Watermelon and Feta Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Is not in SF but I will not let that stop me from enjoying all the summer time festivities.

We recently went camping for Trav’s birthday and we were in 100 degree heat. Why we didn’t bring watermelon is still a mystery so to satiate that craving I had some when I came back to 65 degree weather San Francisco with winds of 100mph (not really but pretty windy).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 seedless watermelon, or use however much you want. Ours was a pretty small watermelon so I used half for an appetizer portion.
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar, reduced to a glaze

Recipe:

(makes 2 servings)

1) In a small pot, add 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar. Reduce on medium heat until thick and syrupy. Constantly stir to make sure it doesn’t burn. It should reduce to about half. Set aside.

2) On a large platter, arrange the watermelon and feta cheese. Drizzle the balsamic reduction all over the salad.

3) Optional: You can also add some greens.  We’ve also enjoyed it with some arugula.  We tossed the arugula lightly with some olive oil and s&p and added it to the watermelon and feta.

Channeling Paula Deen

I love my best friend. I love my boyfriend. I love food. I love spending time with them individually and together. A few Saturdays back, we drove up to her parent’s house and had some good times and what started out as Carmen finding a box of cornmeal and suggesting we make cornbread turned into us channeling our inner Paula Deen and making a southern feast. We made enough food for more than 6 people!  Apparently our stomachs rule our minds – what were we thinking?? By the time the food was all done we weren’t even hungry but yet we still ate most of it. Porkers!

Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Mac n Cheese & Cornbread

Fried Chicken: (we didn’t actually fry the chicken not enough oil and baking is easier and sometimes just as good)

Ingredients:

chicken with skin on and bone in (we used chicken thighs)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

salt & pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

1) Clean and dry the chicken thighs.

2) Combine all the dry ingredients together.

3) Dip the chicken thighs in the egg.

4) Dip and coat the chicken thighs in the flour mixture.

5) Place the battered chicken thighs in a buttered baking casserole.

6) In a 450 degree oven, bake the chicken for about 45 minutes.

7) About 20 minutes in, using a basting tool, baste the chicken with the juices in the casserole dish. Repeat once more.

Collard Greens:

Ingredients:

2 bunches collard greens, chopped into thin strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

Olive Oil

1/2 tbsp butter

s&p

1) In a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter and saute the garlic for a few minutes.

2) Add the collard greens and wilt down. Season with s&p.

Mac n Cheese:

Ingredients:

1/2 bag elbow macaroni

3 tbsps flour

3 tbsps butter

3 cups milk

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar

2 cups shredded cheese (i can’t remember which cheese we used but we used a combo of 3 different kinds. it might have been gruyere.)

1 cup shredded pecorino/parmesan

s&p

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1) Cook the pasta in salted boiling water.

2) In a sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes or until all the flour and butter and incorporated and it looks like a white smooth consistency.

3) Stir in the milk and whisk and heat until the consistency is smooth and thick.

4) Turn off the heat and add all the cheese, s&p and nutmeg and stir until it’s all incorporated and melted.

5) Mix the pasta with the cheese and in a large baking dish or individual buttered baking dishes, add the pasta.

6) Top with some bread crumbs and little butter.

7) In a 350 degree oven, bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheesy is nice and bubbly.

Cornbread:

We used the recipe on the box and it actually came out a little dry. I found a better cornbread recipe thanks to Trav’s mom and sister that uses shortening! mmmm. I can’t wait to try it.

Sausage & Artichoke Pasta

Awhile ago I found a really simple but delicious recipe for homemade marinara/tomato sauce.  You can freeze it and have several different combinations of pasta dishes.  I had artichoke hearts and italian sausage so that’s what I used.  I also like eggplant, mozzarella, italian sausage, fresh basil with this tomato sauce as well. It’s super easy and versatile.

Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

s&p

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

2 dried bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

1) In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft about 2 minutes.

2) Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

3) Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. Sometimes tomatoes can taste a little acidic so if it does add some of the butter.

4) Let the sauce cool and blend until smooth in a blender or a hand held blender.

*This will make about 6 cups of sauce so you can freeze the rest for up to 6 months. I usually use about 1 cup for a 1/2 pound of pasta so you can freeze in portions if you want.

Artichoke & Sausage Pasta:

Ingredients:

frozen artichoke hearts, 1 package

Italian sausage (hot), 2-3 links

1/2 pound of thin spaghetti

1/4 cup of basil

1/4 cup of pecorino romano

s&p

1) Remove the sausage from the casings and saute breaking it into small pieces.

2) Cook the artichoke hearts according to the package directions.

3) Cook the pasta.

4) Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Toss 1 cup of the tomatoe sauce, sausage, artichoke hearts, basil and pecorino. Taste and add more s&p if necessary.

5) Plate and top with more pecorino and basil.

Missing the Mediterranean

I’m missing hanging with Trav on the Mediterranean Coast in Turkey. And missing the good eats.

Steak with Cucumber Dill Yogurt

Ingredients:

Steak (any cut you like)

Rock Salt

Mediterranean Cheese Yogurt (from Trader Joe’s)

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill

1 1/2 tbsp salt

pita bread or flat bread

1) Grab a half handful of rock salt and cover both sides of the steak with rock salt. I swear this is the best way to marinate/flavor steak. just some good old rock salt. THAT’S IT! set aside for 15 minutes.

2) Mix the yogurt, dill, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and salt. Add more salt if it needs. Set aside in the fridge so it stays nice and cold.

3) Shake off the rock salt and grill the steak or use a grill pan on the stove. About 5-7 minutes on each side on high heat for medium rare-medium.

4) Let the steak rest for at least7-10 minutes. Then slice into strips. Serve over warm pita bread and top with yogurt. Set aside some of the yogurt dip to dip the pita.

pictures are blurry sorry.

Ban-chan (Korean side dishes)

Anthony Bourdain has a great episode that highlights some of the great things about Korea and Korean food on his ‘No Reservations‘ show.

Here’s two typical common side dishes: spicy and non spicy.

Gye Ran Jjim (egg custard):

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup water (or equal parts water to eggs)

2 green onions

1 tsp salt

1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

There’s about 3 ways to cook this.

Easiest: In a microwave safe bowl add all the ingredients, cover with saran wrap and cook for 5 minutes.

Easier: Steam bath. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in a large pot filled with water and boil on medium high for about 15 minutes, then reduce to medium low and cook for another 5 minutes.

Easy: Heat oven to 450. Bake for 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 and heat for 20 more minutes.

Tofu Kimchi: (this traditionally is served as ‘anju’ (a dish consumed with alcohol, like soju – Korean rice liquor) rather than as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 block of medium firm tofu

half head of kimchi, chopped

2-3 uncured bacon (aka pork belly – ask your butcher to cut it for you), sliced into 2 inch pieces

1 tbsp of butter

1 tsp of sesame seed oil

1/2 tsp of roasted sesame seeds

1) In a sauté pan, cook the bacon for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the chopped kimchee and butter.  Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add the sesame seed oil stir fry for another 4-5 minutes or so.

2) Meanwhile, steam the tofu for about 10 minutes.

3) Cut the tofu into bite size pieces and place the kimchee next to the tofu. Top with roasted sesame seeds.

4) Wrap a piece of kimchee, bacon and tofu to eat 🙂 mmmm