kale salad
1 large bunch kale chopped
2 or 3 carrots shredded
1 red pepper
1 cup sliced almonds dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1 small shallot minced
3 tbs fresh ginger root, peeled then minced
1 clove garlic sliced
3 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs toasted sesame oil
3 tbs chopped cilantro
zest of 1 lime black pepper
and salt to taste combine,

dress and let sit for at least an hour

via tend

Panzanella

Made this tonight and it was summery and good

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Quesadillas stuffed with greens and feta

Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, please share it with us: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish. Oil 1/3 cup minced onion 1 pound mixed cooking greens, such as kale, mustard and collard 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup diced feta cheese 12 corn tortillas 1/4 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut in small dice 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until it softens and begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes. 2. While the onion is cooking, rinse the greens in a colander, but don't dry them. When the onion is ready, add the greens along with any water that clings to the leaves to the skillet. Season with salt and red pepper, sprinkle with garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are quite tender, about 15 minutes. 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta. 4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil on a griddle over medium heat; use a spatula to distribute it so the surface is evenly covered. If you don't have a large griddle, you can use a skillet, but you'll have to cook the quesadillas in more than one batch. Add the tortillas and cook on one side until they have softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them to the other side and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the greens in the center. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling. 5. Cook until the tortilla begins to brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip onto the other side and cook until the tortilla browns on that side and the mozzarella is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. If some of the melting cheese oozes onto the griddle, that's even better. Repeat if necessary to use up all of the tortillas and filling. 6. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all of the quesadillas have been made. via LA times

Harissa

Guajillo and New Mexico chiles, according to cookbook author Paula Wolfert, are the closest to the peppers of Nabeul and Gabès in Tunisia. Use one or both, or add a few chipotle chiles into the mix: The smokiness of the chipotles adds a terrific earthy note. Or, if you like more heat, add a generous handful of chiles de árbol or even some red-hot Thai chiles -- the flavors will mellow a bit, though not that much. Put the dried chiles into a bowl, cover with boiling water and allow them to soften for half an hour. Though many recipes call for warm or even tepid water, rehydrating chiles in boiling water softens up their papery skin and allows them to blend more easily, resulting in a smoother paste. Then blend the chiles, spices, garlic and salt in a food processor with some olive oil and maybe a little water. Resist the urge to add too much oil; harissa, once finished, is stored with a layer of oil covering the top, so some of that will get mixed in over the course of its use. (Covered like this, it will keep for months in your refrigerator.) -- Basic harissa Total time: 40 minutes Servings: Makes 1 cup Note: You can grind the spices in a spice grinder, a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. 4 ounces dried chiles (equal amounts of New Mexico, guajillo and chipotle chiles) 5 cloves garlic, peeled 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, freshly ground 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, freshly ground 2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, plus extra for storage 1. Place the chiles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let rest until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, then remove the seeds and stems from the chiles. Wear latex or rubber gloves when you do this to avoid irritating your skin. 2. Place the seeded and stemmed chiles into the bowl of a food processor with the garlic and pulse a couple of times. Add the salt, caraway and coriander. Process until smooth, pouring the olive oil into the feeding tube on top as you blend. Add a little water if necessary to achieve the right consistency: The harissa should be a thick paste. To store, top off with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerate. via LA times

RAW ZUCCHINI CRUDO Inspired by Tyler Florence

Use your choice of cheese and herbs.

1 medium farm stand zucchini
1-2 tsp good extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small lemon, juiced
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
fresh feta cheese, crumbled
handful of fresh mint, parsley and chives, finely minced
Method

Slice zucchini into rounds as thin as you can get them with a mandolin, or slowly and carefully with a sharp knife. Arrange on a large plate in shingle formation, overlapping zucchini rounds in one layer. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with good olive oil and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

A few minutes before removing zucchini crudo from refrigerator, soak red onion slices in remaining lemon juice. Remove chilled zucchini crudo and top with red onions, crumbled feta and herbs. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

via http://kissmyspatula.com/2010/08/09/zucchini-crudo/

d.i.y. olives

mix olive with oregano, bay leaf ripped up, crumbled dried chilies, pepper, coriander seeds or fennel, pack in jar and cover with oil. --use dried spices


Also... How to make yoghurt:

4 1/2 cups milk--organic
16 oz plain natural yoghurt
bring milk to boil--then turn off heat, cool 40 miutes--whisk in yogurt cover and leave at room temp 6-8 hoursthen chill

Crunchy thai salad

combo of sprouts, peppers, spinach, chillies, arugula, scallions, cukes, cabbage, snap peas, mint, basil, cilantro, toasted cashews sesame seeds, cooked and chilled egg noodles,

Thai dressing:

4 T lime juice
3 T olive oil
1 T sesame seed oil
1 T soy sauce
pinch brown sugar
1 T ginger chopped
1/2 clove garlic
1 chilli seeded and finel sliced
1 large handful cilantro and basil chopped!

via jamie oliver

who wants to make these!?!

Cardamom Doughnuts

by amanda
This recipe was given to food52 by Adam Baumgart, the pastry chef at Bluebird Coffee Shop in the East Village.

Makes 9 doughnuts and 9 doughnut holes

2 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 3/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
11 milliliters lukewarm water
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
95 milliliters whole milk
95 milliliters buttermilk
13 tablespoons unsalted Plugra or other high butterfat butter, at room temperature
1 cup pistachios, finely chopped (by hand, not in a food processor)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Mix together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Stir together the yeast and water in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon), combine the chilled flour mixture, the eggs, egg yolks, milk and buttermilk. Mix on low speed until a dough forms. It might be a little shaggy on the sides and that’s ok.

Add the yeast and continue mixing on low for 3 minutes. Pinch a piece of dough. It should be quite soft and sticky but should begin to stretch. If not, keep kneading for another 2 minutes.

Add the Plugra butter, 1/ 3 at a time, and let the mixer knead for 5 minutes after each addition. The dough should become very smooth and elastic. It will seem impossibly soft, and should feel a little bouncy like a marshmallow. Don’t despair. This is right.

Brush a bowl twice the size of the dough mixture with oil. Scrape the dough into the bowl. Lightly brush the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Using a dough scraper, fold in the sides of the dough (don’t punch it down, just fold it). Let rest, covered, for another 45 minutes, then fold it again. Cover and place the dough in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 8 hours).

Lightly flour a work surface. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have your kitchen scale ready (if not you’ll be dividing the dough into 9 equal pieces) and a spray bottle filled with water. Spread the chopped pistachios on a small plate. Remove the dough from the bowl and set it onto the floured surface. Using your dough scraper, cut and weigh out 100 g pieces. You should have exactly 9 pieces.

Using as little flour as possible, shape the dough pieces into rolls, and set the rolls on a floured portion of the work surface, at least 5 inches apart. Let rest for 10 minutes. If the dough becomes difficult to handle at any time, put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Get out your 1-and-1/2-inch round cookie cutter. One at a time, firmly pat the rolls into 1/2-inch-thick disks. Cut out the centers with the cookie cutter.

Working one doughnut at a time, spray a doughnut with just enough water to wet its surface. Dip the wet side of the doughnut into the pistachios, and set, nut-side-up, on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until fluffy and light – the doughnut should bounce back when pressed – about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the doughnuts for 6 minutes, then turn the baking sheets from back to front and continue baking until lightly browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 more minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoonsbutter and place the sugar in a wide, shallow bowl.

After removing the doughnuts from the oven, again working one at a time, brush the doughnuts with butter, then dip in the sugar, and set on a baking rack to cool.

G. Paltrow's favorite dressing

I made the dressing and liked it--but would cut back on the honey next time.

Balsamic & Lime Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons light agave nectar (or honey)
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

"friends always ask for the recipe" -G. Paltrow

spring recipes

Pea Greens and Sugar Snaps with Preserved Lemon Cream

6 ounces soft goat cheese
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon, seeds removed
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or substitute regular lemon juice and add 1/2 teaspoon of honey)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sugar snap peas, rinsed
4 cups densely packed pea greens
2 cups densely packed pea shoots
1/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Using an electric mixer, whip the goat cheese for 2 minutes at medium speed. Fold in the crème fraîche and preserved lemon and set aside (you can cover and refrigerate this for up to a week). Whisk together the Meyer lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, blanch the sugar snaps for 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and immerse in ice water. Drain well and set aside.
Gently rinse and dry all of the greens, including the basil.
When you are ready to assemble the salad, gently toss the pea greens, pea shoots, and sugar snaps with the dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the basil leaves into thin ribbons and add to the salad with the chives, tossing gently. Run a thick smear of the goat cheese mixture along the center of each plate and arrange some of the salad on top. Serve immediately. Ask a question about this step.

Thai-Inspired Asparagus Salad:

1 bunch asparagus
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste or sauce
1/2 jalapeño, minced, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
2 teaspoons prepared lemongrass, finely minced
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Prepare asparagus by trimming off the woody ends and peeling off the pointed from the bottom half of the stalks. Blanch asparagus in salted water until al dente.
In a bowl or jar, combine all other ingredients and stir or shake until sugar dissolves and oil and lime juice are well combined. Prepared lemongrass is sold in Asian markets and in Whole Foods -- if using fresh lemongrass, peel the outer stalks and use only the softer inner portion, soaking in warm water or very briefly boiling to soften.
Shock asparagus in ice water, drain, and place in salad bowl. Pour dressing over asparagus.

SERVES 8

Horseradish Vodka :

1 piece fresh horseradish root (enough for 1 cup coarsely grated)
1/4 cup whole peppercorns
1-3 whole dried chiles
Bloody Mary Mix:

1 32 ounce bottle of low sodium V8
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1-3 tablespoon prepared horseradish
salt and pepper
lemon
celery seed
Old Bay
garnishes of choice: celery, pickled green beans, and lemon wedges
Grate 1 cup fresh horseradish on large holes of a box grater. This will be very fragrant. Add grated horseradish to 1 liter of vodka with the peppercorns and whole chiles. Let steep overnight (not longer!).
Strain vodka and put back in bottle. Taste the vodka for heat before adding horseradish to the Bloody Mary mix.
Pour 1/4 cup of V8 juice out of bottle into a cup. Mix Worcestershire, Tabasco, horseradish, salt, and pepper into the bottle of V8 and shake vigorously. If using immediately distribute the non-mixed V8 between the drinks.
Add ice to glasses, add vodka, add Bloody Mary mix, add a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of celery seeds, sprinkle of Old Bay and stir. Add celery, pickled green bean, and lemon wedge as garnish.
Drink and enjoy the holidays with your friends and family!

Adapted from food52.com

"Mom's Caramel Rolls"

I have made these and find that consistent with the other reviewers they are easy, consistent, and moist. Some reviewers only used 6 C flour.

Prep Time: 2 hrs Total Time: 2 1/2 hrsServings: 18

By Sidd
About This Recipe
"Here is a recipe that I remember the most about my mom's baking. She has it committed to memory. I am glad I did get it out of her. It is a very easy recipe to make. I hope your family gets as much enjoyment out of it as mine does."

Ingredients
2 cups warm water ( not hot)
2 (1/4 ounce) package yeast ( 2 T bulk)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons butter ( let sit out until soft)
1 eggs
6 1/2 cups flour
cinnamon-sugar mixture
Topping
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons water
Directions
Mix water and yeast and wait 5 minutes.
Stir in sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.
Add egg and butter and mix.
Stir in rest of flour by hand, if dough is still sticky add just enough to make it not sticky anymore.
Let raise until dough is double in size.
Sprinkle flour on surface and roll dough out until is approx 18 X 12 inches.
Spread a very thin layer of soft butter on dough and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on it.
Roll dough from the long side, it should look like a log.
Cut into 1 inch pieces.
Should be 18 pieces.
Place brown sugar and butter into microwave dish and heat until butter is just melted; stir well.
Page 2 of 2Mom's Caramel Rolls (cont.)
Directions (cont.)
Stir in 3 T water.
Divide mixture into 3 pans (8-inch cake pans).
Place 6 pieces in each pan.
Let raise for about 45 minutes.
Bake for 20 minutes in a 325°F oven.
When you take out of oven, turn each pan of rolls over on a plate, otherwise you will have a hard time getting them out when they cool.
If you can, let them cool slightly and enjoy them when they are still warm.

Another! Kale salad recipe, with bonus! (beets)

1 ripe avocado, halved, seed removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch kale (8 oz.), stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 small red beet, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sweet, crisp apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Dress with the following:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

via whole life livin'

pizza rosa al bianco

This was quite tasty

dough
red onion--finely sliced
3/4 cup parm
pine or pistachio nuts
2 t rosemary leaves
2 T olive oil

bake at max temps

3 cheese with roasted eggplant, tom and lemon

dough
1/2 c gruyer or gouda
1 c roasted eggplant tom and lemon topping
1/4 c feta
1/8 c parm or pec

half of cheese on pizza-topping, then more cheese including feta

More pizza peps

sweet and sour onion marmalade

1/4 c olive oil
4 large white or yellow onions cut into thin strips
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
heat oil add onions and saute for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. add sugar , stir for 3 min until sugar melts
pour vinegar into a cleared space in center o f pan and stir into onions, when reduced remove from heat--stir in s & p--keeps for 2 weeks
good with blue cheese and walnuts
or
butternut puree with thyme parsley, toasted pine nuts, arugula, spicy oil, and a mozz/parm mix
or
mozz, gruyre, gouda, pram blend or combo, with a little blue kHz, walnuts or pecans, scallions or chives and or arugula

or

mozz and pram, with sauteed mushrooms, grilled peppers or spinach or arugula, butternut puree, and mascarpone, and spicy oil



butternut squash puree
1 butternut cut into 8 sections and de-seeded
1 c water
s & p
combine water and squash--cover & bring to boil-lower heat-simmer 20 min until tender drain water -reserving it.
when squash is cool--scoop out flesh and discard skin--puree until creemmee-using cooking water to get a good consistency---lasts for 2 weeks in fridge or 6 months in freezer

Roasted eggplant, tomato, and lemon topping

use in small dollops! one on a pizza
1 eggplant cut into 1/3 inch slices
1 large onion cut into thin strips
4 large tomatoes-cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 lb kalamata olives -pitted
1 T salt
zest and juice of 3 lemons-blanch for 15 seconds in boiling water if not organic to remove pesticide
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 t pepper
heat oven to 500 --combine all ingredients except pepper and mix
stir every 15 minutes for 50 total--turn to broiler and cook for 8 min.
2 weeks in fridge-6 in freezer

oil infusion!

for herbal salve oil

1/2 c herbs
1/2 cup oil

mix in glass jar--removing air bubbles with a knife
put 1/2 inch of alcohol (high proof) on top
cover with 4 layers of cheesecloth and a rubber band to secure it
set in sunny window or warm spot for 2 weeks-until alcohol evaporates and oil assumes color of herbs
drain oil---making sure to not retain the sediment in the bottom of the oil-store out of light.

Herb oil

2 C olive oil
2 T dried basil
1T dried oregao
1 T fresh rosemary
1T dried thyme
10 cloves garlic pressed and lightly sauteed in 1/2 cup of the olive oil above
1 T kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t chile flakes
1 t sweet or hot paprika

If you use fresh herbs--cover with oil and triple the amounts above
use whole not ground herbs, this will last for several moths in the fridge, but only a week if made with fresh herbs

crushed tomato sauce

for pizza
adapted from Peter Reinhart

1 can (28 oz( crushed tomatoes
1/4 t pepper
1 t dried basil or 2Tfresh
1 t oregano
5 cloves fresh garlic pressed
2 T red wine vinegar or lemon juice or combo
1 t salt to taste if needed

mix and store up to 1 week in fridge

Some pizza amp-up ideas

Balsamic syrup: for enlivening pizza

2 cups Balsamic brought to a boil, then turned down to low, reduced 1 cup,
stored in squeeze bottle at room temp indefinitely

Spicy Oil:

1C olive oil
4 t sweet or hot paprika
4 t chile flakes
1 large garlic clove peeled
1/4 t salt (optional)

combine except for salt--bring to boil over medium heat, reduce to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes--cool for 30 minutes and strain--cover and store in fridge for 2 weeks
drizzle over almost any pizza

Tapenade

1/2 lb dry packed sun0dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
20 Kalamata olives
1/2 cup ev olive oil
1 t red wine vinegar
3 large cloves garlic
1/4 t dried oregano
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt
combine all but salt in food processor until smooth paste, season with salt if needed. Store in fridge for several months

Whole Grain Anadama Bread

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads



For the soaker:

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 ounces) cornmeal
7 tablespoons (2 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) water

Mix the soaker ingredients until evenly hydrated. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.

For the biga:

1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature

Mix the biga ingredients until a rough ball of dough is formed. Knead the dough for about 2 to 3 minutes to ensure that the dough is evenly hydrated throughout. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.


anadama soaker and biga

For the final dough:

all of the soaker
all of the biga
1 cup (4.5 ounces) whole wheat flour
5/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Notes:

You can also use 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to replace the butter.
Remove the biga from the refrigerator about 2 hours before making the final dough. Cut up the soaker and biga into small pieces and combine with all of the final dough ingredients. Mixing the soaker and biga in this manner is the main idea behind Reinhart’s epoxy method.



Mix until a rough ball is formed.



Knead for about 5 minutes, making sure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes then knead again briefly for about 1 minute. Notice how differently the dough feels after the 5 minute rest. This step helps strengthen the gluten.



Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes or until 1 1/2 times its size.

Transfer the dough gently to a lightly floured counter and shape the loaf:




Place the shaped dough in a greased 4 by 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. My sandwich loaf pan is slightly larger but it will do just fine. Cover the loaf pan loosely and let rise at room temperature for another 45 to 60 minutes or until 1 1/2 times its size.


shaped anadama loaf proofing in the bread pan

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is browned well on all sides and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.



Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 1 hour.