Mustard Dill Crusted Salmon

Remember when I said that I’d stopped eating fish after reading Eating Animals, well that went out the window less than a month later. I just really enjoy fish. I don’t eat it often but when I do, I make sure it’s delicious. This is my current favorite fish recipe. It’s so easy, and so, so good. It’d make a really lovely dish to serve at a dinner party, because it looks impressive, but is actually really simple to prepare.

Ingredients:  Salmon (fillets not steaks), mustard, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), dill, sesame seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop dill, and mix with panko and sesame seeds. Place salmon in a greased baking dish skin side down. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the entire top of the salmon. Then sprinkle a layer of the panko/dill mixture on top of the mustard. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until your salmon is cooked through.

 

I didn’t include measurements for this recipe because I figured individuals would want to adjust the proportions to their own tastes. I think it’s delicious served with a lemon wedge, arugula salad, and roasted potatoes. Whenever I make it, Jon usually makes a mustard and mayonnaise dip to accompany it. It’s a nice but unnecessary touch.

PS: My blog totally turned into a food blog this week, but I was really busy! I try to keep a few recipe posts in my draft folder, and it was so great to be able to post them.

 

Pumpkin Maple Whiskey Muffins

I have a minor confession to make; since the move, I’ve become a bit of a baking fanatic. I still cook most nights, but I’ve started to bake about twice (or thrice) a week as well. And I’ve been baking sweets; scones, chocolate chip cookies, and muffins. It’s not the best idea for my waist line, but it means I have some deliciously sweet recipes to share!

I really wanted to make some pumpkin muffins because as soon as fall hits, I crave pumpkin and squash.  I was determined to use an entire can of pumpkin puree without doubling a recipe. I compiled a few different recipes and came up with this. These muffins are perfection, the only pumpkin muffin recipe I’ll ever use. I put a crumbly oat topping on half of them, and it gave them a nice texture, but they are delicious plain as well. If you don’t have any whiskey available, I’m sure juice or water or even some cooled chai tea would make delightful substitutes.

Muffins:

Wet Ingredients:

1 Can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 cup veggie oil

1/2 cup whiskey

2 cups maple syrup

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)

1 cup cake flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a stand mixer, combine wet ingredients until just blended.  Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees, for about half an hour, until tooth pick comes out clean. (I start checking at 20 minutes, and then every five minutes after that. )

Optional oat topping:

Combine 1 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Place on top of muffins before you bake them.

This made me 28 muffins. I sent them to Jon’s students to prevent myself from consuming every single one, but I had about 5 first.  I suspect that my baking addition has a little something to do with why my jeans are starting to feel a bit tighter…

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Leading up to my making this, as the butternut squash sat on the counter and I admired it, Jon made sure I knew that he didn’t eat it. So I made it while he was teaching one night, had it for dinner and then continued to have leftovers for lunch. A few nights later, Jon made himself some Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup. I heated up my Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Jon looked at it and said, “Oh that looks delicious.” I replied, “haha, funny,” thinking he was teasing me, but then he said, “No really, it looks and smells really good. Can I taste some?” He took one bite, then another, and another, until I had to stop him so some would remain for my dinner. “I thought you didn’t like this?” I asked. “Well I didn’t know you were going to make it Indian,” he replied. So yeah, if you think you don’t like butternut squash soup, give this recipe a try; you might change your mind. It changed my boyfriend’s.

Ingredients: 1 whole butternut squash ( cut into 1 inch cubes), 1 parsnip, 1 turnip, 1 carrot,  3-4 celery stalks, 2 1/2 cups veggie stock, olive oil, 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon curry, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste), 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 cup milk,  Salt and Pepper to taste. Croutons, chives, or sour cream as optional garnish.

Instructions:  Toss (cut up) squash, turnip, parsnip, carrot, and celery with olive oil, salt, curry, cumin, allspice and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. In a soup pot, sweat the shallot, garlic cloves, and pepper flakes for about 5-7 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables. Saute for one minutes. Cover with veggie stock. Boil until all vegetables are completely tender. Use a handheld blender to combine until smooth. (You can use a regular blender for this as well, but let the soup cool first.) Add milk and blend more. Bring soup back to a boil. Garnish with croutons, sour cream, or chopped chives.

This soup is exquisite. I hope you will make it because I’m sure if you do, you’ll enjoy it immensely. Me, I cannot wait to make it again, I just need to hit up the farmer’s market for some more butternut squash.

Fall Farmer’s Market

I’ve already mentioned, that one of the things I really love about our town is the farmer’s market. Since we moved here, Jon and I have spent almost every Saturday morning shopping at the farmer’s market. The local organic produce is plentiful and gorgeous.

I figured you wouldn’t mind if I shared a plethora of photos from the market. It’s a daily presence in the town square (but has the most venders on Saturdays). I love strolling through the booths and I take far longer than necessary to pick out the produce I want to buy.

These pictures are a bit different from the ones I shared from Portland’s farmer’s market. The produce available in Wisconsin in October is very different from the produce available in Portland, ME in July. I love all of the different pumpkins that are available, especially the bluish-green ones.

There’s one stand that I stop at every week. This baker brings his wonderful French baked goods, all the way up from Madison (It’s a two-hour drive!). His breads are amazing, but I’ve made it a habit to eat a chocolate croissant every Saturday. They are divine!

One of the most challenging things for me is taking photos of people or in the presence of a bunch of people. I’m trying to break out of my shell a bit and take more photos in public places, as well as more photos of people. I really love candid portraits. I was pretty happy with the ones I got at the market this day.

The only being who knew I was photographing her, was the beauty below. Her name is Mable. We met at the farmers market, and I fell in love immediately. She is quite the ham about having her photograph taken. I was happy to oblige. I really miss Tex, so when I encounter a friendly dog in public, I make sure to get some love.

Sorry for the photo and text heavy post! I’m a little bit in love with the farmers market. I’ll be a very sad girl when it ends for the winter. What produce is in season in your area right now? Happy Monday!

Canning and Freezing

 

One of the my absolute favorite parts about the town we’re living in, is that there is a daily farmer’s market in the center of town! It will run through October! On Saturdays the farmers market is the biggest, with a ton of venders selling their farm fresh goods. Since I’m currently not gardening, I figured that with the availability of beautiful farm fresh produce, I should learn the valuable process of canning. I feel like it’s a sort of next step to gardening.

 

 

 

After researching, and being a little freaked out about ph levels, and botulism, Jon and I decided to just start with pickled cucumbers. We haven’t gotten to eat any yet because they’re not ready, but I really enjoy the process, and the fact that in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, I’ll be able to eat fresh local veggies.  I’m hoping to maybe try canning some cauliflower this weekend. (I LOVE, Love, love, pickled cauliflower.)

 

 

I also quickly learned, that Wisconsin tomatoes give Jersey tomatoes a run for their money. The local heirloom tomatoes are so good, I had to make some sauce. I ended up deciding not to can my sauce, because I was unsure of the ph level of my recipe. But I just froze it in Ziploc bags instead. Since doing that, I spoke to my nonna, who cans tomatoes (not sauce), and then uses them for sauce in the winter.  She told me her process, and I might give that a try sometime soon as well. I’ve been assured that the tomatoes will still be at the farmers market for a few weeks.

 

Jon and I have also discussed going raspberry picking in order to attain raspberries for canning some jam. We’ve been informed that you can go raspberry picking right up until the last frost around these parts. Raspberries are our favorite fruit, so we’d really like to give that a try. It’s really just a matter of finding the time to do it; he’s so busy, busier than I expected.

 

I really enjoy this process of preparing for the winter that I am already dreading. I really like that with this new skill I’m learning, I’ll be able to eat a more local diet year-round, an aspiration of mine since I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, last summer.

Have you ever done the canning thing? What’s your favorite type of pickle?

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wicked Dean’s Killa Kale Kasserole

This is Jon’s best friend from forever, Dean. He’s a surfing, skating, graphic-art making, organic gardening vegetarian. When Jon and I went to visit him in Portland, ME a few weeks ago, he made us this delicious kale casserole. I told him I was going to share the recipe here, and he told me to make sure to call it “Wicked Dean’s Killa Kale Kasserole.” I probably wouldn’t even call it a casserole, as it’s more of a gratin, but regardless of its name, it is superbly delicious (and good for you too!)

Ingredients: 6-8 red potatoes, 2 bunches of kale, baby bella mushrooms, an onion, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil,dried oregano and basil.

Instructions: Boil the potatoes until they’re cooked. While the potatoes cook, cut up the kale and coat it with olive oil, salt, and 2 pressed garlic cloves. Chop the mushrooms and the onion. Grate the parmesan. Once the potatoes are cooked, slice them and assemble the casserole. Start with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle half the onions and potatoes. Spread half the kale. Sprinkle some bread crumbs (not a lot, just enough to absorb some of the liquid the kale will release as it cooks.) Cover the entire tray with parmesan and repeat all the layers starting with the potatoes. Cook the casserole at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Make sure you keep an eye on it, and if the cheese starts to burn, cover the casserole with aluminum foil.

I can’t rave about this kale casserole enough. We made two, and brought them camping, and devoured both.

Vegetarian Barbecue; Greek Lentil Salad

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for a Vegetarian Barbecue.

Last Week: Portobello Burgers with Brie

This Week: As a vegetarian, I have to take special care to make sure I get enough protein. Lentils are a great source of protein, because they are inexpensive and easy to cook. When most people hear lentils, they think of soup, and while lentil soup is awesome, they also make a great salad. This salad is so full of Greek flavor that it will make any barbecue guest happy.

The Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked lentils, 4 garlic cloves, 1 cucumber, 2 carrots, a bunch of cherry tomatoes, 2 stalks celery, half a red onion, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, juice of one lemon, 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and fresh parsley.

The Instructions: Put the lentils and garlic cloves in a medium-sized pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about twenty minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain them and put in a bowl. Remove the garlic. Cut up your vegetables and the olives. Add to cooled lentils. Crumble in the feta. Chop the parsley and add that into the salad. Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, garlic powder, and dried oregano in a covered container. Pour it over the salad and mix everything together. Leave it in the fridge until it’s time to eat. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Note: Whenever you cook with lentils, make sure you wash them in a strainer first. Run your hands through them to find and remove any tiny rocks that may have made their way into the bag. It’s the worst thing to be chomping on some lentils and find out the hard way that there’s a rock in there too.

Vegetarian Barbecue; Portobello Burgers with Brie

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for a Vegetarian Barbecue

Last Week: Grilled Pizza

This Week: When I first embarked on sharing my vegetarian barbecue recipes, I didn’t plan to share my recipe for Portobello burgers, for two reasons. One, because they are so simple to make that the recipe is really silly. and Two, they are so prevalent in restaurants, (sometimes as the only vegetarian option), that they are a bit typical.  But I decided to share my Portobello burgers anyway, because they are delicious, and I make them often.

The Ingredients: 1 medium-large Portobello mushroom, balsamic vinegar, salt, brie cheese, a hamburger bun, and Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto.
The Instructions: About half an hour before you’re ready to grill, clean the Portobello, and leave it to soak in a bowl of balsamic vinegar. Let at least twenty minutes pass, heat up the grill. Cut your brie into thin strips (I remove the rind but you don’t need to). Carry your Portobello, the brie and the hamburger bun outside. Place the mushroom bottom down on the grill. Close the grill, and let cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the Portobello, so the bottom is up. Let it cook for a minute or two. Put the cheese on the Portobello and the bun on the grill. Once the cheese melts and the bun is toasted, remove them from grill and assemble your burger. Make sure to spread some of the pesto onto the bun; it adds some great flavor. Enjoy!

Note: When cleaning mushrooms, never submerge them or rinse them directly in water. They are very spongy, will absorb the water and then won’t taste good. Instead, use a clean (wet or dry) rag or a paper towel to wipe off any dirt.

Mojito Love

As evidenced in my summer manifesto, I love summer drinks. This summer, I find myself loving Sangria, Margheritas, and my favorite, Mojitos. Mojitos are delightfully customizable, and I’ve found myself making them with a variety of fruit and always with fresh mint. Fresh mint makes almost everything taste better and we have a serious growth of mint in our garden. It’s basically taken over the front yard!

Mojito recipes are everywhere. Basically it’s rum, muddled mint (and/or fruit), simple syrup, lime juice, and club soda. I never measure anything, adding more of each ingredient until it tastes perfect. Currently my favorite fruits to add are fresh strawberries and/or mango. Sometimes I even switch out the rum for whiskey, because whiskey is my favorite hard alcohol. I’m pretty sure they are no longer considered mojitos when I make that switch, but I’m not sure what whiskey and mint drinks are called. Traditional or not, mojitos are a delightfully, delicious light summer beverage, and they are almost always better when you add some fresh fruit.

What’s your favorite summer drink?

I hope everyone’s weekends are full of refreshing summer beverages, good friends, and warm breezes. Happy Friday!

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

We received garlic scape in our CSA share this week, and voila a love affair with Scapes was born. I’d heard about scapes many times from various blogs, but I’d never tried one before. I was not disappointed. They are delicious and delightfully pretty. They are edging out heirloom tomatoes for my top-veggie spot. Along with the scapes, we received some very flavorful arugula, so what did I do with these beautiful greens? Well I made pesto of course!

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

Ingredients: 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (3-4 scapes), 3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano, 2/3 cup pine nuts, 1 cup chopped arugula, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Instructions: In a small dry saucepan, toast pine nuts, mixing frequently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until they are fragrant and toasted but not burned. Let cool. Place pine nuts and the remaining ingredients (minus oil) into good processor. While it’s mixing, slowly add the olive oil until pesto like-consistency is achieved.

Eat: You can eat the pesto with pasta or you can be fancy and make crostini. I toasted bread, spread the pesto on it, and topped them off with heirloom tomatoes. They were the best part of making the pesto!