Condiments

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Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette

I was making dinner recently and one of my besties (and new neighbor) needed to do laundry. Being that I love to feed people, I was ecstatic to make her belly happy. She needed to use some raspberries that were almost bad, some spring mix and some arugula. I was determined to fit everything into the meal so the menu took on the form of a veggie lovers dream…our appetizer was brown butter roasted brussel sprouts and the main dish was spinach basil pasta packed with steamed asparagus, zucchini, squash, arugula and spinach with a pesto sauce and sides of steamed asparagus and mixed greens salad with Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette. The whole meal took about thirty minutes of actual cooking time and was delicious! I used less olive oil than I call for here (also know that you can use Grapeseed oil if you have it on hand) just to decrease fat and calories. Hey even if they are good fat calories, they still can add to the cellulite situation that creeps up in unison with age brackets. I also added more lemon and thought that the end result was a little to acid heavy, though really it was fine (especially for someone who likes lemon). I ended up throwing a pinch of sugar in as well to help sweeten the raspberries. If you make this in the summer you should not need to add extra sugar as the raspberries will be in season.

 Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette

One pint Raspberries, very ripe
Half cup olive oil
Salt, start with a pinch then add as desired IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS
Pepper, start with a pinch then add as desired
Pinch Cane Sugar
Juice of one half of lemon
Four Tablespoons champagne vinegar

Mix all ingredients except oil in a small food processor. Slowly add the oil to the food processing as it runs on a medium setting. Taste and adjust as desired.

Serve over mixed green salad and steamed or roasted asparagus.

Squashy Pasta

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This is a wonderful wintry pasta that fits with everyone’s new years resolutions. Seriously, this is healthy, full of nutrient-dense veggies, vegetarian, is budget friendly (as in I had all ingredients on hand and no money left to buy groceries after not being very thrifty in December), and is darn tasty! I threw what I had in because I was craving veggies but also needed the fiber and the carbs from the pasta after a week of hard work outs. Farro pasta is a great alternative pasta. Farro is an ancient wheat grain that is high in fiber and has a whole wheat nuttiness taste that it lends to the pasta.

Squashy Pasta 

Serves Four through Six 

Farro Gemelli Pasta (Rustichelle d’Abruzzo  brand or favorite)

Four Golden Beets, skinned, sliced and steamed

One recipe Roasted Butternut Squash

Two Zucchinis cut into large quarters

One or Two Yellow Squash cut into large quarters

One cup Cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded

Three to four larger shallots, sliced into thin strips

Five or Six Garlic Cloves

Black Pepper

Small amount of Pecorino Romano, shredded

Half Cup Basil Pesto

Quarter cup White Wine

Quarter Cup reserved pasta water

One bunch of fresh basil, julienned

An hour prior, prepare the butternut squash (or make the night before). Once the squash has about twenty minutes left, begin to steam beets and bring salted pasta water to boil. Reserve beets and add pasta to water to cook for about 14 minutes. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan and add garlic, shallots and a bit of pepper. Cook until glassy (add crushed red pepper if desired). Hit this with the white wine and cook off the alcohol. Salt Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Squash and when the pasta has about two minutes left to cook, add to the saute pan (this is to make sure your veggies still have some crunch. Drain pasta, reserving a small amount of the pasta water, and add pasta to the saute pan. Add beets, roasted butternut squash, pesto, black pepper, and a small amount of grated Pecorino cheese. Add small amount of water a bit at a time as needed to make a sauce. Mix well and garnish with plenty of fresh basil and serve.

Wintery Steak Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

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My friend Susanna, who has perpetual leftovers, has been regaling me with stories of the wonderful dinners she has been enjoying with all the leftover steak from this weekend. It really gave me a hankering for a good steak salad. A lot of steak salads will be more southwestern (read charred bacon and corn, avocado, red onion) and, to be honest, at first I wanted to go that route – I even bought an avocado. Then I started feeling the need for a more comforting salad and picked up some butternut squash, just in case. Two days after the intended date, I created this manly out of stuff I already had minus the steak which I had purchased Monday; if you do not have any steak (fresh, leftover, or frozen) feel free to use chicken or crispy pancetta. You can throw whatever you have in here (I would have used spinach and arugula but ran out). This salad is hearty, healthy, tasty, comforting, and just darn good for winter. I added about a fourth-cup of garlicky bulgar, quinoa, and wild rice for some extra substance and because it was in the pantry – feel free to leave out (it is perfectly wonderful either way).

Note: This is a great weeknight dinner for the busy mom. It is high in nutrition, has great flavor, is very easy to make, and is healthy.  All in under thirty minutes.

Wintery Steak Salad

Serves Three

Half pound skirt steak (marinated as desired – I use Montreal, S & P, and Worcestershire)
One or more recipes Roasted Butternut Squash
One-half Gala Apple, sliced thinly
Small amount of Goat Cheese or other good soft cheese
Five cups Arugula, squeezed with a bit of lemon
One-Third cup basil pesto, mixed with one to two tablespoons red-wine or raspberry vinegar (to taste) and a dash of lemon
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Near East Whole Grain Blend Garlic (optional)

Prepare butternut squash and Whole Grain blend (if using) according to instructions. Marinate steak and allow to come to room temperature before cooking. Prepare the dressing whilst everything is cooking. Over a medium-high heat a bit of olive oil. Once hot, cook the steak for about four minutes on each side. Adjust cooking time to desired doneness and thickness of the meat; you will want to sear the meat to brown and caramelize the outside and keep the inside juicy – I like my steak mooing so I cook it accordingly (and give D the end pieces since he likes it more done). When the meat is cooked, remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for five minutes. In this time, divide arugula, butternut squash (inclusive of garlic and shallots), apples, cheese, and rice among three plates (or two plates and a Tupperware). Cut steak against the grain into thin slices or cubes and add to the salad. Dress as desired and crack black pepper to taste. Mix well and enjoy.

Apple-Avocado Relish

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I wanted to top a spicy pulled pork dish with something crisp, bright, sweet and acidic. After looking through my fridge, I had my solution. You can whip this up in no time to had contrast to tons of things!

Apple-Avocado Relish

One green apple, cut into small dice
Three-Fourths avocado, diced
Six green onions, small dice
Pinch of Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Voila!

Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup

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An adult topping for Sunday Funday breakfasts is always welcome. Make sure to buy good quality maple syrup, you can taste a difference. I like to buy Butter Pecan Maple Syrup by Stonehouse, but go with your favorite.

Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup

One-half cup Butter Pecan Maple Syrup
Pinch of Cayenee
Two tablespoons Bourbon

Combine all ingredients in a pan, preferably one that is coated with bacon or sausage drippings. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat and simmer. Remove after about five minutes and serve warm with dish of choice.

Chili Honey Butter

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Flavored butter is quite a trick to have up your sleeve. It can really do a lot for a dish. This is one of my favorites that I came across in Padma Lakshimi’s cookbook Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet. You can use it for just about anything and it takes two seconds. Try it on chicken and waffles, toast, corn, or as a saute base for chicken or fish.

Chili Honey Butter

Adapted from Tangy Tart Hot  & Sweet

Four tablespoons Butter, well softened
Three tablespoons Cayenne Pepper (more or less to taste)
Three tablespoons local honey

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and blend well. If butter is softened enough, feel free to stir well with a spoon.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Ketchup and Sriracha Aioli

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One of the health food trend’s best contributions is the ubiquitous sweet potato fry. Of course not all fries are the same and I have standards for these nutritious little treats. They should be crispy on the outside and soft, but never mushy, on the inside. They need to be properly seasoned and they always need to be baked, not fried (sorry Paula Deen cronies). In short, please don’t serve me limp, under-seasoned fries that are mushy with oil. I am not entirely sure why but I have had a standing craving for sweet potato fries since about mid-July and this recipe, admittedly, is something of a Semi-Homemade approach (though I really cannot stomach Sandra Lee). Hey, I am a full time-grad student who works full-time, until December I will need all the help I can get. The secret…Alexia Sweet Potato Fries (in your freezer section). These are awesome. Sure sweet potato fries are not insanely hard to make but now that Alexia has an all natural brand that you can just pop in the oven, why spend a minute longer doing prep? Now if you will excuse me, I have to go read 150 pages of advanced policy economics by tomorrow.

Note: I fortified my ketchup to make a quick (read four second) tasty dipping sauce. Because I like options, I also made a Sriracha aioli really quickly – if you have some chipotle aioli or another favorite dipping sauce feel free to use it instead.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Ketchup and Sriracha Aioli

One Half Bag Alexia Chiptole Sweet Potato Fries

Cook according to package instructions, preferably on a vented baking tray to achieve optimal crispiness.

Sriracha-Curry Ketchup

Two to Three tablespoons (depending on preference) Sriracha
One Tablespoon (plus more depending on preference) Red Curry Paste
One-Fourth Cup Ketchup

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.

Sriracha Aioli

Squeeze of lemon or lime
Four tablespoons Sriracha
Four tablespoons Garlic Mayonnaise 

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.

Caramelized Onions

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Caramelized onions. Two words that can turn  a bad day right around – after the stock market insanity last week, maybe that is exactly why I could not stop day-dreaming about caramelized onions, only stopping to fantasize about winning the lottery. These little treats are so easy and elevate something wonderful into something stellar! The versatility of onions slowly coaxed into a pile of gooey, delectable sweetness if something quite marvelous as well. Creativity shines with an element that can be thrown into sandwiches, eggs, soups, meats and stir-frys, pizzas, salads, pureed into jams, stuffed inside things,  or heaped onto gooey baked cheeses. Try to make this dish with as much tender love as possible and I swear the onions taste even sweeter. You can make caramelized onions several ways, I am giving the version that I do without a ton of butter and in a much faster time frame. However, the longer the deep, rich, sweet onions are cooked on a low heat the more amazing they become. Feel free to make a bigger batch in a crock pot over the weekend (8-12 hours) or, if you are pressed for time, simply use a little more heat to whip this up in about two hours on a week night.

Caramelized Onions
Approximately One and One-half Cup, depending on size of onions

Image obtained from Ciao Florentina!

One plus One half sweet onion, sliced evenly
One tablespoons butter (or olive oil or a mixture of the two)
A good pinch of salt
One-half tablespoon cane sugar

Slice onions in half, then slice the half into 1/8 inch slices (approximately). Heat oil or butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven. Once a medium-low heat is achieved, put onions into the pan and stir well to coat. After a couple of minutes add salt and sugar. Stir well. Return to pan every few minutes to check and make sure that the onions are not burning (add more oil, butter, or a little water or broth in the event that they do begin to burn). The goal is to have onions brown and stick to the pan without burning. Stir every few minutes for about a half hour, then lower heat and continue cooking for about an hour continuing to stir and adjust according to brownness (conversely, keep the heat a tad higher and cook for less time but check for burning).Eventually, the onions will be a rich, dark brown color. Remove from heat after about an hour and a half and either use immediately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last several days. If desired, you can hit the onions with a dash of vinegar or wine at the end of the cooking process to de-glaze the pan (for possible reuse) and bring a little additional flavor to the onions.