Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Ten-Minute Lime Cracker Pie.

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 p--tablespoon finely grated lime zest, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 8 limes)
  • 10 ounces Ritz crackers (85 crackers, from about 3 sleeves)

Whisk together the condensed milk and heavy cream in a large bowl until combined. Add the lime zest and juice and whisk until thickened, about 1 minute.

Spread 1 cup of the condensed milk mixture on the bottom of a deep-dish pie plate, an 11-inch oval casserole, or a similar large shallow dish. Top with a single layer of Ritz crackers. Repeat, alternating layers of filling and crackers, until the dish is full, finishing with a layer of filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight—the longer you wait, the more the crackers will soften and meld with the filling. Serve cold, zesting more fresh lime over the top, if you like.

Serves 8-10.

VERDICT:  I appreciate that this is, in fact, kind of a genius recipe--so very, very easy, made with just a few easily-found ingredients.  And no eggs!  I let it chill for maybe three hours--it could definitely have used more time for the crackers to soften.  I also did not use as many crackers as called for--they did not fit in what I thought was a deep-dish pie pan.  So, probably not the epitome of a Ten-Minute Lime Cracker Pie.  It was perfectly fine, but I was disappointed.  Toss.

White Bean and Farro Salad

  • 1½ cup farro
  • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Cook farro according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool running water.

Toss together farro, beans, shallot, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

Add arugula and feta and toss to combine. Garnish with dill.

Serves 4; 510 calories.  (As with most Real Simple recipes, the portions are wildly generous--we fed four people with it originally, and it looks like I'll end up with three servings leftover. )

VERDICT:  I added a whole 8oz box of feta, cubed, and also threw in the entire little package of dill, chopped, without measuring.   Turned out deliciously with very little fuss.  Keep!  

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Farro, Green Bean and Kale Salad

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup halved haricots verts or green beans
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (8.5-oz.) pkg. precooked farro (2 cups)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale
  • 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add green beans; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain, and rinse well with cold water; drain.
Step 2

Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Heat farro according to package directions. Add farro, kale, tomatoes, and green beans to dressing; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 2 (2 c.); 321 calories.

VERDICT: With pre-washed kale and green beans, easy, and nicely used one basket of cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market.  Since I was already meant to be cooking the beans, I just made farro and threw the green beans in for the last few minutes of cooking.  Could do with lots more feta.  Keep!

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Farro, Kale & Squash Salad

Farro
  • ¾ cup farro
  • 1½ cups water
  • Pinch of salt
Squash
  • 4 cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Kale
  • 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
  • 1 bunch kale (about 8 ounces)
  • 1¼ cups water, plus more as needed
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup toasted pepitas

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
To prepare farro: Toast farro in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the farro is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain, if necessary; fluff with a fork.
To prepare squash: Meanwhile, toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
To prepare kale: Combine 6 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, shallot, mustard and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Separate kale leaves from stems. Slice the leaves crosswise into strips and add to the bowl. Massage the dressing into the leaves until the volume is reduced by half.
5Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale stems and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Repeat four or five more times, each time adding ¼ cup water and steaming for 2 minutes, until the kale stems are tender. Transfer to a cutting board and slice on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces.
To assemble: Stir the farro and squash into the kale salad; arrange on a platter. Serve topped with the kale stems, feta and pepitas.

Serves 6; 372 calories.

VERDICT: I should have made this in January/February, when the magazine came out--in May, it was a bit hot to have the oven on and farro and kale steaming away.  It turned out well enough, but was a fair amount of chopping and roasting for a Thursday night.  Keep for winter weekends?

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Edamame Pasta Salad

  • 12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking pasta
  • 1 12-oz. bag frozen shelled edamame (about 2½ cups)
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, seeds removed
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions, adding edamame during the last 4 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-high. Add lemon wedges, cut side down, and cook until well blistered, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate.

Reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid, drain pasta and edamame; transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil; set aside until cool, 5 to 10 minutes.

Whisk together salt, vinegar, pepper, reserved cooking liquid, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Add to bowl with pasta and edamame along with arugula, feta, and walnuts; toss well. Squeeze seared lemon wedges over pasta.

Serves 4; 744 calories.

VERDICT:  This was also meant for the blizzarded-out dinner with Jen and Beth. It is nearly instantaneous (especially if you skip grilling the lemons, which I would in future) but a little underwhelming.  The pasta turned a weird gray color, and "serves four" seemed wildly inaccurate--I ate this forever.  Toss.

The Witty Comeback

  • 2 ounces rye whiskey (preferably Old Overholt)
  • ½ ounce Averna amaro
  • ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
  • ½ ounce ginger simple syrup
  • Orange twist (for serving)
Combine rye, Averna, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup in a cocktail shaker; fill shaker with ice. Shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass or a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with orange twist.

Ginger Simple Syrup
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped peeled ginger
Bring sugar, ginger, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let sit 20 minutes. Strain into a jar, cover, and chill.

Yield: 1 drink.

VERDICT:  These were meant for dinner for Jen and Beth, which got blizzarded out--they turned out to be the perfect drink for a snowy day.  John and I drank them until the Old Overholt ran out (not as long as you'd think).  Keep!

Orange Orzo Salad with Almonds, Feta and Olives

  • 8 ounces whole wheat orzo pasta (I used DeLallo brand)
  • ½ cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
  • ½ cup chopped green onion
  • ½ cup raisins, preferably golden
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges, preferably organic)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve roughly ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain, and immediately rinse the orzo under cold running water until the orzo is no longer warm. Drain well.

Toast the almonds in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a cutting board and chop them.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked orzo, chopped almonds, parsley, olives, green onion, raisins, and feta (if using).

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, and whisk until blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. It might seem like too much dressing at first, but don’t worry. Season with pepper, to taste.

Let the orzo salad rest for at least 10 minutes (or up to several hours in the refrigerator) so it has time to soak up the dressing. Season to taste with additional salt, if necessary, and serve. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Yield: 6 side servings.

VERDICT:  I made a double batch of this for a potluck at work--I had a million oranges to use up, and almonds and raisins from making granola--and it was just right.  Leftovers were good for a few days.  Keep!  From Cookie and Kate.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Parsley-Chive Swirl



    • 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets 
    • 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and cut into ½-inch pieces
    • 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    • 1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
    • 1 teaspoons ground pepper, divided
    • 1 1/4 cups fresh parsley
    • 1/3 cup fresh chives
    • 6 cups low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth
    • 2 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

    Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.

    Toss cauliflower and leeks with ½ cup oil and 1¼ teaspoons each salt and pepper in a very large bowl (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Divide the vegetables evenly between the prepared baking sheets. Roast, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway, until soft and browned on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.

    Meanwhile, place parsley, chives and the remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a blender; pulse several times to chop, scraping down the sides once or twice. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1 cup oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and rinse out the blender.

    Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot and add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in vinegar. Serve with some of the herb sauce swirled on top.

    To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

    Serves 6; 329 calories.

    VERDICT:  This reminded me strongly of our family spinach dip, which I think comes from the black pepper.  It's a fair number of dishes, but few enough ingredients, one of which is the ever-present chive!  We made this with the first chives of the season--just before they started to flower.  Keep.

    Saturday, February 3, 2018

    Lentil Soup

    • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 1 stalk celery, chopped
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
    • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
    • 1 cup lentils
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • Salt and pepper
    • Crumbled feta cheese for garnish

    Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onion, celery and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the tomato paste, stir until smooth and add the stock and lentils. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are very soft. Add 1 cup of water if the soup seems too thick. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender, return to the pot and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with feta cheese.

    Serves 4; 210 calories.

    VERDICT: I made this as part of one of the Medica Journeys and to use up some celery and tomato paste, and it was surprisingly delicious!  Keep.