Honey-Pecan & Pecorino Salad

Honey Pecans
2 Tbs honey
1 cup whole pecans
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
2 Tbs vinegar
4 tsp honey
2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs oil

Salad
8 cups mesclun salad mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 oz pecorino cheese

1) To make Honey Pecans:  Bring honey to a simmer in large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in pecans, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until pecans are coated in honey and most liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat; stir in chili powder and salt.  Transfer pecans to plate to cool, then store in airtight container or set aside.
2) To make Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette:  Whisk together vinegar, honey and mustard.  Add oil; whisk to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.
3) To make Salad:  Toss mesclun, green onions, cranberries and pecans with vinaigrette.  Shave cheese into curls over salad with vegetable peeler.  Serve immediately.

Review:  Oh, Idaho, how you disappoint me.  No mesclun and no pecorino sold locally.  We used a 50/50 mix of greens and spinach.  We also used romano for the cheese.  I also tweaked the dressing, using white wine vinegar and dijon mustard.  That made it pretty yummy and I think it made it better than the original recipe sounded.  The pecans were absolutely amazing.  I want to make them again - just for snacking!!  Unfortunately, I managed to forget to put the cranberries in the salad. 

Black Bean Tostadas

6 6-inch corn tortillas
3 Tbs canola oil
salt and pepper
1/2 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
assorted optional toppings, such as shredded lettuce, shredded mexican-blend cheese, chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream and sliced pickled jalapenos

1) Preheat oven to 425F.  Brush both sides of tortillas with 2 Tbs oil and sprinkle with 2 tsp salt.  Lay tortillas on a cookie sheet and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes, turning over halfway through.
2) While tortillas are baking, warm remaining 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute 1 minute longer.  Reduce heat to low and add beans and 2 Tbs water.  Mash mixture with a potato masher or back of fork and cook until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper.
3) Divide bean mixture among tortillas.  Layer with desired toppings and serve.

Review:  Hmm, this is much easier if you buy cans of refried black beans and tostadas (can be bought already crispy).  I didn't realize this prior to making this (I read ingredient lists and never the directions when it comes time for grocery shopping), so I had to make the tostadas.  I also had to mash the beans (unexpectedly), since Idaho seems to have never heard of refried black beans.  I used to buy them all the time at the A&P in Connecticut.  I miss my old food choices!!!!  This was super yummy and I would love to make it again.

Zucchini Casserole

2 zucchinis, diced
2 carrots, shredded 
1 cup frozen corn
1 stick butter
1 pkg stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) Grease a 9x13" dish with butter. Reserve 1 cup of stuffing.
2) Melt butter and mix everything but cheese together. Top with reserved stuffing and cheese.
3) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Review: An old friend of mine, and recent vegetarian convert, shared this recipe with me.  Well, a recipe that I tweaked a little bit.  ;)  It originally called for Stove Top stuffing, but it has forbidden ingredients.  Every flavor utilizes animal broth, but they also contain high fructose corn syrup!!  Why something so sweet in something that's supposed to be so savory?  I used Kellogg's stuffing, which was pretty awesome.  It comes in a resealable bag, which is odd, like you'll make mini-servings of it.  Anyway, this was pretty yummy, though not at all low-carb and in Mike's diet plan.  Oh, well, we all need to cheat once in awhile.  Yum, thanks Amy!!!

Wild Mushroom Ragout With A Spinach Potato Cake

Wild Mushroom Ragout:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cup assorted sliced wild mushrooms
2 Tbs minced shallots
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs minced garlic
2/3 cup mushroom broth
2 Tbs butter
Salt and pepper

Spinach Potato Cake:
1/2 cup chopped and blanched spinach
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup seasoned flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil, for frying
Essence (Emeril's spice blend - paprika, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and oregano)

Garnish:
2 Tbs chopped parsley
2 Tbs grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 long chives

1) For the ragout: In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions and garlic and continue sauteeing for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushroom broth to the Sauteed mixture and reduce by half. Finish with the butter and reseason.

2) For the potato cakes: In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, potatoes and garlic together. Season with salt and pepper. Portion the mixture into 2-ounce cakes. Dredge the cakes in the seasoned flour. Dip into the beaten egg, letting any excess drip off. Coat each cake completely with the seasoned bread crumbs.

3) In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the pan is smoking hot, add the cakes. Saute until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the cakes over and continue sauteeing until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with Essence.

4) Spoon the ragout in the center of the plate. Place the cakes in the center of the ragout. Garnish with chopped parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and long chives.

Review:  This wasn't as difficult as it initially seemed.  I dirtied a lot of dishes, but I think it was worth it.  I used Costco's freeze dried wild mushroom mix, as they're finally back in stock.  I guess it's a seasonal thing, but it's a great bargain!  And super easy to use. 

Penne With Asparagus & Porcini Cream

1/2 oz dried porcini
1/2 cup water
8 oz asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut into 1-inch length pieces
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt
12 oz penne
coarsely ground black pepper

1) Combine the porcini and water in a small saucepan; heat to boiling; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes; let stand, off heat, 10 minutes.  Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or a sieve lined with a piece of dampened cheesecloth; reserve the liquid.  Rinse mushrooms, checking carefully for grit.  Finely chop mushrooms and set aside.
2) Meanwhile, steam the asparagus on a steaming rack set over 1 inch boiling water, covered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; remove rack from pan.
3) Combine the cream, porcini liquid, and the chopped porcini in a deep saucepan.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 10 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
4) Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 10 minutes; drain.  Toss with the cream mixture and the asparagus.  Sprinkle with pepper.

Review:  I picked the recipe, as I interpreted the dried porcini to be the porcini powder a co-worker shared with me (thanks Barbara!).  Clearly, I had not read the directions.  Oh well, I used my freeze dried mushroom mix from Costco, which is more than just porcini, reduced the water amount and tossed some porcini powder in, too.  This was yummy and filling.  :)  

Spaghetti With Chopped Broccoli & Pignoli In Browned Garlic Oil

1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbs thin crosswise slivers of garlic
2 cups fresh or frozen chopped broccoli
12 oz spaghetti
2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
grated Parmesan cheese

1) Heat oil in a medium skillet over low heat; stir in garlic.  Saute, stirring, just until edges begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes.  Add the broccoli; cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
2) Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
3) Toss with broccoli and garlic oil; sprinkle with pine nuts and grated cheese before serving.

Review:  Due to accidentally using the spaghetti in a recipe earlier this week, we didn't have spaghetti for this recipe.  Penne managed just fine.  This was pretty tasty and quick to make.  What more could you ask for?

Green Beans With Sesame & Garlic

1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1 Tbs peanut oil
3 large cloves garlic, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce

1) Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Fill large bowl with ice water.  Boil beans for 4 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, immediately transfer beans to ice water.  Drain and dry beans.  This can be done up to 8 hours ahead; refrigerated beans until ready to use.
2) In wok or large, heavy skillet, heat peanut oil over high heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 1 minute.  Transfer to small plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Set aside.
3) Add beans, sesame seeds and salt to wok.  Stir-fry, pressing beans against sides until charred in a few place, 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer beans to serving bowl.
4) Add sesame oil, tamari or soy sauce and reserved garlic to pan.  Stir-fry until heated through, then add to beans and toss to combine.  Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Review:  I served this over some cooked bulgur, to make it a meal.  I used frozen greens beans and basically skipped step one.  Therefore, I couldn't get my beans to char.  No biggie, the beans were still pretty yummy.  I can imagine this would be really awesome with haricots verts instead.