In The Kitchen: Kale, Avocado & Chickpea Salad

Sorry for the blurry iPhone pic

I've been trying to eat healthier in the new year, and kale is one of my favorite quick weeknight sides. This Kale Salad is hearty enough to be an entree that's perfect for when the hubs is out of town. 

Kale, Avocado, & Chickpea Salad

1 bunch kale

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans (depending on your region)

1/2 avocado

1 lemon

honey

olive oil

red pepper flakes

lemon pepper (optional)

salt & pepper

Remove the kale from ribs, tear into pieces, and saute in a pan with olive oil, pinch of salt & pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute until the kale turns bright green. Drizzle with honey and toss until coated. Remove kale from heat and put in a large bowl. 

Dice the avocado and top with lemon pepper (my favorite spice). Drain the chickpeas. Toss avocado and chickpeas in the bowl. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon on top and toss together. Let sit for an hour if you can wait. Viola!

Sauteed kale with red pepper flakes

Avocado with lemon pepper

In The Kitchen: Key Lime Meltaways

My house smells like sweet, citrusy goodness right now. I've got a batch of Key Lime Meltaways in the oven. These little cookies are a perfect hostess gift for fall dinners. The best part is, you can freeze extra dough and cut off a few cookies whenever you want a sweet treat.

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen:

Yield: 5 dozen
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup plus
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (a.k.a. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.
3. Between two 8-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Remove parchment from logs; slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, just three or four minutes. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag; toss to coat. (**I perfered to use a sift and shake powdered sugar over the cookies) Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

In the Kitchen: Banh For Mi!

Farm Cart Menu Board





Living in Athens, we have tons of amazing restaurant options. One of my favorites is The Farm Cart (lunch off-shoot of Farm 255). Mr. Fonty, Fonty Dog and I can be found on their patio most Mondays and Fridays around noon. I'm completely addicted to their Veggie Banh Mi.

A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that has taken on a myriad of variations, but at the heart of a Banh Mi is always vegetables - pickled carrots, cabbage, daikon radishes, cilantro, and spicy mayonnaise. These sandwiches are delicious with marinated pork, sausage, or last night's leftovers.

Farm Cart's masterful creation
Visions of Banh Mi dance in my head...

Great, soft bread is the foundation of any good sandwich, and the Farm Cart gets their baguettes around the corner at Big City Bread. But the real secret to their veggie version of this sandwich is the perfectly hard-boiled eggs. I spent some time with Martha and Good Food Fast to master the art of hard boiling. I'm going to spend my summer eating this delightful sandwich.

Vegetarian Banh Mi
(makes 2)
1 Fresh baguette - cut in half and sliced lengthwise
1 Carrot shredded
Shredded cabbage
1/2 Purple onion
4 Hard boiled egg sliced (see instructions on prefect eggs below)
Handful of Arugula
Cilantro
1 tsp. Siracha
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
(optional items if you want to pickle your vegetables)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup distilled vinegar

Coarse Kosher salt

(Optional) Pickle your vegetables - Combine pickling liquids, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cool mixture and add shredded carrots, daikons, and onions. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Mix mayonnaise & Siracha.

Spread chili mayonnaise on both sides of the baguette, and bake at 450 until bread warmed. Stack the ingredients, starting with the eggs and finishing with the arugula & cilantro. Eat with excitement and vigor.

Here's another great looking recipe for a Pork Meatball Banh Mi from Bon Appetit.

Tips to Hard Boiling (From Good Food Fast)

It was within the last year that I realized the eggs I have been eating my entire life - the super dry, greenish yolk kind - were completely over cooked! No wonder I've been throwing the yolk away. This new technique makes eggs fool proof.

Put 4 eggs in a saucepan and cover with water 1 inch above the eggs. Cook on high heat until the water simmers. Once the water simmers. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Unpeeled eggs can be kept refrigerated for one week.

Simmer, simmer



Perfect eggs!

In the Kitchen: Clams Casino Linguine

(All pictures from How Sweet It Is since hers were way better than mine)

I know it is hard to believe the weather will ever cool down, but this recipe is perfect for those first few nights when Fall beings to flirt with us.
Clams Casino Linguine feels like a recipe you'd find in a 1970's edition of Time Life Cooking, and there is something delicious about eating retro. I got the recipe from How Sweet It Is. She also turns the pasta into a pizza which looks pretty incredible too. I want feedback if you make the pizza. 

Clams Casino Linguine
serves 3-4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans minced clams in clam juice, 13 ounces total
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 pound linguine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese + more for garnish
freshly chopped basil for garnish

Boil a pot of water for pasta and cook according to directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add chopped onions and peppers with a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in both cans of clams + juice and bring the mixture to a boil. Add white wine and let mixture simmer for about 5 full minutes. Stir in butter.
Turn heat down to low and add cooked linguine. Toss to allow the noodles to soak up the sauce. Add in parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and basil.
Serve with additional parmesan and crusty bread.
  





Yum!



In the Kitchen: Tavern on the Greens

A couple weeks ago, I had about 12 hours in my former home, Nashville, TN. Luckily my shortened trip perfectly coincided with the birthday celebration for one of the finest friends ever. Beverly's birthday party 6 years earlier also happens to be when I really became friends with this amazing group of gals. It was so fun to be back with our supper club group doing what we do best - drinking wine, eating, and gossiping. With 10 weddings, 4 babies - and 3 on the way - under our belts, girls, we've come a long way from our days front row at The Stage and throwing darts at The Villager. I'm lucky to have you all in my life. 

Enough of the sap, I'll get to the point of this post. We celebrated at Tavern in Nashville. (I highly recommend it if you find yourself in the 'Ville). A good half of our group ordered the Kale and Parmesan Salad, and I have not been able to stop craving it ever since. I did my best to figure out what went into this salad, and now that I've figured it out, I plan to eat it every day.

Kale and Parmesan Salad
4 cups Kale cut stripped off stems
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/4 cup lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Blanch the Kale. Dry thoroughly in a salad spinner.
Pulse in food processor for 15-20 pulses.
Move to bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.

I had my kale salad topped with a delicious piece of grilled mahi. It was a perfect light meal for a hot day.

Pulse the kale in a food processor

Mix in ingredients. I used just enough olive oil to coat it. I didn't want it to be a pesto.

Bon Appetite!
I actually had to omit the parm, because mine was moldy (lovely).  It was still delicious even without the cheese - but I will never leave the cheese out again. Life is too short.

In The Kitchen: Pulled Pork Tacos

This week we are featuring all things Texas! We are going to Mr. Fonty's ranch in the Texas Hill Country for the 4th. Nothing is more Tejas than Pulled Pork!
Mr. Fonty and I usually have what we've dubbed "Slow Cook Sunday", where I will braise a big ole hunk of meat all Sunday long. Since the weather just keeps getting hotter here in GA, short ribs, roasts, and anything served with a side of mashed potatoes are sounding less and less enticing. I've had to recreate braising recipes to be summer friendly.
Thankfully, we received the Cadillac of slow cookers: The All Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker (Thanks Levys!). The insert can be removed and used to saute vegetables and brown the meat. It also saves me from heating our entire house while cooking for 5 hours. Looks like Slow Cook Sunday will live on despite the heat!
This past Wednesday, we celebrated Athfest with all the New West folks in town from LA and Houston. We had about 30 people over, and I wanted something easy to serve that wouldn't require the oven. These pulled pork tacos were a huge hit, and so easy to make in advance. It was a great mid-week dinner party dish. I love the spicy cayenne with the sweet, yet wintery flavors of the cider, all spice and clove.

Pulled Pork Tacos:
3 lbs. Boston Butt (bone-in or out is fine)
1 onion diced
5 cloves smashed garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup Apple Cider
1/2  cup water
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1 Bay Leaf
All spice
Cloves
Salt & Pepper
Oil

Season meat generously with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a heavy pan (or slow cooker insert). Sear the meat on all 4 sides. Cook for roughly 10 minutes total.
Set meat aside
Cook the onions, garlic and spices in meat oil. Once the onions are translucent pour in the apple cider vinegar (keep your face from the fumes. A vinegar facial is no fun). Boil until the vinegar evaporates. Add the cider and the water. Stir. Add the can of tomatoes with juices squeezing the tomatoes in your hands. Stir.
Add the meat, cloves, all spice, and bay leaf and spoon sauce so it covers the meat.
Cover with lid.
Cook on Low for 8-10 hours until meat pulls apart easily.
Set meat aside. Pour cooking juice through a fine sieve to remove any vegetable. Refrigerate to separate the fat.
Pull the meat apart with 2 forks or your hands. *I did everything up to this step 2 days ahead.

When you are ready to serve, remove fat layer from cooking juices.
Heat juice and re-spice until thickened and reduced to 2/3. Add the pulled beef to reheat.
Put in serving bowl with tongs for guests to serve themselves in small tortillas.

Serve with a combination of any of the following:
Tortillas
Cole Slaw (Here is a great slaw recipe. I like to add green apple slivers when serving with pulled pork)
Cilantro
Chopped Onion/Jalapeno
Avocado slices
Lime wedges


Season the meat



Sear the meat to lock in the juices



Simmer the tomatoes and onions

I like this Pear & Cinnamon Cider from Trader Joes's

Cover the meat with the sauce

I forgot to take more pictures, but here's an idea of the finished product:

Smitten Kitchen

This recipe can also be done in a Dutch oven at 325 for 4-5 hours. (i haven't timed a boston butt in a few months so this is an estimate. I'll revisit for exact timing in the fall when it cools down a bit.)

In the Kitchen: Salted Caramel Sauce

Next weekend, we'll be with Mr. Fonty's parents. His mom and I have been known to eat spoonfuls of caramel out of the jar, so I thought it would be fun to bring something homemade out to the farm. I had Ina on in the background for inspiration at my third (yes, THIRD) attempt at making salted caramel sauce. My first try yielded me a grainy, super buttery version of caramel sauce (not that this went uneaten). My second had chunks of sugar that never dissolved. I turned this into an ugly, homemade version of a Werthers Original. I knew with Ina's encouragement, I could do better.

Recipe adapted from here:

1.5 cups granulated sugar 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fleur de sal (to taste)

1. Place the sugar medium-low heat until it turns golden brown. Just ignore the sugar. Stirring will crystallize

2. Add the butter little by little while gently stirring with a spoon. (Finally I get to stir!)

3. Add the Fleur De Sal, and cook for an additional two minutes. 4. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the warmed cream and vanilla. Mix until well combined. 5. Pour into jars and let cool. The spread should keep for at least three months in the refrigerator. I've learned (through many attempts) the key to caramel is to resist the urge to stir, while still making sure the sugar doesn't burn. (I have no will power and had to stir a bit, so that is why there are little chunks. Ina would be so disappointed)

After the butter is added, stir in the cream: Because I was not patient. I had some lumps that I strained out: TA-DA! The finished product. Now I have to try not to eat it all before Friday.

I actually tried 2 different techniques simultaneously. I'll do a review of the other one another day. We'll do a taste test this weekend to see which has better results.