Purslane Pesto

In my cooking life, I've been feeling rather uninspired lately.  With a couple weeks off from work, friends in town to celebrate my upcoming role as a bride, and a whole lot of laziness, I've eaten in restaurants more than in my own home.  When I do eat at home, I've cobbled together "meals" of various snacks like nuts, raisins, and cheese.  I knew things had reached a bad point when, six weeks into my annual CSA share, I found myself throwing away more veggies than I was eating.  The truth is, I've been intimidated by the items that I don't know what to do with.  The scariest of them all? Purslane. 

According to wikipedia (the ultimate source of knowledge in my world, though my journalist groom-to-be would disagree),

"Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste . . . The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible."

Considered a weed, but can be eaten as a vegetable?  No wonder I didn't know what to do it. 

Luckily, our CSA has a newsletter, written by a wonderful woman who knows what to do with the most puzzling of produce.  She recently shared a recipe for purslane pesto, and since I've never met a pesto I didn't like, I decided to give it a try.

Oh, but I didn't own a food processor!  I know, I know--how could I NOT own one of these magical little machines?  Doesn't everyone?  Let's just say I've never made a priority--until now.  After one quick search, I found a Cuisinart mini food processor on Craigslist, and when I found out that that it was lime green, $25, and would be delivered to me by the seller, I couldn't believe my good luck.  One more thing to take off the wedding registry.

And so, here's what I put in that delightfully bright little guy:

1 cup of purslane (full disclosure:  I couldn't find my measuring cups easily, so I used my favorite soup mug)

1/2 soup mug of olive oil

1 clove of garlic (but it was a really big one)

the juice of 1/2 lemon

a handful of parmesan (you can also use feta)

a large handful of roasted almonds (cheaper than pine nuts)

a bit o' salt

Then, all I had to do was push "CHOP," and don't you know, it WORKED!  In what seemed like five seconds, I had a delicious pesto that I just wanted to eat by the spoonful.

I ended up adding a bit more parmesan and salt (gotta make up for all those years when I couldn't eat cheese), then spreading it on some eggs that I scrambled with baby onions (or are they leeks?) and tomatoes.

Baby onion or leek?  I think it's a baby onion because it has a "bulbous bottom" (mmm hmm--I know what you're thinking), but maybe someone out there knows better than I do.

I'm thinking I can use this pesto like a chimichurri, which means the man who's almost my husband will soon be eating vegetables . . . whether he knows/likes it or not.

Hopefully there will be more CSA adventures to come!  I'd love to hear ideas from anyone else who's made great things happen with veggies lately.

Summer Lovin',
Francie

Mom Knows Best

I'd like to celebrate this Memorial Day weekend by sharing a simple and delicious dish that my mom inspired me to try.  

When I was a kid, I hated tomatoes.  In fact, I don't think I really gave them a chance until after college, at which point I realized that they're, you know, delicious.  Many members of my family--especially my mom and my sister Maggie--were big tomato fans. 

So when I was home with my parents recovering from surgery recently, I was treated to many marvelous mom-made meals.  And for the first time, I finally ate a dish she cooked regularly when I was a kid:  roasted tomatoes with cheese.

All you have to do is . . .

 1. preheat the oven to 350-400 degrees (I like higher heat because it helps me get my food faster) 

 2. cut up some tomatoes (I like thinly sliced, but you can also chop them) place them in a shallow baking pan (like a 9 x 13 Pyrex or metal pan) 

 3. add some chopped or sliced onions + salt and pepper + other herbs of your choice

 4. roast for 5-10 minutes

 5. add shredded cheese (I like a blend of cheddars, but any good melting cheese will work) until it melts.

 

Then eat up!

I served these with dinner when I cooked for 8ish friends.  Many of them wanted seconds and thirds!

How's that for an easy dish?

Enjoy this first taste of summer,

Francie

One day, I'll whip up a spread like this and make it look easy.  For now, I'll be content to enjoy such meals at my mom's table!

Twist on a Favorite

A few years back (and you know you're almost thirty when "a few years back" = 10), my dear friend Ems gave me a cookbook that I adore:  Gourmet's Five Ingredients. The now-defunct magazine's editors did an amazing job coming up with great recipes that only use five ingredients, not counting staples like olive oil, spices, and the like. Although I haven't used it in a while, I dug it out on a night when I had chicken and wanted to make something decadent with it.  Enter Chicken Breasts with Spinach, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella (p. 54), which I used to make when I was just learning to cook.

My local health food store sells antibiotic-free, organic, kosher, and best of all, delicious chicken from Wise Poultry, a company based in PA.  If any of you have read The Omnivore's Dilemma, you'll remember consumers of chicken from Polyface Farms describing the taste as more "chickeny."  Wise's poultry is like that.  It's more expensive than others ($12.99 a pound--I know!), but it's worth every penny.

No luck getting prosciutto at the health food store (it's healthy . . . right?), and I'm not allowed to eat mozzarella (who knows why it's not on the list of "recommended" cheeses).  The recipe gives you the choice of basil or spinach, and since basil pairs so well with mozz, I knew the biggest decision to make was the cheese.  I picked up some of their cheapest sharp white cheddar, which we've recently discovered and really enjoy, and some spinach.   Then I was on my way home to cook, which involved no more than:

1. sauteing the chicken, turning it once
2. when it's almost done, placing a couple spinach leaves and small cheddar slices on the top of each
3. covering for the last few minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken cooked through

bit o' salt and pepper on the chicken, sauteing in garlic and olive oil

Check out that melted cheddar!  The broccoli is a twist on the garlic and ginger broccoli recipe in the same cookbook (no ginger, no chicken broth, but a splash of water).  It was this recipe that first taught me that you can actually EAT the broccoli stems--what a revelation.  It's no good wasting veggies.

Someone in our house thinks it's okay to feed the cat table food, AT the actual dinner table.  At least that someone finally ate broccoli stems for the first time.  Baby steps.

It's always fun to play with a recipe and come up with a great new go-to version.   The spinach and cheddar reminded me of my mom's spinach bars, which she's made for as long as I can remember. This recipe is so easy that I know we could use it in a pinch on a busy night, but I also can't wait to impress friends with it when they come over for a nice dinner.

Signing off with one big YUM,
Francie

Brunch at Home

If you know New Yorkers, you know that we love our brunch.  Each weekend, sometime between 11 AM and 4 PM, we roll out of bed and head out to one of our favorite brunch joints--and there are many.

The thing about brunch in the City is that it can get really expensive, really fast.  $20 per person, with drinks, is about as cheap as they come; this afternoon, my honey and I dropped $37 each for a delicious brunch at a nearby restaurant.


So, in an effort to save a bit o' cash (since we are getting married in a few months, and the budget somehow keeps growing), I decided to cook us a restaurant-style brunch here at home.  


Check out what we ate . . . avocado, cheddar, and veggie omelette for me; ham and cheddar for him.

Sauteed zucchini, onions, and red peppers, ready to fill my omelette.  I sauteed them in ghee instead of olive oil, which gave them a nice blackening, almost like they were caramelizing. Were they?  Someone out there can tell me for sure!

Yes, that's cheese that you see!  Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar is especially delicious when you are eating cheese for the first time in six months!  One of the unexpected benefits of cutting out grains and sugar.

I was very proud when my omelette slid out of the pan perfectly.  Added some Boars Head bacon on the side (they didn't have any organic--sad) for a delicious combo.

a ham and cheese beauty for the love of my life

He likes to eat off of plastic plates.  I don't.  I like placemats.  He could do without them.  To each our own.

I've been avoiding having real brunches lately, as I assumed I'd miss the grains (in delicious whole-grain toast) and sugar (in some preserves, juices, and brunch-friendly cocktails).  I always choose savory egg dishes over the sweet, pancake-type ones anyway, and now that I'm not eating anything with sugar or flour, it's great to know I can still have a fulfilling brunch without feeling like I'm sacrificing a great eating experience.


I was a little pooped from teaching yoga all morning, grocery shopping, and then cooking, so there were no drinks with our brunch . . . but later, I did some juicing, which I'll plan to share soon.


My omelette was inspired by one I had at a great bar last week--bacon, peppers, onions, and cheddar--and expanded from there depending on what I had in the fridge. I'd love to hear what others have done to create a restaurant-like experience at home.  In many cases, it's just as delicious to cook it yourself.

Brunch for dinner, anyone?
More soon,
Francie

An Eating Rollercoaster

Eating's been tough lately.

I've been dealing with some digestive challenges that have led to a lifestyle change I never thought I'd make:  a very strict diet.


I hate the connotations of the word "diet."  I'm not trying to lose weight, to fit into my wedding dress, or to be a "skinny girl."  In fact, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't have changed a thing about my eating (except to become more adventurous!). Instead, this decision was spurred by the recommendation of an integrative health specialist who I am working with in hopes of curing some long-term digestive issues (otherwise known as IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome--horrible name, I know, but a lot of us out there know it well. And by long-term, we're talking half my life here.)


So, for the first time in my life, I have completely given up grains and refined sugar.  Giving up the sugar isn't so bad; eating grain-free seems like torture at times.


And more than anything else, I've been shocked by the emotions that have come with this experience.  When you pride yourself on eating what you want, and you're suddenly very restricted; and when you go a few days feeling fine and then spend 48 hours on your back because you're weak and in pain--your emotions are thrown into relief.  During this challenging time, I also find myself more present than ever, a feeling that reminds me of a period when I meditated at least 20 minutes each day.  And, on some days, my stomach feels better than it has in years.


It's called the Gut and Psychology diet (GAPS), and I have this to say about the title:  They're not joking. These two words together describe what I've been going through as I follow it.  You can read about it here:  http://www.gapsdiet.com/
I don't know how how permanent some of these changes will be--I'm following this for another week or so, then meeting with the specialist again to determine what our next steps are--but I do know that it's important for me to share it with you, the people I love, because it's a huge part of my life right now, and I need your support. 


And most of all, I feel confident that this journey will turn into something grand--that somehow, it's leading more toward a more whole life.

Check out these pictures of some of the things I can eat at the moment.  And thanks for being there. Sharing this experience will help keep me sane.


Eat what you can, and enjoy it . . .
Francie

A very green stir-fry (sauceless and riceless, but with fresh ginger)

Chicken really isn't very pretty cooked by itself, but I had to keep some of the stir-fry vegetarian.

I sprinkled cashews atop the aforementioned stir-fry.  Can't have roasted/salted nuts, so these were raw.

One of my most decadent meals of late--eggs sauteed with ghee, which is this amazing thing called clarified butter.  I don't understand it yet, but I love it!

Rediscovering a childhood favorite (that I don't ever remember eating as a child):  ants on a log.  The peanut butter has nothing but peanuts--it's Brad's Organic, a brand I really like. 

Thank goodness for Red Jacket Orchards Apple Strawberry Juice--I bought a case this week and have been downing at least one of these a day.  They are made with only fruit and are a true treat!

I can have pickles!  Very exciting for this pickle-lover.  These beauties were homemade by my friend Kyle.  They are sweet, sour, and a bit spicy all at the same time!

Proof that one can stick to this diet when eating NYC take-out:  a delicious beef burger, avocado, steamed string beans, and a homemade pickle.  My most filling meal so far!

Winetasting . . . in Winter

It's been a tough winter here in NYC.  Even now, as we get tastes of spring every few days, the cold weather seems to keep coming back.  So, when things get really cold, a person has two choices--hunker down, or get creative.  When I'm not hunkering down, I prefer the latter. :-)

Not too long ago, some good friends and I had this creative idea for beating the winter blues:  a winetasting tour in Long Island, complete with a limo.  There were eight of us--four couples, cheesy but true.  And speaking of cheese, one of the best parts of the deal was that we could bring our own lunch. Because business is slow at these vineyards in winter, we were even allowed to spread out our picnic at one of our tasting locations, Vineyard 48 (typically, they don't allow you to bring your own food--you have to buy theirs).  We got to choose 3-4 vineyards from a list (clearly we chose 4), and we were thrilled to find out that the limo driver would pick us up in Manhattan, at a location of our choice.  SCORE!

This is the limo in Manhattan.  I just wanted to prove that it picked us up in Manhattan. For those who don't live here, that's a Gristedes behind the limo.  (No, I don't buy my groceries there--unless I'm really desperate.)

Our first stop, Macari Vineyards.  Can't wait to go back in the summer--this place is beautiful.

eatin' it up at Vineyard 48

the other side of the table

shot of our food--fruit salad, veggies and chips with hummus, cheese, salami . . .

How pretty are these wine bottles?

tasting port at Osprey's Landing--that's my silly friend Trenton in the background.  Don't mind him.  Liked this port so much I bought a bottle, which we then shared over dinner a week later.

Our last stop, with some solid wines.

white on white

snacking on chocolate on the way back

Miriam and I show off our truffles.

The price wasn't bad for a day's getaway--about $100 each person including the limo and all tastings--and the experience was, as Mastercard would say . . . priceless.

Can't wait to head back in the summer!

Stay tuned,

Francie

Kabobs, Made with Love

It was my night to cook dinner for the girls at school, and my dear Leo wanted to help.

We made shish kabobs, also know as kebabs, kabobs, and many other names, for ourselves and the ladies' lunch club.

The veggie set--on their own pan, of course

and some with chicken sausage

I wondered if I needed to drizzle them with oil before broiling.  Turns out, I did.

This is my new favorite brand of chicken sausage. You should try it.

Lunch, all ready for the girls.  (two vegetarian, two with chicken sausage

Leo's very meaty shish kabobs

His plate--he has to do this ketchup thing that I don't understand, but I also don't believe in yucking people's yums

My dinner plate--more veggies and more rice

some cooked kabobs, all ready to be shared

Kabobs are so fun!  They are a great dinner project for two or more people, and you can tailor them for whoever's eating.  I highly recommend pineapple--it broils beautifully and adds a tang to your dish that can't be matched!

Dinner Party with Friends . . . on a Monday!

Our good friend Jacob is an exceptional cook.  We know because his girlfriend, Meg, tells us.  So we invited him over to cook dinner for us, his dear woman, and another of our favorite couples.  It was amazing.  There are no other words.  And my own significant other is in charge of the dishes.  Life doesn't get any better than this!

I highly recommend scheduling a dinner party on a Monday, or other work night, so that you are guaranteed to relax before heading back to work the next day.  Enjoy!

Some simple appetizers . . . salami, cheese, crackers, and olives

Chef Jacob, hard at work

a bit o' candlelight to set the (eatin') mood

perfect, fall-off-the-bone ribs, with a sweet gravy

a sideways view of a delectable meal:  ribs, endive, and golden beets

After this shot, I still managed to find some rib nibbles for later

Um, can you say satisfied?

bread pudding, fresh out of the oven and ready for homemade whipped cream

he's in her sweatshirt, and she's in his

the chef and his right-hand woman

still-steaming dessert

a hard life--fresh whipped cream and Long Island port wine

there are no words

it's a hard knock life . . .

It brings me such great joy to enjoy dinner with friends at this great table.

The blurry-but-happy chef