Oven Braised Endive with Gremolata. This is a sponsored post written by me for Kitchen Play on behalf of Discover Endive.
I received a complimentary box of California endive and I am being compensated for my efforts to promote California Endive; all opinions are 100% mine. When Casey from Kitchen Play asked me if I’d like to participate in the January 2011 Progressive Party featuring endive, I was thrilled. Endive is extremely nutritious: it is low in calories, yet high in fiber, B vitamins, vitamin C, copper, potassium, and selenium. Endive’s bitter taste also makes it excellent for digestion: bitter foods stimulate the digestive organs to secrete hydrochloric acid (note that many people who suffer from frequent heartburn and assume they have too much acid actually have a hydrochloric acid deficiency).
Bitter foods are particularly useful in aiding the body to digest fats. Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry with Roasted Spices. Stuffed breakfast tomatoes. I get nostalgic when I think of tomatoes being stuffed with any sort of other food.
My mother often made stuffed tomatoes for me growing up. Her stuffings ranged from meat to cottage cheese to many different types of salads. Sometimes I wish I could be a kid again for the sole purpose of eating all of my mom's wonderful creations. One thing my mother never did was use breakfast foods as a stuffing for tomatoes. At least not that I remember. I have to preface this recipe by saying that it is so incredibly light and healthy, yet insanely tasty.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Hollow out 2 large, ripe tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine: 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped With your finger, rub half of the mixture onto the inside of one tomato, covering the inner walls as thoroughly as possible. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. The Minimalist - Chicken Pot Pie as a Cobbler. Balsamic Roasted Tomato Caprese Sandwich. Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta & Almonds. This month I signed up for a health challenge disguised as a game. It’s called Health Month. It works like this: give yourself a set of rules (Run at least 10 miles per week, Only allow white flour 2 times per week, etc.), then track your results daily. If you don’t follow the rules, you lose life points. The goal is to end the month with as many life points as possible, and ultimately discover a healthier lifestyle. If you want to make some healthy changes and you want to have fun doing it, definitely give it a try!
One of my rules is to eat greens every day. Me being me, I adapted the recipe by substituting sliced almonds for pine nuts, and topping the chicken with more chopped almonds and smoked paprika before baking to give the chicken a smoky, toasty and crunchy layer. Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta & Almonds Adapted from Cooking Light Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the spinach leaves, chicken stock, lemon juice and thyme. Tent the baking dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Truffled Gnocchi Recipe from Barbara Lynch.
Bless Her Heart: Capellini Pomodoro with Artichoke Hearts. Sorry for my absence as of late.
I feel like over the last couple of weeks, I've been emotionally eating rather than spending the therapeutic time I need cooking in the kitchen. In the past, I've alluded to the fact that The Man and I have our own business. As you can imagine, some times are bumpier than others. I'm currently struggling with balancing all the things that need to get done with how few hours there are in the day.
It's nothing harder than what the rest of you are dealing with in your daily lives, I'm sure...but I just wanted to explain my relative silence over here. I've been sticking to quick and easy in the kitchen this week. Capellini Pomodoro with Artichoke Hearts Serves 4-6 1 lb Capellini or Angel Hair Pasta 3 tbsp olive oil 5-7 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced 1 large tomato, diced (about 2 cups) 1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped (1/2-3/4 cup) 1 3.5 oz jar of capers, drained 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered salt and pepper to taste grated parmesan for garnish.
French Fridays with Dorie: Hachis Parmentier. I *loved* this week of French Fridays with Dorie – it’s one of my favourite meals.
The French equivalent of cottage or shepherd’s pie, it’s named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist, nutritionist, and inventor who, according to Wikipedia, in the late 18th century, was instrumental in the promotion of the potato as an edible crop. Hachis means chopped or minced, and comes the same root as the English word “hatchet”.
So, lots of chopping. The secret to this dish is braising the beef and using the resulting stock in the meat base of the finished dish. This version also uses sausage meat (taken out of its casing and sautéed with the finely chopped stewing beef from the braise). And of course, there are potatoes. And the topping calls for cheese, sprinkled on top.