something that takes a little time and planning. Curry is great with different veggies, especially cruciferous ones like broccoli and cauliflower.

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • yellow curry powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • pickled jalapenos
  • 10 green beans
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • coconut oil
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  1. over medium high heat, melt 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pot, dice onion and add along with 2 tbsp of the curry powder, once coconut oil is melted
  2. cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces and add to the pot with the chicken broth, reserve 2 cups of the cauliflower bits
  3. add coconut milk slowly, stirring as you go
  4. add another tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp cinnamon then cover and let cook for 10 minutes
  5. cut tips off of green beans and cut in 2 inch pieces, add to the pot
  6. cut tomatoes in bite sized pieces and add to the pot along with the pickled jalapenos (slice if need be)
  7. in a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil on medium low heat and mince garlic
  8. once coconut oil is melted, add garlic
  9. after 2 minutes add the reserved 2 cups of cauliflower
  10. take a couple spoonfuls of the curry coconut milk sauce and spoon it over the cauliflower along with 1 tsp cinnamon.

© 2014 – 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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