June has proved itself to be a serious test of my tolerance for both drinking and socializing. It started with our 10-year high school reunion, progressed into a work offsite, and is culminating in a trip to Iceland with my girlfriends. After more beers than I’ve had since college, my body hates me and so does my wedding dress. It’s been good for my soul, though, full of enriching conversations and laughter and long nights enjoying the perfect June weather.

Reunion in particular was a whirlwind. Trevor and I both went to Andover, and our reunions are a weekend-long marathon. Friday night was a bit awkward – lots of “hey! So what do you do now?” conversations and liquid courage courtesy of Sam’s car bar. But by Saturday, everyone had slipped right back into their old friendships. We spent the day playing flip-cup and slosh-ball and hanging out in an old soccer field on the edge of campus. This morphed into dinner and dancing and 3-am lawn hangouts before we stumbled home. With very little recent practice for this sort of all day event, I’m amazed at the stamina we brought to the table – 28 and going strong.

On Sunday morning, after we groggily hugged our friends (and my amazing parents who let us take over the house all weekend) and slowly drove ourselves back home, we needed grease. Grease and HBO. There are only 3 or 4 restaurants within walking distance of us that are any good, but thankfully one of them is Tenoch. Tenoch is a small fast-food style restaurant that makes the most incredible tortas, griddled Mexican sandwiches. A torta usually consists of a big squishy bun called a telera, slow-cooked meat, a spicy sauce, refried beans, avocado, something bright and pickle-y like pico de gallo or pickled onions, and melted queso fresco. Basically it has all the elements of a taco but with a larger volume of filling and more carbs.

As per usual, I got a torta de carnitas, piled high with shredded pulled pork, and promptly demolished it. I then collapsed into a state of complete sloth and binge watched Silicon Valley. It was kind of glorious. While in this lethargic state, in a rare moment of perfect foresight, I decided this sandwich was something I needed to make at home.

The next weekend I made a giant pot of carnitas, baked homemade telera buns, and whipped up a quick guacamole and pico de gallo. The resulting tortas de carnitas were just as good as the Tenoch version. Plus, we had tons of leftovers. This proved to be an incredible boon as I went into drinking week, round two, at my offsite. The carnitas recipe I used comes from a great little book called Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales. It has tons of flavor and is quite easy. Give it a try whether or not you’re going all in on the tortas!

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Torta de Carnitas

The inspiration for this comes from our local torta shop, Tenoch (amazing sandwiches!) and the carnitas recipe is adapted from Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales, which is a great little book on Mexican street cooking.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 5
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the carnitas:

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
• 1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 3 lbs. boneless pork-shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3/4 cup coke

For the tortas:

• 5 telera rolls, store-bought or homemade
• 2 TBS room-temperature butter
• 3 lbs. prepared carnitas
• 1 15-oz. can of refried black beans
• 1 c. spicy pico de gallo
• 2 c. prepared guacamole

Instructions

For the carnitas:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the garlic cloves, onion, thyme, oregano, salt, and half a cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the pork and the bay leaves in a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, and pour the garlic and onion mixture on top of the pork. Add the coke and use tongs to toss the mixture a few times to make sure everything is well coated.
2. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook until the pork is so tender that it falls apart when you press it with a fork, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When it is very tender, remove the lid. Use tongs to stir the pork and make sure a few pieces are above the liquid line. Return to the oven for 15 minutes, browning the exposed pork. Repeat the process once more, bringing new pieces of pork above the liquid and browning those for 15 minutes.
3. Once you have browned the pork, use tongs to transfer the pieces of pork to a glass bowl or storage container. Let the remaining fat and juices left in the pan cool and solidify, then discard. Coarsely shred the pork meat with a fork. Refrigerate the pork overnight, allowing the flavors to intensify.

For the tortas:

1. Cut the telera rolls in half as you would a hamburger bun. Spread the cut side of each half lightly with butter. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and toast the telera halves in the pan, butter side down, until golden brown. Do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
2. Once the buns are toasted, add the shredded carnitas to the frying pan in a single layer (you will likely need to do this in batches). Cook the pork, stirring frequently, until it is browned and crispy all over. This should take 5-10 minutes, depending on how much pork you are doing at once.
3. Spread the bottom half of each toasted bun with a few spoonfuls of refried beans. Top this with a spoonful of guacamole, spread out evenly. Spoon some of the browned pork on top of the guacamole, then add pico de gallo to top off the sandwich. Put the top half of the bun on the torta and serve immediately.

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Yesterday, on the shortest day of the year, I was thinking about darkness, and about light. These past few weeks the dark has been so noticeable, dragging out the hours between when Trevor leaves for the restaurant and when it is reasonable to collapse into bed. I’m beginning to think that darkness, and not the cold and slush as I’ve always thought, is what makes this season so difficult, what pulls me close to apathy and lethargy and general lowness. The reason that, after that apocalyptic winter two years ago hit me so hard, I escape January as often as I can.

But darkness also makes room for us to celebrate light. Light is part of what makes Christmas feel magical. Standing in the cold, breath freezing in the air, watching the twinkling lights draped around the outside of homes. The stillness of a church full of candles, flames moving slowly, illuminating the faces of the people holding them. Sitting by the Christmas tree after the house is quiet, breathing in the sharp fragrance of pine, gazing at the reflection of the tiny lights on delicate glass ornaments. Light at Christmastime brings stillness and quiet and a certain sense of wonder. And it helps us get through the darkness, to remind us that, from today forward, the darkest day is behind us, that we are now spinning towards another summer.

Christmas is practically here, and I’m of two minds about it. Of course, I relish the chance to take a few days to relax with my family, and I love our traditions. On the other hand, I worry that a four day weekend of rushing between houses is not really the relaxation I need, and the need to “be ready for Christmas” (the presents! The baking! The decorations! We didn’t watch Elf yet!) feels like it’s coming from the wrong place, at times. I can say that I’m ready on at least one front and that’s the cookie front: we started baking early and we’ve been flush all month. I even ordered Dorie Greenspan’s new book, finding myself without a cookbook dedicated to cookies (hard to imagine, given the size of my cookbook collection).

The base of these Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches is a chocolate cookie from Dorie’s book called a Melody. The Melody cookies on their own are delicious – crisp, buttery, and chocolaty. But I couldn’t leave well enough alone, so I decided to fill them with a simple peppermint-mascarpone buttercream and dip them in chocolate. This treatment makes them seriously decadent – definitely don’t have more than one! But really delicious, and beautiful to boot.

Have the most wonderful Christmas if you’re celebrating, and a relaxing long weekend if you’re not. As one of my lovely Colombian coworkers told me today, “I wish you not just presents, but love and health for the new year.” I thought that was the nicest sentiment, and I wanted to pass it on to you.

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Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Makes 13-15 large sandwich cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup mascarpone
• 2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp peppermint oil
• 1 batch Melody Cookies, recipe below
• 9 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Beat butter and mascarpone together until smooth. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue beating until the consistency is light and smooth. Stir in the peppermint oil. Taste and add additional peppermint oil if desired.
2. Spread a large spoonful of frosting on the flat side of one of the Melody cookies, spreading it evenly out to the edges of the cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Place on a plate. Repeat until you have used all the cookies. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes before dipping in chocolate.
3. Place the chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle simmer. Place the bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the pot. As the chips melt, stir them with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides of the bowl. When the chips are just melted and smooth, remove them from the heat. Dip the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate one at a time, using a spatula to smooth the chocolate up the edges of the cookie as needed. Place the cookies on wax paper to dry. Place the chocolate back over the simmering water as needed for a few seconds to keep it melty. Once the chocolate is dry, serve the cookies or refrigerate them until ready to serve.

Melody Cookies

Recipe from Dorie’s Cookies. Makes about 30 large cookies.

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1. Whisk the flour, sifted cocoa, and baking soda together in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until smooth and light, which should take a few minutes. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the egg white. Beat until smooth again and the egg white is fully blended into the butter. Add half the cocoa-flour mixture and stir just until there are no dry spots left. Add the remaining half of the cocoa-flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together.
2. Split the dough in half and pat into two round disks. Working with one disk at a time, place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out into a large rectangle with a thickness of ~1/8 inch. Stack the two slabs of dough (with the parchment paper separating the layers) on a large baking sheet and chill until firm, at least two hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and place on a work surface. Use a round cookie or biscuit cutter with a scalloped edge to cut circles out of the chilled dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle turbinado sugar generously on top of the cookies.  Bake the cookies until firm to the touch, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Reroll and chill any dough scraps before cutting out additional cookies.

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Wheat ales are hands down my favorite beers, and I particularly love Belgian ones. I love the hints of sweetness and citrus, the light body and easy drinkability. I know you all see a lot of wine around here, but there are days when a beer is so much more refreshing and casual and somehow just better. And on those days, nine times out of ten I am reaching for a Belgian wheat ale, and I’m never disappointed with my choice. So partnering with Hoegaarden (pronounced “who-gar-den”!), a brewery that has been brewing wheat ales in Belgium for almost 600 years, was an excellent chance to spend time working with a beer made by true experts of my favorite brewing style.

Light, citrusy wheat ales are a great match for seafood dishes, and since I’ve been building my seafood recipe repertoire after a lifetime of avoiding eating it at all costs (you can read more about that particular piece of my history here and here if you’re curious…), coming up with a few new recipes to pair with Hoegaarden was a fun challenge. When I think of seafood and beer, my thoughts immediately skew to summertime – images of seafood shacks lining long sandy beaches, the scent of just-greasy-enough fish sandwiches and French fries wafting over the dunes, frosty brown bottles brought to your lips while you survey the ocean through sunglasses, everything sparkling and blown out in tones of blue and blonde. But it’s October, and October in New England is all coziness and sweaters and crunching through leaves. How could I take that easy breezy summer beach feeling and make it appropriate for fall?

The answer: take a bunch of summer seafood classics – fish sandwiches, fried seafood, and steamed mussels – and make the flavors just a little bit heartier, a little bit more warming. Start with a platter of just-fried popcorn shrimp, dipped in an addictive lemon-garlic aioli. When you’ve had your fill of the crunchy-creamy bite-sized shrimp, bring out a steaming bowl of mussels, simmered in a mixture of Hoegaarden and garlic-butter and crème fraiche and finished with a shower of fresh parsley. If you’re really feeling the Belgian vibe, serve the mussels with a basket of French fries (frozen ones are fine, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t) for a take on the classic dish Moules Frites. Alternatively, a fresh baguette for sopping up the creamy sauce will work. Last, bring out Salmon B.L.A.T.s, where each piece of salmon is glazed in an orange-mustard sauce before being sandwiched between a soft brioche bun, two crispy pieces of bacon, a thick slice of summer’s last heirloom tomato, and a few slices of creamy avocado. Enjoy everything outside on a beautiful fall afternoon, with a six pack or two of chilled Hoegaarden and some good company. Relax and savor the fact that it’s the weekend, that it’s still warm enough to be outside, that you’re surrounded by good friends and good food and good beer.

In the mood for a Hoegaarden or two but don’t feel like schlepping out to the store? If you’re in Drizly’s delivery area (most major US cities!), head to Drizly.com and you can have it delivered to your door in an hour. Even better, readers can use the code “WHO141” at checkout for a special offer when purchasing Hoegaarden. Once you’ve cracked your beer (and hopefully cooked up at least one of these recipes to go with it) snap a pic and share it with #itsWHOgaarden… I’d love to see what you’re cooking up! 

This post was sponsored by Drizly and Hoegaarden. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Paprika-Dusted Popcorn Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

• 1 lb. uncooked Key West shrimp (51-60 count), thawed according to package directions
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. panko
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 TBS finely minced fresh parsley
• Canola oil for frying

For the Lemon-Garlic Aioli:

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ c. canola oil
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a small bowl, whik the eggs until smooth. Put the flour in a second small bowl. In a third bowl, whisk together the panko, salt, smoked paprika, and minced parsley. Working a few at a time, dip the thawed shrimp first into the egg, then in the flour, then back in the egg. Let the shrimp drip for a moment or two to rid excess moisture, then dip in the panko mixture and set on a plate.
2. Once you have breaded all of the shrimp, heat a frying pan filled with about half an inch of canola oil over medium high heat. Working in batches of 5-6 at a time, place the shrimp in the frying pan – they should sizzle immediately upon contact with the oil if the oil is hot enough. Fry for 20-30 seconds on one side, flip, fry for another 20 seconds, and then use tongs to remove the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate. The shrimp should be just cooked through.
3. To make the aioli, place the minced garlic, the egg and egg yolk, the sea salt, and the canola oil in a wide-mouth mason jar. Place an immersion blender that just barely fits inside the mason jar straight up and down in the jar. With the immersion blender fit snugly into the jar, start blending the mixture, moving the blender very slowly straight up as the mixture emulsifies. After blending for about 60 seconds you should have a smooth, creamy aioli. Whisk the olive oil into the mixture a tablespoon at a time, blending completely before adding the next tablespoon. Whisk the lemon juice into the aioli. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the hot shrimp with the aioli on the side.

Hoegaarden-Steamed Mussels with Crème Fraiche

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

• 2 TBS salted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
• ¼ tsp red pepper falkes
• 2 lb. mussels, debearded and thorough rinsed (discard any mussels with broken or cracked shells)
• Fresh juice and zest from ½ of a navel orange
• One 12-oz bottle of Hoegaarden
• ¼ c. crème fraiche
• 2 TBS minced fresh parsley
• French fries or baguette, for serving

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and thyme to the melted butter and saute just until fragrant, about 60-90 seconds. Add the diced shallot and the red pepper flakes and saute, stirring frequently, until the shallot is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the cleaned mussels to the pan along with the orange juice, orange zest, and Hoegaarden. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pan. Steam the mussels for 5-8 minutes, or just until they have all opened. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
3. Continue simmering the cooking liquid for the mussels until it has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and parsley before pouring the sauce back over the mussels. Serve mussels with french fries or baguette.

Orange-Glazed Salmon B.L.A.T.s

Serves 4. Bacon cooking instructions from The Kitchn.

• 8 strips bacon
• ½ cup fresh orange juice from 2 navel oranges
• 1 TBS brown sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS mustard
• 2 lbs. fresh salmon filets, deboned and cut into 4 equally sized pieces
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 brioche buns, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 large, ripe heirloom tomato, sliced horizontally
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 4 large leaves of butter lettuce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To cook the bacon, line a large baking sheet with tinfoil. Place the bacon strips on the lined baking sheet in a single layer so that they aren’t touching each other. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and pour the hot fat out of the pan and into a can (to discard or reuse once cooled). Return the bacon to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, until crispy and browned. Set bacon aside.
2. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, and mustard to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the sauce is reduce by half and makes a runny glaze, about 7-9 minutes. Set glaze aside.
3. Preheat the oven to broil on high. Line a large baking sheet with tinfoil. Heat 1 TBS of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Season the salmon lightly with sea salt, then add 1 piece of salmon to the pan skin-side down. Salmon skin should crackle immediately when you place it in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crispy, and then use a spatula to remove the salmon and place on the foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filets. Note that if the pan is not hot enough before adding the fish the salmon skin will stick to the pan.
4. Spoon the glaze evenly over the tops of the crisped salmon filets. Broil until the salmon is just cooked through. This will vary with the thickness of the salmon, but should take 8-10 minutes for a piece of salmon that is one inch thick. Remove salmon and set aside.
5. To assemble the sandwiches, place one large piece of lettuce and one piece of salmon on the bottom half of each of the four brioche buns. Top each piece of salmon with two strips of bacon, one or two large slices of tomato, and slices from half or an avocado. Place the second half of the bun on top of the sandwich and serve immediately.

The post Hoegaarden Seafood Dinner: Popcorn Shrimp, Ale-Steamed Mussels, and Salmon B.L.A.T.s appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

A few weeks ago I told you about the pork belly we made for our collaboration with La Crema Wines this summer, which is taking us through all the delicious porky things that pair well with La Crema’s Pinot Noir. We used the first half of the pork belly in a super-indulgent appetizer of Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly slices, which was delicious, but now we want to share the real reason we made pork belly – to make bánh mì sandwiches.

A classic bánh mì has five important elements—a single-serving Vietnamese baguette, a pork-based filling, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh vegetables and herbs (most typically thinly-sliced cucumbers and cilantro),  and a spicy/fatty combination of condiments, such as chili sauce and mayo. The pork can take a variety of forms, but my favorite versions include chunks of sweet-and-sour caramelized pork belly, so that’s what we went for.

Lately, I can’t seem to get enough pickles. Pickles and mustard. Before you ask – no, I’m not pregnant. I just seem to have developed a taste for all things sharp and salty, all the better if they’re a little bit spicy, too. Capers are another one, although I mostly blame the Latin American tendency to put them on everything for that. And these bánh mì pickles, well – they’re just about as craveable as anything. Since we made these sandwiches a few weeks ago I’ve ordered bánh mì for lunch from a few different places, but nothing has hit the spot quite like the homemade version did, and I’m crediting the pickles. I guess that just means we’ll have to make this recipe again sooner rather than later – this time, with bigger batches of everything for more leftovers!

For full instructions and the recipe for Pork Belly Bánh Mì Sandwiches, head over to the La Crema Blog!

More Pork and Pinot posts…

• Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Sage Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
• Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post La Crema Pork and Pinot #3: Pork Belly Banh Mi Sandwiches appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Are you guys all getting back into the swing of things? Going back to work this week has been surprisingly painless for me, even with a gross head cold and the formidable temperatures we’ve been having in Boston (I’m just glad I don’t live in the Midwest). I was a little bit worried that since I worked a few days over the holidays, I wouldn’t feel re-energized headed into this month, but for the most part I really do. It’s refreshing, and I’m wishing all of you the same clear headspace.

Whether you’re back at work feeling invigorated or are still recovering from the holiday whirlwind, I’m guessing you might be getting to that point in January where you start craving things that aren’t salad or green smoothies. Things like cheese. Specifically, cheese stuffed between two slices of hearty pumpernickel bread along with thin slices of spicy chorizo and sauteed shredded brussels sprouts, then grilled to perfection. Just a guess. Of course, I’m not saying that you should totally give up on your resolutions just yet – really, stick with them! – but just remember that it’s OK to have something a little bit indulgent here or there. Especially when it’s less than 0° outside.

It might not look like much, but I assure you, it’s as tasty as it gets.

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Brussels Sprout and Chorizo Grilled Cheese

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe. Serves 2.

• 15 large brussels sprouts
• 2 TBS butter, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• sea salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/3 lb. fresh chorizo (soft/uncured style)
• 4 slices bread, preferably rye or pumpernickel
• 1 TBS mustard
• 1 TBS mayonnaise or creme fraiche
• 2 oz. manchego cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
• 2 oz. mahon cheese, shredded or thinly sliced

1. Trim the brussels sprouts by slicing off the root end and pulling off the outside leaves. Thinly slice the brussels sprouts.
2. Heat 1 TBS of the butter in a large saute pan over medium  heat. Add the sliced garlic and the sliced brussels sprouts, then season with the sea salt, pepper, and sweet paprika. Saute, stirring frequently, until the brussels sprouts are soft and begining to caramelize on the outside, about 6-8 minutes. Scrape the brussels sprouts into a bowl and set aside.
3. Return the pan to the heat. Crumble the chorizo into the frying pan and flatten the pieces with the back of a spoon. Cook the sausage until thoroughly cooked through, flipping once or twice.
4. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the inside of two pieces with the mustard, and the inside of the other two pieces with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle or layer the cheeses on top of the side of the bread with the mayonnaise, then top with the cooked chorizo, followed by several spoonfuls of the brussels sprouts. Top with the mustard-coated bread. Melt half of the remaining 1 TBS of butter in the saute pan, and spread the other half on the top of the sandwich. Place the sandwiches, cheese side on the bottom, into the melted butter. Cook the sandwiches until cheese is melty and bread is golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

The post Brussels Sprout and Chorizo Grilled Cheese appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

This post is sponsored by CoinTent, a micropayment system that allows bloggers to monetize premium content.

There’s something a little different about today’s post: CoinTent, a new service with the goal of providing bloggers and other internet content creators a way of directly monetizing their content through small pieces of premium content sold at a price between $0.05 and $1, has asked if I would test out their plugin. So, you’ll notice that in today’s post, one recipe is visible but the other two are hidden behind a paygate. As I’m sure many of you know, bloggers put a lot of time and effort into their little pieces of the internet, first and foremost because it’s something we truly love to do. But sometimes, when you’ve worked a 50 hour week at your regular job and you’re facing a Saturday with three recipes to cook and shoot, you wonder if it’s worth it. Being able to earn a little side income helps us rationalize the amount of effort we put in, and also helps pay the grocery/prop/photo equipment bills. Some bloggers have figured out how to make what they love a full time job (see these incredibly helpful income posts from Pinch of Yum, if you haven’t already), but for most of us, we’re still trying to work through that part of the blogging equation. If successful, a direct monetization tool like CoinTent could be a really interesting way to create income – as well as feel validated by your primary consumers, your readers, and not just third party advertisers and brands.

I’d like to ask you guys a big favor (and no, it’s not to click through the paygate, although if you choose to do that, thank you so much for your support!). What I would really love is to hear everyone’s thoughts on the potential of CoinTent. As a reader, would you be willing to pay directly for content? Because of the content itself? Because you’d like to support the bloggers you like the most? If not, why not? And since I know many of you are bloggers, too, what do you see as the advantages of using a system like CoinTent for monetization? The drawbacks? I’d love to discuss all of this with you, so please, if you have any thoughts, leave them in the comments.

And now, if you’re not here for a diatribe on blogging and income, here’s the regular part – the food! I put together this menu with the idea of an easy summer lunch to make for family or friends on vacation. Nothing is difficult or requires much time in the kitchen, and everything makes the most of summer produce and flavors. As the main event, we have a turkey pesto club with goat cheese-pesto spread, crispy  bacon, super ripe tomatoes, and mashed avocado, a combination that’s good on homemade slider buns, biscuits, or any other good bread you have. In my opinion, nothing beats a really good sandwich for a perfect lunch. To wash them down, I made a big batch of fresh peach Arnold Palmers – half iced tea, half lemonade, with a generous dose of sweetened fresh peach puree, this is the most refreshing summer beverage I’ve tried this year. And as for dessert, I’ve taken the ooey gooey goodness of s’mores and turned them into individual-sized tartlets, with chocolate graham cracker crusts, a warm chocolate ganache filling, and a marshmallow meringue on top. So good. Seriously.

Turkey Pesto Club

Serves 4.

• 8 slices bacon
• 2 TBS pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped into large pieces
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 3/4 c. packed fresh  basil
• 4 buns, biscuits, or 8 slices of bread
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 lb. sliced turkey
• 1 large heirloom tomato, thickly sliced

1. Fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add the goat cheese and pulse until smooth, then add the basil and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3.  Slice the buns in half and toast until golden brown, in a toaster or in a dry skillet. Spread the bottom of each half with 1-2 TBS of the goat cheese and pesto spread. Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash roughly with a fork, then spread on the other half of the buns. Place 2 slices of bacon on top of the goat cheese spread, then top with turkey and a slice or two of avocado. Top with the avocado covered buns and serve immediately.

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Fresh Peach Arnold Palmer

Serves 8-10.

• 3/4 c. fresh lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
• 3/4 c. + 1 c. sugar
• 4 black tea bags
• 2 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced

1. In a large pitcher, stir together the lemon juice and 3/4 c. of the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add 4 cups of cold water and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the tea bags in a heatproof container, preferably with measurements marked on the size (quart-sized mason jars work great). Pour 4 cups of the boiling water over the tea bags. Let steep for 5-10 minutes, then remove the tea bags, cover the tea, and place in the fridge to chill.
3. In a small saucepan, place the sliced peaches, the remaining 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, and simmer until peaches are very soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, then puree with an immersion blender. Add the peach puree to the pitcher of lemonade, and place in the fridge.
4. When ready to serve, mix the peach lemonade and the iced tea together in one pitcher. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

S’Mores Tartlets

Makes 6 small tartlets

• 8 whole graham crackers
• 1 TBS cocoa powder
• 4 TBS melted butter
• 3 egg whites, divided into batches of 1 and 2
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• pinch cream of tartar
• 3 TBS sugar
• 3/4 c. marshmallow fluff

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until finely ground. Pour into a small bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder, then stir in the melted butter. Lightly beat one of the egg whites, then add to the graham cracker crumbs and stir until crumbs are all well moistened. Divide the crumbs between six 3-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms, and press crumbs firmly into bottom and along sides with your fingers. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combined the chocolate chips and the heavy cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until all of the chocolate chips have just melted, then remove from the heat immediately and divide the chocolate mixture between the six tartlet shells, filling each about 3/4 of the way up. Chill the tartlets until firm, at least 30 minutes.
3. Just before serving, preheat the oven to broil. In a large bowl, use an electric beater to beat the remaining 2 egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the top, then beat until soft peaks form. At this point, continue beating while slowly sprinkling the 3 TBS of sugar over the top. Beat until stiff peaks form, then add the marshmallow fluff and beat until fully combined and stiff. Spread a dollop of the fluff meringue on top of each tartlet, then broil on high until golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers, reheating quickly before serving.

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The Book: When I first heard about Melt, I was pretty skeptical about the concept of a book written entirely about macaroni and cheese. I love a cheesy bowl of pasta as much, if not more, than the next girl, but I had a hard time thinking of more than 5 interesting versions of it. Then, I met Garrett, one of the authors, during an afternoon of wine tasting at IFBC, and since he was toting around a copy of the book, I took a peek, and was genuinely impressed. Not only are all 78 recipes sufficiently interesting, the book is well thought out, well written, and packed with detailed information about dozens of different cheeses. The cheeses covered here go way beyond swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella – be prepared to be introduced to cheeses like Red Hawk, a mellow triple-creme; Idiazabal, a smoked Spanish sheep’s milk cheese; and Meadowkaas, a smooth, young Dutch cheese. For that matter, the concept of mac’n’cheese also goes way beyond what you might expect, and any dish that has both pasta and cheese qualifies – from light, fruit-filled pasta salads, to classic stovetop macaroni dishes, to a baked pumpkin stuffed with noodles, sausage, and, of course, lots of cheese. As might be expected, most of the dishes are quite rich, and you probably won’t be able to resist cooking them, so consider yourself warned. I should note, I love a cookbook where the introductory chapter actually teaches me something, and this one passes – from the differences between cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, to how different cheese types are produced, I learned a lot (and we make cheese). And I kept learning as I flipped through the book, since every recipe includes a list of alternative cheeses, wine pairings, and food pairings for the featured cheese in that recipe. I’m so glad that I didn’t let my initial skepticism keep me from this book – it’s a good one.

The Food: In general, mac’n’cheese is a pretty likable food, but I’ve had a lot of sub-par homemade versions. The Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli is not one of them. In Trevor’s words, it’s not “punch-you-in-the-face cheesy,” but it’s incredibly rich and thick and flavorful. The sweet, slightly burnt flavor of the roasted garlic cuts the tang of the cheese and makes for a very satisfying, very indulgent lunch. Trevor sounded like he was getting the best massage of his life while eating it, if that helps you imagine how tasty it is. The only downside? This mac’n’cheese is not cheap. The 10 oz. of Petit Basque set me back $16, which is more like what I expect to spend on two nice steaks, but if you treat it like the indulgence it is, I think it’s totally worth it. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Humboldt Fog with Grilled Peaches and Orzo; Asparagus Salad with Ricotta Salata, Fava Beans, Mint, and Farfalle; Penne with Etorki Cream Sauce and Asparagus; Mexican-Style Macaroni and Cheese; Lincolnshire Poacher with Cotija, Chorizo, and Penne; Pastitsio with Kefalotyri and Lamb; Three Cheese Macaroni Casserole with Broccoli, Pancetta, and Sweet Pugliese Topping

The Craft Beer Cookbook

The Book: Jackie Dodd, the woman behind the genius blog, The Beeroness, knows how to cook with beer, arguably better than anyone else, ever. It may sound like an exaggeration to claim that, but every single recipe on her three year old blog has beer in it, and every single one looks amazing. If I were her, I would have run out of creative ideas after about two months, but her three most recent recipes – Chocolate Stout Candy Cane Cake, Salted Beer Caramel Sauce, and Beer-Brined Paprika Chicken – prove that creativity is not a problem for Jackie. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see that she was releasing The Craft Beer Cookbook, a cookbook full of her clever beer-infused recipes (and Trevor was excited that we were going to buy more beer). It’s a cute little book, unassuming and accessible, with dozens of recipes starring bold, rich flavors. Some of my favorite guilty pleasures are included – chipotle cream, cheese sauce, carbonara – all somehow imbued with beers ranging from pale ales to chocolate stouts. A lot of the recipes are for what might be considered “football food,” and they certainly tend toward the indulgent, but the occasional lighter choice, like IPA Watermelon Ceviche or Strawberry Pale Ale Popsicles, mixes things up. Since I’m not much of a beer-drinker, I like that this book forces me to think about beer at a deeper level – what flavors are present, how heavy is it, how carbonated is it? – in order to successfully incorporate it into food. And I think it would be a perfect gift for anyone you know who loves beer and is mildly interested in cooking, as the recipes are pretty straightforward and highly craveable.

The Food: Although it was hard to choose whether we wanted to indulge in Chorizo Stout Sloppy Joes or Croque Madames with Beer Cheese Sauce to review this book, we went with the Croque Madames. Croque Madames are a simple French sandwich of ham, swiss, and a fried egg, often served with bechamel sauce. Jackie turns the bechamel sauce into a rich beer and cheddar sauce that gets drizzled over the sandwiches, and takes the whole thing over the top. I loved how easy these were to make – you just whiz the cheddar, milk, flour, and cornstarch in a blender with your choice of blonde ale, then heat with melted butter until thickened and spoon over your grilled sandwich. The beer gave the cheese sauce a noticeable and pleasant tang, making it far too easy to eat a few extra “test” spoonfuls, and I would absolutely make it again… I have the feeling it might be the recipe we turn to the next time we had a few too many beers the night before. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Pale Ale Corn Waffles with Scrambled Eggs and Smoky Beer Cheese Sauce; Drunken Carbonara Couscous; Porter Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cilantro Cream; Mushroom Stout Sliders with Chipotle Cream; Beer-Braised Pulled-Pork Tacos with Beer-Corn Tortillas; Stout and Stilton Beef Empanadas; Stout and Cheddar Pot Pie; Chocolate Porter Fudge Cookies; Chocolate Stout Mousse with Stout-Soaked Cherries

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of these cookbooks from Little Brown and Company and Adams Media free of charge, but was not otherwise compensated for writing this review.

Recipes

Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli

Recipe from Melt. Serves 4. 

Note: Alternate cheeses for the Petit Basque include Barinaga Ranch, Abbaye de Bel’loc, or another caramelly Basque-style cheese.

• 2 whole heads of garlic
• 4 TBS olive oil, divided
• 8 oz. gemelli or rotini pasta
• 1/2 c. diced shallots (2 bulbs, peeled and roots removed)
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS flour
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 10 oz. Petit Basque, shredded
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel off most of the outer paper of the garlic heads, but leave the heads in one whole piece. Trim off the top 1/4 inch of the garlic with a sharp knife, slicing to reveal the tops of the cloves. Place the heads in a small baking dish, drizzle with 2 TBS of the olive oil, and cover with tinfoil. Roast for 1 hour, or until garlic is soft. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, remove from the oven and take the cloves out of the skins (they should separate easily, or you can squeeze them out). Mash the garlic cloves up and set aside in a bowl.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the diced shallots and cook until golden-brown, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the saucepan and add to the bowl with the garlic. Add the milk to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam and bubble, then pour into a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until nutty-smelling and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, stirring the whole time. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking to incorporate as you do. Cook the milk, still whisking, until is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic and the shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the shredded cheese until completely melted. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve immediately, sprinkling each bowl with chives.

Croque Madame with Beer Cheese Sauce

Recipe from The Craft Beer Cookbook. Serves 6.

• 1 c. blonde ale
• 2 c. shredded white cheddar
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 TBS flour
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 2 TBS butter
• 6 focaccia or ciabatta buns
• 1 pound cooked ham, sliced
• 7 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
• 6 large eggs

1. Add the beer, cheddar, milk, flour and cornstarch to a blender, and process until smooth. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the blended cheese mixture to the pot. Cook, whisking continuously, until the cheese sauce has thickened to a spoonable consistency, which should take about 6-8 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Split the buns in half and evenly divide the ham and Swiss cheese between the sandwiches. Close the sandwiches and cook on a panini press or bake in a 375°F oven until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes in the oven). In the meantime, fry the eggs over medium heat in a frying pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, removing the eggs from the heat when the whites have set but the yolks are still runny.
3. Slice the sandwiches in half on the bias, then place on a plate and serve topped with generous spoonfuls of the beer cheese sauce and a fried egg. Serve immediately.

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I’ve recently had a change of heart about sandwiches. See, I used to firmly believe that there was no way a vegan sandwich could ever taste good. Sandwiches are for cheese, and deli meat, and mayo, and bacon. Not for vegan things. Then I tried a bite of Trevor’s “Vegan Pressed” sandwich from our local bakery, The Biscuit, and now I’m obsessed. It’s got roasted sweet potatoes, portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, and some kind of amazing tahini spread, that almost tastes better than cheese when it’s all warmed up, if you can believe that. It may even have topped Finale’s California Turkey (bacon, turkey, avocado, chipotle mayo), and Diesel’s Pilgrim (thick slices of turkey, hot stuffing, cranberry sauce, and cream cheese) on my list of all-time favorite sandwiches. OK, not the Pilgrim. But still! It’s really good.

All of this is just to prime you for the fact that I’m sharing a non-traditional sandwich here, and I want you to keep an open mind about it. Ever since I saw this on Ranjani’s blog, over a year ago, I’ve been intrigued. No, I probably wouldn’t order the “carrot panini” at a deli either, but hear me out. The carrots are thinly sliced, then marinated in a sweet, Moroccan-spiced dressing. You quickly blend up a fresh olive tapenade, layer it on bread with a few thin slices of feta cheese, stuff the middle with the carrot strips, and pan-grill it until it’s hot and melty. It’s a satisfying mix of sweet, salty, and carby, like any good sandwich, but with no bacon in sight. Take a chance on it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Moroccan Carrot Panini with Olive Tapenade

Adapted from Gourmet via 4 Seasons of Food. Serves 4.

• 6 medium carrots
• 2 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS lemon juice, divided
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 c. + 2 TBS olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan
• 3/4 c. pitted kalamata olives
• 2 TBS capers, drained
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices bread
• 4 oz. of feta cheese, thinly sliced

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the carrots and discard the peel. Use the peeler to create thin, wide slices of the carrots. Drop the carrot slices in the boiling water and blanch for one minute – they should be crisp-tender. Drain immediately.
2. Whisk together the sugar, 1 TBS of the lemon juice, the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, chile powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 c. of the olive oil and whisk until smooth. Add the blanched carrots and toss to coat in the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
3. To make the tapenade, add the olives, capers, and anchovy to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil and pulse a few more times.
4. Assemble the sandwiches: Place 1 oz. of feta cheese on each of four slices of bread. Spread a tablespoon of the tapenade on the remaining 4 slices of bread. Divide the carrots in to four portions and layer on top of the cheese. Top with the tapenade-covered bread. Heat a thin layer of olive oil on a griddle or in a frying pan. Place the sandwiches in the pan, and cook until golden brown on each side and cheese is melty, flipping after about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

The post Ingredient of the Week: Carrots // Moroccan Carrot Panini with Olive Tapenade appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I’m back home! Only for 10 days, but I’m going to pretend it’s longer, so that I don’t start freaking out about leaving again prematurely. I got back yesterday around noon, and even though I’d been awake for almost 18 hours, I was determined to enjoy the beautiful summer Saturday, so Trevor and I went on a park picnic date, and ate crackers and cheese and did some serious people-watching. The group yoga people hanging out there were especially entertaining – think three people balancing one on top of the other in weird, acrobatic poses, but with yoga hands (and decidedly yoga-centric mentalities, from what we could overhear). Out of curiosity, we tried it out for ourselves this morning on the lawn – we weren’t very successful, but it was highly amusing.

When we came back from the park, I was pretty much a zombie, but I managed to stay awake long enough to eat a big plate of the dry-rub pork ribs Trevor made for dinner. (How could I not have? The whole house smelled amazing.) The meat was pulling off the bone so easily that I immediately knew I would have to make sandwiches with the leftovers. So today, after our weekly trip to the garden, I chopped up some cabbage to make coleslaw and sliced some of our homemade pickles while Trevor toasted hamburger buns and reheated the pork in the pan, just long enough to crisp up the edges. Sandwiches were assembled and promptly devoured. Since this was a two-for-one meal (with the ribs for dinner the night before) and all the components were easy, I knew I had to share it here – it makes a pretty killer lunch. Plus, I’m very into pickles right now, (which is good, since we have about 10 mammoth cucumbers in the fridge with the threat of more being ready next week), so anything I can put them on is an instant favorite. So here’s to summer weekends, boyfriends with culinary skills, and delicious sandwiches.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Serves 4.

• 2/3 recipe of oven-roasted dry-rub ribs, recipe below
• 1 c. purple coleslaw, recipe below
• 2 chopped spicy dill quick pickles
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted

1. Remove the rib meat from the bones with a fork and shred into bite-sized pieces. Reheat over medium-low heat in a frying pan, until warm and the edges are beginning to crisp. Remove from heat.
2. Divide the pork evenly between the four bottom hamburger buns. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of coleslaw and a few chopped pickles. Place the top bun on the sandwich and serve immediately.

Oven-Roasted Dry-Rub Ribs

Adapted from this Instructables Recipe. Serves 6, or 2 with enough for 4 leftover sandwiches.

• 1 full rack of country-style pork ribs
• 1 TBS + 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 jalapenos, sliced lengthwise into quarters and seeds removed

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Prep the ribs by patting them dry and removing the silverskin membrane from the ribs.
2. Mix all of the dry rub ingredients (chili powder through mustard) together in a small bowl until evenly mixed. Rub half of this mixture on each side of the ribs. Then place the rack bone-side down on a baking sheet.  Add the garlic cloves and the jalapenos to the baking sheet, and roast for one hour. After the first hour, remove the ribs and filp over, and drain the fat from the pan. Then roast them for two more hours, flipping every thirty minutes. After the full three hours of cooking time, remove the ribs from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Purple Coleslaw

Makes 3-4 cups coleslaw.

• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 small head of purple cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
• 1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed until smooth. Add the shredded cabbage, diced pepper, and diced onion, and toss to coat thoroughly with the dressing. Let sit, covered and in the fridge, for at least one hour before serving.

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“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another”

-Anatole France

That quote has been running through my head all week. I actually heard it at a change management workshop at my real job, but it resonated so strongly with the mental state I’ve been in for the past few weeks, that I’ve been repeating it to remind myself that everything I’m feeling is normal. Although more than half the work of moving into our new place – washing, sanding, painting, packing, unpacking – is done, I’m still feeling a little overwhelmed and, honestly, sad whenever I think about leaving my house. So I think it’s important to take a moment to reflect, to have my melancholy, but then start to focus on the positive, on all the changes that I really have longed for.

Things I’ll miss:

• My roommates. I have three great roommates, and it’s nice to have people to chat with at the end of the day. We mostly sit and talk in the kitchen, or crash on the couch at the same time to watch trashy TV. Having someone to watch trashy TV with is not to be taken for granted. I hope that I’ll still be friends with them, but friendships are never the same as when you share day to day concerns and experiences. I’ve been lucky to have such a happy living experience with them!
• My house. It felt like home the very first night I slept here, and it’s breaking my heart a little bit to leave it behind. It’s a beautifully maintained single-family home, full of light and interesting architectural details. It was such a great find – I think it would be a miracle to find something that was so great with so little work again.

• Morning runs on the bikepath. I’m less than a quarter mile from the start of the Minuteman Bikepath, a flat, 11-mile path that goes through some beautiful parts of Greater Boston. It’s super convenient for running, and now that I’ve finally been converted to morning running, I’ll miss how quiet and peaceful it is at that time of day.
• Davis Square restaurants. Dave’s Fresh Pasta. Five Horses Tavern. Boston Burger. The Painted Burro. Mr. Crepe. Of course, I can still go to these places – I’m only moving two miles away! – but they won’t be as readily accessible. And the Davis neighborhood in general is just a fun, lively place to be, with more great restaurants opening all the time.
• My backyard. While it’s not huge, it has a fence that makes it feel private, and a lovely shady patio with a table for eating out on nice days. I use it to garden, to work-out, and just to look out at from the kitchen as I wash dishes or eat my breakfast. Our new place also has a small yard, but it needs a lot of work before it will look like this one.

Things I’m looking forward to:

• Seeing Trevor every single day. Of course, this is the whole reason for moving. After 3 years of long-distance dating, and 2 years of living separately in the same city, I think we’re both excited about being even closer to one another. It may mean less independence, but it will mean more sharing, in a good way. I’m sure there will be challenges, but I’m hopeful that the whole experience will make our relationship stronger and even happier than it already is.
• Having my own fridge and freezer. If there’s one thing that’s not great about living with three roommates, it’s the amount of fridge space you get allocated. After spending a good hour cleaning in and around our new fridge, it is pristine, and awaiting much delicious produce. Hopefully from our garden.
• New restaurants. This one is pretty much an even trade – well-loved Davis restaurants will be replaced by new well-loved restaurants. The Biscuit, for coffee and savory croissants. Thai Hut, for late night takeout. Dali, for lively dinners of delicious tapas and lots of wine. And maybe even the restaurant my new landlords are opening next year.
• Living less than half a mile from a brand new Wholefoods. I’m so looking forward to being able to run out and get pretty much any ingredient I want (especially since I’m also a stone’s throw from Savenor’s).
• Trevor making me dinner. Like he was doing as I wrote this. Seriously, the boy can cook.

And now goodbye to you guys too, but only for a few days – I’ll be on a business trip to Russia for the rest of the week! Don’t worry, I’m leaving you with a treat, the last thing I’ll make in my old kitchen. These little tartines are from Le Pain Quotidien, which I reviewed the other day, and they are so good! The spicy corn cream is super tasty – I love how rich it is and the heat is just strong enough to make your lips tingle. Together with the fresh tomato salsa and the goat cheese, these tartines make an excellent celebration of summer flavors. Just be warned – these should be eaten with a knife and fork. You’ll make a total mess if you try to pick them up whole.

And when I get back, I’ll make you a little something from my new kitchen.

Corn, Jalapeno, and Goat Cheese Tartine

Adapted slightly from Le Pain Quotidien. Serves 2.

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, divided
• 2 TBS + 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro leaves, divided
• juice from 2 limes, zest from 1/2 a lime
• 1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
• 4 TBS creme fraiche
• 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)
• 1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed
• 2 big slices sourdough bread
• 2 oz. soft goat cheese

1. Make the tomato salsa: combine the diced tomato, chopped onion, 1 of the garlic cloves, finely minced, 2 TBS of the cilantro, and the lime juice in a bowl. Stir together, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Add the crumbled bacon, creme fraiche, lime zest, and jalapeno to a small saucepan, along with 1 TBS of water. Crush the remaining clove of garlic and add to the pan. Stir, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the corn kernels and simmer for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.
3. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Divide the corn cream between the two slices – the liquid will soak through the bread. Dot the top of each slice with goat cheese. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes, or until the goat cheese is melty and beginning to brown. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp of cilantro leaves. Serve immediately – with a knife and fork!

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Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence, the folks behind The Chubby Vegetarian, do some seriously creative things with vegetables. Think Baked Potato Skins with Smoked Coconut Bacon, BBQ Eggplant, Tomato Pie and Pimento Cheese, and  Italian-Style Eggplant Sausages to get your mind moving in the right direction. The Chubby Vegetarian was one of the first blogs I stumbled upon back in the day and it is continually a source of inspiration, so when I saw that they were publishing a book, The Southern Vegetarian, I knew that I’d have to check it out.

The food served up in The Southern Vegetarian is loaded with classic, All-American appeal. Not every recipe is particularly Southern – sloppy Joes, meatballs, and bran muffins all fall pretty solidly into the general American food category in my mind – but the ones that are bring me straight back to the rich, saucy, flavorful dishes I enjoyed while living in North Carolina. Except, all the meat has disappeared – and I don’t think you’ll miss it. Need proof? How does this menu sound to you: Bourbon with Basil and Lemonade Granita, Okra Fritters with Creole Mushroom Sauce, Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Eggplant, and Grilled Peach Ice Cream? Southern through and through, packed with spice and flavor, and fruits and vegetables are doing all the hard work. Plus, as you flip through the book thinking about whipping up a menu like this, you’ll find a photograph with every single recipe – always a good thing!

Unlike many of the vegetarian cookbooks I find myself gravitating toward, The Southern Vegetarian is not about keeping vegetables raw or barely processed and making them the only thing on the plate – i.e., you’re not going to find a lot of veggie and whole grain salads or gluten-free vegan raw breakfast bowls. Much more frequently, you’ll find that vegetables have simply infiltrated a dish where you would be expecting meat, and all the other rich flavors are still in play. In some cases, this means using tofu, seitan, and other meat substitutes as a replacement for the main component of a classic dish, like using seitan in a Vegetarian “Chicken” Pot Pie. Since I’m not a vegetarian, but simply enjoy cooking with vegetables, this is not my favorite type of recipe – if I want chicken pot pie, I’m just going to have chicken pot pie. However, other times, the way they accomplish meat replacement is genius, like using sausage spices to give eggplant that same smoky flavor, or using liquid smoke, hot sauce, and Worcestershire to make a convincing vegetarian gumbo.

Although they aren’t particularly Southern, I made these crispy eggplant sandwiches as a test recipe and they were seriously delicious, in a very satisfying, comfort food sort of way. I also made some (much more Southern) savory cheddar-pecan cookies with spicy pepper jelly, which were great as well, but for now let’s focus on the sandwiches. I chose to go the super homemade route with these – homemade tomato sauce, homemade breadcrumbs, even homemade ricotta (out of necessity!) – and they came out amazing, but I have the feeling they’d be just as good using mostly store-bought ingredients. And if that were the route you chose, you’d have an easy, satisfying, flavorful and balanced dinner to serve in under forty minutes. The eggplant really does get quite crispy, and the roasted garlic and ricotta spread makes the meal feel richer than it really is. As a bonus, making this recipe taught me a new, quick way to roast garlic – dry roast individual cloves in a hot skillet while still in their papery skins. Worked like a charm!

A quick note about the ricotta – when I opened the fancy high-end ricotta I had in the fridge while making this recipe, I gave it a whiff and quickly tossed it in the trash. Going back to the store wasn’t an option, but I happened to have all the ingredients you need to make ricotta (milk, heavy cream, vinegar, and salt) on hand, so I decided to go for it. It came out better than the cheap stuff I get at the store but not as good as the expensive stuff I get out the store – it was sweet and mild but a teeny bit rubberry. Although making ricotta from heavy cream and milk feels a little bit wasteful (ricotta is usually a byproduct of making a different cheese – it is made from the leftover acidified whey), it was definitely a great quick fix.

The bottom line: The Southern Vegetarian turns vegetables into serious omfort food. The recipes included here are rich, saucy, and flavorful, and will be definite crowd pleasers, especially in true vegetarian households. Non-vegetarians looking to increase their vegetable intake will also find recipes of interest, but they may not appreciate the classic meat recipe “re-dos” as much as vegetarians will.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of The Southern Vegetarian from Thomas Nelson. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

Crispy Eggplant Sandwiches with Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread

Adapted slightly from The Southern Vegetarian. Serves 4-5.

• 3 c. torn pieces of fresh French bread
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning mix (or 1 tsp dried parsley + 1 tsp dried oregano + 1/2 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt)
• 1 medium globe eggplant
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• olive oil
• 4-5 ciabatta rolls
• 1 c. arugula
• 1 c. warm tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 c. roasted garlic and ricotta spread (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place French bread pieces and Italian seasoning in a food processor and pulse until the bread has broken down into fine crumbs. Pour onto a dinner plate and set aside.
2. Wash the eggplant and remove the stem ends. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper.
3. Set up two bowls next to the breadcrumb plate – one with the flour and one with the beaten eggs. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip in the eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a small amount of oil (about 1/8 of a teaspoon per slice).
4. Bake eggplant for 15 minutes, then flip each slice over and drizzle the opposite side with olive oil. Bake for another 15 minutes then remove from the oven. Coating should be golden brown and crispy.
5. To assemble the sandwiches, place a handful of arugula leaves on top of the bottom bun, then cover with 2-3 slices of eggplant. Drizzle a spoonful of the warm tomato sauce on top of the eggplant and sprinkle 2 TBS of parmesan cheese on top. Spread the garlic and ricotta mixture on the top bun, then close the sandwich and serve.

Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread

Recipe adapted slightly from The Southern Vegetarian. Makes about 1 cup.

• 5 cloves of garlic, skin left on
• 1 c. whole milk ricotta, homemade (see below) or store bought
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Place the garlic cloves with their skin on in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, flipping occasionally, until skins have started to blacken and garlic is fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Let them cool, then remove the skins – the inside of the clove should be soft and roasted.
2. In a small bowl, mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork, then mix with the ricotta and the parmesan. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Easy Homemade Ricotta

Adapted from Anne Burrell via The Food Network. Makes about 1 cup.

• 2 c. skim milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 TBS distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1. Mix the milk, heavy cream, vinegar, and salt together in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring infrequently just to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot. Once the milk has reached a simmer, simmer for 1-2 minutes – curds will form continuously as you simmer the milk.
2. Place a sieve or strainer lined with damp cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the curds and whey into the strainer, and let drain for 15 minutes. After it has drained and cooled to a point where it is comfortable to touch, gently squeeze out any remaining whey from the ricotta. Unmold from the cheesecloth and serve, or store in the fridge.

The post Book Club: The Southern Vegetarian // Crispy Eggplant Sandwiches with Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Florentine failure begets brilliant bollito baguette

Overall, Gourmandistan did not have very good luck with Florence. Our misfortune may have started with breaking Rule #1 of the Gourmandistani Guide for Going Places: “Food comes first.” (Rule #2: “Always pack a spare corkscrew.”) Seeking a side trip from our month-long stay a few years ago in the Colli Euganei outside Padua, Michelle booked a spur-of-the-moment overnight visit to Florence. For reasons that remain unclear to this day, she skipped her usual intensive research and ignored the conspicuous lack of Michelin-starred restaurants, thinking for once in our lives we’d just wing it. After all, how bad could the birthplace of the Renaissance be?

A lovely drive from the Veneto, through Tuscan hillsides thick with cedar trees and sienna rooftops, had us looking forward the city of the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and more. And throughout our stay, we did find ourselves in the midst of mounds of art and architecture. Unfortunately, most of it seemed covered in touts, tat and street-wide phalanxes of Chinese and American tourist groups battling for prime spots under the frenzied direction of flag-bearing guides. Our dreams of dashing through the Uffizi late in the afternoon? Trampled under a long, long line of people with reservations (!) who were still praying to get in before closing time. We settled for the simulated version of Michelangelo’s David stuck outside the museum, while we struggled to capture views that did not contain squinting/squatting photographers and/or garish souvenirs more tacky than the stuff found across the street from Elvis Presley’s Graceland.

The food choices Florence presented on our first day were so frustratingly bad we seriously considered eating sketchy Italian sushi, since we had failed to realize many Florentine restaurants take Sunday off. Our concierge recommended a place promising “authentic food to real Tuscans” in a residential area that was a fair walk from our hotel. We arrived to find its garage-type door bafflingly half open, the tables set but no one in sight. After hanging around for 30 minutes or so, we turned about and walked back to the city center, grabbing some so-so pizza and passable osso buco from a touristy trattoria for lunch. That night, thinking we’d misread the restaurant’s website, we decided to hike back to the “real Tuscan” place. Once again, the restaurant gate was half open, and there seemed to be someone lurking in the back. However, no dinner was served. As a cold rain fell, we retreated to our hotel room in defeat, dining on convenience store snacks and cheap wine while watching the “Miss Italia” pageant on TV.

We awoke the next morning irritable, hungry and increasingly convinced we were “Patient Zero” of anti-Stendhal syndrome. Grimly facing our final hours in Florence, we decided to bag the beautiful buildings and do what we like best—go to a market. Dodging more tourists and tat, we walked to the Mercato Centrale. There, we found Nerbone and its wonderful boiled beef (bollito) and tripe (lampredotto) sandwiches, and Florence redeemed itself. (Drinking red wine with breakfast didn’t hurt, either.)

Because our hotel had a ludicrously early checkout time and the staff seemed disinclined to store our bags and car beyond it, we had to eat quickly and hurry back.  Sadly, our favorite part of Florence was also one of our fastest.

On the way back to our Veneto home, cheered by the comfort of boiled beef and tripe, we stopped in Fiesole hoping for one last view of the city. We found ourselves in a freak hilltop hailstorm. Obviously, Tuscany was not very “us-cany”—but we did, at least, have those sandwiches. (The next year, though, we returned to our beloved France for our annual fall vacation.)

In honor of Katie’s vacation, we decided to recreate one of our favorite Florentine dishes.

Finding a non-industrial source of tripe in our current locale proved impossible. (Thanks for the advice, friends, but we’re not shopping at Walmart.) We did, though, find a recipe for bollito misto in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. While we didn’t have the called-for tongue, veal breast, cochino sausage or a chicken (neither, we should point out, did Nerbone), using a local veal brisket by itself still produced a rich beefy broth along with soft, sweetly-flavored meat. Hazan also came through with recipes for accompanying green and red sauces, which Michelle zested up with chili and garlic. We couldn’t find a suitable recipe for the Kaiser-like rolls, but a split baguette from a wonderful local bakery worked just as well, especially when drenched with extra broth. Bollito is the way Gourmandistan prefers to remember Florence—but we certainly hope Katie returns with even better experiences. (She’ll undoubtedly have better pictures.)

Have fun in Firenze, Katie!

PANINO CON BOLLITO

(adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

BOLLITO

• 1 veal (or beef) brisket
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 onion, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 c. canned crushed tomatoes
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper

Put all ingredients together in a Dutch oven or large pot.  Bring to a simmer. Skim, if needed.  Cook for several hours over low heat, until meat is very soft. Remove meat to a cutting board to cool.  Strain broth and set aside. Slice meat across grain. Chop slices into small pieces.

SALSA VERDE (Green Sauce):

• 1 c. parsley leaves
• 3 TB capers (rinsed, if using salted capers)
• 6 anchovy filets
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 t. grainy mustard
• 1 t. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process, stopping and using a spatula to push down sides as necessary.  Taste for seasoning.

SALSA ROSSA (Red Sauce):

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 TB olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 – 3/4 c. canned chopped or crushed tomatoes
• Salt & pepper

Skin peppers with a vegetable peeler. Then split them lengthwise and remove core and seeds. Cut pepper flesh into thin slices.

Cook onions in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add peppers and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half.

Add pepper flakes, tomato, salt and pepper. Continue cooking at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

SANDWICH ASSEMBLY:

Toast a baguette or (more authentically) a Kaiser roll, sliced in half horizontally.  Mound some meat on top of bottom half of bread. Pour some of the reserved broth over. Top, first with red sauce, then with green sauce.

The post Guest Post from Gourmandistan: Florentine failure begets brilliant bollito baguette appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

For my birthday this year I threw a panini party at my house, complete with made-to-order paninis, blackberry margaritas, sparkling sangria, a tiramisu cake, and all my favorite Bostonians. Hosting is always stressful, but I managed to get everything cooked (with massive amounts of help from Trevor), relax, and really have a great time.

I’ll let the pictures tell this story (although I’ll be honest, some of the panini shots came from the next day – it’s hard to simultaneously cook paninis and have fun and think about pictures!), but know that if you’re trying to think of a cheap, easy, and diet-accommodating way to feed a lot of guests, paninis and sangria are a great way to go.

This is my stud-muffin boyfriend making me this Tiramisu Cake from Smitten Kitchen, and me very happily eating a slice that is way too big for me.

This is the most delicious sangria ever – made with strawberries, plums, grapefruit juice, and sparkling wine. The recipe, which comes from the new book Home Made Summer, is at the bottom! (P.S. You can enter to win a copy of this book and two others until the end of the day tomorrow, Weds April 24th!)

And this is my poet friend Noah, who takes his strawberry-muddling job very seriously. (As he should).

This amazing bowl of bread has two sources – that huge, dark loaf came from the restaurant L’Impasto, and it’s truly some of the most amazing bread I’ve ever tried. The smaller, bacon-studded baguettes? Yeah, Trevor made those. He’s awesome. (He’s been baking his way through the artisan bread baking book, Local Breads, and I am the happy taste tester for many of his experiments.)

And this is what the bread turned into – delicious, oozy, paninis. The one on the left is caramelized onions, mustard, and a mixture of blue cheese and cheddar, and the one on the right is the classic fig jam, prosciutto, and goat cheese combo. Yum. And now for that sangria recipe…

Cava Sangria

Recipe adapted slightly  from Home Made Summer. Serves 4-8, depending on how thirsty you are.

• 2 peaches or plums, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 orange, washed and thinly sliced
• 2 large handfuls strawberries, hulled and sliced
• fresh juice from 2-3 large grapefruits, or 2 c. store-bought juice
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• a few sprigs fresh mint
• 1/2 c. brandy
• 1 bottle chilled cava, or other sparkling white wine
• sugar to taste (optional)

Combine all the fruit, the grapefruit juice, the cinnamon sticks, and the mint in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Just before serving, stir in the brandy, then pour the wine over the top. Taste, and stir in sugar if it is not sweet enough. Serve cold.

The post Panini Party // Two Paninis and The Best Sparkling Sangria appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I have been looking forward to today for a long time.  Not just looking forward to, but needing.  Craving.  My office hasn’t had a holiday since New Years, and although I took two days off in February, I spent both of them on a plane.  So today, on this beautiful spring day in Boston, I’m having a real day of vacation.  And it’s glorious just to have an entire day with no commitments.

So how am I spending my day?  Simply.  I went for a long run early this morning, before the heat built up.  I had a peach and raspberry smoothie, followed by one of these bars.  I walked to the market and bought a boatload of beets, and fresh feta cheese.  I killed (hopefully) every single mealybug on my poor lemon tree by wiping each leaf and stem down with rubbing alcohol, gave it a good dose of fertilizer, and left it happily in the sun.  I transplanted the tomatoes, and the thyme, and ended up with dirt all over my face, which made me strangely happy.  I can’t wait to show you pictures of our garden, or to eat the first green peas and fava beans.

I took a cool shower, did my laundry, cleaned up the last remnants of my party Saturday night.  Then I made this sandwich – with cranberry-nut bread, avocado, homemade edam cheese, peppered turkey, and pickled red onions.  There’s something wonderful and simple and summery about sandwiches.  I ate it sitting outside in the shade, with a glass of lemonade.  Now I’m reading cookbooks that have been sitting on my nightstand for weeks, bookmarking all the spring recipes that I’m getting more and more excited for.  For dinner I’m going to have roasted beets with feta and candied pecans, and a glass of white wine.  I’ll watch a little TV, maybe have a bowl of lemon ice cream, and go to sleep early.  And I will have spent today exactly as I wanted to.

P.s. It’s my birthday week (and yes, I celebrate it for a whole week, if not longer), so you can look forward to a few scrumptious recipes from all my various celebrations soon!

Turkey and Avocado Grilled Cheese

Serves 1.

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 3 TBS quick pickled red onions
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 TBS raw onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 4 slices black pepper turkey
• 1 handful arugula
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 TBS butter

Mash avocado with raw onion and salt until creamy.  Spread on one slice of bread.  Top with pickled red onions, then arugula, then turkey, then cheese.  Top with other slice of bread.  Melt 1/2 of butter in frying pan over medium heat.  Add sandwich, with the cheese layer closest to the heat.  Spread remaining butter on exposed piece of bread.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, until you smell the butter toasting and the cheese begins to melt, then carefully flip, and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.  Serve warm with a glass of lemonade.

The post A Sunny Day and a Sandwich appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Maine is a pretty cool place.  It’s cool because the other morning I was having tea on the dock, and a bald eagle flew ten feet in front of my face with another bird… in it’s talons.  It was enormous.  And awe inspiring.  Even though I’ll admit it made me feel a little bit shaky.  It’s also cool because I spent yesterday morning hiking up a ravine with rickety wooden ladders in Acadia and suddenly found myself looking out over a perfectly calm and sparkling bay.  And then four hours later I was sitting in the corner of an old wooden tavern, eating the best restaurant meal I’ve had in years.

It’s cool because when you look up at the sky at night it’s so thick with stars that it looks like someone brushed them on with a paintbrush.  And because every afternoon at four the sun falls on the hammock and I fall asleep listening to the grasshoppers chirp.  On foggy mornings packs of loons float silently along the shore, and on sunny ones kingfishers relentlessly dive by the dock.

It’s cool because Maine is where camp is, and when I went to visit this morning I received more hugs at once than I have in years, from both old friends and small children.  I watched a six year old’s face light up as she barreled toward me and latched around my waist, and while sitting on the deck a four year old I don’t even know climbed into my lap.  When Dalton told me he couldn’t remember when his birthday was, and I asked whether it was in the wintertime or the summertime, he told me “Oh, I know, it’s in moose-hunting season.”  And later, Robbie pulled a cheese stick from his lunchbox and announced to me, “It’s a cheese-stick.  It’s like a stick … but it’s cheese.”  You can learn a lot from five year olds.

And lastly, it’s cool because I can walk across the street and pick as many wild blueberries as I want.  As many times as I want.  And make as many different blueberry treats as I want.  For free.

Although it’s almost the end of the blueberry season and I haven’t made any scrumptious blueberry baked goods, I’m sticking to my healthy promise and using my first batch of blueberries in a savory recipe – blueberry guacamole.  Actually, it’s really good for you – just think about the incredible amount of antioxidants in blueberries, the heart-healthy fat in avocados, and the metabolism raising properties of the capsaicin in jalapenos.

If you’re looking for a fresh twist on your classic mexican dip, try this recipe – it’s well-balanced, sweet, creamy, and spicy.  To make it a meal I put a few tablespoons in a tortilla with smoked turkey and goat cheese, and it was given a firm stamp of approval by all family members involved in taste-testing.

Blueberry Guacamole and Turkey Wrap

Inspired by Manifest Vegan and SELF

For guacamole (makes 3 cups):

• 1 large avocado
• 1/2 medium onion, very finely diced
• 2 c. fresh wild blueberries
• 2 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• kosher salt

For wraps (makes 1):

• 1/4 cup blueberry guacamole
• 1 flour tortilla
• 2 oz. sliced, smoked turkey
• 1 oz. (approx. 1 TBS) goat cheese

1. Slice avocado in half lengthwise, working in a circle around pit, and pull halves apart.  Remove pit and discard.  Scrape avocado flesh into a medium bowl and mash with lime juice.  Stir in very finely chopped onion and jalapeno, and blueberries.  If you can’t get small wild blueberries, you may want to puree or mash half of the larger berries before mixing in.  Season to taste with kosher salt.
2. Place a tortilla open on counter.  Spread with a thin layer of goat cheese, top with turkey slices, and spread guacamole over center of turkey.  Roll up and enjoy!

NutritionalAnalysis (Nutrtition estimated using SparkPeople’s recipe calculator):

Nutrition: Guacamole: 80.7 calories, 4.5 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, and 1.0 g protein per half cup serving.  Sandwich: 333 calories, 12.7 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 19.7 g protein in 1 sandwich.

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