Potato salad doesn’t remind me of picnics, or BBQs, it reminds me of pool parties. Perhaps this is an artifact of my suburban New England upbringing, but a backyard pool party was a much more common summer occurrence than a real BBQ (you know, the kind with smoked pig that I came to love in North Carolina) or a picnic. If we did go on a picnic, it was at the beach, and we were eating tortellini pesto and cold grapes, not potato salad. But pool parties – whether they were at a neighbor’s or a friend’s or even some random friend’s of your parents house – were the peak of a suburban summer.

Do you remember how exciting it used to be to get invited to a pool party? The lure of being able to immerse yourself in coolness on a hot day. The feeling of rough concrete under your feet as you tried so hard to “WALK don’t run.” The pleasant chlorine-scented exhaustion of a day spent swimming and running and screaming with your friends. Then, after splashing and fighting over the floaties, you could sit on a lounge chair, the ends of your hair dripping on your legs, and eat pool party food. Hot dogs in squishy buns. Bags of sea salt and vinegar potato chips. Ruby colored fruit punch in the squeeze packs your mother wouldn’t let you buy. Dirt cake. And potato salad.

This potato salad is not the gloppy mayo-covered salad of my pool party days. I certainly don’t turn up my nose at a classic potato salad, but at home, I’m making this version. It’s inspired by two separate, but similar recipes. First, a Broccoli and Potato Gribiche I made ages ago, originally from Heidi’s Super Natural Every Day. Second, Bon Appetit’s Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles. Same general concept – a lighter, brighter potato salad with lots of hard-boiled egg and pickled things to give it zip. I love both mustard and capers, so having them both on top of my favorite vegetable is a win. A large amount of roasted broccoli makes me feel a little bit better about how much of this I can eat in one sitting. Of course then there’s the crispy crumbled bacon, which makes me feel a little worse.

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Potato Salad with Bacon, Broccoli, Egg and Mustard Dressing

Not your average potato salad, this one is packed with zippy flavor from the mustard, caper and shallot dressing. It takes its cues from French gribiche sauce, but then gets all American with bacon and broccoli and hard-boiled egg. 

Inspired by Super Natural Every Day.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli, washed and chopped into very small florets (1/4 inch pieces)
• 4 TBS olive oil, divided
• sea salt to taste
• 1 lb. small Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 6 slices bacon
• 4 large eggs, hard-boiled
• 2 TBS capers
• 2 TBS dijon mustard
• 1 large shallot, peeled and finely minced
• 1 TBS white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the broccoli florets with 1 TBS of the olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender and browned, about 20-25 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the broccoli once during cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Place the cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water generously. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are just tender when poked with a fork but not falling apart, about 10-15 minutes after the water comes to a boil. When the potatoes are done, drain and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon using your preferred method until it is golden brown all over. Drain off the fat into a tin can and place the cooked bacon on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb the excess grease. Once bacon is cool, chop into small pieces.
4. Peel the hard boiled eggs and roughly chop. Place the chopped egg in a large mixing bowl and add the capers, mustard, minced shallot, white wine vinegar, and chopped herbs to the bowl. Slowly add the remaining 3 TBS of olive oil to the bowl, whisking vigorously to incorporate after every teaspoon-sized addition. Using this technique you should emulsify the oil with the eggs, building up a thick dressing with the consistency of a loose mayo or aioli. Once all of the oil is incorporated you will have a creamy sauce. Season to taste with black pepper.
5. Add the cooked potatoes, roasted broccoli, and chopped bacon to the bowl with the dressing and stir to thoroughly coat the potatoes in the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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We’ve made it to Friday! I thought it might never get here. The first week back after vacation is always daunting, and kicking the week off with a snowstorm and finishing it with sub-zero temperatures doesn’t exactly make it go any faster. But we made it through the week, we’re currently experiencing a brief but welcome bout of sunshine, and it’s just about time to pop open a bottle of wine for the weekend.

When I was little, Friday nights were always movie night in my family. My mom would make do-it-yourself calzones – everyone got a rolled out pizza dough, and we’d stuff and roll them up to our heart’s content. Mine was usually just a tiny spoonful of sauce covered by huge handfuls of cheese, and maybe a few olives (mostly because I liked eating them off the ends of my fingertips). If we were lucky, my mom would haul out the giant air-popper, too, and we’d watch the kernels whirl around inside until they popped out the chute at the top. There was a little metal tray on top of the popper that melted the butter as it worked, and we always used an entire stick of butter – a decadent amount, really, but the popcorn tasted amazing. Then we’d all pile into the den and tune into the latest Disney Channel Original Movie, snacking on popcorn and pausing only to pull our calzones from the oven.

Although I still occasionally participate in movie night when I’m at home (there are still calzones, but no more air popper), movie night as an adult is a little bit different. For starters, there’s wine. Specifically, a bottle of Cambria Pinot Noir. And because I have to live up to your expectations of me as a fancy-food-blogger, there’s fancy pizza and fancy popcorn to go with said wine. Most recently, the pizza took the form of Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo Pizza – a favorite childhood combination, comforting and creamy and mild. The homemade alfredo sauce utilizes a roux as a base, allowing you to use milk instead of cream and still achieve a thick and creamy texture (and after lunch today, I can also confirm that the leftover alfredo sauce on pasta tastes exactly like Annie’s mac’n’cheese. Nostalgia overload). The chicken is simply shredded rotisserie chicken (easy is king on Friday nights!), and the broccoli is roasted before going on top of the pizza for additional flavor and crispiness. For the popcorn, I went the maple-chili-butter route – it was Trevor’s idea and it was a great one. It hits all the sweet-salty-spicy notes I crave in snack food, making it almost impossible to stop eating it. And with those three elements – pinot, pizza, and popcorn, plus a great movie, a cozy blanket, and ideally a good snuggling partner – you’re ready for the weekend.

Find the recipes for this pizza and the popcorn over on the Cambria Wines blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Cambria Wines. All opinions are honest and my own.

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As soon as I publish this post, I will be heading out the door to the airport for a ten day vacation in Italy. A ten day vacation in Italy! I am beyond excited. We’ll be in Rome, then Florence, than a beautiful part of the Tuscan countryside called the Maremma. When we booked the tickets in January it felt like the end of April was years away, but now it’s here and this month has been such a whirlwind that I’ve barely had time to daydream. I can’t wait to be spending entire days outside, dressed in anything that’s not a black suit, eating delicious paninis and pastas and soaking it all in. And when I come back, I’m sure I’ll have loads of pictures and stories to share with you.

Before I go, I wanted to leave you with the last of the birthday party recipes – this roasted vegetable Mediterranean pasta salad. I made a huge bowl of the salad ingredients – spinach, roasted red peppers, roasted broccoli, roasted spiced chickpeas, and feta cheese – for the night of the party, to offset all the cheesy, boozy, cakey goodness of the rest of the menu. I didn’t even get around to eating any that night, but I had mounds of leftovers, so the next day I tossed them with hot pasta and parmesan cheese for a simple and satisfying lunch. It’s not an earth-shattering combination, but it was good, easy, packed with veggies, and it seemed like an appropriate Italian-ish send-off reicpe. I’ll be taking a break from blogging while I’m gone, but I have a few posts (including two guest posts from my favorite bloggers) already ready to go. I hope you enjoy them!

Ciao!

Roasted Vegetable Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Serves 6.

Note: 1) This also works on it’s own as a green salad, just omit the pasta and parmesan cheese. 2) Since there’s multiple ways to roast red peppers – in the oven, on a grill, under the broiler – I’ve simply linked to one oven method, but roast them however you normally would. Alternatively, they’re equally as tasty bought already roasted and preserved in oil.

• 4 heads broccoli, washed
• 4 TBS olive oil, divided
• sea salt
• 2 c. cooked or canned chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 2 fresh red peppers, roasted and sliced into strips (or jarred roasted red pepper strips)
• 5-oz baby spinach (1 standard clamshell package)
• 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 lb. pasta, prepared according to package directions
• parmesan, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the florets from the broccoli heads and toss with 2 TBS olive oil and a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Place in a single layer on a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes, or until broccoli is tender and beginning to char. Flip the broccoli once, halfway through cooking. When done, remove to a large bowl.
2. Toss the cooked chickpeas with the cumin, paprika, salt, and the remaining 2 TBS olive oil. Add to a roasting pan (you can use the same one you used for the broccoli without washing it in between), and roast for 20-25 minutes, until chickpeas are beginning to get crunchy, flipping once halfway through cooking. When done, add to the bowl with the broccoli.
3. Toss the roasted red pepper strips, spinach, and feta cheese with the broccoli and chickpeas. Taste, and add additional olive oil or salt if necessary. Serve on it’s own as a salad, or toss with the hot, prepared pasta and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese.

The post I’m going to Italy! // Roasted Vegetable Mediterranean Pasta Salad appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Happy April, everyone! I’m so glad we’re done with all that January-February-March-extended winter business. I spent the weekend celebrating the warm weather (and Easter!) with some serious gardening and some playing with my new camera and some scalloped potatoes and ham. It was a much-needed break from being indoors stuck in front of a computer screen.

I’ve got another recipe from The Chef’s Collaborative Cookbook today (check out my full review – and a recipe for Thai Pork Sliders – here). Hushpuppies are a treat that I haven’t had in a while, so I was stoked to see a recipe for them in The Chef’s Collaborative. I’d never really heard of them before moving to North Carolina, but while I lived there they were a staple side order with my pulled pork sandwiches. The greasy BBQ-joint version of hushpuppies (like the ones from Bullock’s that my roommate always drove home to her dad in NJ over vacations) are super satisfying, but my all time favorites were the ones at the upscale Watt’s Grocery – farmer’s cheese hushpuppies served with basil mayo. Those things were seriously addictive.

This recipe, which utilizes often discarded broccoli stems, as well as a healthy handful of grated cheddar cheese, is not quite as good as the Watt’s version, but it’s certainly easier to make these than to hop on a plane to Durham every time I want a little taste of the South. I served them with leftover sriracha aioli and relished every hot crunchy bite. I saved a little bit of the batter (this recipe definitely serves a crowd!) and learned Saturday morning that this recipe is maybe even better when it’s made into pancakes and topped with a fried egg and roasted red peppers. Just an idea. However you serve them, this recipe is quick, easy, and tasty – well worth the time it takes to mix up the batter!

Broccoli-Cheddar Hushpuppies

Recipe from The Chef’s Collaborative Cookbook, contributed by John and Julie Stehling of Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC. Makes 48 hushpuppies. (To cut in half, use 3 eggs).

• 3 c. cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 c. grated broccoli stems (from about 5-6 medium heads broccoli)
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and grated (about 1/4 c.)
• 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• vegetable oil, for frying
• sriracha aioli, for serving

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and black pepper until combined.
2. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until evenly combined. Stir in the grated broccoli stems, the grated cheddar cheese, the grated onion, and the parsley. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
3. Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat in a high-sided frying pan or saucepan until the oil reaches 325°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil’s temperature by adding a bit of batter to the oil – when it sizzles gently on contact, the oil is ready. If it pops too much or burns quickly, the oil is too hot.
4. Carefully spoon rounded tablespoons of batter into the oil, adding only enough hushpuppies so that they don’t touch one another (i.e. don’t crowd them). Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, flipping over once if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon or Asian noodle strainer, and let drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Serve hot (leftovers are no good, so only fry as many as you can serve/eat in one sitting).

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I used to consider baked potatoes a healthy dinner, and one I really loved. Sadly, the past few years of anti-carb diet madness have tainted my love for the potato, and I find myself eating them less often – even though I try hard to ignore fad diets and focus simply on putting nutritious foods in my body (potatoes are nutritious!) and resisting non-nutritious foods, the waters of all the health information out there can be tricky to navigate. In truth, a plain baked potato is a pretty smart dinner choice – it’s fairly low in calories, high in fiber, and high in potassium and several vitamins. The problems arise with the toppings – butter, bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole… potatoes love to be eaten with lots of fat, and not always in moderate amounts.

To help return baked potatoes to their rightful pride of place in my dinner rotation without succumbing to the temptation to use them primarily as a vehicle for butter, I came up with this recipe for twice-baked potatoes stuffed with a broccoli and kale filling. After baking, scoop out most of the potato’s insides, blend with a little bit of milk, cooked broccoli and blanched kale, stuff it back in the potato, top with a small amount of cheddar, broil, and you have a virtuous baked potato dinner the merits of which it’ll be hard to argue with yourself over. You can find the complete recipe over at Greatist.

Since we’re talking health, I also wanted to give you a quick update on my March Fitness Challenge. If I were a teacher, I’d probably give myself a B- on this effort, maybe a B for following the spirit, if not the letter of the challenge. So far, out of 27 days, I’ve exercised 21 of them – a 78% success rate. I managed to do the first 10 days in a row without taking a day off, but on the 11th I had a terrible stomachache and just couldn’t do it. Then, things got a little spotty, although I’m hoping to finish out this last week strong. Still, I’ve definitely seen positive effects – I ran my fastest mile (7’29”!) in years at the very end of my run this Sunday, I’ve been getting back into jump rope and managed to do 30 minutes non-stop with 5 speed pieces built in, and doing the Nike Training Club workouts has definitely started to change the shape of my legs and core. Even when I’m tired, I’m usually glad that I sneak something in. Maybe in April I’ll switch things up – 5 days a week for at least 20 minutes? – but I’d like to keep up the pace of my training. I’ll keep you posted! Did any of you manage to stick with this this month?

The post Fitness Challenge Update // Greatist Collaboration: Twice-Baked Broccoli-and-Kale-Stuffed Potatoes appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I didn’t do very well at my resolution last week. The resolution was to do 10 minutes of strength training/stretching every day, and, well, when you find yourself still needing to do that after 4 glasses of wine, let’s just say I went heavy on the stretching part. And also I counted the starfish stretch as stretching.

But it’s a new week, so I’m trying again! And since these next 5 weeks are (hopefully) going to be full of cookies and cocktails, I’m making this week’s resolution about salad. Sometimes when I tell myself I have to eat a salad for lunch, I end up with a bowl full of hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, chickpeas, bacon bits, and avocado, with a sprinkling of arugula on top. Delicious, but not really what I was aiming for. So I’m making things a bit more specific, and saying I have to eat at least four green salads this week. Plus continue to stay away from the chocolate box, walk to work every morning, and do 10 minutes of actual strength training.

The first salad that I’m piling on my plate this week? This roasted broccoli and kale salad with a creamy Caesar dressing. I could eat roasted broccoli all day, so this was a good way for me to sneak some green in. I do think it could use a bit of crunch, so although the photos don’t show it, I’ll be eating it with homemade croutons. All in all this is not a salad you’d have to talk me into eating. With a little egg on top a plate of this could make a delicious and filling meal.

If you want more background on this whole resolution thing (which I’m planning on keeping up at least until the new year), check out posts one and two. And, as usual, if you’d like to join in, post your resolutions for this week in the comments! I find it very encouraging and inspiring to hear what habits you all would like to change.

Happy Monday!

Roasted Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

Adapted liberally from Huffington Post. Serves 3-4 as a side.

• florets from 3 small heads broccoli
• 2 TBS + 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 large bunch of Tuscan kale (cavolo nero)
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 large egg yolks
• juice from 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 TBS of juice)
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 c. grated or flaked parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler to create large parmesan flakes)
• 1 c. croutons, preferably homemade

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss broccoli florets with the 2 TBS olive oil and the salt until fully coated, then spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown on edges, stirring once to prevent burning.
2. Wash kale, shake dry, and slice leaves away from tough center ribs. Discard ribs and tear kale into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl with the roasted broccoli.
3. In a food processor, combine anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice and blend until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in remaining 1/3 c. olive oil. Dressing should be thick and creamy. Add the parsley and pulse a few times just to break up the herbs (but not to fully blend). Pour the dressing on the salad and toss to fully coat kale. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow kale to become more tender. Sprinkle each plate with cheese flakes and croutons just before serving. Dressed salad (without croutons) will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge.

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Trevor gets mad when I post this sort of recipe.  “Haven’t you already posted a variation of that, like, 20 times?” he asks.  And he would be right on that front.  But I never get tired of eating my favorite green things blended up with cheese in various combinations, and it’s my blog, so I’m sharing another non-traditional pesto dish.  Because it’s easy, healthy, and I love it. Also, I was really needing to get some green in me.

As some of you may know, I ran my second-ever half-marathon this past Sunday.  I was kind of dreading it.  In September, I ran my first half-marathon with Trevor in Chicago.  I had only trained for 6 weeks, and I showed up at the start line excited and pumped full of adrenaline, with no idea what to expect.  The first seven miles passed in a blur, with the two of us keeping a lively pace of 9:15.  Then Trevor pulled ahead and the last 6 miles felt like I was slowly dying.  You know that feeling of pure exhaustion, when you’re just barely holding off defeat, but not out of any rational part of your brain?  That feeling as you push yourself through the last 1/2 mile of a really competitive 5k, lungs burning, brain protesting with every stride?  That’s what the last 6 miles of that first race felt like.  I started crying tears of relief when I crossed the finish line.

This time around, with the memory of that last, painful finish burned into my mind, I was not looking forward to running.  Despite my increased training, and the fact that I now knew I was capable of finishing, I didn’t want to do it again.  I sometimes fantasized about tripping during my long runs, and I was mildly excited when I felt feverish the day before the race.  But I woke up Sunday morning feeling refreshed, focused, and energetic.  I called my mom (my running-mate this time around) and told her I wasn’t wimping out after all.

My goal in training between the two races was to find a way to feel strong for the last few miles.  I put myself into situations where I felt shitty and still had to run 2-3 miles before calling it quits, and I upped my distance runs to 11+ miles.  And I’m happy to say… it worked!  It was a beautiful fall afternoon in Newburyport, the air was crisp and the views of rolling farmland, frolicking horses, and sparkling lakes were peaceful.  The course had just enough small hills to keep me awake, and although I kept prepping myself for feeling bad and allowing myself to take a break at mile 8, mile 9, mile 10, I entered mile 12 feeling about as good as I had at mile 5!  I finished in 2:05, 2 minutes slower than in Chicago (and 3 minutes slower than my mom – you go momma! I hope I’m as fast and awesome as you are when I’m 50), but feeling infinitely better and stronger than I had at the finish in Chicago.  So maybe I won’t be giving up on half marathons like I thought…

Still, running that kind of race takes it’s toll on you.  Sunday night I popped a few ibuprofen to appease my complaining muscles and fell asleep at 9.  Monday, I was still totally exhausted, and I came home craving something green and filling and easy – which is where this recipe came into play.  With only a few minutes of prep, this meal managed to satisfy all my cravings at once – rich avocado, starchy quinoa, salty cheese, and nutritious broccoli.  I think I must have really needed all those nutrients!  If you’re inspired, head on over to Greatist for the full recipe.

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When you picture yourself happy, what do you see?

And I don’t mean this in a melodramatic, how-do-you-really-want-to-live-your-life way.  And I don’t mean to imply that I am unhappy and thinking about the “if onlys” all the time.  What I mean is, when you’re having a crappy day at work, or you miss the bus and get stuck walking home and it’s sleeting, or you’re feeling uninspired and bored, what is the image that pops into your mind?  The very first one, before you actively construct a daydream?

When I picture myself happy, I am usually alone.  Is that weird?  Alone, but not lonely.  Alone, but knowing that the people I love the most are very close.  So close that I can go see them whenever I want, or even call out to them and have them arrive.  But still, that first image that pops into my mind – it’s just me.  And I was wondering – are there people who picture themselves as truly happy when they’re at the center of a circle of friends?  Or dancing with all eyes on them at a wild party?

Someone once told me that the difference between an introvert and an extrovert was this: “Both an introvert and an extravert can have fun at a party, but the introvert needs to recover from the party before the next one and the extravert sees the party itself as the recovery and fuel for the next event.”  When I heard this, it made so much sense to me.  I like being with my friends, I like going to parties, I like meeting new people, and I don’t consider myself socially awkward… but I frequently need down-time.  More than most of my friends seem too.  The term “introvert” has so many negative connotations to it in our culture, but I’m decidedly on that end of the spectrum.  I actually found this Wikipedia article about it pretty interesting at a basic level.  And it brings up so many more questions – what else does that aspect of personality correlate to?  Does it correlate to religiousness because introverts are more reflective?  Does it correlate to athleticism because extraverts are more likely to be active or out with others for more of the day?  Do introverts get along better with other introverts, or better with those who are more outgoing?  Obviously you could get too focused on this one aspect of human personality when there are so many facets, but it’s interesting to think about.  And good to realize that although the US tends to celebrate and encourage extraversion, there’s value across the spectrum – people just have physiological differences in their personalities.

Back to my happiness vision: I am by myself.  I am always outside.  Light is always important – it is usually early morning or late afternoon.  I am always somewhere rural, and somewhere quiet, and somewhere green.  I might randomly envision myself picking peas on a summer afternoon. Or holding a cup of tea and watching a quiet harbor.  Or simply sitting somewhere vast and beautiful and open.  The overwhelming feeling that I am experiencing is peacefulness.  It’s quite nice

Anyhow, I was just musing on that, and thought I’d share – along with a recipe that for whatever reason resonates with me when I think of being happy and by myself.  Maybe it’s the simplicity of it.  Or the fact that it’s really easy to make a single serving, with no forethought or planning involved.  Or that the fresh veggies remind me of being outside doing wholesome things.  Or maybe I just really like cream and parmesan cheese, and so that makes me happy.  No matter, whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, you’re cooking for a crowd or just for yourself on a random weeknight, this is sure to please.  And yes, it’s basically a variation on this recipe with kale, but I’m making it with broccoli these days, so I thought I’d re-share.  I hope everyone enjoys their weekends!  I’m headed to Blog Better Boston on Saturday, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of you there!

Creamy Lemon Fettucine with Peas and Broccoli

Serves 2-3.

• 1 TBS butter
• 1 large shallot, sliced into half circles
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• juice from 1 lemon (3 TBS)
• 1/3 c. grated pecorino romano
• 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 1/2 c. frozen peas
• fresh black pepper
• 1/2 lb. fettucine

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When it reaches a boil, add broccoli florets, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until stems are tender when pierced with a fork.  Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove broccoli and set aside.  Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.
2. In a large pan, melt butter, and sautee shallot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add peas, cooked broccoli, cream and lemon juice to pan and stir to incorporate.  Turn heat to low, and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.  If cream starts to bubble, turn down heat.  Just before pasta is ready add the romano cheese to the sauce and stir until melted, then grate black pepper over the sauce.  Remove from heat.  Plate pasta then spoon the sauce and vegetables on top.  Finish with additional grated pecorino romano.

The post Happiness, Alone-ness, and Lemon-Broccoli Pasta appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I bet you thought that now that I’m done with my cleanse, I’d go straight back to posting recipes for things that included a lot of cheese, cream, flour, and or/chocolate.  Well… that was the plan, it’s just that things don’t always go according to plan.  This post was supposed to be about a chocolate stout layer cake with boozy peanut butter frosting, which I made yesterday for Trevor to celebrate his newfound employment.  It was going to be delicious and towering and gorgeous.  And, well… it was delicious, but let’s just say I’ve added “learning to make attractive layer cakes” to my 2012 kitchen to-do list.  The recipe is decadent and definitely worth sharing, so I might have to try again soon, but if you see the below you’ll understand whyI’m holding off for now… not too pretty.

And so, we have my unexpectedly delicious and healthy dinner instead!  This soup was super fast to throw together, very flavorful, filling, and packed with good nutritious stuff.  It does have cheese and cream, so it’s not exactly cleanse-worthy, but it’s a good extension of my healthy eating plan.  I was originally following this recipe on Lucullian delights, but then thought of this amazing roasted broccoli recipe (which I like with toasted almonds in place of the pine nuts), and decided to add the flavor-profile of that dish to the soup.  I also added leeks, for depth, and served the soup with a few raw broccoli florets on top, which added a great textural contrast.  This one’s definitely going in the books for when I need a quick dose of good green stuff, or even for an easy and fairly elegant first course soup.  You probably have most of the ingredients on hand, so give it a try sometime!

Broccoli and Edamame Soup with Almonds and Parmesan

Inspired by this and this.  Serves 3-4.

• 2 or 3 medium heads broccoli
• 1 leek
• 3 scallions
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 c. frozen, shelled edamame
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 3 TBS heavy cream
• 1/3 c. grated parmesan
• 1/4 c. toasted almonds for garnish
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the stalks from the broccoli and the green parts and roots from the leeks and scallions, and rinse all vegetables, being sure to rinse inside the leek.  (How to clean leeks.)  Slice the leeks and onions into thin rounds, and roughly chop the broccoli into florets – reserve a few florets for garnishing the soup.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot, then add leek and scallion and sautee for 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add broccoli and edamame and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until broccoli is fragrant and beginning to soften, then add chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes.
2. Puree soup with an immersion or regular blender.  Stir in lemon juice, cream, and parmesan, and taste for seasoning.  Add freshly ground black pepper to taste, then garnish with toasted almonds, broccoli florets, and an extra sprinkle of parmesan.

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Udupi-Style Risotto with Dal

Adapted slightly from The Dance of Spices.  Serves 6.

• 1 c. Arborio rice
• 1/2 c. yellow split peas
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafetida
• 2 TBS chopped cilantro leaves and stems
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato, washed and cubed
• 1/2 a large eggplant or 1 small Japanese eggplant, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut in 1-inch pieces (about 3/4 c.)
• 2 TBS tamarind concentrate, dissolved in 1/2 c. water
• 1 recipe rasam powder, recipe below
• 2 TBS butter

1. Combine rice and split peas in a bowl and cover with cold water.  Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse twice.  In a large saucepan, combine rice, split peas, 3 1/2 c. water, and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until split peas are tender, about 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and let stand, covered.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add mustard seeds and asafetida, and cook for about 1 minute, then add cilantro, turmeric, onion, potato, eggplant, carrots, bell pepper, and broccoi, and cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes.  Add dissolved tamarind liquid.  If needed, add more water to almost cover veggies, then cover pan, and cook over medium heat until potato is tender, about 8-10 minutes.  When potato is tender, season with salt and add the huli anna powder as well as 1 c. water, stir to combine then pour over rice and split pea mixture.  Stir to combine, then cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, to allow the water to be absorbed.  Mix in 2 TBS of butter, and serve hot.

Rasam Powder

Recipe adapted from The Dance of Spices.

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 3 TBS coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 10 fresh kari leaves
• 1 small, hot dried chile (such as a Thai chile), stemmed and broken into rough pieces
• 1/4 tsp asafetida

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add coriander, cumin, peppercorns, fenugreek, kari leaves, and chile pieces.  Toast, stirring constantly, until the seeds are beginning to brown and the leaves are beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.  Add asafetida and cook for 1 additional minute.  Transfer mixture to a mortar and pestle (or electric spice/coffee grinder) and pound or grind to a powder.

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