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Recipe Swap: Grilled Garlic Vegetable Salad.

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jey| 2 Comments

I am most definitely NOT a vampire.  Want to know how I can tell?  I.  Love.  Garlic.

Way back in the past when I turned 21, the (future) Husby surprised me with our very first vacation together.  The trip happened to fall at the tail end of a family vacation with my parents and little brother to San Francisco, so I had to cut the family part of my travels a wee bit short.  We had a great time taking in all of the typical SF sightseeing, and on my last night in San Fran, we went to a baseball game at Giants Stadium.

Food wise, Giants Stadium is known for their Gilroy Garlic Fries:  A giant pile of crispy potatoes fried in garlic oil and topped with minced garlic and parsley.  I giddily downed an entire order, scraping the sides of the tray with my fingers in order to get every last little bit of garlic into my mouth.  I couldn’t tell you if the Giants won or not, but I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the garlicky goodness I consumed that night.  So.  Freaking.  Delicious.

Cut to three days later as I’m laying on a beach in the Bahamas with the man I love.  The previous week’s festivities should have been the furthest thing from my mind.  But the stench of garlic emanating from my pores reminded me around every turn.  It was worth it. :)

So while I’m a bit late posting to last week’s recipe swap (theme Summer Vegetables) due to my lack of a grill while out of town, I was pretty darn thrilled to receive my recipe from Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations.  The first step of the recipe was to roast a whole head of garlic on the grill!

Grilled Garlic Vegetable Salad – slightly adapted from Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

  • 1 Whole Head Garlic
  • 1 Zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 1 Yellow Squash, halved lengthwise
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, tops and seeds removed
  • 1 Orange Bell Pepper, tops and seeds removed
  • 1 Red Onion, halved
  • 1/2 Bunch Thick Asparagus, ends trimmed (my bunch was really thin so I used a grill basket)
  • Sesame Oil
  • Minced Fresh Ginger
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Using a serrated knife, chop a small amount off of the top of the garlic head, so that it sits flat.  Drizzle with oil and wrap with aluminum foil.  Place on the top rack of the grill and allow to roast for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, toss the vegetables

Toss the vegetables with about 1 Tbsp. oil and salt and pepper.  Place directly on the grate and grill, flipping once or twice, until they start to get some color, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from grill and once cool to the touch, chop into bite sized pieces and place in a medium bowl.

When the garlic has finished roasting, allow to cool a few minutes then, remove from foil and peel.  The garlic should be soft and slide right out.

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, sesame oil and ginger.  Pour over the vegetables, toss until coated and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Pan Fried Shishito Peppers.

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jey| 3 Comments

Hello?  Is there anyone still out there?

I’m back from my blogging hiatus and ready to get cooking once again.  The Husby was working for an extended period of time in Seattle and the Fruitaholic and I joined him on the last week of his trip.  While I had access to a small kitchen, it’s just not the same as being in the familiarity of my own kitchen.  We ate the majority of our meals out and now that we’re back home, I’m itching for some good ol’ fashioned home cooking.

I first came across shishito peppers at Girl & The Goat, Top Chef season 4 winner Stephanie Izard’s restaurant.  I’ve had the pleasure of dining there twice now (with full intentions of returning again and again and again once I can get a table!!) and without question ordered these little bad boys each time.  It’s an incredibly simple dish that packs a ton of flavor.  So when I saw a pint at the farmer’s market (from the same stand Steph does, no less), they started calling my name.  A huge grin spread across my face from cheek to cheek as I placed them into my bag (after paying for them, of course) and returned back home with a skip in my step.

I don’t have Stephanie’s recipe and it has been months since we last dined at The Goat, so I improvised.  And while my peppers don’t even hold a candle to Stephanie’s, I have to admit they were pretty damn good and will definitely be made again and again and again.  And I don’t even have to book a table months in advance to enjoy them. :)

Pan Fried Shishito Peppers – inspired by Girl & The Goat

  • Shishito Peppers (the pint I bought yielded about 20 peppers)
  • 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • Kosher Salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until very hot.  Add the peppers and, stirring occasionally, cook until they begin to pop, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and salt and continue to cook until the peppers blister, about another 3 minutes or so.  Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with additional salt.

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Recipe Swap: Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Lime and Parmesan.

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Jey| Leave a comment

The theme for this week’s recipe swap was “something you’d bring to a barbeque.”  Grilled corn is one of my favorite summertime treats so I was super excited when this Bobby Flay recipe showed up in my inbox, courtesy of MRSW1219 of Tyler’s Taste Tests.

After a weekend of torrential rain, we invited our friends, PSquared, over for dinner once the weather cleared.  We were graced with a perfect evening, and the corn was the star of the show.  Even the kiddos gobbled it up, theirs (ok, maybe ours too) with extra cheese, of course.

Since it’s not quite corn season, the corn in the market didn’t look too great so I was forced to buy the pre-cut and de-husked corn and grilled them in foil packets. The original recipe also called for cotija cheese, which the grocery store did not carry.  We really liked it with the parmesan, but I’ll remain on the search for the cotija since I’m sure we’ll be making this all summer long.  I’d also like to try it with chipotle butter.  YUM!

Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Lime and Parmesan – slightly adapted from Food Network

  • 8 Ears of Corn, preferably in the husks
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, slightly softened
  • 6 Cloves Garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • Habañero Flavored Tabasco, to your preferred level of spiciness
  • 1/4 Bunch Fresh Chives, chopped, 2 Tbsp reserved
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Limes, cut into quarters
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan

Preheat grill to medium.  Without removing, peel back the husks of the corn, remove the silks, and recover the corn with the husks.  Soak the corn in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes.  Remove corn from the water and grill, covered, 15 to 20 minutes.  If not using corn in the husk, soak as directed above, then wrap each ear in foil before placing on the grill.

In the meantime, combine butter, garlic, habañero Tabasco, chives, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Once corn is done, peel back the husks and spread the garlic butter liberally over the the cobs.  Spoon the cheese onto the corn and squeeze the limes over the tops.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. chopped chives.



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Leek and Artichoke Matzo Kugel.

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Jey| 1 Comment

Happy Passover (or Happy Tuesday)!

Food during Passover can be pretty boring…. but thanks to Cara of Cara’s Cravings, it doesn’t have to be!

Cara does an amazing Passover series each year, and her recipes are incredibly inspiring.  Just check out this one for Picadillo Stuffed Matzo Balls… So creative!

So I when I was asked to bring a dish to my family’s seder, I immediately ran to my laptop and opened up Cara’s blog and starting drooling over her Leek and Artichoke Matzo Kugel recipe.

Artichokes and leeks are a couple of my favorite things, so to combine them into one dish?  YUM!  I literally had to stop myself from eating the vegetables straight out of the pan.  I stayed fairly close to the original recipe, only adding some fresh garlic and parmesan cheese.

And the fam loved it too.  There were no leftovers to take home!

Artichoke and Leek Matzo Kugel – slightly adapted from Cara’s Cravings

  • 8 Sheets Matzo
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
  • 4 Medium Leeks, thinly sliced
  • 3 14 oz. Cans Artichoke Hearts, roughly chopped
  • 10 Eggs
  • 1 tsp. Dried Dill
  • 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and leeks and saute for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly browned.  Add the artichokes and cook a few minutes more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Break the matzo into small pieces in a bowl and cover with warm water.  Let sit for a few minutes then drain in a colander.

Break eggs into a large bowl and beat with the dill, nutmeg and parmesan.  Fold in the matzo and vegetables and pour into a 9×13 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 50 minutes, until kugel is set and lightly browned.

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