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
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
These were inspired by some whole foods chicken meatballs I tried that had quinoa in them. The quinoa keeps them moist and gives them an interesting texture. Using quinoa also makes the meat go much further so it’s a very affordable and healthy way to go about making meatballs.
4 garlic cloves
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup + 1 tbsp cooked quinoa (preferably cooked in chicken broth)
This smoothie is a little off beat. I had half of an avocado left and I was in a rush to get on the road to get to the airport so I thought what better road food than a smoothie? Blended avocado is super creamy and the tahini adds an interesting depth of flavor. The banana and vanilla balances it out so it’s just slightly sweet and the seeds add some texture.
I went to my cousins’ wedding in Seattle and got kind of obsessed with smoked salmon. I literally ate it in at least one meal a day for two weeks, which was possible on my college budget thanks to Costco. They have this two pack of black pepper covered smoked salmon that is definitely, probably not sustainably raised or caught but it is delicious and is justifiable in my little budget. One day I will buy only sustainably caught fish but…you gotta do what you gotta do. So anyways here’s a smoked salmon salad recipe with a kick-ass yogurt sauce.
1/4 cup marcona almonds
a couple chunks smoked salmon
1/2 avocado
bed of lettuce
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas, corn, green beans (or whatever veggies you’ve got on hand)
dill yogurt sauce*
2 cups plain yogurt (on the runny side preferably)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp capers w/ 1 tbsp caper water
1 tbsp dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp tahini
10 sprigs of dill
mince garlic and juice lemon
in a bowl combine yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, mustard, capers and caper waters
pick dill of stems and incorporate into sauce
add a dash of water if it’s too thick and continue to stir
*this sauce is better the longer it sits, I’d recommend making it the night before for the ultimate flavor
This is something I kind of threw together haphazardly and it actually came out pretty well (meaning this is not really a recipe). These are a lot of intense flavors so I would suggest tasting the broth as you go and adding or adjusting as you see fit. Cabbage, as I’ve noted in other blogs, is a beautiful thing because it is cheap, healthy, versatile, tasty AND it lasts a long time so if life happens and you don’t end up eating at home for 5 days (god forbid), your cabbage will still be there. This makes a lot, which is A-okay because it just gets better as the flavors develop through the week. It would be great served with a poached or soft boiled egg on top. It would also be great with some mushrooms or other sauteed veggies in there but it’s also kind of beautiful in its simplicity. Rock on, cabbage.
