I made a post out of what I had on hand! Congratulations, self! I have wandered from my grocery budget lately. I can pinch pennies on most things, but get me to a market and I feel like I am spending monopoly money. The same girl who holds on to gift cards that have under a fifty cent value... yeah. Lately, I've been coming home with pretty bottles of red wine from Trader Joes and the things is, I prefer white wines, I don't even like red wine! They're inexpensive bottles, but that's beside the point. So, of course I cried out of guilt, punished myself by drinking the red wine I don't even like (this is a confusing punishment, I'm aware), and am pretty sure I snapped out of the grocery addiction.
I tend to become a bit unmotivated when the weather warms up, and I'm certainly not turning on our ancient oven which heats up the entire upstairs. I have loads of green beans from my CSA basket, and admit they're not really a vegetable I would purchase otherwise. The green bean isn't known for being the most versatile ingredient - sort of akwardly lanky and reminiscent of your grandma's, creamy holiday casserole. But as a hater of waste and in my renewed frugalness, I dressed them up enough to be a dish I would bring to a backyard dinner party, or something I would take a bite of while passing the fridge for a snack.
The green beans stay crisp from a quick blanch, and the quinoa adds a bit of protein to fill you up. If you like your salads to be a little easier to eat, simply chop up those lanky beans to bite size pieces. Ignore the oven, have a tasty salad and it's the weekend again, party people.
GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD // Serves 4-6
I made my dressing with a lemon infused olive oil because I had some and I am obsessed with it, but it is not necessary. Use that if you have it, and if you'd like a bit of citrus, add a bit of fresh lemon zest when tossing everything together.
// Dressing //
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic or champagne vinegar
2 tsp. agave nectar or honey
2 cloves garlic, grated
Handful of basil leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup quinoa (black or red is pretty, but any color works)
1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
4 scallions/green onions
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, roughly chopped
In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.
Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and leave the cover ajar to cool.
Blanch or steam the green beans until just barely tender. Drain well. Give them a rough chop. Add green beans to the cooled quinoa. Thinly slice the scallions and add them, and half of the chopped hazelnuts to the bowl and toss with desired amount of the dressing. Finish the salad with a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the rest of the hazelnuts. We could add some shaved parm here. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge. The leftovers hold up great.
Adele's newest album. If I wasn't pursuing a career in food, I would try out to be her back up singer. I'm already practicing in the car as it's always smart to have a plan B.
Perusing recipe ideas on Pinterest (Introduction to this organizational wonderland from my sister in law whose offspring can also fall on this list).
Positive, encouraging emails from you party people. I appreciate letters/emails so so much.
Dried beans from Rancho Gordo. Most specifically the Runner Cannellini Beans. Big, creamy, pillowy white beans. Never thought I would be so particular that I would be mail ordering beans, but, here I am.
The last Meyer lemons from my parents tree. Homemade Apricot Jam. Puffins Cereal. Lessons learned. Love.
Because I want to offer more meal ideas, I will point you over to Lovely Morning for these fabulous looking veggie burgers. That tasty recipe and some of these baked fries and you've got yourself a filling and tasty dinner!
Because I know you are thinking what I thought, "will this work with yams/sweet potatoes?". I tried it. They have a higher water content than a russet, so they don't quite crisp up like russet. I still ate them, of course, but comparatively, they need a few minutes longer in the oven and were still a tad soggy in texture. Tasty? Yes. Crispy pomme frite? No.
1 Russet Potato (about 10 oz.)
1 Tbsp. Melted Coconut Oil or Ghee
Heaping 1/2 tsp. Curry Powder
Few generous pinches of Salt
Cucumber Dip
1/3 Cup Seeded and Finely Diced Cucumber
1 Tbsp. Chopped Mint
1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
1/2 Cup Whole or Lowfat Greek Yogurt
Salt + Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 415'
1. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the potato into 1/8'' slices, lengthwise. Pat them dry with a dishtowel or paper towel. Layer up like-size pieces, and cut them into small matchsticks, more narrow than a ballpoint pen.
2. Toss the matchsticks gently with the curry mix. Matchsticks should be coated, but not soggy. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and put lay as many as you can in a single layer, this will have to be done in shifts. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Bake them on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Watch them closely, you want them to have some brown spots, but not turn to charcoal. Mine were super thin, so they got a bit charred.
3. While they bake, mix the diced cucumber, both herbs, yogurt and a pinch of salt and pepper together and set aside.
4. Eat them hot from the oven with the yogurt dip. You can use the same parchment for the second round, or prepare a second baking tray and put it in as soon as the first batch is done. Repeat process of spreading them out in a single layer with a few pinches of salt on top.
I have this almond strawberry shortcake recipe for the book that I have now made four times. I love this cake, but honestly I would be ok if I didn't have it again for awhile. Not to mention there are two of us in this lovely apartment, and I have a paranoia about food going to waste, so even while giving some away to friends, guess who has been eating a lot of cake? Yea. So I went to Zumba last night, trying to make up for cake... and scones. Have you been? It's so ridiculous that I keep going back. It's a workout of embarassing salsa-type moves that make me feel like I am in some terrible latin children's musical. The high school girls in their booty shorts and the older women who wear jingly belly dancing belts, it's entertaining, but still liberating in its own way. I think it's because there is no way you could take yourself seriously in that hour, and I like being forced into that state of mind.
I have unsuccessfully made scones a few times, but this recipe is my sweet victory for the previous batches which either spread flat or came out tasteless. Their edges may be imperfect and they don't have the lighteness that a bakery scone using all white flour yields, but I wouldn't change it. The spelt and oat bran give a warmth and heartiness to the scone, while it still welcomes a thin shmear of creme fraiche or butter. The trick to a good scone is to use your hands, not tools, so you can be gentle as possible as to not overmix and work quickly so the batter stays cold. I may not be a master yet, but these are pretty delicious.
DATE + PECAN SCONES // Makes 8
Ratios adapted from Maria Speck's Ancient Grains for Modern Meals
1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Spelt Flour
1/2 Cup Oat Bran
1/4 Cup Natural Cane Sugar
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Nutmeg
2 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans
5 Medjool Dates, cut in small pieces
6 Tbsp. Butter, cold
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp. Orange Zest
Turbinado Sugar for Garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 400'. Mix both flours, oat bran, sugar, salt, nutmeg and baking powder together. Mix in the chopped pecans and dates.
2. Working quickly, cut the butter into chunks and work it in to the flour mix with your fingers until you get small pebbles.
3. Whisk the egg, cream and zest together and add about 3/4 of the cream to the flour and incorporate with as few stirs as possible. Add more of the cream as needed until you get a shaggy dough that just holds itself together. Pat it together and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in two and make two disks that are about 1.5'' thick. If you just want to cook four scones for now, wrap the other disk tightly in saran wrap and keep it in the fridge. Cut the disk in half, then in half the other way so you get four triangles. Place them on the parchment. Brush a bit of the remaining cream on top and sprinkle a few pinches of turbinado sugar on top. Bake on the middle rack for 16-18 minutes, rotating the baking tray half way through cooking. Remove to cool. Serve just above room temperature with a bit of creme fraiche.
