Another Melissa’s Food Challenge!

Once again,  Melissa’s Produce (http://www.melissas.com/) put San Diego Food Bloggers’ to another mystery box challenge.  From my FedEx delivered box of goodies, and I had to choose at least 3-4 items from Melissa’s and incorporate 1-2 other ingredients, dealer’s choice (or in this case, cook’s choice).  I could have gone in a few different directions, however, I was leaving for a trip to NYC a few days after receiving the package, so I knew I would need to make something freezer-friendly.

 

Click here to see what other San Diego Food Bloggers’ created: An InLinkz Link-up

Burgers and Fries (. . . For the Health Conscious and Flavor Seeker)

• Olive Oil, 4 Tablespoons (You can use Canola or Grapeseed Oil, if you prefer.)
• Panko or breadcrumbs, 1 1/3 cup
• Pine Nuts, 1 cup
• Walnuts, 1 cup
• Shallots, 2, diced
• Cumin, 2 Tablespoons
• Coriander, 2 Tablespoons
• Pepper Flakes, 2 teaspoons (or more, if you like a little more heat)
• Salt, 1 teaspoon
• Ground Black Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried Cranberries, 1 cup
• Blackeyed Peas, 11 ounces
• Garbanzo Beans, 9 ounces
• Eggs, 4, lightly whisked

1. Combine Olive Oil through Ground Black Pepper in a food processor until fully combined.
2. Add Blackeyed Peas, Garbanzo Beans, and dried Cranberries to Nut and Panko mix.  (The amount of beans will equal about 3 cups.  You can substitute any brand of canned Blackeyed Peas or Garbanzo Beans.)  With the pulse setting, combine all of the ingredients until the desired consistency.  If you prefer some full beans in your burgers, go for it – just stop when it looks combined.  I made mine relatively smooth.
3. Place mixture in a large bowl and add 4 eggs.  If you prefer to use only half of the yolks for a “healthier” version, go for it!  Make sure to lightly whisk the eggs before you add the burger mix.  It’s just easier that way.  Mix all of the ingredients together until they are fully combined.
4. With your hands, form mixture into the shape of 10 burger patties.
5. Add about a Tablespoon of olive oil skillet, and heat to medium-high.  Once the oil is hot, add the burgers to the pan.  Once they have browned, it will take about 5 minutes, flip and continue browning on the other side.  Once they are browned, turn the heat to medium-low heat and cover pan with a lid or piece of foil, and continue cooking until they are fully cooked.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Another option, after browning, you can transfer the burger patties to a pre-heated oven (375 degree) for about 15 minutes.  The benefit is that you don’t have to keep an eye on them so closely (so they don’t burn), and you can do many more at one time.  (I had to freeze about half of what I made.  Just make sure to cook them first, then freeze.  Then you have lunch at your fingertips!)

The Finished Product

I kept thinking of that commercial tag line “It’s In There!”

 

 

 

Making the accompanying fries, couldn’t be easier. Melissa’s sent my a 3 pound bag of baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, and my husband and I finished them in 2 days. Nobody ever said we can’t eat. I simply rinsed and dried the potatoes. I left the smaller spuds whole, and I halved or quartered the larger ones. I placed them in a mixing bowl, drizzled olive oil over them (about a Tablespoon), and sprinkled them with fresh ground pepper and some salt. This really is about what you like. I like a lot of pepper and not too much salt, so I would suggest eyeballing it. Just remember you can always add more after they have roasted, but you can’t take any away! I place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with foil, place in a 425 degree pre-heated oven, and wait until they have softened. Ovens can vary, so check them after about 20 minutes. Once they are soft, remove the foil cover and place them back into the oven. Roast until they are the golden color you prefer. Make sure to flip and move the potatoes around once while they are browning. This step will take about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven.

I could eat these all day, every day!

Now, I can’t eat burgers and fries without ketchup, so I created a “Beanup”. All the hip restaurants opt out of the good old-fashioned stuff, so I am following suit!

Beanup

• Fava Beans, 8.8 ounces
• White Kidney Beans, 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
• Shallot, one small, finely chopped
• Tahini, 2 Tablespoons
• Garlic cloves, 2, finely chopped
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Lemon Juice, 1 Tablespoon (or more if you like it tangy)

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and combine until very smooth.  That’s it!

 

Sooo Good!

I received the items from Melissa’s, but no other compensation was given and all opinions are of my own.  Thanks must be given to Melissa’s Produce! This was so much fun, and I appreciated a free box of delicious food items deliver to my door just so I could play around with it! Tonight I am using the Butternut Squash in an Arugula and Feta Salad for dinner. I can’t wait. Look for my post next week about my annual trip to The Big Apple. Funny, I never did have an apple while I was there!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Best Thing About Cold Weather??

You know the answer!  Food!

I hope everyone is doing well.  Word on the street is that at least one suburb of Cleveland, Ohio saw some snow the other day!  Yikes!  I guess it makes sense.  Stores are already playing Holiday music, as of today I’ve heard the term “Black Friday” about 500 times, and this is the second day in a row of turning on the heat in our house for a few hours in the early morning.  It gets cold in San Diego!

Let’s not think of the down side of Winter – at least not yet.  Let’s think about the food!  I love all of the squashes available, and I love making soup for dinner and serving it with delicious bread.  The other night, I combined my two loves (other than my husband and Monsieur) of dark greens and squash for a delicious side dish to accompany our halibut.

I found this recipe on Tasting Table, one of my favorite online sites.  It’s an adaptation of a recipe by Chef Nathan Foot while he was working at Northern Spy Co. (He’s now the chef at Calyer in Brooklyn – in case you enjoy stalking chefs.)

I made a couple minor changes which are noted throughout the recipe with “**” indicating that change.  Basically, you can do anything with this recipe.  If you are vegan, on a diet, or prefer meat in every dish you eat, you can adjust this recipe accordingly.  If you do, let me know how you make it your own!

Northern Spy Food Co. Kale Salad

2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded kale (preferably Tuscan or black kale) (**I used 1 bunch of Tuscan kale, finely chopped.)

1/4 cup toasted almonds (**I toasted a good handful of slivered almonds I had on hand.)

1/4 crumbled Cabot clothbound cheddar (**I had a coupon for Cracker Barrel Cheddar. I read that the company had won a cheese competition for its Aged Reserve cheddar.  I wanted to give it a try.  My local grocery store didn’t carry the exact winner, so I tried the sharp cheddar.  Not bad!  It had a nice creamy texture, and had a decent sharp cheddar taste.  I bought a “log” and cut a small chunk.  I crumbled the cheese by hand.  I didn’t use too much just so it would remain a healthy side dish.  However, the cheese does add a nice touch.)

1/2 cup cubed roasted kabocha or butternut squash (**Since I love squash, I used an entire butternut for this recipe. I think it was about 2 pounds or so.  I simply tossed the cubes in olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper, and roasted it in the oven for about 45 minutes.  The time was solely due to the time I was on a treadmill.  I like my squash slightly caramelized, but you may not.  Keep an eye on it and pull it out when it’s to your liking.)

Fresh lemon juice (**I didn’t like the idea of lemon juice in this dish.  I wanted something more savory and “Fall-like”.  I opted for a really great balsamic vinegar.  The recipe notes approximately 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Whichever you choose, carefully add either lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to taste.  You can always add more, so be careful!

Extra-virgin olive oil (**Since I roasted my squash in olive oil, I didn’t feel the need to add any extra.  But give the salad a taste.  Maybe you prefer a little more?)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pecornio or other hard cheese, for shaving (optional) (**Again, I was trying to keep this on the healthier side, so I opted not to add another cheese.  However, I bet it would be awesome!  Maybe I’ll keep it in mind for a dinner party.)

1) In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale with almonds, cheddar and squash.  Season to taste with lemon juice (**or balsamic vinegar) and olive oil (**if necessary).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2) Divide salad between two plates.  Garnish shaved pecorino cheese, if desired, and serve.

What’s’ your favorite Fall or Winter food?  I’d love to hear some thoughts!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Baba at Home and Luna’s in Hillcrest

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I’ve been hearing some positive things about Luna Grill lately, so I finally checked it out over the weekend (http://www.lunagrill.com/).  It’s a Southern California chain with 6 locations in San Diego County and 2 locations in Orange County.  Its cuisine is Mediterranean and everything is made to order.  There’s an emphasis on hormone-free and anti-biotic foods.  You place your order at the counter, you are given a number, and the food is brought to your table.  First thing that arrived at our table was the Eggplant Dip.  I make a Baba Ghanouj with roasted eggplants and tahini, so I was thinking it would be similar.  It was very different from mine, but I really enjoyed it.  Mine is more creamy, and Luna’s is more like a Caponata.  There was a nice sweetness from the caramalized onions, and it was topped with yogurt and sautéed mint.  If you don’t like onions, don’t worry, you’ll probably never know you had any.  They just melt into the dip.  The dip was a great start, and the pita was so soft and warm!  Yum!!   It was delicious with my San Pellegrino Limonata – I love that stuff!  The husband opted for an Avery White Rascal: a perfect summertime Belgian Wheat.

Franz ordered the Gyros Plate Entrée with a Side of Falafel.  I had to order the Lamb Kabob Wrap.  First of all, this place calls itself  “The Ultimate Kabobery”, and, secondly, I can’t turn down lamb.   Franz thought his plate was standard, and we both thought the falafel was a little crumbly.   The garnish of either carrots or grilled tomatoes never made their appearance on Franz’s dish.  We didn’t feel like asking for them.  However, I liked when I placed my order, the cashier asked how I wanted my lamb cooked.  I didn’t expect that from a “fast food” style place.  I ordered it medium rare, and it was served as such.  The meat was flavorful, lean and a decent amount of meat for $12.  It came with either a side of Basmati rice or french fries.  I opted for the fries which did a great job at attacking my french fry craving!   We were stuffed, but we had a gift card so we needed to spend a few more bucks.  Franz couldn’t even finish his meal!  Shocking!  We ordered a Red Velvet Cupcake to go, and we had it later as an after dinner snack.  I’m picky when it comes to cupcakes, and I thought this one was a standard Red Velvet.  As my husband said “I wouldn’t kick it out of bed.”  As a side note, if you stop by the Hillcrest location, check out the bathroom hallway.  Very cool!

Below is my go to recipe for Baba Ghanouj.  Everything is really to taste, so if you want more garlic (I always do), throw it in!  Also, roasting the garlic first would be tasty!  Just make sure to taste after you’ve made it – you can always add more of something to it!  I usually add some Sriracha!  I can’t help myself.  If you want a greater roasted flavor from the eggplant, you could throw them on the grill or broil them in the oven.  Play around with this recipe and let me know what you do!

Baba Ghanouj (Or Baba Ganoush)

2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, chopped

Pita bread wedges

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve with pita wedges.  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baba-Ghanouj-107051

Take Care and Happy Eating!