Spicy Apricot Chicken Wings
I love a big dish of spicy, messy chicken wings sometimes! I’m a crispy-wing kind of girl though; I like the skin to have a bit of crunch to it, so cooking them on the grill is an easy way to achieve this. If you …
Tag: recipes
Simple, Beautiful Swiss Chard
Yes, I’ve been very busy in my gardens. Flowers and veggies and mulch, oh my. But I’ve also tried to relax a bit and enjoy the early summer. A screened-in patio with a ceiling fan and hammock really help with the whole “letting go” process. …
Orzo Pasta Salad
Am I a horrible person because the sight of the tater-tot-topped, canned-chicken, Velveeta-cheese-oozing, can-of-soup-required concoctions that pass as casseroles all make me start to contemplate a Double Whopper with Cheese as a healthier option.
Sadly, “salad” also seems to take on a whole new meaning at times. I’ve seen bloated macaroni salad literally swimming in Miracle Whip and added sugar and I’m still unclear on how anything that contains marshmallows and jello constitutes a salad and not a dessert.
So having said my little food-snob rant, I’ll be the first to admit that this recipe is not very fancy, nor very original. What I will say is this: it’s made with fresh veggies, no mayonnaise, (just like with my mayo-free coleslaw), and is a much slower way to clog your arteries and expand your waistline. Oh, and it’s pretty delicious if you like pasta and fresh veggies.
This is a dish that you have to customize to suit your tastes, along with using what you have on hand. I’ve made this pasta salad a number of ways based on the contents of my pantry and fridge. Black beans, cubed tofu, steamed broccoli or broccolini, snow peas, carrots, celery, chopped jalapeno, fresh basil, olives, artichoke hearts, goat cheese or feta cheese…use your imagination and your on-hand supplies. Here’s how I made this particular batch of pasta salad with my recent overly-ambitious veggie purchase at the store though I will warn you, it makes a big batch. Feel free to halve the recipe if this is for just a few people….
Orzo Pasta Salad with Fresh Veggies Recipe (No Mayo)
- 1 one-pound box dried orzo pasta, cooked al dente’ according to package directions and then rinsed under cold water and drained well
- 15 nice stalks of fresh asparagus, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces and steamed for 3 minutes (rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process)
- 1 English cucumber (really, any kind will do), partially peeled (I “stripe” mine with a veggie peeler), then sliced in half with the seeds scooped out and diced (the skin can be bitter and the seeds will add too much moisture, in case you’re wondering)
- 1 orange bell pepper, stemmed and seeded and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed and seeded and chopped
- 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 20 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (or quarters, if they’re large)
- 3 scallions, whites and greens, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil (I used both)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. You may have to add a bit more of the oil or vinegar, depending on taste – the pasta and salad do absorb it after sitting. This is best once the flavors have had a chance to come together – usually at least a few hours.
Pretty simple, right? And no jello or marshmallows required.
Enjoy!
Oven Roasted Cornish Hens
This recipe is proof that food doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated to be delicious. One of my favorite ways to do Cornish Hens is to rub them down with minced garlic, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper and fresh lime juice; the hens end up …
For the Love of La Quercia
La Quercia is a socially-conscious company I discovered a few years ago and one I’ve become a huge fan of. They came onto my radar back then as a group of people who were making a prosciutto here in the U.S. that was actually comparable to the Italian stuff. I …
Crispy Kale Chips
As a lover of these, I credit my friend Carri for finally motivating me to make them myself and now I’m hooked. In case you haven’t noticed from my previous Tuscan Soup and Sauteed Kale with Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon posts, I have a love affair with kale. I’ve loved kale for a long time but it’s only in the last few years that it’s finally gained the spotlight it deserves.
So far, this has worked with both curly kale and also the type of kale I used this time, which was a flat leaf, organic Lacinato Kale. I do mine to the point of true crispiness, though I’ve had store-bought brands that still have a little chewiness to them. In my opinion, you really can’t go wrong either way. (have I mentioned how much I love kale?)
Crispy Kale Chips Recipe
Preheat oven to 275º
- 1 bunch kale, rinsed well with tough stems removed, torn into 1 to 2 inch pieces (if you want me to guess, I’d say it was about 15-20 leaves) Don’t make yourself crazy here – these can be small, like mine so they’re “poppable” or larger so they’re more like a potato chip.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or grapeseed works well too) Be shy with the oil – you just want to very lightly coat the kale, not drown it.
- sea salt to taste
On a large baking sheet, toss kale pieces with olive oil and salt until all of the leaves have a slight sheen to them from the oil.
Spread the kale pieces out evenly across the baking sheet. A little overlapping at first is fine, as the kale will shrink as it dries out.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and toss the kale around a bit, evening out to a single layer again and bake for another 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 225º and, using a spatula, turn the kale over and redistribute again into a single layer. Bake for 20-30 more minutes, depending on the level of crispiness you like. (You may want to toss around once or twice more during this round, to keep the kale cooking evenly)
That’s it! Really, you’re not cooking them as much as you’re dehydrating them. Too high of a heat for too long will start to burn the edges of the kale, which won’t be pleasant tasting. There are a number of methods out there for making these but this is how I’ve found I like them best.
I’ve found that a great way to serve them is in a tube of heavy paper or parchment paper. This keeps the bits of oil off your hands and makes them easier to eat in large quantities…which I do.
Enjoy!
Oven Roasted Pulled Pork
Pork is not only a healthier alternative to beef, it’s also just as versatile. I do pulled pork 2 ways – one braised and simmered in beer or broth and the other oven roasted. Both are incredibly easy and both result in tender, delicious pork. …