Home (from our honeymoon) Cooking

Hey, did you hear? We got married!

Officially Mr. and Mrs

On October 13th, 2012, a perfect fall day, my best friend and I were wed! And two weeks before that, I passed my registration exam to become a credentialed dietitian! My husband whisked me off to Monterey, CA for a blissful week of cruisin' on the coast in a convertible, kayaking with sea otters, biking the famous 17 Mile Drive around Pebble Beach Golf Course, wine tasting, visiting the Earthbound Organic Farm Stand, and of course, eating. This was a true coastal California food fest, and we ate our fill of fresh seafood- mussels, salmon, crab, king prawns, scampi fra diavolo, saffron and wild mushroom risottos, fanciful salads, green goddess dressing, truffle fries, gourmet cheeses, wine, wine wine, mimosas! You could say we let loose... with no better reason than celebrating our new marriage.

we'll take a little of this, a little of that, and all of the vew

Although we were sad to say goodbye to the west coast, we couldn't wait to get back to our place and start our new, real life together. (With lots of new kitchen-y gifts, oh yeah!) I could not wait to get back into the kitchen after a week of rich food and dining out. Our first meal back was a Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup, inspired by a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis' latest cookbook- Weeknights with Giada.

Throwback: Did you know I met Giada in high school? Here I am staring at her while she gives me a speedy high-five. #enamored 

Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup
In a fabulous Le Crueset dutch oven, or large pot, saute 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 parsnip, all peeled and diced, over medium heat. Cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add 1 diced zucchini, 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms, 1 can drained diced tomatoes, 1 can drained cannellini beans, and a few handfuls of torn kale leaves. Saute 1-2 minutes. Cover with 4ish cups vegetable stock (I use a tsp of vegetable base + water) and bring to a simmer. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup cornmeal, stirring well until incorporated. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with cracked black pepper and perhaps some crushed red pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh Parmesan!

Oh, we loved this warm and wholesome soup, and will surely make it again. Hopefully you will get the chance to make this one on your own... or better yet, stop by and visit us, we'll make it for you. We have guest towels and an air mattress! See you soon!

The Tomato Time of Year

While I am close to saying, I've never met a vegetable I didn't like (except artichokes from a can), the statement just isn't true when it comes to tomatoes. I've had one too many a tasteless, grainy, white, cold tomato on a restaurant salad to almost completely avoid all of them for 9 months out of the year. However, a real tomato, that is, one that is grown in-season and locally, is a different story. Packed with flavor and a beautiful color... summertime is definitely tomato time! I picked up a pint of mixed colored cherry tomatoes at the Keene Farmer's Market that were just too sweet not to share.

"Try to resist me! That's right, YOU CAN'T!" @thesassytomato

Although tempted, I didn't sit down on the couch to watch the Bachelorette and snack on these like candy. Instead, I made two new-to-me recipes with inspiration from a favorite cookbook. After all, they were on opposite pages and it made it very hard to choose just one!

Clean Food by Terry Walters

White Bean Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 sweet onion, julienned
• 1 fennel bulb, julienned
• 2 carrots, chopped  
• Olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cups cooked great northern or cannellini beans
• Arugula
• Balsamic vinegar to taste
  

Place above ingredients on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until tender. Fold in tomatoes and beans, returning to oven to roast for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately place atop a bed of arugula. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar!

Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas
• 3-4 scallions, chopped

Cut tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl with the chickpeas and scallions. Top with the following, after you've combined the ingredients in a food processor:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 large bunch cilantro (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

I am always hungry for new salads in the summer, and these two hit the spot.

I am winding down with my internship, folks! I'll be back in PA in just a few weeks. Last week was my final week of clinical, and I was so happy to have the 4th off to join my lovely friend Sarah and her family at their New Hampshire lake house. We had a blast! (I can even say that after I failed miserably at water skiing. Next year!)

"Oh yeah! Check out how cool I am! Water ski-bunny!"

nailed it.

Love you so!

xoxo!

Beluga Tabouli

One of my favorite salads is tabouli- a bright, clean-tasting Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with bulgur wheat, fresh parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil. I'll eat it any way; with crackers, on top of greens, or on its own. It keeps for a few days, but it's best at room temperature the day it's made.

The first time I made it, I used short-grain brown rice instead of wheat. Still a winner! That classic flavor was there, with a different texture. I love the recipe out of Food to Live By, an amazing cookbook I've used to make many tasty things. Now, I would never make this for a Lebanese house guest... as I'm sure one would shudder at my grossly adapted version of the traditional salad. But it works for me!

The last time my mom visited, she brought me a new food to try... beluga lentils! Teeny tiny petite black lentils! So cute. The warm sunshine and free weekend called me to make Belugalinsen Tabouli.

My recipe was loosely based on Myra's. Check it out!

Beluga Tabouli
2 cups cooked beluga lentils (or bulgur, or short-grain brown rice, or cous cous, or wheat berries, or rye berries, etc!)
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
2 tbsp fresh mint, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (Disclaimer... I had to use gross tomatoes from the store this time. I can't wait for the good stuff to start growing up here! Soon I hope!)
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced, including white and 2 inches of the green
1 cup fresh shelled peas, or diced English cucumber (optional)
Combine above ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine following ingredients in a small bowl, and add to above ingredients.
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin (optional)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper.

Fresh, bright, high-protein, non-authentic tabouli!

Keeps for a few days in the fridge. And it sure is a welcome change to boring lettuce for lunch.

Enjoy!